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I have been making these waffles for years and now my oldest is helping with the measuring, mixing, and breaking of eggs. It's nice to carry on the tradition and I am glad to see my son showing interest. As a former Family and Consumer Science teacher and as a parent, I see great value in teaching my children basic home economics skills. It's funny though when I put on my Home Ec teacher hat and set my (tired/too much to do) Mommy hat aside I have so much more patience with my children when they help in the kitchen.
Coconut oil waffles are super easy to make. I can quickly make the batter and have waffles in no time. I always make a double batch. It's just as easy to double it and have extras on hand as it is to make a single batch. I freeze any extras for busy mornings and easy snacks. They go in the toaster just like eggos, only a section at a time because they are bigger. I sometimes refrigerate extra batter overnight in a covered container and use it the next day for quick waffles.
Notice the homemade blueberry syrup? My husband made amazing blueberry and raspberry syrup. Bringing you those recipes is on my long blogging to do list. I like using coconut oil in these waffles for the health benefits, but you could use canola or vegetable oil instead. 
For several ways to make homemade buttermilk go to mykingcook.com. You can also find lots of great recipes using buttermilk while there.
Ingredients:
1. Heat waffle iron.
2. Mix dry ingredients. 3. Whisk eggs then add remaining wet ingredients. 4. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Stir until combined. Batter will be thick. 
5. Spray waffle iron with cooking oil spray and add about 3/4 cup batter.
6. Cook until done, a few minutes or until steaming stops. Makes 4 waffles in my round waffle maker. You can easily double this recipe so that you can freeze leftovers. Layer waffles between sheets of wax paper and freeze in a ziploc bag. 
Disclosure: The links above for coconut oil are referral links. If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.
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So what do you make when you husband brings home bowls of fresh blueberries? I found myself pondering this question last weekend. You may have seen my updates on instagram as I made this very important decision, finally deciding on a blueberry galette. Galette is a french word referring to a flat round "cake" made of flaky pastry.
It was a very good decision. Make that a delicious crispy crust with soft juicy blueberries decision. This is a very crispy crust and there is a little secret to this crispy crust...vodka. If you are completely against adding liquor to your recipes, you will be fine to use water in place of the vodka. If you don't mind a few spirits in your food and drink, I would go with the vodka.
After making the dough, form a round and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.
Almonds are a main ingredient in this crust. Pulse them in your food processor to get small crumbs. Almonds in any form will do since you are chopping them up... sliced, slivered, or whole.
Roll the dough (it will take some effort) onto a wax paper lined counter. Then invert a buttered pizza pan over the dough and lift the dough sheet onto the pizza pan so that the wax paper side is up. Then gently lift the wax paper off the dough and discard.
Now you have a dough lined pan.
Next, make the filling and place it in the center of the dough.
Place small pats of butter over the filling. Then fold up the edges of the dough around the filling. Lastly, brush the dough with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Ready for the oven!
Beautiful, a rustic masterpiece of flaky pastry and sweet juicy berries. Serve with berry topping and whipped cream or ice cream.
For a printable recipe, copy and paste this into a word document and print.
Linking up at Share the Wealth, Create with Joy, Do Tell Tuesday, The Mommy Club, Dream Create Inspire
I participated in a Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for First Response. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
I remember the excitement of finding out I was pregnant with each of my children. I also remember being unsure after using some pregnancy tests and then retesting with a First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test. From my own experience, it's a brand I trust for early and accurate results.
The First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test is 99% accurate from the first day of the expected period. It is easy to read, two pink lines mean you are pregnant and you can expect results in just 3 minutes. You can also test any time of day. No more trying to remember to test with your first morning urine.
It is available at major drugstores, mass retailers, and grocery stores and retails for $8.99-$15.99. In case if you are wondering, no I am not pregnant. If I was, I wouldn't share it here until I was really far along anyway. Last time, I was 6 months pregnant before making a public announcement on the blog. That little bundle of joy in the ultrasound picture is turning 4 this week. Wow, the years have flown by. I hope to be making another baby announcement one day, but at this time we have some big transitions in our lives that could mean a move in the near future so for the moment, we wait. Anyone have exciting baby news to share? Or anyone trying to conceive, what do you think about the new comfort sure design? 
The First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test has gotten even better. I love the new comfort sure design with a curved shape that is designed to fit a woman's hand, longer handle, and 50% wider tip. This has to be easier to use. No more messy cups or missing the urine stream.
It is also FDA approved. It is designed to detect all relevant forms of hCG throughout pregnancy and will detect pregnancy as early as six days before the first day of your missed period. I know the feeling when you are so sure you are pregnant and can't possibly wait another second to find out. Six days or even a day or two before your period should start can feel like an eternity. Test earlier with First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test and find out sooner.
Disclosure: I received these products for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use these products and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of these products.
I am always ready to try healthy products, so I was excited to try the Xlear and Spry nasal and dental line. These products contain xylitol which is new to me so here is some info.
The benefits of xylitol
After trying these products containing xylitol I have to admit that I like almost all of them. The only thing I didn't like was the bamboo toothbrush. It tasted weird like wood since it is made of bamboo and I didn't feel like it was as flexible as a regular toothbrush. Toothbrush aside, I love the other products.
I tried the Xlear nasal spray which is safe for kids and adults. One of my boys tried it and didn't complain so I'll take that as a "thumbs up" (a good rating from the boys). I have had allergies for as long as I can remember. I used to get an allergy shot every Friday. I even had sinus surgery about 12 years ago because I had so many sinus infections in one year and after further investigation I learned I had polyps which had to be removed. Over the years I have been prescribed many nasal inhalers and I have never liked the way they made me feel so I never used them. I actually like using Xlear nasal spray. It just feels clean and refreshing and I don't get a headache after using it. And since "Xylitol helps the body’s natural cleansing process to clear away allergens, asthmatic triggers and other harmful bacteria" I plan to keep using it. Just the facts about Xlear Nasal Spray
I have been using Spry toothpaste with Xylitol for about a month now and am pleased with the results so far. It is thicker than most toothpastes, but goes onto the toothbrush easily. I like the flavor and it seems to be doing a nice job cleaning my teeth so I would continue to use this product.
Just the facts about Spry Toothpaste Non-Fluoride 
Spry Oral Rinse with Xylitol is actually one of my favorite products. It has a refreshing mild minty flavor and doesn't leave a burning chemical feeling in my mouth like so many mouthwashes do.
Just the facts about Spry Oral Rinse 
The boys and I love Spry Gems mints. I love that they are sugar free and taste great. My favorite flavor is lemon creme. They really are delicious.
Just the facts about Spry Gems 
Spry peppermint gum is refreshing and will help your mouth feel fresh and clean throughout the day.
Just the facts about Spry Gum
Want to try Xlear for yourself?
You can get the Xlear Care Kit (valued at $65) for only $25 by using the code SAVE50. Visit Xlear to order. Win a bottle of Xlear Sinus Care Spray! 
As a Moms Meet blogger, I have the opportunity to try all kinds of healthy products.
Make sure to follow Xlear online. Xlear Facebook Xlear Twitter
Disclosure: I am NOT being paid to share this info with you, but I am sharing because I have received tons of blog traffic from Yummly and thought others could benefit too. Plus, I want you to Yum my recipes because more yums = more traffic.
Once you have written your out of this world fantastic food blog post and edited your award worthy photos that you know everyone would love if they just knew about it ... the tricky part comes. How do you get it in front of an audience, preferably a food loving audience? Of course you plaster your link all over social media, maybe put it on some blog link ups, but how do you get serious traffic? There are actually lots of places to share your food blog posts, but how do you know which ones will bring the most traffic for a small investment of your time? I have been posting to several food sites for a couple of months and hands down, yummly has brought the most traffic. Plus it is really easy to add your recipe posts to yummly.
It is no secret that bloggers want more blog traffic. After all a blog is a lot of work and it's nice to get paid for all of that work through advertising revenues, affiliate links, and sponsored posts. The tricky part is getting people to come to your site and see your amazing brownie recipe because there are about a gazillion other amazing brownie recipes on the web. How do you compete, especially if you are a newer food blogger?
Of course you have to write interesting and reliable posts. Your recipes must be tried and true recipes and you should include a back story to connect with your readers. You don't just want unique views, you want returning views too. Another important element is great photographs. Study food photos on Foodgawker and Tastespotting. Once your photos are good enough, consider submitting to these sites, but know that they are both really really picky. Don't feel bad if your photos are rejected. Many of them will be. Read the feedback given for each rejected photo and learn from it. Read books and blog posts about improving your food photography. I have to recommend Tasty Food Photography. It is a resource written by a hugely successful food blogger that has helped improve my photography skills by leaps and bounds. (affiliate link) 
So what is yummly anyway?
I created a publisher page on yummly and added a yum button to my blog. It is so easy to yum a recipe using the yum button. Simply click on the yum button at the bottom of my recipe posts and you can yum my recipes too. There is also a yum button in my sidebar, but make sure you are on a recipe page and not the homepage when you hit the yum button. My old recipes don't have the yum button yet and I am very particular with what I yum. I want my publisher page to showcase the best of Home Ec @ Home.
It is easy to create an account and if you are a food blogger, set up a publisher page. I noticed a huge increase in blog traffic within a week of using yummly. It is fun to see the yum number increase for each recipe when others yum them too. It's always nice to see that others appreciate your work and the increased traffic is an added blessing. So if you are looking to bring more traffic to your food blog, remember content is King, work on your food photography skills, and create a yummly publisher page and yum your recipes. And to all of my amazing and wonderful readers, yum my recipes (pretty please) because more yums = more traffic. Yummly puts every recipe in the world in your pocket. The most powerful recipe search, the recipe sites you love, your digital recipe box, recipe recommendations just for you, and a smart shopping list - all with you wherever you go. Yummly has the #1 iPhone, iPad and Android apps in addition to millions of website visitors. As recipes get more Yums, they get exposed more often throughout all of our platforms and features.
Linking up at Friendship Friday, Share the Wealth, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Raising Samuels Homeschool, The Mommy Club, Dream Create Inspire, Family Joy , Create with Joy
This is the easiest pizza to make and so delicious. It only takes 30 to 40 minutes from start to finish (including baking time). This is a regular meal in our house and the kids love helping. We add a little more sugar to the crust since we like a sweet crust. Updating an old post, so you may have seen this recipe before. 
Pizza Crust: 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast 1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.) 1 to 2 Tbsp. sugar or sucanat (We use 2 Tbsp.) 1 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 1/2 cups flour Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the rest of the ingredients in and mix. Dump onto a floured surface. Knead into a smooth dough (five minutes or so). Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface and then press down onto a greased pizza pan. Next add pizza sauce, then cheese. Follow with toppings. (Have fun and be creative with this! Our favorite is pepperoni, pineapple, onion and cheese.) Bake at 450 degrees F. for around 12-15 minutes until the crust looks crispy and lightly browned. By the way, you can make up a double or triple batch of the pizza crust dough and freeze the extras if you don’t need it. This speeds up the preparation even more as all you have to do is pull out a bag of dough in the morning and then put the pizza together right before you’re ready to eat.
Adapted from Money Saving Mom.
Linking up at Share the Wealth, The Mommy Club
Disclosure: The Links in this post are affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Home Ec @ Home.
Janie and Jack's Season Finale Semi-Annual Sale is going on now! Through Sunday (today), you can get up to 60% off select styles. I love Janie and Jack styles and have always thought of the brand as very good quality. Hurry to get in on this amazing deal!
Get up to 60% off during Janie and Jack's Season Finale Semi-Annual Sale
I used this breadstick dough to make hot dog buns this Spring and we loved them so much I decided to make hamburger buns too. I have to send a shout out to Money Saving Mom for sharing my hot dog buns and helping popularize the post. Thanks Crystal:)
There are several ways you can shape hamburger buns.
1. Roll the dough out into a sheet and cut the dough with a large biscuit cutter. 2. Roll the dough out into a sheet and cut quickly into squares with a pizza wheel. This will yield square shaped buns. 3. Form the dough into small balls and roll each ball into a small round of dough. (The kids might enjoy helping roll the dough.) 
Since you have total control over your dough, you can make them as big or small as you like. Slider buns would be cool...now I'm thinking of bacon wrapped sliders, yum!
Follow these steps to enjoy easy homemade buns at home.
Put these ingredients in your bread maker in the order listed. 1 cup warm water 1/4 cup olive oil 3 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 3 TBS brown sugar or sucanat 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast 1. Once the dough cycle is finished, roll the dough to about a 10" X 10" square on a large lightly buttered baking sheet. 2. Use one of these methods to shape the dough.
3. Let rise for about an hour. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 15-18 minutes until golden.
Linking up at Create with Joy, Friendship Friday, Share the Wealth, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Raising Samuels Homeschool, Dream, Create, Inspire, The Mommy Club
If you have paid any attention to the news, you have probably heard that egg prices are expected to go up in the near future due to the avian flu outbreak that has been spreading through the US and really hitting the midwest. Reports are in that 44 million chickens and other birds have already been culled.
This is starting to impact food companies who buy wholesale "breaker" eggs and whole eggs which could raise prices on anything from mayonnaise to baked goods. I read that some restaurants have even cut the hours they serve breakfast because of the higher egg prices. I expect prices for whole eggs to increase at the retail level too. Eggs are a big part of our diet, but they have been so inexpensive that they haven't taken a very big chunk of our grocery budget. With the news of prices going up in the near future, I decided to take advantage of the current low prices and stock up and freeze eggs for future use. I stopped in ALDI today and was pleased to see that eggs are still just $0.28 a dozen. You read that correctly, $0.28 a dozen!!! There is a limit of 6 dozen, so I bought 6. 
What can consumers do to offset the increasing costs of eggs?
I hope egg prices don't sky rocket in the near future, but if they do, I'll be prepared (at least for a short term price hike). Have you seen increases yet?
Linking up at Friendship Friday, Share the Wealth
Thank you for supporting Home Ec @ Home. The links in this post are my affiliate links.
I hate being rushed in the morning and having to rush the kids out the door so I try to prepare and get some things done the night before. If I have less to do in the morning, I feel less stressed and things run much more smoothly for our family. There are some nights I go to bed without completing everything I need to do in anticipation of the next day and it creates more work for my morning so I generally try to stick with a nightly routine.
Here are some tips to help you improve your morning routine and hopefully your entire day. 1. Evaluate which tasks eat up your morning time and could be done the night before to help your morning run more smoothly. I like to take a relaxing bath every other day, but this really cut into my morning time and I found myself rushing out the door. I started giving myself half an hour at night to relax in the tub and I love it. No rushing in the morning, kids are in bed and I have much needed alone time. 2. Clean the kitchen every night. I have been doing this for years so it is a habit for me. I love coming down to a clean kitchen every morning. It is easy to start breakfast and the kids can sit right down at the table. 3. Rotate the laundry and fold a load each night. I have to do about 2 loads a day to keep up with our laundry so I make sure to fold a load each night and then I put it away the next day. It is easy to watch a favorite show after the kids have gone to bed and fold a load of laundry. Actually, it's kind of relaxing and I get to catch up on Downtown Abbey, Call the Midwife, or another Masterpiece favorite. 4. Get ideas for lunches and breakfast the night before. Every night during the school year I make sure icepacks go in the freezer at night then I pack non-perishable foods in my son's lunchbox. Anything that I can make ahead and pre-package I put in the fridge the night before. Then all I have to do in the morning is add an ice pack and fresh food (sandwich, fruit, etc.) Our breakfast are pretty simple, usually cereal, fruit, cheese, toast, etc., but I try to get an idea the night before and if we are low on our usual supplies I'll make a loaf of bread, some muffins or boil some eggs so that I am prepared for the morning. 5. Give yourself a bedtime. This is totally new to me. I have been a night owl for as long as I can remember. I always thought I could handle staying up late, but it does interfere with productivity and general mood the next day. After completing Make Over Your Mornings, I decided to try going to bed earlier and see if it really made a difference. I think it makes a huge difference for me and so I plan to continue giving myself a bedtime. I notice my energy levels are higher and I feel like a better, more patient Mom when I get a good night's rest. I took Crystal Paine's (Money Saving Mom) Make Over Your Mornings online course and I loved it. If you are ready to experience more productivity and enjoyment in your life, I highly recommend Make Over Your Mornings. And while you're there, read my testimonial on the Make Over Your Mornings site.
Thank you for supporting Home Ec @ Home. The links in this post are my affiliate links.
Linking up at Do Tell Tuesday, The Mommy Club, Friendship Friday, Create with Joy, Share the Wealth, Raising Samuels Homeschool, Dream Create Inspire
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Welcome to Home Ec @ HomeHi, I'm Faith, a former Family and Consumer Science teacher turned work at home Mom blogger. I love God, my family, and food. You can usually find me in the kitchen preparing family friendly, homemade recipes and taking lots of pictures.   
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