All posts in Weekend Links

Today, Saturday, May 4, is THE LAST DAY that you can purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle Sale. This includes 97 ebooks, 5 ecourses, and over $140 worth of freebies from amazing companies, all for only $29.97!! Just use the “Buy Now” button at the bottom of this post!

Read all about the bundle sale here.

Want to make your own condiments? I made homemade ketchup (and bbq sauce, tartar sauce, and salad dressing this week) in this post.

On Wednesday, I shared a recipe for Mango Cranberry Sorbet. It is so refreshing and perfect for those hot summer days ahead!

Mother’s Day is sooooon! Next Sunday, May 12. Need some gift ideas for the mom in your life? Here are some frugal, DIY options that any mom is sure to love.

I stumbled on a recipe for gluten-free Coconut Custard Cake. It was simply delicious! (And super easy to make!)

If you haven’t purchased your Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle, now is your LAST CHANCE! You don’t want to miss this, there will be no late sales!

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Every Saturday we highlight posts that we loved from around the web, and check-in with the editors to see what is happening. Here is what I have been up to this week:

I have been busy planning a trip to St. Louis to see family and friends, and co-host a wedding shower for my cousin who is getting married in June. I haven’t been ‘home’ since May, so it will be nice to see everyone, although I am not looking forward to the 4-hour flight! My husband doesn’t cook, so I have been bust stocking the freezer with easy to prepare meals so we can stick to our food budget even while I am away. I will spend some time this weekend baking muffins and making breakfast burritos and he should be set!

I finished reading Beautiful Babies as well as Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert, and I think I have decided which cloth diapers we will be starting with (Thirsties covers with prefolds and BumGenius pocket diapers). I had no idea cloth diapers were so complex! I also started reading a Bradley Method book (which I am loving!) and later today I will swing by the library to pick up The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Both will be great reading material for the airport and plane rides!

The Humbled Homemaker wrote a post about Food Dyes (natural and unnatural) and how/why children react. Super interesting read!

It is DIY month across all of the Modern Alternative Sites. Here is a list of this week’s goodies that you can make for a fraction of the cost (with good for you ingredients!):

• 30-Second Homemade Mayo
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Wooden Photo Puzzle
• Natural House Cleaners
• DIY Laundry Detergent
• Herb Infused Honey
• Creamy Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing
• Naturally Freshen Your Home
• Make Your Own Nut Milks
• Homemade First Aid Ointment
• Non-Toxic Cloth Wipes

We have many more quick and easy DIY posts for you this month.

What DIY tutorial would you love to see on one of the Modern Alternative sites?

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This week’s question come from Paola: Does anyone have a good recipe for homemade ketchup?

Condiments can be really hard to make, due to the time consumption and numerous ingredients. It can be easier to say “Forget about it-just buy it!” However, many (most?) condiments contain a lot of unhealthy and even dangerous ingredients such as MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and sugar. Here are a few ketchup recipes that you can try at home, without all the junk! Personally, I am not a fan of ketchup, but my husband likes it quite a bit, so I think I better add this to my ‘must-try’ list!

• Lacto Fermented Homemade Ketchup from Gnowfglins
• Healthy Ketchup from The Healthy Home Economist
• Homemade Ketchup from Nourished Kitchen

If you still need ideas for what to make for Easter, check out Festive Traditions for some great recipe ideas! This month only, it is only $5 (ends Sunday at midnight)!

This week I have been reading through Beautiful Babies by Kristen Michaelis (a must read for anyone who is pregnant or will be getting pregnant in the future) as well as Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert as I try to wrap my head around the ins and outs of cloth diapering. Both books have been super helpful and I highly recommend adding them to your stash!

Other links from our sister sites:

Recipe Collection: Jambalaya from Modern Alternative Mama (but…I wrote it! )10 Reasons you Need Avocados in your Diet from Modern Alternative Mama
5 Health Damaging Foods to Avoid for Life by Modern Alternative Health
Nourishment for our Doula Souls by Modern Alternative Pregnancy

Have a happy and blessed Easter! Jesus Christ has risen today!!!!! Alleluia!!

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Happy weekend all! Here is an update with what I have been up to this week:

What I am listening to: I love, love, love this new self-titled album from Citizens. They are a band that plays at one of our church locations and they rock. I have been listening to it on repeat for the last week or so, and love it a little bit more each time. In Tenderness is my favorite jam!

What I am reading: Peace Child by Don Richardson. I am a little over halfway through this book and actually hope to finish it on Saturday. It is a tough read, as it is set in a culture that I am completely unfamiliar with so keeping all of the characters straight has been a challenge. Also, reading the Psalms to the little baby, as within the last week s/he has started to be able to hear our voices. I received my copy of Beautiful Babies yesterday and am excited to dig into it this weekend!

What I am eating/cooking: People love to know what foods a pregnant woman is craving! This week, I have not had much of an appetite for anything unfortunately. Although some of these may be calling my name this weekend I have cooked two recipes out of my Festive Traditions cookbook: Crockpot Beef Stroganoff and Chicken and Rice Soup. If you want to grab a copy of Festive Traditions (some great recipes that are perfect for Easter!) it is only $5 through the month of March.

How I am feeling: Good! I am finally sleeping better (alleluia!) and that makes me feel better in all areas. I have been struggling through some anterior hip pain and been working through that with my chiro, otherwise, I feel amazing! I loved this post from MAP about ways to ease back pain during pregnancy – perfect timing!

What I am planning: I am thinking about how to decorate the baby nursery, although those thoughts are a little premature until we find out the sex of the baby (next week!). So I am also looking at ways to save money in the coming months. I went no ‘poo once, but my hormonal, itchy, flaky scalp could not keep up. Should I try again? It is a possibility. I am also planning to clean out my pantry and take a good inventory. I find that I am often buying items I don’t need and running out of stuff that I use on a frequent basis!  This is another great money saver-so I am only buying what we need (and saving space in our small pantry)!

What are you up to this weekend?

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This week’s reader question comes from Suzann: I have some extra buttermilk and I’m having a hard time deciding how to use it. What, in your opinion, is the best use for buttermilk? Thanks!

I thought it would be helpful to all readers to have a list of ten ways to use buttermilk:

1. Make pancakes!
2. Soak grains.
3. Make homemade ranch dressing.
4. Marinate chicken for fried chicken.
5. Add some to your daily smoothie!
6. Make biscuits and gravy!
7. Nourish your skin by adding buttermilk and a few drops of lavender essential oil to your bath water!
8. Make ice cream!
9. Drink it!
10. Use it in place of milk in most baking recipes.

• Kate had her baby on Sunday! Little Nathan James joined the Modern Alternative family in a labor that lasted less than 2 hours. That is not a typo. (Praying my first labor is as short-haha!) Mom and baby are happy, healthy, and adjusting well!

• In honor of Pi day, I wrote a recipe for Cinnamon Custard Pie that is simple and delicious!

• Joanna shared a recipe for Roasted Pistachio Ice Cream this week, as well as reasons why you should eat ice cream. Like I needed more validation for my ice cream eating…!

• This week I tried this amazing new recipe from our contributor Britt. Feta and Chorizo Mac’n'Cheese.  Seriously, I almost ate lunch at 10:30a the next day, just so I could eat these leftovers. I am fighting the urge not to put it on our meal plan every single week from now until eternity…! That’s how good it is!

• Have you been considering an elimination diet to check for allergies? Modern Alternative Health can help you with that!

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