• WayFare Plant Based Pudding

    We are a hiking and exploring family! Often, we will pack up a picnic lunch to keep in the cooler in our vehicle and eat after we’ve completed a long hike. But, picnic lunches can be boring and repetitive. We always pack sandwiches, chips, fruits, and veggies to keep it simple. Oh, and water. Lots and lots of water. Sometimes, simple ends up being boring. If we are going to continue doing this so often, I need to get more creative and pack something fun. On our last picnic, we brought along WayFare plant based pudding. It was a fun addition to our typically predictable meals.

    When we aren’t out hiking, we are working on the homestead. There are a lot of animals to feed and care for. Plus, a really big garden to weed and water. The kids play outdoors most hours of the day. I want to fuel their bodies with healthy foods that will help them grow and maintain excellent health. I don’t just feed them good foods, but I explain to them why we do so and what makes each food healthy. Thankfully, they have always enjoyed learning more about nutrition and food. I don’t bore them yet.

    Heart disease and diabetes run heavily in my family. I have always been aware of the genetics that are chasing me, and now my daughters. I’ve studied and researched the best ways to care for our bodies. I also wonder if it is the habits that get passed from generation to generation that have the most impact. Either way, I want to teach my kids healthy habits so that they have a solid foundation for health when they are adults. They know that treats are just that– a treat. Treats are something to enjoy every now and then, while still choosing the best options. They are not something to be consumed in excess. WayFare pudding was a yummy treat for everyone to enjoy. It is a treat to have a small cup of pudding with our meals.

    Look at those sweet faces. Gosh, I love them.

    I received this product, WayFare Pudding, for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

    WayFare puddings are free from the top 10 allergens. If you are new to the food allergy world as I was, you may not know what the top 10 allergens are. They are Dairy, Wheat/Gluten, Eggs, Tree Nuts*, Peanuts, Shellfish, Fish, Soy, Sesame, and Mustard. *Highly refined coconut oil is used in their foods. The process used makes it virtually free of allergenic proteins.* Harper, my youngest, was born with a dairy allergy. It was horrible. I had to completely give up dairy while breastfeeding, and the tiniest amount would make her be violently ill. Back then, finding dairy free options was really difficult. Finding tasty and healthy dairy free options was nearly impossible. While she has mostly grown out of the allergy, she still gets an upset tummy if she has too much dairy in her diet. I am still very careful with her because I don’t want her in pain. Also, dairy irritates the lining of her intestines, so damage could be done internally that I’m unaware of. I am so thankful to have found a pudding treat that is safe for her.

    WayFare pudding comes in three flavors– chocolate, butterscotch, and vanilla. We all tried every flavor, and all three were completely delicious. At first, everyone wanted to try chocolate or butterscotch. Vanilla is usually boring, you know. The chocolate was in the lead ahead of butterscotch, though I was in the minority loving butterscotch the most. When the kids didn’t have any other option, they gave the vanilla try. Wow! Vanilla was the favorite! It tastes just like cake batter. You really cannot beat cake batter flavored anything, in my opinion. I almost hid the rest of the vanilla to keep for myself. Almost.

    WayFare puddings are plant based. I’ll be honest. I’m usually completely turned off by seeing the phrase “plant based” because the product is usually fully of unhealthy ingredients. That is NOT the case with WayFare, and I am so happy. Their base is organic butter beans and organic oats. How they made butter beans into something that tastes so delicious is completely beyond me.

    WayFare pudding is certified organic, kosher, vegan, and gluten free. It checks off many boxes that consumers are looking for. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was telling my dairy free coworker about this pudding. WayFare was only shipping to 36 states. I just saw the announcement on their instagram page that they are officially shipping nation wide!! This package was shipped to me, where the temperatures have been miserably hot, and the pudding was still plenty cold. If you would prefer not to have it shipped, you can check out their store locator to find a store near you that sells WayFare. It is typically sold at Wegmans, Lucky’s Save Mart, Mom’s Market, Festival Foods, Woodman’s, and Tony’s Fresh Market.

    WayFare started when their family faced some terrible diagnoses. They decided to switch to a plant-based diet to heal, and saw their health issues reverse. They developed their own ultra-green, zero-waste, sustainable food manufacturing system. How incredible is that? You can read more of their story here. I love stories of people taking control of their health and healing. Knowing that they built this great company as the result of all of that is just even more incredible. Thank you, WayFare for making such a yummy treat and sharing it with the rest of us.

    You can go to wayfarefoods.com to place your own order for the most delicious pudding on the planet. Seriously, get the vanilla. I have a special code to share with you where you can get 20% off any product. You can use the code shareWF20 for your discount on any product that is good through April 26, 2022. Be sure to check out the many other products (cheese, dips, cream cheeses, sour cream, etc. ) that WayFare has to offer while you are there.

  • Azure Standard– Our First Experience

    I have heard about Azure Standard for years from various youtube channels that I watch or from people in groups that I am a part of. Everyone was always raving about how great it was. I was always curious about it, but never looked at their website. I would say that I’m a skeptic by nature. I assumed that it was going to be really complicated and overpriced. No, thanks. Not for me.

    Last year, I started buying more items in bulk. Less grocery store trips always mean less impulse purchases. Plus, we cook all of our meals at home. Many of whaI cook is made from scratch, so we go through a lot of things like flour, sugar, butter, etc. After hearing how much could be saved on healthy foods by buying in bulk through Azure, I decided to FINALLY check it out. I was quickly shocked at the variety of products and sizes available on the site, and placed my first order. Here’s what I thought.

    To back up a bit, Azure Standard is an online co-op for buying groceries. You can buy bulk sizes, or smaller amounts of your favorite foods. Most of them are organic foods. There are many more options of flours and grains than you can find in the grocery store. Our local area has a drop once a month. The co-op has to reach five hundred dollars in sales for them to actually deliver to our area. Not $500 per person, but for the entire group. When you search for a drop near you, it will show you the location, date, and time of your pick up. It will also let you know the last day that you can place an order.

    Once you place your order, you can add to or delete items from it up to about five days before your order pick up date is scheduled. It’s nice to have a whole month to add items that we run out of or change my mind if I decide I don’t want something, or if the budget has to tighten up. How often do you buy something from the store on impulse, and quickly regret it when you see how much you’ve spent. This really helps you stick to your budget because you can see exactly what your price will be. You know if you can afford to add that box of cookies, or if you need to put it back.

    I am not a fan of new things like this, to be honest. I like to know exactly what to expect, or I start to feel really anxious. I wasn’t sure how it would work or how smoothly things would run. I was pleasantly surprised. It was so simple. The semi truck was parked in the lot with our group members parked at the back end. The drivers of the truck quickly unloaded our drop goods. Each package has the person’s name on a sticker on it, and they sort everything out for you. You just confirm that you have the right amount of parcels, load it in your car, and be on your way. It took maybe five minutes from the time I got out of my car to the time I drove away. You also have the option of asking for pallets for free if they have any. I could see that our drivers didn’t have any since we were the first delivery of the day. Eight in the morning. Ouch. But, next time I hope to snag some!

    Here is everything that I ordered:
    6 inch beeswax candles- count of six
    4 One gallon wide mouth glass jars
    4 lids (that fit gallon sized jugs.. not jars.. oops)
    9 ounce organic Peppermint white chocolate chips
    1 pound ground medium arabica coffee
    12 ounce squeezable maple syrup (I plan to wash and refill this from a larger jug later.)
    5 lb organic white basmati rice
    Peelu Peppermint Xylitol chewing gum (100 ct.)
    2 lb raw clover honey
    5 lb frozen sliced organic bananas

    I also ordered 5 lbs of sharp raw cheddar cheese and a 25 pound bag of kamut flour, but those went out of stock and did not ship. HUGE bummer!

    Everything looks so good. I am really impressed so far. I also am already working on our order for next month! I really hope the flour and cheese stay in stock for me this time. Each month, there are different items on sale. I got a March sales flyer in my order so that I can see exactly what has a lower price.

    The two big downsides were the out of stock items and our time changing. Our drop is supposed to be a different day in the late afternoon. The week of your drop, you get an e-mail with the schedule. Ours changed to a different day and time. So, you may need to have someone that is available to pick up for you should your scheduled time not work out. Our drop coordinator is willing to pick up items and schedule a different pickup if it doesn’t work for anyone.

    Also, some of the name brand items can end up being cheaper at your local grocery store through sales and coupons. So, be sure to keep an eye on it. The goal is to save money for me, and I’m not interested in wasting any.

    Overall, I am really impressed by the store itself and the whole process and am excited to order again. If you want to check out the website and possibly place your own order, check it out here!

    If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment or send me an e-mail. I will answer them to the best of my ability.

    While this post is not a sponsored post, the links shared are referral links. This does not cost you anything extra. However, should you order $100 or more during your time with Azure, I will receive a $25 credit. My family and I are so grateful for the support we receive from the blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  • Favorite Family Games

    We are a board-game playing family. Do you play games? I feel like board games are dying out in many homes, and it makes me so sad. We have two areas that we keep our games, and they are pretty full!

    UNO– obviously. Our youngest is 6, and can mostly play this without help now. We have taught our children that there is no mercy in UNO. haha! We also just bought the waterproof version for when we camp.

    Spot It!– There are so many ways to play this game and so many versions to choose from!!

    Rack-O — This one is an oldie but a goodie.

    Clue— another classic! The kids love playing this, and so do we!!

    Monopoly, Jr.— This one is fun because it is much easier for the kids to play. It’s still tons of fun, but doesn’t take one hundred years to finish a game.

    Yahtzee — Our older girls can play this really well. They haven’t quite figured out the strategy, but they have tons of fun with it.

    Battleship— This is one that the kids love, and that Scott and I will play by ourselves. We bough the original version off of ebay. It felt wrong to have anything but the blue and red boards.

    I hope everyone dusts off an old game and plays it this weekend!

  • Unsponsored Misfits Market Review

    The day that I got the e-mail that Misfits Market was delivering to my area was a happy day. I signed up SO FAST.

    If you don’t know what Misfits Market is, let me share. Misfits Market is an online produce subscription box. It is all organic produce that is considered “ugly” for whatever reason. It can’t be sold in a “normal” store, so Misfits sells it to consumers. Farmers still get to make the money. Consumers get produce at a really great price.

    All of their packaging is either compostable or recyclable, which is really incredible. It is packed safely for minimal damage during transport. They also have an online marketplace where you can choose add-on items at an incredible price.

    We have now been subscribed for two months, and I wanted to share our experience along with pictures of what we received in each box. Just for reference, we do a Madness box every two weeks, which is 18-22 pounds of produce. They also have a smaller Mischief box that is 10-13 pounds.

    Our first box arrived a day late. They said that was common as they worked out the kinks of which trucks to get the boxes on. I added on steel cut outs and blueberries to this box. A couple of our tomatoes (in the small boxes) were moldy. I reached out to Misfits, and they applied a discount to our next box and apologized. Since our box was late, the ice pack wasn’t even cold anymore and the greens were wilted. I was a bit skeptical at this point, but I wanted to give them another chance.

    I was so much happier with the second box! It was fun to get some new things to try and discover. We didn’t have a single issue with anything.

    Before box number 3 arrived, I got an e-mail saying that I was selected to start customizing my boxes! I logged in, and was able to choose from what was available. All of my selections arrived, and again, nothing was damaged or yucky.

    Our most recent box is probably my favorite! I chose a LOT of greens and apples. Harper has also discovered that she LOVES plums, so I will always get those for her. The only thing that didn’t come as customized was sweet potatoes. I was sent other potatoes in their place, which isn’t a big deal.

    Each box is based on weight. So, some may look more scarce because the fruit and veggies weight more. There is always the option to skip deliveries if you will be out of town or already have a lot of produce on hand.

    Overall, we have really loved our subscription. It’s really nice to have food delivered to our front door, especially during this time when our local grocery stores are constantly out of stock. It has made meal planning much easier, and we have been eating healthier.

    If you want to sign up with Misfits Market, you can use the code COOKWME-JS5LLB to get 25% off of your first box!

  • A Few Cozy Favorites

    ‘Tis the season for cozy. I LOVE cozy things. Slippers, sweaters, blankets, coffee.. on and on and on. I’m especially in the mood for cozy since we are constantly. on. the. go. these days. Appointments, practices, tumbling, activities, work, etc. are constantly keeping us busy. I’d give anything to hide from it all for a week.

    I was delighted to find these slippers on sale for a ridiculously cheap price. (I love when slippers last for years.) If animal print isn’t your thing, they have a lot of other options. (Use the code WINWIN to get them buy one get one free!!!!)

    This broccoli cheddar soup recipe is delicious. Don’t skip the nutmeg! Serve it in a homemade bread bowl. MMmm

    I’m a big fan of cozy throws. I own too many. Mine are all old and can’t be linked, but this one is beautiful. I love to cozy up under a blanket and read a good book. (Currently reading this one.)

    These fluffy jackets are always really cute. But, can a curvy girl pull them off? I’m already fluffy enough. Either way, it’s perfect to throw on and keep cozy around the house.

    Make your own Chai Tea Latte. Yum. I’d take a good chai latte any day over just about any other drink.

    Y’all. It’s going to be FREEZING on Halloween. Legitimately below freezing temps and rain forecasted for Halloween night. We’re going to need all of the cozy!

  • NutriMill vs KitchenAid

    Last week, I found out that I won a giveaway with The Prairie Homestead. She just released her cookbook, and I love it so much. If you shared the cookbook, she entered you into a giveaway. The grand prize was this big NutriMill mixer, and I was shocked that I won! I have a beautiful KitchenAid mixer that I use and love. I was very intrigued, because I know many people prefer the NutriMill or Bosch mixer to the KitchenAid.

    I used the NutriMill for the first time to make the Italian Easter Bread. I doubled the recipe, and the mixer handled all of that dough like it was no big deal. This mixer has suction cups on the bottom so that it doesn’t move around. The lid can close fully so that flour doesn’t fly all over your kitchen.

    All of that to say, the jury is still out. I love the look of the KitchenAid so much more, obviously. It’s beautiful. But, the NutriMill holds so much more and has a more powerful motor. I’m anxious to see how these two compare as I use it more. I love baking from scratch, so having two mixers really won’t be a bad thing. That feels like such a spoiled thing to say.

    I’m so grateful for winning this. I’ve been thinking about making and selling bread to friends and family to help pay off some bills, and this will make that a thousand times easier!

  • Simple Roots Meal Delivery

    Today I want to share a paleo meal delivery service in our area. Simple Roots has brought something so unique to farm country. Go here to read about Mackenzie and Kacy, the founders. They have a new menu each week. Their food is all locally sourced and made with REAL ingredients.

    Gyro Bowl + Tzatziki and balsamic vinaigrette

    Once you’ve decided on your meals, add your selections to your shopping cart. You have the option to select to have it delivered for a fee, or pick up at their building for free. They deliver to quite a few places, so be sure to check and see if you are included. *Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota can get deliveries!

    Each item comes with a label that lists all of the ingredients along with reheating instructions if applicable. It also tells you how soon you need to eat each meal. If you count macros or calories, you can see them right there. It really couldn’t be more simple. I love the added health tips on each meal that tell you all of the goodness you are getting.

    Buffalo Chicken Casserole + Ranch

    The thing that often keeps people from eating healthy is time. It takes more time to make your food from real ingredients. Convenience food practically doesn’t exist in a healing diet. Simple Roots takes all of the guess work out of it. I have a stack of ready to go meals in my fridge right now that won’t make me feel miserable.

    I know what you are thinking. Is the food actually good? YES! It is so yummy and filling. Too often, people think that eating healthy means sacrificing taste. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. There is magic in farm fresh ingredients. Real food is so delicious!

    Go check them out and place an oder.

    Here is their FAQs page if you have any questions that I didn’t answer. I cannot recommend them enough!!

  • Eat What You Love Book Tour

    The main event! If you missed yesterday’s post, Scott and I went to Chicago to go to Danielle Walker’s cookbook tour. It was what I wanted for Christmas, and it was so worth it to get an experience over stuff.

    We arrived before the doors opened. I’m glad we did because the line very quickly got super long. The caterers started carrying trays of food out to us. We were able to sample some of the recipes from her cookbook. Butterscotch pudding, sweet potato fries, and cauliflower hummus with carrot chips were handed out. I wanted to rip all of the sweet potato fries off of every tray that passed me. YUM! They were served with this BBQ sauce, which is also incredible.

    When we got to enter the venue, my jaw dropped. It was held at Artifact Events, and so beautiful.

    Her guest for the night was Alex. I honestly know nothing about her, but she was really stinking hilarious and she cooks. We were belly laughing through a good portion of the evening.

    Danielle’s story is so inspiring. You can go read it here, because she will tell it so much better than I ever would. She has been able to get her autoiummine disease under control through food. She has gone off all of her medicines and hasn’t been hospitalized in so many years.

    You guys, food matters! FOOD. MATTERS.

    Several years ago, my doctor started looking into my thyroid. It was enlarged, and due to so many of my symptoms, she had me go for an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed a texture on my thyroid which she said meant that eventually it was going to shut down and stop working. She wanted to treat me for Hashimoto’s disease by suppressing my thyroid until it stopped functioning on its own. I wasn’t a fan of this because all of my numbers were great on my blood work. I asked if I could try changing my diet instead. She allowed it, thankfully. I started following the autoimmune protocol very strictly. After the initial withdraw symptoms subsided, I felt really great. However, I was breastfeeding and ended up in the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. The doctors rushed me back and hooked me up to heart monitors to see what was happening because my heart rate was dangerously high. They determined that my body had gone into starvation mode. Somehow even though I was eating a TON of food, I still wasn’t consuming enough calories. I quit doing the AIP, and went back to feeling yucky and discouraged.

    I’ve seen several doctors since then who refuse to diagnose because my blood work still looks fine– though my numbers have shifted more and more. I get it. I have every symptom of the disease and the appearance of my thyroid shows its coming. So, I have determined that I am going to just eat the way I knew I needed to. Maybe I can heal my body and never have to be diagnosed.

    The book tour was so great. We both left feeling really inspired. Doctors always say that food doesn’t matter. But, it does. It matters so much.

    We left with some really great swag bags full of some of my favorite foods. We got premium tickets, because that was all that was left. They paid for themselves with all of the goodies we took home. Everyone that attends gets an autographed copy of the cookbook, which is amazing.

    If there is a tour stop near you, I strongly encourage you to go! Even if you don’t suffer from any food intolerances/allergies/autoimmune disease, it can help you love on a friend or family member who does. Plus, you get to eat delicious food and be so inspired.

  • KiwiCo- an Unsponsored Review

    If you are on social media at all, you have probably seen tons of sponsored posts reviewing the Kiwi crates for kids. I was really intrigued when I saw them, and decided to try it out.

    If you are unfamiliar with KiwiCo, it is a monthly subscription box full of STEAM activities. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. This is a great way to incorporate these subjects into our homeschool day– and a great way to add in some fun activities for your kiddos even if you don’t homeschool.

    For Chloe, age 8, I went with the Kiwi Crate. The Kiwi Crate is for ages 5-8.

    With her first box, she built an arcade game. She LOVED it, and was able to figure out a step she missed all on her own. It was so cool to see her engineering this project all by herself. With the next shipment, she created a solar system. This girl loves space, so it was right up her ally. Each of the Kiwi Crates came with one main activity and some kind of game to play. She gave the Kiwi Crate two thumbs up.

    For Addi, age 7, we went with the Atlas crate. She loves geography and learning about other countries, so I felt like this was a perfect match. This crate is for ages 6-11.

    The Atlas Crate was really cool. She LOVED building a globe. The first box came with a book that you get to create as you receive more crates. The next crate came with activities and games from a specific country. She also go pages to add to her book about Nigeria. She was able to do these activities with very little assistance. She also gave her crate two thumbs up.

    For Harper, age 4, we got her the Koala Crate. It was so stinking cute. This crate is ideal for ages 3-4.

    With her first box, it was all rainbow themed activities. She was able to make this pillow all by herself. She made a stained glass picture and a rainbow tote bag also. The next box was music themed and she made a xylophone, tambourine, and a ribbon wand. It was so fun to see her creating these things with little to no assistance. She LOVED her box so much that she wanted to keep the actual boxes.

    Each box is $19.99 a month. They come automatically shipped to you with everything you need for every project. These are perfect for rainy or snowy days when you are stuck indoors or just need a break from the cold.

    I am obsessed. I honestly love this so much. The concept is brilliant. They have boxes for ALL ages. One of them says it is for up to 104 years old.

    My only problem is that with three kids, it’s an extra $60 a month. When your budget is tight, this is difficult to afford. If you use this link, you can get $10 off your box. You can pause or cancel your subscription at any time. And, if you have more than one kid, you can purchase one box and share since there’s usually more than one activity.

    This post is completely unsponsored, although if KiwiCo wants to sponsor my family I’d be thrilled. haha! We bought our boxes and loved every second of them. The activities have continued to get played with every day, which is huge when you don’t want to be wasteful. Give it a try, and I’ll guess that you will love it!

  • Thrive Market- an Unsponsored Review

    Thrive Market Review
    I’m sure most of you have heard of Thrive Market before. If you haven’t, Thrive Market is an online store with organic and healthy foods that are below the price you pay in stores. Your groceries are delivered right to your door with lightning speed.  It’s super rad. They pack everything very carefully, and even pack ice packs in the summer if you order chocolate!
    Thrive Market does have a membership fee of $59.95 per year, which I feel is completely worth it. They also have an incredible program called Thrive Gives. Thrive Gives allows educators, military families, students, and low-income families to have a free membership. Be sure to apply for it if you fit the bill!
    Where we live, there are not a lot of options for groceries. It is difficult to find HEALTHY gluten free options. I have to drive 45 minutes or more to get to a grocery store that has good, clean options. With our busy lifestyle, it is rarely possible to travel so far for groceries. I looked into Thrive Market and started comparing their prices to the grocery store I travel to. The prices on Thrive Market are actually significantly lower. I thought it would just be some gimmick where they show the “regular price” marked up. It’s truly not. The regular price is the true price that you pay in a grocery store; sometimes even lower. The savings are REAL!
    What I love about Thrive Market is that they always have sales or free items with your purchase. At the top of your screen, it says “free item with every order” and you can choose which freebie. They send e-mails each day with the best deal that day. For example, this is what I got for free with my most recent order.
    IMG_0709.jpg
    They have tons of family vitamins and homeopathic medicines available from brands that I love and trust. They have amazing paleo options for snacks and baking. If you have to follow a special diet, you can sort by products that fit within those realms. I always sort by Paleo, because I try to stick as close to that as possible. They also have vegan, keto, AIP, raw, organic, and gluten free. It makes shopping so much easier.
    I highly, HIGHLY recommend signing up for Thrive Market. Shipping is always free with a purchase of $49 or more. I usually place one order a month to get the things that I want or need. There is NOTHING that I have been unsatisfied with.
    Their customer service is incredible also. I had a bag of arrowroot powder in one of my boxes that got a hole in it. The arrowroot powder got everywhere. They refunded my money for the arrowroot powder right away. I was still able to use it; I just put it in a different bag. But, the mess was a pain to clean up.
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    Some of my favorite things to buy from Thrive Market:
    -Siete tortilla chips
    -Simple Mills crackers
    -Wild Planet canned tuna (the chicken is good also)
    -Thrive Market coconut milk
    -Thrive Market olive oil
    -Good Day Chocolate calm
    -Thrive Market cassava flour
    -Thrive Market almond flour
    -Thrive Market coconut aminos
    -Wedderspoon honey drops
    -Great Lakes Gelatin collagen hydrolysate
    -Bare Bones Broth beef bone broth
    -Amazing Grass green superfood effervescent tablet (I like the berry flavor)
    -Clif Kids Z bars
    -Thrive Market ghee
    -Primal Kitchen Mayo
    -Thrive Market coconut oil
    There are so many great options, and I’m sure I’m leaving things out.
    If you are interested in giving Thrive Market a try, you can use this link and get 25% off of your first purchase. You get a 30 day free membership with your first order, and you can cancel at any time. You do not have to buy a certain amount or anything like that. It’s just like any other grocery store. Shop whenever you want and don’t shop when you don’t want to.
    If you have any questions about Thrive Market or my experience that I didn’t answer here, please let me know!