Your life will never be the same once you realize that everything you grew up making from a box, (jiffy muffins, chocolate brownies, macaroni & cheese) and virtually any processed, packaged, let’s-preserve-as-a-mummy-forever-food can actually be made at home. It’s true! It can either be made at home or a suitable substitute can.
One of the things that I struggled with as I switched over to mostly real food was how to decide who was right. I read stacks and stacks of books, each one sounding so convincing, but each one just a little different. “Eat more whole bran. No, whole bran is bad for you, sprout it or sour it. No, white flour is actually better because it does not have the bran in it, that’s why most cultures have always sifted the bran out. No, that’s all wrong, you should never eat wheat again.” And so on the ideas go.
Do you ever wonder what’s actually true?
I mean, seriously! I’ve read research and so-called, studies that prove the exact opposite of each other!
In this lifetime, I have concluded that people will never agree on what is best because that is the nature of people. However, there are a few things most people agree that you should eliminate from your diet.
- Bleached White Sugar
- Corn Syrup
- Sugary Soda Pop
- Fast Food
- Preservatives and additives like MSG, colorings, etc…
- Margarine
- Soybean, Cotton Seed, Crisco, and Canola Oil (in fact, I only actually use a handful of oils)
When you eliminate corn syrup and soy oil, it becomes very difficult to buy ANYTHING prepackaged from your grocery store. Granola bars, canned soups, crackers, cookies, chips, yogurt, any many other things contain one of those two ingredients.
And, just because it says “organic” does not mean it is good for you. Organic companies still make junk snack foods that are expensive and unnecessary.
Here is a challenge for you. Don’t eat or feed your family any corn syrup or soybean oil in the next 30 days and see how easy it is and how great you feel. If you take this seriously, you will have to cook more nourishing foods from scratch.
Getting stuck up about what you eat is not the right solution either. I’ve done that and didn’t enjoy it. Over the years I have found a way to blend all that I’ve learned into a realistic and delicious way of eating. This is not a “diet” designed for illnesses or times of crisis in the body; it’s just a simple way of eating real food for regular, normal families.
Macaroni and cheese is usually very much enjoyed by regular, normal families. Recently I fell in love with this simple, one-dish version that cooks up nicely in the crockpot or slow cooker. I started with a recipe from allrecipes.com but altered it a bit. 😉
Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is usually very much enjoyed by regular, normal families. Recently I fell in love with this simple, one-dish version that cooks up nicely in the crockpot or slow cooker. I started with a recipe from allrecipes.com but altered it a bit. 😉
Servings 8 people
Ingredients
- 1/3 pound Elbow Macaroni
- 3 cups Cheddar Cheese, Divided
- 3 cups Milk
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except 1/2 cup cheese in a slow cooker, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Enjoy!
Hi, ~ i was talking to laurin at t-tapp today and sent her an email of my measurements since august and also included them from jan, feb, march and april. there is hardly any change. she has given me pointers. i rote you a long time ago. i have not done anything with you because i am in a low income situation. we are also in debt cancellation that is how bad it is. nevertheless, lauren said i should do a skype counseling session with you. she said if kayla could see you doing t-tapp she could tell you what you need to do to get better results. i am a senior and really do need help. would one session work for you and if so how much would it be and for how long. my skye stuff iis on my computer in the laundry catch all room. i exercise in the family room so i can view ihe dvd on tv. so i dont know if it would work. i wish i knew more tech stuff but i do not think this would work at all. i dont have a laptop or an ipad..wish i did but i am very thankful to have a pc. thank you for continually sending me your emails and not giving up on me. i am really opposed to pasta due to the fact that i have had so many antibiotics and prednizone causing me to have a 41 inch waist (deplorable and uncomfortable) so i know pasta will put it on. however your crock pot mac sounds great and i am going to try it. my husband loves that stuff. right now i am on ann louise gittlemans colon cleanse and i have craving so badly and almost every day i cheat and here i spent all this money and i am not following directions. i also have the yc clease that is supposed to stop cravings. thank you so much for your time and hopefully help that we can work out. lauren told me that it was over a year for her because she had hypothyroidism like me and it finally broke and now she is a size 6 and has her groove on. sincerely, ann
nev
Ann, email me and we’ll see what we can do! kayla@kaylahoward.com
We have noticed a huge improvement in our health since cooking from scratch! And the food tastes so much better! We typically eat meat, veggies, and potatoes or rice, but we have made all kinds of things from scratch! Corndogs (the batter with 'better' hotdogs), creamy tuna over rice or pasta, pigs in a blanket (homemade dough), cornbread not out of the box, ice cream, you name it! It is a good learning experience for the kids, and now when we eat the other stuff it doesn't even taste so good anymore. Great post, Kayla! Thanks:) p.s. All we do is find a good 'regular' recipe online and tweak the ingredients to use good milk/fats/flour/sweetners.
Corndogs!! YUM, I love corn dogs. I ordered a case of “better” hot dogs this month from Azure to be prepared for the summer. We like to start fires outside and roast them frequently.
Kayla, you remind me of me…lol. I did the same as you when I was a young mom. I read everything I could get my hands on regarding health and nutrition and came to the same conclusion. For the past 30-ish years, I have learned to tweak everything. A recipe is sort of a guide. My kids have teased me about swapping this ingredient for another I think is a better choice as "healthifying." When we get together, they'll ask if what I made is "healthified" as if they don't know..lol. Since it seems the information changes about every-other-minute, I aim to hear what the Spirit of God says to me…if I have peace about it, I move forward. If I don't, I listen for more info and make the change I feel the unction to change. Hope that makes sense. Great article!!
Vanetta, it would be an honor to be like you! I really think you could be my spiritual momma, big hugs. I think your comment is spot on for creating better health and releasing stress.
Great post! I totally agree about the conflicting info. It makes your head spin, doesn't it?
I've never thought to try mac n cheese in a crockpot, although I do make it all the time from scratch. I'll have to try that.
One little tweak I learned from "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, Jerry's wife) was to add pureed veggies in so many things. This was a great tip, especially because my 13 yo ds with Asperger's totally stopped eating veggies when he was 3. When I make mac n cheese, I add pureed pumpkin or sweet potato. It also enables you to reduce the cheese to make it lower in fat without compromising flavor. No one even can tell the puree is in there!
She also has a second book Doubly Delicious that recently came out. She is clever at hiding the purees! Anyone who has trouble eating their veggies or if their children do, or if you just want to boost the amount of veggies you eat, these are great books for resources.
That’s really fun!!!! I know that book can really help someone who is trying to get their kids to eat more veggies!! I’m sure adding orange veggies to macaroni and cheese would make it prettier too. 😉
Thank you so much for this post – and for the promise of more recipes – I'll look forward to them! You're right – a person could drive themselves crazy (or starve to death!), trying to eat only foods not disapproved by some theory or other. Thank you for the 'short list' – very freeing….
I am so glad you will be sharing recipes. 18 years ago I removed what a homeschooling mentor called "The 3 white deaths – white flour, white sugar, white shortening" but it was a struggle to maintain wholesome recipes on a slim budget. We eventually began using white flour and white sugar again, but cut back on their use. I am working to go gluten-free once again, at least for myself.
I've also been a 'from scratch' advocate for over 20 years. The hardest things to eliminate were the easy seasoning packets ( for tacos, enchiladas, teriyaki beef, etc.) and canned soups. We've figured out how to make a pretty decent taco without the MSG-laden seasoning mix, but creamed soup substitutes are still a challenge. What I found the most beneficial to cooking real food was having a pre-planned menu. If you have the meals mapped out for the week or two weeks (I actually prefer to do the month so I'm done!). I you are able to have the main ingredients on hand, you have the freedom to swap recipes around from different days if the spaghetti planned for a day doesn't appeal and you want broccoli beef instead. I have gotten out of the habit of menus for the last 6 months, and the quality of our family dinners reflects it. Menu plans removed that agonizing 5 pm "what-are-we going-to-have-for-dinner" question from my days, and oh my, I really don't enjoy having that little nagging habit back in my life right now!!
so I am excited about getting some tried and true recipes – thanks for being a blessing!
I really love allrecipes.com! They are my go-to site when I need a new recipe or inspiration. I don't use my crockpot much but will have to give this recipe a try. Mac and Cheese is a favorite in this house!!
High fives! Allreipes is awesome. I never used my crockpot much either, but I find that it really helps my stress if I know my dinner is already done early in the day. I’m falling in love with it!
Thanks for the recipe – I can't wait to try this over the weekend! I love using my crockpot for the same reason you do – I know dinner is already taken care of and I can think about other things. You mentioned all the oils you don't use…do you mind sharing what you do use? I love baking and cooking from scratch and I'm caught in the Canola oil trap and would love suggestions. Thank you!
I LOVE this! Crockpots are the BOMB! I will try this. I've been "working" on our diet for about 7 years now, cutting out all that "junk". Totally worth it and a fun, but often a time consuming project. I've been enjoying making grapeseed oil mayo because of it's mild flavor and healthy aspect. However, I'm having a hard time finding it in large enough quantities to be affordable and expeller pressed. Have any good idea's?
Great recipe, Kayla! It looks so easy and delicious! My kids love mac-n-cheese, so I will probably try your recipe this weekend.
We also are trying to eat much healthier, emphasizing whole grains and lots of fruit and veggies. My fave oils are olive and sunflower oil. The sunflower is less expensive, but not many stores carry it. Anyhow, we don't fry much, so we don't use that much oil.
I'm going to have to look for those better corn dogs from Azure! 🙂
Kayla, this recipe looks and sounds delicious. And, I'm all about using the crockpot when I can! My grandkiddies are coming over after school next Thursday so I plan to make this recipe for them then. I have been a from scratch cook since I started cooking some 40 + years ago. Sometimes I cheat and use a box cake mix, doctored up, of course, because I can't stand to just use it straight from the box with nothing added and I have been known to use cream soups, but just the other day I thought I need to check the internet and see what I can find to make my own. I'm sure there's a healthier substitute for even cream soups out there in cyberspace somewhere! I have one very good friend in my neighborhood who is also a from scrach cook so it's so nice to have someone to compare notes with. Most of my friends barely cook at all and it's hard to go to a potluck or shower anymore and have really good home cooked food there! My daughter told me recently that I would have to be the one in charge of giving her any shower she needs because she wants good food not Costco/Price Club fare! So nice to be needed!
Thank you for a great newsletter, Kayla. I, too, look forward to more healthy recipes!
Hi Kayla. You were so kind to stop by my blog, and I have been meaning to stop by and return the favor. Thanks for reading. I had some technical difficulties getting back to you, but I figured them out, and I must tell you that a friend just spoke with me this morning about the very issues you have addressed in this post. It is the third place today that I have run into this information. Thank you!
Kayla: I would hate to be without olive oil and sea salt. I buy olive oil by the gallon at a Greek Store in Okla. City. I make a salad dressing with the olive oil, sea salt, Red wine vinegar, oregano, and Greek seasoning,and garlic salt. This is great on a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and onons. Sometimes I use greek olives and feta cheese. The dressing is good on a fresh salad of greens.
Kayla, What kind of “better” hot dogs did you find? I’ve gotten some without nitrates, and we enjoy them when we want to grill out. It’s hard to make the switch on all foods, but we are definitely feeling better with it. Thanks!
Jennifer, I use Hebrew National hotdogs. =) They are at least all beef and Kosher!
HUGS
Kayla