The Sweetgum Spot

Comment START to learn how to make your own! I used to think bread was bad for you. It left me bloated, sluggish, and tired. So I just stopped eating it. But then I tried sourdough. Not only was it delicious, it left me feeling full of energy, satiated, and not bloated. But I couldn’t afford to keep paying top dollar to buy my sourdough at the farmers market. So I decided to learn how to make my own. At first I was intimidated. I thought you had to have the feeding schedule perfected down to the minute. That there was no wiggle room. But after some practice, I learned that sourdough is RESILIENT! Just like plants, your wild yeast wants to live! That means it’s flexible. And the process of getting it going is SIMPLE!! I feel so strongly that everyone can make their own delicious sourdough that I whipped up a one week mini course to walk you through the process. Comment START to grab it for FREE, and let me know how that first loaf of sourdough tastes!! #sourdoughbreadbaking #sourdoughstarter #cookingfromscratch #homesteadkitchen #bakeyourown

There’s a world of difference! It’s been so long since I started making my own sourdough, that store bought bread literally makes us sick to our stomach. Whereas store bought loaves leave us feeling heavy, bloated, and still hungry, homemade sourdough is satiating, and feels like actual fuel for our bodies. We don’t get constipated, gain unwanted weight, or hold extra water. And we get to make it for a fraction of the cost! Want to jump on the sourdough train? Let me be your conductor! I just released a FREE mini course on starting your first ever sourdough starter from scratch, and it walks you through every single step of the process from Day 1 to Day 7 when you bake your very first loaf of sourdough bread! Comment START to get started right away! #sourdoughstarter #sourdoughbreads #breadbakingforbeginners #cookingfromscratch #healthycarbs #fermentedfoods

Comment CLASS to learn more tips on making cooking from scratch part of your life! #fromscratch #homecooking #homeschoolingmom #crunchymom #realfood #realfoodmovement

Here’s how to do it… I know how daunting it can feel to make big changes when you’ve got so much on your plate. But one small change at a time can make a huge impact! I’ve spent the last 5-7 years making small incremental changes, that have added up to a completely different lifestyle than I used to live (eating out, prepackaged foods, etc). And now I’m sharing what I’ve learned! I’ve got a free masterclass sharing my framework for transforming your health through cooking from scratch and making small changes one at a time. And you can grab it now! Just comment CLASS to watch! #cookingfromscratch #healthyeatingmadeeasy #smallchangesbigresults

We’ve all heard it… “Why bother? You can just get ...... at the store!” “I’d never do that, I’ll just buy it at the store.” Or the best one… “Stop trying to be better than everyone, just buy your ...... at the store like a normal person!” So if you’re a fellow home baker wanting to relate, or someone genuinely curious about why people bake their own bread, here are my three reasons why! 1. I mill my own grain. Freshly milled grains have a much fuller nutrient profile than enriched or bleached flours that have sat on the shelf for a while. Plus, I source organic grains so I feel better about the growing practices going into our bread. 2. I choose to do sourdough. Although I have a few go-to yeast recipes (hello hamburger buns!), I prefer to stick to sourdough when using grains. We ferment our grains for at least 12-24 hours when we can help it, which breaks down the gluten and makes the bread more easily digestible than store bought bread. 3. I love it! Sure, it takes discipline to shape my bread at 10:30 at night when I’d rather be going to bed, but it’s 100% worth it when I wake up the next morning and get to eat bubbly, crusty, warm, fresh bread. Also, I love the simple process that leads up to such a high quality product. And the feeling of the dough 🙂 What are your reasons for baking bread? Or cooking from scratch? Share them in the comments! #homesteadkitchen #urbanhomesteading #homebakersofinstagram #sourdoughbaking #cookingfromscratch #healthygrains

Time to slow down… I’m going to be 32 weeks pregnant this Sunday! Which means we’re kind of in the home stretch! I’ve felt a big urge to turn inward and just focus on family and soaking up time with them during these holidays and next couple weeks/ months, so things are going to be a little slower here for the time being. The course will be postponed until spring, and I’m just going to be focusing on creating and sustaining relationships with you all on here! You can comment CLASS to grab the free masterclass until the course is ready, and comment HONEY to grab the cookbook if you need a great refined sugar free resource! Next week we’ll be out of town, but I’ll try to still get in a quick check in! Here’s wishing you the merriest Christmas, and a restful, joyful time with family!

Tips for Healthier Christmas Cookies! Holiday baking is one of my favorite things! But of course with it comes some of those unwanted sugars and oils we try to avoid. So I’ve got some easy subs that help our cookies be a bit easier on the scale and our gut! 1. Instead of crisco, use BUTTER! Or coconut oil if you’re dairy free. 2. Replace white sugar with coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup. 3. Corn syrup can be directly substituted with maple syrup 4. Look for natural food coloring instead of the red 40, yellow 5, etc. Comment HOLIDAY to grab my favorite cookie recipes, plus 7 more baked goodies, and handmade gift ideas! And make sure to join the broadcast channel so you don’t miss our sourdough starter workshop starting on Monday! See ya next Friday!

Have trouble getting enough protein? 🚨 This chicken crust pizza took 20 minutes from start to finish, and my girls LOVED it! Here’s the recipe: 1 can of canned chicken from Costco (or two smaller cans) 1 egg 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp dried oregano Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then divide into four portions on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flatten out chicken into circles (as thin as you can, this will help the edges get crispier like crust) Add a little sauce if you want, cheese of your choice, and whatever other toppings you prefer. We were low on time and options this day, so I did sausage and cheese for my oldest, and tomato and cheese for myself and my youngest. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5-7 minutes once out of the oven so everything can set. Let me know if you try this recipe! And comment CLASS to grab me FREE masterclass all about cooking from scratch and stocking your kitchen like a grocery store so you can whip things like this up in no time! Comment CLASS and I’ll send you the link! #chickencrustpizza #fromscratch #cookingfromscratch #easymealideas

Let’s face it… this is the real day to day 😏 When it comes to getting meals on the table, honestly some days it’s just let’s throw a bunch of stuff in a pan and call it good. This particular evening was one of our favorites: ground beef bowls with potatoes and a fried egg on top. Pretty? Not necessarily. Delicious, filling, and nutritious? 100% Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it can be crazy easy, and still cover all the bases. I feel super passionate about this practical way of doing things, because it totally transformed my life! So let me show you the way! Comment SYSTEMS to learn more and sign up! #cookingfromscratch #realfood #easymeals #easyrecipesathome

My brain is mush… Giving you a quick update on the account and what’s on the docket for the future 🚨 We’ll be meeting up every Friday for the foreseeable future for some more chat sessions like this, and I’ll see if we can come up with topics to talk about as well! Feel free to put suggestions in the comments ☺️ Thanks as always for your her support and understanding as e work through this time!

Instructions below 👇 Fun fact about me: I LOVE coffee. I started drinking coffee when I was in high school, and drank way too much of it all the all the way through grad school. Now I only drink decaf, but I still love finding ways to make each cup special! My most recent favorite is to make a homemade caramel sauce 🤤 This is so much better than those syrups you buy, plus it’s dairy free! Here’s how: Add 1/2 cup of raw honey and 2/3 can of coconut milk in a sauce on one side medium heat. Stir to combine, and let come to a boil. Once your mixture has reached a boil, lower heat to a simmer; and let simmer til thickened (*The best way to know it’s thickened is that it will coat the back of a spoon.) Let cool slightly, then pour into your drink of choice! You can also store this caramel in the fridge and just spoon out a bit whenever you need it, and it will dissolve right away! Let me know if you try this, and comment HONEY to check out my cookbook with over fifty other recipes for raw honey! #homesteadkitchen #cookingfromscratch #coffeelover #homemadelatte #homemadecaramel #rawhoney🍯