Creative Homemaker

  Whole Wheat Bread-THM Style 2 loaves I have been in the kitchen since I was able to stand on a chair next to my mother. She was my 4-H leader from age 9, and I learned all of my kitchen skills from her.   She was an excellent baker, canning aficionado and superb chef.   Both of my parents felt, as I do, that homemade is best—homegrown even better. We raised chickens, turkeys, beef cattle, rabbits and a large garden of produce to feed my brothers and sisters.   We all had certain tasks during one of our “putting up” sessions.   Mother was always telling me to be refined, and stop acting like the boys. LOL I had four brothers and two sisters, I think the masculine influence always outnumbered the feminine. We were a large family and we would buy large quantities of whole grains to turn into flour with the grain mill in the basement.   It stood on three legs with a heavy bag underneath to catch the ...

  Five Tips for Better Gut Health We have talked and talked about why gut health is important.   The good bacteria help to fight off the bad bacteria which can be the reason behind leaky-gut syndrome, IBS, food allergies and even Crohn’s disease. The composition of bacteria in your gut influences not only your digestive health but your weight, your skin, your mental health, immune function, inflammation levels and more.   What can you do to better your gut health? I think, as a whole, Trim Healthy followers desire to do things in a more natural way; through whole foods, supplements and fewer over-the-counter medicines.   So, what are some tangible ways to do this through our diet? 1.       Eat more fiber-rich plant-based foods. You don’t have to be a vegan to enhance the diversity and composition of your gut microbiome, but you do want to up your intake of veggies, fruits, nuts, beans, whole grains and other minimally processed plant-b...