BLANCHING = a brief cooking process that stops enzyme action which otherwise cause loss of flavor, color, texture. You can blanch fruits & vegetables. I often just freeze fresh things as is, but sometimes blanching is necessary. I especially love it for gently removing the skin off peaches & other stone fruit. Even though fresh peaches are still the best, and we’ve heartily indulged in this year’s incredibly tasty crop, I still wanted to stash away some for winter baking, smoothies, etc. What I do: 1. Buy peaches by the case, typically cheaper this way. I prefer to buy organic when possible (they’re on the #dirtydozen list), but have also learned that many of the Colorado orchards use less toxic methods than others, but can’t always afford all the credentialing required to be marked as “organic”, so I haven’t been as much of a stickler this season. 2. Wash well. Love a simple fruit & veggie wash with 1 part vinegar, 3 parts water. 3. Cut a shallow x in the bottom of each peach 4. Boil a pot of water, just enough water to cover a submerged peach. You want the water to cover the peaches completely. 5. Prepare an ice bath BEFORE plopping peaches in boiling water. 6. Blanch the peaches just until the skin along that x begins to slightly lift, usually less than a minute. Often closer to 45 seconds. 7. Promptly remove peaches and immediately submerge them in the ice water. 8. Gently massage the skin of the peaches and it will just roll right off. No wasted fruit, bright color retained! #winning! 9. Slice peaches 10. Place on wax paper covered cookie sheet in deep freezer for at least 15mins. They need a coating of frost on them so they don’t stick together in bag. 11. Remove from freezer and toss into a mason jar or reusable bag- I love @stasherbag for storing all my frozen goods. Especially the flat bottomed ones! Enjoy! It took about 10 peaches to fill this almost 2 quart Stasher bag. Found this helpful? Like, share & follow @becky.glaze for more healthy living tips! #blanching #blanchingtechnique #peachseason #homesteadinglife #preservingfood #budgetfriendlymeals #guthealingfood #healthysmoothies #kidfriendlyfood #stasherbag

This isn’t a new thing, but it’s worth sharing about. When you know better you can do better. Many of these “new” names have been used in food labeling in Canada & Europe for years with the exception of Allura Red and Tartrazine, as these are brand new names. We are just starting to see these trickle into US food labeling, so just like in all things clean living, being aware is the first step to making better choices. 🚫Artificial color usage in US foods has increased insanely since 1955, from 3 million pounds per year to 15million pounds per year. 90% of the artificial colors used are from Yellow 5, Yellow 6 & Red 40😱 The full list of the top 7 colors + new names: - Blue 1 = Brilliant Blue FCF - Blue 2 = Indigotine - Green 3 = Fast Green FCF - Red 3 = Eryhtrosine - Red 40 = Allura Red AC - Yellow 5 = Tartrazine - Yellow 6 = Sunset Yellow FCF The more you know! One of my favorite brands to still have “fun colors” in baking and food creation is @colorkitchenfoods - their coloring powders are really fun and use only natural extracts. We’ve even used them to color fun kid friendly homemade bath bombs & epsom salt blends. What other alternative food dye brands have you found and are loving? I’d love to learn what else is out there! Drop them in the comments below! ⭐️Like, share and save this post for easy reference and be sure you’re following @becky.glaze

It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true! Women, especially, often unintentionally nutritively deprive ourselves. Quick cup of coffee in the AM, skip lunch, barely make it to dinner and then wonder why the weight is sticking around or why we feel so mad all the time🧐. It’s a wonder🫠. Is a turkey sandwich a perfect option for lunch? On a busy day, yes. Because it can help fill in the balance of fats, proteins & carbohydrates. But there are lots of options and some simple prep can make these readily available during a busy day. Some food for thought: 1. Weight not budging? For women, when we under eat, especially during perimenopause & menopause, our bodies hang on to weight for dear life. 2. TTC? Eat! An undernourished body can’t nourish another life well and our bodies know this. 3. Your blood sugar gets really out of balance when you’re undernourished. This leads to all kinds of crazy physical symptoms. We’ve all heard the term hangry, that’s just one symptom of low blood sugar. 4. Struggle to sleep? Nourish your body! With high quality calories throughout the day. It’s amazing what this does for good rest at night. Studies have shown that well nourished women sleep better! What else would you add? What’s your favorite go to lunch? I need more ideas🫶🏼!! Drop them in the comments below.

Just celebrated 17 years with a little 24 hour getaway to Colorado Springs. We don’t often do a big hurrah for our anniversary due to school just starting for kiddos, work schedules and other commitments, but every so often it works out and we embrace it. Thankful for sisters who jumped in to help wrangle kiddos from school & care for them and our pups while we were gone💕! I’m daily reminded that marriage is hard work, filled with moments to choose intentionality, moments to celebrate amazing times, moments to hold space for the immensely challenging times and the choosing to roll graciously through all the times in between. “Marriage is NOT the end of the search for love. It’s the end of the search for the person to love. The search for ways to love that person has just begun.” And in all the things there are ALWAYS moments to celebrate🫶🏼! An anniversary is just one of them! Don’t think we’ve ever just explored around CoS or spent much of any time there in all the years we’ve lived in Colorado. It surprised us with really delicious food, uniquely designed spaces and perfect weather. Since several friends asked for the itinerary for our little “staycation”, thought I’d share it here too: ⭐️Hotel: Kinship Landing @kinshiplanding 🥂Happy Hour: Bloom Ultra Lounge @partyatbloom 🍽️Dinner: Rabbit Hole @therabbithole719 🍽️Breakfast: The Evergreen Restaurant @evergreen_cosprings Ended our getaway adventure on a little waterfall hike, less waterfall, more trickle, but it was a good hike!

Every year, all over the country; it doesn’t matter if you’re homeschooling, unschooling, public schooling or private schooling. The pressures felt by this rising generation are real. The pressure as parents to do the best we can is real. The very real fear for our children’s safety, mental health wellness and overall thriving is a heavy burden to carry. The struggle to hold our own fears and anxieties captive while also holding space and caring for the anxieties and worries of our littles as they learn and grow and are challenged, is a lot. The best we can do is take it one day at a time. And for me, the Word. The calm, comforting stability of the truth of who I am and who my children are in Him🙏🏼. The Bible is full of reminders. A few of my favorites👇🏼 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:6-7 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”. 2 Timothy 1:7 #backtoschool2024 #cleanlivingmama #healthylivingtips #groundingmyself #barefootwalking #shereadstruth #mamaoftwo #findingpeace #calmmyanxiousheart #backtocollege #backtohighschool