When the leaves are crunchy and the scarves come out of hiding, I want warm and comforting food that hugs me from the inside. The recipes circulating on Pinterest this time of year all look drool worthy, but a bit decadent for everyday. These are lighter, but still extremely tasty and comforting dishes.

Spiced soup. It's this time of year that pumpkins explode all over every menu - pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread and the ever-decadent-always-delicious pumpkin spice latte. I love pumpkin, but for this dish I use pumpkin's forgotten about cousin - butternut squash. This soup is flavorful and versatile and light while still being satisfying fall fare. I've made this vegan, but you can also make it vegetarian by using traditional dairy products. We had family stay with us recently who are oil-free vegans and we were also able to modify it for their dietary needs. Serve this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with crusty bread and a green salad for a satisying weeknight meal.

*photo and recipe used with permission from GirlMakesFood 

Bread. Bread. Bread. If you aren't afraid of carbs or gluten intolerant, you will most definitely want to try these easy homemade bread recipes. If I plan ahead, I make this Crusty Bread recipe that comes out so unbelievably gorgeous that I can fool people into thinking that I'm a decent baker.

*photo and recipe used with permission from Simply So Good

If I forget to start the dough the night before or need a last minute accompaniment to a meal, I whip up these 30 Minute Rolls. These are the fastest yeast rolls I have ever made, and vegan to boot.

*photo and recipe used with permission from Your HomeBased Mom

Vegetables any which way. I credit my girls obsession with broccoli to the consistent presence of green on our dinner plates and simply prepared, appealing vegetable dishes. We keep vegetables easy by roasting or lightly steaming with a dab of coconut oil and a dash of sea salt.

Amazing little cookies. Our home is largely dairy free and I'm always seeking out not too complicated dairy free desserts so that everyone can enjoy a sweet treat for special occasions. I made these for a party and later for Thanksgiving and they disappeared quickly thanks to non-dairy and dairy eaters alike. This slightly sweet and robustly flavorful cookie is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. You'll be glad to have some of this Soft Molasses Coconut Oil Crinkle Cookie dough in your freezer, ready to pop in the oven for unexpected company.

*photo credit Averie Cooks

None of these recipe links have been sponsored, just sharing these talented folks' recipes because they are genuinely that delicious! They have all been in my fall menu rotation along with plenty of broth based soups. What are your go-to nourishing comfort foods in the colder months?

Anyone who has more than one child can confirm that one can have two or three children from the same two parents, raised the same way and the children are as different as humanly possible. 

I saw this phenomenom quickly with my two girls, ages 1 and 2.5 years old. Born 20 months apart, they are night and day in both appearance and disposition. One is cautious, bookish and olive-skinned and the other is adventurous, active and peaches and cream complected. Both, however, have strong tempers and are prone to tantrums and emotional meltdowns because of they are _____ (mad, sad, hungry, tired, overstimulated, didn't get a cookie, etc.). Ah, the tumultous todder years.

The first few sweet months of life are spent learning the cues for our babies' physical needs. Halfway through the first year, many parents snuggle into the parenting gig after they more readily recognize these cues. Things can get a little hairy again as a child approaches toddlerhood and has a flurry of emotional needs they cannot verbally express, but are nonetheless feeling the effects of.  

When our oldest turned 18 months, she started having constant metldowns. Sometimes when people would ask what was wrong, my husband and I just replied "She has a lot of feelings", which was really the best way we could describe what she was going through. Our little person had shown signs of an intense personality from birth and the emotions of toddlerhood were taking a toll on her behavior and our patience. 

It was around this time that I read something about recognizing our children's love languages to better meet their emotional needs. The concept of love languages is one I originally utilized to improve my relationship with my husband and I had not thought of applying this to my other relationships. Love languages are the ways that we best both give and receive love from others. There are five: words of affirmation, gifts, physical touch, quality time and acts of service.   

My children are young, but I was surprised to see that, when I observed how my children best responded to me, I could already see their love languages emerging.  At 2.5, my little girl is always pleading “Come sit right here, Mama” as she pats the seat next to her. I’ve learned that she loves snuggles to the extent that  it means she is close to me and has my undivided attention. Her grumpies are calmed from just 20 minutes focused on her - no cell phone, computer, television or extranneous conversations. She is my quality time girl. 

My littlest is just barely one year old but I can already see her primary love languages emerging. She is forever bringing me little “gifts”: a small piece of a banana, a block, a piece of cereal she already put in her mouth but thought Mama might want it instead. Yesterday in the midst of a colossal meltdown, I tried everything to comfort her -shushing, a tender hug, distraction - but the tears kept pouring and the screams kept coming. My husband placed a rubber ducky in her hand and the tears and hollers ceased immediately. She may have another primary love language as she develops, but I'd say my little one is a gift giver/receiver. 

Recognizing love languages is a great tool for understanding and meeting the unique emotional needs of each of child. I have learned that it is also important to recognize that my own natural way of loving my children may not be the way they most naturally receive love.  As an acts of service person, I often want to keep "doing" for my family to love them the best way possible when they often need me to just stop and be present.

This is a helpful tool in identifying your own love language  or your older child's. I find for little ones, it's easiest to just mindfully observe how they try and connect with you as a parent. Do you have a little boy who often scoots close for you to stroke his hair? Does your five year old light up when you tell her that she set the table just perfectly tonight?   

Practice loving them back in the same way and see how they respond. Hopefully you will find your little ones more content when loving them in their "language" and an overall more peaceful household.

I love the farmer's markets and health food stores. I truly believe in feeding my family well to avoid health problems in the long run. Unfortunately, our grocery budget may be the thing that gives me a heart attack. Good quality, chemical-free food is becoming synonymous with expensive food. That is, unless you don't mind getting your hands dirty.

A few years ago my husband built a little raised bed in the back of our rental house. His first gardening attempt yielded the world's most delicious tomatoes and an absurd amount of basil. Every meal that summer was an outright feast with our vibrant tomato balsamic salads and homemade pesto. I'm drooling a little thinking about it.

My husband discovered he loved playing outside in the dirt and taking care of his plants. I loved cooking with the fruit of his labors. Gardener + cook = family harmony.

We now own our home and try to add new gardens and experiment with different crops every season. After seeing my husband come inside after tending to his garden sweaty and dirty, albeit refreshed and invigorated, I decided this autumn to step out of the kitchen and claim one of our 4x4 raised beds as my own.

Ghost of Summer Garden Past

The first step to making my Amazing Autumn Garden was dismantling the No Longer Amazing Summer Garden. This now sad and slighlty terrifying trellis once held sugar snap peas as sweet as dessert.

I also smoothed the dirt level and pulled up the stray piece of swiss chard leftover from this summer.

For our edible gardens, we practice Square Foot Gardening, a gardening method that helps you make the most use of your planting space. (Not an affiliate link, I just really like this book.)  Part of square foot gardening is dividing your garden bed into 1' x 1' squares. He advises using string or thin pieces of wood to make an actual grid, but I just lazily drew my grid into the soil.  

Here is a happy photo of a freshly tilled garden ready for fall planting with my finger-drawn grid. Even though September is on the late end for fall garden planting in South Louisiana, I'm going to give it a go anyway.

The cast of seeds for this garden include: broccoli, brussels sprouts, lacinato kale, collard greens, cow peas and black beans. I'm not sure what cowpeas are, but they are cute and pink.

I soaked my beans for awhile before I planted them because my husband is the well-read gardener in the family and he said that's what I'm supposed to do. Two weeks in and my bean plants are almost a foot high, so I'd say this is legitimate advice.

I soaked my beans for about ten minutes before planting. 

After reading the back of each seed packet, I plunged my pinky finger in to the approximate correct depth (usually somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of an inch) and stuck those teeny tiny seeds in the ground.

We have planted things in the past and not been able to immediately identify which seedling was which until it started producing fruit. I sketched out this quick chart to note which seeds were in which square. The number underneath indicates the number of seeds. I stuck the grid to my fridge, where I will also note the approximate harvest date of each vegetable. 

It doesn't look like much now, but I love the idea of those seeds sleeping just beneath the surface turning into food for our family in the next couple of months.

Are you planting an autumn garden? Share with us what you're planting! 

(You can read Part One here and Part Two here.)

I've always loved the idea of pampering days.

I remember going to the drugstore and picking out a tube of fluorescent green face mask. I'd put some Top 40 on my boombox, pull my hair back with a scrunchy and spread the green goop all over my face. In 15 minutes, the mask would be hard and my face would feel like it had every. single. drop of moisture sucked out of it.

I would spend the rest of the day intermittently filling my cheeks with air to stretch out my skin and get rid of that annoying tight feeling. Yet I was still somehow convinced this was the price for long term beauty.

Fast forward a dozen years. I can now afford more than a $4 tube of glowing goop, but still can't justify $100 bucks for a spa treatment. My current version of a mini pampering session is bathtub + book + chocolate + candle + Hosie Clay Mask + no little fingers wiggling under the bathroom door. It works for me.

What I love about the Hosie mask is that I kind of forget about it while it's doing its thing. I don't cringe as it hardens because my skin feels so tight and itchy that I can't stand it. After I rinse it off, my face looks noticeably improved.

Pores tighter, skin smoother.

Gosh, is it smoother.

The Hosie clay mask has three simple, balanced ingredients that work together to unblock pores, improve skin's elasticity and balance oil production without drying. It's gentle enough for sensitive or acne-prone skin.

For a truly skin pampering experience, put a thin layer of face serum on underneath the mask. This will draw impurities out while driving the repairing face serum deeper into the skin.

If you haven't already, enter our Mother's Day giveaway to win a basketful of stuff for your own mini pampering day! Includes Hosie Naturals Clay Mask, the rest of our skin care line and a few other goodies.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(You can read Part One of the Rethink Your Skin Care Routine series and about our on going Mother's Day giveaway here.)

As a teenager, I was easy prey for any product that marketed beautiful, radiant skin. I'd beg my mom for any new skin care product that promised to make my acne vanish, my skin glow and my confidence soar. Not all of those were cheap either (sorry, Mom). I wound up with a cabinet full of half empty bottles and the same old face staring back at me in the mirror. 

When I discovered real food and started ditching my chemical-laden facial products, my major cystic acne problem did disappear. Alleluia. 

When I started oil cleansing, I saw a great improvement in my skin. Those occasional breakouts almost completely ceased. My skin stopped oscillating between overly oily and dry and tight and finally just relaxed in a beautiful place in between. I started wearing makeup only occasionally to enhance and not to cover up.

I thought when the acne cleared, my skin would look flawless. But I found myself feeling dissatisfied  Now that I no longer had to focus on my blemishes, I got to see the up close and personal damage a few decades can do to one's skin.

Sun damage.

Toxins from all of my skin care experiments.

Acne scarring.

Dry patches.

As thrilled as I was that the acne was gone, I was less than satisfied with the dull, pock-marked face I was left with. I overheard talk about fine lines and wrinkles from ladies just a mere generation ahead of me and thought I should just enjoy this semi-happy middle stage without acne or wrinkles. 

But I can feel that fine-lined future creeping up on my face. I'm getting a wicked little pair of lines forming between my brows that DON'T GO AWAY when I stop furrowing my brows in concentration. I suspect their formation began during college statistics class.

Switching to chemical-free products didn't happen for me overnight.

Or even in a month.

Or a year.

Let's just say it's been a journey.

Of course I cringed using my typical lineup of lotions and potions after I fully understood the ingredient list. My initial instinct was to throw my whole medicine cabinet away and start all over with simple, clean, perfect products.

However, I'm frugal and practical (which is code for cheap and easily overwhelmed). I tackle one product at a time, replacing each as it runs out. When a bottle starts to make that comical pbbbbt sound when I squeeze it, I start my hunt. If I don't find a non-toxic option that is affordable and works just as well, if not better than my original, than I put the switch on the back burner and keep my eye out for feasible options.

I wasn't super happy with the standard drug store fare that comprised my daily skin care routine, yet I felt baffled at how to replace it. I think my problem was I didn't even know what an ideal daily skin regimen should be like.

Everything made my face too tight or dry or oily. Is toner supposed to burn? What do I buy for combination skin with an oily t-zone except when I'm pregnant then it's a dry t-zone but sometimes I have acne and a little bit of redness?

I'd like to see that description on a face wash label. Or simply "Suitable for skin that goes through weird changes."

Then I discovered the Oil Cleansing Method. I took a moment to roll my eyes at how crunchy I had become, and then dove in.

My skin sang in sweet. relief.

I'd been stripping my poor face of moisture and burning it with chemicals just to have so-so skin that, frankly, was probably just angry at me for treating it so badly.

I've tried this method with both olive oil and coconut oil and achieved good (not great) results. Bloggers who are advocates of the oil cleansing method say that each person has to play around with the proportion of oils to find a balance.

*currently the internet's most popular meme based off of a news report that went viral.

This is where Hosie Naturals Makeup Remover is a lifesaver.

Makeup remover? you say. Weren't we talking about oil cleansing?

This product is labeled as a makeup remover, but really functions perfectly as 2 products in 1.

I promise.

My husband uses it.

He definitely doesn't wear makeup.

As a makeup remover, this product does as promised: it easily and completely removes makeup. A few drops of makeup remover on a cotton round. Wipe. Hello, bare face.

How to Use As an Oil Cleanser:

1) Rub a small amount of Hosie Naturals Makeup Remover on dry skin. I like to spend about 30 seconds massaging it into my face and neck.

2) Run a wash cloth under hot (not too hot) water. Squeeze out excess water. Spread washcloth over face and neck and let the oils steam into your skin for a minute or two, until the rag starts to cool.

Ahh. It's like a spa, isn't it?

3) Wipe off extra oils with washcloth. Your face should be soft, clean and not greasy.

Once I discovered this, I completely ditched conventional cleansers. My skin has balanced out and finally stopped overproducing oil. My skin is smoother, my tone more even and dry patches are improved. I rarely ever get acne. It removes blackheads that seemed at one time to be permanent facial features (this last one happened specifically when using the Hosie product to oil cleanse.)

Haven't we been told for years that oil is bad for the skin? Cosmetics that tote the "oil-free" label on the front of the bottle mean that they are free of pore-clogging petroleum based oils that are unfriendly to skin. The oil cleansing method is based on the idea that "like dissolves like". Botanical-based oils gently break down the skin's excess oils, condition skin and wash away clean.

It's non-toxic and is safe for pregnant mamas. Like all Hosie products, the makeup remover also contains essential oils that are naturally anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and smell amazing!

Stay tuned for Part 2!

One lucky winner will get to MAKEOVER their entire skin care routine with this great GIVEAWAY!

This is one of our biggest giveaways, which also convenietly falls right around Mother's Day, so we threw in the earrings. Enter for your mom. Or yourself. We're not judging.

Prize includes: Hosie Naturals Makeup Remover/Oil Cleanser and 2 organic cotton velour reusable face rounds, Hosie Naturals Clay Face Mask, Hosie Naturals Deeply Norishing Face Serum, Sisal Pad w/hand strap, Hosie Naturals Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub, Handmade Earrings ($85 VALUE)

This giveaway will be ongoing throughout the three part Rethink Your Skin Care Routine Series and ends on Sunday, May 12th (That's Mother's Day for all of you who still need to get her a card.)

I firmly believe a part of healthy living is good eating. Not just the food, but the experience of cooking with and for others and then eating food made with love together around the kitchen table.

It's good for the soul.

I love to cook. LOVE to. We would have amazing, from scratch dinners every single night except for one problem.

Two adorable little distractions that constantly need diapers changed, stories read, bo-bos kissed and drinks poured.

I'll get halfway through making what's destined to be a fantastic meal and then tragedy strikes. Or what a two year old deems is a tragedy, like a drop of water on her shirt or a bug outside on the other side of the window.

And then we eat scrambled eggs and toast for dinner.

But sometimes, SOMETIMES, I want to eat something that I would fix for company but that I don't have to babysit at the stove.

That's where a meal like this comes in. I smushed together a couple of recipes that are easy to make and turned it into this one: perfect roast chicken recipe.

Did you know you can make a roast chicken in the crockpot?

Alleluia.

Crockpot Roast Chicken and Easy Gravy

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• scallions, chopped (optional)
• olive oil
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 whole chicken (3-5 lbs)
• chicken stock, water or white wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or less, but I really love garlic!)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 lemon, 1 small onion, a bunch of herbs or a combo to stuff in chicken cavity

Directions

Chop onions, garlic and scallions and sauté in olive oil until translucent. Stir in tomato paste. Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup of chicken stock, water or white wine. Pour contents of pan into the bottom of slow cooker.

In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Rub spice mixture all over whole chicken. Stuff cavity of chicken with half lemon, onion or herbs. Place chicken in crock pot.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours. None of that basting nonsense you have to do in the oven.

To make gravy, remove chicken and use an immersion blender to blend the onion mixture at the bottomof the crocpot into a gravy. (I used a hand mixer, but in an ideal world, it would have been an immersion blender). 

I like to serve this with rice and collard greens or roasted vegetables.

Pour gravy on everything you can.

Eat.

Then I would top the whole thing off with this amazing Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I usually modify it a bit and replace all of the flour with 1 1/6 cups whole grain spelt flour. They're eye-rolling-back-in-your-head yummy.

Then I'd give one cookie to my daughter and then eat the rest after the kids go to bed while watching Celebrity Apprentice with my husband.

And while I'm wishfully thinking, my kitchen would magically clean itself after and then every little person in my house would sleep through the night.

Bon Appétit!

Baby wipes. In my head, it makes sense that they should contain the gentlest ingredients on the planet since I’m rubbing them all over my baby’s perfect bottom.

And sometimes her hands and face if peanut butter was involved.

When I first switched to cloth diapers, I held onto my beloved disposable wipes. Those pre-moistened little rectangles are a mother’s personal assistant. I’ve been known to give my kids a wipe “bath” when in a pinch (You know you’ve done it too.)

Whenever I talk to people about Hosie Naturals, I generally get the question:

What makes yours different from all of the other natural skincare products?

I’d like to expand upon the label on our little unassuming brown jars.

7 Things To Know About Hosie Naturals:

1)     We’re natural… No, really, we’re natural! The word “natural” is thrown around so loosely in labeling these days that it’s become meaningless. If we’re talking about the truest meaning of the word being “existing in nature”, then that bottle of natural shampoo with sodium benzoate on the label doesn’t meet the criteria. Hosie Naturals products are made with real, minimally processed ingredients. When avocado oil or geranium is on the label, it hasn’t been so altered that it’s just an essence of its original form. We prefer our ingredients straight from the earth without the chemical-altering middle man.

When I was an angst-ridden high school student, I desperately wanted three things:

1) to have gorgeous, clear skin

2) to be feel happy and balanced

3) to not be awkward

 Meanwhile, I was filling up my tank with French fries at lunch and not much else. It took me years to discover that eating nourishing, living foods helped me achieve the first two (but not with the third. Unfortunately, there is no magical food that cures awkwardness.)

          Paleo. Gluten-free. Locavore. Traditional. Vegan. All hot button words in the world of diet.  Although these diets greatly vary, each reflects modern consumers’ desire to be conscious of what they’re eating and how it’s affecting them. People are no longer taking the claims on the front of the box at face value. We’re educating ourselves on ingredients and reading labels and taking responsibility for what we’re putting into our bodies.

          But are we questioning what we’re putting onto our bodies?

It all started with one little butt balm.

We’re thrilled at the response to our truly pure personal care products. As the support and interest in Hosie grows, so do the requests for more formulations. Our product line is steadily growing and we’re eager to share it with you.

We’ve noticed that many of our interactions within the company, on facebook and with our customers eventually evolve into discussions about natural living. We would like to keep the conversation going with our new Hosie Naturals blog.

Stay tuned for product reviews, company news, giveaways and general chit chat about the things we love.

We’re excited to share with you our passion for natural health and wellness!