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Winter keeps me indoors here in the cold mountains of Idaho, but homemade muffins keep me warm on the inside. Winter squash has taken over the house since we received three gigantic banana squash! I had to find recipes to use it up. I found out winter squash has many healthy nutrients and can be used for savory and sweet dishes. This winter squash is seriously slept on.
I tried it roasted with cinnamon and brown sugar and loved the flavor so much. After making amazing pumpkin cookies, this recipe popped into my mind. I didn’t see any other recipes like this, so I had to make it my own! To make sure these muffins were sweet, I added mashed bananas to create a soft and fluffy texture, which worked so beautifully.
Get the pumpkin chocolate chip recipe here!
With all that squash I had to make my own squash puree for this recipe. To do this I sliced the squash into 12 pieces, cut off the outside layer, greased a sheet pan, and baked it at 400 degrees for an hour. Once they had 5 minutes to cool, I pureed them in a food processor.
This recipe used organic flour, bananas, and sugar. This version is dairy-free but can be made with dairy products in the same portions.
Instead of making you read on forever, here is a simple recipe graphic you can download or screenshot!
These muffins turned out perfectly soft and fluffy, flavorful and nutritious. I recommend them for children and even as a breakfast muffin. You can add less sugar I found out because the chocolate chips make up for the sweetness. Enjoy this recipe and comment on how it turned out for you! Contact us for questions and updates!
I was 19 when I started micro-dosing psychedelic mushrooms with my ex-boyfriend. We would take turns, go on walks, and describe our experiences to each other. Micro-dosing brought a lot of good feelings, often very subtle changes like a more open mind, realizing the interconnectedness of life, and appreciation of nature. At the time I was a pagan practicing witchcraft. That being said, these types of experiences were not foreign to me. I was always looking to find answers in nature and indulging in my flesh.
Previous to this, when I was 17 I had left the Christian church for various reasons, one being the disconnect I had with God, the bad treatment of scripture in church and the lack of love from its members. I did not realize at the time I was blaming God for what his children had done.
One night I accidently took much more than a micro-dose. We didn’t have a scale yet and we were eating mushrooms with pizza. When I thought I was taking maybe about 1 gram, I took about 4.5 grams. That is just about a macro dose, especially for a 5’4 girl who has never eaten that much mushroom before. I slowly started falling asleep and woke up to a vision.
When I woke up I looked down to the carpet and saw fractal marching men all walking together. I started laughing to myself because it made so much sense, men marching on carpets that men march on. It was so funny to me that the carpet would be made up of what it is used for and by. It is still funny to my brain today. I looked in the mirror, something people tell you never to do on mushrooms, and my face was the moon, but my face. I looked so sad and I still don’t know how to describe it. When I went back to lie down on my bed, the light from the sun slowly started casting through my window onto the ceiling. I started to see how the light itself shifted into a presence, it was quite peaceful and I felt very comfortable with him there.
Shapes started appearing, I saw angels appear around clouds, below them apostles, below them disciples, below them my family and friends in heaven. I recognized all of them and they all were smiling down at me. I started to feel so much love, it was pouring out of the light. I felt tangible unconditional, eternal love start pouring into me. I started smiling, giggling, and laughing at this beautiful feeling. It felt like being in love. It was an effortless feeling like I was floating in space. As I realized it, God started speaking to me internally without words, but through understanding and wisdom. He started telling me things I don’t remember, but I do remember feeling so happy and loved. I knew God was standing above me, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and The Father. I knew right there he was three in one. He was eternally all three at once, and all three separately. It was a profound feeling even while I lay there in the most open and understanding place of my life.
The best part was feeling God’s love pour into me. It was a fatherly love I had never had, a brotherly love I needed, and a comforting love I could rest in. I felt worthy despite my sin and shame. I felt loved despite being in a relationship with a man who didn’t love me. Many times I go back to that place mentally, hoping to remember that feeling of love. It is worth more than anything in this world. It is what heaven may feel like. It is worth a whole life of obedience to grasp even for a moment.
The vision itself was exciting. Now looking back I would never do drugs like that again. Not because I didn’t enjoy them, but because it is an illegal way to reach spiritual realms and it is a very easy way for the enemy to attack and lie. Prayer and fasting are a much better and Biblical way to reach God and hear his voice more clearly. A free source for that would also be reading the Bible. One important part of this vision was that after all I saw, heard, felt, and experienced I still did not believe in Jesus. Seeing is not believing. Although through taking mushrooms I was open to more spiritual truth, I did not understand that Jesus is God, and what I saw WAS truth! How insane that I had this crazy experience but it was months later I finally saw God for who he is, as much as I could. It took months of God convincing me he is real, the God of the Christian bible is real. How graceful is God for giving me chance after chance to see him in his true light. He gave me time and proof that he is real. God is such a gentleman, pursuing me with patience and vigor, never giving up on his bride. I only hope to have a faithful love like his.
Mushrooms in a way made me see God, but it was God himself, putting his manifest presence into my sinfulness that got me to love and believe in him. He is the most kind, most caring, most loving being to ever exist. How wonderful that the God of the universe cares for someone as small as me. God reaches to us in our darkness and pulls us out without blemishing his own light. He alone is Holy, Holy, Holy. He alone is good. God alone is faithful and true. I am so blessed and thankful to have a God so good that he would appear to me while I did such a stupid thing like drugs. Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord.
What I have learned through a survey I made has really opened my eyes in ways I didn’t expect.
Cook. Clean. Timing.
I have always seen women and mothers struggle in silence my whole life, and from an early age I have wanted to help people. For my business I created a survey and sent it to women and mothers I know, so I can gauge what needs are unmet and how I can make products and services that make a difference in their lives. So far many results are just what you might expect. They need more time, help with kids and chores, and feel a bit alone at times.
One statistic that surprised me is that most of the surveyed mothers have two kids. I had this idea that my community had much more children than that, and it was interesting to see that result. The age ranges of the mothers and their children were so vast it was honestly beautiful to see diversity in that area. I am happy to know so many people in all walks of life.
One question I asked “Have you always wanted to be a mom?” and to my surprise about 19% did not always want to be a mom. The majority of results came from married people, and beyond that it varied from single to co-parenting to divorced.
The thing that interested me the most was the areas they needed more help. A common theme in the survey results was that these women need more help in time management, getting kids organized, help around the house, getting ready for the day, and motivation to have routine. In my mind, all the people I knew had everything all together, they had no problems and I was the only one struggling. Oh what a lie. It doesn’t matter if you have 1 or 6 kids, there are struggles with all areas of that. It doesn’t get easier just because you turn 50 and you’ve lived longer, you will still struggle. Loneliness is still lonely no matter how old you are and how many friends you’ve made. As women, stewarding our time and assets can be difficult, but we are all struggling together. My hope is that we don’t ignore our neighbors’ problems, but help them solve those problems together.
Mark 12:30-31
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
God commands us to love each other, and in a world where we feel threatened by outsiders, government and lack, it would make a big difference to us to use love instead. When we look at all the problems we have it can help us remember there is always someone going through the same thing. We aren’t alone, God did not make us that way. God wants us to participate in communion with one another. So if you can think of one person right now who needs help, help them. Do your good deeds in love remembering how Jesus loves us even at our worst.
I am so happy to know my community better and to have more ideas on how I can help them. Comment below or reach out to me if you’d like to be a part of my newest ideas on how we can help each other in the community. Or if you have suggestions on how you’d like to be helped or help others please let me know.
God bless you and Merry Christmas!
I have learned how important motherhood is in our world, God made them for very important work. And it takes a lot of work to do what moms do. In order to help mothers around me with my business I made a survey to ask mothers questions about their lives. I hope to cater to their needs and get to know my audience better. If you love homestead life, are a mother or want to be one, have a farm, or like to buy from my business I invite you to fill out this survey just once so I can meet your needs better.
I have had such a great time making these dish scrubbies from a cotton yarn made specifically for this purpose! It all started when a coworker asked me to make some for them, more asked and I kept making them. These are such great low waste alternatives to plastic sponges and cotton face swabs. The dish scrubbie cotton pad is super easy to make and the cost over time is so low! Cotton has many benefits and feels so good on the skin. Try these out and let me know how it goes for you! These work as great gifts, stocking stuffers, and help parents and people of all types! Crochet away!
I am learning about a beautiful characteristic of God, sovereignty. The word itself feels like it needs to be capitalized, it is so bold, big, and strong. Living a childhood with a distant father, it has become such a blessing to see and feel my father in heaven truly sees me and takes care of every detail. He made me and within me is him, and within him is my identity. He is mine and I am his. But this is not about me, this is about God.
God is everywhere at once, he comes when we cry out to him, and rests upon those he loves when they worship him. When we revere The Great Living God, The God of Israel, The Lord of Armies, Yahweh, Yeshua, our soul shifts. His truth is the truth. No matter what storm rattles the doors from outside, he stands strong. At Bible study this week, Philippians 4:6 was mentioned. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” God has his hand on us, his hand is on everything.
How sovereign of God. To fix his eyes on us while we sin against him. To take our burdens when they pile on our chests and shoulders. To hear us when we barely listen to him. His emotions don’t get the better of him, he doesn’t give up when he realizes he is doing the group project all by himself. He is bigger and better than our every effort. It is funny how hard we try sometimes. God has got us. He sees us, every part of our mind, every inch of our hearts, he sees our situations at work and with friends and he is in every room we are not in.
Stop here, and breathe. God has got this under control.
He humbles the proud and exalts the lowly. He weaves his perfect will in every area we open to him, he takes our seeds of obedience and plants a garden as big as Eden. He is sovereign, he is the only God. And only through Jesus Christ and his perfect holy sacrifice we can now live the life he gave up for us. What a good, good, good, friend. After we yelled at him, forgot him, lied to him, blasphemed him, he picked up that cross, and died on calvary for us. He loves us over and over and over again. How can we neglect such love? God didn’t need us, yet out of his loving heart he created a family to share love, creativity and community with.
I had a crazy spiritual walk this and last year 2023-2024. I went from claiming the title of pagan witch and going through multiple spiritual awakenings, did psychedelic mushrooms, and got reintroduced to God. I have been through much spiritual warfare, have just about read the whole Bible and completely turned my life upside down to follow God. I almost got kidnapped twice, was utterly hopeless, broke up with a boyfriend and lost a whole life I thought I loved. One thing I saw right away as I found God again was that his hand was on me the whole time. He made sure I was safe when I put myself into bad situations, he stopped me from getting kidnapped twice and loved me when I didn’t know who he was. God is sovereign. I realized through walking with Jesus, that he is a God of details, he cares about the small things. He cares about things you hold near to your heart and he cares about making things just. He is so so good.
Psalm 46:10 “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.””
God tells me this exactly when I need to hear it. Sometimes it is when I am running around like crazy trying to do everything myself, when I feel alone, when I don’t know where to turn. I think regardless of where we are in life, it is so important to remember God has a plan and will continue it despite what we are capable of, and how small our faith may seem. Always obey him and the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your life, develop your relationship with God and lay your burdens down to him.
Matthew 11:28-30 “ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
I find the only rest I can actually have, is rest in the Lord. I cannot rest the same with a mindset that I can rest by myself, but when I trust in Jesus to give me the rest he promised me, I get the best rest possible.
God is powerful above all things. There is nothing we can do to take power away from God. There is nothing on this earth that can compete with the love of God. His hand will always prevail, his plans are good and higher, and his will be done. We desperately need him. God restores us in ways we could never do ourselves. I am thankful for that.
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I want to bring you hope, that in every trial, every argument, every battle, God is sovereign and he will provide, he will prosper. God loves his children and he loves taking care of us. Let yourself be taken care of and fall into the arms of your loving Father. No matter where you are, if you have run away, if the church has hurt you and you can’t look back on the pain, God is waiting for you with open arms. Come back to him. I hope you learn more about the sovereignty of God and trust him to order your steps.
This autumn I knew it was time for a change. I found out this year I am allergic to dairy… like all dairy not just lactose. So all my favorite foods are getting a makeover. I have made many dinners, lunches and deserts all dairy free now, and am learning better ways to do it. I also made this recipe organic by using organic flour, and locally sourced organic pumpkin. I wanted to make something healthier but delicious for my grandparents and to remake my favorite cookie I usually buy at convenience stores. Sadly I have not found a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie in stores that is dairy free or organic, so I made it myself! I am fortunate that our house has dairy free chocolate chips, they are a lifesaver.
I also want to mention if you do not have pumpkin spice at your house you can mix nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger for your own pumpkin spice seasoning. These came out so tasty and I would make them again. I would even add more pumpkin because the organic pumkin was so delicious. Make this recipe your own and let me know how it turns out. If you do make it dairy free, you will notice the texture will be different than a cookie made with real butter, but the flavor is just as great! Tell me what you love and what you would change. This recipe makes about 16 cookies and takes about 45-50 minutes to make. Enjoy!
Made by Vanessa at BusyVandCo
Apple pie is a staple to any American home, and as a woman I get a lot of joy from baking food for the people I love. I have always shared my treats with friends and family. Watching baking shows growing up increased my passion for it and my goal is to perfect recipes like this for my future family, so they can say it’s moms homemade apple pie.
This recipe came from a few different sources. The crust is inspired by a Betty Crocker recipe, and the filling I had help from my grandma to make. My friend at work helped me learn how to make good pie crusts and how to slit them so they cook better. I used apples from my grandma’s garden, picked them myself. I peeled and sliced them and added in my grandma’s homemade applesauce as she suggested.
The crust was perfect, it held the filling in so well and was crumbly and had that classic pie flavor. The filling was also so flavorful, the only thing I would change is I would add more apples because the crust held it so well, the pie could be even bigger! If you try this recipe let me know, and suggestions are welcome.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but the power of love and a sound mind.“
2 Timothy 1:7
I have been acquiring lists for prepping, to prepare for the worst, but not in fear.
I once heard a prophet say ” Everything you prepare in fear will not be enough” when reciting a dream they had from God. Fear cannot be what guides us in this world as Christians, because Jesus already won the battle! He already conquered death. We have a savior who paid it all. Do not be afraid of an enemy who just wants to make you as miserable as he is. The adversary already knows his end, but God is still letting you write your story with him, and hopefully, you’re letting God’s will reign in your life. Pray before you read this and ask God to lead you, and as always test every spirit.
For prepping or simply camping, my first piece of advice is to not burn green. Fresh green wood will create a thick smoke in a fire that will bring unwanted attention to you. It also burns in a way you will not like, treated dry wood that is not rotten or wet is your best bet. You do not want to create random smoke signals. You cannot assume everyone has good intentions in bad situations. If people are living in survival mode it is best to keep you and your family safe. As well as not burning green, it is imperative to limit artificial light, or light that comes from technology, fires, and vehicles at night.
It is important in more than just prepping, in life in general, to be picky about your friends. Have a group of people you trust, but keep in mind how the Bible tells us to have friends.
“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. ” Proverbs 18:24
“Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” Proverbs 22:24-25
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
“”Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20
As a Christian, in hard times it is not really an option to depend on ourselves. We have to be like David when he was struggling with adversity, praying continuously with a repentant heart, and faith big enough to kill a giant. Faith and wisdom are going to be a new currency in a time where we cannot depend on convenience and technology.
A community of people who will uplift each other and share blessings will significantly improve mental health and wellness among you and family. Humans are social creatures and studies have shown that people who have others to support them socially, problems that are big seem smaller in perspective. This can just be you rfamily, or a small group of friends. Rely on good news, and remember the great things God has done for you.
If you have ever read Lord of the flies, you know people need order, leadership and rules. In a larger community voting, authority, compromise, and adaptation will help everything run smoothly with less conflict. Choosing a leader should come with prayer, fasting, and a vote to see who is ready to lead, and who is intelligent enough to bring others to success. This comes with mutual respect to sustain a growing and thriving community.
A trading system will become more and more popular as prices in stores rise, and especially if society is not as connected as it is now. Things to keep in mind is that everything has value. If we treat everything with a materialistic mindset, we will put our minds in the landfill like the tons of trash we leave there too. Human labor is so valuable to me. Someone willing to put in effort for something they care about means so much to me, so I really respect one’s labor. Trading can come from tangible items as well as services and food.
Everyone should have at least one skill that can support them and their family. Things like running machinery, foraging for food, crochet, knitting, embroidery, vehicle repair, cooking, finding shelter, building, leading community, organizing… There are so many skills anyone can learn to help them and their family, and you can always learn more. This work is not futile, you can do this alone or with a community, but most importantly with God. In my book, we take care of eachother, and we help those we trust. Selfish ambition has no space in times like this. Isolation can cause more harm than good, but always discern the times and situations, because there are times where isolation can actually be safer.
Remember, do not fear, trust in God, and do what is best for your family. I hope this helped you get an idea of things we can prep without spending money, but things we should prep with our minds and community. Thank you for reading, and send a contact message if you have any prep advice or questions!
Sources cited
7 Types of Wood you Shouldn’t Burn in your Fireplace
Cutting Edge Firewood
https://www.cuttingedgefirewood.com/blogs/blog/7-types-of-wood-you-shouldnt-burn-in-your-fireplace
Homesteading Honey 
