Melissa K. Norris
  • Start Here
  • Podcast
  • Articles
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Classes
    • General Store
  • In Person Workshops
  • Academy
Log In

Are You Trying to Incorporate Real Food? + a Giveaway!

July 17, 2013 by Melissa Norris Leave a Comment

As the rise of GMO foods (Read my Non-GMO Food Guide) and unwholesome processed food continues to reign in America's mainstream food sources, many families are going back to real traditional food as much as possible. My family is one of those families and I hope yours is too.

Let's go back two years. I was suffering from GERD and uncontrollable acid reflux. I was on the maximum prescription dose and still having horrible break through bouts. I had a scope done of my stomach and esophagus, including a biopsy in two places where the tissue showed signs of acid erosion. Thankfully, they came back benign.

But I realized the only way to get a handle on this before it became cancer was to adjust my diet. I was already considered fit and healthy, but I knew there had to be more I could do. I immediately cut out all forms of soda-pop, coffee, and chocolate. I didn't eat any potato chips and started immersing myself with real traditional food.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Other Articles Tagged With: e-book sale, real food, traditional cooking

Processed Replacements-Make Your Own Cream Soup Substitution

February 13, 2013 by Melissa Norris 29 Comments

I've been converting processed foods with healthy traditional replacements in my kitchen for the past few years. I firmly believe in cooking and making things ourselves, instead of being spoon fed unhealthy chemical laden products by companies that only care about turning a profit.

It can be daunting and my best advice is to start with one item at a time. Begin with the items that you ingest the most of on a daily basis. For me, that was bread. It's been over a year since I've purchased bread from the store using the less than 5 minutes a day method and only 5 traditional ingredients

Replacing Cream of Chicken Soup In Your Pantry-Cooking from Scratch

Today I want to show you how to make cream of soup substitutions in your favorite casseroles and recipes. We'll be making a basic sauce. For the cream of chicken soups, I make a basic white sauce with a twist.

1 step of basic white sauce-melt the butter

First start with a cast iron skillet, or a large skillet of your choice, but beings we're being healthy, no Teflon coated pans.

Pioneering Today-Basic White Sauce Recipe

1/4 cup (or 1/3 cup) of butter (dairy free options include lard or coconut oil)

1/3 cup flour (gluten free option is organic corn starch or arrowroot powder *affiliate link)

1 to 2 cups milk (dairy free option is chicken broth or stock)

salt to taste

Slowly add liquid to paste, a little at a time

Melt the butter in your pan over medium low heat. Stir in the flour until it makes a thick paste and is combined.

Add your liquid slowly, working it until the paste is absorbed. Continue to add liquid until the sauce has reached the desired thickness, stirring continually. It will thicken as it simmers. Use in place of cream soups in your favorite casseroles and recipes. Or serve it over top of hard-boiled eggs and toast.

The Twist-Depending on your recipe, try switching out the liquid. Instead of milk, use chicken stock and a dash of white wine. The alcohol content cooks out. If you desire a rich sauce, use real cream.

Some of you may be worrying about your health using real butter and cream. I'm the first to say that using real butter is healthy! Read this article for info on the truth behind the butter is bad myth. 

I personally always believe using real ingredients in a balanced diet is the healthiest way to live. I only serve myself and my family real butter and real milk (provided you don't have a dairy allergy).

What's your favorite processed replacement recipe? How are you doing on swapping out real for fake food items?

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe

Melissa Norris
This homemade cream of chicken soup substitute whips up in four minutes and only uses 5 ingredients to replace store-bought condensed cream of chicken soup. It's full of flavor and can be adapted for dairy-free and gluten-free.
4.04 from 160 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 4 mins
Total Time 4 mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings
Calories 93 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Tablespoons butter for dairy-free use lard or coconut oil
  • 3 to 4 Tablespoons flour organic cornstarch or xanthan gum works for gluten-free thickeners
  • 1/2 cup milk or cream
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • dash of pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter (or fat of choice).
  • Whisk in flour. It will make a thick paste, continue whisking for about a minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
  • Slowly whisk in liquids. Bring to a simmer (barely a boil), adding more liquid if it becomes too thick. It will thicken up more as it cools.
  • Remove from heat and stir in salt and dash of pepper.

Notes

  • For gluten-free options, use cornstarch or xanthan gum instead of flour.
  • For dairy-free options, use all chicken broth, or substitute full-fat canned coconut milk (unsweetened). 
  • Need a cream of celery substitute: saute a 1/4 cup of finely diced celery in butter before adding flour and other ingredients.
  • Need a cream of mushroom substitute: saute a 1/4 cup of finely chopped mushrooms in butter (or fat source) before adding flour and other ingredients.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 267mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 250IUCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cream of chicken soup, cream of chicken soup recipe, homemade cream of chicken soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Filed Under: Miscellaneous, Recipes Tagged With: basic white sauce, Pioneering Today, processed replacements, replacement for cream of chicken soup, replacing cream soups in recipes, traditional cooking

Pioneering Today-How to Make Your Own Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce

January 23, 2013 by Melissa Norris 7 Comments

We try to replace as many processed products with homemade ones as we can. When we'd raised, butchered, and roasted our own pig, I couldn't very well serve it with store bought barbecue sauce. (Okay, I could have, but I didn't want to)

Homemade Sweet and Smokey Barbecue Sauce

My neighbor makes one of the best barbecue sauces around and she gave me her basic recipe and I tweaked it a little. I like my barbecue sauce on the sweet side with just a bit of smoke.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous, Recipes Tagged With: barbecue sauce, from scratch recipes, homecooking, homemade, More Canning, processed replacements, traditional cooking

Pioneering Today-How to Make Fresh Raspberry Juice

July 25, 2012 by Melissa Norris Leave a Comment

Our raspberries are in full swing. Like any pioneer, I try to use all of the crop when it's ready to harvest. I made raspberry jelly, but with an entire shelf in the pantry filled with jam and jellies, I'd met my quota.

I always freeze raspberries to use in later baked goods. Simply pick your berries and dump them in a Ziploc bag. I've never laid mine out on wax paper or a sheet to freeze and I've never had a problem of them sticking together.

But today, I wanted to make something easy and refreshing on a hot summer day. You can't get much more refreshing than this picture.

Fresh Raspberry Juice

Fresh Raspberry Juice Recipe:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Healthy Snacks, Miscellaneous, Recipes Tagged With: homemade, homemade juice, homesteading, Pioneering Today, raspberries, raspberry juice, traditional cooking

Melissa K. Norris

Follow me:

  • Start Here
  • Courses
  • Academy
  • Contact
Log In

Articles

  • Gardening
  • Homesteading
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • DIY

Podcast

  • Time-Saving Tips when Cooking From Scratch
  • How to Test Soil pH & Amend Acidic or Alkaline Soil
  • Yearly Planning Without the Overwhelm
  • Unplugging for One Year with Rory Feek
  • The Norris Farmstead: Our 40-Acre Homestead Farm-Stay

Books

  • Everything Worth Preserving
  • The Family Garden Planner
  • Hand Made
  • The Made From Scratch Life

Education

  • Organic Gardening Workshop
  • Home Fruit Preservative Canning e-course
  • Home Canning With Confidence
  • Homemade Bread & Baking Class
  • Natural Homemade Bath and Beauty
  • Pioneering Today Academy


Copyright 2023 - Melissa K. Norris Pioneering Today LLC

  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use

Melissa K. Norris and Pioneering Today LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.