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Welcome to Homesteading with Hyacynth! Homesteading with Hyacynth is a monthly look at ways to lead a healthy, greener, more sustainable life. My intent with Homesteading with Hyacynth is to offer genuine, practical experiences and humorous and helpful tips. Of course, I am not a medical professional so these are my tips and what worked for my family.
Homesteading with Hyacynth
While I love a day that celebrates love, I don’t love the indulgences that come with it.
And it’s not what we all think of that bothers me most — the high-calorie counts or the high expectations are nothing compared to my arch-parenting nemesis: food coloring.
More than most anything else, I don’t love the treats that come home and are chalked full of food coloring because …it’s kind of hard to celebrate love and go to my happy place with our tiny valentines when my big valentine and I are kinda at the end of our ropes with children who are buzzing high on sweets and red dye number 40.
{Where *does* red dye number 40 come from anyway?}
Because I don’t want to be a stick in the mud when it comes to my little valentines, we’ve come up with some simple swaps for the big day of love that leaves us with that loving feeling instead of that “you’ve got to put the kids to sleep before I lose my cool” feeling:
Here are some fantastic Valentine’s Day Simple Swaps.
- Instead of red velvet cupcakes {which likely sport red dye number 40 and a host of other unappealing ingredients}, try cupcakes with strawberry frosting, like these cupcakes made with fresh strawberries!
- Want grain-free? Try these bite-sized Paleo Strawberry Shortcakes. {Editors Note: If you simply must have
- Instead of chocolates from the store, make chocolate mud cake and decorate with strawberries.
- Instead of cookies with frosting, try these cute heart-shaped Chewy Paleoleos.
Not up for an afternoon in the kitchen but still want to avoid some of the unappealing candy ingredients?
Instead of Candy Hearts or the like, try one of these:
- Take a shot at making your own with this whole-foods recipe from Mommypotamus.
- Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops {perfect for taping onto valentine’s day cards!} from Earthly Goods in Gurnee, Murphy’s in Libertyville, or Whole Foods.
Are you gluten-free {or have other food allergies} and want to surprise your valentine without trying your hand at whipping something up in the kitchen?
- Bring home a cinnamon roll from Sweet Ali’s Bakery in Hinsdale or stop at your local Egg Harbor Cafe {Libertyville, Lincolnshire, and Lake Forest} and pick one {or a few!} up!
- Head over to Rose’s Wheat Free Bakery in Evanston and marvel at the number of gluten-free or dairy-free {or any number of allergen-free} delicious desserts!
- Watch for a Holcomb Hollow Pop-up event
Happy Valentine’s Day!
by Hyacynth Worth
Hyacynth Worth is a wife to John and a mother to three boys and three girls. She writes about motherhood, healthy living, and faith. She is a local writer and the author of Homesteading with Hyacynth. She promises to be candid, amusing, and only slightly neurotic. Most of the time.
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