Kathleen | Roots & Boots, Author at Roots & Boots

Good Night, Sleep Tight: Favorite Bedtime Books for Toddlers & Preschoolers

If there are little people at your house, you probably have Goodnight Moon memorized by now. And Good Night, Gorilla. And possibly Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book. These all are wonderful books, and we do love them here at the Yankee Homestead. But sometimes, even Goodnight Moon can get old (even in Spanish). So, here are…

Roasted Veggies (and the dangers of heating olive oil)

Roasting is hands down one of the easiest and tastiest ways to prepare vegetables! Favorite veggies for roasting: carrots (Find out why I stopped buying baby carrots) cauliflower (It turns out I’m the only cauli-fan at my house, boo.) broccoli butternut squash spaghetti squash sweet potatoes

Tea Time: Traditional Medicinals Herbal Teas for Self Care

Anytime is a good time for tea, but fall weather always makes me want to savor a nice cup of tea. Not to mention that the changing weather can tend to usher in a host of unwanted conditions such as congestion, colds, sore throats and the like. Let me share one of the tricks I…

Favorite Folk Music for Family Listening

“All music is folk music, I ain’t never heard no horse sing a song.” –Louis Armstrong, one of the greatest artists in jazz history Sadly, all music is NOT folk music, and some kids’ music is downright annoying. Tired of listening to Veggie Tales and The Wiggles? Need some great road trip tunes for a…

Raspberry Basil Chicken

Raspberry Basil Chicken is a new favorite at our house, a big hit with all three of my boys. Just the other night, Mr. Native Texan suggested that I serve the sauce at every meal, so he can pour it over everything he eats. I’ll take that as a compliment!

Goodbye To Toxins (Day 1): Skin Deep, EWG’s online cosmetics data base

Before I begin sharing all my favorite natural products, I wanted to tell you about this helpful resource… Have you heard of Skin Deep? It’s an online cosmetic data base that provides product safety ratings. I’ve found it enormously helpful in my efforts to overhaul my family’s hygiene, beauty and cleaning products.

Homemade Toothsoap

I am not a huge expert on flouride or dental health, but I do know that sulfates are not healthy. So why would I put them in my mouth? Or even worse, in my children’s mouths? It’s such a shame that many personal care products contain sulfates, parabens and other nasty ingredients that can contribute…

Paleo Ragu Meat Sauce, Bolognese-Style

This delicious Paleo Ragu Meat Sauce, adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, is one of our new favorites. It’s fantastic over roasted spaghetti squash!

How to Attach a Knob to the Wall

What I Learned about Money from a Velveeta Cheese Bank

What I Learned about Money from a Velveeta Cheese Box

The irony is not lost on me. While my real-food adult self wouldn’t touch the stuff with a ten foot pole, I’m thankful for what I learned about money from a Velveeta cheese box as a child. My Velveeta Cheese Bank Velveeta cheese was a normal part of my family’s diet. So it was natural…