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At Home with Nate, Indianapolis, IN (2026)

04/08/2026

Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes 🧁

I was recently asked to bake a vegan dessert for a neighbor planning a friend's birthday. We settled on red velvet cupcakes after some discussion as vegan is not my normal repertoire. It was a lot of fun making something new and I'm told they were a big hit at the party! 🥳

Ingredients:

1¾ cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ tbsp cocoa powder
2½ tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup oat milk (non dairy milk of your choice)
⅓ cup canola oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp red food coloring or 3 tbsp beetroot powder

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰ and like a 12 cup muffin pan with cup liners
2. Add all dry ingredients and whisk together til no lumps and well combined
3. Add wet ingredients and mix til just combined. Add food coloring until desired shade, remember color may fade when baked
4. Divide batter evenly between lined cups, each cup should be about ⅔ full
5. Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick or sharp knife comes out of the center clean
6. Cool completely before frosting

Frosting:

½ cup plant butter, softened
8oz vegan cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

1. Beat butter and cream cheese til combined
2. Add vanilla and powdered sugar one cup at a time
3. Beat til combined and smooth
4. Frost your cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe with piping bag

Enjoy!

04/05/2026

Carrot Cake 🥕

Ingredients:

2½ cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 cup canola oil
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots, peel before grating
1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰, grease and lightly flour a 9x13 cake pan. To toast nuts place on a baking sheet in oven for 8 minutes, toss halfway through.

2. Whisk all your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl until there are no lumps and everything is well combined.

3. Add canola oil and melted butter, stir well until fully combined, mixture will be thick.

4. Stir in vanilla extract, then carrots and nuts.

5. Pour and spread batter into prepared pan, bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick or sharp knife comes out of the center clean.

6. Allow to cool fully before frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened
8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

1. Beat butter and cream cheese til combined
2. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar one cup at a time
3. Beat til combined and smooth
4. Frost your cake when fully cooled

Enjoy!

04/02/2026

Magnificent Egg Bites! 🥚

These egg bites are simple to prepare and make a quick and easy breakfast for busy weekday mornings.

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 pound bacon or sausage
2 tbsp Dill
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
¼ pound of cheese

Steps:

1. Prepare your protein. I do my bacon in the oven on a sheet pan at 375⁰ for 15 minutes flipping halfway through. Keep an eye on it, ovens can vary. You can also use sausage or any protein of your choice, just make sure it is fully cooked in advance.

2. Preheat oven to 350⁰ for egg bites.

3. Prepare two muffin tins with an oil of your choice.

4. Add your cheese, protein, and any other mix-ins to your greased tins. 1-2 tbsp of mix-ins per bite. You can also add peppers, onions, spinach, anything your heart desires really.

5. Prepare your egg mixture, crack 12 eggs into a large container, I use a large drink container to facilitate pouring. Add your can of evaporated milk and your seasonings. I like pepper, salt, onion powder, and dill. Other options include paprika, chili powder, or cumin. You can season your bites to your taste!

6. Whisk your mixture until it has a homogenous consistency with no lumps and the egg whites, yolks, and evaporated milk are fully incorporated. You can whisk by hand, I use an immersion blender with a whisk attachment.

7. Pour egg mixture over prepared muffin tins, filling each hole about half full.

8. Bake at 350⁰ for 20-25 minutes.

9. Remove from oven. Allow to cool and then remove from tins. You can enjoy them warm out of the oven or save them for future use. After fully cooling I arrange mine on a parchment lined sheet pan and freeze, once frozen I portion them into freezer safe bags. For a quick breakfast in the morning simply wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for up to 2 minutes in 30 second intervals.

These are a perfect breakfast on the go and help me get a healthy meal without a ton of sugar or carbs, a great option if you're diabetic.

Enjoy! 🍽

03/31/2026

Another easy afternoon project is building a three bin compost system. I've been flirting with starting to compost for a couple of years but the furthest I got was simply a large brush pile I've been letting slowly decompose. It's not particularly attractive or productive, so it's time to give it an actual go!

To build this system I used 7 heat-treated pallets. You can tell if a pallet is heat-treated (and garden safe) as it will be marked with an HT. If a pallet has been chemically treated it is unsafe to use for gardening purposes and will be marked with an MB. KD means kiln dried and DB means debarked both are also garden safe.

Other materials included 2½" deck screws and a power drill.

I used 3 pallets standing longwise up to make the back securing them with deck screws at the top, bottom, and middle. I then attached one pallet longwise on its side, again using one screw at the top, middle, and bottom. Finally, I secured two more pallets in between to partition the setup into three bins.

All in all with a pair of helping hands this took about 20 minutes to complete.

Next I'll start my compost in one bin on the side, the middle bin will be for mid-stage composting, and the final bin for finished compost. I'll share that process as I go. This is my first foray into composting so I'll share as I learn and if all goes well we'll have some quality compost by this fall or next spring!

Happy Gardening! 🌻

03/29/2026

It may be too early to plant here but that isn't stopping me from getting some projects completed!

For the past couple of years I've been planting in ground which works just fine; however, the grass, ever the invasive, continues to encroach into my planting space.

I had some scrap lumber I salvaged from another project and set out to build a couple of beds. I used brackets and deck screws to build the frame and then set it in place using large yard stakes. I then screwed the frame into the yard stakes to secure it in place.

This simple project was completed in one afternoon using tools I already had; a battery powered drill, hammer, level, and tape measure. I already had the lumber and screws so all I had to purchase for this project were the brackets and yard stakes. All in I finished two framed beds for about $50.00.

Finally, I lined the bottoms of the beds with cardboard and will soon fill them with high quality soil in preparation for planting in the coming months. In my photo you'll see I left part of one bed uncovered, that is where I have rhubarb and some strawberry plants coming up that I plan to keep in the new arrangement.

Is my project photo shoot ready? Absolutely Not! I'm not Martha Stewart and I'm not concerned about perfection and image, I'm focused on developing a practical set-up that works for my needs.

Don't be afraid to try something, use materials you have, and develop your skills as you go. I'm not an expert, just a guy learning one day at a time! Gardening is messy, have fun with it and don't get caught up in minutia!

Happy Growing! 🪴

03/25/2026

Crockpot Beef Curry

Busy weekdays are a perfect time to let the Crockpot do the heavy lifting. Just add your ingredients, set it, and forget it. You'll come home to a delicious meal ready to eat.

You'll need:

1 to 1½ lbs of stew meat
1 medium red onion diced
1 cup of carrots diced
1 cup of celery diced
2 cups beef broth
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp curry powder of your choice
1½ tbsp garam masala

1. Add all your ingredients to the crockpot

2. Stir in your spices (mix all ingredients and spices well)

3. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low 6-7 hours until vegetables are tender and meat is cooked through. Meat should easily fall apart with a fork.

4. Enjoy! We paired it with some rice and steamed broccoli. 🍛 😋

03/24/2026

Got ideas but don't know where to start? Make a plan!

Planning in advance is a simple step that helps you visualize your ultimate goal so you're prepared to tackle your project with ease.

I started this year by sketching out my backyard and mapping out our projects and where we want them located. No fancy blueprints or consultations with a master gardener; just a pad of paper, a pen, and imagination.

From this map we can then go further planning each individual project so we can finish our overall goal step by step. If you try to do everything at once you'll quickly become overwhelmed.

When planning individual projects; such as, building a raised bed, think of the following items:

What tools do I need?
What supplies/materials do I need?
How much time is this project going to take?
When is the best time to complete this work?
What is my budget?
Is this within my scope or do I need help?

Write down your responses and make a list of needed materials. Now you've got a working plan to go off of.

Next you can start pricing and sourcing your materials. We'll address this topic in a future post.

Needless to say proper planning can save you headaches down the line and make transforming your space a bit less stressful!

Happy Gardening! 🌻

03/23/2026

Spring Projects Loading...

Follow along as we complete simple and affordable garden projects to spruce up our space. Along the way we'll provide tips and tricks you can use in your own space! 🔨🌻🪏

02/04/2026

Nothing warms you up on a cold winter day like a hot bowl of chili! This recipe is sure to please and leave plenty for leftovers! 🥣 🫑 🫘 🌶

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive or veggie oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 6oz cans tomato paste
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)
2 lbs ground beef 80-85%
1 15oz can kidnev beans
1 15oz can black beans
2 cups beef broth

1. heat oil in Dutch oven until shimmering, add onion and bell pepper, stir occasionallv until softened,

2. add garlic cloves and 3 tbsp of tomato paste, stir to coat onions and peppers cook until darkened in color. 2 to 3 minutes.

3. add around beef, salt, and pepper break up meat and cook until browned add chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, oregano, paprika, cardamom. stir to coat meat.

4. add both cans of drained and rinsed beans, remaining tomato paste (can sub crushed tomatoes), and beef broth. stir until combined.

5. bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer until flavors meld and mixture thickens, 30-40 minutes.

6. serve in bowls with desired toppings.

7. cool and refrigerate leftovers, chili is even better the next day!

Topping ldeas:
shredded cheese
sour cream
oyster crackers
crushed doritos (my fav)
tortilla strips
hot sauce (another fav)

feel free to experiment and try different combinations, most of all enjoy!

😋 😍

01/29/2026

Howdy Folks! Took a little break from the page in January cause all of ya'll had "resolutions," how're those going? Broken? Good, let's get back to baking!

Cocoa Fudge Brownies

Skip the boring box mix and whip up something delicious! Chewy, fudgey, and super simple!

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons oil (canola or veggie will do)
1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and espresso.
3. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, oil, and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is fully melted. Remove from heat.
4. In separate bowl combine the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla or almond, and remaining 1 cup of sugar. Whisk until well combined.
5. Slowly pour the warm butter mixture into the egg mixture gradually while whisking constantly until fully combined.
6. Add the dry and wet ingredients together using a rubber spatula, slowly stir until just combined. DON'T OVER MIX! Stop when you can no longer see any dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips.
7. Pour into prepared pan.
8. Bake 28-30 minutes until the edges are firm and the top is shiny.
9. Cool completely before slicing.
10. Enjoy! 😋

I like mine with a cold glass of milk. 🥛 😉

Might take some orders in February so keep a look out for menus, order forms, and more yummy recipes!

✌️

12/15/2025

Last chance to get your hands on these tasty treats! Form closes at midnight. Thanks for all of the support and happy holidays!

https://bit.ly/3McKpOx

At Home with Nate

04/08/2026

04/05/2026

04/02/2026

03/31/2026

03/29/2026

03/25/2026

03/24/2026

03/23/2026

02/04/2026

01/29/2026

12/15/2025

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