Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting
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Monday, October 19 at 12am PT through Tuesday, October 20 at midnight.
Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!I super love when people come to visit us! I love planning the meals and preparing the meals and serving the meals and doing all the food up right in an effort to bless our guests while we visit. And of course, I love to visit with our guests.
In summary: Would one of you please come clean my house for me?
Man, I do not like to clean. I do like my house to be clean, but the act of cleaning is low on my fun list. Actually, it’s not even on my fun list. It’s on my do it because it has to be done so get over it list.
Hiring regular cleaning help is not in the budget right now, but I’m seriously thinking about seeing who might want to trade cooking for cleaning. Some people like to clean but not cook, right? Yes, I hear that this is true.
My boys are very helpful with their assigned cleaning chores, which is another reason I’ve not wanted to outsource this task to hired help. But sometimes my idea of clean differs from my boys’ idea of clean. (I probably don’t need to explain this.)
Well anyway. All this talk about cleaning is starting to make me upset. Let’s talk about food!!!! Aaaaahhh yes. Now I’m happy again. :) :) :) :)
Family is coming to town this weekend for our York College Homecoming festivities. I can’t wait to feed see them! This is always a wonderful weekend with people we don’t get to see often enough.
In order to enjoy my guests and avoid having to talk very much while I cook (this is a serious problem for me) – I’m making most of the food ahead of time or at least planning very simple, no-brainer dishes (like this Stir-and-Pour Bread).
Here are the meals we’ll be having:
(The Crock Pot Roast Beef recipe was originally written to be used for Roast Beef and Melted Cheese Sandwiches, but we love the flavor of this one so much, and it only takes about 30 seconds to prepare {seriously!!!!}, so we make it frequently to eat as a main dish without the cheese and buns.)
Here’s a picture of Creamy Salsa Enchilada Casseroles I like to serve guests.
So, so, so, so good. And easy.
Any of these meals sound particularly good to you? What do you like feeding guests when they come visit? Who likes cleaning?!?
Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!I love coconut oil and buy other brands when I find a good deal. But the Tropical Traditions brand is by far my favorite and by far the best in quality. So when it’s on sale (with free shipping), I get very excited!
This weekend, Tropical Traditions is offering a Buy-One-Get-One-Free deal on their 32-ounce jars of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil – the highest quality they offer. This is the best of the best!
On top of that, they are offering FREE SHIPPING on orders over $19. Use the code 19151 at check out for free shipping to apply. This is what awesome is!
In my opinion, if there was a be-all-and-end-all item, coconut oil would have to be it. It has so many uses and so many health benefits. Truly, I say “use coconut oil for that” at least once a day. (And also, “go take a sip of water.” My kids love how predictable I am.)
Below are five of my favorite uses for coconut oil, in no particular order…
We try very hard not to let ourselves get sunburned. But we were on the soccer field all last weekend, which was very sunshiny even if it is October. Our faces all turned pink. We all slathered cheeks, foreheads, and noses in coconut oil. So soothing and healing!
We pop corn in an air popper, then stir in melted coconut oil and sea salt. It is the best popcorn in the world.
And then after you’ve popped your corn and stirred in the coconut oil,
you should make this White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn.
Whenever any of us has something weird going on (any variety of weird) with our skin – the first thing we always try is coconut oil. It can’t hurt, and it almost always helps.
Most oils become hydrogenated (aka terrible for the body) when heated to high temps for frying. But coconut oil and palm oil are an exception to this. They can withstand high temps and remain stable. Hallelujah french fries! I prefer frying food in palm shortening or expeller pressed coconut oil because they are both flavorless. (The above mentioned coconut oil that is on sale this weekend has coconut flavor.)
Sweet Potato Fries
You’re going to need to make these.
Every muffin, quick bread, or cake I make with melted coconut oil is amazing. It’s also wonderful in my Whole Wheat Waffles. And Chewy Granola Bars. Here are some of my favorite recipes made with coconut oil:
I think we can all see now why we need a lot of coconut oil in our lives (and it may or may not have something to do with chocolate cake).
Take advantage of the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil deal with free shipping (code 19151). New customers with Tropical Traditions who click through the referral links in this post automatically receive a free Virgin Coconut Oil Recipe Book with their order!
This post contains referral links.
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The winners of our Lilla Rose Surprise Flexi-Clip giveaway are:
1) Rosana: rosana.lebron@
2) Melissa Cavanaugh: luckysam7@
3) C. Webb: establishedways@
Ladies, email me and I’ll forward your information on to Paula for your prize!
These are my favorite hair accessory. I pretty much wear a Flexi-Clip every day of the week except for Sunday (when I actually curl my hair and leave it down!).
Never tried a Lilla Rose flexi before? Paula has a Special offer just for you! Get a FREE FLEXI-CLIP of your choice, valued up to $16 retail, when you place an order of $40 or more!
*To redeem your free flexi, you must message Paula after placing your qualifying order of $40 or more, excluding tax and shipping, through Paula’s website. Say that Heavenly Homemakers sent you, and that you are a new customer. Offer valid for NEW U.S. and international customers and expires October 23rd, 2015.
Paula also just started Refer-a-Friend program!
International customers: ask Paula about her new “Refer-a-Friend” program to find out how you can earn credit by sharing Lilla Rose with your friends!
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Several of you warned us. Many of you suggested that we do it sooner rather than later. But truly we don’t know what we’re doing here, and we didn’t know that sooner really meant, “No really. Soooooooner!” Like several weeks ago sooner.
eheh
Don’t mind me. I’m going to ramble on for a bit. I’m simply avoiding the issue. I’m hanging my head and peeking up at you sheepishly. I can’t quite come right out and say it. I’m trying. Really.
So it went something like this:
Malachi and I were outside together a few days ago. Wiggams walked up as she usually does, ready for a little snuggle. Suddenly, I gasped in shock. Malachi looked at me like I was crazy. In a weird little high pitched voice I said, “Wiggams. Whoa. Wiggams! Say it isn’t so. Wiggams, what in the world??” Malachi was like, “What, Mom? What?”
I told Malachi my suspicions. We asked Wiggams to spill it. “Out with it, Wiggams! Is it true? Is it??” Wiggams just purred and rubbed up against my leg. For a woman, she sure doesn’t add much to conversation around here.
I was in denial for the rest of the day. (I still can’t say the words.)
We showed her to Matt when he got home. We all circled around her, eyeing her with scrutiny. Together we decided resolutely that Wiggams had simply eaten an entire rabbit (family). Indeed. That had to be it. There was no other possible explanation for her widening belly.
Asa and Brittany came by later that evening. We told them our suspicions and asked Brittany what she knew about cats. She knew significantly more than we, and also she might be a little bit better at living in reality. She looked Wiggams over thoroughly, and said something like, “Well, your suspicions were correct. She did not eat a rabbit.”
So my friends. I guess it’s time to officially announce that Malachi is going to be a grandpa.
I’m just. I can’t. It’s so…
eheh.
I can’t help but think that Bob Barker would be so disappointed in us. (If you’re in the Drew Carey generation, this makes no sense. Unless he says it too. I haven’t watched the show in a while. Does he say it too? Again, I’m rambling.)
My research tells me that 1-8 kittens should arrive….umm perhaps as soon as within the next couple of weeks?? (Apparently by the time a cat begins to widen in the middle there are only a couple weeks left. Help me out here, cat lovers. I only know about human babies.)
But speaking of cat lovers, so what if I am one now? Maybe I recovered from my shock and got really excited about seeing baby kitties on our place soon. Maybe I even sometimes let Wiggams crawl up on my lap while I’m having a cup of coffee in the sunshine.
Maybe I even make weirdo cutesy cat faces at her.
Thank you, Grandpa Malachi, for documenting my weird cat lady faces.
As soon as there is kitten news to share, you’ll be the first (few thousand) to know. We’ve already promised one kitten to our neighbor. Any other takers? And yes, Bob, Drew, and everyone else who told me to do this sooner rather than later – after the kittens are born and have been enjoyed, weaned, and shared – we will really and for real get Wiggams fixed.
eheh
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Oh comfort food. You are so…comforting.
If you love Chicken Pot Pie, you will love this Hamburger Pot Pie. I actually think I like this one even better. (No surprise there. I’m a beef-loving girl.) Pin this recipe so you can use it to keep yourself warm all winter long.
For the record, if you need to eat gluten free – or if you’re like me and you’re more into meat and veggies than bread – you can skip the topping on this and just eat it in a bowl like Hamburger Soup.
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Remember our $1.00 Real Food Breakfast ideas? I promised then that I would share some lunches and dinners too.
Undoubtedly, lunches and dinners are trickier than breakfasts if you want to eat on the cheap. And just to be clear – I’m not into cheap. I’m into nourishing. But it’s always great when cheap and nourishing collide, don’t you think? (I actually prefer the word inexpensive. Cheap sounds so…cheap.)
As I stated in my $1.00 Breakfast post, the following dinner servings are my size, not my teenage boys’ size. They usually eat what I eat multiplied times four or five. Technically, these dinners still cost about $1.00 per plate. It’s just that my kids eat 3-5 plates. Each. But who’s counting?
Ooh, good news not entirely related to food but about the cost of teenage boys! We just learned how to lower our 18-year old son’s car insurance bill. So now we shall proceed with allowing our 15-year old son to pursue his license. Hey, it was “you can either eat or you can drive, which do you want?” I’m kidding. Mostly.
Each of the following meals can be made for approximately $1.00 per plate. They are all made with real food ingredients. They are all served with 2-4 fruits or veggies (which ups the bill, but it’s worth it by a million).
The trick to this one is to go easy on the hamburger meat. Let the beans offer the protein. Stretch it with a little whole grain pasta. And if you happen to have home-grown, home-canned tomato sauce all the better on the money savings.
The best thing about this recipe is that it is a one-pot meal. It comes with veggies baked right in. Serve a salad on the side. Maybe a fruit. It is so good.
P.S. I just figured out a Hamburger Pot Pie recipe that I’ll be sharing tomorrow!
This is so delicious and tastes even better than a restaurant version (which you get for about twelve bucks a plate). Serve this with salad and steamed veggies. Adding some chicken will add to the cost, but it sure does taste delicious. If you have a little leftover chicken, stir it in, and you’ll still be keeping this low in cost.
This casserole is super nourishing because you’re cooking your rice in veggie-rich broth. Plus there are carrots in the casserole. Plus you can serve a salad on the side. Plus you can make extra and freeze it for another time. So convenient!
I love this recipe because you can use whatever veggies are on sale or that you have on hand. The potatoes help stretch this dish. Everything is flavorful.
I’ve got more $1.00 Breakfasts coming soon (here’s the first one I posted). Plus I’m working on some $1.00 Lunch ideas too!
I love all this proof that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive. :)
Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!Ever since I splurged on a Cast Iron Griddle, two things have happened:
There’s just something about how food tastes when cooked on cast iron. It is so good. (Unless it gets too hot. Then the food blackens and tastes, you know, blackened. I know this too well. Turn the burners up to hi heat to get the griddle hot, then turn them down to medium to maintain heat without burning your food.)
I’ve avoided Teflon for the past ten years or so – but for making pancakes, I struggled to find a good alternative. A well-buttered stainless steel skillet sort of works, but it’s not great. How in the world did people make pancakes before Teflon??! Cast iron, of course. My small cast iron skillet worked wonderfully, but I could only make one pancake at a time.
Do you know how long it takes to feed my family when I can only make one pancake at a time? Oy.
Big cast iron griddle to the rescue. Beyond pancakes, I also use this griddle for grilled cheese sandwiches. The best! (Both in taste and in the fact that I can whip out six sandwiches at once.)
I wanted to let you know that this Lodge Cast Iron Griddle is something to check it out. Help yourself to one, save yourself a lot of time, and make your family the best pancakes ever. Just don’t drop it on your foot. This sucker is heavy!
P.S. This is our favorite pancake recipe. We also love Quick Mix Pancakes. And while I’m sharing recipes, I’ll remind you that we are loving this Raspberry Pancake and Waffle Syrup right now. Mmm!
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Once upon a time, I spent five minutes stirring together melted coconut oil, sucanat, and oats in order to top an Apple Crisp. (I was making it dairy free for a friend.) While making it, I didn’t measure my ingredients (surprise, surprise) so when it came time to top my apples, I had too much topping. Oh well. I’d store them for later. Into a jar they went (surprise, surprise).
Later, my 13-year old came into the kitchen and saw the jar of apple crisp topping, about which he said, “Ooh, what kind of granola is this?” It was at that moment that I realized that all we had to do was stir in coconut flakes, almonds, dried fruit – whatever we wanted – and we’d have granola.
It was in the next moment that I decided that I might make granola like this every single time because it only took five minutes and it was too easy.
Friends, I present to you:
Make it on the fly. Make it ahead of time. Serve it with add-in options. It will be one of the easiest breakfast or snack options ever.
Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!I have taken it upon myself to write what I consider to be insightful kitchen proverbs worth living by. I highly recommend that you pick your favorite and immediately begin to stitch it into a needlepoint creation for your wall.
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Ain’t that the truth?
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And my personal favorite:
This is so beautiful. We all want this in our homes.
None of what I am about to tell you or show you is all that impressive. (I’m pretty sure my stitched proverbs have the impressive part of this post covered.) The following tips are simply how I survive in the kitchen. It is what makes sense to me.
When preparing any food, I always think to myself, “Self? If I cooked at least twice as much of this particular food, how might that make my work load lighter?”
It was in asking myself this question that I came up with several ways I find myself working half as hard for twice the outcome. (Perhaps we should stitch that one also.)
Cooking once and eating twice or more is my most productive way to multitask. Here are a few tricks that worked in my kitchen last week when cooking for my family:
1. On Saturday, I cooked three pounds of hamburger meat with two pounds of chopped bacon and a bunch of onion. I put 1/3 of this cooked mixture away to make Calico Beans another day. I stirred the remaining mixture into two huge Bacon Cheeseburger Casseroles (from {Healthy} Make-Ahead Meals & Snacks eBook) to serve to guests on Sunday.
2. A few days later, I soaked enough beans for two big meals (plus a few leftovers). I cooked all the beans the next morning. That night we had Calico Beans. While that dish was cooking, I put the remaining beans in a large pot and made a huge batch of Chili.
3. For lunch that day, I cooked several plain, boring chicken breasts. I chopped a couple of them up for a chef salad bar to eat immediately. Then I chopped up the rest and made a big bowl of Chicken Salad for the following day’s lunch.
Boring.
But perfect for a chef salad.
And Chicken Salad.
4. I made a batch of Whole Wheat Stir-and-Pour Bread on the night I served Calico Beans. While we could have eaten both loaves in that one meal, I intentionally set one aside to use for the following day’s Chicken Salad lunch.
The thing about bread is that if I let us go crazy with it, we will go crazy with it (I feel a cross-stitch coming on). I want us eating more fruits and veggies than bread, so I’ve found that putting out a limited amount is best for us.
5. Friday morning we scrubbed and baked about 15 pounds of potatoes. We ate some for lunch that day (see #6 below), then put the rest in the fridge to eat in a variety of ways during the next week. This will save so much time and offer so many meal options!
6. On Friday, I also I made a triple batch of Real Food “Velveeta” and Rotel Dip. We ate one round of it on our baked potatoes for lunch that day (see #5 above). I set aside the second round for an easy nacho meal. Then I’ll use the third round for Spicy Mac and Cheese. I love how versatile this dip is…and how delicious.
7. Last but not least, I made three rounds of Gatorade. We had quite a few weekend soccer games and plenty of bottles to fill. I’ve started making at least two if not three or four batches of Gatorade at once just to get on top of our needs. Plus, just like everything else, if I’m already getting out the ingredients and I’m already dirtying a few dishes, I might as well save myself time and energy later by tripling up now!
If you have any athletes in your house, I very much recommend you make this Gatorade. We have gone through many gallons already and have saved sooo much money since I learned to make it. This recipe incredible. (We also learned that it’s very nice to have this on hand if you have a stomach bug going around your house. It’s so much better to replenish electrolytes with than the sugary variety!)
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