Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Best and Easiest Ways to Cook Asparagus

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Hands down, asparagus has become one of my favorite vegetables. Here are (in my opinion) the best and easiest ways to cook asparagus.

The Best and Easiest Ways to Cook Asparagus

  1. Stir fry it in olive oil: Our favorite way to cook asparagus is to stir it around for a few minutes in hot olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Sprinkle on some sea salt and it tastes incredible!
  2. Roast it: Brush it with olive oil, sprinkle on some sea salt, then roast it in a 425 degree oven for 10-20 minutes or until the asparagus has reached your preferred crispiness level. Super good!
  3. Grill it: This obviously doesn’t work very well in the fall and winter, but if you throw asparagus onto the grill while you’re cooking meat in the spring and summer, it tastes amazing!

None of these methods are difficult in the least. All of them turn out fabulous tasting asparagus with very little effort.

Download a FREE Printable Veggie Prep Guide!

Beyond the asparagus, you might want more easy instructions for how to prep a variety of veggies for your family. Get lots of ideas here!

How about an easy-to-reference guide to print and post in your kitchen? As you prepare your veggies every day, give it a quick glance to be reminded of cooking times for each veggie!

What are your favorite ways to cook and eat asparagus?

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Simple Creamy Layered Enchiladas (For Oven or Crock Pot)

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How simple are these Creamy Layered Enchiladas? Well, I was able to throw them together in just five minutes before running out to church on a recent Sunday morning. So I’d say they’re pretty simple!

This recipe is simple in and of itself, but if you happen to have hamburger already cooked and waiting to be used, then you really can throw the rest of this together in just five minutes. (Or use pre-cooked chicken if you prefer!)

There are two great options for cooking this casserole: Crock Pot or Oven.

I use the Crock Pot on days I don’t want to heat up the house with the oven or on Sundays when I want to have our meal ready and waiting when we get home from church. I use the oven when I have these enchiladas made up ahead of time in a casserole dish. Then all I have to do is slide it into the oven and let it bake while I get other work done!

Simple Creamy Layered Enchiladas

Simple Creamy Layered Enchiladas (For Oven or Crock Pot)
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • sea salt to taste
  • 2 cups salsa
  • 1½ cups sour cream
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 8 whole wheat flour tortillas (or corn tortillas)
Instructions
  1. Brown meat. Stir in salt, salsa, sour cream, and ½ cup of cheese.
  2. Lay 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  3. Spread half of meat mixture over tortillas.
  4. Layer again with the 4 remaining tortillas.
  5. Spread remaining meat mixture over tortillas.
  6. Top with 1½ cups cheese.
  7. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
  8. OR Layer ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on Low for 6-7 hours or on Hi for 4 hours.

 

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Simple Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Muffins

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When it comes to recipes, the simpler the better right? These Simple Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Muffins are fast and easy, and probably our very favorite. No one even realizes they are made with whole grains!

First, I must give a shout-out to the Muffin Mix in our Simple Mixes to Save the Day eBook. I use this muffin mix allllll the time as it is my very favorite. It seems silly to say that “this muffin mix saves me so much time!” because what does it really save me? Five minutes per batch of muffins? That, and brain energy, which is absolutely worth saving, is it not?

But truly, having the Muffin Mix on hand means all I have to do is scoop out two cups of mix, then quickly add liquid ingredients. It makes muffins come together very quickly and easily. For me, it feels huge as every minute saved in the kitchen allows for more minutes doing other more important tasks!

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Below you’ll find the recipe you can use with or without the Muffin Mix. Note that there’s sour cream in these muffins. This makes the muffins moist and amazing!

Use any whole grain flour you choose. I use freshly ground soft white wheat in these muffins. It amazes me that using this flour for baking turns out products that taste surprisingly not whole grainy!

Amazing Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Muffins

Simple Chocolate Chip Muffins
 
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Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Muffin Mix** or...
  • 1½ cups whole grain flour (I use freshly ground soft white wheat)
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar or sucanat
  • ½ teaspoon baking power
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Scoop Muffin Mix or measure dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Add egg, sour cream, milk, and melted butter, stirring until ingredients are combined.
  3. Fold in ¼ cup chocolate chips.
  4. Scoop batter into 12-15 prepared muffin tins.
  5. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-22 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

**You really must get our Simple Mixes to Save the Day eBook so you can save time and energy by using the Muffin Mix for this recipe instead!! I LOVE having these mixes on hand!!!

Want more great whole grain chocolate chip muffin recipes?

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How Your Family Can Eat Healthy Food That Seems Like Junk Food

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Long ago I decided that eating healthy food tastes ridiculously better than eating junk food. I mean, have you ever slathered real butter over a whole grain chocolate muffin made with all real food ingredients? Ever enjoyed a Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait made with fresh, real food ingredients? So much yum! You can’t pay me to trade those in for a poptart from a box after enjoying such delicious real food.

Still, I think we all have our junk-food-guilty-pleasures, right? While I love so many nourishing dishes – a steaming pot roast, cheesy potatoes, fresh from the garden green beans, tossed green salad with homemade ranch – I do have my moments that I get an absurd hankering for Lays potato chips. The Stax kind. These are dangerous in my hands and I forget all things wise and nourishing when I have some {hangs head and shrugs sheepishly}.

What I’m here to share with you today (besides my Lays Stax confession – but I don’t want to talk about that anymore) is that there are many super fun, super nourishing foods I make regularly for my family and they really make us feel strangely like we’re eating junk food. Among them are our two favorites:

  1. Guacomole
  2. Sweet Potato Fries

I’m sorry, but is there any better way to eat vegetables? (Yes, I know avocados are fruit. But they are green so in my head they will always be a veggie, not that it really matters.)

Our family can stand in the kitchen and eat an unbelievable amount of sweet potato fries. We feel zero guilt and 100% joy over this because I make them with healthy oils that can withstand high temps, so we don’t have to fear the fried food. We salt them with Redmond Season Salt and we eat and we eat and we eat. There is nothing bad about these and everything good. Sweet Potato Fries. Best “junk food” ever.

Unless we’re talking about Guacomole. This gives Sweet Potato Fries a run for their money. Yes, we eat Guac with chips, but c’mon now. We’re eating avocados and salsa. Happy, happy health food. (I get chips like these with are a step above, but also, tortilla chips in general aren’t too bad with their three or so ingredients.)

So there you have it. There are many real foods that taste awesome and feel like a treat to eat. Cream Cheese Corn? It’s like eating a bowl full of candy. Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits? Wowza. Homemade Chicken Nuggets? It doesn’t get any better than this.

What are your favorite healthy foods that taste like you’re eating junk food?

Want to learn more about making your favorite foods the healthy way?

Grab our free Simple Real Food Substitutions printable!

This printable shares all our favorite real food substitutions that makes food tastes so delicious without compromising good health! Get yours here.

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I Found a Solution to my 45-Year Old Eyelash Issues! (Win a $25 Jenuiniely Pure Gift Certificate!)

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I was the girl who had long, thick eyelashes. They needed no make-up. They made my blue eyes stand out without any help. And then I got older.

Suddenly I realized my eyes looked tired. It was then that I noticed my eyelashes had started to disappear. Aha! Hello, 45-year old self. You no longer have thick, lush eyelashes. You have exactly two lashes left (fine, I exaggerate). And while in the big scheme of things, this is very much a trivial matter, I still spent at least 5-minutes to consider what might be done about this.

Rest assured, my husband has always – and still does – proclaim that his favorite color is “the color of my wife’s eyes.” This makes the college soccer girls he coaches swoon and gush and run over to examine my eyes the next time they see me. Indeed, Matt cares very little about my current lack of lashes, so the issue is mine alone. And while most of the time I don’t think twice about such petty matters, I decided that a little mascara from time to time might be fun. You know, just to make my eyes not look so tired. (Tired? I’m not tired.)

Therefore, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for me to receive a non-toxic Eye Make-Up Remover from Jenuinely Pure. It works beautifully, and I am completely assured that I’m not wiping anything dangerous into my eyes.

Meanwhile, Jenuinely Pure sent me Body Wash, Baby Wash, Foaming Hand Soap, and a Moisturizing Body Scrub. They are fabulous, and here’s why:

  • Their products are high quality with only pure ingredients
  • They use organic ingredients when available
  • They include nourishing handmade botanical extracts
  • They contain NO harmful or questionable ingredients, no artificial fragrances or perfumes, no parabens, phthalates, or sulfates, and no genetically modified ingredients

So yes. I will gently and confidently wash the mascara off my few remaining lashes with such a safe product.

And what about that Baby Wash, you ask? Well, the timing is perfect to receive that too, seeing as we have a 4-year old living with us now. Plus we frequently have babies in our care as we have been trying to help a single mom get on her feet. I give a lot of little people baths now, so I am loving the use of this gentle and safe Baby Wash!

The teens and adults in the family are loving the Body Wash and Foaming Hand Soap. And as soon as I find a few extra minutes, I am going to enjoy the Moisturizing Body Scrub they sent!

And with that, it is time for you to get very excited!

Jenuinely Pure is giving us all a 20% discount on our purchases!! Yep! If your lashes need love like mine do, or if you need any of their great products, take advantage of this offer! Receive 20% any online order by entering “HEAVEN20” in the coupon code box.

And guess what else? This week they are giving two of you a $25 Gift Certificate to the Jenuinely Pure! Sign up in the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends Tuesday, October 9. I’ll send an email to reveal the winners!

Don’t forget to take advantage of the 20% discount!

Special thanks to Jenuinely Pure for sponsoring this review, and especially for the discount and giveaway!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Easy Peanut Butter Honey Granola

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Save big bucks and use the finest ingredients when you make this Easy Peanut Butter Honey Granola!

Confession: Sometimes I buy granola at the store. The kind that comes in a box or a bag. The kind that costs more than a pound of grass-fed beef.

Why do I do this? Because it’s convenient. It’s tasty. It’s fun. And because life gets extra full, therefore sometimes store-bought conveniences feed the family and I don’t even feel bad about it.

Interesting fact: I used to think I was busy (because indeed, I was certainly never bored). Then God suddenly and beautifully made us a foster family. Overnight, I learned what “busy” was in a brand new way. Simultaneously, I began to learn that nothing in this world matters more than loving God and loving people.

Never again will I say, “I’m so busy!” with a negative or complaining heart (or at least it is my goal to keep life in perspective like this). How blessed we are to have such full lives, surrounded by so much love and goodness from the Father! He is the ultimate, perfect provider.

I am learning that if we are “busy” loving God and loving people, the rest will all fall into place, whether it’s schedules, appointments, work, laundry, meals, school, dishes, or any of the many tasks that fill our days. And for the record, sometimes I am “busy resting” because God provides for that too and I’ve learned to take full and glorious advantage of down time and moments of quiet.

Well now, what an interesting way to introduce our new Peanut Butter Honey Granola recipe. I can’t help it. I bought some Peanut Butter Granola in a bag on one of “those days” but wanted to try my hand at making some at home with all of our favorite whole food ingredients and for a fraction of the price.

Our 4-year old foster son jumped right in to help me because “I wike to help Mama Copp cook!” Seriously, this is the best “busy” I’ve ever been.

Easy Peanut Butter Honey Granola

Easy Peanut Butter Honey Granola
 
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Serves: 10-15
Ingredients
  • ⅔ cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • ½ - ¾ cup honey
  • 4 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • ½ cup sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Measure coconut oil, peanut butter, salt, and honey in a large cooking pot.
  2. Heat and stir together until melted and well-combined.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Add oats, coconut, and seeds, stirring well.
  5. Spread mixture on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
  6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, then stir.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes more.
  8. Remove from oven and allow granola to dry on the countertop for about one hour.
  9. Transfer granola to an air tight container.


Stir some mini chocolate chips for an extra special breakfast or snack.

What’s your favorite flavor of granola?

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Lilla Rose Fall Sale!

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It’s a Lilla Rose Fall Sale!

Yay! I’m here right now to let you know about a wonderful fall sale that Lilla Rose is having today through Wednesday!

(And you KNOW how much I love my Flexi clips…so quick and easy to do my hair in the morning, and super-comfy! They also work in all types of hair…from baby fine to super long and thick! Be sure to watch this sizing video or this one to find your perfect size. And have no worries, as Lilla Rose has a 90-day sizing guarantee for free exchanges!)

Lilla Rose has just released some very cute styles that are very fun for fall! Charlotte’s Web, pumpkins, beautiful Maple Leaves, and more! And the Flexi-of-the-Month, “Solana,” is a warm fall sun!

The great part is that all of these new releases and other select styles are all on sale at 20% off!
Plus, you get 10% off Everything Else!

And on top of the discounts on absolutely every item on Paula’s website, you get FREE SHIPPING as well as a FREE U-PIN on all orders of $50 or more!!!…

Did I say that this was a wonderful sale, or what?! Yep, you won’t want to miss this one, for sure!

Fine Print: Sale starts at 7 am PT/10 am ET on Monday, Oct. 1 and ends at midnight Pacific on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. All items are limited supply and available only while supplies last. Please contact my awesome independent stylist Paula Ramm if you have any questions at all…she will be happy to help you with anything you need!

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Sweet and Simple Buttery Almond Cookies (4 Ingredients!)

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Once upon a time I decided I wanted the delicious flavor of Almond Extract in a light and buttery cookie. So I mixed up these Sweet and Simple Buttery Cookies and I subbed Almond Extract for Vanilla Extract. Just like that, we had a batch of Buttery Almond Cookies. Recipe tweaks? They can be ridiculously easy. (Just like the recipe I’m about to show you!)

Recently one of my favorite 6th grade girls was at our house visiting. She LOVES cooking (almost as much as I do), so as she tasted each item of food from our table that day, she asked about the ingredients and how I had made it. Super cute!

Later, she told her mom, “Ms. Laura’s recipes are all so simple. Most of them only have 5 or fewer ingredients!” Her mom laughed with the proclamation, because you see, her mom is the one that designed this book for me:

Indeed. All of Ms. Laura’s recipes are simple, and many of them do only use five or fewer ingredients. High fives all around!

You’ll find our High Five Recipes eBook here, and you’ll love it because there are 111 recipes that come together in no time. Meanwhile, we’ve got a new cookie recipe to share, and it uses only 4 little ingredients!

If you’ve tried our Sweet and Simple Butter Cookies recipe, you’ll see that this is the exact same recipe with a key flavor ingredient switched. Sub vanilla extract for almond extract and suddenly the taste of this cookie changes significantly. I can’t decide which I like better, but it doesn’t matter because they are both buttery and light, low in sugar, and delicious! How fun that one little tweak creates a brand new cookie!

Buttery Almond Cookies

Sweet and Simple Buttery Almond Cookies
 
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Author:
Serves: 15-18
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups melted butter
  • ⅓-1/2 cup sugar (raw, white, brown, or sucanat)
  • 1 tablespoons almond extract
  • 3 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground soft white wheat)
Instructions
  1. Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl.
  2. Stir in almond extract.
  3. Mix in flour until well combined.
  4. Scoop Tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto cookie sheets.
  5. Press the dough down with your fingers or a fork.
  6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.

 


Enjoy these cookies with a cup of tea or coffee. Enjoy them with a friend. Enjoy them during quiet time with God.

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Simple One Dish Chicken Florentine (For Instant Pot or Crock Pot)

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You guys. This entire, delicious meal takes me only 7 minutes of work to prepare. 7 minutes to make One-Dish Chicken Florentine. Meat, pasta, and veggie all in one dish. With 7 minutes of total prep time. Hoorah!

Now, I can’t say for sure because I don’t know the specific needs of the picky people in your life. But I dare say that even picky people might not mind the spinach in this dish. Why? Because you can’t taste it. It doesn’t really create a weird texture. It really just adds color variety (and hidden nutrients, shh!).

I personally like to serve a tossed salad on the side of this dish, because the more greens, the merrier. But in a pinch, just serve this quick-to-make dish all by itself and you’re golden!

Can we all stand and applaud the fact that we don’t have to precook our chicken or pasta when making this? That’s why it only takes 7 minutes of prep time! Raw chicken, uncooked noodles, dump it all into an Instant Pot or Crock Pot and dinner takes care of itself!

Simple One-Dish Chicken Florentine

Simple One Dish Chicken Florentine (For Instant Pot or Crock Pot)
 
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Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced or 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 6 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • 16-ounces whole grain spaghetti (uncooked)
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. (I use kitchen shears for this which makes it super fast!)
  2. Place prepared chicken in the bottom of your Instant Pot or Crock Pot.
  3. Sprinkle with garlic, salt, and spinach leaves.
  4. Break spaghetti noodles in half and place on top.
  5. Pour on chicken broth and cream.
  6. Top with shredded cheese.
  7. Seal Instant Pot and cook on the "Poultry" setting for 15 minutes, doing a quick release after the time runs out.
  8. OR Cook in a Crock Pot on low for 6 hours.
  9. Stir and serve.
  10. Garnish with grated parmesan if you like!

Don’t have an Instant Pot? I held back for years before jumping on the bandwagon. But now that I have one I LOVE how much time and energy it has saved me in the kitchen. This Chicken Florentine is just another recipe to prove how great my Instant Pot makes my real food kitchen life.

But a Crock Pot works too, and will still allow you to create this recipe with just 7 minutes of effort, so use whatever you have!

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Mini Crustless Lemon Cheesecakes (Low Sugar!)

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I’ve been wanting to try this Mini Crustless Lemon Cheesecakes recipe idea for months! (Apparently my to-do list is a little bit backed up?)

Why did it take so long to finally give these a try? Goodness, I don’t know. Life. People. Ministry. Unexpected foster care in our home. Graduation. Soccer season. Church camp. Moving not one but TWO sons into the college dorm in August.

We never quite know what God has for us each day, do we? It’s fun to look forward to learning what He has planned. So what if it takes six months to get around to trying a new recipe? Good things come to those who wait.

I met a new friend at my kids’ homeschool basketball tournament back in March. She said, “I make your Mini Crustless Cheesecakes all the time, but I always add lemon. You should try it! And top it with fruit!” Oh man, did that sound good.

Of course I couldn’t wait to try it and share the idea with you!! Except that I did wait. Six entire months.

So here we are, without further ado, and without any more delays (says the girl who actually started writing this post back in July…).

Mini Crustless Lemon Cheesecakes

Mini Crustless Lemon Cheesecakes (Low Sugar!)
 
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Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 16 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice (or the juice of one lemon, plus zest if you like!)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup or sugar
  • 2 full droppers of liquid stevia
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
  2. Pour into 12 muffin cups.
  3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
  4. Turn off heat, open the oven door, and leave the cheesecakes in the oven for an additional 20 minutes. (Cheesecakes will puff up during baking but deflate while continuing to sit in the oven.)
  5. Transfer cheesecakes to the fridge and chill for at least two hours before serving.

Add fresh or frozen fruit to your cheesecakes for an added burst of flavor.

P.S. I find it easiest to bake my Mini Cheesecakes in a silicone baking pan like this. Once they’ve cooled, they pop right out and the pan is super easy to wash out!

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