Heavenly Homemakers

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Instant Pot Whole Chicken

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Did you know you can cook a whole chicken in your Instant Pot? This is one of my favorite time savers!

Instant pot Whole Chicken Recipe

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

by Bethany Lotulelei

Once upon a time, I was afraid of the whole chickens at the store. I wasn’t sure how to cook them properly, so I avoided buying them. Then one day, I got my courage up, and I purchased one. I stuck it in the oven, following a recipe I’d found online, and cooked it until I was sure it was done. The result? A sad, dry chicken that would have greatly benefited from some gravy.

I didn’t buy another whole chicken for quite some time, until I read a recipe that promised a moist, delicious rotisserie-style chicken with crispy skin. All from cooking it in the Instant Pot.

Could it be true? Would the Instant Pot deliver me a beautiful roast chicken in less than an hour? My curiosity was piqued, and I gave it a go.

This recipe has changed my life.

We routinely eat roast chicken, thanks to the ease of making it in the Instant Pot! It is seasoned, delicious, and (thanks to a secret which I will share with you in this post) the skin is nice and crispy! Win-win-win!

If you, too, are avoiding whole chickens, because of less-than stellar experiences in the past, might I encourage you to give this recipe a go?

A few tips:

  • Only buy a chicken that will fit in your Instant Pot. If you have a smaller Instant Pot then you’ll need to purchase a smaller bird as well! I was gifted some beautiful, free-range chickens that were double the size of the grocery store version, and none of them fit in my Instant Pot! Sob! I use Laura’s method to cook them, rotisserie-style, in the oven instead!
  • Stuff your chicken with something delicious–lemon slices, sprigs of herbs, onions, garlic, all of the above!
  • Season your chicken liberally. Add your favorite herbs + salt, and don’t sprinkle it lightly! You want a well-seasoned bird!
  • Save the chicken broth in the bottom of the Instant Pot, and mix it into your Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or make a delicious gravy out of it!

How to Give it Crispy SkinYum

Are you ready to hear the secret of how you are going to ensure your chicken has beautiful, delicious, crispy skin? Step in closer. I’m about to reveal all…

I LOVED cooking the whole chicken in the Instant Pot: it was easy, it was fast, it was incredibly moist. But what I didn’t love? The skin. I missed the crispy skin the oven would give a whole chicken.

Then I discovered this tip: after you have finished cooking your chicken in the Instant Pot, pull it out, set it on a cookie sheet in the oven, and broil it.

Broiling it after it has already baked will give you an amazing, delicious, crispy skin paired with the moist, flavorful meat from the Instant Pot.

So good, and so easy!

Instant Pot Whole Chicken
 
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Delicious, moist whole chicken cooked in the Instant Pot!
Author:
Recipe type: Main Dish
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken with the innards removed
  • 2-3 T of melted butter
  • 1 lemon cut in half
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • Seasoning of choice
Instructions
  1. Place trivet in the Instant Pot
  2. Pour 1 cup water into the bottom of the Instant Pot
  3. Rub melted butter over chicken.
  4. Stuff chicken with lemon, garlic, and onion.
  5. Season the outside of the chicken liberally with your seasoning of choice.
  6. Place chicken in the Instant Pot, and close the lid.
  7. Set on high pressure for 7 minutes per lb.
  8. Once cooking time is finished, allow pressure to release naturally for 15-20 minutes.
  9. Remove chicken from the Instant Pot, place it on a cookie sheet, and broil it for a few minutes until brown.
  10. Enjoy!

 

Seasoning Ideas:

What’s your favorite Instant Pot recipe? Share below!

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10 Favorite Back-to-School Instant Pot Meal Ideas

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Looking for a way to shorten your dinner prep? Try these 10 back-to-school Instant Pot ideas!

10 Favorite Back to School Instant Pot Dinner Ideas

10 Favorite Back-to-School Instant Pot Meal Ideas

by Bethany Lotulelei

It is so hard to get dinner on the table in super busy seasons!

I find, that if I don’t have a plan in place, then I resort all too often to frozen pizzas or fast food. Everybody in my family needs to eat, multiple times a day (you too?!), and when we throw in extra activities, new schedules and our calendar gets full then it is even trickier to make several nourishing meals per day.

Enter: the Instant Pot!

Laura purchased her own Instant Pot a few years back (here’s her review!), and since then, she has provided so many wonderful recipes!

Why I Love the Instant Pot

I received an Instant Pot as a wedding present, and I am sad to say that it sat in our closet for years. It was a little intimidating: I’d heard that pressure cookers could be dangerous! My husband started using it to cook rice, and seeing it on my counter pushed me to finally figure it out for myself.

Once I realized how easy, and safe it was to use–I was kicking myself for not trying it sooner! I really thought it couldn’t take the place of my beloved crock pot, but I soon realized that there are some recipes that work so much better in the Instant Pot! It speeds everything up, and helps me get supper on the table on nights in which I would not have had time to throw together a full meal otherwise.

Did you know you can cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot in a little over an hour? Amazing! Magical! Stupendous! I could go on and on.

There are still a few recipes I only make in my crock pot, but I’ve found that my Instant Pot has become a heavy lifter when it comes to my meal planning. I’ve even considered buying a second one.

My absolute favorite ways to use my Instant Pot, and cut back on dinner prep include: making ground beef ahead of time in bulk (it’s SO nice to have cooked meat ready to go for the week!), cooking a whole chicken in less than an hour, and making mashed potatoes (the Instant Pot makes mashed potatoes SO easily!).

Here are a few additional recipes that I have grown to love, and use often!

10 Favorite Back-to-School Instant Pot Meal Ideas

A few extras:

What are your favorite Instant Pot recipes? I’d love to know! Share in the comments below.

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Three Keys to an Organized Home

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I always feel like decluttering, cleaning, and, organizing my entire house this time of year. Perhaps it is the promise of spring, but I really start craving a tidier, more efficient home. Today I am sharing how you can get your home organized in just a few minutes per day!
Three Keys to an Organized Home

Three Keys to an Organized Home

1. Declutter first

It’s hard to organize when you have a lot of clutter.
The more toys, clothes, and dishes you have the greater amount of containers and organizational components you will need to obtain.
Make the entire job easier by starting by decluttering! Get rid of trash, bag up items for Goodwill, or set things aside for a garage sale in the spring (here are Laura’s best garage sale tips!)

2. Tackle one room at a time

Organizing the entire house is way too overwhelming!
I suggest you start with one room, even better if you choose the room that will be the easiest for you! I usually choose our bathroom to start with, because it is a small room, has a limited amount of items already, and is fairly painless to organize! Once you have completely finished one area, then choose the next room to conquer!

3. Use what you have before purchasing anything new

Before you go out and buy a bunch of new totes, and bins go ahead and shop your own home. You might be surprised by all the items you have collecting dust that can be used to organize!

Three Projects to Try

Looking for a few new organizational project? Here are a few fun ideas!

1. Organize Your Recipes in a Binder

I don’t know about you, but I am always printing off recipes from blogs. I had an entire pile of loose recipes on top of the fridge, that I often had to sift through to find what I was looking for. It was frustrating to say the least!
It occurred to me one day that I needed a binder to corral all these recipes, enter Laura’s DIY Recipe Binder! I found an old binder, printed off the pages, and set it all up within one afternoon! Next, I want to grab some clear page protectors to make it even more fancy. Grab your free printables here!

2. Organize Your Homeschool Days

Homeschooling this year? If so, check out all Laura’s tips and tricks on how she organizes her homeschool days . I LOVE the folder system she uses for her kids!

3. Clean out your kids’ closets!

It’s a smart idea to go through your kids’ closets at least twice a year, and switch out the clothes seasonally! When your kids are little, you might want to do this even more often. I go through my kids’ clothes every couple of months, because it only seems to take that long for them to grow into the next size! Here’s how Laura cleans out her boys’ closets!

Your turn to share! What’s your favorite organizational tip?

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Tips and Tricks for Baking with Toddlers

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My toddlers love being in the kitchen with me. But mixing up bread or muffins while two sets of eager little hands grab at the bag of flour, and measuring spoons? It can be very stressful! That’s why I’ve developed a few tips and tricks for baking with toddlers.
Tips and Tricks for Baking with Toddlers
I want to raise kiddos that enjoy spending time in the kitchen, and love to bake and cook. And while I do plenty of baking on my own (sometimes I let the babies spend time with their Dad while I get some work done in the kitchen) I do find that including them in the household work makes them so very happy, and helps them develop new skills of their own.

Tips and Tricks for Baking with Toddlers

1. Give them their own little mixing bowl and measuring spoons.

Sometimes I will let them measure the ingredients for what I am making, but other times I find that they are just as happy if I set them up at the table with their own bowl and measuring cups. Then as I carefully measure out my ingredients, I can be dictating to them how much of each ingredient to measure in their own bowl. Having two separate areas really helps me not to make big mistakes in my baking, but lets them practice measuring and dumping out ingredients.

2. Set them up at the counter on a Kitchen Helper Stool

One of the biggest anxieties I have, when my toddlers are trying to help out, is that they are always clambering up and down off of the kitchen chairs, in order to see what I’m doing. To solve this issue, I’ve been keeping an eye out for a Kitchen’s Helper Stool! This neat stool was created especially for toddlers, and keeps them safe while they are helping at the counter. I have friends who say they use these stools daily, and they are such a life saver! Here’s one on Amazon, or there are many DIY plans out there as well!

3. Give them a job

For toddlers who are a bit older, you can set them up with a job of their own! Have them peel the bananas for the banana bread, grease the muffin pan, or put away the ingredients when you are done using them. Toddlers love to help, and they really can make your life a bit easier while they practice doing chores!

4. Choose a day a week to make a recipe they want to eat

Got a picky eater? Kids are more inclined to try new foods that they helped prepare! Every week, let your toddler choose a new recipe from a cookbook, and help put it together! Our new print cookbook, High Five Recipes, is a great resource for this, since it only includes recipes with five ingredients or less! Let your kiddo choose a recipe or two to try and then spend part of an afternoon making it!

5. If all else fails, let them play with this toy sink

Some days, letting them help in the kitchen doesn’t work out. There’s flour everywhere, it’s the end of a long day, and I just need a few minutes of (relative) quiet to finish up a recipe. When this happens, I pull out their Christmas present–this play sink with a working faucet!! It runs on only two batteries, and keeps them busy for a long time! I set it on a few towels on the floor, and then carefully wash all their dishes while I finish up my kitchen tasks. It’s definitely been worth the money!

Do you have any additional tips for baking with toddlers helping out? Share below!

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Heavenly Homemakers’ Reader Favorite Recipes (The Best of the Best!)

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Today we’ve got a list of our most well loved recipes!

We’ve been sharing recipes here on Heavenly Homemakers now for over a decade. During that time, we’ve created hundreds of recipes for you to share with your family! Some of you have been reading Heavenly Homemakers since the very beginning, and have incorporated these recipes into your family’s meal plan for the past decade.

Readers are often messaging me, sharing their very favorite recipes that they have made and loved for years! I love this, because it reminds me of recipes I haven’t made myself for quite some time!

Recently we asked our Heavenly Homemakers’ community on Facebook (if you aren’t following us, join the fun here!) what their absolute favorite recipe was from our website. We asked them, what was one recipe that they return to again and again. A recipe that have become a family favorite over the years.

We received so many responses that we decided to share that list with you today! We have SO many fun recipes on our site, but we thought you would enjoy a hand-picked list from other readers.

Top 15 Reader Favorite Recipes

1. Spicy Chicken Pizza

Yum

Says reader Kim: “I made the Spicy Chicken Pizza today and EVERYONE loved it!! Definitely going to be made often in our home!”

2. Chocolate Pudding

Homemade sweet chocolate mouse in the glass,selective focus

Reader Christine wrote: “Chocolate pudding!!! I use it for my pies every holiday season and they always, always get rave reviews. And it isn’t so unhealthy either!”

3. Peanut Butter Cups

Says reader Kim: “The peanut butter cups! Such a healthy, delicious treat”

4. Ranch Dressing

This recipe was mentioned over and over again by readers!

5. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Erin said: “Most used (almost weekly for years) would be chocolate chip pumpkin muffins.”

6. Taco Seasoning

Lisa wrote: “Taco seasoning, yes! Fine recipe, but I love to reread it because all the shaking makes me laugh.”

7. Alfredo Sauce

Kristin wrote: “Alfredo…my kids would eat it every week if I made it.”

8. Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

Shannon wrote: “Raspberry granola bars. It was the first recipe I made from you and what made me start following your blog. We are still making them 5 years later (round about).”

9. Creamy Cheesy Chicken Pasta

Rebekah wrote: “I have so many how do I pick. Creamy cheesy chicken pasta, stir and pour bread, breakfast casserole, strawberry fluff stuff. Do you See my problem.”

10. Coconut Flour Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Jackie wrote: “I make the cheddar drop biscuits all the time.”

11. Creamy Chicken and Rice

Teresa had a few favorites: “Italian dressing mix (I use it on so many things) and creamy chicken and rice!”

12. Giant Breakfast Cookies

This recipe was brought up again and again! Stephanie said: “Most used for us… giant breakfast cookies, raspberry oatmeal bars, and several of the muffin varieties. Thank you!!”

13. Sloppy Joes

Several readers mentioned that they make this Sloppy Joe recipe over and over!

14. Warm Vanilla Soother

Perfect for this time of year, reader Tara put her vote in for this comforting drink!

15. Tortillas

Several readers said they loved the tortilla recipe! You can find that recipe in the Totally Tortillas eBook! Gain access to this eBook, and countless others, by joining our Club Membership!

Honorable Mentions

Here is a list of the most well-loved recipes on Heavenly Homemakers!

Several other recipes didn’t make the top fifteen list, but were reader faves all the same! Here are a few more recipes that readers have tried and loved.

Now the only question is, which one are you going to try first?!

Your turn to share! What is your absolute favorite recipe you’ve found on Heavenly Homemakers? Share in the comments!

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My Favorite Hot and Cold Drinks

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One of my favorite parts of winter is all the warm, cozy drinks we can enjoy! I love making a few special, warm mugs full of hot chocolate, or cider, or tea in the evenings. So today I am sharing my absolute favorite hot drinks to serve my family! With that in mind, here’s a list of my favorite hot and cold drinks to serve your family!

Are you a fan of chocolate or vanilla drinks? Sweet or savory? Either way, you are sure to find a drink you will love included on this list!

Choose a couple to try this week, grab the ingredients, and then enjoy the comfort of a warm mug of yum after a long day along with your spouse and kiddos. It’s simply the best.

Favorite Hot Drinks to Serve Your Family

1. Chocolate Mint Soother

This drink is filling, comforting, and so delicious. A perfect way to warm up on a chilly day!

2. Warm Pumpkin Custard

This is a great after dinner dessert – or because it’s so full of rich, hearty, nutritious ingredients – I think it would be great for breakfast even!

3. Warm Vanilla Soother

This drink is so incredible. It’s warm, filling and nourishing. As I drink this, I always feel like someone just handed me a delicious mug of comfort. Mmmmm Warm Vanilla Soother.

4. Peppermint Cream Cocoa (or Coffee)

I put this together one afternoon, plopped a generous serving onto a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and immediately decided that I needed to sit down, close my eyes, and relish the moment. It was hot beverage deliciousness in a mug. The rest of the family enjoyed this special whipped cream on their hot cocoa, and we all declared it to be ah-mazing.

5. Hot Vanilla Milk

This Hot Vanilla Milk is a fun option to offer when you need a little variety in your hot drink repertoire.

6. Simple White Hot Chocolate

If you’re a white chocolate fan, this one is for you. And no doubt, if you are a fan of easy recipes (who isn’t?), you will definitely love this delicious holiday drink!

7. Coffee with Chocolate Caramel Creamer

Ingredients: One cup of hot coffee that smells really good, one teaspoon hot fudge sauce, one teaspoon hot caramel sauce, and a few teaspoons of cream. So, so good.

8. Crockpot Cranberry Apple Cider


This spiced apple cider not only tastes delicious, but also makes your house smell amazing when it simmers away in the crockpot! Win-win!

9. Chocolate Whipped Cream on your Coffee

You have GOT to try this Chocolate Whipped Cream on your coffee. Oh my. So incredible!

In the mood for a chilled drink, instead? Check these out!

Now only one question remains: which one will you try first?

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Make Valentine’s Day Special for Your Kids!

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Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? This year, I thought it would be fun to make it extra special for our kiddos! One mom shared with me that she really enjoys celebrating by decorating the house the night before, and serving her kids a special breakfast! That got my mind to turning on other ways to make this holiday extra special as a family.

How to Make Valentine's Day Special For Your Kids

Here are a few fun ideas…

How to Make Valentine’s Day Special For Your Kids

1.Make a Special Breakfast

Surprise your kids on Valentine’s Day with a special red or pink breakfast!

Nothing says Valentine’s Day more than pink and red yummy treats! Want to put some fun Valentine meals and treats on the table this year – but want to keep the food real and avoid food coloring? There are many real food options for a fun, Valentine’s Day themed breakfast! There are plenty of food that exists that is red without any help from artificial colors.
There’s also chocolate, which isn’t red, but is a huge part of any Valentine’s Day celebration (at least in our house).

Here are 29 great recipes for you that can be turned into Valentine’s Day goodies for your family!

2. Color Valentine’s Day Cards with your kiddos!

One of my favorite crafts is creating Valentine’s Day cards for your kids to give away to friends and family!

Grab this FREE Simple Print-and-Color version of our Valentine’s Day cards, and set out all the markers and crayons for them! Even more fun? Grab some glitter glue or stickers!

3. Make some heart-shaped snacks to give away

Bring your kids into the kitchen, and let them help you create some heart-shaped snacks to gift to others! Whether you choose to make heart-shaped donuts, pretzels, or brownies it will be a fun memory for your kids! Drop each goodie individually in a ziplock bag, tape on a note, and give them out to friends. Here are some ideas for heart-shaped treats you can make.

4. Make “You’re the Bomb” crafts

This is the most fun craft to make with little boys!! Pink hearts and sparkly flowers don’t quite cut it with little boys. But, tell the boys they get to make little bombs for their Valentines this year? You’ll get all sorts of help! Find the tutorial here!

5. Host a mystery dinner for your family!

Is there anything more fun than a mystery-themed dinner? Plan a special meal for your family, complete with clues! Here’s how our family did it one year!

6. Print out a free pre-K Activity Packet!

This Pre-K Activity Packet is FUN and free for you to download to use with the little ones in your life. Gain free access to this here.

7. Make Peanut Butter Truffles

Why? Because any occasion is a good occasion to whip up some Peanut Butter Truffles. Oh my, these treats, are SO delicious.

I love how easy these are to make, and that the only sugar in them is what is already in the chocolate chips!

How do you celebrate? Share in the comments below!

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7 Ideas to Make Your Home Extra Cozy

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It’s this time of year when I always start looking around my house, and brainstorming ways to make it a nicer, comfier place for my family. That’s why today I am sharing 10 ideas to make your home extra cozy, in case you, too, are feeling a bit cooped up in need of inspiration!
7 Ways to Make Your Home Extra Cozy
I always want my home to feel like a respite, a safe place, a comforting spot for my family to return to at the end of the day. But with littles underfoot, a very busy schedule, and a other committments it can feel super overwhelming to stay on top of all the homemaking tasks some days, anyone else?

However, I do think that with just a bit of effort, we can all create cozy, warm, and inviting homes for our families. Here are my top tips for creating a bit of extra coziness in your home this winter.

7 Ways to Make Your Home Extra Cozy

1. Declutter

One of the best ways to make your home feel better in the short term is to donate anything that you no longer use, need or like. The more I declutter each room, the happier I am with my home! January is the perfect time to start going through clothes, toys, and closets to rid of anything that no longer brings you joy.

2. Serve hot drinks to your family

Is there anything cozier than holding a hot mug while you watch the snow fly? Every winter I try to find a new, yummy drink to make every afternoon. It’s the best! Need inspiration? Here’s a list of the best hot drinks for fall and winter! Try a couple, and let me know which one is your favorite! Might I suggest this recipe for the perfect Hot Chocolate or a Warm Vanilla Soother!

3. Pull out the warm blankets

This is a great time of year to set a basket full of soft, fuzzy blankets in your living room. Even my toddlers like to cuddle under a blanket while they read books! In need of a few new blankets for your home? Here are a few of my favorites:
Ultra Soft Sherpa Blanket(comes in many colors!)

4. Bake some bread or other goodies

On especially cold days, I love mixing up a few loaves of bread, a couple dozen muffins, or a few pans worth of cookies. There’s nothing like the smell of warm bread or cookies in the house, when everyone is cooped up inside. Not sure what to bake? Here’s 111 recipes for you to choose from!

5. Play a board game with your family

Build family memories together while enjoying a fun board game! Pop popcorn, make hot cocoa, and then pull out one of your favorite games. Better yet, grab a new game to learn together! Here’s a list of our family’s favorite games!

6. Light a candle

Candles are one of my favorite ways to make a room feel extra welcoming. Grab a new candle or two, for the warmth, the scent, and the decor!

7. Start a new book as a family

I love choosing a new read aloud for my family! We open it up, and read a chapter or two every evening. When I was growing up, my Dad always read the Little House series to us or James Herriot books. Here is a great list of book ideasfor you and your kiddos!

How are you making your home extra cozy this time of year? Share your tips below!

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Christmas Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

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I love baking, but who wants to spend all day in the kitchen when there’s hot chocolate to sip, family memories to make, and stockings to open? I am all about doing the work days earlier so you have a stress-free, peaceful holiday with your family. That’s why I put together this list of Christmas make-ahead breakfast ideas, to encourage you to get that baking done ahead of time so you have more time with your family.

Just in case you, too, are looking for ways to spend less time in the kitchen this holiday season, here are a few of our favorite tried and true Christmas make-ahead breakfast ideas!

Christmas Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

Mix and Match Christmas Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

1.Make-Ahead Pumpkin Donuts

We can mix up the pumpkin donuts, roll out the dough, cut the shapes, then freeze the uncooked dough on parchment paper or silicone mat-lined cookie sheets. We transfer the frozen dough into freezer bags, then any time we want fresh donuts (and when would we notwant fresh donuts?), we can grab some out of the freezer and fry them up fresh to eat while sipping a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate!

2. Yogurt Parfait Bar

Simply purchase the ingredients beforehand, make the granola or other add-ins a few days beforehand, chop up the fruit the day before, and you are set!

Here are some of my favorite toppings:

3. Make-Ahead Muffins

I have to know:  Is this “freezing muffin batter” a brand new idea to you, or have you tried it before?  Once I tried this and learned how well it worked, I went on a muffin freezing frenzy (as confessed above). I now have Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin batter, Blueberry Muffin batter, Chocolate Chip Muffin batter (recipe in Kids in the Kitchen eBook), and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffin batter in my freezers. What a time saver!

Looking for a few new recipes to try for Christmas morning? Check out this list of 23 Muffin recipes!

4. Frozen Yogurt Cups

This recipe is easy enough for your kiddos to make! Invite them into the kitchen, and whip these up together!

5. Homemade Poptarts


I love to make these poptarts and freeze them before I bake them. On a day I declare to be a Poptart Morning, I pull a few out and bake enough for each person to have a couple with our eggs and fruit. So good!

6. Giant Breakfast Cookies

Make the dough ahead of time, scoop the cookies out unto cookie sheets, freeze the cookie dough balls, and you’re set! Hot breakfast cookies on Christmas morning! Serve with fruit, and bacon (of course).

7. Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Biscuits and gravy is one of my favorite special breakfasts. Make your biscuits ahead of time, and pop them in the freezer then make your gravy the day before, and heat it up in the morning. Easy peasy!

8. Cinnamon Rolls

I couldn’t make a list of Christmas breakfasts without including Cinnamon Rolls! These are deliciously easy, and mostly low in sugar! They kind of resemble those frozen orange rolls you can buy in the freezer section – except that these have a little bit of nutritional value and not nearly as much sugar, so we can all rejoice.

What is your favorite breakfast to make for Christmas morning?

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12 Christmas Cookie Recipes

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Is there anything better than a plate full of Christmas cookies? This is a great time of year to spend a Saturday making several different types of cookies, wrapping them up, and gifting them to your friends, family or neighbors!

1. Low Sugar Frosted Christmas Cookies

Some might say that Christmas desserts are treats that should not be messed with. Perhaps whole wheat flour does not belong in a Christmas cookie. Maybe “low sugar” should not be included in a Christmas cookie title. It’s a treat, right? Can’t we just leave it well enough alone?

Sure.

But the more I experiment with cutting down the sweetener in my baked goods, the more I’m discovering that treats still taste like treats even with the sugar cut in half or more!

Try these cookies, you won’t even miss the sugar!

2. Christmas Spice Cookies

I LOVE the way these cookies make my house smell! Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves they are oh so tasty!

3. Homemade Peppernuts

These tiny, old-fashioned cookies are one of my favorite holiday treats! They’re great to package up in small bags to give as Christmas time gifts to coworkers and neighbors.

4. Sweet and Simple Cranberry Cookies

I’m not a big fan of raisins in my cookies. But adding dried cranberries to this simple butter cookie? Well, that takes them up a notch without adding any effort.

5. Low Sugar Pumpkin Spice Roll-Out Cookies

While I’ve shared that I just can’t get behind Pumpkin Spice Coffee (typing it actually makes me shudder just a little bit), I most certainly enjoy making many Pumpkin Spice treats this time of year – to eat while I drink my (plain, non-pumpkin-spice) coffee. If my house smells of nothing but Pumpkin Spice from now until Christmas, there will be much joy in the holiday season.

6. Easy Low Sugar Almond Melt-Away Cookies

These lightly sweetened cookies taste amazing with a steamy cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. Ah, life’s simple pleasures. :)

7. Sweet and Simple Butter Cookies

The combination of butter and sugar in this recipe makes for a perfectly sweet and rich cookie that melts in your mouth. Don’t worry though. The ratio of butter to sugar is such that these are only lightly sweet, but deliciously buttery. I’d still consider these a dessert, but I think they fit in the “low sugar treat” category.

8. Reindeer Cuties

These simple cookies are a hit. Fun to make…fun to eat. I like that they are made with honey and whole wheat. And they really don’t take much time at all.

9. Orange Cream Cheese Cut-Outs

These are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. And this recipe makes a lot of them…which is why it’s a good idea to have lots of people in mind to share them with!!  Because having them just sitting around the house screaming at me to come eat them is a bad idea.

I’d like to give in to the notion that since they have orange juice in them, they’re good for me and just packed with vitamin C.  Oh, if only.

10. Chocolate Snowballs

I like that these aren’t super rich or heavy…just kind of like a little bite of chocolate cake.

11. Cream Cheese Cookie Cut Outs

The cookies have cream cheese in them and the frosting is made with cream cheese. Let’s just say these cookies are soft, rich, and I have to work hard to keep myself out of them.

12. Whole Wheat Gingerbread Men

A Christmas classic! Your kids will love helping you make these sweet, Whole Wheat Gingerbread Men!

Your turn to share! What’s your all-time favorite Christmas cookie?

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