Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

How to Make Fruit Teas Like McAlister’s

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Do you like McAlister’s fruit teas? Sweet or unsweet? Yum! So delicious and fun! Want to save a lot of money and make them at home?

It’s hard for me to spend money on a special drink from a restaurant or coffee shop. If I’m going to justify it, I have to be traveling or working (borrowing the internet at a coffee shop).

Yeah, I should probably loosen up a little. Maybe stop overthinking how much tea or coffee I could make at home for the cost of one purchased restaurant drink. Maybe.

Conversation in my head: This cup of coffee just cost me $4.50?? I could make many, many, many pots of coffee for that price at home. POTS. Not just cups. I can’t believe I just paid that much for one cup. Mmmm, that’s good. Well, it better be good for $4.50…

Don’t ask me about buying ice cream for the family while on vacation. For the cost of one Blizzard, we can buy a nice-sized container of ice cream at the store to feed our entire family a treat. Oy. I am such a barrel of fun, am I not?

Well anyway. Hooray for splurging on fun treats while out and about. But when you’re at home, what if you could make your own fun and fruity teas?

A few years ago, someone introduced us to McAlister’s tea and we all fell in love. Also: we all got about 20 free refills while we sat there eating because we wanted to be sure we got our money’s worth. Like parents, like kids, I guess. Therefore we all had to stop and pee 20 times during the remainder of our trip. Worth. It. Good memories.

Now you can have fun at home with these teas. Make them sweet. Make them unsweet. Either way, they are a great treat and perfectly refreshing in the summertime!

How to Make Fruit Teas Like McAlister’sYum

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Stovetop Popcorn is Really This Easy?

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Stovetop popcorn has been my snack of choice lately. So quick to make, so delicious, and everybody is happy.

Stovetop popcorn is really this easy?

by Tasha Hackett

Sometimes I make burgers from scratch with homemade sweet potato fries and avocado dip and caramelized onions with balsamic vinegar. Homemaker over-achiever award, amen? And other nights I toss around apples, cheese, and popcorn and beg the children to eat and be happy while I put myself in timeout. Popcorn is versatile like that. I’ll agree that even though stovetop popcorn is not unhealthy, it doesn’t have much in the way of nutrition. But if you’re going to stuff your mouth with something salty and crunchy, stovetop popcorn is a great way to go about it.

Stovetop PopcornYum

We received an air popper for a wedding present. We used it frequently and poured melted butter over the top. Easy. Yummy. Last year, I don’t know why, I started using my large pot and the old-fashioned method and I’ve fallen in love with popcorn all over again.

Step 1: Pot for the Popcorn

Please use the biggest stock pot you have. I’ve used a smaller one, thinking I was going to make a smaller amount of popcorn. Clearly, it was a foolish choice. Just use the big one.

Step 2: Chose Your Oil

I have successfully used coconut oil (flavored, or flavorless), olive oil, bacon grease, and butter. My go-to is olive oil. Coconut oil is nice, but it’s more expensive. Butter is more likely to burn and I don’t always have bacon grease on hand—it makes a unique crisp type of corn. You should definitely try it.

Step 3: Chose Your Kernel

Truly, I have purchased all different varieties, thinking that I’m going to be scientific and compare the results. Alas, I’m too interested in eating the popcorn and therefore have yet to track any noticeable difference in the popcorn brands. If you have a preference, by all means, let us know. I will say, ten years ago I bought Mushroom Popcorn from a co-op in Kansas and there was a difference. Almost all the kernels popped with a mushroom shape. That was fun. So if you’re looking to make popcorn for gifts or something where you want each kernel to be beautifully uniform… splurge for the Mushroom Popcorn. Otherwise, meh.

And Now the How-To for Stovetop Popcorn

  • Pour (or scoop) a 1/4 cup of oil of choice into the pan. Oil makes things yummy. Don’t be afraid of it. Melt on medium heat.
  • Add 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels.
  • Add a teaspoon of fine salt. (Blend a cup of salt in your snazzy Blendtec for fabulous and cheap popcorn salt!)
  • Put the lid on your pot and wait for the magic. I used to frantically shake the pan back and forth to make sure nothing scorched or burned, but then one time I didn’t do that… and nothing scorched or burned. From then on I was flying free. I haven’t been frantically shaking the pan in months now. Just stand near and LISTEN.
  • Keep the heat on medium. Too high and your popcorn will burn. Too low and the kernels will swell and crack, but not pop.
  • Let it pop while you put away the oil and break the cheese into chunks and yell at the kids for someone to get the toddler out of the bathroom. Do the popcorn dance and when it starts to slow down, that’s your cue. Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop… and Pop, Pop… wait for it Pop… Pop… NOW remove the pan from the heat. Take the lid off.

popcorn

Eat. Smile. Stuff your face with crunchy salty popcorn goodness.

Of course, if you want to be really fancy, check out Laura’s recipes for a large selection of homemade popcorn flavors. BBQ, to Chocolate, to Ranch, and more. “But Tasha,” you say, “I thought you were on a Paleo diet that didn’t include any grains? Isn’t popcorn a grain?” OHMYGOODNESSYES. Stop judging me. Popcorn is a grain. Sadly, it is not included in a strict paleo diet. But it’s been six months and I’ve been trying new things. (Side note, I’ve been MOSTLY headache free for six months!) I’ve learned that I can do small amounts of popcorn. So there.

How do you pop the corn? Ever tried it on the stovetop? Share all your tips!

book cover of bluebird on the prairieTasha Hackett is a friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie, a Christian romance set in 1879. She spends most of her time with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. To connect with Tasha, check out her website at www.TashaHackett.com. Follow her on IG @hackettacademy and find Laura @heavenlyhomemaker.

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Does Costco Save the Most Money?

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Let’s do some math and determine: Does Costco Save the Most Money?

First, let’s talk about grocery budgets, using wisdom, and loving people.

Hi, I’m Laura and I used to care A LOT about saving every penny. I considered “saving money” to be a part of my job as a homemaker, so I clipped all the coupons, hit all the sales, and hoarded our stockpile. This was in part because we didn’t have much money and we needed to save all of our pennies just to make it. And it was in part because I didn’t understand my time and energy have value too.

I still love a good deal. I still love to save money when I can. I’ll even say yes to freebies, yes I will.

But after 26+ years of marriage, 23+ years of raising children, 15+ years of learning that the quality of our food matters,  7+ years of learning more about loving my neighbor, and 3+ years on a foster care and adoption journey:

I’m tired.

I’m also wiser, I hope. I’m learning more about what really matters, about generosity, and when it’s really worth taking the time to save a buck, you know?

I also have a really big family now. This means that in some ways, I need to be extra frugal to afford all of our family’s needs. But it also means that I have a lot more to do every day, and clipping coupons and looking through store ads doesn’t come close to making my to-do list.

No, these are not all of my children. I actually have two more not pictured. ;)
And also, several of these are our beloved college kids who we claim as our own and feed frequently.

How big is my grocery budget?

Well. I don’t mind sharing that it’s somewhere around $1,200/month. We have seven people still living at home and two college-age sons who come home frequently to eat. They bring their friends. On Sundays, we feed a large army of guests. We love this!

So we go through a pretty significant amount of food every month. And I’m no longer buying the cheapest food options because:

  • I don’t have time to nickel and dime everything
  • I prefer better quality food that sometimes costs more
  • Sometimes I buy convenience foods that cost more but help me stay sane through all the details that fill up my days as we live life as foster parents. (I’m not ashamed of the frozen pizzas I keep on hand. They keep me sane.)

What I’ve found is that it’s great to do a small amount of research to determine my best shopping options. Then I stick with a system, knowing that I’m doing the best I can and saving the most money possible during this season of life. And that’s where Costco comes in.

So, does Costco save the most money?

I only recently purchased a Costco membership. I make a trip there once each month if I can get away (the closest Costco is an hour from our house). Here’s what I’m learning:

  • Their clothing is awesome and very reasonably priced! (That has nothing to do with groceries, but it was worth mentioning.)
  • Their produce isn’t cheaper than what I can find at our local grocery store or Walmart. But it’s comparable in cost, and Costco offers better quality on produce. So I stock up while I’m there and shop Walmart produce on the off weeks.
  • Their healthy convenience foods are cheaper than what I was paying through Amazon Subscribe and Save. I used to order items like Go-Go Squeeze Fruit on the Go, 100% Fruit Cups, Nuts Packets, Meat Sticks, Annie’s Mac and Cheese, and the like through Amazon. I still do keep some of them on my subscribe-and-save plan. But most of these items are quite a bit cheaper at Costco. So I’m transitioning many items from Amazon to Costco so I can save money!
  • Their sauces and condiments are cheaper. They are also better quality than I can usually find at Walmart. So I now buy bulk ketchup, barbecue sauce, salsa, and other sauces we use at Costco.
  • Their frozen fruit and frozen vegetables are of fantastic quality for a lower price.
  • Their baking items are less expensive and I love buying them in bulk to save effort.
  • Their high-quality lunchmeats, bacon, and hotdogs are all less expensive than I’ve found elsewhere.
  • The above-mentioned frozen pizzas are super tasty and better quality than any other I’ve found. I buy a couple boxes each month and they help tremendously on extra busy days!

Beyond saving money, I’ve found that I love the Kirkland brand, and I love the varieties of food I find at Costco that I can’t find elsewhere in my town. I feel so spoiled when I bring home food from Costco!

I love buying in bulk, not just because it saves money, but because it saves me time. If I can buy a big box, a big bag, an entire case – that makes for less frequent purchasing needs and fewer grocery shopping trips. Sign me up!

I have found that since I only go to Costco once each month, I often need a second cart. This only works if I have a helper with me, and because of that, I do sometimes skip items at Costco that take up a lot of cart space and choose to have Amazon deliver them to my porch instead.

I’m still getting my rhythm now that I’m shopping Costco, Amazon, Walmart, and Azure Standard. But I have definitely found that Costco’s prices are overall cheaper for the wonderful quality they offer.

Here’s how my monthly grocery budget currently breaks down:

Costco $600
Walmart Pick-Up $250
Azure Standard $60
Amazon Subscribe and Save $100
Local Farm Meat, Eggs, and Milk $170

These are all rough numbers and each month varies. But that’s a general idea of where our grocery money goes each month. And here’s a general idea of who enjoys said groceries:

Where do you shop to save the most money?

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How to Pack Snacks and Meals to Take on the Road

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Are you planning to travel this summer? Here are some great tips for how to pack snacks and meals to take on the road!

Yes, sometimes we eat out when we’re traveling. But here are some great ideas that we’ve used through the years to save lots of travel money. It goes without saying that we feel a lot better when we do this because we’re eating more wholesome foods!

How to Pack Snacks and Meals to Take on the Road

tourney food4

This picture shows an example of food we packed for a road trip a few years ago. Here are the specifics. We used jars, baggies, and lidded containers to keep our food safe:

  • Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits
  • Turkey Sandwiches
  • Chef Salads with Homemade Ranch and cooked shredded chicken
  • Homemade Pizzas (that we ate cold)
  • Breakfast Sandwiches that we heated and ate during our first stretch of the trip
  • Sliced cucumbers, sweet peppers, and kiwi
  • Summer Sausage and Sliced Cheese (protein in case hotel breakfasts are all empty carbs)
  • Peanuts, Cashews, Crackers, Blueberries, Applesauce, Peach Cups, Pear Cups, Clementines

Here’s another example from a different road trip:

bball food 1

This trip included:

And how about these fun ideas:

Always fruits and veggies!

Apples, carrots, clementines, and containers of berries travel well. These are so refreshing to snack on in the car!

travel food 1

What are your favorite meals and snacks to take on the road when you travel?

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7 Meals in Minutes (Grocery List Included!)

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Is it really possible to make meals in minutes? Yes!!! All of these meals I’m about to share can be put together and served on super short notice! No thaw. No fuss. No problem. My family loves these meals, so I think yours will too!

By the way, these are all perfect for summertime when we need something fast on a hot day. And guess what? I have some amazing summer snack recipes ready for you too, so stay tuned!

You’re going to want to keep all of this information handy!

These recipes and ideas are for:

  • the days we forget to thaw meat.
  • the meal times that come around that leave us feeling stumped as to what to make.
  • the times nothing sounds good but the family is getting hungry.
  • the days we don’t feel like cooking.

7 Meals in Minutes

I’m going to give you 7 complete meal ideas plus a quick-grab grocery list. The grocery list will help you to be able to have every ingredient on hand at all times, giving you the ability to make any of these meals in minutes! To make this even easier, I put all of this great info into a (free!) eBook so you can download it and print it to use all the information super easily!

None of these Meals in Minutes ideas are fancy. But for some reason, my family considers them all to be a treat. And so do I, because they are all effortless to make!

When I was putting together the grocery list for these 7 Meals in Minutes, I got extra excited! As it turns out, it only takes 20 ingredients to make all 7 of these meals. And you probably already have most of them on hand!

Get the grocery list and recipe eBook:

Here’s how 7 Meals in Minutes works:

I try to keep every single one of the needed ingredients on hand so that at any time, on any day, I can put any of these seven quick meals together. This is so helpful to just “shop in my own pantry/fridge” for our fast meals!

There are 7 complete meal ideas here. These are great all year ’round, but I’m putting this together now so that we can use them during the summer for lunches when everyone is home from school. And for quick supper ideas after everyone has spent the afternoon at the pool and comes home starving. :)

7 Meals in Minutes

Ask us to send you our complete grocery list and free 7 Meals in Minutes recipe eBook here. Here’s a quick rundown of the ingredients I keep on hand and the meals I can make with them:

  1. Cans of Chicken and Tuna to make Chicken Salad or Tuna Salad for sandwiches or wraps
  2. Refried Beans, Salsa, and Cream Cheese to make Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip
  3. Nitrite-Free Hotdogs and cans of Baked Beans to make Simple Beanie Weanies
  4. Pizza Crust, Pizza Sauce, Shredded Cheese, and Pepperoni to make Pizza or Pizza Boats
  5. Pasta, Milk, and Cheese for Creamy Mac and Cheese
  6. Pasta, Sauce, Shredded Cheese, and Pepperoni to make Pizza Pasta Bowls
  7. Eggs and Cream for Crepes

In addition to the ingredients needed to make the above meals, I always keep a supply of fresh or frozen vegetables, and fresh, frozen, and canned fruits on hand so that I have easy, healthy side dishes to go with all of our meals.

Here is my Go-To Grocery List for fast fruit and veggie side dish options:

  • Canned pineapple
  • Applesauce squeezies
  • Peach, Pear, and Mandarin Orange Fruit Cups in 100% Juice
  • Gala Apples
  • Grapes
  • Bananas
  • Fresh Fruit that is in Season (Berries in the summertime!)
  • Frozen Fruit to make Smoothies
  • Mixed Greens
  • Avocados
  • Fresh Broccoli
  • Petite Carrot Sticks
  • Frozen Green Beans
  • Frozen Peas
  • Frozen Corn

What do you think? Will your family eat all or some of these simple, tasty meals? You will love how quick they are to put together! And if you have all the ingredients on hand? All you have to do is run to the pantry and grab a few items to throw a quick meal together!

Let us email you a full, fun (FREE!) pack of resources so you can get your pantry ready! Get it here.

Bonus!

I’d love for many more people to have access to this fun and helpful information. So I created one more fantastic freebie for you! If you share this post with your friends on social media so that they can come to grab the resources too, we’ll send you this brand new recipe eBook! You will love these recipes!!

Perfect Summer Snacking is filled with brand new no-bake recipes. I’m super excited to share this with you because I’ve been recipe-testing these with my kids and the treats have been a huge hit. These are going to be so wonderful to have on hand this summer! OH! And all of the recipes in this eBook only call for 5 or fewer ingredients. So easy!

Here’s a list of some of the great no-bake recipes included in our free Perfect Summer Snacking eBook:

  • Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
  • Strawberry Cheesecake Pops
  • Snickerdoodle Fruit Dip
  • Frozen Yogurt Meltaways
  • Tangy Lemon Yogurt Cups
  • Perfect Peach Sorbet
  • No-Bake Brownies
  • MORE!

All of these recipes include real food ingredients and very little sugar. But the kids won’t care about the fact that they’re eating healthy snacks. They’ll just think their summer treats are amazing! Perfect Summer Snacking even includes a set of gorgeous printable recipe cards for even easier use!

Let us give you Perfect Summer Snacking bonus for free when you help us spread the word about our resources!

Ready to make your kitchen life simpler than ever?

  1. Sign up here so we can email you our fun free 7 Meals in Minutes eBook and grocery list resource packet. (There’s even a big surprise coupon inside this packet. You want this!)
  2. Share this post with your friends on social media so they can enjoy this too.
  3. Email me a screenshot of your social media share. I’ll email you your bonus Perfect Summer Snacking ebook! (There’s another big surprise coupon in this ebook you’re going to love!)

Get all of this for free!

Thank you for joining us, for sharing the fun freebies, and for putting your family first this summer!

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Easy Food to Pack for a Game or Picnic

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On the go a lot? Want to avoid concession stand prices? Here are some fun and easy ideas for food to pack for a game or a picnic!

What’s tougher than caring for and keeping up with a bunch of littles day after day? Juggling their needs in with all the big kids’ activities and needs too.

Worth it? Yah. Times a million. Doable? Yes, with help. :) Always say yes to help.

This lovely picnic happened on the sidelines of Malachi’s high school soccer game this spring. With mouths full of burgers, we cheered for “Bubba” and tried to keep Keith from running into the street. Good times.

—-> Not pictured: The second-story window Keith broke right before we left for the game. That pretty much scared this mama out of her flip-flops. <—-

Right after that game, we dropped Keith and Baby Sissy off with sitters, and the rest of us headed to the college campus for Justus’ final choir performance of the year. I had to be very organized with food that day. But hey, what’s new? And I’m sure most of you can relate to the chasing and the events and activities and trying to keep everyone fed while doing it all.

The food list I’m about to give you is great for games, park days, and picnics too!

As spring and summer activities have ramped up, I’ve found myself trying to be a little more creative with the food I pack up. The kids (and the parents) get tired of sandwiches pretty quickly. And while many of the foods I’ve been packing to take along with us aren’t the healthiest of all of our meals, they are at least cheaper than buying concession stand food.

So, maybe this post is more about saving money than it is about eating healthy. And if you’re like me, you’re also happy to have all the food in one bag on the sidelines to avoid taking a parade of small children to the concession stand and dripping ketchup all the way back. After all, we can get ketchup all over ourselves without that added walk to concessions.

Ready for the grand food list I’ve come up with? These ideas are easy, tasty, inexpensive, and fun!

Easy Food to Pack for a Game

1. Hotdogs

While these are cooking on your stove or grill, prepare buns by putting condiments in the fold of the bun. Place cooked hotdogs on top of the condiments (this keeps the ketchup and mustard from seeping out!). Wrap them individually or put them all into a sealed plastic bag. Place them in a thermal lunch bag to stay warm. (Ignore the picture below. It’s trying to be cute, but if you’re packing food to take to a game, you really want that ketchup and mustard UNDER the dog.)

2. Hamburgers

I find that these stay hot for up to two hours or more when I wrap them individually in foil, then place them in a thermal lunch bag before toting them to a game. If I do this, I can also use a sharpy to label which burger is for who, in case there are any picky burger people among us.

3. Quesadillas

These travel best on a paper plate covered with foil. Make them easier to eat by cutting them into triangles with kitchen shears.

4. Pizza

If your family likes cold pizza, make this ahead, slice it and then throw it in the fridge until time to go. (Or, simply take leftover pizza if you have it.) Otherwise, a hot pizza from the oven, sliced and packed with napkins and paper plates works great.

5. Smoothies

I have a cabinet full of cups with lids and straws. I have these big ones and these small ones and I highly recommend them – especially for smoothies on the go! Smoothies are a great way to get some nourishment into all of us while cooling us down on a hot day.

Worth noting: When you put your kids’ smoothies in cups like this,
you can hide the fact that you’ve snuck fresh greens into the blender.
Ask me how I know.

6. Corndogs

Bake a bunch, throw them in a ziplock, then cart them to the game in an insulated lunch bag.

7. Chicken Sandwiches

I buy a big bag of frozen chicken patties for outings like this. Bake or air fry some breaded chicken patties. Prepare buns (we like these with mayo), place hot chicken patties on the buns, and either individually wrap the sandwiches or slide them into gallon-sized ziplock bags, then into an insulated lunch bag.

8. Tuna or Chicken Salad

Pack this in jars and take along crackers for “spoons.” This keeps the kids busy for a while, which is kind of fine with me so that I can watch my sons’ games a little more easily. :)

9. Burritos

I love to make big batches of these Easy Burritos. Individually wrap these in foil before putting them into the oven to heat. Grab the hot burritos and put them into an insulated lunch bag.

10. Chicken Nuggets

Bake or air fry a package of nuggets (or make them homemade), then throw them into a ziplock bag (or individual baggies if that makes it easier to hand them out at the game or picnic). Everyone can enjoy munching on chicken while watching the game! Consider taking small paper plates and some ranch dressing for dipping. And if you’re taking ranch, you might as well take carrots. Which leads me to…

But what about nutrition?

Well, like I said. This post is a little bit more about saving a buck than it is about eating well. However, it is super easy to throw fruits and veggies into to-go bags as well! These travel well and are simple to grab and go:

  • Apples
  • Containers of Washed Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, strawberries)
  • Containers of Washed Grape Tomatoes
  • Bags of Petite Baby Carrots
  • Oranges
  • Grapes
  • 100% peach, pear, pineapple, or mixed fruit cups
  • 100% fruit applesauce cups or squeezies
  • 100% Fruit Leather

Other fun food on the go:

Your turn to share! What are your favorite foods to take to games and picnics?

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Foods to Purchase and Have on Hand for Busy Days

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Here are some of my best tips for foods to purchase and have on hand for busy days!

If you haven’t already, go check out all these amazing ideas for ways to get ahead in the kitchen!

Beyond homemade food, which of course we all love best, it’s nice to have some healthy convenience items on hand for busy days.

Foods to Purchase and Have on Hand for Busy Days

You know I’m going to start with this one:

1. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Just do it. These are so easy to purchase and so easy to serve and eat! Eating lots of fruits and veggies is the biggest, best way to be sure we’re getting lots of nourishment. And when we’re talking about busy days and maybe eating on the fly, we can feel good about what we’re eating or serving our families if we are making sure we’re/they’re eating an apple with their frozen pizza (or whatever). ;)

Great fresh fruit and veggie ideas that can be easily eaten on the run:

  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Berries
  • Oranges or Clementines
  • Carrots
  • Mini-Sweet Peppers
  • Sugar Snap Peas
  • Pears
  • Peaches
  • Grapes
  • Grape Tomatoes
  • Cucumber Slices
  • Prepared mixed greens for quick salads

Regarding fresh veggies? I’m all about the dips. If ranch dip helps you or your kids eat the veggies? SERVE THE DIP. Veggies with dip is better than no veggies at all, am I right?

Need some dip ideas and recipes?

2. Frozen or Packaged Fruits and Veggies

These are great because they can be eaten or prepared quickly!

3. Whole Grain Breads

I prefer to make this Simple Stir-and-Pour Bread. But lately, since I haven’t had time to bake, I find that having 100% whole grain breads and bagels on hand has been very helpful.

These give us breakfast, lunch, and snack options from simple bread and butter to peanut butter sandwiches or lunch meat sandwiches.

Sometimes, on my busiest days, all I have time to serve is a peanut butter sandwich with one of the fruits or veggies listed above. It fills their bellies and offers nourishment too. I call it a win!

4. Boneless Chicken or Chicken Legs

My favorite is boneless chicken thighs. My second favorite is a package of chicken legs. If I have these in the freezer and I don’t have time for anything else, I can easily dump some sauce on some chicken and put it into the crockpot, into the oven, or onto the grill.

I serve the chicken with a steamed veggie (from the frozen veggies mentioned above) and a fresh fruit and we have a fantastic, healthy meal that hardly took any time to prepare!

5. Potatoes

I am not a fan of russets, but we love Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes! We can make so many fast meals with potatoes, specifically:

Baked Potatoes in the Crock Pot – which can be topped with anything we have in the fridge! Ham, leftover chicken or hamburger or taco meat, cheese, sour cream, broccoli, peas…

Baked potatoes make quick meals or side dishes.

6. Frozen Hashbrowns

This Mr. Dell’s brand of hashbrowns contains only potatoes, which I love! I buy them in 5-pound bags and use them to make so many of these recipes. Fast, easy, good for us!

7. Packaged Convenience Foods??!

Yep, I just said it. This is where I’m at now that we have so many kids and so much going on. Loving people is more important than standing in the kitchen. So some days, we eat the packaged nuggets and the frozen pizza. I feel no guilt about this. We eat salad with our pizza, we still have energy to smile at each other. It’s a win!

What do you purchase to help you get through busy days?

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5 Easy Ways to Get Ahead in the Kitchen

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Want to try to get ahead in the kitchen this month? It’s a great idea! After all, April and May are typically a pretty busy months as we wrap up a school year and head into summer.

Here are 5 ways to get ahead in the kitchen. If you do even some of these, you’ll find your days just a little bit less hectic on extra busy days!

5 Ways to Get Ahead in the Kitchen

Ready for lots of links, recipes, and lots of ideas? We are going to have a lot of fun getting ahead and making our lives easier!

1. Make and freeze some breakfast foods.

All of these recipes can be made the day before and served right away in the morning!

You can make these cereals to make for super fast breakfasts:

If you have these in your freezer, you can thaw and rewarm in the oven or toaster oven!

This super easy Stir-n-Pour Bread takes practically no effort, but turns out a delicious loaf of bread. When I have this on hand, we can slice it and make:

  • Peanut Butter Honey Toast
  • Fried Eggs on Toast
  • Cinnamon Toast
  • Scrambled Egg Sandwiches
  • Simple Buttered Toast

2. Make and Freeze Muffin Batter

This could have fit up in the breakfast bullet point above. But I wanted to feature it separately because it deserves a headline of its own! We can make and freeze muffin batter!

\silicone muffins 2

I like to do this with silicone muffin cups like these. Then I pop out the frozen batter and can bake muffins any time I need them for snacks or breakfasts.

With so many little ones in the house again, we go through a lot of muffins! Read more here about making and freezing muffin batter.

Need some muffin recipes? We have a couple:

3. Make Salad Dressing Mixes

Our house favorites are Ranch Dressing Mix and Italian Dressing Mix.

If I have a jar of these mixes on hand, I can quickly make Ranch Salad Dressing, a Ranch Cheese Ball, Ranch Potato Wedges or Cheddar Ranch Burgers.

ranchdressin2sm.JPG

With Italian Dressing Mix I make the obvious Italian Salad Dressing. And I use it for these easy recipes: Italian Cream Cheese Chicken, Italian Roast Wraps, and Italian Stew. It also makes a great marinade for grilled meats.

So many great salad and meal options to be made when we have these mixes on hand!

4. Make some Bacon

I love having pre-cooked slices of bacon and pre-cooked bacon bits in my freezer.

With homemade bacon bits I can make simple Bacon Cheesy Eggs, plus recipes like Bacon Cheese Muffins, Bacon, Egg, and Avocado Salad, BLT Chopped Salad, or BLT Wraps.

Pre-cooked sliced bacon in the freezer means that we can have a side of bacon with our pancakes and eggs with just a quick bacon warm up!

5. Cook hamburger meat for quick meal prep

Here’s how I cook 5-7 pounds of frozen hamburger meat in my Instant Pot in 30 minutes. This is a game changer at our house! Having pre-cooked hamburger meat means I can put together any of these meals (plus many others) super quickly:

Coming up next, I’ll share some great foods to purchase and have on hand for busy days!

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Almond Orange Paleo Salad Dressing

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Tasha’s here again with an awesome new recipe just in time for spring!

Almond Orange Paleo Salad Dressing

by Tasha Hackett

What’s with the Paleo, Tasha? Okay! Sorry, just read this instead: Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Salad Dressing that will make you and your family cry tears of joy. Better? Hmm. But really, I can hardly describe the level of happiness this paleo salad dressing makes me. I never knew a salad dressing was capable of bringing forth such an emotion. Almond butter and orange juice? Who knew! Don’t be scared. This paleo salad dressing is delicious on, wait for it, SALAD, but also works great as a veggie dip. In fact, it is even edible straight from the table as pictured below. Not recommended. But acceptable.

toddler messes

Yum

My salad dressing is better than your salad dressing.

The original recipe that I adapted had a few more ingredients and it only made one tiny serving of dressing. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to go through all the trouble of making a salad dressing from scratch to eat with my paleo food . . . I’m making more than one tiny serving. Clearly, the chances are high that I will be eating salad again in the near future. I’ve made some version of this dressing at least 5 times in the last month. If you’re drinking your salad, skip the dressing and add some fruit. **Insert puking face if you just envisioned drinking a garlic and olive oil flavored smoothie.

Almond Orange Paleo Salad Dressing

Make as directed for a typical dressing consistency. Though if you want it thicker, just add more almond butter. My salads are usually quite epic. I will rarely just eat lettuce, but this dressing has enough going on, that I have eaten it on plain old leaves before. My kitchen hack with this paleo dressing is to make it in my almond butter jar when there’s about half a cup left. Saves times scooping almond butter AND I don’t have to wash any jars just yet. Sometimes I’m pretty smart like that.

My new favorite salad includes the following:

  • Mixed greens (heavy on the spinach)
  • Chopped romaine hearts
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Chopped avocado
  • Slivered almonds
  • Dried cranberries or cherries
  • Chopped cold meat of some kind (ham, chicken, salmon, tuna, or even boiled/scrambled eggs, etc)
  • Chopped dill pickles (tricks me into feeling like I’m having a sandwich)

Yes. My toddler eats salad. What can I say? I think it’s the dressing.

Toss it all with Almond Orange Paleo Dressing and my kids fight for the last serving.

I’ve been serving my family made-from-scratch salad dressings for years and I absolutely love how freely we use them. No worries here about what we’re smothering our vegetables in. As a result, we don’t skimp on the dressings for health reasons. Everything in this dressing is Food. For. Fuel! Go make ya some and tell all your friends about how amazing it is and then invite them over for salad. I dare them to go home hungry.

Salad for dinner! Again! #paleohasmelike #sorrynotsorry #iheartsalad

Almond Orange Paleo Salad Dressing
 
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Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dressing
Serves: 2 Cups
Ingredients
  • ½ Cup Almond Butter
  • ½ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Cup Olive Oil (Can use part MCT oil or other oils)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • ½ tsp Granulated Garlic Powder (Or two fresh cloves, minced)
  • Juice of two Oranges
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients and stir or shake vigorously.
  2. Taste and adjust to preference.
  3. For a thicker dressing, add more almond butter.
  4. For a sweeter dressing, add a splash of apple juice.
  5. Store in the refrigerator.

 

Quick! What’s your go-to salad dressing? Store-bought or make your own?

Lastly, be sure to check out some of the other dressings on our site.

Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie, a Christian historical romance releasing Spring 2021, is fueled by sunshine, paleo pudding, or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available. Though she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.TashaHackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy or for Laura @heavenlyhomemaker.

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

How to Use a Cast Iron Skillet like a Pro

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I’ve loved and recommended using a cast iron skillet for years. Today, Tasha will tell you how to use one like a pro!

How to use a cast iron skillet like a pro

by Tasha Hackett

I didn’t know how to properly cook with a cast iron skillet until very recently. 

Even though I have prepared food almost exclusively on my cast iron skillet, I continually burned food or the food stuck so badly I spent far too long scraping it off the bottom and reseasoning again. 

I burned the pancakes on my cast iron again and I was sad. As I served my family I said, “I know it’s burned. Sorry. It is what it is. This is the last of the flour, I’m not making anything else. Sorry. Just eat it. I know it’s burned. Sorry. Don’t ask me why it keeps burning.” 

I burned the zucchini patties and I was sad. “I don’t know why they’re burning! The bottom is burned before I can even flip them without it falling apart! I turned it down and they’re still burning.” 

The scrambled eggs stuck to the bottom of the pan so badly I felt like I sacrificed two whole eggs to the cast iron gods. 

Please tell me I’m not the only one who struggles with the cast iron skillet? 

Figuring out how to use a cast iron skillet shouldn’t have taken me this long.

 

With all my struggles, you may be asking, “Why do you even use it if it causes so much trouble?” A few reasons. 

Now that I know how to use a cast iron skillet, I love it even more.

Foremost, I like the simplicity of it. I use this one pan multiple times a day. I clean it after each meal and it lives on my stovetop. The nostalgia that this is the same type of pan the pioneers used hundreds of years ago speaks to my author soul. I don’t wear 1800’s dresses, or travel by horse or train or write letters with an inkwell, but by golly I can cook with the same pan! (In theory, except I was disproportionately burning everything.) Another main reason I like to use it is that I don’t trust modern technology when it comes to our health. Teflon is bad for you–correction, teflon is bad for you when heated. HA! 

I know there are other non-stick pans out there today that claim to be non-toxic, but I haven’t had the time to look into them yet. (I’ve been far too busy wondering why I keep burning the Simple Tuna Patties.)

cast iron eggs

Here are my how-to tips for using your cast iron skillet:

  1. Start with a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Which I have. Many times. Keeping it well-seasoned was my problem. Seasoning a skillet is simple: Clean. Dry. Rub a teaspoon of vegetable oil or lard all over. Top, bottom, outside, underneath, and the handle. Bake upside down in a 350* oven for an hour. Let it cool in the oven before putting it away.
  2. Be patient. Let the pan preheat at a low temperature for up to five minutes before cooking on it. A drop of water should immediately sizzle and then you may add the oil. If the butter, oil, lard, etc., is smoking, that means your skillet is too hot. Heating a cast iron skillet/pot/pan on high heat right away, especially on an electric stove, causes the iron to expand and heat unevenly and can cause warping. This is one of the only things that will ruin your skillet.
  3. Preheat the oil. Do this after the pan is preheated. Again, if the oil smokes or burns, this is a bad sign. If the butter is burning, the pancakes will soon be burning. (You’d think I could have figured that out sooner.) On my gas stove, I do most of my cooking just above Low or directly between Low and Medium. On my stove, the butter burns at Medium. Once the pan is heated, if you turn the temperature down it will not immediately make a difference. One of the pan’s strengths is the ability to hold heat. Therefore, adjusting the temperature up and down while you’re cooking isn’t going to work well for your food or your taste buds. Or your family’s trust in your cooking abilities. Have patience while preheating, and you will quickly learn where to set the temperature and can leave it there.

  4. Do the sizzle dance.

  5. The food should sizzle as soon as it touches the pan. Food that doesn’t sizzle means your pan wasn’t preheated enough and now your food is going to stick and then probably burn. (Preheat the skillet even if you are baking cornbread in the oven. The sizzle as you pour in the cornbread batter will create a delicious crust and keep the wet cornbread from sticking to the pan.)
  6. A properly seasoned cast iron skillet is easily cleaned with a wipe-down of a paper towel or hot water and plastic scraper. Boiling water in the pan, using soap, or not properly drying will cause your pan to rust and this is bad. If the pan rusts, you get to scrub it off with a steel brush and do the reseasoning thing again.
  7. Whenever dry spots appear on the pan, it’s time to reseason. If you use enough oil while cooking on the pan, you shouldn’t have to do the reseasoning thing more than a few times a year. If that. But… if you were anything like me and frequently burned the food and then had to scour it off with hot water, reseason it as often as necessary until you’ve perfected the patience that is required for preheating your pan. 

And that’s how to use your cast iron!

cast iron onions

This pan was not preheated. There was no sizzle when the onions were added. The butter wasn’t melted and then it will later burn.

I’m curious, how many of you have skillets passed down from your grandma? Years of history and thousands of meals prepared in a pan that is still in great use today? Amazing!

I love to invest in things that will last. Cast iron is just one of those things. Now that I know how to really use mine, I foresee some delicious pancakes in my family’s future. 

Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura, is fueled by sunshine or chocolate, whichever is more readily available. Recently embarking on a paleo journey to combat some chronic inflammation, she is still finding ways to eat chocolate. Though she proudly sings every word of the Wee Sing Silly Songs albums and often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women—specifically young moms. Most of her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. Her debut novel, Bluebird on the Prairie, a heartwarming Historical Romance will release spring, 2021. You can connect with her at www.tashahackett.com or on Instagram @HackettAcademy. 

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