Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Easy Peanut Butter Fluff Fruit Dip

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You need just three simple ingredients, plus some bananas, apples, grapes, or berries – and you can enjoy this wonderfully refreshing treat: Easy Peanut Butter Fluff Fruit Dip!

This is one of those delightful recipes that you can hand off to your kids to make! Not only will it give them experience with cooking and reading recipes, but it will also invite them to eat fruit.

I like to make homemade peanut butter – which is easier than you think! Here are the recipe links that explain how to make peanut butter. But of course, if you prefer to buy it at the store, just be sure the ingredients are wholesome!

Along with peanut butter, all you need is yogurt and honey. Easy peasy! See? Your kids can make this!

Want to get your kids involved in the kitchen with you?

We have a list of great resources for you here. Plus, we encourage you to take recipes like this Easy Peanut Butter Fluff Fruit Dip and use it to help your kids get excited about helping you in the kitchen!

Easy Peanut Butter Fluff Fruit DipYum

5.0 from 1 reviews
Easy Peanut Butter Fluff Fruit Dip
 
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Author:
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
  • 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
  • 3 Tablespoons honey
Instructions
  1. Blend ingredients together in a blender or with a hand mixer.
  2. Serve with your favorite fruit!

Love recipes like this Easy Peanut Butter Fluff Dip that have five or fewer healthy ingredients?

We do to! This book is filled with 111 recipes just like this one!

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Want more great dip recipes?

We love making entire meals out of fruits, veggies, and chips with dips! Here are 16 more of our favorite dip recipes:

  1. Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip
  2. Creamy Chocolate Fruit Dip
  3. Creamy Italian Veggie Dip
  4. Cream Cheese Salsa Dip
  5. Bacon Ranch Chip Dip
  6. French Onion Dip
  7. Bacon Tomato Dip
  8. Black Bean Salsa
  9. Easy Veggie Dip
  10. Healthier Cheese Dip 
  11. Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
  12. Nacho Cheese Pretzel Dip
  13. Easy Guacomole
  14. Easy Cheesy Bean Dip
  15. Hamburber Sauerkraut Dip
  16. Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

 

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A Summer Lunch You Can Make in 5 Minutes (Plus 40+ Lunch Ideas)

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Before you get too sick of sandwiches, I wanted to remind you of a great summer lunch idea that you can make in 5 minutes. Then stay tuned, because we’ve got a huge list of ideas that will save you as you feed your family this summer!

5-Minute Summer Lunch

It’s no secret that our family loves chips and dips. We eat them as meals and as side dishes, and of course, as snacks! This dip has become one of our favorites to eat as a meal. We can put it together in 5-minutes, and it is delicious! It’s filled with good protein, and the flavor is fabulous!

This recipe includes only 3 simple, real food ingredients. Blend them together quickly to enjoy for a fast lunch. Eat it along with fresh fruit, and truly, this is an awesome summer lunch!

Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip

Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip
 
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Author:
Serves: 5 cups
Ingredients
  • 16-ounces salsa (any variety)
  • 8-ounces softened cream cheese
  • 15-ounce can refried beans or pinto beans
Instructions
  1. Blend ingredients together until smooth.
  2. Serve hot or cold with corn tortilla chips.

Psst!! Want more easy, real food recipes that include 5 or fewer ingredients? You’ll love this!

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Your Real Food Master Simple Lunch List

Want more easy lunch ideas for this summer? We’ve got huge list of ideas we’ll share below.

OR!!

You can download this entire list here. Download it (it’s free!) and save it to your computer for easy access! I also recommend that you pin it so you can find it quickly as needed!

watermelon

Let’s get started with suggestions for your Simple Summer Lunch:

We’ll begin with fruits and veggies because instead of thinking of them second, let’s start thinking of them first!

Fruits and veggies that can be pulled from the fridge and served immediately with little to no prep (beyond washing):

  • Baby carrots (I like the petite carrots – they are sweeter and easier to eat!)
  • Grape tomatoes
  • Mini sweet peppers
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Blackberries
  • Raspberries
  • Unsweetened Applesauce
  • Bananas
  • Grapes
  • Oranges
  • Clementines
  • Fresh Spinach or Mixed Greens

Fruits and veggies that take a few minutes of prep but are still super simple:

  • Sliced apples
  • Sliced peaches or nectarines
  • Steamed peas (frozen peas cook very quickly!)
  • Sliced cucumbers
  • Sliced sweet peppers
  • Raw broccoli “trees”
  • Cut cantaloupe
  • Watermelon wedges
  • Sliced pears
  • Pineapple chunks
  • Steamed green beans (frozen green beans take just a few minutes, but can cook themselves while you get the remainder of lunch ready)

If you have Homemade Ranch Dip or Hummus on hand, these can be thrown onto the table quickly to help get the veggies down!

orange

Simple Lunches that can be made ahead of time and warmed up quickly:

Simple Lunches that can be thrown together with little prep time:

strawberry

Simple Lunches that are flexible and can be eaten in more than one way:

Would you like to make this Master List of Simple Lunches even simpler?

Sign up here to receive the entire Master List of Simple Lunches in a free downloadable document! Then you can keep it handy on your computer or print it and put it on your fridge as a super handy reference!

Master List of 40 Simple Lunch Ideas

Grab a free download of the Master Simple Lunch List!

 

What would you add to the list? What are your favorite simple lunches to feed your family?

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What to Take on a Family Picnic

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With all the sporting events our family takes part in, I have become a bit of an expert on packing food to go. Now that we have little ones in the house again, I’ve been putting that expertise once again toward packing a family picnic. Who knew we weren’t yet finished with days of heading to the park on warm days to enjoy friends, food, and sunshine!

Certainly, you can head to the park with nothing more than some sandwiches, a blanket, and a jug of water. But we decided it would be fun to brainstorm a huge variety of ideas to encourage many meaningful family outings!

With the help of my friend Kim, we’ve put together an enormous list of everything you could possibly need or want for a fantastic family picnic!

My favorite to-go treat? Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits!

What to Take on a Family Picnic

In this post, we’ll give you a great list of specifics to meet all your picnic needs. Here’s a basic checklist of items you’ll want to consider taking:

  • Food
  • Drink
  • Basket
  • Tablecloth or Blanket
  • Plates/Cups/Utensils
  • Toys
  • Hats
  • Sunscreen
  • Bug Repellent
  • First Aid Kit

It’s time to get ready for your family picnic!

Here’s a list of all the items we’ve found to recommend for optimum fun:

Baskets and Coolers

You’ll be filling these with food, and we’ve shared a long list of great food ideas below! But first, let’s talk about great options for containers to hold your food and drinks.

And good luck deciding which of these you like best for your family. I kind of want all of them. ;)

  • Traditional Picnic Basket – We received one like this as a wedding gift and it has been so fun!
  • Picnic “Bag” with Cooler – Oooh, now this is both fun and practical!
  • Picnic “Bag” – the Backpack Version – Um. Yes.
  • Soft Cooler on Wheels – You had me at “wheels.” Also, this one folds up.
  • Hard-Sided Rolling Cooler – Also on wheels, but sturdy.
  • Extra Large Rolling Cooler – I think your entire refrigerator will fit in this. I’m serious.
  • Mesh Bag with Cooler Bottom – For the picnics in which you don’t need your entire refrigerator.

Water Bottles and Jugs

Taking drinks for a crowd? Or maybe just individual bottles. Here are some wonderful options!

  • 5-Gallon Water Jug – So that everyone within several acres can stay hydrated.
  • Metal Screw Lid Bottle – Good luck choosing your favorite!
  • Wide Mouth Metal Bottles – Also lots of great color choices.
  • Fun Metal Bottles with a Straw Lid – Ooh, I love these!
  • Stainless Steel Water Bottles for Kids – They can pick their fav!
  • Wide Mouth Glass Bottle – Water tastes better this way!
  • Glass Bottle with Straw – I think this is pretty. :)

Picnic Table Covers

Not that we don’t love eating on a table that may or may not be covered with splotches of bird poop…

  • A Cover for both Table and Benches – Ooh, I like!
  • Table/Bench Covers, without elastic – Much cheaper than the one above, but not as easy to use.
  • Clips to Hold the Table Cloth – If you take a regular cloth from home

And an easy/cheap/fun picnic table hack:

You can use a twin-sized fitted sheet as a picnic table cloth! It’s easy to fit onto the table then throw in the wash later!

Umbrellas and Canopies

Sitting on the ground instead of at a picnic table? Here are some great items you might need.

  • Umbrella for Shade – This is fantastic!
  • Tent/Canopy – Even better for a bigger group.
  • Large Roll-Up Picnic Blanket – I have one of these and it is AWESOME!
  • Heavy Duty Ground Tarp- Whoa, much more durable than a blanket.

Hats

Gotta keep the sun out of our eyes and off our faces!

  • Hat for Ladies – Purty cute!
  • Hat for Men – I think even my teens would want one of these!
  • Hats for Kids – Lots of colors to choose from.

Fun Outdoor Games

Too old for slides and swings? Here are some great outdoor game ideas!

molkky

  • Kubb
  • Lawn Bowling
  • Yard Dice
  • Ladder Ball 
  • Molkky
  • Washer Toss
  • Ring Toss
  • Frisbee Golf (Disc Golf) Set
  • Floating Pong

Great Outdoor Toys

Skip the food. I’m going on a picnic just to play with this stuff! (Just kidding. I want food too.)

  • Kites – I can’t believe how fun these look!
  • Whistling Rockets – These go a LONG way, and they whistle too!
  • Sandbox Toys – Look at this fantastic set!
  • Kid-Sized Shovel – Because why not just dig holes? (But not at a public park.)
  • Small Bend-Proof Trowell – My kids used to dig with these in sand volleyball pits!
  • Fun Garden Tool Set – Truly, just take me to a sand pit to play.

Exploring and Learning

You’re sure to find many teachable moments!

  • Walkie-Talkies – These actually come in fun colors!
  • Batteries for Walkie-Talkies – Don’t forget. :)
  • Weather Radio – It’s solar charged, plus it is a flashlight, AND will charge your phone!
  • Binoculars – Ah, yes. Who knows what you might find?
  • Durable Kid Binoculars – Not that they would drop/break the others…

Skin Care

Just in case…

  • Non-Toxic Bug Block – our very favorite!
  • Deet-Free Mosquito Bands – These are pretty cool!
  • Soothing Rash Cream – Good for just about any owie.
  • Organic Sunscreen – Yes, I actually make my teen and adult kids use this one too.
  • First Aid Kit – It’s got a little bit of everything!

What food should you take on a picnic?

Well, the sky’s the limit on food ideas! But here are some of our top suggestions:


1. Sandwiches or Wraps. Some of our favorites:

2. Chips and Dips. Some of our favorites:

3. Fruit with Dips. Some of our favorites:

Favorite Fruits:

  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Strawberries
  • Oranges
  • Blueberries
  • Pears
  • Blackberries
  • Raspberries

4. Veggies and Dips. Some of our favorites:

With:

  • Petite Baby Carrots (so much sweeter and easier to eat!)
  • Sliced Cucumbers
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Celery

5. Crackers with Cheese and Meat

6. Chips and Salsa

7. Hamburgers and Hotdogs

8. Salads. Some of our favorites:

Some of our favorite Salad Dressings:

9. Fun Packable Side Dishes. Some of our favorites:

10. Chicken Legs, hot or cold. Some of our favorites:

11. Fun Desserts. Some of our favorites:

12. Fun Drinks. Some of our favorites:

13. Pre-Packaged Food to Go

Sometimes you just need a little convenience, am I right? Here are some of our favorite grab and go packaged snacks:

  • Stretch Island Fruit Leather
  • Go Squeeze Applesauce Pouches
  • Larabars
  • Simply Brand Bagged Chip Variety
  • Bagged Nuts

Need some handy food containers to hold your awesome food?

Here are some great ideas:

  • BPA Free Plastic Containers with Lids
  • Pyrex Bowls with Lids – You KNOW these are my favorite!! I have two complete sets that I use constantly!
  • Don’t forget paper plates, napkins, utensils, serving spoons, and cups too!

What do you take on your family picnic?

 

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Two Simple Tricks to Get Your Kids to Eat Green Beans

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Well now, isn’t this interesting? I’ve been feeding kids green beans since 1997. All my bio-boys love them because of the “bacon grease trick” my mom taught me years ago (more details below). But I just learned a new trick to add to my back pocket, which has finally helped our 5-year old Bonus Boy learn to love green beans too! Without further ado, how to get your kids to eat green beans…

How to Get Your Kids to Eat Green Beans

1. First, let’s talk about green beans and bacon.

Bacon makes everything better, of course. And you know me. I’m not afraid of fat if it is from a natural, real food source. Our family enjoys plenty of real butter and coconut oil, whole milk and red meat, real cream and yep – bacon.

All of these fats are recognized by our bodies, and are therefore easily digested and utilized for nourishment and energy. (Low on energy? Eat butter and bacon. You heard it here, folks. Now who’s your best friend??)

You can throw a slice or two of bacon into your green beans as they cook – or you can do what I believe is easier and faster! Drum roll please:

Save grease from cooked bacon to add to green beans anytime you need it!

Each time I cook bacon for my family, I let the bacon grease cool, then put it into a jar. I store this in the fridge, then add a scoop of bacon grease to a pot of green beans along with a little water (or chicken broth!) and Redmond Real Salt. Then I steam them to perfection. The bacon grease adds wonderful flavor to the beans, and of course, the fat makes the vegetable so much more appealing!

How do I cook my bacon?

oven-bacon-1

I’m so glad you asked. Here are my two favorite, most efficient methods of cooking bacon:

  1. Bake bacon in the oven. Then I freeze it to use as needed. This is so easy and helpful to have on hand for all your bacon needs! ;)
  2. Cut it into Bacon Bits. Once cooked, I put the bacon bits into a bag to freeze and pull out for salads, scrambled eggs, or BLT Wraps.

bacon bits 1

2. Now let’s talk about what kind of green beans seem to be the most appealing!

My family LOVES fresh green beans from our garden in the summertime. But alas, we live in Nebraska and can only enjoy these for a few months out of the year. If we grow enough, I blanch and freeze them to pull out and use during the cold months. But the past few years, we’ve been eating them as fast as they grow, leaving no reserves for the freezer!

Therefore, I typically buy frozen green beans in bulk from Azure Standard. Frozen green beans are much more flavorful and nutritious compared to canned beans. Still, even when cooked in bacon grease as described above, our Bonus Boy wasn’t very interested in this veggie side dish.

But, I’ve recently discovered a simple new trick! Instead of buying frozen “cut green beans” as I had been doing, I picked up a back of frozen “whole green beans” one day. I steamed them along with bacon grease and salt, and wouldn’t you know it? Bonus Boy ate them, and ate them, and ate them! We all did!

Who knew that simply switching from short and stubby beans to long and skinny beans would somehow make green beans taste so much better!

Now I stock up on frozen whole green beans and we all devour them!

So there you have it. Long green beans apparently taste better than short ones; and bacon grease makes beans taste amazing!

How do you and your family enjoy green beans?

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What I’m Focused on Now Instead of Saving Money at the Grocery Store (It’s not what you think.)

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How well I remember the years of being an extreme couponer. I would spend hours at home preparing to shop for the best deals, so that I could spend hours at the grocery store(s). Every week. My focus was on saving money – and for many a good reason.

Whether it was during lean financial years or during more comfortable financial years, I knew that a focus on saving money meant that I was being a good steward of what God gave us. I actually loved the hobby and challenge of seeing how much money I could save at the store. Yogurt for $0.09? Eggs for $0.20? How incredibly fun!

I remember thinking during those days that no matter what our financial situation became in life, I would always be a couponer and always spend the time finding all the best deals – because good stewards are good stewards whether they have $10 or $100,000, right?

Well. Yes. But also…

I’ve since learned that seasons change. Circumstances change. Priorities change. Needs change. Meanwhile, God stays the same, and He continues to lead and evolve our focus to become exactly what He needs it to be during each season.

My twenty-something self would be shocked to learn that my forty-something self hasn’t clipped a coupon in ages. (I have pulled them off of food products at the store and used them right then and there – score!) I have evolved from being a coupon clipper to a real food eater – so one might think that my desire for healthy eating has turned me away from clipping coupons and scouring for good food deals. But actually – my focus now goes far beyond both saving money and eating healthy.

God is teaching me more about loving people.

You would think this would be a no-brainer. Something that wouldn’t have to be taught. Love people. Easy peasy. Yes, some of it sure is. But what about the parts of loving others that involve dying to self and surrendering fully to the plans God has for us? This is hard and can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Couponing and deal finding and saving money can be fantastic – as long as it is done intentionally and for the greater purpose of loving people.

A focus on eating real, healthy food can also be fantastic – as long as it is done intentionally and for the greater purpose of loving people.

As God continues to teach me more about living through His Spirit, seeing people, and caring for people as He directs, I’ve found that I no longer want to or have time to use energy to find all the best deals or take pictures of all my groceries to share with you here.

I still very much care about eating nourishing, real food – but no longer is my desire based on earthly health.

Should I continue to eat nourishing, whole foods? Absolutely. Should I continue to be a good steward with my money? Absolutely. Especially as I see so many needs around me. I want to use money wisely so we have plenty to give.

But the ways I “save money” simply involve not frequenting coffee shops or restaurants, choosing Redbox instead of the theater, and shopping the clearance racks when we need clothes because yes, it is still really fun to find a good deal! And if I choose to spend a little more at the grocery store now – it is because I want/need to spend my time loving people instead of spending an hour trying to figure out how to save $3.00.

Being good stewards of our time and energy is just as important as being good stewards of our money.

We can become comfortable and stay put, or we can become comfortable and choose to get uncomfortable.

Gratefully, becoming uncomfortable with Christ is starting to actually become comfortable. We’re learning to settle into this new way of living – the kind that involves letting go of control and trusting God with each day as never before. The kind that involves letting go of plans we made and saying yes to the plans God has orchestrated that are better than we could have ever dreamed of.

And as it turns out, we’re finding that we’re saving money in other ways because as we spend more time loving people, there simply isn’t as much time to shop or pay attention to the latest and greatest gadgets and deals we were drawn to before. :)

So there you go. We’ll continue to save money in any way we can as long as it doesn’t take our focus away from what is truly important: Loving God; Loving People.

Then when we happen upon a good deal while doing our normal shopping, we’ll praise God for His provision and care. And we’ll do a little happy dance because shucks, scoring a great deal is still an awful lot of fun!

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How $10 Worth of Meat Fed My LARGE Family 5 Meals!

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No doubt, sometimes my family eats $10 worth of meat in 5-minutes {gulp}. But then there is the beautiful occasion that I see high quality, spiral cut hams marked down to just $0.99/pound for quick sale. Quick sale indeed. I don’t even give it a second thought before putting the ham quickly into my cart. Sold!

Ok, fine. Let’s be real. I quickly put three hams into my cart. How could I resist? They were each $10 or less, and I have learned the beauty of how delicious spiral cut ham is, how easy it is to prepare, and how far I can stretch this large piece of meat. $10 for 5 meals’ worth of meat? Yeah, baby. There are teenage boys and college men and all of their friends to feed, plus a 5-year old ham-loving Bonus Boy and a hungry hard-working husband. Somewhere in there, this mom likes to eat too.

Is Laura excited about her $10 hams? Why yes, I guess this fact cannot be denied.

How to Cook a Spiral Cut Ham

First, let’s discuss how easy a spiral cut ham is to bake. Make it difficult if you prefer, but as for me and my house, we will:

  1. Open the package.
  2. Throw away the glaze packet that comes with it, because why?
  3. Plop the ham into a roasting pan.
  4. Put the lid on the pan.
  5. Slide the pan into the oven and bake it in a 325-degree oven for 20-minutes per pound.

Truly, doing the math to figure out the baking time takes longer than actually preparing the ham for baking. (10 pounds of ham x 20 minutes of baking time = 200 minutes divided by 60 minutes in one hour = cook my 10-pound ham for approximately 3 1/2 hours.)

Once time is up, I set the cooked ham, roasting pan and all, onto my buffet to serve it. I use a large bread knife to cut it off the bone, which takes no effort because it falls off the bone anyway, and it has already been spiral cut.

How Delicious is a Spiral Cut Ham?

Oh my dears. There is not much better. And I don’t even add any fancy topping or glaze. Mmm, it is fantastic.

How a Spiral Cut Ham Feeds My LARGE Family 5 Meals

What’s beautiful about how easy it is to stretch one ham into at least 5 meals is that it’s not even a stretch. One 10-pound ham provides a LOT of meat. Amen and amen. Here is a typical way I can use one ham to provide my family (of 7) with 5 great meals!

  1. Bake it as directed above, and serve it as a Sunday meal after church with Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole, salad, and veggies on the side.
  2. Use small leftover pieces of ham the next morning to make Ham and Cheesy Eggs in a skillet. (This actually gets them out of bed in the morning because it smells so good!)
  3. Stir pieces of leftover ham into a big batch of Creamy Mac and Cheese. I can’t tell you how delicious.
  4. Stir pieces of leftover ham into a pan of Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole.
  5. Use larger slices of ham to make BLTs, or rather HLTs since we are using ham instead of bacon. Or better yet, make HLT Wraps. How can anything taste any better?

We’re talking about 5 meals filled with healthy portions of meat that tastes delicious. Happy, happy, happy.

Other meals to create with your leftover ham include adding ham to:

By the way, finding a $10 ham isn’t a regular occurrence for me, just an incredibly exciting one! But often at Christmas or Easter time I find them for $20ish. While a $10 ham gives us 5 meals for just $2 each (!!!), a $20 ham still provides us with 5 meals at only $4 each. It’s fun to think this through when considering a purchase like this. How far with this meat stretch? How many meals can I get out of my $20 (or $10!)? The same is often true of a holiday turkey. I love it when stretching meat is easy!

How do you like to use leftover ham?

 

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12 Fun and Wholesome Ways to Cook with Whole Rolled Oats

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Why am I giving you so many fun ways to cook with whole rolled oats? Well…

If I confess to you that I do not enjoy eating a bowl of oatmeal in the morning (or any time of day) – can we still be friends? I’ve tried to like oatmeal. But I simply cannot eat it (Sam I am). I get to the third bite and try as I might, I can’t put one more spoonful into my mouth. I realize that this is because I am a spoiled, privileged person who has a plethora of food options, and in many other life settings I would be grateful to have a bowl of oatmeal.

So it is with gratitude that I share 12 other options for ways to use and cook with this wholesome ingredient!

How fun it is that delicious rolled oats can be stirred into these recipes and transformed into a wonderful breakfast option!

12 Fun and Wholesome Ways to Cook with Whole Rolled Oats

  1. Stir-and-Pour Honey Oat Bread
  2. Baked Oatmeal Cups
  3. Breakfast Cake
  4. Breakfast Cake Muffins
  5. Cracklin’ Oat Bran Cereal
  6. Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
  7. Dark Chocolate Almond Granola
  8. Giant Breakfast Cookies
  9. Granola
  10. Granola ~ 5-Minute Stop-Top Version
  11. Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
  12. Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Can you use Quick Oats in any of these recipes? Sure! I just always have Whole Rolled Oats on hand because I like them better. I mean, I like them better for baking. Not in a bowl. How spoiled is this girl? ;)

If you do happen to be an “oatmeal in a bowl” kind of a person, I highly recommend that you make yourself some of these: Instant Oatmeal Packets. It’s a wonderful time and money saver, plus you can include any of the favorite healthy ingredients that you like! I usually make big batches of Instant Oatmeal and put it into jars as pictured above. My family scoops out a “packet” amount and has a quick and easy breakfast!

What are your favorite, wholesome ways to eat oats?

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Pumpkin Pie. For Breakfast. In March.

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This idea doesn’t seem normal. However, have you ever known me to actually be normal? Therefore, nothing I post or suggest here should shock you. A little outside-the-box thinking could do us all some good, don’t you think? Today, it’s pumpkin pie for breakfast. Tomorrow, perhaps we’ll turn on the Christmas music. Happy Easter, everyone.

So first of all, I truly love that pumpkins are nutritious. For me, that instantly turns a Pumpkin Pie into a semi-health food. Agreed? Second, if a boxed poptart or a store-bought donut can be considered “breakfast food,” I can’t imagine why pie and cake can’t also be eaten for breakfast.

Now, you know me. I always stress that we should eat nourishing foods so we can stay healthy. I cut the sugar down in recipes because ain’t nobody need as much sugar as most recipes call for.

But when I was cleaning out the freezer recently and discovered a pumpkin pie stashed in the back, baked and frozen way back in November? Well, I pulled it out and surprised my family with it for breakfast. Coffee and pumpkin pie? In March? It was truly something to be thankful for.

I wonder if there’s any Cornbread Stuffing stashed in my house somewhere?

Need my Pumpkin Pie recipe? Apparently I feel that I should share it today. Be warned that I am continuing to clean out my freezer. You never know what tip I might post tomorrow.

Need some actual breakfast recipes?

Get 31 free great ideas here!

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Real Food Recipes That Include Natural Peanut Butter

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Peanut butter is a great source of healthy fat and protein, but also, it just tastes delicious. Pair it with chocolate, and all we need is a glass of milk and a smile. Today we’ve got 40+ Real Food Recipes that Include Natural Peanut Butter. But first, let’s talk about making homemade peanut butter. It’s incredibly easy!

Real Food Recipes That Use Natural Peanut Butter

As my life has become more full (ha, I didn’t think that was even possible!) – I’ve stopped making every single food from scratch. I’m looking at you Homemade Ketchup and Homemade Hashbrowns. But Homemade Peanut Butter? I can’t not make it. The homemade version is just too incredible. So I take 5-pounds of peanuts and spend the time turning them all into peanut butter. One mess, 6ish jars of homemade peanut butter. Fast, easy, and WORTH IT.

Here are the tutorials for making peanut butter. Be amazed at how easy!

Now we’ll take that peanut butter and turn it into any of these 40+ recipes!

Real Food Recipes That Include Natural Peanut ButterYum

See that recipe up there for Homemade Peanut Butter Captain Crunch? Ha! I’d forgotten about that one! If I’m not taking the time to make ketchup or hashbrowns anymore, I’m certainly not taking the time to make Peanut Butter Captain Crunch. But you’ve gotta admit: It’s fun to see how it’s possible. And it is super delicious.

What are your favorite ways to use Peanut Butter?

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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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