Gluten Free Archives | Heavenly Homemakers

What to do with All the Zucchini

August 27, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Trying to figure out what to do with all the zucchini?

It’s zucchini season! I didn’t grow any this year. Sad. But other people did and around this time each year people are giving them away because when a zucchini plant does well, it does well. And when it doesn’t, we all curse the vine-borer grubs in unison and praise God for grocery stores and our friends who somehow fought off the nefarious and disgusting grubs. Ah-hem. Back to the yummy part.

What to do with all the zucchini?

Zucchini might be one of our favorite versatile vegetables. Here’s what I do with it:

Chop it up and pan fry with salt and pepper and other stuff to make a quick skillet dinner: a.) garlic, onions, mushrooms, shrimp. b) garlic, onions, beef, cabbage. c.) garlic, onions, tomatoes, parmesan cheese. You get the idea: cook it and eat it for dinner with some meat and garlic and onions.
Shred (or use the food processor to chop) and bake it into muffins, brownies, pancakes, waffles, breads, etc. Some people freeze the shredded zucchini to use for later. I have done this and I NEVER have good luck with it later. It gets all weepy and soggy and then I get weepy and never use it. Best of luck to you if you decide to freeze it. I’d rather bake the bread and freeze that instead.
Cut in half, scrape out the middle and make pizza boats. (Broil, then melt on your pizza toppings. Dip in pizza sauce.)
Slice in half, or chop, and roast, broil, or grill with oil, salt, and pepper and just eat it!
Use a zoodle thingy and make noodles. Easy Alfredo and shrimp used to be my favorite with this.
Have I ever been tired of zucchini? No, I have not.
This is my announcement: I will take your extra zucchini.

Don’t let all the zucchini go to waste, let’s start baking!

Of course, Laura already put together many of her favorite zucchini recipes, but that was ages ago and you may have forgotten about it. Click through some of those recipes or search “zucchini” on this site for more great ideas.

Are you a zucchini lover like me? I used to only be a zucchini bread (which is usually cake, let’s not kid ourselves) kind of girl. But then I grew up and realized that as a vegetable it can take on the flavor of butter and garlic and I do so love butter and garlic. Here are some great recipes for you to try as the zucchini crop comes in.

Simple Oven-Baked Pizza Nachos

Finely chopped and baked over the nachos is a great way to sneak more veggies into this meal.

Last Minute Stir-Fry

Frozen chopped zucchini will be a little soggier than fresh, but it holds up better than shredded, OR just add a few fresh ones to your frozen veggie bags.

Zucchini Waffles

This is a pumpkin recipe. I know. You can sub one squash for the other. It will be fine. Really. Many popular baked zucchini recipes have so much sugar in them they may as well be cake… try a less-sugar option and top with just a few drops of maple syrup, honey, or nut butter.

Have zucchini for breakfast!

Why have we decided that most vegetables are for lunch and dinner? Here’s a quick breakfast that I’ve made many times already this summer: In a hot skillet I melt butter, fry up a chopped summer squash (yellow or green), add in a can of chicken (because it’s breakfast and people are hungry for the food), salt and pepper and (here’s the secret ingredient), a tablespoon or so of lemon juice. You must not forget the lemon juice. Once the chicken is warmed and the lemon juice has sizzled for a few seconds, we eat and dance and go about our day warm and well-fed.

In hindsight, I will need to make that one into an actual recipe post for you. You will need to be reminded of it again because it is so delicious.

Do tell, what is your favorite way to eat this amazing and versatile vegetable?

Tasha Hackett is a friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie, a historical romance set in an 1879 Nebraska town. Zeke has his sights set for California, but Eloise prefers the quiet safety of her home. Is it possible they’re both searching for the same things? Find this heart-warming romance wherever books are sold.

To find out more about Tasha and her world of historical fiction, connect with her at www.TashaHackett.com.

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

How to Eat Paleo on a Road Trip

August 8, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

How to Eat Paleo on a Road Trip

by Tasha Hackett

Hi everyone! Before you skip this because you’re not a fan of paleo diets. WAIT!! STOP!! This is still for you. Just pretend you like to eat fresh, wholesome foods. Foods that give you fuel and energy and build you up instead of tear you down. Paleo, or any special diet, or budget, or lifestyle that includes not eating fast food junk can be overwhelming at home. But eating paleo on a road trip? Is it even possible? Yep. It is. I’ll show how!

Here’s how I survive road trips eating paleo:

Eat a solid breakfast and plan ahead.Yum

If you’re anything like me, you might be used to making sure all the kids have breakfast and snacks available, but you forget to feed yourself? Okay! If you’re on a special food plan, that’s not going to work anymore. I fry up a great skillet of eggs and fresh onions, toss in a few cups of spinach at the end to wilt, mix in an avocado and salsa… yes, it takes at least 15 minutes. But so totally worth it.

No chance of stopping for donuts on the way out of town because I have great food for fuel in me and I feel great! I plan ahead when possible. Am I going to still be on the road for the next meal? Where can I get food? The answers to those questions will guide what I bring with me and where I plan my longer stops.

Stop at grocery stores and canned meat is OK!

If I’m going to be on the road during the next meal and I haven’t already packed food, then I stop at a grocery store! Ben and I started doing this for budget reasons when we were first married and we loved it. We could spend $25 on “luxury” food items, and it would last us a meal and snacks or more. We’d grab fresh deli meat and cheese, fruits, veggies, and other fun snacks. But now that I’m driven by my health and not by the budget, grocery stores are still the place for me to go to find food. (Pre-made salads, guac, Nut-Thins, meat, fruit and veggies, Larabars.) And here’s a neat tip… canned meat. Though it’s not amazing, it’s protein and calories and energy. Ever tried opening a can of chicken and digging in? I dare ya. It’s a meat source that you can bring along that doesn’t need refrigeration.

Travel with the blender.

Likely, you’ll be traveling to a place to stay for a few days and you’re going to get hungry while you’re there. If possible, I bring my Blentec with me. Working in the kitchen at a camp earlier this summer was a blast. Baking with everything I needed was purchased for me and staff to wash dishes and someone else to hold my babies? Yes, please! But I knew I’d be surrounded by traditional camp food, and I didn’t want to be grumpy and hungry. Obviously, I needed my chocolate. Therefore, I brought the Blentec and whipped up my go-to chocolate shake for the meals I needed to avoid. (Pizza, lasagna, pancakes, pot pie, etc.)

Know your boundaries and don’t make excuses.

If you’re eating paleo because you want to lose weight… well, you get to decide how strict you want to be. If you’re celiac and you will break out in a terrible rash or be sick the rest of the day if you eat pizza, that requires more careful planning. Road trips can be difficult for elimination diets. I eat paleo for a lot of reasons, but the easiest to explain is the migraines. When I switched to a paleo diet, I very quickly stopped being in pain. They went from 17 days a month to 3-4 days a month. I tolerate oats and other gluten-free grains in moderation. I don’t react to corn chips or small amounts of cheese. But ice-cream? No way. Because the headaches are so severe I don’t even crave tasting the “banned” foods anymore. Clearly, I’m human—I have my moments when I’m sad about not being able to enjoy a cinnamon roll, but then I remember the amount of pain I used to be in and I go make myself a batch of homemade chocolate and all is right with Tasha’s world again.

Know your WHY.

If you’ve been following Laura for a while you’ve seen the progression from homemade foods, low-sugar foods, organic or non-organic, simple meals, we love people more than food… and it’s all wonderful! And Laura knows her why. If I was on a diet for the fun of it… I would have a hard time following through. But knowing that I’m on a “diet” for very specific health reasons makes a huge difference. Otherwise, why would I bother with paleo on a road trip? Whatever the reason you’ve made it this far into this article: Do you know why you eat the way you eat? Why do we stop at a fast food restaurant? Do we think it’s going to be cheaper? Faster? Tastier? I challenge you to think about why you eat what you eat and what you might want to change. Depending on your why, you might be able to splurge and have a treat on a road trip! Have a treat and enjoy every bite of it.

Traveling soon? Whatcha gonna eat?!

Tasha Hackett is friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie. Tasha spends most of her time with four chatty children that she homeschools and a fun-loving, supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. Find out more about her and her historical Christian romance at www.TashaHackett.com. Her novel is available wherever books are sold and she loves to speak about the novel at libraries and other bookish events.

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

Simple Coconut Blueberry Lime Smoothie

July 25, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Another great smoothie!

by Tasha Hackett

You’re surely not tired of them yet, are you? This coconut blueberry lime smoothie is going make you do a little hula dance right there in your kitchen. Or in your friend’s kitchen when you make it at her house. Or in the camp kitchen you’re working at this week.

Simple Coconut Blueberry Lime SmoothieYum

I (Tasha) have been on a paleo diet since before Christmas. You could say it’s been the year of the smoothies. Even more than most years. It’s just so easy to get in the vegetables this way! Ack… this one doesn’t even have vegetables in it. I’m sorry. But you can go drink your salad another time.

While I’m at camp this week, I brought my Blentec—blender snob alert… yes, it’s me. High calorie smoothies like this one keep me from starving to death when not eating camp mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets.

I did say simple smoothie, didn’t I?

If my daily chocolate shake has too many ingredients for you, try this one! The recipe is in the title… Ding-a-ling! Easy peasy. It’s coconut milk, frozen blueberries, and the juice of one lime. You can stop there, or you can add a touch of sweetener:

13 oz. can coconut milk (I currently use Nature’s Greatest Organic 17% Coconut Milk Fat)
2 cups frozen blueberries (Or other berries, but then it wouldn’t be a Coconut Blueberry Lime Smoothie now would it?)
Juice of 1 lime (Or 2-3 tsp of lime juice if you don’t have time for the squeezing of the lime… but I recommend the real deal.)
Blend until smooth****

****If your kids are, well, you know, average kids, you may need to add a touch of a sweetener of choice. I use 1/2 teaspoon of THM Super Sweet stevia blend.

Put the lime in the coconut…

If you’re looking for more great smoothie ideas, search smoothie over there on the search bar on this sight and be wowed by the variety. How about this cinnamon one? And a homemade Orange Julius. Remember your high protein chocolate shake here. And lastly, don’t be scared to throw a few goodies in the blender and see what happens! Just PLEASE and I mean, PLEASE stay away from arugula in smoothies. Spinach and maybe some kale, but arugula does not play nice in a smoothie. That is my best advice to you. And beets… unless you like eating pink dirt. Haha. Some people will fight me on this one, but that’s a topic for another day. For now, go enjoy this fresh summer treat.

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

Confessions of a Chocolate Shake Addict

July 11, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Hey, it’s Tasha. Remember me? I’m Laura’s friend. The one who fell off the cliff and didn’t die. I homeschool a few kids and eat chocolate, AND I DRINK IT. Eating paleo took a turn for the better once I discovered some amazing chocolate tricks, but today is the day for the confessions of a paleo chocolate shake addict.

Chocolate Shake Confessions:

I drink a chocolate shake every day. Sometimes more than one.
Secretly, not so secretly anymore, I am happy a few of my kids don’t like my chocolate shakes—more for me.
16 oz of cacao powder barely lasts me one month = that means I eat approximately 3 Tablespoons a day.
Once, mid-shake preparation, I was ravenous. Hungry, grumpy, starving. The cacao powder was not where it was supposed to be. I searched frantically through the cupboards to no avail. Mean Tasha came out. I yelled across the house to my husband and kids, “WHO MOVED THE CHOCOLATE STUFF??” No one answered Crazy Mama. Climbed up on the counter and searched the top shelf while yelling at my family that there was a crisis upon us. Turns out, the almost empty bag was found behind the Blentec. Right where I’d left it I’m sure.
No, I’m not misspelling Cocoa. Cacao is a real thing.

Cacao vs. Cocoa?

Cacao is the name of the tree that grows pods with beans that are harvested and roasted like coffee to make cocoa powder and chocolate. But—woah—if you don’t roast the beans, it’s called cacao instead of cocoa. Unroasted beans are raw and contain significantly higher levels of minerals, fiber, and even some protein. So that’s what I chose to eat. Please check out the Subscribe & Save options available for Organic Cacao Powder.

Paleo Chocolate Shake RecipeYum

Clearly, Laura’s salad-drinking habits are commendable. But, another confession: I’m not a grown-up enough human to submit myself to such torture. What I meant to say is that Laura is a super human blessed by the Almighty with taste buds of steel. Hmm. Okay, how about this: I’m so deeply in love with chocolate shakes and I see no reason to give them up.

Sorry. The recipe(s).

I mostly make it the same every day, but has been evolving over the year. Therefore, I will give you two recipes. The first is when you only have 30 seconds to spare. The second is when you have 2 minutes.

Quick Fix Chocolate Shake

8 oz. coconut milk
2 Tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
2 pinches salt
1/2—1 teaspoon Super Sweet from THM or stevia/blend sweetener of choice
Large handful of spinach
3 cubes ice
Blend until smooth
Drink

The above smoothie has approximately 4 grams of protein and 92 calories. It is enough to satisfy a chocolate craving and sweet tooth. If you want to trick your mouth into thinking you’re having a treat, and you’re in a hurry, give it a try. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of nutrients in the spinach, cacao, and coconut milk, but I wouldn’t recommend replacing a meal with this shake. Unless you’re planning to starve yourself to death, which I highly discourage.

Paleo Chocolate Shake with more stuff…

8 oz. coconut milk
2 Tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
2 pinches salt
1/2—1 teaspoon Super Sweet from THM or stevia/blend sweetener of choice
2 Tablespoons integral collagen (paleo friendly dairy/soy-free protein)
half of a banana (sliced and frozen is nice)
1/2 cup frozen fruit (blueberries or sweet cherries are good options)
1 Tablespoon almond butter
Large handful spinach
3 cubes of ice
Blend until smooth
Drink in secret or make double to share with all the toddlers

This is the shake I drink daily. If we’re heading out and I’m not sure if there’s going to be paleo food for me, then I make a shake. Sometimes I drink with breakfast, or later in the day if I’m hungry and there’s no food in front of me. The full recipe is approximately 320 calories and 17 grams of protein.

What do you eat everyday?! Does it make you ask happy as this shake makes me? If not… maybe you should make this shake instead.

Paleo Chocolate Shake

Save Print

Author: Tasha

Recipe type: snack

Ingredients

8 oz. coconut milk
2 Tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
2 pinches salt
½—1 teaspoon Super Sweet from THM or stevia/blend sweetener of choice
2 Tablespoons integral collagen (paleo friendly dairy/soy-free protein)
half of a banana (sliced and frozen is nice)
½ cup frozen fruit (blueberries or sweet cherries are good options)
1 Tablespoon almond butter
Large handful spinach
3 cubes of ice

Instructions

Blend until smooth
Drink in secret or make double to share with all the toddlers

Tasha Hackett is a friend of Laura and author of the Christian Romance, Bluebird on the Prairie; available wherever books are sold and from her website, www.TashaHackett.com. She spends most of her time (drinking chocolate shakes) with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about.

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

Simple Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin or Roast (Crock Pot Recipe)

June 20, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Here we are with another super fast meal for summertime! This Simple Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin will wow everyone!

Yum

There’s something about the combination of flavors poured over this pork tenderloin (or pork roast) that makes it so very good. It slow cooks all day, so that makes the meat extra juicy and the flavor extra amazing. Simply put a Pork Tenderloin in your crockpot (these are inexpensive, by the way!), stir together a few ingredients to pour over the top of the meat, turn on your crockpot, and walk away!

What’s great about a meal like this is that well, a Pork Tenderloin or Pork Roast just feels like a special meal. You can serve it with:

a salad
a steamed veggie
and some fresh fruit

and your meal will be amazing!! But you will have worked very little to pull it off.

Meals like this are my favorite. Or have you figured that out about me by now? :)

Tip for choosing a cut of pork:

Check for meat mark-downs! Our local grocery store often has a high quality brand of pork marked down when it’s getting close to the “freeze-by” date. When I see these, I grab them! They are usually between $2-3/pound at this point, making for some very affordable and delicious meat options for our freezer!
Pork Tenderloin, Pork Butt (he-he-he, Pork Butt…I’m in middle school), and Pork Roast are my favorites. They turn out tender and juicy every time with this recipe!

Simple Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin or Roast (Crock Pot Recipe)

Simple Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin (Crock Pot Recipe)

Save Print

Author: Laura

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds Pork tenderloin
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
¼ cup honey
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup water
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

Place the pork tenderloin in the crock pot.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
Pour the mixture over the pork tenderloin.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until pork is tender and falling apart.

I hope the recent meal ideas I’ve shared recently have been helpful to you this summer as you figure out what to feed your family when it’s too hot to care about cooking. I’ll keep the recipes coming!

What I’ve shared so far:

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

5-Minute Crock Pot Chicken

June 9, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Can you really make 5-Minute Crock Pot Chicken in only 5 minutes? Try it and see! Maybe you can make it in only 4 minutes? :)

Meals like this are my very favorite:

Throw chicken in a crockpot.
Dump something on top of the chicken.
Turn on the crockpot and come back at dinner time.

Add a simple vegetable, a salad, some fruit, and your meal is complete. It’s so easy and delicious and perfect for summertime right?

That’s why I’m going to share several days worth of 5-Minute recipes in the coming days! I’m always looking for quick meals in the summertime that don’t heat up the house. As much as I love to cook, I don’t enjoy it as much in the summer. So if we can have meals that both:

Take very little prep time and
Don’t heat up the house

We love it, right?!

Right.

So subscribe if you haven’t already so that you don’t miss any of these 5-Minute recipes!!! And now for our first one:

5-Minute Crock Pot ChickenYum

5-Minute Crock Pot Chicken

Save Print

Author: Laura

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

4-6 boneless chicken thighs or breasts
2 cups Italian dressing
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Place chicken pieces in a crock pot.
Pour Italian dressing over the chicken.
Sprinkle cheese over the top.
Cook on low for 8 hours.

I try to keep Homemade Italian Salad Dressing on hand if I can, which works great in this recipe! But any Italian dressing will work. So open a bottle and pour it on!

More 5-Minute Recipes coming. Stand by!

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

Easy Orange Julius

June 2, 2021 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

This Easy Orange Julius is a perfectly refreshing summer treat!

You guys. I totally cheat now when making so many of our meals and snacks. I only make whatever is the easiest and fastest because there are people to love and we just wanna play outside.

I’ve made Orange Julius for our family for years and years. But this little “cheater” idea came about after a local church had offered a food distribution to our community. They had several boxes leftover at the end of the day, and since we have so many kids, they thought of us. How kind and fun! They piled five boxes of food onto our porch, and we were super grateful!

Some of the items included in the box? Vanilla Yogurt, Milk, and Oranges

Does that sound like a delicious Orange Julius to you? Indeed it does. Brayden thought so too. :)

With a huge pile of oranges rolling off of our countertops, we started with an “Orange Peeling Party.” Our kitchen smelled citrus-y good, and soon we had several bags of these frozen orange slices:

Then, I took those frozen oranges and blended them up with the vanilla yogurt and some milk. Easy Orange Julius perfection!

So, if you find yourself with an abundance of oranges, freeze them like this. Then blend them up with yogurt and milk and grab yourself a straw!

Easy Orange JuliusYum

Easy Orange Julius

Save Print

Author: Laura

Serves: 6 cups

Ingredients

2-3 cups frozen orange slices
2 cups vanilla yogurt
2 cups milk

Instructions

Blend the three ingredients together until smooth.
Serve right away!

Don’t want the added sugar in the yogurt? I usually don’t either, but hey, it was free food! You can make this treat with plain yogurt and honey or maple syrup if you want to cut down on the sugar content. This will be just as delicious and even better for ya!

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

Easy Homemade Chocolate Milk

May 30, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

It really is easy to make Homemade Chocolate Milk! And it tastes better than any store-bought chocolate milk you can find. What a treat!

Recently, someone gave us 5 gallons of milk. FIVE! I mean, we have a big family, but it’s still hard to get through five gallons of milk before it goes bad.

I had fun figuring out ways to use up the milk. Pudding ranked high on the list:

Mac and Cheese is also a great way to use up milk, especially this amazing recipe. And then, making Chocolate Milk as a special treat always makes my family happy!

I don’t love for us to drink much sugar. So I made this Easy Chocolate Milk to share with college students when they came over so that the gallon of fun could be spread throughout many of us, not just our family. :)

Ready for the recipe? Keep this one in your back pocket for a fun treat to serve guests on a hot day!

Easy Homemade Chocolate MilkYum

Easy Homemade Chocolate Milk

Save Print

Author: Laura

Serves: 1 gallon +

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup water
1 gallon milk

Instructions

In a large pot, mix together sugar, cocoa, and water.
Cook on low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
Turn off the heat.
Stir in the milk with a whisk until the chocolate is evening mixed throughout.
Pour chocolate milk into a gallon-sized serving jar.
Chill for at least two hours before serving.

Try this and let me know what you think? Best Chocolate Milk you’ve ever had? That’s what many of our guests tell me when they try this. :)

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

Best Leftover Mashed Potatoes You’ve Ever Had In Your Life

May 23, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Is it true? Are these really the best leftover mashed potatoes? Tasha says so, and after reading this, I agree!

Best Leftover Mashed Potatoes You’ve Ever Had In Your Life

By Tasha Hackett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The best leftover mashed potatoes. Okay! Sure. But the best? Lofty claims. I stand by my statement though. If you make the best mashed potatoes to begin with, which I do, reheating them is a breeze. Let me share my secrets with you. And yes. I know. Laura already told you six years ago. But dude, I’ve birthed three kids since then, it’s likely you could use a refresher as well.

Make leftovers on purpose.Yum

Yep! That’s my not so secret master plan to feed the people. I shared some stories on my Instagram about how food was really hard that day. I was sitting in the kitchen at 12:04 eating a homemade chocolate bar and the kids were running amok. There was no food. My kitchen was full of ingredients, but where was lunch?! This only happened because I lost my meal plan. True story. I wrote it all down on a scrap of paper. I went shopping for the ingredients. And then I lost the paper that was supposed to tell me what to do with those ingredients. (If only Laura had provided us really cute printout meal planning guides. Oh wait. She did!)

What’s the point? Yeah. The point is I had a pan of mashed potatoes in the fridge. I reheated it with a handful of cheese tossed on top. Opened a can of green beans and stirred in some bacon grease. Of course I gave them a handful of nuts for a smidge of protein and then I told them to eat and be thankful because Mom didn’t know what else to feed them.

mashed potatoes

You’re welcome, kids. Eat your leftover mashed potatoes.

Meh. It happens. Ain’t nobody going to starve today. Honestly, I shared because I felt the need to confess my homemaking woes. Like… Laura seriously makes food simple for us: Make a simple meal plan. Feed the people. I’m still the silly one who’s standing in the kitchen at 12:04 wondering what in the blazes I’m supposed to feed the people. Good, now that we have that confession out of the way. I will share with you the wisdom of leftover mashed potatoes.

First, make mashed potatoes. A lot of them. So many that your family can’t eat them all in one, two, three, four, or even five meals. Please tell me you’re following this train of thought, right? Make all the mashed potatoes. Do this when you have some spare time. On purpose. Your future self thanks you. Laura makes mashed potatoes like this. Easy peasy. If you want to do them the old fashioned way, peeling and chopping and boiling, just do yourself a favor and remember that you don’t need to chop them small! Big ol’ chunks of potatoes cook just as well when you are doing this well in advance of when you want to eat these.

mashed potatoes

You’ve a mountain of mashed potatoes. Now what?

Store them in baking pans. 9X13, 8X8, pie pans… anything that you can put in the oven for later. Sorry, back up–When you make your mashed potatoes, please, please, please add in all the butter, salt, and pepper. A touch of garlic is my standard and if you’re not on a dairy-free diet, be sure to add in cream cheese, and/or parmesan. Season them well, butter them well. Okay. Moving on. Your potatoes are cooked, seasoned, buttered, cheesed, and mashed. NOW separate them into meal sized portions in your extra baking dishes. You do have a plethora of extra dishes you’ve picked up at yard sales, right?

Cover and freeze these leftover potatoes.

When you pull out the chicken to thaw for dinner, set out the pan of mashed potatoes. When you put the chicken in the oven, slide the potatoes in next to it. Boom. Done. Don’t ever serve cold mashed potatoes to your family again because you failed at getting everything on the table at the same time. Some people claim reheating these from the freezer makes them watery. I’ve never had this problem—perhaps because of the extra butter, cream cheese, and garlic powder… Either way. My preseasoned, prebuttered mashed potatoes from the freezer are a crowd favorite.

Is this clear to everyone? Yea? If you like to live on the edge like me, you will add more butter to the top of your pan of leftover mashed potatoes before you reheat it.

Please don’t ask me complicated questions like, “What temperature do you set the oven?” or “How long do they need to bake?” Girl… I put it in the oven and I cook it until it’s hot. (Sometimes I even put it in the microwave, don’t tell Laura, when it’s 12:04 and the people are hungry yesterday.) Count on at least half an hour if the pan is from the fridge, at least 45 min to an hour or more if it’s from the freezer. The size of your pan will make a difference. Stir it every 15 minutes if you want it to heat faster.

This works well if you’re serving it with something else that needs to go into the oven, like simple broccoli and bacon chicken. I would be sure to put it in the oven right away, don’t bother waiting for the preheat.

It’s not a 7 or 10 minute meal (unless you use the microwave) but it IS simple and doesn’t leave a mess and it’s GREAT for holidays or events and for Laura’s put-it-in-the-oven-leave-the-house-come-back-later trick.

Tell me. What’s in your potatoes?

What do we want? Mashed Potatoes!!! When do we want it? Yesterday!!! Good job. Now you have a freezer well-stocked with yummy leftovers and you can have comfort food from scratch without the mess in your kitchen.

Tasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie, spends most of her time with four chatty children that she homeschools and her incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. Connect with her on Instagram @hackettacademy and learn more about her historical romance novel at www.TashaHackett.com. Sometimes, Tasha and Laura even catch a glimpse of each other across the soccer fields while they try to keep their toddlers from blowing away in the Nebraska wind.

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

Simple Ranch Cucumber Bites

May 16, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

In just a few weeks, this Simple Ranch Cucumber Bites recipes is going to come in very handy. Why? Because people will be anonymously leaving cucumbers from their garden on our doorsteps and running away. This is how it works every summer when cucumbers grow in abundance in people’s gardens!

I love how simple this recipe is! And if you peel the cucumbers before making these, your seven-year-old might forget that he’s eating cucumbers, eat the entire plate of Ranch Cucumber Bites, and ask for more.

Want more awesome Summer Snack ideas? I have brand new recipes here:

They don’t require a stove or an oven
They don’t take much time or energy to make
They’re healthy, but nobody will notice
Each of these recipes calls for 5 or fewer ingredients
The whole family will love them!

You will love these as much as my kids do (and my kids don’t usually eat cucumbers!).

See how to get this Perfect Summer Snacks recipe eBook here!

And now for our Ranch Cucumber Bites recipe. So easy. So good. Such a good way to eat all the cucumbers growing like crazy in everyone’s gardens!

Simple Ranch Cucumber BitesYum

Simple Ranch Cucumber Bites

Save Print

Author: Laura

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

4-ounces softened cream cheese
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise (I use Hain Safflower)
3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing mix
2 medium-sized cucumbers

Instructions

Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and ranch dressing mix together until smooth.
Cut cucumbers to create ⅙ inch slices.
Spread ranch mixture onto cucumber slices.
Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Want another great idea? Try subbing the Ranch Dressing Mix with our Italian Dressing Mix! This is also super delicious and fun.

Wondering what to do with the other half of your cream cheese block? Here’s an entire post that shares recipes that call for cream cheese. I heart cream cheese and feel that it makes everything taste better!

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