Heavenly Homemakers

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Homemade Real Food Tootsie Roll Candy – Perfect for Kids to Make!

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You don’t have to make this real food tootsie roll recipe into the shape of Legos, but for real. They do taste better this way.

Malachi's Lego Fudge

When I decided to be intentional about helping Malachi learn to cook, I knew I’d need to start him with something simple, sweet, and fun. Hey, Malachi! Want to put your soccer ball away and come make a boring meat and vegetable casserole all by yourself?!! You don’t?!?

My Peanut Butter Honey Fudge recipe seemed like a fun and perfect choice…except for the fact that Malachi hates peanut butter. “Hey, Malachi! Want to come make something that will make you totally gag? You don’t?!?

So I decided to go ahead and use the fudge recipe but adapt it in two ways:

  1. Use almond butter instead of peanut butter.
  2. Cut down the honey to make it less sugary.

He was on board to “try making fudge,” then he remembered his Lego Shape Molds. “Can I make this into Legos, Mom?” Well, yeah!! What a great way to make this project even more perfect for him!

malachi fudge 1

Be sure to admire the messy counter-top behind my kid. Whoever was supposed to load the dishwasher that morning hadn’t done it yet. I figure you’ve seen a messy counter-top before, but if not, I’m thrilled to offer you your first experience with this. #embracethemess #constantdishesandlaundry

malachi fudge 2

malachi fudge 3

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malachi fudge 6

Malachi made some of the mixture into Lego Bricks, some into Lego Mini-Figures, then patted the rest into a small container which we cut into squares later. When all was said and done, we decided that these actually don’t taste like fudge at all. But they do taste like an amazing homemade tootsie roll!!!! To eat a tootsie roll made with real food and shaped like a Lego – that Malachi had made by himself?! Well, it was a kids-cooking success!

Homemade Real Food Tootsie Roll Recipe

5.0 from 1 reviews
Homemade Real Food Tootsie Roll Candy - Perfect for Kids to Make!
 
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Author:
Serves: 24-30 pieces
Ingredients
  • 1 cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Measure all ingredients into a small pan.
  2. Melt and stir them over low heat until the chocolate chips have melted and the ingredients are well combined.
  3. Spread mixture into an 8x8 inch dish or press small amounts of the mixture into fun silicone molds.
  4. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour before serving.

Homemade Real Food Tootsie Roll Candy

Use my recipe and instructions for making Homemade Almond Butter if you like. You can switch out the almond butter for Peanut Butter if you prefer.

This Tootsie Roll recipe is what launched Malachi into his new world of discovering that cooking isn’t so bad!

If you’re wanting to pull your kids into the kitchen to launch them into their own journey to learning cooking skills, I recommend that you:

  • Begin with a very easy recipe – like these Homemade Tootsie Rolls!
  • Pick something fun – like these Homemade Tootsie Rolls!
  • Choose something you know your child will like to eat.
  • Be relaxed. (You can do it!)
  • Get out (or have your child help you get out) the ingredients your child will need before you start the cooking process.
  • Be open to your child’s suggestions.
  • Don’t back down. Your kids NEED to learn how to cook.

I’m excited to show you the fun Recipe Card Holder craft! Plus more kid-friendly recipes throughout the rest of this week! As you can tell, teaching my kids to cook has been so boring and sad we can’t even stand it. Eating Homemade Tootsie Rolls is so difficult and turning over a big part of my kitchen workload to my kids has been such a challenge. Somehow I’ll make it through. #yeahright #lovingthis #teachyourkidstocookalready

Psst!

Teach your kids some great cooking skills through the Kids Cook Real Food video series. Learn about it here. The knife skills series is free, but we loved it so much we went through the entire course. Malachi learned a ton and is now so much more confident with his cooking skills!

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Get Your Kids Into The Kitchen This Week! (What Malachi is Learning)

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I tell you, when my older boys were little I had them in the kitchen learning with me all the time. It’s amazing, though, what Malachi has missed out on by being the youngest of four. Poor kid. I read to him less, took fewer pictures of him – basically he has all the “baby of the family” issues. You can see how sad and miserable he is as a result:

pineapple fluff malachi

There. We can’t say I never took his picture.

One thing that has been nice the past few months is that while the older boys have been at basketball practice on Tuesday/Thursday nights – Malachi has had quite a bit of one-on-one time with the parents. We’ve used these nights to work on special projects – one in particular has been in the area of cooking. (He’s also been dreaming of and planning a state-wide Lego Convention with Matt, because when Malachi has an idea it’s go big or go home.)

I’ve been pulling him down onto my lap (because yay, he still fits!) and together we’ll watch a cooking video from the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse that came out in January. We talk about what we watched. We make plans for what to cook, based on the skills he just learned. We practice the skills together. This kid has made huge strides in just a few weeks!

In fact, he and I got so excited about what he’s learning that we spent part of the month of February writing a little cookbook together! I’m not even kidding. (More about his book later!)

Malachi's Favorite Cookbook small

Score one (or one-thousand) for being intentional. That’s really all it takes: Deciding you’re going to teach your kid something – then actually following through with it. (That is profound parenting advice, right there.)

malachi cutting

Free 3-Part Kids Cook Real Food Videos

This all started for Malachi and me back in January when we took advantage of Katie’s FREE Knife Skills Training Lessons. He learned loads in those lessons alone. Now Malachi confidently cuts everything from apples to strawberries to carrots – and I confidently hand him the sharp knives. (I am totally working myself out of a job.)

malachi cutting berries

I’m so happy to share that Katie opened up access to these FREE video lessons again just for Heavenly Homemaker readers. They are completely free – so grab the videos, grab your kids, then grab some knives. ( <—For your fruits and vegetables. Oh, you know what I mean.)

What You Can Expect This Week

All this week we’ll be focused on getting our kids into the kitchen. Why?

  • Our kids need to know how to cook.
  • Our kids need to know about cooking nutritious foods (not just about putting a frozen pizza in the oven).

Even if you don’t have kids at home, I think you’ll still enjoy the posts during the next several days (because recipes and a craft!!!). Here’s the line-up for this week:

  • Kid (and everyone else) Friendly Recipe: Crustless Pizza Pie
  • Kid (and everyone else) Friendly 3-Ingredient Recipe: Homemade {Real Food} Tootsie Rolls – I am not kidding!
  • Easy 5-Minute Recipe Card Holder Craft Tutorial for Kids and Adults Alike (If I can make it, you can make it. Wait until you see how cute!)
  • Lists of easy recipes (with links) your kids can learn to make on their own
  • And don’t forget that this week only, you have access to the FREE Knife Skills Videos and Lessons.

kids in the kitchen week

A Word About the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse

Registration for Katie’s Kids Cook Real Food eCourse closed right after Malachi and I signed up in January. Since that time, it has benefited our family more than I ever imagined it would. Malachi wasn’t super thrilled to watch the first video with me and get started in the kitchen (because it’s easier to let someone else do the work, right?). But in just a few weeks, he has gone from knowing very little about cooking to being able to do dozens of kitchen tasks. Now each week when a new lesson hits our inbox, Malachi actually gets excited!

“Did we get a new cooking video? I really like those, Mom. You should tell Katie that I really like the videos and the lessons. What’s this new one about?”

That is why I emailed Katie recently – to let her know that her eCourse has been a huge blessing to our family, and to ask her if she would pretty please open up her cart for a few days in Feb/March so more of you can jump aboard this amazingness with Malachi and me. She said “sure!” You need to know that we scored big to be given this privilege, because the cart doesn’t open back up for the general public until May!

What Surprises Me Most About The Kids Cook Real Food eCourse

I’ve been cooking since I was about 8-years old. I’ve been researching nutrition and real-food eating for over 10 years. I consider myself to be pretty good in the kitchen and pretty knowledgeable about food in general.

But I have learned oodles of facts I did not know while working through this eCourse with Malachi.

I didn’t know the thing about the garlic! I didn’t even know the thing about the rice. (I can’t tell you which things because that’s not fair to Katie.) If your kids are taking the course and you read/hear the things about the garlic and the rice, please email me to tell me if you knew. Did you know??

I Have a Bunch of Free Stuff for You To Go With This eCourse

You might remember me saying that I’ve been wanting to put together a Kids Cooking eCourse for years. I was even a little bit disappointed when I heard Katie was making one because I wanted to make one! (<— best read in a whiny voice.) Then I saw what Katie had put together, and I was like, “Well, wow. This is a million times better than I would have/could have done. This is incredible.”

But if I would have made one (which I didn’t), I would have geared it around my Teaching Your Kids to Cook and Learn to Cook ebooks. They would have gone hand-in-hand because those books have a lot of basic cooking information and of course – many easy-to-make real food recipes.

Katie’s class is perfectly set up to teach your kids to cook the real foods you regularly make in your kitchen. This means that if your family has allergies, your child learns to make allergy friendly food your family can eat. It means that if your family has favorite recipes, your child learns to make your family’s favorite recipes. This means that no matter what cookbook your child has, he/she can read it and cook from it.

That’s why it’s fun to be able to give you all 212 pages worth of my Teaching Your Kids to Cook and Learn to Cook ebooks FOR FREE when you buy the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse this week. Then you and your kids will have even more great real food recipes to work with!

Free Teaching Your Kids to Cook eBooks

Additional Freebies!

I’ve been creating some simple activities for Malachi to complete as he has been working his way through the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse. They are fun and effective – reinforcing the skills and nutrition tips he’s been learning. So I packaged them up for you to enjoy with your kids too! Get the Kids Cook Real Food Activities Packet for FREE when you buy Katie’s eCourse this week.

Kids Cook Real Food Activities Packet - Free with Purchase

A Special FREE Copy of Malachi’s Favorite Cookbook

Malachi and I had so much fun working together to write a cookbook. Wait until you read, “Malachi’s Best Cooking Tips!” on page 2 of his book. (He actually used the word, “duh!” which I edited out then put back in because he is eleven and adorable and I couldn’t not include it.)

I’m guessing Malachi’s favorite recipes will soon be your child’s favorite recipes. The book includes 16 of his favorites. Of course, now that we’ve completed it and we keep cooking together, he keeps thinking of more. “We should have added that recipe to my cookbook!” Good thing we included extra pages at the back of the book for your child (and mine) to add new favorites as he/she discovers tasty recipes he/she enjoys!

Malachi agreed that we could give this book away for free this week to anyone who buys the eCourse. “People should get these classes, Mom. They’re really good. Tell them it’s really good.” <— Malachi has spoken.

Malachi's Favorite Cookbook Samples2

So Let’s Review

  1. Everyone can sign up this week to enjoy the FREE Knife Skills Training Videos with your kids. Do this now! You’ll love it!
  2. I have some really great recipes and a craft tutorial ready to share with you this week. Homemade tootsie rolls? Absolutely, yes!
  3. The Kids Cook Real Food eCourse is open just for Heavenly Homemaker readers, just through Monday, March 7. It is well worth your money and time investment.
  4. To sweeten the pot, I’m giving everyone who purchases the eCourse a free Learn to Cook eBook (102 pages), a free Teaching Your Kids to Cook eBook (111 pages), a free copy of Malachi’s Favorite Cookbook (15 pages), and a free KCRF Activity Packet (10 pages)!

To get your freebies and to be entered into our drawing, you’ll just need to email me to let me know that you made the purchase. I’ll have your name in a ledger, but I won’t have your email address. So I can check the ledger, then email you back with the goods!

It’s going to be a great week! At home we’ll be starting with Malachi cutting broccoli, carrots, and zucchini for stir-fry. See? Told you I was working myself out of a job. :)

Look forward to fun kid-friendly recipes coming right up!

Learn More About the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse Here.

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My Menu Plan For This Week (Yep. It’s Been a While.)

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Who knew that strawberries rank right up there with butter in my lists of LOVES? I don’t think I realized how much I’ve grown to love them until I apparently became addicted to them last year and have been impatiently waiting for them to come back in season. I’ve been waiting, and waiting…

The time is now. They were on the Bountiful Baskets order form this week for a great price, but since I’m always very reasonable with bulk purchases, I only ordered two. Cases. What? If it makes you feel better, I put three cases in my cart at first, then realized that 24 pounds of fresh strawberries might be a little obsessive. So I cut it down to only 16 pounds. #noshame

groceries2271

This might have been my favorite BB order ever. 16 pounds of berries, two packages of whole wheat pizza crusts, all the basket goodies – plus I split a case of pink lady apples and a case of carrots with a friend. We now have so much good food in our house!

A little perspective on the strawberries…

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Me taking my first bite of strawberry this season…

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I figured it was a selfie-worthy event.

The first thing we did after unloading all the produce was make the cream cheese goodness for Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits. We skipped actually making them into parfaits because we were all dying to dig in and there was no time to wait for strawberries to be layered neatly in glasses. Instead we just grabbed bowls and plopped it in. So, so, so, so good. I can’t tell you how good. Get yourself some strawberries and make these.

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Now I have a confession for you. (Like my huge strawberry purchase confession wasn’t enough.)

I didn’t menu plan last week. I didn’t even grocery shop. We handled the lack of grocery shopping just fine. But the lack of menu planning? Oooff. That was tricky.

I have been either away from home or working on two big projects at the computer, which means I when I was home I barely left the keyboard. As a result, my house fell apart around me. I didn’t even take time to think through our meals for each day because the projects had me so distracted. Here’s how we survived: My kids can cook.

Not only can they cook, they can plan a meal and execute making it from start to finish.

I can’t tell you how wonderfully nice this is!! Tuesday I said to Justus (age 16), “I’m leaving for the funeral. I have no plan for lunch but I will be very hungry and drained when I get home. Can you figure out lunch and thaw something and make something and have it ready? Sorry I can’t help you more than that.”

I didn’t know what I’d come home to, but I wish I’d taken a picture. The kid made not one but two different kinds of chicken with green beans and rolls with butter. It tasted like heaven to me. I’m not sure who was more proud: Justus or his mom.

I put the other kids in charge of other meals this week on equally busy days. They nailed it. Now the kitchen…that was an explosive mess that we all dealt with together this morning. But whatever. They planned and executed meals like pros.

I can’t say enough about teaching your kids to cook, and I plan to focus my blog posts around the topic during the next several days. In the meantime, I have got to make a meal plan. The kids pulled it off for me last week, but I’d rather be a little more organized this week. Plus, I’ve got all that gorgeous food pictured up there to play with.

Our Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches and Dinners

Travel Food

We’re heading to Kansas Thursday for our big annual Homeschool Basketball Tournament. We’ll be there three full days, so we’ll eat out some and pack a few meals too.

  • Sandwich fixins
  • Pizza (we’ll bake them at home and eat them cold)
  • Tortilla wraps
  • Strawberry cheesecake parfaits (the to-go version)
  • Sweet peppers, cucumbers, carrots
  • Apples, strawberries, clementines, bananas, blueberries
  • Cashews, peanuts
  • Homemade muffins
  • Cheese and crackers

Here’s to a great week! The sun is shining and I have strawberries. All is right in my world. Hope you’re relishing in your blessings too. :)

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Need a Little Winter Blues Learning Push? March Pre-K and Elementary Activity Packets – Free!

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It’s that time of year. We’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in many school subjects – which is exciting but also creating a fair amount of “I’m so sick of this already!” winter blues attitude.

What is it about February? I always find that we need to change things up a little bit at this point in the school year. Some subjects we just have to push through, but if there’s a way to add some variety to our day to help us with that push, let’s do it. Learning is learning, whether it’s a part of this regularly scheduled program or not. Our kids can often learn better if we provide them with something out of the norm once in a while.

That’s why I made this:

Free K-5 March Learning Activity Packet

There are 8 fun activity pages included and the lessons are simple and fun. Use them in whatever way works best for your children at their grade level. They are FREE. I’m printing this off over the weekend and handing it to Malachi on Monday. It’ll be a fun change of pace as we head into a new month!

I also created a packet at Pre-K level for the younger kids to enjoy. Talk about weather, practice counting, match spring animal babies to their mamas, and more. It’s also FREE.

Free Pre-K March Learning Activity Packet

We WILL get through winter blues. We will.

Bonus Idea: Make these fun Bird’s Nests with your family as a fun activity and yummy breakfast or snack.

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Gain access to the free March Learning Activities below.

Download one or both. Click here to access these freebies.

I’m super excited to share that signing up for these freebies will connect you to our new Heavenly Homemaker’s Learning Zone. It’s free, of course. You can unsubscribe at any time, your info will never be shared or sold, and being on this list means that you’ll be the first to know of the other fun (yes, FUN!) educational tools we’re putting together!

P.S. If you are already subscribed to Heavenly Homemaker’s Learning Zone, you should have received an email yesterday giving you instant access to this freebie. Look in your inbox for the subject: FREE March Activity Packets for Kids!

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Win a $50 Gift Certificate to Lilla Rose!!

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Time to get excited because TWO WINNERS of this giveaway will each receive a $50 gift certificate to Lilla Rose! (International readers too!)

win $50 gift certificate

What would I do if I had $50 to spend at Lilla Rose? I’d probably pick 2-3 new Flexi-Clips because they are my very favorite way to wear a (painless!) ponytail. I’ve been wearing Flexis almost daily for years now. I have a nice selection to choose from now, and I always get compliments on them because they are so pretty. How nice to get compliments when I spent a total of 8 seconds fixing my hair for the day! (For more info on what a Flexi is and why you’d want one, read Paula’s blog post here.)

With any leftover from my $50, I might pick another set of Bobbies because those are my second favorite way to easily add something fun and pretty to my hair in just a short amount of time.

Not sure what size Flexi-Clip you’d need? Paula, from Lilla Rose, created this awesome Flexi-Sizing Chart for us:

Flexi Sizing

I also recommend watching this helpful sizing video. And if all else fails, you can fall back on the 90-day sizing guarantee for free exchanges.

I can’t say enough great words about Lilla Rose Flexi-Clips. No more wasting money on cheap pony-tail holders that get stretched out after two wears. Flexi-Clips last forever, are easy to use, don’t pull your hair, and they’re pretty!

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win one of two $50 Gift Certificates to Lilla Rose, compliments of Paula.

Want more chances to win?

Paula is also offering all of us a shipping rebate special:

Special offer for Heavenly Homemakers’ readers only! Receive a standard shipping rebate on your order of $25 or more!* 

*Place an order of $25 or more through Paula’s website (be sure the checkout page says you are a guest of Paula Ramm or Coastal Conservatory), then email her to receive a rebate of your standard shipping cost, payable through Paypal! Say that Heavenly Homemakers sent you! Offer expires March 4,  2016. Valid for both new and Paula’s returning customers in the U.S. and international, but if you already have another Lilla Rose consultant, please stay with her; I’m sure she will appreciate it! Thank you!

Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a gift certificate. I’ll draw two random winners Tuesday, March 1. 

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My Adventures in Making Homemade Nutella

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Homemade Nutella, anyone?

Nutella

It all began at Asa’s graduation party with two other graduates last May. The moms and I planned it together and they decided to go all out. One of the items on our menu was “crusty bread with different topping options” like meats, cheeses, and nutella (though probably not all at the same time). My friends and I set out a lovely buffet. I was the one in charge of purchasing the condiments, sauces, and Nutella.

grad party 4

Not knowing how many hundreds of people might show up and how many of those hundreds would want to spread Nutella on their bread – I bought four enormous containers of it. We went through exactly 1.5 of those huge tubs, so guess what we’ve been eating since May?

My boys have been so sad about this.

We finally finished them off, and now the boys are having Nutella withdrawals. I can’t stand to buy more, so I determined to figure out a healthier option that I can feel better about. Some of you might remember that I attempted Homemade Nutella a few years ago. That was tasty, though still had quite a bit of sugar. I had a terrible time actually finding Hazelnuts this go around – but part of my problem was that the price was throwing me off.

The good news is (now that I’ve attempted this recipe and learned a few tricks) – it takes only a few hazelnuts to make a batch of nutella. So my purchase will go a long way to providing a healthier nutella option for the fam.

nutella2

Malachi’s been my chef-in-training the past few weeks and was very excited to enjoy Nutella again. He joined me in putting together this recipe. Here he is pushing a button. (Cooking is so hard.)

I’m excited that this version of Homemade Nutella is lower in sugar than most. If you prefer, use expeller pressed coconut oil since it is flavorless and won’t effect the taste.

Make Your Own Nutella

My Adventures in Making Homemade Nutella
 
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Author:
Serves: half pint
Ingredients
  • ⅔ cup hazelnuts
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup melted coconut oil
  • ½-2/3 cup real maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Lay the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and toast them in a 350° oven for about 10 minutes.
  2. Remove skins if necessary.
  3. Whirl toasted hazelnuts in a food processor until smooth.
  4. Add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy.
  5. Store in a half-pint jar for up to three weeks.

Make Your Own Nutella

Have you tried making Nutella before?

It’s fun, easy, and yummy – and unlike Homemade Peanut Butter Captain Crunch – this one is worth the small time investment. :)

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The Time I Made “Peanut Butter Captain Crunch” But Couldn’t Decide If It Was Worth It

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This is what Homemade Peanut Butter Captain Crunch looks like:

Captain Crunch

I’m your friend that loves real food and home cooking but can’t stand it when a recipe is high maintenance. You’ve watched me pare down my “from scratch” cooking methods through the years.

So why I decided to attempt making Homemade Peanut Butter Captain Crunch, I do not know.

Wait. Yes, I do know. That was my very favorite cereal as a kid. Of course, we never had it in our house. We only had the “healthy” kinds of cereal like Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, and Cheerios. But when I went to my cousin’s house? They always had Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch!! I decided I’d never tasted anything so amazing.

This is why, when I ran across this recipe yesterday, I got all giddy and excited. I determined to make it with the ingredients I had on hand and cut down the sugar and see what happened.

Well, I tell ya – it’s good. It’s obviously not the same as what you pour out of a box. It’s not nearly as sweet the way I made it – though lightly sweetened is good enough for me. The fact that there is real, natural peanut butter in these is nice for a punch of protein. And the little cereal bits really are crunchy – which means you can pour actual milk over them and eat them like actual cereal and pretend you are a kid at your cousin’s house again. (Thank you Uncle Howard and Aunt Ruth for providing this fun memory from childhood!)

The draw back? Well, this is not a quick stir-pour-bake recipe. I’m not sure it’s really worth it for me to stand in the kitchen for over an hour making one box worth of cereal that we consume in one meal. I probably won’t make this very often – but if I ever get a hankering for Peanut Butter Captain Crunch, the recipe is here. Sometimes it’s worth going to the trouble.

Homemade Peanut Butter Captain Crunch

adapted from this recipe

5.0 from 2 reviews
"Peanut Butter Captain Crunch"
 
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Author:
Serves: 8-10 cups
Ingredients
  • 1⅔ cup natural peanut butter
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • ½ cup brown sugar or sucanat
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 3-4 cups flour (+ -) any combination of oat, wheat, or corn flour
Instructions
  1. Melt peanut butter, butter, and coconut oil together on the stovetop.
  2. Measure sugar or sucanat into a large bowl.
  3. Pour melted peanut butter mixture over the sugar and stir.
  4. Add milk, salt, vanilla, and baking soda, stirring well.
  5. Slowly stir in flour until dough becomes stiff enough to roll out.
  6. Press or roll dough into a cookie sheet until it is about ¼-inch.
  7. Use a butter knife to cut thin strips about ¼-inch wide.
  8. Turn dough and cut strips again the same size to form tiny squares.
  9. Separate the pieces so they will bake more evenly.
  10. Bake in a 325° oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring half-way through.
  11. Pieces will become crispier once they come out of the oven.

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capn2

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Homemade Peanut Butter Captain Crunch

You’ll definitely want to check out my homemade peanut butter, which makes everything better (unless you’re allergic to peanuts).

What do you think? Do you love Peanut Butter Captain Crunch enough to think this is worth the effort? It IS yummy! It’s even hearty and great for a snack.

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

That One Time I Rode a Hoverboard Like a Boss

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You guys. We got a hoverboard.

alienboard

Why? How? Well, the boys have been wanting one – I mean so very much wanting one. They’ve been asking passive-aggressively (“So…when you get get us a hoverboard…” and then downright aggressively (“Please we really want a hoverboard…”) for months. Matt and I have been barely listening and completely, “Hmm, we don’t really see the point” about their requests because we’re really cool parents who usually only spend money on practical items. (Happy Birthday. We got you shoes.)

Then a couple weeks ago, I got an email from a company that offers AlienWheels Hoverboard for sale. They wondered if our family might be interested in choosing one of their hoverboards to review. I calmly and professionally responded something like, “No stinking way are you even stinking kidding me right now?!”

Of all their amazing products, we chose the Purple Bluetooth Hoverboard – because well, hoverboarding while bluetoothing? It’s like the best just got better.

Please feel bad for me for all I endured during the days between the “we’d love to review your purple bluetooth hoverboard” email and the actual delivery of said hoverboard.

  • “did they send it yet?”
  • “when will it get here?”
  • “think it might get here by tomorrow? thursday? friday? saturday? whennnn?”
  • “can you track the package?”
  • “can you track the package?”
  • “can you track the package?”
  • “i know you just tracked it but will you track it every five minutes until the moment it arrives?”

This was not at all distracting from our school work each day.

Thankfully and impressively, it arrived within just a few days. The three boys still at home had been very sly about keeping the surprise from Asa (our college boy living in the dorm). They made a plan as to how to tell him. It went a little something like this:


If you’re a subscriber who didn’t get to see that, click here and invest the 8 seconds it takes to watch me on a hoverboard.

Asa’s reaction after seeing that on his phone was, “Mom? You’re on a hoverboard? Whose is that?” He didn’t believe his brothers at first when we told him it was really ours. I have no idea why.

I can’t tell you how much fun we are having with this. I really had no idea a hoverboard would be so enjoyable! It’s actually much easier to ride than I ever thought it would be. The boys are all becoming pros at it. The wheels are not affecting our nice wooden floors in any way, so we let them ride it all over our kitchen and living room. They’ve taken it up to the college campus where they can really go fast! Saturday night Asa had a big group of college friends here at the house and they were loving that thing!

It would seem that a hoverboard isn’t so impractical after all. I love anything that makes for fun social interaction with friends!

About the only negative thing I have to say about hoverboards is that they are a bit pricey (and also I wish they had a little vacuum attachment because wouldn’t that be amazing?). But now that I’ve experienced the Alienboard, I see why they cost what they do. These aren’t wimpy little toys. These are sturdy riding machines of the highest quality.

If your kids have also been passive-aggressively or just plain aggressively asking for a hoverboard, I can attest to the fact that they are incredibly fun and even useful for getting from point A to point B. AlienWheels made us an exclusive coupon code which is bigger than any discount they ever offer! Use the coupon code heavenlyhomemakers to get $100 off any B1 or to get $200 off any Alienboard Batwings.

A huge thank you to AlienWheels for blessing our family with a hoverboard. We’re loving this.

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“We eat a lot of veggies because they’re cheap” – A Young Bride’s Perspective

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Veggies are cheap? How’s that for a young bride’s perspective?

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She said it as she sat in our living room beside her fiance. Matt and I have been meeting with them once a week since November, offering mentor-ship and guidance before they tie the knot in March.

This particular visit, we were discussing finances. Were they on the same page about spending and saving? Did they have any questions about necessary line items in a budget? Did they plan to have joint accounts? How did they plan to communicate about spending? How might they handle potentially lean times? What challenges had they already encountered? What might offer the most financial peace in their marriage?

Somewhere in there, one of them brought up grocery shopping. They already cook many of their evening meals together, either at her apartment or his – so beyond paying for all the aspects of an upcoming wedding (oy!) they had definitely experienced times of figuring out money and spending and budgeting together in the area of food. Imagine our shock, then, when this young couple offhandedly said, “Whenever we find we’re spending too much money on food, we also recognize we’re eating less healthy, too. So we cut back by buying more vegetables since they’re so cheap. Then we’re saving money and eating better too!”

I guess she hadn’t heard (the myth) that it costs too much to eat healthy. That they needed to skimp on the grocery budget by avoiding the fresh produce. Instead, she’d already figured out the truth:

Vegetables are a great way to stretch the grocery budget and stay healthy too.

This young bride-to-be went on to share that she’s found it easy to buy several different kinds of veggies to make soups and stews and stir-fries for very little money. Certainly this is much cheaper than eating out! But they found that it was also cheaper than shopping most of the aisles in the grocery stores. When they stayed on the outskirts of the grocery store – mostly getting veggies, fruits, meat, and dairy – the savings really showed.

As far as I could tell, this couple hadn’t read this information in any article or book. They’d simply learned by experience. Eat out – spend more, feel worse. Walk the aisles and throw tempting boxes and packages into the cart – spend more, feel worse. Fill the cart with vegetables and a little meat then make homemade meals – spend less, feel better.

I’d say “out of the mouths of babes” but I believe this really is more of a case of “wise beyond their years.”

Great Ways to Save on Fresh Veggies and Fruit at the Store

Gardens, farmer’s markets, and orchards aside – here are the best ways I’ve found to save oodles of money at the store on produce.

1. Comparison shop or price-match.

Last week, a pint of blueberries was marked at $3.54 at Walmart. A store within my price-matching range had them priced at $1.69/pint. Yes, please. I bought four. Twice.

2. Buy “in season.”

When it’s strawberry season, I can get them for $1.50 or less per pound. When it isn’t strawberry season, they look terrible and cost almost $6.00!

3. Consider the staples.

Carrots, onions, cucumbers, and lettuce (different varieties) are almost always low in cost – on sale or not. We keep those on hand at all times and we go through them like crazy. While not fresh – I’ve found that it’s also financially savvy to always have a supply of frozen peas and green beans on hand. I supplement these staples with produce in season and on sale – but I know that if all else fails we have carrots and green beans.

What ways have you found to be most effective to save money on vegetables and fruit? Do you find that buying fruits and vegetables actually helps you save money?

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Gratituesday on Friday

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I’ve been completely exhausted this week after our Youth Rally weekend followed by our week of crazy. I’m not sure what I could have done differently to keep myself from becoming over-tired. There was just a lot going on. My body thanked me this week by coming down with a cold. Boo.

I’ve spent the past couple of days resting, taking baths with Epsom salt and essential oils, and binge watching Netflix. Rest is good.

Then yesterday I heard the sad news that one of my friends died suddenly. She had just recently gotten her life back on track and I loved watching God at work in her. She was sweet and kind and she had my back. I’m going to miss her.

Funny (not funny) how losing someone can put life in perspective. Just a few hours before my friend died, she was chatting with others in her normal, cheerful way. A few moments later, she was gone. Life is delicate. Most of what we think matters – doesn’t really matter. All that really matters is Jesus, love, and relationships. That’s it.

Why Gratituesday on Friday? I guess because I’m a little weary and sad and reflective. And I’m grateful. I’m grateful for life and friendship. I’m grateful that God promises so much more than all we experience in this fleeting life. I’m grateful for rest. I’m grateful for reminders to keep the important pieces of life important. I’m grateful for tears. I’m grateful for people coming together as we mourn our loss.

It might be quiet around here the next few days. We’ve got a weekend full of basketball, a wedding shower, and then a funeral. <— That sentence right there is a great picture of life on earth, isn’t it? Fun, joy, and sorrow. All of the above, with Jesus in every place.

I love that through everything, there are reasons to be grateful. Hang on to that as you enjoy a blessed weekend!

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