Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Menu Plan for the Week

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We’ve got a big week coming up!

My dad and his wife Tacy planned a trip to Branson for all of us “kids” and our families – so all 21 of us are heading there at the end of the week. On the way, our family will be stopping in Kansas City to meet some of you, then we’ll meet more of you in Branson the next day! On the way home, we’ll hit Springfield to meet even more of you. Hope those who live in those areas can come!

I’m thankful that for the most part, we’ll be eating home-cooked meals (I guess that would technically be “lodge-cooked meals”) while in Branson. Each of our families are taking turns preparing a meal for the entire group. This is so much better than eating out all week – and everyone in the family is a great cook! 

We’re also all planning to take along some desserts and snacks. I started baking Chocolate Chip Cookies today to take along, plus I plan to make some Chewy Granola Bars, Giant Breakfast Cookies, and a bunch of fruit. Our time away should be lots of fun!

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Here’s what our menu looks like for this week – at least what I know of it. :)

Sunday, March 10
Oatmeal, fruit
Chili Mac, peas
Huddle at friends’ house

Monday, March 11
Honey cinnamon  muffins, scrambled eggs, grapes
Alfredo with pasta, steamed broccoli and carrots
Turkey sausage and red bean stew, cornbread

Tuesday, March 12
Quick mix biscuits, creamy orange coolers
BLTs, ranch potato wedges, baby carrots
Italian pasta bake, tossed salad, green beans

Wednesday, March 13
Easy breakfast casserole, oranges
Leftovers
Pizza boats, peas

Thursday, March 14
Scrambled egg sandwiches, applesauce
Sandwiches, baby carrots, peaches  (on our way to the KC Meet and Greet!)
Dinner at our friends’ house

Friday, March 15
Giant breakfast cookies, apples
Lunch out with family (on our way to the Branson Meet and Greet!)
I’m not sure… :)

Saturday, March 16
Scrambled eggs, toast, fruit
Bbq meatballs (cooked by another family member)
Frito Chili Pie (cooked by another family member)

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Whole Wheat Quick Mix Biscuits

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Here’s another promised Whole Wheat Quick Mix recipe! When you have the Quick Mix put together and ready to go, it is so easy to throw these biscuits into the oven. And if you want, you can make Sausage Gravy to go with them. My family cheers when I make gravy for our biscuits!

Whole Wheat Quick Mix BiscuitsYum

2 cups Whole Wheat Quick Mix
2/3 cup milk

Mix ingredients together, adding additional whole wheat flour if necessary to form a nice bisuit dough that will roll out well.

Press or roll dough onto a well-floured surface. Cut with a biscuit cutter or round glass to shape biscuits. Place biscuits onto a baking stone or a well-buttered baking pan. Bake in a 450° oven for 10-12 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Makes 10 small biscuits.

quick_mix_biscuits

Here are other recipes you can make with Whole Wheat Quick Mix:

More Quick Mix Recipes found in the Oh For Real book:

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Easy Fruit Cobbler
  • Garlic Cheese Drop Biscuits (like those you get at Red Lobster!)
  • More!

Have you ordered a copy of Oh, For Real: Real Food, Real Family, Real Easy yet? You’ll find all these recipes in the book – plus many more recipes and tips that will make your life easier as you work to feed your family a diet of real, whole foods!

I’m curious:  What’s your favorite way to eat a biscuit? Dripping with butter and honey? With gravy poured all over them? Slathered with jelly? Can you guess my favorite way to eat a biscuit?!  :)

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How to Handle a Defiant Child

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strong_willed

I received this email a few weeks ago:

Hi Laura,
I have a 4 year old who is by nature defiant. I say turn right and he says “no, left.” Everything is a battle from putting on the seat belt to especially bedtime routine. I have other children who are obedient and well-mannered so I know it is his temperment. I am a supernanny queen and do 800 millon consequences to his bad behavior. I am very consistent with following through. It is starting to escalate and affecting me in the home. I’ve started to feel like a failure and started feeling apathetic towards the rest of my responsibilities. Where is the joy? I’m wondering if you had any wisdom on guiding a boys heart?

Well, I will never claim to be a parenting expert, but I do have a few years of experience dealing with strong-willed boys. Here’s what I emailed back:

Rest assured, you are not a failure! Out of four of our boys, three of them were (are) very stubborn and strong-willed. Here are three points I’d like to share:
 
1. Don’t forget that you are the parent. Don’t feel bad or guilty about insisting on obedience. You win the battle, no matter what – even when it’s hard and exhausting. If you win now when he’s four, you’ll find it much easier to win when he’s bigger. My two most stubborn preschoolers are now my calm, mild mannered teenagers. (We’re still working on the 11 year old, who didn’t become strong-willed until he turned 7. Sheesh! We’re getting there, though.)
 
2. We have worked with our boys to help them understand this strong will that they have. Having a strong will isn’t a bad thing – not at all. But when one of our sons uses it for ugliness or to defy us – that is bad. We’ve explained that God gave him his strong will (kind of like his very own super power!) to use for good, to stand up for what is right, to be a leader – and helped him understand that he has to be careful to use that super power for God’s glory – not to get his way. If nothing else, maybe this idea will help you as the parent (if it’s too difficult a concept for your 4 year old). A strong will really is a good thing when used properly. Oh, but it’s exhausting sometimes when you’re in the heat of the battle with a child! (Undoubtedly, it’s best to have the full conversation during a calm time, so that you can give quick cues like, “Use your super power for God’s glory!” for the moments your child is struggling to obey.)
 
3. Obviously, do everything out of love. But when your child is being defiant, don’t feel like you need to coddle, reason with, explain yourself, or ask him “how this makes him feel” (at least generally speaking). I did too much of that, wondering where I had gone wrong to make him behave that way. Therefore, I felt like we needed to discuss his feelings in depth each time he was defying us. Finally, I just realized that the stinker was being downright naughty, just wanted his way, and needed discipline – not discussion. I saved a lot of energy once I realized that – and went straight to consequences because ultimately, that is what he was asking for and needed. Discussion took place later, if necessary. It worked so much better!
 
And then, any time he is being sweet and kind, praise him and enjoy that time with him. Those happy times will come more and more often, I promise!
 
What have been your experiences with defiant children? What advice would you give to parents dealing with strong-willed kids?
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Oh, For Real: Real Food, Real Family, Real Easy

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ForRealBookCover6

This eCookbook the resource so many of us (including me!) have been needing for so long!

Because this kitchen resource is designed to be your “go-to” book, it is filled with pictures, tutorials, information, and of course – lots of recipes. It isn’t fancy. It isn’t overwhelming. It’s just me sharing “how I do it” when it comes to feeding my family a healthy diet on a limited budget and with limited time.

This book includes my most treasured recipes that I use all the time. I’ve shared many of them through the years on my blog, but to have them all together in one handy book? This is so helpful! These are the recipes that help me feed my family healthy food without breaking my neck in the kitchen. These are the recipes that keep my freezer stocked with ready-to-grab meals and snacks. These are the recipes my family loves. (Even the family members who are picky!)

In addition to all the recipes and helpful information we’ve organized in the book, you will find “Real Quick Tips” sprinkled all throughout, which will provide you with simple ideas for getting ahead and saving time in the kitchen.

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Each time you see the “Freezer Friendly” button in the book, you can learn with a quick glance how to prepare that particular recipe for the freezer, and how to reheat it when you are ready to serve it.

FreezerFriendly2

What will you find in Oh, For Real?

  • Over 115 healthy, real food breakfast, lunch, supper, casserole, slow cooker, and snack recipes that will save you time, money and sanity
  • Versatile mixes and whole grain dough recipes that offer loads of healthy recipe options with little to no effort
  • Freezer cooking ideas and instructions to help you actually get ahead in the kitchen
  • Last minute (healthy) meal ideas, because for real, you don’t have to resort to ordering pizza in a pinch
  • More information about my family and me than you ever really needed to know. We are real.  :)

Care to take a little peek inside? Click here for a preview.

This is not an eBook you will read once and stuff on your shelf, never to be read again. This is more than a cookbook. Oh, For Real is your real food resource – the book you will reference over and over as you develop and/or maintain your healthy, whole foods kitchen.

Get yours here!

Our Heavenly Homemaker’s Club Members have access to this amazing resource plus ALL of our eBooks, eCurriculum, printables, and so much more – for one very low price! Join us here!

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Gratituesday: Almost Finished!!!!!!!!!!!! (And My For Real Confessions)

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I have the best editors, the best designer, the best friends, and the best family ever. My new book is almost finished – only because of the wonderful people in my life who have encouraged me, helped me, and spent countless hours working with me. My book would be pitiful without them, and that’s no exaggeration.

And let’s just be real, because that’s what we do around here, and because that’s what this book is all about:  The real me – when under pressure, when feeling the stress of a deadline, when seeing the light at the end of a tunnel too many miles away, when short on sleep – is not pretty. Sometimes I didn’t even like being around myself. (And unfortunately, I have found that getting away from myself has been extremely difficult.)

Let’s not even talk about what my house looks like. Okay, fine – let’s do talk about it. Can I admit to you that aside from basic laundry and dishes, I haven’t cleaned anything in my house for several weeks? (Eek!)  The boys have kept up with their bathroom, bedroom, and living room chores, so that has helped tremendously. But do not ask to see my desk, my bedroom, or the kitchen floor. I could write my name in the dust on the piano (and on the hardwood floor in our office). It’s scary.

But hey – the book is almost finished. ;)  Maybe I’ll celebrate by having a party with my mop bucket. 

Messy self and messy house aside – I have to share how thankful I am for all of your encouragement about this book. Your enthusiasm as you wait for its arrival has kept me going. My family has been awesome and then some. When I’ve told the kids, “Just go warm up leftovers again.” – they haven’t complained. I can’t even begin to tell you how much Matt has done to make this book happen. I am so thankful for him!

Now that we’re so close to being finished, I am so excited that I still might not sleep! When a project this big comes together – it’s hard not to jump and scream throughout the house. Shucks, I should really use that energy to wash the butter splatters off the mirror in my kitchen. 

God is good. He has made this book come together. It doesn’t get any more real than that.

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

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How I Think: My Nutrition and Health Views (Sneak peek into my new Oh, For Real book)

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ForRealBookCover6

Over the past two weeks, I’ve shared some of the new recipes you’ll find in my upcoming new book, Oh, For Real!  Today, I thought it would be fun to share a small portion of the other information in the book. I can’t share my tried and true real food recipes without first explaining my nutrition views, right? Here’s what you’ll find on page 7 of Oh, For Real! By the way, the book is almost finished and you’ll be able to pre-order in just a few days. We are so excited!! 

You can choose to agree or disagree with me and we can still be friends, I promise. I mean…I might gag a little if you offer me some margarine, but really, I will love you just the same. And if you continue to read, you will find all kinds of wonderful (if I do humbly say so myself), family-friendly recipes and tips for making your kitchen life easier. Recipes that are healthy and make your life easier? Yeah, for real!

How I Think (My nutrition and health views)

For real, people. Eating a healthy diet is not that complicated.

There is contradicting information all over the place that will make our heads spin. I’ve decided to avoid telling you the “health food” information that I completely disagree with, and instead tell you what I, after much research and study, believe to be good and true. (And I am completely convinced that I am right.)

I believe that healthy food is real food. I consider “real food” to be…

…the food that grows in fields and on trees.
…the food that comes from animals.
…the food that we can recognize.

I am absolutely all in when it comes to food in its real, true form. That means that my family cooks with and regularly enjoys real butter, real cream, real meat, real fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and real eggs. For real. We don’t hold back.

Why? Because we know what these foods are made of and where they came from. They didn’t originate in a factory and find themselves sold in a box or a tub. They have been around since the beginning of time. They spoil if left uneaten.

Processed food may remain in its unspoiled state for years on end. That is why, when your toddler drops an animal cracker or a half of an uneaten fast food French fry under a seat in your minivan, and you don’t find it until she is in middle school – both the elephant and the fry will look the same as they did eight years ago when she dropped them.

Real foods are nutrition packed. They are delicious. They are whole. They are real. I have felt so much better physically since giving up processed foods, and instead, filling up on real, whole foods. I believe this is because I am eating foods that my body recognizes. Along with this, I am filling my body with nutrients. Food isn’t just to be eaten to fill a hole. Food is nourishment. Simple as that….

More information about Oh, For Real! to come. Thank you all for your support and enthusiasm as we finish this project and have it ready to share with you. I’ve loved hearing how excited you are. You are all awesome!

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Menu Plan for the Week

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Where is my brain sometimes?? 

Apparently, a few months ago I made two huge Apple Crisps and put them into the freezer for a “future huddle.” Hooray for me – I got ahead!! Boo for me – I forgot all about the Apple Crisps. (I think I made them back in October.)  Yay for me – I found them last week! 

They are now in my oven, baking for Huddle tonight – and they smell super good! I’ve gotta say – with how crazy our schedule has been with finishing the book and being on the road for Asa’s basketball games, etc.,  it sure is nice to have a ready-made dessert. 

The moral of the story:  Make a dessert. Freeze it. Forget about it. Find it when you need it most, and consider yourself blessed. :)

Here’s what’s on our menu this week:

Sunday, March 3
Oatmeal, fruit
Lasagna casserole, tossed salad
High School Huddle – Crock pot bbq chicken, green beans, cream cheese corn, french bread, apple crisp (unless I forget to serve it…)  :)

Monday, March 4
Peanut butter pancakes, bananas
Chicken patty sandwiches, fruit salad
Italian roast wraps, tossed salad

Tuesday, March 5
Mini breakfast pizza, clementines
Pigs in a blanket, green beans
Calico beans, quick mix honey cinnamon muffins

Wednesday, March 6
Creamy orange coolers, fried eggs on toast
Black bean taco salad, apples
Shepherd’s pie, tossed salad

Thursday, March 7
Giant breakfast cookies, applesauce
Chicken noodle soup, carrots
Popcorn chicken, steamed broccoli and carrots with rice

Friday, March 8
Honey whole wheat bagels, oranges and kiwi
Sub sandwiches, fruit, baby carrots
Meat and cheese burritos, tossed salad

Saturday, March 9
Fruit pizza
Leftovers
Hamburgers and french fries, fruit

Ever made something for your freezer, then forgot it was there?  :)

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Whole Wheat Quick Mix Honey Cinnamon Muffins

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Simple. Tasty. Fast. Isn’t that what we want in all of our recipes? This muffin recipe is all of that and healthy too!

See? I told you this Whole Wheat Quick Mix has been a life saver!

Quick Mix Honey Cinnamon MuffinsYum

2 cups Quick Mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup honey
½ cup milk
1 egg

Mix all ingredients until just combined. (Do not over-stir.)  Scoop batter into 9 paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

Honey_Cinnamon_Muffins_2

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Homemade Healthy(er) Twinkies

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Have a recipe you’d like me to try and make over?
Submit your recipes on this Real Food Recipe Makeover Submission Page.

Twinkies bring up a very special memory for me. The only time we ever got Twinkies when I was little was when we needed to pack a lunch on school field trip days. Therefore, about two days each year, my mom bought my brother and me a Twinkie, and packed it in our sack lunch – along with a cold grape soda wrapped in tin foil to keep it cold. Such fun memories!! (And the only real reason I liked field trips.) :)

So here we are, over thirty years later, and about three years after the first healthier Twinkie recipe request I received. Obviously, this recipe make-over really had me stumped. While I had an idea about how to make a whole wheat spongy cake, I had no idea how to make a healthier cream filling. So when one reader, Stacy, left a comment a couple of weeks ago on the Redless Velvet Cake post, sharing a recipe that she said tasted “like Twinkie filling” – I tried it right away. 

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Unbelievable.  It really does taste like the Twinkie filling I remember from back in the day. Upon tasting it, I suddenly had the urge to get a grape soda, climb onto a loud school bus, and take a trip to a museum. (But not really.) 

I will admit that it was harder than I thought it would be to duplicate the airy, empty-calorie cake part of a Twinkie. Regardless, these “Twinkies” taste delicious and were a fun treat for my family. My kids devoured them!

Homemade Healthy(er) TwinkiesYum

2 eggs
1 cup sucanat
1 cup whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground flour from hard white wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter

In a bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer for about four minutes or until thick. Gradually add sucanat, beating for an additional 4 minutes. (Yes, I know, lots of beating. That’s how it becomes spongy, light, and airy.)

Add flour and baking powder, beating until just combined. Heat milk and butter on the stove until butter melts. Add milk mixture to batter, beating until combined. 

Pour batter into baking pan, and bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes. (I used a cool Flexipan that I’d gotten from Demarle. Muffin tins would work great, or small loaf pans.)  Allow cakes to cool completely before filling.

Twinkie Filling

3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sucanat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Palm Shortening or softened butter

Cook milk and flour, stirring constantly until mixture is very thick. Set aside to cool. Whip milk mixture with sucanat until sucanat has dissolved. 

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Add palm shortening and vanilla and whip until light and fluffy.

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Check it out! Stick your finger in and taste it…just like Twinkie Filling! (Except better. Of course.)

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To fill your Twinkies:

Slide a long knife through each cake – just to make an opening.

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Put Twinkie Filling into a frosting bag with a large, open tip. Place the tip into the slit in the cake and squeeze to fill. (I found that putting some in each end of the Twinkie worked best to fill the Twinkie evenly.
 twinkie_10

When I called the boys in for the treat, it is a fact that my two youngest asked, “Twinkies? What are Twinkies?” I guess they’ll never know – except for what they’ve experienced with this healthified version. :)

Once I explained “Twinkies” to the boys, Malachi said, “Oh! Is this that treat Grammy used to give you on trips?” Yes indeed. {sniff}  I’m so glad he remembered that I had told him the Twinkie story. 

twinkie_3

In case you didn’t already figure this out by reading through the above instructions, Homemade Healthy(er) Twinkies are a little bit of a “high maintenance” recipe. This type of recipe did not make it into my Oh, For Real book. Only recipes that can be made quickly and easily made that book! But hey, this Twinkie recipe is still a keeper. It’s lots of fun and a very special treat to make!

Think you’ll give these a try? Have any fun Twinkie memories to share?

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Oh, For Real! I Might Get To Meet You!

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With the launch of our Oh, For Real book coming in March – we are so excited to share what is falling into place to go along with it! This is something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Somehow, the timing just wasn’t right. Until now.

OhForRealMeetGreet2

As our family looks ahead toward the coming months, our calendar shows quite a few out of town trips. A basketball tournament, an extended family vacation, a wedding, a family service trip, a family reunion…

During each of these trips, as we are able, we will be planning a “Meet and Greet” time in various cities. I want to meet you – For Real! (Get it? We can meet “in real life”!) I want to get to know you and learn more about your life. I am so excited about this!

What I’m not excited about? All of the areas we aren’t visiting in the near future. There are so many of you all over the U.S. and beyond that I would love to meet. Unfortunately, we don’t have any family reunions in New York. Or Oregon. Or Japan. ;)  Maybe someday I will meet all of you this side of heaven. We’ll do what we can!

So what do we have lined up in the coming months for Oh, For Real ~ Meet and Greet times? 

Thursday, March 14 ~ Kansas City ~ 2:00 pm ~ details to come!
Friday, March 15 ~ Branson, MO  ~  2:00 pm  ~ details to come!
Tuesday, March 19 ~ Springfield, MO  ~ 10:30 am  (Please email me if you are interested in helping me secure a location.)

May (sometime between the 16-22) ~ Denver, CO  ~ Purple Door Coffee ~ details pending
May (sometime between the 16-22) ~ Colorado Springs, CO  ~ details pending
Sunday, July 7 ~ Oklahoma City, OK ~ 2:00 pm ~ Vintage Coffee

Be watching for additional posts which share further details and specifics of these events. In the meantime, make plans with your friends to join us if you can!

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