Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Menu Plan for the Week

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Yesterday, our Homemade Vanilla Extract sale was hopping along just fine. Vanilla was flying off of our “shelves”, invoices were being printed, packaging was underway.

And then my website crashed. Ugh. It is so not fun when that happens. Several hours later, after a long online chat with our hosting company and a phone call to my webmaster, the site is back up. Shew!

All that to say, if you came to my site yesterday to buy vanilla, and you couldn’t access my site, I am so sorry. What rotten timing for my website to take a siesta. We have exactly seven bottles left. Grab it now if you want one!

Here’s part of the vanilla – packaged and ready to go!
Why yes, my living room is a mess of bubble wrap and boxes.
And yes, we will be hanging out for a few hours at the post office tomorrow.  ;)

Here is our menu plan for this week:

Sunday, December 2
Baked oatmeal cups, pears
Barbecue chicken, baked potatoes, green beans, cream cheese corn, tossed salad
Pizza with youth group

Monday, December 3
Chocolate chocolate chip muffins, apples
Bean and cheese burritos, smoothies
Beef stew, cornbread muffins

Tuesday, December 4
Flaky cream cheese pastry, bananas
Cheddar ranch burgers, potato wedges, steamed broccoli and carrots
Creamy chicken and rice casserole, tossed salad

Wednesday, December 5
Easy breakfast casserole, clementines
Chicken salad in homemade pita pockets, fruit salad
Shepherd’s pie, tossed salad

Thursday, December 6
Pancake sausage muffins, applesauce
Chef salads
Italian roast wraps, fruit salad

Friday, December 7
Creamy orange coolers, toast
Tuna salad, crackers, apples, oranges
Italian pasta bake, tossed salad

Saturday, December 8
Peanut butter pancakes, bananas
Leftovers
Popcorn chicken, creamy mac and cheese, peas

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Caramel Sauce with Apple Basket {Gifts in a Jar ~ Day Five}

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I love Homemade Caramel Sauce for all kinds of reasons. I could list all of the delicious reasons here, but I think that may be slightly cruel. Especially if you are hungry. 

We’ll just leave it at…Homemade Caramel Sauce is awesome and scrumptious for dipping, topping, scooping, and drizzling. How about that? ;)

This is why it makes a great gift in a jar. Try putting together a gift basket with a jar of Caramel Sauce and several apples. Or maybe put a jar of Caramel Sauce and a jar of Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce in a basket with a new ice cream scoop. It’s like an ice cream social tied up with a bow!

Really the possibilites are quite endless when it comes to this great gift in a jar! What are some of your ideas for great uses for Homemade Caramel Sauce?

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Homemade Bubble Bath {Gifts in a Jar ~ Day Four}

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Well, technically, this is a gift in a bottle. But jars and bottles are practically the same, right? 

You may have seen this recipe on my site already. But I decided to post it again, simply because homemade bubble bath makes such a great gift. It is super inexpensive to make. And if you make it with a healthier shampoo, you’ll be creating a much healthier bubble bath! (We are very careful about avoiding hair and body products which contain lots of harmful chemicals. We prefer Giovanni 50-50 Shampoo.)

Homemade Bubble Bath

1/2 cup shampoo
3/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mix the shampoo and water until well combined. Add salt and stir until it thickens slightly. Use a funnel to pour it into a bottle.

Want a fun tag to use for your gift? Download Your Free Gifts In A Jar Tags Here!

 

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Steak Rub {Gifts in a Jar ~ Day Three}

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Are some men difficult to buy for, or is it just me? Well, maybe they aren’t so hard to buy for – but I’m not a big fan of forking out the money for power tools for all of the men in my life. ;)

If someone on your list loves to grill – this may be a great gift for them. It’s small and simple, so if it’s not quite enough, you may want to pair it with some grilling equipment or even a package of steaks. (I don’t, however,  recommend wrapping steaks and putting them under the tree to be opened three days later. That idea totally stinks. Literally.)

Steak Rub

3 Tablespoons sea salt
6 teaspoons paprika
4 1/2 teaspoons minced onion
6 teaspoons oregano
3 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients together in a half pint jar.

To use Steak Rub:  Rub 1 teaspoon of spice mix onto both sides of a 1 1/2 pound steak. Grill or broil as desired.

If you’re gifting this mix, you’ll want to be sure and attach a tag including the mixing and baking instructions. Want a fun tag to use for your gift? Download Your Free Gifts In A Jar Tags Here!

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Making Graham Cracker “Gingerbread Houses” (or…Why I Bought Candy)

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While Christmas shopping with the boys Monday, I picked up several bags and boxes of candy. Twizzlers, Dots, Red Hots…

Why?

Because Elias saw the fun gingerbread house kits and thought that might be a fun project. I agreed with him, but couldn’t stand the idea of spending so much for one kit for one kid.

I suggested an alternative. I told him we would buy candy (“Really??!!” he said) and graham crackers (“Seriously??!”) and make our own gingerbread houses. In fact, if all of “the brothers” wanted to make one, we would actually have an entire village.

Elias loved that idea. And he loved helping me pick out candy. And he loved bringing it all home to surprise the rest of the crew.

I really thought that some of my boys would not be very interested in the idea. But would you believe, Wednesday night after church they all sat down and got busy building houses? (It must have been the red food dye that enticed them…)

The conversation was hilarious. You should have been there. No actually, be thankful you weren’t. ;)

I made a “paste” with powdered sugar and milk – then put it into two condiment bottles. That made a great way to apply the “glue”.

Pardon the quality of this picture. My camera doesn’t take good shots at night.

We found that it was best to build the structure first, then let it dry completely before adding any embellishments. It only took a few minutes to dry – and then they were off! Candy, candy, and more candy.

It was crazy fun. And a little bit messy. And did I mention that the conversation was hilarious?

Shucks, I don’t even remember what we talked about. I just know we laughed a lot. Which means that I applied the frosting glue in a wiggly pattern at times, because have you ever tried to apply frosting glue when you’re giggling? It makes for a very wobbly line.

But that’s nothing a red hot can’t fix.

Ever tried making Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses before?  It was our first time and I learned that it’s way too much fun!

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Cranberry Biscuit Mix {Gifts in a Jar ~ Day Two}

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You will not believe how simple these biscuits are to make, and how tasty they are to eat! This mix is very nice to have on hand, and of course, it makes a very fun gift to put into a jar.

By the end of this series, I bet you’ll begin to think that I say that about everything. Not so. I promise that even though I love jars and think that food in jars is beautiful and makes a great gift…I will never suggest that Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas would make a great Gift in a Jar. Nor would I encourage you to give Angeled Eggs in a jar. See? Even I have my limits. ;)

Have fun and be creative with this biscuit mix idea! You can switch out the dried cranberries for raisins and throw in some cinnamon just for fun. Or you could include a variety of dried fruit – cherries maybe? This recipe is definitely not limited to cranberries – although cranberries are really good at Christmastime. (And in April. And September. Dried cranberries rock.)

Cranberry Biscuit Mix

6 cups whole wheat flour (I used freshly ground hard white wheat)
6 Tablespoons sucanat
4 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Divide the mix into two separate quart jars.

To make Cranberry Biscuits:

Place contents from one quart jar into a food processor or bowl. Cut in 1/3 cup cold butter or palm shortening. Add 3/4 cup of milk and mix well. Roll dough onto a well floured surface and cut into 12 large biscuits. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 425° oven for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

I have even found that it works well to mix up the entire batch (both jars) of biscuits – bake the amount we want for one meal, then freeze the remaining biscuits (unbaked). Then, I thaw the prepared biscuits overnight and bake them as directed in the morning!

I freeze the cut out biscuits on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Once they are frozen, I transfer them to a freezer bag until we are ready to thaw and bake them.

 

If you’re gifting this mix, you’ll want to be sure and attach a tag including the mixing and baking instructions. Want a fun tag to use for your gift? Download Your Free Gifts In A Jar Tags Here!

What dried fruits do you think you would like best in this mix?

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Hearty Chili ~ Real Food Dollar Menu

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This Hearty Chili makes it possible to feed your family for about a dollar per serving!

Well, I’m really sorry if I disappoint all of you so early in this new Dollar Menu series. Don’t be mad. Please. I’m just trying to help all of us out as we work on finding inexpensive real food meal ideas.

Okay, are you ready for me to share the potentially upsetting news with you? Are you sitting down?

Here’s the deal. Depending on how you make it, this Hearty Chili recipe actually costs way, way less than $1 per person. I know. This is not what I promised you. Can we still be friends? ;)

When I began tweaking and adding up the cost of this recipe, I was rather shocked myself. Because I used tomato products we had grown in our garden, it turns out that this entire pot actually cost me about $1.05 to make – and it fed 10 people! That’s 11¢ per person*!!!!

However, since not everyone has a garden, I also figured the cost with purchased tomato products. This made the cost $5.40 for the pot, which divided by 10 people is 54¢ per person. I’m liking this hearty meal – how about you? :)

Now guess what? If I wanted to add a pound of hamburger to this pot of chili, my cost with garden tomatoes would be $5.40 for the entire pot. Cost with purchased tomatoes would be $9.75…STILL less than a $1.00 per person! And actually, the meat would help the pot of chili go just a tad further, making it possible to feed more than ten.

If you don’t mind a little additional cost, you can add shredded cheese or sour cream, which is always tasty on chili. You can serve this with Corn Bread Muffins (also inexpensive) and carrots sticks. Or you can fill tummies and stretch the chili by serving this over baked potatoes.

Are the possibilities not endless?

Hearty Chili

Hearty Chili ~ Real Food Dollar Menu
 
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Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dry pinto beans (or 1 15-ounce can)
  • 1 cup dry red beans (or 1 15-ounce can)
  • 1 pound hamburger meat (optional)
  • 4 cups tomato sauce
  • 2 cups diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
  • ¼ cup chopped onions or 2 Tablespoons dry minced onions
  • chili powder or chili peppers to taste
  • garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place dry beans in a large cooking pot.
  2. Cover with water by at least an inch. (Splash in some vinegar to help make these more digestable if you want.)
  3. Soak beans in water overnight or for at least 12 hours.
  4. Drain beans and fill pot again with water, enough to cover the beans by 1 and a half inches. Bring beans to a boil. (Skip all above steps if using canned beans)
  5. Cook (watching to be sure they don't boil over) for about an hour or until beans are tender. Drain.
  6. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, onions, and seasonings. (The more chili powder or chili peppers you add, the spicier it will be, so you make the call on those. I typically add about 3 Tablespoons of chili powder, which keeps it pretty mild.)
  7. Simmer chili for at least 30 minutes before serving. Simmer longer if desired. Or make this ahead of time and warm it in the crock pot on low for several hours. The longer it simmers, the more flavorful it will be!

chili_2

What’s your favorite way to eat chili?  (I love shredded cheddar melted throughout mine!)

Don’t you just love a dollar menu that’s less than a dollar? Wonder what else I’ll be able to come up with that doesn’t quite “meet your Dollar Menu expectations”…

*I calculated my cost based on the food sources and prices I have available to me. Most of the ingredients I use are organic. Your cost may be slightly more or less depending on where you find your ingredients.

Join Simple Meals!

Want all the work of menu planning to be done for you? We invite you to subscribe to Simple Meals! We equip you – every single week – to put great money and time saving meals on the table – every single night!

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Applesauce Bread {Gifts in a Jar ~ Day One}

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Gifts in a Jar idea number one is one of our very favorites – Applesauce Bread.

This bread smells and tastes like Christmas. It’s a perfect gift to give this time of year. 

I have loved learning that it is okay to bake in a jar. I believe actual canning jars (like Ball or Kerr) will work best for this (as opposed to recycled spaghetti sauce jars and the like) because canning jars are thicker. And I prefer to play it safe by placing my jars into a 9×13 pan with a little water in them before placing them in the oven.

Like this…

Otherwise, you bake the bread in a jar, just like you would bake it in a loaf pan. I didn’t adjust the baking time or temperature. It’s as easy as mixing the bread and baking it in a jar! Find our Applesauce Bread recipe here. (I used 2 pint sized jars for this recipe, filling the jars 3/4 full of batter.)

Allow the bread to cool completely before attaching a lid.

Want to download some free and fun Gift Tags you can use on your jars? I had my designer make us a whole page with different varieties, just for this project! 

Download Your Free Gifts In A Jar Tags Here

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Gratituesday: Getting the Christmas Season off to a Great Start

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Last night, we spent time putting up our Christmas decorations. This morning…we woke up to snow. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

Therefore, I declared it to be a hot cocoa morning. The boys didn’t argue. :)

Wow, check out the film already forming on the hot cocoa. 
And someone reallllly needs to iron the Christmas tablecloth. 
Obviously, my pictures will never appear on the covers of magazines. 
Yay for you – you get to be a part of the real world I live in… :)

I was hoping to get some baking done today too, so right after breakfast, I began stabbing our big pumpkin. The boys thought it was awesome. I’m so glad I could impress them with my pumpkin violence. (Have you tried this easy method for cooking a whole pumpkin?)

Once the pumpkin was in the oven, I did school work with the boys, then sent them off to work on their individual assignments while I started on some website work. The boys all got right to work and finished early for once. Why? Because they had been promised (by me) that I would take them to do their Christmas shopping this afternoon. They were soooooo excited! (And had to show much patience because I wasn’t finished working before they all had their assignments done and were waiting impatiently for me to head to the store.)

Finally at about 3:15, I was able to head out. Malachi got to go first. He picked out a gift for each brother, and one for Daddy, and we headed home. I dropped him off, and picked up Elias. We shopped for brothers and dad. I brought Elias home and picked up Justus. We shopped. I dropped him off at home and picked up Asa. We shopped. We arrived back home at 8:30. 

And then I collapsed.

Not really. I was a little bit exhausted (and starving), but that one-on-one time with each boy was priceless. And seeing their generosity as they pick out gifts that their brothers would like (while spending their own hard earned money) melts my heart every year. We began this marathon shopping tradition about four or five years ago, and we all just love it! (Dad will take all the boys shopping for Mom in a few weeks – also a fun tradition everyone enjoys.)

And so, we are officially feeling quite Christmas-y around here. The pumpkin is ready to be made into pies and muffins. Presents are hidden in closets and everyone is holding on to fun secrets about the gifts they found. The kitchen is a mess and boxes threw up all over the living room. Oh wait. Let’s not go there.

 Let the Christmas season begin! (After I get a good night’s rest.)

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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12 Days of Gifts in a Jar…Begins Tuesday {Get Your Free eBook Now!}

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Woe is me.  As of late, my life has been filled with difficulty and hardship.

While I’ve been preparing for this new Christmas feature, I’ve had to do hours of work with lots of jars from my huge collection. I’ve been tirelessly digging through my stash to find jars of different shapes and sizes. I’ve had to experiment with new recipes to see what food items work well to be baked in a jar and what mixes fit nicely in my jars.

As you can imagine, utilizing jars and playing with recipes has just been so very stressful for me (she says, with the back of her weary hand held pitifully upon her pinched up forehead, as she works in vain to hold back her despondent tears). 

I just thought {sniff} that maybe {snort} some of you would appreciate seeing some new and very inexpensive gift ideas. And that maybe some fresh Gifts in a Jar ideas would help you figure out what you could give to teachers, neighbors, co-workers, friends, or that “hard to buy for” person this Christmas season.

And if you really think I’ve been weeping over my lot in life as I’ve prepared for this, you must be new around here. (Welcome to HeavenlyHomemakers.com. We are so very glad to have you here.) 

I LOVE JARS!!!!!  I love recipes! And if you put food in a jar, I get even more excited because those are two of my very favorite things. Put together. In one place. At the same time!!

I think food in a jar looks so pretty and well, when I see it, sometimes I actually do shed a tear.

So thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my happy heart for providing me with this wonderful opportunity to make food and put it into a jar with a lovely ribbon around the top (she says, with the tips of her trembling fingers pressed tenderly upon her smiling lips as she calms her quivering chin and tries to gain her composure). 

All this (nonsense) to say:

Beginning Tuesday, and continuing on for 12 consecutive days, we will be featuring 12 fun, new Gifts in a Jar ideas. There will be fun for all ages and genders. Gifts of food, gifts for the jokester, gifts for the difficult to buy for, gifts for everyone.

And all of the gifts are in jars. It does not get any better than that. (This is where you all just play along and act like you understand how much I love jars even if you really think I am a weird jar fanatic with too much glass in my house.)

I hope to see you all here as we feature all 12 of these ideas. I hope to hear more of your fun ideas as we share ours. And I hope you will all discover some new gift ideas to use this Christmas season.

Want to get started right away? Download this free Gifts in a Jar eBook that Heavenly Homemakers readers helped put together last year. It is filled with fun gift and recipe ideas – great for any time of the year, but especially helpful right now. Read more about the Gifts in a Jar eBook here.

Download Gifts in a Jar eBook HERE

Stay tuned for 12 days of additional ideas. Dust off those jars. It’s gift making time!

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