Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Funky Fresh Challenge #3 – Serve Someone

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Of all the challenges during our month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen, this one is probably my favorite. Having clean and organized kitchens is wonderful. Stocking our shelves with wholesome, healthy ingredients is fantastic. But taking the time out of our busy lives to serve someone? Now that’s more beautiful than any sparkling clean kitchen I’ve ever seen. 

While we focus this month on starting fresh, developing a routine, getting ahead, and becoming more organized…let’s also take a moment to look beyond ourselves. Is there someone you know who could use a good dose of something funky and fresh (and delicious!) from your kitchen? A family who could use some encouragement? A neighbor who needs a helping hand? A friend who has served you and you’d like to say “thank you”? 

Spend some time in prayer about this one. Who is God putting on your heart to reach out to? Listen.

Then get into your kitchen and bake up something funky and fresh to deliver to someone. Or cook an extra casserole to share. Or do whatever you feel you can/should do that will bless someone else.

Depending on what you feel you should do, this challenge may not actually involve food. Do you  need to simply make a phone call to chat with someone? Should you write and send a card? Can you focus some prayer time on someone specific?

This challenge really is about taking a deep breath, slowing down, and taking the time to love on others. As an added bonus, I encourage you to get your kids involved. If you’re going through the Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve curriculum, you’ll easily be able to double up on this one. Oh, and we’ve got a new Funky Fresh Freebie coming up tomorrow that might give you more ideas! :)

malachi_apple_pie_344
Here’s Malachi taking a pie to our friends last year.  :)

As you think of ideas to complete this challenge, please leave your comments here. I know we will all love reading about ways you are planning to serve, and will be inspired by your ideas. All comments will be entered in our giveway for two $25 and one $50 gift certificates to the Heavenly Homemakers Shop.

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

Menu Plan for the Week and Challenge #2 Check In – Have You Been Able To Get Ahead?

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First, let’s talk menu plan. Then, we’ll talk challenge. :) 

Here’s what we’re looking to eat this week:

Sunday, September 9
Oatmeal, fruit
Barbecue brisket, baked potatoes, green beans, tossed salad, death by chocolate
High school huddle (hosted by our friends, but we are going over to help)

Monday, September 10
Whole wheat pancakes, blueberries
Hamburger patties, steamed broccoli, corn on the cob
Creamy chicken and rice casserole, carrots, tossed salad

Tuesday, September 11
Scrambed eggs with cheese, peaches
Salmon patties, potato wedges, peas
Pizza casserole, tossed salad

Wednesday, September 12
Easy breakfast casserole, oranges
Potato soup, carrot sticks
Teriyaki chicken and vegetables

Thursday, September 13
Homemade poptarts (from the freezer!), bananas
Pizza pockets, fruit-kefir smoothies
Tuna casserole, peas

Friday, September 14
Flaky cream cheese pastry, kiwi
Taco corn fritters, apple slices, baby carrots
Shepherd’s pie, tossed salad

Saturday, September 15
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, applesauce
Leftovers
Grilled burgers, ranch potato wedges, tossed salad, watermelon

So how has the Funky Fresh Challenge #2 been going for you so far? Many of you shared your plans and ideas. Have you found some time to get ahead a little bit? If not, I encourage you to keep plugging away! Any time you can squeeze in to do something extra is great! You’ll appreciate it so much!

I didn’t finish everything on my to-do-list, but that’s okay. I am just thankful that I could find a few extra hours in the kitchen before chasing off to soccer games. Our mornings will go more smoothly now with these extra breakfast foods in our freezer. Or, for at least a few mornings, I’ll be ahead of the game, right? 

Giant Breakfast Cookies, 2 loaves of Cinnamon Swirl Bread, 2 loaves of Honey Whole Wheat Bread, Homemade Poptarts

As of now, we’ve already eaten one loaf of cinnamon swirl bread, both of the loaves of honey whole wheat, and several of the breakfast cookies. That’s okay though. I made them so we could eat them, and as we all know, I’m trying to do a better job of actually serving the foods I make for the freezer!! :)

Your turn! How has Challenge #2 gone for you so far? Leave a comment on this post to let us know what you’ve been able to accomplish, or what you might plan to do to get ahead in the coming days. If you have a blog, write a post about what you’ve done for the challenge, then come link up here so we can read about it. All comments and blog entries will be entered in our giveway for two $25 and one $50 gift certificates to the Heavenly Homemakers Shop.

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

Win One Gallon of Organic Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions

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Looking to replace unhealthy oils in your kitchen with healthy oils? Or maybe you have already replaced your bad oils and you would simply like to stock up on the good stuff. I’m excited to share that Tropical Traditions is offering to give away 1 gallon of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil during our month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Interested in winning this gallon bucket of awesome coconut oil? Leave a comment here on this post for a chance to win. For an additional entry, sign up to receive the Tropical Traditions newsletter so that you’ll be the first to know about sales and specials they are offering.

I’ll draw a random winner on Friday, September 14. Please watch for a post stating the winner as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.

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

Funky Fresh Kitchen Challenge #2: Get Ahead ~ Do a Little Something Extra

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Well, how did our first challenge go? Did you Toss Something Out and Make a Switch? I was super impressed when I read all of your comments sharing what you were planning to do and what you actually accomplished. Way to go!

This weekend, I’d like to extend challenge #2. (If your weekend is full, that’s perfectly okay. Maybe you can find time early next week to do a little something extra?)

You all know how much I love making food ahead of time and putting it into the freezer for busier days. Not only do I love doing this…I have found that this practice has almost become a necessity for me. Having healthy, pre-made foods in the freezer makes putting nourishing meals on the table so much easier. It’s also a perfect way to save money and time.

Your new challenge is to simply do one extra little something in the kitchen. Maybe you are making a casserole, so you can just go ahead and make a second one for the freezer. Maybe you can prepare some vegetables to have on hand for snacking. Maybe you want to spend several hours making a few different types of healthy convenience foods for your freezer or to feed your family next week.

Me? I’m feeling desperate to have some easy breakfast foods in my freezer. With soccer practices and/or games most evenings and school work beginning first thing each morning – I just need some healthy breakfast items that can quickly be warmed up in the mornings. This weekend, I plan to squeeze the following in between soccer games and…life in general. :)

I know the challenge is just to do one thing, but I’m hoping to get on a roll and knock out a bunch of these so that I’ll be ahead for the days upcoming. Feel free to do more than one thing for this challenge if you would like. :)

So are you ready? Pick something – anything that will help you get just a little bit ahead in the kitchen. It likely won’t take you long. If you’re already making a mess in the kitchen, just go with it and get ahead!

Feel free to look through all of my Make Ahead Meals posts to see if you might can find a recipe or two that will inspire you.

Or maybe you just need to do a little extra cleaning in your kitchen to continue to make it more functional. Did you get your copy of Do the Funky Kitchen yet?

Whatever you choose, leave a comment here with your ideas. Each comment entered gives you another chance to win one of our Heavenly Homemakers Gift Certificates. If you have a blog, feel free to share with your readers about this challenge and about how you plan to participate, then come over and link up with us below. Or…want to share with us more about how Challenge #1 went for you? Please do!

I will be sharing an update on my “getting ahead” progress on Sunday, September 9, and will at that time give you an opportunity to share as well. Can’t wait to hear!

You all are so inspiring with all you are getting done in your kitchens to make them Funky and Fresh! Let Challenge #2 begin!

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Healthy Crock Pot Recipes: Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

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I couldn’t decide. Should I tell my kids what was in this Spinach and Artichoke dip…or should I not?

Turns out, I didn’t have much choice, because they came into the kitchen and asked what I was making and what was in it. I wasn’t going to lie, obviously, but shucks, I was just sure that once Elias, our 10 year old, heard that there were artichokes and spinach in the dip, he’d suddenly be, “not very hungry right now.”

Thankfully, there were chips involved. ;)  Chips are always a good motivator for eating artichokes, right?

All of the boys decided to “give it a try”, which in Elias’ case, means putting a teeny bit of dip onto his chip. Much to my surprise, all of the boys loved the dip. And Elias was the one who raved about it the most.

The moral of this story? I give up on ever being able to predict which of my kids will like which foods, because about the time I think for sure my pickiest child will rebel against artichokes, I will be wrong.

Just a note:  When picking out Marinated Artichoke Hearts at the store, watch out! Many of them contain partially hydrogenated oils. Ick.  I was happy to find a healthier version at Vitacost which contains only artichoke hearts, water, salt and citric acid. Sweet!

As for chips, I recommend an organic variety of corn chips so you will be avoiding bad fats and GMO corn. Or, this dip also tastes great with carrot sticks and other veggies.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke DipYum

Healthy Crock Pot Recipes: Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
 
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Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 - 14 ounce can marinated artichoke hearts, drained
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup fresh, torn spinach leaves
  • 1 - 4 ounce can diced green chiles
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients and place in a crock pot.
  2. Cook on low for 2-3 hours.
  3. Serve with tortilla chips.
  4. Alternate Cooking Method:
  5. Mix ingredients and spread in a pie dish or 8x8 inch baking pan.
  6. Bake in a 400° for 30 minutes and serve.

Crock Pot or Oven Friendly Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Share with us: Are you a fan of artichokes? I dare you to try this dip whether you are or not. If Elias likes it, I’m pretty sure you will too. :)

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Gratituesday: Double Rainbow

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Happy Gratituesday! Time to take just a moment to pause during all of our Funky Fresh Kitchen fun to reflect on what we’re grateful for. :)

Check out what we got to see tonight…

Matt and I have been super busy all day long. I think we kinda forgot we were supposed to take a day off on Labor Day. ;) 

When Malachi called me to the door tonight to, “Hey, come see!” I really struggled to get up from the computer to see what he was talking about. I was in “writing mode” and didn’t want to be interrupted. But, everyone else went running, and Malachi was quite insistent that, “Sorry, I know you’re working, but you should come see this.”

I made myself stop, and no doubt, I don’t regret it. How rare to see a double rainbow – and we were able to enjoy it for several minutes!

If that’s not Funky and Fresh, I don’t know what is. Go God!!

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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Funky Fresh Kitchen Challenge #1: Toss it Out ~ Make a Switch!

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It’s time for our first challenge during the Month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen! Are you ready?

This challenge might just take a few minutes of your time — or it might take a few hours, depending on what you’d like to do. It’s all up to you – whatever you are ready for. No pressure, I promise. Small changes can be big changes, right? (That sounded so incredibly profound in my head…)

This week, your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to throw something out. Easy, right? Right. Although I’m not talking about your holey socks or your junk mail. (Although for Pete’s sake, please do something about your holey socks and your junk mail.)

I’m asking you to take a look around your kitchen. What needs to be thrown out? Is it a box of processed food you are trying to avoid eating as you are working your way toward eating more whole foods? Is it a plastic container that isn’t safe for serving or storing food? Is it a seasoning mix that has MSG in it?

Whatever it is…don’t look back. Just make the decision and throw it out. Pick just one thing – pick twenty things – pick whatever you’re up for.

Then replace what you’ve thrown out with a healthier choice. You can do it. 

Here are just a few ideas to inspire you to make a “Toss it Out ~ Make a Switch” plan (but don’t feel as though you are limited to just these few ideas):

~  Toss out your sugary cereal and replace it with Homemade Granola
~  Toss out your bottled salad dressings that have MSG and high fructose corn syrup and make a homemade salad dressing
~  Toss out something plastic and replace it with glass. (I LOVE jars!)
~  Toss out your Hamburger Helper and make homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni
~  Toss out your white rice and replace it with brown rice
~  Toss out your chemical filled cleaners and replace it with a non-toxic cleaner 
~  Toss out your boxed brownies and make homemade Fudgy Brownies. (Seriously, what an incredibly happy switch to make.) 
~  Toss out the chips and replace them with fruit for snacking.
~  Toss out your sugar filled beverages and replace them with…water. :)

The possibilities are endless. Just pick one thing. Make one small baby step on your healthy eating journey. Then, if that goes well, consider tossing out something else and making another switch.

You’ve got until Friday, September 7 to meet this challenge. If I were you, I’d get off the computer right now (um, after you finish reading this post…) and jump right in before you lose your motivation. We’re all in this together. Be brave! Chuck the junk lurking in your pantry! (I refuse to be responsible for angry husbands, so if it’s his favorite snack, do consult him first before you chuck it. You knew that, right?)

Leave a comment here letting us know you’re taking the challenge. Have a plan forming in your mind? Share it! Participants (who leave a comment here) are eligible for our $25 and $50 Heavenly Homemakers Shop gift certificate drawings.

Are you a blogger?  Share this challenge on your blog, tell your readers your Funky Fresh Kitchen plan to “Toss it Out ~ Make a Switch”, then come link up with us here so we can learn what you’re up to and be motivated!! Be sure to link back to this post so your readers will know how they can join the challenge too. 

Are you ready? The trash can (or local food pantry, if you wish to donate) awaits…

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

Funky Fresh Menu Plan for the Week

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It’s September. At my house, that means canning tomato sauce, doing math lessons, and going to soccer games…all at the same time. I exaggerate. But just a little bit. I mean, I do usually remember to throw off my stained apron before I chase off to the soccer field. (But only if the boys remind me.)  I have to try and be super organized if I’m going to pull off this month gracefully. Trust me – it doesn’t always happen and I’m often tripping over myself as I try to get everything done. That’s why I’ve asked you to help me by joining in with our month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen! A girl can’t do it alone!

Ready to get your kitchen funky (functional) and healthy? The first Funky Fresh Challenge will be revealed tonight. Be ready!

In the meantime, here’s how our menu looks for this week:

Sunday, September 2
Oatmeal, fruit
Bison brats, baked beans, watermelon
Black bean salsa with organic corn chips, grapes

Monday, September 3
Pancake sausage muffins, cantaloupe
Chicken patty sandwiches, tomatoes, sweet peppers
Italian pasta bake, tossed salad, green beans

Tuesday, September 4
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, applesauce
Rice and veggie stir fry, apple slices
Cheesy salsa enchiladas, tossed salad

Wednesday, September 5
Scrambled eggs with cheese, creamy orange cooler
Tuna salad on tomatoes, sweet peppers, carrot sticks
Whole wheat calzones, apples, grape tomatoes

Thursday, September 6
Mini crustless quiches, grapes
Sloppy joes, ranch potato wedges, steamed broccoli
Chicken fried steak strips, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas

Friday, September 7
Peanut butter honey toast, smoothies
Taco salad
Homemade pizza, carrot sticks

Saturday, September 8
Giant breakfast cookies, applesauce
Leftovers
Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup

What’s on your menu this week? Share some of your “fresh” meal ideas in the comments section of this post to be eligible for our Heavenly Homemakers Shop gift certificate giveway!

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

The Month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen! Join Us!

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Our Funky Fresh Kitchen series last fall was so enjoyable, we’ve decided to do it again. Only this time, we have so much planned that we’re going to “party together” the entire month of September!! (And by “party”, I sort of mean work hard…so get out your rubber gloves and a mixing bowl — not to be used at the same time, of course.)

First, what is the Month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen? As summer fades and our fall routines begin, our goal is to inspire you to have a wonderful, fresh start! We want to encourage you to create a kitchen that is healthy and funky (aka functional). It’s time to clean out, clean up, be encouraged, and learn to (or be reminded that you) love your job as a heavenly homemaker!

All throughout the month of September, you can expect to see:

  • Fresh, New Recipes (All are easy, all are healthy, and many utilize a crock pot.)
  • Funky Fresh Freebies! (Including some eBooks from my shop! Some will come and go quickly – so be on your toes!) (Sit back down – that was a figurative statement.)
  • Funky Fresh Challenges (We’re all in this together. Be ready to get your game on. If you have a blog, be ready to link up.)
  • Encouragement and Inspiration (Unless I’ve already overwhelmed you with the obvious “loud excitement” of this post. Really, please do come back…)  ;)
  • because there are GIVEAWAYS!!!

Seriously – the giveaways!! Sprinkled all throughout the many fun (and hopefully helpful) posts this month will be some downright incredible giveaways. Want a sneak peek?

You may remember seeing some of those great giveaways last year at this time, and I am so grateful that so many were willing to work with us again this year as we inspire you toward a Funky Fresh Kitchen!

(It’s possible that I’m using too many exclamation marks in this post, but in all my excitement, I’m not sure I’m capable of editing them out.)  !!!!!!!  (sheesh)

Well now, are you feeling the excitement? Do you feel the love? Do you wish you could give me a chill pill? 

I’m warning you now, there will be a lot of posts this month. Freebies, giveaways, recipes, challenges – they will all be posted at random times, sometimes up to three or four posts each day. Don’t worry – I will keep each post short and sweet. After all, how are you supposed to create a funky fresh kitchen if you’re spending all day reading about it?

If you haven’t already, you may want to Subsribe to Heavenly Homemakers, and/or Like Heavenly Homemakers on Facebook so you won’t miss any posts. Of course, scrolling down through the posts on my blog works too. ;)

Take note:  All throughout September, each time you leave a comment on a post which displays our Funky Fresh Kitchen button (as shown at the top of this post), you will be entered in a drawing for three gift certificates to our Heavenly Homemakers Shop, good for any downloadable items. We’ve got two $25 certificates and one $50 certificate to give away!

Shall we start practicing now? Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. AND, if you share about this post about the month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen on Facebook, leave another comment on this post for a second entry!

Let the Month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen begin!

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

Make Breakfast the Night Before {Eat Healthy, Save Time}

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I know I’ve shared this tip before, but within this Eat Healthy, Save Time series, I decided to say it again:

In an effort to easily and quickly provide a healthy breakfast for my family each morning, sometimes I find it helpful to get breakfast made the night before I plan to serve it.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins and Blueberry Muffins with fruit and milk.
Fast, easy, and a total family pleaser.

This sometimes means that I bake muffins at night after dinner. Or it might mean that I multi-task while making our evening meal and stir together Giant Breakfast Cookies while our dinner casserole is baking. Or, it might mean that I put together an Easy Breakfast Casserole right before I go to bed so that all I have to do is get up in the morning and put the casserole directly into the oven.

 

And shucks, as someone quite goofy but very practical once said, “If you’re making one you might as well make two…” Therefore, you might even decide to make an Egg Casserole to bake in the morning…and make a second one to put into the freezer for another morning. 

 And when breakfast has been made, and dishes have been washed the night before? Clean up after breakfast in the morning is a breeze! Kitchen efficiency (and a healthy eating!) just keeps getting easier, doesn’t it? :)

What kinds of breakfast foods have you found to be easy to make the night before?

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