Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Gratituesday: The Teenager

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gratituesday

It finally happened at my house. We have a teenager.

Please feel free to say lots of nice things like, “Wow Laura…you don’t look old enough to have a teenager.”

How is it possible that I can now share snow boots, flip-flops and sweat-shirts with my son? Although probably not for long. The kid is growing faster than he can eat. Almost. 

Did I mention how cool he is? ;)

I will admit to feeling rather clueless as we have delved into this new phase of life. And for sure, we have had some moments where we’ve known without a doubt that our son is growing up and trying to figure himself out.

So many people that hear that Asa is turning 13 this week have been saying things like, “Good luck!” and “Oh wow, brace yourself!” As if having a teenager in your house means that our lives are about to change drastically. Really? Does it change that much? Surely he isn’t going to suddenly turn into a monster that is horrible to live with! Yeah, well what do I know? I’ve been the parent of a teenager for exactly eight hours.

We may be in for some trying years, but may I just take a moment to brag about my son? My teenage son? 

He is delightful. He’s fun to be around. He’s talented. He’s great with little kids. He’s a great big brother. He’s super helpful to Matt and me. He’s smart. He’s responsible. He’s thoughtful. He’s kind. He’s respectful.

He loves the Lord.

Being a teenager is a time of struggle. It’s a time of figuring out who you’re going to be and what you will allow God to do in your life. We’ll take this stuff day by day, praying with Asa as we go. 

Today, I’m thankful for my teenager. I am one blessed mama because of Asa. Here’s to the next few years of teenagerhood!

What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Write about it 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!

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Laura, Are You In the Kitchen ALL the Time?!

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It’s a question I’m asked frequently. Especially from women who:   a) are new at working to feed their families a healthy diet…or b) don’t enjoy cooking at all.

Does eating a healthy diet mean that I am now going to be a slave to my kitchen?!!

It’s a fear that makes complete sense if you’re transitioning toward eating more whole foods. Do I have to make EVERYTHING from scratch? Isn’t there ANYTHING convenient about eating healthy? How am I supposed to find the extra time in my already full schedule to make healthy meals and snacks? And what if I hate cooking?

I addressed this topic quite a while ago in this post entitled Getting it All Done. In that post, I discuss the importance of menu planning, keeping food simple, cleaning the kitchen as you go, making breakfast while you’re making dinner and a few other helpful tips.

Today, I’d like to talk more about freezer cooking as a way to get ahead and save yourself some precious time in the kitchen. And, to answer the original question, nope…I’m not in the kitchen all the time. I do happen to be one of those people who loves to cook…so I may spend more time cooking and baking than the average person. But that’s just my choice. I love to feed my family, and I love to feed extras. I could spend less time in the kitchen and still feed my family a healthy diet…I just choose to tinker with recipes and hang out with my bowls, spoons and grain mill a little more than others. It’s my hobby.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to fill my fridge and freezer with healthy convenience foods. I spent a few extra hours in the kitchen over the course of three days. The result of my efforts? All kinds of healthy, grab and go foods! Hours of time saved! Dirty dish messes out of the way!

Did it take a few extra hours of time during those three days? Sure. I was in the kitchen a lot during those days. But now all I have to do is go snag something out of the freezer and re-warm it for a quick meal. I LOVE it!

Here are the results from my last “cooking ahead” days and the time it took me to prepare each item…

freezer_cooking_june_1

I baked up several pounds of potatoes one night (10 minutes of scrubbing), then chopped them and froze them overnight for future fried potatoes (following this Frozen Hashbrown method). The next day, I mixed up a double batch of cornbread and made Corn Dog Muffins and Sloppy Corn Muffins (20 mintues). Both went into ziplock freezer bags. Somewhere in there, I also mixed up and baked some Chocolate Chip Cookies (15 minutes, not including bake time). It seems like we always have events that I need to take cookies along. Having some already made in my freezer is so helpful!

freezer_cooing_june_3

The next day, I made a big double batch of  Whole Wheat Tortillas so that I could grab them out for an easy lunch of quesadillas or tostadas. I also baked a double batch of Orange Muffins and a bunch of Porcupine Meatballs (the recipe for which I will share as soon as I perfect it). It just took me a little over an hour to do all of this (not including baking time)…and look at all the time it saved me for later!

freezer_cooking_june_2

The next day I made about four pounds of Venison Sausage – using this Turkey Sausage recipe (15 minutes, not including cook time). Because it takes so many different spices to make the Turkey Sausage, I love making it ahead like this. I froze it in about six small baggies to pull out for a fast breakfast casserole, or for biscuits and gravy. This pre-cooked Sausage is a great combo with the pre-made Frozen Hashbrowns, by the way!

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I also mixed up a quick batch of Mudballs. Although, since one of my boys can’t have peanut butter…I used sunbutter to make these this time. (about 15 minutes)

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Later that afternoon, I decided to make some Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns to freeze and have on hand. (about 30 minutes of work time)  Those will last us for about two meals worth of Hamburgers or Sloppy Joes.

freezer_cooking_june_4 
Last but not least, I made some homemade peanut butter (3 minutes)…

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And used it to make a pan of Chewy Granola Bars to have in the fridge. (10 minutes)

It was fun. It was productive. I was exhausted.  :)  But the few extra hours I put in preparing the extra food has saved me more than a few hours of work during the past few weeks. 

What are some of your favorite foods to prepare ahead of time? 

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Menu Plan for the Week

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I suppose it goes without saying that we’ll be eating a lot of strawberries and salad this week. I’m experimenting with a healthy strawberry shortcake recipe today that I can hopefully share soon in the Healthy Celebrations series!

And speaking of healthy…um…or not so healthy…take note of what we’re having for lunch Tuesday. It’s Asa’s birthday, which means he gets to choose everything we eat that day. He hesitantly asked if we could please have ramen noodles.  Blech.  Okay, since it’s your birthday. Can’t be worse than hot dogs. I find it funny that he thinks of ramen noodles as a treat! And um…$0.18/pack? WHAT is this stuff made of? Never mind.  I don’t want to know. 

In other news, we have an extra little boy “moving in with us” for a few weeks off and on all summer. Remember the red head? We love having him here! Plus, some friends from out of town arrived last night to stay for the week. We’re in for some busy, fun days!!

Here’s what we’ll be eating:

Sunday, June 6
Strawberry bread, bananas
Pizza casserole, tossed salad, strawberry shortcake
Grilled cheese sandwiches, strawberries and cream, carrot sticks

Monday, June 7
Scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, creamy orange cooler
Taco salad, fresh pineapple
Grilled hamburgers on whole wheat buns, potato salad, peas

Tuesday, June 8 (Asa’s birthday choices)
Whole wheat cinnamon rolls, fruit
Chicken strips, ramen noodles, pineapple, strawberries
Southside Grille, lemon pound cake, ice cream

Wednesday, June 9
Strawberry crepes with whipped cream
Picnic lunch at the park – sandwiches, fruit, chips
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans

Thursday, June 10
Chocolate chip pancakes, applesauce
Creamy mac and cheese, steamed broccoli
Homemade pizza, tossed salad

Friday, June 11
Strawberry peach slushie, peanut butter honey toast
Tuna salad on crispy cheese crackers, cantaloupe
Tacos on homemade tortillas, watermelon

Saturday, June 12
Whole wheat donuts, fruit
Chicken quesadillas, apple slices
Rice and veggie stir fry with chicken, zucchini, carrots and broccoli

Snacks to have on hand or to make for our guests:

Visit Organizing Junkie for more menu planning inspiration.

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Local Food is THE Best!

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I love this time of year best!! All winter long I have lived without sunshine and fresh, local produce. Parden the whine, but I neeeeed the sun. I neeeed a fresh tomato. That’s all there is to it.

This week, our local farmer’s market had its opening night! Selection is limited at this point, because the growing season in Nebraska is just beginning. But lookie what I got…

farmers_marketCost for everything…$7. 
Value to me right now to fulfill my desparate need to eat fresh food…priceless.

Right out of our garden (for free), we’re enjoying all kinds of salads! 

lettuce

Joy of joys…my friends with a huge strawberry patch 
invited me over for some strawberry picking fun!!!! 

strawberriesOh yes…I did have fun.

I then proceeded to trade my friend some strawberries for some fresh eggs. What a deal!

eggs

And well…while he isn’t produce or eggs…this little fella does happen to be locally grown too. After our travels over the weekend and a busy day playing hard in the sun yesterday, he just laid down on the floor and fell asleep. On the floor.  Now that’s one tired kid.

malachi_asleep_sm

Great food…cute kids. Isn’t summertime the best?

Have you scored any great deals on local food lately? 
What’s in season where you live?

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Freezer Cooking for June

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freezer_cooking_april_sm

Here’s a picture from our freezer cooking day in April!

The Problem:  I am out of town visiting family. (Visiting family is not a problem. I’m lovin’ it. But it is a little bit hard to make frozen meals when you’re several hours away from your kitchen and your freezer.)
The Other Problem:  My freezer is full of frozen meat. (Wait, frozen meat is not a problem either – it’s a blessing.)
The Actual Problem:  The only thing in my freezer was frozen meat…we’d eaten up all of our frozen, homemade healthy convenience items.
The Additional Problem:  If I’d waited to make freezer meals until after I got home from my trip, there would have been nothing for my husband to eat while we were gone, plus nothing for me to feed the boys once we got back while I was trying to catch up on twenty-eight loads of laundry.

The Solution:  Make the freezer food before the trip!

Ah, and so that is what I did. I took a few days last week to make up some healthy convenience foods for the freezer. Matt has been eating on it while we’ve been out of town, and when I get home, there will be easy-to-warm-up food in the freezer to make life easier for me while I recover from being away from home.

This was my to-do list:

Check back in a few days and I’ll share how my cooking attempts went. Also, I plan to address the question many of you have asked:  “Laura – are you in the kitchen ALL the time?!”

:)

One of my sponsors, Old Fashioned Homemaking has a wonderful,
helpful post about Freezing Meals Ahead for the Beginner. Be sure to check it out!

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Menu Plan for the Week (or lack thereof)

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Print off some fun free menu planners here!

We’re enjoying some time with family this weekend and into this week, so I just wanted to pop in long enough to say that shock upon shock, there will not be a menu plan posted this week. 

I know you’ll hardly be able to stand not knowing when we’re eating peas and if we’re making slushies…but it’s all up in the air right now. We’re winging it. You didn’t know I could do that, did you?

If you need some menu planning ideas for this week, just scroll through these several hundred menus I have posted. 

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

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Should I Get a Juicer?

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My friend Valerie is traveling quite a bit this summer. I miss her already, but while she’s gone…she left a little piece of her behind for us to remember her by. 

Yep, she left us her juicer. Isn’t that exciting? (Well, it’s exciting for me. I’m weird though, remember?)

For the past couple of years, we’ve tossed around the idea of investing in a juicer. Would it help us get more fruits and vegetables in our diets? Would we use it enough to get our money’s worth out of it? Do we want to deal with one more appliance in our kitchen? Is it even good for us, since drinking just the juice of the fruit has the potential to make us overdo our intake of fruit sugar?

So, with Valerie’s juicer in our home for a few weeks, we’re playing around with different yummy combinations of juices. We’re using it to help us decide whether or not we may want a juicer of our own some day.

So far, I’m having a lot of fun with it. I ordered a big 40 pound box of oranges from Azure Standard. Plus, I ordered 25 pounds of juicing carrots. Um, that’s a lot of carrots.

juicer
Here I am, making orange-carrot juice. And yes, I am just about to overflow my glass. 
But check out my fascinating photography ability. 
See that drop of  juice just about to drip off of the spout?
It takes a lot of skill to get a shot like that. Simply amazing. 
(And very, very lucky since actually I am as good at photography as I am at soccer.)

The kids weren’t big on the orange/carrot juice combo. Matt and I liked it just fine though. And, I used the leftover pulp that the juicer caught to make an orange/carrot cake. The results on the cake were so-so. I think I should have run the pulp through my blender first to make it less chunky. It’s all about experimenting. Trial and error.

power_juicer

The juicer we’re using is a Jack LaLanne JLPJB Power Juicer Juicing Machine. It is very reasonably priced and seems to be very high quality. So far, I’m very impressed with how easy it is to use and how easy it is to clean up. All of the parts go right into the dishwasher! Well, except for the motor. That would be a bad idea.

So, for all of you juicing kind of people out there, I’d love to hear what you have to say about this. Do you like your juicer? Do you use it often? What do you make with it? What do you do with the leftover pulp? Do your kids like it? What kind of juicer do you have?

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Sloppy Cornbread Muffins

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sloppy_corn_muffins_4

Yum

I’ve decided that I love sloppy joes more than any 36 year old mama ought to love sloppy joes. (Sloppy joes aren’t just kid food, right?)  I’m a little crazy when it comes to my hamburger meat. I like it a lot. Bring on the beef.

As you may recall, this Sloppy Cornbread is a very fun way to eat Sloppy Joes without buns. Over the weekend I experimented making the Sloppy Cornbread into muffins….and YUM!

To make Sloppy Cornbread Muffins you will need:

1 recipe of Cornbread
1/4 recipe of Sloppy Joes (which is 1/2 pound of meat)

which will make 12 Sloppy Cornbread Muffins 

These freeze and reheat very well…which means you may want to use:

a double batch of Cornbread
1/2 recipe of Sloppy Joes (which is one pound of meat)

which will make 24 Sloppy Cornbread Muffins

Is this getting confusing? If you make up the full Sloppy Joe recipe, you could just make some of it into Sloppy Cornbread Muffins, then freeze the remaining Sloppy Joes mixure. Or, you could just bring it over to me and I’ll get a fork and eat it right out of the pan.

sloppycornmuffins

First fill your muffin cups half full (or half empty depending on the kind of day you’re having) with cornbread batter.

The muffins do tend to stick a little to paper muffin liners…so you may have better success just buttering each muffin cup very well.

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 Spoon about a Tablespoon or two of Sloppy Joe meat into each muffin cup.

Bake in a 400° oven for 20 minutes.

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So, what kind of day are you having? Would your muffin cups be half empty…or half full?

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Lead Me…A Prayer for Your Marriage

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help meet

I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to marriage, in particular we can help our husbands be godly leaders and the kind of men we need and desire them to be. I know many of you have experienced a lot of hurt and disappointment in your marriage. Many of you want your husbands to step up and be a stronger spiritual leader in your home. 

Whether your husband is leading your family the way he should be or not, I thought you might enjoy this song that touched me heart recently.  I told you that listening to music ministers to me!  When I heard the the words of Lead Me, by Sanctus Real, I fell in love with the message.

I realize this song is directed more to men…as encouragement to let God lead them as they strive to lead their families. Maybe you’ll have an opportunity to share this song with your husband. Plus, I thought it would give us all some great words to pray as we ask the Lord to help our husbands be strong and to meet our needs. I’ve been using the words of this song to pray for several of our friends who are struggling in their marriages.

In addition and maybe more importantly, I think this song can be a heart check for each of us as wives. Are we being the kind of wife our husband needs? Are we loving our children the way we should be? Are we letting our husbands lead? Are we fulfilling the roles in the home that we should be? Do our husbands and children feel supported by us, or do they feel alone?

Just a few things to think about and pray over…

And no matter what, always remember that God is in control and that he loves you and is holding you up.

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Gratituesday: Ministry of Music

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gratituesday

I love music.

I think it is wonderful that God gives us music and song to express ourselves. We have our kitchen radio tuned to our local Christian radio station and it’s on almost all day long. I LOVE it.

I love praising God while I’m cooking. I love singing with the boys when they’re in the kitchen with me. I love listening to the words and letting the music minister to my soul at all times during the day. I love beautiful melodies. I love hearing God given talent. I love music!

My current favorite song is All of Creation, by Mercy Me. Every time this song comes on, I feel like dancing for Jesus in a field of lavender wild flowers. Shucks, I’d settle for a field of prairie grass. And I’d just let the tears stream down my face while I spend time with my Father in the middle of his creation. Doesn’t it just sound lovely?

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I’m so thankful God gave us the gift of music. Through song, we can experience God in a beautiful way. I just love it.

What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Write about it 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!

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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