Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

High Five Recipes: Cheddar Ranch Burgers

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These burgers are my favorite way to use my homemade ranch dressing mix . Well, second favorite I guess, next to making the actual ranch dressing for salads. You’ll love how the ranch dressing mix gives these burgers such great flavor!

High Five Recipes 2

Now that the busy-ness of the holiday season is over and it’s a  new year, I’ve been excited to experiment with new simple and healthy recipes to share! I’ve been spending some time working up more High Five Recipes for us because a simple, healthy recipe with only five (0r fewer) ingredients?! Perfect!

These Cheddar Ranch Burgers are SO easy to stir together and cook up for a quick lunch or dinner. My kids (even the ones who usually don’t like meat as much) devour these! Such a fun variation to regular hamburgers!

Cheddar Ranch Burgers

High Five Recipes: Cheddar Ranch Burgers
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 pounds hamburger meat (beef, venison or turkey)
  • ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese ( I use Landmark raw white cheddar)
  • 2 Tablespoons ranch dressing mix (or ½ package ranch dressing pouch)
  • Whole wheat hamburger buns (or regular store-bought buns)
Instructions
  1. Stir all ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Shape burger into 8-10 patties.
  3. Fry in a skillet or on the grill until cooked through and through.

Cheddar Ranch Burgers
These are the bunless burgers shown in the picture. Really, they are delicious with or without a bun! This is great, since I’m often behind in keeping up with making our homemade buns.

Be sure to try making this Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix to use in your Cheddar Ranch Burgers…SO easy and good for you!

I’ve got several more High Five Recipes in the works! I’ll try to share one every two weeks or so!

Question:  Are you a ranch lover…or not? I’ve visited with several people lately that just don’t like ranch dressing. What is that about?

Do you think I could get away with feeding them these burgers and just call them something else? ;)

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Gratituesday: The Budget

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gratituesdaynov09

Over the weekend, Matt and I finally had a chance to sit down together to go over our 2010 budget. 

I know I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to looking at the budget with my husband…but in a weird kind of way, it feels like a date of sorts (the kind of date where I’m in my stained bathrobe sporting a pitiful ponytail and there are four loud kids running around with stinky feet).

It’s just nice to sit down with my husband and plan and dream and discuss our daily lives and our future goals. 

I came away from our “budgeting date” extremely thankful for two specific things:

  1. My husband and I are on the same page when it comes to spending, giving and saving money. I know that  marriages can be strained because one spouse likes to spend more money than the other…or one spouse likes to hold back money and not share with those in need. I’m thankful that Matt and I barely have to use words…and then when one of us does, the other just nods…because we think alike when it comes to money.
  2. The bottom line of our budget showed us that after all is said and done, this year we should be able to give a little more and save a little more. It was an incredible relief and blessing to see how God has provided what we need to be able to do these things. 

Always, always God takes care of his children. 
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What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Big or small…there’s ALWAYS something to be thankful for! Write about what you’re grateful for on your blog, then come link up with us here. Or, if you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re thankful for!

Let’s all share what God is doing in our lives!

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Snowflake Food Fun

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Depending on where you live, some of you have too much snow. Some of you don’t have enough snow. Some of you want snow. Some of you don’t want snow. Some of you have never seen snow (wow). 

While this winter I’m in the “have too much snow” category…I still think snow is beautiful. It truly is lovely and fun and wintery and happy. On one of our snowy days last week, the sun was shining, making the snow look like glitter falling from the sky. It was SO cool!!

Whether you’re in a place that has no snow and you’d like to pretend to have snow…or whether you’re in a place like I am and need to just embrace the snow and celebrate God’s (freezing cold) beauty…here are some fun (and very inexpensive) snowflake creations. All of them involve food…because I can’t help it. It’s what I do.

Melting Snowflakes

meltingsnowflakes6smThese Melting Snowflakes are my favorite way to celebrate snow!! So cute! Find easy directions here. (Those of you in the southern hemisphere…work with me here. I realize it’s 100° where you are. Feel free to cut your tortillas into little sunshines.)

Breakfast Snowcakes

snowflakepancake3smJust add a couple of extra tablespoons of milk to this pancake recipe, then use a spoon or a squeeze bottle (like an old ketchup bottle) to drizzle the batter into “snowcakes”. Great fun snack for kids to make!

Funnel Flakes

funnelcake1smDuring the summer, they’re just regular ol’ Funnel Cakes…but in the winter they become Funnel Flakes. It’s all about the imagination. Use this easy and healthy funnel cake recipe!

The Real Deal

snowicecream7smIf you have real snow and feel like bundling up for a treat, make snow ice cream! This recipe is so simple, so yummy, and pretty good for you too!

Follow it all up with Homemade Hot Cocoa or Warm Vanilla Soother. 

vanillacustard2sm

Kinda makes all this winter weather seem like fun, huh? There’s snow end to the fun you can have with snowflakes if you really put your mind to it! (Feel free to roll your eyes at that one.)

Have any more snowflake creation ideas to share?
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This post is linked to Frugal Fridays.

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Menu Plan for the Week

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Sounds like the weather just about (but not quite) everywhere is a little crazy. Hope everyone is staying warm (or cool as the case may be where you are). ;)

We’ve had the privilege of feeding the York College track team twice this weekend. Many of the sports teams were back on campus early for training, and the cafeteria hasn’t been open. Various families from church have been helping out. I love treating college students to home cooked meals. The students don’t seem to mind either. :)

Here’s our menu for this week:

Sunday, January 10
Oatmeal, peaches
Feeding YC track team – Sloppy joes, sweet baked beans, potato salad, relish tray with ranch dip, orange slices, Donna’s cookie bars (because I needed an excuse to make these again!)
Leftovers from lunch

Monday, January 11
Scrambled egg sandwiches, clementines
Tuna melts, fruit-kefir smoothies
Chicken and rice, carrots

Tuesday, January 12
Homemade whole wheat bagels, bananas
Alphabet soup, homemade soft pretzels
BBQ meatballs, baked potatoes, green beans

Wednesday, January 13
French toast, turkey bacon
Spicy avocado dip and chips, applesauce
Three cheese garlic chicken pasta, steamed broccoli

Thursday, January 14
Warm vanilla soother
Grilled cheese, tomato soup, carrot sticks
Stroganoff, asparagus

Friday, January 15
Banana bread
Chili on baked potatoes with cheese, pears
Homemade pizza

Saturday, January 16
Whole wheat donuts
Leftover buffet
Creamy mac and cheese, peas

If you haven’t already, I’d love to have you share where you are in your healthy eating journey. Check out this post and join the journey!

Also, I’d like all of you to know that when you leave a comment or email me asking me to please share a certain recipe that you see on my menu plan…I DO take your inquiry to heart and file it away in my “to be posted eventually” file. I’m not ignoring your request…just trying to get a round tuit. ;)

Lots of fun coming up this week in the new Healthy Eating Journey and Becoming a Better Help Meet series. (Is plural for series, series? Serieses? Naw, series. Okay, just thinking out loud.)  I’ve got a new High Five Recipe to share too!

Most importantly, be thinking of what you’re grateful for so you can join in on Gratituesday!!!
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Find more menu planning inspiration at Organizing Junkie.

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How’s the weather? Question #54

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While it may sound like I’m already bored with this conversation and have nothing better to say or ask…that’s really not true.

I just really want to know how the weather is where you live.

Why? Because the weather where I live is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

It’s freezing cold here with highs in the negatives. Wind chills are making our temps WAY below zero. The snow keeps coming. I’ve never seen so much snow. I don’t see how it could possibly go away by May. Looking out my kitchen window, you can’t tell that our picnic table has legs. Or a table top. There’s just this little piece of wood “floating” among a lot of whiteness. I’d go out and take a picture for you, but my boots just aren’t that tall.

Here in Nebraska, we’re used to crazy cold weather…but I’ve NEVER seen it be this constantly snowy and blowy and crazy for days and days and days and days.

And days.

Matt told me that there’s a day next week that it might actually get up to 18°! I’m so excited!! That, my friends, will actually feel like a really nice day. We may be able to get away with only wearing three layers that day instead of six. 

Anyway, I’m not really trying to complain…I’m just exclaiming over the craziness of this winter. It is really, really weird. 

The reason I am asking about the weather where you live is twofold. First, if it’s crazy cold where you are too…we can commiserate together about it. Second, if it’s really warm and nice (like anything above 25°), I would like to rejoice with you and live vicariously through you for a moment.

Huh…I believe that’s the first time I’ve ever used the word twofold in my life. It was kind of fun.

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Our Healthy Eating Journey Pt. 1

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healthyeatingjourney

I hear from so many of you about where you are in your healthy eating journey and about how so many of you want to begin eating (and feeding your families) a healthier diet. 

Some of you are in the “Dorito…Hamburger Helper…Twinkie…Jelly Beans are the only vegetable I eat…Please help me I have no idea where to start”…phase.

Some of you are in the “Okay, I pitched all my processed foods in the trash…My pantry now holds a couple of shriveled potatoes and a half a peanut…What should I do now?”…phase.

Some of you are in the “I just came home from the store with a package of brown rice, some bananas, a bag of whole wheat flour and a pound of butter…What in the world am I supposed to do I do with it?”…phase.

Some of you are in the “We’re getting there…I’m just trying to convince my family that eating vegetables and whole wheat bread is cool”…phase.

Some of you are in the “I’ve been feeding my family healthy food forever and I just need new recipes”…phase.

Some of you have been working to eat healthy for years longer than I have and are in the “Here Laura, let me teach you a thing or two about fermenting your pickles”…phase.

We’re all on our own journey to healthy eating.  No two family situations are the same. 

Many of you may assume that our family has been eating a healthy diet forever. When I receive your emails or read your comments that say, “I have no idea where to start when it comes to eating healthy – I didn’t grow up eating healthy the way you did”….it makes me realize that I haven’t told you enough about our healthy eating journey.

We actually only started caring about eating healthy just a very few years ago. Before that time, my pantry was full of boxed cereal and spaghettios and whatever else I could get for cheap or free with coupons.

And oh my goodness…did you know that I am absolutely and very much a recovering Pepsi addict? 

Over the next few weeks, I plan to share our family’s healthy eating journey with you. I’ll tell you what my husband and I grew up eating and I’ll share how we ate when we were first married and as our children started coming along.

I’ll share what made us want to make changes in our diets…how we went about making the changes…how we could afford it…how we convinced our kids that eating healthy was delicious…I’ll even share about how I was able once and for all give up Pepsi.

Then, after I finish those posts, I’ll launch into a new series on the basics of Making Foods from Scratch…so that EVERYONE can see that it IS possible to eat a healthy diet without breaking the bank or breaking your back or breaking a nail. (Though I do sometimes have bread dough or garden soil under my nails.)

I would love for you to leave a comment to let us know where you are in your healthy eating journey. Knowing where you are will help me know exactly where I need to go with some of my future posts. Plus, I think it will be great for all of us to see that we are on this journey together, even if we’re in different places. I think we can all use encouragement, no matter where we are in the journey! Thanks!
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This post is linked to Frugal Fridays.

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But Really, I Wasn’t Scared

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What is up with me encountering critters in my house? First the snake and now this.

I will say, right from the start, that having a snake in my house was a MUCH worse experience than this one. This one was mostly just funny and made my children laugh at me.

Early last week the boys and I took down our Christmas tree and decorations and boxed them up to store until next year. We keep all of our Christmas decor up in our attic, along with a various assortment of dust and dirt. 

The boys hauled all of the boxes upstairs and put them at the base of the attic stairs. I was then planning to take the boxes up the steep steps into the attic. 

So picture this:  Four boys (fairly bored, disinterested and relieved to be finished with packing up decorations) gathered around 6-8 boxes all of various sizes and shapes at the base of a set of stairs leading up to an attic. One mom (also very relieved to be finished with packing up decorations and ready to move on with life) picking up one of the boxes to begin the trek up the stairs to deposit the goods. Sounds innocent enough wouldn’t you think? Kinda makes you want to yawn, doesn’t it?

I opened the attic door and carried Box Number 1 up exactly five steps before abruptly being greeted by loud flapping wings and a beak flying toward my face. 

I yelled something intelligent like, “Aaauughhh!”, simultaneously jumped down all five steps in one leap and landed smack in the middle of my four boys and all the remaining boxes.

Oh, and I also slammed the door to the attic while I was leaping…all while still holding Box Number 1.

I have to say, the whole act was quite impressive and heroic.

The boys looked quite stunned at first, because well…this was not part of our yearly Christmas storage tradition.

It was then quite obvious that while they really wanted to make sure I was unharmed…they also really wanted to laugh. I’m also pretty sure they wanted to take a turn at the “go up five steps then leap back down while slamming a door” trick. Both of those activities are against the rules of the house…and to do them both at once? Cool.

I believe my oldest was the first to find his voice,  “What was THAT about?” he tried to ask without smirking.

“THAT,” I told my boys, “Was a bird flying at my face. Don’t worry, I wasn’t really scared. I just didn’t want the bird to fly down and get into the house, because do you know how hard it would be to get a bird out of our house? That’s why I jumped down so quickly and slammed the door.”

We had a nice laugh together, then left the boxes at the foot of the stairs for my husband to deal with later.

Best part of the story:  My father-in-law was visiting at the time. I went downstairs and, still a little out of breath from the whole experience said, “Hey, did you hear me yell and jump and wonder what was going on up there? There was a bird in the attic that flew at my face!”

My father-in-law just looked at me, quite interested and impressed with the situation.

Then he asked just as seriously as can be,  “What kind of bird was it?”

;)

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Exercise?

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I told you that I didn’t make any New Year’s Resolutions or set any specific goals for the year. However, I really do want to try to exercise more often.

I wish I enjoyed exercising more than I do. I often use my asthma as an excuse not to exercise…but ultimately I know that consistent exercise would be good for my lungs.

My other really good excuse for not exercising is that I live in Nebraska and being outside for any activity other than scraping ice off of the windshield is not really possible for about six months out of the year.

If I had to pick a favorite form of exercise, it would be my mini trampoline. I can use it inside, any day of the year (as opposed to this one, but boy that sure was fun). It’s easy on my knees and shins…it’s good for the immune system. It actually feels pretty good. WHY do I not used it regularly? I don’t know.

Have any exercise advice for me? Are you good at exercising? What is your favorite form of indoor exercise? What time of day do you exercise? How in the world do you motivate yourself to exercise regularly?

Hey, actually….does typing count as exercise? I am pretty fast at it and do it quite regularly. How about switching out laundry? Running up and down the stairs a million times a day to get what I need? Aha! I’ve got it!  Nertz! I can totally work up a sweat playing Nertz!

And here I thought I didn’t get enough exercise.

Okay, but really…any advice on the above questions would be great.

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Gratituesday: Time to Relax

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gratituesdaynov09

For most people, school starts back up this week. Before Christmas, I hadn’t really made a plan about when we’d begin and end our Christmas break. I usually just kind of wing it, based on where the kids are in their math books and what kind of break I need.

We schooled right up until Christmas Eve…then decided to call it break-time.  Grandpa was here, Shannen was here, other company was here (off and on), the holidays were here, the snow kept falling, the kids got sick. Now that things are slowing down (everything except for the falling snow it seems)…I feel like slowing down and taking a break that actually feels like a break!

Therefore, I had a meeting with our school superintendent (aka, Daddy) and we decided to take one more week off from formal schooling. We’re ahead for the year anyway. Besides…half of what the boys have been doing these past couple of weeks have involved learning.

They’ve been cooking, we’ve played tons of games that involve counting and adding and decision making, they’ve researched and taken apart electronics (with Daddy) to try to fix them. They’ve even been writing and creating “movies” with the video part of my digital camera. Interspersed with all of these activities, we’ve been snuggling under blankets reading together, playing thinking games….

The official math books and history books can wait until next week. We’re taking a longer “break”…and wow are we enjoying it!

Thank you God for this wonderful time to relax with my family!
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**As a side note…check out Teresa’s Less of Me Month going on at Nanahood.com. We should all take part, don’t you think?!
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog and 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!

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

Becoming a Better Help Meet to Your Husband

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helpmeet

It has been placed on my heart to write a series about how we can each be a better help meet to our husbands.

You can be assured that as I felt God urging me to write it…I tried very hard to argue with Him (which we all know is always so very effective). 

My arguments included:

  • Don’t I need to be some super-wife to write a series like that? 
  • Don’t I need to wait until my  husband and I have been married for like 147 years or so before I write something like that? 
  • Don’t I need to have a special degree in marriage and family and blissful marital bondedness? 
  • Don’t I need to wait until I’ve learned to always be gracious and sweet and loving and patient and I don’t know…nearly perfect…to write a series like that?
  • And what about that one very specific thing that God created only for married people to do? You know what I’m talking about? Mmhmm…that. I’ve never mentioned that on my blog. How am I supposed to talk about that? If I do this series, I’ll have to address that a time or two since that is a pretty important part of marriage and being a help meet. 

After much arguing…the score chalked up to be:

Laura – Zero, start typing.
God – One, but don’t worry I’ll help you.

And so, it is with much prayer and humility that I begin this series. 

I know that not all of you are married yet. I know that some of you are divorced or widowed. I know that some of you are in difficult marriages. I know that some of you might disagree with part of what I share.

Please understand that I’m writing what God has put on my heart. I’m writing only from my experiences. I’m writing without any training or degree in this area. I’m writing based on what I’ve read in God’s Word. I’m writing as one dishpan-handed wife to another.

I’m writing because our marriages are sacred and holy. Our marriages deserve to be preserved, honored, rescued and treasured.

What better way to Make our Homes Heavenly than through our marriages!

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