Heavenly Homemakers | Page 45 of 442 | Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Junior Chef Club – JOIN US!! (This Makes a Great Gift!)

November 3, 2021 by Laura 23 Comments

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Our brand new Junior Chef Club is a perfect way to help your kids have fun learning in the kitchen! We can’t wait to include all of your kids in this!

What is the Junior Chef Club?

The Junior Chef Club is a weekly cooking subscription just for kids! (Bonus: Parents get to enjoy all the recipes and food too, and maybe even a night off!) Here’s how it works:

Each week, we’ll send a brand new Recipe Printable Packet to your inbox. You can print this packet and turn it over to your Junior Chef! It will share simple prep instructions for a brand new recipe plus a Grocery List, a Kitchen Supply List, and a bonus page with Serving and Sharing Ideas.

We suggest that you print the pages each week and let your Junior Chef add them to a 3-ring binder as they build their Junior Chef Cookbook!

Here’s a sample of what your Junior Chef Club Member will receive each week:

Cost for the Junior Chef Club?

Your Junior Chef will receive an email packet of recipes and printables every single week! What a super fun gift that keeps on giving!

To make it easy, we have options to make it work for your budget! What works best for you?

- $2.00/week ($104/year) or
- $5.00/month ($60/year) or
- $36.00/year (BEST VALUE!)

—> And check out the additional huge Christmas Coupon below that we’re giving you! <—-

Yep, there’s more…. :)

Yearly Subscribers receive a Big Bonus for joining!

We want to encourage you to save money with our yearly subscription fee, plus we want to set your Junior Chef up for success!

If you choose to jump in for an entire year, you’ll save lots of money AND receive the following printables right away so that you can get your kids set up with a fantastic 3-ring binder and begin to Build a Cookbook. Check this out!

These bonuses add $15 to the value of the subscription. And guess what else?

We’ve got a Christmas Coupon for you!

YES. That means that if you hurry, you can sign up for just $26 for the entire year!!! AND, the $10 coupon will be re-applied year after year, so your subscription will always be $26 instead of the regular $36. Woooo!!!! What a fantastic gift for your kids!! Are you as excited as I am?!

COUPON CODE: LASTCHANCE10

This offer is only good through Friday, December 3. After that, registration will not open again until next November. GET IN WHILE YOU CAN!

Let’s review!

Subscribe to our Junior Chef Club – hurry to use the coupon (LASTCHANCE10) to get a super great discount on the entire year’s subscription!
Yearly subscribers receive a big packet of bonus materials to help their Junior Chef get started with an amazing cookbook binder.
Every week, we’ll send you a packet of Recipe and Serving Ideas Printables to print and give to your Junior Chef. They can add it to the 3-ring binder Junior Chef Cookbook they are building and they can have a blast trying new recipes!
This offer officially ends Friday, December 3, and will not be available again until November 2022.

Questions?

Let’s see if we can answer them for you!

When will I receive the free Bonus Pages? If you choose to become a yearly subscriber, we’ll email you the Cooking and Baking Basics eBook, the Cookbook Cover pages packet, and the Cookbook Divider page printables just as soon as you sign up. We’ll also email you a certificate that you can print and include with your gift which helps explain all the fun to your Junior Chef!

When will my Junior Chef start to receive new recipes? We figure a lot of you will plan to give this subscription as a gift to your Junior Chef at Christmastime! Therefore, we will begin emailing the Recipe Packets starting Wednesday, December 22.

So the printables to get started will hit your inbox immediately after purchase, as described above. But the year’s worth of recipes won’t start coming in until right before Christmas. When your Junior Chef opens the Cookbook Binder on Christmas morning, you can explain what they’re getting, and you’ll have a starter pack of recipes waiting for them in your inbox to get them going!

What if I have more than one Junior Chef in my family? Awesome! We allow the printables to be used for more than one person IN YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY.

If I only want to pay per week or per month, will I still get the freebies? No, those are only free for yearly subscribers. But you can purchase that packet here for just $15 if you’d like!

Let us know if you have more questions!

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How to Have an Easy Thanksgiving

October 31, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

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Want to have an easy Thanksgiving? I’ve shared these tips for years, but every year I feel like they need to be shared again!

How to Have an Easy Thanksgiving

The key is to get ahead. Start making food ahead of time (yes, even the turkey!!) so that you can enjoy people on Thanksgiving day instead of spending so much time in the kitchen. Here are my tips and tricks, and of course, recipes!

One Week Before Thanksgiving

Pies made and frozen
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes made and frozen (OR wait and make this amazing Instant Pot Mashed Potato Recipe the day of!)
Stuffing Muffins made and frozen
Green Bean Casseroles made and frozen
Sweet Potatoes baked, mashed, and frozen
All remaining groceries purchased

Two Days Before Thanksgiving

Turkey baked and de-boned (yes, you CAN make your turkey ahead of time!)
Turkey Broth made
Cranberry Sauce made
Prepared frozen food moved from freezer to fridge

One Day Before Thanksgiving

Tea brewed and chilled
Sparkling cider chilled
Pineapple Fluff Salad made and chilled
Cream whipped
Tables and chairs set up

Thanksgiving Day

Enjoy a large cup of steamy coffee in my recliner for a very long time (because I can)
Everyone on their own for breakfast (probably cereal)
Mix dry ingredients together for Stir-and-Pour Rolls (for easy, no-brainer mixing about an hour before meal time)
Put Cranberry Apple Cider into a crockpot to heat (this is a huge hit with guests!)
Set out butter to soften for rolls
Plates, silverware, cups, and napkins set out

About 1 1/2 hours before serving time, I will bake or re-heat prepared foods. Then I will make gravy and bake the rolls. Easy peasy!

Here are the quick links to all the recipes you’ll need:

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The Best Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

October 27, 2021 by Laura 2 Comments

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This Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is so good, I decided to repost it so you would be sure to see it and try it this fall!

I love any treat that includes ingredients healthy enough for us to serve for breakfast.

What? Cake for breakfast? Oh yes. All year long. And since this one includes pumpkin, it’s a step above. #veggiecake

Of course, the pumpkin in this recipe makes it super moist. And the chocolate in this recipe? Well, that makes it chocolate. Need I say more?

You’ll love that this cake is topped with a thin layer of Honey-Sweetened Chocolate Frosting. Sigh…while I sure do love summer best, NOTHING can beat fall baking!!

Chocolate Pumpkin CakeYum

The Best Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Save Print

Author: Laura

Ingredients

1 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup water
4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup sucanat
dash of sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sucanat, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
Set aside. In a saucepan, bring oil, water, and cocoa to a boil.
Pour liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredient mixture.
Stir well.
Add pumpkin puree and eggs, mixing well.
Pour batter into a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.

Low Sugar Chocolate Frosting

Save Print

Author: Laura

Ingredients

½ cup butter
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons milk
2-4 Tablespoons honey (sweeten this to your taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a small saucepan combine butter, cocoa, milk, and honey.
Cook and stir over low heat until ingredients are well combined and mixture begins to thicken slightly.
Removed from heat.
Stir in vanilla.
Spread over cooled cake.

Do you love fall baking like I do? Will you be eating this cake for breakfast? :)

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How to Stop Letting Your Thoughts Control You

October 27, 2021 by Laura 1 Comment

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Are your thoughts controlling you? Here’s what helps!

Resposted from 2014.

Stop Thinking and Pray

70,000. That’s how many thoughts we think every day, which breaks down to 1.2 thoughts per second.

Yoo-hoo, dear wonderful person who did the research so as to provide us with this thought provoking information: What I’d like to know is, how many of these thoughts of mine are rational, logical, emotional, or have something to do with cream cheese? Does this statistic count the thoughts I think in my subconscious while I’m sleeping? Or in fact do I cram my 70K thoughts into my awake hours, which ultimately means that all the thoughts I think are running into each other, tackling, punching, vying for attention, thus resulting in a big jumbled pile-up inside my head?

I’d like to believe my thinker works in overdrive because I am an efficient multi-tasker. Yes. This is a gift I have, which in effect allows me to plan dinner, read to my kids, make a mental list of phone calls I need to make, and question whose feet are the culprit of my nostril discomfort – all at the same time. Unfortunately, it is also the thinker that allows me to create scenarios, envision disasters, replay conversations, invent situations, and ultimately freak out inside about what did, could, should, didn’t, would have, and might just happen. It is this thinker that makes me believe that I’m completely on my own and able to solve all the world’s problems, prevent all physical and spiritual calamities for my children, and figure out how to appropriately respond to all conversations and encounters.

This kind of thinking makes me crazy.

So what to do? We can’t stop thinking. (because then we’d be dead. okay then.) Are those of us who tend to “over-think” situations, worry, fret, and constantly analyze just destined to have a lot of frustration for the rest of our lives?

Jesus says, no way. Just like any sin and struggle, God gives us a simple way out of the crazy.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Want to print this? Click here to download.

We control our thoughts. They do not control us. If we allow thoughts that are anxious, frustrated, confusing, angry, controlling, or ungodly in any other way – we need to take them captive and intentionally refocus them to make them obey Christ.

This takes courage, intention, and a heart open to surrender. Christ wants to overtake our thoughts, to fill our minds with his goodness, and to rule our actions. He can’t do that when we ignore Him. He can’t talk to us if we aren’t listening. He can’t fill us with His peace and joy when we refuse to let go of swirling, corrupted thoughts.

Take your thoughts captive. Make them obey Christ. Stop thinking about and trying to figure out all the stuff. Just stop. Stop thinking and pray. Before every decision. Every situation. Every step forward.

Be amazed at how God offers a solution to every problem you face and how He replaces your anxiety with peace.

Stop thinking and pray. It works! But did we really expect anything less?

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Easy Lemon Chicken Zucchini for Breakfast

October 24, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

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As promised, in the What To Do with All the Zucchini post, here’s the actual recipe to one of my new favorite breakfasts. Since I have to give the thing a name, I settled on Easy Lemon Chicken Zucchini. But really we call it the “lemon zucchini thing.” Is it easy? Or is it simple? Is it simply easy? Or easily simple? No matter which way you want to look at it, it’s real food that fuels my body and gets me ready for another awesome day. Bonus: It’s paleo! Gluten free, dairy free, soy free, sugar free… but not boring or complicated.

Chicken and zucchini for breakfast?

Do you have to eat it for breakfast? Duh, no. But for some reason I do. That’s about all I have to say on that. Eat it for any old meal you like, but I needed more grain-free breakfast food ideas. The paleo diet is not at all restricting once you get the hang of it, but the western culture has this idea that breakfasts are for all the sugar and carbs, or either all the protein and fats… and as it turns out, there is no authority that says you can’t have chicken and zucchini for breakfast, therefore I do.

Easy Lemon Chicken ZucchiniYum

We used a yellow summer squash for this one!

If you’re using a cast iron skillet, remember to slowly pre-heat it so it’s ready to go. (Check out this post for tips on how to use a cast iron skillet.)Pre-heat for a few minutes and then melt 3-4 tablespoons of butter. While the skillet is heating and the butter melting, chop a summer squash—a yellow summer squash or a zucchini both work interchangeably in this recipe. OR A CUCUMBER. It sounds nuts to me, but my dear, sweet husband accidentally chopped a cucumber for this recipe instead of a zucchini and I could smell that it was a cucumber and I could see that it was a cucumber and by-golly I could taste that it was a cucumber, but it was surprisingly delicious. (He did not believe me that it was a cucumber until he tasted the final product for himself.) So we laughed and then ate our breakfast, but now we know… a cucumber fried in a bit of butter in place of squash is still yummy.

Okay, the skillet is pre-heated and the butter is melted, now toss in the squash. (I like to scrape out the middle if it’s a larger zucchini because I think it gets soggy and I don’t like it. ) Let it cook for two minutes and then flip and stir it about. When it’s right on the edge of being done add in a can of chicken. Season with salt and pepper and pour 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the top. It will sizzle and smell amazing.

Lemonize at your own risk.

Ben made this recipe the first two times. (Once with the cucumber in disguise and once with a zucchini.) When I made it, he wasn’t around to ask how much lemon juice to use. Thankfully I’m a pretty smart gal and I used two tablespoons. I even measured it out on purpose to make sure I could tell you exactly how much I used. Two tablespoons was the perfect amount for me. As long as you stir it up well. If you’re scared, just start with one and see how it goes.

What are your thoughts on squash for breakfast?

Tasha Hackett is Laura’s friend and author of the Christian romance Bluebird on the Prairie set in 1879, Nebraska. Though she used to be a closet Cheeto eater, she’s been on a strict paleo died for months to help fight migraines (with great success). She often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher and has a hard time going more than a few days without any homemade chocolate bars. Her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to encourage and entertain women. She spends most of her time with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband; they give her the kind of love people write books about.

To find out more about Tasha and her fiction writing, connect with her at www.TashaHackett.com.

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

To Everyone Who Needs a “Mental Health Day”

October 17, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

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Feel like you need to take a Mental Health Day? What should it look like?

To Everyone Who Needs a “Mental Health Day”

Do we all need to take a Mental Health Day sometimes? Absolutely. God calls it a “Sabbath” and I don’t know…it’s like He totally knew we’d all need them, like, regularly. Crazy, right?

I’ll admit that hearing young people claim their need for frequent Mental Health Days has had me a bit concerned. After all, back when I was in college, those weren’t a thing. And now that I’m a mom with incredibly full days and a lot of children who need me, I don’t get to just decide: “Naw. I’m not going to mom today. Imma take a Mental Health Day. I’ll just change that diaper tomorrow.”

But then again, God knew from the beginning that we’d need days of rest and recovery. He instituted the Sabbath and He told us to take one every seven days. So I’ve gotta hand it to all the young people claiming that they need a Mental Health Day. Yes, actually. You do. So do I. Let’s do this!

Ah, but how?

I’m in a season of life that taking any time off during the week feels almost impossible. The amount of laundry that piles up with having six little ones? The amount of food? The number of diapers that get changed every day? The homework that needs to get done with the older ones? The gross floors? The paperwork? The dishes? And oh yeah. I work sometimes – you know, on this blog? Can’t give it up because we rely on the income, plus I love my work and want to do it.

I’m not able to simply “take a mental health day” anytime I feel overwhelmed or exhausted. And young people? I’m not sure you should either, at least in the way I hear that you’re taking them. If you’ve got a paper due, write your paper. If you are scheduled to go to work, go to work. If you put off completing (or starting) that project that’s got to get done by tomorrow – don’t ask for an extension because it’s stressing you out. GO DO YOUR PROJECT. (xoxoxo)

Do we all need to rest?

YES. YES. YES. YES. YES. Again, God tells us to rest – at night and for an entire day, once each week. So hang with me here as I flesh out my thoughts about taking a Mental Health Day…

How NOT To Take a Mental Health Day

If your work and responsibilities are all piling up, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and wanting to check out for the day, don’t:

Decide to stay in bed in your PJs binge-watching shows all day long (you’ll feel like blah at the end of the day instead of feeling energetic from the “rest”)
Ignore all your work and get even farther behind than you already are (this will make you want additional Mental Health Days, oy!)
Sit around eating junk food and drinking junk drinks (because you’ll feel like a junk-ball-of-grease-coated-in-sugar is hanging out in your gut by noon, and then you’ll need to take a Physical Health Day)
Hang out on social media and Tic-Toc for hours (when did looking at all the great things other people seem to be doing make any of us feel better about what we are or are not doing?)

I love a good Netflix show. I enjoy scrolling Pinterest or Facebook to relax. But if I’m behind on work and feeling overwhelmed, none of those sedentary activities rejuvenates me. It actually tends to make me more anxious as I neglect my responsibilities and focus on things that aren’t important.

What a Mental Health Day should look like

I’m no expert. I’m simply learning more and more how to take good care of myself. Admittedly, taking an entire day to rest is almost impossible during my current season in life. But if I ever feel like I’m melting down, I pray about what God wants me to do to find rest in Him.

That’s the key: Finding rest in Jesus. Not just resting and ignoring my responsibilities. Instead, here’s what I find to be restful and refreshing so that I can keep my mental health healthy:

Take a long walk or get some other form of exercise
Take a nap
Drink extra water
Sit in the sunshine
Eat nourishing food that I love – like an apple with this special cheese or a tasty smoothie
Take a few minutes throughout the day to knock out a few looming projects (it’s amazing how refreshing it can be to know I finally checked some extra chores off my list!)
Turn on music and open the curtains to let the light shine in while I tackle a normal activity like folding laundry or loading the dishwasher
Take some time to read a book
And yes, sometimes as a way of refreshing I may sit for an hour during the kids’ naptime and watch an episode of a favorite show, eat a treat, or do something else that feels like a lovely change of pace from the grind of the normal day-to-day. There’s nothing wrong with this!! As long as it isn’t used as a way to avoid the actual needs our bodies and souls need!

Above all, pray.

Taking a Mental Health Day will only be a tiny bandaid to your weariness if you don’t use your time to talk to God and let Him talk back to you. If we are exhausted, feeling depleted, overwhelmed by stress, and overworked – the only real solution to finding rest is to seek God’s Truth and to let Him fill us back up in all of our empty places.

Need a day off? Get dressed and grab your Bible. Sit for as long as you can with it open in your lap, breathing in its Truth and Hope. Let it teach you, enlighten you, and fill you with love. Meditate on it, pray over it, and let it fill you and refresh you.

Taking care of ourselves is important!

But self-care rarely involves online shopping and time on Snapchat. Self-care should be all about letting God give us all that He knows we need. Seeking Him through this is crucial, and yep, we should actually schedule it in. I believe God calls it a Sabbath? But we’ve been through that already. :)

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What To Buy at the Store to Get Through a Busy Week

October 13, 2021 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

As if all weeks aren’t busy weeks…

But some weeks are busier than others.

Like the week our oldest son got married. We had to juggle in all of our normal daily chores (caring for kids, changing diapers, doing laundry, working for a living, silly things like that). Plus we had company trickling in and all the last-minute wedding prep.

There were a lot of people and we went through a lot of food. Here’s how I managed our kitchen…

What To Buy at the Store to Get Through a Busy Week

Here’s what worked for me and what always works for me when our week is extra busy:

1. I bought a lot of fruit.

When there are a lot of people to feed and not there is not much time for cooking or baking, stock your house with fruit. Make it easy to see and easy to grab. These will be your busy-week snacks. Here’s what I bought for our wedding week:

Bananas
Apples
Clementines
Watermelon
Strawberries
Grapes
Blueberries
Pears
Applesauce Squeezies
100% Fruit Cups

I left fresh fruit in bowls on two different countertops. There was an additional bowl full of applesauce squeezies and fruit cups. People helped themselves all day long for snacks and for something to go along with their meals. We pulled out big bowls of cut watermelon and sliced strawberries for lunch and dinner side dishes. It was easy and tasty and crowd-pleasing!

2. I bought a variety of bagels and cream cheese.

This made breakfast feel special without any effort on my part. Everyone could pick their favorite (I bought cinnamon, blueberry, and plain). They could toast them and add cream cheese or butter. And hey, they could eat them with fruit. :)

Remember when I used to make Homemade Bagels?! :)

3. I bought a lot of boneless chicken thighs.

They are inexpensive (usually $3/pound or less). You can marinate them in whatever sauce or dressing you like. You can grill them, smoke them, or bake them. They are always a hit.

4. I bought hoagie buns, lunch meats, and cheeses.

This way, people could make sandwiches the way they liked, but “making subs” felt more special than making a plain ol’ sandwich.

5. I bought baby carrots and cheese sticks.

Again, for snacks. Or to go with meals. They are easy to grab and take no prep. Petite baby carrots are our fav!

6. I bought ice cream.

Because of the company. And because it’s fun. And because I wanted some.

7. I bought high-quality hotdogs, burger patties, and buns.

Grilling burgers and dogs is such a great way to feed extras and the meal always comes together fast. Most people love this meal so it’s easy to feed kids and adults this way.

8. I bought frozen vegetables.

I always buy these. But it is especially nice to have frozen green beans, peas, and corn in the freezer to supplement our meals.

9. I bought pizza fixings.

I set out all the toppings and people built their own. Easy and fun for all!

Pizza crust
Pizza sauce
Mushrooms
Olives
Cheese
Pepperoni
Sweet peppers

10. I bought cereal.

If all else fails, people could grab a bowl of cereal for themselves or for a little one. We went through several boxes during wedding week and it saved us from several meltdowns!

What are your favorite foods to have on hand during busy weeks?

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Snacks I Like to Make When I Have 10 Extra Minutes

October 10, 2021 by Laura 1 Comment

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Whenever I can find a few extra minutes, here are the snacks I like to make!

I barely have time to eat these days, much less cook or bake. But therein lies the problem: all these kids who are taking up so much of my time need good snacks that I can grab quickly for them. And since I mostly have to eat on the fly, anytime I have something easy to grab for myself I appreciate it so much!

Current count: 10 kids. Our two oldest are missing from this picture!

Also? I. Love. To. Cook. And. Bake.

When I’m so busy with all of our kids and the appointments and meetings that come with foster care, I actually find that I miss my kitchen. Creating food for people truly feeds me (haha, it’s kinda punny). So if and when I find a few extra minutes, I find it to be so fulfilling and relaxing if I can stir some muffins together for the oven or roll out a batch of Cookie Dough Bites.

What a win, huh? I get my kitchen therapy, and then we end up with snacks for the family!

OH! But this only works if the recipes are simple and quick. I’m an instant gratification kind of a gal. I’ve never liked spending extra time on any task. I prefer to get it started, get it finished, and have a fun, fast result!

Snacks I Like to Make When I Have 10 Extra Minutes

Here are the recipes I go back to over and over that can be put together quickly and grabbed and eaten by our family as needed:

Muffins

40 + Real Food Muffin Recipes

So. Many. Muffins. We eat them by the dozen and we love all varieties. Sometimes I make mini-muffins, but regular-sized muffins can be made faster, so that’s my usual style. Muffins make great breakfasts or snacks, and with this many little ones, I’ve found that they are the baked good I try to keep on hand at all times.

Crustless Cheesecake

I can throw the ingredients for these into my Blendtec, whip it all for 30 seconds, then it’s ready to pour and bake. When I need a pick-me-up, I can grab one of these from the fridge and eat it on my way to grab a diaper for a baby. They are low in sugar and full of protein. I love them!

Flourless Brownies

We can stir these together quickly and they are incredible for breakfast or snacks! If you pull them out of the oven when they look slightly under-done, they will be super moist and amazing. Make them with almond butter or peanut butter and you will love these!!

No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites

These call for nut butter and coconut flour, so they are high in protein and fiber, filling, and tasty (sweetened with honey!). I have several recipe varieties, which really means I use the same ingredients with a few tweaks depending on what I have on hand and what sounds good. All my kids love to snack on these!

Fat Bombs

I can quickly melt all the ingredients together on the stove for these, then pour them into silicone cups for the fridge. These stick with us for a while and taste like a peanut butter cup!

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

What are your favorite quick snack recipes?

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Today Seems Like a Good Day to Read Your Bible…

October 4, 2021 by Laura 1 Comment

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How can I encourage you today to read your Bible?

I didn’t used to love it. I didn’t used to crave it. I didn’t used to read my Bible regularly.

It was okay though. I mean, I went to church three times each week. I prayed. I taught my kids about Jesus. I served a bunch of people and made a lot of casseroles for funerals and new moms. I was really nice to everyone.

So I was doing a lot of good things and caring for people. THIS TRULY WAS ALL GOOD.

But also:

I was anxious all the time.
I always worried about what people thought about me.
I frequently replayed conversations I’d had with people, wishing I’d said things better or differently.
I worried constantly that I wasn’t doing enough.
I tried really, really hard to be a perfect mom, a perfect wife, and a perfect friend.
But I couldn’t. So I dug deeper and tried harder…

I was not ok.

I realize now that this is in big part to the fact that I hadn’t truly gotten to know Jesus. That I hadn’t yet realized how I needed to let the Holy Spirit work in me fully.

Hitting a pit of depression broke me. After all, one can only try and try and try to do all the right things, and fail and fail and fail over and over for so long before she hits that pit. Not reaching perfection and working so hard to please all the people and never fully living for Truth – that’ll send a person south.

So there I was. I was not ok. For the first time ever (I was 39 at the time) I finally got out my Bible to read it as if my life depended on it.

Today Seems Like a Good Day to Read Your Bible…

As it turns out, my life does depend on it. So does yours.

Knowing Bible stories and having some verses memorize is not enough.
Going to church regularly is not enough.
Praying daily is not enough.
Listening to Christian music and hanging out with Christian people is not enough.
Listening to Christian podcasters is not enough.

All of these are huge blessings on our Christian walk. But I have learned from experience that if I am doing all of those things but not spending personal time with Jesus in the Word, I am not at peace.

The only way to really get to know Jesus and His will for your life is to:

Read your Bible.
Meditate on its Truth.
Then talk to God about it.
Listen to what He’s teaching you. (Write down what He’s telling you if that benefits you.)
Breathe in His truth all day long, based on what you read in His word – His beautiful messages to you.
Learn to let the Holy Spirit guide every minute of your day.

It isn’t enough to do good and to try harder. Trust me on this – I’m the one who tried real hard to do real good. I finally recognize how desperately I need Jesus. To be a wife. To be a mom. To be a friend. To be a neighbor. To be a human being walking on this earth.

Open your Bible and let His Word speak to you. Ask God for an open heart to hear Him as you never have before. He is faithful and He will give it.

Let His Word become Life for you.

Now, close your phone or computer and go read your Bible. Ready…go!

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Easy Cinnamon Crumb Cake

September 29, 2021 by Laura 2 Comments

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This Easy Cinnamon Crumb Cake is a lovely treat with coffee or tea.

You may notice that this cake recipe is very similar to my Strawberry Shortcake recipe. One of my favorite things is to take a tried-and-true recipe, then tweak it to turn it into something new and delicious.

That’s how this Easy Cinnamon Crumb Cake came to be. Take a simple cake recipe, add cinnamon, then top it with cinnamon and brown sugar. SO GOOD.