Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Stop Telling Moms of Little Ones to “Enjoy Them While They’re Young!”

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“They grow up so fast! Enjoy them while they’re young!” Yeah, we know. We all know. It’s so true! And yet, I believe it’s time to stop saying this to moms of little ones…

I get it. Oh, how I get it. Once our kids grow up, have a mind of their own, start doing big things, can no longer crawl into our laps, and have problems much bigger than those which can be solved with a kiss on the forehead – we older moms find it easy to look back at the little years with longing. We look at pictures of our kids with their pudgy fingers, wearing the matching outfits we selected for them to wear – and we wonder where the years have gone.

We see that our grown-up kids are taking hard classes, going to prom, and graduating from college and we can’t believe how fast time went. So we look at the mom with babies in her arms and toddlers in her lap and we try to encourage her with, “Enjoy them while they’re young. They grow up so fast!”

Oh, it is true. They do grow up fast!

But today, as I find myself in a season that involves a double portion – that of marveling at my adult and teen children while taking on the task of raising a 5-year old Bonus Boy and fostering a precious 5-month old Boy Babe – I find myself realizing the full truth:

This is hard.

It’s good and it’s marvelous and it’s incredible, but it’s hard.

You can look at my precious new littles, then look up at me and say, “Oh Laura! They are so sweet! Enjoy them while they’re young!” and I will emphatically nod and tell you, “Oh yes! I am!!” I am enjoying our little ones an incredible deal – because of all of the sweetness and cuteness and fun! I am enjoying them so much!

But do you know what else I would enjoy right now?

Sleeping.

Taking a shower.

Eating when I’m hungry.

Drinking my coffee while it is still hot.

Having a full conversation with my husband (that isn’t about the last time the baby pooped).

Not having to stop what I’m doing every three minutes to discipline and train our 5-year old to learn obedience.

Moms of Bigs, do you remember all that was involved in taking care of your little ones? Do you really remember? Oh, there is so much joy in the little years!! But there’s also a lot of poop and puke, tantrums and tattling – along with a never-ending list of work to do that you know you’ll never get around to because little ones require so much attention and care.

These are hard (and good) years, just as raising big kids is hard (and good).

What if older moms stop telling young moms to “enjoy them while they’re young,” and start saying this instead:

“How can I help you enjoy your little ones?”

Think about this.

Moms of Bigs – you no longer have to wipe bottoms, buckle seatbelts, have irrational conversations about broken cookies, or help all the shoes get onto all the right feet. You are, no doubt, in a season of challenge that involves running around like crazy with busy activity schedules, guiding your kids while they make weighty decisions, and then helping them with Geometry after 10:00 pm (Jesus, be near). This is all full of hardship and exhaustion – no doubt about it! But the truth is that even through these challenging days: YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO PEE WHENEVER YOU WANT.

I know this because just a year ago, I was there. With kids who were then 20, 18, 16, and 13 – I thought I was busy, because I absolutely was. Then God put babies on my doorstep and in my arms. Now I’ve got all those big kids plus a pre-schooler and an infant. It’s both fabulous and difficult, beautiful and challenging. I love what God is teaching me through this new gift and calling!

But – some of the days are hard to enjoy. “Enjoy them while they’re young!” I’m trying! But I am also tired.

Here’s what helps me get through these challenging days:

  • When my friends bring over a batch of muffins or waffles for my family to grab and eat quickly for breakfast.
  • When they come to hold the baby while I take a nap.
  • When they grab the 5-year old for some special play time.
  • When they give my big kids rides so I don’t have to load up little ones into car seats.
  • When they grab the baby at my big kids’ soccer game so I can cheer with my arms free.
  • When they drop off a lasagna for me to slide into the oven on a busy day.
  • When they hug me and tell me that I’m doing a good job.

Stop simply telling moms of little ones to “enjoy them while they’re young.” That encouragement falls flat in the ears of a tired mama. AND, it makes them feel guilty for not enjoying the puke-filled, sleepless nights that are apparently – fleeting? Yeah, we’re sorry. Nothing feels fleeting at 3:00 am.

Instead, consider doing what you can do to help young moms enjoy these challenging years. Let your big kids help you with this. It’s a win-win!

What you should say to moms of little ones:

Don’t tell them to “enjoy them while they’re young!” Instead, do what you can to help them enjoy these years! Here are some better options every mom of littles actually wants to hear!

  • Can I come take your kids to the park for an hour?
  • I see what you’re doing, and you are rocking it! Good job, Mama!
  • What night can I bring your family dinner this week?
  • Your kids are so sweet – great work!
  • I’d like to come watch your kids so you can have a date night. What night works for you?
  • Can I stop by today and bring you a coffee?
  • What size diapers is your baby in? I’ll grab you a package!

This is just a small list, and no doubt, God will fill in the gaps and put on your heart what YOU can do for your friends with little ones. But do consider how you can be a blessing to the weary mamas who are in the snot-filled, wet wipe, dirty-dish-piled trenches. Those days are hard, and those mamas need our real encouragement.

Then, guess what? Those moms really can enjoy them while they’re young! Because it takes a village, and moms with their big kids can be a part of that village!

Moms of big kids? You hang in there too. I know these days are fabulous and exhausting too – because I’m right there with you.

Whether your kids are big or little – or a beautiful mixture of both – we can stand together in encouragement. We can tell each other the truth – that God is carrying us through each day – that He is our provider – that He is with us constantly as we raise our kids.

Be encouraged, Mama! God is with you, and He is good! Because of this, we CAN enjoy every day with our kids.

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Easy Whole Grain Chocolate Pancakes

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This recipe is so easy I’m not sure why we haven’t been making this for years and years. Not to spoil the punch-line, but it is a fact that we can make Whole Grain Chocolate Pancakes simply by whisking some unsweetened cocoa powder into our pancake batter. Yup, it’s that easy!

I’ve always loved fresh berries and whipped cream on my pancakes, but on Chocolate Pancakes? Be still my heart.

Or on another day, I might spread homemade peanut butter over my chocolate pancake for a fabulous chocolate peanut butter combo. You know, for the added protein. Yes, that’s why I do it. ;)

The topping possibilities for these Easy Whole Grain Chocolate Pancakes are endless, and I love the fun and ease of turning regular pancakes into a chocolate surprise.

I always have a big container of Homemade Pancake Mix on hand, so making a batch of these pancakes is even easier! Here’s how I make these:

Easy Whole Grain Chocolate Pancakes

Easy Chocolate Pancakes
 
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Author:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole grain flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • OR 1 Cup Pancake Mix**
  • 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup cultured buttermilk or regular milk
  • 1 egg
  • 3 Tablespoons melted butter (or oil)
Instructions
  1. Whisk together the ingredients until the batter is smooth.
  2. Cook pancakes on a well buttered, hot skillet or griddle, flipping once bubbles begin to form.
  3. Serve with real maple syrup, applesauce, jelly, fresh fruit, or any of your favorite pancake toppings.

Recipes for you!

Here are our favorite pancake toppings:

Resources for you!

  • Do yourself a favor and order any of the Unsweetened Cocoa Powders from Olive Nation. (And use the code home to get 20% off!) I can’t tell you what a wonderful difference these cocoa powders have made in my chocolate recipes. The quality is MUCH better, and they do not cost more than I was spending on the lesser varieties. Rock on!
  • Do you have our **Simple Mixes to Save the Day eBook yet? Grab it so you can save time and energy by using the Pancake Mix for this recipe!! I LOVE having these mixes on hand!!![wp_eStore_fancy1 id=27]

What are your favorite pancake toppings?

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What I’m Focused on Now Instead of Saving Money at the Grocery Store (It’s not what you think.)

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How well I remember the years of being an extreme couponer. I would spend hours at home preparing to shop for the best deals, so that I could spend hours at the grocery store(s). Every week. My focus was on saving money – and for many a good reason.

Whether it was during lean financial years or during more comfortable financial years, I knew that a focus on saving money meant that I was being a good steward of what God gave us. I actually loved the hobby and challenge of seeing how much money I could save at the store. Yogurt for $0.09? Eggs for $0.20? How incredibly fun!

I remember thinking during those days that no matter what our financial situation became in life, I would always be a couponer and always spend the time finding all the best deals – because good stewards are good stewards whether they have $10 or $100,000, right?

Well. Yes. But also…

I’ve since learned that seasons change. Circumstances change. Priorities change. Needs change. Meanwhile, God stays the same, and He continues to lead and evolve our focus to become exactly what He needs it to be during each season.

My twenty-something self would be shocked to learn that my forty-something self hasn’t clipped a coupon in ages. (I have pulled them off of food products at the store and used them right then and there – score!) I have evolved from being a coupon clipper to a real food eater – so one might think that my desire for healthy eating has turned me away from clipping coupons and scouring for good food deals. But actually – my focus now goes far beyond both saving money and eating healthy.

God is teaching me more about loving people.

You would think this would be a no-brainer. Something that wouldn’t have to be taught. Love people. Easy peasy. Yes, some of it sure is. But what about the parts of loving others that involve dying to self and surrendering fully to the plans God has for us? This is hard and can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Couponing and deal finding and saving money can be fantastic – as long as it is done intentionally and for the greater purpose of loving people.

A focus on eating real, healthy food can also be fantastic – as long as it is done intentionally and for the greater purpose of loving people.

As God continues to teach me more about living through His Spirit, seeing people, and caring for people as He directs, I’ve found that I no longer want to or have time to use energy to find all the best deals or take pictures of all my groceries to share with you here.

I still very much care about eating nourishing, real food – but no longer is my desire based on earthly health.

Should I continue to eat nourishing, whole foods? Absolutely. Should I continue to be a good steward with my money? Absolutely. Especially as I see so many needs around me. I want to use money wisely so we have plenty to give.

But the ways I “save money” simply involve not frequenting coffee shops or restaurants, choosing Redbox instead of the theater, and shopping the clearance racks when we need clothes because yes, it is still really fun to find a good deal! And if I choose to spend a little more at the grocery store now – it is because I want/need to spend my time loving people instead of spending an hour trying to figure out how to save $3.00.

Being good stewards of our time and energy is just as important as being good stewards of our money.

We can become comfortable and stay put, or we can become comfortable and choose to get uncomfortable.

Gratefully, becoming uncomfortable with Christ is starting to actually become comfortable. We’re learning to settle into this new way of living – the kind that involves letting go of control and trusting God with each day as never before. The kind that involves letting go of plans we made and saying yes to the plans God has orchestrated that are better than we could have ever dreamed of.

And as it turns out, we’re finding that we’re saving money in other ways because as we spend more time loving people, there simply isn’t as much time to shop or pay attention to the latest and greatest gadgets and deals we were drawn to before. :)

So there you go. We’ll continue to save money in any way we can as long as it doesn’t take our focus away from what is truly important: Loving God; Loving People.

Then when we happen upon a good deal while doing our normal shopping, we’ll praise God for His provision and care. And we’ll do a little happy dance because shucks, scoring a great deal is still an awful lot of fun!

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Simple Creamy Pasta in the Instant Pot

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Introducing what has become my very favorite pasta meal to prepare: Simple Creamy Pasta in the Instant Pot!

This is one of those recipes you’ll want to keep in your hip pocket for days you have no time to cook. Because guess what? Making this takes less time than it takes to run through a drive through to pick up take-out!

As you know, I love having hamburger meat cooked ahead of time to pull out and use as needed for super quick meals. You can read here about how I cook 5-7 pounds of frozen hamburger meat in 30-minutes in my Instant Pot. It’s a HUGE time saver!

This pasta recipe only takes 10-15 minutes from start to finish!

If I already have meat cooked, I stir it into my Instant Pot with the other quick ingredients, turn on my pot, and have a meal after about 10 minutes. Total. It’s unreal!! (Meanwhile, I get out salad fixin’s and we’re ready to eat this nourishing, very tasty meal!)

If I don’t have meat already cooked, I quickly brown it in my Instant Pot before adding the other ingredients and I’ve only added a few minutes of prep to this dish.

Either way, you can see that this meal is incredibly fast to put together. And everyone in my family loves it. You can’t go wrong with cheesy, creamy pasta!!

Don’t have an Instant Pot?

I have this one and I absolutely love how much time it saves in the kitchen. So do consider investing! But if you prefer, you can mix the ingredients together in your crock pot and cook it on low for 4 hours. Then stir in the cheese and cream, and you’ve got an equally easy meal that cooked in your crock pot with no effort on your part!

Simple Creamy Pasta in the Instant Pot

4.3 from 3 reviews
Simple Creamy Pasta in the Instant Pot
 
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Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef, turkey, or venison
  • 2 Tablespoons minced onion
  • 1 pound whole grain pasta, any shape
  • 24-ounces spaghetti sauce
  • 3 cups water
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. Cook ground meat and onion together until meat is no longer pink. (I usually have meat pre-cooked to stir into this recipe. But you can use the saute function on your instant pot to make this a one-dish meal.)
  2. Stir cooked meat and dry pasta into the instant pot.
  3. Salt liberally.
  4. Pour on spaghetti sauce and water, stirring until barely combined.
  5. Seal instant pot and cook on "hi" pressure, manual for 5 minutes.
  6. Do a quick release of pressure to open the lid.
  7. Stir in parmesan cheese and cream.
  8. Serve!

Want More Simple Recipes?

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“Just Dump Some Sauce on Some Chicken!”

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Frustrated about food, overwhelmed about feeding your family healthy meals, always feel like getting take out instead of cooking? And then are you feeling guilty that this is how you feel day after day? Ok then. I’m about to give you some simple cooking instructions that will change your life: “Just dump some sauce on some chicken.”

Where there is chicken and there is sauce, there is dinner. I know. Profound. No matter if you have boneless chicken, chicken legs, or a whole chicken. Grab you some chicken, grab you some sauce, and “Just dump some sauce on some chicken!”

Just dump some sauce on some chicken…

What kind of sauce, you ask? It matters not. I have been known to use salad dressing out of my fridge, or Teriyaki sauce, or Bbq sauce, or salsa, or anything in a jar or bottle that looks like it might possibly taste good on chicken. Sometimes I mix two or more sauces, which is possibly weird but always tasty. And as an added bonus, this helps me clear out random half-empty bottles hanging out at the back of my fridge.

This is about to become your stress-free go-to meal phrase.

Say it with me: “Just dump some sauce on some chicken!”

  • Not sure what to make tonight? “Just dump some sauce on some chicken!”
  • Tempted to go out to eat…again? “Just dump some sauce on some chicken!”
  • Hate cooking and use that as an excuse to eat poorly? No more. “Just dump some sauce on some chicken!”

Find you some chicken. Get out some sauce. Pour it right on and let it cook while you do something else you enjoy. THIS HAS TO BE THE EASIEST MEAL EVER.

I so badly want everyone to understand this. Making real, good food for our family does not have to be difficult. When all you have to do is open a package of chicken and pour on some sauce – wouldn’t you agree with me that cooking good food really can be easy?

Also? Chicken cooked in sauce tastes incredibly good.

Let me walk you through this step by step

The Crock Pot Chicken/Sauce Meal:

  1. Get a package of boneless chicken, chicken legs, or a whole chicken out of the fridge or freezer.
  2. Put the chicken into a crock pot.
  3. Get out whatever sauce you have available. Barbecue. Italian Dressing. Sweet and Sour. Teriyaki. A mixture of this and that because you are collecting all the mostly empty bottles of sauce out of the fridge.
  4. Dump the sauce onto the chicken. (There’s no exact amount. “Just dump some sauce on some chicken!”)
  5. Put the lid on the crock pot.
  6. Cook the chicken on “low” for 6-8 hours. (A whole chicken may require 10 hours on low.)
  7. Eat the chicken.

The Oven Baked Chicken/Sauce Meal:

Shorter on time? Do this instead:

  1. Get a package of boneless chicken, chicken legs, or a whole chicken out of the fridge. (Thawed meat is best for this method.)
  2. Put the chicken into a 9×13 inch pan.
  3. Get out whatever sauce you have available.
  4. Dump the sauce onto the chicken. (There’s no exact amount. “Just dump some sauce on some chicken!”)
  5. Slide the pan into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes for boneless chicken, 50 minutes for chicken legs, or 1 1/2 hours.
  6. Eat the chicken.

What should you serve with your chicken?

Well that depends on how much time you have, what you have on hand, and what your energy level is.

If you have time to work ahead, I’d suggest making this incredible Stick of Butter Rice. Or these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.

Beyond that, I encourage you to pick a fruit and a veggie or three. Perhaps:

But if you don’t want to or have time to prepare or cook anything to go with your chicken, serve it with something like:

  • Sliced apples
  • Oranges
  • Canned pineapple
  • Baby carrots
  • Fresh berries

And if you need something more to round out your meal, you could grab something like this out of your fridge:

  • Cottage cheese
  • Sliced cheese
  • Bread and butter
  • Pickles
  • Olives

There now. You needed a meal for your family. You didn’t have time to cook. You needed a quick solution.

“Just dump some sauce on some chicken!”

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FREE This Week – New and Improved “Teaching Your Kids to Cook” eBook!

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Our Teaching Your Kids to Cook eBook has been around for several years, and we decided that it was in great need of being updated! I handed the project off to one of my talented designers, and voila! All 86 pages of this wonderful book are new and improved – beautiful and ready to help you get those kids into the kitchen with you!

What’s better?

Through Friday, April 12, 2019 – YOU CAN HAVE THIS BOOK FOR FREE!!!!

I’m so happy to offer this! Now you have no more excuses to avoid teaching your kids to cook!

Teaching Your Kids to Cook is written for parents who desire to spend time helping their children learn their way around the kitchen. Filled with instructions, tips, activities, printables, and over 45 simple, kid-friendly recipes – you and your kids will have many opportunities to make messes together and get chocolate in your hair. Here’s hoping your kids learn how to put basic meals and treats together and learn to serve others too!

The recipes in this book include only wholesome, easy to attain ingredients. Teaching Your Kids to Cook is perfect for families with young children – oh the memories you will make!

Teaching Your Kids to Cook

The Teaching Your Kids to Cook eBook is a fabulous, realistic resource for you to print and enjoy with your family. It contains 86 pages worth of activities, ideas, tips, and instructions – plus includes 43 kid-friendly recipes and an entire section of printables! Priced at just $9.95 – this eBook is a steal! But of course, this week you can have it for FREE!

Want $150 worth of freebies?

When you get our Teaching Your Kids to Cook eBook for free, you’ll also get access to $140 worth of other awesome resources to use with and for your kids too. All for free!

This is truly all free and there is no catch. This package is yours courtesy of several other bloggers like myself who banded together to offer you fun and beneficial books for your family!

Get the entire free package here.

On this page, you’ll get all the details about every free book offered in this bundle. If you scroll to the bottom of that page, you’ll be able to sign up to gain access. Then you can download any or all of the free books offered that you like!

See how easy and fun? (And free?!)

Head over to get your free Early Learning Bundle here!

 

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The BEST Treats Sweetened with Honey

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Technically, any treat can be sweetened with honey. But here are 20 of our family’s favorite easy recipes that call for honey.

Looking to use honey in recipes instead of sugar? I typically use 1/2 the amount of honey compared to the called for amount of sugar. And depending on the recipe source, I often cut it down even more than that. You’re not a bit surprised, are you?

20 of the BEST Treats Sweetened with Honey

  1. Chocolate Frosting (Honey Sweetened – Low Sugar!)
  2. Honey Peanut Bars (These are like a Payday candy bar, only better tasting and better for you.)
  3. Honey Pecan Pie
  4. Mudballs (Aww, one of the first recipes I shared here at HeavenlyHomemakers.com!)
  5. Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola
  6. Peanut Butter Honey Bars
  7. Peanut Butter Honey Fudge (3-ingredients, and so much fun!)
  8. Peanut Butter Raisin Balls
  9. Stir-and-Pour Honey Oat Bread (So easy to make, and it is HOMEMADE BREAD!!)
  10. Easy Peanut Butter Honey Granola
  11. Honey-Sweetened Flourless Peanut Butter Bars
  12. Chocolate Cheesecake Fudge
  13. Honey-Sweetened No-Bake Cookies (Go therefore and make these cookies!)
  14. Honey-Sweetened Peanut Butter Cups (These are a lifesaver when I need a fast protein/fat fix.)
  15. Honey Cinnamon Muffins
  16. Easy Pecan Pie Bites (Perfect for every holiday, and possibly every other Thursday.)
  17. Honey Zucchini Bread
  18. Honey Whole Wheat Bagels (I haven’t had time to make these for a while, and I miss them. So good!)
  19. Honey Whole Wheat Bread
  20. Peanut Butter Honey Rice Krispie Treats

Have crystalized honey? Here’s how to remedy that.

Need a good source for honey? I love getting it from local sources. But when supply is short, I often order it from Azure Standard for a good price!

Where do you find good honey for your family?

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How $10 Worth of Meat Fed My LARGE Family 5 Meals!

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No doubt, sometimes my family eats $10 worth of meat in 5-minutes {gulp}. But then there is the beautiful occasion that I see high quality, spiral cut hams marked down to just $0.99/pound for quick sale. Quick sale indeed. I don’t even give it a second thought before putting the ham quickly into my cart. Sold!

Ok, fine. Let’s be real. I quickly put three hams into my cart. How could I resist? They were each $10 or less, and I have learned the beauty of how delicious spiral cut ham is, how easy it is to prepare, and how far I can stretch this large piece of meat. $10 for 5 meals’ worth of meat? Yeah, baby. There are teenage boys and college men and all of their friends to feed, plus a 5-year old ham-loving Bonus Boy and a hungry hard-working husband. Somewhere in there, this mom likes to eat too.

Is Laura excited about her $10 hams? Why yes, I guess this fact cannot be denied.

How to Cook a Spiral Cut Ham

First, let’s discuss how easy a spiral cut ham is to bake. Make it difficult if you prefer, but as for me and my house, we will:

  1. Open the package.
  2. Throw away the glaze packet that comes with it, because why?
  3. Plop the ham into a roasting pan.
  4. Put the lid on the pan.
  5. Slide the pan into the oven and bake it in a 325-degree oven for 20-minutes per pound.

Truly, doing the math to figure out the baking time takes longer than actually preparing the ham for baking. (10 pounds of ham x 20 minutes of baking time = 200 minutes divided by 60 minutes in one hour = cook my 10-pound ham for approximately 3 1/2 hours.)

Once time is up, I set the cooked ham, roasting pan and all, onto my buffet to serve it. I use a large bread knife to cut it off the bone, which takes no effort because it falls off the bone anyway, and it has already been spiral cut.

How Delicious is a Spiral Cut Ham?

Oh my dears. There is not much better. And I don’t even add any fancy topping or glaze. Mmm, it is fantastic.

How a Spiral Cut Ham Feeds My LARGE Family 5 Meals

What’s beautiful about how easy it is to stretch one ham into at least 5 meals is that it’s not even a stretch. One 10-pound ham provides a LOT of meat. Amen and amen. Here is a typical way I can use one ham to provide my family (of 7) with 5 great meals!

  1. Bake it as directed above, and serve it as a Sunday meal after church with Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole, salad, and veggies on the side.
  2. Use small leftover pieces of ham the next morning to make Ham and Cheesy Eggs in a skillet. (This actually gets them out of bed in the morning because it smells so good!)
  3. Stir pieces of leftover ham into a big batch of Creamy Mac and Cheese. I can’t tell you how delicious.
  4. Stir pieces of leftover ham into a pan of Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole.
  5. Use larger slices of ham to make BLTs, or rather HLTs since we are using ham instead of bacon. Or better yet, make HLT Wraps. How can anything taste any better?

We’re talking about 5 meals filled with healthy portions of meat that tastes delicious. Happy, happy, happy.

Other meals to create with your leftover ham include adding ham to:

By the way, finding a $10 ham isn’t a regular occurrence for me, just an incredibly exciting one! But often at Christmas or Easter time I find them for $20ish. While a $10 ham gives us 5 meals for just $2 each (!!!), a $20 ham still provides us with 5 meals at only $4 each. It’s fun to think this through when considering a purchase like this. How far with this meat stretch? How many meals can I get out of my $20 (or $10!)? The same is often true of a holiday turkey. I love it when stretching meat is easy!

How do you like to use leftover ham?

 

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The BEST Way I’ve Found to Help a Kid Sit Quietly Through a Sermon!

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Where was this idea when we were training our “first set of kids?” Gather ’round. I have discovered the BEST way to help a kid sit quietly through a sermon.

But first let’s back up. “First set of kids?” I’ve mentioned our huge life changes here and there, but in case you missed it, allow me to explain again.

Our big kids are currently 21, 19, 17, and 14. Just as we began counting down the years toward empty nesting, God surprised us by moving a 4-year old into our home in April, 2018.

He’s 5 now, and is officially becoming a Coppinger this month. We continue to learn daily that our God is sovereign, that His ways are bigger than ours, and of course, His ways are better.

And with that, I shall show you a better way to quietly and peacefully get your child through a sermon.

The BEST Way to Help a Kid Sit Quietly Through a Sermon

Friends, I’m not trying to brag, but I have discovered the art of making a cheese stick last 25 entire minutes. Indeed. Bonus Boy loves to sing all the songs at church. But come sermon time, it’s harder to sit still, of course.

One particular Sunday early in our days with BB, I happened to have a cheese stick in my purse. I pulled it out, and ever so slowly began pulling off “strings” and handing them to him to eat. Did I mention that I began pulling off the strings slowwwwwlllllyyyyy? And thus, before I knew it, the cheese stick lasted through an entire sermon!

It’s magic. Unless you don’t want your kids to get into a habit of eating a snack during the sermon. Then this is a terrible idea for you. For us and for Bonus Boy, it’s magic.

There are cheese stick rules, of course. BB is allowed to open the package and pull out the cheese, but at that point, the cheese stick goes to either Matt or to me. The adults are completely in charge of the cheese and the strings. Bonus Boy must sit quietly and wait patiently for us to hand him each new string of cheese. There is no grabbing. There are no large strings. This is the only way it will last through an entire sermon.

Seriously. A cheese stick. Lasting for a beautiful 25 or 30 minutes. And a kid. Sitting quietly. For 25 or 30 minutes. It’s like a miracle happens every Sunday morning in the church pew.

Oh, and meanwhile, Bonus Boy is listening to the sermon, he just doesn’t know that he is. Long live the cheese stick.

As an even bigger bonus, I don’t have to lug a heavy bag of books or other quiet activities to use as sermon ammunition. I grab a cheese stick, throw it into my purse, we go to church. Amen and hallelujah.

What have you found to be helpful as you train your little ones to sit quietly and listen during church?

 

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40+ Real Food Muffin Recipes

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Muffin lovers, unite! And bring your chocolate chips when you come. Some of the 40+ real food muffin recipes we’re about to share are going to need them.

40 + Real Food Muffin Recipes

For eleven years now, I’ve been posting muffin recipes here to share with you. We decided it would be nice to list them all in one place for you to access! But first, two of my favorite muffin-making tips…

  1. Make Muffin Batter ahead of time!

    Follow this tutorial to easily freeze muffin batter for later. I love this time-saving trick.

  2. Make Muffin Mix!

    Make a big batch of Muffin Mix so you can easily whip up a pan of muffins without getting out all the ingredients!

And now it’s time to share our favorite muffin recipes. These are all either whole grain or grain free!

40+ Real Food Muffin RecipesYum

My boys’ favorite muffins are the Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins. Matt’s favorite is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffin. My favorites are any that are topped with cheesecake!

What’s your favorite kind of muffin?

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