Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Simple Summer Suppers: Perfect Grilled Chicken

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I have the secret to creating the Perfect Grilled Chicken. You can make this even if you own a pitiful grill like we do. :)

Someday we’ll invest in a grill that isn’t duct taped together. I kid. Our grill isn’t really duct taped together. It’s just on the cheap side and doesn’t always light the way it’s supposed to or heat evenly. Through the years we’ve considered putting some money into a better one, but you know what? Ours still works. So we’ll continue to make do until it dies.

In the meantime, our grill still turns out chicken that is incredible. We can’t get enough. It’s always juicy and perfect and you’ll be happy to know the prep time on said chicken is about thirty seconds.

What’s the secret? I’ve shared it before and I must share it again: We use boneless chicken thighs. Skip the dry, chewy chicken breasts. It’s thighs all the way. They have more fat in them, so they turn out a deliciously juicy grilled chicken.

How to make Perfect Grilled Chicken

Simple Summer Suppers: Perfect Grilled Chicken
 
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Ingredients
  • 6-12 boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 cup sauce (bbq, teriyaki, sweet and sour, Italian dressing, any of your favorites!)
Instructions
  1. Place chicken and sauce in a ziploc bag or casserole dish to marinate in the fridge. (This takes 30 seconds, but you'll feel like a brilliant chef.)
  2. Marinate for 1-24 hours. (Because sometimes we plan ahead and sometimes we can't handle basic organizational skills for the day.)
  3. Grill on low heat for 25-40 minutes, turning a time or two until your chicken is perfect.
  4. Serve with salad and veggies.

We love making extra chicken to chop into chef salads on another day. It’s kind of like killing two birds with one stone, or rather two chickens with one grill. This is a rather violent way to say “Here’s a great way to get ahead on meals for your family!”

Our favorite homemade marinades for Perfect Grilled Chicken

Have you seen our other Simple Summer Suppers? Here’s a running list:

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Have you become a Simple Meals member yet? You will LOVE how simple all the recipes are, and better yet, you’ll love that we do all the planning for you!

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

Simple Summer Suppers: Tuna Salad Wraps

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I find these Tuna Salad Wraps to be so refreshing on a hot summer day!

Tuna is a food I consider to be a life saver when I don’t feel like cooking, when I don’t have much time to throw a meal together, and when I’ve failed to thaw meat for dinner.

We eat tuna salad with crackers, in a sandwich, on a bed of lettuce, or in these Tuna Salad Wraps. We set out raw veggies and fresh fruit to eat alongside our tuna. So our meals is nourishing and full of variety!


I love asking my kids to mix up several cans of tuna because it’s something they can make easily. Then we keep it in the fridge to use for upcoming fast meals that don’t heat up the kitchen!

The recipe below is a typical ratio we use to make one can of tuna. Double, or triple, or octuple as necessary for your family!

Tuna Salad Wraps

Simple Summer Suppers: Tuna Salad Wraps
 
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Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 6-ounce can tuna in water, drained
  • 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise (I use Hain Safflower mayo)
  • 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
  • Dash of sea salt
  • Whole grain wraps
  • Lettuce and tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Mix tuna, mayo, pickle relish, and salt until well combined.
  2. Wrap tuna salad into whole grain wraps with lettuce and tomato.

Our Favorites to use in Tuna Salad Wraps:

Have you seen our other Simple Summer Suppers? Here’s a running list:

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What’s your favorite way to eat tuna?

Some of these links are my affiliate links.

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Heal Your Hands and Beautify Your Hair Too!

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I have known Paula (Lilla Rose) and Renee (MadeOn Skin Care) for almost 8 years now. Crazy right?! I absolutely LOVE both of their products, so it’s a huge honor to bring you this special offer from them! I can’t live without my Flexi clip, which makes it super-easy to do my hair in the morning, nor my MadeOn Lotion products, which keep my hands from falling off (no exaggeration). Just wait till you hear what they have for you!

 

The Lilla Rose Flexi clip is simply an amazing product, that works in ALL types of hair, from baby-fine to super long and thick (even down to your ankles!) It comes in 7 sizes, so won’t slip out of fine hair, and will fit thick hair comfortably with NO pony-tail-headache! You can do your hair beautifully in only seconds, and be ready for the day! Busy moms don’t have time to spend on their hair…you have more important things to do!…Seriously! They also help keep you cool in this summer heat!

Check out the sizing video on Paula’s website to find your perfect size. But no worries if you get the wrong size, as Lilla Rose has a 90-day sizing guarantee for free exchanges!

Check out Paula’s website to see all of the lovely styles! There are lots more gorgeous hair accessories there as well, from headbands to hair sticks, but the Flexi is my favorite! (Teens  love the Upins, as they are awesome at holding up those big top-knot messy buns!)

If you’ve been on the fence about trying a Flexi, or any of the other beautiful Lilla Rose products, now is a GREAT time to give it a try! Paula is teaming up with Renee from Made On  Lotion to give you an amazing offer, but for 4 days only!!!

Simply make a Lilla Rose purchase of ANY size from Paula Ramm’s website, and receive a FREE Second Life Hair Butter and FREE Crimson Rose Lip Balm! A $13+ value, for just the price of shipping!*

You can also combine this offer with the Lilla Rose July special of a free mini Flexi clip with any order over $50! Is that awesome or what?! But you must hurry, as this offer is only good  July 17-20!

(And if you haven’t tried Renee’s Hair Butter or Lip Balm yet, you will be pleasantly surprised, and wonder why you didn’t before! Wonderful, all-natural products with only a few  ingredients, and NO yucky chemicals so you can feel good about using them for yourself or your family!)

*After making a Lilla Rose purchase of any size through Paula Ramm’s website,  Paula will send you an email with a special link and coupon code for redeeming your FREE Second Life Hair Butter and Crimson Rose Lip Balm for just the price of shipping! If for whatever reason you do not receive an email, simply email Paula at thecrew@coastalconservatory.com  with your order receipt, and she will get you taken care of!

(Offer is sponsored by independent stylist Paula Ramm, and not Lilla Rose, Inc. It is intended for new Lilla Rose customers or Paula’s existing customers only, so if you have another Lilla Rose stylist, please stay loyal and order from her instead. However, Paula will be glad to honor the special for you as well, so you can be introduced to Renee’s awesome products, too!)  Offer ends July 20, so don’t miss out and order today!!!

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

Simple Summer Suppers: Takin’ a Dip!

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Sometimes the simplest suppers can include a few fresh veggies, some fresh fruit, a bag of favorite tortilla chips, and a variety of dips. Yep, for today’s Simple Summer Supper we’re takin’ a dip! Wanna come?

Dips have an unhealthy reputation, but I disagree with this trend. I believe dips can be very nourishing! Also, if they help get the fruits and veggies down, even better!

Takin’ a Dip: 16 of our family’s favorite summertime dips.

Pair a fruit dip with a veggie dip, throw in a fun chip dip, and you’ve got a great summertime meal!

  1. Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip
  2. Creamy Chocolate Fruit Dip
  3. Creamy Italian Veggie Dip
  4. Cream Cheese Salsa Dip
  5. Bacon Ranch Chip Dip
  6. French Onion Dip
  7. Bacon Tomato Dip
  8. Black Bean Salsa
  9. Easy Veggie Dip
  10. Healthier Cheese Dip 
  11. Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
  12. Nacho Cheese Pretzel Dip
  13. Easy Guacomole
  14. Easy Cheesy Bean Dip
  15. Hamburber Sauerkraut Dip
  16. Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Have you seen our other Simple Summer Suppers? Here’s a running list:

Don’t miss any of our new ideas we’ve got coming! Subscribe for free so all the latest can come directly to your inbox!

Have you become a Simple Meals member yet? You will LOVE how simple all the recipes are, and better yet, you’ll love that we do all the planning for you!

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

Simple Summer Supper: Grilled Tortilla Pizzas

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These Grilled Tortilla Pizzas are so simple and fast, you’ll hardly know what to do with yourself!

I suggest letting each person build their own Tortilla Pizzas to their liking. Put them on the grill until the cheese is melted, which takes just a couple minutes.

Just like that, your meal is ready! Grab the greens and other salad fixin’s out of the fridge (or out of the garden – even better!). Slice some fresh peaches or strawberries. Truly, your Simple Summer Supper doesn’t get any easier than this!

Grilled Tortilla Pizzas

Simple Summer Supper: Grilled Tortilla Pizzas
 
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Ingredients
  • Whole grain tortillas
  • Pizza sauce
  • Shredded cheese
  • Your favorite pizza toppings (meats, peppers, olives, onions, pineapple, mushrooms, etc)
Instructions
  1. Top a tortilla with all your favorite pizza toppings.
  2. Grill on low heat for about 2 minutes or until cheese has melted.
  3. Serve with fresh fruits and veggies.

You can use flour or corn tortillas (corn if you need to eat gluten free). You can add sauce or no sauce. Perhaps my only caution is that you don’t over-cheese your Grilled Pizza Tortillas; otherwise your cheese might overflow onto the grill grates and create a mess!

Have you seen our other Simple Summer Suppers? Here’s a running list:

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

Simple Summer Suppers: Taco Salad

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This Simple Taco Salad ranks right up there as one of the most refreshing and tasty meals to serve in the summertime!

I can’t get enough of this salad. And interestingly enough, while my kids typically just serve themselves a small amount of greens for a salad on a normal day, they eat huge bowls of this Simple Taco Salad! Maybe we should always put chips in our salad – ha!

Simple Summer Suppers: Taco Salad

Simple Summer Suppers: Taco Salad
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pound hamburger
  • 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix
  • 1 head lettuce, any variety (we prefer red leaf, green leaf or romaine)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese
  • 15 ounces (or 2 cups) of pinto, chili, or black beans
  • 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
  • 1-2 cups crushed tortilla chips
  • 1 cup French Dressing (give or take; recipe link below)
Instructions
  1. Brown hamburger meat and season with taco seasoning mix (recipe link below)
  2. Chop or tear lettuce into a large serving bowl.
  3. Add cooked meat (cooled), shredded cheese, beans, tomatoes, and chips.
  4. Toss with French Dressing.
  5. Serve.

Make a batch of this French Dressing to serve in this salad. You won’t be sorry!

I recommend making this Taco Seasoning Mix to have on hand for recipes like this. Easy and delicious! Also, I find it helpful to make several pounds of taco meat at once, then I use the leftovers to make this salad!

Have you seen our other Simple Summer Suppers? Here’s a running list:

Don’t miss any of our new ideas we’ve got coming! Subscribe for free so all the latest can come directly to your inbox!

Have you become a Simple Meals member yet? You will LOVE how simple all the recipes are, and better yet, you’ll love that we do all the planning for you!

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

Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

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Have leftover Sloppy Joe Meat? Use it to quickly make Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!

How’s that for a twist on Sloppy Joes and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches? Sure it’s a tiny bit messy. That’s the point. The flavor is super fun and delicious with the butter, the cheese, and the meat.

These can be thrown together quickly and served with simple sides like fresh fruit and raw veggies. You can have your entire meal on the table in ten minutes!

I’m quite sure most of you know how to make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. I’m also quite sure that it’s obvious that to make a Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwich you simply add sloppy joe meat to your grilled cheese. Thus, writing specific directions below to describe exactly how to make a Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwich was an interesting adventure. How did I do? Please be impressed.

Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
 
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Ingredients
  • Leftover Sloppy Joe Meat (recipe link above)
  • Whole grain bread
  • Softened butter
  • Cheese slices (we like Colby jack or Pepper jack)
Instructions
  1. Rewarm sloppy joe meat in a saucepan until bubbly.
  2. Butter two slices of bread and place on a warm/hot griddle.
  3. Lay a piece of cheese on each unbuttered side of bread, allowing cheese to melt.
  4. Spread warm meat over one piece of cheese bread.
  5. Place the other slice of cheese bread onto the sloppy joe/cheese bread to make a sandwich.
  6. Cook until both sides of bread are golden and cooked to your liking.

Add as much or as little Sloppy Joe Meat to your sandwich as you like. We think these are delicious!

Have you seen our other Simple Summer Suppers? Here’s a running list:

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

That One Time I Got to Be a Speaker for the Homemaking Ministries Online Conference (Plus, win a NutriMill?!)

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I’m not sure which to tell you about first: the Homemaking Ministries Online Conference I was invited to speak for, or the NutriMill Grain Mill you have a chance to win!

I guess I’ll try to share both at once. :)

Coming in just a few weeks, you’ll want to take part in the 2018 Homemaking Ministries Online Conference. I was honored with an invitation to be a speaker and have had so much fun preparing!!

You’ll want to sign up to learn more about this conference here and when you do, you’ll be signed up to win some awesome homemaking prizes, including an actual Grain Mill!!!

There are more prizes where that came from. But more importantly, the Homemaking Ministries Conference covers much needed topics like:

  • Gospel-Centered Parenting
  • Overcoming Anger
  • Biblical Marriage
  • Your Identity in Christ
  • and many, many other kitchen, home, and Christ-focused topics.

As for my topic, I get to share from my 21 years of experience teaching my kids to cook. It’s been a blast working on this, especially once I realized how much my kids’ ability to cook is such a blessed part of our family’s ministries. Who knew? More on that during the conference!

When you sign up before July 9 to get info about the conference, you’ll not only be registered for the giveaway, you’ll also be given a chance to get a huge early bird discount. We’re talking a $20 savings! Plus this, which takes your savings up to $25:

So hurry over to sign up for the Homemaking Ministries Conference before July 9!

I can’t wait to share more as the conference dates get closer.

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

Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Joes

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Sloppy Joes are one of our favorite Simple Summer Suppers.


I love them because I can make a big batch and freeze to use as needed. This recipe becomes a no-brainer, so you can simply brown meat, add a few key ingredients, and supper is served!

(For the record, our family calls the evening meal “dinner” but somehow in the summer it feels lighter and cooler to call it supper. It’s kind of like how it feels more special to call Sunday’s lunch “dinner” even though we eat at noon. But I digress.)

Sloppy Joes are easy to make and keep warm in the crock pot to serve to a large crowd. They can be eaten in the yard for a summer picnic. They taste great with simple sides like raw veggies, cold watermelon or cantaloupe, cole slaw, or baked beans.

Make Sloppy Joes with any ground meat you have: beef, turkey, chicken, venison, or lamb. Eat them on buns or with tortilla chips. Or skip the carbs and eat the meat in a bed of lettuce!

Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Joes

5.0 from 2 reviews
Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Joes
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs ground meat (beef, turkey, venison or lamb)
  • 2 T. minced onion
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 Tablespoon worchestershire sauce
  • sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Brown meat and onion together.
  2. Add remaining ingredients, stirring well.
  3. Allow mixture to simmer in the skillet for a few minutes.

sloppy_joe_1

Have you seen our other Simple Summer Suppers? Here’s a running list:

Don’t miss any of our new ideas we’ve got coming! Subscribe for free so all the latest can come directly to your inbox!

Have you become a Simple Meals member yet? You will LOVE how simple all the recipes are, and better yet, you’ll love that we do all the planning for you!

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

Simple Summer Supper: Broccoli Bacon Salad

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I promise not all of the Simple Summer Suppers we’re going to share have bacon in them. (At least I think I promise this. Yes. I do. I promise.) But it only made sense that this Broccoli Bacon Salad recipe follow the BLT Wraps recipe. Because obviously you made extra bacon when you made the BLT Wraps, right?

When one makes bacon, one should always make extra. This is not so all the people can over-eat the bacon. This is so the mother can get ahead in the kitchen. And who am I kidding? Here’s the real reason I make lots of bacon at one time:

I don’t want my hair to smell like bacon any more than is necessary.

When I make bacon my hair, clothes, and house absorb the delicious smell of bacon. But I don’t want to wear bacon hair for three days, nor do I want my house to constantly smell as if I’m burning a bacon-scented candle. (I am amused and slightly horrified that these actually exist.)

So I make bacon bits like this, or I bake bacon in strips like this. I make many pounds at one time so I can get ahead and then I wash my hair. The end.

Now that we have the bacon cooking situation under control, we can make all kinds of delicious meals in a hurry! This Broccoli Bacon Salad is packed with flavor! Of course it’s easy to make, because easy recipes are the only kind I like to make and share.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple Summer Supper: Broccoli Bacon Salad
 
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Serves: 3-6
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise (I use Hain Safflower Mayo)
  • 2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 5 cups of chopped broccoli (1 large head)
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped onion
  • 8 slices of cooked bacon bits
  • ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, bacon, and cheese.
  2. Stir in mayonnaise and vinegar.
  3. Serve right away or make ahead and chill until serving time.


Truly, this Broccoli Bacon Salad is a meal in and of itself. It can be packed in a lunch or eaten on the road. It can be made ahead of time and pulled out of the fridge for an instant meal. It makes a perfect Simple Summer Supper on a hot day!

You can look forward to getting more Simple Summer Supper ideas like this during the entire month of July. Stay tuned! (Be sure to subscribe here for free so you don’t miss any of these ideas and posts!)

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