Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Big Family Food: What’s On Every Plate

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I’m so glad you’re following our Big Family Food journey! (Missed the first posts? Catch them here.)

I thought it would be good to follow my Great Compromise post with a post that shares what I make sure to put on every plate, no matter what.

Like I talked about here, sometimes I have no time – or very little time – to cook. Our days are full of this:

I could go on and on with pictures of the days of our lives. It’s amazing, and did I mention full? So when it comes to food, now, instead of making sure every part of our meal is the healthiest of the healthy, here is what I focus on:

I make sure there are fruits and vegetables on every plate.

This is something I recommend for everyone, no matter your family size or what season in life you are enjoying. No matter what else is on your plate, just be sure there are fruits and vegetables there too.

It’s really quite simple. In fact, I’ve found that it’s the simplest way to put together meals!

See from the pictures how there are several fruits and veggies on each plate – no matter what I serve?

The same goes for when/if all I have time to make is Mac and Cheese, Frozen Pizza, Chicken Nuggets, or PBJ. Here are some examples of “compromise” meals I might put together:

  • Mac and Cheese with peas and grapes
  • Frozen Pizza with fresh spinach dipped in ranch and apple slices
  • Chicken Nuggets with sweet potato fries and these rockin smoothies
  • PBJ with clementines and steamed broccoli

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: Matt and I survive on these smoothies. I make a blenderful every other day and we share it. They are jam-packed with nourishment and give us WAY MORE GREENS than we could ever chew. I’ve gotten to the point that I stuff my Blendtec full of spring mix (about 1/2 pound), add some frozen fruit, pour in some milk, blend it and go. We would never eat that many greens at one time. But in this smoothie? We drink it down and love it.

So Matt and I tend to drink these smoothies even while grabbing a couple of chicken nuggets or a piece of pizza on the fly. Meanwhile, I make this version for the kids.

Great fruit and vegetable choices for your plates

To make it easy for all of us, I’ve put together a list of easy-to-serve fruit and veggie choices to serve with meals:

It truly is easy to add any of these to your meal plates! It’s one of best my Big Family Food tips: always add fruit and veggies to whatever I find time to make for my family. Even if all I do is open some cans of pineapple and a bag of baby carrots!

Read here about how to have fun filling your cart with fresh produce your family will love!

Stay tuned for more Big Family Food posts, where I share all about how I make food for our big family!

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Instant Pot Taco Pasta (Stovetop or Crock Pot Options)

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I’ve already shared my Taco Pasta recipe in both Crock Pot and Stovetop varieties. Recently I created an Instant Pot Taco Pasta variety that is a must-have!

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I do highly recommend them for the time and energy you’ll save in the kitchen! I love mine!! I have this one…do consider investing!

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.

So, if I have hamburger meat already prepped ahead, it is super easy to throw this Taco Pasta into my Instant Pot and have our meal ready in 10-15 minutes! I usually serve it with a salad (that everyone makes themselves directly from the container of mixed greens).

Fun fact: one of our babies wants to eat everything we eat, so naturally, he recently also wanted bites of salad we were eating. Matt gave him little bites (plain) and he gobbled it up and kept asking for more. This, with 7 teeth. Not sure how long this will last, but as long as the child eats greens, we shall feed him greens!

But back to this simple recipe:

Instant Pot Taco PastaYum

Instant Pot Taco Pasta (Stovetop or Crock Pot Options)
 
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Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground taco meat (cooked)
  • 16-ounces whole grain pasta (uncooked)
  • 32-ounces salsa
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. Stir cooked taco meat, uncooked pasta, salsa, water, and salt into an Instant Pot.
  2. Seal and cook on manual, hi pressure for 4 minutes.
  3. Quick release the pressure.
  4. Stir mixture.
  5. Stir in cheese and serve.

 

Don’t have an Instant Pot? No problem! Here are other options for you!

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Simple Cheeseburger Mac in the Instant Pot

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Once upon a time, I had a genius idea to add seasoned hamburger meat to our Simple 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese. This magically and beautifully turned into Simple Cheeseburger Mac in the Instant Pot. And once again, dinner is saved!

Mind you, this recipe is made even easier if I have “worked” ahead and have hamburger meat already pre-cooked and in the fridge ready to pull out as needed. And by “worked” I mean that I open several packs of hamburger meat (usually frozen) and plop it into my Instant Pot where it cooks all by itself for a few minutes, providing our family with several meals worth of pre-cooked meat to use easily in recipes as needed.

If you get an Instant Pot for no other reason, get it so that it will cook your hamburger meat for you. I usually cook 7-pounds at once, and it is such a time and energy saver!

Simple Cheeseburger Mac in the Instant PotYum

5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple Cheeseburger Mac in the Instant Pot
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pound cooked hamburger meat
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 16-ounces whole grain pasta (any shape)
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 cups shredded cheese (we love Colby jack)
Instructions
  1. Cook hamburger meat and season with garlic powder and chili powder.
  2. Stir meat, uncooked pasta, water, butter, and salt in your instant pot.
  3. Seal and cook on manual, high pressure for 4 minutes.
  4. Quick release the pressure.
  5. Open the pot and stir in the cream and cheese until melted and creamy.

This recipe is incredibly easy to make, and it is a huge hit with the family! Any time I can make pasta without actually boiling pasta is a win in my book. Fewer dirty dishes, less time in the kitchen, and a delicious meal too!

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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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Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken

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Just in case you have forgotten this truth, here it is again: Cooking meals for our families does not have to be a difficult job. This Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken is going to drop-kick the “cooking is hard” lie straight out the window.

Even if you don’t enjoy cooking, you can make this. Even if you don’t have time to cook, you can make this. Even if you can’t afford to spend much on groceries, you can make this. Even if you forgot to thaw meat, you can make this. Even if the idea of making a homemade meal brings tears to your eyes – wipe your tears, find 5-minutes, and make this. Even if you’re allergic to poultry…oh wait. That one is for real. If that is the case, please don’t make this.

To sum up, unless you are allergic to birds, there is no reason you should not make this (overuse of negatives, anyone?). Just make the chicken.

Let’s take a moment to get excited together about why making this Simple 5-Minute Chicken is a fabulous idea:

  • It takes 5-minutes of “work.” This was obvious, but worth shouting about because no one can even go through a drive-thru in 5-minutes.
  • You can make several meals worth of this chicken at the same time, storing it in the fridge or freezer, then pulling it out to add to meals as needed. This means that if you make 3-meals worth of this chicken at once, your 5-minutes of effort turns out 1.6666-Minute Chicken. #mathintherealworld
  • If you have made this chicken ahead of time and you are storing it in your fridge, you now have ready-made chicken which has now become 0-Minute Chicken.
  • Simple 5-Minute Chicken tastes really good and it is real food. We can’t say that about all convenience food, now can we?

Please note that the following recipe is barely a recipe. I am here to make your real food cooking life EASY. Simply get out chicken and get out spices. Place in crock pot, sprinkle, plug in, walk away, enjoy.

Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken

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Simple 5-Minute Chicken
 
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Serves: 2-3 meals
Ingredients
  • 3-pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • Any seasonings you like (I use garlic powder, sea salt, paprika, and parsley flakes)
Instructions
  1. Place chicken in a crock pot and sprinkle with any herbs or spices you like.
  2. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
  3. Shred chicken to use in any of your favorite recipes or to serve in tacos, or even as a main dish as-is!

How to use your 5-Minute Chicken

Add it to:

Or eat it plain with veggies on the side. So easy and delicious!

Having Alfredo? Just add Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken…

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The Simplest Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

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Who would like another recipe that only takes an effortless 5 minutes to prepare? What about a recipe that allows you to forget to thaw your meat ahead of time? A recipe that tastes amazing and is a crowd pleaser? Okeedokee! Let the excitement over this Crock Pot White Chicken Chili commence!

white chicken chili11

This is one of those recipes in which you quickly place ingredients into a pot then walk away and let it make dinner for you. Is this a perfect recipe for a busy holiday season? Oh yes. Let’s enjoy our holiday season while our crock pot cooks dinner for us, shall we?

white chicken chili22

Call this White Chicken Chili, or actually, let’s just call it A Night Off. This is one of those rare times we can simply open cans of prepared food and dump them into a pot. We can feel great knowing that it’s all still real food and it’s still healthy and nourishing for our families!

The Simplest White Chicken Chili

The Simplest White Chicken Chili
 
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Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1-2 pounds boneless Chicken thighs or breasts
  • 2 15-ounce cans Black Beans (drained)
  • 2 10-ounce cans Rotel (Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles)
  • 2 cups Frozen Corn
  • 3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing Mix*
  • 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
  • 2 8-ounce packages Cream Cheese
Instructions
  1. Place chicken (frozen or thawed) in the bottom of a crock pot.
  2. Add beans, Rotel, corn, and seasonings over the chicken and stir.
  3. Place cream cheese on top of the mixture.
  4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
  5. Remove chicken and shred, then stir it back into the soup.

*Here’s my Homemade Ranch Seasoning recipe.

Complete this meal by pulling salad fixin’s out of the fridge and washing some fresh fruit.

The Simplest Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

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Real Food Recipes That Are Easy AND Save You Money

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I used to make everything from scratch. Everything. Ketchup, graham crackers, and even mozzarella cheese. It’s great to have the skills and knowledge to do this. But at a certain point I had to ask:

Am I getting enough bang for my buck, here? As in, is the time I’m taking and the energy I’m extending to make all of this food really saving me money and therefore, is it worth it?

mozzcheese2sm

For the record, homemade mozzarella costs more than store-bought.

Now, sometimes it’s worth putting forth the effort or spending more to make food from scratch because of the health benefit and great flavor. I mean, I don’t even care how much it saves or doesn’t save to make Homemade Ranch Dressing because this recipe tastes thousands of times better than the bottled stuff and it only includes healthy ingredients. I don’t want high fructose corn syrup on my salad.

ranchdressin2sm

But as my schedule has gotten busier and as the quantity of food we plow through every day has increased, I’ve had to be more choosy about what I make, what I buy pre-made, and what I skip altogether.

For instance, I used to make all of our Whole Wheat Tortillas, without fail. These taste amazing and we miss them, but it takes triple the amount of tortillas to get us through a meal now, compared to the days my kids were little. It’s a rare occasion that I “go to the trouble” to make tortillas now, because it takes over an hour to get the job done. (Though when I do, there is much rejoicing.) We either skip tortillas now (often subbing corn chips), or I’ll buy a case from Azure Standard to keep in the freezer.

Having said all of that, today I thought I’d share some recipes I’ve stuck with for all these years, even with a busier schedule and a higher volume of food consumption. These recipes are worth my time, because the time investment is tiny. And they are cheaper than store-bought so they are a win-win! Also, homemade always tastes better, so score one more for that!

Real Food Recipes that are Easy and Save Money

Seasoning Mixes

I make all of our Ranch Dressing Mix, Italian Dressing Mix, Onion Soup Mix, and Taco Seasoning Mix. These cost pennies to make, saving a significant amount. And since I make big batches, the time saved on these is great!

condiments

Vanilla Extract

The price of beans has gone up, but it still saves money to make Homemade Vanilla Extract. It’s ridiculously easy to make, and well worth the effort because homemade vanilla is amazing!

vanilla_four

Stir-and-Pour Whole Wheat Bread

We don’t eat as much bread as we used to at our house. I think it’s wholesome and filling and my family loves it, but I prefer to fill everyone with more nutrient-packed sides like fruits and veggies. So bread has taken a back seat at our house.

I do sometimes buy a loaf of 100% whole wheat sandwich bread for sandwiches when we need to pack them for a road trip. But for bread at home, when as do eat it with a meal, I make this Stir-and-Pour Whole Wheat Bread. It takes hardly any time or effort, and it doesn’t cost very much. And it tastes awesome!

stir and pour bread loaf 5

Homemade Granola

I discovered this 5-Minute Granola Method and haven’t looked back. I add in whatever we have (dried fruit or chocolate chips) and we’ve got ourselves a great cereal for much less than store bought!

Stove-Top Granola

All of these Simple Meal Recipes

Check out this Spanish Rice Bowl and the long list of other Simple Real Food Recipes it includes. I keep coming up with more of these recipes and am amazed at how much time and money they are saving! I’ve cut down my kitchen time with these Simple Recipes so much that I feel like a cheater. Almost. ;)

spanish rice bowl11

Cool Pineapple Cream Dessert

This is ridiculously easy and so super yummy! Throw three ingredients in the blender and you’re set!

pineapple dessert 3

Special Coffee Drinks

It’s a rare thing for us to spend $$ at a coffee shop since we can make fun coffee drinks at home for much less! This Chocolate Frappe is awesome. Sometimes we put this Chocolate Whipped Cream in our coffee. We freeze coffee into ice cubes like this to make easy Iced Coffees. This Coffee Milkshake is awesome in the summertime. Sometimes I make a big batch of Chocolate Iced Coffee to offer several people at once. While all of these take a little time, it doesn’t feel like a lot of effort because it’s FUN to make drinks like this!

What are some of the foods you make from scratch that are easy and save money?

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Top 10 Money Saving Recipes

30 Real Food Money Saving Tips

Sign up here, confirm your subscription, and both booklets will be in your inbox very quickly! Then we can keep you informed of any other money saving tips and deals we come across!

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Simple Chicken Cheeseballs With a Kick (naturally gluten free)

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I experimented with these Chicken Cheeseballs on a whim. It was a simple recipe and I figured chicken and cheese – sure, they’ll probably be pretty good. Pretty good? I should say so! I turned right around (did the hokey-pokey) and made these again three days later. These cheesy little meatballs are incredible!

simple-chicken-cheeseballs1

The first night I pulled a batch of these out of the oven, one by one my men came into the kitchen, took a look at the meatballs, and popped one into his mouth. I think each one, in turn, said the same thing, “Whoa. What are these? These are amazing! You can make these again!” (Don’t mind if I do.) I wouldn’t say my family is very picky, and yet, when every single person in the family likes a recipe, this is a huge score.

simple-chicken-cheeseballs2

You might be wondering, like I did, “What holds these meatballs together? Don’t we need flour or bread crumbs or a bisquik type baking mix to make this recipe work? Nope. They stay together just fine even though they are made with only ground meat, cheese, and a few spices. They take only a few minutes to mix up and scoop into a pan. You can make the side dishes for your meal while they bake. AND, if you have time, you can make a double or triple batch to freeze so that all you have to do at mealtime is grab out the amount you need and bake them!

I used a scoop like this one to make these meatballs. Whoa, does that little kitchen gadget come in handy!

Simple Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick

5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple Chicken Cheeseballs With a Kick
 
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Author:
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese
  • 1½ teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons hot sauce (I use Cholula)
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
  2. Scoop mixture into 1" balls into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until balls are nice and brown.
  4. Pour off excess grease that has accumulated before serving.

simple-chicken-cheeseballs

Use ground sausage or ground beef if you prefer in this recipe. You can use these Chicken Cheeseballs on a holiday snack buffet table, serve them for breakfast, or serve them as a main dish at dinner – they are perfectly versatile. I’m looking forward to keeping these in my freezer for quick, simple meals in the future!

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You Can Do This! Real Food Beginnings, Menu Planning Fun, Deals, and Freebies!

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If I could say one thing to encourage you as you work toward a real food kitchen, it would be to say this: You can do this (because you are amazing)!

I know cooking isn’t fun for everyone nor does it come easy to everyone. I know the transition from processed foods to real foods can be challenging. But as we all know, food is a necessary part of life, several times every day. Nourishment is necessary too.

I’m good at food. This is not a boast, it’s just that I love food and everything about it – just like you love what you love and are good at what you do. I also know that many of you are good at food, and some of you are better at it than you think you are! I’ve been working at this real food gig for 10 years now, and I love providing you with good recipes that are still easy and quick. I love putting together resources that will make your real food journey easier.

So this weekend, I had fun putting together a super inexpensive package deal of many of my favorite “You Can Do This! Real Food Resources.” I also compiled some of the free downloads from my archives that will help you on your journey. Real food deliciousness can be easy when you follow these simply laid out steps, ideas, and recipes.

Real Food Beginnings

First, I’m offering our You Can Do This eCourse, along with 6 of our simple, real food kitchen eBooks – worth $42.79 – for only $12.00. Total. For all of it.This is to encourage you on your real food journey.

You Can Do This Real Food eCourse and eBook package

This package includes:
You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen eCourse $5.00
What to Do With the Chicken in Your Kitchen eBook $4.95
What to Do With the Cow in Your Kitchen eBook $4.95
Do the Funky Kitchen eBook $4.95
Heavenly Homemaker’s Real Food Weekly Menu Plan Ideas Packet $5.00
1-2-3 Menu Planning eBook $5.00
Build Your Menu Planning Notebook $5.99

$42.79
$12.00

Add to Cart

Next, I’ve put together a list of freebie resources you can enjoy on your real food journey!

Come Get Your Real Food Resource Freebies!

breakfast_e-book cover_sm

Enjoy these resources, and be sure to grab the big package of You Can Do This! Real Food Resources at a huge discount here now (discount ends Tuesday, September 29)!

You Can Do This! Real Food Resources
$12.00

Add to Cart

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Meals I Fed Six Men on a Roof for Three Days

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Men on a roof? Yep, six of them.

roof2

Matt and the boys (plus another young man) have been hanging out on a roof across town part of last week and this. In a few days this army tore off the damaged roof and replaced it with a new one. Driving up to see all my men working so hard made my heart all aflutter. But then it promptly stopped when my ten year old spotted me driving up and started running across said roof to greet me. Ohmygoodness, please do not run across a roof, whatintheworld?? (The roof is super not-steep. But still.)

The big role I played in the roofing process was feeding the hungry people. What’s new, right? Except that I got to deliver the food to my men just like I used to deliver food to the harvest crew when I was growing up in Kansas. It was super fun. Plus I was the hero every time I drove up to greet the hungry roofers. Hard work makes for big appetites!

I took a few pictures of the food I bought, prepared, and delivered. Read along and pretend to be interested in my sandwiches.

Food for 6 Men on a Roof

First, I shopped. I had to buy green beans because of the naughty bunnies. I splurged on a few fun foods like juice (the bottles of which came in very handy later for homemade Gatorade), Kind bars, and Veggie Chips for the roofers. I bought lunch meat. I bought a teeny tiny little block of cheese. Price-matching helped me get great deals on many fresh fruits and veggies!

groceries8-6-15

Realizing I had no potatoes or onions in the house after I got home, I ran to another store closer to my house to grab them – along with hot dog buns. {and everyone gasped in shock} You know what I decided? There’s barely such thing as a healthy hot dog bun, so I might as well buy the cheapest I can find for the occasional times we treat ourselves to hot dogs. The hot dogs ended up being a very fun roofing lunch (and easy), so yay for cheap buns and all that.

groceries 8-6-152

The lunch I delivered on the first day consisted of turkey sandwiches, chips, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, raw veggies, brownies right out of the oven (only because I barely got them done in time), bottles of juice, and homemade peach milkshakes in jars. They devoured it all and asked if I would mind bringing a little something else mid-afternoon.

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So I made a bunch of quesadillas around 2:30 that afternoon, grabbed some cold Izzes from the fridge, and headed back to the work site. Not to worry – I got other work done at home too in between all the running. :)

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The next morning I made a triple batch of what my boys now call “Super Mama Waffles.” They aren’t just waffles. They are waffles with berries and whipped cream. Big difference. My hope was to fill the guys very full so they would last until lunch.

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Still, by lunch they were starving. I’m not surprised. This is the day I took the first round of homemade gatorade in cute bottles. And the hot dogs on cheap buns. They also got carrots, grapes, cantaloupe, and chocolate cake. They came home a little bit earlier that day so I didn’t need to take a snack.

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They took the weekend off because of other commitments, and started back up on Monday. I went all out with a breakfast of Biscuits and Gravy, scrambled eggs, peaches, and plums.

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To make the most of my biscuit making mess, I made quite a few extras for the freezer. One mess, two meals. Yes please.

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There they are, frozen biscuits in a bag. Things like this make me happy.

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Lunch was a little bit tricky that day as everyone was working on the roof in shifts, plus the young man staying with us was working at a different site. So I fed some of the guys at home, then packed food to deliver to two different work sites. I fed us all homemade pizzas, watermelon, grapes, carrots, cucumbers, homemade gatorade, and fun cookie pizza slices.

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Yes, of course, there were more pizzas than what is pictured above. :)

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That afternoon, when I traded out boys (some were at home mowing or working on other projects while others are helping Matt on the roof), I took Matt a snack. More homemade gatorade, some cantaloupe, the last pizza from lunch, and No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Bites. Watch for that new recipe soon(ish).

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It is important that you note that the cantaloupe I took Matt was the decaf variety. I guess somebody didn’t scrub the writing off the lids after her Iced Coffee Bar party.

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Kudos to all of you who deliver meals to your men in the field frequently during the summer! It was fun for me for just a few days, but I couldn’t keep up this pace for long. I sure did love watching my boys work so hard alongside their dad, though.

And now to tackle the messy kitchen that is a result of cooking then jumping into the van. :)

Do you pack food and/or deliver food frequently? What kinds of food do you make?

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