Heavenly Homemakers

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Big Family Food and Fun: September 24-30, 2023

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Here’s our post sharing our Big Family Food and Fun: September 24-30…

Big Family Food and Fun: September 24-30, 2023

This week started out with the biggest, best bang! We had heard that our beloved York University Singers were going to be performing in a church just three blocks from our house. So we messaged the director and asked if we could please feed the crew at the Castle that evening after their performance. It was the first we’d hosted something so big here, and it was a dream!! But first, breakfast. And lunch.

Sunday morning’s breakfast was Baked Oatmeal that had been created the night before by one of our housemates.

While everyone was eating, I got a huge batch of White Chicken Chili started in our roaster so that it could slow cook all day and be ready to feed the big crew. I had already made two huge pots of regular Chili so they were ready to warm up at dinner time.

When we left church that morning, we stopped at Sam’s since it’s on the way home so that I could grab last minute food items needed for our huge meal.

For lunch that day, I had put Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole in the crock pot. We ate it with green beans before moving full force into dinner mode.

We got tables and chairs set up all over the house and outside. The crew arrived just after 6pm and started making their way through the food lines. Of course, I forgot all about taking pictures of the big buffet of food we’d set out because I was too busy giving hugs. Wow, I’d missed these “kids.”

We set up a Coffee Bar in the living room so Elias could make people Lattes or whatever they requested. :)

Here’s what the buffet looked like by the time I remembered to get a picture. :)

We served two huge pots of Chili, a roaster full of White Chicken Chili, grapes, strawberries, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, plus cinnamon rolls and corn bread (made by a dear friend here in Lincoln whose son is in the choir), plus a table full of desserts.

I had made Frosted Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Peanut Butter Cookies, and these Cupcakes. One of our housemates had made two beautiful desserts very similar to this Death by Chocolate recipe. It was a huge hit!

Truly, Sunday evening was a dream for me. I loved hosting these young adults!

Monday morning I was…tired. :) For breakfast, I got out yogurt and the Peanut Butter Honey Granola I’d made last week.

I don’t remember what we did all day?? Dishes. Yes, I did wash a lot of big pots from the day before. :)

That night for we enjoyed the last of the whole chicken I’d smoked the week before with pasta and Alfredo sauce. Plus I steamed carrots and warmed up leftover broccoli. I made lots, but we ended up having a beautiful crowd of 18 people at our house that night so it still ended up being barely enough. :)

Therefore, Matt made several rounds of popcorn for a snack before we got the littles ready for bed. It was just what we needed to finish filling everyone’s bellies. :)

Look at the little sweetheart in her princess dress – filthy faced and tired after a long day of play. :)

Tuesday morning I whipped cream to go with strawberries.

Plus I made 12 Sausage-Egg-Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches.

We took our 5 littlest to one of our favorite parks to play for a while that morning. They enjoyed cheese and crackers plus fruit/veggie squeezies while we were there.

That afternoon, the kids got out of school early so Brayden, Kiya, and Keith all got to go to help serve at the Community Food Distribution. I asked Elias if he’d go along with me to help with Keith and he was happy to help. (His muscles got used quite a few times while we were there too!)

Keith and Elias got to hand out bags of snacks during distribution time. Brayden handed out dishwasher soap (which he thought was a little bit silly – but you never know what might get donated for volunteers to hand out). And Kiya and I handed out prepared sandwiches.

We were blessed to come home with two bags full of extra food donations – a wonderfully nice perk that we weren’t expecting when we started helping with this. We got mostly bread products that day, which helps stretch the grocery budget!

Before leaving home that afternoon, I had put Baked Potatoes into the Crock Pot to cook. One of our housemates was kind enough to set out all the toppings at dinnertime since I wouldn’t get home until 5:45ish. We filled our plates with potatoes, leftover chili, ham, cheese, sour cream, butter, and peas. Plus we finished off the Applesauce the kids and I had made last week.

Brayden left to have a piano lesson with Justus. When he came home, I found him doing this:


I wish I could express how amazing it is that he is able to read this book to his siblings. Reading and learning are a struggle for him and he has come so far!!

One of the fun things we came home with from the Food Distribution was a bag of McDonald’s biscuits. So on Wednesday morning I made Sausage Gravy to go with the biscuits. Plus I cut the leftover baked potatoes and cooked them with eggs. It was all so delicious!

Wednesday night, I smoked Chicken Thighs and made Smoothies (so the kids would get spinach in them). I also buttered/toasted some rolls and got out potato salad we’d received at the Food Distribution.

One of our housemates had been gone all day but brought back a delicious Apple Crisp that her cousin had made. It was a perfect dessert that night.

Thursday Matt and Elias went to York to work on our houses. Malachi helped me take the five littlest to Walmart for a few final WIC produce items for the month. As we headed out, he struck up a conversation with the greeter. I thought it was sweet so I snuck a picture. :)

I had slow cooked a roast all day, and we ate it with leftover carrots and peas, plus buttered corn and grapes. Mmmmm, roast!

Friday morning I made a big batch of French toast and let the kids choose toppings: peanut butter, apple jelly, butter, and applesauce.

Our Bonus Boy (4-year-old former foster son who is a biological half brother to some of our kids) was visiting and has a very limited list of foods he’ll eat. I went through this list again to be sure I had food on hand for him. Then I made a huge batch of Mudballs because he loves them (and so do the other kids!).

I had found sausage on sale at Walmart the day before so I browned all 8-pounds that I bought. Then I bagged it up in meal-sized portions for the freezer.

For dinner, I grilled a bunch of Hamburgers and threw Sweet Potato Fries in the air fryer.

Saturday morning we packed a picnic lunch to take to the zoo: hoagie sandwiches, fruit, chips, fruit/veggie pouches, and treats that we’d received from the food distribution.

At the zoo, we watched the zoo keepers feed the penguins.

Then we had lunch with the flamingos. :)

Kiya, Acacia, and Josie had a little conversation with a peacock. :)

We were so exhausted when we got home at naptime. But unfortunately, the toddlers fought sleep. Ack.

Meanwhile, Matt and I had decided the evening before that we could use a bit of a break and had planned to order pizza for dinner that night. We’d never ordered from Costco before but knew that the price was good and that the pizza was tasty so we gave it a try!

10 out of 10, highly recommend. We had a Pizza Picnic at one of our favorite parks, and two of our housemates joined us. One of them even went to Costco and picked up the pizza for all of us so that we wouldn’t have to lug all of the kids there. Fantastic! We ate and the kids road their bikes and scooters until time to get home to bed.

Next, I wanted to show this this fun picture. Grapes? Yes. It’s a picture of grapes. Exciting, yes?

It’s just that Kiya was helping me gather items to take to the park to enjoy with our pizza and she helped get the grapes pulled off their vines and into the bag. Then she asked if she could be the one to take the picture. (I hadn’t planned to take a picture, but she sees me prepare food all the time and then snap a photo, so surely I was going to feature her grapes!?)

You bet I’m going to feature her grapes. I’m so thankful for any one-on-one time I can snag with any of our kids. And small as it sounds, my Kiya-Mom grape prep time was really sweet.

We came home from the park to a party that Elias was hosting. He and his friend Ross just launched their first song and there was a Launch Party happening at the Castle!

It’s Yeti on Ice – Double Jointed if you care to look it up on any music platforms you use (Spotify, Apple Music, etc).

He has a lot of great friends and it was so great to see so many of them milling about the house when we got home!!! Plus all of our older boys were here – a double bonus. :)

We got the kids to bed (somehow, because there was a party going on and no one wanted to get to bed!) and I headed there myself. What a great week!

Oh! Total grocery spending for September: $1220.

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Need to Detox After the Holidays?

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Sure, I’ve eaten a few salads, steamed veggies, and raw veggies during the past few days of holiday fun. But I’ve also eaten a few too many bowls of chip and dip, a couple slices of pizza, and some amazing French fries that were well worth the splurge. It seems that perhaps a detox after the holidays is in order?

supersimplechipdipsm

Hmmm. You too?

Yesterday I went to the store and restocked all our fruits and veggies. I came home and immediately ate a half a cucumber all by myself. Never before had a cuke tasted so good. Then I dove into the carrots and avocado. Okay fine. I ate my avocado in the form of dip with chips. Whatever. I’m working my way off chips and dips slowly. It’s still the holiday season, right?

I do have to say that I am amazed at how good I feel, even with the junk food splurges, since I started drinking Javita products. Every day I start by drinking a Fiber drink. Then I enjoy a Burn and Control Coffee. Both of these have been fabulous to naturally rid my body of toxins. Since I started drinking these every day (since July of 2017) my gut is lighter, my pants fit better, my blood sugar is more regulated, and well, I go to the bathroom better. (Where is a cute little poop emoji when I need one?)

So first things first, if you’re interested in a natural way to detox every single day, read more that I wrote about Javita products here. I’ll be spending the next several days drinking extra water, eating extra greens, and being very thankful for Javita drinks and all the ways they help keep us healthy.

javita party2

Eating Better in 2018

Next, if the end of the year has you thinking about how you want to take more steps toward healthier eating in the future, I definitely want to turn your attention toward this gem being offered right now.

We created Simple Meals in 2016 as a way to save you hours of time and oodles of money every week while still putting great real food meals on the table regularly. This has been a huge help to many of you, and the price to be a member is ridiculously low! So if you aren’t yet a Simple Meals member, we excitedly invite you to become one!

OR

Perhaps this fun (limited time) promotion will be a perfect match for your family’s food needs!

Through January 5 only, you can pick up one (or more) of these Healthy Menu Planning Mini-Bundles that are beautifully categorized and highly discounted to meet your needs and to encourage you to start the new year off right! The mini-bundle recipe categories include:

  • Budget Meals
  • Freezer & Batch Cooking
  • Gluten-Free
  • Instant Pot & Slow Cooker
  • Ketogenic
  • Meal Planning
  • Paleo
  • Quick & Healthy
  • Real Food
  • Vegan

See any in the list that you want to jump in and focus on in 2018? Each mini-bundle is loaded with ebooks, recipes, and menu plans!

I’m most excited about the Instant Pot & Slow Cooker bundle, the Budget Meals bundle, the Freezer & Batch Cooking bundle, and the Quick and Healthy bundle. Which of these would you use the most?

The beauty of how this promotion is set up is that if I buy one mini-bundle it will cost $27. But if I want more than one, I can pay just $20 more and get THEM ALL!!

meal planning bundle options
Having access to all 10 categories gives us all 100 digital resources, 3,800 recipes, and 100 weeks of made-for-you menu plans. I’m in it for the whole package, baby!

Quick review: If you have special dietary restrictions you can pick one of the mini-bundles and get recipes dedicated to your way of eating for just $27! Or for just $20 more, get all 10 mini-bundles with every single recipe, eCookbook, and meal plan!

But you have to act fast — this sale ends on January 5th! Go get yours HERE.

I’m looking forward to getting back on track with regular healthy meals, how about you? And now, I shall eat the other half of that cucumber.

Some of these links are my affiliate links.

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Menu Plan for the Week and a LOT of Groceries

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Goodness. Remind me not to grocery shop at the store until after I pick up my Bountiful Baskets order. Come to think of it – never mind. We’ll eat all of this, and maybe I won’t have to buy as much next week. Maybe.  It is a good thing we have a second refrigerator because we have a lot of food in our house right now. Here’s how this week’s grocery shopping went for me:

On Tuesday night, we picked up our Azure Standard co-op order. I got 5 pounds of carrots, 6 pounds of yams, 5 pounds of peanuts, 25 pounds of red beans, 6 pounds of chicken thighs (not pictured), and 50 pounds of yellow potatoes (not pictured).

groceries feb25

I use roasted, unsalted peanuts (like the ones pictured above) to make delicious homemade peanut butter. If your family wants to avoid hydrogenated oils, but you don’t like the taste of plain, natural peanut butter – try this recipe. It’s incredible!

On Friday, I filled my cart at the store – mostly with price-matching items. I scored some great deals! I got apples, pears, sweet peppers, grape tomatoes, bananas, grapes (two varieties), spinach, mixed greens, baby carrots, cucumbers, and a cantaloupe.

groceries feb 27

Then on Saturday, I picked up my Bountiful Baskets order. Mmmmm! Asparagus, celery, apples, oranges, bananas, lettuce, pineapple, carrots, broccoli, sweet peppers, cucumbers, and avocados came in the surprise basket this time. Plus, I had ordered 28 pounds of green beans. It was perfect timing for these to be offered since we are almost out of our garden-grown green beans from last summer.

groceries feb 28 (1)

I had also ordered heirloom tomatoes and strawberries. It feels like a little taste of summer with these goodies!

groceries feb 28 (2)

I’d say our family is pretty well set for at least one week – if not two. I am so thankful we have such great sources for such great food!

We are feeding a big group of high school kids from our youth group here on Sunday night, and I plan to put out a big plate of veggies and a big plate of fruit along with sliced ham, french bread, and Angeled Eggs. Maybe I’ll need to grocery shop next week after all. :)

Here’s what’s on our menu this week:

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Fruit and Veggie Side Dishes (I serve 1-4 with every meal)

  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Sweet Potato Fries
  • Asparagus
  • Mushrooms
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Cucumbers
  • Clementines
  • Oranges
  • Apples
  • Applesauce
  • Tomatoes
  • Green Leaf Lettuce
  • Mixed Greens
  • Spinach
  • Green Beans
  • Peas
  • Strawberries
  • Bananas
  • Pineapple
  • Cantaloupe
  • Avocados
  • Grapes

We’ll be heading out of state for our end-of-season Homeschool Basketball Tournament on Thursday night. I’ll be saving many of the “packable” fruits and veggies to take along with us to munch on all weekend.

Because I’m sure you’re dying to know:  The toilet is still sitting right outside my kitchen – but looooook! There is tile on our new bathroom wall and floor…

bathroom 8

It looks so very pretty! My husband is a work horse right now. I am thanking him by loading his plate with heirloom tomatoes and fresh green beans.  I do what I can.  ;)

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Menu Plan for This Week and a Freezer/Pantry Challenge Update

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Well, with my huge stock-pile of food, we are still doing just fine with only purchasing fresh produce, eggs, and dairy. Confession:  You will see a little package of Hormel’s Naturals lunch meat in this grocery shopping picture from this week. I needed some slivered ham for a fun breakfast idea my friend Brenda told me about at Bunco. I had to have it, yes I did. You’ll be thankful she told me about this and that I veered off course just enough to buy it. Just wait until I share the recipe. :)

jan 22

This isn’t everything, by the way. I had to make a mid-week run to the store since we were almost out of everything fresh.
I got cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and I can’t remember what else because it’s gone already.

Can you believe I bought strawberries in January?? I can’t even believe it. Somehow, they were a great price and actually looked good. This never happens in Nebraska, but seeing as we are having 50° weather, it does sort of feel like spring. Even if these strawberries aren’t as delicious as they are in the summertime, I figure that at the very least we can choke them down with some Chocolate Whipped Cream. Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem.

I bought three packages of blueberries this week – woohoo for price matching! I also price-matched broccoli, cauliflower, and apples. This price-matching thing has been saving me a bundle.

Speaking of which, I am excited to share that our family has seen some significant grocery budget savings this month since I’ve bought only fresh food and have avoided buying anything for our freezers or pantry. We will be ending the month with spending at just a tad over $400. This number is fantastic for my family in this season of life. (Oh my, I remember the days I spent less than that for everything including meat and pantry staples. Hello, teenage appetites.)

I have also found it interesting to note that it takes between $100-$130 per week to keep us in fresh produce, eggs, and milk. Seem like a lot? I beg to differ. That amount goes a long way toward awesome nutrition so it is very, very worth it. I also love thinking about how our preserved garden produce helps keep that amount as low as it is. I also (how many times can I use also in the same paragraph?) realize how blessed we are that our fresh milk and eggs are priced so very reasonably.

And now, here is our list of menu items for this week. What a blessing to have so much variety and so much good food!

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Fruit and Veggie Sides (I serve 1-4 with each meal)

If you are also taking an “Eat from the Pantry and Freezer” Challenge, I’d love to hear how it is going for you!

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Menu Plan for the Week and My Grocery Budget Goals for January

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Now that we’re back from our holiday travels, I have felt the need to clean out some of our pantry and freezer items. Buying in bulk and buying ahead really works well for our family, but I’m thinking it may be a good idea to dig down to the bottom of my storage containers and freezers to see what random items I’ve kept pushing to the side for the last few months. I have plenty of meat, plenty of frozen vegetables and fruit, plenty of pasta, plenty of so many food items!

So I thought to myself, “What if? What if each week during January (and maybe February?) I only buy fresh produce from the store, eggs and milk from our local sources, and (wait for it)…nothing else? What if I forced myself to think simply, to use what we have, and to be creative?”

I’m really not sure if this little experiment is going to work for me. The beauty of buying in bulk when I come across a sale is that I pretty much never run out of anything we need and pretty much never have to pay full price for anything. One or two months of eating from our food storage and not taking advantage of deals might set me back a little bit. Plus, whatever shall I do if I run out of applesauce?!?!??!?!

Right. I am not going to run out of applesauce.

applesauce_2

There are dozens more jars where this came from. We had a great apple year.

Recovering from my bulk-food-obsession-panic, I realized that there will likely be good deals to be found in February and March when I’m ready to stock up again. Duh.  In the meantime, I think we’ll see some big grocery budget savings. Sweet!

Our menu this week reflects all the food I have ingredients to make without having to shop. Because this is the beginning of our experiment, I have plenty to work with. And who am I kidding? My family could probably eat well for more than three or four months with all the food I have stored away. It’s like a Coppinger Family Grocery Store in my back room. I’d show you a picture, but it’s freezing in that room and therefore a terrible mess because it’s too cold to organize, and I’m not humble enough to share the insanity all over the internet.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

 Fruit and Veggie Sides (I serve 1-4 with every meal)

  • Spicy Avocado Dip
  • Sliced Cucumbers
  • Baby Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Mixed Greens
  • Spinach
  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Oranges
  • Blackberries
  • Applesauce
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Pineapple
  • Zucchini

Have you ever done an “Eat from the Pantry and Freezer” Challenge? Anybody care to join me in this little experiment? That way, on January 31 at the end of this challenge, together we can enjoy eclectic meals of whatever is left of our rice, tuna, and of course, applesauce. Don’t forget the applesauce.

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

Build Your Menu Planning Notebook

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If you could find the perfect combination of cute, practical, helpful, easy, and affordable – would you finally be convinced that menu planning isn’t such a drag after all? If someone could hold your hand and walk you through everything you need to do to plan healthy meals for your family – would you jump on board and enjoy the ride? If you found a menu planning system that was just right for you, instead of a one-size-fits-all mess that leaves you frustrated – would you say, “sign me up.”

It’s here! You are going to love the Build Your Menu Planning Packet. Your fun is just about to begin, and just wait till you see the extra special spin we’ve put on this so that you can bless others too!

The Build Your Menu Planning Packet is a resource that will not only simplify your grocery shopping and meal planning organization – it will make the job easy and enjoyable. This packet is full of 124 pages of printables, offering you guidance (and cuteness!) in everything from stocking your pantry, to planning simple menus, to freezer cooking, to having company – and everything else in between.

Build Your Menu Planning Notebook 550x

Here’s a tiny peek into the planning categories this packet includes:

Step By Step - Build Your Own Menu Planning Notebook

In each of the categories you see above, you’ll get to pick and choose from your favorites, printing and putting together a notebook that’s just right for you. Don’t like some of the styles? Skip it and print the ones you do like! Need your notebook to be heavy on Freezer Cooking Planners but don’t need the Lunch Box Planners? Okeedokee. The planners you like and need are the ones that make it into your notebook.

Here’s a list of each section of the Build Your Menu Planning Notebook Packet:

Basic Ingredients to Keep On Hand Lists

From chicken to beef in your freezer, to cans of tuna and salmon in your pantry – knowing what meats you like to keep on hand for meal preparation is very helpful. The same goes for baking supplies, dry goods, and all other ingredients you use regularly in your kitchen. Within each category on the worksheet, fill in each ingredient you find beneficial to have available in your kitchen in order to efficiently put together basic meals.

Once filled in, use this page as a guide for grocery list making, as well as for a general guideline to help you keep your kitchen well stocked.

Fruit and Vegetable Inspiration at a Glance

We all need many servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Challenge yourself to include more of these nutrient packed goodies in your diet. Use the Fruit and Vegetable Inspiration at a Glance sheet to offer you fresh ideas and to open your mind to variety. Be sure to fill in the blanks with more of your favorite produce items.

Menu Favorites Cheat Sheets

These worksheets are super handy for keeping a running list of all your favorite recipes and meals. They are organized by category so that when you plan your meals, all you have to do is glance through your Cheat Sheets for inspiration and ideas.

Menu Planners

This section is loaded with a wide variety of menu planning pages to help you schedule meals for each week. Choose your favorites, mix and match, print and enjoy!

Grocery Checklists

Choose and print your favorite Grocery List worksheets. Tear them out of your notebook one at a time as you plan your menus and make lists of items to purchase at the store or online.

Online Shopping Lists

If you purchase groceries online from sources like Amazon or Vitacost, it’s helpful to have a running list so that you remember what to order once you make it to the computer.

Freezer Cooking Planners

You might find that making meals ahead of time and storing them in the freezer for a quick meal will save you lots of time and money!

“What’s in the Freezer” sheets

Have a freezer full of meat, fruits, vegetables, and prepared foods? Make lists of what’s in your freezer and attach it to the front of your freezer for an easy reference so that you don’t have to dig around to see what’s hiding behind the frozen chicken.

Planning Ahead for Company Worksheets

Hosting guests? These worksheets will help you plan your menus and prepare meals efficiently so you can enjoy your company.

Baking Day Planners

Need to get some baking done so that you’ll have easy-to-grab snacks and breakfast foods for your family? Use these worksheets to help you plan.

Lunch Packing Planners

If you need to pack lunches for school and/or work, creating a plan will help you do this more efficiently. Fill out any of these worksheets to help you and your family prepare healthy lunches to go.

Cover Pages

Find one that fits you. Print it and slip it behind the clear protector on the front of your binder.

When I built my personal Menu Planning Notebook, I printed 52 Weekly Menu Planners so I’d have one for each week of the year. Some of the planners work well for the way I plan, so that’s what I printed. I chose my favorite designs – the ones that really jumped out at me.

After I had my Weekly Planners in place, I picked my favorites from all the other planning choices:  Freezer Cooking, Baking Day, Getting Ready for Company…

My notebook is all put together now, and working on it seriously makes me giddy. Pretty pages, just waiting to be filled in to help me with organization as I work to feed my family? I love it!

Now the even better news.

Anytime you buy an eBook or downloadable packet like this, you get to use it for yourself, and that’s it.

Here you go! Let the Menu Planning Notebook building begin!

Build Your Menu Planning Collection

$9.95

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=14]

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

Menu Plan for the Week, Plus the Best Way to Wash the Car

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I should never be surprised anymore when I see my kids doing something “the boy way.” Just last week, Matt sent one of our boys to scrub something off the side of our van. Here’s what I came across when I saw him doing the job:

washing the car

Why go to the trouble of walking all the way upstairs to get the real spray bottle when you can just use a water gun, right? Of course, this means it’s very easy to squirt unsuspecting brothers who happen to be walking by…

In other news, we had a wonderful houseful of company all weekend! We ate like kings and queens, visited like there’s no tomorrow, and while the guys golfed, the girls shopped. I love my boys so much, but when I have a chance to shop with females? Well, it is lovely.

Cheesy Cauliflower Cakes

Heya, have you tried this Cheesy Cauliflower Cakes recipe yet? If not, you really must. They taste like hashbrowns, only better. The pickiest of my kids love them. They are a fantastic way to eat cauliflower. (Actually, if you ask me, they are the only way to eat cauliflower.)

Without further ado, here is our menu plan for this week:

Sunday, October 12
Breakfast potluck at church – taking banana bread and apples
Leftovers from the weekend feasting
Grilled cheese, homemade tomato soup, pickles, olives, cucumbers with ranch

Monday, October 13
Blueberry coffee cake, applesauce
Barbecue beef and cheese hot pockets, pineapple mango smoothies with spinach tossed in, carrot sticks
Baked three cheese chicken pasta, tossed salad, asparagus

Tuesday, October 14
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, scrambled eggs, pears
Potato soup with ham, carrots and cucumbers with ranch, apples
Salmon patties, cheesy cauliflower cakes, steamed broccoli

Wednesday, October 15
Quick mix biscuits, sausage gravy, blueberries
Pizza boats, nectarines, sweet peppers
Taco potatoes with lettuce and tomatoes, fresh pineapple

Thursday, October 16
Quick mix pancakes with frozen berries tossed in
Taco corn fritters, tossed salad, pears
Turkey sausage and red bean stew, cornbread

Friday, October 17
Cinnamon swirl bread, peanut butter and apples
Sloppy cornbread muffins, peas, cucumbers and carrots
Homemade pizza, tossed salad, peaches

Saturday, October 18
Cream cheese pumpkin muffins, fried eggs, applesauce
Leftovers
Sweet pepper frittata, grapes, tossed salad

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Be sure to grab a bucket of Palm Shortening for 40% off with free shipping! Sunday is the final day the palm shortening is on sale. Details here.

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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!

Menu Plan for the Week ~ The Boys Are Back in Town

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After a very busy and full three months of travel, mission trips, family reunions, and church camps – our family is all home and back together again. We have loved all the great experiences we’ve had all summer, especially loving that our boys have had such rich times of spiritual growth at church camp. We also really loved seeing family we don’t get to see very often. But being home together again and settling into a routine? We are so thankful!

I counted.  In all 31 days of July, I was home only 7 days. And those 7 little days I was home? I was only able to do bare minimum, like laundry and packing for the next trip. Phew! My house is dirty. My computer work is backed up. I don’t even know what’s in the back of my fridge. No matter. I’m refreshed and ready to settle back into home and work life again.

Also? I’ve missed you.  I really needed the computer break. I needed the break from writing day after day. I needed to step away from all the work it takes to keep up with this blog. Now that I’ve had this time of refreshment and break from the norm, I am so ready to sit here with you, sharing what I’ve learned, hearing about your experiences, and serving alongside you as we create heavenly homes and love our families together.

So, hi! I’m back. Praise God for how He works and the opportunities He provides to give us just what we need. I hope your summer has been full of God and the perfect lessons He teaches as we seek His will.

Fresh Peaches

Our peach trees are giving us all kinds of delicious fruit right now.
What a great treat to come home to!

In other news:  As of today, I am 41 years old. It’s been a fun, happy birthday so far with all my men spoiling me. I look forward to celebrating my birthday with you, too. Watch for fun sales starting tonight!

Fresh Peaches 2

Fresh banana bread and sliced peaches right off the tree? Perfection.

Now how about a menu plan? I haven’t written one for the past few weeks, so here’s hoping I still remember how. After all, all the boys are back home, and a couple of them grew several inches during the summer. I’m getting shorter and shorter all the time in this family of growing boys. People who haven’t seen them for a few weeks have commented that they didn’t even recognize them at first. Seriously, these teenage boy growth spurts are nuts. Wow, I love these kids – and their appetites.

pasta salad bar 3

Have you tried this great Pasta Salad Bar idea yet? What are you waiting for?!

Here’s this week’s menu plan:

Sunday, August 3 (Happy Birthday to me)
Banana bread, strawberries
Out to lunch for a birthday treat
Shrimp and veggie stir-fry with asparagus, broccoli, yellow squash, carrots, and zucchini; watermelon

Monday, August 4 (We start our school year today)
Whole wheat waffles, strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream
Meat and cheese burritos, sweet peppers, olives, pineapple mango smoothies (with spinach blended in)
Italian cream cheese chicken, tossed salad, asparagus

Tuesday, August 5
Honey cinnamon muffins, scrambled eggs, raspberries
Chef salad, banana bread, watermelon
Grilled barbeque chicken, corn on the cob, garden green beans, fried zucchini

Wednesday, August 6
Cream cheese filled crepes, fresh berries
Baked potatoes in the crock pot topped with ham, cheese, sour cream, and peas; cantaloupe
Burgers on the grill, zucchini-cheese casserole, tomatoes, pickles, honey dew melon

Thursday, August 7
Fried eggs, sausage, cantaloupe, blueberries
Baked beans with hot dogs, strawberry peach slushies, carrots and cucumbers with homemade ranch
Lamb chops, cheesy cauliflower cakes, tossed salad, green beans

Friday, August 8
Raspberry oatmeal bars, applesauce, cheese
Pasta salad bar with lots of veggies, watermelon
Chicken veggie quesadillas, tossed salad, cantaloupe

Saturday, August 9
Scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, creamy orange cooler with spinach blended in
Leftovers
Salmon patties, tossed salad, sweet peppers, cucumbers, strawberries with chocolate cream

What’s on your menu this week? Have any fun plans?

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Menu Plan For the Week

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Today has been so much fun! We already had plans for several to come over for lunch after church. Then, out of the blue, it worked for my brother and his family of six to drive up for the day. Suddenly, I had 20 people at my house for lunch. It was loud, crazy, and awesome. I love it when God gives us bonus blessings we weren’t counting on!

Here’s our menu plan for this week:

Sunday, March 23
Oatmeal breakfast bars, pears
Roast, potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, rolls, ice cream
Small group: Sloppy joes with fun side dishes brought by others

Monday, March 24
Strawberry cream muffins, applesauce
Easy noodle stir fry with broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and zucchini
Orange chicken, rice, peas, tossed salad

Tuesday, March 25
Fried eggs on toast, oranges
Crustless Pizza, green machine milkshakes, sweet peppers, olives
Italian cream cheese chicken, tossed salad, roasted asparagus

Wednesday, March 26
Dark chocolate almond granola, kiwi
Tuna casserole, peas, strawberries
Lamb chops, baked potatoes, green beans, creamy coleslaw

Thursday, March 27
Cream cheese pumpkin muffins, bananas
Black bean chicken nachos, fruit and yogurt smoothies
Alfredo sauce with pasta, tossed salad, steamed broccoli and carrots

Friday, March 28
Easy breakfast casserole, clementines
Calzones, sweet peppers, cucumbers with ranch, carrot sticks
Lasagna casserole, tossed salad, corn

Saturday, March 29
Quick mix pancakes, blueberries
Leftovers
Beef stew, cornbread, tossed salad

Have you tried the Green Machine Milkshakes yet? They are surprisingly delicious!

Green Machine Milkshakes

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Menu Plan for the Week – The Four Boys Edition

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I had almost forgotten about this Blueberry Coffeecake recipe. It was perfect for breakfast this morning before we headed out to church. (I baked it last night so that it would be ready to serve!)

blueberry_coffeecake

This week, we decided to get our four boys into the kitchen for some more intense cooking experiences. They each get to take one full day, and have full responsibility for planning, cooking, and clean-up. That’s not to say that they won’t have help and guidance. But the majority of the work is up to them. It’s been lots of fun helping them plan their meals! They really had to give thought to their plans so that they would make the menu balanced throughout the day. I believe I should do this more often!

Later this week, I’ll share some pictures and tell you how it’s been going. 

Sunday, April 21
Blueberry coffee cake
Scrambled egg sandwiches, apples, baby carrots
Huddle at our friend’s house

Monday, April 22 – Asa’s day
Breakfast cake muffins, fruit
Chicken nuggets, homemade french fries, peas
Tacos

Tuesday, April 23 – Elias’ day
French toast, fruit
Homemade corndogs, pears, plums
Hamburger cream cheese dip, veggie yet to be determined, key lime pie

Wednesday, April 24 – Justus’ day
Chocolate chocolate chip muffins, fruit
Pasta alfredo, steamed broccoli and carrots
Chicken fried steak strips, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans

Thursday, April 25 – Malachi’s day
Breakfast cookies, fruit
Calzones, baby carrots
Lasagna, tossed salad, death by chocolate

Friday, April 26
Peanut butter honey toast, oranges
Meat and cheese burritos, tomatoes, fresh pineapple
Easy noodle stir fry with chicken, broccoli, carrots, asparagus, and zucchini

Saturday, April 27
Scrambled eggs, fruit-kefir smoothies
Leftovers
Grilled salmon, baked potatoes, green beans, tossed salad

Stay tuned to see how the boys do with executing their menu plans!! :)

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