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Recipes I Miss Making!

July 27, 2022 by Laura 3 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I don’t have time for this right now. But I wonder if you might? Here are some recipes I miss making!

None of these recipes is hard, which is why I felt that it was worth putting them into a list as a suggestion of recipes you might want to check out. These are some of the recipes I hope to make again once our little ones are a few years older!

Recipes I Miss

  • Peanut Butter
  • Ranch Salad Dressing
  • French Dressing
  • French Onion Dip
  • Italian Salad Dressing
  • Creamy Mac and Cheese (So easy, I just don’t have the ability to stand at the stove this long!)

The salad dressing recipes above are sooooo much healthier than anything I can find at the store. That’s why I miss making them. I kind of just “don’t read the ingredient list” on the kind I’m buying right now, ha!

What’s fun is this:

While there are several recipes on my site that I find too complicated to ever attempt again (see that list here!), I’m looking and seeing that MOST recipes are still incredibly doable even during our busiest seasons in life!

Click on any of these links to get dozens of recipes that are easy, healthy, and fun for families!

  • Bread and Breakfast
  • Condiments
  • Dairy
  • Desserts
  • Gluten Free
  • High Five Recipes
  • Natural Sugar Treats
  • Main Dishes
  • Side Dishes and Snacks
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Meals I’m Making with my Grocery Haul

May 8, 2022 by Laura 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I recently shared details about all the groceries I bought in April. Some have asked, “What meals do you make with all of these groceries?” So I decided to give you a peek into what I’ve done with all this food!

If you’d like to see more specifics about what I bought and how much I spent (oy!), you can do that here.

 

First, did you see that I bought quite a few boxes of prepared snacks at Costco and Sam’s? Yep, it’s soccer season! I used all of the following groceries for snacks either to take to the ball field or on stroller walks for the littles:

  • Granola Bites
  • Yogurt Squeezies
  • Heavenly Hunk Snacks
  • Fruit Bars
  • Gogurt
  • Applesauce Squeezies

Next, it can be assumed that all of the fresh fruits and veggies I pick up throughout the month serve as snacks between meals or as side dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Along with frozen veggies, I typically keep these on hand as much as possible:

  • Mixed Greens
  • Spinach
  • Broccoli
  • Petite Carrots
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Clementines
  • Pears
  • Apples
  • Grapes

Now, here’s an idea of some of the meals I put together with some of groceries I bought in April:

  1. I used the canned chicken and croissants that I got at Costco to make a meal of Chicken Salad on croissants with spinach.
  2. I used the Cinnamon Streusel Bread from Costco along with eggs from our neighbor to make french toast. SOOO good.
  3. We marinated the chicken thighs in barbecue sauce, then threw the chicken on the smoker. This is one of our favorite meals!
  4. Usually, on Fridays, we make a simple meal of chicken nuggets and fries in our Air Fryer. We call this “French Fry Friday.” But I also call it “Mom’s Night Off.”
  5. We used the pizza-making-kit to have a fun pizza night. Everyone loved this!
  6. The loaves of bread I bought were used to make quick sandwiches. All of the adults in our family often need to eat on the run, so it’s good that I keep bread and lunchmeat on hand for them. Also, about once each week we make peanut butter sandwiches for lunch for the little ones.
  7. I also used a loaf of bread along with the sliced cheese to make a meal of grilled cheese sandwiches. I served it with tomato soup, which I already had on hand, and fruits and veggies.
  8. I plan to use the Tilapia for fish tacos soon!
  9. I baked the package of hamburger patties and put together burgers for all of us to eat while watching Malachi play a soccer game one evening. We went through almost the entire package of 18 burgers that night because an outing like that calls for all hands on deck!

That’s some of us at a recent soccer game. :)

Snacks I made with these groceries

  1. I used the almond butter from Costco to make two big batches of Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites. I love having these on hand for the kids to eat. (I already had honey and coconut flour to use in this recipe.)
  2. I used the baking ingredients to make muffins. We eat muffins like crazy at our house, working our way through these recipes.
  3. I use all of the mixed greens and frozen fruit to make our daily smoothies. (Like this for the grown-ups. Like this for the kids.)

Justus College Graduation Party

Our Justus graduated from college at the end of April. We had a “Fire Pit Party” so much of the food I’d picked up from Costco or Sam’s was set aside for this gathering. I filled in some gaps with a last-minute Walmart pickup order.

  • Hotdogs, Brats, and Buns
  • Boxes of Individual Chips
  • Potato Salad
  • Grapes
  • Strawberries with Cream Cheese Parfait
  • Small water bottles

Stay tuned for a post coming soon that shares the cost breakdown for some of these meals!

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The Easiest Spicy Ham and Potato Soup (Crock Pot Recipe)

February 16, 2022 by Laura 3 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I wanted to call this easy Spicy Ham and Potato Soup “Dump Soup.” But that didn’t sound appealing. So I took out the “dump” – good call, right? Still, you should know that all we have to do to make this soup is “dump” the ingredients into the crockpot. SO EASY.

Yum

This Spicy Ham and Potato Soup is basically this soup remade. I cut out some steps and made it in the crockpot. You’ll love how much easier the revisions make this recipe!

Also, you should know that I’m obsessed with this soup. I almost never eat seconds of any meal. But when I make this soup, I eat thirds. Aren’t you proud?

The Easiest Spicy Ham and Potato Soup (Crock Pot Recipe)

5.0 from 1 reviews
The Easiest Spicy Ham and Potato Soup (Crock Pot Recipe)
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 8-ounces cream cheese
  • 16-ounces pepper jack cheese
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
  • 10-ounce can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)
  • 1 pound ham, diced or cut into small bites
  • 3-4 cups frozen hashbrown potatoes
  • 32-ounces chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients into a crock pot.
  2. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
  3. Occasionally, stir the soup to help distribute the cheeses.
  4. Just before serving, use a whisk to smooth the melted cheese.
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I love eating this soup just as it is. Some in my family love to added shredded cheese and fritos. The pepper jack cheese in this soup gives it a nice, spicy kick that is so amazing!

If you make this soup with frozen hashbrowns (I like Mr. Dells brand as it contains only potatoes) it is extra easy to put together!

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

Easy Lemon Chicken Zucchini for Breakfast

October 24, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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

Chicken and zucchini for breakfast?

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

Easy Lemon Chicken ZucchiniYum

 

lemon chicken squash

We used a yellow summer squash for this one!

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

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

Lemonize at your own risk.

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

What are your thoughts on squash for breakfast?


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

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

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

Grilled Pizza Tortillas – a 10 Minute Meal!

June 27, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

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I shared a similar idea a few years ago, and it’s good enough that I’m bringing it back! Not sure what to make for dinner? Have everyone build Pizza Tortillas. Then throw them on the grill!

Yum

This isn’t even a recipe. This is all too easy. You can look at the picture and know exactly what to do because it is self-explanatory.

Laura answers the hard questions about making Grilled Pizza Tortillas below:

  • What is the base of this Grilled Pizza Tortilla you speak of? That would be a…tortilla.
  • How many tortillas should we use? However many your family can eat.
  • What should I put on top of my Grilled Pizza Tortilla? Whatever you want. I suggest pizza toppings. Those make the best kind of pizzas.
  • How much of the toppings should I use? As much or as little as you like.
  • What kind of cheese should I use? What kind of cheese do you like? {Laura answers a question with a question}
  • Where do I cook Grilled Pizza Tortillas? On the grill.
  • How long do I cook Grilled Pizza Tortillas? Until they are done.
  • Sauce or no sauce? Now that’s a good question. I mean, they were all good questions. 

But about the sauce…

I skip the sauce on these Grilled Pizza Tortillas. I think they cook better and taste better when they are sauce-less, with the cheese directly on the tortilla, then toppings on top of the cheese. But THEN. After you cook them, you can dip them in pizza sauce as you’re eating. Perfection!

So now you know all about making Grilled Pizza Tortillas. Your family will love this!

Want more super fast food ideas for this summer?

  • Fast No-Brainer Stir-Fry
  • 5-Minute Crock Pot Chicken
  • Grilled Burgers with this Easy Tasty Topping
  • Simple Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin or Roast (Crock Pot Recipe)

June 20, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Here we are with another super fast meal for summertime! This Simple Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin will wow everyone!

Yum

There’s something about the combination of flavors poured over this pork tenderloin (or pork roast) that makes it so very good. It slow cooks all day, so that makes the meat extra juicy and the flavor extra amazing. Simply put a Pork Tenderloin in your crockpot (these are inexpensive, by the way!), stir together a few ingredients to pour over the top of the meat, turn on your crockpot, and walk away!

What’s great about a meal like this is that well, a Pork Tenderloin or Pork Roast just feels like a special meal. You can serve it with:

  • a salad
  • a steamed veggie
  • and some fresh fruit

and your meal will be amazing!! But you will have worked very little to pull it off.

Meals like this are my favorite. Or have you figured that out about me by now? :)

Tip for choosing a cut of pork:

  • Check for meat mark-downs! Our local grocery store often has a high quality brand of pork marked down when it’s getting close to the “freeze-by” date. When I see these, I grab them! They are usually between $2-3/pound at this point, making for some very affordable and delicious meat options for our freezer!
  • Pork Tenderloin, Pork Butt (he-he-he, Pork Butt…I’m in middle school), and Pork Roast are my favorites. They turn out tender and juicy every time with this recipe!

Simple Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin or Roast (Crock Pot Recipe)

Simple Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin (Crock Pot Recipe)
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds Pork tenderloin
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
  1. Place the pork tenderloin in the crock pot.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
  3. Pour the mixture over the pork tenderloin.
  4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until pork is tender and falling apart.
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I hope the recent meal ideas I’ve shared recently have been helpful to you this summer as you figure out what to feed your family when it’s too hot to care about cooking. I’ll keep the recipes coming!

What I’ve shared so far:

  • Fast No-Brainer Stir-Fry
  • 5-Minute Crock Pot Chicken
  • Grilled Burgers with this Easy Tasty Topping
Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

5-Minute Crock Pot Chicken

June 9, 2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Can you really make 5-Minute Crock Pot Chicken in only 5 minutes? Try it and see! Maybe you can make it in only 4 minutes? :)

Meals like this are my very favorite:

  1. Throw chicken in a crockpot.
  2. Dump something on top of the chicken.
  3. Turn on the crockpot and come back at dinner time.

Add a simple vegetable, a salad, some fruit, and your meal is complete. It’s so easy and delicious and perfect for summertime right?

That’s why I’m going to share several days worth of 5-Minute recipes in the coming days! I’m always looking for quick meals in the summertime that don’t heat up the house. As much as I love to cook, I don’t enjoy it as much in the summer. So if we can have meals that both:

  • Take very little prep time and
  • Don’t heat up the house

We love it, right?!

Right.

So subscribe if you haven’t already so that you don’t miss any of these 5-Minute recipes!!! And now for our first one:

5-Minute Crock Pot ChickenYum

5-Minute Crock Pot Chicken
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • 4-6 boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 2 cups Italian dressing
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Place chicken pieces in a crock pot.
  2. Pour Italian dressing over the chicken.
  3. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
  4. Cook on low for 8 hours.
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I try to keep Homemade Italian Salad Dressing on hand if I can, which works great in this recipe! But any Italian dressing will work. So open a bottle and pour it on!

More 5-Minute Recipes coming. Stand by!

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

Best Leftover Mashed Potatoes You’ve Ever Had In Your Life

May 23, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Is it true? Are these really the best leftover mashed potatoes? Tasha says so, and after reading this, I agree!

Best Leftover Mashed Potatoes You’ve Ever Had In Your Life

By Tasha Hackett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The best leftover mashed potatoes. Okay! Sure. But the best? Lofty claims. I stand by my statement though. If you make the best mashed potatoes to begin with, which I do, reheating them is a breeze. Let me share my secrets with you. And yes. I know. Laura already told you six years ago. But dude, I’ve birthed three kids since then, it’s likely you could use a refresher as well.

Make leftovers on purpose.Yum

Yep! That’s my not so secret master plan to feed the people. I shared some stories on my Instagram about how food was really hard that day. I was sitting in the kitchen at 12:04 eating a homemade chocolate bar and the kids were running amok. There was no food. My kitchen was full of ingredients, but where was lunch?! This only happened because I lost my meal plan. True story. I wrote it all down on a scrap of paper. I went shopping for the ingredients. And then I lost the paper that was supposed to tell me what to do with those ingredients. (If only Laura had provided us really cute printout meal planning guides. Oh wait. She did!)

What’s the point? Yeah. The point is I had a pan of mashed potatoes in the fridge. I reheated it with a handful of cheese tossed on top. Opened a can of green beans and stirred in some bacon grease. Of course I gave them a handful of nuts for a smidge of protein and then I told them to eat and be thankful because Mom didn’t know what else to feed them.

mashed potatoes

You’re welcome, kids. Eat your leftover mashed potatoes.

Meh. It happens. Ain’t nobody going to starve today. Honestly, I shared because I felt the need to confess my homemaking woes. Like… Laura seriously makes food simple for us: Make a simple meal plan. Feed the people. I’m still the silly one who’s standing in the kitchen at 12:04 wondering what in the blazes I’m supposed to feed the people. Good, now that we have that confession out of the way. I will share with you the wisdom of leftover mashed potatoes.

First, make mashed potatoes. A lot of them. So many that your family can’t eat them all in one, two, three, four, or even five meals. Please tell me you’re following this train of thought, right? Make all the mashed potatoes. Do this when you have some spare time. On purpose. Your future self thanks you. Laura makes mashed potatoes like this. Easy peasy. If you want to do them the old fashioned way, peeling and chopping and boiling, just do yourself a favor and remember that you don’t need to chop them small! Big ol’ chunks of potatoes cook just as well when you are doing this well in advance of when you want to eat these.

mashed potatoes

You’ve a mountain of mashed potatoes. Now what?

Store them in baking pans. 9X13, 8X8, pie pans… anything that you can put in the oven for later. Sorry, back up–When you make your mashed potatoes, please, please, please add in all the butter, salt, and pepper. A touch of garlic is my standard and if you’re not on a dairy-free diet, be sure to add in cream cheese, and/or parmesan. Season them well, butter them well. Okay. Moving on. Your potatoes are cooked, seasoned, buttered, cheesed, and mashed. NOW separate them into meal sized portions in your extra baking dishes. You do have a plethora of extra dishes you’ve picked up at yard sales, right?

pan of mashed potatoes

Cover and freeze these leftover potatoes.

When you pull out the chicken to thaw for dinner, set out the pan of mashed potatoes. When you put the chicken in the oven, slide the potatoes in next to it. Boom. Done. Don’t ever serve cold mashed potatoes to your family again because you failed at getting everything on the table at the same time. Some people claim reheating these from the freezer makes them watery. I’ve never had this problem—perhaps because of the extra butter, cream cheese, and garlic powder… Either way. My preseasoned, prebuttered mashed potatoes from the freezer are a crowd favorite.

Is this clear to everyone? Yea? If you like to live on the edge like me, you will add more butter to the top of your pan of leftover mashed potatoes before you reheat it.

Please don’t ask me complicated questions like, “What temperature do you set the oven?” or “How long do they need to bake?” Girl… I put it in the oven and I cook it until it’s hot. (Sometimes I even put it in the microwave, don’t tell Laura, when it’s 12:04 and the people are hungry yesterday.) Count on at least half an hour if the pan is from the fridge, at least 45 min to an hour or more if it’s from the freezer. The size of your pan will make a difference. Stir it every 15 minutes if you want it to heat faster.

This works well if you’re serving it with something else that needs to go into the oven, like simple broccoli and bacon chicken. I would be sure to put it in the oven right away, don’t bother waiting for the preheat.

It’s not a 7 or 10 minute meal (unless you use the microwave) but it IS simple and doesn’t leave a mess and it’s GREAT for holidays or events and for Laura’s put-it-in-the-oven-leave-the-house-come-back-later trick.

Tell me. What’s in your potatoes?

What do we want? Mashed Potatoes!!!  When do we want it? Yesterday!!! Good job. Now you have a freezer well-stocked with yummy leftovers and you can have comfort food from scratch without the mess in your kitchen.


Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie, spends most of her time with four chatty children that she homeschools and her incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. Connect with her on Instagram @hackettacademy and learn more about her historical romance novel at www.TashaHackett.com. Sometimes, Tasha and Laura even catch a glimpse of each other across the soccer fields while they try to keep their toddlers from blowing away in the Nebraska wind.

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

Simple Spaghetti Squash for Delightful Sapiens

March 29, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

This is a regular (albeit amazing) spaghetti squash recipe. It’s intended for all people, mankind, and sapiens. However, WordPress informs me that titles with uncommon words perform better. Sapiens fits the bill. Ha!

Simple Paleo Spaghetti

I’ve been eating a paleo diet for over three months! Simple meals are slowly making their way back into my life. I spent the first month floundering and relearning how to use my kitchen. The second month I discovered all the “junk” food I could make with honey and maple syrup and and ate an insane amount of homemade chocolate. But I’m rocking this new diet now. My crowd-pleasing, feed-the-people meal is either a ginormous salad with Almond-Orange Dressing or spaghetti squash. (Or both.)

The spaghetti squash topic has already been covered by Laura. 

spaghetti squash

Yum

If you search on this sight you will find multiple spaghetti squash posts. Like how to cook it in an instant pot. (Highlights: Gut it. 5 minutes. Or leave whole and 20 minutes.) But, I had more information to share. I’ll see your spaghetti squash and I’ll raise you sausage. At first I was afraid this idea was too simple to even bother sharing, but after our great dinner last night with friends, they encouraged me to please share. Mostly because she wanted the “recipe.” 

Make it now. Eat it later. It’s a no-fuss dinner. 

Here’s how it went down. One morning I remembered I had a meeting scheduled at my house the next day. This meeting would last until suppertime. Therefore, I wanted to make something I could pop in the oven at four o’clock and then feed the delightful sapiens at five o’clock. No prep. No mess. 

While I was overseeing third-grade math and language arts I baked two spaghetti squash in the oven (In short, slice in half, gut, bake “bowl-down” at 350* for 40-50 minutes. Or use the instant pot. Or bake whole and gut later). I chopped romaine leaves and other vegetables for a nice salad and put it all-together in a bowl in the fridge to be served with the amazing Almond Orange Paleo Dressing. Next, I cooked two pounds of pork sausage. 

When the squash was thoroughly cooked, I pulled it from its shells with a fork. This next part is where it gets exciting. THEN I mixed it with the sausage and a can of pasta sauce and spread it all into a 9X13 pan. Done. Mostly. 

A pre-made simple meal!

The next day, I simply popped the pan into the oven and re-heated it at 350° for an hour. At five o’clock the smell filled the dining room and I remembered I had completely forgotten to extend the invitation to dinner to our friends. “Oh, hey. You guys wanna stay and eat with us? Dinner’s already in the oven. We’re having squash and salad and stuff.” Haha. Who could turn down an invitation like that? They stayed. A good time was had by all indeed. Especially by my four-year-old, who cleaned his plate and spent the majority of the meal explaining, in detail to fresh ears, everything he knew about dinosaurs. 

looking at books

Simple meal prep is the best kept secret for the ease of serving other sapiens.

I want to be able to host and feed the people at a moment’s notice. When I first switched to paleo, I wasn’t able to do this. How could I bless others when I was following detailed recipes that included ingredients I wasn’t used to and only had enough on hand for four servings? After weeks of learning new skills, I’ve been able to put Laura’s good advice to work with my new diet requirements. I have pre-formed Salisbury steak (fancy burgers) in the freezer. I have riced cauliflower and shrimp on hand for quick and fun stir-fry. My fridge is usually full-to-bursting with fresh vegetables for snacks and salads because that’s fast food around here. Homemade chocolates, almond flour muffins, and green smoothies are a new staple. Whatever your diet needs, there are ways to make it simpler. I’m sure of it! 

Premade Spaghetti Squash Dinner
 
Save Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 5 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • Two Spaghetti Squash
  • Two Pounds Pork Sausage (or regular ground beef or pork)
  • 24 ounces of pasta sauce of your choosing
  • If using a plain pasta sauce, add salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasonings to taste.
Instructions
  1. Slice the squash down the middle to make two bowls and discard the seeds with a spoon.
  2. Oil the cut rings and place bowl-down on a pan with edges. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.
  3. To check for doneness, a knife should easily slide into the squash.
  4. Brown the sausage in a skillet, pour off the extra grease if desired.
  5. Mix the squash, sausage, and sauce together. Add any extra seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, garlic, etc.)
  6. Serve immediately, or spread in a 9x13 and refrigerate up to three days.
  7. To reheat, put the cold pan in the the oven and then set to 350 for an hour.
3.5.3251

Have you ever given spaghetti squash a chance? 

I double-dog dare you to make it for dinner this week. Only mix in some great sausage and pasta sauce and voilá: Simple dinner for the masses. Just to be clear: viola is a musical instrument (played by skilled sapiens). Because I already knew that, I did not *ahem* need to search the web for the proper spelling of the French term “to suggest an appearance as if by magic.” Ya learn something new every day!


Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie, a Christian historical romance releasing Spring 2021, is fueled by sunshine, paleo pudding, or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available. Though she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.TashaHackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy

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Heavenly Homemakers’ Reader Favorite Recipes (The Best of the Best!)

March 3, 2021 by Bethany Lotulelei 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Today we’ve got a list of our most well loved recipes!

We’ve been sharing recipes here on Heavenly Homemakers now for over a decade. During that time, we’ve created hundreds of recipes for you to share with your family! Some of you have been reading Heavenly Homemakers since the very beginning, and have incorporated these recipes into your family’s meal plan for the past decade.

Readers are often messaging me, sharing their very favorite recipes that they have made and loved for years! I love this, because it reminds me of recipes I haven’t made myself for quite some time!

Recently we asked our Heavenly Homemakers’ community on Facebook (if you aren’t following us, join the fun here!) what their absolute favorite recipe was from our website. We asked them, what was one recipe that they return to again and again. A recipe that have become a family favorite over the years.

We received so many responses that we decided to share that list with you today! We have SO many fun recipes on our site, but we thought you would enjoy a hand-picked list from other readers.

Top 15 Reader Favorite Recipes

1. Spicy Chicken Pizza

Yum

Says reader Kim: “I made the Spicy Chicken Pizza today and EVERYONE loved it!! Definitely going to be made often in our home!”

2. Chocolate Pudding

Homemade sweet chocolate mouse in the glass,selective focus

Reader Christine wrote: “Chocolate pudding!!! I use it for my pies every holiday season and they always, always get rave reviews. And it isn’t so unhealthy either!”

3. Peanut Butter Cups

Says reader Kim: “The peanut butter cups! Such a healthy, delicious treat”

4. Ranch Dressing

This recipe was mentioned over and over again by readers!

5. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Erin said: “Most used (almost weekly for years) would be chocolate chip pumpkin muffins.”

6. Taco Seasoning

Lisa wrote: “Taco seasoning, yes! Fine recipe, but I love to reread it because all the shaking makes me laugh.”

7. Alfredo Sauce

Kristin wrote: “Alfredo…my kids would eat it every week if I made it.”

8. Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

Shannon wrote: “Raspberry granola bars. It was the first recipe I made from you and what made me start following your blog. We are still making them 5 years later (round about).”

9. Creamy Cheesy Chicken Pasta

Rebekah wrote: “I have so many how do I pick. Creamy cheesy chicken pasta, stir and pour bread, breakfast casserole, strawberry fluff stuff. Do you See my problem.”

10. Coconut Flour Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Jackie wrote: “I make the cheddar drop biscuits all the time.”

11. Creamy Chicken and Rice

Teresa had a few favorites: “Italian dressing mix (I use it on so many things) and creamy chicken and rice!”

12. Giant Breakfast Cookies

This recipe was brought up again and again! Stephanie said: “Most used for us… giant breakfast cookies, raspberry oatmeal bars, and several of the muffin varieties. Thank you!!”

13. Sloppy Joes

Several readers mentioned that they make this Sloppy Joe recipe over and over!

14. Warm Vanilla Soother

Perfect for this time of year, reader Tara put her vote in for this comforting drink!

15. Tortillas

Several readers said they loved the tortilla recipe! You can find that recipe in the Totally Tortillas eBook! Gain access to this eBook, and countless others, by joining our Club Membership!

Honorable Mentions

Here is a list of the most well-loved recipes on Heavenly Homemakers!

Several other recipes didn’t make the top fifteen list, but were reader faves all the same! Here are a few more recipes that readers have tried and loved.

  • Banana Chocolate Bread
  • Applesauce Bread
  • Cheesecake Factory Salad
  • Butterscotch Bars
  • Dark Chocolate Granola
  • Black Bean Corn Salsa
  • Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
  • Cheesy Bean Dip
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Pineapple Mango Smoothie
  • Pretzels

Now the only question is, which one are you going to try first?!

Your turn to share! What is your absolute favorite recipe you’ve found on Heavenly Homemakers? Share in the comments!

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P.S. This week only, be sure not to miss the 2022 Home Management Bundle —> Head here to get this at 97% off. OR, read here first to see why I think it’s worth it. :)

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