I’ve actually made a full menu this week and I’m trying not to eat out as much (especially with the boys). I’ve also done some things prior to menu planning in order to help us save money.
1. Start with my freezer. Since it is my smallest place for food, I don’t like to let it get too crowded (maybe in a few more years I’ll have room for a deep freezer). Then I plugged in some ingredients into Pinterest and came up with a few meals.
2. I made a shelf in my pantry for all the items I will need this week. That will help to ensure I have everything I need and also help in time management. It is much easier to look on one shelf than 5 shelves, especially with two toddlers wanting to help.
English Muffin Pizzas (Little Chef recipe coming soon)
Chili (freezer meal) and spoon bread
Vietnamese Chicken Salad. Good thing about this salad is the one thing I needed to buy was some of the produce. I love having a diversely-stocked pantry and spice cabinet
Fusili pasta with veggie sauce
Oreo Brownies with homemade chocolate sauce and homemade caramel sauce and whipped cream (for a grill out with friends)
I feel like the title of the book should be a country song – but I won’t venture there.
This is a more serious book with a serious message, not appropriate for a country song.
Megan Cox has become a friend of mine through another friend, and she has such a heart for ministering to women who have come from situations that no woman would desire. She shares much of her story in Give Her Wings, and that is one of the reasons that Give Her Wings is such a powerful book. When women share their story, where God met them, how God brought them new life from death, created a new heart where only death lived, it is a miraculous story.
She shares her story in this book and offers hope and counseling to women who might be struggling in similar situations. She ministers to women with God’s truth on her lips and understanding in her heart. This book speaks of that understanding and also can be used as a guide in how to minister to hurting women.
One of the best things I’ve read in this book is the following:
“Speak God’s truth into her life. She Scriptures that encourage and comfort. Remind her she is not alone. Bless her with the Word. If she heads condemnation, her crisis of faith may very well tip to the wrong direction.” (pg 89)
There is a spot of time that women who are coming out of hurting relationships are open to hearing God’s truth. Relationships can be redeemed by God’s Love and Justice. He can bring healing. And it is books like this that offer that Love, hope, and truth to hurting women.
This is a bit of a different week for us, but I still always want to be about using my creative nature in the kitchen for my family and others.
And lest you think I always cook, the drive-thru ladies at our neighborhood McDonalds and the guy at Wendy’s know us! And our boys love making them laugh and saying hello!
A pound cake for a special person and a guest coming over (real whipped cream on the way, folks)
I didn’t grow up on homemade cookies. The closest we got were a couple of Christmas goodies I remember my Mom training me to bake and Publix cookies. Oreos were always my favorite and of course I was a Girl Scout so the peanut butter sandwich cookies were my favorite thin – now, it is the Thin Mints, hands down.
But, now, sometimes, I wake up thinking about chocolate chip cookies. Who knows? But, I woke up this morning thinking about cookies. It was raining. I have boys. Friends were coming over. No time to go to the store. This is how these amazing cookies started.
A new friend gave me some toffee on a recent trip to the Triangle. I had mini chips in the freezer. My mom always stocks my pantry full of pecans, and I had bars of chocolate in my baking stash.
These are the perfect chewy consistency. Nice and big but not too flat. I tweaked a recipe and it turned out great. I hope you enjoy!
Dark Chocolate Pecan Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Author: kd316
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24-30
These chewy chunky toffee cookies will be a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Half cup each:
chopped toffee
mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
chopped milk chocolate
1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray baking sheets.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream together the butter and the sugars.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Add in the dry ingredients and stir together.
Fold in the add-ins.
Do not over mix
I got 6 cookies per baking sheet – so these are pretty generous cookies.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Do not over bake.
Let cool for 1-2 minutes and remove to a cooling rack. If you let them stay on the baking sheets, the toffee will stick to the pan.
My husband would quickly tell you that my favorite meal would either consist entirely of macaroni and cheese or maybe just throw a good medium steak topped with onion and mushrooms on the side for some more protein.
So, since my younger son is teething and longs for soft foods, I decided today would be the day to make some homemade cheesy goodness for their dinner – and to have as a side to some leftover bbq sliders for my husbands dinner.
Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe Type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Pasta
Author: kd316
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Southern, baked, double the cheese, heavy cream – how delicious!
Ingredients
1 box elbow pasta, cooked to al dente according to directions
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 T dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup whole milk
7 oz grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
2 T cold unsalted butter
2 oz shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Cook pasta according to directions. Cook with oil and salted water – so your pasta doesn’t clump together.
In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together until no clumps remain.
Add in milk and cream and spices.
Add in sharp cheddar.
When all is blended together, fold in pasta.
When pasta is all coated, sprinkle on Italian bread crumbs.
Cut the butter in tiny pieces and place on top of the pasta.
Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes until cheese on top is melted and browned.
There is a whole new movement called Illustrated Faith. Just a group of people wanting to meditate on the Word of God by making their Bibles more colorful. Really, my Bible has never been more colorful – but here are some real reasons I do it.
I can get easily bored with just reading the Word. I’ve not found it helpful in retention to read on my iphone. I read it there – but if I’m really wanting to study and read for retention it needs to be in a quiet place with a writing utensil in hand.
I love creativity. Being a mom has really sparked new creativity in me. I’ve always been a creative person, but the last 3 years has brought more of that out in new ways. I still write and cook – but also doing art for people to get the Word in the homes is something I’m really enjoying.
Meditation on the Word is commanded and a joy. Right now I’m writing out Deuteronomy in a Journibible (more on that soon) and then meditating on a portion or a truth found in those verses by drawing or cross-referencing (looking for other verses that speaks of the same thing). Today’s reading sparked an obedience and boundary issue with me – and I wanted to search out the Scriptures to see why God set up the boundaries he did for us and why he demands obedience from his children.
How do you get started in Illustrated Faith.
1. Get a Bible. Any Bible will do – but I use a Journaling Bible from Crossway which has wide margins, perfect for journaling (whether writing or drawing).
2. Get a notebook or paper if you don’t want to colorize your Bible. I understand that may not be your thing.
3. That’s really all you need, but here are some fun extras: watercolor, markers, colored pencils, stickers, etc. Its like high school art class all over again! I didn’t love it much then but I love it now.
Read – think – pray – journal.
That’s all there is to it. I always carry a pencil with me now. As I take notes in church or Bible studies I think of ways to be creative. It gets the Word in me – and isn’t that what the base of Psalm 119 is! You can find a lot of my doodles on instagram but I might start putting some on the blog as well.
Go – learn the Word and be creative! The point of doing this isn’t to see how creative you can be but how to bless your soul (and others you share what you learn with) by being in the Word!
Do you remember what it was like to go to bed when you were younger? Did you ask for 20 glasses of water or want to read the longest book over and over again?
As my boys get older, I’m (usually) loving bedtime routines. I usually put the younger one to bed, and then get the older one ready. He likes to sit and read one or two books in the chair in his room. He gets really calm with his paci and sits in my lap and I read it quietly (with expression and voices) in his ear. We pray while holding hands. Then he hops down and goes to bed. I know this won’t last forever, but I think it is the sweetest thing and one of my favorite times with him during the day.
One of the books I’ve enjoyed recently with him is Really Woolly Lullabies by Tommy Nelson. Tommy Nelson sent them to me for a review, but all opinions are my own. We’ve enjoyed the Scripture on every page, the sentence prayer that helps me pray specific things for my toddlers as I’m putting him to bed.
Nighttime routines are important. They set a peace for the night that is crucial to my children, and probably yours. Enjoy this time with them, when you can. It doesn’t always work perfectly in our home, but it is getting better.
If you would like to win your very own copy of these lullabies, just leave a comment on here or on social media and tell me what your favorite song to sing with your children is.
Another holiday has come and gone. And my kids, along with 99% of the children in America who received Easter baskets, are probably downing candy and sneaking it in their rooms to munch on under the covers once the lights have gone out.
How can we as responsible parents help our children with their love of candy?
1. Ration it. Don’t give it to them all at once. My older son calls candy “olly” and I don’t know why. But, I give him a few jelly beans or m&ms and then he’s off to play some more.
2. Treat not a right. Help children to see that candy isn’t their natural-born right. It is a luxury and they don’t need it every meal or every time they do something good.
3. Exercise. Movement is a great way to encourage children to be active, learn new skills, and work off all that candy! I was heavy from about first grade on. I still struggle with my weight. One of the things I want for my kids is the ability to have fun snack foods (sweets) but not to be overweight – so encouraging lots of healthy stuff and exercise. My chiropractor always says “If you stop moving, your dead.” We want our kids to live a long life.
4. Brush their teeth. I am not a dentist, and I don’t play one on television – and truth be told, my husband brushes our boys’ teeth at night after bath time. We’ve used toothbrushes that are easy for them to grip, fit perfectly in their little mouths, and that are fun. Alphabetiles provide toothbrushes that are just that. Our boys are both under three and both love to brush their own teeth. The new Alphabetiles toothbrushes that we received are blue (perfect for boys) and have their name spelled out in little tiles. The tiles are easy to slide in the toothbrush and you can change the name out whenever you want (to a special nickname, or sports team, or holiday!). I assembled their special toothbrushes while my husband was out in the backyard playing with the boys. Jennifer, one of the creators of Alphabetiles, out of a desire to help her own children be healthy, designed these personalized toothbrushes. “There was nothing on the market for moms like myself except a magic marker or stickers. So I decided to take the path and make it myself. I knew I was not the only mother with this issue and seen how it could help lots of families. Our design encourages kids to want to brush and parents know who their toothbrushes belong to.”
My boys immediately liked their new toothbrushes and run to the bathroom saying “water, water” in order to brush their teeth. We, as their parents, grab the right toothbrush (not sharing any more germs than they already do), and put a little toothpaste on it, and they go to town. Another great benefit to having young children and personalized toothbrushes: you can have the sitter help them brush their teeth because she won’t have to know which one is which – she can read their names on it. Brushing teeth is a fun and healthy bonding time.
I would love to see Alphabetiles get more tiles and logos for their toothbrushes, which hopefully will come in the next few years (Go Gators, Go Tarheels, Thomas the Train, Mickey Mouse, etc). Think of how your children would flock to the bathroom to grab their toothbrush, with their name, with their favorite basketball team logo on it.
So, whatever you do, be sure to instill happy, healthy, habits in your children, as soon as you can. Their teeth, your dentist, and your children will thank you!
Alphabetiles sent me two toothbrushes in exchange for a blog review. All opinions are my own!
(This post is sponsored by Tommy Nelson Mommies: they give me free books – and allow you to win them – in exchange for my review of them. All opinions are my own.)
One of the first things we learn as believers (or are taught in Christian learning) is “God created everything.” I already teach that truth to my boys. We love the verses that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and “created in God’s image”
But, somehow, I think it is a very easy truth to learn and put into belief the older we get. I remember being a pre-teen girl. I was overweight, wore glasses, didn’t have great hair, had zits, wasn’t all the cool, wanted to be cool, had a crush on the cool guy, started my period, looked different than most of the girls in my class, it wasn’t easy.
I believed lies. I desired popularity. I earnestly tried so hard to fit in. But, one of the things I don’t remember reminding myself of is that God created me perfectly in his image and has a plan for my life.
Then, I graduated high school and started college. I taught 7th grade co-ed Sunday School for 3 straight years. I still keep in touch with some of those girls. There were (and still are) so many battles pre-teen and teen girls face. But, there is only one answer. God’s truth.
My first devotional when I was in 10th grade was Spirit Wings by Ken Burns. I loved it at the time. I was just learning how to have a quiet time thanks to my youth pastor and youth workers. Quiet time material has come a long way. I think it is an important discipline for kids of any age to learn. Taking time each day to talk with God, read His Word, and listen to Him.
You, as a parent to them, have a vital role in this. You can not only model this for them, but also teach them how to do it for themselves, and engage with them after their quiet time. Ask them what they learned. Ask them what they read. Ask them important questions of how they might apply it to their heart that God is in the process of making new and making to look like Christ’s.
Tommy Nelson has put out resources for quiet times for pre-teen or young teen girls called Brave Girls. The two I have for the purpose of this blog is Faithful Friends (on friendships and relationships) and Better Than Perfect (on self-image and how to relate to this world in light of the Word). Each day is a 1-2 page read. Starts out with Scripture, then there is a story, lesson, truth, completely applicable to this time in their lives, and finishes with questions and prayers.
One way I think it could be better would be to bring everything in every story under the Cross of Christ – but I do think these are really really good and can be a great help to you as a parent in giving your daughter some solid material. And, as you talk with your daughter and engage with her in what she is reading, you can tie everything back to the Gospel.
So, if you would like a chance to win these books, please comment with the answer to one of these two questions.
1. What was the first devotional book you read (besides the Bible)?
2. How do you train your children to have their own quiet time?
We have a busy three weeks ahead of us. There are two separate trips for us and Eric’s work, and Easter which is always busy for him, visitors coming in town, some art projects due. Fun times.
Since I’m heading to the Carolinas this weekend with the boys, I want to make sure that the mister won’t starve while we are away. So here’s what will be in the kitchen:
