What's Cooking
Free Ebooks: America’s 50 Favorite Barbecue Recipes, Feeding Success, Parenting and Relationships, Accelerated Learning, Household Hacks, Math Made Easy, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of America’s 50 Favorite Barbecue Recipes by Buford Moore
Download a free copy of Feeding Success: A Nutrition Blueprint To Fuel Busy Professionals and Business Travelers by Emmanuelle Galland
Download a free copy of Parenting and Relationships by Samuel K. Taylor
Download a free copy of Romantic Lovers for Life: Keeping the Flames Burning for a Passionate Marriage by Laura Beckder
Download a free copy of Accelerated Learning – Advanced Technique for Fast Learning: Become a Super Learner – Learn Speed Reading and Advanced Memorization by Thomas Abreu
Download a free copy of HOUSEHOLD HACKS: Super Simple Ways to Clean Your Home Effortlessly Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Other Cleaning Secrets by Alynda Carroll
Download a free copy of MATH MADE EASY: A quick and easy guide to mental math and faster calculation. (Intellectible Math Book 1) by Reed Lerner, Brett Moses
Soldiers and Soft Boiled Eggs
The soldiers are being dunked into the soft boiled egg!
One of my daughters has a new favorite breakfast treat – Soldiers and Soft Boiled Eggs! My husband was the one who introduced her to this new breakfast dish and it was a hit! Our family tries to have a sit down Saturday morning breakfast or brunch. We try to have at least one meal a day where we all sit down and eat together as a family. During the week that meal is in the evenings for dinner, but on Saturday we try to do it in the morning since many Saturday afternoons and evenings are taken up with other activities.
My husband is an amazing cook and will often introduce the kids to new recipes or come up with his on completely new recipe. Which always turns out delicious! I don’t think he has ever made anything that didn’t taste yummy! Myself on the other hand….well….let’s just say there have been a few dishes or recipes I have made that we can laugh about now as a family, ha!
The best part about Soldiers and Soft Boiled Eggs is that they are pretty easy to make. The “soldiers” are just bread that is toasted, buttered, and cut into strips. The soldiers are perfect for dunking into the delicious thick and runny egg yolk!
A soft boiled egg is a perfect combination between poached and hard boiled egg. To make soft boiled eggs you bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Gently add your eggs to the boiling water and cover the top of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and let them cook for 5 minutes. (While your eggs are boiling make your soldiers.) Remove the eggs from the boiling water and rinse the eggs with cold water.
Once your soft boiled egg is done cut off the top and serve immediately with your toast soldiers! After you are done dunking all your soldiers and your egg yolk is gone you can peel and eat the rest of your egg.
My daughter loves this breakfast. I think dunking the soldiers in the egg yolks has a certain appeal, but she enjoys the taste too. Always love it when we come up with fun and healthy recipes!
Dunking her soldiers into the soft boiled egg yolk.
Typically we do one piece of toast per two eggs, but it really depends on how much you want to dunk or the amount of yolk you want on each soldier.
Kids in the Kitchen: Mini Doughnuts
Mini Doughnuts!
The kids love spending time in the kitchen. They have put together some great treats. Thankful for kids who love to cook. They used the doughnut recipe on the mini doughnut container. The doughnuts were good, but they were a little heavier than what we were used to so we will probably look for a different recipe to try out. They did these all by themselves. The kids decorated them beautifully.
Free Ebooks: How To Cook Restaurant-Quality Burgers, Debt Free, Grilling Your Way through Summer, The Skill Artist’s Guide to Chess, System to Fulfill Dreams, Building a Financial Fortress, How To Grow Vegetables, Learning Aikido Techniques of Self-Defense, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of How To Cook Restaurant-Quality Burgers by Tony James Miller
Download a free copy of Debt Free: The 7 Step Formula To Reclaiming Your Finances And Start Building True Wealth (How To Get Out Of Debt, Debt Free, Financial Freedom, Budgeting) by Henry Solomon
Download a free copy of Grilling and Barbecuing Your Way through Summer: Delicious Recipes from Around the World to Impress your Family and Friends by Elizabeth Ambrose
Download a free copy of Chess: The Skill Artist’s Guide, Conquer your Friends with 8 Easy Principles: A Cheat Sheet for Casual Players by Maxen Tarafa
Download a free copy of The Idea Lifestyle Bundle: An Effective System to Fulfill Dreams, Create Successful Business Ideas, and Become a World-Class Impromptu Speaker in Record Time by Andrii Sedniev
Download a free copy of Building a Financial Fortress: Lessons from the Great Recession for Savers and Investors by Nick Reichert
Download a free copy of Debt Free Forever 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to “Knowing Nothing to Having Everything in Financial Freedom, Becoming a Millionaire, and Becoming Debt Management, Finances, Financial Freedom by J.J. Jones
Download a free copy of How To Grow Vegetables Without Losing Your Mind by Emily Josephine
Download a free copy of An Open Secret: A Student’s Handbook for Learning Aikido Techniques of Self-Defense and the Aiki Way by Tony Blomert
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
This week my menu planning will be a little bit different because my parents will be in town and we will be spending part of our week with extended family! Yay! It will be a busy week with school and all the other activities, but we are looking forward to having some fun with family. The menu will be simple the first part of the week so we will have time to get activities done before spending time with our extended family. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Taco Lasagna, Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Homemade Pizza, Fresh Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Leftover Buffet (Clean Out the Fridge Before Guests Arrive)
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Special Event
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
What’s for Breakfast: Our Weekly Menu Plan
The kids are super excited because they have a short school week. WooHoo! There is a Teacher’s Professional Service Day on Friday so we are looking forward to some extra time with the kids. This week is also special due to a fun Holiday – Valentine’s Day! Here is what our breakfast menu looks like this week (the items in parenthesis are examples of the extra items we will add and change from week to week):
- Monday – English Muffins (Yogurt)
- Tuesday – Toast (Parmesan Cheese)
- Wednesday – Cereal (Yogurt)
- Thursday – Pancakes, Poptarts, or Oatmeal (Green Veggie & Fruit Smoothie)
- Friday – Special Event Breakfast
- Saturday – Family Brunch (a lot of times we make Saturday breakfast together and it is whatever sounds good that morning or a new dish we want to try out. It is not always planned in advance and could be an egg or breakfast casserole, omelets, hashbrowns, waffles, pancakes, etc… this is our big family meal of the day since Saturdays are often spent with extended family, friends, or doing other afternoon and evening activities) Since we make more complicated breakfasts on Saturdays it is usually between 8 to 10 before we sit down to eat therefore they have become our Family Brunch.
- Sunday – Make Your Own Breakfast (everyone makes their own breakfast before church which is usually something easy like cereal, toast, poptarts, oatmeal, smoothie, etc….)
We are pretty consistent with our week day breakfast menu. For each day of the work and school week Monday to Friday we have the same main menu item from week to week the only thing that changes is the “extra item” we add each day such as an egg, sausage, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, bacon, smoothies, or other items that we have in the kitchen. During the school week the girls always have their main breakfast, at least one side (usually fruit, sausage, egg, etc…), vitamins, milk (one has non-dairy milk due to allergies), and small glass of juice. When I am ambitious, awake, and my creative juices are flowing I will add a little extra silliness to make breakfast more enjoyable for the kids.
We first started doing a different main breakfast item everyday a few years ago because I have one child who if she eats the same thing too many times in a row she stops eating. Adding a little variety from day to day was enough to keep her motivated to eat breakfast. It wasn’t until several months later when the girls pointed it out that I realized that we do the same main item on the same day every week. “Mom, Tuesday is Toast Day…..” So now it has become our rotating breakfast menu which helps keep us on track because we know exactly what we need to prepare for the next breakfast. Plus the girls are sometimes still waking up when they come to breakfast and the morning menu helps them figure out the day of the week as well as prepares them for the upcoming activities they have that day.
There are times I will mix it up (just for fun) or Jake will get up first and make breakfast! The girls don’t hesitate to let him know if he makes a main food item on the wrong day….ha! Our breakfasts are not fancy, but it gets us up and started for the day. What do you make for your family breakfasts?
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week flew by so quickly and we are now entering the middle of February. I am excited about some of the fun events coming up this week. My parents will be coming to visit us in SC for a few days. The kids are thrilled and I have to kick into gear to get my house picked up before our guests arrive. Also, this week is special because we are celebrating Valentine’s Day which is a great time to demonstrate our love to those around us. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Finish reading Wonder’s Victory by Joanna Campbell to the kidsPlan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the Kids– we did it different this week, we split up in pairs to play games one-on-one with the kids (Jake played Chess with Karlie and I played Trouble with Brina)Prepare for Upcoming Winter EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before- Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids – working on it
Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – still going through the various items
Clean House (Focus – Dining Room)- Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet) – isn’t quite finished yet
Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Kids Outdoor Toy Storage Containers)Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up More Dog Food)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)- working on it, made a small extra payment this week
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than 1 store
Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay– sold a couple items and used the money to make an extra payment on our debt
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Ashleigh’s Dream (Thoroughbred Series #5) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
- Confirm my parents plans and activities for their upcoming visit
- Celebrate Valentine’s Day
- Spend Extra Time with Extended Family
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Overall House Cleaning)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Yard Clean Up)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Salt Block for Goats)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
- Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Free Ebooks: Tips To Help You Save Money And Get Out Of Debt, Gluten-free Salad Cookbook, Organize your Office, Frugal Simplicity, Hamlyn QuickCook, Organic Pest Control, Free wood II, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of Great Tips To Help You Save Money And Get Out Of Debt – Money Saving Tips (Debt-Free Book) by Mike C. Adams
Download a free copy of Gluten-free Salad Cookbook: Easy and Delicious Salad Recipes for the Gluten-free Diet (Quick and Easy Gluten-free Recipes Book 7) by Vesela Tabakova
Download a free copy of Organize your Office: The Ultimate Guide to Organizing your Office and having a Stress-free workplace! (Time Management, Organization) by Online Business Buddy
Download a free copy of Frugal Simplicity: 101 Ways To Use Frugal Simplicity For Organizing And Decluttering Your Life And Embracing The Simplicity Lifestyle (Debt Free, Mindfulness, Simplify Your Life) by Lilly Sparks
Download a free copy of Hamlyn QuickCook: 50 Recipes in 10, 20, or 30 Minutes by Hamlyn
Download a free copy of Organic Pest Control : Homemade Organic Pest Repellents, Natural, Easy And Proven Solutions For A Pest And Disease Free Home And Garden by John Parker
Download a free copy of Free wood II: (More tools, tips and techniques) How to upcycle usable wood from pallets and crates. With five projects. (Free Wood Series Book 2) by TG FORGE
Download a free copy of How to Create a Complete Meal in a Jiffy (Book 6) by Prasenjeet Kumar
Download a free copy of Creating and Planting Alpine Gardens by Rex Murfitt
Download a free copy of Baking Soda Power! Frugal and Natural: Health, Cleaning, and Hygiene Secrets of Baking Soda (Home Remedies, DIY Household Hacks, Chemical-Free, Green Cleaning, Natural Cleaning, Non-Toxic) by Patty Korman
Recipes: Classic Chex Mix in the Crockpot (Gluten, Peanut, & Dairy Free)
Classic Chex Mix made in the Crockpot!
I have always enjoyed Chex Mix! It is a great winter snack food as you are sitting by the fire or playing board games around the dining room table. There are so many amazing variations to it as well. I especially like the sweet Chex Mix recipes here are some of my favorites:
The other day I decided to try making the Classic Chex Mix out with items I already had in our pantry and in the crockpot. I added several variations to the Classic Chex Mix because we have a family member that cannot have peanuts or dairy and we have some friends who cannot have gluten. My recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and peanut free for those who do not want to use those products in their Classic Chex Mix. You can substitute regular pretzels, dairy butter, or peanuts if you would prefer them instead.
Classic Chex Mix (Gluten & Peanut Free)
- 5 cups Rice Chex Cereal
- 5 cups Corn Crunch Cereal
- 2 cups Gluten Free Pretzels
- 1 cup Almonds
- 6 Tablespoons Dairy-Free Butter or Margarine (melted)
- 1/2 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Place the cereal, pretzels, and almonds into your crockpot. Melt the butter (or margarine) in a separate bowl and mix in the salt, garlic, and worcestershire sauce. Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture in the crockpot and gently stir until the cereal is evenly coated. Cover and turn the crockpot on low for 3 hours. If your crockpot does not have a hole for moisture to escape you can leave a slight gap at the lid so the moisture can escape otherwise you can place a towel or paper towel up by the lid of the crockpot to absorb any condensation from the Chex Mix cooking. Stir the Chex Mix every hour to keep it from burning. Once it is done spread the mixture out evenly on parchment paper and let it cool.
I love using my crockpot for a variety of great recipes. Plus the house smells amazing as the food cooks. The only thing I forgot to do was take a picture of the finished Classic Chex Mix. Sorry! Guess it is time to make another batch. It turned out well. I still prefer the “sweet” Chex mixes over the salty, but this was a great alternative snack to have around the house for those who cannot eat gluten, dairy, or peanuts!
Free Ebooks: Valentine’s Day On A Dime, 30 Easy Weeknight Dinners, My Yummy Paleo Valentine, 65 House Cleaning Hacks, Weekend Breakfast Ideas, I Love You S’more and S’more, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of Valentine’s Day On A Dime by Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam
Download a free copy of 30 Easy Weeknight Dinners – The Winter Recipes and Winter Food Edition (Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes – The Easy Weeknight Dinners Collection Book 7) by Pamela Kazmierczak
Download a free copy of My Yummy Paleo Valentine! Kid Tested, Mom Approved – 14 Quick & Easy Gluten-Free Valentines Treats and Paleo Snacks (Paleo Diet Solution Series) by Lucy Fast
Download a free copy of The Friendships of Women: The Beauty and Power of God’s Plan for Us (Dee Brestin’s Series) by Dee Brestin
Download a free copy of Pup Pup’s First Valentine’s Day (Children’s Bedtime Stories) by Amy Morford
Download a free copy of 65 House Cleaning Hacks to Make Your Life WAY Easier: (DIY Hacks, Household Cleaning Hacks, House Cleaning Tips, Natural Cleaning) by Elizabeth Bolling
Download a free copy of Weekend Breakfast Ideas: Ideas for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Birthdays or Any Weekend Morning by Dennis Weaver
Download a free copy of I Love You S’more and S’more: Valentines To Your Child by Ginny Jalen
