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  • Do You See Apple Slices or A Candy Cane?

    It is the super simple things that can add an extra festive touch to a family snack or get together.  The girls wanted a snack so I sliced up some apples, but instead of putting them in a bowl or on a plate I left them on the cutting board in the shape of a candy cane.  I love it when I am thinking clearly enough to actually do the “little stuff” because it is so worth seeing them get excited over apple slices in the shape of a candy cane or something similar.

    Think of 3 simple ways you can add a festive touch to things you are already doing.  Not to mention it may coax your kids to eat more apples or other healthy foods around the Holidays! 🙂   You don’t have to make  elaborate dishes to spark a smile in your family members!

  • Love It – Cuisinart CPB-300 Compact Portable Blender & Chopper

    My husband bought me a Cuisinart Blender a little over a year ago and I LOVE it!  He got me a Cuisinart CPB-300 SmartPower 15-Piece Compact Portable Blending/Chopping System and it has been a huge hit with the whole family.  The best part is it is compact and comes with four 16 ounce single smoothie cups as well as a bigger blender.  I will often whip up a quick smoothie for myself for breakfast or a snack as I am walking out the door.

    I have used this blender A LOT and it has held up very well (its still in great condition).  Before this one I went through 2 KitchenAid Blenders which were much bigger and I didn’t use them nearly as often because it was harder to clean.  I cannot say enough good things about this blender.

    I have made a lot of different recipes with this Cuisinart.  The fruit smoothies are my favorite!  I have enjoyed experimenting with smoothies and  have discovered how easy it is to make smoothies at home.

    The girls will often request a smoothie for a special treat or snack too (so I am not the only one who loves the Cuisinart Blender).  I have included some of our favorites smoothie recipes.

    Smoothie Recipes

    Product Specifics

    • Sleek electronic touchpad with LED indicator lights
    • Powerful 350-watt motor
    • High, Low and Pulse controls
    • Standby mode; safety interlock and auto stop features
    • BS housing with stainless steel front pane
    • BPA-free Tritan 32-oz. blender jar, 8-oz. chopping cup, and set of four 16-oz. travel cups
    • Patented ultra-sharp stainless steel blades
    • Two interchangeable blade assemblies: blending blade and chopping blade
    • Recipe Book
    • Dishwasher safe
    • Limited 3-year warranty

     

    Blender

     Are you ready for a smoothie?

    “Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love!  There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun.  I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list.  It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!

  • Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals

    A rainbow on a cloudy day always brings a smile!

    I really didn’t plan to have the two rainbows match up, but it turned out pretty well.  The girls always enjoy seeing the new chalkboard note or drawing.  One day I had appointments all day and an event in the evening so Daddy put together the girls lunches.  He left up the picture from the previous day and they definitely noticed.  Although, he did put an extra “surprise” they were happy about in their lunches.

    Homemade pizza, Raisins, Pistachios, Chocolate Fudge Coconut Oreos, Mixed-Berry Fruit, and more!

    Lunch Box Meal

    • Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
    • Mixed-Berry Freeze Dried Fruit
    • Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
    • Pistachios
    • Cheese & Peanut Butter Crackers or Animal Crackers
    • Jelly Beans
    • Chocolate Fudge Coconut Oreos
    • Regular or White Raisins
    • KoolAid Jammers Tropical Fruit Punch

    Festival ziplock bags make the lunch even more fun for the kids!

    I was able to pick up some Snowman bags at the Dollar store to use for the girls lunches.  The first day I put them into their lunches they came home excited about the neat “Christmas” bags.  Sometimes it is the little stuff that makes a big difference.

  • Gift Giving: Moisturizing Citrus Hand Scrub

    Moisturizing Citrus Hand Scrub

    Our family enjoys taking Christmas goodies to our neighbors every year around Christmas time. Since several of our neighbors are watching their sugar intake (due to diabetes) I wanted to find a gift that would be both practical and fun for them without all the sugar. Yes, the gift I eventually settled on last year did contain sugar but they didn’t eat it.  The gift kits were a big hit and the best part….it’s super easy (you even may have all the ingredients in your kitchen).  Several people have asked me for the recipe since last Christmas so I wanted to share it with you too in case you are looking for a homemade, inexpensive, and practical gift to share this year.

    Putting together gifts for neighbors and friends

    You could give away just the jars of Moisturizing Citrus Hand Scrub.  I decided to do a Moisturizing Citrus Scrub Kits for our neighbors and friends.  Each kit contained:

    • Moisturizing Citrus Hand Scrub
    • Hand Soap
    • Lotion
    • Note from our family with instructions on how to use the items in the kit

    Ingredients in the Moisturizing Citrus Hand Scrub

    The olive oil helps moisturize your hands while the lemons and oranges add a clean citrus scent.  The sugar and salt help exfoliate any dry skin and freshens the appearance of your hands.

    Moisturizing Citrus Hand Scrub

    • 3 cups Sugar
    • 2/3 cups Kosher Salt
    • Zest from 1 large Lemon
    • Zest from 1 large Orange
    • 2 cups Olive Oil
    • 1/4 teaspoon Pure Lemon Extract
    • 1/4 teaspoon Pure Orange Extract
    Gently wash and dry the fruit.  To zest the orange and lemon use your cheese grater and turn it to the side with the small openings/blades.  Grate the orange, turning it frequently.  You just want to take off the colored part of the peel (so try not to get too much of  the white portion).
    Now that you have your citrus zest put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well.  Scoop into a mason jar.  Put lid on and decorate as you wish. The recipe makes enough for 2 pints (fills two – 1 pint mason jars).

    Optional:  If you would like a milder scent you can remove or reduce the amount of extract from the recipe.  Also, if you would prefer only doing Lemon or Orange instead of both just double the amount it calls for in the recipe and eliminate the other citrus ingredients.  You can add extra zest into your mix if you like too (see the first picture on this post, the one of the left has extra zest in it).

    Moisturizing Citrus Scrub ready to be put into the jars

    Filling up the mason jars

    Our note included in the the gift to our neighbors and friends!

    The red ones all ready to be delivered! You can see our “blue” note in the back of the kit.  The note also contained directions on it.  I taped on the note on the inside of the package.

    The white ones are ready now too!  All we have to do now is load them up and deliver them.

    It was a lot of fun putting these together for friends and neighbors.  Our family did a large batch and made 10 mason jars full.  Several people have asked for the recipe so I decided to share it here for others as well.  If you are looking for a practical and unique gift this is a great one that worked well for us.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    Thankfully last week we were able to get through almost all of our Thanksgiving leftovers.  It made my meal planning easier plus we didn’t waste food.  A couple family members were sick last week so having a simple menu really helped me especially when I was taking care of the ones feeling under the weather.  This week I am going to try to focus mainly on making meals from the items we already have in our refrigerator and pantry, hopefully everyone will be back up to 100% again.   Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree):  Beef with Penne Noodles, Fresh Fruit
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Kids in the Kitchen – Special Event
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree):  Mejadera Rice, Lentils
    • Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree):  Homemade Pizza, Fresh Vegetables
    • 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

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I was able to get caught up on some stuff last week.  One of the girls decided she wanted to be up several times in the middle of the night so I was running on little sleep a couple nights but managed to get by.  Another one got sick so hopefully this week goes more smoothly.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily – one of the girls wasn’t feeling well and we had extra activities in the evenings too
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Finish Decorating for Christmas – most of the decorating is done but need to put the storage bins and items away
    7. Work on Christmas List – working on it

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – a sick kid and interrupted sleep didn’t help this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith – working on it
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion – caught up and staying on track after last week being off

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – met a friend
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email – it was late (Wed) but I got it out

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – stayed within budget, but didn’t get pictures
    2. Payoff the Van – made an extra payment on the van this past week
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.) – working on it
    4. Stay within Christmas Budget – keeping track

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Finish Decorating  & Putting up Christmas Bins
    7. Work on Christmas List
    8. Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings
    9. Date Night with my Man

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion
    5. Make my first fresh Wreath at a Wreath Party with Friends

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Community Group Christmas Social at our House

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.)
    4. Stay within Christmas Budget

    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.

  • The Big Book of Slow Cooker Casseroles & More by Betty Crocker

    The best part about using my crockpot is on those super busy days I can stick a meal in it and when we all come home at night dinner is ready to eat.  My sweet husband, for my birthday last week, got me The Big Book of Slow Cooker Casseroles & More by Betty Crocker and I LOVE it!

    After the Thanksgiving Holiday we had some leftover ham that needed to be eaten up.  So I grabbed my new book and found a great recipe to try “Ham & Wild Recipe Soup” and made it up on the cool Fall day.  The soup was delicious plus it helped me utilize some of the leftover ham.

    I already have several of the other recipes marked to try soon. I am thankful for quick easy meals especially on those crazy days.  This cookbook will come in really handy as we approach the busy Holiday season too.

  • Love It – BluApple

    I am very excited to share with you a little item that has saved me a lot of time, energy, and money over the past year while helping our family eat healthier! I have been asked many times how I can purchase marked down fresh vegetables and fruits without them going bad within a day or two…..well, I am going to share my little “secret” with all of you.  If you love to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, but wish they would stay fresh longer I have stumbled upon something that will really brighten your day! 🙂

    When I got the BluApples I was a little skeptical, to say the least.  How can these little blue apples really help extend the life of my fresh fruits and vegetables?!  Do they really work?  Is it worth the cost?  And many more similar questions.

    I waited for a few weeks and found an amazing deal on these little BluApples.  I was able to get these free (only had to pay $3 shipping).  Unfortunately, I haven’t seen that deal again otherwise I would stock up on some for my family and friends.  Either way these little apples have more than paid for themselves MANY TIMES OVER!

    Our family loves to garden, buy fresh fruits and vegetables, however, when our fridge is full of produce sometimes fruits and vegetables would go bad before we had a chance to eat everything.  The BluApples extend the life of our fruits and vegetables (even ones that I buy which are already on the “edge”) for weeks!  These BluApples really do preserve the produce and help the items last much longer!

    I used to clean out my fruit and vegetable drawers out about once a week.  Now I do it once a month and sometimes longer because the items in the drawer are staying fresh. Enough of my raving, here are some more facts about this neat apple:

    • 2 Bluapples – Last for 3 Months Each – Additional Absorber Refills Available Separately (Our BluApples lasted longer than 3 months, typically lasted 5 to 7 months)
    • Prolongs freshness and storage life of fruits & vegetables
    • Made In USA
    • Put in refrigerator crisper drawers
    • Place in the fruit bowl on the counter or anywhere you keep fruit
    • Pays for itself dozens of times over in the the first year alone
    • Extend storage life of your produce (up to 3 times longer)
    • Average household can save up to $600 per year

    How Do The BluApples Work?

    • Ethylene gas is given off naturally by fruits and vegetables as a signaling mechanism in order to coordinate uniform ripening. However, once concentrated in your refrigerator or other storage areas, the presence of ethylene gas continues to speed up ripening and hasten spoilage.
    • The BluApple is designed to provide effective ethylene gas absorption for three months in a typical home refrigerator produce bin or storage container.
    • The active ingredient does not “wear out”, but continues to absorb ethylene until it has reached its capacity.

    This would be a wonderful gift for any cook in your family.  It really does WORK (and BluApple is not paying me to say it either).  Your Mom, wife, sister, friend will probably come back to you in a couple months thanking you again for this gift.  Hey, they even make you a special meal out of some the fresh produce just to say thanks!

    You can pick up the BluApple Ethlylene Gas Absorbers – Starter Pack of 2 – Refrigerator Fruit & Vegetable Preserver on Amazon for around $9.95 with two packs of or many major retailers. If you have a Swagbuck Amazon Gift Cards you can even get this it for free!  You’ll love it!

    “Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love!  There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun.  I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list.  It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!

  • Ham & Potato Casserole (Regular or Dairy & Egg Free Recipes)

    Our family had ham over the Thanksgiving Holiday so we had a little bit leftover to make some more delicious meals.  I decided to make a ham casserole recipe and it was a hit with my family.  Since I had some ham I was using up I made one casserole to eat right away and put together another one to freeze for a later meal.  It was a big hit with the whole family (two thumbs up) from everyone.  I made the dairy and egg free recipe, but I included both so you can choose what you want to do for your family.  The directions for both are the same only the ingredients between the two recipes vary slightly.

    Ham & Potato Casserole (Regular Ingredients Recipe)

    • 4 cups frozen shredded Hashbrown Potatoes
    • 1/4 cup finely chopped Onion (or 1/8 cup Dry Minced Onions)
    • 8 ounces Ham, cubed
    • 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese (or a cheddar blend)
    • 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
    • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
    • 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground Pepper

    Ham & Potato Casserole (Dairy & Egg Free Ingredients Recipe)

    • 4 cups frozen shredded Hashbrown Potatoes
    • 1/4 cup finely chopped Onion (or 1/8 cup Dry Minced Onions)
    • 8 ounces Ham, cubed
    • 2 cups shredded Soy Cheddar Cheese
    • 16 ounces Soy Milk (boiled down to 12 ounces)
    • 1 Egg substitute
    • 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground Pepper

    Grease 8-inch-square baking dish.  Preheat the oven to 350° F.

    LAYER 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 ham  and 1/2 cheese  (or cheddar or soy cheese) in prepared baking dish and repeat layers. Combine evaporated milk, egg (or egg substitute), pepper,  and seasoned salt in small bowl. Pour liquid mixture evenly over the casserole.

    Cover and bake for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

    Layered Ham & Potato Casserole ready to be put in the oven

    Although, we ate this casserole for lunch it would be a great breakfast or brunch recipe to use for your family or when you have house guests.  Since we have a little one that is not eating dairy or eggs I made the egg and dairy free version for our family, but I also included what you would use for a regular recipe

  • Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals

    Chalkboard notes to my sweet girls!

    The girls lunches are all packed up and ready to be taken to school.  Today Brina’s says “Have a super day!” and Karlie’s “Have a great day!”  Even though it takes an extra minute or two of my time to write a note or draw a picture it is so worth it.

    Lunch box goodies!

    Lunch Box Meal:

    • Chicken Salad Sandwich
    • Fresh Broccoli
    • Fresh Carrots
    • Fresh Snow Peas
    • Fresh Plum Slices
    • Fruit & Grain Mixed Berry
    • Madagascar Fruit Snacks
    • Ritz Snack Mix or Animal Crackers
    • Strawberry Yogurt
    • Mini Oreo’s or Chocolate Cream Cookies
    • Water Bottle with 3/4 Water and 1/4 Fruit Juice

    Fresh veggies, Chicken Salad Sandwich, and more!

    Love hearing the girls comments to the various notes and drawings.  Sometimes after an exhausting day it is hard to come up with a creative message but it’s the thought that counts more than anything else, right.  What creative notes, drawings, or messages do you put in your kids lunch?