5 Hearty Recipes for Soup Season

"You can make soup out of anything!" This is my wintertime mantra. 

Since my family doesn't love eating leftovers, soup is my Go-To Nextover--my simple way to put a new shine on the scraps from a previous meal.

When I'm pressed for time, I can toss some leftovers, a quart or so of broth, and the veggies to make a mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, and celery) into a pot, and have a hot and hearty dinner on the table in a half hour. It's like magic!

Fresh Starts, Homemade Mayo, and Cashew Chicken Salad

Written by Beth Hautala from Eat Write Repeat

I love January for its fresh starts.

The month is literally saturated with beautiful intentions and fervent conviction. My own home is no exception.

But come the third week of the month I find it all waning a bit. Perhaps it’s the bone-numbing cold that lingers outside, creeping indoors the moment I let the fire dwindle. Perhaps it’s the early darkness that seeps over everything around 4 in the afternoon. Perhaps it’s my children’s endless energy and ravenous appetites for cheese, peanut butter, and Oreo cookies. But whatever the cause, my own desire to make healthy choices (for both mind and body) become a bit of a struggle. The thought of a movie and popcorn sound much more enjoyable than reading, exercise, and carrot sticks once the kids are in bed. Can I get an amen?

Best Bread Machine Cinnamon Roll Recipe

When you ask most kids what their favorite Christmas tradition is, they'll reply with the usual...

opening presents

decorating the tree

attending parties

making holiday crafts

But not my daughter. When asked, her answer is always the same...eating homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. 

Since I only make them a few times each year, these ooey-gooey treats are like a sweet memory on a plate for her. As she eats them, she slips into a gentle sugar coma and remembers Christmases past. We munch, we reminisce, we linger long at the table savoring the meal and each other.

Open-Faced Turkey Sandwiches on Sweet Brown Bread

Written by Beth Hautala of Eat Write Repeat.

I remember being five, maybe six, padding barefoot down the stairs at my grandparent’s lake house sometime after I’d been put to bed. It was post-Thanksgiving celebrations, which meant all of the adults, or nearly all, were draped over various articles of furniture, drowsing. Save for Grandpa, who was busy in the kitchen.

Exchanging Halloween For Chocolate: Chocolate Squash Cake

Written by Beth Hautala of Eat Write Repeat.

Ahh fall. Season of pumpkin-spice everything, autumn décor, and costumes parading the aisles of every shopping center from coast to coast. 

Alas, much to my children’s chagrin, my husband and I have decided not to subscribe to Halloween celebrations. It seems a little counter productive (as a family full of small impressionable humans) to make an overly great deal out of a holiday designed to celebrate all things fright, spook, and haunt. Life is scary enough without a designated day to emphasize the fact. Also, Halloween is expensive, what with the bags of candy and snacks, costumes to match whatever current Hollywood blockbuster is in vogue, party paraphernalia, and beverages. I’d rather drop my cash on food, treats, and décor for upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations. Lastly, we live out in the middle of nowhere, so the likelihood that we will get (age appropriate) trick-o-treaters at our door is unlikely. I’d rather not invite older-than-children-strangers to my house, in the dark, dressed in costume, and let them give me the option of dishing out treats or getting tricked.

Filling Plates and Pages: Meet Beth Hautala

Written by Beth Hautala of Eat Write Repeat

“So, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

I remember that ubiquitous question being tossed in my direction when I was six or seven. Clearly not old enough to articulate a response with any kind of certainty. It’s something adults say to kids when we are trying to make conversation and want to be amused by their responses.

“I’m going to tell stories.” I said. Which, of course, elicited the appropriate amount of amusement from whatever unassuming adult had asked.

But, amusing or not—then and now—here I am telling stories. Written and otherwise. . .

Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks {Easy Gift for Kids to Make}

Every year, dozens of men and women with a heart for ministering to children volunteer to teach Sunday School, junior church, and Wednesday night Bible clubs at my church. Because I have five kids of varying ages, I am blessed to get to know nearly all of them. They give of their time. They give of their talent. They give of themselves all year long with very little thanks for all that they do.

At Christmas, I encourage my kids to give back.

They put together small handmade gifts for each of the volunteers that have a direct ministry to them. It's sometimes difficult to come up with gifts that are both budget AND kid friendly. But with 40 THANK YOUs to make and kids as young as two and three needing to make them, the gifts always have to be simple and inexpensive. 

{Clean} Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

True story: A slow cooker is a busy homeschooling momma's best friend. 

Like in the famed children's classic stone soup, you can pretty much toss a whole bunch of your-entire-pantry into a slow cooker, turn it on low, and serve up a delicious meal by dinner time. What other best friend can claim those kind of props, I ask ya'?!

Sadly though, so many slow cooker recipes contain so much cream-of-MSG soup that my best friend and I often have to limit our time together. Which is just sad because my slow cooker and me go together like peas and carrots. Like peanut butter and jelly. Like homeschool moms and jean jumpers. (Ahem...you get the idea!)

Lunchtime Soft Pretzels

With a family of seven, it is difficult to find a recipe that we all RAVE about. Sure, there are plenty that we all like and will all eat. But inevitably, someone would prefer more tomatoes on their salad and others would prefer less. Some like their chicken topped with gravy and some do not. The more people that are sitting at the table, the more taste buds and preferences I have to consider.

But THIS recipe?

This is one of those rare everyone-begs-for lunchtime treats. It was a recipe that the Radio Announcer's wife stumbled upon when planning for a Germany unit for our Geography club a couple of years ago. 

Truth be told, if my jiggly thighs weren't an issue, I think I could eat these babies all-the-live-long-day!

Lunchtime Quesadillas

Got a little bit of leftover chicken from last night's dinner that you're not sure what to do with? Toss it into this easy-peasy chicken quesadilla recipe for a hot homeschool lunch. Or if you are feeling especially organized, pre-cook a big batch of chicken, shred it, and freeze into meal-sized portions to have these little bad boys whenever you get the hankerin'.

Move over plain PB&J! There's a new lunch in town. It's hot. It's easy. And it's full of flavor, thank you very much!

DIY Lemon Body Scrub

Slough off the winter skin with this refreshing body scrub. Its soothing oil and invigorating springtime smell makes for an inexpensive and oh-so-easy at home spa treatment. Because of the detoxifying and antiseptic nature of lemon oil, this scrub will give your dull post-winter skin a glow. Its my GO TO body scrub and my GO TO hostess gift for friends. Because it is completely natural and can be made for cheap, I can slather it on or give it away guilt free!

Homemade Snow Cream Recipe

The fresh dumping of snow we've received here in the midwest naturally means two things.

1. Playtime will include snow pants.
2. We will enjoy a bowl of snow cream, our homemade version of ice cream made with newly-fallen snow.

With the exception of the few days in July that we affectionately call "summer", we are surrounded by snow all year long. (Ok, so that might be a slight exaggeration...but, only slight. Our winters are L...O...N...G!) On the upside, we get plenty of opportunities to enjoy both snow play and snow cream.

DIY All-Natural Deodorant for Tweens & Teens {and everyone else!}

My daughter is "of an age" now. You know THE ONE...the age when things slowly begin to change and your body begins to do things that it's never done before.

Like sweat.

Real sweat. The kind that stains your clothes and makes you think twice before raising your arms above your waist.

Hobo Packs: Easy Campfire Meal

When this city-fied girl agreed to marry The Hubs, I also unknowingly signed up for camp cook.  Truth is, he's a man that likes to camp.  And by camp, I mean IN A TENT with nothin' but a sleeping bag and a back pack to serve as amenities.  Over the years, I've convinced him that THIS GIRL needs a little bit of luxury...like say a bar of soap and a toothbrush.

But, he's still pretty firm on THE TENT.  No campers or trailers allowed.  What we can't haul on our backs or in a small cart gets left behind.  Although we do own a propane camp stove, we rarely ever use it and prefer to make all our meals over the campfire.

Slow Cooker Bone Broth from Kitchen Scraps

A few weeks ago, when a nasty cold bug threatened to knock all seven of us out one at a time, I took action. I headed to my freezer to grab one of my best, tried-and-true home remedies for feeling better faster...a jar of homemade chicken stock.

Now, don't confuse this with what Swanson has been ladling up for decades. No, no, no.

What I'm talking about is homemade, flavorful, mineral-rich goodness that you won't find on the shelves of any grocery store.

A quick aside: America is one of the few countries in the world that does not seem to value the many health properties of bone broth. Grandmothers all over Creation have been serving up chicken soup to their ailing loved ones for years. Yet, homemade chicken soup has fallen out of vogue here in the States and has been replaced with Ramen, Campbell's, or any myriad of canned knock-offs.

While this simple home remedy might seem like an old wive's tale, there is actually substantial research to prove that broth/stock made from actual animal bones...not bullion cubes or chicken breasts, but BONES...has natural healing properties. For more information, be sure to read The Many Benefits of Bone Broth.

Bread Baking 101: Tips for a Homemade Lifestyle

So, the secret's out.  I like me some bread!  REAL BREAD.  With gluten in it!  There...I've said it.

Yes, I know gluten is currently out of vogue.  But, before you embark on a gluten-is-bad-for-you tirade, please understand that gluten and I are like peas and carrots.  We just belong together!  

Easy Peasy Wheat Bread: Bread Baking for the Rest of Us

Move over, Sara Lee. There's a new bread in town.
In an attempt to bake up a bread that could replace Sara and her laundry list of ingredients I can't pronounce (azodicarbonamide...what's that?), I've baked up wheat bread. Lots of wheat bread.

Correction.

I've baked up BAD wheat bread. Lots of BAD wheat bread.

The thing is, for many years, I've been baking all kinds of other kinds of breads. Rolls, biscuits, artisan loaves, breadsticks, quick breads, white bread, international breads. You name it, I've baked it. No problem. But wheat bread? I've been chasin' the illusive "perfect" wheat loaf for three years...yep...three.

25 Days of Christmas Treats!

Last year, I teamed up with some lovely ladies to bring you A Cookie a Day Until Christmas.  Although cookies are great, I'm more of a Christmas candy kind of girl.  Fudge, peanut brittle, toffee...mmm...excuse me while I drool!  

You can see why I was so excited when the same group of mommas decided to branch out in our self-indulgence to bring you A Goodie a Day Until Christmas.  

Today, I'm sharing the "secret" recipe to The Hubs' most favorite Christmas-time treat.  With just four ingredients, these Chocolate Mint Truffles are oh so easy to make.  But beware, they are also oh so easy to eat!  

To Read More>>

Pinterest Flips and Flops: DIY Cough Drop Lollipops and More

Hey all!  Welcome to the October Pinterest Flips and Flops Link-up!  I don't know about you, but I've been elbow deep in homemade pumpkin puree. What do you do with dozens of frozen bags of pumpkin mush?  Well, first thing's first...you scour Pinterest for the yummiest looking pumpkin recipes. Then...you start baking!  And that's just what I have been up to the last few weeks.  

Southern Scratch Biscuits

Few foods conjure up my childhood memories quite like my momma's southern biscuits.  She, herself, was from Ohio and had never really eaten biscuits prior to marrying my dad.  She quickly learned that it was a southern staple he just couldn't live without!  (This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)

My dad was the youngest of ten born to a poor Oklahoma farming family during the last few years of The Great Depression.  Apparently, what his parents lacked in finances, they made up for in frugal living.  Beans, rice, greens, and biscuits were cheap, could feed a crowd, and were easy for a busy farmer's wife to whip up in no time.