One of the many adventures for most Minnesotans or Midwesterners is a trip to the Duluth area. I’m fortunate to have grown up vacationing near Duluth on several occasions and now having a brother who lives near Duluth. This summer we took a family trip and my goals were simple- enjoy family and stay away from heavy foot traffic. That’s exactly what we did. We stayed away from Canal Park and all the wonderful (but busy) things there are to do there. David and I love to ask locals what their favorite spots are whenever we travel. They are the best map! Fortunately for us we’ve always had my brother to ask when it comes to Duluth. So this post is all about the BEST kept secrets in and around Duluth!
First Up- Gordy’s High Hat/ Gordy’s Warming House.
My dad loves Gordy’s High Hat. David and I aren’t too crazy about it but we do LOVE the warming house!! The two places are located in Cloquet just 20 miles south of Duluth. They are separate buildings divided by picnic area’s and a kids recreation park. We like to go here for dinner our first night because the drive is so LONG it gives the kids what they need – ACTIVITY- and gets us fed. If you have lunch or dinner at Gordy’s we highly recommend their fish. Yes it is fried. They do have some great salad options as well. After we eat dinner we usually let the kiddos burn energy at the park and let our tummy’s settle. Then we cool down with ICE CREAM. By far my favorite ice cream shop. They have probably 20 different flavors of hard ice cream. Plus their coffee is pretty great too! They offer a full coffee bar in the warming house. Two of my favorite things Coffee and Ice Cream.
Next- KOA Cloquet/Duluth Campground
The campground was a little more than what we had expected to pay but summer in/near Duluth is peak season and we absolutely loved the campground and location. Again located in Cloquet just 20 miles south of Duluth. Don’t have a tent to pitch or a camper? They offer log cabins too! They have a great pool that the kids took advantage of EVERYDAY and Lily loved competing in their weekend scavenger hunt. Beautiful grounds, great location! We’d highly recommend them.
Kismet Candy Store
Another hidden gem is Kismet Candy Store. This was our families first time here and we enjoyed it. HUGE store. Kids enjoyed finding weird things like snake gummy’s and cheese flavored dried bugs. David and I enjoyed finding some nostalgic candies like runts and candy cigarettes. Fun stop. Who doesn’t love a candy store stop on Vaca?! This place is again located in Cloquet
Strawberry picking
We actually heard about several farms with other berries as well. We went to the farm across from my brothers farm (Northern Harvest Farm in Wrenshall, MN). There are so many farms in the area- google the berries you love or are in peek season and go pick some!! YUM.
Duluth Huskies
If you love baseball go catch a Huskies game. The field is beautiful (stadium needs some work) but we had a great time and the team is really good which makes the game fun to watch!
My brother and I
Jay Cooke State Park
We love this area. Such a great place to hike. If you want to be adventurous take a raft down. There are several places that take groups down the river. If that’s not your cup of tea do what we did and park at the visitor center, cross the walking bridge and hike on one of the many trails in and around the river.
Visit Wisconsin!
Superior, WI is much less busy then Duluth and you can find some great little shops, eateries and we we even got some bowling in here in Superior!
Staples, MN- Tower Pizza
Last but not least if you are traveling East through the Brainerd lakes area you have to stop at Tower Pizza. Best pizza I’ve had- maybe ever. My husband has fond memories from 30 years ago. He says not much has changed besides some updates in the dining room.
This blog was simply a fun post for me. None of these establishments have paid me to advertise.
This Spring has been rough. Cold and wet. I’m trying to keep my sights on summer and getting some of this winter weight off. The key to weight loss is CLEAN EATING. Its true. I wish the key was exercise but it isn’t. Exercise and supplements can be helpful in shaping and assisting us in the weight loss but the key is what we put in our mouths. I’d love to share a couple of my tried and true recipes that have resurfaced in my diet this spring. Let me know if you try them and what you think? OR comment below what some of your favorite clean eating foods/recipes are?
Enchilada Quinoa Crock pot meal
The rest of my family is not a fan so this meal actually will last me a week or more. Sometimes I freeze 1/2 of it (It makes A LOT) and will actually get a couple weeks of meals out of it. Also I choose to leave the cheese off. It just adds extra calories that I can’t necessarily taste without all of the other spices in this dish. There are so many variations to this dish on Pinterest or online so if your looking for something just a little different – look around OR play with the recipe. Click link below for recipe that does not belong to me.
Mix banana’s well blend with stevia, vanilla extract and egg.. Add remaining ingredients but save chocolate chips for last. Put in sprayed 9 X 9 square pan add chocolate chips to the top. Bake 350 for about 25 minutes.
Its no secret that homeschool had been a huge struggle here at the Vernoy home. This was not my plan. I never EVER considered homeschooling. Then COVID hit and I felt backed into a corner. I really felt like my only viable option this year was to homeschool. I could go through a list of WHY we decided to choose this route but I think I’ll save that post for another day. Today I want to share some our failures and some of our successes. There have been several positives that have come from homeschooling. There has also been some pretty big hurdles for us. Lets start with the negative- get those out of the way. In the beginning of the year the big hurdle was accepting that “MOM is in fact our TEACHER”. It took about a month for this to settle in. Once we got into a routine the kids became more accepting of the homeschool program. If you asked them today if they want to continue to be homeschooled next year they would say emphatically YES. They have come to love all the flexibility that comes with learning at home. Another great aspect that I have noticed is- our kids get a long. They used to fight ALL the time. That has actually lessened quite a bit. They have become each others best buddy. This has made my heart leap. I love seeing them play and enjoy being together. Don’t get me wrong they still have sibling fights – its just not as bad or as frequent as when they went to public school. Another BIG positive is that we have been able to incorporate the Bible into almost every lesson. We have been learning from Master Books and its been a great curriculum. Every subject starts and ends with God- even math! We also start our day with just Bible. Our science and history lessons take every concept and puts into a Biblical context. I love it! Often I’m learning right along with the kids.
There has been more time for baking, education games, experiments, and special projects including making a small quilt!
Okay so some of our setbacks….
I am trying to manage our home, homeschool kids, and I’m working 2 jobs from home. I’m losing it- to be quite frank. There is little reprieve. Im going from sun up to sun down a million miles an hour. So this also likely puts me on edge- and many days I feel like I don’t have the patience I really need to focus on our homeschooling needs. Both of our children seem to have some “special needs” too. Our son had some speech delays early on which set him back. I feel he is actually doing really well despite the fact that things aren’t what they were -in past years. Our daughter has been the one who has really stretched us. She can’t seem to focus for more then 1 or 2 minutes . Some days she’s literally hanging upside down on the chair while I’m trying to teach her. I’m pretty sure that if we had her tested she would have a couple of learning disabilities or at least one. My husband suffered through school (and still does) with some learning disabilities. I also had some trouble when I was younger. So we are hyper sensitive to their needs. It was hard to really see that our daughter had special needs until we started homeschooling. We have been working on about 50 site words since we started school in August. Today she could maybe identify 10. Its been super frustrating. We have tried several ways of learning them- orally, written, games, songs, etc. I did recently add a skittle incentive. So for every word she gets right she gets a skittle (after lunch). That has actually been working very well and she seems to have been picking up momentum on learning these. She also has recently started to enjoy reading books. This has not always been the case. I have a reading app (Epic) on my tablet and the kids choose books to read while I do school work with the other child. So when I’m working with my son my daughter is reading on Epic. We also have many books on our shelves that she likes me to read. So this newfound energy for reading has encouraged me that she will TAKE OFF- its just a matter of time. I have to give her some grace because she was half-way through Kindergarten when they sent her home for the year and the at-home learning just wasn’t helping her grow educationally. I know from past experience that, that last semester of Kindergarten is often when stuff starts to click. I find myself in tears every other day sometimes everyday. Homeschooling is no joke. Its the hardest job I’ve ever had. I often second guess my decision and hope I’m not messing my kids up even more. I guess this is where we as mom’s need to extend a little more grace to ourselves. God can do what I can not. I will do what he’s placed in front of me- to the best of my ability and I will rest in the fact that God will fill those gaps and finish the work he began.
One of Lily’s lessons included growing a bean plant. Happy to report its doing well!
“But he said to me, : “My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s POWER may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
Thanks for reading my blog. Subscribe to my newsletter. Also comment. What has been your biggest challenge this year -if your homeschooling or overseeing distance learning?
It has been well over a month since I have posted. I apologize. I’ve been super busy. I also must admit I’ve been in a bit of a funk. This year has been SO hard. In March when we first started to hear about the virus I think I was in shock and panic. The last few months if I’m honest; I’ve been on the verge of depression. I’m really good at holding all of my emotions inside. Its how I cope. The Lord has been teaching me that this is very un-healthy. In fact its like poison. A good friend of mine reminded me of a song by Matthew West called “Truth Be Told”. I’d encourage you to look up those lyrics. SO powerful. Its important that we find the right outlet and person/person’s to confide in but we NEED to be honest with ourself and with others about how we are doing. Nothing gets fixed by lying to ourself. I’m not going to dig too deep into this topic right now. Instead I’m going to list some SELF CARE idea’s. These are things I do to take care of ME. It is NOT selfish to take care of yourself. In fact if we don’t take care of ourself, our relationships will suffer immensely.
Read my Bible
Follow a reading program that takes the Bible SLOWLY and chronologically. Slow and steady is the key. This way you can really meditate throughout the day on WHAT you read. Also read chronologically so that you are reading the word in its true context. Sadly it is too easy to misinterpret scripture when it is not read in context.
2. Inspirational Music
Find what speaks to you. I love to put Elevation and Bethel Music/Worship on. I use Spotify and Amazon Music throughout the day.
3. Essential Oils
People love them or hate them. I love them!! I mostly diffuse but if I don’t have time to diffuse I will put some on my neck, chest, or wrist. Essential oils have been around for thousands of years (Biblical times). So many studies done on the MANY health benefits of oils including reducing the effects of stress on the body.
4. Warm Bath with Eucalyptus Epsom Salt
Any Epsom Salt bath soak will work. I have found one that I LOVE from Target. It not only helps my sore muscles recover from a strenuous work out but it also makes my skin feel amazing!
5. Work Out/ Physical Activity
This is harder to achieve these days with homeschooling 2 children and working 2 other part time jobs. However I DO make it a priority to go to the gym at least 3 times a week (minimum). Its so important to work on heart health as well as muscle strength and stability. I always feel much better physically and mentally after a work out.
6. Treat yourself
A friend shared a new recipe with me that I will share with you because it was SO GOOD!
Cinnamon Ice Cream & Sparkling Apple Cider
It tastes like an apple pie float. A treat doesn’t have to be a sweet either. It can be a nap, a car ride, a new pair of socks, a glass of wine -whatever gives you a little smile and is something you don’t do everyday. A treat.
7. Read a good book
I think you know within about 4 chapters if the book is a winner. If its not something you look forward to picking up again then toss it and find something else. Not worth your time. Follow me on good reads if you want some input on books. I like to read a mixture of books but my favorites are usually a good historic story, usually fiction but not always.
Some people can’t do naps. I LOVE naps. Give me 20-30 mins and I will turn into a much nicer person on the other side of that nap!
The most important thing to remember is YOU. Don’t negelct yourself. Take daily moments for yoursefl and take weekly treats. You and everyone around you will be glad you did. God Bless you all in this tough season. With GODS help and grace we WILL PERSEVER!
What do you do for self care? I’d love to hear from you.
This post might be a little scattered. I have not written anything for a couple of weeks because life has been extremely busy and chaotic. In my title I began with the ugly and ended with the positive. I think I’ll continue that. I always appreciate a good ending.
After sheltering in place all spring one of our first outings (in a group setting) was to Family Camp in Devils Lake. It was as though no one out there even knew what COVID was.😬😂 Granted many of the people there were country folks who had 0 cases in their county but I’ll be honest I was a bit uncomfortable with all of the hugs and hand shakes. At the same time I believe that not being around germs and such is NOT good for my immune system. I came back from camp with what seemed like a common cold. It was over within 4 or 5 days and then the following week I had a cough for about 2 days. The cough scared me enough to take a COVID test. The test did come back negative. No one else in my family got sick.
Okay so here are my positive experience with the At-home kit:
It was super convenient
It was easy to take
It came to me the very next day from when I ordered it
It was covered through insurance
It was in the lab within 24 hours of me taking it
Here are my negative experiences with the At–home Kit:
It took about 10 days to process!!
So I’m glad I took the test for peace of mind and the safety of all those I’m around however I was not impressed by how long this test took to process. Their web site says that they take 3-5 days to process and they process samples 7 days a week so I’m unsure why mine took so long. I think the best thing about this test is that it was simple to take. They send you a kit with several q-tip like wands (small). Your instructed to take 1 q-tip and circle the inside of each nostril 3 times. Then place the q-tip in a small tube they send with some sort of liquid (that I suppose keeps the sample stable for testing). Super easy and non-invasive at all (like most of the other tests out there).
Just a few days after my cold symptoms I got back to feeling really good so I started exercising again. I decided to take an online cardio step class. It felt great to get moving again so I decided to take a yoga class as well. That’s when I though I was passing out. I felt the floor shift from beneath me. All I could do was lay on the floor and close my eyes. I thought something was seriously wrong. My husband said that we should get to the walk-in clinic right away because he didn’t want to wait till the evening and have to pay for an emergency room visit. It turns out I just had Vertigo. I was dumb founded. Like seriously? That’s it? I pretty much laid in bed for 2 days. It did eventually pass but it was miserable. I felt like I was in one of those wave pools and I couldn’t get off the ride. I was nauseous and dizzy almost the entire time. Anyone else out there had Vertigo? What was your experience? Do you get it often?
We decided to buy a camper after we realized that most of the kids activities and camps in Fargo were going to be canceled because of COVID this summer. It was one of the best decisions we made! We have made so many great family memories this summer. Here is a list of the campgrounds we have visited so far: Eggerts Landing (Valley City, ND), Lakewood Park Bible Camp (Devils Lake, ND), Games Lake County Park (New London, MN), Yogi Bear Jellystone Park (Sioux Falls, SD) and this weekend we are off to Lake Geneva Christian Center (Alexandria, MN). My personal favorite out of all the places we’ve been to so far is Eggerts Landing. Its well maintained and each site seems somewhat private. You feel part of nature there. The bugs weren’t too bad and the beach and park were wonderful! If you go ask to be close to bathrooms. Some of the sites are quite far from the bathrooms and beach access. The kids favorite campground of course was Yogi Bear. My only complaints about Yogi Bear was it was a more expensive and the pool was just too small for the amount of campers. If we go again I would do this one during the week and not on the weekend. I might write a post in the fall as a follow up to this one. That way I can share more about each campground. We have had fun at each place we’ve been to! What are some of your favorite camping spots?
The one thing that did not get canceled was the kids tennis lessons. They went twice a week throughout the month of July. The kids started out really loving it but by the last week or two they didn’t want to go. They actually have to exercise and move (imagine that). I think they also got a little bored with the same motions each day. Next time I think I would sign them up for more of a 2 week program or a multi-sports summer program. We liked the instructors they were very nice and good with the kids! I think I counted about 9 or 10 boys and about 12-15 girls each week. It was a big group.
IM OFFICIALLY A HOME SCHOOL MAMA! It seems like a daunting task. When Fargo had an online-zoom meeting recently and shared their plans for the 2020-2021 school year I knew I had to go with my gut and choose to homeschool this year. Im hopeful that our kids will get back to a normal class room setting next year. My main 2 reasons for leaving public school this year:
I’m not a fan of the public school home learning system.
Kids should not be mandated to wear a mask all day
Kids should not be asked to social distance
Fargo schools will have kids learning in the classroom and from home. Three days one week and two days the next. Plus they will likely have closures throughout the school year. I prefer the kids to have a stable learning environment. The shuffling around does not seem stable to me. I don’t plan to comment on the mask issue. Doctors/scientists wont even agree on the mask issue so I’m not going there. I just prefer my kids to breath fresh air. This last point is the nail in the coffin for me. What is the point of sending my child to public school if not to make friends and socialize? I’m afraid that’s just not what Public schools are concerned about this year- which makes me very sad for the students. I’m praying for the mental and emotional health of all the children put in public school this year. I realize some parents don’t have the option to homeschool. Each family needs to make the decision that best fits their needs. I just know I can’t send mine this year. Most of the summer I have been researching curriculum. A friend of mine from Willmar who has been homeschooling for a few years now turned me on to Master Books. I have looked online at much of their curriculum and I think its going to be a perfect fit for my family. Its very reasonable, I paid under $400 TOTAL for my 2 kids (4 subjects for each child plus an America Geography book- states). My favorite part of this curriculum is that each subject weaves Jesus throughout. Its gentle (as to let kids develop a love for learning and retain the information). I’m super excited about the curriculum but very nervous about doing this for 9 months! Lord help me. If you are homeschooling tell me: what extra curricular activities are you signing your kids up for? What curriculum do you use and why?
A friend recommended this book to me and I enjoyed it thoroughly. So many issues that all women can relate to. The author weaves stories (hers and others) throughout to expand on her points. So relatable! Loved this one. I give this book 4 stars.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
This was a tough story to read. I cried throughout but at times found some comic relief too. Emotional read but I’m so glad I read it. A true love story- in the midst of evil, catastrophic events. I give this book 3.5 stars.
Hope in the Dark: Believing God is Good When Life is Not by Craig Groeshel
Questions we all have faced or will face when tragedy hits. Such a good read if your going through a tough season. Most of us could benefit from this book right now (with the pandemic & rioting)! I LOVED it. Thought provoking at every turn. Craig relates some of his own questions and stories of conflict and tragedy. I give this book 4 Stars.
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
This book is fictional but based off a true set of horrific events that happened in 1939. I couldn’t put the book down. I cried throughout. It was absolutely horrific. The love of siblings and the fight the main character exuded was SO inspirational! I give this book 4 stars.
As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner
I listened to this book on Audible. I loved the narration. Well written and well narrated! The setting of this book is Philadelphia, 1918- during the Spanish Flu. Its a fictional story (again) based on real events. A family’s experiences of war, flu, and famine. Another read I couldn’t get through fast enough. Loved it. I give this book 4 Stars.
The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers
Great story of love, grace and redemption. I have loved all of Francine’s books but this was especially enjoyable. Beaty in seen through a mountain of hurt and pain. I give this book 4 Stars.
Eat Cake. Be Brave. by Melissa Radke
I listened to this book on Audible. Melissa (the author) was also the narrator. I loved it! She is a lot of fun to listen to. I’m convinced after listening to her book that no one is better equipped to read your story then you. She’s funny, witty, and makes some great points. If your a mom who needs a bit of inspiration and some humor in your life- read this! I give this book 3 Stars.
TV Series
We have Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. I’m not familiar with whats available on some of the other streaming services.
Two of my favorites are not available on Amazon or Netflix : Parenthood and This is Us.
Parenthood: This one was an emotional rollercoaster. We laughed (a lot) and cried throughout. There are 3 generations represented in this family. Lots of twist and turns but again family is family and they stick together through it all. I give this series 4 stars.
This is Us:
A drama series we got swept up in. This is one you’ll want a box of tissues for. I think I cried at least once during each episode. Each family member struggles in some ways but family is always there! I give this series 4 stars.
NetFlix
Nurse Jackie:
This series is about a nurse who has an addiction to narcotics. She’s smart, funny, witty but she goes to ALL lengths in order to feed her disease. Its a somber story. Its hard to watch especially if you have no idea what addiction is like. I watched it with my husband who is a recovering addict and he says its very real/candid. If you want an inside look of what an addict (and their friends/family members) go through I highly recommend this series! Be aware of the rating on this show. It is a bit explicit at times. I give this series 5 Stars
When Calls the Heart:
Think little house on the prairie. Set in the early 1900’s, Elizabeth the main character leaves home (a life of privilege-rich) to follow her dreams of being a school teacher. Her first assignment is along the Canadian frontier. This show is clean. You could watch this with your kids. I don’t know they’d be interested in it but you could. I give this series 3.5 Stars
Married at First Sight:
This is a chick flick series. Its a modern day arranged marriage. 4 couples are matched by 3 experts (Sociologist, Psychologist, and Pastor). I enjoyed this series because I could binge watch it and I didn’t have to think. I could just simply watch non-sense. I have to say its not as heated (by heated I mean sexualized) as the Bachelor but its also not clean. I give this series 3 Stars. It was fun to watch but its not something I would re-watch.
Call the Midwife:
This is a drama, set in the 1950’s London. The main character Jen becomes a midwife and joins a convent where nuns were also nurses. Its heartbreaking throughout but the story of friendship and life are brilliant and uplifting. Love this series! Again this is more of a chick-flick series I watch without the hubby. I give this series a 3.5 star rating.
Waco:
Is a short series based on the true events of a cult that formed near Waco, TX in the 80’s. In 1993 the FBI got involved and the ending is tragic. This movie really gets you thinking and is simply disturbing. None the less it was done well! I would highly recommend watching this! I give this series 4.5 Stars!
Prime Video:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel:
I’m going to warn you this series can be kind of crude at times but if you can get over the language there is some great stories weaved throughout. Its also incredibly funny. Sometimes I laughed so hard I nearly wet my pants! I give this series 4 Stars!
Sneaky Pete:
The first and last series are the best. The middle got too violent for me. Still the script writing is brilliant. Pete is a con man. Everything about this man is fake but does he have a heart to change? I’m convinced he does. Great GREAT acting in this and brilliant manipulation that is hard to catch- hence the name SNEAKY Pete. Be aware of the rating on this show. I give this series 3.5 Stars.
I’ve been having fun perfecting my Peanut Butter Banana bread recipe. This is amazing. Just the right amount of peanut butter and that little drizzle of honey makes it so yummy. I enjoy putting peanut butter on top of my banana bread so I don’t like to add too much peanut butter to the actual peanut butter recipe. Comment below if you try this recipe or how you adapted it. Its a great breakfast or quick snack option.
1 Cup Sugar or Sugar Substitute (I use Stevia)
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Eggs
2 Cup Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
2-3 RIPE Banana’s
1/3 Cup Peanut Butter
1/3 Cup Sour Cream (or Plain Greek Yogurt)
Drizzle Honey (1.5 TBLS or so)
1/4-1/3 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips *Optional*
Cream together soft butter & Sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in dry ingredients (I usually mix the dry ingredients separately and then add to the mixture). Add banana’s, sour cream, and peanut butter. Once everything is well mixed add drizzle of honey to the mix mix this in by hand or very lightly with mixer (don’t over mix). Place mixture in 3 greased mini loaf pans or 1 greased large loaf pan. Add mini chocolate chips to the top of each load. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes (for large loaf) or until done. Wait for 5 minutes or so until load is semi cooled then pull loaf from pan and cool on wire rack 1-2 hours.
We are all eating at home a lot more often these days. Pretty sure I’m not alone in having some picky little eaters. Once upon a time I was making 2 or 3 different meals at a time for super in hopes to appease everyone. I have diet restrictions and the other 3 in my family are just plain picky. I could not keep up with this, obviously! I have since strategized. My strategy is this: 3-4 times a week I make things that I know the entire family will enjoy. 1-2 times a week I try something new or something that someone in the family may love but the others do not. I also try not to cook on the weekends. We eat leftovers, lunch/snack items, or we order out (limited to once on the weekend). If I make a meal that someone does not like I do allow them to make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. If its a new meal they are required to try it before they are allowed to veto it. No treats or snacks for the rest of the day until dinner is eaten. Below I have listed dinners that all 4 of us enjoy! Dinner Time WINS!
1. Spaghetti
Many of you I’m sure have this on your list and have your own favorite recipe so I won’t bother with a recipe here. I will say that our family always adds Mild Italian Sausage to our sauce. It gives the sauce just enough heat.
2. Ravioli
This is one of the easiest dinners I make. All I do is take my spaghetti sauce (made with the Italian sausage) and frozen Ravioli (our family prefers the cheese ravioli over the meat) and layer in a crock pot. Be sure to spray the pot before you add your first layer of sauce. Also make sure the sauce is the first layer on the bottom and last layer on the top. Slow cook on high 3-4 hours. About 45mins-1 hour before the ravioli’s are done I add a layer of mozzarella cheese to the top.
3. Cheeseburger Soup
This is a recipe that is more then a recipe. Every time I make this I’m reminded of how God provides. This is one of the meals that was brought to my family during a difficult season. When our son was born he was a preemie (and I was a first time mom) we were in and out of the hospital a lot. Several friends brought us meals. This is one of those meals. We enjoyed it so much David and I had to have the recipe. It has become a staple in our home ever since. I believe it will be a recipe that lives on long after I am gone.
Cheeseburger Soup (Recipe by Karen Christensen)
1 lb Hamburger
3/4 Cup Onion (diced)
3/4 Cup Shredded Carrots
3/4 Cup Celery (optional)
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Parsley
1 TBLS Butter
Sauté 5-10 mins then add 3 cups of chicken broth (I personally add a whole carton which is about 4 cups I do believe) and 4 cups of diced peeled potatoes. Bring to slow boil. Simmer 10-12 mins. Melt 3 TBLS butter add 1/4 cup of flour to butter add to the pot after the 10 min simmer. Cook for about 5 mins then add 8 oz of American Cheese (I only add about 6 oz of cheese). Add 1.5 cups of milk add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until potatoes are cooked but not mushy.
4. Burrito’s
This meal freezes well!! I usually prepare these in the afternoon and set aside a package for our dinner that evening and then put the rest in multiple freezer bags for another 2 meals down the road. We only use 1 can of refried beans, I add more chicken 4-5 cups, and only about 1-1.5 cups of shredded cheese. Also I do not add cheese to the top when I bake these. We serve this with Spanish Rice-a-roni or a Salad or tortilla chips and salsa.
The key ingredient in this recipe is definitely the fiesta ranch! Yum!! When I make this for us I cut the cream cheese in half (only 4 oz). Unfortunately Im the only one in my family who likes black beans so I trade the black beans in for pinto beans. Also I make sure to drain the corn and beans. I also cook the chicken in the crockpot before I add the other ingredients because I drain some or most of the chicken broth that forms. I do this so that our tacos aren’t too runny. I have noticed that the mix has plenty of liquid that forms without adding to it.
For this I use the recipe from our chicken tacos (the one above) and instead of draining the liquids I add all the liquids plus I add about 3/4 cup of water and 1-2 cups of chicken broth. It makes a really yummy soup!
7. Bacon Pasta Dish
This is our newest addition to the family favorite list. This is a Pampered Chef Recipe. I like it because I use 1 pot to make the entire meal. Easy to make and easy to clean up. I also love that I typically have all of the ingredients on hand. Some of the adjustments I make to this recipe: I use cavatappi or penn pasta instead of linguine. The directions on the recipe are a little confusing if you don’t have the pampered chef items. Like I said before I make it all in one pan. I use my large 12 inch skillet. I only use 1 can of diced tomatoes or 1 can of Rotel (kids don’t love tomatoes yet). I also don’t usually add the garlic. The kids aren’t big fans of garlic yet. I also usually use regular Kraft parmesan (what I have on hand).
This can be a number of things. My kids love it all except in the morning. They just aren’t that hungry in the mornings so we actually save breakfast for dinner and once in a while lunch or brunch on the weekends.
9. Chicken Dumpling Soup
This is a recipe that changes each time I make it. I put a little of this and a little of that so putting together a recipe here is tough for me but I shall try!
Chicken Dumpling Soup
3-4 chicken breast cooked & diced
1/2-1 bag mixed frozen veggies (can also use can or better yet fresh veggies)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can pillsbury dinner rolls
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup water
1/2 TBLS Minced Onion
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
Add Chicken, soup, chicken stock, water, and seasoning to large pot. Simmer about 10-12 mins. Cut dinner rolls in small chunks add to the pot. I make sure the soup is simmering higher then usual to cook the “dumplings” well. Simmer for 5 mins or until your dumpling are cooked. Take off the heat and let cool for a good 5-10 mins before serving (dumplings will also continue to cook while it sits).
10. Meat Balls
This is another favorite of mine because I’m able to prepare these and freeze them. So I can get multiple meals out of one preparation time. I usually mix 1.5 lbs of ground beef with 1.5 lbs of ground turkey. We eat these in a couple of ways: with barb-q sauce (our favorite is Famous Dave’s Sweet and Zesty or Sassy) over the top as well as a Swedish Sauce or just brown gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes and your family’s favorite veggie.
Simple Hamburgers on the grill or Sloppy Joes. When I make Sloppy Joes sometimes I use manwich and sometimes I use my dads favorite Famous Dave’s Recipe.
Famous Dave’s BBQ Recipe:
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 Cup Finley chopped Onion
1/4 cup Finley chopped green pepper
1 jalapeño Finley Minced (we usually omit this because the kids can’t handle this much spice)
1 TBLS Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne (another one we omit or only use 1/8 tsp)
I usually brown the ground beef and then add to a crock pot along with all of the other ingredients and slow cook for about 2-3 hours so the spices simmer together. Serve on Hamburger Bun.
13. Taco Bar
This is pretty self explanatory. We like to mix it up though. Sometimes we do hard or soft shell. Sometimes we do salad. Sometimes haystacks (load everything up over Frito corn chips). Sometimes taco in a bag (nacho cheese Doritos’).
14. Pizza
Same with the Taco thing. Sometimes we make our own pizza’s with English muffins or large Pillsbury biscuits. Some of our favorite frozen pizza’s: Jacks, Red Baron, and Pizza Corner. Keep it simple. Always serve with a salad.
15. Chicken Noodle Soup
This is very similar to my chicken dumpling soup except I put extra broth in it so its not quite as creamy. I also add celery to my chicken noodle soup. Add egg noodles instead of dumplings.
16. Chicken Salad
We love to cook the chicken on the grill (when possible) cut and serve over romaine. We do add other veggies to the salad but we allow the kids to pick the veggies they want to add to theirs so most of our veggies are served “buffet style”. Serve with favorite dressing and roasted & salted soy nuts (great source of fiber and protein and gives it a great crunch).
Remember these are recipes my whole family enjoys. These are not necessarily my personal favorite meals. Maybe on a future post I will share some of those. Feel free to follow me on Pinterest where you will find many of these recipes and more.
So on Wednesday last week we had quite the day. The quarantine has been hard on us all! The one thing that has been nice is that the kids have been able to go outside everyday for some play time (except Thursday it was a bit chilly with the wind). Well on Wednesday my husband came home during lunch time and allowed the kids to play outside while he was dinking around in the garage/workshop. Apparently he wasn’t watching the children too closely because they all came storming in the house. By the looks of it Lily had gotten into some acrylic paints. She was lathered from head to toe in it. We had just bought her a beautiful new NorthFace coat that we had gotten the week prior at the outlet store. It was a winter coat we were really trying to save for next year. Her coat had paint all over it (I was able to get it all out PTL). Her hair was a disaster too. It looked as though she was purposely trying to paint her hair whereas the coat just got splatters.
David came in apologizing profusely. While I was yelling at him Theo got in the middle of the argument and said “mom it was my fault.”
I said “oh yeah how so?”
He said “I was supposed to be looking after her.”
Oh my sweet sweet boy. All of this to say: we need each other right now. Especially now. We can still pick up the phone and make a call. We can write a letter. I know all very “old school” stuff. We need to check in on each other. There is a great app I like to use to do this. Called Marco Polo. Its a place where you can leave a video for a friend. Its a great app!
Lily’s Hair we scrubbed and did 3 or 4 washes-it came out!
Since for most of us school is now going to be at home (for a while anyway) I thought I would give you a list of some of the Apps/Books/Programs that I have either used personally or heard great reviews on. I will highlight each of the apps/programs I have personally used. That way you can feel free to message or comment any questions you have on those. I know right now there is an over abundance of resources. So many programs that used to cost money are now letting us join in for FREE (not all I list are free but many are)!! Don’t be overwhelmed. I’m putting these out there so that you have a reference point. I have been making it a goal to try 1 new thing each day. That keeps things fresh and fun!! I’m not sure what our distance learning plans will look like but these programs might be a nice complement. Enjoy. Be safe & stay strong!
Affordable or FREE Educational Apps/Books/Programs:
ABC Mouse
Scholastic Watch & Learn
Adventure Academy
Monarch Homeschool
Libby App (just need a library card to attach to account): this app allows you to Check out books online
Reading IQ (Another digital library app for kids)
Audible Books For Kids: I have experience with Audible but I have never used the kids version. I’m excited to check this one out especially since its my understanding that while school is not meeting audible will be free for kids and teens to use!!
Epic: Reading App with a huge library of kids books. Theo loves the read to me books and I like those too because the words are highlighted as they are read.
PBS Kids
Khan Academy
Foundations Memory Work: my understanding is the fee to use this is normally $15.99 but will be waved during the pandemic.
Abeca Classical Conversation App: 7 subjects- 24 weeks of learning
Freckle Education: this looks like its very user friendly and makes great progress charts for parents to monitor their child’s learning.
Teach Your Monster to Read: Another app that the fee is being waved right now
Familytime- we made leprechaun’s using the youtube -Learn to Draw
FACEBOOK:
Step2 FB Live Crafts, Fargo Park District: Live Take 5 Activities, Cincinnati Zoo: Home Safari, The Red River Zoo: Animal Encounters & Activities, Valley News Live FB Science Class with Hutch Johnson @ 2pm each day
Disney + has National Geographic!
Christian Learning/Bible Resources for Kids:
Adventures in Odyssey
Bible App for Kids
Superbook
Podcast: Kids Bible Stories
If you have a dollar store that is open and you feel comfortable going to- they have a ton of learning books I usually stock up on before summer hits. See top photo of some of my Dollar Store Finds.
Another idea is to have your children make cards for their friends and either mail them or drop them off at their friends homes. We all need each other right now. This may help your kids process this time as well (PBS has some great resources for parents on how we can talk to our kids about the pandemic). Include a little bubble gum or toy and do a “drop & dash”. Have fun with it. Try to think outside the box and still bless others during this tough season.
I hope this long list doesn’t overwhelm you. Take each day one step at a time. Feel free to email or comment on this post. Also don’t forget to subscribe so that you get email reminders when I write a new blog post! Thanks for your support and I pray God Bless and Keep you all healthy & STRONG.
I like to mess around in the kitchen and sometimes my ideas pan out and sometime they don’t. Today they did! My goal was to make a “healthy” breakfast bar that would A: be easy for me to eat in the mornings (because lets face it mornings are BUSY!) and B: use up some of my “this and that” ingredients. You know, those ingredients that are taking up space in your cupboard that you don’t have enough in the bag to make an entire dish out of?! Tomorrow is grocery day and I wanted to use up some of these “old” ingredients to make room for some of the new ingredients. We live in an old 1950’s house and the storage in our kitchen is basically non-existent. I made a little pantry in our basement to accommodate this but its quite inconvenient to go up and down stairs when your trying to cook a meal. Anyhow, try the recipe out and feel free to adapt it to your needs or likes! For example if your not a fan of peanut butter and banana don’t add it in or if you aren’t a fan of cinnamon don’t add it. SO many variations are possible. The one thing I would suggest is to leave the coconut oil part alone. It works SO well in this recipe and a little bit goes a LONG way! The oil gives these bars just a little crisp (that I absolutely love) on the outside of the bar. These bars also will freeze well for up to 12 weeks if you want to make a bunch at one time or even cut individually and freeze half of the bars. The bars will not last more then 3 or 4 days on the shelf because there really are “NO preservatives added”.
Breakfast Bars:
6 Green Plan WW Points per bar (can take certain ingredients out to make fewer points too)
(Cut into 9)
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Almond Flour
1/2 Cup Vanilla Protein Power
1/4 Cup PB2 Dry Peanut Butter
1 tsp Cinnamon or 3 drops of Cinnamon Essential Oil
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Medium Ripe Banana
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1/4 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 Eggs
1 TBLS Coconut Oil
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Preheat over to 350
Spray 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square pan with cooking spray
Add 1 TBLS Coconut Oil to pan and place in the oven (to melt)
Mix all ingredients minus the chocolate chips until well blended. Add Chocolate Chips.
Take pan out of oven and place batter in pan (batter will sizzle a little)
