Sunshine Baskets

This Summer I had the best time putting together Sunshine Baskets!

Isn't that a fun name?  My Aunt Vera shared it with me and it's just like it sounds - a basket or box filled with things that will be a bright spot in someone's day.

I love to grab berry boxes or small Amazon boxes to turn into sunshine baskets.

I like to include a meal, all the sides, a dessert, paper products and a magazine.

Homemade chicken salad

fruits

veggies

pasta salad

crackers/chips/salty snacks

loaf of bread

lemonade

cookies/treats

plates/silverware/utensils

& a note

I make sure everything is disposable, let the person know your delivery is coming and help them with several meals to make their life a little sunnier!

Do you know someone that would benefit from a sunshine basket?

Bacon Wrapped Pancakes

Bacon Wrapped Pancakes.  Doesn't that sound delicious!?

My kids saw the idea to make bacon wrapped pancakes so they put it on their Summer wish list.  It was easy and delicious.

First, bake your bacon at 400 for 40 minutes or until crispy.  Drain off the fat half way through.  Let cool on a paper towel and break each piece of bacon in half.  We like to use thick cut bacon so it takes the full 40 minutes to bake.

Second, stir up your favorite pancake mix while your bacon is baking.

Third, pour a bacon shapped puddle of pancake mix, add on half a strip of bacon and then cover with more pancake mix.  Flip until both sides are browned.

Top with butter, syrup, powdered sugar, chocolate chips or fruit.

Enjoy!  The kids loved making and eating this yummy breakfast. 

Sharing Small Meals

Do you have an elderly neighbor?  Single friends?  Parents?  Friends who live alone? Or small families nearby that could use a meal or two this winter?  I've got an easy meal sharing idea for you that will make taking someone a meal not so intimidating.

Kevin has two grandmas that live nearby and we used to have 90 year old neighbors that rarely left their house.  Both of these examples worked so well for my small meal strategy.  I buy sturdy bowls, plates and these black containers with clear lids so that I can easily share food with others. 

Step 1: Make a big meal for your own family.

Step 2: Divide up the leftovers to share.  Your family might appreciate not having to eat leftovers and your friends/family would be thrilled to get a homecooked meal that just needs to be warmed up.  It really doesn't add much to your grocery budget to share small meals.

If you follow Amy Hannon on social media @eunamaes or read her book Love, Welcome, Serve - she's always talking about having take out containers on hand at all times so that you are ready to share food with the people you love.  She will send home leftovers at the end of a dinner party or she'll cook and then drop off food to all of her neighbors.  It's wonderful and so inspiring.

I made a big 9x13 pan of lasagna and then divided it up to share earlier this month.  I dropped it off just like this - 2 servings of lasagna, side salad, I grabbed fresh fruits and veggies from our stash and then made a few cookies fresh to drop off with the meal.  It was so appreciated and not much more work since I was already cooking for my family.

Leo loves delivering food with me!  I try to put as much of it in a bag as possible so he can help and then label anything that is covered in foil.  Sometimes I schedule these dinner deliveries and sometimes it's a surprise meal drop off.  I always package it ready to eat whenever it is convenient for the person receiving the food.

If you're not up to cooking for a big family, think about the people who live alone or the couples in your life that would love a home cooked meal from you.  I've done this same formula with a big batch of chili, tacos, lasagna, baked spaghetti and more and it is always appreciated!

Delicious Fruit & Nut Chicken Salad

I love a good chicken salad.  Especially when it has fruit and nuts in it.

This recipe is delicious and super easy.  It's my favorite quick lunch to make and enjoy all week long. I honestly looked forward to lunch every single day when I ate this last week.

I almost always have all the ingredients on hand for an easy meal option.

Ingredients:

1 can white meat chicken

1 Honeycrisp apple diced up

1 cup green grapes sliced in half

1/2 c walnuts

Dukes Mayo

Spicy Brown Mustard

Ritz crackers

Recipe makes 2 big servings

 

Directions:

Drain a can of chicken, shred it and then add it to a bowl.  Add in the chopped fruit and nuts.  Add in Dukes mayo a heaping spoonful at a time until you get your desired consistency.  Add a drizzle of spicy brown mustard.  Stir until well combined.  It is delicious right away, but it will be even better the next day when all the flavors have had a chance to mix.

I love to eat it with Ritz crackers.  It would be delicious with any salty cracker or slice of bread.

This recipe is great because you can swap out the fruit - red grapes, any kind of apple, nectarines, pineapple or berries.  You can also change up the walnuts for almonds or pecans.  It's so easy to customized this recipe to work for you.

 You've got to try this delicious fruit and nut chicken salad!  It will be your favorite lunch in no time.

5 Simple Meal Ideas

One of the most requested blog post topics when I surveyed you last month was - meal ideas!

I am excited to share with you some really yummy meals that my family has enjoyed.  Many of the items are from Sams so Sams shoppers will be thrilled.  Even if you're not a Sams shopper, I know you can find similar items at your favorite stores.

1 // Breakfast for Dinner

I know this one gets mixed reviews, but I promise you can find a way to make this a meal that everyone looks forward to.  For us it's bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, mini pancakes from a mix and berry smoothies or fresh fruit.  Sometimes I sub pancakes for biscuits.  We like both.  The kids act like I fix a feast and never compliment any meal more than they do breakfast for dinner.

If I'm in a hurry - I use this fully cooked bacon that reheats so fast with very little mess.  Kevin prefers thick cut bacon so I just go with whatever option I have the time to make.  My crew also loves these Jimmy Dean turkey sausage links from Sams.  They're great hot or cold in their lunch boxes.

2 // Baked Chicken

I buy thin cut chicken breasts and try to always keep a package in the freezer.  I let them thaw and then season them with my favorite seasoning and panko bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  I usually flip them mid bake and I like them to be a little brown.

I served the chicken with dipping sauces, homemade sourdough, roasted sweet potatoes and wild grain rice.  I intended to fix a salad, but my lettuce was gross.

I usually keep one loaf and share the 2nd loaf.  I have yet to find anyone that isn't excited about a fresh loaf of homemade bread!

3 // Chicken Apple Smoked Sausage

I grabbed this from Sams on a whim and it's so good!  I slice it thin and fry it on my stove top to brown it up a bit.  I served it with gnocchi, roasted potatoes and onions.

I really love gnocchi, but don't make it very often.  It boils for 3-4 minutes (or until they float) and then I sauteed them in butter and our favorite seasoning.  I let them get a tiny bit brown and added some fresh parmesan cheese on top.  It was so good!  They kids said they were too chewy, but I loved them.

4 //  Pork Carnitas

I'm still in love with this Pork Carnitas super easy meal option from Sams.  We've enjoyed the meat plain, on nachos and on soft tacos.  I'm hoping to make Pork Carnita quesadillas next.  The package cost around $13.  It easily feeds our family of 5 with leftovers.  It feels like a fancy dinner at a fraction of the cost of going to a restaurant.

5 // Greek Yogurt Bowl

This is my go to breakfast and snack.  I either buy big containers of greek yogurt from Sams or I tried this new brand from Aldi.  Both are delicious.  I love to add berries, cinnamon, chia seeds, almonds, yogurt and granola.  This package is a new purchase for me from Sams and it's so good!  My kids eat it plain as a snack!  I have one kid who loves this for a snack.  He does yogurt, granola and cinnamon and mixes it all together.

Which meal looks best to you?

I'm excited for grilling season so stay tuned for some yummy grilling meal ideas!

Easy & Affordable Meal Planning

How is your meal planning system working for you?

Do you have a good system?  

Or are you just doing the best you can every week to get dinner ready for your family?

Either way - I've got some meal planning pointers to share with you today!  Hopefully they will make your life a little easier, give you good routines for meal planning and make this area of your life less stressful.

My Meal Planning Tips:

1. Go to the store regularly so that you always have good food options at home.  I utilize grocery pick up at Walmart and Sams to make my life easier.  Then shop in store at Aldi or a local store like Meijer or Schnucks as needed.  We eat the majority of our meals at home and I pack lunches all week long.  This saves us TONS of money.  Eating out is so expensive.

2. Figure out your most affordable grocery prices for the items you love.  For me, Aldi has great prices in my area and then I can pick up favorite brands on sale or at other local stores as needed.  These are not the cheapest meals that you can make for your family, but they're affordable and healthy!

3. Write out a menu of options every week to take the guess work out of meal prep every night.  I'll show you mine below.  I don't assign food to every night.  I just write a list of 7 dinner options for that week and we decide each morning what sounds best to eat that night.  Then once you make a menu be sure to stick to it.  That will save you money!  Prep food on the weekends or at nap time or whenever you have the time.  That will set you up for success when you need to cook after a long day.

4. Eat the rainbow!  Add in veggies and fruit to your dinners to save money from making a huge amount of meat or a huge main course.  Buy the fruits and veggies that are in season and on sale for another way to save money.

5. Ask your family for menu ideas.  Ask your husband or your kids what sounds good for the week.  That keeps you from feeling like you have to be the only one thinking about meal planning.  I usually plan some type of tacos for Taco Tuesdays and then I mix it up the other days.  We usually do Door Dash once a week and I cook the rest of the time.

 

Dinner plates from my house to yours!

1 // Homemade Chinese Take Out

Buy the Shredded Beef Steak at Aldi, season it with your favorite teriyaki sauce.  Serve it with stir fry veggies, rice, lo mein or egg rolls.  It's so good and so much cheaper than ordering take out. 

2 // BBQ night

We grabbed some pulled pork that you just have to reheat and I made sides fresh.  I've gotten the Jack Daniels brand from Sams and Kevin finds different deals to have BBQ shipped in from Southern restaurants.  They're both good.  I did roasted red potatoes and green beans and onions for sides.  My kids love to eat these potatoes dipped in ketchup and I like mine loaded.  We each added bbq sauce and toppings to personalize our plates.

3 // Chicken Picatta

This is one of my favorite dishes!!  Yum!  I bought thin sliced chicken from Walmart.  Then I very lightly breaded it with flour, bread crumbs and seasoning and cooked in on my stove top.  I made a lemon sauce with tomatoes, green onions, scallions, lemon juice, sugar and capers.  Let that all simmer together.  Cook pasta and top with the sauce.  Kevin and I love this!  The kids at plain chicken and pasta.

A friend gifted this lemon pasta to me for Christmas and it was SO GOOD.  I'd definitely buy it again.

4 // Taco Night

I make all the taco fillings - meat, cheese, veggies, salsa, sour cream, pico, etc.  Then everyone makes their tacos how they like.  The kids usually want hard shells, Kevin likes nachos and then I opt for a taco salad or nachos or soft shells.

5 // Toasted Sandwiches

I tried these Deli Rolls from Aldi and they were pretty yummy.  They didn't seem as soft as the name brands, but they worked for this meal.  We each added our own toppings - hot ham and cheese, grilled cheese & BLTs.  Served with chips and apple slices.  We all enjoyed them!

6 // Breakfast for Dinner

My family always love this.  I switch up the carb - pancakes, waffles, biscuits, etc.  Then always serve scrambled eggs and a meat option.  This time I served fruit and or a smoothie.  The kids loved it!

7 // And a few lunch/snack options:

I love a breakfast taco for breakfast or lunch.  If you're making breakfast for dinner, make a little extra and save the leftovers for an easy lunch the next day.

Greek yogurt bowls - full of protein and yummy!  I like to do vanilla greek yogurt, granola, berries, bananas, chia seeds and cinnamon.

Nachos!  Sometimes after Taco Tuesday we will have leftovers.  I like to do nachos or a taco salad the following day for lunch.  This day I had tons of pico so I did nachos loaded with pico.

You can never go wrong with a BIG SALAD for lunch.  Buy enough ingredients to have the same salad several times throughout the week.  It'll make your life easier and healthier.

8 // Keep your menu format easy!

I write mine out like this most weeks and then we have meals to look forward to.  I keep it on the side of my fridge and we talk about what sounds best each day or what needs to be eaten first.  It gives us good food to look forward to eating all week long.

Let me know if you have any questions or need any help in the meal planning department.

Happy cooking!

Christmas Cranberry Cheese Ball

Do you love a good cheese ball??

Spotting a homemade cheese ball at any gathering is one of my favorite things.  I went on the hunt for a festive Christmas cheese ball this year and ended up creating a recipe of my own.  It was so good!  It was popular at our Christmas party and several people asked me to send them the recipe.  Yay!

 

Ingredients:

1 block of Philadelphia cream cheese softened

1t your favorite seasoning (I used Everyday Seasoning Salt from Simply Sons or would have used Montreal steak seasoning)

1 cup freshly shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

2 oz craisins finely chopped

1 cup of pecans chopped

Ritz crackers, Club crackers or pretzels.

Directions:

Stir the cream cheese, seasoning, white cheddar cheese and about 3/4 of the craisins together until well blended.  Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and put the pecans and remaining craisins on it.  Put the cheese ball mixture on top of the pecan mix and then use the plastic wrap to help you cover the whole cheese ball in pecans/craisins.  Refrigerate overnight and serve with your favorite crackers or pretzels.

 

 

This cheese ball checks all the boxes - it's festive, delicious, really simple to make, it travels really well and it's an appetizer that you can make ahead of time.  I know I'll be making it a few more times this holiday season.

4 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

Unpopular opinion: Pumpkin is delicious year round!

My crew loves pumpkin any time of year.

I tried a new muffin recipe for a friend gathering over Thanksgiving break and they were so good!  And who wouldn't be enticed by a 4 ingredient muffin recipe!?  I have these 4 things on hand all the time.  Which means homemade muffins are always an easy breakfast option for me.  This recipe would be so fun to make with your kids.  Or give your older kids the task of making them on their own.  It's so simple!  It would be a great confidence boosting recipe for a new baker.

Look how pretty and tall these muffins turn out!

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix

1 15 oz can of pumpkin

1 T cinnamon

Brown sugar

Mix the first 3 ingredients together in a bowl.  It'll be a perfectly fluffy, thick mixture.  Scoop the batter into a mini muffin pan and sprinkle a generous sprinkle of brown sugar on top of them before you pop them in the oven.  Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.  Let them brown slightly and the muffins should bounce back when you touch the top.

 

 

I was skeptical that this muffin recipe would be delicious because there are no eggs or oils.

Let me assure you - they were SO GOOD!  The kids and adults loved them.  They tasted best the fresh out of the oven/same day, but my kids still ate them on Day 2.

I hope you put this easy recipe on your radar this holiday season!

Would your family enjoy these?