-
Frozen outside, cozy inside
It’s been an icy and cold winter here in Idaho. I love it in many ways! The trees have a beautiful frost and there is frozen fog in the air. It’s gorgeous! But, it makes me feel incredibly grateful that I have a nice cozy home to go inside. Tonight is a perfect night for some cozy chili! Have you tried my recipe yet? It’s gorgeous It’s cold It’s home.
-
Cozy, delicious chili recipe!
I have made this chili for years and it never gets old! Actually, it’s the only chili I make! This chili is REALLY something special. There are some “secret” ingredients that my family loves. You can make this recipe as easy or as complicated as you want! Sometimes I add an onion and fresh garlic, sometimes I add some cooking wine in with the browned beef before adding everything else. You can add whatever two cans of beans that make you happy, my absolute favorite combination is one can of kidney beans and one can of black beans. You can also soak beans overnight and try this recipe that way.…
-
4 Essentials to Keep in Your Car this Winter
Kitty Litter. This might seem really odd, but if you happen to get stuck somewhere icy or in slippery snow, pouring the kitty litter around your tires is not a guarantee but might help you can some traction for your tires. Bottled water. I always keep bottled water in my car. You never know if you might get stranded and water will be essential if that happens. Coats. You might not need the coats in the car and you may not need them for where you’re going, but if you get stranded, and your car is not working (no heat) you will need your coats! A roadside kit. This kit…
-
Beet Juice Red Velvet Cupcakes
We have a birthday party today and I wanted to whip up some red velvet cupcakes. But, I had no beetroot powder or red food coloring! I am always kind of shocked at how much red food coloring red velvet cupcakes take, so I was somewhat happy that I didn’t have any on hand. I made up this recipe and the cupcakes turned out pretty good! I really love how the color turned out, but it’s not the traditional bright red that is usually associated with red velvet. I love the natural-looking color better but if you want a deeper red, try adding some red gel food coloring. The recipe…
-
Van’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
I absolutely LOVE chocolate chip cookies! I have had many chocolate chip cookie flops in my day! I personally hate when my cookies go flat! Has that ever happened to you?! I set out on a journey to make the best recipe and this is the result! The brown butter in this recipe really makes them special! It gives the cookies and amazing flavor! Some tips when making these cookies: If you burn the butter instead of brown it, throw it out! That will not be a pleasant taste! If you are unsure about browning butter, simply melt the butter. I urge you to try your hand at browning butter!…
-
6 Financial Tips For Large Families!
Finances can be tough anytime but can be especially hard when you have a large family. Here are some tips that I have learned over the years through trial and error. Some of these things are sneaky and will derail your financial goals and dreams. Moving. Sometimes moving is definitely necessary. Sometimes moving can be avoided and if this is the case, not moving can save you a bundle of money. We have moved our fair share (maybe more than our fair share, haha) and I have definitely seen how much it negatively affects our finances. The extra cost for moving supplies, gas, moving trucks, deposits or loan costs, time…
-
Why I *try* to serve veggies at every meal!
Weather it’s spinach in a shake or eggs, carrots at lunch or corn at dinner, I try to always include veggies at every meal! My reason might be a little different than the one you are expecting! While eating veggies is very important for the health of our growing little ones, that’s not my biggest reason for trying to have veggies at every meal. I have done a lot of thinking about how my kids eat. There is a lot I cannot control. When they are at friend’s houses, when they are at school or someday when they move out, they decide how and what they eat. And there a…
-
Van’s banana bread recipe
My family loves banana bread! The smell of fresh banana bread is one of the best smells in the world! This bread is soft and delicious and will make your banana bread fantasies come true! Mixing in each egg, one at a time until fully incorporated is important. Not over-mixing is just as important! One of the biggest things that can affect a bake is oven temperature. Make sure you know your oven and how it bakes. I have had things not turn out and I bought an oven thermometer and realized my oven was getting up to proper temperature! Here is a post all about oven temperature. I love…
-
Delicious Dairy-Free {vegan} Frosting
My family loves cake and frosted cookies, but we are dairy-free. My family LOVES this vegan recipe. It will harden because it is a shortening frosting. While I prefer butter in recipes because it is more natural, it’s not healthy if you have a milk intolerance. I like the flavor on its own, but add flavorings of your choice. Start with 2 teaspoons of vanilla or some other flavor. If adding flavor, make sure to do so before adjusting the thickness with the oat milk. Adding flavor at the end will give you a thinner frosting. Add more powdered sugar to thicken, more oat milk to thin. Be careful not…
-
Crowd-pleasing dairy-free sausage gravy
Biscuits and gravy have long been a favorite in our family. When we realized that more than half of our family has a milk intolerance, one of the things we missed most was biscuits and gravy! I altered my tried and true gravy recipe and now we are back on track eating! It’s really delicious! I love that this recipe is quick and easy and really only takes 4 ingredients! I just make sure to have sausage and coconut milk or cream on my shopping list because the other ingredients are ones I always keep on hand. If you buy refrigerated biscuits or rolls, this meal is very quick!