• Easy Sweetened Peaches
    Cooking

    Easy Sweetened Peaches

    I am in LOVE! In love with fresh peaches! We went to my best friend’s house for supper last week. We had a great meal, but dessert was the winner that day. She had made a red velvet cake the day before and when she went to move it, the lid came off and it fell face forward on the floor. They were able to save a small portion that didn’t hit the floor. She was so upset and blamed her husband as he was the one who put the lid on the carrier. Her mom had given her some peaches, so she cut them up and sweetened them since…

  • Omelette
    Cooking

    How to Make an Omelette

    I don’t make omelettes very often but we really do like them when I do. I know some people think that they are hard to make but they really aren’t. They just take some patience and of course they don’t have to be perfect to taste good. My son loves a lot of meat in his omelette, so I cut up a roll of sausage. I fried the patties first and then scrambled the ends to go in the omelette. I used ham, sausage and cheese in his omelette. I added some bacon bits to mine. That is the nice thing about omelettes, they can be made however each person…

  • Ham and Cheese Hash Browns
    Cooking

    Ham and Cheese Hash Browns

    One of our favorite breakfasts is a one skillet hash brown meal. I have been cooking this for so long that I do not remember where the idea came from. My husband used to not be too fond of this, so it became a meal I cooked for myself when he was at work. Shane liked it so he would eat it with me, but Devin never liked potatoes so I always had to make him something different. It is Shaylee’s favorite meal and John has now decided that he likes it, so we have it for a family breakfast quite often. If we are all eating it, I cook…

  • Garlic Pasta Sauce
    Cooking

    Garlic Pasta Sauce

    My family loves all kinds of white sauces such as Alfredo and they love anything with garlic. I make Alfredo quite often, but unless I plan ahead, I rarely have heavy cream. There were many times that I wanted to make Alfredo but didn’t have the heavy cream or Parmesan cheese, so I figured out a way to make a white garlic sauce that they love that doesn’t require heavy cream or Parmesan. I never make it exactly the same way and it can be very flexible to accommodate your likes or dislikes. I start by melting butter in a large non-stick skillet and sauteing garlic, onions and sometimes mushrooms.…

  • Macaroni with Tomato Juice
    Cooking

    Macaroni with Tomato Juice

    I was home today by myself, everyone else was out of town. With no one coming home for supper, I decided to make one of my favorite dishes from my childhood. Macaroni with tomato juice is a major comfort food for me. When I was a kid, my mom did a lot of canning from the garden. Tomato juice is one thing that she never had to buy, she always had it canned and ready to go. She used it in a lot of recipes like chili, vegetable soup, goulash, and macaroni with tomato juice. I know a lot of people use tomatoes, but Mom always made macaroni with tomato…

  • 35 Summer Fun Activities for Kids
    Life and Family

    35 Summer Fun Activities for Kids

    We are already 2 weeks into summer here, I know some schools are still going but we are well into our summer plans. Devin spent the first week training for his lifeguard position, then helped with Special Olympics. He stopped at home for one day to wash clothes and work the opening day at the park before leaving for Boys State last week. He is now back home and back to work and football practice which will take up most of his summer. Shaylee and I have spent a lot of time cleaning the house and started getting ready for a yard sale. She had a sleep over with her…

  • Pancakes Made Your Way
    Cooking

    Pancakes Made Your Way

    Last night I had a big supper planned but when I went in the kitchen the water wouldn’t work.  We called the water department and they had shut it off to work on the lines.  By the time the water came back on it was too late to cook what I had planned, so I had to come up with a different plan.  I don’t know about you, but we love pancakes.  We usually have them at least once a month, sometimes more often especially in the summer when we are home more and trying to avoid heating up the house with the oven.  Pancakes for supper are one of…

  • Little Hamburgers in Gravy
    Cooking

    Little Hamburgers in Gravy

    This is an easy 3 ingredient main dish.  We have been making them for years.  I don’t remember where we got the recipe, but it is a family favorite.  We make it every month or so.  I don’t know what the real name should be, but we call it little hamburgers in gravy because that is what they look like.  I assume one of the kids probably gave them the name and it stuck.  It can even be made ahead of time and just finished off quickly when you are ready by making the gravy and heating the little hamburgers before serving.  If making ahead of time, spread the patties…

  • Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Pie
    Cooking

    Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

    I have been making these cheesecake pies for a long time.  I don’t really remember where the recipe came from, but as you know by now, I don’t usually follow a recipe exactly.  The original recipe didn’t call for any extras and the regular is okay, but I like to add in extra textures and flavors to change it up. I have made several different versions over the years, Oreo with an Oreo crust is my son’s favorite, but the strawberry is mine and my daughter’s favorite.  A few other versions I have made include pineapple, lemon, Butterfinger in a chocolate crust, and chocolate chip in a chocolate crust. I…

  • Meal Planning My Way
    Cooking,  Savings

    Meal Planning – My Way

    I have said it before. I am not good about meal planning. Our life is crazy most of the time. I rarely know if we are going to be home for supper or at least how many are going to be home. I have tried to plan out meals, but it usually doesn’t work out. I like to have easy meals that I can throw together quickly, that is just what works for our family, but I still like to cook fairly wholesome meals out of real food when possible. I have a few tricks that help me with this. I buy ground meat in the larger amounts and prepare…