Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for One

We have this problem with cake around our house…

We don’t have a problem eating it. Or enjoying it. The problem is, if there was a cake in this house, my children cannot focus on anything else. Anything else. It’s like their brain becomes taken over by the cake alien and all they can think about is CAKE! This cake problem is what lead to me dusting off the recipe for this delicious mini chocolate peanut butter cake for one.

“Mama, is that cake still there?” “Mama, what’s for breakfast? Cake?” “Did Daddy eat the rest of the cake?”

Hey kids! Time to go outside and play in the sprinkler! “Okay, Mama! But when we’re done, can we have cake?”

“Mom…if I do all my chores today, can I have cake?”

[Read more…]

Grinding Flour In Our Nutrimill

We’ve owned our Nutrimill for a decade and it has served us well. It is one of the best kitchen tool investments we’ve ever made. What is it? Simply put – the Nutrimill grinds actual grain (wheat, corn, etc.) into flour. I did tons of research before I bought this baby. I read everything I could find and I picked my friend Stephanie’s mind. I’m sure that she’s wishing Stacy would just go away. I’m like a boomerang that keeps coming back. We decided on the Nutrimill instead of the other various mills on the market because it was supposed to be the quietest, have the biggest storage container, and you can turn it off while it’s grinding (unlike some of the other models).

[Read more…]

Why We Choose to Live Debt Free

We’re weird. I’m okay with that. No, really, I mean it. I’m glad we’re weird. It is one of the big reasons you check us out every day. But why are we that way? Why do we choose to look at “normal” and go the other way? Why do we drive cars we can actually afford instead of having payments? Why do we do most of our own construction projects? Why do we need important equipment like these riggings for wire choker? In other words – why do we do things that “normal” people don’t do? Today, I’ll fill you in.

[Read more…]

How to Get Out of a Cooking Rut

…or How to Ditch Kitchen Burn out

A few times I year I go through what I like to call: The Cooking Rut. It almost always happens right after Christmas and then again right before summer, when we are finishing up school. I know it’s coming – and it used to bother me. But now I know how to ride it out, so I wanted to share with you three things that help me. 

Before I go any further, let me encourage you to listen to that burn-out/rut feeling. It’s okay to have it. It doesn’t mean you’re a terrible homemaker and you’re failing. It just means you’re human and providing three meals a day can get old day after day after day after day. Give yourself some rest – maybe take a few weeks off from planning/cooking hard core. Two weeks is probably a good length. And then resume, with these tips.

[Read more…]

Mary Russell’s Carrot Cake

There’s a bit of a story behind this carrot cake recipe. When I was little, there was a woman who attended church with us. Her name was Mary Russell – not Mary, not Miss Mary, and not Mrs. Russell. Mary Russell. Every time. I never called her anything else other than that – even when speaking directly to her. And now, I have no idea why I did that. I think maybe everyone else did too – or at least the people in my family. Maybe it’s why I also refer to myself in third person regularly.

But anyway, Mary Russell was a baker. Not just any baker. She would put Sara Lee or Betty Crocker to shame. Betty Crocker who!? She sold baked goods – and not just any baked goods. Baked goods that would make you slap your mama or push your sister down. True story. 

[Read more…]

Cornbread Salad

You know how you have those pivotal moments in life? Moments that you remember with astonishing clarity? In my life, I have a few of those moments. One of them was all about Cornbread Salad. I remember where I was, the table, my plate… I remember it all. That Cornbread Salad changed my life. From hence forth, I was a Cornbread Salad connoisseur.

[Read more…]

Snickers Oatmeal

This was another one of my acts of culinary genius – mostly out of desperation one morning for breakfast. As you know, I love oatmeal and we eat a lot of it around here…but some mornings, a girl needs to get her chocolate on.  So, Snickers Oatmeal was born.

Did you know that I love Snickers bars? Mostly those little miniature ones you get at holidays. That way I can eat a couple and not feel any guilt – unlike if you eat a WHOLE bar and then you’re like, “Whoa, what just happened here?” Eating mini ones means, “I only ate a few of those little ones.” And you can’t tell me I’m the ONLY person that does that. Don’t lie to me.

[Read more…]

Lessons Learned from Decluttering (KonMari)

If you are a new follower of the blog, you might be wondering…what is KonMari? KonMari is another name for decluttering and it is actually not really a new thing. It originally became a trend when Marie Kondo published her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up in 2014. The idea of the KonMari style of decluttering has just resurfaced lately thanks mostly to the TV show on Netflix. But Barry and I started our journey with KonMari over 4 years ago and we owe a lot of thanks to Marie Kondo and her book. We really did experience some great lessons learned from decluttering.

[Read more…]

Basic Baked Steel Cut Oats

Today, I’m going to tell you how to cook steel cut oats to make baked oatmeal!

Basic Baked Overnight Oatmeal is one of the most popular recipes on my blog. It’s been a family favorite for years and you all seem to love it just as much as we do. Using that basic recipe, you can make approximately 1.5 million tweaks and make it different almost every time! I love variety. 🙂

[Read more…]

5 Tips for Dealing with the Blahs

Have you ever had a case of “the blahs”? You know – that sinking, sad, yucky feeling that just drags you down? Worse yet – do you have the blahs now? What in the world can you do about that feeling when you don’t have a say in the weather forecast and Spring is still several weeks away?

[Read more…]