Linda @ Linda’s Lunacy

In the Kitchen With Linda & Dinner Menu

October 24, 2022 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*This In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu post contains affiliate link

I had a great week in the kitchen last week. Well, almost!

The meals all came out great, and everyone ate their fill. The cupcakes I tried to make were a different story. lol

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

Don’t let those extra hamburger or hot dog buns go to waste. Make garlic bread out of them!

Chicken Fajitas in the making!

Meatloaf!

I made another batch of hot chocolate mix. I don’t drink coffee, hot tea sometimes, but hot chocolate on a cold morning is my go to!

Cheeseburgers on the grill, with oven fries.

Ok, those are all the successes. Now for the failure. Well, somewhat failure. I didn’t like how these apple pie cupcakes came out, but we ate them all because they tasted good. They just didn’t look good!

To start with, I over filled the cupcakes. The recipe I tried said it made 12. I over filled and still had some batter left. I think I used too much apple, too, but used the number of apples the recipe call for. Because I over filled the cupcakes, the started falling apart when I took them out of the pan. So I’m not sure if the recipe was the problem, or user error.

The frosting recipe that I used, called for all butter. By the time the cupcakes were cooled enough, the frosting started to firm up and was ripping the cupcakes when I tried to spread it. Since the cupcakes were already ugly, I just plopped some frosting on and called it a day. This was totally user error. lol Even though they were ugly, they did taste good! I’m going to keep trying for the perfect apple pie cupcake! My family doesn’t mind the discards. lol

When my husband and I went shopping on Saturday, we stopped at our favorite pizza place. You go through the line, like a sub shop, and tell them what you want on your pizza.

I got ranch dressing as my sauce, with onions, green peppers, spinach, grilled chicken, bacon, pineapple, and parmesan cheese. Yum! These pizzas have 6 slices, enough for 3 lunches for me.

Check out my In the Kitchen with Linda page, where all my kitchen tips, ideas, and recipes are linked!

Dinner Menu

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

Monday – chicken or turkey – Baked Chicken, mashed potatoes, zucchini

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Pasta with meat sauce, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- Chicken Fajitas

Thursday – pork or chicken – pork chops, rice, beets, and peas

Friday – Quick & Easy – take out or leftovers

Saturday – Quick & Easy or Husbands Choice – Burgers on the grill, pasta salad with lots of veggies

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Soup, sandwiches, or leftovers

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you

If Mama Ain’t Happy Book Review

October 17, 2022 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I recently received the book If Mama Ain’t Happy to review. See why I liked this book so much below.

If Mama Ain’t Happy:
Why Minding Healthy Boundaries Is Good for Your Whole Family
(A Mother’s Guide to Joy, Anxiety Relief, & Freedom from Depression, Stress, & Weariness. A Book of Hope for Moms.)

Are you weary? Stressed? Depressed, anxious, and annoyed?
And, to top it all off, do you feel guilty for feeling bad?

Rachel Norman gets you, mama. She knows how much you love your kids. And how, day after day, you put your family’s needs first, which means your own needs come last. Or don’t come at all.

Rachel used to be a mom who spent her days weary, anxious, and guilt laden. She had five kids in five years, lived on three different continents, and then was blindsided by a devastating health diagnosis. Neglecting her own physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional needs for so long―in an effort to be a selfless mother―had left her utterly depleted. And physically unwell. Then she began asking a question she’d never considered before:Could it be that taking good care of myself is not actually selfish, but maybe, just maybe, something a responsible adult does?

In this countercultural book, Rachel takes some weight off your shoulders by:

offering hands-on, rubber-meets-the-road strategies to cultivate a life you aren’t trying to constantly escape
teaching you to discover and claim your own limits and boundaries so you can be a calm, resilient, peaceful mother
showing you how to shape your daily life and values around the few things that really matter, and how to let the rest go

If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. But when mama is at peace? Everyone benefits.

As you can see from the Table of Contents, the author covers subjects that are important to moms.

I like that after each chapter there are sections for you to fill out. They help you determine what is most important to you of the things discussed in that chapter.

Here’s an example of some of her suggestions. These pertain to mama getting enough sleep.

This section is about how mama can take care of her body. Self care is not selfish!

If Mama Ain’t Happy Review

I’m a mama of 6. They are all grown now, ages 22-36. I wish I had had this book when I was raising them!

The author not only covers self care for mamas. She covers setting boundaries, and setting standards and rules for your house. How we don’t have to have everything perfect, or do everything perfectly, and we don’t have to beat ourselves up about it! The author discovered this for herself when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I love that she writes about being a mama from a Biblical viewpoint. Where in the Bible does it say that our kids have to participate in every sport and activity? Or mamas have to cater to their every whim? It doesn’t!

It’s not just ok to have rules and boundaries for our kids, but it’s essential to set them up for success later in life.

I highly recommend If Mama Ain’t Happy!

Purchase your own copy of If Mama Ain’t Happy HERE.

If Mama Ain’t Happy Giveaway

Enter to win your own If Mama Ain’t Happy book!

Visit HERE to enter!

Disclosure: Many thanks to FrontGate Media for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

In The Kitchen With Linda & Dinner Menu

October 10, 2022 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*This In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu post contains affiliate links

Another week, another 7 meals. lol

I didn’t get pictures of all of them, though. Of course. lol

When we have company, I usually leave my phone alone.

One night, I made a meal for a family in church that just had a baby. I sent them lasagna and green beans. So of course, since it’s easier, I made the same thing for us. I didn’t get a picture of what I sent, but I got a picture of ours. After we ate. lol

My 2 sons were very unhappy that I served the lasagna from the edges, and left the middle pieces. lol I saved one for my daughter, who had been stuck on the highway with a flat tire. And I saved the other one for my lunch the next day. Cooks privilege. lol

On chicken night, I usually make white and dark meat. Here’s my plate with the oven roasted potatoes, and spinach.

And my husbands plate with the potatoes, and cooked spinach. I prefer raw, my husband and mother prefer cooked. And the adult kids prefer none. lol

Here’s one of my lunch plates from last week. Crackers a couple of days, and most days not.

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

Check out my In the Kitchen with Linda page, where all my kitchen tips, ideas, and recipes are linked!

Dinner Menu

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

Monday – chicken or turkey – Baked Chicken, baked potatoes, beets

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Pasta with meat sauce, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- Chicken Fajitas

Thursday – pork or chicken – sweet and sour pork , rice, peas, carrots

Friday – Quick & Easy – take out or leftovers

Saturday – Quick & Easy or Husbands Choice – Burgers on the grill, pasta salad with lots of veggies

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Soup, sandwiches, or leftovers

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you

Nothing Is Impossible Review & Pure Flix Giveaway

October 5, 2022 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I’m here to tell you about another great family movie! I was recently able to watch Nothing Is Impossible, the latest movie from Pure Flix, online.

Take a center-court seat to a journey of transformation as Scott Beck gets a second chance at life and love. Can he let go of past pains and open himself to God’s purpose? Or will new challenges keep him from the future he always hoped for?

Nothing Is Impossible

Nothing Is Impossible tells the story of Scott, who was a high-school basketball star with dreams of playing in the NBA. Fast forward 20 years and he’s a janitor at the high school where he once played.

Ryan, Scott’s high school girlfriend, is now in charge of her father’s professional basketball team, The Silver Knights. Financial woes leave her no option but to host open tryouts to attract media attention and bring new (and cheap) talent to the team.

Nick, Scott’s best friend, coaches the high school basketball team and has dreams of being a pastor. He tries to mentor his friend who is stuck in the past instead of looking toward the future.

Scott decides to attend the open tryouts for the Silver Knights and runs into Ryan at practice. Scott makes the second round of players in open tryouts and Ryan confronts him about why he’s pursuing this.

Ryan and Scott’s past is revealed and emotions run high and it gets tense. Scott knows the game really well and proves his ability in the second round of tryouts and takes on Coach Banks during practice. He really shows his determination while running sprints. He runs them 3 times to prove to the coach that he can do it in the time allotted. Instead of getting slower with each set, he gets faster!

As Scott and Ryan rekindle their romance, difficulties arise with the publicity they are getting.

Check out the Nothing Is Impossible trailer!

Nothing is Impossible Cast

David A.R. White, Scott Beck (“Love on the Rock,” “God’s Not Dead,” “Revelation Road”)

Nadia Bjorlin, Ryan Aikens (“Days of Our Lives”)

Harry Lennix, Coach Russell Banks (“The Blacklist,” “Justice League,” “Transformers,” “Batman v. Superman”)

Steven Bauer, Archie Touraine (“Love on the Rock,” “Better Call Saul”)

Robert Amaya, Nick Carter (“An Unlikely Angel,” “The Farmer and the Belle,” “God’s Compass,” “War Room,” “Mom’s Night Out”)

Mark Christopher Lawrence, Pastor Lawrence (“Family Camp”)

Stella Parton, Ruby (singer and songwriter, younger sister of Dolly Parton)

Leanne Crawford

Ethan White (“Me Again”)

Marcus Haislip (former NBA player)

Vincent De Paul, Coach Hamilton (“TESLA,” “Gods Not Dead: We the People,” “Love on the Rock,” “Madam Secretary”)

Check out this interview with star David A.R. White:

Nothing Is Impossible Review

Nothing Is Impossible is a great family movie! It does feature basketball, but it is not a “sports” movie. It’s about how to trust in God’s timing when it seems like none of our desires are being fulfilled in the way we hoped.
It teaches us that times of uncertainty are when we should lean into our faith and trust God has a plan for our lives.

Nothing Is Impossible is suitable for all ages. However, I don’t believe it will hold the interest of younger kids. There are slow parts to the movie, but over all, it’s a great movie!

I won’t give away the ending, but it’s a good one!

Watch Nothing Is Impossible on Pure Flix starting October 6th!

For more information about Nothing Is Impossible, visit the website.

Bonus Reading:

GOD HAS A PLAN: 3 LESSONS TO CLING TO WHEN CRISIS AND CHAOS STRIKE
7 BIBLE VERSES TO HELP YOU FIGHT FEAR AMID CHAOS

Pure Flix Giveaway

Enter to win a Pure Flix 3 Month Subscription! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below! Be sure to read the terms and conditions on the form! Open to US, if you have won a subscription in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Many thanks to Pure Flix for providing a sample of the product, an online screener, for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

October 3, 2022 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*This In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu post contains affiliate links

Well, I once again missed posting for a couple of weeks. sigh. I did manage to take pictures this time, though!

In the Kitchen with Linda

I attempted to make blooming onions in the air fryer.

They were a fail! One onion I cut to0 far down and it fell open. The recipe that I was following said you could put foil under the onion in the air fryer. I’m not sure if that’s why, or not, but the onions weren’t done after the recommend time. I even put them in the oven for 20 minutes after the air fryer. They were still “crunchy”. So not sure if it was the cooking time listed in the recipe, the foil, or me cutting them wrong. I will be trying them again at some point, though. I will succeed in make a blooming onion in the air fryer!

I had bought some pork loin on sale and cut it into chops myself. So good cooked on the grill!

I hadn’t made Sausage Pasta Skillet in a long time. The family loved it. And so did I. It’s so good!

Breakfast for dinner – french toast and bacon.

A flat whisk is the perfect utensil for french toast! You can pick it up and drain the liquid from it without it falling apart. I used to use a fork, and the bread would always rip. Not anymore!

Breakfast for supper is always good!

So is meatloaf!

Spaghetti with meat sauce, and zucchini. All covered in parmesan cheese, of course!

Chicken fajitas with lots of onions and green peppers. Yes, that’s sour cream on the tortilla. lol I like a lot! lol

My lunches have been looking a lot like this plate lately. A “picky plate” I usually have a vegetable, carrots, cucumbers, raw green peppers. But on this day there were homemade chocolate chip cookies in the house. So they were on my plate. lol

What’s your favorite lunch when you are home all day?

Check out my In the Kitchen with Linda page, where all my kitchen tips, ideas, and recipes are linked!

Dinner Menu

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

Monday – chicken or turkey – Baked Chicken, oven roasted potatoes, spinach

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Pasta with meat sauce, zucchini

Wednesday – Taco Night- Chicken Fajitas

Thursday – pork or chicken – pork roast with potatoes, onions and carrots

Friday – Quick & Easy – take out or leftovers

Saturday – Quick & Easy or Husbands Choice – Burgers on the grill, pasta salad with lots of veggies

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Soup, sandwiches, or leftovers

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

September 23, 2022 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*This September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month post contains affiliate links

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Only 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget is directed to pediatric cancer.

4%? Kids are not little adults. They need more research for chemo and other therapies just for kids!

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Here are some warning signs of childhood cancer.

These are the major warning signs. But my cancer kid didn’t have any of these!

Appetite changes, but no weight loss. Kid just got picky, and didn’t like anything anymore. Including their favorite snack cake.

We had been going to the pediatrician for about a month with breathing issues. Only when laying down. We spent so many nights watching the kid to make sure they didn’t stop breathing. Put the kid in our bed, propped up on pillows so they could breath. Kid did not understand why we kept waking them up at night to sit up.

Pediatrician said asthma, and was treating for that but it didn’t help. We finally went to the ER one night. Kid was misdiagnosed by the ER doctor. But that chest xray led to the radiologist finally recognizing a problem.

A mass the size of a grapefruit in the kids little chest. Not a typical presentation for leukemia. Pediatrician sent us to a pulmonologist at UK. Poor pulmonologist had to be the one to tell us our kid had some kind of cancer, and sent us down the hall to the oncologist. We were admitted that day.

Kid is now a survivor! Coming up on 22 years since diagnose!
If you see that something is off with your kid, keep going to the doctor until you get an answer! Don’t let them put you off! Mom and Dad know when something is wrong!!

Books I Recommend

For more information, visit my Childhood Cancer Awareness Resources page.

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. if you click the link, and make a purchase, i will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Legacy Peak – Pure Flix Movie Review & Giveaway

September 20, 2022 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

If you are a regular here, you know I love good movies that the whole family can watch together. I was recently able to watch Legacy Peak, the latest movie from Pure Flix, online.

In Legacy Peak, Jason wants nothing more than to have Noelle’s kids like him. But when a perfectly planned trip to a mountain cabin falls apart, the ensuing adventure could tear them apart or bring them closer than they ever imagined. Together they’ll discover how to trust again and what it means to be a family.

Check out the trailer!

Legacy Peak Movie Review

Legacy Peak is not a comedy. It is a drama full of action, a plane crash, surviving in the woods, being chased by wolves, and how the Father is always watching out for you.

I did laugh at one scene, cried at another one, and could not stop watching until the end.

Here’s a favorite quote from the movie:

“A father stands in the gap, kids on one side, wolves on the other, he says whatever comes, nothing can reach those kids. Doesn’t have to win, but he’s gotta stand there, give his live if that’s what it comes to.”

I love that the whole family can watch Legacy Peak together. And that there are lessons that the whole family can learn. What it means to be a family, and what it means to trust God in the hard situations in life.

Pure Flix has a couple of articles to help your family:

10 Bible Verses to Build Perseverance of Faith

10 Bible Verses to Help you Battle Fear and Anxiety

You can watch Legacy Peak on Pure Flix starting September 22nd!

For more information, visit the Legacy Peak website.

Pure Flix Subscription Giveaway

Enter below to win a 3 Month Subscription to Pure Flix! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Be sure to read the terms and conditions on the form!

Open to US, if you have won a subscription in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:
Many thanks to Pure Flix for providing a sample of the product (I watched the screener online) for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

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