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In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

September 21, 2015 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I made these Can’t Leave Alone Bars  last week. These are so good. Very sweet, but good! If you are looking for a good dessert for at home or a pot luck, try these Can’t Leave Alone Bars!

Can't Leave Alone Bars Recipe

Now that dessert is out of the way…lol I made Chicken and Rice for dinner one day last week. This dish changes every time I make it. lol Here is last weeks interpretation of Chicken and Rice. Diced chicken breast, carrots, peas, and onions.

Chicken and Rice

It was good and the family really liked it. We had enough for another meal left over. So instead of serving the same way the next night, I made Fried Rice. I often make Left Over Stir Fry with left over rice and meat. This time I already had just about everything I needed in one dish. I did needed more vegetables, so I sauteed some frozen green beans until done.

Sauteed Green Beans

 

Then I added the leftover Chicken and Rice. Once that was up to temperature, I pushed it to one side of the skillet to make room for the eggs. I used two beaten adds and poured them into the open spot in the skillet. I stirred them until cooked, then I stirred it into the rice. I added about 1/4 cup of soy sauce, stirring to distribute to all the rice. Then it was ready to eat!

Chicken Fried Rice

 

I love quick and easy meals like that! My family does, too. They ate it all!

 

When we went grocery shopping Friday night, we got 20 pound of pork loin on sale for $1.69 a pound. It was already sliced in the packages, too. I was only going to buy 10 pounds, but my husband said to go ahead and get 20.

 

Pork Loin

 

The next day, I divided it into 11 meal size bags for the freezer. I put 6 slices in each bag, and the last bag got 7 slices. Using one bag a week, that’s almost 3 months worth!

Pork Loin Meal Bags

So for 20 pounds, I spent $33.80. Divided into 11 meals, each meal costs $3.07. Add in some potatoes or rice, and some veggies, and I will probably spend only $5 or so on each total meal for 5 to 6 people. I love meals that only cost $5! I don’t usually serve very much pork, but if I can find deals like this again, I will start serving it more!

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

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

Saturday – quick & easy- Pizza

Sunday – soup & sandwich day -Church Picnic!

Monday – chicken – Chicken Hoagies with lettuce & tomato

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Skillet Spaghetti, broccoli

Wednesday – Taco Night- Beef Tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – chicken – Skillet Chicken Alfredo, green beans

Friday – beef –    My daughter’s Graduation Party! Hot dogs & S’mores around the fire pit. I will probably make some Macaroni Salad, too.

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

Filed Under: In The Kitchen With Linda

Our Homeschool Update

September 19, 2015 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

Update!   There is some big news in our homeschool!

 

Abby, 16, has finished all her high school credits and is ready to graduate!

 

homeschool diploma

 

She doesn’t want to wear a cap and gown, but wanted a tassel. I bought her diploma and tassel from Home School Legal Defense Association. This  is our 5th child to graduate from our homeschool and they all have this some diploma. I hope HSLDA doesn’t change it before our youngest is ready to graduate. Maybe I should buy his now just to make sure!

 

We were going to have her graduation and party next Saturday, but we found out today that our church is having a hayride that day. It seems a bit ridiculous that we can’t seem to fit in graduation. I think we are going to have to have graduation one day and her party another. She wants only family for the actual graduation anyway, so that will work.

 

Abby went on a 7 week mission trip this past summer. I have so much to share about her trip! I am so proud of her for all her hard work, in school and for God. She is not going to college, but is planning on getting training for working with youth. She has found a youth leader academy that she wants to attend. If that doesn’t work out for whatever reason, she is looking at a missionary training Bible program.

 

So, now I am down to one homeschool student! I have been homeschooling since 1991, when our oldest son started kindergarten. Our oldest daughter is only 20 months younger then him, so she wanted to start school when he did. So I have never had one student!!

 

I’m pretty sure Zach, 15, does not like being my only student. lol He is now in 9th grade, and not really liking it.  He did 4-H Archery over the summer. He has also continued taking Kung Fu. He is now a green belt, the 3rd belt.

 

Zack Green Belt

 

He really likes Kung Fu and plans on going for his black belt. I’m hoping some of that determination and drive carries over to his schoolwork!

 

Now I have two of my 2013 homeschool graduates  decide that they might want to go to college after all. So I’m working on transcripts (This bad homeschool Mama hadn’t done them yet!) and making a few phone calls to help them out.

 

Not only is the homeschool student always learning, so is the homeschool Mama!

 

To see more homeschooling posts, visit:
Weekly Wrap Up

Filed Under: Homeschool

Can’t Leave Alone Bars Recipe & Gather Around the Amish Table Cookbook Review

September 17, 2015 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I have a great cookie bar recipe to share. Doing a cookbook review is mighty tasty work! It’s very sweet, so you only need a small piece. I think this will be great to take to potluck dinners. It will be easy to keep all the ingredients in the pantry to make these bars any time. Well, except for the eggs. Keep those in the fridge. lol

 

I found this recipe in the Gather around the Amish Table cookbook. Read below for more information about this new cookbook.

 

Can't Leave Alone Bars Recipe

Can’t Leave Alone Bars

1 (16 ounce ) white cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chocolate chips

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

 

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil. Reserve 3/4 cup crumbs. Put remaining crumbs into 9 x 13 inch pan. Melt butter, chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk together until just combined. Pour on top of crumb crust in pan. Top with remaining crumb mixture by spoonfuls. Bake at 300* for 20-30 minutes.

 

My notes: My mixture wasn’t a crumb mixture. It was more the texture of cookie dough. The sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips make a kind of fudge sitting on top of the cookie. Yum!  This recipe lends itself well to some creativity. Use different flavored cake mixes and different flavored chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips, etc.

 

Keep reading to get a great lasagna recipe and to see how you can win a copy of Gather around the Amish Table!

 

I have loved reading this cookbook! It compiles favorite family recipes from Amish and Mennonite kitchens. the recipe contributors also share stories about their recipes and their families.

 

You will find some recipes to use whether you cook everything from scratch or use some prepackaged foods like the cake mix in the recipe above. I have found quite a few recipes that I want to try.

 

Incorporate Amish cooking traditions this fall in your kitchen with Lucy Leid’s Gather Around the Amish Table. Straight from Amish kitchens to yours, this cookbook offers favorite family recipes and charming stories from Amish and Mennonite cooks. Gather your family around the table to sample the nourishing fare and trademark charm of the plain people. In the words of one cookbook contributor: “Bake someone happy!”

Get your fall baking underway with an Amish baking basket giveaway from Lucy and MennoMedia!

gather-400

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A copy of Gather Around the Amish Table
  • An Amish baking basket full of goodies
gather-lasagna-recipe

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 29th. The winner will be announced September 30th on the Litfuse blog.

gather-enterbanner

*Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): I received a product sample for review purposes. I received no other compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own.”

Filed Under: Books, In The Kitchen With Linda, Reviews

Israel’s Mission

September 16, 2015 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

We all have a God given mission. What is your mission?

 

I recently received Israel’s Mission DVD and the book Israel’s Mission Discovery Guide to review.

Join renowned teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan as he guides you through the lands of the Bible. In each lesson, Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. Filmed on location in the Middle East and elsewhere, the That the World May Know ® film series will transform your understanding of God and challenge you to be a true follower of Jesus.

 

Israel's Mission

 

The Israel’s Mission DVD features 5 video lessons that are each just over 30 minutes long. These are designed to watch as part of a group, or individually. The Israel’s Mission Discovery Guide has a lesson that corresponds to each video lesson to be completed after watching the video. There are then 5 daily readings with questions to do before you watch the next video. I liked Ray Vander Laan’s teaching styled in the video lessons.

One of my favorite lessons was when he was explaining the tassels on the prayer shawl in Israel at Sinai: The First Great Commission, video lesson number two. I have studied some about the prayer shawl in the past, so I like how he taught about the tassels and the gentile.

 

Filmed on location at these biblically significant sites in Israel and Jordan:

-Back to the Father’s House – Negev Desert
-Show Them the Way – Timnah
-Prodigal Sons and Daughters – Qatzrin
-Return from the Far Off Country – Jerash
-Welcome Home – Qatzrin
Israel’s Mission is a Bible study that will help you see and understand what God says in the Bible about being a Priest. You will also be able to see how to translate that to the world we live in today.

God gave the assignment to His people thousands of years ago: to bring “lost sheep” back into the love and safety of His kingdom. He said to become a “Kingdom of Priests,” and put God on display to show the world what He is like. It’s still our task today. In this thirteenth volume of the That the World May Know ® film series, you’ll glimpse the urgency and rewards of welcoming the strangers and prodigals the Lord longs to embrace. Discover the mission that can give your life – and the lives of those around you – greater meaning than you ever imagined.

 

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1KsCFRr (Not an affiliate link)
Designed for use with That the World May Know: Israel’s Mission Discovery Guide.

 

Our task as Christians is to bring “lost sheep” back into the love and safety of His kingdom. How are you doing at welcoming the strangers and prodigals the Lord longs to embrace? Learn how to work on your task with Ray Vander Laan’s Israel’s Mission, volume thirteen in the That the World May Know® DVD series. Discover the mission that can give your life—and the lives of those around you—greater meaning than you ever imagined. Filmed on location in the Middle East and elsewhere, the series will transform your understanding of God and challenge you to be a true follower of Jesus.

Celebrate the release of Israel’s Mission by entering to win the entire That the World May Know® series—perfect for working through with your family, Bible study, or Sunday school class!

israels misson-400

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • All 13 DVDs in the That the World May Know® series

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 18th. Winner will be announced September 21st on the Litfuse blog.

israels-enterbanner

*Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): I received a product sample for review purposes. I received no other compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own.”

Filed Under: Books, Reviews

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

September 14, 2015 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

Over the weekend we tried a new dish. Fried Green Pepper Rings.  A couple at church told us they made them, and since we like green peppers we knew when had to try them. I just made a quick batter to coat them in. Next time, though, I will use more seasoning in the batter. Specifically, more onion powder and garlic powder. And more salt, too. We love the fried green pepper Rings! We will definitely be making these again.

 

fried pepper rings

 

When I went grocery shopping over the weekend, I bought this large batter bowl from the Pioneer Woman. I love it! I love the way it looks. I used it today to make pancakes for lunch, and I love mixing and pouring from the same container. No more multiple bowls and measuring cups to pour the batter. The batter bowl is so pretty I’m going to leave it sitting on my counter all the time.

 

pancakes

 

Speaking of pancakes….. yum!

pancakes

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

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

Saturday – quick & easy- Hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, Chocolate milkshakes

Sunday – soup & sandwich day -Eggs, corned beef hash, toast

Monday – chicken –  Skillet Chicken Alfredo, fancy green beans

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Pizza, salad

Wednesday – Taco Night- Beef Fajitas

Thursday – chicken – Chicken & rice, carrots

Friday – beef –    Skillet Spaghetti, green beans

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

 

Filed Under: In The Kitchen With Linda

My Two New Favorite Things!

September 11, 2015 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*This post contains affiliate links.

 

I just had to share my two new favorite things with you because they are so awesome!

chalk markers

I am fascinated with my new Liquid Chalk Markers! The marker looks like a paint pen, and has the same kind of tip. The chalk comes out in a liquid. After it dries, though, it wipes away like chalk! You do have to rub a little harder than with chalk, but it does wipe off easily. This brand comes with labels that you can use, too! The markers work on chalkboards, whiteboards, glass, and more! Even though the brand is Crafts 4 Kids, I don’t think my kids will be getting these. I plan on keeping these myself!! lol

 

arnica cream

This  Back to Normal Arnica Cream is amazing! It’s working great for my arthritis and tennis elbow (It’s totally wrong that I have tennis elbow when I don’t play tennis! lol). It has no obnoxious smell like other pain relieving creams I have tried. It also doesn’t get hot after applying, like other creams do. So no burning feeling. I did feel a slight cool feeling on my skin, but it was very mild.

You only have to use a very little bit, so I expect this jar to last a long time. This pain relief cream is supposed to work on headaches, too. No one in my house has had one to try it on, though. You really have to try this. It really is amazing!

If you visit the Back to Normal website, you can download a companion stretching guide.

From now until September 30th, 2015, if you order the Arnica Cream and use this Amazon code: BLOGSFAN you will receive $5 OFF your purchase!

 

If you try my two new favorite things, let me know how you like them!

 

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and purchase something, I will receive a small commission.

Filed Under: Linda's Favorites

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

September 7, 2015 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I don’t normally complain….but…..

My husband and I went to Cheddar’s Casual Cafe Friday night to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary. I had this Grilled Chicken Alfredo. Unfortunately, the chicken tasted burnt. I tried to eat just the inside of the chicken, but it tasted off. The chicken had burnt crumbs come off it and flavor the pasta underneath. I couldn’t eat but a few bites of my meal. I told the server, and he did apologize for the burnt chicken. Then said when I came back and ordered it again, if it tasted burnt to let him now sooner and he might be able to get me another piece of chicken.

That would be a fail Cheddars.

He could clearly see that I barely touched my meal and I didn’t get it to go. I think I should have been offered a discount on my meal. At the very least I feel like I should have been given a coupon for my next visit. Even a $5 off coupon would have been a nice gesture. I’m not very happy with Cheddars.

Cheddars Burnt Meal

There was actual cooking going on in my kitchen last week. Promise.

 

I even canned 5 quarts of grape juice! I tried a new recipe. You simply put 1 cup of grapes and 1/2 cup sugar in a quart jar. Fill with boiling water. Process in a water bath for 25 minutes.

Before processing…..

home canned grape juice

 

After processing……….

home canned grape juice

Now the hard part. Letting it sit for 3 months before we drink it. lol

 

We will most likely be having a cook out tonight for Labor Day. It’s supposed to be 92 here in Kentucky today. So we may possibly cancel. Who wants to sit around the fire pit when it’s in the 90’s?!

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

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

Saturday – quick & easy- Kids choice, My husband and I got subs while grocery shopping lol

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Roast Beef & cheddar cheese or turkey, with lettuce, tomato, & chips

Monday – chicken –  Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad,  and?????

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Skillet Spaghetti, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- Beef Tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – chicken – Chicken & rice, carrots

Friday – beef –    Smoked Sausage Skillet Dinner (recipe I’m working on!), beets

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

 

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Filed Under: In The Kitchen With Linda

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For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16-17 NKJV


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