Linda @ Linda’s Lunacy

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

October 5, 2015 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

Now that the weather has cooled off some here in Kentucky, I feel more like cooking. Who wants to use the stove and oven when it’s 90 degrees outside? I sure don’t!

My daughter said, “Can we have pancakes for lunch?” I said sure, go ahead and make them. Like how I turned that around to HER making them? lol

She made them, and did a great job. As usual. After she had measure out the ingredients, we discovered that we didn’t have enough baking powder for our usual large batch of pancakes. I had heard of homemade baking powder before, but never tried it. I quickly made some for her to use, and the pancakes come out great as always.

Here’s my short stack. With lots of butter, and real maple syrup. yum!

Ok, so my weirdie teenage son was eating his pancakes with Ranch dressing. I’ve said before that my kid will eat anything with ranch on it. But, ew! He said, “This is good, take a picture!” I told him no, that’s disgusting. So he got my phone and took a picture himself. In case you’re wondering, he also had some leftover homemade oven fries on his plate. An odd meal, to say the least. Considering the lighting in my house stinks, he did a good job! Hopefully, his taste buds change as he gets older?! Or, who knows, maybe being a food blogger is in his future? lol

I love Fall because it’s soup weather again! Thanks to Influenster’s Comfort VoxBox, I got to try Annie’s Homegrown Organic Tomato Soup! It was so good! My husband and I had it with grilled cheese sandwiches made with sharp cheddar cheese. Yum!

Sunday, I made a quick homemade Vegetable Soup with Garlic Cheese Bread. Yes, the bread is made from a hot dog bun, in this case, a whole wheat one. I spread them with butter, poured on the garlic powder, and sprinkled on some oregano. I then topped them with grated sharp cheddar cheese and put them under the broiler until the cheese is melted, and the bread is lightly browned. Perfect for dipping into the soup! I made some with just cheese on the bread. They were good, but the ones with butter and garlic were soooo good! Why, yes, my vegetable soup is topped with shredded sharp cheddar cheese AND parmesan cheese! I usually serve it with just parmesan cheese, but I had some cheddar left from making the bread so we used that, too. Yum! Ok, I’ve said that a few times already, but it’s true! lol

Our youngest daughter turned 17 last week! She didn’t want a party, but we did have a family birthday dinner. She didn’t want a big family dinner, either, but I told her she WAS having a birthday dinner with her grandmother. She didn’t have a problem with eating all the shrimp! lol I served Shrimp Cocktail, Shrimp sauteed in butter, Chicken Strips, Hush Puppies, Green Beans, Corn, and Sweet Hawiian Dinner Rolls. Yes, I bought the Shrimp Cocktail in the freezer section of the store. It was so easy, just thaw and serve. I am not a shrimp eater, but my family said it was good.

My family kept bending my big slotted spoon so I had to buy another one. Since The Pioneer Woman’s new line is my current favorite, I bought hers. I also bought this all purpose turner, because I loved it, too.

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, homemade oven fries – Husband cooked!

Sunday – soup & sandwich day -Homemade Vegetable Soup with Garlic Cheese Bread

Monday – chicken – Oven BBQ Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Broccoli

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Skillet Sausage Pasta

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

Thursday – pork – Pork Loin, rice, green beans

Friday – beef – Roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions, corn

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

Childhood Cancer – He’s My Son

September 30, 2015 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I couldn’t let the month go by without sharing a little about my son.

My middle son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was 5. Ten days before his 6th birthday. Talk about having the rug pulled out from under you. Your whole world is changed. For the rest of your life.

He had 3 years and 3 months of treatments. Here is a double spread scrapbook page that I did a few years ago. I put the lyrics to the song He’s My Son. If you have never heard this song before, it’s a real tear jerker. It’s actually written about a boy with cancer.

He's My Son

Yes, my son started taking karate while on treatment, and even competed in a karate tournament and won medals.

Childhood Cancer – He’s My Son

When he was getting close to finishing his treatments, I started making t-shirts for him to wear to his monthly appointments. The first one I made said “4 Visits to OT”, with OT being Off Treatment. The next shirt I used for 3 visits and counted down on the front, crossing out numbers as we went along. The last shirt, he wore to his last chemo visit, said, “I’m Done!”

cancer tshirts

He finished his treatments in December of 2003. All the tshirts said, “Chemo No More in 2004”. These shirts were a fun way for him to now the end was in sight. Three years and three months seems like a long time to an adult, but it feels like forever to a kid.

cancer tshirts

I still have these shirts, now almost 12 years later. I just can’t part with them. I don’t know if I will ever be able to throw them away.

God used the doctors to treat him, but all praise goes to God for his healing! My son is a childhood cancer survivor who will be turning 21 in October!

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!

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A copy of Gather Around the Amish Table
An Amish baking basket full of goodies

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.

*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.”

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.

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!

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.

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

« Previous Page