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Showing posts from December, 2020

Overcoming trials & loss and how to find a greater joy than you thought was possible

There are times in our lives that I believe will be etched into the fabric of our being forever, no matter how hard we try to fight it. Nothing we do can shake those memories from our minds and we must come to terms with the facts that those times may haunt our memoires, toy with our thoughts and have the potential to corrupt our feelings and emotions if we let it. For me, one of those times that will forever be engrained into the inner most parts of my soul and burned into my memory is this night, nine years ago.  *Fare warning friends, this is a long, somewhat messy & somewhat disorganized post. I am so grateful you're here and pray you find a sense of hope and encouragement through my sharing a bit of my story with you here today...  It had only been 5 days since I had made the life changing decision that I needed to leave my (ex-husband) and flee to safety with my two young children. The fateful day the choice was made for me was Christmas 2011. It hadn't been 100% clea

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

 Hello Friends, Happy Wholesome foods Wednesday! (I don't know if that's a thing yet... guess I just made it up if it's not 😆). I don't know if I can think of anything better than a hot cup of homemade soup on a cold rainy afternoon, sitting curled up in a cozy blanket all snuggled by the fire.😍 This recipe is my go to when I want a yummy warm cup of soup on a blustery, cold, wet day or when one of my kiddos is feeling under the weather. It is always an instant pick me up and soothes an upset tummy or an achy, tired body and satisfies my families appetites when they are getting hangry. 😋 To make this extra filling I like to add in a mix of shredded chicken and any ground elk or beef I have on hand (that has already been cooked) for a bit of extra protein.  There is just something so satisfying about a steamy cup of homemade soup on a cold winter day that soothes my soul and warms me up quickly. My family is always so happy to gobble up any homemade soup I present the

Shredded Chicken & Cheese English Muffin Breakfast Bake

  HI Friends, Happy Holidays!! This year for our Christmas morning brunch I tried out this new recipe and it was a huge hit with the fam so I just had to share it with you :) I'm loving that this recipe can be made ahead of time (which is great for a holiday meal) and stored overnight in the fridge to save prep time the day you intend to bake it. This year I coupled this with my yummy Cinnamon Roll French Toast Breakfast Bake (recipe link here:  Cinnamon Roll French Toast Breakfast Bake )  for a hearty breakfast. We ate around 11:30am and still haven't been hungry for much other than a snack of fruit & veggies and it's 6:30pm! It held us all day and we are just getting ready to eat a lite dinner while we watch some Christmas movies :)  Hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did! :)  INGREDIENTS: 8 English muffins sliced into 1 inch cubes 16 oz shredded chicken or diced cooked ham  2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 8 large eggs 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 tsp salt 1

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

Every year this delicious casserole is the main request for our special holiday brunch menu. My kids and hubby can't get enough of this gooey, sweet casserole and we very rarely have leftovers ;) One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge overnight so it's ready to bake Christmas or Easter morning (we also love bake it on Thanksgiving morning or birthday mornings too :)) which saves me tons of time on holiday mornings & allows me to not spend so much time in the kitchen. ;) I also love that it is an easy recipe to make and my kids enjoy helping me prep the dish. We hope you and your family will create many wonderful memories when you mix up this delicious dish too!  INGREDIENTS: 2 cans Annie's (no gmo's, all natural) or any other brand of cinnamon rolls you prefer) cinnamon rolls  1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)  1/3 cup sugar 2 eggs 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream or half & half   3 tsp. cinnamon 1/4

Avalanche Cookies

  During the holidays one of our traditions is to have a baking day while we listen to Christmas music or watch a Christmas movie. It always helps to get us in the Christmas spirit while we make fun memories and yummy treats to share with our family & friends. One of our favorite & simple no bake holiday cookie recipes are Avalanche Cookies. These have become a quick treat we can whip up and bring to a holiday party or for a special treat while we have a Christmas movie marathon. Hope your family loves them as much as mine! :) INGREDIENTS:  One lb. white chocolate baking bars 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (creamy) 2 1/2- 3 cups Rice Krispies 2 cups mini marshmallows  DIRECTIONS: Melt chocolate baking bars over low heat on the stove, stir continuously so chocolate won't burn. When melted add in peanut butter and stir until creamy. In a large mixing bowl mix rice Krispies and marshmallows. Pour chocolate mixture over rice Krispies and marshmallows and stir to combine.  Drop cookies o