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Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix (Pantry Staple!)

April 16, 2019 by Cheree' Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

This is the PERFECT recipe for us penny pinchers! Try this one for just a few cents compared to buying the name brand! 🙂

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

I hope y'all have been enjoying all these fun pantry staples we've been sharing. This one might be my favorite so far since it's one I tend to reach for time and time again. Plus the name brand Ranch dressing mix is sooooo pricey! This homemade version costs pennies and we penny pinchers are all over that!

To Make Dry Ranch Dressing Mix You'll Need:

Ingredients

3/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions (Easy Peasy!) 😉

Mix all ingredients and store at room temperature in a plastic bag or container. This recipe equals 1 Ranch seasoning packet.
Or store in the refrigerator or even the freezer!
Use 3-4 tablespoons in place of 1 dry Ranch seasoning packet.

Want to make this mix into a pourable dressing? Blend 1 cup milk, 1 cup mayonnaise and 4 tablespoons Ranch seasoning mix together with a whisk. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow dressing to thicken. Stir before serving. 🙂

If you prefer to make a bigger batch, quadruple the recipe and store in an airtight container. The 4 oz mason jars with lids or the 8 oz mason jars with lids work perfectly for this recipe.

So simple and I'm betting you have all the spices to make this homemade Ranch dressing mix in your pantry! 🙂 If you don't, you can head over HERE to grab some spices on Amazon!

Looking for more recipes like this?

Bunny Buns Easter Cheese Ball Recipe (SO CUTE!)

April 13, 2019 by Cheree' Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

I'm not gonna lie, I've been completely obsessed with this bunny bun cheeseball for about a month now and am super excited to share it with you today! Such a fun dessert to whip up for Easter. 🐰

Bunny Buns Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Cheree' here! I've seen several versions of this sweet bunny buns over on Pinterest, but I've been making a chocolate chip cheese ball for years so I decided to use that recipe as a base for this one (because honestly my family thinks it's the best, so why mess with perfection)!

Hmmm, I'll need to share that specific recipe with y'all later. 🙂

To Make the Bunny Buns Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball You'll Need:

Ingredients

8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened (not margarine)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioner sugar
2 Tbsps brown sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips, chopped
1/2 cup Easter M&M's, chopped (reserve 8 pink M&M's for the toes)
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
bag of unsweetened coconut flakes
graham crackers, vanilla wafers, gingersnaps or animal crackers to serve

Instructions

1. Combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add sugars and beat until well combined. Stir in white chocolate chips, M&M's and sprinkles. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours.

2. Separate cream cheese mixture and roll into 1 large, 2 medium and 1 small ball.

3. Gently roll in coconut until covered.

5. Assemble your bunny bun by adding the small ball as the tail and flatten the two medium sized balls a bit and add as the feet. Add pink M&M's (or your preferred color) for the toes.

6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

7. Serve with desired crackers or cookies.

Not crazy about coconut??? Try this cheese ball rolled in pecan or toffee pieces for a year round treat! 🙂

I can hardly handle the cuteness!! 🐰💕

It's almost too cute to eat……..ALMOST! You and your family won't be disappointed, YUM!

We would love to see a pic if you decide to give this one a try for Easter! 🙂

If you're looking for more Easter recipes, be sure to check out our free and complete Easter Menu HERE!

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

Homemade Italian Dressing Mix (Pantry Staple!)

April 10, 2019 by Cheree' 2 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Save yourself a trip to the store by keeping this Homemade Italian Dressing Mix in your pantry! It's an easy recipe that will come in handy over and over 🙂

Homemade Italian Dressing Mix

Dry Italian Dressing mix is a pantry staple that I've found myself reaching for time and time again over the years. But what about those times you need it for a recipe and realize you're all out? This homemade version is delicious and cheaper than buying packets! You can make it in bulk and use it time and time again.

PLUS – there are no mysterious ingredients inside, you can control the amount of salt, sugar, etc… according to your diet 🙂

To Make Italian Dressing Mix You'll Need:

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsps garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsps Italian Seasoning
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsps salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions (Get ready…. these are really involved!) 😉

Mix all ingredients and store at room temperature in a plastic bag or container.
Or store in the refrigerator or even the freezer!
Use 2 tablespoons in place of 1 dry Italian seasoning packet.

So simple and I'm betting you have all the spices to make this in your pantry! 🙂 You can head over HERE to grab some spices on Amazon!

If you prefer to make a bigger batch, double the recipe and store in an airtight container. The 4 oz mason jars with lids or the 8 oz mason jars with lids work perfectly for this recipe.

Looking for more recipes?

Resurrection Rolls Easter Recipe

April 5, 2019 by Laurie 11 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

We've been making Resurrection rolls for as long as I can remember – they're a sweet part of our Easter morning breakfast tradition and I think you'll love them too!

Resurrection Rolls Recipe

If you're looking for something special to make on Easter morning that also has a little object lesson for your family, these Resurrection Rolls might be just the thing to try out.

Back when my husband and I were first married, I made these rolls and we absolutely loved them. Somewhere along the way though, I completely forgot about them until a PPP reader reminded me about them, so we of course had to try them out again.

Resurrection Rolls are one of those great recipes that use up a few Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (is it possible to mess up a Pillsbury Crescent Roll? we did of course use the reduced fat variety . . .), but are also just a fun treat to make each Easter.

My kids help me make them, and promptly devour a few minutes after they pop out of the oven.

So why are they called Resurrection Rolls?

Well, you use a marshmallow for the recipe, but when the sweet rolls bake up, the marshmallow disappears, so the “tomb” is found empty. We had an interesting discussion when my youngest was little and asked ~ “Momma, Why did Jesus have to die on that cross?”

Well, I love that these rolls offer a little object lesson on Easter (as well as make an amazing treat.) The crescent rolls represent the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in, the white marshmallow represents Christ because of His purity, the butter represents the embalming oils and the cinnamon sugar are examples of the spices used to prepare Christ's body for burial.

After the Resurrection Rolls bake, the marshmallows “disappear” and the rolls represent the empty tomb.

These are a great treat any time of year, and we usually make a double batch because we love them just so much. If you're looking for a unique way to share the Easter story with your kids, these Resurrection Rolls might be just the treat in your home too.

Resurrection Rolls (we doubled the recipe)

Ingredients

1 package Crescent Rolls
8 marshmallows or Peeps 🙂
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
2 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. sugar

Directions

Mix together cinnamon and sugar in small bowl. In another bowl melt margarine.
Dip marshmallow into butter, then into cinnamon sugar.
Roll marshmallow in crescent roll, pinching together at the seams.
Roll crescent roll in butter, then cinnamon sugar again.
Spray muffin cup liners with cooking spray, then place each crescent roll in muffin tin.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 12-14 minutes.
Enjoy! Makes 8 rolls.

*Note – you may want to put some aluminum foil underneath these while they're baking as the marshmallow goo tends to leak a bit.

Do you have any special treats that you plan to make this Easter? I'd love to hear what they are in the comments section . . . I'm always looking for new ideas!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

April 3, 2019 by Cheree' Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Tired of not having taco seasoning on hand when you need it? You more than likely have everything in your spice cabinet to make this homemade taco seasoning right now!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

2 tsps chili powder
½ tsp salt
½ garlic powder
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp pepper
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

Mix all ingredients to equal one package taco seasoning mix. Use 1-2 tablespoons seasoning per pound of meat.

If you prefer to make a bigger batch, quadruple the recipe and store in an airtight container. The 4 oz mason jars with lids or the 8 oz mason jars with lids work perfectly for this recipe. The homemade taco seasoning can be stored in your pantry or even in the freezer.

Easy peasy and you'll be ready for Taco Tuesday every week! 🙂

Looking for more recipes?

Frozen Bread Dough Garlic Twists

March 15, 2019 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Frozen Bread Dough Garlic Twists

If you've never purchased Frozen Bread Dough, oh my goodness you are missing out! Frozen bread dough is super versatile (and cheap!) And, as we've spent this month working really hard on the MoreMoney in March Challenge, I decided to pull out some frozen bread dough to make frozen bread dough garlic twists this week.

My family agreed I won at life for this one. 🙂

Here's how to make Garlic Twists using Frozen Home Bread Dough if you want to make your family oh-s0-happy for dinner tonight too.

1 – let bread thaw

2 – roll out dough

3 – use pizza cutter to cut into long strands

4 – twist dough into long knots

5 – brush butter or Smart Balance onto dough, sprinkle with garlic power and salt (I use Kosher salt or Sea salt)

6 – Bake 10-11 minutes on 350

I made it to go alongside this Easy Chicken Parmesan and it was fantastic.

If you're looking for one more way to use frozen bread dough, try out these homemade cinnamon rolls too. I promise you'll never eat a Cinnabon again after making this one ~yum! I'd love to hear if you have any other recipes to make using frozen bread dough ~ leave a comment to share (I love hearing from you!)

Guacamole Deviled Eggs Recipe ~Top Chef Style!

March 5, 2019 by Cheree' Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

Guacamole Deviled Eggs Recipe

If you are like me and have leftover hard boiled eggs from Easter then you will want to check out this Guacamole Deviled Eggs recipe!

This recipe pretty much covers just about any eating style you might be into right now ~ low carb, paleo, keto, clean eating, whole30, vegetarian, even gluten free ~ you get the picture, ha! 🙂

Here's what you'll need to get started…

Guacamole Deviled Eggs~Top Chef Style

Ingredients

6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
1 medium ripe avocado
1/2 -1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced (or jarred diced jalapeño)
2 Tbsps diced red onion
2 Tbsps chopped fresh cilantro
4 tsps lime juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
pinch smoked paprika or chile powder (for garnish)

Directions

Cut the eggs in half horizontally and scoop out the yolks; set aside.
Cut avocado in half, remove pit and scoop out the flesh.
In a bowl, mash avocado and 2-3 egg yolks with a fork; discard remaining yolks. (I mixed the leftover yolks in with my doggies food and he loved it)!
Stir in jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder, white pepper, kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Gently mix in tomato.
Spoon heaping spoonfuls of guacamole into the halved egg whites.
Garnish with a pinch of smoked paprika or chile powder and chopped cilantro, if desired.

These really hit the spot and got all thumbs up from my bunch! 🙂

Looking for more side dish recipes?

Countertop Cooking Challenge Day 6: New Video + Eat at Home Sale ENDS TONIGHT!

February 18, 2019 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Eat at Home Cooking Challenge

>> If you'd like to get the best price on these menu plans, USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE BEFORE IT ENDS TOINGHT~ I know you will love these! <<<

I am so excited about dinner tonight!

Tonight was the last “catch up” day in our Eat at Home Cooking Challenge (I was behind a day last week because we weren't home one night for one of the meals), so I caught up and made the Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops in the Slow Cooker, and we're having them tonight with Edamame and Egg Rolls.

I can't even wait. 🙂

So after one week of our challenge, our family saved a bundle on eating out, ate some seriously delicious food (I think the Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Mango Cucumber Salsa were my favorite!) and I added a whopping 10 more freezer meals to my freezers too.

WOOHOOO!

If you're struggling in your finances, I know that using the Eat at Home Menu Plans will make your life so much easier.

If you'd like to hang out with me as you make them, you can catch up on all of the videos as I've made in the Eat at Home Meals right over here on my Youtube Channel too.

>>> TO JOIN IN THE FUN, USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE TODAY.

I really do believe these grocery lists and menu plans are a game changer if you struggle with getting dinner done each day. I'm amazed at how much stress this takes off our evenings (and our finances ~ we save SOOOOO much by not eating out when we have a great plan in place!) USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE TODAY.

Here's what the schedule will look like for the rest of the week:

Each morning I'll share a Facebook Live Video between 9 and 9:30 AM Eastern time filling up Mrs. Potts (a.k.a. ~ my slow cooker). Here's what we'll be making:

Monday 2/11: White Chicken Chili + Maraschino Cherry Cake
Tuesday 2/12: Beef Roast with Red Wine, Mashed Potatoes & Spinach Salad wth Nuts
Wednesday 2/13: Sloppy Slow Cooked Chicken Tacos
Thursday 2/14: Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Edamame, Egg Rolls
Friday 2/15: Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Cucumber Mango Salsa + Tuxedo Bars from Slow Cooker meals week of 2/18
*JUST ADDED* Monday 2/18: Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Edamame, Egg Rolls

If you're looking for freezer meal supplies I'll be using you can find all of those HERE 🙂

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE ~ THESE ARE THE LOWEST PRICES YOU’LL FIND ON THIS MENU PLAN!<<<

Curious what's included when you sign up? Here you go!

Weekly menu plans for the entire month, every single month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans (those are the ones we’re using right now)
A set of traditional menu plans
A weekly dessert recipe
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink ~ color coded to make your menu planning even easier)
Basically, you'll get 96 recipes with menu plans AND A GROCERY LIST, all included!
The menu plans cost as little as $1.13 per week when you sign up for a one year plan, or try out a 1 or 3 month subscription and see what you think.

And, if you're like me you'll use the grocery list along with the Kroger Click List (watch the video above), and make grocery shopping and menu planning so crazy easy you'll have it done in 30 minutes or less.

I sure hope you've loved this challenge as much as I have this week ~ thanks for joining me along the way (it's so much more fun to get dinner done when we can do it together!) I'm cheering for you!

Looking for more ways to have dinner on the table? Be sure to sign up for my totally free Crocktober Cookbook with menu plan and grocery list. I can't wait to get started countertop cooking with you!

Eat At Home Challenge Day 5: YUMMIEST Sandwiches + New Video + Tupperware Cleanout!

February 16, 2019 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Eat at Home Cooking Challenge

This dinner was a huge success at our house . . . even though I wasn't all that awesome at cutting up a mango! 🙂

We made the Eat at Home Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Cucumber Mango Salsa last night and goodness, they were so good.

It took about a minute to prep the meat and another 3 minutes to make the salsa, and in under 5 minutes dinner was done.

My hubby loved it, I loved it, and I pretty clearly decided that you can put anything on a King's Hawaiian Roll and it magically turns into a success. 🙂

Because I had so much time on my hands with all that easy cooking (*ahem*) after I was finished cooking I also tackled my Plasticware Containers cleanout from our 2019 Ultimate Home Checklist.

It took less than 10 minutes, and now my space feels so. much. better.

Success!

>>> IF YOU NEED TO JOIN ME, USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE TODAY.

Here's what the schedule will look like for the rest of the week:

Each morning I'll share a Facebook Live Video between 9 and 9:30 AM Eastern time filling up Mrs. Potts (a.k.a. ~ my slow cooker). Here's what we'll be making:

Monday 2/11: White Chicken Chili + Maraschino Cherry Cake
Tuesday 2/12: Beef Roast with Red Wine, Mashed Potatoes & Spinach Salad wth Nuts
Wednesday 2/13: Sloppy Slow Cooked Chicken Tacos
Thursday 2/14: Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Edamame, Egg Rolls
Friday 2/15: Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Cucumber Mango Salsa + Tuxedo Bars from Slow Cooker meals week of 2/18
*JUST ADDED* Monday 2/18: Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Edamame, Egg Rolls

BONUS: FREEZER COOKING SESSION:

On Wednesday, 2/13/19 at 8:30 PM Eastern Time we'll also d a Freezer Cooking Challenge, making all of the recipes from the Eat at Home Freezer Meals (look for those on the 2/18 Slow Cooker Menus!)

Here's what we made Wednesday night:

Taco Soup
Harvest Apple Pot Roast
Loaded Cheesy Potato Casserole
Smoky Chipotle Chicken
French Dip Sandwiches
Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce

If you're looking for freezer meal supplies I'll be using you can find all of those HERE 🙂

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE ~ THESE ARE THE LOWEST PRICES YOU’LL FIND ON THIS MENU PLAN!<<<

Curious what's included when you sign up? Here you go!

Weekly menu plans for the entire month, every single month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans (those are the ones we’re using right now)
A set of traditional menu plans
A weekly dessert recipe
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink ~ color coded to make your menu planning even easier)
Basically, you'll get 96 recipes with menu plans AND A GROCERY LIST, all included!
The menu plans cost as little as $1.13 per week when you sign up for a one year plan, or try out a 1 or 3 month subscription and see what you think.

It's going to do be a great week!

Looking for more ways to have dinner on the table? Be sure to sign up for my totally free Crocktober Cookbook with menu plan and grocery list. I can't wait to get started countertop cooking with you!

Eat at Home Freezer Cooking Challenge Update: 8 Meals In Under 1 Hour?

February 14, 2019 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Eat at Home Cooking Challenge

>>> If you'd like to join in the fun this week, USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE TODAY ~ I know you will love these! <<< And don't forget, we'll be doing a LIVE FREEZER COOKING SESSION WEDNESDAY, 2/13/19 at 8:30 PM Eastern Time using these menu plans ~set your alarm and join me!<<<

I'm thrilled that I finished up our Freezer Cooking last night!

It took about an hour, but I finished up 8 meals to fill our freezer, so dinner is done for at least a few busy weeknights.

I had Instacart deliver my groceries (it does cost a little more than grocery shopping myself, but as a full time working mom it is the greatest gift I could ever give myself.) 🙂

They delivered my groceries . . .

I set up my stuff (that vase full of corn is my fancy selfie stick holder for Facebook live ~ yikes!)

And in under an hour eight meals were done.

(I also made dessert right before I started. Because, freezer meals require dessert.) 🙂

Now . . . I'm not gonna lie, I am just about done with food for today.

So when I realized none of my family was going to be home for dinner tonight, I decided to tweak our Eat at Home schedule and I'll be making the Apricot Pork Ginger Pork Chops on Monday. (That meal sounded too good to miss!)

I really do believe these grocery lists and menu plans are a game changer if you struggle with getting dinner done each day. I'm amazed at how much stress this takes off our evenings (and our finances ~ we save SOOOOO much by not eating out when we have a great plan in place!)

>>> IF YOU NEED TO JOIN ME, USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE TODAY.

Here's what the schedule will look like for the rest of the week:

Each morning I'll share a Facebook Live Video between 9 and 9:30 AM Eastern time filling up Mrs. Potts (a.k.a. ~ my slow cooker). Here's what we'll be making:

Monday 2/11: White Chicken Chili + Maraschino Cherry Cake
Tuesday 2/12: Beef Roast with Red Wine, Mashed Potatoes & Spinach Salad wth Nuts
Wednesday 2/13: Sloppy Slow Cooked Chicken Tacos
Thursday 2/14: Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Edamame, Egg Rolls
Friday 2/15: Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Cucumber Mango Salsa + Tuxedo Bars from Slow Cooker meals week of 2/18
*JUST ADDED* Monday 2/18: Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Edamame, Egg Rolls

BONUS: FREEZER COOKING SESSION:

Here's what I made last night:

Taco Soup
Harvest Apple Pot Roast
Loaded Cheesy Potato Casserole
Smoky Chipotle Chicken
French Dip Sandwiches
Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce

If you're looking for freezer meal supplies I'll be using you can find all of those HERE 🙂

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE ~ THESE ARE THE LOWEST PRICES YOU’LL FIND ON THIS MENU PLAN!<<<

Curious what's included when you sign up? Here you go!

Weekly menu plans for the entire month, every single month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans (those are the ones we’re using right now)
A set of traditional menu plans
A weekly dessert recipe
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink ~ color coded to make your menu planning even easier)
Basically, you'll get 96 recipes with menu plans AND A GROCERY LIST, all included!
The menu plans cost as little as $1.13 per week when you sign up for a one year plan, or try out a 1 or 3 month subscription and see what you think.

It's going to do be a great week!

Looking for more ways to have dinner on the table? Be sure to sign up for my totally free Crocktober Cookbook with menu plan and grocery list. I can't wait to get started countertop cooking with you!

Countertop Cooking Challenge Day 3: New Video + Freezer Challenge Is Tonight!

February 13, 2019 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Eat at Home Cooking Challenge

We finished up day 3 of our Eat at Home Countertop (crockpot!) Cooking Challenge and I am loving using these menu plans this week.

Last night we made the slow cooker beef roast, spinach salad with spiced nuts, green beans and had leftover maraschino cake for dessert, and dinner has never been so good.

(that spinach salad made me so. stinkin'. happy. We maybe used a little too much sugar on the nuts, but that might be exactly what made it so, so good.) 🙂

I love that.

Tonight I've got sloppy slow cooker chicken tacos on the menu plan along with black bean and corn salad, and goodness, I'm pretty excited about this one too after several reviews folks have shared in our Private PPP Eat at Home Facebook Group (to join me in the group, go HERE and sign up for the annual Eat at Home Membership and we'll get you added!)

I still have to go pick up more black beans (actually, Instacart is delivering them this afternoon along with my groceries for our freezer cooking challenge tonight), so I feel like I've totally won at mom-life today!

WOOOHOOOO!

>>> If you'd like to join me, I'd sure love to have you hop in and do menu planning with me! To join in the challenge this week, USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE TODAY.

Here's what the schedule looks like this week:

Each morning I'll share a Facebook Live Video between 9 and 9:30 AM Eastern time filling up Mrs. Potts (a.k.a. ~ my slow cooker). Here's what we'll be making:

Monday 2/11: White Chicken Chili + Maraschino Cherry Cake
Tuesday 2/12: Beef Roast with Red Wine, Mashed Potatoes & Spinach Salad wth Nuts
Wednesday 2/13: Sloppy Slow Cooked Chicken Tacos
Thursday 2/14: Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Edamame, Egg Rolls
Friday 2/15: Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Cucumber Mango Salsa + Tuxedo Bars from Slow Cooker meals week of 2/18

BONUS: FREEZER COOKING SESSION:

Here's what we'll be making Wednesday night:

Taco Soup
Harvest Apple Pot Roast
Loaded Cheesy Potato Casserole
Smoky Chipotle Chicken
French Dip Sandwiches
Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce

If you're looking for freezer meal supplies I'll be using you can find all of those HERE 🙂

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE ~ THESE ARE THE LOWEST PRICES YOU’LL FIND ON THIS MENU PLAN!<<<

Curious what's included when you sign up? Here you go!

Weekly menu plans for the entire month, every single month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans (those are the ones we’re using right now)
A set of traditional menu plans
A weekly dessert recipe
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink ~ color coded to make your menu planning even easier)
Basically, you'll get 96 recipes with menu plans AND A GROCERY LIST, all included!
The menu plans cost as little as $1.13 per week when you sign up for a one year plan, or try out a 1 or 3 month subscription and see what you think.

It's going to do be a great week!

Looking for more ways to have dinner on the table? Be sure to sign up for my totally free Crocktober Cookbook with menu plan and grocery list. I can't wait to get started countertop cooking with you!

Countertop Cooking Challenge Day 2: New Video + Challenge Update

February 12, 2019 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Eat at Home Cooking Challenge

>>> If you'd like to join in the fun this week, USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE TODAY ~ I know you will love these! <<< And don't forget, we'll be doing a LIVE FREEZER COOKING SESSION WEDNESDAY, 2/13/19 at 8:30 PM Eastern Time using these menu plans ~set your alarm and join me!

OH MY STARS.

I just love when we do an Eat at Home Challenge!

Last night we enjoyed the yummiest little meal (my family was so happy! Well, except for one who was not willing to try her beans . . . but picky eaters are picky eaters and I'm pretty sure that happens in just about every home out there . . .).

And tonight I cannot even wait to try this Beef Roast with Red Wine, Mashed Potatoes and Spinach Salad.

(I mean really. How much yummier can dinner get that that?)

It took me about a minute to dump everything in Mrs. Potts and we'll make the mashed potatoes at dinnertime tonight.

Success.

>>> If you'd like to join me, I'd sure love to have you here! To join in the challenge this week, USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE TODAY.

Here's what the schedule look like starting Monday:

Each morning I'll share a Facebook Live Video between 9 and 9:30 AM Eastern time filling up Mrs. Potts (a.k.a. ~ my slow cooker). Here's what we'll be making:

Monday 2/11: White Chicken Chili + Maraschino Cherry Cake
Tuesday 2/12: Beef Roast with Red Wine, Mashed Potatoes & Spinach Salad wth Nuts
Wednesday 2/13: Sloppy Slow Cooked Chicken Tacos
Thursday 2/14: Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Edamame, Egg Rolls
Friday 2/15: Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Cucumber Mango Salsa + Tuxedo Bars from Slow Cooker meals week of 2/18

BONUS: FREEZER COOKING SESSION:

Here's what we'll be making Wednesday night:

Taco Soup
Harvest Apple Pot Roast
Loaded Cheesy Potato Casserole
Smoky Chipotle Chicken
French Dip Sandwiches
Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce

If you're looking for freezer meal supplies I'll be using you can find all of those HERE 🙂

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE ~ THESE ARE THE LOWEST PRICES YOU’LL FIND ON THIS MENU PLAN!<<<

Curious what's included when you sign up? Here you go!

Weekly menu plans for the entire month, every single month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans (those are the ones we’re using right now)
A set of traditional menu plans
A weekly dessert recipe
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink ~ color coded to make your menu planning even easier)
Basically, you'll get 96 recipes with menu plans AND A GROCERY LIST, all included!
The menu plans cost as little as $1.13 per week when you sign up for a one year plan, or try out a 1 or 3 month subscription and see what you think.

It's going to do be a great week!

Looking for more ways to have dinner on the table? Be sure to sign up for my totally free Crocktober Cookbook with menu plan and grocery list. I can't wait to get started countertop cooking with you!

Countertop Cooking Challenge Day 1: New Video + This Cake!

February 11, 2019 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Eat at Home Cooking Challenge

>>> If you'd like to join in the fun this week, USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE TODAY ~ I know you will love these! <<<

I'm just a wee bit excited about getting dinner done this week!

I love using my Eat at Home meals all the time, but I just stay a wee bit more on track when we do a challenge week, so it makes me so happy when you join in and make dinner with me too.

Tonight we're having the Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili and Maraschino Cherry Cake from the Eat at Home Week of 2/11/19 Slow Cooker meals, and goodness, my home smells so good.

And dinner. is. done.

I'm also going to go ahead and make some cornbread (my husband will be so happy because I never make cornbread), and I noticed that she has her cornbread recipe in the 2/18/19 slow cooker recipes. Since I'll have plenty of cornmeal left over from tonight's meal, I figure it's worth testing it out!

(If you're curious and have kept up with PPP very long you know I don't normally eat this many carbs especially on a Monday as I carb cycle using Faster Way to Fat Loss, but I'm training for a half marathon and have to run 10 miles tonight to keep up. SO, BRING ON THE CARBS.) 🙂 🙂 🙂

(This is Tiffany from Eat at Home's pic of her yummy maraschino cherry cake all done. Now I kind of wish I'd done it in two layers, but I was thinking I'd be easier to keep in the fridge in a pan. Hmph!)

Here's what the schedule for the rest of the week will look like this week :

Each morning I'll share a Facebook Live Video between 9 and 9:30 AM Eastern time filling up Mrs. Potts (a.k.a. ~ my slow cooker). Here's what we'll be making:

Monday 2/11: White Chicken Chili + Maraschino Cherry Cake
Tuesday 2/12: Beef Roast with Red Wine, Mashed Potatoes & Spinach Salad wth Nuts
Wednesday 2/13: Sloppy Slow Cooked Chicken Tacos
Thursday 2/14: Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Edamame, Egg Rolls
Friday 2/15: Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Cucumber Mango Salsa + Tuxedo Bars from Slow Cooker meals week of 2/18

BONUS: FREEZER COOKING SESSION

Here's what we'll be making Wednesday night:

Taco Soup
Harvest Apple Pot Roast
Loaded Cheesy Potato Casserole
Smoky Chipotle Chicken
French Dip Sandwiches
Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce

If you're looking for freezer meal supplies I'll be using you can find all of those HERE 🙂

Would you like to join me this week? Here's what you'll get when you sign up!

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO GET THE BEST PRICE ~ THESE ARE THE LOWEST PRICES YOU’LL FIND ON THIS MENU PLAN!<<<

Weekly menu plans for the entire month, every single month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans (those are the ones we’re using right now)
A set of traditional menu plans
A weekly dessert recipe
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink ~ color coded to make your menu planning even easier)
Basically, you'll get 96 recipes with menu plans AND A GROCERY LIST, all included!
The menu plans cost as little as $1.13 per week when you sign up for a one year plan, or try out a 1 or 3 month subscription and see what you think.

It's going to do be a great week!

Looking for more ways to have dinner on the table? Be sure to sign up for my totally free Crocktober Cookbook with menu plan and grocery list. I can't wait to get started countertop cooking with you!

Not Quite Homemade Heart Shaped Cinnamon Rolls

February 7, 2019 by Laurie 3 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

These cinnamon rolls are my kid's favorites.

In fact, last night as I was baking them, my eleven-year-old sweet girl informed me that she expected me to make them for all of the guests on her wedding day.

Yikes.

(She's also planning on having these best ever chocolate chip cookies at her wedding. Clearly she thinks I'll have nothing to do except bake before her wedding day!) 😉

Turning these into their favorite Valentine treat is simple enough, and my family (of course) loved the results.

Here's how to get started . . .

Let dough thaw out for at least a few hours.

After dough is thawed, roll out into rectangle (or, something that loosely resembles a rectangle) 😉

Spread 5 tablespoons of softened butter out on dough. Then sprinkle with 5 tablespoons sugar.

Next sprinkle 3 teaspoons of cinnamon over dough.

Then, starting with the shorter end of the dough, roll dough up (if making regular cinnamon rolls, just roll them up completely)

To make heart shaped cinnamon rolls, roll the other half up until both ends come together.

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice into about 1 1/2″ rolls (I forgot to take a picture after making the heart shaped ones, so this is just the regular cinnamon roll)

Place in greased baking dish and allow to rise, 1-2 hours.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, cinnamon rolls will rise more while baking.

Add a little butter or margarine once they're baked if you'd like, and top with frosting.

Perfect!

Almost Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Roll Ingredients

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed, not risen (I usually use Rhodes dough or the Kroger brand)
5 tablespoons margarine or butter
5 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

(don't forget to add the frosting – I can't believe I forgot to get a picture of these without frosting included!)

Frosting Ingredients

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Roll out dough to about 12×14 inches. Spread butter evenly on top of dough.
Sprinkle with sugar and then with cinnamon.
Roll up jelly-roll style, tightly pinching ends so sugar/cinnamon doesn’t fall out. (If making heart shaped cinnamon rolls, roll to the middle from both ends to make the heart shape.)
With a sharp knife cut into 1-inch sections and lay in prepared pan.
Allow dough to rise until almost double its size (around 1–2 hours, they will also rise quite a bit while baking. Meanwhile, prepare frosting (see recipe below). To help them rise a little more quickly, I put them in the oven with the light on, and place a bowl of water on the rack beneath them to help moisture stay in the oven.
Bake in greased round or square pan at 350 for for 15 to 20 minutes. Top will be golden brown when done. Allow rolls to cool slightly while preparing topping. (If you’re like me, you may want to spread a little butter or margarine on top to make them nice and glossy!)

Frosting

Mix powdered sugar and milk to make a thick paste.
Add more milk or powdered sugar as needed.
Spread on still-warm rolls, allowing the frosting to melt slightly. Serve warm.

Need a little more menu inspiration? Go HERE.

Valentine White Trash Candy

January 29, 2019 by Cheree' 2 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Valentine White Trash Candy

This is typically a recipe I think about during the Christmas season, but it's really PERFECT for any seasonal holiday. So, Valentine's Day seemed like the perfect holiday to whip some up! 💗

Here's what you'll need to get started . . .

plus, a great use for the almond bark I snagged on clearance at Kroger 👇🏻👇🏻 – WHOOP!

measure out the ingredients – this 8 cup Pyrex measuring cup is awesome!

toss them all together in a ginormous bowl!

melt your almond bark (or use 2 packages of white morsels along with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil instead) – either way is FANTASTIC!

mix it all up….

then spread onto wax paper, add a few sprinkles and let cool 🙂

and try not to nibble, ha! 😜

package it up as fast as you can and give it away!!!

How to Make Valentine White Trash Candy:

Ingredients

6 cups Rice or Corn Chex Cereal
6 cups small pretzels
16 oz jar dry roasted peanuts
11 oz bag plan M&M's
24 oz almond bark (1 1/2 packages)
sprinkles (optional)
wax or parchment paper

Directions

Combine cereal, pretzels, peanuts and M&M's in a huge bowl.
Line 2 large baking sheets with wax or parchment paper. Or, spread a couple of large pieces on your countertop if they can tolerate a bit of heat.
Place almond bark in a large glass bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until the almond bark is melted and very pourable.
Pour melted almond bark over dry ingredients; stirring gently to combine. Once combined, spoon mixture onto the wax paper and spread. Add sprinkles, if desired.
Cool on the countertop or pop in the refrigerator until set. Break into pieces and store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

So yummy and completely addictive…….I warned ya! 🤗

Looking for a few more fun Valentine ideas??

Valentine's Day Dinner (on the cheap!)

DIY Dollar Tree Candy Jar

3 Quick and Easy DIY Valentine Crafts

Dollar Tree Valentine Project

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

Menu Plan Monday: Week Of 9/24/18

September 24, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Have you made your menu plan yet for the week? With our crazy schedule in the evenings I'm sooo glad to have to have a plan in place already this week!

I'm traveling some, so oooohhhh so thankful for the prep work we did during our Back to School Cooking Challenge last week. Otherwise my family would always pick dinner out, so this is an easy way for us to be ahead of the game!

Here's what's on the menu plan this week:

Monday -Grandma's Spaghetti (from the 9/17 Slow Cooker/ Freezer Week!)
Tuesday – My bunch will eat dinner out since I'm not home 🙂
Wednesday -Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes, Bacon & Fruit Salad from the EAH Traditional Meal Plan week of 9/24 (perfect since I fly home Wednesday morning)!
Thursday -Roasted Chicken Sheet pan dinner from EAH Traditional Meal Plan week of 9/24, homemade bread (I'm subbing out the Brussels sprouts for green beans)
Friday -Easy Meatball Subs from the EAH Traditional Meal Plan week of 9/24 (this is actually a freezer meal for us since I've already prepped it!)

Do you have anything yummy on your menu plan this week? I’d love to hear what you’re having, and if you have any great recipe ideas please leave a comment to share!

Check out my recipes to try board on Pinterest, and see more penny-pinched recipe ideas too.

Easy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes – No Foil Needed!

September 6, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Crockpot Baked Potatoes Recipe

One of my favorite penny-pinched meals is a baked potato. You can fill up your family for less than $1 per person – and get creative with all sorts of leftovers to serve as toppings!

And if slow cooker recipes just make you happy – did you know can actually use your SLOW COOKER instead of your oven to bake them? No need to heat up the kitchen, just pop them in and come home to supper. 🙂

How to Make Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

Here's an easy recipe for Crockpot Baked Potatoes that needs no foil, and comes out perfect every time 🙂

Scrub 4-6 large baking potatoes well and pat them dry
Make a couple fork stabs into the center of each potato to allow for even cooking and steam release
Rub with olive oil
Sprinkle sea salt and pepper all over each potato
Place in a slow cooker on High for 2 1/2 – 4 hours, or Low for 6-8.

**I absolutely ADORE my Crock-Pot Multi-Cooker (it works as a slow cooker, oven, stovetop and more!) but if you need a basic Crock-Pot this is a nice price for a large size!

Cooking time above assumes you're using big baking potatoes, but if you're using smaller potatoes just adjust accordingly. (They'll cook more quickly!)

Baked Potato Bar Toppings

I love to serve slow cooker baked potatoes with a buffet of topping choices. Depending on what your family likes and what leftovers you have in the fridge, here are some suggestions:

Shredded Cheese
Bacon Crumbles
Sour Cream
Chives
Barbecue pork or chicken (See my recipe for Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes!)
Grilled Chicken or Steak
Salsa
Parmesan Cheese
Sauteed Mushrooms
Pepperoni
Black Olives
Leftover burgers, crumbled (invent the Cheeseburger Stuffed Potato!)
Cajun Seasoning (or any other seasonings)
Any leftovers you think will pair well!

I love putting this together for when I have to be running errands in the afternoon. That way when I get home from running around there's a hot easy supper just waiting in the crock pot!

You might also like these dinner ideas!

Zesty Chicken Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders

25 Easy Lunchbox Ideas (to help get you out of your rut!)

August 29, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

25 EASY Lunchbox Ideas

It's almost time to head back to school, so it's the perfect time to get a jump start on planning school lunches!

Here are 25 EASY lunchbox ideas to get you out of your PB&J rut and help mix things up 🙂

Try these Applewiches in place of traditional sandwiches
Chicken Taco Bento Box
Include more veggies with this Easy Cucumber Sushi
Homemade Hot Pockets
Homemade uncrustables
Include a frozen smoothie which can also substitute for an ice pack
DIY Lunchbox Pizza
Corn Dog Muffins
Include a free printable note or write your own message on a banana peel 🙂
Serve up brunch with these mini pancake kabobs
Add some protein with a boiled egg
Add this PPP favorite – Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Turn a sandwich into a wrap – Turkey Club Roll-up
Red Robin Whiskey River Barbecue Chicken Wrap
Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps
Nutella & Banana Sushi Roll
Chicken Caesar Hummus Wrap
Keep a lunchbox sized thermos on hand for hot lunches, especially during the winter!
To keep food hotter longer, pre-heat the thermos with boiling water for a few minutes then pour water out and add your hot food.
Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe {Slow Cooker}
Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
Homemade Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese
4 Ingredient Tater Tot Casserole
Spaghetti & Meatball Cups

Also check these out

EASY Air Fryer Donuts from Biscuit Dough! (4 Kinds)

June 7, 2018 by Laurie 3 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for more uses for your air fryer? We are totally in LOVE with these Easy Air Fryer Donuts from Biscuit Dough

EASY Air Fryer Donuts from Biscuit Dough

Air fryer donuts! Sounds crazy right?? BUT, I have to tell you, they are AMAZING and EASY and FAST and YUMMY!!!

If you missed Facebook Live you can watch it HERE.

When Laurie asked if anyone wanted to try out an air fryer, I'd already been looking into them but wasn't sure I wanted another appliance in the house. Let me tell you how HAPPY I am that I bought one! It's SO convenient, super easy to use and FAST! Everything tastes great and cooks in minimal time. (Check out a killer deal on an air fryer at Kohl's right now!)

Let's get back to the donuts!! I'd heard of donuts in the air fryer and just HAD to try them. The first time I made them for my daughter and her friend the girls RAVED about them. Her friend even went home and told her mom she didn't want donuts any other way!

SOooooo simple!! I used one small can of Grands Biscuits (you could use any cheap biscuits you have on hand). Put a hole in the middle – I had this small heart shaped cookie cutter but you can literally use ANYTHING (the donut holes might be my very favorite part).

Once you have the hole in the middle – you pop them into the air fryer (I was able to fit 4). I set my air fryer to 350 degrees and set the timer for 6 minuets – no pre-heating necessary!!

Half way through flip your donuts, so they brown up on both sides. Once they come out, you put on whatever toppings you'd like, I tried 4 different toppings:

Glazed w/Sprinkles
Chocolate Glazed
Powdered Sugared
Cinnamon Sugared

Seriously, look at these donuts SO easy and best of all they taste AMAZING!!! Such a great alternative to store bought donuts (and so affordable).

EASY Air Fryer Donuts from Biscuit Dough

Ingredients

1 can of biscuits (any kind of canned biscuit – I used Grands as that's what I had on hand)

Optional for toppings:

butter
sugar
cinnamon
cream or milk
vanilla
cocoa powder

Directions for Donuts:

Set your air fryer to 350 degrees (I didn't have to preheat mine at all, just set it and set the dial to the correct time).
Set the timer to 6 mins.
Half way through turn the donuts over.
Pop them out of the air fryer and top as desired!

Directions for Donut Holes:

Set your air fryer to 350 degrees (I didn't have to preheat mine at all, just set it and set the dial to the correct time).
Set the timer to 3/4 mins.
Half way through give your basket a good shake.
Pop them out of the air fryer and top as desired!

TOPPINGS

Cinnamon and Sugar Topping (my favorite!!)

melt a small amount of butter in a dish
put 1/2 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon and mix well into a bowl or dish
brush the donut with a little bit of the butter when it comes out of the air fryer
roll it into the cinnamon and sugar mixture

Powdered Sugar Topping

Shake or sprinkle powdered sugar right on the donut when it comes out of the air fryer.

Glazed Topping (sprinkles optional)

mix 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 2/3 tablespoons of milk and 1/2 tsp of vanilla in a bowl
dip one side of the donut into the glaze and let sit on a plate until cooled
top with sprinkles if desired

Chocolate Glazed Topping (sprinkles optional)

mix 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 2/3 tablespoons of milk, 1 Tbsp of cocoa and 1/2 tsp of vanilla in a bowl
dip one side of the donut into the glaze and let sit on a plate until cooled
top with sprinkles if desired

Looking for more breakfast recipes?

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 5/7/18

May 7, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 5/7/18

If you missed my FB live you can watch it over HERE!

Here's what's for dinner at our house this week!

We have a crazy week with end of year activities (I'm betting you're in the same boat!) so everything will be super flexible, but at least a few plans are made! Starting next week (eek!) we'll be doing our 2nd Annual Supper's Set for Summer Freezer Cooking Challenge (I can't even wait!) so I'm clearing out the freezer to make space this week. 🙂

Monday – Band Banquet ~ I have to bring a side dish so have this Hashbrown Casserole cooking up right now!

Tuesday – Aldi Pizza (whew!)

Wednesday – I'm trying out Home Chef to let you know if it's worth it or not (my friend Jamie highly recommends this one, so I can't wait to see what I think!)

Thursday – Slow Cooker Tangy Sweet Pork Chops using a freezer meal from our Countertop Cooking Challenge freezer meals (have I mentioned lately I love freezer meals? These have changed the way we cook for the better around here!)

Friday – grilled salmon, grilled corn on the cob, spinach salad (this one didn't happen last

Do you have anything yummy on your menu plan this week? I’d love to hear what you’re having, and if you have any great recipe ideas please leave a comment to share!

I cannot BEGIN to tell you how making freezer meals from my friend Tiffany at Eat at Home Cooks have changed dinner in our home! I love love love how easy they've made getting meals on our table, and use them often in addition to the Eat at Home Menu Plans I use each week. I highly recommend these menu plans if getting dinner done is a struggle for you ~ try them out for a month and see what you think!

If you're interested in freezer cooking, I made a list of my favorite freezer cooking supplies HERE.

Check out my recipes to try board on Pinterest, and see more penny-pinched recipe ideas here too.

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 4/30/18

April 30, 2018 by Laurie 4 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

If you're interested in freezer cooking, I made a list of my favorite freezer cooking supplies HERE.

If you missed my FB live you can watch it HERE.Have you made your menu plan yet for the week? With the end of the year way too close in sight our week is nuts, but starting with a menu plan each week makes life more doable!

We've got one kiddo playing soccer, one playing tennis, and one finishing her last week on the track team (plus Jackson had his last band concert yesterday as a senior ~ whew!)

Needless to say if I don't have a plan ahead of time dinner never gets done, so here's what's on the menu:

UPDATE! Dinner's served ~ super easy ~ and I'm kind of in love with this thing!!

Monday – Slow Cooker Pork Chops from our Countertop Cook Challenge (we use the freezer meals from the slow cooker menu plans at Eat at Home Cooks) + Slow Cooker Broccoli and Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes (all in my new Crockpot Swing and Serve ~ I'm a wee bit excited to try it out!)

Tuesday – Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos using chicken from our Countertop Cooking Challenge freezer meals (have I mentioned lately I love freezer meals? These have changed the way we cook for the better around here!)

Wednesday -grilled salmon, grilled corn on the cob, spinach salad

Thursday – Breakfast for dinner ~ homemade egg mcmuffins, fresh fruit, and bacon 🙂

Friday – Leftover buffet

Do you have anything yummy on your menu plan this week? I’d love to hear what you’re having, and if you have any great recipe ideas please leave a comment to share!

Check out my recipes to try board on Pinterest, and see more penny-pinched recipe ideas here too.

Crockpot Ham Tip – When Your Ham is TOO Big for Your Slow Cooker!

March 27, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Crockpot Ham Tip

I love making our Easter Ham in the slow cooker – it frees up the oven for rolls and pies and casseroles and other yumminess! But you might run into a slight problem – so let me share with you this crockpot ham tip for when your ham turns out to be TOO big for your slow cooker…

And before I forget – Get my FREE Printable Easter Menu Plan here – I promise it will make your life so much easier! It comes with a shopping list and times for when to put what in the oven, etc… I think you'll love it 🙂

Crockpot Ham Tip for BIG or AWKWARD Hams

1 . Set your ham down in your slow cooker with the flat side down and pour over any pineapple juices, brown sugar, maple syrups, etc… that you plan to use. See my Crockpot Maple Glazed Ham here and the old-fashioned Brown Sugar & Pineapple Ham here.

2 . Take heavy duty aluminum foil (if you have it – but regular will work in a pinch) and cover the ham generously to that foil hangs down over the sides some. Do the same in the other direction – so there are no ares of the surface not covered by foil.

3 . Crimp the foil to the crock pot rim and work your way all the way around, making sure it's as tight a seal as you can manage.

Let it cook the normal amount of time and it works like a charm! You'd be surprised how long it took me to think of this the first time I bought a turkey or ham that wouldn't fit completely in my slow cooker – sometimes when you are under a weeee bit of stress (like holiday baking!) your brain doesn't work like it should 😉

Scandalous Grace Cake

February 20, 2018 by Laurie 5 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

Years ago, I heard Julie Ann Barnhill speak about her book Scandalous Grace at a MOPS conference.

She made the analogy that scandalous grace was like her grandmother's beloved cake recipe. Lavished with mounds of Philly cream cheese frosting, grace was simply abundant.

Since then, every single time I think of grace, a picture of a big ole' slice of chocolate cake comes to mind.

So Saturday afternoon, as I baked my daughter's 13th birthday cake, of course I thought of grace.

{Am I the only girl who thinks about grace when she bakes a cake? Hmph.}

I was in a hurry for that cake to bake up, and pulled the most luscious, perfect chocolate cake out of the oven just a wee bit too early.

After a few moments I looked over to see those perfectly plump cake rounds fall just a bit in the center.

Then a little bit more.

And within just a few minutes, they were thoroughly depressed.

The perfect cake that I'd spent over an hour preparing wasn't quite perfect any more.

Out poured the grace.

I whipped up the frosting.

Not just a smidgen, but gobs of perfect chocolate buttercream and a little Oreo-filled-frosting too.

Once the first layer plopped out on its plate I doled out the frosting.

A little cavern where it fell a pinch further?

Heap on a little more grace.

{Topped with a few semi-sweet-morsels to hide extra flaws too.}

Adding on the second layer, I knew I'd find a few more holes to fill in.

A dollop here, a smattering there, this cake's grace was abundant.

Scandalous, really.

In fact, all those extra imperfections simply made way for a heaving pile of amazing grace.

You've never tasted a cake so perfectly delightful.

And just like that cake . . .

Our imperfections.

Our mess.

Our holes.

Our weakness.

His grace fills them all in.

It fills in the empty spots where I'll never be good enough.

it inflates the sullen areas too worn down to keep going.

It smooths over each hollow and blemish completely.

It plumps everything right up perfectly ~

deliciously,

~ and turns this mess of a momma into His masterpiece.

Thank.

heavens.

And it makes us want to do better.

To be fuller.

To live richer.

To lavish abundant grace on everyone around us, because we've so generously experienced it ourselves.

So go ahead.

Layer on the gra ce.

Whip it up fully and plop it down on everyone you meet.

And share grace completely, because He first showered it on you.

‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.' 2 Corinthians 12:9

Scandalous Grace Cake, adapted from Taste's Better from Scratch Chocolate Cake with Oreo Frosting

PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients:

CAKE

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

OREO FILLING

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (to sprinkle in the middle)
6-8 Oreo cookies, crumbled
1/2 cup of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (to sprinkle on the top)

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk, or regular milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray two 9-inch round cake pans well with non-stick cooking spray .
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add oil, eggs, vanilla, milk and sour cream and mix until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully pour in the boiling water. Beat on high speed for 1 minute until batter is nice and fluffy.
Pour the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 28-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from oven and allow them to cool completely.
To make the Oreo filling, beat butter with electric mixer about 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk and mix well. Fold in crumbled Oreo cookie pieces.
Spread Oreo filling over the top of one of the cake rounds and sprinkle with half of the mini chocolate chips then top with the second cake round.
To make the chocolate frosting, add cocoa powder to a bowl with the melted butter and mix well to combine. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating until you reach your desired spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla.
Cover the cakes with chocolate frosting and decorate with whole Oreos and mini chocolate chips.

Need a little extra grace today? Here you go . . .

Recipe adapted from Tastes Better from Scratch. If you need a little more menu inspiration, go HERE.

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven (AWESOME Time Saver!)

January 25, 2018 by Laurie 3 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

If you love bacon but hate cooking it on the stove (I'm raising both of my hands over here!) then I want to share one of my very FAVORITE kitchen tips with you – how to cook bacon in the oven!

I love having bacon on hand to crumble on a salad, or for topping burgers, etc… If you're doing the Keto Diet, you're probably using bacon a LOT more than that! (Also check out this tip on how to cook bacon in the microwave.)

But no matter WHAT your bacon needs are – avoid all the splattering and uneven crisping of cooking bacon on the stovetop by using this method of oven-cooked bacon. Here's what to do…

While you don't need to line your pan to cook bacon in the oven – it sure makes the cleanup job a heck of a lot easier! Trust me – I know from experience…

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (I love this one because they're already cut to size!) or foil
Lay out the bacon on the pan so that you can fit as many as possible (It's okay if some of them overlap a little bit)
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy
Transfer the cooked bacon onto a paper-towel lined plate while it cools
Once the grease on the pans cools and hardens, just toss the parchment paper/foil into the trash (EASY!)

TIP: You can do several sheet pans at once this way – placing them on different racks and you may just want to switch them around halfway through. This is a great trick to use if you're doing a menu plan that involves bacon!

To see more about menu planning check out my post here on 5 Reasons You Need a Menu Plan and get your own Printable Menu Plan here!

Here's what I like to do to break down my bacon for storage and food prep:

For toppings like salads, baked potatoes, soups, etc..

Cut the bacon up into small pieces (with kitchen shears or a sharp knife) and store in a ziploc bag in the fridge for up to a month. (Or in the freezer for longer)

For whole pieces

Store in an airtight container (I'm totally in love with this set of Rubbermaid Brilliance) and reheat in a skillet, microwave or oven to re-crisp. 🙂

And – here are some of my favorite recipes with bacon!

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls
Ranch Style Barbecue Bacon Burgers
Slow Cooked Bacon Ranch Chicken
Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up
Bacon Double Cheese Onion Stuffed Burgers
Hot Bacon Dip Appetizer
Bacon Ranch Chicken Pizza

Menu Plan Monday 1/15/18

January 15, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 1/15/18

Here's a peek at what we're having for dinner this week! I'm determined to eat more at home in 2018, and making a menu plan each Monday seems to help so much.

I printed out all of my Eat at Home Meal Plans last week for January, and am using the No Sugar No Flour Week 4 January Menu Plan this week.

Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday -Grilled Chicken Salad/Chicken Quesadillas for kids
Tuesday – Chicken Apple Sausage, Potato Wedge & Broccoli Sheet Pan dinner
Wednesday – South of the Border Skillet, Roasted Zucchini
Thursday – Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Apples
Friday – Slow Cooker Chicken Minestrone Soup from Volume 2 of Crocktober Menu Plans, Salad

If you're interested in easily planning menu plans, I definitely recommend checking out Eat at Home Menu Plans ~ I love them and love having menu planning and grocery shopping done so easily for me!

Do you have anything yummy on your menu plan this week? I’d love to hear what you’re having, and if you have any great recipe ideas please leave a comment to share!

Check out my recipes to try board on Pinterest, and see more penny-pinched recipe ideas. And, be sure to download my free Slow Cooker Cookbook, Grocery List and Menu Plan if you're looking for more menu plans. planning ideas! And check out OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday list for oodles more menu planning ideas.

Menu Plan Monday: Week Of 1/8/18

January 8, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 1/8/18

It's the new year, which means I'm determined to start the year off right by pulling together my menu plans for the week!

I printed out all of my Eat at Home Meal Plans last week for January, and since we're eating from the pantry right now I mixed and matched to pull together a list using what we have on hand.

Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday – Chicken Tortilla Soup leftover from Friday (it's just me and our girls tonight for dinner, so I'm keeping it simple and using what we have already!)
Tuesday – Grilled Chicken Salad/Chicken Quesadillas for kids
Wednesday – Sloppy Joes, salads, veggies
Thursday – Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
Friday – Honey Mustard Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner, rolls, salads, veggies

If you're interested in easily planning menu plans, I definitely recommend checking out Eat at Home Menu Plans while my friend Tiffany is offering a special sale on these. Here's how to get the best price:

Start HERE

Choose your menu plan (monthly, quarterly, or annual options ~ remember you get her whole foods traditional menus, slow cooker menus, no sugar no flour menus AND traditional menus all for the same price ~ and the slow cooker meals even include a freezer week ~ I LOVE THAT!)
Use the code JANUARY at checkout
Pay as little as $1.13 per week for OODLES of delicious menu planning ideas ~ so worth it!)

(I also chatted about menu planning on Facebook this morning in case you missed it….)

If you missed my FB live, you can watch it here.

Do you have anything yummy on your menu plan this week? I’d love to hear what you’re having, and if you have any great recipe ideas please leave a comment to share!

Crock-tober Day 19 & 20 (+ Settling Into The Season…)

November 3, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here you go!

Get your brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook in print from Amazon~ go HERE to snag yours. If you'd prefer the free PDF (that's fine too!) go HERE to print yours.

WHEW.

I have LOVED Crock-tober this year soooo very much, but I'm just about ready for Mrs. Potts to soak in a well-deserved bubble bath, and enjoy a cozy bit of respite for just a few days.

I might just hop in that bubble bath too. 🙂

While Crock-tober has been such a great way to get dinner on the table (you know I really do these challenges to inspire myself, not you . . . ), I'm ready to slow down a bit, give myself some much needed grace, and settle right into the season too.

Yesterday I was at Bible Study and a very wise lady requested prayers for herself to simply enjoy the season.

Now as y'all know, Christmas is a measly 52 days away, meaning we only have a few fleeting days to soak it all in.

And I realized as she mentioned that, that at our very best we might be lucky enough to enjoy 100 Christmas seasons in our whole entire life.

And since 41 of mine are already gone, I don't want to miss a single moment of a single one.

So I'm determined to start.

Today while I worked for several hours on PPP, I also took 30 minutes off to wipe down my kitchen.

To catch up on some laundry.

To light a candle, turn on some Christmas music, and shuffle away nearly 82 pairs of well-worn tennis shoes.

I love (seriously . . . love, love, love, love, love) my work here on PPP, but it's so easy to get caught up in the Christmas crazies and look back in January realizing I never settled in even a wee bit.

So today I'm appreciating my wise friend's suggestion to settle down and soak it all in,

and sure hope you'll join me as we soak it all up (deals and everything!) too.

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.If you'd like to see what we made yesterday and today, here goes . . .

I whipped up some Pumpkin Quick Bread (my kids were thrilled)

and had a pot full of chicken tortilla soup today.

Yesterday we had the pork cacciatore,

And Mrs. Potts is all finished up til next year.

(okay, until next week when I need her again. But she's getting the weekend off for sure!)

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Get your brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook in print from Amazon~ go HERE to snag yours. If you'd prefer the free PDF (that's fine too!) go HERE to print yours.

I'm so glad I got to spend this month with you, and hope you've been inspired to get dinner done too.

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Crock-tober Day 18 – Slow Cooker Roast

November 1, 2017 by Laurie 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Slow Cooker Roast

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here you go!

Get your brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook in print from Amazon~ go HERE to snag yours. If you'd prefer the free PDF (that's fine too!) go HERE to print yours.

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.

My little family is gonna be so happy at dinner tonight!

I made Homemade Slow Cooker Mac n' Cheese (so. so. good.)

and one of our favorite roast recipes too.

Success. 😉

Last night the pesto pasta chicken was a huge success, and we're loving having dinner done this month (we're already naming November No-Eat-November because heaven knows I can't keep up all this awesomeness forever!)

If you struggle with getting dinner done, this may be the perfect day to start up Crock-tober and get ahead of me.

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

Here's what we're cooking this week:

Monday – Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Roast
Thursday – Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore
Friday – Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Here's how our schedule *should* look each day: 🙂

9 AM Eastern Time Facebook Live Video showing how to make the recipe each morning (during the video you can tap the ‘follow' button and you'll get updates each time PPP goes live)
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video as well as links to recipes
6 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick updated pick over on FB with how the recipe went
7:30 PM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to email subscribers with all the info as well as today's top deals

And just in case you're interested, THE REAL COOKBOOK IS HERE TOO. (WOOHOO!) Go HERE if you'd like to order one from Amazon ~ Amazon dropped the price by 10% today, so this is the perfect time to snag yours!

I'm so glad to spend this month with you!

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

Crock-tober Day 1 – Slow Cooker Honey Chicken
Crock-tober Day 2 – Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Crock-tober Day 3 – Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Crock-tober Day 4 – Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
Crock-tober Day 5 – Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Crock-tober Day 6 – Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Crock-tober Day 7 – Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Crock-tober Day 8 – Slow Cooker Open Faced Sirloin Sandwiches
Crock-tober Day 9 – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup
Crock-tober Day 10 – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Crock-tober Day 11 – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Crock-tober Day 12 – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Crock-tober Day 13 – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Crock-tober Day 14 & 15 – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas & Slow Cooker Meatloaf
Crock-tober Day 16 – Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew
Crock-tober Day 17 – Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken
Crock-tober Day 18 – Slow Cooker Roast
Crock-tober Day 19 – Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore
Crock-tober Day 20 – Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Crock-tober Day 17 – Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken

October 31, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here you go!

Get your brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook in print from Amazon~ go HERE to snag yours. If you'd prefer the free PDF (that's fine too!) go HERE to print yours.

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.

Do you have kiddos at home that are just so excited about Halloween today?

My youngest can't even wait (clearly!), so even though it's freezing here in Ohio today we're gearing up for some trick-or-treating tonight.

Thankfully dinner is made (I seriously do just love Crocktober), and we even have these simple Jack-O-Lantern Quesadillas all ready to snack on today too.

It took about 1 minute to pop everything in Mrs. Potts for the Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken,

And we'll have Apple Butterscotch Brownies for dessert too.

Because you know. There won't be enough sugar around our house tonight. 🙂

If you struggle with getting dinner done, this may be the perfect day to start up Crock-tober and get ahead of me.

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

Here's what we're cooking this week:

Monday – Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Roast
Thursday – Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore
Friday – Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Here's how our schedule *should* look each day: 🙂

9 AM Eastern Time Facebook Live Video showing how to make the recipe each morning (during the video you can tap the ‘follow' button and you'll get updates each time PPP goes live)
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video as well as links to recipes
6 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick updated pick over on FB with how the recipe went
7:30 PM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to email subscribers with all the info as well as today's top deals

And just in case you're interested, THE REAL COOKBOOK IS HERE TOO. (WOOHOO!) Go HERE if you'd like to order one from Amazon ~ Amazon dropped the price by 10% today, so this is the perfect time to snag yours!

I'm so glad to spend this month with you!

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

Crock-tober Day 1 – Slow Cooker Honey Chicken
Crock-tober Day 2 – Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Crock-tober Day 3 – Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Crock-tober Day 4 – Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
Crock-tober Day 5 – Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Crock-tober Day 6 – Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Crock-tober Day 7 – Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Crock-tober Day 8 – Slow Cooker Open Faced Sirloin Sandwiches
Crock-tober Day 9 – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup
Crock-tober Day 10 – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Crock-tober Day 11 – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Crock-tober Day 12 – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Crock-tober Day 13 – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Crock-tober Day 14 & 15 – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas & Slow Cooker Meatloaf
Crock-tober Day 16 – Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew
Crock-tober Day 17 – Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken
Crock-tober Day 18 – Slow Cooker Roast
Crock-tober Day 19 – Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore
Crock-tober Day 20 – Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Crock-tober Day 16 – Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew

October 30, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here you go!

Get your brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook in print from Amazon~ go HERE to snag yours. If you'd prefer the free PDF (that's fine too!) go HERE to print yours.

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.

I'm just a wee bit excited to have dinner done today. 🙂

I was in Dallas last week at a conference, and while it's always so fun to connect with other folks who love this crazy blogging business as much as I do, there truly is no place like home.

So today I dumped everything in Mrs. Potts . . .

tried out some homemade rolls from homemade dough (they're not quite perfect because my dough was just in a funk, but I think they'll do . . . )

and am hoping to hop off the computer shortly so that I can surprise my bunch with these Apple Butterscotch Brownies too.

I'll add a side salad and dinner is done.

Whew.

If you struggle with getting dinner done, this may be the perfect day to start up Crock-tober and get ahead of me.

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

Here's what we're cooking this week:

Monday – Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Roast
Thursday – Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore
Friday – Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Here's how our schedule *should* look each day: 🙂

9 AM Eastern Time Facebook Live Video showing how to make the recipe each morning (during the video you can tap the ‘follow' button and you'll get updates each time PPP goes live)
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video as well as links to recipes
6 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick updated pick over on FB with how the recipe went
7:30 PM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to email subscribers with all the info as well as today's top deals

And just in case you're interested, THE REAL COOKBOOK IS HERE TOO. (WOOHOO!) Go HERE if you'd like to order one from Amazon ~ Amazon dropped the price by 10% today, so this is the perfect time to snag yours!

I'm so glad to spend this month with you!

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

Crock-tober Day 1 – Slow Cooker Honey Chicken
Crock-tober Day 2 – Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Crock-tober Day 3 – Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Crock-tober Day 4 – Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
Crock-tober Day 5 – Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Crock-tober Day 6 – Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Crock-tober Day 7 – Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Crock-tober Day 8 – Slow Cooker Open Faced Sirloin Sandwiches
Crock-tober Day 9 – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup
Crock-tober Day 10 – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Crock-tober Day 11 – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Crock-tober Day 12 – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Crock-tober Day 13 – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Crock-tober Day 14 & 15 – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas & Slow Cooker Meatloaf
Crock-tober Day 16 – Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew
Crock-tober Day 17 – Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken
Crock-tober Day 18 – Slow Cooker Roast
Crock-tober Day 19 – Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore
Crock-tober Day 20 – Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Crock-tober Day 14 & 15 (+ Why I’m Not Cooking At All This Week!)

October 23, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Slow Cooker Meatloaf

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here you go!

EEK! Amazon just dropped the price to it's lowest price on our brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook ~ go HERE to snag yours.

good.

gravy.

I cooked an awful lot last week.

I made meatloaf on Friday . . .

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.

Bagged up slow cooker enchiladas for a freezer meal on Thursday . . .

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.picked up 80 pounds of Zaycon chicken . . .

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.Then unboxed that chicken, slow cooked some, froze some, marinated some, and delivered sixty of those pounds to friends who wanted to snag a deal on chicken too. 🙂

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.

W.H.E.W.

And, as luck would have it (my luck any way!), I had a conference scheduled right smack-dab-in-the-middle-of-Crock-tober, so I'm in Dallas taking a bit of a Crock-pot-break for a few days this week.

And not gonna lie. I'm just a wee bit tickled about that one. 🙂

My family may eat a few meatloaf leftovers,

And can pop these enchiladas in Mrs. Potts all by themselves. 🙂

I'll be back to Crock-tober'ing next Monday (October 30th) for our last five days, but in the mean time I'm enjoying a few days off.

I was able to sightsee with my hubby here in Dallas for 48 hours before he headed back home to manage our bunch, and goodness, am just so thankful for this incredibly fun little life we get to live each day. 🙂

We've seen the Texas State Fair, visited the Pumpkin Walk at the Dallas Arborteum, eaten some amazing food, and walked over 60,000 steps since Saturday AM. Not too shabby!

If you struggle with getting dinner done, this may be the perfect day to start up Crock-tober and get ahead of me.

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

Here's where we'll start NEXT Monday, October 30th:

Monday – Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Roast
Thursday – Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore
Friday – Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Here's how our schedule *should* look each day: 🙂

9 AM Eastern Time Facebook Live Video showing how to make the recipe each morning (during the video you can tap the ‘follow' button and you'll get updates each time PPP goes live)
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video as well as links to recipes
6 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick updated pick over on FB with how the recipe went
7:30 PM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to email subscribers with all the info as well as today's top deals

And just in case you're interested, THE REAL COOKBOOK IS HERE TOO. (WOOHOO!) Go HERE if you'd like to order one from Amazon ~ Amazon dropped the price by 10% today, so this is the perfect time to snag yours!

I'm so glad to spend this month with you!

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Crock-tober Day 13 – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes + My Most Important List

October 18, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here you go!

EEK! Amazon just dropped the price to it's lowest price on our brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook ~ go HERE to snag yours!

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.

Can I just tell you how thankful I am for this very special day?

It's so very special, because it's a day I get to be home all day.

No appointments.

No kid pick-ups. (That never happens in our home.)

No business calls.

Just a day to be at home.

Now, I do have to work (I typically work at least 8 hours a day on blog work here on PPP), but to get to do that without all the extra fluff around here just makes life a little simpler to take.

So today, as I shared on Facebook Live, I decided I wanted to do 30 minutes of something just for me.

(I even wore my all time favorite let's-stay-home-all-day outfit.) 🙂

I've been listening to Emily Freeman's Podcast The Next Right Thing (I HIGHLY recommend this one if you have just a few minutes each week!), and in episode 3 she recommended making a “most important list.”

I stopped typing away at emails and plans over here on PPP for 20 minutes, and came up with my very most important list.

Here goes. 🙂

(Note ~ she also includes pulling together your Life Draining List – I did write those as well but figured it was probably better not to share them here publicly!) 🙂

My Very Most Important Live Giving List (2017 to date)

Personal

exercise (I exercise every morning during the week at 5:30 AM. Our gym has just started offering Body Pump and Body Combat which I love after taking those classes in Alabama, so I do those twice a week, spin class once a week, and run on the treadmill or do weight training the other two days)
eating well (I am LOVING my daily strawberry spinach salad for lunch! I've tweaked my eating habits a bit in 2017 and am pleased with the results I'm seeing right now ~ will share more on that one in January if I feel confident in the plan I'm doing now)
new podcasts to listen to – Amy Porterfield, Chalene Johnson, Donald Miller, Emily Freeman
Joseph – The Journey to Forgiveness Bible Study
fluffing up our home (specifically, getting an old print of James's parents re-matted – that picture gives me joy every time I walk by!)

Relational

trip out west with family in June
lunch or dinner dates with James (these don't come often enough!) 🙁
mornings with Reagan home (she's home almost two hours after her older brother and sister leave for school, and while we don't do much in the mornings I love having her around and know I'll miss her when she starts middle school next year earlier in the day!)
watching my daughter Caroline's confidence grow
fluffing up Jackson's bedroom and spending a little extra time with him this last year before he heads to college
beach trip with Shannon and Cheryl to plan the fall (both have worked on PPP now for several years – I have an amazing team and the 3 of us were lucky enough to sneak away with kids for a few days)
visits with extended family and phone calls with my sister-in-laws (I'm so glad they put up with me!)
making meals for people (I don't do this very often at all, but when I do it's more a gift to me than it is to the one I'm giving the meal to)
shopping day with my friend Brandy and a lunch date with my friend Angie (I VERY rarely have time without kids that I'm not working, so having a day “off” on the weekend to enjoy with a friend is an incredible gift to myself!)
phone calls with my friend Misty
text messages with my friends Lana and Sarah
Bible study at my friend Jen's home
Easter family get together here at our house (this was our family's last big event before my father-in-law passed away in the Spring – such a special gift to each of us! You can see the sweetest picture of him with my son and hubby over HERE – he's been one of the biggest blessings in our lives and I'm so incredibly thankful God was gracious enough to let me be a part of this family.)

Actionable

working on our back yard this summer, (and our side yard, and our front yard . . . )
menu plans with Tiffany from Eat at Home
Mastermind group (this is a group of bloggers that I'm friends with gets together once a year and I love brainstorming ideas with them)
coffee with my friend Lynette to talk shop 🙂
text messages with my friend Mara (she's just moved to Israel and I miss her terribly!)
having freezer meals done thanks to our Supper's Set for Summer Challenge in May (I LOVED THAT THIS SUMMER. Seriously.)
Crock-tober
pulling together an amazing team of women together to help me keep up with PPP (I'm pretty sure I could work here every day 24 hours a day and never catch up, so I'm incredibly thankful for each of them and the way they've been willing to grow their responsibilities!)
seeing PPP's email list grow (this has been the most powerful thing I've done in the 8 years I've been typing away over here, and I'm so thankful to see some traction in this area! If you'd like to join our email list I'll keep you up to date with ALL the best deals, every single day + email you a PDF copy of our free Crocktober cookbook list and menu plan too, perfect as we get ready for the Christmas shopping season to know all the best deals, every single day!)

WHEW.

So, there's my most important list.

Maybe consider taking a few minutes today to make a most important list for yourself today too?

Oh. and by the way, I've got stuffed barbecue chicken potatoes in 2 crockpots on my counters right now.

And last night we had some seriously amazing vegetable tortellini soup too.

If you struggle with getting dinner done, take control of this small part of your home so that you can gift yourself with your most important list today too.

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

Here's what's on the menu for this week:

Monday – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Thursday – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
Friday – Slow Cooker Meatloaf

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Here's how our schedule *should* look each day: 🙂

9 AM Eastern Time Facebook Live Video showing how to make the recipe each morning (during the video you can tap the ‘follow' button and you'll get updates each time PPP goes live)
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video as well as links to recipes
6 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick updated pick over on FB with how the recipe went
7:30 PM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to email subscribers with all the info as well as today's top deals

And just in case you're interested, THE REAL COOKBOOK IS HERE TOO. (WOOHOO!) Go HERE if you'd like to order one from Amazon ~ Amazon dropped the price by 10% today, so this is the perfect time to snag yours!

I can't wait to spend this month with you ~ we're going to have a fantastic time feeding our family well all month long!

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

Crock-tober Day 1 – Slow Cooker Honey Chicken
Crock-tober Day 2 – Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Crock-tober Day 3 – Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Crock-tober Day 4 – Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
Crock-tober Day 5 – Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Crock-tober Day 6 – Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Crock-tober Day 7 – Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Crock-tober Day 8 – Slow Cooker Open Faced Sirloin Sandwiches
Crock-tober Day 9 – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup
Crock-tober Day 10 – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Crock-tober Day 11 – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Crock-tober Day 12 – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Crock-tober Day 13 – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Crock-tober Day 14 – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
Crock-tober Day 15 – Slow Cooker Meatloaf

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Crock-tober Day 12 – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup

October 17, 2017 by Laurie 2 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here you go!

EEK! Amazon just dropped the price to it's lowest price on our brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook ~ go HERE to snag yours!

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.

I'm so glad to have dinner done today!

I popped this slow cooker tortellini soup in Mrs. Potts this morning . . .

and added a loaf of bread in my bread machine (find a similar one HERE). I'll add a side salad along with some leftover Southern Living Chunky Apple Cake we had after hosting some Young Life college kids last night . . .

and one more meal is in the books at our house. 🙂

If you struggle with getting dinner done, I promise, these Crock-tober will change the way you do dinner in your home!

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

Here's what's on the menu for this week:

Monday – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Thursday – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
Friday – Slow Cooker Meatloaf

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Here's how our schedule *should* look each day: 🙂

9 AM Eastern Time Facebook Live Video showing how to make the recipe each morning (during the video you can tap the ‘follow' button and you'll get updates each time PPP goes live)
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video as well as links to recipes
6 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick updated pick over on FB with how the recipe went
7:30 PM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to email subscribers with all the info as well as today's top deals

And just in case you're interested, THE REAL COOKBOOK IS HERE TOO. (WOOHOO!) Go HERE if you'd like to order one from Amazon ~ Amazon dropped the price by 10% today, so this is the perfect time to snag yours!

I can't wait to spend this month with you ~ we're going to have a fantastic time feeding our family well all month long!

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

Crock-tober Day 1 – Slow Cooker Honey Chicken
Crock-tober Day 2 – Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Crock-tober Day 3 – Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Crock-tober Day 4 – Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
Crock-tober Day 5 – Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Crock-tober Day 6 – Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Crock-tober Day 7 – Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Crock-tober Day 8 – Slow Cooker Open Faced Sirloin Sandwiches
Crock-tober Day 9 – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup
Crock-tober Day 10 – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Crock-tober Day 11 – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Crock-tober Day 12 – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Crock-tober Day 13 – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Crock-tober Day 14 – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
Crock-tober Day 15 – Slow Cooker Meatloaf

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Crock-tober Day 11 – Slow Cooker Carmen’s Chicken and Gravy

October 16, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here you go!

EEK! Amazon just dropped the price to it's lowest price on our brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook ~ go HERE to snag yours!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.Day 11 of Crock-tober is done!

Tonight's Crock-t0ber meal was Carmen's Chicken and Gravy (Carmen is a rockstar in our Dinner's Done Facebook Group and always posts the yummiest recipes!), and when we tried this one out a few weeks ago it was definitely one of our favorites.

I debated how to make it though, because we're having some college kids who serve in our local Young Life Ministry over to eat, and in all reality (although making this Crock-tober meal would have been so yummy for them), I'd already decided to give myself a little grace and order barbecue. 🙂

(Making mashed potatoes for 20 just wasn't in my what-I-really-am-up-for-right-now-today list!)

Then it dawned on me that I'll be out of town at a conference next week, and I could totally turn this meal into an easy freezer meal for my bunch while I'm away.

I dumped the ingredients to cook all day in one bag, added corn starch in another (because I'm not quite sure my family will know where to find corn starch without me), and included everything along with the instructions for the recipe in a larger bag in the freezer.

It took hardly any time at all, and I'm thrilled that I'll have a meal ready for them to enjoy while I'm away!

I also made up bags of chocolate chip cookies with Dollar Tree ribbon to send home tonight with the kids who come. (I'm so thankful for Young Life's Ministry and the kids that have poured into my older kids, that this was the least I can do!)

If you struggle with getting dinner done, I promise, these Crock-tober will change the way you do dinner in your home!

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

Here's what's on the menu for this week:

Monday – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Thursday – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
Friday – Slow Cooker Meatloaf

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Here's how our schedule *should* look each day: 🙂

9 AM Eastern Time Facebook Live Video showing how to make the recipe each morning (during the video you can tap the ‘follow' button and you'll get updates each time PPP goes live)
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video as well as links to recipes
6 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick updated pick over on FB with how the recipe went
7:30 PM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to email subscribers with all the info as well as today's top deals

And just in case you're interested, THE REAL COOKBOOK IS HERE TOO. (WOOHOO!) Go HERE if you'd like to order one from Amazon ~ Amazon dropped the price by 10% today, so this is the perfect time to snag yours!

I can't wait to spend this month with you ~ we're going to have a fantastic time feeding our family well all month long!

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

Crock-tober Day 1 – Slow Cooker Honey Chicken
Crock-tober Day 2 – Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Crock-tober Day 3 – Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Crock-tober Day 4 – Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
Crock-tober Day 5 – Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Crock-tober Day 6 – Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Crock-tober Day 7 – Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Crock-tober Day 8 – Slow Cooker Open Faced Sirloin Sandwiches
Crock-tober Day 9 – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup
Crock-tober Day 10 – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Crock-tober Day 11 – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Crock-tober Day 12 – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Crock-tober Day 13 – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Crock-tober Day 14 – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
Crock-tober Day 15 – Slow Cooker Meatloaf

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Crock-tober Day 10 – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

October 13, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Here you go!

EEK! Amazon just dropped the price to it's lowest price on our brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook ~ go HERE to snag yours!

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.

One more week of Crocktober is in the books ~ success!

After having a puny kiddo home from school yesterday my girl is on the mend (as evidenced in today's video above ~ eek . . .) and we spent the morning together making homemade cinnamon rolls to serve along breakfast casserole & fresh fruit for dinner tonight.

I used my regular almost homemade cinnamon rolls recipe, except instead of using store bought frozen bread dough I made a batch of our favorite bread machine bread dough and used that as the dough. It was so simple to make that I'll probably do that from now on!

The recipe is so simple (just think lasagna layering when planning the egg casserole), and dinner is done.

Last night we had the pasta fagioli soup and it was amazing, served with homemade garlic knots which were pretty perfect too!

If you struggle with getting dinner done, I promise, Crocktober might just change your life.

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

Here's what's on the menu for next week:

Monday – Slow Cooker Carmen's Chicken & Gravy
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Thursday – Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
Friday – Slow Cooker Meatloaf

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Here's how our schedule *should* look each day: 🙂

9 AM Eastern Time Facebook Live Video showing how to make the recipe each morning (during the video you can tap the ‘follow' button and you'll get updates each time PPP goes live)
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video as well as links to recipes
6 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick updated pick over on FB with how the recipe went
7:30 PM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to email subscribers with all the info as well as today's top deals

And just in case you're interested, THE REAL COOKBOOK IS HERE TOO. (WOOHOO!) Go HERE if you'd like to order one from Amazon ~ Amazon dropped the price by 10% today, so this is the perfect time to snag yours!

I can't wait to spend this month with you ~ we're going to have a fantastic time feeding our family well all month long!

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Crock-tober Day 9 – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup

October 12, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

EEK! Amazon just dropped the price to it's lowest price on our brand-spankin' new Crocktober Cookbook ~ go HERE to snag yours!

If you missed my FB Live video this morning you can watch it HERE.

Y'all, I'm not gonna lie, so far today has been a terrible-no-good-very-bad-day. 🙁

But things are looking up (and at least dinner is done!)

The last few days I've had issues with my iPhone (which is what I use to record FB live), and sure enough this morning it wasn't working at all (the sound is completely awful, and I just bought a new iPhone 6 months ago!)

I'd driven all around town last night trying to get it fixed by picking up a new microphone (that didn't work), giving it a software update (didn't work either), and finally decided this morning to just use my iPad to video. (Which would be fine, except that I don't have a way to hold it. EEK!)

After an hour of fooling with that mess I finally made dinner on FB live (and it worked fine ~ whew!) then hauled my sweet ten year old to the doctor because she's just felt puny for about a week.

I was frustrated with the phone, frustrated with all I had to do, and frustrated with myself for being frustrated about all of it. (Because really, I KNOW this is stuff is small stuff, but it feels like big stuff some days!)

As I was at the doctor's with this girl, they thought she probably just had a weird stomach bug (her stomach's been bothering her and she's just acted weird for her.) But, they suggested we go ahead and get a flu shot (so figuring I'd at least get that checked off the list) we went ahead and did that.

When checking out she asked if she could go to the car (which I could see from inside the office), and said she felt a bit dizzy. I didn't think anything at all, and she went on her way.

About a minute later I heard a loud crash, turned to see what it was and realized Reagan had completely passed out just outside the doctor's office.

I have never in all my life been so scared.

She came around in just a few seconds, but needless to say, this momma's heart realized all the other small stuff really didn't matter.

Apparently she was just a little dehydrated and got anxious after the shot (she's always gotten a little nauseous after shots), and after a trip to the Chick Fil A drive thru seems to be a bit on the mend.

Bless her.

So tonight at least we have dinner done.

There are some gorgeous looking breadsticks sitting over by our oven ready to bake tonight, but I'm cozy on the couch with my girl and not even going to move over there to take a picture to show you. (You'll have to take my word for it.)

Last night we had the slow cooker open faced sirloin sandwiches for dinner, and they were fantastic too.

If your days some days look like mine and you feel like you can't manage one more thing, Crock-tober might be just for you too.

If you haven't gotten it already, download your free Crock-tober Cookbook, print it out, and get your groceries (I use Kroger Clicklist to order my groceries – it's a grocery game changer!)

Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday – Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Open Faced Sirloin Sandwiches
Thursday – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup
Friday – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

To join the Crock-tober Challenge this month, click HERE to get your free menu plan, grocery list and cookbook.

Here's how our schedule *should* look each day: 🙂

9 AM Eastern Time Facebook Live Video showing how to make the recipe each morning (during the video you can tap the ‘follow' button and you'll get updates each time PPP goes live)
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video as well as links to recipes
6 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick updated pick over on FB with how the recipe went
7:30 PM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to email subscribers with all the info as well as today's top deals

And just in case you're interested, THE REAL COOKBOOK IS HERE TOO. (WOOHOO!) Go HERE if you'd like to order one from Amazon ~ Amazon dropped the price by 10% today, so this is the perfect time to snag yours!

I can't wait to spend this month with you ~ we're going to have a fantastic time feeding our family well all month long!

CROCK-TOBER 2017:

Crock-tober Day 1 – Slow Cooker Honey Chicken
Crock-tober Day 2 – Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Crock-tober Day 3 – Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Crock-tober Day 4 – Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
Crock-tober Day 5 – Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Crock-tober Day 6 – Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Crock-tober Day 7 – Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Crock-tober Day 8 – Slow Cooker Open Faced Sirloin Sandwiches
Crock-tober Day 9 – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup
Crock-tober Day 10 – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Apr 16, 2019

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix (Pantry Staple!)

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Bunny Buns Easter Cheese Ball Recipe (SO CUTE!)

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Homemade Italian Dressing Mix (Pantry Staple!)

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Resurrection Rolls Easter Recipe

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Homemade Taco Seasoning

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Frozen Bread Dough Garlic Twists

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Guacamole Deviled Eggs Recipe ~Top Chef Style!

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Countertop Cooking Challenge Day 6: New Video + Eat at Home Sale ENDS TONIGHT!

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Eat At Home Challenge Day 5: YUMMIEST Sandwiches + New Video + Tupperware Cleanout!

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Eat at Home Freezer Cooking Challenge Update: 8 Meals In Under 1 Hour?

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Countertop Cooking Challenge Day 3: New Video + Freezer Challenge Is Tonight!

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Countertop Cooking Challenge Day 2: New Video + Challenge Update

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Countertop Cooking Challenge Day 1: New Video + This Cake!

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Not Quite Homemade Heart Shaped Cinnamon Rolls

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Valentine White Trash Candy

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Menu Plan Monday: Week Of 9/24/18

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Easy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes – No Foil Needed!

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25 Easy Lunchbox Ideas (to help get you out of your rut!)

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EASY Air Fryer Donuts from Biscuit Dough! (4 Kinds)

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Menu Plan Monday: Week of 5/7/18

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Menu Plan Monday: Week of 4/30/18

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Mar 27, 2018

Crockpot Ham Tip – When Your Ham is TOO Big for Your Slow Cooker!

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Feb 20, 2018

Scandalous Grace Cake

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How to Cook Bacon in the Oven (AWESOME Time Saver!)

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Menu Plan Monday 1/15/18

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Menu Plan Monday: Week Of 1/8/18

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Crock-tober Day 19 & 20 (+ Settling Into The Season…)

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Crock-tober Day 18 – Slow Cooker Roast

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Crock-tober Day 17 – Slow Cooker Pesto & Ranch Chicken

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Crock-tober Day 16 – Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew

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Crock-tober Day 14 & 15 (+ Why I’m Not Cooking At All This Week!)

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Crock-tober Day 13 – Slow Cooker Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes + My Most Important List

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Crock-tober Day 12 – Slow Cooker Vegetable Tortellini Soup

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Crock-tober Day 11 – Slow Cooker Carmen’s Chicken and Gravy

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Crock-tober Day 10 – Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

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Crock-tober Day 9 – Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup

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