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4th of July Dessert

July 4, 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.

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

4th of July Dessert

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz frozen whipped topping (divided)
1 1/2 cups cold milk
5.1 oz package instant vanilla pudding
3 cups strawberries halved
1/2 cup blueberries

Directions

Mix melted margarine, sugar and graham crackers
Press into 9×13 pan
Mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar.
Add in half of whipped topping, then spread over crust
In separate bowl, mix milk and pudding mix for two minutes with whisk
Let pudding set for 2 minutes until set
Spread over cream cheese layer
Cover with extra whipped topping
Decorate with strawberries and blueberries to look like a flag
Refrigerate for 1 hour, serve cold

Looking for more 4th of July dessert ideas? Here are a few of my favorites!

Berry Trifle

Patriotic Oreo Pops

Patriotic S’mores

Ribbon Jello (so you’re warned: this one is so pretty, but not as easy as the rest!) 🙂

Skillet Apple Pie

Strawberry Cake

Cherry Cheese Cobbler

Strawberry Pie

Blueberry Cobbler Dump Cake

Star Patriotic Pops

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe (SO Good for Summer!)

June 14, 2018 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.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Note from Laurie: my friend Cheree makes this AMAZING Strawberry Pretzel Salad, and I can’t wait to try it myself! I’ll be honest, I’ve never quite successfully made this one (I’ve had a few flops along the way . . . ), so I can’t wait to try letting the gelatin cool completely before assembling. Excited to try it!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

This recipe is definitely a LOVE/HATE relationship. 🙂

I LOVE all it’s deliciousness, but boy, it can sure test your patience and slide you right over to the HATE side!

However, I think I have discovered the key to making a perfect (well, almost perfect)… Strawberry Pretzel Salad.

You need to let your gelatin cool before assembling. Just let it hang out on the counter while you are working.

So, there you have it.

(but don’t hold me to it if your Strawberry Pretzel Salad ends up like so many of mine have and slides right off the plate).

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

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Ingredients

2 ½ – 3 cups crushed pretzels

1/2 cup melted butter

3 Tbsps plus 1 cup sugar

1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1 (8-oz) container whipped topping, thawed

1 (6-oz) pkg strawberry gelatin

2 cups boiling water

1 lb pkg fresh strawberries, sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the crust, mix pretzels, 3 Tbsps sugar and butter together. Press into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, mix gelatin and boiling water together. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping until combined. Spread over cooled crust. Refrigerate until chilled.
Add sliced strawberries to cooled gelatin and stir to combine. Pour over cream cheese mixture.
Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set. I usually make mine the night before I will be serving it.
Cut into slices to serve.

You will impress your friends and family with this Strawberry Pretzel Salad – I promise this one is always a favorite . . . yum!

My kids request Strawberry Pretzel Salad for every special occasion or holiday, so I’m happy to say…

at least right at THIS moment…

I LOVE it. 🙂

Looking for more strawberry inspiration?

3 Easy Camping Meal Ideas (That Kids Will Love!)

June 10, 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.

3 Easy Camping Meal Ideas (That Kids Will Love)

The following is a guest post by our new friend Jennifer of Indiana Mommy – Cooking from the Heartland. She’s great at prepping for her family camping trips, so she can relax while still serving awesome food. I was super impressed with incorporates real food into her easy camping meal ideas (Not just hot dogs here!) I hope you enjoy this post of Easy Camping Meal Ideas!

———————————————————

Let’s Go Camping!

Preparing food for camping in advance is the best way to make sure your time camping is relaxing and enjoyable. Here are 3 fun and easy camping meal ideas to try on your next camping trip that your family will love!

1 . Pizza Cooked Over the Fire:

I don’t know too many people that don’t love pizza! This is such a fun thing to make camping and is super easy. The key to this is to prepare all your ingredients in advance so all you need to do is assemble and bake your pizza at the campsite. I used a home made pizza dough recipe but you could easily use store bought to save time.

At the campsite I just spread out my pizza dough onto a cast iron pan that was lightly oiled and put it over the fire on a grate. I cooked it for about 8 minutes on one side, then flipped it over and cooked the other side for about 5 minutes. You are looking for a golden brown color.

Next, pull the pan from the fire and build your pizza starting with the sauce and then adding your favorite toppings and cheese. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it back over the fire, using indirect heat, and let it bake for 10-15 minutes. Pull off the cover and let it cool for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy! So easy and so delicious!

I even tried a dessert pizza topped with a mascarpone cheese and honey “sauce” with fresh strawberries. It was seriously good. There are so many possibilities!

2 . Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs:

Making foil packs is a popular way to cook dinner while camping. There are no dishes to wash and they can be completely assembled in advance, then cooked over the fire on a grate or even on the grill at the campsite.

To make these just start with a large square of heavy duty aluminum foil and start layering your ingredients. A splash of olive oil first, then sliced onions and bell peppers, then thinly sliced sirloin steak (you could use flank or skirt steak also), some finely chopped fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, a little more oil then a few dabs of butter and fold up the foil to make a sealed pocket with the opening at the top.

I double wrapped mine in aluminum foil to make sure they didn’t leak. Then I cooked them for 20 minutes over the fire on a grate. After the 20 minutes I opened them up and put a layer of yummy cheese on top and put them back on the fire, leaving the top open so the cheese would melt.

I brought along some bread to serve them on and each person was able to assemble their own sandwich. This was amazing! The peppers and onion were cooked perfectly and the steak was so tender and flavorful. Then with ooey gooey cheese on top! You have to give this a try!

3 . Turkey Chili Stuffed Hand Pies:

Having chili while camping is almost as popular as smores! I thought it would be fun to make chili, but in a hand held pie! A flaky, buttery, cheesy pastry crust filled with flavorful and healthy chili.

You just completely make and bake these before camping and then just re-heat on some aluminum foil on a grate over the fire for about 15-20 minutes and they are done! They are kid friendly and are so fun to eat!

I’ve included the recipe to make these from scratch, but to save time you could use store bought pie dough and even store bought chili.

Turkey Chili Stuffed Hand Pies: Recipe by Indiana Mommy – Cooking From the Heart Land
Yield 16 pies

Turkey Chili

1 pound ground turkey
½ large (about 1 cup) sweet onion finely diced
½ cup finely diced red, yellow or orange bell pepper
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with the juice
1 14.5 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup finely shredded cheddar jack cheese

Directions:

Heat some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the diced bell peppers and cook for five minutes. Next, add the ground turkey and be sure to break it apart as it’s cooking. Cook the turkey until it is completely cooked through. Add the fresh garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the finely chopped spinach and cook for five minutes, until wilted. Now add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix together all the dried spices, then pour them all in, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Now add the diced tomatoes with juice and stir and break apart the tomatoes so they are a finer consistency and create a juice. Cook the chili until all the liquid is evaporated over low heat. At the end add the kidney beans and stir to combine. Allow this mixture to cool completely and then add ¾ cup of finely shredded cheddar jack cheese. Put your chili in the refrigerator while preparing the dough.

Pie Dough

3 cups all purpose flour
1 egg beaten
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup finely shredded cheddar jack cheese
3 sticks butter cut into smaller pieces
About 5 tablespoons ice water
Egg wash: 1 egg mixed with a little water, milk or cream

Put flour, salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the metal blade. Mix. Add the egg and pulse a few times until the egg is incorporated. Add butter and cheese and pulse until the butter in the size of peas and well mixed into the flour mixture. While the processor is running, slowly add the ice water in tablespoon increments until a dough pulls together in the food processor. The amount of water will depend on the type of flour you use, the humidity in your kitchen, so just a little at a time until it pulls together into a ball. Remove from the food processor onto a floured board and form into a ball. Divide that ball into 16 equal pieces and form each of those pieces into a ball. Then flatten each ball into a disc and stack the discs on top of each other separated by parchment paper. Wrap all of that in plastic wrap and put back in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll out each disc of dough on a floured surface until they are each about 5 inches in diameter. I worked with about 6 at a time and kept the rest in the refrigerator while I was working on the first batch. Take about ¼ cup of the chili and place in the middle of each dough round. Wet the edges of each dough circle with just a touch of water. I just dipped my finger in the water and ran it along the edge of each circle. Fold over one side of the circle to touch the other side, forming a semi-circle. Fold up the edges of the semi-circle and then crimp with a fork to seal them. Slice 2 small slits in the top of each pie. Brush each pie with the egg wash. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown, rotating half way through.

Allow to cool for on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Thank you so much to Passionate Penny Pincher for inviting me to submit a guest post and thank you for checking out my recipes! My name is Jennifer aka Indiana Mommy – Cooking From the Heart Land, and I’m a creative home cook who loves to create recipes that are family friendly and made from whole foods. I have step by step videos of these recipes that show you exactly how I made them.

You can find them, along with many other delicious recipes by visiting my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/IndianaMommyCookingFromtheHeartLand.

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

June 7, 2018 by Cheryl 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 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!

Simple Summer Lunch System Challenge

June 5, 2018 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.

If you’re like me and have struggled with keeping up with lunches this summer, here’s some encouragement to take a few minutes to get it together this week!

After getting home from the grocery yesterday I realized I had to throw away so much fresh fruit and even some lunchmeat because I hadn’t taken time to rinse it and prepare it so my family could easily enjoy.

Now, my family is definitely old enough to prep their own fruit, but the truth is even my sweet husband doesn’t think to hunt down food in the fridge unless I make it easy for him, so doing a little bit of food prep is well worth it to me.

I spent about 30 minutes yesterday prepping fruit . . .

Making a few sandwiches and gathering up lunch staples . . .

and pulling together easy snacks so my kids (or husband!) could easily pull together a meal on the in a hurry (meaning fewer excuses to eat out because lunch or even dinner wasn’t prepared.)

That tiny 30 minutes of effort is so worth it ~ and makes lunchtime just a wee bit easier in our home!

If you’re in out and about and need a meal definitely take advantage of our CHEAP SUMMER EATS LIST, but this is a great way to make sure you’re saving at home, all summer long.

I highly encourage you to spend about 30 minutes prepping your kitchen too ~ I promise your pocketbook will thank you!

Strawberry Pie

May 29, 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.

Strawberry Pie

My sweet husband made us a strawberry pie yesterday.

You can see how he made it (and built an arbor too this weekend . . . ) right over HERE.

It was divine.

This is the same pie recipe he made the very first time he and I ever talked on the phone.

And it’s still just as yummy as it was way back then.

(In fact, maybe even yummier today since it has 23 years of tradition piled in.) 🙂

If penny pinched strawberries are calling your name right now, here’s your opportunity to make this one too.

James’s Favorite Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

baked pie crust
4 cups strawberries, drained
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
4 tablespoons strawberry Jell-o

Directions

Bring water, sugar, and corn starch to boiling on low heat, until thickened (you’ll need to stir this constantly)
Add 4 tablespoons of Strawberry Jello, cool slightly.
Drizzle jello mixture over berries
Refrigerate until firm, slice and enjoy!

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Go HERE.

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 4

May 18, 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.

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 4

UPDATE ~JUST A FEW HOURS LEFT! USE THE CODE PPP25 to save 25% off with these menu plans at checkout! Go HERE to get yours so you’ll be all set this weekend to start cooking for summer, and remember YOU MUST SIGN UP BEFORE 11:59PM EASTERN TIME ON 5/18/18 when you sign up for the annual plan you’ll also be included in our first ever PPP Private EAH Group.

If you missed my FB live you can watch it HERE.

Good gravy.

I just finished making 24 freezer meals in four days.

Which will feed my family after leftovers for at least 36 meals.

Supper is set for the summer.

WOOHOOOO!

Here’s the reality of what my kitchen looked like this morning as I finished up (eek . . .)

But, at the end of the day those 24 meals are done.

Success.

(I even made a triple berry pie from the July 2018 freezer cooker meals for dinner tonight as well as chicken bacon ranch lettuce wraps too. My family’s going to be sooooooo stinkin’ impressed with my seriously-amazing cooking skills tonight.) 🙂

Soooo, have YOU ever considered freezer cooking before?

Honestly until last summer I’d heard about freezer cooking, but didn’t understand what all the hub bub was about.

To me it seemed like a lot of work, and I just didn’t think it would help dinner happen at our house.

Goodness, was I wrong.

After using the Eat at Home Menu Plans Freezer Meals in addition to their slow cooker meals, whole food recipes and no sugar no flour meals, ~~I’ve changed the way dinner gets done in our home.~~

Scratch that.

I’ve ensured that dinner really does get done in our house.

By having all these meals already prepared in the freezer, there’s no temptation to eat out on a busy night, because I know I can just go pull out a bag and everything I need for is (basically) right there.

We usually add a side salad, some fruit or veggies, and maybe bread, but other than that I can pretty much skip grocery shopping and menu planning all summer long.

It’s kinda like giving myself a little summer vacation from cooking.

I love that.

The best part?

If you join me BEFORE 11:59 PM EASTERN TIME ON MAY 18th and order the annual Eat at Home Menu plans, you’ll be included in our first ever Beta Test Private PPP Eat at Home Dinner’s Done group.

I know you will love this sweet bunch.

Here’s a peek at what they shared about being in the group so far . . . .

And here are just a few of the dinner’s they’ve already done this week.

I JUST LOVE THAT!

Here’s what you need to do to join us and change the way dinner happens in your home too:

START HERE

Sign up for the ANNUAL PLAN if you’d like to be included in the group (this is only because we’re just testing this out, and wanted to offer it to a smaller group the first time around! You can also sign up for the monthly or quarterly plan, but the best value for the group is definitely the annual plan.)
Use the code PPP25 at checkout to save 25% (THIS ENDS 5/17/18 at 11:59PM EASTERN TIME. NO EXCLUSIONS.)
Pay as little as $1.29 per week for weekly menu plans for the entire month including a set of slow cooker menu plans, a set of whole foods menu plan, a set of traditional menu plans, a set of no sugar no flour plans + one quick click to download all 4 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink)

SOOOO . . . . YOU’LL GET 72 RECIPES + A DESSERT EACH WEEK + GROCERY LISTS + MENU PLANS FOR A SMALL OR LARGER FAMILY + PRINTABLE FREEZER LABELS + AN EXTRA YEAR OF FREEZER MEALS ~ WAAAAAY BETTER THAN JUST A COOKBOOK!

+ DON’T FORGET THESE EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES

BONUS 1: If you sign up for the ANNUAL PLAN, you’ll have exclusive access to our beta test group PPP PRIVATE SUMMER EAT AT HOME GROUP! I’m so excited to share our freezer cooking wins and I just know you’ll find oodles of support along with some great ideas ~ it’s going to be a great summer!
BONUS 2: MAY, JUNE, JULY & AUGUST EAT AT HOME SLOW COOKER FREEZER MEAL PLANS (we’ll be using these next week to get Supper Set for the Summer!)
BONUS 3: FREE PRINTABLE LABELS to use for our freezer cooking challenge

In case you missed it, here’s a recap 0f all the freezer cooking meals we finished this week:

Monday – April 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)
Tuesday – May 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the Slow Cooker Freezer Meals section of the Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans)
Wednesday – June 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)
Thursday – July 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)

Head on over HERE to sign up if you’re not set up already, and let me know what you think ~ it’s going to be a great summer!

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 3

May 16, 2018 by Cheryl 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.

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 3

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USE THE CODE PPP25 to save 25% off with these menu plans at checkout! Go HERE to get yours so you’ll be all set this weekend to start cooking for summer, and remember THIS WEEK ONLY when you sign up for the annual plan you’ll also be included in our first ever PPP Private EAH Group.

If you missed my FB live you can watch it HERE.

I’m so stinkin’ excited to have 6 more meals done today (and I sure hope you’re keeping up too!)

I’ve spent this afternoon getting ready for graduation weekend + have my youngest’s gymnastics banquet tonight, so goodness, I’m so glad to at least know dinner is done.

(I ended up popping in the freezer cooker ravioli for the rest of my family who won’t be at the banquet tonight ~ whew!)

So what’s in my big bag?

A whopping THIRTEEN FREEZER MEALS done for the summer. (I would have 18 today, but I gave away a few, and we’ve already eaten two.) 🙂 Tomorrow I’ll make my last 6, so I’ll have 19 done this week!

Since most of these easily feed our family with oodles of leftovers, I’ll easily get 25-30 meals this summer completely finished out of these few days of work. I couldn’t be more pleased with that!

THESE ARE AMAZING FREEZER MEALS THAT EVERY DAY MOMS (and a few DADS!) LIKE ME HAVE MADE TO ROCK THEIR SUMMER THIS YEAR.

Here’s the plan for the rest of the week . . .

Monday – April 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)
Tuesday – May 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the Slow Cooker Freezer Meals section of the Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans)
Wednesday – June 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)
Thursday – July 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)

And don’t forget, right now my friend Tiffany from Eat at Home Cooks is offering PPP readers a whopping 25% off her menu plans, grocery lists and recipes with the code PPP25 at checkout (ORDER SOON!)

We’ll be using these menu plans to cook through, so you’ll want to snag yours while they’re on sale at this price!

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans
A set of traditional menu plans
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink)

EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES

BONUS 1: If you sign up for the ANNUAL PLAN, you’ll have exclusive access to our beta test group PPP PRIVATE SUMMER EAT AT HOME GROUP! I’m so excited to share our freezer cooking wins and I just know you’ll find oodles of support along with some great ideas ~ it’s going to be a great summer!
BONUS 2: MAY, JUNE, JULY & AUGUST EAT AT HOME SLOW COOKER FREEZER MEAL PLANS (we’ll be using these next week to get Supper Set for the Summer!)
BONUS 3: FREE PRINTABLE LABELS to use for our freezer cooking challenge

AND …. YOU’LL GET 72 RECIPES + A DESSERT EACH WEEK + GROCERY LISTS + MENU PLANS FOR A SMALL OR LARGER FAMILY + PRINTABLE FREEZER LABELS + AN EXTRA YEAR OF FREEZER MEALS ~ WAAAAAY BETTER THAN JUST A COOKBOOK!

ALL FOR AS LITTLE AS $1.21 PER WEEK WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR AN ANNUAL PLAN, or just $10.50 to try the menu plans out for one month PLUS you’ll get an ENTIRE SUMMER of freezer recipes AND our free printable labels!

WILL YOU JOIN ME?

I promise, if you struggle with meal planning and sticking to your grocery budget, this will change the way you shop.

Head on over HERE to sign up if you’re not set up already, and let me know what you think!

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 2 (Y’all are Rockstars!)

May 15, 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.

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 2

If you missed my FB live you can watch it HERE

Oh my word.

This makes me so happy.

Do you see all these freezer meals?

THESE ARE AMAING FREEZER MEALS THAT EVERY DAY MOMMAS LIKE ME HAVE MADE TO ROCK THEIR SUMMER THIS YEAR.

I love that. 🙂

And these are only a few of the photos from our private facebook group (when you sign up for the annual plan, you’ll have access to our beta test group PPP PRIVATE SUMMER EAT AT HOME GROUP), and I know you will love that!

Y’all are seriously freezer cooking rockstars and I’m so stinkin’ proud of you. 🙂 🙂 🙂

If you haven’t join me yet, I challenge you to join our SUPPER’S SET FOR SUMMER CHALLENGE TODAY, because I know it will change your summer too.

THESE ARE ALL MEALS THAT YOU CAN THROW IN YOUR CROCKPOT (or stove top, or oven, or grill 🙂 SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO COOK THIS SUMMER!!

And even a few you can dump in your INSTANT POT!!!

I made six more myself today, and can’t even wait to throw a few of these yummy meals in my crockpot and on the grill this summer!

Here’s the plan for the rest of the week . . .

Monday – April 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)
Tuesday – May 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the Slow Cooker Freezer Meals section of the Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans)
Wednesday – June 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)
Thursday – July 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)

We’ll be using these menu plans to cook through, so you’ll want to snag yours while they’re on sale at this price!

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans
A set of traditional menu plans
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink)

EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES

BONUS 1: If you sign up for the ANNUAL PLAN, you’ll have exclusive access to our beta test group PPP PRIVATE SUMMER EAT AT HOME GROUP! I’m so excited to share our freezer cooking wins and I just know you’ll find oodles of support along with some great ideas ~ it’s going to be a great summer!
BONUS 2: MAY, JUNE, JULY & AUGUST EAT AT HOME SLOW COOKER FREEZER MEAL PLANS (we’ll be using these next week to get Supper Set for the Summer!)
BONUS 3: FREE PRINTABLE LABELS to use for our freezer cooking challenge

WILL YOU JOIN ME?

I promise, if you struggle with meal planning and sticking to your grocery budget, this will change the way you shop.

Head on over HERE to sign up if you’re not set up already, and let me know what you think!

We’ve had several folks comment in our Private Dinner’s Done group that this using Eat at Home Cooks is saving them as much as $100 EACH WEEK ON GROCERIES ALONE, and they’re actually sticking to their menu plans and EATING AT HOME.

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 1

May 14, 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.

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 1

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DON’T FORGET TODAY IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO USE THE CODE PPP30 to save 30% off with these menu plans at checkout! Go HERE to get yours so you’ll be all set this weekend to start cooking for summer.

If you missed my FB live you can watch it HERE

I’m so excited to have 6 dinner’s done today in the first day of our freezer cooking challenge this morning!

In about 30 minutes (with some serious prep work done ahead of time . . . ) I made all 6 meals plus a dessert.

Success.

If you’re like me and get stressed in the summer time when you have to tackle menu planning, making a grocery list, and shopping when it’s just plain old hot outside and you’d rather play in the sun, this will make your life sooooo much happier. 🙂

If you haven’t join me yet, I challenge you to join our SUPPER’S SET FOR SUMMER CHALLENGE TODAY, because I know it will change your summer too.

TOFFEE BROWNIES? YES please 🙂

This is the dessert from the April Freezer Meal plans … my bunch is going to be soooooo excited about this one!!

THESE ARE ALL MEALS THAT YOU CAN THROW IN YOUR CROCKPOT (or stove top, or oven, or grill 🙂 SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO COOK THIS SUMMER!!

And even a few you can dump in your INSTANT POT!!!

Here’s the plan for the rest of the week . . .

Monday – April 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)
Tuesday – May 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the Slow Cooker Freezer Meals section of the Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans)
Wednesday – June 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)
Thursday – July 2018 Freezer Meals (found in the bonus section on Eat Home Cooks Meal Plans START HERE page)

And don’t forget, through today only my friend Tiffany from Eat at Home Cooks is offering PPP readers a whopping 30% off her menu plans, grocery lists and recipes with the code PPP30 at checkout (ORDER SOON!)

We’ll be using these menu plans to cook through, so you’ll want to snag yours while they’re on sale at this price!

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans
A set of traditional menu plans
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink)

EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES

BONUS 1: If you sign up for the ANNUAL PLAN, you’ll have exclusive access to our beta test group PPP PRIVATE SUMMER EAT AT HOME GROUP! I’m so excited to share our freezer cooking wins and I just know you’ll find oodles of support along with some great ideas ~ it’s going to be a great summer!
BONUS 2: MAY, JUNE, JULY & AUGUST EAT AT HOME SLOW COOKER FREEZER MEAL PLANS (we’ll be using these next week to get Supper Set for the Summer!)
BONUS 3: FREE PRINTABLE LABELS to use for our freezer cooking challenge

ALL FOR AS LITTLE AS $1.20 PER WEEK WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR AN ANNUAL PLAN, or just $9.80 to try the menu plans out for one month PLUS you’ll get an ENTIRE SUMMER of freezer recipes AND our free printable labels!

WILL YOU JOIN ME?

YOU’LL GET 72 RECIPES + A DESSERT EACH WEEK + GROCERY LISTS + MENU PLANS FOR A SMALL OR LARGER FAMILY + PRINTABLE FREEZER LABELS + AN EXTRA YEAR OF FREEZER MEALS ~ WAAAAAY BETTER THAN JUST A COOKBOOK!

I promise, if you struggle with meal planning and sticking to your grocery budget, this will change the way you shop.

I love that.

So, head on over HERE to sign up if you’re not set up already, and let me know what you think.

I can’t wait to start Freezer Cooking with you!

Use the code PPP30 at checkout to save 30%!!

PRICE BREAKDOWN:

$9.80 per month with the code PPP30 at checkout (ends 5/14/18 at noon EST) or $2.45 per week
$21.70 per quarter with the code PPP30 at checkout (ends 5/14/18 at noon EST) or $1.80 per week
$58.80 per year with the code PPP30 at checkout (ends 5/14/18 at noon EST) or $1.13 per week

> > > GET YOURS HERE < < <

P.S. As a PPP reader and one of my favorites, don’t forget to download the printable labels we’ll be using for our meals this week. You’ll find them on the START HERE page under the BONUSES section. A WHOLE SUMMER WORTH OF MEALS DONE IN 4 DAYS? WOOHOOO!

P.P.S. I’ll be explaining all of this in detail and answering questions about it in the mornings on Facebook Live at 9:30 AM Eastern Time. Join me over HERE!

P.P.P.S. Be sure to also join our private Dinner’s Done Facebook group for extra motivation – I know you’ll love this bunch!

P.P.P.P.S: If you’ve already signed up for Eat at Home Cooks, you’ve already joined. Look for your menus and grocery list on the START HERE page. We’ll be cooking from the April, May, June and July freezer menu plans which you can find at the START HERE page inside your Eat at Home Dashboard.

(WHEW. That’s a whole lot of P.S.s. but I don’t want you to miss a single thing!) 😉

Are You Ready for Our Freezer Cooking Challenge?

May 10, 2018 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.

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018

USE THE CODE PPP30 to save 30% off with these menu plans at checkout! Go HERE to get yours so you’ll be all set this weekend to start cooking for summer.

DO YOU GET OVERWHELMED BY COOKING IN THE SUMMERTIME?

Do you hate menu planning, making a grocery list, and shopping when it’s just plain old hot outside and you’d rather play in the sun?

ME.

TOO.

That’s why I could hardly wait to tell you about our SUPPER’S SET FOR SUMMER CHALLENGE, because I think it’s, going to change your summer.

Starting next Monday (5/14/18) and going through Thursday (5/17/18), we’ll be making TWENTY FOUR RECIPES TO STOCK YOUR FREEZER for THE SUMMER.

DINNERS THAT YOU CAN THROW IN YOUR CROCKPOT (or stove top, or oven, or grill 🙂 SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO COOK THIS SUMMER!!

And even a few you can dump in your INSTANT POT!!!

WE’LL MAKE A WHOPPING 24 MEALS IN 4 HOURS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NEXT WEEK.

WOOHOOOO!!!

THE BEST PART?

My friend Tiffany from Eat at Home Cooks is offering PPP readers a whopping 30% off her menu plans, grocery lists and recipes with the code PPP30 at checkout (ORDER SOON!)

We’ll be using these menu plans to cook through, so you’ll want to snag yours while they’re on sale at this price!

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of whole foods menu plans
A set of traditional menu plans
One quick click to download all 3 sets of menus (in color or black and white ink)

EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES

BONUS 1: If you sign up for the ANNUAL PLAN, you’ll have exclusive access to our beta test group PPP PRIVATE SUMMER EAT AT HOME GROUP! I’m so excited to share our freezer cooking wins and I just know you’ll find oodles of support along with some great ideas ~ it’s going to be a great summer!
BONUS 2: MAY, JUNE, JULY & AUGUST EAT AT HOME SLOW COOKER FREEZER MEAL PLANS (we’ll be using these next week to get Supper Set for the Summer!)
BONUS 3: FREE PRINTABLE LABELS to use for our freezer cooking challenge

ALL FOR AS LITTLE AS $1.13 PER WEEK WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR AN ANNUAL PLAN, or just $9.80 to try the menu plans out for one month PLUS you’ll get an ENTIRE SUMMER of freezer recipes AND our free printable labels!

WILL YOU JOIN ME?

I promise, if you struggle with meal planning and sticking to your grocery budget, this will change the way you shop.

I love that.

So, head on over HERE to sign up if you’re not set up already, and let me know what you think.

I can’t wait to start Freezer Cooking with you!

Use the code PPP30 at checkout to save 30%!!

PRICE BREAKDOWN:

$9.80 per month with the code PPP30 at checkout (ends 5/14/18 at noon EST) or $2.45 per week
$21.70 per quarter with the code PPP30 at checkout (ends 5/14/18 at noon EST) or $1.80 per week
$58.80 per year with the code PPP30 at checkout (ends 5/14/18 at noon EST) or $1.13 per week

> > > GET YOURS HERE < < <

P.P.S. I’ll be explaining all of this in detail and answering questions about it in the mornings on Facebook Live at 9:30 AM Eastern Time. Join me over HERE!

P.P.P.S. Be sure to also join our private Dinner’s Done Facebook group for extra motivation – I know you’ll love this bunch!

(WHEW. That’s a whole lot of P.S.s. but I don’t want you to miss a single thing!) 😉

Where Can I Find the Freezer Meals for the Freezer Cooking Challenge?

May 10, 2018 by Cheryl 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.

Where Can I Find the Freezer Meals for the Freezer Cooking Challenge?

I’m SO excited you’ll be joining me for our Freezer Cooking Challenge!! Here’s everything you’ll need to be ready for Monday!

(Remember, if you haven’t signed up yet go HERE and use the code PPP30 to save 30% on these ~ if you sign up for the annual plan you’ll also get access to our first ever Private PPP Eat at Home Facebook Group!)

Here’s the schedule for next week’s freezer challenge:

Monday, May 14th – We’ll be working on the April Freezer Meal Plans
Tuesday, May 15th – We’ll be working on the May Freezer Meal Plans
Wednesday, May 16th – We’ll be working on the June Freezer Meal Plans
Thursday, May 17th – We’ll be working on the July Freezer Meal Plans

To find the meal plans we’re using – you can locate them from the Eat At Home Cooks website and select the Member Login area.

From the Eat at Home meal plans website you’ll need to login to access your menu plans:

To find all of the PPP Bonus material – it will be right on the Start Here page!

Once you’re all logged in, choose WEEKLY MEAL PLANS:

To find the May freezer meal plans we’re using on Monday – select Meal Plans May 2018.

Once inside the May Menus, you’ll need to select Slow Cooker Meal Plan.

From the Slow Cooker Meal Plan – we’ll be using the MAY 21 (FREEZER) plan.

FREEZER COOKING SUPPLIES

Just to make things easy for you, we’ve pulled together a whole list of our favorite freezer cooking supplies, along with some of our favorite slow cookers! I just can’t wait to spend next week with you getting Supper Set for the Summer!!

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.

Guacamole Deviled Eggs Recipe ~Top Chef Style!

April 2, 2018 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?

How to Hard Boil Eggs in Slow Cooker

March 30, 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.

How to Hard Boil Eggs in the Slow Cooker

Eeek – Easter is ALMOST HERE!!

If you’re a little behind on your egg game – then let me help you out with just ONE MORE method of getting your eggs hard-boiled and ready to dye or devil 🙂 (If you haven’t yet – you HAVE to try this Easter recipe for Paula Deen’s Deviled Eggs!)

We’ve seen how to do Easter Eggs in the Instant Pot (hard boil AND dye them at the same time – just minutes for this method!). And most of us know how to dye eggs the old fashioned way, on the stovetop.

But if you’re running around and don’t have time to keep an eye on your eggs – the slow cooker is a great alternate method! (This is also nice if you’re kitchen is super hot in the summertime or

To hard boil eggs in the crock pot:

Place eggs in your slow cooker (or I used my Ninja on slow cooker mode)
Fit as many as you can without stacking them. I was able to fit 22 in my Ninja!
Cover completely with lukewarm water and slow cook on LOW for 3 1/2 hours.
****
Use this time to run out and grab your other Easter groceries, clean the house for company, or take a long nap. (HA!!)
****
Take out and move to an ice bath immediately – just like you would when you normally hard boil eggs.

NOTE: If your yolk is tinged with green, don’t worry. That just means they’re a little overcooked or they didn’t cool down fast enough. If you can get past the color, they’ll still taste great in all your favorite recipes!

You might also like these Easter Posts!

Instant Pot Easter Eggs – 3 Easy Ways to Dye!

Dollar Tree Mason Jar Craft

Easter DIY: No Sew Burlap Bunny Pillow

Dollar Tree Decorating: Easter Fun

Dollar Tree Easter Wreath

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 😉

Mac n Cheese in the Instant Pot (+ Last Day For Eat at Home Menu Plans!)

March 5, 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.

Countertop Cooking Challenge

If you missed our Facebook live, check it out HERE.

Good. gravy.

After clearing showing just how much a mess I am when it comes to the Instant Pot (yikes!), I made one seriously divine batch of Instant Pot Mac & Cheese today.

(I promise, I really do know how to cook ~ the Instant Pot is just clearly my arch nemesis!) 🙂

The recipe is from my friend Tiffany at Eat at Home Cooks, and goodness, it was so good! When she and I talked Friday and she taught me how to use my Instant Pot this was the recipe she said was her absolute favorite, so I knew I had to try it (my family is gonna love me tonight at dinnertime . . . )

In fact, it was so good that she added it to the April menu plans next month too. (Or you can find it right over HERE too.)

If you struggle with getting dinner done, remember that this is the VERY LAST DAY to order the Eat at Home Menu Plans and save 25% when you use the code COUNTERTOP at checkout.

These menu plans are WAY less than the cost of a cup of coffee at Starbucks each week, and I know they’ll save your time, money and sanity every single day. I PROMISE IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH MENU PLANNING, GROCERY SHOPPING AND EASILY GETTTING DINNER ON THE TABLE, THESE ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY.

Last week using the menu plans made my family soooooo much happier~they came home each night and had dinner DONE because I had a plan in place. It reminded me (as it always does!) that our home is just happier when I take care of menu planning first, so I’m thrilled to be back on track (and already have my dinner planned for tonight. In fact I’ll be making Eat at Home’s Mac & Cheese on Facebook Live this morning in the Instant Pot and serving it up with salad and grilled salmon tonight)!

Here’s what’s included when you sign up (I KNOW you will love these, and they’ll change dinner in your home)!

Weekly menu plans for the entire month
A set of slow cooker menu plans
A set of no sugar – no flour menu plans
A set of wholesome traditional menu plans
A set of traditional menu plans
A weekly dessert recipe (or salad with the no sugar no flour menu plan)
One quick click to download all 4 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 $1.21 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.

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE 25% AS A PPP READER RIGHT NOW~MAKES THEM AS LITTLE AS $1.21 PER WEEK WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR THE YEAR!<<<

I really do love these menu plans and know you will too!

P.S. I almost forgot~if you use the code COUNTERTOP now you also lock in your price on EAH menu plans FOREVER. If you’ve been on the fence they’re worth trying out ~she also offers a money back guarantee, so there’s no way you can lose with these!

Countertop Cooking Challenge 2018 – Instant Pot Cooking Class

March 2, 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.

Countertop Cooking Challenge

If you missed our Facebook live, check it out HERE.

I am soooo very thankful that my friend Tiffany from Eat at Home spent a few minutes today teaching me how to use my Instant Pot!

I’ll be honest, after trying this thing out myself I haven’t seen crazy success, but I realized it might be because I’ve failed to take time to read the owner’s manual.

Ahem.

So working with her today, I learned how to make sure I used the right buttons, exactly how long it really takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure (you need more than the 15 minute time you might think!), and how to safely release the pressure on your Instant Pot.

My Instant Pot is now sitting on keep warm, noodles are ready to be added before dinner tonight, and I’m going to try making Tiffany’s Instant Pot Mac & Cheese on Monday (I can’t even wait ~ my 17 year old will be in heaven!) You can find the recipe for the Slow Cooker Parmesan Soup we made this morning in the Instant Pot in the Traditional Plan week of March 26th, and I know you’ll love this one.

In case you’ve been on the fence this week about trying out the Eat at Home, don’t forget that for a few more days only you can save 25% off the Eat at Home menu plans (which I just love!) with the code COUNTERTOP at checkout.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire 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 72 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.

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE 25% AS A PPP READER RIGHT NOW!<<<

You’ll find the link to the freezer labels under the February 19th Slow Cooker Meal Plans when you sign up for Eat at Home!

I used the labels HERE to print these off and pop them into my freezer bags so I know what’s in each bag and how to cook it! If you’re looking for freezer meal supplies you can find all of those HERE 🙂

This coming Monday morning on Facebook Live I’ll try Tiffany’s Mac & Cheese recipe in the Instant Pot (I’m so excited!), and I’d love for you to join me for that too. I hope you’ve loved getting dinner done this week as much as I have ~ my freezer and pantry are well stocked, and we’ve eaten some amazing recipes too. 🙂

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 2018 – Freezer Cooking PJ Party!

March 1, 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.

Countertop Cooking Challenge

- Choose your menu plans (remember, when you use the code COUNTERTOP at checkout you’ll save 25% AND lock in that price ~ I KNOW you will love these menu plans and grocery lists and they will change your life, and they’re as littel as $1.21 per week ~ I PROMISE YOU WILL SAVE THAT MONEY THE FIRST DAY YOU SHOP!)
- Once you’ve logged into your account, print the grocery list and menu plan from the February 19th Freezer Meal plans under Slow Cooker Meals (look for them in green)
- You can also print your FREE printable labels (click the link in yellow right there on the Slow Cooker page)

If you missed our Facebook live, check it out HERE.

We had soooooooo much fun in our Freezer Cooking PJ party last night ~ I sure hope you joined us and had fun too!

Reagan and my hubby James helped me put everything together, and in under an hour we made six freezer meals and brownies (they turned out soooo much better than we expected. So good!)

I dumped the slow cooker chicken vegetable soup in the crockpot this morning because that bag was full, and am making some homemade bread and salad to serve with it. (My ninja is getting a workout this week!)

If you’ve ever thought about trying out freezer cooking, I promise these meals will change your life (and I love that Tiffany includes a set of freezer meals each month in her menu plans!) After doing them over the summer I was completely hooked, and absolutely love how a little bit of prep work makes dinnertime so much easier for me.

If you’d like to join me for the challenge this week, I know you will love the meal plans I’m using! And even if you use you own menu plan and grocery list, I’d love for you to join us because I know just having your meals planned will save your family a bundle this week.

Right now save 25% off the Eat at Home menu plans (which I just love!) when youuse the code COUNTERTOP at checkout.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire 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 72 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.

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE 25% AS A PPP READER RIGHT NOW!<<<

You’ll find the link to the freezer labels under the February 19th Slow Cooker Meal Plans when you sign up for Eat at Home!

Here’s how the schedule for the rest of the week should look: 🙂

9:00 – 9:30 AM Eastern Time – I’ll be doing a Facebook Live Video showing how to make a recipe each morning
10:30 AM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to regular email subscribers with all the info
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video
Between 4:30 – 6:30 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick update over on Facebook with pic or live video of recipe
My friend Tiffany from Eat at Home will also share on Facebook Live how to make several of these recipes in the Instant Pot in the afternoons

I’ll be cooking from the February 5th Slow Cooker Meal Plan:

MONDAY, February 26th – Red Pepper Pineapple Teriyaki Pork Chops
TUESDAY, February 27th – Black Bean and Salsa Chicken
WEDNESDAY, February 28th – Sunday Dinner Chicken AND
*BONUS* WEDNESDAY 9:PM EASTERN TIME ~ FREEZER COOKING PAJAMA PARTY!
THURSDAY, March 1st – Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwiches I was worn out from cooking this morning so we skipped this one!)
FRIDAY, March 2nd – Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwiches

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 2018 – Day 3

February 28, 2018 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.

Countertop Cooking Challenge

PSST! I’m soooo excited about our PJ FREEZER COOKING PARTY TONIGHT ~ are you joining me?

We’ll be on FB live at 9PM Eastern Time ~ here are the details if you need them!

To follow along with the meals I’m making . ..

Start HERE

Choose your menu plans (remember, when you use the code COUNTERTOP at checkout you’ll save 25% AND lock in that price ~ I KNOW you will love these menu plans and grocery lists and they will change your life, and they’re as littel as $1.21 per week ~ I PROMISE YOU WILL SAVE THAT MONEY THE FIRST DAY YOU SHOP!)
Once you’ve logged into your account, print the grocery list and menu plan from the February 19th Freezer Meal plans under Slow Cooker Meals (look for them in green)
You can also print your FREE printable labels (click the link in yellow right there on the Slow Cooker page)
Buy your groceries (definitely get the freezer Ziploc bags ~ that will make life so much easier for you!)
Join me at 9PM Eastern Time right over HERE~ I can’t wait!!

If you missed today’s Facebook live, check it out HERE.

It’s day 3 of the Countertop Cooking Challenge, and goodness, my sweet husband is in heaven just having dinner done every night! Honestly, with 3 kids going different ways at night and us running in and out wayyyyy too often I skip making dinner because it’s just a wee bit crazy around here, so I think our family personally benefits from our PPP challenges way more than you ever will. 🙂

Right this very minute my home is smelling amazing with tonight’s Slow Cooker Sunday Dinner Chicken in the crockpot,

and last night we had Eat at Home’s Black Bean and Salsa Chicken (which my husband loved! I did need to add a little extra chicken broth but it was really so good and different than anything I’d ever made before.)

Today my friend Tiffany from Eat at Home also showed us how to make Korean BBQ Tacos in her pressure cooker today from the Feb 26 Slow Cooker Menu Plans (I’m so excited that she’s showing us more Instant Pot tricks – I’m determined to figure this one out one of these days!)

Right now save 25% off the Eat at Home menu plans (which I just love!) when youuse the code COUNTERTOP at checkout.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire 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 72 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.

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE 25% AS A PPP READER RIGHT NOW!<<<

And, don’t forget that to make things even a wee bit more fun, Wednesday night we’re throwing in a fun Freezer Cooking Pajama Party that I’ll host over on Facebook, so you can come join us there too.

You’ll find the link to the freezer labels under the February 19th Slow Cooker Meal Plans when you sign up for Eat at Home!

Here’s how the schedule for the rest of the week should look: 🙂

9:00 – 9:30 AM Eastern Time – I’ll be doing a Facebook Live Video showing how to make a recipe each morning
10:30 AM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to regular email subscribers with all the info
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video
Between 4:30 – 6:30 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick update over on Facebook with pic or live video of recipe
My friend Tiffany from Eat at Home will also share on Facebook Live how to make several of these recipes in the Instant Pot in the afternoons

I’ll be cooking from the February 5th Slow Cooker Meal Plan:

MONDAY, February 26th – Red Pepper Pineapple Teriyaki Pork Chops
TUESDAY, February 27th – Black Bean and Salsa Chicken
WEDNESDAY, February 28th – Sunday Dinner Chicken AND
*BONUS* WEDNESDAY 9:PM EASTERN TIME ~ FREEZER COOKING PAJAMA PARTY!
THURSDAY, March 1st – Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwiches
FRIDAY, March 2nd – Zingy BBQ Chicken

It’s going to do be a great week!

{Hint ~ 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 love that!}

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 2018 – Day 2

February 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.

Countertop Cooking Challenge

If you missed today’s Facebook live, check it out HERE.

I seriously need to do a Countertop Cooking Challenge every single week in our home!

Last night my hubby got home late from work (and kids were all heading different directions), but it was so nice to easily be able to feed everyone a decent meal when they were home.

It takes so little time when someone else does all the planning for you, and dinner was so good! I can’t even wait to try out tonight’s Slow Cooker Black Bean and Salsa Chicken (my house smells divine), and just love that dinner is done.

My friend Tiffany also showed us how to make Lemon Chicken on a Bed of Sauerkraut from the Feb 26 Slow Cooker Menu Plans (I’m so excited that she’s showing us more Instant Pot tricks – I’m determined to figure this one out one of these days!)

Right now save 25% off the Eat at Home menu plans (which I just love!) when youuse the code COUNTERTOP at checkout.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire 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 72 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.

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE 25% AS A PPP READER RIGHT NOW!<<<

You’ll find the link to the freezer labels under the February 19th Slow Cooker Meal Plans when you sign up for Eat at Home!

Here’s how the schedule for the rest of the week should look: 🙂

9:00 – 9:30 AM Eastern Time – I’ll be doing a Facebook Live Video showing how to make a recipe each morning
10:30 AM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to regular email subscribers with all the info
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video
Between 4:30 – 6:30 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick update over on Facebook with pic or live video of recipe
My friend Tiffany from Eat at Home will also share on Facebook Live how to make several of these recipes in the Instant Pot in the afternoons

I’ll be cooking from the February 5th Slow Cooker Meal Plan:

MONDAY, February 26th – Red Pepper Pineapple Teriyaki Pork Chops
TUESDAY, February 27th – Black Bean and Salsa Chicken
WEDNESDAY, February 28th – Sunday Dinner Chicken AND
*BONUS* WEDNESDAY 9:PM EASTERN TIME ~ FREEZER COOKING PAJAMA PARTY!
THURSDAY, March 1st – Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwiches
FRIDAY, March 2nd – Zingy BBQ Chicken

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 2018 – Day 1

February 26, 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.

Countertop Cooking Challenge

If you missed today’s Facebook live, check it out HERE.

I’m so excited to have dinner done today!

My home smells amazing, I just had the yummiest salad for lunch, and I even have 2 loads of laundry tackled for the day.

I don’t know what laundry has to do with menu planning, but for me it seems like if I get a good handle on meals in our home, every single other thing just gets done too. Whew!

This salad is from the February 5th No Sugar No Flour menus – it’s the Eat at Home Cranberry Spinach Salad and ohhhhh so good!

My friend Tiffany also showed us how to make Spicy Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot this morning from the Feb 26 Slow Cooker Menu Plans (I’m so excited that she’s showing us more Instant Pot tricks – I’m determined to figure this one out one of these days!)

Right now save 25% off the Eat at Home menu plans (which I just love!) when youuse the code COUNTERTOP at checkout.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire 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 72 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.

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE 25% AS A PPP READER RIGHT NOW!<<<

You’ll find the link to the freezer labels under the February 19th Slow Cooker Meal Plans when you sign up for Eat at Home!

Here’s how the schedule for the rest of the week should look: 🙂

9:00 – 9:30 AM Eastern Time – I’ll be doing a Facebook Live Video showing how to make a recipe each morning
10:30 AM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to regular email subscribers with all the info
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video
Between 4:30 – 6:30 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick update over on Facebook with pic or live video of recipe
My friend Tiffany from Eat at Home will also share on Facebook Live how to make several of these recipes in the Instant Pot in the afternoons

I’ll be cooking from the February 5th Slow Cooker Meal Plan:

MONDAY, February 26th – Red Pepper Pineapple Teriyaki Pork Chops
TUESDAY, February 27th – Black Bean and Salsa Chicken
WEDNESDAY, February 28th – Sunday Dinner Chicken AND
*BONUS* WEDNESDAY 9:PM EASTERN TIME ~ FREEZER COOKING PAJAMA PARTY!
THURSDAY, March 1st – Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwiches
FRIDAY, March 2nd – Zingy BBQ Chicken

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

February 25, 2018 by Laurie 7 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.

Countertop Cooking Challenge

If you missed today’s Facebook live, check it out HERE.

Just a reminder that our challenge starts tomorrow morning ~ I can’t wait and hope you’re joining me too!

Can you imagine going to the grocery store, buying oodles of groceries, and then just dumping a few of those bags of groceries in the trash?

You may just be doing that.

So many people (myself included sometimes!) head to the store without a plan in place, buy things they may not use, and things end up getting wasted and thrown away ~ literally 25% of food in America is thrown away each year.

But you and I are going to fix that.

Crocktober wrapped up last fall, but back by popular demand we’re doing a very similar series this February called the Countertop Cooking Challenge. (I think you’re going to love it!) We’re going to have a menu plan, grocery list, and recipes all pulled together before the week even starts.

Starting Monday, 2/26/18, I’m teaming up with my friend Tiffany from Eat at Home Cooks to bring you Crockpot and Instant Pot recipes for, and every single one of us is going to get dinner done.

To make your life waaaayyyyy easier (and mine too!) we’ll use Tiffany’s Eat at Home Menu Plans ~ which I’ve been using in our home and they’re just fantastic.

I promise, these will save you a bundle!

In fact, people who shop with a menu plan and grocery list save 25-50% every single week on their food expenses.

And, a menu plan all of a sudden makes grocery shopping easy.

Best of all?

You’ll actually eat well balanced meals with what you have in your kitchen and skip the drive thru.

Sound good?

I thought so too. 🙂

During the February 2018 Countertop Cooking Challenge I’ll be cooking with you for a whole week including grocery lists and menu plans, and Tiffany and I will be cooking them up each day right up with you.

My favorite part is that each morning I’ll share a Facebook Live Video filling up Mrs. Potts (a.k.a. ~ my slow cooker), and it would be so stinkin’ fun for me if you were on the other side of the screen filling up Mrs. Potts in your kitchen too.

Here’s how the schedule should look: 🙂

9:00 – 9:30 AM Eastern Time – I’ll be doing a Facebook Live Video showing how to make a recipe each morning
10:30 AM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to regular email subscribers with all the info
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video
Between 4:30 – 6:30 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick update over on Facebook with pic or live video of recipe
My friend Tiffany from Eat at Home will also share on Facebook Live how to make several of these recipes in the Instant Pot in the afternoons

I’ll be cooking from the February 5th Slow Cooker Meal Plan:

MONDAY, February 26th – Red Pepper Pineapple Teriyaki Pork Chops
TUESDAY, February 27th – Black Bean and Salsa Chicken
WEDNESDAY, February 28th – Freezer Cooking Day + Sunday Dinner Chicken (I *might* do the Facebook Live video in the evening so those of you who work out of the home can join me!)
THURSDAY, March 1st – Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwiches
FRIDAY, March 2nd – Zingy BBQ Chicken

Will you join me?

For just today, Tiffany is offering us the lowest prices she’s offered on her menu plans 30% off with the code EARLYBIRD at checkout.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire 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 72 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.

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

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.

And I would just love for you to join my free private Dinner’s Done Facebook group to get tons of support and encouragement as we all get dinner done in February.

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!

Are You Joining Me For The Countertop Cooking Challenge? (FREEZER COOKING PAJAMA PARTY TOO!)

February 23, 2018 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.

Countertop Cooking Challenge

If you missed today’s Facebook live, check it out HERE.

I’m so excited about our challenge starting next week ~ and promise this will save you a bundle!

Starting Monday, February 26th and through March 2nd, we’re joining with my friend Tiffany from Eat at Home Cooks for our Countertop Cooking Challenge.

And, to make things even a wee bit more fun, Wednesday night we’re throwing in a fun Freezer Cooking Pajama Party that I’ll host over on Facebook, so you can come join in the fun there too!

To prepare for all that craziness, I spent an hour this morning cleaning out my pantry (yikes.) and between the grocery lists and menu plans I’m using along with a tidied up kitchen, I feel like it’s going to be so fun to get dinner done this week.

Before and after of my pantry. EEK!

The slime kind of won the battle, but I won the war. 🙂

As much as it drove me crazy to do it though, my pantry is tidied up (enough?) for me now, and I added a bunch of stuff to our donation bag (which needs to make a trip to the food pantry now!)

And since we’ll be doing one night of freezer cooking too, we added in freezer labels for your bags (you’ll find the link to the freezer labels under the February 19th Slow Cooker Meal Plans when you sign up for Eat at Home!)

Each morning I’ll share a Facebook Live Video filling up Mrs. Potts (a.k.a. ~ my slow cooker), and it would be so stinkin’ fun for me if you were on the other side of the screen filling up Mrs. Potts in your kitchen too.

And on Wednesday night, we’ll have such fun together in our pjs making 6 meals too!

Here’s how the schedule should look: 🙂

9:00 – 9:30 AM Eastern Time – I’ll be doing a Facebook Live Video showing how to make a recipe each morning
10:30 AM Eastern Time – Daily email goes out to regular email subscribers with all the info
1:30 PM Eastern Time – Blog post here on PPP with a replay of the video
Between 4:30 – 6:30 PM Eastern Time (POSSIBLY! depends on family schedule) quick update over on Facebook with pic or live video of recipe
My friend Tiffany from Eat at Home will also share on Facebook Live how to make several of these recipes in the Instant Pot in the afternoons

I’ll be cooking from the February 5th Slow Cooker Meal Plan:

MONDAY, February 26th – Red Pepper Pineapple Teriyaki Pork Chops
TUESDAY, February 27th – Black Bean and Salsa Chicken
WEDNESDAY, February 28th – Sunday Dinner Chicken AND
*BONUS* WEDNESDAY 9:PM EASTERN TIME ~ FREEZER COOKING PAJAMA PARTY!
THURSDAY, March 1st – Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwiches
FRIDAY, March 2nd – Zingy BBQ Chicken

Will you join me?

For just today, Tiffany is offering us the lowest prices she’s offered on her menu plans 25% off with the code COUNTERTOP at checkout.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP:

Weekly menu plans for the entire 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 72 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.

>>>USE THE CODE COUNTERTOP AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE 25% AS A PPP READER RIGHT NOW!<<<

And I would just love for you to join my free private Dinner’s Done Facebook group to get tons of support and encouragement as we all get dinner done in February.

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!

Valentine’s Day Dinner (on the cheap!)

February 2, 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.

My friend Cheree created this amazing Valentine’s Day Dinner and Menu Plan for you, and oh my goodness, I just love it!

Cheree has some crazy amazing skills when it comes to floral decor, and her centerpiece was perfect. Don’t feel like you have to do anything this fancy, but she spent just $20 on all the flowers you see here ~ you could just as easily skip this step or use something you have on hand (but hers really are gorgeous!)

By using things she (mostly) had on hand, she made a beautiful table arrangement that was such a fun way to spoil her family at home.

But the best part is this really, really …. REALLY cute menu plan to help you prepare your Valentine’s Day too.

Here’s what’s on the menu:

Caprese Salad Skewers

Mixed Berry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (Laurie’s FAVORITE)

Bacon Wrapped Brown Sugar Chicken & Parmesan Crusted Baby Potatoes

Shirley Temples

… and …. this AMAZING (really truly) Flourless Chocolate Torte

A few of the PPP team members actually were able to enjoy Cheree’s meal this week together down in Alabama (where most of the PPP team members live . . .) and after seeing their yummy pics I felt a twinge of jealousy and just had to try it out for my family too!

I spent $7 on some tulips to fluff our table (nothing as fancy as Cheree’s arrangement, but still a fun splurge!), and then sorted through our ribbon scraps and linen napkins to come up with a tiny bit of a fancy table in our home too.

My kids LOVED the potatoes, the cake was fantastic (although we maybe dove in a wee bit too early before it was completely cooled . . . ), and having Shirley Temples for dinner on a plain old Wednesday night was such a fun treat at our house.

So, if you’d love to skip the crowds and enjoy a simple Valentine’s at home on a penny pinched budget, this is just for you.

Go HERE to print your free menu Valentine’s Day recipes and menu plan, and leave a comment to let us know if you use it too. Such a fun way to surprise your family (I promise they’ll love this one, and know you’ll be so glad you tried it out!)

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!

12 Days of Christmas Baking (Marathon Day!)

December 20, 2017 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.

12 Days of Christmas Baking: Buckeye Balls, Marshmallow Fudge, PB Balls, Christmas Crack, Peppermint Fudge & More!

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

W.H.E.W.

Y’all, I finally gave in yesterday and realized I wasn’t Wonder Woman.

You’re shocked.

I know.

Me.

too.

Hmph. 😂

As I shared last week, we’re having some small renovations on our house, which I really keep thinking shouldn’t affect anything at all, but the truth is it does.

Hopping on Facebook Live to share baking isn’t quite as easy when there’s hammering going on right outside, we’ve got three kids going three different directions all the time it feels like this year, and I just can’t do it all.

To add a little to the stress around here, losing my husband’s dad a few months ago just adds some ache this Christmas season, and his mom is struggling with dementia pretty severely too.

And while all that doesn’t feel like it should affect the daily stuff for us right now, it sure affects the heart around in home and just hurts a wee bit deeper this season too.

(If you’re going through a difficult season, my heart is with you right now ~ I know we’re sooooo not alone and the Christmas season seems to magnify the good AND bad this time of year!)

Plus, we have a senior in high school this year.

So there’s that.

(You know the “I-wish-I’d-done-it-all-better-and-now-he’s-almost-gone-and-have-I-even-prepared-him-at-all?)

(ahem.)

So last night I took off my cape. 🙂

Pulled on my apron.

And finished the last few days of our Christmas baking series all at one time.

I hope you understand.

I was even completely un-Pinterest worth and only snapped one measly pic.

(See the cute pics in this post? All but one are from last year’s Christmas baking series, but I promise most of packages looked almost as cute this year. *Almost.*) 🙂

I know.

You’re horrified.

I get it.

But that’s all you’re gonna get around here.

If you’d like our 12 Days of Christmas Baking Cookbook, you can download your FREE 12 Days of Christmas Baking Cookbook and Grocery List HERE.

You can make all sorts of yummy treats just like I did, pass them around to friends or neighbors, and enjoy some special family time if your family loves baking like ours does.

Or.

You can just go buy a box of full priced Oreos pre-dipped in White Chocolate, and call it done too. 🙂

No judgement here.

Either way, enjoy the magic of the small moments this Christmas season, and determine to let the rest go.

Be gracious with yourself, choose to focus on the stuff that really matters, and be sure to eat some chocolate for me too.

12 Days of Christmas Baking:

Hello Dolly Bars
Muddy Buddy Chex Mix
Slow Cooker Christmas Candy
Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge & Homemade Cinnabons & Christmas Crack
Buckeye Balls, Marshmallow Fudge, PB Balls, Christmas Crack, Peppermint Fudge & More!
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER
Happy Birthday Jesus Cake

Looking for more homemade DIY projects? Here you go!

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 4, 5 & 6

December 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.

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 4 & 5: Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge & Homemade Cinnabons & Christmas Crack

Today was Christmas Crack day ~ 3 batches made and we are done!

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

We’re right in the middle of our 12 Days of Christmas Baking series (download your grocery list and cookbook HERE), where we’ve been making some of my Christmas treat 6 days a week over on Facebook Live, then sharing it here in case you missed it live!

I’ll be honest, Thursday and Friday of last week did me in ~ we’re having a porch added on our house which I’m so excited about, but new doors were added this week and life’s just looked a little messy.

But I made the peanut butter fudge Thursday . . .

(you can watch it here)

And Friday made a cute little Cinnamon Christmas Tree too. 🙂

If you missed my FB live this morning, you can find it here.

Thankfully the guys who are working on the porch were willing to eat a few cinnamon rolls, so I wasn’t quite as tempted to eat all day!

If you’d like to join me for our 12 Days of Christmas Baking Challenge, you can download your FREE 12 Days of Christmas Baking Cookbook and Grocery List HERE.

Here’s what’s on the schedule:

12 Days of Christmas Baking:

Day 1: Hello Dolly Bars
Day 2: Muddy Buddy Chex Mix
Day 3: Slow Cooker Christmas Candy
Day 4 & 5: Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge & Homemade Cinnabons & Christmas Crack
Day 7: No Bake Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
Day 8: Peppermint Fudge
Day 9: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER
Day 10: Easiest Fudge EVER
Day 11: Happy Birthday Jesus Cake
Day 12: Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls

Looking for more homemade DIY projects? Here you go!

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 3: Slow Cooker Christmas Candy

December 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.

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 3: Slow Cooker Christmas Candy

We’re starting a new 12 Days of Christmas Baking series (download your grocery list and cookbook HERE), where I’ll be making a yummy Christmas treat 6 days a week over on Facebook Live, then sharing it here in case you missed it live!

This morning we made Slow Cooker Christmas Candy, and I also had my daughter Reagan teach us how to make slime (she’s been begging to show y’all how to make it on Facebook Live), so today was her day. Here’s what she used to make it in case you’ve been hoping for the same ingredients:

By the way, slime ingredients would be an awesome Christmas gift for a 7-11 year old this year!

And, we also were able to show off the absolute cutest aprons ever ~ if you’re looking for super fun mother and daughter aprons, use this link through today only to save 20% AND get free shipping when you spend $40 or more. The aprons we’re wearing are less than $40 for both the mother and daughter apron INCLUDING monogram, shipped to your door. Use the code PPPFAVES to get one if you’re looking for these!

If you missed my FB live this morning, you can find it here.

If you’d like to join me for our 12 Days of Christmas Baking Challenge, you can download your FREE 12 Days of Christmas Baking Cookbook and Grocery List HERE.

Here’s what’s on the schedule:

12 Days of Christmas Baking:

Day 1: Hello Dolly Bars
Day 2: Muddy Buddy Chex Mix
Day 3: Slow Cooker Christmas Candy
Day 4: Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge
Day 5: Homemade Cinnabons
Day 6: Christmas Crack
Day 7: No Bake Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
Day 8: Peppermint Fudge
Day 9: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER
Day 10: Easiest Fudge EVER
Day 11: Happy Birthday Jesus Cake
Day 12: Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls

Looking for more homemade DIY projects? Here you go!

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 2: Muddy Buddy Chex Mix

December 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.

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 2: Muddy Buddy Chex Mix

We’re starting a new 12 Days of Christmas Baking series (you can download your grocery list and cookbook HERE), where I’ll be making a yummy Christmas treat 6 days a week over on Facebook Live, then sharing it here in case you missed it live!

I also made these Stuffed Spinach Shells in my Ninja 4 in 1 Cooker while on live, and I think it’s going to work perfectly! I literally boiled the shells in my Ninja and baked the shells in the same pot after preparing them too.

After a few readers recommended I turned down the heat on the Ninja to 275 (it was 375), If you’ve been considering a Ninja, check this out – Kohl’s and Amazon both have decent deals on them, and I really do love mine!

If you missed my FB live this morning, you can find it here.

I also packaged today’s Muddy Buddy Chex Mix to give out to our garbage collectors tomorrow, so one more person marked off my list this year. Whew!

If you’d like to join me for our 12 Days of Christmas Baking Challenge, you can download your FREE 12 Days of Christmas Baking Cookbook and Grocery List HERE.

Here’s what’s on the schedule:

12 Days of Christmas Baking:

Day 1: Hello Dolly Bars
Day 2: Muddy Buddy Chex Mix
Day 3: Slow Cooker Christmas Candy
Day 4: Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge
Day 5: Homemade Cinnabons
Day 6: Christmas Crack
Day 7: No Bake Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
Day 8: Peppermint Fudge
Day 9: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER
Day 10: Easiest Fudge EVER
Day 11: Happy Birthday Jesus Cake
Day 12: Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls

Looking for more homemade DIY projects? Here you go!

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 1: Hello Dolly Bars

December 11, 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.

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 1: Hello Dolly Bars

If you missed my FB live this morning, you can find it here.

Today after making Hello Dolly Bars (also known as Magic Cookie Bars), I also shared a few frugal ways to package up some of my hubby’s Chex Mix. (You can find his recipe right HERE.)

I found some cute paper sacks at Hobby Lobby, and goodness, I’m just in love with their Santa Clips!

But if you really want to pinch a penny (since you know your friends will likely throw away the sack either way), skip the fancy stuff, use an inexpensive bag and tie on some pretty ribbon and a tag.

Success!

If you’d like to join me for our 12 Days of Christmas Bakign Challenge, you can download your FREE 12 Days of Christmas Baking Cookbook and Grocery List HERE.

Here’s what’s on the schedule:

12 Days of Christmas Baking:

Day 1: Hello Dolly Bars
Day 2: Muddy Buddy Chex Mix
Day 3: Slow Cooker Christmas Candy
Day 4: Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge
Day 5: Homemade Cinnabons
Day 6: Christmas Crack
Day 7: No Bake Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
Day 8: Peppermint Fudge
Day 9: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER
Day 10: Easiest Fudge EVER
Day 11: Happy Birthday Jesus Cake
Day 12: Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls

Looking for more homemade DIY projects? Here you go!

An Instant Pot Thanksgiving: 9 Recipes You Need To Try In Your Instant Pot This Year!

November 11, 2017 by Cheree' 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.

9 of the BEST Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes

Note from Laurie: My friends Cheree and Staci pulled together this amazing list of Instant Pot Thanksgiving recipes and I thought it was such an amazing idea ~ I loved that they pulled together some of the PPP teams favorite recipes, and can’t wait to try these out myself too.

We thought it would be so fun to come up with some simple side dishes prepared all in the Instant Pot to make your Thanksgiving dinner a winner and relieve some stress too!

So, PPP team member Staci has been super busy testing out recipes in her Instant Pot for us and I think you’ll be thrilled with the results. Here are the 9 Instant Pot Thanksgiving recipes she tested out on her family to make sure they were easy, tasty and holiday-worthy too. 🙂

Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes

This cornbread dressing is a Thanksgiving favorite from PPP team member Staci’s family . . .

Momma’s Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients

1 recipe of cooked cornbread (best from an iron skillet) – my grandmother, Momma, always said to use the recipe right on the Martha White cornmeal bag.
1 cup celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 tsp sage
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

Crumble cornbread into a large mixing bowl.
Cook celery and onion with butter in a skillet until thoroughly cooked. Add to the cornbread.
Add all ingredients to the cornbread and mix well.
Place into a 6 cup bundt pan and cover with aluminum foil poking a hole where the hole is in the bundt pan.
Pour 1 cup water into Instant Pot.
Make aluminum foil sling for the bundt pan and lower into Instant Pot and onto trivet.
Cover and cook on high pressure 15 minutes.
Quick release and remove lid carefully.
Brown in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, if desired.
Flip out of bundt pan and onto serving plate.

We love our cornbread dressing down here in the south, but also included a savory stuffing recipe for you stuffing lovers too. 🙂

Savory Bread Stuffing

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups chicken broth
½ cup butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
1 loaf bread, cubed and toasted
2 tsps salt
1 tsp sage
¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

Cube and toast bread. Use a pizza cutter to cut the bread into ½-inch cubes. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes at 350°F. Stir at 10 and 15 minutes. Place in a large bowl to cool.
Cook vegetables. Place butter, celery and onion in a skillet. Melt and sauté until vegetables are cooked through. Add chicken broth, salt, sage and pepper and stir well. Pour over the bread cubes and mix well. Stuff into a 6 cup bundt pan. Cover with aluminum foil poking a hole in the middle where the hole of the pan is.
Pressure cook. Pour 1 ½ cups of water into the Instant Pot. Place the trivet into the bottom. Make a foil strip sling and use it to lower the bundt pan into the pressure cooker. Fold the strips of the sling down so that they do not bother the closing of the lid. Lock the lid into place. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Use a quick release. Carefully remove the lid when ready.
Remove the bundt pan and flip it over onto a sprayed baking sheet. Cook in a 350°F oven 5-10 minutes to crisp up the stuffing.

Of all the recipes we tried, I this one was the most surpring (and fastest!) recipe. This cranberry sauce pretty much takes center stage!

Sweet & Tangy Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

12 oz fresh cranberries
¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbsps honey
1 cup sugar

Instructions

Wash cranberries; remove stems and discard the soft, discolored or wrinkly ones.
Pressure cook the cranberries: Combine orange juice and honey. Pour into the Instant Pot. Place 10 ounces of cranberries into the pressure cooker. Close lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 1 minute. Let the pressure natural release and do not do the quick release. Open lid carefully.
Make the cranberry sauce: Turn the heat to medium (Instant Pot- click cancel and sauté button). Using a wooden spoon, stir and break the cranberries. Add in sugar and remaining cranberries. Stir and the heat will melt the sugar to form a thick cranberry sauce. Add a pinch of salt.
Serve warm or chilled.

We were so surprised to get the taste of southern styled green beans with this recipe ~ they truly taste like they have been cooking all day on the stove top!

Southern Style Green Beans

Ingredients

1 – 2 lbs fresh green beans
3 strips bacon
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

Snap and rinse green beans.
Add all the ingredients into the Instant Pot.
Set the cook time for 25 minutes on high pressure.
Do a quick release.
Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Even your pickiest eaters will gobble up these carrots. 🙂

Brown Sugar Carrots

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs carrots, peeled and chunked
1 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp honey
¼ tsp sea salt
2 Tbsps brown sugar

Instructions

Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot.
Place chopped carrots in a steamer basket into the pressure cooker.
Close lid and cook at high pressure for 4 minutes.
Quick release. Carefully remove the lid.
Remove the carrots and dry well.
Place the carrots into a bowl. Use either an immersion blender or hand mixer to blend the carrots to desired consistency.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Of course, no Thanksgiving (especially not an Instant Pot Thanksgiving!) would be complete without a BIG bowl of homemade mashed potatoes!

Buttery Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

3 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into nice sized chunks
1 – 1 ½ cups milk
¼ – ½ cup butter

Instructions

Place the trivet into the Instant Pot and place potatoes on top of the trivet. Pour in 1 cup water.
Close lid and cook on high pressure 7 minutes.
Quick release. Carefully remove the lid.
Place the drained potatoes in a bowl or the bowl of your mixer.
Beat potatoes with hand or stand mixer until all broken up.
Pour 1 cup milk and ¼ cup butter into the bowl and mix. (tip: warm the milk and melt the butter to keep the potatoes warm)
Continue adding milk and butter until your desired consistency is reached.

NOTE– to save time you can place eggs on top of your potatoes while cooking to make boiled eggs for deviled eggs.

Kid Approved Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

7 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsps sweet pickle relish
1 tsp prepared mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
Paprika, for garnishing

Instructions

Place the trivet into the Instant Pot and place eggs on top of the trivet. Pour in 1 cup water.
Close lid and cook on high pressure 5-7 minutes.
Quick release. Carefully remove the lid.
Place the hot eggs in a bowl of cold water to halt the cooking process.
Peel eggs and slice in half lengthwise. Put yolks in a small mixing bowl.
Mash yolks with a fork, then add mayonnaise, pickle relish and mustard.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Fill egg whites with the yolk mixture and garnish with paprika.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This corn recipe is a Thanksgiving tradition for one of our PPP team member Cheryl, and it worked out perfectly in the Instant Pot too.

Cheryl’s Cheesy Corn and Peppers

Ingredients

2 lbs frozen corn
2 Tbsps butter, cut into cubes
2 poblano chile peppers, chopped
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes

Instructions

Place corn, butter, peppers, salt, cumin and black pepper into the Instant Pot and add ½ cup water.
Cover and cook on high pressure 20 minutes.
Quick release. Carefully remove lid.
Stir in the cheeses.
Put the Instant Pot on sauté and stir to melt the cheeses and heat thoroughly.

So, remember when we said that the cranberry sauce took the stage, well now you know why! Who knew??? Cheesecake in the Instant Pot? .YES, PLEASE!

New York Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

10 graham crackers, finely crushed
4 Tbsps butter, melted
2 tsps brown sugar

Cheesecake:

16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
2 Tbsps cornstarch
2 tsps vanilla
Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Crust:

Mix all the ingredient together with a fork.
Line the sides and bottom of the cheesecake pan with parchment paper.
Pour in the graham cracker mixture and gently press down the crumbs with the bottom of a jar or spoon.
Place pan in the freezer while you mix the other ingredients

Cheesecake:

Mix cornstarch, sea salt and sugar together in a small mixing bowl.
In another mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese 20-30 seconds on low speed with a hand mixer.
Add in half the sugar mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated (less than 30 seconds).
Scrape down the sides of the mixer each time a new ingredient is added.
Add the remaining sugar mixture and beat on low speed for another 20-30 seconds.
Add sour cream and vanilla. Beat just until mixed (less than 30 seconds).
Mix in first egg (less than 20 seconds).
Mix in in second egg (less than 20 seconds).
Scrape down sides and beater. Fold over a few times with your spatula just to make sure everything is well mixed.
Pour cheesecake batter into the pan.
Optional: tap the cheesecake pan against the counter to let air bubbles rise and burst them with a toothpick.

Pressure cook the cheesecake:

Pour 1 cup of cold water into the Instant Pot with trivet.
Make an aluminum foil sling and lower the cheesecake pan into the pot.
Close the lid and cook on high pressure 26 minutes.
Let the pot do a full natural release. Open the lid carefully.
Remove any condensation with a paper towel.

Cool and chill:

Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature with the lid open or place it on a wire rack to cool.
Once the cheesecake has completely cooled, place it in the refrigerator for at least 4-8 hours.

Instant Pot and Accessories we used:

Instant Pot

Vegetable Steamer Basket Set

Aluminum Round Cheesecake Pan

6-Cup Bundt Pan

Instant Pot Mini Mitts

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

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.

Jul 04, 2018

4th of July Dessert

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Jun 14, 2018

Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe (SO Good for Summer!)

View This Post

Jun 10, 2018

3 Easy Camping Meal Ideas (That Kids Will Love!)

View This Post

Jun 07, 2018

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

View This Post

Jun 05, 2018

Simple Summer Lunch System Challenge

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May 29, 2018

Strawberry Pie

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May 18, 2018

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 4

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May 16, 2018

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 3

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May 15, 2018

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 2 (Y’all are Rockstars!)

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May 14, 2018

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 1

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May 10, 2018

Are You Ready for Our Freezer Cooking Challenge?

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May 10, 2018

Where Can I Find the Freezer Meals for the Freezer Cooking Challenge?

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May 07, 2018

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 5/7/18

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Apr 30, 2018

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 4/30/18

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Apr 02, 2018

Guacamole Deviled Eggs Recipe ~Top Chef Style!

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Mar 30, 2018

How to Hard Boil Eggs in Slow Cooker

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Mar 27, 2018

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

View This Post

Mar 05, 2018

Mac n Cheese in the Instant Pot (+ Last Day For Eat at Home Menu Plans!)

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Mar 02, 2018

Countertop Cooking Challenge 2018 – Instant Pot Cooking Class

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Mar 01, 2018

Countertop Cooking Challenge 2018 – Freezer Cooking PJ Party!

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Feb 28, 2018

Countertop Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 3

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Feb 27, 2018

Countertop Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 2

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Feb 26, 2018

Countertop Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 1

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Feb 25, 2018

Countertop Cooking Challenge

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Feb 23, 2018

Are You Joining Me For The Countertop Cooking Challenge? (FREEZER COOKING PAJAMA PARTY TOO!)

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Feb 02, 2018

Valentine’s Day Dinner (on the cheap!)

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Jan 25, 2018

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

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Jan 15, 2018

Menu Plan Monday 1/15/18

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Jan 08, 2018

Menu Plan Monday: Week Of 1/8/18

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Dec 20, 2017

12 Days of Christmas Baking (Marathon Day!)

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Dec 18, 2017

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 4, 5 & 6

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Dec 13, 2017

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 3: Slow Cooker Christmas Candy

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Dec 12, 2017

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 2: Muddy Buddy Chex Mix

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Dec 11, 2017

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 1: Hello Dolly Bars

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Nov 11, 2017

An Instant Pot Thanksgiving: 9 Recipes You Need To Try In Your Instant Pot This Year!

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Nov 03, 2017

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

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Nov 01, 2017

Crock-tober Day 18 – Slow Cooker Roast

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Oct 31, 2017

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

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Oct 30, 2017

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

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Oct 23, 2017

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

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Oct 18, 2017

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

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Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

4th of July Dessert

Ingredients

Directions

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Ingredients

Directions

3 Easy Camping Meal Ideas (That Kids Will Love)

1 . Pizza Cooked Over the Fire:

2 . Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs:

3 . Turkey Chili Stuffed Hand Pies:

EASY Air Fryer Donuts from Biscuit Dough

EASY Air Fryer Donuts from Biscuit Dough

Ingredients

Directions for Donuts:

TOPPINGS

Looking for more breakfast recipes?

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

Strawberry Pie

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 4

Here’s what you need to do to join us and change the way dinner happens in your home too:

*+ DON’T FORGET THESE EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES*

In case you missed it, here’s a recap 0f all the freezer cooking meals we finished this week:

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 3

Here’s the plan for the rest of the week . . .

EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 2

Here’s the plan for the rest of the week . . .

EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018 – Day 1

Here’s the plan for the rest of the week . . .

EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES

Freezer Cooking Challenge 2018

EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES

Where Can I Find the Freezer Meals for the Freezer Cooking Challenge?

Here’s the schedule for next week’s freezer challenge:

FREEZER COOKING SUPPLIES

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 5/7/18

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

Guacamole Deviled Eggs Recipe

Guacamole Deviled Eggs~Top Chef Style

Ingredients

Directions

Looking for more side dish recipes?

How to Hard Boil Eggs in the Slow Cooker

To hard boil eggs in the crock pot:

You might also like these Easter Posts!

Crockpot Ham Tip

Crockpot Ham Tip for BIG or AWKWARD Hams

Countertop Cooking Challenge

Countertop Cooking Challenge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

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

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

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 1/15/18

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 1/8/18

12 Days of Christmas Baking: Buckeye Balls, Marshmallow Fudge, PB Balls, Christmas Crack, Peppermint Fudge & More!

12 Days of Christmas Baking:

Looking for more homemade DIY projects? Here you go!

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 4 & 5: Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge & Homemade Cinnabons & Christmas Crack

12 Days of Christmas Baking:

Looking for more homemade DIY projects? Here you go!

12 Days of Christmas Baking Day 3: Slow Cooker Christmas Candy

12 Days of Christmas Baking:

+ DON’T FORGET THESE EXCLUSIVE PPP BONUSES