Dawn Conklin

The Choice to Homeschool

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The choice to home school a child or send your child to a public school isn’t always the easiest choice to make. Sometimes parents feel like they have to pick the “right” choice based on what others tell them or believe.

When we first thought about homeschooling our younger daughter, we heard a lot from others telling us how hard it would be. Some told us that they NEED public school. Truth is, they need what you feel is best for them. If you feel that you can offer them a great and rewarding education, then that is what they need. If you feel that they would do better with a more traditional school setting, then public school is better then home.

There is no right or wrong based on what others tell you. Every family has it’s own unique situation and only your family knows what is right for you.

Making our decision

We started out in public school. And we have only started to homeschool this year, but a couple months before the pandemic hit so we were already homeschooling before remote learning. Our adventures started with 8th grade going into high school here.

Some of the family disagreed with our decision, but it was the best decision we made! Why is that? We can be flexible with our learning here. All states are different for curriculum, but even with stricter guidelines you can follow your own schedule. A great resource to look up your state is here – Homeschool Laws By State.

In the coming months I will be sharing some cool places to get some ideas for homeschooling, especially during the teen years. There are many things we use for free or low cost for our education here. And the field trips can be really fun too 🙂

Why did we decide to start?

The biggest reason here was the curriculum and the way they were taught it. I don’t like to point fingers at what was wrong and why it was wrong so I will just leave it as the way they were teaching.

By high school they were never properly taught the states and capitals – and common core math…I don’t even want to get into that one!

I remember helping my older daughter with math the way I was taught. Common core makes it complicated and she struggled with it until I helped her. Well she got called on my the teacher to go up in front of the class to solve something on the board. She was told well that is wrong. Wondering how she asked what the answer was. He told her the answer was correct but she did it wrong.

Yes I was one frustrated mama!

What is right for me?

I recommend sitting down and discussing the pros and cons of homeschooling with the whole household so everybody is on the same page. Or if your children are young, then you could probably leave it all up to the adults.

Now you need to understand that this is a commitment, but one worth committing to! If you do decide this is the right path for you, look into the laws for your state. Then see if you have to follow a certain curriculum, some states you do and some you can create your own with certain guidelines.

If you do homeschool, please check into local groups or be sure you go to local parks for your children to play. They do not need to be in school with other kids, but they do need play and some interaction as they grow.

Do parents get paid for homeschooling?

Short answer is no. This is an option that parents choose while there is an option of free public school, so no you do not get paid. You are not an employer here.

There are things that you may be able to claim on taxes for it tho – consult with a tax expert as there are many rules for when and how something can be claimed. I am not an accountant and there are so many variables.

Is it hard to homeschool my child?

This one depends on if you are used to public school and pulled them out or never sent them to public school, but really no it isn’t as hard as you think it is. But on the same note, it isn’t as easy as some make it out to be either. But is life easy? Not really, what fun would that be?

It is just an adjustment when you homeschool your child if they have been in the public school first. At home they don’t need the 8 AM to 3 PM for 5 days a week school. They will adjust from having a day packed with classes to having a more flexible schedule.

For us it was hard in the beginning because we started in the middle of 8th grade. So we went from being used to her going to school to me being the teacher. Instead of the school picking out the curriculum, I had to do it.

I could never teach a classroom full of kids math lessons, but I can work with my child through her math book. We sit down and do it together. We find that she is going through it quicker then in a classroom full of other children.

In conclusion

Ultimately you are the only one that can make the decision to homeschool or not. Personally I think it is the best choice we have made and do wish we started sooner, but you will find what works best for you.

We will be sharing various resources that we have found useful throughout our adventure, but please be sure to follow your state’s or country’s guidelines for homeschooling.

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

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This morning I really wanted to make pancakes and I had blueberries in the freezer. But then I also noticed that I had 2 ripe bananas that were starting to get brown and I knew they wouldn’t make it much longer. Wondering what it would taste like, I decided to make blueberry banana pancakes. I got some funny looks from everybody in the house when I told them what is for breakfast. And I have to admit that they did sound a little bit strange at first to me too. Well, they were a hit! Our poor dog didn’t even get to try one, they were all gone at breakfast – never happens with pancakes.

I rarely make normal pancakes here, but this was the first time I had considered blueberries and bananas in them. I have had them on top of pancakes together, but not in them. We also sometimes enjoy both fruits on crepes with some whipped cream!

Making Blueberry Banana Pancakes

I have to say upfront that these pancakes are a little more moist and they are thin, but they are delicious. They are not light and fluffy pancakes like traditional pancakes. Having said that, let’s get ready to cook some breakfast!

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl – the flour, sugar and baking powder. Melt the butter and let it sit for a minute or two. Thaw out your blueberries unless you are using fresh ones.

Next you want to mash the bananas into a bowl. Using a hand mixer, combine the egg in with the banana. This is the only part to use a mixer, the rest is by hand. It will be slightly lumpy and you only need to mix it for a minute. Add in the vanilla and milk. Stir to combine.

Pour the butter into the banana mix and stir well. Next add the dry ingredients into the banana mix and stir until combined. The batter will be lumpy, but that is ok. Add in the blueberries, stirring just enough to mix them in.

Cooking Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Cooking them is just like cooking other pancakes except that the banana in them makes them easier to burn. These take about the same amount of time to cook as regular pancakes. You also judge when to flip them the same, but they are not lenient about adding extra time.

I cook mine on a preheated pan for about 2 minutes on each side. My burner is set to medium for pancakes. To determine if your pan is hot enough, splash a couple of drops of water onto it and the drops should dance.

Enjoy 🙂

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Dawn
A healthy way to start your morning with the perfect combination of blueberries and bananas.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 408 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1 1/2 cups blueberries
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp butter melted
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter and let it stand for a minute while you prepare the rest.  Thaw blueberries unless you are using fresh.
  • Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a small bowl.
  • In a medium size bowl, mash the bananas with fork.  Add the egg and use a hand mixer to combine for 1 minute.  
  • Add milk and vanilla to the banana mix, using a fork to combine.  Add in the butter and mix with fork.
  • Add flour mix to the banana mix and stir with the fork just until it is combined.  This will be lumpy.  Pour the blueberries in and stir just enough to mix them in batter.
  • Preheat your pan on medium until water drops dance on it when you test it.  Drop just a couple drops of water to test.  Add batter to the pan to create the size pancake you would like.  Cook for about 2 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
  • I keep them on a plate covered with foil until they are all cooked or if your oven has a keep warm, you can put them on a plate in there as well.
    Enjoy!

Notes

Please note that stoves are all different.  You may find your stove cooks faster or slower.  You may need to turn up your burner or turn it down.  If you notice that the pancakes are still too light when you flip them over, cook an extra minute or 2 on the other side to cook through.
Keyword Banana, Blueberries, Pancakes

Lasagna Soup

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We love lasagna here in our house and I thought why not try to make lasagna soup? It was a cold night and we were in the mood for soup. I know when you see the picture you are probably thinking “wait, those are not lasagna noodles!” Yes, I know they are not. I used the garden veggie rotini by Ronzoni and they are a lot healthier. And what is even cooler is that kids still like them in this so they won’t realize they are getting their veggies. They have a full serving of vegetables in each 4 ounce serving. Win win situation! These are the noodles we use, but you can use any pasta really:

Ronzoni Garden Delight Noodles

Our family has no problems with eating vegetables, unless it is brussel sprouts – I have not figured out a way to get them to try them yet haha! But I do know that many parents struggle with getting their kids to eat veggies. This recipe is here to the rescue!

And what is even better? You can cook this in a big pot on the stove so no special gadgets needed 🙂

As A Note:

Making it is pretty simple really. It does take 2 pots tho. I cook pasta separate and use some of the pasta water in the soup. So when the pasta is ready, do not drain before reserving about a cup and a half of the water. I also boil pasta until it is about 2 minutes from being done and I cook it in a pot that is almost too small. More flavor from the water into the soup – but probably doesn’t make a big difference.

Making the Lasagna Soup

On to the good stuff. Cook the ground beef over medium heat for about 3 minutes and then add the chopped onion. This way you don’t need extra cooking fat, the beef will be enough. Now cook until the beef is no longer pink. If using higher fat content beef, drain excess fat. I use 90-93 percent and don’t drain.

Next add in the garlic and cook for about a minute. Now add in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, beef broth and jar of sauce. This is when I cook the pasta in the separate pot. Once the pasta is 2 minutes from being cooked all the way, take out 1 and a half cups of the pasta water and add it to the soup.

Drain the pasta. Mix pasta into soup and cook for a couple minutes on medium heat. Turn the burner off and stir in the cottage cheese. We add the mozzarella to our dishes but you can add some here as well. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Lasagna soup with veggie rotini

Lasagna Soup

Dawn
Healthy meets delicious with this soup made with the veggie rotini! 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6
Calories 607 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef lean
  • 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
  • 2 cups beef broth low sodium
  • 1 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce of choice we used Ragu
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1.5 cups water Preferably pasta water
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1.5 cup shredded mozzarella can use more
  • 16 ounces vegetable rotini or other pasta will work as well

Instructions
 

  • Cook ground beef for about 3 minutes on medium and then add the chopped onion.  Cook until the beef is no longer pink.  Drain if desired.
  •  Start the pasta in a separate pot. Cook until about 2 minutes from done. Take out 1.5 cups of the water from the pasta water and set it aside. Drain pasta
  • Once the ground beef is no longer pink, add the garlic and cook for about a minute.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning and jar of sauce.  Cook for about 15 minutes.  Add in the pasta water once it is ready.
  • Add the pasta into the soup and cook for about 3 minutes.  Turn heat off and add in the cottage cheese.  Stir well and serve! Add the mozzarella cheese in the bowls at the table.

Notes

We prefer to add the mozzarella cheese to the dishes on the table, but you can add some to the soup as well.  As left overs, the pasta absorbs all the liquid and it becomes a pasta dish.
I use the pasta water and use it to “rinse out” the spaghetti sauce jar and then add it to the soup.  
I also cook pasta in a smaller pot then I normally would to be sure that it is flavorful when added to the soup.
Keyword lasagna, soup

Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Pasta

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I have finally got the Instant Pot Italian chicken and pasta created! It took a little while and a couple oops along the way but it is now perfected. I originally created this in my Ninja Auto IQ here – Italian Chicken and Pasta. I adapted it to the Instant Pot too for you.

How to Make it in the Instant Pot

For those who have both the Ninja Auto IQ and the Instant Pot, please note the difference in steps (especially the cheese.) In the Ninja, it is throw and go. Instant Pot Italian chicken and pasta is a little more involved but delicious and worth it 🙂 Only a couple more steps, I promise.

First thing is to cut up the vegetables, garlic and chicken. Turn your Instant Pot on to Saute and allow it to heat up. Once it is hot add in the oil and onion. Saute until the onions start to become translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add in garlic and Italian seasoning. Saute for another minute and hit cancel. Stir in the cut up chicken, mixing well. Next will be layers and no mixing.

Pour the uncooked pasta over the chicken mix (do not stir.) Add the peppers on top of the pasta and pour the chicken broth over it all. Then add the can of tomatoes (juice and all) to the top. Do not stir these layers.

Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Pasta layered before pressure cooking

Put the lid on and seal the vent. Hit Pressure Cook/Manual button and adjust to 4 minutes. It took mine about 20 minutes to build up pressure, we have a 6 quart.

After the Pressure Cooking

After the 4 minute cook time, do a quick release. This will take about 2 minutes. Once the pressure is released and the pin has dropped, carefully remove the lid. Stir in the ricotta cheese. Your noodles may be slightly clumped together but trust me they are ok. They will break up as you stir in the cheese and they should be cooked perfectly. Next stir in the mozzarella cheese and place the lid back on for a couple of minutes to heat the cheeses through.

Serve and enjoy!

As a Note:

I have the 6 quart Instant Pot and all of my recipes are tested in this size. Because it comes up to the PC 1/2 in mine, it will not fit in the 3 quart. The recipe can be cut in half but it hasn’t been tested in the 3 quart, therefore I cannot guarantee the times.   I haven’t used the 8 quart, but I would imagine it would work in that as well. Please share with us if you use a different size successfully!

As mentioned above, your pasta will probably appear clumped together. Give it a good stir and it will be perfect, it did cook.

Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Pasta

Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Pasta

Dawn
The perfect blend of chicken, pasta, cheeses and vegetables! 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Pressure build and release 25 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6
Calories 745 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1.5 lbs chicken breast cut in bite size pieces
  • 16 ounces elbow pasta uncooked
  • 1 green pepper chopped
  • 1 red pepper chopped
  • 4 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions
 

  • Chop your vegetables and cut up your chicken.  
  • Turn Instant Pot on to Saute and allow to heat up. Once hot, add the olive oil and onion. Cook until onion starts to become translucent, about 4 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic and Italian Seasoning.  Cook for 1 minute.  Hit cancel on Instant Pot.
  • Add in the chicken and stir well.
  • Add this in exact layers and do not stir:
    Noodles
    Peppers
    Chicken Broth
    Tomatoes
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal the vent.  Hit Pressure Cook/Manual button and adjust the time to 4 minutes.  It will take approximately 20 minutes for this to build up pressure before cooking.
    Once done, do a quick release.  
  • When the pin drops, carefully remove lid.  Stir in the ricotta cheese.  The noodles will appear clumped together, they are cooked and will be separated as you stir in cheese.  No worries, they are ok.
  • Next stir in the mozzarella cheese and put lid back on for a few minutes to allow cheese to warm up.
    Serve and enjoy!

Notes

We cook with less salt then many people so we use low sodium broth, no salt added canned tomatoes and also no salt added ricotta.  Half of us added a touch of salt onto our plates, but the other half did not.  
This was made perfectly in the 6 quart and would not fit as is in the 3 quart.  You may be able to try it by halving it, but it hasn’t been tested in the 3 quart. 
Keyword Chicken, Instant Pot, Pasta

Cast Iron Boneless Chicken Thighs

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Cast iron boneless chicken thighs are a dish that everybody loves here. No worries, they are easy to make. They have crunchies to add a great flavor to the top of them, but you do have to do them in a cast iron pan. You will not get these crunchies with another pan.

Have I mentioned my love affair with my cast iron pan before? Yeah I probably have before. It is one of the most versatile pans one can have in their kitchen! New to cast iron and not convinced you will like them? Learn more about why I love my cast iron pans.

Boneless skinless chicken thighs are amazing for dinner. They don’t dry out as easy as chicken breasts do so no worries if you cooked them a little longer, just be sure that they are cooked all the way through.

We also love grilled boneless chicken thighs when the weather is nice, but you won’t get the crunchies on the grill like you do in this recipe.

Prepping the cast iron chicken thighs

You want to start out mixing the dry rub ingredients together – salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, paprika and turmeric. Rub the spices onto top and and bottom of the boneless chicken thighs and let them sit for about 10 minutes. While they sit out, you can chop your garlic cloves, but they do not get added until the end.

Getting your skillet ready and start cooking

Please note that I have a gas stove with 5 different burner sizes so I do have one that fits the pan well and my stove may heat the pan faster then some stoves. Not a major deal if you do not heat skillet long enough, but for this recipe it is better to be heated well.

Turn your burner onto medium and let the skillet warm up. I go for 2 minutes and it is pretty good there. Add the coconut oil and let it melt completely, less then a minute. Coconut oil has a lower smoke point so please do not turn burner up too high and never deep fry with it (just a friendly notice.) But it is safe to use here and at medium temps. I use it all the time when I saute stuff. You can use other oils here, but coconut is my preferred for these thighs.

Next add the chicken to the pan. You should hear it sizzle if the pan is heated enough.

chicken thighs in the pan cooking

As you see, I really need to get the next size up with my pan! These cast iron chicken thighs and my cast iron skillet leg quarters really max out the space in the pan. This is a 12 inch pan.

Cook them for about 10 minutes on each side, until they are no longer pink and are cooked through. This depends on the size of the thighs and the stove.

Remove the thighs from skillet and cover to keep warm. Do not wipe out pan, only take out the chicken.

Oh the Crunchies!

Add butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Next add in the minced garlic, dried minced onion and red pepper flakes, saute for about a minute. Now add the parmesan cheese and stir quickly. Add the chicken back to the pan for a minute on each side. If there is any juice on the plate from it setting out, add that juice too.

Turn off skillet and take chicken back out of pan and onto a serving dish. Take a fork and scrape the crunchies off the bottom of pan (this is the good stuff!) These crunchies are why you can not use any other pan to make these cast iron chicken thighs. They will be stuck to the bottom of stainless steel and non stick (well I don’t like non stick anyway) will just not create them.

crunchies from the garlic, spices and parmesan cheese on the bottom of the skillet

Add some crunchies to the top of the chicken. I also put the rest of the crunchies and some of the liquid in a serving bowl so we can add more on each piece if wanted. Enjoy 🙂

As a Note:

As mentioned above, my stove may cook faster then other stoves (or not as fast as others.) Keep that in mind with the cooking time for the thighs, they are approximate and be sure your chicken is cooked through.

Also I would like to mention again, coconut oil is a great oil to cook with but has a low smoke point – around 350. I use it in my recipes a lot, but please never deep fry with it (or olive oil) and please keep temps at a medium temperature. Do not be afraid to use it, just be aware of it’s smoking point at higher temperatures.

Another quick note if you are new to cast iron – the whole pan will be hot. Never touch the handle without a pot holder.

Cast Iron Boneless Chicken Thighs

Dawn
Only a cast iron pan can create these delicious crunchies to add on top of your boneless chicken thighs.  Very easy to make and the kids will love it!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 502 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 8 thighs
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil virgin unrefined
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp dried minced onion
  • 3 tbsp parmesan cheese
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Dry rub

  • 1/4 tsp turmeric ground
  • 1 tsp paprika ground
  • 1/2 tsp cumin ground
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper ground

Instructions
 

  • Prepare dry rub and rub it on both sides of chicken thighs.  Let them sit for about 10 minutes.  
  • Heat cast iron pan on medium for about 2 minutes, electric stoves might require a little longer.  Add oil to the pan and wait for it to be completely melted, about a minute or less.
  • Add chicken thighs to the pan, they should sizzle when you add them.  If they don’t, they may require a longer cooking time.  
    Cook for about 10 minutes on each side, until they are no longer pink and cooked all the way through.  Do not flip over before the 10 minute mark.
    Remove chicken thighs from pan and cover to keep warm.  Leave the oil/chicken juice in the pan and keep it on medium heat.
  • Add the butter to the pan and melt.  
    Add the minced garlic, red pepper flakes and dried minced onion to the pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
    Add the parmesan cheese and mix it in immediately.
  • Add the chicken thighs and any juice they lost while resting back into the pan.  Cook chicken for about 1 minute on each side.  Remove from pan and put in a serving dish.
  • Scrape the crunchies off the bottom of the pan and put some on the chicken thighs.  Put the rest of the crunchies and some liquid in the pan into a bowl in case anybody wants extras on their chicken.
    Enjoy!

Notes

The 2 and a half pounds is an estimate.  We usually use a little more but our family eats a lot.
Our stove may heat up the pan and cook differently then yours.  If you are a seasoned cast iron cook, please use your tried and true method for pan heating.  If you are new to cast iron, you can use these guidelines for heating pan but note that you will need to add cooking time if your chicken doesn’t sizzle when it hits the pan.
 
Electric stoves will require more heat up time as well.  
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Keyword boneless chicken thighs, cast iron

Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew

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Beef Stew

A couple weeks ago I felt intimidated by this kitchen gadget called the Instant Pot. I was putting off cooking in it since it seemed overwhelming at the time – like in my post Getting the Instant Pot. Wish I was kidding, but nope I was making it out to be way more complicated then it is! Fast forward a couple weeks and I have made several recipes in it and actually started to make my own already too. And here is where my easy instant pot beef stew was born!

Quick and Easy Beef Stew

This is so much quicker then making it on the stove, cooking it for hours. It is a lot quicker then a crockpot that takes about 10 hours for the meat to be tender. I love my crockpot, not picking on it but this is much faster on a busy night.

The way I made it, it took a little over an hour including cutting the vegetables. The pressure took about 20 minutes to build up and I cooked it for 30 minutes. I also did a natural release for about 10 minutes before manually releasing it for the rest.

Once all the ingredients were added, it is nice to walk away. When cooking it on the stove you have to keep an eye on it. Not in the Instant Pot!

Making the Instant Pot Beef Stew

First I chop my veggies starting with the potatoes. Chop potatoes into large bite size chunks so they cook nicely. I soak the potato chunks in some cold water until adding them to the stew. I find it easier to have the vegetables all cut and ready before starting, but some people like to chop while cooking meat.

In a large plastic bag (or you could use a bowl if preferred) combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add the beef to the bag/bowl and toss to fully coat the meat.

Using the saute feature, add the oil to the Instant Pot and then sear the beef. I had to do this in 2 rounds to not over crowd the beef, but I think if it was all done in one round it would be ok. Just be sure to try to brown all sides of the beef. This should only take a couple minutes, you don’t want to fully cook the beef, just sear the sides. Hit cancel on your Instant Pot.

Next you add everything together. I added the vegetables first followed by the broth and then the spices. Stir it all together and as you see, the liquid doesn’t have to perfectly cover everything in order for it to cook.

Add all the ingredients together

Close the lid and seal the vent. Hit the Pressure Cook button (or manual on some models) and set it to 30. You can walk away for now. That was real easy, right? Once it is done, let it do a natural release for at least 10 minutes before doing it manually. Voila, dinner is served!

This time we didn’t, but often we serve ours over egg noodles. We also had dinner rolls which I bought (I know I cheated this time shhh.)

As a Note

Instant Pot beef stew calls for stew meat but sometimes a roast is cheaper on sale. You can buy a roast and cut it into cubes. I have also made beef stew with steak that I cut into cubes (tho a roast has better texture.)

Also if it isn’t thick enough for you, add some cornstarch to cold water and stir well. I would use equal amounts of cornstarch and water. Add a little at a time to your stew while stirring it in. This will thicken it up nicely. You could also use flour mixed with water to thicken.

Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew

Dawn
Enjoy hearty beef stew in a shorter amount of time and without stirring on the stove! This is our new go to for making stew.  
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
pressure build and release 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 455 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 lbs beef stew meat or roast cubed into stew meat
  • 4 cups beef broth low sodium
  • 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 lbs potatoes in large bite size chunks
  • 3 carrots peeled and sliced
  • 3 stalks celery sliced
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bay leaf remove before serving
  • 1/2 tsp thyme dried
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper ground
  • 1/2 tsp rosemary dried

Instructions
 

  • Chop and slice all the vegetables and the garlic.  The potatoes should be in large bite size chunks.  Keep the cut potatoes in cold water until adding to stew.
  • In a large plastic storage bag (or a bowl) mix together flour, salt and pepper.  Add the beef and toss to fully coat.  Allow to sit for about 5 minutes.
  • Select Saute on your Instant Pot and once warmed up, add the olive oil.  Sear the meat browning it on all sides.  I did 2 rounds to cook easier.  It only takes about a minute on each side.  Once beef is seared (only browned on outside not cooked through), hit cancel on the Instant Pot.
  • Add your cut vegetables, garlic and broth.  Then add your thyme, rosemary and Italian seasoning.  Stir well.  Add bay leaf on top.
  • Close the lid and seal the vent.  Select Pressure Cook (manual on some models) and set the time to 30.  It took ours about 20 minutes to build up pressure – we have the 6 quart.  When it is finished, allow it to naturally release for at least 10 minutes before doing a quick release.  Enjoy 🙂 

Notes

As a note: You may want your stew a little thicker.  We often put ours over egg noodles.  If you want it thicker, use cornstarch and water to thicken after it has released.  Mix equal parts of corn starch and cold water until it is mixed well.  Add slowly into the stew while stirring the stew.  It will thicken nicely.
 
I sometimes use a roast if it is cheaper then stew meat.  You can cube it yourself.  We used closer to 3 lbs and it still fit in the Instant Pot.
Keyword Beef Stew, Instant Pot

I hope you enjoy your easy Instant Pot beef stew! It is my first creation in this amazing kitchen gadget.

Planning Your Own Wedding

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Planning your wedding day

Did you get engaged this Valentine’s Day? Congrats and we wish you a happy marriage! It is a big day for engagements and other amazing things. No matter what day you get engaged, planning your wedding can be fun and overwhelming at the same time. Yes it can be a big excitement but then you quickly get overwhelmed when you notice all the details involved.

Here are a few tips to keep yourself sane and on track during the planning. There is more to do, but these tips will help you out with your planning.

This post contains affiliate links which means that if you purchase something after clicking the links here on our site, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps me keep content free for you and keeps the coffee brewing at our house.

Ask for Help Planning Your Wedding

This will be the best day of your life, marrying your true love, your best friend. Trust me you will get it all together 🙂 But planning a wedding shouldn’t be done alone. Having help will make it much more enjoyable and less stressful.

You can (but don’t have to) hire a wedding planner. I personally prefer to turn to friends and family since they know you better then anybody. Your friends are always there for you and want what is best for you. I am sure that they will be just as excited as you! And be sure to keep your fiance in the loop. The two of you are going to be sharing the rest of your lives together, be sure you are working together for you wedding as well.

Planning your own wedding can be a lot of fun so before you rush out to give all of the fun to a professional, check out this free resource from Shari’s Berries – 12 Free Wedding Planner Binder Printables. This will help greatly and even if you decide to hire somebody, this will be a great resource to have so you have a sense of direction!

Do not feel guilty if you hire a planner instead of turning to your bestie either. It is your day and your choice. She can still be a part of it if you choose, but sometimes we feel more confident with a professional.

Not all Wedding Invitations are the Same

Do be careful with who you choose to do your invitations. Request samples to see what they will look like. One place I like is Paperless Post. I am not affiliated so I do not earn a commission on any sale resulting from you clicking over there. They make it easy to design from templates or adding your own pictures. You can do digital delivery (or traditional) so you know if people opened your invite. Paperless Post is not just for weddings either, I had done a post a while back about them as well – Creating Your Own Personalized Stationary.

Whoever you choose to use for your invitations, be sure to create some early and try them out first. What they look like online might not be what they look like in person.

Create Bridal and Wedding Registries

To insure you get what you really want, be sure to create registries. Not everybody will know what you want or need. Some people live together for years before getting married and have a lot of plates and silverware. You may not need any but it is a popular wedding gift when people don’t know what to get.

I would create some at brick and mortar stores for some people who only shop in the stores. Many people are still not comfortable with shopping online. I also would create registries online. Definitely create one at Amazon – who doesn’t love shopping at Amazon, right?

How to Pay for Your Wedding?

Some people have money saved up which is great – seriously it is not easy to save a lot for a wedding and a house together. Pat yourself on the back if you did!

Whether you saved enough money or not, it could be a huge benefit to use credit cards to pay for the wedding. The rewards, think of the rewards! Want to learn more about all the advantages and great cards? You will love How to Rack up Credit Card Rewards from Your Wedding from CreditCards.com- I absolutely love their site for credit tips and advice. Their site is free to use and gives you amazing tips on credit cards and other credit advice.

Other Great Articles for Planning Your Wedding

If you Google about planning your wedding, you will get a ton of things coming up! These are the 3 articles that I think are great for couples who are planning their own wedding. They are even worth the read if you decide to hire a planner.

The magazine Real Simple has a great checklist on their site called The Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist. It is free and definitely something you will want to check out. It breaks down when you should do each part of the planning.

Brides also has a great article for brides who are planning their own wedding. Even if you are hiring a wedding planner, I would read 33 Tips for a Bride Planning Her Own Wedding.

LifeHacker has an article that will help you simplify your planning along with some ways to save money too. The article The Best Tools to Simplify Your Wedding Planning is great place to find tools from printing your invitations to deciding where to have your wedding.

Trouva has an article that I absolutely love and think the wedding party and the guests will enjoy this! The Ultimate Wedding Guest Guide is an article that will help the guests with some great gift ideas – soon to be Mrs, you might find some things you really like there wink wink. They also offer some tips for the guests to dress nicely for your wedding. We all want our day to be perfect and I am sure your guests do too!

Wishing You the Perfect Day

Remember this is your day, well of course your fiance’s day too 🙂 The decisions being made need to be what you want them to be. Do not let anybody else talk you into plans that you are not happy with.

You are the one in control and calling the plans. Everybody can help you but please do not let somebody walk over you with decisions. This sounds obvious but can happen easier then you think.

Wedding planning doesn’t have to be scary, it can be very fun. So have some fun with it and do it the way you want. We wish you the perfect day and a very happy rest of your life together!

Dawn’s Amazing Meatloaf

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The perfect Meatloaf

Meatloaf is something we enjoy here in our household when it is homemade. I don’t eat it out tho and probably never will. It is easy to make and is a flavorful dish that everybody looks forward to. But the thought of it in a diner kind of scares me.

I Tried Something New in our Meatloaf

I have been making meatloaf for years and have tried a few different recipes. They were all good, but I wanted something without a ton of added extra ingredients. Something simple and better for you.

We have tried ones with stuffing in it – this is really good but the ingredients in the boxed chicken stuffing is crazy. I also made one with beefy onion soup but again, the ingredients you add from the soup are a bit much. We needed something with simple and easy to pronounce ingredients. When I look at the ingredients of the soups, I cannot even pronounce half of the stuff – I don’t want that in my meatloaf anymore!

If you share the same love of cheese as I do, you might want to try our Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf Recipe that I posted on our cooking blog The Kitchen and a Latte.

A Healthier Meatloaf

Ok I know you are thinking there is no such thing as healthy meatloaf, but it is healthier. Not saying meatloaf is horrible for you, but it isn’t the healthiest meal you will eat.

Instead of using the soup mix, I made my own mix to add. The cool part is that you can actually pronounce (and probably have) every ingredient in my mix! It would be even healthier if I used homemade bread crumbs and homemade BBQ sauce, but I use a BBQ sauce that is all natural. You can substitute the BBQ sauce for ketchup if that is what you have.

Mixing it Together

In a little bowl I mix the flour and the spices. There is a printable recipe at the bottom of the post with all the amounts. In a big bowl I mix everything but the ground beef. I start with the mushrooms and spice mix first, followed by the breadcrumbs.

Mix the dry ingredients well. Then I add the BBQ sauce, water and eggs.

Dry and wet ingredients mixed before adding beef

Now that you have a thick mix that looks like this picture, you are ready to add the meat. You can use a fork or your hands to mix but make sure it is mixed well.

Baking the Meatloaf

In a 13×9 pan I shape the meatloaf so it is almost as long as the dish.

Meatloaf before baking

I put it in the oven just like this and bake it at 350 for an hour. Nobody in our house likes ketchup so I don’t add it to the top. I bake it like this and after taking it out I use some of the almost solid fat to put on top. Just a tiny bit of it. You will notice in the picture where it is done there is a touch of brownish stuff on top. That is what it is. It almost looks like more, but I really only use about 2 teaspoons (from the table not measured) across the whole top. I use 93% lean beef so it isn’t a problem.

Dawn’s Amazing Meatloaf

Dawn
I have found a healthy way to add flavor without the extra ingredients of onion soup in this meatloaf.  It is a new favorite in our house.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 5
Calories 409 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2.25 lbs lean ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbsp honey BBQ sauce
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp dried minced onion
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.  
    In a small bowl mix together the flour, minced onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  This is your onion soup substitute. 
  • In a large bowl mix together chopped mushroom, onion soup substitute and bread crumbs.  Add in the eggs, water and BBQ sauce.  Combine well.  
  • Add in ground beef and mix well with hands or a fork.  Shape your meatloaf into a long loaf in a 13×9 baking dish (I prefer to use pyrex glass baking dishes.)  
  • Bake at 350 for about an hour.  Remove from oven and take a little bit – a spoon or 2 – of the thick fat that cooked out of the meatloaf and spread it on top sparingly.  Cover with foil and let it rest covered for about 10 minutes before serving.
    Enjoy!
Keyword meatloaf

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Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Leg Quarters

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One thing I love and will never give up (no matter how many gadgets I get) is my cast iron pans. Did I say never? Ok, we are clear. It can be intimidating to some, but it is my favorite go to when doing chicken leg quarters in a skillet. I am pretty convinced that once you try cast iron, you too will love it. There are several things I make in it including parmesan pan fried chicken – made with boneless chicken breasts.

This is an easy two step recipe that you fry the leg quarters and then bake but no worries, you are using the same pan for it all. I use my 12 inch cast iron pan because I never went out and upgraded to the bigger pan yet (it is the only time I usually need it so I haven’t gotten to that point of convincing myself yet.) I would highly recommend you use a bigger size if you have it.

There is a printable recipe at the bottom as well.

As a Note

I have a gas stove and I am at a lower altitude then many people. My oven has a convection setting to roast and bake along with regular. I used the convection with the fan but you can use the regular oven as well (I have used the oven both ways making these.)

Coconut oil has a lower smoke point so I keep the temperature of the oven at 375 and frying doesn’t get higher then medium. When I add spices for the dry rub, I add each spice directly to the chicken (it is a habit that I have never got out of.) I will give you an idea of how much of each spice to mix together and put it on as a dry rub. You may not need it all tho, season to what you think would be reasonable.

On to the juicy details…

Prepping the Leg Quarters

I use a package of 4 leg quarters for this. Make sure to take the extra fat clump off that is usually on the bottom of the thigh. I add the spices one at a time and rub them in but making a mix will do the same thing. You will add the spices: cumin, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper onto each leg quarter. Let them sit for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375.

While it is sitting out, cut up 3 cloves of garlic.

Getting the Cast Iron Pan Ready and Adding the Leg Quarters

I don’t preheat my pan before adding the fat (whichever cooking fat/oil/butter) you are going to use. Put in the coconut oil – about 2 tablespoons and turn the burner on to medium – medium high. This depends on your stove and you will know it better then I.

As soon as the coconut oil is liquid, add in 1 tablespoon of dried minced onion and your chopped up garlic. Stir it and immediately put the chicken in the pan skin side down.

Starting the chicken skin side down in the pan
Leg quarters skin side down

As I mentioned above, I really should upgrade to the next size pan. These chicken leg quarters barely fit in my cast iron pan. It is ok, it works and they cook down a little bit.

You want to sear the leg quarters a little bit to get a crispy skin. I cook them skin side down first for about 7 minutes. Then flip them over carefully so the skin is up. It is important that the skin side is up when it goes in the oven so it gets crispy.

Flipping the chicken over so it is skin side up

Cook the chicken leg quarters for about 6 minutes with the skin up and then turn off the burner. Let it sit for 1 minute (I don’t like it sizzling on it’s way in the oven and this gives the oil a minute to stop sizzling.) The cast iron pan will hold most of the heat for that minute so it won’t cool your food down. Put it in the oven now and bake for about 35-40 minutes. You will have amazing chicken legs that are rather easy in one cast iron skillet!

Cast Iron Leg Quarters

Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Leg Quarters

Dawn
Cast Iron makes this recipe incredibly easy and gives it an amazing flavor.  The chopped garlic in the oil at the bottom of the pan creates a mild but tasty garlic flavor throughout the whole leg quarter and not just on the skin.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 54 mins
Total Time 1 hr 4 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 389 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 leg quarters
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil virgin unrefined
  • 1 tbsp dried minced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375
    Mix together your dry rub ingredients: parsley, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Rub the spice mix on the leg quarters and let them sit out for about 10 minutes.  Chop your garlic while the chicken sits out.
  • Add coconut oil to the cast iron pan.  You should use 12 inch or bigger for these to fit.  Turn burner on to medium heat.  As soon as the coconut oil is liquid, stir in the dried minced onion and garlic.  Immediately put the leg quarters in skin side down,
  • Sear the chicken skin side down for 7 minutes and carefully flip them over so the skin is facing up.  Cook for another 6 minutes then turn off burner and let stand for 1 minute before putting in oven.
  • Put in the oven on center rack and bake for 35-40 minutes or when the temperature of the thickest part reaches 165.  

Notes

I have a gas stove which makes a difference with the burners, you might need to turn your stove up a little more.  Coconut oil has a low smoke point so if using it, do not turn up the oven temp.
Our oven has a convection roast feature with the fan which is the setting I used, but you can use the regular oven as well.
Keyword cast iron, Chicken, leg quarters

Getting the Instant Pot

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I have been playing with the idea of getting the Instant Pot since Christmas 2017. Yup for a little over a year I have been debating. We had just got the Ninja Auto IQ multi cooker around then and figured I didn’t need another cooker. Nobody I know really knew much about the Instant Pot at that point. I honestly thought it was similar to gadgets I already had. Fast forward to today and all I see are recipes for this raved about pressure cooker! Everywhere online are yummy recipes for it and so I decided that now was the time to be one of the cool kids.

I really thought that my Ninja would do everything the same (little did I know!) Do not get me wrong, I love my Ninja and wouldn’t trade it for anything. It is an amazingly simple go to small appliance so please don’t think that I am retiring it. Only thing is that it isn’t a pressure cooker. At least not the one we have, they do have them now. What else can I put a bunch of ingredients into one big dish and turn it onto a particular preset meal number and viola, dinner is served in around 30 minutes (give or take depending on the recipe) like our Italian Chicken and Pasta. It knows when to saute, when to turn the oven bake on and when to use stove top. My Auto IQ can do everything (except be a pressure cooker.) Sorry little buddy but you can’t be everything.

Adapting to my Instant Pot

So now I have the Instant Pot but I haven’t taken it out of the box yet. I need to find recipes that I want to make in it. There are so many online that I am struggling to decide which one to do! And it has to be an easy one to start. Not sure why, but it almost seems complicated to use to me when I see the recipes. Maybe it is me adapting from a device that does it all with one button and I need to expand. I often make complicated meals on the stove and in the oven but keep my gadgets simple.

Once I get the hang of it then I am sure I will be sharing our own recipes but I have got to figure out how it works and try other recipes first.
Now I must tell myself “just take it out of the box and make anything even if it is dessert!”

If you have been thinking about getting the Instant Pot, this is the one I got:

They had a bigger one and a more expensive one, but I don’t think I need to go all out with the expensive ones. This one will definitely work. It’s a 6 qt so it is close to the size of my crockpots and it is the same size as my Ninja. The 8 Qt was tempting to get but I don’t imagine needing it that often for 4 of us, even with my family’s appetites!