My kids can’t get enough of my oven-baked chicken nuggets. They would eat fast-food nuggets any day of the week, but I would rather avoid them whenever possible. My good friend gave me her delicious nugget recipe and I modified it a little for our family. It’s one of those kid-friendly recipes that the whole family loves. My husband’s even happy when chicken nuggets are on the menu!

I’m sharing this recipe today in honor of Perdue Chicken’s America’s Best Chicken Dishes contest. I have some FREE chicken to giveaway today and I’ll tell you how to win free chicken for a year!!!

This recipe is so forgiving. I adjust it based on what I have on hand. Here’s what you need.

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (Approximately 3 breasts. I used Perdue)
• 1 cup buttermilk (Don’t have buttermilk on hand? Use this substitute.)
• 1 cup of bread crumbs (I use Panko because they add extra crunch)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon sugar (you can leave this out, but I think it adds extra yum.)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Approximately 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs (I used basil, oregano and flat-leaf parsley because that’s what I had. Rosemary, sage and thyme are all good. No fresh herbs? Use dried, but cut the amount in half.)

Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces, cover it with the buttermilk and let it soak in the fridge. I like to do this the night before and let it soak overnight, but as little as 1 hour works. The buttermilk helps tenderize the chicken and adds moisture.

Next, mix up your coating. I like to whir the Parmesan cheese and the herbs in my mini-chop.

Then mix all your dry ingredients (including the cheese/herb mixture) in a bowl.

Remove your chicken pieces from the buttermilk and toss them in the breadcrumb mixture until they’re well coated.

I like to cook them on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet. Just make sure you spray the rack with some cooking spray. Bake the nuggets in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Now, how about some FREE CHICKEN? I have 2 VIP Vouchers for the Perdue Oven-Ready Roaster (up to $12.99) and 2 VIP Vouchers for the Perdue Perfect Portions boneless, skinless chicken breasts (up to $9.99). Just leave me a comment telling me your favorite way to prepare chicken and you may win!

And if if you want to win free chicken for a year, then check out Perdue’s America’s Best Chicken Recipes contest on Facebook. Share you favorite way to perpare chicken you could win free chicken for a year! Contest is open until September 30th.

PS…The salad that I served with my nuggets is Tortellini Salad with Tomatoes, Artichokes and Olives from Baked Bree. LOVE! It’s one of my go-to pot luck dishes.

Chicken Nuggets Aren’t Just for Kids is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Last week, I decided it was finally time to organize my pantry. And by “organize”, I mean dig into the back corners of the closet and remove bag-fulls of expired food including a can of sweetened condensed milk from 2004. I kid you not. We moved that can from at least two different houses.

I’ve had “clean out the pantry” on my to-do list for a while, but, like most projects, I started it on a whim and in a flurry of activity. I had a morning to myself so I started pulling everything out of the pantry and stacking it on the kitchen counters and the island. I didn’t start with much of a plan and it was at this peak of chaos that I decided I needed one.

Enter Uncle Google. I started by searching for things like “How to organize a pantry“. I was looking for someone to tell me what to store on each shelf of the pantry. What should go on the top shelf? What should go on the floor?

Instead, I found pictures of the most beautifully organized and decorated pantries that you’ve ever seen. There were color coordinate containers for all the pastas and baking supplies. Labeled wicker baskets for chips, mixes and snacks. The pantries were painted, wallpapered and stenciled. The labels were beautifully handwritten, chalkboarded or printed on the computer.

I wanted to cry. For real. It took everything in me not to stuff everything back in my pantry and call it quits. My pantry wasn’t going to look like that. I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on organizers. And I didn’t have the time or energy to make it beautiful. I just wanted to get rid of the food that might poison my family and have it organized enough to be able to find what I need.

I hesitate to link to any of these incredible, Taj-Mahal pantries for fear that someone will think I’m making fun. Trust me. I’m not. When I grow up, I want to have a beautifully decorated pantry with a crystal chandelier and matching wall sconces. For now, I just want to be able to find the cornbread mix before it sprouts real corn stalks.

So, after a few deep breaths and a pep talk, I got back to work. Here are a few tips that I learned along the way.

1. Touch everything once.

Some organizers say to pull everything out of an overloaded pantry and then organize and sort once you see what you have. For me, it worked better to sort and purge as I emptied the pantry. If it was expired, it went straight into a trash bag. If it was something we won’t eat, it went into the box for the Food Pantry. The only things left on my counters were the fresh foods that we’ll actually eat. I was slightly horrified that I got rid of 4 garbage bags of food. What a waste.

2. Put stuff where little people can reach it.

For some reason, I’ve always had the cereal and snack foods on the top two shelves of the pantry. That meant the kids had to climb on counter stools or, more likely, ask me to get everything for them. I moved those things down to the lower shelves so that the boys can get their own cereal and snacks. Next up? Moving the cereal bowls and drinking glasses to lower shelves too. I can’t believe it took me 8 years of having children to figure this out.

3. Dollar Tree is your friend.

As much as I would love perfectly mis-matched containers for all my pantry supplies, it wasn’t in the budget right now. Instead, I spend $5 at the Dollar Tree and got a few plastic boxes and baskets to help keep things organized. There are two lidded containers to corral drink mixes and hot cereal packets and three small baskets for baking mixes, bags of chips and other snack foods.

4. Give the kids their own spot.

I used one of my plastic baskets as a snack spot for the kids. It’s filled with raisins, granola bars and fruit cups. Now when they ask for a snack, I can say “Help yourself to anything in the basket!”. I feel like a genius.

5. Get a little creative.

If there was one thing I wanted to buy, it was some of those step-thingies you use to organize your canned goods. But they’re kind of expensive, so it wasn’t happening. Instead, I put a couple of shoe boxes on one of the shelves to stack things on top and in front of. Now I can actually see what’s in there. Yes, I know that creates a lot of wasted space, but that space is where I end up parking cans of condensed milk for nearly a decade anyway. If you’re looking for something a little more sturdy, Danny Lipford made a short video showing you how to use 2×4′s to make your own canned goods riser.

6. There’s not one “right” system.

You’ve got to figure it out for yourself. Every family uses their pantry in a different way. We all use different products too, so the way we organize is going to be different. Here’s what’s working for me right now…from the top shelf down.

• Top shelf: Baking mixes and pasta
• Shelf 2: Side dishes, chips and pretzels, oils and some seasonings
• Shelf 3: Condiments, dressings, sauces and peanut butter
• Shelf 4: Cereal, drink mixes and kid’s snacks
• Shelf 5: Canned goods
• Floor: Oversized items like jars of oil, vinegars and drink mixes

And there you have it. My mostly organized pantry. It’s may not be stunningly beautiful, but it’s good enough.

Tell me about your pantry? Is it beautifully organized, good enough or a total disaster?

How to Organize a Pantry The Good Enough Way is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

If we’re friends on facebook (if not, why?), then you may have heard me shouting giddily (is that a word?) that I canned some tomatoes the other day. This was truly a new adventure for me, because my only experience with actual canning involves hungrily opening up the jars of tomatoes, beans, pickles, etc. that someone else has lovingly preserved.

My mother-in-law has canned her own food since forever and brought her equipment (and her tomatoes!) to my kitchen to teach me the process. She will surely kill me for posting her picture. And yes, that is a jar of Benefiber on my counter. Also coconut oil, gluten-free pretzels, a video game charger, and a few tomatoes that seem to have escaped the sink bath. I’m awesome like that.

Unfortunately, canning and preserving food is kind of a lost art. Probably because it’s become so inexpensive to buy these staples at the grocery. But with food prices going up so quickly, it only seems logical that growing and preserving your own food is going to come back into fashion. Does that mean I’m actually on the cutting edge of something?

I’m not so silly as to try and write a “How to Can Tomatoes” post for you. You’d be much better off checking out Simple Bites for a tutorial. That’s basically the method that we used. Except I wasn’t worried about keeping the tomatoes whole, so we quartered them and really jammed them in the jars. I’ll be chopping and smooshing them up to make chili and spaghetti sauce this winter, so they don’t need to look pretty.

There is something really comforting about knowing that I have some jars of home-grown tomatoes on the shelf. I’m a big fan of having a stash of food in the pantry in case we get snowed in by a blizzard, clobbered by a hurricane or we’re attacked by zombies and we can’t get out to the store. In any of those cases, I’ll be prepared to whip up a batch of sauce or soup with what I have on hand. Unless, of course, the zombies cut the gas line and my stove doesn’t work. Then we’ll be eating tomatoes out of jars which no one but me will enjoy, but if you get hungry enough, right?

End of zombie talk.

How pretty are all those jars? It took about 2 hours and we put up 18 quarts of tomatoes. It’s not nearly as difficult as I imagined. Actually, it’s quite easy.

Do you preserve any of your own food? Are you interested in learning?

Preserving the Bounty: Learning to Can Tomatoes is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Summer has been zipping right along here at Casa Kimba. I can hardly believe it’s the end of July! Didn’t summer seem to last forever when you were a kid?

We’ve been steadily crossing things off our 2011 Summer List. There’s been plenty of painting, gardening, reading, swimming and our gigantic 4th of July party. But I can’t take all of the credit for working through the list. A couple of sleepovers with the Grandmas meant a few things got checked off that I wasn’t involved in. Thanks Grandma!

This Summer List tradition has become so precious to our family because it forces us to be more deliberate with how we spend out time.

A couple of days ago, we decided it was time to cross off “make popsicles”. But I didn’t want to make any old popsicles. I wanted to make homemade fudgesicles. YUM! I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen back in June and knew it was exactly what we needed. These rich, creamy, cool and sweet treats did not disappoint!

Homemade Fudge Popsicles

Makes about 4 regular-sized popsicles (3 ounces) or about 5 in my tiny popsicle molds (which are 2 ounces each). I doubled the recipe and made 8 in the popsicle mold with extra to freeze in a little bowl for myself.

• 2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounce) sugar
• 1 tablespoon (1/4 ounce) cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (1/4 ounce) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon (1/4 ounce) unsalted butter

In a medium the bottom of a medium saucepan over very low heat, gently melt the chocolate chips, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, milk and salt and raise heat to medium. Cook mixture, stirring frequently until it thickens, anywhere between 5 minutes and 10 . Remove from heat, add vanilla and butter and stir until combined.

Set aside to cool slightly then pour into popsicle molds. Freeze. If you’re using regular popsicle sticks (instead of the lids), freeze the mixture in the molds for 30 minutes then add the sticks.

One tip for you…

My tiny molds were perfect for these fudge popsicles. They’re very rich, so the 2 oz size was just enough. I won my popsicle molds playing bingo at the family reunion, but you can find a similar set here on Amazon for less than $6.

Have you made a sweet summer treats? Definitely try these incredible fudgesicles. You won’t regret it. Although they may spoil you for the store-bought version.

The Summer List Update and Homemade Fudgesicles is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Strawberry freezer jam is thoroughly delish and now that I know how to make it, I never buy regular jam at the store. It’s so simple to make and since the berries aren’t cooked, like regular jam, the flavor is fresh and sweet.

Right now is prime strawberry jam making time because the farmer’s markets are overflowing with red, ripe strawberries. Last year, I made 25 jars of this sweet goodness. That was enough to last our family for the year and I had plenty to share.

Try your farmer’s markets for good deals on local berries. The stand down the street from my house sells “yesterday’s berries” for 1/2 price. They’re a little soft which makes them perfect for jam.

Check out my post from last year that gives you the step-by-step instructions for making Strawberry Freezer Jam using either Ball or Sure-Jell pectin. They’re very different, so it was an interesting experiment. I also give you my all-time favorite freezer jam recipe.

Now get jamming!

It’s Freezer Jam Time! is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I have a confession to make. There was a time in my life when entertaining at home stressed me out. A lot. And it was my own fault.

I made entertaining too complicated.

Every gathering turned into a major party, because I didn’t understand the joy that comes from connecting with just a few friends over dinner. I pulled out my fancy cookbooks and tried out fancy new recipes that didn’t always work out. I scrambled to finish complicated decorations and my mood always suffered. I smiled on the outside, but by the time my guests arrived, I was stressed and tired. It was impossible for me to relax and enjoy my company.

The more I tried to entertain this way, the more reluctant I became. It was too hard.

Then something began to change. People came into my life who made it look easy, so I studied them. And I began to realize that the best hostesses weren’t the ones who cooked a fancy meal or had an immaculate home. The best hostess was the one who enjoyed connecting with her company. All the other stuff was unimportant.

In July of 2008, my husband and I moved into a new house. We were convinced that the Lord wanted us to be very open with our home. We needed to connect with our family and friends in a more personal way.

I knew that I had to keep it simple if we were going to open our home to company more frequently. Summer has become my favorite time to entertain and this is my go-to meal. It lets me spend my time focused on my guests and not myself.

Hot dogs on the grill. That’s all. Not hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and kielbasa. Just hot dogs. I’m a bit of a hot dog snob, so I get the all meat ones from the butcher. But they’re still just hot dogs.

A big bowl of juicy watermelon. Sometimes it’s cantaloupe or honeydew depending on that I find at the store. Not fancy tropical fruit salad with lemon basil dressing. Just a big bowl of cut fruit. Delish!

Corn on the cob served straight from the stove. Nothing screams summer to me like yummy corn on the cob rolled in butter and sprinkled with salt. And nothing could be easier to make. Just shuck it on the back porch (I sometimes ask my guests to do this) and steam it in a big pot for 5-6 minutes. Done.

The condiments go right on the table. No sense dirtying up more dishes for serving ketchup.

Dessert is easy too. I let someone else bring it. Someone always asks “What can I bring?”. So I ask them to bring dessert and I always have popsicles in the freezer for the kids. Easy as pie…or cake…or pudding.

And, in case you’re wondering, that lemonade up there is Country Time.

Keeping things simple has made all the difference for me. I love being able to connect with my guests when I’m not stressed and tired.

Linking up to Centsational Girl’s Summer Linky!

Check out Sandy’s 30 Days of Summer Entertaining for lots of beautiful inspiration.

What’s you’re favorite summertime dinner?

It’s Summertime and the Entertaining is Easy is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

When I was a kid, there was no bigger treat than the Coke ICEE. Just thinking about it now takes me back to being 9 or 10 years old. They sold them at a little shop in the mall (that also sold fried fish for take out – weird) and it was such a huge treat to sip one in the summer heat.

I actually squealed yesterday when I saw Bridget’s post on how to make a Coke ICEE at home! (Thanks to Amy’s Notebook for sharing the link.)

You just use an ice cream maker and some cold Coke to whip up your own delicious slushy. Check out the post at Bake at 350 for the simple how-to.

But here’s my dilemma. I don’t have an ice cream maker and I’m generally opposed to single-purpose appliances like ice cream makers. But I want to do this so badly that I’m thinking about cashing in some of my Swagbucks on an Amazon gift card and snapping up this Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.

If you don’t already use Swagbucks, it’s a way to search the internet (instead of Google or Yahoo) that lets you earn “bucks” or points that can be redeemed for free stuff like gift cards. I always use my Swagbucks to snag Amazon gift cards.

You’ll want to download the toolbar so it’s easy to use Swagbucks all the time. You’ll slowly earn points that you can redeem for gift cards. You can earn more Swagbucks fast if you tell all your friends and get them to sign up under your referral code. Then you earn from their searches too! Over the last 1-1/2 years, I’ve earned nearly $500 in Amazon gift cards just from searching with Swagbucks.

So back to the Coke ICEE/Ice Cream Maker thing…Tell me what you think. Do you have an ice cream maker? Do you use it? Is it worth the money? Should I just go find a take-out fried fish store and buy an ICEE?

Summer Nostalgia is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I love trying out new recipes. Especially when I already have all the ingredients in my pantry. When I stumbled across this recipe for Farmhouse Apple Cake, I clipped it out the paper and got to work.

This dessert is so jam-packed full of apples, that you can’t really call it a cake. I prefer to think of it as a tart or even a full serving of fruit. Work with me here.

Farmhouse Apple Cake

8 tablespoons unsalted butter – 1 tablespoon for greasing pan, plus 7 more
1/2 cup whole milk
5 Golden Delicious apples
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9 or 10-inch springform pan. You can also wrap the bottom of the pan with tin foil so it doesn’t leak.

Measure the milk into a microwavable measuring cup. Cut 7 tablesppons of butter into pieces and add to the milk. Microwave for a minute or two, until the butter is just melted. Set aside to cool.

Peel, core and quarter the apples. Slice the apple quarters into thin slices, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. I used my mandolin, but you can also do it by hand.

Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with a wire wisk until the sugar is dissolved. This take about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, then add the milk-butter mixture and the vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Quickly stir in the baking powder.

Fold in the sliced apples and pour the mixture into the pan.

Place the pan directly on the floor of the gas oven for 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to the center rack and bake until cake is well browned on top and knife inserted into the center comes out clean, for about an hour longer.

If you have an electric oven, place the pan on the lowest rack for the entire cooking time.

Place the cake on a cooling rack. When cool enough to handle, run a thin knife around the cake and remove the springform ring. Serve warm.

I, of course, couldn’t wait for it to cool and I pulled out the first slice a little too soon which lead to a somewhat messy slice. But nothing that a little caramel sauce and whipped cream couldn’t disguise.

Subsequent slices came out more cleanly…and equally deliciously.

Linking up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Farmhouse Apple Cake is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I love a good Easter ham. And, perhaps even more, I love good leftover Easter ham. On a biscuit. With cheese. Yum.

Now that our fridge is full of yummy leftovers, including ham (thanks Mom!), I knew it was the perfect time to try out this amazing 2-Ingredient Biscuit recipe that I found in the newspaper a few months ago.

I didn’t believe you could create a fluffy, delicious biscuit with only 2 ingredients…self-rising flour and whipping cream. But it’s true! Cue the angels singing!!!

Here’s the ridiculously simple recipe:

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 cup whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine flour and cream in a mixing bowl until just blended. The dough will be stiff. I added a few more splashes of cream to loosen it up a bit.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 5-10 times.
4. Roll to 1/2″ thickness and cut with a 3″ biscuit cutter (or a floured glass like I did).
5. Place biscuits close together on a lightly greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.

If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can substitute 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt for each cup of self-rising flour.

I was very skeptical when I saw there were only 2 ingredients. But it works and Oh. My. Word. Delish. They’re fluffy, tender and all kinds of yummy.

The only downside to this recipe is that the biscuits don’t keep well. You need to make ‘em and eat ‘em. No problem. They’re so easy that you can whip ‘em up on a moment’s notice.

Here’s how I love my leftover Easter ham biscuits. A little butter on the bottom biscuit, ham, cheese (preferably swiss, but mild chedder or american will do in a pinch), mustard on the top biscuit.

They’re also yum with my strawberry freezer jam.

Looks like I’m not the only fan of leftover ham biscuits around here.

Biscuit recipe via Relish Magazine

Got Ham? is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Perhaps you’ve heard, but there’s a big football game this weekend! We’re having a Super Bowl party and I thought I would share some of the things that are on our menu. Football food isn’t low-calorie or healthy, so if you can’t handle it, look away now.

Chicken, hot sauce, cheese and chips! If you love buffalo chicken wings, then you definitely want to try this Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe! It’s one of my all-time faves because it’s all the yumminess of buffalo wings without all the bones.

Italian Roast Beef Sandwiches are a staple around our house. We have a nearby meat market where we buy it already made, but this recipe from Tidy Mom is really close to what we’re having. You need to slice it super thin, add some provolone cheese and dip it in the juices. Napkins required.

My own Apple Pear Crisp Fake-Out will be on the menu because it’s ridiculously easy and you need something sweet with all this football food. I’ll pick up some good vanilla ice cream and call it done.

Football food is finger food. This Reuben Dip recipe from The Noble Pig is to-die-for. I make it all the time and it’s ALWAYS a hit. It’s got all the components of a Reuben sandwich mixed together and served all warm, melty and gooey. I just buy sliced corned beef at the deli and mix it all up. Easy as pie…or dip.

Are you going to a Super Bowl Party this weekend?

Sorry Packers fans, but…GO STEELERS!

Super Bowl Food! is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Perhaps I’m a simple girl. And by simple, I mean not very bright….definitely not someone who lives a life of quiet contentment. Because if there’s anything that I struggle with it’s quiet contentment. Can I get an Amen?

What was I talking about?

Oh. How I tricked myself into cleaning my kitchen.

Sometimes a simple change is exactly what I need to get motivated to tackle the mundane chores. The other day I decided to put my dish soap into a pretty pump. It came from the bathroom section of Target and is actually meant for hand-soap, but it works perfectly fine for dish soap too.

I usually just have the bottle of Palmolive sitting on the sink. And yes. That’s how my sink looks every day.

But I put the soap into a pretty container and before I knew it I had:

• Fly-Lady-ed up my sink
• Cleaned all the burnt- on gunk off the stove-top
• Organized my spice drawer
• Dumped all the crumbs out of the toaster. (On a side note, I think I had enough crumbs in there to feed an entire flock of birds.)
• Cleaned out the microwave using this tip.

Those are all chores that I procrastinate doing. But somehow making a pretty little change to my sink got the ball rolling. I tricked myself into getting my work done.

See? I’m simple.

Do you have any tricks for getting yourself motivated to clean?

Quick Tip: The Dish Soap is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

OH YUM! Today’s post comes from one of my newest blogging friends, Melanie Flinn of Nutritious Eats. I discovered her site a few weeks ago and was immediately smitten with her delicious recipes and her practical attitude toward healthy eating. Cause we all know that healthy food isn’t any good unless it tastes good too.

I asked Melanie to share an idea for a quick and delicious holiday appetizer that wouldn’t make me feel guilty as I eat it. She came through in a big way! I think you’re gonna love Nutritious Eats. Here’s Melanie:

I can’t believe how fast this month is flying by! I have a few appetizers to share with you before the Holiday season is over and this one is by far my favorite. The flavor profile is amazing and the great part is that it includes a lot of ingredients that are likely in your pantry or fridge.

I love cheese as an appetizer, but we all know that it’s easy to consume a lot when part of a large cheese tray. Consuming a lot of cheese equals consuming a lot of saturated fat and calories. One of the benefits of goat cheese is that it’s lower in saturated fat and calories compared to regular cow milk cheese. It is one of my favorite cheeses and if you think you don’t like it, you should try it marinated with all of these flavors.

Interesting facts about goat cheese (chevre):

• It’s is easier to digest than many other cheeses. Good news for those lactose intolerant folks!
• The high digestibility of goat cheese results from the unusual structure of its fats, which are made up of short-chain fatty acids. Their small size makes them easier to break down and digest than the larger-chain fats of cow’s milk and cheese. Who knew?!
• It is almost 40% lower in calories, fat and saturated fat compared to cow’s milk cheese like cheddar. For example 1 oz of goat cheese has: 70 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat. Compare that to 1 oz of cheddar cheese which has 113 calories, 9 grams of fat and 6 grams of saturated fat. Plus a little goes a long way due to strong flavors. I mean, how often do you pop goat cheese in your mouth like you do cheese cubes?

I like that the dipping oil itself is almost like a separate appetizer and will work well for those dinner guests that do not eat cheese- it absorbs so much flavor from the rosemary and thyme. YUM. Another bonus, it can be made ahead of time, even the day before. When I choose dishes to make during the Holidays I I like to plan at least half that can be made ahead of time that way I am not in the kitchen all day…… ha ha….who am I kidding? I will be in the kitchen all day!!

I don’t have any other reasons why you should make this except that: it’s easy, your family and friends will think you’re a rockstar, it’s fancy and oh so tasty.  In fact, I think I will take this to my friend’s New Years Eve party!

This is what you’ll need:

The assembly of this dish couldn’t get much easier and here is your final product. Isn’t she a beauty?!

The crostini I made at home as well. Super simple. Get some wheat bread, cut into slices, drizzle with olive oil and bake!

You will love this. I promise!

Goat Cheese Marinated with Herbs and Lemon
Recipe modified from the Best of Fine Cooking Magazine

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 lb log of goat cheese, cut into 8 rounds
2 Tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
1/2 teaspoon minced capers
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 rosemary sprigs
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
pinch of sea salt or kosher salt

1. In a small, shallow dish, arrange the goat cheese slices in one layer. If the cheese starts to crumble, just use your hands to press it into the slice.
2. Sprinkle with lemon zest, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and thyme. Sprinkle a little sea salt or kosher salt over the dish. Tuck the rosemary sprigs into the dish.
3. Pour the olive oil over the cheese and let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours. It can be served sooner if needed, but the flavors will improve with time. Bring the dish to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes) before serving.

Yields: 6 servings

Serve with crostini, crackers of pieces of sliced crusty bread

Crostini
Recipe from Nutritious Eats

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 loafs of baguette or wheat bread (I fit about 30 slices on my cookie sheet)
2 Tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice bread into slices 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick. Place in one layer on cooking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.
2. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning at least once, until light brown and crisp.

Yield: 30 crostini

NOTES: This dish can be made a day ahead of time. If you are feeding a large crowd, you could purchase the larger goat cheese log from somewhere like Costco and double the recipe of the marinade. The Crostini can also be made a day or two ahead and stored in an air tight container.

Check out Nutritious Eats here. Some recipes that make my stomach growl include her Bourbon Pecan Pie, Cranberry Apple Sauce and Gingerbread Cupcakes.

Holiday Appetizer: Marinated Goat Cheese with Herbs & Lemon is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

A couple of weeks ago, I promised you the best french toast recipe ever. I used it to serve 30 people on the night before Thanksgiving.

In true Kimba fashion, I got distracted by something shiny and forgot my promise. But here it is! The best ever french toast.

I haven’t always been a huge french toast fan…sometimes it’s just too egg-y for my taste. But this recipe is the perfect combo of bread, egg, butter and yum. I don’t know if it’s the addition of flour and sugar to the batter or something else. I just know that I will never make french toast another way again.

I adore this recipe so much that I think it will be making an appearance on our Christmas morning breakfast table.

I use grocery store italian bread for this french toast, but regular old sandwich bread would work just fine.

Be prepared for much plate licking.

Best Ever French Toast

4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
12 slices of bread
Butter (for cooking and spreading)
Syrup

• Mix together dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl
• Beat together eggs, milk and vanilla then add to dry ingredients and combine
• Heat a large skillet or griddle
• Add butter to skillet
• Dip each slice of bread in egg mixture and flip once
• Cook each slice for about 1 minute per side or until golden brown
• Continue adding butter (mmm. mmmm. mmmmm.) as you cook more slices

Christmas Morning Breakfast: The Best French Toast Ever is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Is there anything that smells more like home than a loaf of freshly baked bread? I think not.

But as much as I love the heavenly taste of bread right out the oven, I don’t do yeast. Something about baking with little micro-organisms intimidates me. For real. It’s all too much like a science experiment. What if I give my yeasties too much sugar? What if the water is too warm and I kill the little fungi?

And don’t even get me started on the kneading. It takes FOREVER! And how do you know when to stop? Everyone says you can tell by the feel of the dough. WHAT? I don’t know how the dough is supposed to feel! And I don’t have anyone who can teach me. I adore my mama, but she wasn’t a pioneer woman. We ate Town Talk.

So whenever I’ve wanted a loaf of good bread to go with a pot of stew or spaghetti, I’ve gone to the bakery and spent $3-4 on a loaf that I brought home and warmed up in the oven. And I was content with my bread life. That is until I came across the revolutionary No-Knead Bread recipe published in the New York Times a couple of years ago.

My life has been changed people! Can I get an AMEN? This technique is RIDICULOUSLY easy and now I can turn out a loaf of bread with a pillowy, chewy interior and a thin, crispy crust with almost no work. It’s incredible.

Wanna know how to do it?

First, dump all your dry ingredients into a mixing bowl? What’s in there? 3 cups of bread flour, 1/4 teaspoon of instant yeast, 1 teaspoon of salt. That’s it. Give it all a little stir so it’s mixed together. Note: I’ve been told that all-purpose flour works just as well. And I don’t know the difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour, so don’t ask.

Dump 1-1/2 cups of water into your dry ingredients and start stirring. I use a spoonula but you can use whatever you have.

It’s a really sticky dough, so you might need to wet your hands and finish the mixing that way. But you’re not kneading. Just mixing it all together.

Now you’re going to cover your bowl with some plastic wrap and let it take a long rest. 12-20 hours long. Yes. That’s right. If you want this bread for dinner, you need to start it the night before. But there’s so little work, it’s worth the planning ahead.

This is what the dough looks like after it’s beauty sleep. All bubbly and mushy.

Next, dump the dough out on a well floured surface. This is a really sticky dough so wet your hands before you shape it. That will keep it from sticking.

Pull all the sides of the dough up toward the top and tuck them into the center. Again, you’re not kneading. Just trying to get a round-ish shape and a slightly tighter blob of dough.

Turn the blob over onto a well-floured tea towel and put the whole thing into a bowl for another rest. Make sure you don’t use a terry-cotton towel or your dough will stick. Cover the dough with the sides of the towel and let it rest for another 2 hours.

About 30 minutes before the second rest ends, put your EMPTY covered pot in the oven and crank the oven to 450°. Let the oven (and the pot) pre-heat for at least 30 minutes.

Let’s talk about the pot for a minute.

You need a lidded pot that can handle a 450° oven. That means no plastic parts. You can use a dutch oven, ceramic, stainless or enamel pot. I use my cast iron dutch oven. I bought it on Amazon and at less than $30 with free shipping, I think it’s one of the best deals on Amazon. It comes pre-seasoned so it’s ready to use when you take it out of the box. I use it for this bread and for stews, soups and chili. Love it!

Now, you want to remove your hot pot from the oven (be careful!!!!) and dump the wobbly dough into the pot. It doesn’t really matter how the dough lands. Give the pot a little shake if you want to even out the dough. But this is a rustic loaf of bread, so some imperfections just add character.

Cover the pot and put it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Then uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes. If you’ve baked bread before, you’ll be able to tell it’s done by thumping on the loaf. If you’re like me, you’ll use a digital thermometer and take it’s temperature. It should be 210° in the center. Note: That link is my thermometer and I love it!

Remove the bread from your pot and let it cool for a while. The bread makes this incredible crackling sound as it’s cooling.

Prepare to experience a tiny slice of heaven on earth. I make this bread at least 2x a week now and it’s become one of my favorite things on earth. And my expanding booty will attest to that fact.

My favorite time to eat it is the next morning. Lightly toasted with a smear of butter, then peanut butter and a drizzle of honey. Sigh. There grows my booty again.

No Knead Bread Recipe

3 cups bread flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups water

• Mix dry ingredients together
• Add water and mix well.
• Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest 12-20 hours.
• Dump dough onto well-floured surface.
• Using wet hands, fold the sides of the dough over the top and shape into a rough ball.
• Turn dough over onto a floured towel and cover the dough with the towel.
• Allow dough to rest another 2 hours.
• 30 minutes before the 2nd rest is over, put your covered pot into the oven and pre-heat to 450° for at least 30 minutes.
• Plop your dough into your pot.
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes
• Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes until bread reaches 210°.
• Remove and cool on a wire rack.
• Enjoy!

No Knead Bread: You’re Going to Thank Me is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I loved reading all of your thoughts and comments on neighbors, neighborhoods and all things neighborly the other day.

The conversation started because I was baking something yummy to take to a new family that moved in down the street. I find there’s no better way to say “Welcome to the neighborhood!” than delivering a box of gooey-sugary goodness.

And since this recipe is full of bananas, chocolate and pure awesomeness, I thought I should share it with you too. A good friend gave me the recipe, so I don’t know it’s original source. But it’s a new take on the old-standby, Banana Bread. But it’s full of chocolate chips and it’s more of a bar cookie. Pure delishiousity.

I usually make a 1-1/2x recipe and bake in in my large jelly-roll pan. That gives me enough to share and to stuff my face satisfy my family.

I delivered one box to the family that just moved into the neighborhood and one to another family that I’ve been wanting to know a little better. Who doesn’t love some fresh-baked sweetness? I predict they’ll be my new BFFs.

Banana Monkey Bars

3/4 cup butter or margarine (1-1/2 sticks)
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (3 medium)
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-oz package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

• Turn oven to 350 degrees and grease a 15x10x1″ baking pan with shortening.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter or margarine with electric mixer on medium speed until softened. Add sugar and brown sugar and beat till fluffy.
• Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
• Stir in mashed bananas.
• In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add this to the banana mixture, beating until well mixed.
• Stir in chocolate chips. Eat a few chips.
• Spread batter in the greased baking pan.
• Bake in the 350 degree about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack. Cut into bars.

The end.

Your Neighbors Will Love You ~ Banana Monkey Bars is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I think I’m the 284th blogger to write about strawberry freezer jam this week. There must be something in the air…or more accurately…in the farmer’s market. Strawberries. Lots and lots of sweet, beautiful, delicious strawberries.

But this post is different! I like to think if it as the definitive writing on the hot debate between Ball and Sure Jell Strawberry Freezer Jam. If you look around, you’ll see that there are two very different recipes for Strawberry Freezer Jam. The primary difference (besides the brand of pectin) is the amount of sugar in the recipes.

I made them both because I was curious and now I can tell you about the results. And I also made a batch of Strawberry Pineapple Freezer Jam because that sounded good too…And because I’m a crazy-person. Once I get started on something, I can’t stop. I have 25 containers of freezer jam to fit into my freezer. For real.

Freezer jam is fantastic because it doesn’t involve all of the pesky parts of canning like sealing the jars. If you have a little room in your freezer, it’s totally worthwhile to make a batch, or 5, of this sweet, delicious treat. And regardless of which version you make, it’s ridiculously easy. I didn’t do anything fancy and followed the recipes on the box exactly as written.

First, you have to get your hands on some berries. My local market sells a quart of strawberries for $5.50. Ouch! That’s pricey for jam, in my opinion. But they sell “Yesterday’s Berries” for $2.50 a quart. They’re perfect for jam. You just have to get there early.

Here are the ingredients for the Sure Jell Strawberry Freezer Jam:

• 1 package Sure Jell Fruit Pectin
• 4 cups of sugar
• 2 cups of crushed strawberries (about 2 lbs or 1 quart)

Yes. You read that right. 4 CUPS! Every fiber of your being will say “too much!” but just close your eyes and go with it. And think of it this way…there’s at least that much sugar (not to mention high fructose corn syrup) in store-bought jam.

Here are the ingredients for the Ball Strawberry Freezer Jam:

• 1 package Ball No Cook Freezer Jam Pectin
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 4 cups crushed strawberries (about 4 lbs or 2 quarts)

The Ball version has WAY less suger and WAY more strawberries. It’s also slightly easier because you don’t even have to turn on the stove to cook the pectin. That’s EASY!

Sugar aside, the recipes are very similar.

First you core and mash your berries. Some people use a food processor, but I think a potato masher is better. Jam is supposed to have larger bits of fruit in it.

Then you add your sugar and stir your berry mixture until the sugar dissolves completely.

Here’s where the recipes differ a little. In the Ball version, you add the pectin directly to the strawberries along with the sugar. How easy is that?

With the Sure Jell version, you boil the pectin for a minute in some water and add that to your strawberry/sugar mixture. Totally not difficult. It only adds a minute or two to the process.

After everything is mixed together, you ladle the sweet strawberry mixture into containers. I used a combination of 8 oz. plastic freezer containers and cute little glass jelly jars. The plastic containers are for our family and we’ll give the cute jars as gifts when we’re invited to parties and bbq’s this summer.

The Ball version needs to sit out for 30 minutes and the Sure Jell version for 24 hours. After that, they’re ready for the freezer! A jar will keep for about 3 weeks in the fridge and for at least a year in the freezer.

So what’s my opinion on the two different versions? Good question. I like them both, but they’re different. The Sure Jell is more like a traditional store-bought jam. Very sweet and fairly thick. The kids love it.

The Ball version is much less sweet and way more strawberry-y. I think I like it better, but if your strawberries aren’t already sweet, I don’t think it would be good. It’s not as thick as the Sure Jell version so it will make a really good sundae topping too.

But honestly, the Strawberry Pineapple Freezer Jam is my favorite. It’s very sweet, but I like the combined flavors of the pineapple and the strawberries. YUM!

Now I’d better hope those BBQ invites come soon. Cause I don’t have enough room in my freezer for all this jam. YIKES!

So spill it! Who makes their own jam? What kind? What’s your fave?

Bounty of the Season: Strawberry Freezer Jam is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Some of the most beautiful things in my home are the ones that come directly from nature…or at least the produce department of the grocery store. A beautiful milk glass compote filled with gorgeous green apples. It only seems natural that we would decorate with food in the kitchen.

And I find that the kids and I eat more fruit when it’s sitting on the table.

A bowl of Clementines in my favorite aqua serving bowl.

photo: Pottery Barn

Is Pottery Barn pushing it too far with a head of cauliflower in the urn on the table? Look closely.

I think I’ll stick with my hurricane full of lemons that we’ll turn into homemade lemonade later in the week.

Do you have any ideas for decorating your kitchen with food?

Decorating with Food is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Let’s talk brisket.

If you live south of the Mason Dixon Line, you just said “Mmmmm Mmmmm Mmmmm” and you probably already pulled out your secret family recipe. If you live north of the Mason Dixon Line, you probably just said “What’s brisket?”

This post is for you Northerners who have yet to discover the tender, juicy glorious-ness that is the brisket. This recipe is so simple and it’s guaranteed to make your man love on you for at least a week.

Here’s what you need: 4-5lb brisket (more on that in minute), celery salt, garlic salt, onion salt, regular salt (trust me, all this salt makes it good. Not salty), liquid smoke (you can find it with the bbq and hot sauces at the grocery), BBQ sauce.

A note about brisket: You do NOT want a corned beef brisket. It’s the same cut of meat, but it’s already been cured. Not good for this recipe. Even us northerners can usually find regular brisket in with the beef at the grocery store. WalMart usually carries it too.

2nd note about brisket: See all that fat on the bottom of the meat? Don’t even THINK about removing it. That fat = tenderness and flavor.

Measure out all of your seasonings and mix them together in a small bowl.

Sprinkle your seasonings over the brisket. You don’t need to season the bottom (fatty side).

I like to give the seasoned brisket a little rub to make sure all that seasoning gets into the meat.

If you’re opposed to rubbing the meat with your hands, you can use the back of a spoon for the same purpose.

Sprinkle your liquid smoke all over the brisket.

Cover the brisket with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 8 hours. I like to do this at night before I go to bed and then cook it the next day.

After the brisket has marinated for at least 8 hours, put it in a pan and stick that baby in the oven. Did I say put a lid on it? Well, put a lid on it. We’re going to cook this low and slow (275 degrees for 3-4 hours), so that it gets super tender.

Cover the cooked brisket with the BBQ sauce when there’s about 1/2 left to cook. Nothing special. Just smear it on there. The brisket is done when you stick a knife (or carving fork) into the thickest part of the meat and it goes in easily. If it’s still kind of hard to poke, then let it cook a little longer.

Remove the brisket from the saucy pan and slice it thinly, across the grain. That “across the grain” part is critical. That gets you super tender slices. If you don’t have an electric knife, ask for one for Christmas. It makes slicing meat like this (or a TURKEY, roast, ham or watermelon) soooo much easier. That link shows you the knife I have. I LOVE IT!

Disclosure: That link is also an affiliate link. If you happen to click on it and buy something, I make a few pennies.

You can drizzle a little of the pan juices over the sliced meat and serve with extra BBQ sauce. In my opinion, BBQ Brisket MUST be served with creamy macaroni and cheese. If you must have something green, then add some coleslaw. You won’t regret it.

Now let’s hear from all you brisket lovers! Tell me your secrets.

BBQ Brisket

4-5 lb beef brisket
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon salt
1.5 oz bottle of liquid smoke
BBQ sauce

1. Sprinkle seasonings over your brisket.
2. Pour liquid smoke over seasoned brisket.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours
4. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
5. Place brisket in covered pan and place in oven.
6. Cook for 3-4 hours or until fork tender.
7. Slice thinly, across the grain.

DIY Day will start tonight at 10pm! Be there!

BBQ Brisket is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Every once in a while, I feel the need to be true to the name of my blog and give you an idea for creating A Soft Place to Land for your family. And there’s not better way to do that than to fill their noses with sweet smells and their bellies with baked fruit and buttery, crunchy topping.

You’re welcome.

This dessert is impressive enough to serve to company but easy enough to throw together on a whim. It’s my go-to dessert in the fall because it’s so yummy and no one ever knows how quick and easy it is. Trust me.

Here’s what you need…Canned, sliced pears (Yep! Canned! No one will ever know), canned apple pie filling, oatmeal (regular or quick cooking), butter (Awwwww, yeah!), brown sugar and cinnamon.

Drain those cans of pears (4 of them) and dump them into a baking dish (I used a 9×13). Dump the apple pie filling (1 can) in there too. Give it a good stir. Wipe the sweat from your brow. This is hard work, no?

Mix together all your dry ingredients in a separate bowl. That’s 1-1/2 cup oats, 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon.

Now cut up your butter (3/4 cup…That’s 1-1/2 sticks) and put it in with your dry ingredients. Gosh, I love butter.

This next part is fun. Get your fingers in there and start smooshing the butter into the dry ingredients. Keep smooshing until your mixture looks like coarse crumbs. You could use a fork for this part if you have an aversion to getting butter on your fingers. But it’s way easier to use your hands.

A note about crumble toppings…I have strong opinions on fruit crisps/crumbles/cobblers/bobblers…Most recipes have too much fruit and not enough crunchy, sweet, buttery topping for my taste. I’ve fiddled with this recipe over the years to get just the right proportion of fruit to crisp topping.

See? How pretty does that look? Just crumble the topping evenly over your fruit mixture and you’re ready to go.

Bake this pan of fruity, sweet goodness at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes. You want the fruit to be all hot and bubbly and the topping to start to get crispy and browned.

Allow the crisp to cool for a few minutes and then serve it up with some vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. Do NOT skip this step. Ice cream is critical.

Enjoy!

Apple and Pear Crisp Fake-Out

4 cans (15 oz each) sliced pears, drained
1 can (20 oz) apple pie filling
1-1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, cut up
Ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 425º.
2. Combine pears and apple pie filling in 9×12″ baking dish.
3. Combine dry ingredients (oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon)in bowl.
4. Mix in the butter using your fingers or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Crumble the topping over your fruit.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the fruit is hot and bubbly and the topping is crisp and browned.

Edited to add: I just linked this post up to the Recipe Party @ Southern Hospitality.

In the Kitchen: Apple and Pear Crisp Fake-Out is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

This inspiring, motivating and comforting guest post comes from Sandy at 4 Reluctant Entertainers.

Sandy began encouraging me to practice hospitality before she ever knew who I was. You’re going to love her too.

Kimba’s like my sister, so when she said, hey can you guest for me? I was on it! That’s just what sisters do for each other. I’d love it if Kimba could bring her family out to Oregon for dinner at my house, but living across the United States from each other, it’s hard to make that happen.

In the meantime, as summer winds down, we’re still enjoying outdoor dinners and entertaining in our backyard.

One of my favorite tablecloths, made from oilcloth, is perfect for outside entertaining. You can make a mess and it wipes right up. It also doesn’t fade in the sun, which I love, and it’s bright and cheery!

Last week my daughter had her soccer team over and we made the Ice Cream Trough. It was messy – the girls diving in and whipped cream going everywhere – but it wiped right up! You don’t even have to throw the tablecloth in the washing machine. It’s that easy!

Since we’re in the middle of a kitchen remodel, I’ve taken a very simple approach to entertaining (yep, paper cups!)

And our summer garden goodness is always the best hot off the grill!

Veggies

Potatoes

Parsnips

Simple tomatoes and basil

Thank you for sharing your encouraging post with us, Sandy. If you can still entertain and practice hospitality while your kitchen is in your garage, I can do it too. I am so blessed to know you and I can’t wait till you fly your pretty self across the country to visit.

Sandy’s mission is to help reluctant hostesses become confident and gracious and to inspire the experienced hostess who is stuck in an entertainment rut. She does both of those things beautifully.

Simple Entertaining is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Entertaining Reluctantly? is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Just added!!! Kendra at My First Kitchen has something up her sleeve. She’s taking a quick survey on shopping/eating habits that she’s going to use to help us all with this meal planning/cooking dilemma we’re dealing with. She’s making it worth your while by giving away a set of her fabulous spices to one lucky winner.

photo credit:hafizismail

Many thanks to Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for sharing part of her meal planning process with us yesterday. Feeding a family of 7 really does make you an expert in efficient cooking.

When I started the Building a Soft Place to Land series, I was surprised by the number of you who said that meal planning was one of your biggest struggles. I know that it is for me, but I kind of figured that everyone else had it figured out.

I want to make some improvements in this area for my family. The Hubster is a total peach, but I know it makes him nuts when he walks in the door and I’m standing there saying, “What do you mean we need to eat dinner? We just ate dinner yesterday?” Nuts, I tell ya!

I’m going to take some advice from Jen and get my freezer stocked up with the basics for a quick meal with some additions from my pantry. I like the flexibility of Jen’s more casual approach of having the pieces ready to throw something together quickly rather than being tied to a specific menu for each day.

There are obviously lots of benefits, though, to using a traditional meal-planning approach with a scheduled menu. Here are some resources if you want to use that approach:

A great post from Simple Mom where she explains her 2-week menu planning process in detail.

Another one from Simple Mom (because she’s just that awesome) where she shows her actual 2-week rotation. This one was REALLY helpful for me.

A post at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam about organizing her stockpile in the kitchen pantry. Do you think I can convince her to come do mine?

Now, fess up! I know some of you have tips, tricks and ideas about keeping your family fed. Give ‘em up! I want to hear what you do that works (and even what doesn’t work).

More Meal Planning Resources is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

A practical post on meal planning from Jen of Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Jen is an expert meal planner for her family of 7. She blogs about frugal living and the beauty and bedlam that is her life.

The 5:00 o’clock dinner bell gongs, and the dreaded, “what’s for dinner” question haunts us. Do they really need to eat again? Sheesh – didn’t I just feed them?

When I mention meal planning, most women run for the hills because it is just one more thing to cram on our overextended plates. We know there’s a benefit in having a plan, but the thought of having to actually sit down and work it through leaves us frazzled and overwhelmed.

For many of us, this is the most difficult aspect in making your home a “soft place to land.” Our families need to eat…every day…all the time…and that cooking rut grows deeper. So how do we get around this lack of follow through? Just do it – with small baby steps!

I had written another post (in my mind), with some general suggestions for conquering Meal Time Mountain, but after brainstorming with some friends, they finally declared…“Jen, seriously, just tell us what to do, so we can copy you.”

That’s a scary statement, people…but here goes.

I did a one hour challenge to see just how much I could do to prepare for future meals. I attacked this mission with fervor, and planned on conquering it. Here’s what I did:

I had already thawed the meats, and started a crock pot full of black beans that morning. So I fired up my best friends for the evening – my rice cooker and grill.

I grilled ten combined pounds of chicken, pork and hamburger.

While I (technically, my 13 year old son) was grilling, I fried six pounds of hamburger meat, and started my rice cooker and made two separate helpings of brown rice and basmati rice.

One hour later, I had eighteen chicken breasts and pork chopped, sliced and diced.

The rice, beans and seasoned hamburger meat were completed and divided into baggies.

Every thing that I had just put into Ziplock bags now offered a minimum of 15 possible meals choices that I can cook up in minutes. Since I have an “emergency corner” of foods that I am never without, I can draw from this stockpile on any given day. I highly recommend doing this – even if it’s just with a few items.

These are the items that I always stock.
1. cans of diced tomatoes
2. cans of cream of mushroom/chicken soup
3. flour tortillas
4. shredded cheese
5. frozen vegetables
6. salsa
7. noodles
8. spaghetti sauce
9. Sour cream
10. A few Pillsbury-type items: pie crusts, biscuits, pizza crust

With these items and the food I just prepared, I can make:
• Chicken stir fry
• Enchiladas or burritos
• Simple chicken casserole
• Simple Chicken pot pie
• Chili
• Taco salad
• Taco dip
• Taco pizza
• Grilled Chicken salad
• Shredded pork with BBQ sauce
• Stuffed biscuits with salsa or spaghetti sauce, hamburger, and cheese
• Spaghetti

Kimba here: Jen is going to post a more detailed explanation of how she assembles these meals on her blog.

Whew, can you believe it? I was just getting warmed up. I’ll have to finish at my blog. And don’t worry if you don’t have much freezer space…all of that only took up this little bit of room in my freezer.

Look at all I got done with one hour and 15 minutes of intentional time set aside to conquer this mealtime mountain. If I can do this…you can too.

I am passionate about families spending more time connecting at the dinner table and less time being frazzled with the process. With simple meal planning, you not only save time, and HUGE amounts of money, but you enjoy the lost art of shared dinner conversations which makes this priceless.

Let’s continue to make our home a soft place to land by taking time this week to move from best intentions to answering the “what’s for dinner question” in our own home.

From Kimba: If you have meal planning questions for Jen, leave them in the comments section and Jen will be around to dialogue and follow up.

Thank you, Jen! I’m thrilled that you were able to share your meal planning process with all of us. I am so blessed to call you my friend. Be sure to visit Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for follow-up posts on her meal planning process.

Click here to read the previous posts in this series.

Meal Planning: A Guest Post is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Hi Y’all! Blissdom may be over, but I’m still travelling.

I’m guest posting for my friend Melissa from The Inspired Room. I’ll be sharing some easy entertaining ideas that I hope you’ll like.

Here’s a little excerpt…

Do you love to entertain in your home or does it make you crazy as you try to pull everything together for the perfect party. Maybe you’re somewhere in the middle like me. I love the idea of entertaining and I want to share my home with family and friends but sometimes I resist because it’s too much work or I don’t think I have the time.

Stop by and see me at The Inspired Room today.

Easy Entertaining Ideas is a post from: A Soft Place to Land