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Instapot Artichokes
Contains affiliate links Artichokes are one vegetable that had intimidated me for years. I can easily add canned artichoke hearts to a recipe, but taking a full head of artichoke and cooking it properly, that’s where the intimidation lies. It wasn’t until I saw them prepared on the Food Network Channel when I realized I was over analyzing it. I knew I could easily cook them in my Instapot. From start to finish, it typically takes me 30 minutes or less. AND…if I was only cooking for myself, I would totally have this as my dinner. If cooking artichokes have scared you, or if you have failed time and time…
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Instapot: Creamy Italian Chicken Soup
Contains affiliate links I am desperate for cooler weather. I love autumn, it is my favorite season. I like to call it soup season. I LOVE soup, but I cannot consume it when the temperature outside is scorching. Soup just makes my body all cozy from the inside out, so when it is 100°F+ outside I just can’t eat soup…or anything else liquidy warm that will cause me to overheat. While the rest of the northern hemisphere is experiencing leaves changing and cooler temperatures, Las Vegas is entering the fall season…in its own way. We are finally down to the 90s, the sun is rising later and setting earlier, …and…
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Oven-Baked Nachos
Contains affiliate links I’ve always loved nachos, but could never figure out how to make them and keep the toppings warm while at the same time not also destroying the kitchen and running around like a crazy person. I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that oven-baked nachos was the way to go. Oven-baked nachos are seriously the easiest thing ever. And you can cater them to your tastes as well as if you have any dietary restrictions, it is super easy to add or take away ingredients. Another aspect is how easy oven-baked nachos feeds a large crowd. I typically make a large half-sheet cake…
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Homeschool 101: Teacher Pay Teacher
This school 20-21 school year is definitely one for the books. Quite a lot of us are teaching our children in ways we’ve never had to before. Some are stuck at home most of the day monitoring children while they are online distance learning, others are sending their children to school possibly worrying about their health, and yet some have found the strength and decided to go at it all at home by homeschooling. There is no right or wrong way to educate your children, as long as you are doing your best. Some children thrive attending public/charter/private schooling. They need the time away from home and the social interaction.…
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Autumn Peach Cobbler
Every year toward the end of summer beginning of autumn, we make a trip to the local orchard for fresh apples, peaches, and pears. This year with how crazy 2020 has been, I decided instead to pick up a bushel of peaches from someone who picked them from the orchard already. While we missed doing our own picking, the peaches were amazing. Last night, I realized that we are down to our last dozen peaches and decided we needed some peach cobbler in our lives. Homemade peach cobbler is a must every year around this time. What are some of your favorite peach recipes? Do you absolutely love autumn and…
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2nd Grade Checklist
School has begun for most families, and every state/county is doing something different with their education. The county I currently reside in is full speed completely online. Parents are struggling at times, teachers are struggling, students are already sick of screen time. If you are one of those parents, you may be asking yourself why you aren’t just homeschooling your children yourself instead. Either way, being sure your child is meeting/passing their milestones for their age and grade can be daunting on any normal day. While I already compiled a list for kindergarten and 1st grade, I wanted to continue the lists for the rest of the elementary grades. So…
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Creamy Pesto Alfredo Pasta
Contains affiliate links Pasta is definitely one of my easy go-to’s for dinner. Typically I whip out the premade meatballs and marinara or frozen cheesy tortellini, but occasionally I make a quick homemade sauce, especially when I can do the sauce in less than 10 minutes, requires no cooking, and can be thrown into the blender. And…pesto is one of those sauces. Pesto, do you know what pesto is? It is the Italian green sauce. It is fresh herbs and spices and is typically served over pasta, but is also extremely tasty on toasted Italian bread. While you can use typical pasta, I have been loving Banza pasta lately. It…
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Stripping Laundry
Contains affiliate links Stripping laundry, not to be confused with ‘stripping’ laundry, is stripping the chemical buildup of detergent and fabric softener overtime, as well as stubborn bacteria that lingers in clothing and linens. I’ve heard about this from friends in the past. I had seen their before and after photos, and I still did not believe. It was kind of like a similar denial where a storm is coming and you know you need to get to the store to stock up on water and other essentials, but you keep telling yourself it won’t be that bad. All of the excuses ran through my head…we aren’t dirty people, I…
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Lemon Bar Blondies
Contains affiliate links I am all for a good brownie, but lately, blondies have had my heart. Honestly, anything with fresh lemon flavoring is where my taste buds have been leaning toward all summer. There is just something so refreshing about lemons in the midst of a massive heatwave. We’ve been above 100°F for most of July and all of August thus far. The worst part right now is we have the heat, and we’ve been increasing in humidity as well with monsoon season starting up. Between the humidity and the smoke traveling from California, I am DYING for a good downpour. Growing up in the Midwest, whenever the weather…
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Amazon: Kitchen Must-Haves
Contains affiliate links I am ALWAYS on the hunt for the kitchen tool oddball. Nowadays with shopping at our fingertips, it is so easy and convenient to just click ‘add to cart’. Kitchen and household items are constantly being reinvented and I am a sucker for anything that eases cooking/baking. It doesn’t help that Matthew also likes to send me the weird tool that will make me scratch my head, but also intrigue me enough to purchase it. I have to admit, it was rather difficult to narrow down the top five items I am loving this month; but I was successful. So here are my top five kitchen favorites…
