Archives for January 2015

Easy Clean-Up Advice for an Outdoor Party!

January 28, 2015 · by · 2 Comments

Meatropolitan Museum of Meat

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I know for some of us (hand raised) it is still snowing and we are awaiting for the ground hog to come out and pray he does not see his shadow. However, in some parts of the country (and in different countries right now) Winter  is over and Spring is beginning to show its face!

One of my favorite ways to spend time with friends and family is to hostess a  barbecue. There is something about it that is so inviting, relaxing and comforting. Ohhhh, I can almost hear the children playing and smell the aroma of freshly grilled meats and veggies right now.

However, once the party is over, there is clean-up to be done. Here are a handful of great tips that will make it easier on you to clean up after a barbecue.

Use A Pressure Washer

Pressure washers are the best household cleaning equipment that you can have in this situation. An all day party on the deck or patio can be a breeding ground to all sorts of mishaps and spills.

Having a good quality pressure washer to blast away any lingering stains turns an potentially arduous task into a rather fun one! If you don’t feel the desire to buy your own pressure washer, there a plenty of rental companies that offer great service and great rental prices.

Use Disposable Plates and Cutlery

Let’s be honest, nobody wants to clean dishes! This problem can be easily solved by bulk buying paper plates, plastic cutlery and cups for your guests to use. This option means that you’ll not have a tower of dishes waiting for you at the end of the day and that there’s no risk of your dishes breaking outdoors (and little feet being cut! ouch!)

Provide Plenty of Trash Bags

In an outdoor situation some people find the temptation to throw their trash on the floor too irresistible, leading to a much bigger and unwanted clean up situation for the host. By placing conveniently-placed trash bags (putting them in trash cans is even better) at certain locations on your deck or patio, you will encourage your guests to be more respectful and to dispose of their used plates, cups and bottles in a much tidier manner.

Filling up these trash bags means that you are cleaning as the party is still going, which leaves you with less of a job when the barbecue is over, and means that you can kick back, relax and clean the grill for the next party.

Soooo….tell me, what is the temperature like where you live? Ohhhh, I cannot wait for warm days and Barbecues! For those who are in warmer climates- I hope this post helps you!

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Filed Under: Seasonal, Uncategorized ·

Snow Cream

January 28, 2015 · by · Leave a Comment

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I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but here in the Midwest- it is snooooooowy!

And I love it. So do the kids.

We got a call from the school early Monday morning that school was canceled. I got the sweetest e-mail from my daughter’s teacher (love her) about to make “Snow Cream”. You know I couldn’t let that go in one ear and out the other! So, we had a day together, making this yummy recipe, sled riding, and drinking hot cocoa. What a blessing.

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Pile up a bowl full of {clean} snow! This was off of our deck.

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Stainless steel mixing bowls keep the snow cold.

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Add a cup of milk.

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A tsp of vanilla, 1/2 cup of sugar, and about 5 drops of food coloring {your choice of color}.

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Mix well with a spoon. You may need to add more milk to make it creamier. Taste it and see if it is sweet enough, if not- add a little more sugar to your liking.

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It tastes and looks like cotton candy!

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Snow Cream
Author: Janelle Nehrenz
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • Bowlful of clean snow
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 5 drops of food coloring
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients well. Add more milk if needed, add more sugar if you’d like it to be sweeter

 

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Filed Under: Dessert, Food Allergy Friendly, Kiddos · Tagged: , ,

The Judgement Seat of Christ

January 20, 2015 · by · 1 Comment

Heaven
Hi Ladies,

Just wanted to share a very near and dear post I wrote for Overcomer Outreach. It was so bittersweet to write because as I wrote it I have faith she is in the very place she wondered about….in heaven. Ohhh…how I long to be there.

Here is a snippet, and I hope you’ll join me over there.

Much love, Janelle

We were in the lower level of my mother-in-law’s split level, sitting next to her on the ottoman pulled up to her hospital bed. She had such a distraught look on her face when she looked at me and asked,

“Janelle, how do I know for sure I’ll go to heaven?”

“What do you mean, Kathy?” I asked, knowing she had put her faith in Christ.

“Well, I just don’t feel good enough.” She said crying.

I looked up at my husband with tears in my eyes and nodded, he replied, “Mom, none of us are good enough, that’s why Jesus had to die for us.” She nodded, closed her eyes and exhaled- I could feel relief run through her weary body.

He could have told her all the amazing things she had done, the wonderful wife she was…loving mother, devoted friend, beyond excellent grandmother, and the list would go on. But he didn’t. He told her the truth…and that truth set her free.

Nothing she did or didn’t do could convince her she was going to heaven. What convinced her were those words, along side of God’s truth in which we read….

Read the rest of the story here. 

 

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Filed Under: Devotionals · Tagged: , , ,

Caramelized Bacon

January 19, 2015 · by · 3 Comments

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This delicious recipe comes from a dear reader, Stacey – She was so kind to e-mail me this, therefore- I had to try it. Ohhhh, yum. That’s all I have to say.

Stacey gave me the following photos:

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3 ingredients: bacon, mustard and brown sugar.

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Place your bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up.

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Brush with mustard like so…

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Sprinkle on the goods…(brown sugar).

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Bake until nice and crispy. Is your mouth watering yet?

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My family loved it too!

Thanks Stacey!!! GREAT recipe!

If anyone else has “must try” recipes that are easy like this, send em on over to me! JMNehrenz@me.com

Caramelized Bacon
Author: Stacey S./Janelle Nehrenz
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1/2 lb. bacon
  • 2 Tbsp. mustard
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Cover a large baking sheet (you’ll want one with a lip) with aluminum foil.
  3. Spread each slice of bacon with a thin coating of mustard and cover generously with brown sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until desired crispness (the crispier the better!).
  4. Remove from pan while still hot and serve.
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Filed Under: Breakfast, Cooking For A Crowd, Food Allergy Friendly, Kiddos · Tagged: ,

Kitchen Utensils That You Should NEVER Put in the Dishwasher

January 9, 2015 · by · Leave a Comment

Kitchen Utensils
An electric dish cleaner is an effective and hassle-free way of cleaning utensils, plates, and other kitchen utensils. In just a matter of minutes, you will be able clean all your dishes effectively. That way, you do not need to spend hours in the kitchen sink.

But even with all its advanced features, this equipment still has one major downside. Because of its convenience, a lot of people became lazy with the way they clean their dishes.

People who are fortunate enough to have this cleaning appliance will understand how tempting it is to just chuck in the machine any dirty plate or spoon that you see lying around in the kitchen. Unfortunately, this habit is a big mistake and should be stopped as soon as possible. The dishwasher may be amazing in so many levels, but it can also be rough on some of your other important kitchen items. So to help you out, here is a list of utensils and kitchenware that you should NEVER put in the dishwasher.

1. Wooden utensils – Wooden spoons, chopsticks, chopping boards, and salad bowls should be cleaned by hand. The extreme heat, moisture, and strong cleaning agents will cause the wood to swell up and become cracked.

2. Knives – The tough cleaning detergent can create nicks and scratches on your kitchen knives. It can also remove the silver plating of your items. In addition, sharp objects might also damage your other utensils and even the dishwasher.

3.  Hand-blown Glass – these types of glassware are highly sensitive to extreme heat. In addition, the detergent can also chip the glass surface and lose its natural luster. These items should only be hand-washed and dried using a soft towel.

4. Nonstick Pans – its non-stick surface can easily be chipped away because of the extreme heat inside the dishwasher.

5. Copper Pans – Placing them inside the dishwasher regularly will cause discoloration on their surfaces.

6. Items with Adhesives – glue can easily melt off when exposed to extreme heat. These sticky residues will clog the dishwasher and damage it. Before putting any utensils, make sure that the glued labels on each piece are removed.

Can you share other cleaning tips to your fellow readers? Feel free to post them in the comments section!

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Filed Under: Comfy Talk, Learning the Basics, Uncategorized · Tagged: ,

Packing Lunches for the Entire Week {Made Easy!}

January 7, 2015 · by · 12 Comments

Packing lunches
Our mornings were getting very stressful…

With the busyness of life, the cold weather, the time change, the snooze button- you name it… packing lunches got placed on the back burner. There was barely enough time for breakfast, let alone time to pack lunches, so off my children went with money to purchase their lunches at school. I was very grateful to have that option, however my heart’s desire was to pack for them.

So Monday, I turned a new leaf. I prepared in advance for the entire week and now packing lunches in the morning is fun! I’ll show you how…


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After I went to the grocery store, I took an hour and prepped the above. I made sure to have different sized ziplock  bags and I went to to town rinsing, dicing, cutting and portioning out all of the lunch items I purchased.

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I cubed cheese, cut carrots, broccoli, and cucumbers and hard boiled eggs.

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I cut up strawberries and portioned out grapes. I made salami and cream cheese tortilla rollups and bagged them up too.

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I rolled up just salami and cheese and made them into rollups and bagged up snack mixes.

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I portioned out sunflower seeds, animal crackers and trail mix.

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And banana chips…


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Then I placed them in containers with like attributes. This was my veggie container.

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My fruit container…

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The proteins…
Then I placed the dry snacks in bowls and put them away in the cupboard.

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Storage in the refrigerator was simple.

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Now morning time lunch packing is fun! The kiddos (and Dad) get to choose what they want from each container and all is good in the world 😉

I hope this helps my fellow Mama’s!

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Filed Under: Allergy Substitutions, Comfy In My Jeans, Comfy Talk, Cooking For A Crowd, Food Allergy Friendly, Kiddos, lunch · Tagged:

A Meal Ministry Idea {Semi-Homemade w/ added touches!}

January 2, 2015 · by · 14 Comments

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Ladies, through this difficult time, I’ve mentioned that people have been caring for me as I helped care for my family. Honestly, I’ve not been much of a cook lately. When I look back, the past few months have been kind of a blur….I know many of you know what I mean when I say that. Trauma has a way with us-our bodies, our memory, etc. just barely function as we keep going. We just push and get through with the strength only God can lend.

Whenever I would be the recipient of a meal ministry and had my phone on me, I would snap pictures so I could show them on the blog. All of this is to glorify God and to show how he works through others so to comfort us.

Phil 2:13 states “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

This delicious meal came from my daughter’s teacher. I was so humbled when she asked to make a meal for us, as she serves me so much every day by teaching and caring for my little one. This is the perfect example of how we can bring a very special meal to someone that’s semi-homemade. She ordered the most delicious stromboli you’d ever eat, made a salad with apples, cranberries, nuts and feta cheese with an amazing dressing, cut up oranges and added after dinner mints and a bag of cookies.

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My children were so excited to get these twirly straws…and aren’t those napkins beautiful? When you’re out and about at Marcs (or whatever discount store you might have near you) pick up items like this in advance for ministry opportunities.

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I was so excited to share this idea with you Ladies….she took the bottom of a cardboard box and wrapped it in beautiful paper. This is such an excellent idea for a serving tray that doesn’t need to be given back. She also used large Ziplock bags so I didn’t have to give those back either.

This meal will forever stay in my heart- what a blessing it was. My children were also so filled with joy that their teacher did this for all of us. I’d say her name, but I fear embarrassing her…she’s amazing.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: