Tag Archives: meal planning

Aldi Grocery Haul-4-25-16

27 Apr

Welcome to my Aldi grocery haul for my family of 5. I am always looking for fresh inspiration and I love to see what other families enjoy buying and eating. I have been loving the beautiful spring/summer fresh fruits and vegetables hitting the shelves….and I love that shopping at Aldi makes it possible for us to eat well and stay in budget.

Click here to see our latest haul.

If you’re an Aldi shopper what are some of your favorite products?  Leave me a comment  or a link, I would LOVE to check it out!

Thanks for visiting!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

 

Copyright © 2016 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Photo Credit: Aldi and Google Images

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Homemade Croutons

18 Apr

This is a public service announcement.

It seems for years we have been doing our salad injustice!  We take our beautiful fresh garden greens and top it with stale, artificial tasting, bagged croutons. Why?  Because we didn’t realize making our own was so easy!

I have always been a sorta like croutons kind of girl but once I started making my own, they have pretty much become more than just a salad topping.  My family will eat these for a snack, my daughter’s boyfriend asks to take some home whenever he comes for dinner, and friends and family are always wanting the recipe.

Because I consider you all friends…I want to share the recipe with you too!

Keep reading for the salad changing printable recipe.

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The stars of the show. 8 simple, mostly pantry staples.

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Get your butter, oil and spices in a 9×13 baking dish and place that in your pre-heated oven.

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Cube your baguette into bite size pieces.

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After about 30 minutes, this gloriousness happens! Crispy without the expensive dentist bill and so flavorful!

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Garden fresh salad topped right!

 

Click here for the printable recipe.

See, simple right?

Is there something you make homemade that is much better than store bought?  Please share a link or comment down below, I would love to check it out!

Thanks for visiting.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

You can also find me on Pinterest

 

Copyright © 2016 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Simple Salisbury Steak

16 Apr

One of the greatest successes’ of motherhood has to be the moment when you serve a meal your whole family loves.  It’s a moment when the clouds part, the Hallelujah Chorus is cued, and for the next 30 minutes all is right with the world. You live for those blissful moments, am I right!?!

Anyway, that is what this recipe does for our family and I am pretty confident it could give a moment to you too!

Keep on reading for the printable recipe.

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The stars of the show. Ok, don’t let the gravy mixes get you nervous…sometimes mama needs a shortcut.

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Everything but the gravy gets thrown into bowl. Get your hands in there and give it a quick mix.

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I usually shape them into 4-5 patties. They will be thick but that just adds to the yumminess. I promise, they will NEVER know about the hidden mushrooms 🙂

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After browning the beef on both sides you will momentarily remove the patties from the pan so you can get the gravy started….Kinda makes it sound like a party!

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Once the gravy comes together, it is time to add the patties back in. This is where good things happen!

 

Here you have it!  We like to serve this with either mashed potatoes or rice.

Click here for the printable recipe

What recipe brings your whole family together? Please leave a link or comment below, I would love to check it out!

Thanks for visiting!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

You can also find me on Pinterest

 

 

Copyright © 2016 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Creamy Southwest Chicken Soup

13 Apr

I just love those mindless, economical, quick throw together dinners.  We had a (healthy…I sometimes get called out for the unhealthy recipes….balance, my friends, balance.) baked whole chicken for dinner last night and I used the carcass to whip up a yummy homemade broth for tonight’s dinner. You can definitely use store bought broth and it is just as good.  So if you are interested in not spending a large portion of your evening preparing dinner tonight keep reading for the printable recipe.

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Cast of characters. Mostly pantry staples.

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Dump all the ingredients in to the crock pot, give it a quick stir, and forget-about-it!

 

 

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Soup, glorious, soup! This cooked low and slow in my slow cooker for about 7 hours. Add a little garnish and VOILA! Simple, hearty, family favorite!

 

Click here for the printable recipe

What is your favorite mindless, quick, throw together dinners?  I am always looking for inspiration!

Thanks for visiting!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

You can also find me on Pinterest

 

 

Copyright © 2016 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Aldi Grocery Haul

12 Apr

 

I thought I would share something a little different.  I am always a little curious and a bit fascinated about how life is for others.  I think we learn new things and become inspired when other’s welcome us into snippets of their life. 

So today I am going to share with you our Aldi’s grocery haul.  This will feed our family of 5 for about 7-10 days. I love that I can feed my family fairly healthy and still stay in budget! 

If you’re interested in watching click Aldi Grocery Haul

If you shop at Aldi what are your favorite things to purchase from there?

Thanks for watching!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

 

Photo credit: Aldi and Google pictures

 

 

 

Nutella Banana Muffins

29 Feb

There are three things in life I adore…Jesus, my family, and Nutella…….clearly I am a girl who has her priorities in order 😉

One of my most requested recipes is this one. Somehow, something magical happens when you bring Nutella and Bananas together……the clouds part, the sun shines, and for a brief moment siblings get along.

So if you know what is good for you, you’ll keep reading for the recipe.

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The makings of happiness

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Take a minute to mash your bananas well.

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Sift your dry ingredients together.

 

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Add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg to the bananas.

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Don’t be shy with the Nutella!

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Bake until they are golden on the outside……..

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…and moist and decadent on the inside. Trust me they are worth the calories!

Nutella Bomb Banana Muffins

by Rebecca Vahdat

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 14-17 minutes

Keywords: bake Nutella Muffins

 

Ingredients (12 muffins)

  • 1 1/2 C. flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 3/4 C. sugar
  • 1/3 C. oil
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2-1 TBSP Nutella per muffin

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 375. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl add bananas and mash well. Stir in sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix until just combined.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and top each unbaked muffin with 1/2-1 TBSP of Nutella and with a knife or toothpick and lightly swirl the Nutella and batter together.

Bake 14-17 minutes.

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I hope you love them as much as we do!  If you make them, stop by and share what you think!  Thanks for visiting.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

You can also find me on Pinterest

Copyright © 2016 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Not Your Mama’s Green Bean Casserole

19 Nov

Don’t get me wrong, I love my mama’s classic back of the can green bean casserole….so much in fact that I probably make once or twice a year beyond Thanksgiving. But….sometimes a girl has gotta have options.  So, if you’re looking to add a little something new and surprising on your holiday table, I promise you will be the Thanksgiving hero with this recipe!

If you’re interested in this recipe keep reading.

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Go ahead and gather up your ingredients.

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Go ahead and cook up your bacon. I like to put my bacon on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Place bacon in oven and heat to 400 degrees. Cook until desired doneness. We like ours nice and crispy. Do yourself a favor, go ahead and add an extra slice or two to the pan. It’s inevitable, a piece or two won’t make it into the casserole. Keep that bacon grease, you will need it for later.

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Drain bacon on a paper towel and give it a quick chop.

 

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While the bacon is cooking go ahead and get your green beans cooking. I use frozen, so I cook them in a small amount of salted, boiling water for about 8 minutes.

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I use frozen corn so I add it to the green beans during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.  Drain excess water and set aside.

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In a large bowl mix the rest of the ingredients except for the onions.

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Add the green beans, corn, and bacon to the cream cheese mixture and mix well.

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Grease a 9×13 baking pan and bake to heavenly deliciousness!

Not Your Mama’s Green Bean Casserole

by Rebecca Vahdat

Cook Time: 35-45 minutes

Keywords: bake side Thanksgiving Christmas Easter American

 

Ingredients

  • 8 slices bacon
  • 1 pound frozen green beans
  • 1 1/2 C. frozen corn
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 C. mayonnaise
  • 2 TBSP butter, softened
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/4 C. French fried onions

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.

Thoroughly spray a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.

Cook bacon until crispy. Drain on a paper towel and coarsely chop. Reserve some of the bacon drippings.

Bring a small amount of lightly salted water to a boil. Add green beans and bring back up to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for 6-8 minutes. Add the frozen corn to the green beans during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Drain excess water and set vegetables aside.

In a large bowl combine all the additional ingredients except the French fried onions and mix well. Add the vegetables and bacon to the cream cheese mixture and mix well.

Add green bean mixture to prepared baking dish. Drizzle a Tablespoon or two of the reserved bacon drippings over the casserole.

Add 1/4 C. of the French fried onions to the top of your casserole. Cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes. Remove foil and add the additional french fried onions during the last 5-10 minutes of baking.

I hope this simple yet delicious recipe becomes a game changer during your holidays too!

Thanks for visiting!

~Be Blessed and Be a Blessing~
Rebecca

You can also find me on Pinterest

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Copyright © 2015 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

13 Nov

I love this time of year especially for the smells and tastes of fall. One of my most favorite things to do this time of year is spend as much time as possible in the kitchen…cooking and baking and sharing my love of it to those around me.

One of my most requested fall recipes are these cupcakes. I get asked for this recipe all the time. This is usually what I am asked to bring for holiday gatherings.  TO. DIE. FOR.  Seriously!  They are moist, flavorful, and ridiculously easy to make.

Go ahead and do yourself a favor and whip these puppies up…everyone will love you and you will love how quick and easy it was. Keep reading for the recipe.

What you will need to get started. So far so good.....

What you will need to get started. So far so good…..

Take a minute to add some of your measured flour to the chocolate chips. Keeps them from sinking to the bottom.

Take a minute to add some of your measured flour to the chocolate chips. Keeps them from sinking to the bottom.

Now go ahead and sift the rest of the dry ingredients and set aside. I know what you're thinking "2-3 tsp of pumpkin pie spice? Isn't that crazy talk?" Trust me, it works and it is awesome!

Now go ahead and sift the rest of the dry ingredients and set aside. I know what you’re thinking “2-3 tsp of pumpkin pie spice? Isn’t that crazy talk?” Trust me, it works and it is awesome!

Start by mixing your sugar and oil.

Start by mixing your sugar and oil.

Go ahead and add in the eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin.

Go ahead and add in the eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin.

Now here is the part where your house will start to smell heavenly.

Now here is the part where your house will start to smell heavenly.

Baked to moist, golden brown, deliciousness. The hard part is waiting for them to cool down.

Baked to moist, golden brown, deliciousness. The hard part is waiting for them to cool down.

You can certainly enjoy them as is, they make for a crazy good muffin. If you want to do it right, frost them with the worlds bestest cream cheese frosting. It will be the best decision you'll make all day! I'll leave a link for that below.

You can certainly enjoy them as is, they make for a crazy good muffin. If you want to do it right, frost them with the worlds bestest cream cheese frosting. It will be the best decision you’ll make all day! I’ll leave a link for that below.

One of the best things about this recipe is that it makes enough to share! Go ahead and wrap them up cute and share the love.

One of the best things about this recipe is that it makes enough to share! Go ahead and wrap them up cute and share the love.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes

by Rebecca Vahdat

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 17-22 minutes

Ingredients (18-24 cupcakes)

  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 C. sugar
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 C. vegetable oil
  • 2 C. flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2-3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1-15oz. can 100% pumpkin
  • 2 C. chocolate chips

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Add a heaping Tablespoon of flour to the chocolate chips and mix well (this step keeps the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes). Sift together the additional flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside.

Combine sugar and oil and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add vanilla and pumpkin and mix well.

Slowly add in dry ingredients until just combined.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full of batter and bake for *17-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.

Let cool and frost or skip the frosting and enjoy as a muffin.

*Oven temps vary, check muffins a few minutes before to avoid over baking.

*You can find the recipe for the Worlds Bestest Cream Cheese frosting here.*

I hope you enjoy these cupcakes as much as we do!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

You can find me on Pinterest

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Copyright © 2015 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

The Bestest Cream Cheese Frosting in the World

13 Nov

Truly, there is no other name worthy of this frosting. Really, it’s more than frosting it’s a way of life. Simple, delicious, maybe even life changing.  So simple, you’ll never buy canned stuff again!  Scroll down for recipe.

Just 4 ingredients and 10 minutes is all it takes!

Just 4 ingredients and 10 minutes is all it takes!

Light and fluffy. It has the potential to bring tears to your eyes...it's that good.

Light and fluffy. It has the potential to bring tears to your eyes…it’s that good.

Bestest Cream Cheese Frosting in the World

by Rebecca Vahdat

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: dessert

Ingredients (2 Cups of frosing)

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 Cup butter, room temperature
  • 4 heaping Cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Cream together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed.

Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually add in the powdered sugar until combined.

Add the pure vanilla extract.

Increase the speed to medium-high (setting 8 on my stand mixer) and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Simply delicious!

Makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes or a two layer cake.

Enjoy!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

You can find me on Pinterest

Copyright © 2015 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Lawful and Sinful

28 Jun

We have come to a place where we automatically assume because something is lawful it must also be moral.  Morality has changed a great deal just even in my lifetime. We, for some reason, think that if we wrap sin in pretty paper with a shiny bow and throw a party for it, it somehow changes how humanity and God sees it.  Because one is acting within law they automatically assume they are “a good person”(which is subjective without the moral parameters given to us by God). There has been a drastic culture change and it just isn’t within the secular world but also within the lives of believers. We are challenging people to redefine what God already defined.  Many Pastors and churches are riding the worldly train looking to attract new members by going against the very word of God-perverting the Bible in ways to make sin irrelevant to ones salvation. We have caved under pressure and are afraid of defending the word of God because we covet the love of man more than the Son of Man.

We have to learn to separate the sin from the sinner.  We can love and support people without celebrating their sin. James 5:19-20 says-  My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back,  you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

Of course I understand not everyone is a believer but we as Christians need to live a life that reflects God’s will toward them. For example in Colossians 4:5-6 it says-“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone”.  When we are asked, we need to be ready with an answer and do it in such a way that conveys truth, gentleness, and respect.

Titus 2:1 says-“You must teach what is in accord to sound doctrine”. It doesn’t end there.  There are many other verses dealing with false doctrine.

When we sugar coat, add, or purposely misinterpret for gain… Titus 1:11 says it well-“They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach–and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

I know the new popular slogan is “I want to be on the right side of history”.  While that might bring worldly pleasure, I would much rather be on “the right side of eternity”.

Love everyone fiercely, be the first to offer encouragement, always speak the truth in love, but don’t forget to be set apart.  Let’s be bold for Jesus!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Copyright © 2015 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

You can also find me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest

Image courtesy of [ renjith krishnan] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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