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Chicken salad is one my favorite go-to recipes.  I love to make this for parties, showers, or anytime I need to feed a large group of people.  This is the easiest thing to make and it's absolutely delicious. 

What kind of chicken is best for chicken salad? 

You can use fresh or frozen chicken breasts or canned chicken. If using canned chicken, you will skip slow cooking the chicken. 

Simply add the rest of the ingredients to the cooked, shredded chicken and combine to make chicken salad. 

A platter of chicken salad croissants is the perfect addition to any buffet, but I think it is especially fitting at wedding and baby showers.  Pictured above are mini croissants which are perfect when serving lighter meals, appetizers and finger foods. 

Chicken Salad 
Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Purple or red grapes
Canned pineapple tidbits, drained or fresh pineapple, diced
Seasoned salt
Fresh ground pepper
Miracle whip type salad dressing or mayonnaise (your choice)
Crossants or bread

1.  Fill a large crockpot with boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen or fresh) and water. Sprinkle a few spices in like Creole seasoning (affiliate link to the one I use), marjoram, pepper, whatever you have that goes with chicken.  Cook all day on low (about 6-8) hours.  

2.  Then remove chicken and shred/chop for the salad.  Put chicken in a large mixing bowl and add about half a bunch purple or red grapes (split grapes in half).   Add 1/2 to 1 can pineapple tidbits drained.  Then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.  Add miracle whip (or mayonnaise) probably more than 1 cup (I don't know a quantity-just mix in til it seems like the right texture).  Add seasoned salt, at least a teaspoon (you will have to taste and decide how much to add).  Mix all together.  

3.  Refrigerate overnight or for several hours and put on croissants just before serving.  About 2 1/2 lb. of chicken makes enough salad for 18 mini croissants.  You can store extra chicken salad in the fridge for 1-2 days. Serve on bread, croissants, crackers or even fresh lettuce leaves. 

Additional notes:
​Whenever I slow-cook chicken for a casserole or chicken salad, I strain and save the chicken stock and freeze it for recipes.  You can freeze it in ice cube trays and then transfer the frozen cubes to a ziploc style bag.  The chicken broth can then be used in soups and casseroles. 

What should you serve with chicken salad croissants?

I would keep it simple and include salads and finger foods.
Here are some ideas:
Store-bought chips, you can go a little fancy with mixed root vegetable chips or sweet potato chips (my fave!)
Homemade Sweet Potato Chips
Fresh vegetable tray with dip, we love mini sweet peppers, cucumber slices, and cherry tomatoes
​Simple side salad
​Fruit tray with strawberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, etc. 
​Asian crunch shredded Brussels sprouts salad

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Sweet honey cornbread baked in an iron skillet is the perfect addition to a summer BBQ or a warm bean soup on a cool fall day.  You will love its golden crispy edges with buttery moist bread inside. 

I have been making honey cornbread in an iron skillet for several years and I prefer the shape and size over using a rectangle pan.  Isn't it beautiful.  Plus there is the added benefit of iron being absorbed into the bread from the pan while it is baking. 

This really is the best corn bread I have ever made.  The boys love it and ask for any leftovers for a snack.  

What size skillet should I use to make this cornbread recipe?

I use a large 12 inch iron skillet which is the perfect size for this recipe.  

This cornbread is on the sweet side and is great with a bowl of chili or as a sweet treat smothered in butter and honey or apple butter.  

Iron Skillet Honey Cornbread

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 1/3 cups milk
2 1/3 cups flour
1 1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cream sugar and butter. Add in eggs, honey and milk and mix well.
3. Mix together flour, baking powder, corn meal and salt.
4. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients carefully. Do not over-mix. Batter will be lumpy.
5.Pour batter into greased iron skillet.  I use my large 12 inch iron skillet.  I butter the skillet really well or rub coconut oil all over it before pouring in the batter.  I have found that coconut oil works really well for greasing cake and bread pans.  
6. Bake for about 25 minutes.  Do not over-bake.  You want nice moist cornbread, not dry cornbread. 

We celebrate Fat Tuesday every year before Lent. Since Lent is a season of reflection, prayer, and fasting, traditionally one would use up their sugar and fats before Ash Wednesday. We always have shrimp and sausage gumbo and a King Cake for our simple at home celebration.  

I make this King Cake from dough I make in the bread machine making it pretty easy to prepare.  

Roll the dough out, brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Fold the dough, press together, then cut into three long strips with a pizza wheel.  Then braid the strips together and form a round shape.  

Place it on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Cover with a lint free towel and let rise.  

Bake for 20-25 minutes, spread with icing while warm then sprinkle with sparkling sugar in Mardi Gras colors.  

Traditionally, you hide a tiny plastic baby in the cake to see who gets it.  If you want to do that, just tuck it into one of the braids underneath after the cake comes out of the oven.  The plastic baby symbolizes baby Jesus and luck and prosperity.  Whoever gets a piece with the baby in it, is king for a day and is supposed to bring the cake the next year.  

You can make your own colored sugar by shaking sparkling sugar and food coloring in a jar.  I used my icing colors to get these vibrant colors.  

If you want to make it a day ahead, prepare the cake, but do not bake it yet.  Then cover with plastic wrap and slow rise in the fridge overnight.  If freezing to bake at a later date, cover with plastic wrap, then put directly in the freezer without rising.  Then let it rise while thawing.  

Bread Machine Mardi Gras King Cake

​Dough Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm milk

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
 
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons yeast  

Cinnamon Sugar Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Icing Ingredients:

1 to 2 T.  milk

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 T. butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
​
1.  Put the dough ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed and run on the dough cycle.

2.  After the dough is done, roll the dough into a large rectangle (on a lightly flowered surface) and spread it with 2 Tablespoons melted butter.  

3.  Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon then spread over the melted butter.  

​4.  Fold the dough, press together, then cut into three long strips with a pizza wheel.  Then braid the strips together and form a round shape.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  

5.  Let rise covered with a lint free towel for a while (an hour or so).  Then bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. 

6.  Mix the icing ingredients together while the cake is baking.  

7.  Spread the icing on soon after it comes out of the oven.  The icing will be thick, but spreads easily on a warm cake.

8.  Sprinkle with Mardi Gras colored sugar.  

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This easy weeknight roasted pork loin with lemony potatoes is the perfect way to get a wholesome meal on the table with little effort.  The golden potatoes are roasted to perfection with lemon infused olive oil and garlic making them incredibly tender and delicious.  The pork loin is perfectly flavored with a lemon herb marinade which compliments the lemony potatoes.  

Since this is an easy weeknight meal, we're keeping it simple with a store bought lemon herb marinade  for the pork loin.  I like G. Hughs Sugar Free Lemon Herb Marinade. (affiliate link)  It has lots of good flavor and no high fructose corn syrup or sugar.   I purchased it at Walmart, but you can use any lemon herb marinade you like.  

​I found lemon infused olive oil (affiliate link) at Aldi, but you should be able to find it in most grocery stores.  It adds so much flavor to both salads and prepared dishes.  

For a really easy side dish, microwave some frozen broccoli florets and season with butter and salt. 

Easy Weeknight Roasted Pork Loin with Lemony Potatoes
Serves 8

Ingredients
About 2 lb. Pork tenderloin (usually 2 small tenderloins in a package)
3 lb. yellow potatoes, washed and chopped
Olive oil
Lemon herb marinade of choice (affiliate link) (for pork)
Lemon infused olive oil
Fresh ground salt and pepper
Garlic powder
​Fresh parsley, optional for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Spray or drizzle large baking pan with olive oil.
3. Marinate pork loins 30 or more minutes before preparation.  
4. Place pork loins in center of baking pan.  
5. Place chopped potatoes around pork loins. 
6. Drizzle lemon flavored olive oil over potatoes.
7. Salt and pepper everything.
8. Sprinkle garlic powder over potatoes.
9. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and pork loins reach a temperature of 145 degrees F for medium rare and 160 degrees F for medium. 
10. Move pan to top level of oven and broil with the oven door cracked open for a minute or two until golden brown.  
11. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing pork loins.  
12. If desired, garnish with fresh snipped parsley.

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Beef and noodles is a popular comfort food here in the midwest, especially this time of year.  It's always been one of our favorite leftover makeover meals when we have leftover roast beef.  I made it a whole meal by adding spinach, mushrooms, and onions which added so much flavor and lots of healthy vitamins and minerals. 

This is one of those easy weeknight meals you can throw together quickly and don't even need a recipe.  Simply boil a pot of water and cook the noodles according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute the onions and mushrooms in olive oil until caramelized.  Then heat the leftover beef and broth.  Add the noodles, mushrooms and onions, and spinach stirring to combine.  Season to taste and enjoy.  

If you don't have leftover roast beef, you can make great beef and noodles using canned beef.  Canned beef will have some nice broth in it which will add lots of good flavor too.  

You could use canned chicken or leftover chicken to make chicken and noodles or even try canned tuna.  This would also be delicious with leftover turkey or roast pork.  You will need some broth to add moisture and flavor, but could use beef, turkey, chicken, or vegetable broth.  This is a great use for leftover broth.  I always freeze any leftover broth so I can use it later.  You could also use frozen peas in place of the spinach.  If you want to make it vegetarian, this would be a hearty and delicious meal made with veggies and vegetable broth.  ​

Spinach and Mushroom Beef and Noodles (from Leftover Roast Beef)
​Serves 8

Ingredients:
Leftover roast beef (1/2 to 1 lb.) or whatever you have
Beef broth (about 2 cups) add more as needed to get the moisture level you want
12 to 16 oz. package egg noodles 
Drizzle of olive oil
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
12 oz. bag frozen spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning, (affiliate link) optional to taste or your favorite seasonings

1.  Prepare noodles according to package directions.
2.  While noodles are cooking, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet.
3.  Saute mushrooms and onions in olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Set mushrooms aside.
5.  Shred or chop leftover roast beef and heat it in a dutch oven with the broth.
6.  Add noodles, mushrooms, and spinach to the beef, stirring to combine.  
7.  Heat through and season to taste with salt, pepper, and creole seasoning.  
​8.  Serve warm

Rich with vitamins and minerals...check out the zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin K amounts below!
​ 

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This three ingredient peanut butter play dough is so easy to make, plus it tastes delicious and it's so much fun!  This recipe is an old favorite in our house.  It's the perfect snack and activity for cold winter days when little ones are spending more time inside.  

Get out the rolling pin and cookie cutters and let the kids play with their food!

Don't forget the dinosaur toys for dinosaur footprints!

All you need to make this deliciously fun three ingredient peanut butter play dough is powdered milk, peanut butter, and honey.  

Just mix together to form a ball of dough.  If it seems too sticky, add about a tablespoon at a time of powdered milk until a good dough consistency is achieved.  

Watch our quick youtube video.  

Peanut Butter Play-Dough
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup instant dry milk (affiliate link) 
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup honey

Mix together to form the dough.  If it seems too sticky, add about a tablespoon at a time of powdered milk until a good dough consistency is achieved.  

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Chia water is simple to make and a healthy, refreshing beverage. ​

Three simple ingredients are all you need to make your own delicious nutrient dense chia seed water, water, chia seeds, and fresh squeezed citrus juice.   

Simply mix 2 cups water, 2 Tbsp. chia seeds, and the juice from 1/2 lemon, lime, or orange. You can sweeten if you like with a little honey or stevia, but I like it unsweetened. Store in the fridge for a few hours so the chia seeds can absorb water. Enjoy!

I show you how easy it is to make chia seed water in the video.  

I mentioned in the video that I received the Meyer lemon that I used, from a recent order from Misfits Market (not sponsored). If you use my referral link for Misfits Market to order, you will receive $10 off your first order. (I will receive a referral credit, thank you!)

Easy Chia Seed Water
Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. chia seeds (affiliate link)
Juice from 1/2 lemon, lime, or orange

Simply mix the water, chia seeds, and juice from 1/2 lemon, lime, or orange. You can sweeten if you like with a little honey or stevia, but I like it unsweetened. Store in the fridge for a few hours so the chia seeds can absorb water.  Enjoy!

Affiliate links:
chia seeds
lemon squeezer
​plastic jar lids

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These slow cooker pork chops in cream sauce with potatoes and mushrooms are the perfect comfort food.  Layers of creamy mushroom sauce over melt in your mouth pork chops and tender yellow potatoes come together for a delicious meal the whole family will love.

It takes a little prep to put this meal together, but then you can relax knowing that dinner is done.  Add a side  of roasted green beans or glazed carrots to round out the meal.  

You can use bone-in pork chops, but because the meat cooks so tender, some of it will fall off the bones while cooking, making it hard to find the bones when serving.  I think it's much easier to serve if you use boneless pork chops.  We processed our own pig that we raised and our processor cut our pork chops bone-in, so I have been removing the bones myself when making this dish.  It is really easy to remove the bones using kitchen shears (affiliate link).  You can also use pork steak in place of pork chops, but I would still remove the bones.  

Slow Cooker Pork Chops in Cream Sauce with Potatoes and Mushrooms

Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
2-3 lb. yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
Fresh ground salt and pepper
6-8 boneless pork chops
1 Tbsp. Butter or olive oil
8 oz. Mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced


Cream Sauce:
1 Tbsp. Olive oil or butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. Cooking Sherry
1 C. Heavy whipping cream
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. Chicken broth
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning (affiliate link)
3/4 C. Grated parmesan cheese

1. Put potatoes in the slow cooker.
2. Grind a few grinds of salt and pepper over potatoes.  
3. Next layer pork chops.  You can also use bone-in or cut the bones out of the pork chops.
4. Then saute mushrooms and onions in butter or olive oil until caramelized.  
5. Season mushrooms and onions with fresh ground salt and pepper.  
6. Layer the mushrooms and onions over the pork chops.

To make the cream sauce:

1. Saute garlic in olive oil about a minute until fragrant.  
2. Then add cooking sherry to deglaze the pan.
3. Next add the rest of the sauce ingredients except parmesan.  Simmer stirring occasionally for a few minutes until sauce bubbles.
4. Turn off heat and stir in parmesan.
5. Pour the cream sauce over the mushroom layer in slow cooker.  
6. Cook on low for 5-6  hours.  

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I think some of the best gifts are homemade or local handmade products.  I love receiving unique homemade gifts especially for things I can use like consumable food gifts or pampering things like handmade soap.  Since I preserve our garden harvests, I decided to make these home canning homestead gift baskets as wedding and Christmas gifts this year.  

I made this homestead home canning basket for my cousin as a wedding gift in August.  I remember working so hard to get pasta sauce and grape jelly canned a few days before her wedding just so I would have them for the gift basket.  We already had honey and pear butter, but I wanted more to fill in the basket.  

This is not an easy gift to make as the home canning takes a lot of time and effort and procuring all of the extras to fill in the basket takes a lot of time spent shopping, but it's a unique personal gift that I think anyone would love to receive.  Also, when filling a basket like this, the costs can quickly add up so you'll want to shop sales as much as possible.  If you can plan ahead and keep an eye out for coordinating linens and things for your basket, you will save a lot of time and money.  

Here is where I found all of the items for this wedding gift basket.

Harvest basket, wooden spoon, and cream colored towel: Hobby Lobby
White tea towels: Rural King
​Green towel, Plaid towel, and striped napkins: Kirklands
Bow was made by my husband from a roll of plaid ribbon: Walmart

Since I had a couple of months to plan my Christmas homestead baskets and I was making several of them for family and friends, I wanted to save money on baskets and get just the right baskets.  I knew that I would be paying $10-$20 per basket at Hobby Lobby and they were sold out of the harvest style baskets I liked so I started checking local antique and thrift stores.  We have two really nicely run local thrift stores near us.  One is run by one of our churches and the other by an organization that funds scholarships for local students in the medical field.  The most I paid for one of my thrifted baskets was $4.50 from an antique store.  I made more than 10 gift baskets for Christmas presents so this was a significant savings.  I could not find as many baskets as I needed that I really liked, so I used some nice gift boxes that I already had or purchased at Dollar Tree for some of the smaller baskets.  You could use sturdy gift bags for small homestead gifts.  

Where I found supplies for the gold Christmas basket above:

Basket: thrifted
Andes mints in wrapped package: Walmart
White tea towels: Rural King
Plaid towel: Hobby Lobby
Yankee Candle: Walmart
Tumbler and hot pads: Dollar Tree
3 jars of home canned items
Gold plaid bow made from ribbon I already had

I made a harvest basket like this for both my parents and my in-laws.  They were very similar in contents.  

Where I found supplies for the Christmas harvest basket:

Harvest basket:  We already had one and I found a second one in an antique store.
Christmas towels:  Church thrift store
Gold towel:  JoAnn's Fabrics
White tea towel:  Rural King
Popcorn:  Rural King
Necco Wafers: Save-A-Lot
5 jars of home canned items

Another cute basket style that I found at our church thrift store.

I found these chalkboard tags at Dollar Tree and signed them with a silver sharpie.  They add the perfect touch.  

Are you gifting any homemade gifts?  I would love to hear what you are making.  

Check out these harvest baskets (affiliate link) and this oval willow basket (affiliate link) 

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