I received this product for free to use and post my honest opinions.  This page may contain affiliate links.

In honor of the new Justice League movie streaming on HBO Max, TV Store Online sent me this cool Superman shirt which my oldest loves.   For size reference, he is wearing an adult small.  

TV Store Online has offered my readers a chance to win a super hero or Justice League item of their choice?  Winner can choose any item from TV Store Online pertaining to the following characters:  Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, The Joker, Lois Lane, Hawkman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Mera, and The Flash.   Enter to win on the rafflecopter form below.  

I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.

Did you know that COVID-19 has increased screen time for kids by 500%?  Nearly half of American children spend more than six hours a day in front of a screen.  Add in remote learning and this number gets even higher.  ​

I know it can be hard to monitor screen time, especially with so many of us working from home and trying to manage distance learning at the same time.  Luckily my kids are back in school, but we went through many long months of them working at home to complete school assignments and attend zoom meetings with their teachers.  I found it difficult to monitor three school-aged children and their younger brother when I had my own work to complete and they could easily distract themselves with video games or YouTube videos.  I am glad to have Circle Home Plus now, but wish we would have had it then.  If the boys go back to remote learning for any reason in the future, Circle Home Plus will be a lifesaver!  

Circle Parental Controls (affiliate link) is the simplest way for families to manage screen time and filter content on all their Internet-connected devices, from tablets and smartphones to gaming consoles and smart TVs.  I am not the most tech savvy person so I was a little intimidated to set up the Circle Home Plus device, but it was really easy.  Once I downloaded the app, I was able to follow the step by step onscreen instructions (which are also included in printed form with the device) to set it up.  
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Circle Home Plus ​​(affiliate link) has so many useful features.  
• Age-appropriate filters for different websites and apps (or block content all together)
• Time limits for both individual apps and categories of content
• Bedtimes that automatically disconnect devices from the Internet
• Pause/temporarily turn off Internet-connectivity for a single family member or everyone at the same time
• Focus Time to restrict access to certain sites for specific periods of the day—a perfect tool to keep distance learning or homework time on track​
• Rewards:  Reward your child with more screen time or a later bedtime, at the touch of a button
• History:  Check out visited and filtered sites from the day's activity
• Track usage for yourself and your family.  This information is insightful if trying to reduce screen time or stay on track with projects for work and school.

• With the Off Time feature, you can set up Off Times when internet is restricted to selected devices for important family times like dinner and game nights.  ​

​Circle Home Plus typically retails for $69 for a three-month subscription, $129 for a one-year subscription, or $299 for a lifetime subscription (all plans include the Circle Home Plus device and Circle App access).

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This Asian Crunch Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad has all the wonderful flavors you would expect from a good Asian slaw/salad, but without the high carb ramen noodles.  This salad gets its crunch from fresh shredded vegetables, pistachios and almonds.  

Tossed in a homemade peanut, ginger, sesame dressing, this salad is full of flavor and freshness.  

We are big Brussels Sprouts fans and usually eat them cooked, but love the fresh crunch they add when shredded in this salad.  My neighbor grew beautiful Brussels Sprouts last year, so I am trying to grow some this spring.  I'll keep you posted.  (My instagram account where you can see more of the day to day.)

I think it comes down to personal preference as to how fine, thin, uniform, etc. you want vegetables to be in homemade salads and slaws.  It is certainly easiest to use a food processor to process vegetables, but if you want larger pieces, you may prefer slicing and shredding by hand.  I like to do a little of both, using my food processor for some vegetables and slicing some by hand.  
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​If you have a food processor (amazon affiliate link to the one I have), this salad is a cinch to make.  I use the slicing blade to shred the Brussels Sprouts in my food processor which is easy to do and produces thinly sliced sprouts that are perfect for this salad.  I also shred the carrot in my food processor with the shredding blade because it is so much easier than shredding it with a box shredder.  

The cabbage pictured was cut by hand, but it is a little on the thick side, so you may want to use a food processor for cabbage too or slice it thinner.  I like to dice the pepper and onion by hand to give it more crunch and thickness, but again this is my personal preference.  I also chop the pistachios by hand since they are so easy to chop on a cutting board and we are only using a few in this salad.  

To make the dressing, put the dressing ingredients in a food processor, blender, or emersion blender (amazon affiliate link) and blend until creamy.  I use my food processor to blend the dressing since I already have the appliance out.  
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To make this dressing, I use Tamari soy sauce which has a richer, milder, more complex flavor than regular soy sauce.  It is made from 100% soy and does not contain wheat like regular soy sauce making it a good choice for those avoiding gluten.  It tastes less salty than regular soy sauce and is more complex which makes it a nice choice for Asian salads.  I included an affiliate link in the ingredient list, but it is less expensive if you can find it in the Asian section of your local grocery store or in your local Asian grocery store.  

Toasted sesame seeds and almonds add so much flavor to this salad, but you may need to toast them yourself.  My almonds were pre-toasted when I bought them, but my sesame seeds were not.  Also, use sliced almonds in this salad, whole almonds would add too much bite and texture.  

​Put a small amount of sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes until golden brown and fragrant.  You can do the same with sliced almonds too. 

I think this Asian Crunch Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad has the best color the day it is made so if I were making it to take somewhere, I would make it fresh that day.  You could pre-cut the vegetables, store them in the fridge and put the salad together later.  It will stay crunchy and delicious for a few days in the fridge, but will loose some of its pretty color and look more wilted.  My husband really likes this salad so it has never lasted more than 2-3 days in the fridge. 

​This recipe makes a lot and will easily serve 10 making it a perfect choice for summer gatherings.  If you do share with others, make sure and let them know it has peanut butter and nuts in it for those with nut allergies.  

 Asian Crunch Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
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Servings: 10
Ingredients:
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper diced
½ small head of red cabbage, shredded or sliced small by hand
1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
1 carrot, shredded
½ cup red onion, diced
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
¼ cup pistachios or cashews, roasted, salted and chopped
 
Dressing:
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup toasted sesame oil (amazon link)
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter, (I use no sugar added)
2 Tbsp. Tamari soy sauce (amazon link) 
1 1/2 Tbsp. coconut sugar (amazon link)
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
 
Optional garnish:
Toasted sesame seeds
Green onions, sliced      
 
1. Mix salad ingredients in large bowl. 
 
2. Blend dressing ingredients in food processor, blender, or emersion blender. 
 
3.  Stir dressing into salad.  Salt and pepper to taste.
 
4.  Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds if you like. 
 
 
   

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Since my husband and I have been following a low carb diet again, this baked keto crack chicken has quickly become a family favorite.  Your entire family will love this.  It is kid friendly with all the cheesy goodness and bacon.  My boys love it.  One of them even used the word exquisite to describe this chicken which is pretty cute coming from an 11 year old.  

Why is it called crack chicken?  

​Crack chicken is a common name for this style of ranch flavored cheesy chicken because it so good, you will want more.  When I make this 8 serving recipe for my family of 6, we don't have any leftovers.  

Can you double this recipe?

​I have doubled this recipe for company and it's pretty easy to double since everything goes in the oven at once.   I brown the chicken in the skillet in batches and then assemble everything in the pan.  If on the other hand you are only cooking for two, you can easily halve this recipe and still have plenty plus maybe some leftovers for lunch the next day.  

What sides would you serve with Low Carb Keto Crack Chicken?

To keep the whole meal low carb, I would serve with a large salad like the BLT salad pictured or some steamed broccoli.  A fresh spinach salad or wilted spinach would be nice too.  Grilled cabbage is always one of our favorites and since you are already using the oven, you could just roast some cabbage wedges with olive oil, salt, and pepper in another pan while cooking the chicken.  If you really want to impress, you could make some crispy bacon wrapped asparagus which is in season now and requires the same oven temperature as the chicken.  

​Low Carb Baked Keto Crack Chicken
 
Serves 8
 
Ingredients:
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 ½ -3 lb. total)
6 oz bacon
8 oz. block cream cheese
2 Tbsp. Ranch flavored dressing mix (amazon link)
¾ C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese plus extra for topping
Salt and Pepper
 
Optional toppings:
Sliced green onions
Diced Roma tomatoes
 
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 8 thinner chicken breast slices. 
3. Cut bacon into small pieces (I use kitchen shears) and fry in a skillet until crisp.
4. Set bacon aside.
5. Mix ranch dressing into cream cheese then mix in ¾ cup shredded cheese. 
6. Brush some of the bacon grease in a large baking pan to grease it or use oil of choice. 
7. In the same skillet brown chicken breast halves in bacon grease for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Salt and pepper each side while cooking.  
8. Place chicken breast halves in baking pan. 
9. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of each chicken breast.
10. Top with extra shredded cheese and bacon crumbles.
11. Bake for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through. 
12. Optional to top finished dish with diced Roma tomatoes and sliced green onions.

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Every year on St. Patrick's Day I make corned beef and cabbage.  It's the easiest meal since I make it in the slow cooker and our family loves it.  They love it so much that I now make two cuts of corned beef.  Life with four growing boys!  

I simply put everything in the slow cooker, almost cover with water and cook on low all day.  It doesn't get much easier than that.  

Here is a quick video showing how to make this easy slow cooker corned beef and cabbage.
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I started with two packages of point cut corned beef (about 5 1/2 total lbs.) because we have a big family who loves corned beef and cabbage.  You can buy packaged ready to use corned beef in point cut or flat cut.  Flat cut was a little more expensive so I bought point cut, since we don’t have a preference.

​I put the meat in the slow cooker (amazon link) then sprinkle the spice packets over the meat. The spice packet comes in the package of meat. Then I add some chopped onion, quartered russet potatoes, carrot slices and small wedges of cabbage. I pour water into the slow cooker to almost cover everything and added a little fresh ground salt and pepper over the vegetables.  I cook on low all day, until vegetables are tender and meat is done, around 8 hours or so.

This is such an easy dinner to prepare and it is always a treat.  We make it every year for St. Patrick’s day, but really should make it more often.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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Here is a quick link to more easy and delicious slow cooker meals.  
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If you have facebook please vote for me for favorite chef and share on facebook.  I am in a competition for Favorite Chef and need to get into the top 5 by 8:00 pm CT time tonight to stay in the competition.  The prize is huge:  $50,000 and a two page spread in a major food magazine, but the competition is tough so if you can vote, please vote!  You receive a free vote once every 24 hours.  

Thank you!  Vote for Faith Still!

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored, but all opinions are honest and are my own.  

Join me next week at Virtual WOW Summit!  
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I’m so excited to be attending the Moms Meet Virtual WOW Summit, a three-day
online event focused on raising happy and healthy families, and you can do it all from the
comfort of your own home! Join Moms Meet and me for Virtual WOW Summit from March 9–11.  I am excited to announce the keynote speakers Dr. Josh Axe and Dr. Laura Markham.  

This is a great opportunity for bloggers and anyone interested in learning more about healthy living.  I have partnered with Moms Meet on many blog campaigns over the years and have always had a great experience.  

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One of the hardest things about adjusting to a low carb lifestyle is learning how to bake with alternative sweeteners and flours.  I have started using almond flour more in my cooking and baking over the past year and while some things just aren't the same, some things like this low carb, gluten free blueberry crisp are very good.  Just ask my kids, there is never a bite left!  

To make this yummy crisp topping low carb, I combined almond flour with unsweetened shredded or chipped coconut and used a low carb sweetener like stevia or monk fruit.  I have tried several low carb sweeteners and my current favorite is Sweet Leaf stevia blend for baking. (amazon link)   It doesn't have a weird aftertaste like some do and tastes the most like real sugar to me.   I actually bought it at my local co-op store for the best price so if you buy it often, I would compare prices.  

I add xanthan gum (amazon link) which is a lower carb, gluten free thickener to the blueberries to thicken them a little, but if you don't have xanthan gum, you can leave it out.  This is the brand I have used (amazon link) which I am really happy with, but it is a lot less expensive at Walmart.  It looks like there are lots of other reputable brands on amazon too.  I use xanthan gum now to make gravy when I make roast beef and mashed cauliflower.  I actually like it better than flour for making gravy.  I also use it in place of flour for thickening soups.  Read the directions on the package when substituting for flour as a thickener because you use a lot less.  

You can use raspberries or blackberries instead of or mixed in the with blueberries too.  We love this family friendly, kid approved blueberry crisp and hope you will love it too!  

Interested in planting blueberries?  Here's how we did it...planting blueberries
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Low Carb Blueberry Crisp
Ingredients: 

Filling:
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup low carb sweetener like stevia baking blend (amazon link) or monk fruit
1 tsp. xanthan gum, (amazon link) optional for thickening the blueberry mixture
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon or lime

Topping: 
1 cup almond flour (amazon link)
1 cup unsweetened coconut shredded or chipped
1/4 cup low carb sweetener like stevia or monk fruit
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions: 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2.  Grease a 10 inch iron skillet (amazon link) or 9 X 9 baking pan.
3.  Mix filling ingredients together and scoop into prepared baking dish.
4.  Combine topping ingredients with a pastry blender (amazon link) ​and sprinkle over filling.  
5.  Bake for 30 minutes until filling is bubbling and crisp topping is golden brown.  

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I have a huge favor to ask.  I am in a competition for Favorite Chef and I need votes to win.  The prize is amazing...a feature in Bon Appétit magazine and $50,000!  (It actually went up today.  It was $20,000) This prize is crazy awesome and would really help me grow my blog into a real business.  So please, please vote for me and share on facebook!  You can vote once a day so come back tomorrow and vote again.  You do have to have facebook to vote.  

Thank you in advance!  I love having so many amazing readers, friends, and family to count on!  

 In case you are interested in what I wrote in my application to enter:

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN COOKING?
I have been cooking since I was in middle school. During summers my Mom had my sisters and I on a kitchen rotation. One of us would plan the menu and cook all of the meals for the week while the other two did the dishes. This started my love of cooking which combined with my 4-H experience inspired me to become a Family and Consumer Science teacher. I taught FCS for 10 years teaching foods and nutrition classes, then stayed home with my children. I suppose I have been cooking for 30+ years.


WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE DISH? 
It’s hard to single in on one signature dish since I cook such a variety of foods, but my favorite thing to make is probably soup. I tried to copy our favorite butter bean soup from Taylor’s Chili Parlor in Carlinville, IL. It’s a local favorite there. I would say my slow cooker butter bean soup while not an exact copy, is a winner. It’s full of flavor and the whole family loves it. It’s even better leftover when it’s had time to sit and thicken overnight.


WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THE $20,000?  
​I would love to be able to invest in my food blog, Home Ec @ Home. I have been blogging for over 10 years, but as a busy mother of four, my time and resources have been limited. I would love to be able to invest in technology that would improve my website, photography, and videos. I would also love to improve the lighting in my kitchen and build a kitchen island which would improve my “set” for both photography and videography and provide a beautiful environment for cooking our family meals.  

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