How to Make and Freeze Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes

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This isn’t my favorite lava cake recipe.

chocolate lava cake

it tastes good enough with rich vanilla ice cream

But I couldn’t find my favorite chocolate lava cake recipe, and I had a craving!

The great thing about freezer meals is you can prep a bunch of individual cakes, and freeze them individually for later!

When you bake them, simply add 1 minute for the cake that was in the fridge, and add 2 minutes to the cake that you pulled out of the freezer.

What is lava cake?

With a lava cake, the outside is cooked, but when you slice into it, the center is a hot molten chocolate goo - delicious!

chocolate lava cake

How to make Chocolate Lava Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Chop the chocolate, and melt it with butter in the microwave.

If you need some chocolate delivered to your door, click the link here! I’ll get a tiny commission, and you’ll get a bit a heaven!

3. Mix all the rest of the ingredients.

4. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter into your five buttered ramekins.

cake batter

Growing up, our ramekins were called “Pudding Cups”. Because that’s the only thing they were ever used for! Yummy! As an adult, I like the clear ramekins best (mine are blue Pyrex). And this is the right kind of ice cream scoop (with the swooping bar to eject the batter). If you buy it here, I get a tiny commission, and you get great products you will use forever!

Bake only what you need now. Freeze the rest!

“A bit of advice...only serve these to known chocolate lovers. Otherwise you’ll have to sit and watch someone take one bite, and then waste the rest. Tragedy!”
— Tonya

One day I’ll find my favorite Chocolate Lava Cake recipe and share it with you!

Have no stress and no mess at dinnertime with freezer meals!

Chicken Tenders How To - Cheeze It Chicken

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This is the least healthy of our three chicken recipes. But that means your family will love it!

Chicken Tenders. Chicken Wings. Chicken Strips. Chicken Thighs. Chicken Fingers. Drumsticks.

All you need are four ingredients:

cheeze it chicken ingredients

Yup. Not much is healthy here, but it all is tasty!

Make a lot of this chicken recipe, then freeze it in gallon zip lock baggies for several future dinners!

With freezer meals, we do the work ahead of time, so that dinnertime is stress free and mess free.

Watch the video, and you’ll see how messy this recipe is!

Cheeze It Chicken Recipe in 5 Easy Steps

  1. Smash: Put the Cheeze It crackers in a gallon baggie and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are all crumbled. This is fun for kids!

  2. Slime: Drag a piece of chicken in the sour cream, then pat Cheeze It crumbs all over it.

  3. Freeze: Lay the chicken on a teflon lined cookie sheet, not touching each other, and freeze.

  4. Bag: Place the frozen chicken in labeled freezer baggies.

  5. Bake: When you are ready to serve, bake from frozen on a butter drizzled cookie sheet 375° for 40-45 minutes.

Don’t have a rolling pin? You could smash the crackers in the baggie with your fist, or stomp on them!

No need to touch that slimy chicken again! You simply cook it from frozen!

Watch the video, and you’ll see how messy this recipe is.

Have no stress and no mess at dinnertime with freezer meals!

Chicken Tenders How To - Cajun Chicken Strips

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The second in a three part series…

Chicken tenders. Chicken wings. Chicken strips. Chicken thighs. Chicken fingers. Drumsticks.

This version is a healthy, non-fried, quick recipe.

The best part…

Make a whole lot of chicken tenders all at once, then freeze them for easy dinners later!

family dinner

watermelon and french fries go great with chicken strips!

With Freezer Meals, you will have no stress and no mess at dinnertime!

🍏You will have healthy, home cooked dinners that your family will eat.

🍏You will save time, so there is no stress at dinnertime.

🍏By planning, you will save money and have less waste.

Everything you need for delicious cajun chicken strips

Cajun Chicken Strips in Five Steps

  1. Place all the seasonings in a zip lock baggie.

  2. Add the chicken strips and massage the seasoning into the raw chicken.

  3. Place each raw seasoned chicken strip on a teflon-lined baking sheet. Freeze.

  4. Once frozen, remove chicken pieces from baking sheet and place in a labeled zip lock baggie.

  5. To serve, cook from frozen.

No need to touch that slimy chicken again! You simply cook it from frozen!

Have no stress and no mess at dinnertime with freezer meals!

Restaurant #7: A Long Road Ahead

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With Restaurant #5 we finished eating our way down the first street.  You see, we are on a Cuisine Quest to eat at every restaurant in our town, and we started on a one mile street close to home.

The next road we will tackle is two miles long.  It has used car lots, convenience stores, taverns, strip malls, a high school, businesses, apartments, the city police department, and a park.

And 17 restaurants!

Seventeen.  That's a lot.  And only 4 are chains (Domino's Pizza, Subway, Jack in the Box, and Wienerschnitzel).  One is a coffee house, which we will skip, and one is a diner not open in the evening.

11 restaurants to visit.  And here's the worst part:  Five of them are taco shops!

Now I like a good taco shop as much as the next person.  But there are too many!  On our first street, two restaurants were taco shops.  Our first one, we gave one fork up.  Our second one, being more picky, we gave two forks down.

two forks down

I'm just going to cut to the chase. This taco shop had friendly service, large portions, and happy regular customers. But the beans were not the way we like, and the guacamole was thin, and there was not a soda fountain. For these reasons, two forks down.

I’ll show you the food we had, because it looks yummy, and wasn’t bad.

chicken fajitas

the flour tortillas are warm and soft to go with my chicken fajitas!

mexican food

my husband’s beef had the right amount of spice

Somewhere out there is our new favorite taco shop… but in how many restaurants do we have to eat to find it?

Two miles is a long road to eat along. What does your town have too much of?

Like what you read? Do you want to follow us along our Cuisine Quest?

From Here To Eternity: A Movie for Pearl Harbor Day

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Here’s a great old movie to watch in remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor, 80 years ago today.

movie posters sure were different in the 1950’s

From Here to Eternity (1953 NR)

This movie follows the lives of US Army soldiers stationed in Hawaii in the days leading up to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, leading to WWII.

Why should you watch it?

  • It won 8 Academy Awards, out of 13 nominations (including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress).

  • It is included among the American Film Institute's list of the Top 100 Greatest American Movies.

  • It is included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider.

  • It is included among the American Film Institute's list of the Top 100 America's Greatest Love Story Movies.

It has something for everyone - romance, bromance, fighting, great clothes, very good looking men and women, conflict, honor, army pride, music, humor, tragedy.

But, you say, it’s in black and white.

Watch this movie anyway!!!

Of all the battles director Fred Zinnemann had to fight with the Columbia front office, the one he was proudest of winning was against "the boys in New York"--the sales department. The marketing people thought the film would gross at least an extra million if it were shot in color, but Zinnemann was able to persuade producer Harry Cohn that black and white was more suitable for the film's stark, gritty themes and that color would have softened and trivialized it.

This 3 minute video clip doesn’t give away any spoilers.

A few things stand out about From Here to Eternity.

  • While it is an army movie, the movie is mostly about forbidden love, friendship, and not backing down when you are mistreated.

  • Watching the movie with today’s eyes makes the mistreatment the Army allows seem quite appalling. Try watching and understanding the perspective of an audience who lived World War 2.

  • This movie popularized Hawaiian shirts!

  • Frank Sinatra is super scrawny! And he can really act.

I’ve written about local Pearl Harbor survivors before. Click on the image to see that page.

A San Diego, California, historian has compiled stories of Pearl Harbor survivors who live locally, and those who perished on that day and are buried in San Diego cemeteries. Read her compelling stories here!

“We are right in the midst of all of it.”
— Louise Whatley, civilian living two blocks from Army air base Hickam Field, Honolulu
pearl harbor ship sinking

True pearl harbor distruction, december 7 1941

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Chicken Tenders How To - Peanutty Drumsticks

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Chicken Tenders. Chicken Wings. Chicken Strips. Chicken Thighs. Chicken Fingers. Drumsticks.

Every restaurant has some sort of chicken parts breaded and fried or seasoned and baked. They are delicious by themselves, in a salad, or dipped in any dipping sauce!

chicken wings

Yummy!

It’s easy to make your own delicious chicken strips!

Make a whole bunch at one time, then freeze some for later!

With freezer meals, you have no stress and no mess at dinnertime!

🔪Have healthy, home cooked dinners that your family will eat

🔪Save time, so there is no stress at dinnertime

🔪Plan, and save money and have less waste

Here is the first of three recipes for making chicken tenders your family will love!

ingredients for peanutty chicken

everything you need for delicious peanutty drumsticks… or in this case, peanutty chicken breast strips

Peanutty Drumsticks in Three Steps

  1. Prepare the marinade in a zip lock baggie, add your chicken, then freeze.

  2. The day before you want to serve your chicken, thaw the baggie overnight in the fridge.

  3. To prepare, pour the thawed chicken and marinade in a greased pan. Bake, then serve.

You never have to touch that slimy chicken again!

It’s delicious by itself, or served with rice.

Have no stress and no mess at dinnertime with freezer meals!

You’ll need to stock up on freezer zip lock gallon baggies if you are serious about freezer meals!

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It Takes 10

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Last December it was 2020. The covid pandemic limited our social life. No one was coming to our house for Christmas. No class party, no Sunday School potluck, no Open House, no friends or neighbors over for dinner.

I could not bring myself to decorate for Christmas in 2020.

What’s the point?

It’s a lot of work to decorate for Christmas!

  • Bring all the Christmas boxes down from the attic

  • Clear out all the Fall decorations

  • Test all the lights

  • Put lights up outside along the rain gutter

  • Put lights and garland up along the living room ceiling

  • Buy a tree, put it up, light it, decorate it

  • Repair wreaths with a glue gun

  • Place all the wreaths inside and out

  • Hang up the Christmas card display

  • Set up all the nativity scenes on the piano and cabinet

  • Pull out the Christmas piano music books

  • Hang jingle bells on the front door

  • Put up the travel ornament trees

  • Hang the stockings in the kitchen (we don’t have a chimney!)

  • Pull out all the Christmas china

  • Set up all the fake presents around the tree

  • Return all the Christmas boxes to the attic

What a lovely stock photo christmas!

At Thanksgiving at my sister’s house, I was complaining to her about my lack of desire to decorate. But I like Christmas decorations! I love coming home to my house in the evening to find it lit up with lights! I love the scent of a fresh Christmas tree. I need my Christmas dishes.

“What is the minimum you need to feel your home is decorated for Christmas?”
— My Wise Sister

We decided that it takes 10.

Ten items that make me feel like it is Christmas in my house.

I didn’t want to drag out all my Christmas boxes, just to pick 10 items.

I didn’t want to shop for expensive new things that I wouldn’t use again.

What to do?

I went to the dollar store and spent 10 bucks!

Dollar Tree Store

Christmas Decorating Made Simple!

Here’s my minimum, the things I needed to feel “decorated”:

  • the scent of a living Christmas tree

  • a sparkly garland for the living room

  • a front door wreath

  • Christmas dishes

  • a Nativity set

  • a way to hang up Christmas cards

  • poinsettia for the front porch

  • jingle bells

My dollar tree treasures!

It Takes Ten. Here are my 10, almost all from the dollar store:

  1. A wreath from our local Christmas tree farm

  2. Two red and silver garlands

  3. A glittery Merry Christmas for the front door

  4. Two Christmas dishes

  5. Scotch tape to hang up Christmas cards

  6. Fake poinsettias for the front porch

  7. Bells for the door

  8. Gold plastic bells

  9. Rustic wood Merry & Bright

  10. New throw pillow covers I sewed with Christmas fabric

I am missing lights and a Nativity set. But overall I was content with my finds.

After Christmas I boxed up everything in one small box labeled QUICK CHRISTMAS. For future needs!

  • Christmas in an AirBnB,

  • Christmas in a hospital room

  • Christmas in a motor home (ha - that’s never going to happen for me!)

  • etc

hallmark movie Christmas house

Hallmark movies are fun! But not realistic for the home decorator.

What is your minimum?

Are you putting too much pressure on yourself to have the perfect Christmas house?

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ”
— Luke 2:8-11

A beautiful home brings peace and joy; so does the good news of Jesus.

Can You Bake Cookies from Frozen Dough?

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We know you can. That’s why there is fundraiser cookie dough in your freezer right now.

Can You Bake Cookies From Homemade Frozen Dough, Even if the Recipe Says Not To?

I had to test this for myself.

chocolate chip cookies

I found an unusual recipe for chocolate chip cookies in the morning paper. I was intrigued!

This recipe is different.

  • Instead of white sugar or brown sugar, it uses powdered sugar

  • There is no baking powder or baking soda in it

  • You bake each cookie in a buttered muffin cup

  • It says to refrigerate the dough for 2 hours before slicing and baking

Yes, i read the physical newspaper everyday while eating breakfast. In english, of course.

I tested this recipe in three ways:

  1. Bake from refrigerated, as the recipe says.

  2. Bake from room temperature, so I didn’t have to wait.

  3. Bake from frozen.

I am a fan of making freezer meals. With freezer meals, you nave no mess and no stress at mealtime because you’ve done the work ahead of time.

I made three logs of cookie dough: room temperature, refrigerated for 2 hours, and frozen overnight.

log of cookie dough

Next, I baked them all the same, as directed in the recipe.

The result:

The frozen cookie dough cooked just as well as the room temperature cookie dough.

chocolate chip cookies

There was no difference at all among the three cookies. The recipe called for refrigerating the dough for 2 hours. This cookie was also the same as the other two.

All three versions (baked from frozen, room temperature, or refrigerated as the recipe said) were equally delicious!

Make a batch of this Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies and pop the tubes in the freezer. If you’re hungry for a cookie or two, you only have to cut off and bake a cookie or two! That’s the benefit of freezer meals!

Here’s a pastry cutter, aka bench scraper, like the one I use in the video. It can be yours for less than $10!

Have no stress and no mess at dinnertime with freezer meals!

Unexpected Hospitality When You’re Not Prepared

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Are you prepared for strangers in work boots to tramp through your house? Right now?

police, fire, ems

such friendly, helpful looking people. it’s a stock photo, but i’m sure they are nice in real life!

Let me tell you my story.

It’s a story of unexpected visitors.

And an extremely messy house.

Don’t worry - there is no tragedy or heartbreak in this story.

I work from home. I have my own video production business, specializing in small business advertising and video courses.

I’m open for new clients, by the way!

woman at comuter

nope, that’s not me. it’s just another stock photo.

It’s Monday, the day after Thanksgiving week. We had been gone for a week, and were settling back into a routine and decorating for Christmas.

Monday was for catching up with work and restocking the fridge.

It’s 3pm. There is an urgent knock on the door. It is the construction man doing demolition on our attached garage.

knocking on door

Not my door. not my construction worker.

“I hit your gas line. I’ve called 911. I got to come in and turn off your oven gas. Get outside!”
— Construction Man

My next door neighbor offers cold water to my distraught Construction Man.

Within minutes, four fire engines, two police vehicles, and one motorcycle cop roll up. I can’t see the gas spewing out, but it is a very very loud hiss. I fear my gas bill will be humongous!

fire truck

Everything turns out fine. It took until 5pm (2 hours) for it to be safe to go back inside, and my gas didn’t get turned back on until 1:30 in the morning. Good thing we don’t live in a cold part of the country!

But here is my point:

A lot of people walked through my house while they worked to keep me safe.

And my house is a MESS!

messy living room

definately a stock photo. there is no way i’m going to show you my real messy house!

I told you it was the first normal day after being away for Thanksgiving week. Here’s what all the workers encountered while tramping through my house:

  • grocery bags by the front door

  • fruits and vegetables all over the kitchen counter

  • Christmas boxes filling the hallway

  • Christmas decorations in various states of readiness

  • laundry basket blocking the back door

  • shoes, jackets, and bags strewn everywhere

  • a bunch of Amazon boxes in various stages of unpacking

  • a week’s worth of junk mail on the table

  • suitcases still on the floor

  • recycling can overfilled

man in hardhat and vest

amazingly, one of the gas company men looks a lot like this stock photo guy!

Let’s look at the big picture.

  • My house is still intact.

  • No one was hurt.

  • We didn’t freeze during the mild November night.

  • We saw our fine city employees doing a great job.

Let’s look at the small picture.

  • Everyone saw my messy house.

What is my point?

  1. I’m sure these workers have seen it all! They’ve probably entered homes that are much more messy than mine.

  2. I’m not going to apologize for being caught at a particularly challenging transition day.

But still!

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
— Hebrews 13:2
offer water bottle

My neighbor showed hospitality by offering cold water to my distraught construction worker. And other neighbors showed hospitality to me by making phone calls (I ran out without my phone) and offering a camp chair to sit on while I waited oustide.

I hope the workers would say I showed hospitality by staying out of their way so they could do their work. And that I didn’t complain or fuss.

But my goal today:

Straighten up my house so that I can show hospitality without embarrassment!

Make Your Thanksgiving Stuffing Today - and Freeze It!

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Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends. To gather around the table with thanks and good cheer. To visit and laugh and love.

messy kitchen

Let’s be honest.

Thanksgiving is a lot of work!

  • meal planning

  • shopping

  • housecleaning

  • table setting

  • cooking

  • serving

  • cleaning

  • keeping everyone happy

  • dirty dishes and spills

sleepy thanksgiving family

I wish I looked this lovely after toiling over Thanksgiving Day!

I’ve talked about how to play nice on Thanksgiving before.

And how to help your children get along with everyone.

But this article is about how to make your life easier for Thanksgiving.

Start your Thanksgiving cooking today - and freeze it!

I found a new stuffing recipe I wanted to try. I discovered it was a LOT of work!

Good thing I made this stuffing the week before Thanksgiving! There is no way I would be happy if I had toiled for so long on Thanksgiving day!

But it is delicious!

How do I know? I saved a bit to try today before serving it at Thanksgiving.

My husband doesn’t like stuffing. Until now. With this stuffing, he scraped the pan clean!

Cornbread and Dinner Roll Mushroom Stuffing

Shop for your ingredients now, before the desperate last minute crowds!

Make the cornbread. Dry out the dinner rolls and cornbread in the oven as it cools. Then crumble the breads in large pieces in your largest bowl.

Dice all the vegetables and put them in two different pans. Yes, this does take a long time! Use your handy chopper! Don’t have a handy chopper? Ask Santa! 🎅

Simmer some of the veggies in cream. Sauté the rest of the veggies and the mushrooms in butter.

Use your immersion blender to puree the hot softened veggies into the cream. You don’t have an immersion blender? Then ask for one from Santa!🎅

Mix everything together gently. Place in your pan. Wrap for the freezer.

One less thing on my to-do list!

How to serve your frozen stuffing:

  • The day before Thanksgiving, I will let the stuffing thaw overnight in the fridge.

  • 30 minutes before serving, I will unwrap the pan and bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes.

  • Enjoy!

Have no stress and no mess at dinnertime with freezer meals!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The Monuments Men: A Cheerful War Movie

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The Monuments Men movie poster

Don’t get me wrong. War is horrible.

Good people die needlessly, countries are left in ruins, evil people do horrid things. The Monuments Men (2014 PG-13) has all that.

But the audience feels hopeful goodwill towards the characters in this movie. There is no overriding sense of death as in The Book Thief (2013), or sense of horror over man’s inhumanity as in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008), or the devastation in the trenches of battle as in Saving Private Ryan (1998).

You leave the theater feeling, well, cheerful.

The Monuments Men book

Based on the book of the same name by Robert M. Edsel, The Monuments Men follows a small team of aging art specialist tasked with protecting great works of art in Europe towards the end of World War 2.

Protect them from what, you may ask.

  • Allied bombs and advancing American tanks all wreck havoc on paintings and statues in ancient buildings.

  • Nazi’s have stolen art from the homes of Jewish families.

  • Hitler wants a huge art museum with all the greatest artworks of Europe.

  • Churches are looted at gunpoint of their statues and paintings.

monuments men movie still

The team is played by George Clooney (who also directed), Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Bob Balaban and young translator Dimitri Leonidas do a great job portraying the challenges they face. Cate Blanchett is the French woman with inside information she may or may not be willing to share.

monuments men movie still
The Girl You Left Behind book cover

I recently read The Girl You Left Behind, a novel by Jojo Moyes. It’s the fictional story of a painting, titled The Girl You Left Behind, and reveals how it started in France during World War I, and ended up in England today. There weren’t Nazis in WWI, but even then Germans helped themselves to art in occupied France. Wonderful book!

A good movie about a forgotten part of military history!

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How to Make a Quick Suffragette Sash

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Do you need a quick costume? Look in your closet!

You could be a

  • Gypsy - flowing skirt, scarf around your hair, lots of big jewelry

  • Pirate - flowing skirt, boots, wide belt, baggy white shirt

You could be a Suffragette!

Suffragette costume headshot

In the United States, women began gathering to push for the right to vote in 1848.

In the United States, women got the right to vote in 1920.

That’s 72 years!

Because you can be a suffragette from any time period in that 72 years, any long-ish skirt that you already have is perfect. Add a white blouse and any kind of hat and you are good.

All you need is a Votes for Women sash and a sign.

You can quickly make a sash using satin blanket binding, bias tape, and a Cricut iron on letter maker.

I hadn’t used a Cricut before this project. It definitely saved a lot of time, and gave professional looking results! I didn’t buy it for this project; my daughter happened to have one for me to borrow. It’s under $150 right now. If you buy one by clicking the link, I get a tiny commission, and you get a powerful little device!

This video shows you how!

Read these inspirational words from the American National Women’s Party 1913 Newsletter:

Purple is the color of loyalty, constancy to purpose, unswerving steadfastness to a cause. White, the emblem of purity, symbolizes the quality of our purpose; and gold, the color of light and life, is as the torch that guides our purpose, pure and unswerving.

Mrs. Banks would be so proud!

Subscribe to the blog for occasional inspirational stories and lessons!

How to Freeze Individual Dinners

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Have less mess and less stress at dinnertime with freezer meals!

But what if you don’t need an entire dinner?

  • Maybe you want individual servings for when your teen gets hungry late at night.

  • Or you want to pre-pack individual lunches for work

You can easily freeze personal sized meals with these three steps!

steak diane

1. Gather your ingredients

In our example, I’m making Steak Diane.

Who is Diane? It depends on who you ask. This recipe was popular in ritzy restaurants in the first half of the 20th century. Diane could refer to the Roman goddess Diana or 1930’s beauty Lady Diana Cooper.

2. Prep the recipe

Steak Diane is beef with a savory sauce.

  • Undercook your meat, because you will be reheating it later, which always continues the cooking slightly.

  • Make double the sauce - it’s delicious!

3. Freeze in a variety of sized containers

You can use muffin tins. My favorite is a collection of smaller bread pans.

  • Place a variety of sizes of meat in your containers.

  • Add a scoop of sauce in each.

  • Freeze.

  • Once frozen, pop each meat-cicle out and place in quart-sized labeled freezer zip lock baggies.

Look at these cute little loaf pans!

Each individual dinner is like having your own personal chef!

I’ve had my mini loaf pans for so long that they don’t make them anymore. Try these from Wilton, each less than $20. If you buy by clicking the link here, I get a tiny commission. And you get cute muffin pans!

Have no stress and no mess at dinnertime with freezer meals!

Three Tips for Freezing Ice Cream Desserts

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I know, I know. You put ice cream in the freezer! Duh!

But there is a reason to use my technique for ice cream desserts!

Freeze Ice Cream Desserts in Individual Servings!

individual ice cream servings

Three Reasons to Freeze Ice Cream Desserts in Individual Servings

  1. Portion control

My favorite homemade ice cream dessert is Mississippi Mud. Our family version is an Oreo cookie crust, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and fudge topping.

1950s birthday invitation

No, I am not THAT old!

My birthday is in the summer, so often this is what I chose instead of a birthday cake. There’s an old photo of me grinning in front of a big pan of Mississippi Mud at my 13th birthday pool party. I’d show you, but you know how old photos are - they are hard to locate!

I like Mississippi Mud so much that I could easily eat a gigantic piece every day!

But a piece the size of a muffin is exactly right.

2. It’s hard to slice frozen solid ice cream desserts!

frozen desserts

I’m sure you’ve been at a birthday party and it’s time to serve the ice cream cake. But the ice cream is a big solid block! In order to get it soft enough to slice, the entire thing has to sit on the kitchen counter, getting all runny.

By freezing ice cream desserts in individual muffin cups, you can simply pop them out one at a time, straight from the freezer! Just be sure to spray the muffin pan with cooking spray when preparing your frozen ice cream dessert.

The last serving is just as frozen as the first! How thoughtful you are!

3. Individual frozen desserts are easy to store

You can easily pop out all the individual frozen desserts and store them in a single layer in a Tupperware in your freezer. Then you can use your muffin pan for ANOTHER version of your frozen dessert, perhaps with chocolate ice cream and caramel topping!

I inherited my muffin pans from my grandma, and she probably bought them from a garage sale! If you click the link to buy one, I get a tiny commission. And you get lovely new muffin pans!

How to Freeze Ice Cream Desserts in Individual Servings

The key is freezing in between each layer.

Mrs Richardson's Hot Fudge

Use any topping you’d like, but Mrs. Richardson’s is the best!

  1. Spray your muffin pan with cooking spray.

  2. Crush Oreos, approximately one row. Thin stuffed Oreos work well.

  3. If you want, toss in 1 tablespoon sugar with the Oreo crumbs. Add 1/4 cup melted butter and mix. Press approximately 1 tablespoon crumbs into each muffin tin with the back of a measuring cup.

  4. Place muffin pan in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Place the ice cream container on the counter to soften 15 minutes.

  5. Add the ice cream layer. Using two spoons, scoop and press ice cream into each muffin, on top of the crust.

  6. Place muffin pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour to let the ice cream freeze solid. Have the jar of topping on the counter to come to room temperature.

  7. Top with chocolate fudge topping. Freeze at least 1 hour before serving.

Would you like other tips and tricks for making your life easier with freezer meals?

Courage and Honesty

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I look forward to reading the newspaper the day after Pearl Harbor day (December 7). Our San Diego Union Tribune always has interviews with local Pearl Harbor survivors.

george coburn pearl harbor survivor covid 2020 san diego union tribune

Hearing about his harrowing tale of escape from the sinking USS Oklahoma makes me sad for the lives that were lost, and proud of American will to survive and to thrive.

He may be 101-years-old, but George is still quick with a smart response. He is still feisty!

“People always say to me, “Thank you for your service.” I tell them I did it willingly, but I can’t say it was enjoyable, and don’t ask me to do it again.”
— George Coburn, Pearl Harbor Survivor, age 101

Thank you for your service, George Coburn!

A Story of Isolation, Shortages, Learning, and Hope

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shipwreck isolation grafton auckland island

Isolation

It’s 1864.  During freezing rain and howling winds, a ship wrecks on Auckland Island, 290 miles south of New Zealand. All 5 men on the Grafton survive the storm, and immediately begin working together to build a hut, find food and water, and set up a signal for passing ships. The days and weeks pass, bringing cold and hunger.  It will be 18 lonely months before the 5 men make it safely back to New Zealand.

isolation birthday lonely covid 19

Isolation

It’s 2020. A year of isolation. Social distancing isolates our bodies, and masks isolate our smiles. We stay home from church, from the gym, from work, from school, and from gatherings with friends. When is the last time you went to a birthday party?

Like the shipwrecked men, we simply do not know how much longer until we are free from our isolation.

survivor castaway shipwreck invercauld auckland island

Shortages

It’s 1864.  During freezing rain and howling winds, another ship wrecks on the opposite side of Auckland Island, 26 miles away from the crew of the Grafton. Six drown in the wreck of the Invercauld; 19 men get to shore.  But lack of leadership brings out the worst in the men. The survivors:

  • steal food from each other

  • push unlikable men out of the shelter

  • abandon the sick

  • split up into splintered tribes

  • even eat the man who was “being a nuisance”!

The crews of the two ships handle shortages in very different ways, because the Invercauld has a captain incapable of seeing to the welfare of anyone but himself.

Within three months 16 men have died from injury or starvation or illness.  The surviving captain and first mate will not let the remaining crewman share their shelter, but still demand he prepares food for them.

One year later, when a ship lands for repairs and discovers the crew of the Invercauld, only these three men are left alive. The captain and first mate are bathed and clothed and fed, while the one surviving crewman is expected to fend for himself among the crew below decks.

The ship sails away, never knowing that the five men of the Grafton are also stranded on the island.

Shortages

It’s 2020. Toilet paper is mysteriously in short supply, and tempers are short.  Some people complain that we have lost our common sense, and others mourn the death of common courtesy. We’re telling you about the two shipwrecks on Auckland Island, and about their vast difference in leadership and concern for others. 

We must take care of those around us, even when it is difficult.  Even with the people “being a nuisance”.

old bible.jpg

Learning

It’s 1864.  The Grafton survivors realize that they must have something to occupy their minds, or they will fall into despair. The evenings drag on! They make games (chess, dominos, cards) and they make beer.

But more importantly, they assign each man an evening when he is the teacher.

  • The captain teaches reading and writing.

  • The businessman teaches math.

  • Two crew members teach their native languages (Norwegian and Portuguese)

  • The youngest tells tales from his homeland.

  • Saturday evening is for games.

  • Sunday is for Bible lessons. 

It is unheard of for officers and crew to mix like that.  Upper class people simply didn’t take lessons from the lower class. Yet think of the pride and confidence each man gained in their evening leading the learning!

The captain of the Grafton is a great example of a servant-leader.

african-american-musician-playing-ukulele-beach learn something new

Learning

It’s 2020. Have you been given the gift of time? Maybe you’ve started a new exercise program. Baked sourdough bread at home. Picked up the ukulele. Knitted a sweater or sewed a quilt. Tried puzzles or painted with Bob Ross. Taught yourself chemistry. Binge watched TV or created a Tik Tok video. Learn something new!

Trying something new keeps our minds and bodies sharp, exposes us to new people, and helps when time drags on.  Maybe you’ve even made it part of your routine to check in on other people.  Phone calls and cards and conversations over the backyard fence can be so meaningful right now.  The little things do count. 

rescue shipwreck hope

Hope

It’s 1865. After a year without sighting a rescue ship, the Grafton men plan their escape.  They work three months building a boat for the 5 of them, which is dashed to pieces in the surf.  Setback!

Again, they have to make everything from scratch. Each nail, every board from the wrecked ship, each patch in the sails – and this time the boat only fits 3 men.  How do you choose?

This becomes one of their biggest arguments.  “If any of us are to be drowned, let us all drown together.”  Can you imagine being the two left behind?

After an emotional farewell, it only takes 5 days for the little boat with 3 men to land on a Maori island outpost. But because of storms and a little thing called fundraising, it takes 7 weeks for the rescue ship to return. And then, a storm keeps the rescue ship on the island for a week.

When the weather finally clears, they load up and everyone makes it to New Zealand. That very same day!

reading bible family hope covid

Hope

It’s 2020. Like the crew of the Grafton, we go through challenging times. Hopefully never that challenging! But like the crew of the Grafton, we can look to God. We can continue to worship God and pray for guidance. God will never leave us or forsake us.  God is our comfort.  God is our hope. Rioters can burn and loot our downtown; we can join in the clean-up. We can check in on friends and family. We can act justly. We can be hope and love because Jesus is hope and love.

For the complete story of the Grafton and Invercauld, get lost in Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World by Joan Druett.

Tips for Taking Annual Photos of Your Family

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Taking annual photos of your family makes a fun tradition!

But they are not easy.

I’m talking about when the same people are posed in the same location once a year for many years.

Why? It’s is a great way to honor your family, and to see how the family grows over time.

Here are five tips for taking annual photos of your family!

look how she copies her dad’s pose when she was 3 - Adorable!

look how she copies her dad’s pose when she was 3 - Adorable!

1. Pick a day of the year most likely to have the necessary people in attendance for your annual family photo.

  • birthday

  • holiday

  • annual vacation

  • first day of school

Chinese dad Hua Yunqing posed with his one-year-old daughter at a lake, way back in 1980. He liked the photo so much that he and little Huahua posed at the exact same spot each year on his holiday from work. For 35 years! Amazing!

See all the photos, and read the touching commentary in this nice article by Martha Cliff for the Daily Mail.

Not a real family, but here they are in 1991…

Not a real family, but here they are in 1991…

and here they are in 2011. Who is that girl?

and here they are in 2011. Who is that girl?

2. Decide on the rules for your annual photo of your family, and decide if the rules for the annual picture are flexible.

  • Can girlfriends be in the photo?

  • Can the day of the year change if necessary? The location?

  • Do the people in the photo always stand in the same order?

shoe box of photos

3. Have a consistent place to store the photos.

  • Where is the photo of you and your first car? Physical photos tend to be shoved in boxes, or cut up and put in albums.

  • Photos on your phone tend to stay on your phone, lost among thousands of other photos.

  • Photos in a cloud storage system are hard to find unless you are consistent in tagging and filing them.

“Our sixth birthday”

“Our sixth birthday”

4. Have something consistent or uniform when taking a picture every year.

  • a sign

  • a landmark

  • a color of clothing

Watch this incredible video! Still photos of triplets, every year on their birthday.

5. Some years someone wont want to be in the annual family photo. Have an ally who can help you convince them.

  • toddlers can be squirmy

  • teens can be moody

  • family members can get in arguments

Have someone on your side, someone who agrees that the history and tradition of the annual family photo is more important than the temporary mood of one of the participants.

Suck it up, and smile for the camera!

Sometimes, we need outside help. We need support in our parenting journey.

If you are experiencing a family member with ADHD or Autism, we can help!

It’s never too late to take a photo every year! It doesn’t have to be perfect - just do it!

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War Movies for Memorial Day Weekend

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Memorial Day is for honoring those who have given their lives in defense of our country. We do this by

so proudly we hail movie still.jpg

  • attending Memorial Day services

  • visiting military cemeteries

  • gathering with friends and family, grateful that we have the freedom to do so

  • watching movies that remind us that freedom is not free

Here are three war movies for Memorial Day weekend.

In the past, I’ve written about war movies on Turner Classic Movies. You can read my reviews here and here.

TV Time Feature Films

I’ve discovered a new way to watch old movies - without having cable!

It’s on your Roku!

On your TV Roku home page, go to the search box and type in “TV Time”. You can add this channel.

  • It’s free!

  • No commercials!

  • The movies, although old, are remastered and sharp in picture and sound!

Three war movies for Memorial Day weekend.

I’m choosing female centered films of the 1940’s. Find them all on TV Time Feature Films.

So Proudly We Hail - 1943 Drama Romance War

so proudly we hail.jpg

How to find it: Scroll down to Claudette Colbert, then scroll right until you find it.

The Plot: Army nurses heading to Hawaii have their ship diverted to Bataan when Pearl Harbor is bombed.

The original tag line: First Great Love Story of Our Girls at the Fighting Front!

Why to watch: I see it more as how women from different walks of life learn to work together for the greater good under extremely stressful circumstances. Actress Veronica Lake was famous for her hairstyle that draped over one eye. It was important to show her with her hair up in this movie because American women needed to keep their hair up for factory work.

veronica lake had gorgeous hair! But dangerous for factory work

veronica lake had gorgeous hair! But dangerous for factory work

Ladies Courageous - 1944 Adventure Drama War

ladies courageous.jpg

How to find it: Scroll down to Loretta Young, then scroll right until you find it.

The Plot: The story of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, a unit of female pilots who flew bombers from the factories to their final destinations.

The original tag line: WOMEN WITH WINGS! (Yes, it was in all caps!)

Why to watch: While this does fall a bit into soap opera territory, it is a rare representation of women pilot’s essential role in the war.

I Was a Male War Bride - 1949 Comedy Romance War

How to find it: In TV Time, find the search page. Enter in “bride” and choose the movie from those listed to the right.

The Plot: A French soldier man marries an American soldier woman. He attempts to find a way to accompany her back to the US under the terms of the War Bride Act.

The original tag line: The Most Hilarious Comedy in Many a Honeymoon!

Why to watch: I’m not sure why English Cary Grant is playing a French soldier, but enjoy it! His expressions as he deals with the red tape and absurdities of army regulation are funny! Ann Sheridan is a capable and respected American lieutenant, which is very good to see portrayed.

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Surprising Ways Anyone Can Play Pretend

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Anyone can pretend play.

  • Children without brothers or sisters. Children with brothers and sisters.

  • Children with developmental or physical challenges.

  • Children in cities, suburbs, rural areas.

Teenagers can play pretend. Even adults can pretend play!

Here are five surprising ways anyone can play pretend.

lightsaber pretend play is for everyone

  1. Children play pretend naturally. Especially from ages 2-10. Give them the time and some props or dress up clothes, and let them use their imagination!

Victorian tea party play pretend

We know pretend play is an important developmental phase to encourage. We also know that parents do not have to play pretend with their child all day long. It’s okay for children to play by themselves! If you are interested, you can read the history of this child rearing philosophy here.

blanket cape for pretend play

Give a child a cape or fairy wings, and they can create hours of pretend play!

Playing dress up can help kids with empathy and emotional development, including kids with ADHD or autism.

2. Anyone can play pretend by copying art

It’s more like dress-up, than playing in an imaginary world. But it is a great creative outlet for all ages!

It’s called the @TussenKunstenQuarantaine. A woman in the Netherlands, bored during the COVID-19 quarantine, challenged her friends to recreate famous works of art using only three items lying around home. You can see creative pretend play from people of all ages around the world on her Instagram and Facebook pages. You should submit one, too!

Mona lisa. a teenager in 2020, and the original in 1503.

Mona lisa. a teenager in 2020, and the original in 1503.

Clever! ha ha!

Clever! ha ha!

3. Teens and adults can do battle. Just for pretend, of course!

Do you have someone in your house with extra energy? Sports are always a good outlet. But pretend play battles are also fun, in an adult way.

4. Acting for fun is a great way anyone can play pretend!

you have to be fast and expressive to win playing heads up!

you have to be fast and expressive to win playing heads up!

5. Cosplay is costume play for anyone!

  • Costumes for an event - these Pac Man ghosts are kids holding umbrellas with fabric over them!

  • Costumes for a photo - these Japanese teen girls saved their money to buy a photo session in historic kimonos!

  • Costumes for daily life - some people choose vintage every day!

We have no excuse not to engage in some fun and safe pretend play - even adults!

Is she making mud pies? or food for her pretend pets?

Is she making mud pies? or food for her pretend pets?

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Bring Out Your “Bop It”

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Bop It is a toy you play by following the directions it tells you.

You hold the device in your hands, and then

  • bop it!

  • twist it!

  • pull it!

  • pass it!

We’ll let the commercial explain better…

Yes, it really is that much fun to follow directions!

The original plan for the game was to make a child do something to change the TV.

At least they’re not fighting

At least they’re not fighting

Like a cardio remote control!

  • To change channels, the child would have to hammer the remote

  • To adjust the volume, the child would have to twist a knob

  • To turn the TV on, the child would have to pull a lever

Dan Klitsner, the inventor, called them Remote Out-of-Control. Clever!

But toy companies weren’t interested.

It was 1996, and Klitsner shifted his idea to a game where you followed directions. Bop It was born!

You can read more of this fascinating story in this Mental Floss article here.

you’ve probably played this, or one of it’s variations. It’s fun to follow directions!

you’ve probably played this, or one of it’s variations. It’s fun to follow directions!

Bop It has inspired a dance where you follow directions, and following directions Bop It competitions - even among the blind!

There are other dances that are basically exercises in following directions.

  • Cupid Shuffle

  • Zumba

  • Square Dancing

It’s fun to follow directions. Until it’s not…

Watch this comedy sketch (it’s rated G). G for general audience, and G for gross!

Eeewwwww! But funny, right?!

Getting our kids to follow directions, when it’s real life and not a game, can be a challenge.

Especially if our kids are experiencing autism or ADHD. Here’s a moment of advice from our expert.

Perhaps you want some guidance. Or someone to listen.

Or maybe you’re ready for one of our online courses.

No judgement. No obligation. Just guidance from two experts, who have been there, too.