Heeeey friends!
It’s January 33rd, aka Feb 2nd! 😉 It’s a bit confused; is it coming in as a lion or lamb? Yesterday was a record-breaking 63°, today’s supposed to be 53°, and this weekend, we’re expecting 1-3 inches of snow.
In all seriousness, I pray you are well and enjoying these first few days of February. New month, clean slate!
Today, I’ve got three exciting new recipes: two blondie recipes, one that might surprise you, and a great dish for the Super Bowl or just an easy weeknight dinner! I share a little pictorial recap of our time in Mexico. Plus, TFC goes International!
Be sure to use the Table of Contents below to discover what interests you most.
New on the blog this week | 3 New Recipes
- First up, a little something for your Super Bowl celebration! Try this super easy Chili Cheese Dog Bake with a scrumptious and quick homemade chili con carne. It’s sure to please everyone and makes an easy weeknight meal. You can also make the full chili recipe, freeze what you don’t use, and make up the number of hot dogs you need. I love recipes like this!
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- You will love these super easy Strawberry Blondies. I generally like to bake from scratch, but it’s all about moderation, right? Start with a cake mix, and they will be mixed and baked in 30 minutes! You might also love these start-with-a-cake-mix treats; Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cake, and get ready for rhubarb season with this Rhubarb Dump Cake Recipe.
- This chewy blondie bars recipe is the bomb; made in one bowl, it is soft, chewy, and oh-so flavorful. The best part is you choose what mix-ins to add, and I have loads of suggestions in the post. You might also enjoy these lunch lady brownies or these luscious, soft and chewy sugar cookie bites.
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More easy weeknight meals
Easy weeknight meals are my jam; try these reader favorites!
Easy Creamy Bow Tie Pasta Recipe
This light and creamy Bow Tie Pasta recipe is easy enough for everyday, elegant enough for company. A restaurant-quality pasta dinner; in a light Italian Cream Sauce, loaded with flavor. Ready in about 20 minutes using your Instant Pot or stovetop this easy pasta recipe is ready in minutes.
Healthy Mongolian Beef Recipe
When you need a fast dinner, don’t do “take-out”, this Mongolian Beef made with shaved steak is sure to hit the spot, and healthier too. It has the right combination of sweet and spicy with fresh ginger and red pepper flakes. You’re going to love the Mongolian sauce!
One Pan Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce
Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cheese Sauce is a creamy, tender and delicious meal. Packed with spinach, two kinds of tomatoes, a splash of heavy cream turns this simple recipe into something fantastic! Bonus – you can make this chicken dinner recipe in one pan in about 30 minutes — restaurant quality!
3-Ingredient Chicken with Pasta (Crockpot)
3 ingredients, 5-minute prep! This copycat crockpot Olive Garden Chicken is juicy, tender, and packed with bold and tangy flavors!
A copycat Olive Garden chicken pasta dish full of true Italian flavors!
Easy Cheeseburger Sliders
Make a dozen easy Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls in about 30 minutes! These cheese sliders are fantastic for a hungry crowd on game day!
A week in my life…
Our favorite Cabo memories
I wanted to show you some of our favorite memories from our trip to Cabo last week. We mostly laid by the pool, read, puzzled, watched the whales play, caught up with dear friends, relaxed, and ate amazing food! I found similar bird stemware on Amazon! For the girl who has an obsession with glassware…ME!
Our only excursion was a sunset cruise, with a stunning sunset and moonrise that took my breath away!
Fun fact: the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez meet at the arch in Cabo San Lucas. Our hotel was on the Pacific side, and the ocean is treacherous where the two bodies of water meet, called Land’s End at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. The only beach shot I got wasn’t great, so I’m sharing one from 2016, the last time we went. It’s also a winter playground for whales, including Humpback, blue whales, gray whales, and Orca whales. We mostly saw Humpbacks, and I was never fast enough with a camera.
TFC goes to Europe
I loved this story from my friend Terri (she and I were roommates a hundred years ago!). She and her husband are now retired, but no moss grows under their feet; while traveling last year, they met a couple, and long story short, he was invited to be a guest professor at a Christian university in Lithuania last fall.
Their heart is to love and serve others, so they jumped at the opportunity and, while there, developed some amazing relationships with faculty and students. Hang tight; I’m getting to the “related to my blog part.”
They mentored some international students who were fascinated with American chocolate chip cookies. One of them asked if Terri would teach them how to make them. Below are pictures of the girls making my Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies (in Lithuania, no less!).
With permission, I share their pictures; it warmed my heart to know that these women loved the recipe and learned how to bake them and I hope maybe someday to meet them in person!
What Readers Are Saying about…
Healthier Mongolian Beef
This is AMAZING!! I added frozen strips of onion/bell peppers as I didn’t have an onion on hand. I’m having it right now over cauliflower rice. I did use the sesame oil that added so much extra to the dish. I found you from Pinterest when looking for recipes for shaved steak. I’m going to follow you now!
Sunne
**This recipe has received mixed reviews over the years, people either love it or hate it. It’s one of our family’s favorite recipes, and I couldn’t figure out why people said it was too salty until a reader took the time to help me sleuth it. When she said, she used condensed beef broth from a can, I knew right away the problem. ½ cup of condensed beef broth has 860 mg of sodium compared to the organic beef broth that I use, which has 250 mg per ½ cup and that’s not their low-sodium version! And if you are sensitive to salt I recommend using low-sodium versions of soy sauce (or try these amazing Coconut Aminos) and beef broth and using a little less of each. I hope you try it and love it!
Our favorite breakfast shortcuts
- Our son loves sausage and hash browns, so I developed easy ways for him to make them in college using an air fryer, try our Air Fryer Hash Browns and Air Fryer Sausage Links.
- When he’s home, I make him these air fryer French toast sticks (they are healthier, too!).
- Our oldest is an oatmeal fan, so I developed this easy Instant Pot oatmeal (both old-fashioned oats and steel cut) that he could make in the Instant Pot at school. Hands down, it’s my favorite (no mess) way to prepare oatmeal.
What Caught My Eye | Sales and Deals
Check out the images below items HERE! Plus, previous week’s finds!
- You all really loved this Valentine’s day tea towel!
- Love this ribbed split hem turtleneck – with an additional 20% coupon! Similar to the one you all loved from a few weeks ago, but cheaper. And how about this $10 hi-lo sweatshirt!?!
- I love my 3 rectangular bakers, and they are more than 50% off at Sur la Table!
- Since the recipes above use special equipment, I wanted to share my favorite Air Fryer/indoor grill/dehydrator/crisper (Crate & Barrel) and the same price on Amazon, plus this NEW version of Instant Pot is on sale!
- I’m in love with this tilted drink pitcher!
- I see these everywhere, what do you think about these marble ruffle bowls?
- And as we inch towards spring, how about this faux hydrangea bundle (instant bright spot)! It’s a bit pricey, but I found this dup that would still bring a little spring indoors.
Browse my Amazon Storefront
Weekly Inspiration | Stressed? Pretend You’re a Plant
We can all relate to being stressed in our fast-paced, I-want-it-now culture. Whether it’s our jobs, friends, family, or the world, this spoke to me, and I pray it also speaks to your soul. Below is a daily encouragement from Proverbs 31.
“I can’t keep green things alive. (Rest in peace, mini cactus.) I overwater. I underwater. I forget to put the plant near a window. I never play classical music or whisper encouragement into its leaves.
It’s no surprise I also sometimes treat myself like I’ve treated my long list of shriveled succulents. I overdo it. I hustle through it. I forget to eat a vegetable. I don’t stop to ask for help or whisper encouragement to my soul.
I tell myself it’s only a season of the year or season at work or season of life — once it’s over, I’ll be able to breathe again. But I keep coming back to the same status: stressed. Overwhelmed. Stranded in survival mode. And I was never a Girl Scout, so I’m ill-prepared for the elements.
The Lord cautions us about what happens when we rely on our own strength — we become withered and worn, like shrubs in a parched desert (Jeremiah 17:5-6).
But there’s hope outside of ourselves. When we rely on the Lord and His power in and through us, we’re like a tree planted by a river, connected to a living stream that won’t run dry.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV).
Tired of failing in self-reliance and ready to flourish in God-reliance? Let’s learn from God’s plant analogies and tend to our stressed souls.
- Deepen your roots: From our gentle cries for help from the Holy Spirit to our daily debriefs about our thoughts and emotions, our accessible God cares about the details of our lives. Create practices in your day where you can share your life and burdens with God in prayer and strengthen your relationship with Him.
- Get some sunlight: Get outside and soak in God’s creation. Go for a walk. Camp out under a tree. Sit by your window.
- Watch what you tell yourself: If it’s scientifically proven that plants respond to positive talk, imagine how much more your heart needs to hear the Truth. Reframe and rewire your self-talk so you’re listening only to God’s promises and His Word. Keep a list of Bible verses in your phone or journal to reference when you need reminders.
Rooting ourselves in Jesus doesn’t mean stressors go away — the heat and the drought may still come. But life in Him and through His power means we don’t have to wither and get worn down by stress. When we rely on His power in us, we can live as trees planted by the living river.
Jesus, help me to surrender my finite strength and plug in to Your constant power source. I’m ready to plant myself in Your love and Truth. Please sustain me through all of life’s highs and lows. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” By by MEGHAN MELLINGER Proverbs 31 Women
Off and running, my friends, as we enter the month of love, let’s truly see into the eyes of every person we encounter, embracing them with genuine love and kindness and connecting heart-to-heart with compassion and understanding.
P.S. If you missed last week’s Fresh Fridays, recipes, sales, tips, ideas, and more!
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