Author Archive: Rachel

  • It's like magic! These Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs really are cooked perfectly and peel easily. I can't believe it!

    Easy-To-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

    These easy-to-peel hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot just might change your life. This recipe is MAGIC, I tell you. In all of my years of trying every hard boiled egg trick in the book, I’ve never come out with ones that were cooked this perfectly (think moist yellow …

    read more
  • 10 healthy, freezable breakfast recipes for those chaotic school mornings.

    10 Healthy, Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Ideas for Back To School

    A healthy breakfast even on those chaotic weekday mornings? We’ve got you covered with 10 healthy, freezable breakfast ideas to make ahead and have on hand. We started school again yesterday. It’s hard to believe my babies are now in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades–our last year all under one …

    read more
  • The Very Berry Crumble lets your summer berries shine, while adding a little crispy, sweet topping that pairs perfectly with some vanilla ice cream. 

    Very Berry Crumble {Freezer-Friendly}

    Back to school time may be around the corner, but don’t let summer die, I say! Keep it alive a bit longer by filling your house with the smells and tastes of summer with this simple Very Berry Crumble. If you’re like me and love the berry insides of a …

    read more

  • Being On Live TV Is Like…

    Last Friday, Polly and I made our debut TV appearance in St. Louis. Like with everything in the cookbook publishing world we’ve entered, it proved to be a brand new learning curve. If you haven’t seen the clip yet, you can watch our 3 minute appearance here. What was being …

    read more
  • What Books Are In My Nightstand Right Now

    What Books Are In My Nightstand Right Now

    I’m finally at a phase of life where I have time and a little more energy to read at night and in the early morning. I always enjoy getting a peek into other bloggers’ lives to see what books they have lying around and/or are enjoying, so I thought I’d …

    read more
  • 10 Things I'm Glad I Did On Our Family Vacation

    10 Things I’m Glad I Did On Our Family Vacation

    The beach is my happy place. And I’ve always wanted my children to be able to see and experience the ocean and white sands beaches of the Florida panhandle, like I’ve been fortunate enough to many times as a teenager and adult. Being landlocked in mid-Missouri (at least 14 hours …

    read more
  • With just a few simple ingredients, this kid-friendly, healthy chicken dinner is so easy to whip up. Freeze an extra batch and take them from freezer to table in just minutes!

    Instant Pot Chicken and Cheese Taquitos {Freezer Meal}

    Some affiliate links included. Here is why. I was so happy to finally get back in the kitchen this week after the week-long kid camp I help lead at our church each year. Don’t get me wrong. I’m thankful for the free food provided each night for my family, but we …

    read more

  • We Need to Tell Our Kids That It’s Hard to Follow Jesus

    Photo credit: All photos in this post are property of The Crossing, Columbia, MO. See originals here. I just spent the past year with a team at my church writing and producing a curriculum for our one-week kids camp, called Kids Club. This is my 16th year of helping run …

    read more
  • Pan-Fried Catfish is cheap, kid-friendly, and so tasty.

    Pan-Fried Catfish

    Believe it or not, this main dish cost me just under $5 to put together and my whole family loved it. Let’s just say that catfish in mid-Missouri is not hard to come by. I don’t fry foods very often, so this Pan-Fried Catfish was quite the treat for my crew. …

    read more
  • Kale Me Maybe Smoothie

    “Kale Me Maybe” Smoothie Recipe {Dairy-Free}

    Sing with me, everybody (to the tune of “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen), “Now here’s my recipe, so Kale Me Maybe!”. I am not an impulse spender and am actually quite frugal. But there is one thing I’ve had a hard time passing up over the years–this “Kale Me Maybe” …

    read more
  • 100% real food ingredients! These 5-ingredient Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits are absolutely delicious!

    Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits {Freezer Meal}

    There’s nothin’ like a homemade biscuit straight from the oven. Are you with me? On holidays, I pull out the Crisco and white flour and make my mother-in-law’s killer recipe. And my husband and kids gets all starry-eyed at me when I do. Why should I only get the starry-eyed look on …

    read more
  • These 5 random books are among some of my favorites recently. See why I liked them in this post.

    Rachel’s 5 Random Good Reads (and Some Confessions)

    It’s that time again when I dig through my rather full end table and pull out my good reads as of late. Today, I’m sharing some favs from this past winter and spring that I think are worth picking up. In case you missed it, here were three books I couldn’t put down last summer. Apparently, I’m also …

    read more
  • Real Food Menu Plan for April 3-9: Easy and delicious meal ideas that the whole family will love. Posted every Friday at Thriving Home.

    Weekly Menu Plan + Top 5 “Stock Up & Save” Deals

    Sponsored by Hy-Vee (Columbia) My friend, Kelley, gave me a great idea for this week–Make-Your-Own Oatmeal Bar! She made a big pot of oatmeal and then let everyone choose from a variety of toppings like blueberries, banana slices, raisins, nuts, and dried coconut. She said the best part was that no one …

    read more
  • Real Food Menu Plan for March 27-April 2: Easy and delicious meal ideas that the whole family will love. Posted every Friday at Thriving Home.

    Weekly Menu Plan + Top 5 “Stock Up & Save” Deals

    Sponsored by Hy-Vee (Columbia) This week I’m going easy with recipes like Baked Potato Bar (in the slow cooker!), taco night, and some of our favorite paninis. With 77¢ pasta at Hy-Vee this week, I’m also cooking up some Homemade Chef Boyardee Pasta on Monday night. This is such a sneaky …

    read more
  • Real Food Menu Plan for March 20-26: Easy and delicious meal ideas that the whole family will love. Posted every Friday at Thriving Home.

    Weekly Menu Plan + Top 5 “Stock Up & Save” Deals

    Sponsored by Hy-Vee (Columbia) This week frozen veggies are only $.99 at our Hy-Vee grocery store, so I’m using those in three different dishes: Hearty Vegetable Soup, On-the-Go Chicken Burritos, and Szechuan Steak Stir-Fry. I’m also using the $.99 Barilla pasta that’s on sale to make a new slow cooker recipe …

    read more