Simple and Delicious:Easy Bacon and Cheese Quiche

I'm taking the rest of the year off to spend the Christmas holiday with my family.  This post is part of my "best of 2013" series.  This recipe would make a perfect Christmas morning breakfast!!  Have a Merry Christmas!

I make this egg quiche for supper quite often.  It is so simple and you can mix it up by adding different cheeses or using ham or sausage instead of the bacon.  When I make it, I double the recipe and make 2 quiche's to feed our family. {I think I could start tripling it since my boys have such hearty appetites!}  The original recipe came from Nancy at Homemade Blessings.  I recently made it with a little bit of "help" from my favorite helper!  Here's the recipe....

1/4 - 1/2 pound bacon~cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup onion
5 oz shredded colby-jack cheese
3 oz shredded parmesan cheese
9" deep dish pie crust
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup half and half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add cheeses, onion and bacon to the pie crust (I use a refrigerated ready-made pie crust).

Mix eggs and half and half.(I also add some pepper)

 

Pour egg mixture over cheese mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 35 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Blessings,

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This post originally posted on 6/22/2011.

Frugal Living~Saving Money

I'm taking the rest of the year off to spend the Christmas holiday with my family.  This post is part of my "best of 2013" series.  Have a Merry Christmas!

source~google

Since I became a stay~at~home mom 6 years ago, I've found a few ways to save a few dollars here and there.  My thinking is even if it only saves me a few dollars a month, it adds up to a lot of money over time.  Hubby brings home the paycheck and I find it my job to get creative sometimes to make it stretch.  I'm not complaining about this role, as I desire to be a good steward of what God has blessed us with.  Here's a few things we've done to save money.

Get rid of the cable/satellite dish.  We actually did this before I quit working, and we really don't miss it at all.  We never really watched much TV, so it was actually quite a relief to get rid of this bill.  With the exception of missing NASCAR (our 14 year old loves racing) and a few holiday movies at Christmas time cutting the dish was one of the best things we did for our family.  We still have movie night every Friday which leads me to the next tip....

Use the library.  We get movies for our family night from them.  Our library is part of a group in Wisconsin so if our local library doesn't have a movie we want to watch, we can place a hold on it and it will come from whatever library it is at.  We get lots of books each week, and we also get magazines and music CD's.  Free entertainment!

Save gas by making fewer trips.  I will admit this is an area I am still working on.  Try to do your running on only one day per week.  Get your banking, errands, shopping, library, etc. all in one morning or afternoon.  It will not only save you gas (for our big van this equals big savings sometimes!) but saves you time also!

Stay out of the stores!  When I just run in for eggs or milk, I inevitably find something on sale I just need to buy.  This does NOT save me money!  I am doing once~a~month shopping right now to help in this area.

Go down to one vehicle.  Ouch....did I really just say that?  We have two vehicles, but going down to one is something we've discussed.  I'm still praying that this could happen in the future.  I know this wouldn't work for everyone, but for many (including us!) it could happen with a little creativity.

Get rid of or seriously cut down on cell phones.  Again, did I really say that?  In a world of smart phones and i~everything, we opt out of this.  We have a tracfone that we add minutes to every three months.  We use the cheapest minutes we can.  We use this cell phone for our long distance calls (we don't have a long distance plan on our home phone~another way to save money!), and the few times we need to call someone when we are out.  I am astonished at the prices some people pay for their cell phone service~and the fancy phones.

Think outside the box!  We get our milk, eggs, and butter from a convenience store here in town because they are cheaper than the grocery stores.  We also use dollar stores for some items we know are cheaper there.  I don't care if things are brand name or generic as long as I know they are good!

What are some things you are doing to save money?

Blessings,

Christmas 2013

I LOVE Christmas.  I may have told you that a time or two!  I love the baking, carols, decorating, time spent with family, reading the Christmas story, church services, and they way people just seem to treat everyone better during this time of year.  I love Christmas!

I had lots of Christmas posts planned for my blog this Christmas.  I had posts started, and I had posts swimming around my head just waiting to write them down.  But instead of writing them down, I've spent the past week or so enjoying my family.

You see, it didn't make sense to me to spend time writing ways to enjoy your family, then neglect mine because I was spending that time on my blog.  While I love that I have readers and followers on my blog, my family comes first.

We have cookies to bake, widowed family and friends that we deliver those baked goodies to, a family Christmas Eve service to prepare for {Thanks to Amy at Raising Arrows for this wonderful resource}, family and work parties, caroling, traditions to follow and memories to make with our kids.  We slow down on homeschooling this week, and then take off until after the new year.  I just want to slow down and enjoy the Christmas season and focus on the reason for this season.

For the rest of the year, I will be posting a sort~of "best of 2013" series.  These are the posts that have been the most popular this year.  Forgive me if you've read them already. 

Join me this Christmas while we just enjoy our families and focus on the little babe born so long ago. 

I pray you will enjoy your families and your Christmas holiday.

From our home to yours,

Have a Blessed Christmas!

 

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!



Winner Of Homestead Blessings~The Art Of Breadmaking

The winner of the Homestead Blessings~The Art of Breadmaking DVD is.......

Jamie H.

Congratulations, Jamie!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Black Friday Sale At Lilla Rose!

 

Lilla Rose is having a HUGE Black Friday Sale!!  For two days only, November 29 and 30, you'll receive 20% off ALL ITEMS!! 

 

PLUS.....

 

25-50% off select products!!!

 

AND.....

 

FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50!

 

This sale is only November 29 and 30, so head over to Lilla Rose and start your holiday shopping!  Lilla Rose hair clips make a great gift!  Start shopping for mom and sisters, then don't forget your nieces, babysitters, piano teachers, or Sunday school teachers.  When you've checked those off your list, start shopping for yourself!! 

 

 

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends.  Give thanks for all the blessings in your life, and remember that God is good!

Blessings,



Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Thanksgiving 2013~Turkey Stock

 

While the thanksgiving turkey can last for a while after the big day, you can also make that bird go farther by using the bones and making a delicious and nutritious stock.

 

Take all the bones and throw them into a large pot.  Get them as clean as you can {because you want to use all that meat!}, but don't worry if there is still some meat on them.  It will add more flavor to your stock.  Throw in some vegetables into the pot as well.  I usually use onions {leave the peels on them}, celery, carrots, and green peppers.  I also add a generous sprinkling of pepper and garlic powder as well.  Then add a splash of vinegar to the pot.  The vinegar helps draw healthy minerals out of the bones.

 

Cover the bones and veggies with water.  Heat it until it is just about to boil, then simmer.  You can simmer it for a few hours or overnight {I'm not a fan of leaving something on the stove overnight, but maybe in a crockpot I would consider it.  Unfortunately, I don't have a crockpot large enough!}.  I had mine on the stove for about 4 hours or so.

 

Strain the veggies from the broth and your ready to go.   I canned this batch, but you can also put it in the freezer.  You now have healthy, delicious homemade turkey stock to make soups with. 

 

A frugal, healthy, and easy way to make your own turkey stock.  And you were going to just throw those bones in the garbage!!

 

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

The BEST {And Easiest} Gravy Ever~Thanksgiving 2013

 

 

I am not a gravy lover.  My grandma would make the tastiest gravy, and when she died, my desire for gravy died, too.  I just don't like the taste of store bought gravy, and when I tried to make my own, it never tasted like grandmas.  

So I became one of those people who just has butter with their potatoes.

Then a friend gave me a recipe and said it tastes just like grandma's.  I wondered when she was ever at my grandma's house, but graciously took the recipe.  I reluctantly tried it and was surprised to find....

It tastes just like grandma's!!

This recipe is super easy to make, and the best part is NO LUMPS {A problem I've had when I previously tried to make my own gravy}!!  So in honor of all the grandma's who've spent countless Thanksgivings making their own gravy, lets all make our own gravy this year, too!!  Your family will thank you for it, and you just might start a new tradition!

Easy Turkey Gravy

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups pan drippings

In medium saucepan, melt butter.  Add in black pepper and flour.  Whisk continuously over low heat for 3 minutes.  You'll notice a change in the consistency of the butter/flour mixture as you whisk.  When it goes from pasty to a thinner consistency you have it right.  Add in the turkey drippings.

Continue to whisk over medium~low heat until bubbly and the gravy has thickened.  This should also take about 3 minutes.

Serve with your mashed potatoes and turkey and gladly accept all the praise you'll get for the delicious gravy!

Enjoy!!

Blessings,


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Thanksgiving 2013~Squash Seeds, A Yummy Snack!

 

When you make that Thanksgiving Squash, save the seeds from it and make a delicious, easy, and frugal snack with it.  If you love roasted pumpkin seeds, you'll love this, too!

Place the seeds you spooned out of the squash into a bowl.

Add water to the bowl.  This makes it easier to separate the seeds from the other "gunk".  You'll need to get your hands in there to loosen the seeds.

 Pour the seeds through a strainer and rinse with water to remove any leftover "gunk"!  Then pat dry with a towel.

 Place on a cookie sheet, spritz with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake at 325* for 10~20 minutes.  Cool off and enjoy!

Does the lure of a tasty snack want to make you go out and get a squash?  Give it a try!

 

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!



Thanksgiving 2013~Squash~~The Neglected Side Dish

Squash may not be neglected in your family, but in mine it sure is!  I am the only one who loves this creamy, tasty vegetable.  I couldn't even get my family to eat it by telling them it was technically a fruit, not a vegetable!  Anyway, in an effort to get squash into more Thanksgiving dinners, I'm sharing the easy way my grandma made it.

First you start with one or two wonderful looking squash.  Don't be intimidated by that tough outer skin.  Once you get past that, you'll be well on your way to a delicious side dish!

Cut the squash in half lengthwise.  This is how it will look when you open it up.

Scoop out those seeds.  Just grab a spoon and spoon them into a bowl.  Save these seeds.  They will make a delicious snack for later!! 



Put a pat of butter in each well from the scooped out seeds.  Sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar and place in a preheated 375* oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until soft. {it took closer to an hour for both of my squash to completely cook}

 When the squash in soft, scoop it away from the skin.  {sorry, forgot to get a picture of that step!}  Then place the squash into a blender.

Blend for just a moment or two.  I don't like to blend too long, because then it gets the consistency of baby food {and then I don't want to eat it either!}, but enough to get the lumps out and make it creamy.  Add pepper, salt and a little more brown sugar if needed.

ENJOY!!

 

I'm curious, how many of you are squash lovers?  Have a delicious Thanksgiving dinner!

 

 

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!



Thanksgiving 2013~Pumpkin Pie

One of the staples of Thanksgiving in my opinion is pumpkin pie.  I know many of you make "real" pumpkin pie, even rolling out your own crust.  I take the easy way out and use canned pumpkin and ready made pie crust.  I love my pie, but also love saving time to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.  Here's the simple, yet yummy recipe!

 

Pumpkin Pie

 

1 can (15oz) pumpkin

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1TB pumpkin pie spice

pie crust (I cheat and use the ready made roll out kind!)

 

Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, and spice until smooth.  Pour into pie crust.  Bake at 425* for 15 minutes.  Reduce temp to 350* and bake 40 minutes more.

I can't wait until Thanksgiving dinner to enjoy a piece of pumkin pie!

Blessings,



Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Worth Rubies~Feeding Our Families**WITH A GIVEAWAY!!**

 

 

"She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants." Proverbs 31:14-15

The Proverbs 31 woman is quite a busy woman!  We're not only busy eagerly serving our husbands, but we are also spending a lot of time preparing food for them and our families.

A Proverbs 31 woman will go to whatever depths necessary to bring nutritious food to our families.  In this verse it states that she is like a merchant ship.  Merchant ships were also called trading ships because they were full of goods from far away lands that many people bartered to buy and trade goods.  We probably do not need to travel great distances to bring our food home, but we should travel past the nearest McDonald's to put healthy food on our tables.  We need to put some thought and effort into not only planning our meals, but getting our food at the best prices as well.

In order to provide our families with healthy, delicious meals we will need to get a proper start to our day.  This means we will need to get out of bed early {while it is still night} and get going ourselves.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and getting our families going with a good, healthy breakfast is just what they need.  This may mean different things in different families.  It might mean a breakfast of eggs, or a breakfast of pancakes, or a breakfast of oatmeal.  It probably doesn't mean sending the kids out the door with a couple of cookies!

What about lunch?  In our house, lunch is pretty simple, but I still need to put some thought into it.  Are we prepared for dinner?  Thawing something out, something in the crockpot, or roasting in the oven? 

Is this an area you are struggling in?  This week lets make a better effort to putting nutritious and delicious meals on the table each day.  Start with a good breakfast.  You might remember my Great Cereal Debate and my struggle with feeding my kids cereal {something I still struggle with at times!}.  This post has some great, EASY alternatives to cereal.  How about dinner.  Think about it now, so you are not struggling at 4:30 to find something decent to eat, then give up and order a pizza!  Make a meal list for the week {check the grocery ads and coordinate meals with sales!} and head to the grocery store.

 

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!!

I was recently given a DVD of Homestead Blessings~The Art Of Bread Making.  I already have this DVD and love it!  I love the West Ladies {as they call themselves!} and all of their DVD's are wonderful and informative!  Since I already had this DVD, I would love to pass it on to someone else to enjoy!  Bread making is a wonderful skill to learn and this DVD will help to get you started.  Just enter below and I'll announce the winner next week!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great {and delicious!} week!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Leaving A Legacy

This picture is the door of my laundry chute.  Each time I get clothes out of the chute, I see this and it makes me smile.  This was written by my father~in~law when he made the chute in November of 1968.   It says "Hi Honey Happy Washing Today" and is signed by him with the date.

Looking at this makes me think about the legacy each of us leave.  What kind of legacy will I be leaving my children?  Will that legacy be anger or joy?  Frustration or flexibility?  Contentment or greed?  Love or hate?

 We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.  Psalm 78:4

The most important legacy I can leave my children is to be a follower of Christ.  If I am following the Lord in all I do, my legacy will show that.  You'll see the times I relied on God to meet my needs.  You'll see the obedience even when it may not make sense in the world's eyes.  You'll see my love for Him through all I say and do.

I have to ask myself, is this the legacy I'm leaving?  Are you?

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!