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Break Winter Blues with Fun 2-Ingredient Recipes

Break Winter Blues with Fun 2-Ingredient Recipes.Winter is full of surprises: bad weather, unexpected company, loss of utilities, illnesses. These can take a toll on a happy home.

In addition, after the holidays, you most likely restocked cabinets with healthy foods, fresh vegetables, and less bakery and sweet snacks. But, are you ready for carrot sticks and soups every day? No sweets?

Plan small surprise treats for your family this winter.

As you shop, purchase a few of these ingredients and be ready to surprise family and friends. The good thing is that you won’t have tons of leftovers and be tempted to get back into the snack habit.

Get out your grocery list and be prepared to try these fun ideas for quick snacks, bakery items, and meat dish helps.

Easy preparation, no mess, and smaller quantities (no leftovers tempting you all week) make these quick snack and simple bakery hints a snap.

Cookies n Cream Oreo Bark: a 20 minute sweet simple dessert.

10 oz white chocolate chips, 15 regular size Oreos (plus 3) Line 8×8 pan with wax paper. Heat chocolate, cool 5 minutes, add chopped Oreos and stir. Pour into pan; sprinkle remaining 3 Oreos on top, chill 10 minutes.break into pieces.

2-ingredient Candy (2 versions): for “I just have to have something NOW”.

For either: microwave to soften, mix well, refrigerate in 9 x 9 pan to set. Strawberry Fudge is 1 12 oz bag white chocolate chips and 16 oz bag of strawberry frosting. Peanut Butter Fudge is 15 oz jar peanut butter (smooth or crunch) and 1 container of chocolate or vanilla cake frosting OR 1 pound white almond bark.

Hot Chocolate: 4 cups whole milk, 1/2 cut Nutella.

Healthy, Flourless Apple Pie: 4 1/2 pounds apples, peeled and grated, 2 1/4 pounds millet. mix, bake in buttered 9×13 pan 90 minutes at 200 degrees. Cool before serving.

2 Ingredient Ranch Biscuits: 2 1/4 cups biscuit mix, 2/3 cup Ranch dressing, 450 for 10 minutes.

Quick Pizza Dough: 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup Greek yogurt. Bake 15 minutes at 400.

Three Great ways to perk up your roast, chicken, fish.

Roast: Place 3 lbs. round steak or beef chuck roast on heavy aluminum foil. Sprinkle with 1 envelope dry onion soup mix. Wrap tightly, roast in pan at 300 degrees for 3 hours. Make a pan sauce with the juices or pour over meat.

Chicken: 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, 16 ounce bottle Italian-style salad dressing. Marinate overnight. Bake on lightly greased pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Fish: 1 lb. tilapia fillets, 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes. Heat tomatoes in large skillet, add tilapia, spoon tomatoes over tilapia to coat; cover skillet and simmer until fish flakes easily, about 10 minutes.

I hope you have fun with these ideas; I enjoyed bringing them to you. I think winter calls for a time to do something different; break out of the mold. Surprise someone with a simple “home made” candy or a new flavor to an old standby roast!

Hugs and blessings for a healthy and safe winter.

For more fun 2-ingredient recipes, click here:

Making New Year’s Resolutions vs Setting Goals

New Year’s Resolutions are quickly made and easily broken. Somehow we believe the calendar page will turn and all last year’s problems will vanish.

Would you like to end the struggle and see results?

Follow these four simple steps to set small, attainable, measurable goals instead of vague resolutions. You will be as amazed as I at the immediate feeling of success from day one.

Step #1. Make a list of possible changes for the new year.

For a plan you will finish, spend a few days to work through these questions. Evaluate your answers; be honest with yourself.

a. Are you making resolutions (trying to change) to please others? Make sure your list reflects your unique personality.

b. What do you see as your greatest need this year? Is it really to lose weight, quit a habit, or exercise more? Or is your need to be a better person, draw closer to God, show kindness to others? Be specific.

c. Is there a pet project or unfinished task you really want to do but never have time to finish?

d. Are you pleased with your prayer life, devotions or Bible studies?

e. Do you feel you neglect calling on friends or sending cards of encouragement when needed?

f. Do you want to lose weight? Eat healthier? Be more physically fit?

g. Need help managing money, budgets, keeping house, etc.?

h. What would you like to learn? Sewing? Play an instrument? Gardening?

#2 Choose one goal from your list – only one.

This is the most difficult step. You may have an awesome list of worthy desires for yourself. It will be difficult to narrow it down, but you must do it to succeed this year. When this one goal is accomplished, you can move to another one as the year progresses.

Begin by carefully scratching through those that mean less to you. Take out any that may require more time and resources than you have right now. If needed, take a day or two to decide; you have a fresh new year and want to start it right.

#3 Prepare for success by planning.

With your one goal in mind, what do you need to accomplish it? Gather all the tools needed in a basket or a shelf or drawer. This may be recipe books, devotion guides, writing tools, etc.

Very important, write your one goal on several cards to keep in each room as daily reminders.

#4 Set a date to start working on your one goal.

Mark it on your calendar; schedule time for it. Plan to impress yourself with accomplishments.

Take it from one who knows; the sheer excitement of working toward one attainable goal will keep you motivated.

I am resolved to make no more resolutions; only goals — one at a time.

Let’s do this together. Let me hear from you. Pass it on.

Simple Holiday Tips for Busy Families

Simple holiday tips for busy families – really?

Two Christmas cards arrived in November. The neighborhood is aglow with colorful lights, garland, red bows and poinsettias. Newscasters announce our city parade, and I feel like Scrooge!

Do you (or someone you know) feel overwhelmed?

Making time to decorate and prepare for holidays is often difficult There is no time or energy left after the necessary chores for holiday preparation. Allow me to offer a few tips that have helped me have peace about holiday expectations.

First, kudos to those who can keep family traditions.

I love reading the chatter and looking at the fine cooking some of you are doing right now. Truly I miss that, I do! I’m learning to rejoice at the memories of days past and move on to great times ahead. Here’s how to do it.

#1 Determine what is important to you personally.

The very first step is considering what is important to you and what you actually can do. You cannot do it all; changes have to be made as you take on new responsibilities or face health issues. Be honest in evaluating difference between others’ expectations and your own wants and needs for this time in your life.

#2 Learn to simplify.

If decorating has always been important to you but you cannot drag everything from the storage this year, simplify. Find one or two simple decorations to focus on – perhaps a treasured keepsake. For my needs, I cleared a small table in a prominent place; added a festive tablecloth, small nativity, Dollar Store greenery and candles. It is amazing what one small seasonal display can do to transform an entire room. Keep it simple, uncluttered, and out of the way.

#3 Budget time and money with these easy tips.

Still not feeling the season? If one tiny spot just isn’t enough for you, consider adding a little holiday color in each area of your home. Make big bows from a roll of colorful ribbon to add to plants and picture frames about the house. Inexpensive greenery draped over a shelf adds color and charm. Tuck in a few poinsettias and you are finished! (Here is the winning tip: take time to dust, then put seasonal air fresheners in each room.)

#4 Snacks a must yet no time to bake?

Holiday preparations are incomplete without snacks! We all love them. Plan ahead and again, keep it simple. People come to see you, not check out your latest holiday recipe. Keep a shelf or small table loaded with beautiful paper napkins, plates and cups. Add pretty baskets of packaged nuts, mints, trail mix, jerky. Again the dollar store offers cans of dark chocolate rolled wafers, sourdough pretzels, and mints.

From the grocery, decorated cookies, cheese sticks, fresh fruit and veggie sticks. Be sure to have assorted teas or hot chocolate mixes. If you don’t make coffee, purchase coffee singles (decaf and regular). With little effort you have a beautiful spread that says, “I’m glad you are here.

#5 I saved the best for the last – the most important preparation.

The most important holiday preparation is a merry heart. The Lord said, “a merry heart does good like a medicine.” A cheerful hug and sincere smile goes a long way to remind others of the true meaning of the season.

Praying you will step back and plan for a beautiful December filled with the Greatest Treasure of all—God’s love.

Hugs,

P.S. Be sure to share this link with others who may need these tips and sign up for the newsletter.