Easy Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup melted butter
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon 
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1/4 cup sliced strawberries (frozen or fresh)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I bake my oatmeal in a cast iron skillet so I put my skillet in the oven while its preheating to warm up (I also add 3 TBS of butter to it and let it melt to coat the pan).

Mix ingredients and pour into hot skillet (or into a greased casserole pan if you aren’t using cast iron). Sprinkle a little extra coconut or brown sugar on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Best served warmed up with a slice of butter on top. We are loving this in the mornings. And it smells sooooo good while baking. Very “Fall-ish.”

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken Tenders

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Call me crazy, but fried chicken is a necessity of life.

That’s why my poor, Southern, little heart was broken when I realized I had a gluten allergy.

Nevertheless, I was bound and determined that I would NOT wither away and be skinny and I WOULD find a way to eat all of my favorite fried foods (that is extreme sarcasm. I would love to be skinny. But I love food too much. So I picked the best option: FOOD).

I tried and failed many times to create the closest thing to real fried chicken, then one day it actually worked!

The secret is instant mashed potato flakes.

You just use them for the breading and it creates wonderfully crispy chicken. BAM.

Also, I’ve found that it helps to have a deep fryer for this, it keeps the breading on better and you can monitor how well it’s cooking easier. I don’t have a deep fryer since I’ve gotten married, so I just pan fried them. But they got a little more crispy than I normally like.

But enough of my rambling. On to the recipe!

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken Tenders:

Ingredients:

-6 to 8 chicken breast tenders

-1 & 1/2 cups of instant mashed potato flakes

-2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (as well as any oil you will use in your fryer or pan)

-seasoned salt

-salt and pepper

Directions:

Place oil and potato flakes in two separate dishes. Season potato flakes with seasoned salt, salt and pepper.

Dip chicken tenders in oil then place in potato flake mixture until evenly coated. Place in fryer and cook 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. I usually take a piece out and check the center to make sure it’s done, then I know how long to cook the others. It’s a little different for me every time I make it.

I hope ya’ll enjoy!

Balsamic Turkey Salad

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This recipe is so easy. No, for real. It’s so easy that I’m kind of embarrassed to put it on here.

But if your life is even slightly as crazy as mine, easy is one of your favorite words.

Easy, easy, easy. Ahhhhh.

Anyway, this recipe is a win-win because not only is it easy (HEEHEE) but it’s also healthy! And sometimes I want to pat myself on the back for making a dinner like those really healthy moms who grow their own herbs and spices and also have their handmade clothing hanging outside on a clothesline.

When in reality I may-or-may-not-have just run through the McDonald’s drive-through for lunch.

I’ll never tell. *cough cough*

But let’s get off this rabbit trail and back onto the main road!

Balsamic Turkey Salad:

Ingredients:

-1 package ground turkey

-olive oil or vegetable oil

-dried minced onions

-garlic salt

-lettuce

-balsamic dressing

DIrections:

Add turkey, oil, and spices into a saucepan and cook until meat is brown. Add onto salad, top with Balsamic dressing and enjoy!

 

See…I told you it was easy! 😉

How To Make Your Own Jelly

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I had the privilege of learning to make jelly from my sweet mother-in-the-Lord, Mrs. Freda.

Now this lady can do pretty much anything. She makes her own curtains, she cans her own food, she made all of Rhett’s nursery bedding, and she makes really really good sweet tea.

She’s awesome. And I want to be like her.

So I got her to teach me how to make jelly. Baby steps. Baaaaby steps.

Now, we made jelly from blueberries that we picked from their yard. I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder. And It. Was. Awesome.

Now the beauty of this recipe is that it doesn’t require pectin or a canner or any fancy equipment.

So it’s basically perfect for people like me. People who don’t have a clue what they’re doing. (ha)

Blueberry Jelly:

What You Will Need:

-4 half pint jars with lids

-3 cups sugar (divided)

-4 cups of berries, rinsed

Directions:

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Rinse berries and place in pot. Place enough water in pot to barely cover the berries.

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While you are waiting for your berries to begin boiling heat your oven to 200 degrees and place your clean jars (without lids) sideways on the oven rack.

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Place your lids and rings into another pot and cover with water and bring to a boil.

Bring berries to a boil and then mash them with a potato masher. You just want to help the berries open up and get those juices out.

Boil berries for 5 minutes. Then add 2 cups of sugar.

Boil for 7 more minutes and then add 1 cup of sugar. Then boil for 10 more minutes.

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Take your jars out of the oven. (Mrs. Freda had this handy little clamp to get them out without burning your hands! But you can always just use potholders too) Pour berries into jars and seal with dried off lid. Turn upside down for 10 minutes and then return to upright position. You should hear the lids sealing by a “popping” sound.

(May use other types of berries. If making jelly, strain pulp.)

And that’s it! Super easy and I think it’s so fun to give these as gifts to people. It’s such a unique thing to give!

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The hardest part of this whole process was trying not to be distracted by this cute little baby. (ha)

Crock-pot BBQ Pork Sandwiches

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I’m pretty sure the angels in heaven sang when the Crock-Pot was invented.

It just makes life so easy.

And when you combine a Crock-Pot with BBQ pork, you know something beautiful is about to happen.

This is my Momma’s recipe for pulled pork sandwiches, which she pretty much just made up herself. One day I want to just create my own delicious recipes. Then I’ll be cool.

But until then, I’ll just share my mom’s recipes. (ha)

Crock-Pot BBQ Pork Sandwiches:

Ingredients:

-1-2 pork tenderloins (2 makes about 7-8 servings)

-olive or vegetable oil

-minced onion (I used dried from my spice rack)

-garlic salt

-salt and pepper

-BBQ sauce of your choice

-Hamburger buns

Directions:

Coat the bottom of your Crock-Pot with the oil and place your pork inside. Sprinkle your spices generously over the pork loin. Place on high and cook for 5-6 hours. Tear apart with fork and add BBQ sauce.

Can be eaten as is, or added to a hamburger bun. (My husband loooooves mayo and a pickle added too!)

Ya’ll enjoy!

Blogs I’ve Linked This Post To: GooseBerryPatch