Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 5

Peanut Butter Muffins

Now that school's back in session, we've been looking for new recipes for quick breakfasts, lunches, and dinner sides. Muffins are one of our favorites, because they're portable and delicious. This peanut butter muffin recipe is new to us, but so delicious. It's a great way to get a peanut butter fix without eating it by the spoonful out of the jar, and I've snuck enough healthy things into them that they're not glorified cookies in a muffin tin. 😅
Ingredients:2 cups flour (I did one all-purpose,...

Crutches or Not

My Saturday night date!There are a few things I've probably been taking for granted, and our strong backs, easy mobility, and general good health have been some of 'em. But, nothing can last forever, right? A few weeks ago, I was out picking cucumbers when Evelyn called me on the way home from church youth activities.

"Hello?" I answered.

Loud music and giggling filtered in from the background.

"Dad broke his foot."

More giggling.

"What?"

"Dad might have broken his foot playing basketball." Evelyn, Cl...

Pumpkin Muffins

Now that the kids have headed back to school, we've been utilizing a portion of our Sundays to make some of our lunch goodies ahead of time so we aren't in a rush as we're getting ready for the day. One of our favorite options are muffins, which can be diverse and delicious, and when tossed in the freezer, stay fresh all week. They're perfect as a snack, or tucked in a lunch along with cheese, fruit, and veggies. These are some of our go-tos, especially since our garden is gushing with pumpkins ...

Formal Education

Sixth and Eigth!It's that time of year again--school has started up! This summer felt particularly quick. I'm not sure if it's because we had so many fun, memorable things packed into a majority of it, or if it's because the kids are getting older, and our time all together feels like it's going to become more scarce. Great. Now I'm gonna cry. 😢 Fourth, First, and Kindergarten!This year, Claire joined Evelyn in middle school. That meant they were back to sharing a room, and have been spending a w...

Fried Zucchini

Yes, it's fried, but hey, it's still a vegetable. 😅If your garden is like ours, we plant it, things start growing, we anticipate all the goodies that'll come out of it, so we wait, and wait, and wait... then, BAM! Everything comes in all at once. Zucchini is one of those crops we have a terrible time keeping up with because it is SO prolific, and not everybody in our family likes it. Sure, we could eat our weight in zucchini bread--especially if it's chocolate zucchini bread--but sometimes, I wa...

Chanterelle Haul

The chanterelles were abundant today!With the kids back in school, this week has been SO QUIET. Sometimes, it's nice to hear myself think, but mostly, I miss them! It's been a big transition between having all seven kids at home, down to two. Come Saturday morning, when we usually tidy up the house, I'd already done the bulk of the work on Friday so we could go have fun. And by fun, I mean drag everyone to the middle of a sweltering forest to look for wrinkly, orange mushrooms. It's chanterelle ...

Pineapple Chicken

If there's one thing I love, it's a good stir fry. I appreciate their simplicity, and the fact that along with some rice, they're a whole meal. This one was a new-to-us recipe, and was well-received. Definitely going on our regular rotation!
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper seeded. cored and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup pineapple chunks fresh or canned
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
3/4 cup pineapp...

Happy 26th, Big Guy!

The birthday twins!When my family first bought Stoney as a flashy, full-of-potential two-year-old, I had no idea that twenty-one years later I'd be welcoming another daughter on his birthday. When he should have been stuffing his face with carrots and getting brushed, I was in the hospital. Some people might be annoyed that they have to share their birthdays with someone else. Not Stoney and definitely not Zoey.
Also, Jack tells me I should stop referring to animals as "people." Technically, yes,...

Cake and Candles

We've entered the time of year when the grass is turning green, the flowers are blossoming, and our calendar is jam-packed with birthdays, one right after the other. Zoey (and Stoney) kicked off the month-long celebration and this year, she turned FIVE! Gasp!When we moved into our current house, Zoey was just an adorable, tiny baby with the biggest blue eyes and the quickest smile. Now, she's on the cusp of entering kindergarten, is so clever and smart and responsible. It's been a joy to watch he...

Opryland

It'd been a while since Jack had needed to take any work trips, but an inevitable and inescapable part of his role is that sometimes, he needs to travel. Usually, it's a couple days away from home, then he's back. But earlier this month, he had a back to back to back schedule that made me more than a little anxious. Single parenting seven kids during the school year? Help. So, when Jack suggested that we join him on one of his trips down to Nashville, I entertained the idea briefly but blew it of...