Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 9

Cherry Cream Cheese Bars

We were lucky enough to go cherry picking when we took a trip to Michigan earlier this summer. After we ate cherries until they were practically coming out of our noses, we still had a lot left. Solution? Making some into cherry cream cheese bars and canning the rest, so we can make more cherry cream cheese bars later. Yeah, they're that good. They're slightly sweet, tart, soft, and delicious and perfect for everything from a Sunday dinner treat to a birthday celebration. So. Good. Beware. Kids w...

Real Life Knight in Shining Armor

In the middle of our spring-long celebration of birthdays, Jack turned thirty-six. Like all the other birthdays, the kids were as equally excited about the prospect of more cake and ice cream and making sure their dad had a special day. But, a single day really isn't adequate to celebrate all that a person is, especially one as incredible as Jack. Since we were baby-faced teenagers, Jack has been the guy who's made every date memorable (seriously...just ask him about our first date and you're gua...

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

Our stars this spring were our strawberries, to the point that we were getting a little tired of eating them. Yes, it's possible. After we ate our fill, we made jam, and still had leftovers. Solution? Strawberry cheesecake salad. That's right. A salad that's a cheesecake. Okay, so it might not be as healthy as other types of salad and it could definitely be eaten as a dessert, but holy cow, it's delicious. It was a great way to change up our strawberries plus it's no-bake, which is always a bonu...

Honey Applesauce Bread

We love a good quick bread at our house. They go well will just about anything from soup to grilled meat and the kids love a slice for breakfast (if we have any leftover!). This one is new to us, and we modified it a bit from the original recipe to give it some more whole grains. Might as well make it a little healthier, right? 😉
Ingredients:
3 cups flour (I used half white flour, half whole wheat flour)3 teaspoons baking soda2 teaspoons cinnamon1/2 cup butter, room temperature1/2 cup honey1 1/2 c...

Then & Now

Whenever we have a baby, we get the inevitable question: who do they resemble? Firstly, I hope they look at least a little like Jack and me since we did provide the genetic material and all. So, I want some of that credit. But, as far as siblings go, you'll have to take a gander and decide who our newest, Adam, takes after.
Don't let Peter's serious babyface fool you--that boy came out of the womb ready for a party. He was one of our biggest newborns, has never liked to be told what to do, and ha...

Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

You know what's ironic? That Jack loves to tap our maple trees to make syrup, but he doesn't particularly like pancakes, waffles, or French toast. Uhhh, weird. I still make them anyway, but I also use our maple syrup to sweeten other things. These muffins are a great use of it--they're quick, use whole grains, and are the perfect side to a lot of different dinners (or breakfast if we have any left over!).

Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats1 cup milk1/2 cup maple syrup1/3 cup oil2/3 cup ...

My Throne

My pride has never stopped me from accepting free things when the opportunity presents itself. If there's one thing I really don't like, it's waste, so recycling, upcycling, and reusing things is right up my alley.
Thank goodness for a large trunk.So, when I spotted an oversized armchair at the end of someone's driveway when I was dropping Evelyn off for school, I knew I had to go back to snag it. We're always in need of extra seats for all the booties we have in our house, and I knew just where ...

Adam's Arrival

To say that life has been busy lately would be a massive, laughable understatement. There have been a lot of lost hours of sleep, too much time on my feet, and a neverending to-do list that I still have never been able to catch up with, despite my best efforts every day to conquer it. Still, despite the constant activity, life has been so, so good, especially as we've welcomed our newest addition to the family. Grandma taking some of the brunt of children off of me since my lap was nonexistent.If...

Personality in Full Supply

Surprise! Zoey has turned four! Though four is only a baby in my eyes, let me assure you that she is positive she is a mature girl and is way past the baby AND toggler stage (yes, toggler, not toddler. Toddler is an incorrect pronunciation of the word toggler. Her words, not mine). Whatever stage she or any of her siblings are in, I love reflecting on their birthdays how much life has been brought into our home with each of our children. They're each their own individuals with very distinct pers...

Quarter Century

Spring signals a rebirth of life here at our place, and it seems fitting that we have a whole slew of birthdays to celebrate at our house. In fact, by the time our next baby is born within the next couple of weeks, we'll have six  birthdays just within our family to celebrate within a month of each other. One of the first is Stoney's--sure, he's not a person and actually shares his birthday with Zoey, and I've been celebrating his birthday with him for a good 23 years now! He's made it to 25 (tha...