I don't mind to admit that growing up, I ate a LOT of Jiffy Cornbread -- usually slathered in butter too!  Man, that stuff was good!  It is not something I purchase anymore, or can even eat due to it containing wheat/gluten based flour and being GMO as well but that doesn't mean I don't still love cornbread!  I used to have it with beans and ham at my grandmother's and later on my mom would make it for me -- it was one of my favorite meals growing up.  I have discovered that it pairs will with a lot of things and is pretty easy and inexpensive to make too!

Doesn't that look yummy?  My mouth is watering while I write this post.  This cornbread has a bit of honey added to it for some sweetness -- so good!
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I don't believe in dragging things out while I drone on about my memories and try to write a story -- I'm gonna get right to the recipe!

Preheat your oven to 400~F and butter an 8x8 baking pan (I actually prefer to used parchment paper, the clean up is way easier and I can usually pull the loaf out of the pan and place on a rack to cool much easier this way too.  I love these pre-cut baking sheets or I get a roll and cut it to fit.)

Get a large bowl and combine the following:

~1/2 C Gluten Free Flour Blend (we like Namaste and King Arthur brands. I use the Amazon Subscribe & Save for these and other items to save $$$.)

​~1 1/2 C Organic, NON GMO yellow cornmeal (I use this brand)

~1 tsp Baking Powder

~1/2 tsp Baking Soda 

1/2 tsp Salt

~5 TBSP Organic Sugar OR Honey (local and raw is best!)  If you choose to use Honey instead of granulated sugar, then wait to add it with the other wet ingredients.

Whisk all of that together, then add:

~1 Stick of MELTED butter (the real stuff!  No margarine!)

~3 Large, organic eggs

~1 (scant) C of Milk (I use either coconut milk or an almond/coconut blend) **Scant just means slightly shy of a full cup**

~Add the honey at this step if you didn't use granulated sugar

Stir to combine, but don't overmix it.  Pour into your buttered, or lined,  pan and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let it cool before cutting too!

Be sure and have some real butter on hand for eating it!  Nothing beats real butter!  Drizzle a little honey over it too -- YUM!

I made this and we topped it with all of our favorite Taco toppings!  It was so good!  Just look at how delicious that looks!  You can see the corners of the cornbread peaking out -- lol!  This will be good with a thick chili over it too!  Ooooo!  I can't wait for cooler weather to try that idea! 

However you top, or devour, this cornbread I hope you enjoy it! Come back and let me know in the comments!  

xoxo 
​Lori

I enjoy a night off from cooking just as much as the next person -- but it often ends up costing me more in the long run:  I spend more than what I would have if I'd have just cooked at home AND food at restaurants is not the healthiest, or the best quality, either.  Sometimes I wonder why I did I just spend my hard earned money on this?? It didn't even taste good!  (Or my digestion suffers later! Ugh!)

One of my goals with meal planning recently is to add more variety, fun and keep it healthy, simple and relatively easy!  My kids seem to be loving the changes I've made AND they are WANTING to eat at home!  (i.e. They have a little more enthusiasm for what mom is cooking! HAHA!)

One of the things I've implemented every week is "Sandwich Night".  Now, this isn't where I just throw out some loaves of bread, cold cuts, lettuce, etc.. Although I'm not opposed to doing that on short notice or when something unexpected pops up, I am making sandwich night FUN and delicious while still staying within my focus and goal of my meals being more healthy than not! (I'm not 100% perfect at this by any means; I opt for an 80-90% ratio of healthy to not so healthy.)

Recently, I made 'Sloppy Joeys" and we had a 'Chik Fil A' night -- both went over very well!
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**Forgive my lack of photography skills!  I do the best I can!  lol**

The 'Sloppy Joeys", featured on the red plate, were so easy!  You need a good roast, sliced, with some marbling so the meat stays moist.  I slow roasted mine in my oven in my large cast iron pot -- it was delicious!  It helps if you go to a local butcher shop to get your meat.  The butcher can slice it for you and it is usually a much better quality than at the grocery store (unless they have an amazing fresh meat department!)

Here is what you need to make your own: 
​**Don't let the amount of seasonings scare you!  I promise it is delcious and it will be OK!**

~1 Beef Roast, 3-7lbs depending on your family size (or make extra and freeze for another time!)
~Garlic Powder, 1 TBSP per POUND of meat
~Onion Powder, 1 TBSP per POUND of meat
~Pepper, 1 TSP per pound of meat (Or Black Pepper Vitality Oil from Young Living -- you need about 3-5 drops depending on how much meat you are cooking)
~Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt, 2 TSP per POUND of meat
~Italian Seasoning, 1 TBSP per POUND of meat (or you can use Vitality Oils from Young Living like I do -- I use Oregano, Thyme and Basil Vitality oils, I use 3-6 drops of each depending on how much meat I'm cooking)
~1 Large Yellow onion, sliced thin
~1 Large can of Diced Tomatoes
~Several Banana Pepper, seeded and sliced (or you can use Green Bell Pepper if you're not a fan of Banana Peppers). 
~Beef or Vegetable Broth, 1 carton, give or take, you want enough to cover the meat at least halfway

I throw it all in my cast iron pot, make sure it all gets covered and mixed into the broth, then cover and cook at 300 Degrees until done.  It is super tender when done!  

I had gluten free buns and regular wheat based buns which I lightly buttered, then toasted.  I added a little bit of shredded mozzarella, or you could do provolone, on the bottom bun, then meat, a little more cheese and popped them back in the oven (still at 300) until the cheese was melted. 

We had some raw veggies and chips with ours.  Simple, quick and easy -- and not a lot of fuss or work! SO GOOD and satisfying!
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​Don't they look yummy!

 Next up, we had a 'Chik Fil A" night -- this was so easy!

I got some gluten free chicken strips from my local Fresh Thyme Market.  I had buns, lettuce, mayo, spinach, white cheddar cheese and bacon to top off our sandwiches.  With it, I served raw carrots and cucumbers plus baked potato wedges!  Super easy!  This is a very quick and simple meal to throw together and it's FUN!  My kids loved it and I had an easy night of "cooking".   I had gluten and regular buns.  We used them straight from the package but for a little extra, you could steam them to make them super soft and warm! I like the Caulipower brand of chicken strips because the breading has a lot of flavor AND they are thinner which works better on a sandwich. 

I used my Vitality Oils to season my potato wedges too -- Black Pepper, Parsley and Rosemary Vitality Oils made my wedges POP with amazing flavor!  

I'm sure I'll have more delicious sandwich night ideas for you in the future but these have been our favorite so far.  I hope you enjoy them too!  

xoxo 

​Lori

P.S.  If you want to know more about Vitality oils, send me an email! 
​loriculbertson@simpleessentialsforlife.com

I am not here to tell you how much time meal planning will save you or how it will help your budget or help you eat better, etc.. I think most people know this, right?  If you're like me, the struggle was in the how to get started, how to organize it and where to find inspiration -- anyone else?  So, I'm going to get right to it!

I have been meal planning for several years;  There have been some breaks in there where I sort of took a hiatus and when I started it back up this last time, I vowed to never drop it again.  My stress levels are lower when I do it regularly, I spend less money and we eat better too.  I enjoy the peace it gives me to have this under control and right now, having some control over any aspect of my life is a win!

So, here we go!!

TIP #1

Set aside some time to do it every week or every two weeks, or monthly -- whatever floats your boat, sister!  For me, I generally do it on Saturday or Sunday depending on which day I have some time to focus on it.  At first, it will take you a while.  I'd set aside a couple of hours.  You need to find your favorite sites for inspiration (book mark them for easy access each week!), browse cook books (or buy a few for inspiration, ideas and recipes), check Pinterest, etc..  I can now find meals (or think up one), write down my grocery list and do my shopping (if needed) since I use Instacart most of the time in under an hour.  Every so often I will take some extra time and browse websites or books for new inspiration.  **If you have a teen in your home that drives, pay them a few extra bucks to go shopping for you!  If they purchase something NOT on the list you gave them then you dock their pay! It's a life skill and gives them something to do plus it helps you out!**

I get most of my ideas from Yummly, I can find just about anything on that site and even make a grocery list!  The site, or app, adds it for you and you can even print it out! It is amazing and such a time saver! Their free service is enough for me and they even send me emails based on MY preferences which helps me find new things to try or new ways to use what I have on hand.  You can even choose the number of ingredients you want to use, with/without meat, gluten free, keto, etc.. and find meals to fix in under 30 minutes too!

I share a lot of what make on my Instagram account --most of these are my original recipes and ideas inspired by my browsing on websites, looking at cook books or thinking of new ways to make something my family loves by putting a new spin on it!  You can follow me here.  If I use a recipe from someone else, I'll let ya know and provide a link!

Pinterest is also a great way to get inspired, find easy recipes and save them for later.  I can search for what I'm looking for whether it be gluten free, keto, grain free, one dish meals, etc.. I just save them all on a board and then I can find it pretty quickly when I need some inspiration. 

Cookbooks are helpful too.  I rarely follow a recipe but they do give me ideas and ways to fix something we love in a new way.  Some of my favorites are from Pioneer Woman. She doesn't have gluten free recipes, but most are easy enough for me to modify and also find healthier ingredients if I'm not a fan of something she uses.  Here are the two I like the most:

Pioneer Woman Cooks!
Dinner Time

I also like Danielle Walker's books, this one is my favorite.  

TIP #2

You need an undated planner (or a dated on if you prefer).  I like the undated one by bloom planners, they have this one which is updated to include a calendar as well.  I started with this version and loved it!  I can have my to-do list for the day, reminders of appointments, keep track of my  daily water and exercise... BUT the best part, is the "Meals & Snacks" section.  I write down my meal for that evening and then put a "star" or a sticker beside it if it was a hit with the fam!  I have been saving them too so I can just repeat weekly meal plans from last year or months back and it keeps my meal plan fresh and exciting (well as exciting as meal plans can be!).  By re-using past meal plans it saves a lot of time and I know my family will love it because they have already had it and told me so!  I'm telling you -- hanging on to my old ones has been a huge help in meal planning!  

TIP #3

So, this tip is a new one for me as I just recently started doing this and it has made meal planning almost a breeze!  I decided to have themes for every night of the week!  How does this help???  Well, for starters we like mexican food, asian, italian,  sandwiches and good ole' american classics so I choose meals that fall under one of these categories. It alleviates boredom from having the same thing over and over too.   I write these themes down at the top of my page and if I'm struggling to find something I just look for recipes that fit that theme!  It makes finding what I want a LOT easier and I can switch them up each month if I want!  One night is reserved for leftovers -- this is important for me -- it gives me a break and helps prevent some food waste too.  

Here are my nightly themes:
Sunday:  American Classic OR Asian dish 
Monday: Pasta Night
Tuesday:  Taco Tuesday/Mexican/Tex-Mex
Wednesday: Sandwich Night (this is a busy night for us, so this makes it quick and simple to pull together)
Thursday: Salad/Bowl (we love burrito bowls, etc.. and loaded salads too BUT a lot of favorites dishes can be made into bowls... you just gotta use your imagination a bit!)
Friday:  Sheet Pan meal or Take Out
Saturday: Leftovers 

I can't even tell you how much easier and faster this makes meal planning!  

TIP #4

Write down your meals in pencil.  That way if you change your mind, something comes up or whatever.. you can erase it and make adjustments.  I make a list in a notebook, in pen, but on my planner, it's written in pencil.  So much easier to change it up, fix a spelling error, etc... 

TIP #5

Start with planning out 7 meals.  You don't have to assign them a specific day right now.  Just plan out 7 main meals and then make your grocery list.  Go shopping, or order through Instacart --huge time saver there!  Plus, you don't impulse buy when using Instacart since you see the total before checking out!  Use my link and save $10 on your first order!  Once you've done our shopping, you have what you need for SEVEN different suppers and you don't have to rush or try to figure out what to make because your kitchen is stocked up on what you need.  It takes a lot of the stress out of the equation and gives you and answer to that age-old question that we all dread:  "Mom, what's for dinner?"  

TIP #6

Shop online.  Once you have your meal plan made, using Instacart saves you time and, like I said, you don't impulse buy as much.  Whether you use Amazon, Thrive Market, or Boxed.com, you can often avoid large trips to the grocery store which frees up your time for other things -- like spending time with family, reading, relaxing, or some other project around your home.  This post I did a while back, shares what I stock my kitchen pantry with and how I do most of my shopping online and where too.  Links are provided that save you some $$$ on your first order. 

BONUS TIP

Meal planning doesn't have to complicated,  full of fancy meals or even 100% made from scratch.  I focus on health first and use as many whole foods as I can but I also don't want spend hours and hours in the kitchen making a huge meal from scratch -- and a huge mess that I have to spend more time cleaning up!   I want to eat something delicious, good for me and that didn't take much more than an hour to prep and then cook (most of the time I spend less time than that!).  So, it's ok to "cheat" a little.  What do I mean by that?  Well, I don't have any qualms about using something that makes my life easier.  I use cream soups from the store if I need to.  Now, they are made with organic ingredients because the other brands are full of some nasty stuff that I don't and won't put in my body or that of my children.  I might dress up some gluten free chicken strips for a meal but there will be whole foods with it, like some fresh, organic veggies or a salad, some mashed potatoes or organic rice.  I want to eat whole foods but I'm not a glutton for punishment either;  I use jarred spaghetti sauce and dress it up with Young Living Vitality Oils, or the cream soups from Pacific Foods, I might use organic frozen veggies instead of fresh... You get the idea.  I make the best possible choices, but I'm not trying to be perfect.  


I hope these tips have helped!  I'm going to be doing a weekly post with my meal plan on it starting in September -- so book mark my blog so you can check back weekly to new ideas for your family!

xoxo

​Lori



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