Recipe: Homemade Lemonade

I took a couple weeks off, but now we're back at it! My summer has started off great! With lots of things going on. I don't know about you guys, but having my son at home all day, I feel like I need to plan at least 1 fun activity every day to make sure we're not just sitting around. Don't get me wrong, I have a list of things we do each day including reading for 1 hour, working out for 30 minutes, and cleaning for 30 minutes each day. As a reward for these things, I put a limit on phone use to no more than 2 hours.

Here are some of the things we do to fill our time:
1. The Library
Ours has some great public activities and even when there's nothing going on, they always have pages to color, books to read, computers to play on, toys to play with, and fun displays to check out.
2. Berry Picking
There is a fun little berry patch within half an hour of our house that we like to visit from time to time. 3. The Zoo
We have a small local zoo, but beyond that, there are 3 other zoos within an hour. Plus, 2 large named zoos within 3 hours. 4. Paint Your Own Pottery
These places are becoming more and more popular. We have a fun little place in town. We try to only visit once every couple of weeks because while fun, it can get expensive.

We also do lots of crafts and projects. My son has been getting into cooking lately, so I thought as a quick little project, I would teach him how to make homemade lemonade.

You Will Need:
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
Enough lemons to make 1 cup of juice (we used 5 large lemons)
7-8 more cups of water

First, combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and heat on medium until the sugar is completely dissolved (your water will appear clear again). You have now made your simple syrup. It only takes about 5 minutes. Take your pan off the heat and set it to the side to cool.

While your syrup is cooling, you can juice your lemons. If you don't have a juicer, you can squeeze the lemon while twisting a fork to get every last drop out. Make sure you strain the juice to get rid of seeds and most of the pulp.

It's time to mix together your lemon juice, simple syrup, and 7-8 cups of water. I put a rough estimate on the amount because it's all about your personal preference on taste and how strong you want your lemonade. After everything is mixed together, place it in the fridge to cool. Cold, fresh lemonade is the best. Something about making it from scratch truly makes it taste better!

If you have any other suggestions on fun, small projects I can try with my little 8yo, please, let me know in the comments below. We're always looking for new things to try out.

Recipe: Biscuits and Gravy

Shoot! I got behind and wasn't able to post last weekend so I'm going to make an attempt to do double posts this weekend to make up for it! So first up is a recipe!

My husband's favorite breakfast of all time is biscuits and gravy. And not just any gravy. It has to be my homemade sausage gravy. He tried. He really did. He's ordered many biscuits and gravy from different restaurants and none compare to the deliciousness that is my recipe. And in my opinion, there is no excuse for that because this is SUPER EASY to make! So here I am, sharing my great (and incredibly simple) recipe for my awesome gravy.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground sausage (I prefer mild, but some people like spicy)
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
8 count can of biscuits (or homemade if you're that awesome)

Steps:
1. Bake your biscuits according to the instructions on the can (or make your own).
2. Brown the sausage.
3. Mix in the flour until it's dissolved.
4. Add the milk, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir often.
5. Keep cooking until your gravy is the consistency that you desire (5-10 minutes).
6. EAT! I cut open my biscuit and cover both halves with gravy.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Just so you all know, I LOVE my "soups" very thick. I don't like it all runny so if you aren't a fan of the really thick soups, you can always half the amount of noodles. Also, if you're wanting a recipe that is going to take you no time at all in the morning, you should cut up your vegetables the night before. I really like this recipe. It's pretty easy and it's absolutely delicious. Just imagine coming home on a cold winter's evening to a home that smells DELICIOUS and a nice warm dinner. It's fantastic.

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
16 oz can whole kennel corn, drained
1 bag (or 1/2 bag if you want your soup thin) egg noodles
3 medium pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Steps:
1. Mix everything together in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Take chicken out and shred with forks. Return to slow cooker. Stir. Serve.