Crock Pot Thursday: Sausage and Peppers

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These Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers are delicious and super easy to make! | FunnyIsFamily.com |

Oh, boy, you guys! These Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers are so simple, and so good! I’m a huge fan of sandwiches the size of my head, and also love me an easy recipe, and this dish was a winner on both of those fronts. Some people like long walks on the beach; I like big ol’ sandwiches that are easy to make and messy to eat. I did struggle with this recipe, though. I knew I wanted sausage and peppers to be served on a hoagie, but I didn’t know if I should add marinara sauce to the slow … Continue reading →

Easy Homemade Stain Remover

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This simple homemade stain remover really works! | FunnyIsFamily.com |

Yesterday, both of my kids came downstairs dressed in white – a white tee for Graham, and all white for Lily. They looked like they were ready for a day on Nantucket, but all I could see were the future stains down their fronts. As I gave them morning hugs, I thought, “Dang, my kids have stinky breath,” and also “I need to make up a fresh batch of stain remover.” I’m turning into quite the homesteader, first by growing a few vegetables, next by creating homemade centerpieces, and now I’m mixing up homemade cleaners on occasion. If my husband would let me … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Thursday: Clam Chowder

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Clam Chowder3

Sometimes we choose a recipe for Crock Pot Thursday that is an all out winner. Everyone loves it, and even with a few modifications based on the whims of the individual cooks, the dish turns out fantastic. This Crock Pot clam chowder is one of those recipes. It’s crazy to me that in the more than two year history of weekly slow cooker recipes, this is the first clam chowder we’ve made. What an oversight! I love clam chowder. I love eating it on the docks in the summer, with the salty breeze on my cheeks and the sounds of … Continue reading →

Making the Case for New Year’s Resolutions

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Making the case for New Year's resolutions.

I think New Year’s resolutions get a bad rap. Sure most people don’t follow through with their plans, and sure I’m one of those people, but there is something wonderful about using the resetting of the calendar to attempt to reset our lives. About us collectively deciding as a society that January 1st is when we will all do that. I’m guessing the reason so many people abandon their goals early on is because those people weren’t ready to make changes in the first place. Like that time when I agreed to see a Batman movie with my husband, my … Continue reading →

Making Friends and Strangers Jealous in One Easy Step

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Do you like making people jealous? Of course you do! What if I told you that for just a few dollars you could make both friends and strangers green with envy? You’re interested, right? Imagine this: You’re at your neighborhood holiday party, and it’s time for the White Elephant gift exchange (or Yankee Swap, or whatever it’s called in your region). You are geared up to fight the guy up the street for the bottle of booze that’s in the pile, but when the gifts are opened, this hilarious book is one of the options. The Big Book of Parenting … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs that your family will love!

We’re big meatball fans around here. We frequently bring sweet and sour meatballs to potlucks, we like to hit up the Swedish meatballs at our local IKEA, and I actually like whipping up my own homemade meatballs to serve with spaghetti or on a meatball sub. Mmm, meatball subs. I love meatball subs so much, when my husband was in NYC a few years ago for a conference, the gifts he brought home were toys and t-shirts for the kids and a meatball sub from Carmine’s for me. He somehow managed to not eat it on the 90 minute train … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Thursday: Chex Mix

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Traditional Chex Mix in the Crock Pot!

With Thanksgiving behind us, you may be tempted to put your chubby pants away, but not so fast! We’ve got an entire month of holiday eating on our plates (see what I did there?), and nothing says “If calories are points I’m scoring big this month” like classic Chex mix. I love Chex mix. It reminds me of my childhood in a wonderfully nostalgic way, and it embodies all of the characteristics of my favorite snacks: crunchy, garlicky, salty, and buttery. This Crock Pot Chex mix tastes just like the original, and while I’m not sure it’s easier than that classic … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Thursday: Turkey Stock

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This Crock Pot Turkey or Chicken Stock will make your house smell incredible!

Happy Thanksgiving! I am writing this from my couch, with a full belly and an even fuller heart. The kids are singing show tunes from Annie, with Thanksgiving twists like “It’s a hard knock life, for turkey,” and “The sun’ll come out tomorrow (but not for the turkey),” and my husband is finishing up the dishes, humming the same songs, but probably not realizing he’s doing it. For the past five Thanksgivings, we’ve celebrated quietly, just the four of us. We set a nice table, but oftentimes never change out of our pajamas for the day, and we play games, … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Thursday: Steak and Gravy

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This Crock Pot Steak and Gravy only has three ingredients!

This Crock Pot Steak and Gravy recipe is for anyone who needs to be able to throw dinner together in the morning, and who only has about ten minutes to devote to that task. Don’t you just love knowing you can go about your day and not have to worry about what kind of meal you’re going to scrounge up at five o’clock? I really, really do. I also love coming home from work to a house that smells amazing. I seriously never get tired of walking through the door to a waft of yummy smells that Morning Me lovingly … Continue reading →

The Time I Almost Died on My Way to Target

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The Time I Almost Died on My Way to Target

The rain that was still falling had turned the roads dark and shiny, and the rush hour traffic was hitting the brake lights pretty hard. But that’s not how I almost died. The wind was howling, and busily freeing leaves from their branches and the branches from their trunks. The force of the weather was whipping the thick grey clouds into swirls that my kids mistook for tornadoes. “Hurry up and get in the car,” I barked. “Before a tree falls on us and turns us into people pancakes.” My brand of parenting that relies heavily on threats and bribes … Continue reading →