Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Birthday Waffles!


One of our family's birthday traditions is by starting off the day by serving Birthday Waffles and singing Happy Birthday!  You'll want to add these fluffy and sweet Birthday Waffles to your next birthday celebration too.

Celebrate your family's next birthday by starting the tradition of having birthday waffles!

Friday, December 7, 2018

Classic No Bake Cookies


If you are a chocolate and peanut butter fan and looking for a quick sweet, then look no further than the Classic No Bake Cookie.  My family loves these cookies all year long and they are always a must for Christmas Cookie Trays every December.

Classic No Bake Cookies - Easy, Quick Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie #ChristmasCookiesWeek #ChristmasCookies

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Delicious Cookies: A Family Classic


Delicious Cookies are not only delicious, they are a buttery shortbread cookie with a little extra added crunch that brings back memories for my husband's family, perfect to add to your Christmas Cookie platter or to make just because.

Delicious Cookies is a Classic Family Favorite - a buttery, shortbread cookie with an added crunch #ChristmasCookies #ChristmasCookiesWeek #sponsored

Monday, December 3, 2018

Bake to your Heart's Desire with Christmas Cookies Week


Tis the season for snow flurries, caroling and of course, Christmas Cookies!  This week I'm joining forces with 33 other bloggers to bring you over 100 festive cookie recipes, perfect for your holiday cookie platter.  I'm excited to be sharing my husband grandmother's Delicious Cookies with you tomorrow, my go-to Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies on Wednesday and my classic No Bake Cookies on Friday.  All three of my cookies are tried and true recipes that have been favorites of my family for years, decades and even generations!

Christmas Cookies Week: 100+ Recipes and 4 Giveaways perfect for every home baker

Gifts from the Kitchen with #Celebrate365

The holiday season is here and what a better way to celebrate than by making some homemade gifts from your kitchen.  I've partnered with my Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Ellen of Family Around the Table, Jan of The Tip Garden and Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) to throw a blog party full of DIY gift ideas!

Gifts from the Kitchen #Celebrate365

Sunday, December 2, 2018

How to create an Advent Star Tree

Advent greetings and blessings to you!  As we all prepare for the coming of Jesus this season I wanted to share about one of our traditions - the Advent Star Tree.

How to create an Advent Star Tree for your church or home

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Celebrate with Cake Blog Party #Celebrate365

With the holidays right around the corner, there will be plenty of reasons to celebrate and eat cake!  So my Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Ellen of Family Around the Table, Jan of The Tip Garden and Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) decided to throw a Cake, Cupcake and Frosting Blog Party!

Link up your favorite Cake, Cupcake and Frosting Recipes to the #Celebrate365 Blog Party!

Friday, October 12, 2018

5 Reasons I'm Grateful to be Farming

Today is National Farmers Day and I went back and worth on what to do, what to say and how to celebrate, but last night as my Farmer and I laid in bed, tired of talking about the harvest that really has never gotten going, I made him think of five things he's grateful for, to appreciate the little things and the big things in his life.  So this morning I figured what better way to celebrate National Farmers Day than by writing down why I'm thankful to be farming.

5 Reasons I'm Grateful to be Farming

Monday, October 8, 2018

National Pork Month #Celebrate365 Blog Party

October is one of my favorite times of the year for many reasons:  harvest is in full-swing (or as much as we can this year between rains), it is sweatshirt weather, my birthday is at the end of the month, and it's National Pork Month.  I have been raising pigs with my family and now my husband literally my entire life.  I love sharing about our pigs and delicious ways to prepare pork.  So in recognition of National Pork Month I joined forces with my Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Ellen of Family Around the Table, Jan of The Tip Garden and Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) to host a Pork Recipe Blog Party!

National Pork Month #Celebrate365 Blog Party

Sunday, September 30, 2018

All About Them Apples #Celebrate365 Blog Party

#AppleWeek may be over but I'm going to keep the fall vibes going, along with my Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Ellen of Family Around the Table, Jan of The Tip Garden and Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) this week by throwing an all thing Apple Blog Party.

All About Them Apples - Link up your favorite apple recipes #Celebrate365

Friday, September 28, 2018

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip


This Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip is the perfect no-bake dessert and it's easy to make!  This dip will soon become a family favorite and you'll be bringing to all of your holiday gatherings.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip - easy, no-bake dessert #AppleWeek #sponsored

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Monday, September 17, 2018

6 Tips for Day Out with Thomas at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad


All Aboard!  Thomas the Train is back in Boone, Iowa at the Scenic Valley Railroad and you can go for a ride with him and explore the Island of Sodor this weekend by using these 6 tips from my family who visited yesterday.

6 Tips for Day Out with Thomas at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Enchanted Acres Pumpkin Patch Scavenger Hunt

Fall has arrived and the pumpkin patch season has begun at Enchanted Acres in rural Sheffield, Iowa.  Our family is a frequent visitor to the patch every year so we decided to create a Scavenger Hunt filled with our favorite attractions and activities, perfect for regulars like us and first-time guests.

Enchanted Acres Sheffield, Iowa Midwest Pumpkin Patch Scavenger Hunt

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Tailgate Time! 20+ Game Day Recipes

Fall has arrived which means Football Season is here.  No matter if you're cheering on your high school team on a Friday night, your alma mater on Saturday, or your favorite pro-team on Sunday (or Monday), these recipes have you covered for a great tailgate with family and friends.

Tailgate Time! 20+ Game Day Recipes

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Pantry Trail Mix

The end of summer has arrived with the first day of school today so that means two things: #1 - time to clean out the pantry of all the partial snacks, crackers and goodies gathered over the course of t-ball games, fair and road trips, and #2 - time to celebrate the first day of school with a fun afternoon snack.  Put those two things together and we have Pantry Trail Mix.

Pantry Trail Mix - a perfect snack to help clean out your pantry and kitchen

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Wisconsin Family Vacation Favorites

It's been one week since we returned from our Great Wisconsin Family Road Trip.  We traveled across the southern half of the state and up the peninsula over the course of six full days and I decided the best way to share about our trip is to share our family's favorite cheese, frozen custard, beer, meal, attraction and destination.

Wisconsin Family Vacation Favorite Cheese, Custard, Beer, Meal, Attraction and Destination

Monday, August 6, 2018

#Celebrate365 Farmers Market Inspiration

Did you know that this week is National Farmers Market Week?  My Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Jan of The Tip Garden and Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) and I were so excited to find out about it that we decided to host a blog party full of garden fresh and farmers market inspired recipes!

#Celebrate365 Farmers Market Inspiration

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Family Fun at the Franklin County Fair

***The 2022 Franklin County Fair is July 12-17.  Some activities may differ from the 2018 Fair.***

Today marks the official start to one of our family's favorite times of the year, our local Franklin County Fair in Hampton, Iowa.  Yesterday was entry day and last night we were in the parade, so to say that excitement and enthusiasm for the fair is high would be an understatement.

The kids and I all exhibited in the Open Show, our oldest Mr. K has some Clover Kid exhibits and Mr. K and Miss A are showing bottle lambs and feeder pigs this year.  Besides all of our projects at the fair, the kids are also excited for the fun family activities happening daily around the fair.


Sunday, July 8, 2018

Celebrate 365 Ice Cream Social

My favorite, go-to dessert will always be ice cream.  I will eat it all year long but there is something fun about eating ice cream and frozen treats during the summer.  My family even goes on an Ice Cream Road Trip every summer!  So to celebrate summer time and National Ice Cream month, I've joined forces with my Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Jan of The Tip Garden and Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) to throw an Ice Cream Social!

Ice Cream and Frozen Treats Blog Party - Link up your favorite recipes #Celebrate365

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 20172016201520142013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July Iowa Corn Farm Family

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Grilling Bucket List

If you aren't new to this blog, you know I'm all about the Bucket Lists so I figured after being inspired by so many great recipes from the Celebrate 365's Grilling Time Blog Party that I'd make a Grilling Bucket List for this summer.  What a great way to try new things and to kick off the first day of Summer!

Grilling Bucket List of 20+ Recipes for the Grill #Celebrate365

Listed below are a mix of main dishes, burgers, side dishes and even desserts to make on the grill.  Since first checking out these recipes on the Celebrate 365's Grilling Time Blog Party, I have already made a couple of these recipes: my family and I give the Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches and Grilled Sweet Potatoes a double thumbs up 👍👍

Friday, June 15, 2018

What it means to be a Farm Mom

Last month I was honored to receive a phone call from the America's Farmers program to say that I had been nominated and selected as one of this year's National Farm Moms of the Year and today I can finally share it with all of you!

America's Farmers Mom of the Year - What it means to be a Farm Mom

So what does it mean to be a Farm Mom?  I think a Farm Mom is a woman who is not only caring for her family, but also for the land, her livestock and her community.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

2018 Family Summer Bucket List + FREE Printable

Summer is in full swing for our family.  The kids have been out of school for a week and we've already started up the summer reading program at our local library, attended Clover Kids day camps and had TBall practices and games.  Before the summer progresses too much further I wanted share what the kids and I came up with for our annual Summer Bucket List for this year!

2018 Family Summer Bucket List + FREE Printable

Create your own Summer Bucket List with my FREE Printable
Every list person's fantasy - bullet notes and calendar space to put annul events and activities so you can think how to schedule everything 😉

Sunday, June 3, 2018

It's Grilling Time with Celebrate 365

School is out.  Summer is here.  And it's time to fire up the grill!  I love grilling in the summertime.  It's quick, it keeps the heat out of the house, and clean up is easy.

It's Grilling Time with #Celebrate365 - Blog Party full of Grilling Recipes

Friday, June 1, 2018

Comments for a Cause: Tall Corn FFA Greenhouse

Comments for a Cause: Tall Corn FFA Greenhouse
Happy June 1st!  It's the first of June and time to talk Comments for a Cause.  But before I talk about this month's recipient, let's review last month's cause, United Through Reading.  During the month of May I had 33 comments, equaling a donation of $16.50.  Thank you to all that commented to help support military families and connect them through video recorded books during deployments and time apart.

Now for the month of June, I'm excited to be donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog to my local Tall Corn FFA's new Greenhouse.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Dear CAL,

I don't think it really hit me til today.  Today is the last day you will be a PK-12th grade program.  Despite having graduation two weeks ago, it really didn't get to me til today as I sent my kids off on the bus for their last day of school wearing their favorite blue Cadet t-shirts (and as I proudly wear one from home too).

The students of CAL Community School
Last Day of School - May 31, 2018
(Photo courtesy of CAL Community School)

Monday, May 21, 2018

Summertime Grilling with Blueberry and White Pepper Pork Chops


Fire up your grill with these marinated Blueberry and White Pepper Pork Chops.  The lightly sweet marinade caramelizes on the pork chops on the grill and the Blueberry Pico served on top brings a bright, contrast that will make your taste buds wanting more!


Monday, May 14, 2018

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Comments for a Cause: United Through Reading

Happy May Day!  It's the first of May and time to talk Comments for a Cause.  But before I talk about this month's recipient, let's review last month's cause, my local school's Kindergarten Class's Book Drive for the Latimer Little Free Library.  During the month of April I had 57 comments, equaling a donation of $28.50.  I'm excited to present this to the Kindergarten class at the end of the month when I get to meet them on their field trip to the Latimer Little Free Library, as they help me give the library a fresh coat of paint and fill up the library with new books!  I'll be sure to keep you posted on their field trip at the end of the school year!

Now for the month of May, in honor of National Military Appreciation Month I am donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog to United Through Reading.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Spring Brunch with Celebrate 365

Mother's Day is in two weeks and what better way to celebrate Mom than by making her a nice, homecooked brunch.  So to help you do just that, I have partnered with my Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Jan of The Tip Garden and Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) to host a Spring Brunch Blog Party!

Spring Brunch - Perfect for Mother's Day #Celebrate365

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Spring on the Farm: Farm Kid Edition


Spring has finally arrived this year, a little delayed, but nonetheless it is here and our whole family is excited and ready.  I'm not sure who is more excited, My Farmer so he can start planting corn and soybeans, or the kids so they can do all of their favorite spring time things:

Get Bottle Lambs

For the last few years we have gotten our kids some bottle lambs or bottle goats to take care of as their own spring and summer projects on the farm.  While we do raise pigs on our farm, the pig barns are a mile away, so the kids aren't able to help with the pigs always.  Having the bottle lambs or goats here on our acreage allows the kids to take care of them daily, be active caregivers, and gives them responsibility.  If you follow me on Instagram you saw that we got this year's bottle lambs, Connor and Chance last week!  

Spring on the Farm:  Farm Kid Edition - Bottle Lambs #SpringatTheisens #sponsored
Miss A with Connor and Mr. K with Chance

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Explore a Century of Iowa Farming at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library

Last weekend my family and I traveled to West Branch, Iowa to check out the opening of the "Tall Grass to Knee High" exhibit at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.  This new special exhibit shares the stories of Iowa farmers through the last 100 years and the changes and innovations seen throughout the Iowa country-side.

Tall Grass to Knee High: A Century of Iowa Farming  exhibit at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa

The exhibit is broken down into scores (twenty years) and each score highlights farm life, people, livestock, crops, conservation, machinery and buildings of that time.  Over the last two years a team of four to five Hoover staff members have been researching, interviewing and building the exhibit.  They got a lot of historical information from both the Iowa Women's Archives in Iowa City and the Grout Museum in Waterloo.  

Tall Grass to Knee High: A Century of Iowa Farming  exhibit at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa

I appreciated seeing the voice of women in farming throughout the exhibit.  Journals from Clara Steen Skott and Alma Erickson Swanson, copies of Evelyn Birkby's "Up a Country Lane" newspaper column and copies of my "Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids" blog posts are seen through the scores to share about the people and farm life of our times.  It is an honor to be included the exhibit and to be apart of the large artifacts collection displayed in the exhibit.  (You can find my posts and pictures in both the 1990-2010 and 2010-today scores.)

Tall Grass to Knee High: A Century of Iowa Farming  exhibit at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa

My kids loved the children's area in the center of the exhibit.  The space included farm toys, games, farm books and a life sized milking cow.  The location and set up of the kids zone makes it very friendly for parents to look around the perimeter at the artifacts and displays, while the kids are close by keeping entertained with the children's activities.

Tall Grass to Knee High: A Century of Iowa Farming  exhibit at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa

Other popular spots in the exhibit that we weren't able to check out as much as we would have liked were the video boards and digital displays, along with the Farmer's Markets section which includes recipes from the Hoover Family, Iowa Girl Eats, Becky's Mindful Kitchen and my blog!  You can grab a copy of my Apple Bacon Jam, Farmers Market Quiche, Easy Pecan Sticky Buns, and Harvest Brats with Apple Slaw recipes in that section.  Luckily for us, through October 28, 2018, the end of the special exhibit, Iowa Farm Bureau members get to visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum for free!  Based off our experience, I would recommend planning two to three hours to be able to visit not only the Tall Grass to Knee High exhibit, but the rest of museum that shares about Hoover's life, as well as his birthplace cottage, grave-site and outdoor exhibits.

Tall Grass to Knee High: A Century of Iowa Farming  exhibit at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa
It can be so hard to get a good family photo 😉
Our family enjoyed the opportunity to go to the opening of the "Tall Grass to Knee High" exhibit and meet other people that were interviewed for the exhibit.  It was also special to sit just a few seats down from a couple members of Herbert Hoover's family that were in attendance for the opening.  The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum is worth a day trip for all Iowa families and if you're traveling across Iowa on I-80 the site is just north of the interstate.

Have you ever been to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library?  Have you been to any other Presidential libraries?  What do you enjoy checking out at a museum?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Monday, April 2, 2018

Comments for a Cause - Latimer Little Free Library

Comments for a Cause - Latimer Little Free Library
April is here and it is time to start a new month's worth of Comments for a Cause.  But before we move on to April's cause, let's go over the stats for The Do More Agriculture Foundation.  I believe mental health in agriculture is such an important issue that I added all of my comments from February and March to go towards their efforts.  During that time I had a total of 155 comments which resulted in a donation of $77.50 to Do More Ag.  Thank you all so much for your comments and support for spreading awareness and resources for mental health.

Now for April, I'm excited to helping a local project that is near and dear to my heart, the Latimer Little Free Library.  I am donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog in April to help the CAL Kindergarten Class's Book Drive for the Latimer Little Free Library.

Comments for a Cause - Latimer Little Free Library

In 2014 I campaigned to the Latimer City Council to use an open lot in downtown to put up a Little Free Library.  The Council unanimously voted to let me use the lot and I have been the steward of Little Free Library #11710 for close to four years now.  Thanks to the Latimer City Council and several community members, books have been available to citizen of all ages 365 days a year.  And now, thanks to my local school district's CAL Kindergarten Class, we'll be adding more books!

The CAL Kindergarten has been learning about taking action to help address local, regional and global problems in their Social Studies unit and as a class, they decided to do a Book Drive to get more books for the Latimer Little Free Library.  I was touched to get contacted by their teacher, Mrs. Koenen, and to hear about their excitement for the campaign.  The Kindergarten class made posters to spread awareness about their Book Drive, and they even made this commercial to share with the students at CAL Community School.


They are also planning on having a Lemonade Stand to raise money for the Latimer Little Free Library and after their campaign is over, they're going to help me give the Little Free Library a new coat of paint.  The Kindergartners enthusiasm is contagious and I wanted to help them out, so I'm donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog all month long towards their Book Drive!

What is your favorite book?  Do you have a Little Free Library in your neighborhood?  Remember to Comment for a Cause all month long to support the CAL Kindergartners taking action in their local community!  I look forward to keeping you posted on their efforts!

Thursday, March 29, 2018

7 Simple Ways to Celebrate Jesus at Easter as a Family

Easter is this Sunday and while yes, my kids are excited to go on Easter Egg Hunts and have their share of Chocolate Easter Bunnies, they are also excited to go to our church's Maundy Thursday Seder and AGAPE Meals tonight and go through our Resurrection Eggs again.  Here are seven ways we focus on Jesus every Easter at our house.

7 Simple Ways to Celebrate Jesus at Easter as a Family

Attend Lent and Holy Week Church Services

Our family enjoys participating in our church's worships and activities throughout the Lent season to help us all to focus on Jesus.  From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, there are many learning opportunities for our entire family.

One of my favorite things that our church does is that we have our weekly Lenten services "on the road" after different area nursing homes.  It is very special for our whole family to participate in those church services not only for us, sharing the Lenten message with others in the community, but the residents at the homes love seeing children. 

Lent Calendar

 A couple years ago I picked up a Lent Calendar for our family and for all of our Godchildren.  Each day from Ash Wednesday to Easter there is a simple activity for everyone to do or to talk about.  Things like - Help a friend, brother or sister, Pray for your family, Read 2 Corinthians 13:14, etc.  All of the activities, prayers or scripture readings don't take a lot of time, but it gets the entire family together to focus and celebrate Lent.  We go over the activity every night at supper because that is when we are all together.  Here is a link to a similar calendar and a link to a Holy Week calendar activity.

Resurrection Eggs

We bring out our Resurrection Eggs at the start of Lent every year and go over them periodically throughout the Lenten Season.  We keep them on our coffee table in our living room and our kids love going through them.  If you've never seen or heard of Resurrection Eggs before, it is a set of 12 plastic Easter Eggs that when you open them they have a miniature symbol from Holy Week inside.  There is a book that comes with the set that explains the significance of each object and is great for helping your kids fully understand the story of Easter, as well as opens up discussion about Jesus.

7 Simple Ways to Celebrate Jesus at Easter as a Family - Resurrection Eggs

Share the Easter Story

Growing up I will always remember my Grandma sitting down all my sisters, cousins and I to hear the Easter story every year after Easter dinner.  This still takes place, this time with her great-grandchildren, but we also make sure to share the Easter Story through books and movies throughout Lent.  

At the beginning of Lent we bring out all of our Easter books and set them on the coffee table with our Resurrection Eggs.  Some of my kids favorite Easter books are:   The Story of Easter, The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story, Jesus is Alive and My Easter Basket.  My friend MacKenzie of The Hen House also has a great list of Easter books that her family loves that you should check out too (she also has great resources and posts for sharing Jesus with your kids all year long).  We also breakout movies like The Greatest Adventure - The Easter Story and Heaven is for Real during this time of year, and My Farmer and I always watch The Passion of the Christ too.

Resurrection Rolls

We love making Resurrection Rolls with our kids each year.  We usually make them Saturday night before bed and have them as a small breakfast before heading to Sunrise Service at our church (and then we eat the rest of our breakfast at our church's senior high youth breakfast).  The Resurrection Rolls are both tasty and a fun way of sharing the story of Easter.  Jesus is the marshmallow in the rolls, you roll the marshmallow in butter and cinnamon sugar that represent the spices and linen they wrapped Him in, and then you put the marshmallow in a crescent roll which represents the tomb.  After they bake, the marshmallow is gone, to show how Jesus rose from the dead.  You can get the recipe here from Around My Family Table.

Easter Lily Memorial

Every year our family donates an Easter Lily to our church.  Not only does this help decorate our church, but it is a great way to share a memory and talk about our past loved ones who are now in heaven.  We also love to read The Parable of the Lily with our kids when we do this.

7 Simple Ways to Celebrate Jesus at Easter as a Family - Easter Lilies

Bible Verse Egg Hunt

Our kids love our family's annual Easter Egg Hunt with their cousins after Easter Dinner.  One way we make our hunt more than just candy and spring toys, is in several of their eggs, there is a paper with a Bible verse on it.  The kids either read their Bible verse out loud for everyone to hear or bring it to someone to read it aloud for them.  We also have slips of paper that say things like, tell your Grandma that you love them or give a hug to your Uncle.  Little things to share love on Easter.

7 Simple Ways to Celebrate Jesus at Easter as a Family - Bible Verse Egg Hunt

Easter and the entire Lent season is the perfect opportunity to not only share the sacrifice of Jesus but the love he has for all of us with our children.  My Farmer and I work hard to teach our children about Jesus and to have our family walk with Him.  Here is a link to 3 Simple Ways we Celebrate Jesus at Christmas that you also might like.

What are some of your Christ-centered Easter traditions?  I'd love to know!  Be sure to Comment for a Cause.

***Full disclosure - all links in this post aren't compensated at all.  My family and I truly just enjoy them and believe they are great ways for all families to celebrate Easter.***

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes

Easter is this Sunday and I'm looking forward to celebrating with my family and friends all weekend.  On Sunday, my family and I will attend our church's Sunrise Service, eat at the high school youth's group's Easter Breakfast, and then we'll participate in our church's Easter Egg Hunt.  By the time that is all said and done there isn't much time to get ready for dinner with 20 of our family and friends.  So thanks to the Celebrate 365's Easter Recipes Blog Party, I've got a lot of recipes that will help me to have a great day of fellowship, with delicious food, that won't make me stuck in the kitchen all day.

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes #Celebrate365


Make Ahead Main Dishes

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes - Iowa Ham Balls #Celebrate365

Ham Balls, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Ham Balls are the perfect dish to include at your Easter dinner.  My recipe makes 12 portions and the best part is that you can make these ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator, ready to pop in the oven for an hour when you get home for church.  You can also make them a day before, two days before, a week before, whenever, freeze them, and then warm them up in a crock pot.

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes - Easy Citrus Ham #Celebrate365

Easy Citrus Ham, Jolene's Recipe Journal

This easy ham recipe from Jolene's Recipe Journal is perfect for a busy Easter morning.  I love all of the citrus flavors you'll get from this crock-pot ham recipe and that you'll be able to free up space in your oven by making your ham this way.

Make Ahead Side Dishes

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes - Overnight Salad #Celebrate365

Overnight Salad, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

My Overnight Salad recipe is always a winner.  First, it makes a huge salad - enough to feed my entire dinner group of 20!  Second, you make it the night before and all you have to do is mix it up five minutes before you're ready to serve it.  Third, it has bacon in it! 😉

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes - Rainbow Delight Salad #Celebrate365

Rainbow Delight Salad, The Frugal Pantry

This Rainbow Delight Salad not only has bright colors, but it has bright flavors!  Jan of The Frugal Pantry shares how you can make this salad sugar-free too.  This salad is also best after being refrigerated overnight.  Just before you are ready to serve, flip the salad out onto a serving tray and guests can take as big or small of a piece as they'd like.

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes - Deviled Eggs #Celebrate365

Deviled Eggs, A Delightful Glow

Easter isn't complete without some Deviled Eggs, am I right?  And with the amount of hard-boiled eggs I have in my refrigerator after having four kids dying eggs, I always volunteer to bring some!  You can make the hard boiled eggs anytime the week ahead and you can even make the entire deviled egg a day ahead of time.  I usually cut my hard boiled eggs in half and make the inside mixture the day ahead, so then all I have to do the day of is pipe the mixture into the eggs.

Make Ahead Desserts

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes - Easter Egg Blondies #Celebrate365

Easter Egg Blondies, Cooking with Carlee

These Easter Egg Blondies are a perfect dessert for all ages and can be made ahead of time, but warning - probably not too far ahead of time, otherwise you won't have any left...  I actually made these a week ago after seeing them on the Celebrate 365 Blog Party and they were a hit with everyone (and they were gone in just a few days...).

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes - Chocolate Bunny Brownies #Celebrate365

Chocolate Bunny Brownies, Kate's Recipe Box

These brownies are not only festive, but they are simple to make!  They will definitely be an attention getter at your Easter Dinner Dessert table and they are perfect for making ahead of time.  All you'll have to worry about is who gets what part of the bunny while serving the brownies.

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes - Easy Lemon Pie #Celebrate365

Easy Lemon Pie, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

I'm looking forward to having a slice of my Easy Lemon Pie on Sunday, and I appreciate that I can make it anytime this week and it'll be ready for Easter.  All you need to do to this simple pie is add a dollop of whipped cream, if you so choose, when serving and you're good to go.

So no matter if you're traveling for Easter or hosting, it is always great to have some recipes you can make ahead of time.  Thanks to everyone that linked up to the Celebrate 365 Easter Recipes Blog Party.  Be sure to check out all 80 recipes shared!  What is on your Easter menu?  Let me know and Comment for a Cause.

Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes #Celebrate365