Welcome to the weekend and hooray for school finally being out for summer! It’s been a whirlwind of a week and our summer plans have been turned on their head due to some repairs needed for the RV. We’re rolling with it though and looking forward to some fun weekend getaways and a lot of local fun.

Oh! And speaking of local fun, if you have suggestions for things to do and places to see as day trips in Ohio, I’d love to hear about them! We’re planning to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, do some hiking in Cuyahoga Falls, we’ve planned a trip to TN, and hopefully will still get to camp for a week in MI and WI if we get the RV back from the shop in time for that.

ON THE BLOG this week: From the very first bite, these Buttered Steak Bites and Mushrooms became an instant favorite for my whole family. This is the most tender steak you can imagine and my whole family goes nuts for it.

Homemade Steak Sauce is tangy, barely sweetened, and just a little bit smoky. Perfect for steak dipping and burger topping, this sauce is all the best parts of A-1 and Heinz 57 sauce flavors, made at home.

The Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad is my newest favorite salad. I don’t do a whole lot of copycat recipes, but this one, I can’t even tell you how much this one needed to be made.

Creamy refried beans are layered with spicy ground beef, green chile, and plenty of cheese in these Cheesy Beef and Bean Burritos. These burritos have been such a hit with my boys, we’ve made them several times already.

Sweet and tangy Southern Coleslaw is nicely balanced with just enough tang from the vinegar and a sprinkling of sweetness from the sugar. The dressing is so simple, so sweet and tangy, this is a classic coleslaw recipe perfect for any occasion.

What I’m CRAVING: I’m fascinated by this French Toast Fondue that my friend Lynne shared the other day! It’s a childhood favorite for her and I love that it turns a weekend breakfast into a whole experience. I think this could be a fun thing to try for a girls’ night or a sister trip one of these days.

What I’m READING: Lake Silence by Anne Bishop. You already know that my reading tastes are all over the place and I’ve really been enjoying a step away from reality with fantasy and paranormal reads lately. This is a suspense-filled fantasy that is a fun fast read.

“Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others–vampires, shape-shifters, and even deadlier paranormal beings. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget….”&

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Can you believe how close we are to summer vacation?? My guys are pushing through their last classes and they’re all looking forward to the summer break. We have a long road trip planned for this summer, visiting as many state and national parks as possible this time.

We’ll be spending five weeks on the road with stops in Missouri, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Montana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. I can hardly wait!

ON THE BLOG this week: Spicy Barbecue Sauce with enough heat to bite the back of your throat and just barely sweet enough to balance that heat, this is the sauce I was craving.

Sweet apples and cranberries are combined with crunchy cabbage and then tossed together in a tangy lemon dressing to make this Apple Coleslaw.

Tender chunks of savory chicken or turkey and vegetables are baked together inside of a flaky pie crust. My whole family gives this Leftover Turkey Pot Pie two big thumbs up!

Lighter than a traditional pound cake, this Glazed Lemon Cake is tender with a bright sweet flavor and the lemon glaze adds the perfect touch–the literal icing on top.

Have you tried the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso from Starbucks? It is so good and as soon as I tasted it, I knew I needed to make it at home too! Brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon provide terrific depth of flavor for this awesome drink.

What I’m CRAVING: This Shrimp Sushi Stack from Feel Good Foodie caught my eye this week and it looks so good! This is a shortcut recipe for all the awesome sushi flavors I love without the hassle of rolling anything. I saw Gina’s version years ago (it’s a brilliant method for making them!) and meant to try it then. I just put it on our meal plan!

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these glass straws. I enjoy drinking from a straw, but I’m just not a fan of the stainless or silicone straws that I’ve tried. I really love the feel of these glass straws. (And at about a dollar each, they’re much more affordable than others I’ve looked at in the past!)

If I find they aren’t as sturdy as they initially seem or if they break, I’ll let you know. The straws were very well-reviewed when I purchased them.

What I’m WATCHING: Lost Season 2. The kids and I are back to watching Lost and still loving it. 

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! We are celebrating this weekend as my oldest son is graduating from high school. (I’m not even going to deny that I’m cheering just as hard for us as parents as I am for our graduate.)

When we started this homeschool thing so many years ago, we figured we’d do it for a year or two and see how it goes. Ha – little did we know that we’d be schooling for the next 13+ years, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. More than anything else, it’s been a gift having the boys home with us and I’m so very excited for him to start college in the fall.

ON THE BLOG this week: Fluffy, creamy eggs layered with an abundance of bacon, cream cheese, and jalapenos add up to the Jalapeno Popper Casserole of which dreams are made. Served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this is a meal my whole family loves.

Fresh green beans, ginger, and garlic are quickly sauteed with tender strips of beef before being tossed in a light savory sauce to create this easy Beef and Green Bean Stir Fry.

Stir-fries are one of the easiest and most popular ways that I get dinner on the table. Tender strips of chicken, and hot, crisp vegetables are combined with an Asian-inspired sauce in this Ginger Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry.

Crisp lettuce, sweet mango slices, and sharp red onions combine to make this a deliciously simple Mango Summer Salad. With a light and slightly spicy dressing, this salad was a hit with my family.

Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing is a super moist banana cake filled with pecans and then drizzled with a creamy cinnamon cream cheese icing.

What I’m CRAVING: All the spicy foods! I stumbled on the Chili Pepper Madness website yesterday and I’m in awe of how much knowledge is here. I’ve never seen such a clear and well-organized index of all chili peppers and the recipes sound fantastic too. My hot sauce-loving oldest son is already talking about trying his hand at more homemade hot sauces this summer.

What I’m WATCHING: Old Enough. Oh my goodness, I don’t know when a show last caught my attention this way. In the best description ever, “Adult life is boring. Watch toddlers run errands on Netflix instead.”

This is a long-running (30+ years now) Japanese reality show and Netflix recently picked up one season. The episodes are just 12-15 minutes long and we watched the whole season in a couple of nights. It