Friday Night Family Dinner Ideas (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)

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Coconut Curry Shrimp with Veggie Noodles
Taco Bowls with Almond Flour Tortillas
Steak Fajitas with Gluten-Free Wraps and Guacamole
Baked Salmon with Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa
Chicken Stir-Fry with Brown Rice
Turkey Burgers on Gluten-Free Buns with Sweet Potato Fries
Black Bean Burgers with Fresh Cut Veggies
Gluten-Free Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Grilled Chicken
Tuna Salad with Lettuce Wraps
Soup and Salad Night (Using gluten-free and dairy-free options)

This post contains affiliate links.

My favorite kitchen items can be found HERE.

Time-Saving Homeschool Planner | Skylight Calendar Review W/ Discount Code

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I published a video on YouTube where I shared our family’s approach to organization and homeschool planning using the Skylight Frame Calendar.

I wanted to be sure to put a link to that video here too, because you guys, it has just been THAT good for our family. I had always been a good homemaker and felt pretty on top of housework…until we had baby #5 in 2023. That sweet boy has blessed our socks off, and I have spent the last year just enjoying having him in my arms. As a result, the house, and homeschool planning, had kind of gone by the wayside.

That’s okay, friends, these seasons of life come and go. I do not at all regret that time, but I do wish I had put a better system in place earlier so we could’ve at least kept the house a little more company-ready.

If you watch the video you will discover how this sleek modern device has become an integral part of our daily routine, enhancing communication, coordinating scheduling between family members, and bringing a touch of user-friendly technology to our home.

From coordinating lessons to creating a shared family calendar, I want you to find out how the Skylight Frame has transformed our homeschool scheduling experience, fostering a more connected and efficient household.

If you too think that a Skylight Calendar Frame may benefit your home, I would love to pass along my referral code to you, where you save $20 on your order, and I get $20 as well. You can find those links below.

With Love, Quincey

Skylight Referral Link: https://skylight.refr.cc/quinceyb Discount Code: FRIEND-8CQSGN7 Their shipping is pretty quick!

Or, you can purchase through Amazon if you would rather. There is no discount code there and the price does fluctuate some there, but the shipping is extra quick. This is my affiliate link, which does not cost you any extra to use, and clicking this will take you directly to Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TmctA3

April 14th, 2024

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Our youngest turned one last weekend.

Here I am, just reflecting on how the amount of energy poured into the first year of nurturing a sweet little babe can feel so isolating. Even the 5th time around!

Friendships have been hard for me the past year and a half-ish, and especially more so the last 4 months after someone pointed out many things they didn’t like about me, and I decided to work on it. Growth can be good, but also hard!

Feelings of being pitied, used, unloved, and disconnected can creep in easily if I’m not careful to keep them in check.

I’m holding onto the love for my husband and kids like a lifeline. These are the relationships that matter above all else.

I know that my heart is at home, where it belongs. These days of cooking, baking, cleaning, and teaching a big family are the good days that I prayed for. 

I hadn’t thought to pray that I could maintain friendships at the same time! Oh, how I miss the days before social media when friends and I gathered often and talked about things that mattered deeply in our hearts, and things that didn’t, like home decor and celebrity news.

Friends, it’s okay to admit when relationships feel strained or distant.
It’s a journey, not a destination, right? Ongoing improvement and some deep self-reflection are valuable and necessary.

I have learned that I cannot be everything to everyone, and that’s okay. I don’t thing we were made to be, despite what social media can make us feel. I have intentionally curated a more simple lifestyle that doesn’t involve calendar clutter and faux relationships.

I encourage you to cut the crap, zero in on your dreams, and start living the life you long for, the life God planned for you.

Pray for clarity in where you belong.

There is a tribe for you.

Meanwhile, let’s embrace the bumps and work towards deeper connections. ❤️

#NavigatingLove #FamilyFirst #EmbraceTheJourney

I’m sending *virtual hugs* to all the mommas out there pouring their hearts out to care for their families and homes. We’re not alone! #solidarity

Slightly Better Granola Cereal

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This Homemaker made Homemade Granola this afternoon. Anyone else doing this?
We had occasionally been buying #glutenfree granola cereal at $3 a bag, but when the price went to almost $4 for just 12 oz, I knew it was time to make my own.

This is a basic beginner level recipe. You can add things to it like raisins, nuts, or other dried foods that you like.

Recipe:

4 C. Rolled Oats (make sure they’re gluten free)
1/2 C. Melted Coconut Oil
1/2 C. Honey
A few shakes of Cinnamon (for flavor)

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes

If you’re adding dried fruit, do that after it’s cooked, so you don’t dry them out too much.

After it’s good and cool I store this in the fridge in a Mason jar that I’ve removed the air from. It would be fine on a shelf for the week.

Adjust baking times as needed to your desired doneness, stir half way through if you’d like (I don’t).

Banana Peanut Butter Cacao Treat

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Look, I’m not applying to be a food photographer anytime soon, but as someone with a fierce sweet tooth AND a desire to do SLIGHTLY BETTER in the nutrition department- this is a golden ticket snack idea that I needed to share with you! Put the kids to bed and every once in a while feast on this simple treat.
————
1 Banana
1 loaded spoonful of good peanut butter
A sprinkle of organic cacao nibs

Smile. Eat slowly and mindfully, chewing well through each bite. Hand wash, dry, and put away your dish, and then carry on with your evening.
————
#intentionalliving #aslightlybetterlife #slightlybetter #asbwkitchen
#celebrateabsolutelyeverything

Our Words May Echo

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I recognize the Lord telling me that the words I say, the phrases I repeat, and the tone I use today will echo for more than just my years here on Earth. What comes out of my mouth will carry through my children and their children’s children.

What an honor that could be if we allow the Lord to work through us.

How we parent in ordinary everyday moments matters. Our children regulate their emotions and learn their responses through us. Those same responses they may someday teach the children in their lives and so on.

The cycle, whatever it may be, good or bad, will continue regardless.

So you might as well be a good person. A truly very good, loving, caring, person. Resist evil, lies, blaming, impatience, and anything that doesn’t bring honor and glory to the Lord.

Do your best, and keep doing your best, until your best is better than you ever imagined it could have been. Impress yourself!

Take a couple of minutes for a hug in the morning (and again in the afternoon and evening). Yes, even with your teens, or maybe especially with your teens.

Intentionally make eye contact.

Ask open-ended questions, and listen for the answer before jumping to the next thing.

I know parenting is never-ending, but let’s be grateful for that. That means we get to keep on refining our skills each day that we are here.

📷: @justgivingthanks

Gluten Free & Dairy Free Spring Egg Rolls

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On the menu this week: Our version of egg rolls, or maybe they’re actually spring rolls? They’re delicious, no matter what they’re called.

Filling: I put cabbage, carrots, and spinach in the food processor. You can do this ahead of time and store it in the fridge.

Cook up turkey sausage, add the chopped veggies, and drizzle in some coco aminos, or whatever flavoring you’d like and let that cook together for a bit.

Wrap in rice paper, and lightly spray with olive oil.

We bake them in the oven (oil your pan first). Like my Grandma Edna said in many of her recipes, “bake until done”. 😉

I bake them at 350° for about 20 minutes, because we were also making cookies at the same time. You could definitely turn up the heat and cook them for less time.

Note: We use rice paper because it’s gluten-free.

We’ve made this before and it was a hit! I know it’s not super authentic, but we love it. I’m grateful for our amazing neighbor, Kong, who taught us the basics of making an egg roll, and hopefully isn’t disappointed in the modifications we made. Ha!

Quick and Easy Nourishing Fuel

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Peanut Butter Protein Powder
Collagen Powder
Organic Camu Camu Powder
Raw Cocoa Powder
Organic Beet Powder

Put about 4oz of water in a 16oz jar or glass

Add your preferred powders. I use all of these above, and also add turmeric most days as well.

Combine using my favorite handheld whisk

Fill the remainder of the jar with water and give it a quick stir.

Enjoy quickly! If the powders begin to settle to the bottom of the jar you can give your glass a swirl by hand, or pop the whisk back in.

To switch it up, add the ingredients above to a blender with a banana, a handful of berries, and a little more water. The fruit helps keep the powders from settling, and provides additional nutrition.

Red Light Therapy For A Slightly Better Health

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All LifePro: BioHeal Panel on the door, Rove Elliptical on the left, Turbo3D Vibration Plate on the right.

10 years ago I would’ve thought Red Light Therapy was a faux treatment targeted as a luxury placebo effect for wealthy housewives. A scam of sorts. I would’ve been quick to disregard the benefits or put any time into research for myself. Okay let’s be real, even 3 years ago I wouldn’t have bought into this.

Then I got sick. Really sick. Western medicine failed me, and no quick fix or pill worked on my body. I learned the value of slow and gentle healing, along with the importance of preventative maintenance through a healthy lifestyle.

When I say a healthy lifestyle I mean it required a truly radical shift in the things I ate, the air I was breathing, and the products I put on my body each day. True health is much different than what is sold to us on magazine covers and through the product claims on the packaging of many retail items.

This lifestyle change was vital to stay afloat after my body tanked.

Oh, friends, I pray you are not in that desperate place that I was, but if you are I want you to know that there is HOPE. Please believe it, and receive it for yourself.

If your health is in a good place you can still take small steps to stay that way. If your health has plummeted like mine though, I am going to suggest this to you with tough love… TAKE RADICAL ACTION.

You cannot keep doing the same things if they aren’t propelling you forward, and toward better health.

My thirst for a deeper knowledge and understanding of Red Light Therapy grew as I watched friends, who are ordinary people like you and me, and people over on Instagram, outfit their homes with red light panels, devices, and bulbs. As they shared how they felt after using them and explained WHY they started in the first place, it all began to make sense.

I knew this was something I wanted to invest more time into researching.

I had wanted to get a Red Light product in our home but didn’t know which company to go with until the company I bought my vibration plate from came out with a device called the Alleva Red Light Therapy Belt, and then later the BioHeal, a panel you can put on a table or hang from a door.

Red Light Therapy is non-invasive and simple to use. The Alleva Red belt can be placed where you need it (like shoulder, back, abdomen, leg, etc) and you can use it for 10-30 minutes while you watch TV, work, read a book, or even nap. There’s a timer, so no worries if you fall asleep with it on.

The BioHeal also has a timer. I like to double up when I use this and stand on my vibration plate in front of the panel, with the panel over my chest or midsection. The BioHeal is a more efficient device, so a 10-minute treatment is all you need, which is also how long I use my vibration plate. Both automatically turn off at the end of 10 minutes, then you just walk away! You can do this just a few times a week, or up to twice a day.

I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice. I encourage you to go do some research as to how this works and see if you think it could benefit you.

The biggest benefits I have found from using red light therapy are an increase in energy. Just a 10-minute session seems to wake my body up and give it a boost. My drive has increased. I haven’t had many aches and pains, but any time I do, I stand in front of the panel and feel the aches disappear. My husband had a shoulder injury and the red light was the best tool we could use at home to help him heal, this supplemented his chiropractor visits as well. Our son mows lawns and sometimes push mows very large double lots, and gets a sore back, wrists, and shoulders, it’s no surprise the red light has given him immediate relief.

I do not have any scientific evidence, but I do believe the BioHeal panel played a role in our fertility and helped us to get pregnant. I lowered the panel on the door and used it in my pelvic region to promote reproductive health.

Clearer skin has been a great benefit from Red Light as well.

I am sure there are other benefits that I haven’t noticed, or that are happening under the skin and within the organs that I’m not able to track.

I’d love to hear if you are using RED LIGHT THERAPY, and what you have noticed from it as well!

A Slightly Better Hot Cocoa {Gluten & Dairy Free}

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If you’re looking for a Gluten Free & Dairy Free Hot Cocoa recipe that’s slightly better for you than a prepackaged mix, but just as easy, I’ve got you covered!

A Slightly Better Hot Cocoa
1/2 Cup Cocoa powder
1 Cup Collagen Powder
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk Powder
1-3 tsp Cinnamon (depending on your preference)
1/2 Cup Maple Sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)
1/2 tsp Quality Salt

I added all of these to a mason jar and gave it a good shake for a minute.

To enjoy: Add 1 Tablespoon of the dry mix into a cup of hot water and stir. You can add another Tablespoon if you like it richer. I like to use a milk frother (I don’t froth milk, ever, but I love this little tool for mixing powders into water it gives it a smooth finish).

You may substitute the ingredients above as you need to with what you have available. I think the important thing here is to be intentional with the ingredients and think of what each one might do within your own body. Will a warm cup of hot cocoa support and nourish your body, or leave you with low energy levels and a sugar crash? Pay attention to how you feel after you consume any food or beverage and make adjustments as needed.

I ordered the coconut milk powder and maple sugar from Thrive Market to experiment with because those are things I haven’t normally kept on hand, and there was a great coupon available the day I ordered. If you are new to Thrive Market you can get 40% off your first order by clicking this link to place an order and start a membership ($60/year). With the discounts offered throughout the year, it pays off for us to have it for things like toothpaste and specialty grocery items.

After trying the base recipe above I added a little turmeric powder and beet powder to my jar because we always have those in the house and I add them to my morning smoothies for added nutrition. I’m used to the flavors. That may be weird for you, and that’s fine. Ha!

My oldest daughter loves sweets and thinks it’s important to mention that this isn’t as sweet as the blue box hot chocolate you may be used to. She said it is good and creamy though and it’s worth trying!

There are two ways to remedy this: You can either train your brain that this is better for you and decide to get used to it, or you can add more maple sugar or a spoonful of maple syrup in your cup as you wish.

If you give this a try I’d love to hear your feedback!

A Slightly Better Hot Cocoa

Print Recipe
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 Cup Cocoa powder
  • 1 Cup Collagen Powder
  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk Powder
  • 1-3 tsp Cinnamon depending on your preference
  • 1/2 Cup Maple Sugar add more if you like it sweeter
  • 1/2 tsp Quality Salt

Method
 

  1. I added all of these to a mason jar and gave it a good shake for a minute.
  2. To enjoy: Add 1 Tablespoon of the dry mix into a cup of hot water and stir. You can add another Tablespoon if you like it richer. I like to use a milk frother (I don’t froth milk, ever, but I love this little tool for mixing powders into water it gives it a smooth finish).

Disclosure

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