Who doesn’t love a blueberry muffin? I went a little crazy this week testing various techniques (I baked 120 muffins) and seeing if they made better gluten free muffins. One ingredient that always surprises me is Equip Prime Protein Powder. I genuinely love this stuff. I’m okay with my entire family eating it because it’s just beef isolate (for the unflavored) and I can get stevia free versions. (Use the code JORDANEK to save money)

I am the only one hundred percent gluten free person in my household so I make sure that my recipes pass the test with my other family members. These muffins got an enthusiastic reaction from everyone.

One reason I think this recipe works so well is by accident… I added lemon juice to brighten the blueberry flavor and forgot about how well buttermilk works in recipes. The lemon reacts with the yogurt and gives the acidity to lighten the crumb.

Another great technique I’ve learned and tried is baking your muffins at 425F for 5 minutes and then turning down the oven to 350F degrees for the rest of the bake time. Also be sure to rotate your muffins half way through baking. I normally just baking muffins at 350F for 25 minutes, but these two changes increased the rise significantly.

One more note about muffins: use paper liners. I always use unbleached muffin liners. I really prefer having muffins in liners because it’s easier to let them cool and then add to a tray to freeze.

After the muffins completely cool, I place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours and then transfer them to a freezer safe bag. They reheat beautifully in the microwave for about 40 seconds. Alternately, let them thaw overnight and gently reheat them in the air fryer at 400F for 5 minutes.

• 1 3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour

• 1/2 cup Equip Low Sugar Vanilla protein powder (Use code: JORDANEK to save)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3 tbl butter, melted

• 1 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 large eggs

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1 tbl lemon juice

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder

• I prefer using muffin tin liners so that the muffins can rise more and are easily removed and frozen.

• The 5 minutes at 425F gives the muffins a quick rise before turning down the heat.

• I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free flour, Siggi’s 4% yogurt, and Equip Prime Low Sugar Vanilla protein powder when testing this recipe. (Use code JORDANEK)

• I like this brand of clean-ish vanilla bean paste

Chicken salad is so incredibly personal. I grew up in the South and have been served more kinds of chicken salad than I would have liked to eat. Please get away from me if you are throwing in chunks of celery, red onion or grapes my way. I will not eat it.

I am more of a Chicken Salad Chick fan BUT after I learned I cannot eat corn, I have been on the hunt for a recipe I like. (Most store bought mayo has corn syrup in it! You should definitely make your own. It takes 30 seconds.) The reason I love CSC so much is the texture and the intense seasoning. I prefer their almost canned tuna texture with how fine it is. I also don’t enjoy dry chicken salad, so I like to go heavy on the mayo. The great part about cooking is you can adjust any recipe to your liking. Use this recipe as a base, and add as much mayo as you want.

Some notes on this recipe:

• I originally made this recipe with finely processed celery in it, and I enjoyed it. When I made it a second time, I had forgotten I had frozen all my celery so I made it without it and added more fresh time. I enjoyed it so much more without the celery.

• I use my Instant Pot chicken method for the chicken and then run it through a food processor. You could use rotisserie chicken if you’re in a pinch. I have adjusted my cook time on the IP and like it better. Put the trivet in the bottom of the IP, add about 1.5 cups of chicken broth, place your 2 lbs of chicken breasts on the trivet, season it and cook on high for 7 minutes. I think 9 minutes is better for frozen chicken.

• I make homemade mayo for this. My general ratio is 1/4 cup avocado oil + 1 egg in a wide mouth jar and blend with an immersion blender. I doubled it for this recipe on accident and it turned out perfect. (A note for homemade mayo: yes I season it based on how I’m going to use it. I’m not an unseasoned home chef ha!)

• 2 lbs chicken breast

• 1 cup homemade mayo (2 eggs + 1/2 cup of oil)

• 2 tbl dijion mustard

• 2 tsp garlic paste

• 1 tsp salt

• 3 tbl fresh thyme

I love serving this recipe with my patriotic summer salad. It makes a really lovely meal. Both are very easy to meal prep for the week!

What is the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T? I wanted to create a fun weekly format to share food, reads, hobbies, items, shows and more that I’m currently loving or making my life easier. I see “Efficient Kitchen” embodying the whole home as well as the people in it. I also want to hear from YOU. What are you enjoying? Comment on the post anything you’re loving in a R.E.P.O.R.T category.

I haven’t been so incredibly moved by a book series in a really long time. I like to joke at my book club that I don’t trust authors that aren’t dead yet (aka contemporary fiction is questionable these days!). It is truly difficult to discuss the Wingfeather Saga without giving away the plot, but let me just say that the four book series touched my soul.

I would describe the series somewhere between Narnia and the Shire. It has the childlikeness of Narnia but the adventure of Tolkien. When an author can capture the attention of both children and adults, you have a really winning book. My children have listened or read the books multiple times now and keep going back to them. I don’t think they understand the deeper meaning of the series but it is one that will grow with them. As they live more life, face more hardships, and grow older, they will see how they can trust “the maker” through unimaginable heart break and find him good, the sacrifice and price of redemption, and daily struggle of the Christian walk.

I loved this series so much that I ended up purchasing a reading journal so that I could capture all my thoughts. I have all my digital marginalia in GoodReads and many notes on my phone from the books that I have this year, but wanted a more permanent place to gather my thoughts. I have looked for awhile on one with prompts that I liked and found this inexpensive one on Amazon. It has been a delight transferring my thoughts and notes to all the twenty four books that I have read this year. I like that there is an index in the front so that you can easily find your books!

Last week I shared my Patriotic Summer Salad, and I have had that on repeat. The dressing is simply too good and it’s just so fresh for summer with all the fruit. I finally perfected a chicken salad recipe that I like that I will be sharing later on the blog. Chicken salad is so personal, right? I prefer a chicken salad chick texture, and it’s taken me awhile to find a flavoring that I like.

I have kind of felt like I have been treading water the last 6 months but have slowed down and tried to make time for more fun. My kids asked to bake muffins this week and were determined that we make the flavoring blueberry oatmeal. Somehow I whipped this together, and they turned out great. Now, I’m going to tweak the recipe for later on, because I learned a new technique in the process that makes fluffier gluten free muffins! I think they will become one of my meal train go to’s!

Blue Stripe | Floral Multi

Are you familiar with the “petite keep trunk”? They make custom embroidered metal trunks for keepsakes. It seems like every influencer owns a custom one for each of their kids. I think they are beautiful but the price tag is hefty and I honestly see a lot of puckering in their embroidery. I have been on the hunt for a small one in that style to store my finished needlepoint projects where they can live decoratively. In my search, I stumbled upon this “dupe” at Dillard’s that is so incredibly pretty! They have two versions and I love both of them.

If you have been a long time subscriber, then you know I used to love a bleach and tone ha! I have been trying to grow the bleach out for two years now and grow my hair in length. I started using Oway’s hair mask a few months ago and it has SAVED my hair. I really don’t believe in a lot of hair products but I hardly get any split ends now. It has been especially helpful with the chlorine. I coat my hair with it once a week for about 5 minutes and use it after swimming every time. My hair is so soft and the longest that it has been in years even with all my postpartum hair shed.

If you love to needlepoint or want to try, Penny Linn just had a massive restock on canvases that have been out of stock for like 6 months including my favorite Evelyn Henson bunny. Evelyn Henson is one of my favorite artists and most of her canvases are back in stock after a long wait. I stilled missed out on the heron canvas, but many more of hers are in stock!

Let me know any of your recommendations below! I would love to hear them.

*This post may contain affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.

Instead of waiting for water to boil every time you or your kids want mac n cheese, let me introduce you to this short cut gluten free and freezer friendly mac n cheese. It uses dressed up boxed mac n cheese, and you won’t miss the gluten. My gluten eating family approves!

For this recipe, I use Jovial white cheddar gluten free mac n cheese. I’ve been gluten free for 15 years, and it took me forever to land on a good pasta that everyone enjoys. I have found Jovial brand to be my family’s favorite after trying what seems like every brand on the market. I also really enjoy their fussili and stelline as well.

• Two boxes of Jovial white cheddar gluten free mac n cheese

• 1/4 cup milk

• 2 tbl butter

• 4 oz cheese (2 mixed/2 on top)

• 2 eggs

1. Preheat your oven to 350F

2. Boil your pasta per instructions on the box and drain.

3. Keeping the pasta in the pot, add your butter and let it melt. Then add your milk and stir in the two dry cheese packets.

4. Once the mixture is smooth, add two oz of shredded cheese. I used jack cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

5. Scramble two eggs in a bowl and add them to the pasta. Stir until mixed.

6. Add the mac n cheese to silicone muffin tins and sprinkle remaining cheese on top

7. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

8. Let cool and then freeze. Once frozen, remove from the mold and store in a freezer safe bag.

• Buying shredded cheese may not work because it contains cellulose that prevents caking but also makes it hard to melt. I like this rotary cheese grater to make grating blocks of cheese quickly.

• My favorite brand of cheese is Organic Valley because, they don’t use bioengineered rennet.

• I like to buy my mac n cheese on Thrive Market. I also can find it at Whole Foods and Sprouts. 30% off your first Thrive Market order here.

• You can reheat in the microwave. I always find a splash of liquid helps freezer foods. So a dash of milk or water will help!

Welcome to a holiday edition of The Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T. I wanted to send this out a day early because I know many people may have Friday off and you’ll need some food ideas! Very exciting to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday. Also I would LOVE to hear any special holiday traditions you have! Comment them below!

If you’re a long time subscriber, you know that I love rotating picture and chapter books with my kids for each holiday. I tend to add one or two books a year for each holiday so I’ve built a solid collection over time. (I am also lucky to have access to a great second hand bookshop!) I also love hunting down great out of print books and my best resources for those are Thriftbooks.com or Abebooks.com

Some of our Independence Day focused books are:

• Sam the Minuteman by Nathaniel Benchley: a great early reader book

• The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh: We own several of Alice’s books and they are beautifully illustrated and simple enough for young children

• The Star Spangled Banner by Peter Spier

• I Pledge Allegiance: A friend gave us this book and it is wonderful at explaining the pledge beyond rote memorization. It’s illustrations are really cute as well.

• Welcome to Felicity’s World: This is an old out of print Pleasant Company book and I think they are exceptional scrapbook style history “textbooks” for elementary aged children. I personally have learned from every single one we own and I think it’s a travesty that they are out of print. (Check Thriftbooks, Abebooks or FBMP)

• Meet Felicity: an out of print oldie but goodie. If you don’t own any of the original Pleasant Company books, you should scoop them up! They are generally very affordable second hand. I know some friends have had luck at Half Priced books with these. My favorite place is the Facebook groups because you can usually find a set. In my opinion, they are some of the best chapter books for teaching elementary aged girls history. (Check Thriftbooks, Abebooks or FBMP)

Some books we’ve checked out at the library and enjoyed:

• Phoebe the Spy, Judith Griffin

• The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

• Independence Cake, Deborah Hopkinson

• They Called Her Molly Pitcher, Anne Rockwell

• Patriotic Summer Salad: it’s so light and refreshing for a hot day and takes almost no prep minus a few minutes for some salad dressing.

• Split Top Dawgs: Have you ever split them in half and grill them with salt and pepper and a drizzle of avocado oil? They are so much easier to top and they can be a little more “elevated”. (Can hot dogs be “elevated”?) Top the split dawgs with grilled onions and red bell peppers for a flavorful and festive look. We opt for all beef hot dogs like Teton Brand or Applegate and for gluten free buns, I use Unrefined Bakery. (They ship nationwide!) I know there’s nothing special about a hot dog, but I remember that’s all I wanted the one year I spent the Fourth of July in a foreign country studying abroad.

• Berry Cobbler: a super easy gluten free crowd pleasing dessert

• Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream: Step up your cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream, and you won’t regret it one bit!

PREP AHEAD: chop your strawberries, make your dressing, and churn your ice cream and freeze ahead of time.

One of my favorite traditions that I’ve done since being married is grabbing a giant pack of glow in the dark bracelets, but I think I’ll need to do that locally because Bezos can’t get any to me in time.

I also love grabbing July Fourth themed sunglasses for my kids and nieces and nephews. We also started doing these coloring paper table banners for fun at holidays and I found one on the ‘zon.

I keep seeing this hair stick on TikTok with really cute hair do’s for little girls. I’m not a dance mom with all those products, but this looked really fun to do especially if you have a parade to go to!

I’m still totally obsessed over Rifle Paper’s Americana Summer collection. I love the floral flag tray for serving outdoors and I’m still obsessed with those melamine plates. That cherry kitchen towel would be perfect for serving with my berry cobbler!

I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but I will always choose melamine plates over paper plates for hosting. Gasp! I know! I hate eating off paper plates because I think food tastes different on them. (Also some are made of wheat or corn!!) I will occasionally use paper plates if I simply don’t have enough or for a kids birthday party. It’s not like I never use them.

(I also use cloth napkins only at every meal, so you know I don’t mind the extra work ha!)

If you’re making your own ice cream, I love this set of measuring cups because I can measure all the ingredients in the largest measuring cup, mix and pour into my ice cream maker.

It’s a simple set that I use every single week. I would prefer glass but I honestly don’t have the space for a nice glass set. These nest small enough to shove into my overflowing baking drawer. I have paired my kitchen down so many times, but honestly I use everything and don’t quite have the space for all of it!

I haven’t bought ice cream from the store in years, and I know I talk about it all the time but it’s the easiest recipe you can make. I’ve been working up several new ice cream flavors including a strawberry shortcake ice cream that will drop in July.

This week, I combine my faux-reo cheesecakes with my chocolate ice cream, and it was incredibly rich. I made the cheesecakes the day before and let them set up in the fridge. After I churned the chocolate ice cream, I chopped up the cheesecakes and layered them in the ice cream container with the ice cream before I let it set up for a few hours.

I hope I can influence you to make your own ice cream because it is truly so easy and has way less ingredients than the store. (If you have food intolerances like me, it’s a must!)

Let me know any of your recommendations below! I would love to hear them.

*This post may contain affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.

This patriotic summer salad is one of my favorite things to bring to cookouts, pool days, and backyard dinners because it looks beautiful, feeds a crowd, and takes almost no effort to throw together. The combination of sweet berries, creamy goat cheese, crunchy pecans, and tangy poppyseed dressing feels fresh and festive without spending hours in the kitchen.

I also love this as an easy meal prep option during the hotter months. Just store the salad ingredients and dressing separately, then assemble when you’re ready to eat. Add some shredded rotisserie chicken or your favorite Instant Pot chicken to turn it into a filling lunch or simple weeknight dinner.

The best part is that this recipe is flexible: adjust the measurements to fit your crowd, shortcut the homemade dressing with a store-bought poppyseed dressing if needed, or add chicken to make it a meal. It’s colorful, fresh, and one of those easy recipes everyone always ends up asking for.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz of spring mix

• 1 lb strawberries chopped

• 12 oz blueberries

• 4 oz goat cheese

• 1/2 cup pecans chopped

Dressing:

• 1 cup avocado oil

• 3 tbl honey

• 3 tbl diced shallots

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp dry mustard

• 1/4 cup ACV

Instructions:

1. De-stem and quarter your strawberries.

2. Place your spring mix in a large serving bowl. Add your strawberries, blue berries, crumble your goat cheese on top along with the chopped or halved pecans.

3. In a jar with a lid (such as a mason jar), add your dressing ingredients in and shake. Natural separation will occur and you can shake before serving.

What is the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T? I wanted to create a fun weekly format to share food, reads, hobbies, items, shows and more that I’m currently loving or making my life easier. I see “Efficient Kitchen” embodying the whole home as well as the people in it. I also want to hear from YOU. What are you enjoying? Comment on the post anything you’re loving in a R.E.P.O.R.T category.

Grab your tissues if you start reading The Wingfeather Saga. I finished book three (Monster in the Hollows) and needed to take a breather to digest it all before starting book four. I am so glad that I got over judging this series by its covers (they just look particularly juvenile and not for adults) and pressed on. It is beautifully written and I would describe it somewhere between Lewis and Tolkien. It has the whimsy of Narnia with children as the protagonists but the adventure and trials of the Hobbit.

I am particularly tickled and how much my older children have loved it and asked to read it. I bought the audiobooks on Libro.fm and made Yoto cards for them to listen to them. Like with the Narnia series, it is enjoyable as a child but speaks deeper to the soul of an adult who has walked through life with more trials.

I have read the audio books for this series and think that does an incredible job at narration. I think he helps bring the story alive with his voice and particularly helps young readers follow the story well in the audio version.

Psst… the Yoto player is on sale right now for a great price…

Our meal plan we had this week:

Saturday: Tri tip fajitas (just seasoned tri tip and grilled onions and bell peppers)

Sunday: Evening activity

Monday: Turkey summer skillet (psst the easiest way to get summer veggies in)

Tuesday: Turkey summer skillet leftovers

Wednesday: Sheet Pan Pad Kee Mow

Thursday: Sheet Pan Pad Kee Mow

For lunch, I worked on refining a recipe that I will include in my easy mom lunches coming soon!

Also ICYMI, I published an easy no bake cereal bar recipe on Tuesday!

For paid subscribers, I will be publishing a kids freezer meal prep soon that will simplify meal time and have breakfast and lunch ready to go and reheat!

I finished my Angelina Ballerina ornament and learned a new technique with tulle ribbon. I think I made the skirt a little too fluffy but it was very easy to do. I followed a tutorial on TikTok for making 3D tutus. I will make some adjustments next time but it was easier than I thought to accomplish. I love fun little extras that can make a project pop. Creating this ornament was one of my faster and easier projects!

I’m trying to decide which project I should start next. I have all the thread for Spot, Corduroy and a Harry Potter ornament. Comment which one I should start next!

One of my favorite summer activities is hosting swim play dates! Summer swimmers are always so darn hungry and I usually prep a tray of snacks ahead of time. I’ve been on the hunt for a container with a lid and cooling packs for hosting. I was so excited when I saw a friend post this one, and I ordered it so so quickly!

You put the ice packs in the freezer and the lid seals shut, so it’s ready to go for a pool day or road trip. I put cut up fruit, babybel cheese, and cookie dough bites in ours.

Somehow I spilled pad kee mow sauced all down by nap dress one night, and so I grabbed the Koala Eco stain spray. The stain actually disappeared before my eyes. I was just hoping that the stain wouldn’t set and I could wash it out. My flabbers were ghasted at how well it worked.

THANKFULLY, they are having a huge sale with gifts from June 26- July 5th with 20% off site wide and gifts with purchase, so I will be stocking up. My entire family comments on how much they love the smell when I clean with their products but this stain spray is genuinely the best one that I’ve tried out of every “non toxic” or conventional product. My personal favorites are the kitchen cleaner, laundry wash, oxygenated bleach, stain spray, and hand soap. I have all my favorites linked here.

Gift with purchases include: Rosalina + Peppermint Body Wash, Rosalina + Peppermint Hand/Body Lotion, receive a Pink Grapefruit + Peppermint Room Spray based on how much you spend.

I know you’re probably over Prime Day posts. I just wanted to share a couple of my ride or die kitchen products that are on sale right now:

• Breville Smart Oven: I use this every single day without fail and my kids can use it as well. I treat it like a mini oven for a quarter sheet and it can fit a whole chicken in it! We air fry vegetables in it constantly. Make fries and reheat food in it. I recommend it to anyone. It’s $80 off which is the lowest price that I’ve seen it.

• Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker: Y’all know I put this thing to work in the summer and this is the lowest price that I’ve ever seen it. It’s almost half price.

• Instant Pot: a great deal on this one. I have so many quick meal preps where I use this appliance!

• Stokke has 35% off their Tripp Trapp high chair. I have had ours for seven years and is one of my top “baby” items but they hold up to 150 lbs . I haven’t ever really seen them on sale!

• Bauble Bar has 20% off site wide. I love my custom necklace that I wear every day and you see in most of my videos. Mine is in size small. There are so many cute semi custom options to look at!

• Hill House Home- having their summer sale! So many cute dresses marked down here.

*This post may contain affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.

Kids snacks are the single easiest way to blow the grocery budget at our house. My kids can demolish a box of anything before I've put the groceries away. These 5-ingredient cereal bars have genuinely helped — they're filling because of the fats, they live in a spot the kids can reach themselves, and I make them once and they're just there.

I made this recipe awhile ago when I was working on a new ebook (before I moved everything to Substack), but I want to note the generosity of Lovebird cereal brand. No this is not sponsored, I just really appreciate their mission, and it happens to be my kids favorite cereal. (They love every flavor. It’s hard to pick but strawberry may be my favorite. Thrive Market usually has it at the cheapest price.)

Last year, I replied to one of their stories that I wish we could switch our kids ministry and preschool snacks to Lovebird instead of the traditional snacks we were using. The owner replied “I got you.” and mailed me a GIANT box of cereal to take to our children’s ministry. They are family owned and really care about the food quality in our country right now. I think we see so much negativity with companies now that I wanted to highlight a great small, family owned company. (To be clear my Instagram account is TINY, so they would have no motivation for me to give them a shout out.)

This post contains a referral link to Thrive Market. If you make a purchase, I may earn a credit. All opinions are my own. Foods just expensive ya know?

What is the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T? I wanted to create a fun weekly format to share food, reads, hobbies, items, shows and more that I’m currently loving or making my life easier. I see “Efficient Kitchen” embodying the whole home as well as the people in it. I also want to hear from YOU. What are you enjoying? Comment on the post anything you’re loving in a R.E.P.O.R.T category.

I recently finished the first book of the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson and I almost shelved it under “did not finish”. The series had been recommended to me by so many trusted friends, and I just did not see the appeal in it… until the last quarter of the book. Now that I’m almost finished with the second book, I get it.

The first half of the first book feels silly and trivial, but I think it’s to draw young readers in. World building in fantasy books is such an art to do it in a way that feels natural. I really disliked how the world building took place in footnotes instead of weaving it into the story more naturally. Because it fell flat and felt so silly with the language and names, I kept putting the book down and thinking “friends I trusted you!!”

However.

Everything changed in the last quarter of the book. I see how this book series is about something so much deeper and is akin to Lewis or Tolkien (obviously cannot compare anyone to them, but ya know what I mean). The second book opens with a bang and feels so much more mature. I cried finishing the second book because it is so beautifully written. I was truly surprised that my son was listening to it as well in the car and started asking me so many questions about it. Andrew Peterson particularly appeals to boys need for adventure and sense of purpose and being called to more in literature.

I can’t wait for my Libby hold to be up for the third book so that I can dive in. I think this is a series that you have to commit to all four books or don’t read it at all. I’ll give my full review when I’m done with all four books in the series.

I posted this chocolate mug cake on my IG stories this week, and it’s been such a tasty treat when I had a craving but didn’t want something overly sugary. I’ve recently increased my daily protein intake, and it’s made such a massive difference in my energy levels. I have to do a lot to keep my hypothyroidism in check, and I’m making some provider recommended changes to just tweak my numbers slightly. I started making my protein pancake and serving it with two AmyLu chicken breakfast sausages for 48g of protein for breakfast. I’m truly not hungry until almost 1pm, which is good because mom always eats last. Equip is having BOGO 40% off with my code JORDANEK. Get the chocolate churro before it’s gone and thank me later.

I also prepped my Chinese chicken salad for lunch this week, which is one of my favorite salads to prep for lunch. It’s so refreshing for hot summer days.

If you remember in a previous Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T., I purchased some picture book needlepoint charts off Etsy. I totally cheated with both charts and just traced them (my LNS already gave me some looks). It has actually been super easy to stitch them because cartoon drawings aren’t overly complicated. I wouldn’t recommend doing that for your first chart, but if you already know how to needlepoint, it’s a nice way to save some money on and sanity on canvases. (If you’ve ever tried painting a complicated canvas, you know why they cost so much!)

Anyway, I’ve made a lot of progress on Angelina Ballerina. She was a favorite series in our house. I will probably end up stitching another one of her so both girls can have one. I got some fancy thread to add to the tutu, so we’ll see if I can pull it off!

P.S. If you have any girls under the age of 6 in your house, the Angelina Ballerina is a wonderful picture book series to read! Amazon has many of them, but there are so many more that are out of print, which is unfortunate, but you can find them second hand easily. Yoto now has a card as well and we had the Angelina Tonie.

I recently bought some of the Koala Eco kitchen cleaner, and I cannot get over how good it smells in my kitchen. I am mainly using it on my kitchen table and appliances, but my kitchen smells so fresh after cleaning. I missed having a “smell” that indicated clean (that’s something our brains are trained to!) and I love the light citrus smell of this one. If you are like me and switched to non toxic products but miss scents, definitely check it out.

In my opinion, one of the best things that you can do for summer is get a swim suit that you feel comfortable in so that you can cannon ball into the deep end and play with your kids. My children instantly start playing and laughing more if my husband or I jump in with them, and they get particularly excited if I get my hair wet and swim under water. (I loathe the full everything shower because I’m spent but I gotta do it more in the summer) I’ve rounded up all my wrangling kid friendly suits that I love across many brands and price points here.

I started working on a strawberry basil ice cream recipe with fresh basil from our garden. The entire family loved it and begged me to make more. It still needs a few tweaks so that the strawberry really packs a punch, but I can’t wait to share it with you all! It’s the final boss in my Neapolitan combo that I want to make!

As always, you can find my vanilla recipe here and my chocolate recipe here.

Let me know any of your recommendations below! I would love to hear them.

*This post may contain affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.

Another favorite food of my kids is PIZZA. I love this recipe for something simple with ingredients you may easily have on hand. I personally like to batch make lunches in our freezer because my kids get super hungry with all the swimming they do in the summer. Instead of making school lunches, I still keep the routine so that lunch time is still just as easy.

This recipe comes together with just a few ingredients and is freezable which will make your life so much easier!

**I usually use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free flour because it seems to be the most readily available and often at Costco. I find it at Costco or Thrive Market and it can also be found on Amazon.

Read more

What is the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T? I wanted to create a fun weekly format to share food, reads, hobbies, items, shows and more that I’m currently loving or making my life easier. I see “Efficient Kitchen” embodying the whole home as well as the people in it. I also want to hear from YOU. What are you enjoying? Comment on the post anything you’re loving in a R.E.P.O.R.T category.

I spent the weekend trying to finish some reading and personal projects so I wrapped up my first “door stopper” book of the year: East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It’s a very interesting read and supposedly Steinbeck’s magnum opus according to him. I found the book a little bit all over the place because he’s doing this retelling of the garden of Eden, from my opinion, someone who is searching and trying to explain humanity and good and evil in the world. Timshel (thou mayest) or free will is the theme that he runs through the book in its entirety. Steinbeck also writes a bit of his own family history in the book for his children, so the story can whip you back and forth a bit, but ultimately are woven together.

I normally would have never picked up this book, and ultimately I am glad that I did. What I enjoyed about Steinbeck is his prose and narration. I thoroughly enjoyed him describing the Salinas valley in California as well as his commentary on humanity. Parts of this book were so incredibly rich and I highlighted so many lines. There were two characters that I absolutely fell in love with: Samuel Hamilton and Lee. The rest of the characters are complicated, but it’s supposed to be that way. I love reading literary analysis of classics after I read them, and I’ve yet to find a good one for this read.

I don’t think this book is for everyone, but it is a good slow read that took me almost two months of reading chapters here and there. I would recommend it as one you might read before bed slowly over a few months. It’s not a book that you read for the plot, but more character driven thoughtful prose.

Summer is in full force in our house, so I am making my kids snacks constantly. All my recipes this month are geared towards keeping the kids fed and I will do a special meal prep post for paid subscribers at the end of the month.

I’ve been working so hard on something really exciting for The Efficient Kitchen, so I wanted to take a break this weekend. I picked out a canvas that I got for Christmas and decided to work on it over the weekend. I’ve been saving this one to do when I had some time to sit down and think about how I wanted to stitch it. I ran over to my local needlepoint store and always ask for advice from seasoned stitchers. They helped me pick out a beautiful overdyed thread and taught me the Goeblin stitch to look like fur. There’s so many shortages right now with this hobby, so I’m going to have to order the thread for the background but I’m so pleased with how it turned out.

I know many of you probably don’t needlepoint, but I hope this section inspires you to just pick up some sort of hobby that you enjoy. I hear all the time from friends how they want something fun. I stopped doing hobbies for a long time, and I realized that I just needed to find one that fit with small kids and didn’t take up a lot of space. I enjoy needlepoint because I can keep it in a small bag and work on it in small chunks of time. Cross stitch or embroidery would also be very similar!

Canvas | Thread: Petite Very Velvet, Thread Gatherer in Southwest Sands, Essentials

I am loving the entire Rifle Paper Americana summer collection. There are so many good pieces for outdoor hosting. I do like using melamine for outdoor hosting and prefer using it over paper plates. I absolutely loathe paper plates unless it’s a large gathering of people. I don’t like spending a lot of time cooking for my food to taste weird or flop on a poorly constructed paper plate.

With the slower pace of summer, I’m working on age appropriate life skills with my kids. Tying shoes, loading the dish washer, laundry… It’s really amazing just having them do their part in picking up their mess and clearing their own plates.

I’ve been working on teaching the entire laundry process (supervised) to my eldest. I’ve really fallen in love with the Koala Eco Laundry detergent. If you’ve tried laundry swaps and they just aren’t working, this one is my favorite. It has a fresh smell that fades but leaves clothes very clean. I also got some of their stain spray that has worked really well so far on little boy grime. (Their clothes are always so much dirtier!) I also grabbed their oxygenated bleach for our white sheets and towels.

Cleaning + Laundry Favs | Laundry Complete Collection

I bought another bag of the Equip Prime Protein’s chocolate churro protein powder because it is that good. It truly makes the best protein pancakes. I know this is crazy, but I don’t really love smoothies. In the heat of the summer, sure, they are great, but most of the time I just don’t love them.

I really feel my best when I hit my protein goals, so I started coming up with other ways to incorporate a scoop of protein powder a day. You can find all those recipes here.

My personal favorite is making a pancake every morning and getting 32 g of protein in really fast and really sneakily. (The chocolate churro is my favorite because you don’t even need syrup on it!)

You can use the code JORDANEK for 25% off through TODAY as a special. It’s normally only 15% off, so be sure to stock up because the chocolate churro is limited edition.

Let me know any of your recommendations below! I would love to hear them.

*This post may contain affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.

Skip the molds — or don't, I'll show you how. But my personal method now is a baking pan, a good pour, and a batch big enough that it's worth turning on the stove. I make all three flavor combinations at once, which sounds like a lot until you realize it's the same ten minutes of effort and you end up with enough gummies to last an actual week. My two non-negotiables: a mesh strainer for any gelatin stragglers (there are always a few no matter what you do — don't fight it, just strain), and this specific gelatin because grass-fed bovine, no pesticides, no hormones, and my kids have eaten enough of these that sourcing genuinely matters to me. Also, I ate these throughout my last labor because they were the only thing I could stomach. Just putting that out there.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions expressed here are my own.

What is the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T? I wanted to create a fun weekly format to share food, reads, hobbies, items, shows and more that I’m currently loving or making my life easier. I see “Efficient Kitchen” embodying the whole home as well as the people in it. I also want to hear from YOU. What are you enjoying? Comment on the post anything you’re loving in a R.E.P.O.R.T category.

I finally finished my read aloud of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone with my eldest, and it was probably more impactful as an adult than as a teen. It was an absolute delight capturing her face as answers to her questions were revealed. Most of us are so familiar with the story by now, but she’s really only seen the movie covers in a drawer.

I fear with the all the advances in technology, it will become rarer and rarer that we get such excellent literature. I don’t know if enough time has passed since Harry Potter was written to call it a classic, but it was a joy in my teens/early adulthood to watch the series unfold and be a part of midnight book releases and the anticipation of waiting a year until knowing the next part of the story.

With kids home for the summer, I’m focusing on keeping the hungry kids fed in June. I posted my family’s favorite breakfast on Tuesday. If you’re a long time follower, you have seen me make pancakes and freeze them over and over again. I got tired of that while pregnant, so I found a faster way. These are thick and fluffy gluten free pancakes and my kids love them. You can even grab them on the go and eat them in the car if you’re in a rush.

Whenever someone wants to start meal prepping, I recommend to start with breakfast. You can start your day a little slower, less rushed and calmer with breakfast ready to go. I know some of my recipes for big breakfast bulk prep can be more time consuming, but you’ll have this one done in under 30 minutes.

One of my greatest joys in motherhood is getting to experience things that I would have loved as a kid. My eldest had a birthday recently, and we got to celebrate her over the weekend by going to the American Girl Doll store for a birthday event. As a child, I remember the Chicago store opening and really wanting to go so badly, and we are so fortunate to live semi-close to one of the five stores.

I will cherish our experience, because she’s truly old enough now to appreciate the history told through the character’s stories. I really dislike how the original books are out of print (don’t buy the books from the store, they are condensed versions), but I have collected the historical doll books through the Facebook groups and Thriftbooks.com (my favorite place for out of print books).

While I was there, I was easily persuaded by the clerk into purchasing The Making of American Girl. This is a MASSIVE coffee table book, but I was so incredibly impressed with what I learned about the company that Pleasant Rowland started. Pleasant was originally a textbook author. She and her friend Valerie Tripp wanted to tell history through stories.

“Our books do not reflect a perfect world— they can’t, because they reflect history, and history is often gritty and hard.” -Pleasant Rowland

If you have read the books, you know that there are tough stories about escaping slavery, disease and hardship, war, economic depression, but at the center of the stories are young heroines that can help young readers hopeful that even through hardship, life can be good. They each have a birthday and go to school and celebrate holidays providing ways to connect with young girls today who also share those events.

I have so enjoyed this season of motherhood even more than the voracious and brief princess phase (enjoy that one while it lasts— it’s so short!). Sharing something from my childhood and seeing it again through fresh eyes has been so fun.

I realized that I’m almost forty, and I do not own a proper vase. I always forget to look at Mark & Graham except when I get an ad, but they are way more my style than Pottery Barn. They have so many nice customizable gifts that would make great housewarming, couples gifts, or newly wed presents.

I loved this cheese board for serving. It’s customizable and reasonable for such a cute item.

I’m also loving this customizable BBQ Carving Board. It would be an amazing Father’s Day gift for a Dad or Husband who enjoys smoking meat, or cooking a lot of steaks. My husband prefers boards like this with the grooves to catch run off juice. It’s maple, which should hold up well.

I don’t know how I lived so long without an immersion blender. I finally asked for one for Christmas two years ago, and I use it almost daily now. I make almost all my own sauces and I find it makes any recipe with a lot of eggs easier to work with. I have found so many uses for it. I highly recommend having one in your kitchen.

I have recently started watching The Forsytes on PBS Masterpiece Theater. I’m really enjoying that show so far. I always have a hard time finding a really enthralling historical fiction TV show that I loved. The Guilded Age has been one of my favorites, and it is hard to find some that good.

I did watch The Count of Monte Cristo mini series on Masterpiece as well, and it honestly made me so mad. The acting was good, but it watered the plot down to about 25% of what happens. I could do a whole Ted Talk on this, but I will spare you. Just read the book, it’s life changing.

• Lilly Pulitzer is having 40% Wear Now styles with free shipping from today until 6/8. If you loved anything in last week’s report, check it out now.

• Burt’s Bees Baby is having 15% off their sport collection

• Maisonette is having their Summer Baby Event through 6/7 with up to 40% off

• Bauble Bar: $50 viral phone cases

Let me know any of your recommendations below! I would love to hear them.

Leave a comment

*This post may contain affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.

Start Here — Welcome to The Efficient Kitchen!

So glad you’re here! This is a home base for my website. While The Efficient Kitchen is best enjoyed on a desktop, I wanted everything to be easily found if you are using the Substack app or mobile browser.

Who this is for

The Efficient Kitchen is built for busy moms who want to take the mental load out of feeding their family. I’m a self-proclaimed meal prep queen, your gluten-free bestie, and an engineer-turned-kitchen-systems thinker. Here you’ll find streamlined meal plans, efficient weeknight recipes, low-tox home swaps with a science-first lens, and the occasional mom life musing.

Read my intro post to learn more about me

Start with the system — the Kitchen Blueprints series

New here? Start with this series. It walks you through building your own meal planning system step by step — no overhauling your whole routine overnight, just one small shift at a time.

1. Meal Planning 101 — the 5-minute meal planning method (start here — your overview of the whole system)

2. Exactly how I’ve built my meal planning binder — set up your command central for the kitchen

3. Don’t skip this: goal setting — define your guide rails so the plan actually fits your life

4. The master grocery list — build a list that practically writes itself each week

5. The go-to meals list — curate the recipes your family actually loves

6. Putting it all together: the weekly system — how to sit down and plan your week in minutes

Recipe & meal prep index

Looking for something specific? I keep an updated index of every recipe and meal prep post organized by category — bookmark it for easy reference. I send out new recipes both free and paid on Tuesdays!

View the full recipe & meal prep index

The weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.

Every week I publish the R.E.P.O.R.T. — a free roundup of what I’m currently loving across six categories. I’d love for it to be a two-way conversation, so drop your own picks in the comments each week!

• R — Reading: What I’m reading right now — books, articles, and anything worth your time

• E — Eating: What I’m prepping, cooking, and eating that week

• P — Playing: Hobbies, time outside, and what’s going on in our home

• O — Obsessing: Products, finds, and things I genuinely can’t stop thinking about

• R — Recommending: Low-tox swaps, home items, and things I think you’d love

• T — Treating: Shows, splurges, and fun things I’m enjoying

The Kitchen Table

Pull up a chair. The Kitchen Table is my more informal space — candid chats about life, home, and everything beyond the recipes. Think of it as chats I would have if you were sharing a meal with me around my kitchen table. It’s where I share the stuff that doesn’t fit neatly into a system post but still feels worth talking about. I very much enjoy reading and cultivating the heart of the home, so I wanted a space for all those thoughts, lists and advice.

Browse the kitchen table

Free vs. paid — what you get

Free subscribers get the weekly R.E.P.O.R.T., the full Kitchen Blueprints series, select recipes, Kitchen Table posts, and the complete recipe index.

Paid subscribers get everything above, plus the full Kitchen Blueprints ebook and printable worksheets, all locked recipes (including my family’s favorite recipes), meal plans that you can copy, and holiday prep systems.

Upgrade to paid

Favorite products & affiliate links

These are products I genuinely use and love. Affiliate links support the newsletter at no extra cost to you — thank you so much!

• Equip Prime Protein use code JORDANEK for 15% off your order see all my recipes here.

• Thrive Market — 40% off your first order

• My favorite Beef Gelatin for cooking

• Shop my favorite kitchen items
  

Longtime readers KNOW I love making pancakes and freezing them for breakfast, but I honestly got so tired of standing at the stove while my kids ate them before I could make more. When I was pregnant I started stocking my freezer with as much food as I possibly could, but I was running out of steam. I saw a postpartum prep about making sheet pan pancakes for a postpartum breakfast and was reminded that I used to do this. One problem I’ve run into with sheet pan recipes is they don’t fill a full sheet pan (and they aren’t gluten free)

I really wish I tallied how many sticks of butter I used trial and erroring this recipe because it was a LOT. I’ve found that over the last six months that these sheet pan pancakes are my go to breakfast for the kids because they are SO FAST.

I love these pancakes because they are so buttery you don’t need to add any when you serve it. The great thing is they can be eaten on the go too. We’ve eaten these for months, and they’ve passed the test with my family!

The trick to getting these pancakes just right is to use an immersion blender on your liquids before you add the dry ingredients. The butter will tend to solidify (I’ve also tried coconut oil and it’s worse) really quickly when the cold milk hits. The immersion blender helps distribute the fat evenly. You could probably use a blender for a short time if you don’t have one. The other trick is to let the batter rest for about 5 minutes before baking so that the gluten free flours can soak up the liquid easier.

Read more

What is the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T? I wanted to create a fun weekly format to share food, reads, hobbies, items, shows and more that I’m currently loving or making my life easier. I see “Efficient Kitchen” embodying the whole home as well as the people in it. I also want to hear from YOU. What are you enjoying? Comment on the post anything you’re loving in a R.E.P.O.R.T category.

I currently have four books in rotation right now: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as a read aloud with my kids, The Wingfeather Saga as my audio book when I needlepoint, The Other Bennet Sister (that I’ve put on the back burner) and my main “slow” read challenge book that has now moved into the number one spot: East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

I don’t want to give a full review until I’m done, but I’m absolutely enthralled with this book. I would have never picked up a Steinbeck novel if it hadn’t been a recommendation from a friend.

Although I’ve read Harry Potter many times, rereading it out loud with my children has completely changed me. I have noticed so many nuances in the book that I never had before because doing a read aloud makes you focus one hundred percent. Your brain cannot wonder. I find myself getting just as excited with the plot even though I know what’s going to happen. Listening to the gasps and commentary from my children are just as delightful as if I’m reading it for the first time again. It’s a rare pleasure to read such a good book for the first time and seeing the magic of Hogwarts again through children’s eyes is a current delight in motherhood.

If you haven’t noticed, I love the classics because they are classics for a reason. Reading them is like working a muscle that you have to exercise. Some are easier to read than others but they all grow you in some way. I’ve wanted to understand literature more as an adult so I’ve been seeking out sources to help me learn. I’ve mentioned the Literary Life podcast before as one of my favorite sources. (They have a series on book one of Harry Potter for free here. I believe the rest of the books are on Patreon if you’re interested.)

A few other sources on Substack that I’m enjoying for “big scary reads” are below:

The Big Read: Jeremy has so much content in the archives to read. I loved his thoughts on Pride and Prejudice. He has so many good books with a reading schedule to follow and then notes. I love reading the comment section for what stood out to other readers as well. Currently, he’s doing a year long read of Les Mis.

Footnotes and Tangents: A lovely source as well with many books I’ve never thought of reading.

Rabbit Room Poetry: I would love to understand poetry better considering my children’s love for it. They have been taught better than me, so I’m trying to grow in my least favorite area— ha! The author of the Wingfeather Saga, Andrew Peterson, runs the Substack.

1000 Good Books Project: a great resource for free audiobooks of the classics making them accessible to anyone.

Guess what I didn’t do last weekend? gasp—meal prep.

I spent the whole weekend enjoying my family and friends and didn’t think once about doing it. Has it been harder this week? Yes, it has but I will just double up next weekend when I know we don’t have plans. Cooking AROUND your life has always been my philosophy. Looking for pockets of time when you can and doing it then. We still had breakfast in the freezer so I’ve scrounged a bit for lunch, but that’s fine for a week.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this month of easy sheet pan dinners. I’ve got some more that I’m working on that I’ll post when school’s back. Over the summer you can look forward to stocking your fridge and freezer with kids snacks in June and “no cook” dinners in July because it’s so dang hot.

If you missed it, I posted one of the easiest meals you can possibly make that gets everyone fed quickly. Save it for when you know you're short on time with activities or sports in the evening. It’s so easy to prep and only takes about 10ish minutes to whip it up.

My family is spending every day swimming that we possibly can right now, and my kids are going to bed tired (and hungry). I thought I would share some of our favorite items for practicality and fun:

• TOYS: Reusable water balloons , Dive rings, These pool Barbies were a must when my daughter was little. We love these torpedo sharks

• TOWELS: This inexpensive set of towels that looks chic (we like to have inexpensive towels on hand in case anyone forgot theirs and these are similar!), these super quick dry towels are what we take going anywhere. (Each family member has one)

• FLOATS: All our favorite floats that become battle ships and lily pads

• CARE: This shampoo and conditioner for after swimming, All my favorite suncare listed here.

As a former competitive swimmer and one who spends a LOT of time in the pool, my favorite places for swimsuits are from Land’s End, J Crew, and Lilly Pulitzer. The sales for all three are great, and I’ve had great luck with quality on all three brands where they last for many many years with a lot of use.

I would honestly be the worst fashion influencer though because most of my closet is really old. I typically buy a few items per year that will last me a long time and I love certain styles from brands that they bring back year after year.

I really love the newest swimwear collection at Lilly Pulitzer for swimwear, especially after looking at them in person, and am eyeing some pieces currently. I really love their coverups the best because I feel put together and have had some since before I had children. I bought two Stevie Kate swimsuits at their sale in January crossing my fingers that they would fit come summer time, and I’m truly obsessed. (You will not catch me in a swimsuit on the internet!) If they bring that style back, I will alert the press. They do have this coverup in pink and I love it soooo much. They also have the same fabric but a slightly different style in another old suit I own. The seersucker suits LAST and don’t tend to fade. (Also that hat is from J Crew from college, I probably need to get a new one ha! I tried this one on in store and it’s just so cute. They have their version of the Sarah Bray Bermuda hat that’s a fraction of the price too)

If there is ONE thing that I could recommend to make your life easier, it is buying a Blackstone griddle. We have had ours for over five years, and the new ones are even nicer than what we bought. There hasn’t been a week gone by that it isn’t used. It’s truly the best for the summer because your oven doesn’t get turned on to heat up your house. We have around a 28 in one (they don’t make our exact one anymore) and it works great. If you have a family on the larger side, I would go with a bigger one. Truly the fastest way to feed a ton of people.

I love it because it makes it so easy to host, my husband loves cooking on it (wink), and we can batch cook a lot of meat or vegetables quickly for the week. I have a lot of recipes that are much easier if you have one. It would be a great Father’s Day gift that would ultimately bless you haha! I’ll be posting more of my husband’s recipes over time that he loves to cook so be sure to forward them to your spouses.

Walmart (36 in. Best deal I’ve seen) | 28” from Blackstone |

I loooove the door signs from this Etsy shop. I found my first one on Facebook Marketplace and had to find the shop where they were made. They are so cute and hand painted in Alabama. Out of all the door sign companies that I’ve purchased from, this one is my favorite. They have signs for all seasons and look so classic. My giant Peter Rabbit is my favorite (also the one I found for like $15!) and my husband’s least favorite haha.

• Yoto is having a big Memorial Day sale with 20% off players and accessories. I need to write an updated post on how much we love those. I think they’ve truly been the key to getting my kids to love books.

• Remember these Hill House dresses? Many of these style are majorly marked down right now. The Scarlet (Yellow) and Rosetta (middle)

Subscribe now

*This post may contain affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones that end up on repeat the most. This one is proof — it'll take your oven longer to preheat than it will to throw dinner together, and that is not an exaggeration. This is the meal I lean on when we come in hot from sports practice or school events and everyone is suddenly starving at the same time. Warm, cheesy, one pan, and on the table in about ten minutes if you've done any prep at all on Sunday. It tastes way more impressive than the effort required, which is my favorite thing a dinner can do. Skillet enchiladas are a permanent resident in my back pocket and after you make them once they'll be in yours too.

This one runs on my Plan. Prep. Plate. method — paid subscribers get the full framework and a new recipe every Tuesday.

All you need for this recipe is:

• Chicken Breast (About 1.5-2 lbs)

• Spices: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin

• A jar of enchilada sauce

• 8 tortillas

• One 8 oz block of cheese

• Optional: add a can of green chiles for extra flavor and heat

The ten-minute dinner only works if Sunday did its job. Here’s what I prep ahead:

• Instant Pot Chicken method*

• Shred your block of cheese and store it (I don’t buy shredded cheese because of cellulose!)

• Cut your tortillas into strips

Instant Pot Chicken Method:

• Make sure the steam rack is inserted into bottom of the Instant Pot

• Add your chicken

• Add at least one cup of water or chicken broth to bottom of Instant Pot

• Season your chicken liberally (for this recipe I used: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cumin)

• Cook on high pressure for 7-9 minutes

• Shred your chicken with a hand mixer and store in the fridge

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat an oven safe skillet to a low heat. Add your jar of enchilada sauce and tortillas. Allow the tortillas to soften slightly.

3. Add your shredded chicken to the skillet and stir until mixed well.

4. Remove from heat and add your shredded cheese on top.

5. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

6. Serve and enjoy!

Skillet Enchiladas

4.17MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions expressed here are my own.

What is the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T? I wanted to create a fun weekly format to share food, reads, hobbies, items, shows and more that I’m currently loving or making my life easier. I see “Efficient Kitchen” embodying the whole home as well as the people in it. I also want to hear from YOU. What are you enjoying? Comment on the post anything you’re loving in a R.E.P.O.R.T category.

I have a special round up of Memorial Day Sales of my favorite items at the bottom!

I love a great “children’s book” that can enthrall adults. My 8 year old and I both read The Green Ember by S.D. Smith last week and loved it. I got nap trapped one day and saw the book pop up on Kindle Unlimited, so I decided to give it a try. It’s a nice middle grade fantasy that feels like a classic book.

What I love about classic books is that they are addressing morality and character and don’t water down the vocabulary for children. (They challenge them to rise to the occasion.) The Green Ember fits the bill with language was nice and meaty as well as the theme of courage, valor and bravery that the children face in the book. It gives a nod to Narnia books in that it demonstrates you will face hard challenges in life, and what will you do when you face them? The plot was exciting from the start with lots of chases, exploring new lands, and interesting backstories to characters. I would highly recommend this book for anyone to read and would make a fantastic read aloud for the family.

All thirteen of the books in the series can be found on Kindle Unlimited (or hopefully at your local library) and the recommended order to read them in is publishing order versus chronologically order. (Another nod to Narnia and a hill I’ll die on— ha!)

ICYMI, I posted one of my favorite weeknight dinners that our entire family loves. Pad Kee Mow or Drunken Noodles is one of my favorite dishes and the one I’m most tempted to get Door Dashed to me. I tried to make a weeknight friendly version and it took me three minutes to get it in the oven and let the oven do the heavy lifting on dinner.

I’m dropping one more easy dinner on Tuesday that’s for all subscribers. It’s the one to make when you’re coming in hot and need dinner FAST. I filmed the video for it when my baby was still a newborn and you can see how easy it was to make with even a baby strapped to me.

Not that you asked, but I finished my first literary ornament is finished. I had not charted a design before (only roughly sketched letters out) and Lowly Worm was such an easy one to start with. I’m now going back to finishing my monogram ornaments for our stockings because I really want them finished in time and I’ve only done one out of five.

Ballard Designs randomly sent me promo gift cards for some reason (they worked kind of funny and money doesn’t go far there), so I was SO excited to finally buy this ornament holder that I want to use year round to display needlepoint ornaments on. The first time I saw it, I knew it would be perfect I hope in the future to have ones for each holiday to display and rotate out.

All of these needlepoint projects are what I hope to do over five to ten years as I hope it continues to be a lifelong hobby. I used to paint for many years, but it’s quite difficult to have painting supplies out with small kids. I love how portable fiber arts are and how you can work on projects for 5-10 minutes here and there with your project fitting in your purse. I enjoyed this blog post on needlepointing and your nervous system because it really has done wonders to make me sit and slow down.

I always hope that this section encourages someone to do something they enjoy even if it’s only in small pockets of time. I love having to answer the question for myself “how am I ‘playing’ this week?” "or “Did I do anything to slow down and enjoy life?”

I bought one of the viral PopFlex active pirouette skorts last summer and have been loving it. The legs don’t rise up and the waist really holds everything in. It’s so feminine and looks good on everyone I’ve seen in it. It’s nice for being able to go for a walk or to the park with the kids and still go about your day. I’m a huge fan (and so glad it actually fits properly this summer—ha!)

I have very fair children, and we spend a lot of time outside in the summer. I always try to get some sun exposure in the morning, but we inevitably need sunscreen at some point to take care of our skin.

RMS Beauty’s Supernatural Radiance SPF is my favorite for my face (I wear the shade light aura). It makes my skin look so glowy and feels like a filter for my skin without wearing anything heavy. It gets so hot in the summer here that it’s my daily go to for making me feel a little more put together without feeling like my face is wearing jeans.

I also started wearing the refresh eye brightener daily and love it (I wear the color Cherish). My eyes look so much less tired. I think the underage is a tough spot for sunscreen, so I love that it has some in it. Just a bonus that it looks great for tired eyes.

For the kids, my go to is Primally Pure’s sunscreen. It works so well and I feel good about the ingredients in it. Another one that I have used for years is Babo. I like that it has a spray version, if you prefer that. Primally Pure also makes a great tallow SPF lip balm which is great for protecting your lips.

*Edit: after this sent this morning, I was alerted that both RMS SPF products are on sale 30% off 5/22-5/24

I know I talked about homemade ice cream last week as well, but so many items are on sale this week for under $20! I personally think homemade ice cream is one of the easiest layups for hosting and memories in the summer. It’s always a hit every time I serve it and it seems so fancy when it really takes less than five minutes to get it going. I usually can make two containers of ice cream on one frozen barrel and can have it ready to go in the freezer. No need for rock salt or cranking a handle.

I’m really loving the melamine ice cream set in the collage above. I avoid plastic except for hosting outside because kids drop plates and bowls and such. It’s such a cute set and on sale now for under $20. I also included our favorite sprinkles and chocolate sauce.

There are SO many Memorial Day Weekend Sales right now. Here are the best ones that I’ve found:

• Hill House: an extra 20% off items on sale with the code EXTRA20. I always buy my dresses during these sales because they can be 40% off or more.

• Equip Prime Protein Powder: 25% off all one time purchases and an 40% off subscriptions. Use my code JORDANEK

• Old Navy: 5/21-5/25 Memorial Day 50% Off All Tees & Tanks, Swim, Shorts, & Dresses

• Deer Run: Summer Fitness sale with up to $200 off (my favorite walking pad that’s been helping me lose the baby weight!)

• Lands End: 50% + 10% off site wide with code GRAPEFRUIT (great suits that last a long time)

• Southern Tide: My husband and son LOVE these shirts. They last a really long time, don’t wrinkle, and are perfect for hot weather. My husband’s favorite style is this one and my son loves this style (He literally asked for one for Christmas!)

• The Company Store: 40% off Epic Deal + 30% off everything else. Our bedding is from here and I absolutely love it. They have a lot of great organic cotton OEXO-TEK bedding for reasonable prices. Ours is no longer sold but I have slept with this body pillow for years.

Shop the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T with past favs here.

*This post contains affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.

Pad kee mow, also known as Thai drunken noodles, has always been one of my favorite takeout dishes. I’m pretty sure it’s what I ordered on my first date with my husband, so it definitely holds a special place in my life. The bold flavors, chewy noodles, savory sauce, and fresh herbs make it one of those meals that feels comforting and exciting at the same time. But traditional drunken noodles can take a lot of hands-on cooking, especially when you’re trying to juggle dinner during a busy weeknight.

That’s exactly why I wanted to create an easier, family-friendly version that gives you all the flavor of classic pad kee mow without standing over the stove cooking in batches. Instead, most of the work happens on a sheet pan in the oven while you quickly boil the noodles. It’s the kind of low-effort dinner that feels way more impressive than the amount of work it actually takes.

With a little prep ahead of time, this recipe comes together fast and makes an excellent weeknight dinner for busy families. The sauce is packed with sweet, savory, and umami flavor, and you can easily customize the spice level depending on your preference. Add extra chili for more heat or keep it mild for kids and sensitive eaters. It’s also great for meal prep since everything reheats well the next day.

If you love easy Thai-inspired recipes, sheet pan dinners, or quick noodle recipes with big flavor, this easy pad kee mow recipe is one you’ll want to keep on repeat.

Read more

What is the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T? I wanted to create a fun weekly format to share food, reads, hobbies, items, shows and more that I’m currently loving or making my life easier. I see “Efficient Kitchen” embodying the whole home as well as the people in it. I also want to hear from YOU. What are you enjoying? Comment on the post anything you’re loving in a R.E.P.O.R.T category.

I’ve been a bit all over the place with reading lately. Started reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck and was LOVING it until a certain character was introduced and it got too heavy for me right now. I paused Steinbeck and picked up Austen because that’s what I do when I need something I’ll enjoy.

I hadn’t ever read Northanger Abbey which is surprising I know. I usually rotate through her core four but really didn’t know much about this novel.

It was her last published but first written and I think that’s important to note. It’s very different from her other work— more satirical and light hearted. My opinion is that it just felt like she was making fun of Charlotte Bronte novels the whole time even though I know Charlotte wasn’t even born yet.

It’s not my favorite but I still enjoyed it. I know there is probably some deeper analysis of her writing but it was just a light easy read for me. One thing that Austen does is have the reader or the main character not see the same thing. In Mansfield Park, the reader was almost “wrong” at first and in Northanger Abbey you are kind of screaming at Catherine to wake up in parts.

In a short summary, the book is about a young Charlotte Morland who is gothic novel obsessed and her time in Bath meeting society and then her journey at a potentially “haunted” Northanger Abbey. It’s not that deep and it’s just a light easy quick read.

A tip for Austen novels: I think Rosamund Pike is my favorite narrator for her books. They are all included with an audible subscription. I just used whisper sync on the Amazon classics on Kindle Unlimited this time. The narration was fine but Rosamund is my favorite. Austen novels translate particularly well to audiobooks and film because so much of the books are dialogue.

In case you missed it, I launched volume two of my plan, prep, plate meal plans along with a new “10 minute” dinner recipe. I’m working on making meals as simple as possible and working on more easy weeknight dinner recipes.

I had a request for putting all my go to meals together for families, and so I’ve been working on that awhile. I had to pause a lot of recipe development last year because of being pregnant and food not tasting right. I basically survived off potatoes and protein smoothies.

I know that I’ve talked about my meal prepping method in my old kitchen blueprints, but sometimes you just need an example. My hope is to teach the method through a meal plan written out so that you are proficient at it and can plug and play whatever recipes you like into it.

It just takes a little bit of practice to get to where it is second nature in your week. If you haven’t read it, you can find my full meal planning 101 series here to learn the planning part.

When I think about “playing” in this season of life, I think about what is bringing me joy right now or what it fun. By now you know my hobbies— needlepointing and reading. Sometimes I do those activities just for myself and sometimes they are mixed with me being a mom. Right now I’m working on needlepoint ornaments for my kids. I know that sounds crazy working on Christmas stuff already but I made a list of projects that I wanted done for this Christmas.

Each year I try to get an ornament for both my kids that somewhat represents their interests at the time for our pencil slim main tree. Our home doesn’t have room for a super big tree, but I personally love the size of a pencil slim. Now that we have three children, I’m pivoting with my plan a bit. I am working on a literary themed small tree. I have a vision of a 4ft tree in our other room covered with ornaments that represent our children’s favorite books.

If you needlepoint, you know that canvases can get quite pricey, so I knew I would have to start charting my own. I took some shortcuts with my first two but so far I only have a few wonky spots. I bought charts from this Etsy shop because she had so many of my kids favorite picture books and they weren’t overly complicated to chart. If you’re a cross stitcher, then you should be able to use the patterns as well. Let me know below if you would be interested in some more information on needlepointing, and I will “point” you in the right direction.

I was inspired by Brighter Day Press painting ornaments of her kids books every year, which I’ll link her tutorial here if that is more your thing. (There’s also a non painting method)

Run and get your Old Navy Flag tee now! (Bless you if your weather is cool enough to wear a chic flag sweater in the summer!) The men’s have already sold out. I am kind of obsessed with how they have a heritage tee shop and brought back every 90’s and Y2K tee from the past. I thought it would be a cute idea to get kids tees for the years that they were born. They have a lot of cute items on sale right now, and I also linked my favorite white jeans that I’ve worn all spring.

The Breville Smart oven is one of the biggest workhorses in our kitchen. Ours is used every single day for reheating, toasting, and air frying. What I also love about it is that a whole chicken can fit in it to roast as well as a quarter baking sheet. I can bake a couple cookies from the freezer without heating up my entire house with the oven, and I’ve found that we eat way more produce because we can get it nice and crispy in the smart oven.

The smart oven would be a top five kitchen item to make your life better, especially since leftovers taste a lot better reheated it in.

Homemade ice cream season is upon us, and I was looking for some cute ways to serve it this summer. If you haven’t made ice cream before, it’s so so easy. We’ve had the same ice cream maker for almost 12 years that we received as a wedding gift. It goes to work in the summer.

I found these SUPER cute reasonable bowls at Anthropologie that I’m eyeing for serving this summer.

Anthropology is having up to 30% off outdoor living and there are so many great hosting items on sale right now.

Old Navy is having 50% off Deals featuring Tees, Tanks, Shorts, Swim and Dresses right now through May 16th.

*This post may contain affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.