Raines Realm

Lammas is a special holiday (aren't they all), that is shared by many belief systems and paths. It is generally celebrated on August 1st, although some start the celebration the day before. Lammas is centered on the beginning of the wheat harvest with loaves of bread from the first harvest being baked and blessed for the celebration. It is also the time when Summer metaphorically dies in preparation for Winter. You can read a very basic description of Lammas  here . This time is looked upon as a time of reflection and new beginnings. The first chills of the change in seasons can sometimes be felt. It is bittersweet. Focusing on the future while acknowledging the past is a wonderful way to celebrate this beautiful time of the year. Traditionally, several cultures will make corn dollys during this celebration in preparation for Spring. It represents the promise of future seed for the next harvest and is typically a shape made of wheat fibers that is filled with seeds from...

Sometimes it's the simple things that can make all of the difference. The holidays are busy enough that I'm sure all of us could benefit from these simple kitchen hacks. I personally utilize all of these tricks and they have really made my life easier. If you want to watch me go into a little more detail about these ideas, you can check out my video  here . 1. Baking Kits If you're going to be doing a lot of baking this season, making lots will save you a lot of time and headaches along the way. Pre-measure your dry ingredients for the recipes on your baking list and bags them separately in sandwich bags. Then combine them into a gallon storage bag and label it. This way, when you're ready to bake, all you have to do is grab your bag and then measure your wet ingredients. This is such a time saver! 2. Add baking soda when boiling eggs Add a tbsp of baking soda to the water when boiling eggs. This makes them so easy to peel which saves time and eliminates frus...

Sometimes, I can be pretty obsessed with my slow cooker. I love making big batches of delicious meals and then freezing half to enjoy later. It helps me save time and my family gets to enjoy a large variety of tasty dinners! I originally saw this recipe while I was watching How Jen Does It   on YouTube. She has some really amazing slow cooker recipes and this one really stuck out for me. I've changed a couple of things in her recipe based on my family's preferences and simplifying it to make it an even quicker dinner time option. A little tip when cooking in your slow cooker, spray it with nonstick spray first so that things don't stick. Nothings worse than saving the time cooking only to find yourself spending considerable time scrubbing over the sink after. I suggest serving this chicken over rice and topping it with sour cream and perhaps a little shredded cheese. You can use brown or white rice, whichever you prefer. Santa Fe Chicken Recipe ( Step-by-step vi...