Summer Reading Fun

If your family is anything like mine, keeping the kiddos interested in reading over the summer can be tricky. My littles have a lot of self-motivation when it comes to legos and art, and even looking through books, but not when it comes to actually reading them.

Libraries have great summer reading programs that we've enjoyed in the past, but I wanted to up the ante for my guys this year. I downloaded a simple reading chart and made a prize list with prizes that I think will keep them interested, excited, and driven throughout the whole summer. I hope. Fingers crossed.

Here's a simple summer reading chart I downloaded for free from Busy Momma Media. I like how colorful it is and how many slots there are for books. You also get to insert how many books you will require for what particular prize(s). My guys will need to read 5 books to pick a prize from a prize list I've formulated just for them. Again, I'm hoping for motivation to last the whole summer.

What's for Dinner? Sheet Pan Brats & Potatoes

As promised, here is one of our family's favorite sheet pan dinners - Sheet Pan Brats & Potatoes. It's the perfect excuse for enjoying a batch of our Homemade Sauerkraut. Even though grilling season is coming up, having a good sheet pan dinner recipe up your sleeve is a really good thing. You're gonna love this one.

We just gotta have Homemade Sauerkraut with our Sheet Pan Brats & Potatoes.

You can customize this recipe to suit the sausages and veg you prefer. We're partial to good ol' fashion bratwurst, golden potatoes, and white or yellow onions.

Homemade Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is one of our favorite condiments. We've been making our own for a few years now and love everything about the homemade process. The prepping and massaging. The waiting and watching. And, of course, enjoying the delicious final product.

Homemade Sauerkraut is one of our favorite condiments!

Homemade sauerkraut is a simple process. It takes a little bit of elbow grease at the beginning and then a month's worth of patience to get the best result for both health and flavor.

Chocolate Squash Banana Snack Cake

'Tis the season to indulge in summer squash. I'm a big fan of all squashes and summer squash lends itself so wonderfully to baked goods. Not to mention the bonus of the hidden veggie element in a sweet treat I give to my little ones. Sneaky mommy.

One of my favorite recipes is this Chocolate Squash Banana Snack Cake. Snack cake. Don't you just love those two words together? In my mind, that translates into "eat-any-time-without-feeling-guilty" cake. Ha!

Chocolate Squash Banana Snack Cake to make you feel better about eating cake in the middle of the day.

This yummy and easy cake utilizes any type of summer squash you have on hand.

Honey, Walnut, and Fig Granola Bars

I am TOTALLY in love with these Honey, Walnut, and Fig Granola Bars. Can't get enough of 'em. They're nutty and figgy and packed with good-for-ya ingredients. They're great with milk for the kiddos and great with coffee for da mamas and da papas. 😉 They are snack heaven in my book.

I have to admit, these Honey, Walnut, and Fig Granola Bars are a little addicting.

The trick to these yummy (and slightly addicting) snackies is toasting the nuts and oats. It makes for fabulous texture and amazing flavor. I also love that I can get my anti-nut eater to eat them. I process the walnuts so they blend in perfectly with the oats and he's none the wiser. Tricky mommy. 😉

Toasted Almond Bark

I have to admit, I am way behind on all things holiday. Until this week, putting up our Christmas tree was as far as I had gotten. Now that we're on break from our regular homeschooling routine, I'm huff'n to catch up. Enter, our favorite Christmas candy - Toasted Almond Bark.

This Christmas treat is a clear sign for our household that the holidays have arrived, and it's super easy to put together. Tons (and I mean tons) of toasted almonds get gently pressed into swirled dark and white chocolate. It still amazes me how something so simple and easy to make can be so gosh darn delicious!

Easy Sour Cream Crumble Pie

Easy pie is the best kinda pie. All of the amazing homemade flavor with very little of the homemade work? Now we're talk'n.

This apple version of my Easy Sour Cream Crumble Pie gets drizzled with salted caramel. Yum!

This Easy Sour Cream Crumble Pie can take on all kinds of glorious forms depending on your favorite fruit filling, spices, and drizzles.