Incoming food hack alert… If you’re looking for a dinner shortcut, this is it! Perfectly wilted spinach in seconds! No over-shriveling…you know what I’m saying, when your entire bag of spinach ends up being 2 tablespoons! Honestly, one of my favorite easy food hacks and it’s fun, too! NO EXTRA PANS 🙌
Begin by grabbing your strainer and raw spinach. It’s time for the magic to happen! All you need to do is pour your pasta water right on top of the spinach. This is KEY to getting perfectly cooked spinach. Make sure sure to include the pasta too!
Just look at that wilt! This dish is great hot or cold and couldn’t be easier. Let me know what toppings you add🤗
How to Make My Copycat See’s Candy Chocolate Fudge
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and if you’ve bought chocolates lately, you know they are more expensive than ever! I almost passed out when See’s charged me $30 for a 12 piece box of fudge this week! Can you believe it?!? With my copycat See’s Candy fudge, you can make your own for less than 4 bucks! It’s so EASY! Even if you’ve never made fudge, you’ll look like an expert.
See’s Copycat Fudge
INGREDIENTS: 1 stick of butter 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups sugar 3/4 cup evaporated milk (pour just shy of the mark) 10 large marshmallows 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
This recipe is so much easier than you would think! Start by placing your butter, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract into a bowl then set aside. Make sure to hang on to your butter wrapper for a hack later on in the recipe!
Now to the stove! Start with exactly 10 marshmallows then add the sugar and some evaporated milk into a pan on the stove. Melt the mixture, stirring often over medium heat. This will take about 10 minutes in total. Once it reaches a soft boil (at about 4 mins), reduce the heat to low and set a timer for 6 minutes. Let it boil, and DO NOT STIR during this step!
NOTE: If you have a candy thermometer, your looking for a soft boil at around 235F or so. I do not use one for this recipe.
To prepare your pan, grab that leftover butter wrapper and use to grease your pan. This is my mother’s go-to hack in the kitchen!
Once the mixture is done boiling, immediately pour the mixture over the butter, chocolate, and vanilla and blend with a hand mixer until combined and creamy. This step is so satisfying! Next, add walnuts if desired. Skip them if they aren’t your thing.
Finally, add your fudge mixture into greased 8×8 pan and refrigerate until set. How easy is that?!
Would you make this with or without the walnuts? Comment and lmk! 🤗 Special shoutout to Stephanie @copykatrecipes for the copycat inspo on this one!
Is your microwave hiding a secret? I have been using my microwave for years, but recently discovered a helpful microwave hack that makes time in the kitchen so much easier!
Have you ever noticed this bar on the top or bottom of your microwave? This actually is a key that has cooking times and tips specific to your microwave. So handy and it’s been hiding from us! I’ve seen it for years, but never put my readers on to take closer look…until recently! This is a game changer for me! I’m now reheating my coffee and hot water to perfection, I kid you not! Turns out, I can even cook frozen French fries in mine if I wanted! Yes! Crazy, right?!
I can’t wait to hear from you, what can you cook in yours? LMK in the comments and stay tuned for more game-changing hacks🤗
Cleaning toilets is one of my least favorite chores and when you think about all the toxins we’ve been inhaling all these years while doing it … YIKES!😳 My DIY non-toxic toilet bowl cleaner will make your commode sparkle without all the chemicals.
Easy Squeezy Toilet Bowl Cleaner
INGREDIENTS: 2 cups water, I use filtered 1 cup Baking Soda 1/3 cup Borax (can also use more Baking Soda here) 1/3 cup Castile Soap, like Dr. Bronner 25 drops Essential Oil of choice, I use lemon Squeeze bottle
Making this is so easy and it smells great. Start by mixing together your water, baking soda, borax, and some castile soap. I suggest using a container with a spout to make it easier to pour into the squirt bottle at the end!
This next step is what makes this cleaner smell so great! Add any essential oil you prefer into your mixture – I prefer lemon for that crisp, clean scent. Mix it up, pour the mixture into a squirt bottle, and you’ve got an incredible toilet bowl cleaner. Depending on how dirty your toilet bowl is, you can either flush right away or let it sit.
Where does toilet cleaning land on your list? I rather fold laundry all day than tackle the toilets! Follow along for more hacks that make cleaning less scary.
Raise your hand if you love Doritos 🙋♀️ Honestly, they’re one of my guilt pleasures, specifically the Cool Ranch flavor, which has been my favorite since they came on the scene in 1986 when I was a sophomore in high school. These are still a staple in my house as I’ve passed on the Cool Ranch gene to my children, specially to Kid 3, my boy Jack. This is by far his favorite meal and combines two things he loves: chicken nuggets and Doritos 🤗 My Doritos chicken recipe is super easy, budget-friendly, and of course, delicious! The best part? Only 3 ingredients!
LORAfied Doritos Chicken
INGREDIENTS: 1 pkg chicken tenders 1 bag Doritos (11 oz size, any flavor) 3/4 cup mayo 3-5 drop hot sauce (optional)
NOTE: Any chip works here, any flavor, choose you’re favorite!
First, grab your mayo! This is the secret ingredient to moist chicken. After placing your mayo into a dish, add a couple of drops of hot sauce in there for a little extra spice, if desired. This is optional, of course! Next, add your chicken to the dish and coat in the mayo.
Now for the best part! All you need is one bag of doritos, or any chip of your choice. Crush the entire thing up using any method you’d like. Toss the chicken in the doritos crumbs, making sure to cover every inch.
After preheating your oven to 375F, spray your chicken with oil and place on a lined cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 mins until done.
What chip would you use? LMK and make sure to stick around for more delicious and easy recipes🤗
Do you have Triskaidekaphobia (the fear of Friday the 13th)? Nearly 21 million people do! Some folks will skip work, traveling and even leaving their homes today costing the economy around 900 million dollars in lost revenue! Who knew?!
Here are five EASY ways to INCREASE the good luck in your home everyday! 🤗
Step 1– Add bamboo to your home! Bamboo plants are believed to spread positive energy.
Step 2– Display crystals for a little extra good luck. They also make great home decor and look stunning!
Step 3– For protection and strength, grab an elephant in any form… even one of your kid’s stuffed ones! They are animals believed to bring wisdom.
Step 4– Sleep better and clear out any negativity by burning Palo Santo, Sage, or Incense. The best part? It smells great!
Step 5– Lastly, grab those oranges! They are great for bringing prosperity. Make sure to display nine as that is the lucky number in Feng shui.
This is your year to get lucky! Make sure to follow along for more ways to increase good luck in your home.
The Best Fancy and Frugal One Pot Pork Loin Recipe
Introducing my slow cooker pork loin recipe with apples and onions! I know this one sounds wacky, but it’s truly delicious! And SO EASY! It is my take on the popular combo, pork chops and apple sauce. My girlfriend Susan told me about this delicious combo and boy was she right! If you aren’t a pork fancy, poultry also works great.
One Pot Wonder: Pork Loin Recipe
INGREDIENTS: 1 pork loin, pork tenderloin, turkey loin or chicken breasts 2 green apples, sliced 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 stick butter, cut into slices 1/4 c honey 1/4 c balsamic vinegar 2 tsp. Magic Seasoning (recipe on LORAfied.com) Sprinkling of cinnamon Sprinkling of dried thyme
Making this dish is truly SO easy and delicious. In your slow cooker, layer the ingredients in this order: onions, apples, butter, meat, cinnamon, thyme, honey and balsamic vinegar. Cook on low 6 hours and out comes magic! The pork lion is perfectly cooked, and the apples and onions are to die for.
This recipe has become a family favorite! Have you tried cooked apples & onions? This combo is good on so many things and even alone as a side🤗
The recipe you all have been waiting for! Kid 2’s Tater Tot Casserole is a family favorite in my house and is soon to be a favorite in your’s too! This casserole is super easy to whip up and makes for great leftovers. Plus, who doesn’t love tater tots?! Let me know if you try out this side dish!
Kid 2’s Tater Tot Casserole
INGREDIENTS: 1.75 lb bag of frozen tater tots 4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (divided into 2 cups) 1 can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup 2 cups sour cream 2 sticks (1 c.) butter, divided, each melted separately 1 cup chopped onion (approx. 1/2 a large onion) 2 tsp. Magic Seasoning (Recipe on LORAfied.com) 2 cups crushed corn flakes
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350F In a large bowl, combine the tots, 2 cups of cheese, soup, sour cream, 1 stick melted butter, chopped onion, and magic seasoning. Place in a buttered 13 x 9 inch pan. Top with remaining 2 cups of cheese. Combine corn flakes and butter, stir to coat. Layer corn flake mixture on top. Bake for about 45 minutes.
This is a super requested recipe that I am so excited to be sharing with you all today! Not only is this cheese grits soufflé one of Scooter’s favorite side dishes, but it is a favorite all-around. This side is delicious, easy to whip together, and a hit at any dinner.
Cheese Grits Soufflé Recipe
INGREDIENTS: 4 cups water 1 cup grits or polenta 1 tsp. Seasoned Salt 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 stick butter (1/4 c.) 5-6 Dashes Worcestershire sauce 3 eggs, well beaten
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350F In large saucepan, bring water to boiling. Slowly add grits and seasoned salt, stirring constantly. Cook & stir until it boils. Reduce heat and continue stirring until all water is absorbed and mixture is thick. If you’re using quick grits, this will happen in about 5 minutes. Other grits will take much longer. Add butter and cheese, stirring until melted. Add Worcestershire sauce and stir again. Slowly fold in beaten eggs. Pour into greased, round 1 1/2 quart dish. Bake, uncovered for 1 hour or till nearly set. Let stand at least 10 minutes.
This is one of my most requested recipes and the perfect way to celebrate National Chicken Soup For The Soul Day! Please let me know if you make this, I’d love to hear from you!
LORAfied Chicken Soup
Ingredients: 1 Whole Chicken 1 Onion 3-4 Celery Stalks Handful baby carrots Salt to taste 1 T. Peppercorns, in tea bag Half bunch flat leaf parsley 10-20 garlic cloves 1/4 c. ACV
Directions: Add everything to a large pot or your Instant Pot. Fill with water, leaving room at the top for boiling. If using your Instant Pot, hit the “soup” button. If cooking on the stove, bring to a boil, turn down to simmer and cook 1.5 to 3 hours. Keep partially covered while cooking. Separate veggies and chicken into serving bowls. Strain broth and return to pot. Set up soup station with rice, cauliflower rice, lemon wedges and avocado.
Note: I only keep the chicken and carrots, I compost the other veggies. If you like them, they are absolutely edible.
Raise your hand if you’re trying to eat healthier this year 🙋♀️ If you’re a decadent brownie fan, but want to stay on track, my guilt-free low carb and keto brownies are for you! While nothing can replace the full sugar treats we remember as kids, these get you as close as possible without all the guilt AND a tiny fraction of the carbs 🙌
Low Carb & Keto Brownies INGREDIENTS: 1 cup fine almond flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup butter 3 tbsp avocado oil 2 eggs 2/3 cup sugar alternative (I use @kingarthurbaking) 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 tsp instant coffee
These babies are super easy to whip together- the sugar and flour is how we get there. Start by mixing your ingredients together. The cocoa powder, butter, and eggs are of course essential but the secret to these guys is the instant espresso to enhance that chocolate flavor.
Next, drop the batter into your prepared pan and try out this hack. A little bit of of oil on the back of the spoon will prevent your batter from sticking. Once preheated to 350F, we’re ready for the oven!
NOTE: They aren’t going to look fine when you pull them out but pull the pan out anyways right at 20 minutes.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (optional) INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup cocoa powder optional 2 oz melted chocolate…not needed but will make thicker 1 cup cream cheese 1/4 cup butter 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar alternative (I use @lakanto) 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 4-8 Tbsp half & half (depending on your desired thickness)
While the brownies are cooling, it’s time to make the cream cheese chocolate frosting. It’s as good as it sounds! Add everything to a medium mixing bowl and whip until creamy. It is less than 1 carb per serving!
NOTE: This makes A LOT of frosting, which we easily absorb in this house 😂 But if you’d rather just cover the brownies, I’d suggest cutting the frosting recipe in half 🤗
Travel Hack to Stay Healthy and Feel Great During and After Any Flight
Do you worry about catching a cold or worse on a plane? Here’s a travel hack I’ve been doing for years! I fly a lot and do this every time I step on a flight. I’m not a doctor, but I’m a wife & mom who’s traveled the world testing this on flights from 1 hour to 16 with amazing results! And yes, some folks stare, it’s a small price to pay to avoid getting sick! ✈️😷
