Elle's Easy Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing is one of those things you usually just grab the bottle and don't think twice. When I am doing something where ranch is going to be more noticable, like a vegetable dip, I make my own. Other than the buttermilk, I have the ingredients on hand. This is so fresh and everyone always comments something like "ewww, what brand of ranch dressing is this?" as it tastes so good. It is literally two ingredients - mayo and buttermilk - and a few seasonings. So easy! While I have the buttermilk on hand, I end up making other dishes that focus on ranch as well - delicious!

Ingredients

1 c mayo1 c mayo
1 c buttermilk1 c buttermilk
1/2 Tbsp Dill½ Tbsp Dill
1/2 tsp salt½ tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper½ tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic½ tsp Garlic
1/2 tsp Onion½ tsp Onion
1/2 tsp parsley½ tsp parsley
1/4 tsp Paprika¼ tsp Paprika

Steps

Combine all ingredients. Mix well (I use my immersion blender) and put in fridge for a few hours before serving to allow flavors to meld and for it to thicken.

Easy Eggs au Gratin — A Decadent Twist on Hard-Boiled Eggs

When you hear Eggs au Gratin, it sounds so fancy, right? But the truth is, this dish is incredibly simple to put together — and absolutely worth it. I almost always have hard-boiled eggs in my fridge because they are so versatile. Whether I'm eating them plain, tossing them into an egg salad, or layering them on chaffles (or toast), hard-boiled eggs are a staple around here.

But every now and then, I crave something different — something that feels a little more special. That's where Eggs au Gratin comes in. It takes those everyday eggs and turns them into a bubbly, hot, decadent meal that feels like it came straight from a cozy café kitchen. Some people add milk, cream, whipping cream or canned milk but I like the simplicity of my recipe and, I always have these ingredients on hand.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Quick & Easy: Minimal prep time — you’re just layering and baking.

• Simple Ingredients: Nothing fancy — just things you likely already have.

• Comforting & Delicious: Rich, cheesy, and satisfying.

• Perfect Anytime: Breakfast, brunch, or even a light dinner.

Ingredients:

• hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced in 1/4" slices

• shredded cheese (Gruyère, Swiss, Parmesan or even sharp cheddar work beautifully)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Butter

• A sprinkle of fresh herbs (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 375°F (190°C).

2. Arrange the sliced hard-boiled eggs in a small baking dish.

3. Put a small dab of butter on each slice of egg

4. Sprinkle the shredded cheese generously over the top.

5. Season with salt, pepper, and a little paprika if you like.

6. Bake for about 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

7. Broil for an extra 1–2 minutes if you want a golden, crispy top.

Serve Hot and Enjoy!

I love digging into this straight from the oven — the cheese creates this luscious sauce around the eggs, and every bite feels so indulgent. Pair it with a crisp green salad, a slice of toast, or just enjoy it on its own.

For such a fancy-sounding dish, Eggs au Gratin is surprisingly down-to-earth — exactly the kind of simple luxury I’m all about. I hope you give it a try the next time you're wondering what to do with those hard-boiled eggs sitting in your fridge!

Sunday Chat: Spread The Word!

In the same way, 

let your light shine before others, 

so that they may see your good works 

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 

Matthew 5:16 

A new command I give you: 

Love one another. As I have loved you, 

so you must love one another. 

By this everyone will know that 

you are my disciples, 

if you love one another. 

John 13:34-35 

And the seed that fell on good soil 

represents those who hear and accept 

God’s word and produce a harvest 

of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times 

as much as had been planted!

Mark 4:20

Preach the word; 

be ready in season and out of season; 

reprove, rebuke, and exhort, 

with complete patience and teaching. 

2 Timothy 4:2 

And also for me, 

that words may be given to me 

in opening my mouth boldly 

to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 

for which I am an ambassador in chains, 

that I may declare it boldly, 

as I ought to speak. 

Ephesians 6:19-20 

Why We Treat for Parasites Monthly (and You Might Want to as Well)

I’ve been procrastinating on writing this post for a while. For some reason, the mere thought of having parasites is considered horrifying. But the reality is—most of us probably have them.

If you eat raw vegetables, have pets (or spend time around people who do), enjoy sushi, walk barefoot, or have been bitten by an insect, chances are, you’ve been exposed to parasites. Meanwhile, my friends overseas are shocked that most people in North America don’t routinely treat for them.

I’ve tried every natural remedy you can think of—oregano, black walnut, wormwood, cloves, and the list goes on. Not only do most of these taste awful, but none of them worked for me.

Our Family’s Parasite Protocol

In our household—myself, my husband, and our dog—we do a parasite cleanse on the 1st of every month, no testing needed. It’s no different than giving pets monthly Heartgard. In fact, if you check the ingredients on a box of Heartgard, you’ll find they’re the same as what we use—just significantly cheaper. With our method, both ingredients last for years and still cost less than six months of Heartgard.

Here’s what we use:

1. Pyrantel Pamoate

This has a mild vanilla-banana flavor that we all tolerate well.

• Amazon 16 oz: Link

• Amazon 32 oz (better value): Link

2. Ivermectin

• Amazon 8 oz: Link

Yes, the label says it’s for sheep—but ivermectin is ivermectin. The key is adjusting the dosage correctly (details below). Even with all three of us taking it monthly, one bottle lasts us years. Out of caution, we replace it when it expires to ensure potency, but it's still incredibly cost-effective.

⚠️ Warning: This stuff tastes nasty! We usually mix it with pyrantel pamoate to mask the flavor. You can also mix it into yogurt, kefir for yourself or your dog, or juice (but not for your dog).

---

Dosage & Frequency

• First-time treatment: Take doses on the 1st, 15th, and again on the 1st and 15th of the next month.

• Ongoing maintenance: After the initial cleanse, take it on the 1st of every month.

• If re-exposed: If we know we’ve been exposed to parasites, we switch back to bi-monthly dosing for two months before resuming our regular schedule.

The reason for the initial bi-monthly doses is that these treatments don’t kill parasite eggs—only the hatched parasites. To break the cycle, you need to eliminate the newly hatched ones before they can lay more eggs.

(Sourced from DogAware)

Final Thoughts

Parasites are more common than we think, and treating them regularly has become a simple, routine part of our health regimen. If you've never considered it before, it might be worth looking into!

Elle's Simple Taco Seasoning

Throw out your packaged taco seasoning. Seriously! This is so easy and has so much flavor. Taco Bell has nothing on this! Simply mix and add to your cooked ground beef. You will thank me:

Ingredients

1 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano1 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano
2 tsp EACH cumin powder, paprika2 tsp EACH cumin powder, paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust spiciness to taste, can skip)¼ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust spiciness to taste, can skip)
1 tsp salt1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Elle's Guacamole

I feel like you can do guacamole with as little as avocados and salt or you can step it up a notch with adding a few more ingredients. I don't always have all the ingredients below on hand, but the more the better. For us, there is nothing as wonderful as chips and guac!

IngredientsIngredients
• 2 tablespoons sour cream• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 large avocados mashed• 2 large avocados mashed
• 1 teaspoon finely minced red onion• 1 teaspoon finely minced red onion
• 1 clove small garlic finely minced• 1 clove small garlic finely minced
• 2 tablespoons diced tomato (or pico)• 2 tablespoons diced tomato
• salt and black pepper• salt and black pepper
• freeze dried corn• freeze dried corn
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder• ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese• 2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese
• Garnish: additional crumbled cotija cheese, chili powder and/or chopped cilantro• Garnish: additional crumbled cotija cheese, chili powder and/or chopped cilantro
• Tortilla chips (we like Mission Chips) for serving• Tortilla chips for serving

Steps

1. In a medium bowl, combine corn, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, cotija cheese, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.1. In a medium bowl, combine corn, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, cotija cheese, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
2. In a separate large bowl, combine mashed avocado, red onion, garlic, tomato, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Once that's combined, stir in a little more than half of the corn mixture. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl. Spoon the remaining corn mixture on top of the guacamole and sprinkle with additional cotija cheese, chili powder, and/or chopped cilantro. Serve immediately or refrigerate tightly covered for an hour or two (any longer and it might begin to turn brown).

Bang Bang Shrimp

 There are lots of recipes out there for Bang Bang Shrimp. I have modified this one to our tastes. It is an easy and forgiving recipe so feel free to make whatever modifications you want.

I serve this with my sister's amazing garlic bread.

 Ingredients

SAUCE - Make ahead and put in fridge to allow the flavors to meldSAUCE - Make ahead and put in fridge to allow the flavors to meld
½ cup Mayonnaise½ cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Sweet Chili Sauce¼ cup Sweet Chili Sauce
1 to 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce (Add 1 to 2 Tbsp more if you want spicy YOWZA!)2 tbsp Sriracha sauce (Add 1 to 2 Tbsp more if you want spicy YOWZA!)
½ tsp Paprika½ tsp Paprika
 
Cooked Deveined Frozen Shrimp with tail removed- defrosted and chopped into bite size pieces (it makes the sauce coat every mouthful!)Cooked Deveinedf Shrimp with tail removed- defrosted and chopped into bite size pieces (it makes the sauce coat every mouthful!)
ButterButter
Garlic, crushedGarlic, crushed
Lime, optionalLime, optional
Cilantro, optionalCilantro, optional

Steps

Mix all ingredients for the sauce in bowl until well blended. The sauce should have a smooth, creamy and flowy texture.Mix all ingredients for the sauce in bowl until well blended. The sauce should have a smooth, creamy and flowy texture.
Sriracha Sauce: If you do not prefer spicy food than reduce the amount of sriracha sauce. I would recommend that you add the sriracha sauce in bits and taste the sauce as you mix well. Add more if you prefer.Sriracha Sauce: If you do not prefer spicy food than reduce the amount of sriracha sauce. I would recommend that you add the sriracha sauce in bits and taste the sauce as you mix well. Add more if you prefer.
Allow the sauce to rest for a while in the fridge before serving this helps the flavors to blend well.Allow the sauce to rest for a while in the fridge before serving this helps the flavors to blend well.
Fry up the shrimp in butter. If they are watery, drain before adding the sauce.Fry up the shrimp in butter. If they are watery, drain before adding the sauce.
Add the sauce and garlic and heatAdd the sauce and garlic and heat
Serve over cooked pasta or I like it over cooked cabbage

My Sister Patty's Amazing Garlic Bread

My sister was down visiting recently and I asked her to prep the garlic bread for one of our meals. When we sat down for dinner, all of us (including picky Mark!) were oohing and aahing over the bread. AMAZING! 

Ingredients

French loafFrench loaf
1 stick butter, softened1 stick butter, softened
1/2 to 3/4 tsp garlic powder½ to ¾ tsp garlic powder
1/2 to 3/4 tsp onion powder½ to ¾ tsp onion powder
3 good shakes of worcestershire sauce3 good shakes of worcestershire sauce
1/2 C parmesan cheese (the good shredded kind - not the green can!)½ C parmesan cheese (the good shredded kind - not the green can!)

Steps

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix wellPlace all ingredients in a bowl and mix well
Spread on french loaf and heat in oven

Carnivore Bacon Gruyere Quiche / Frittata

 I love easy recipes and if they are make ahead, then it is a double win! This checks all the boxes and is delicious. Enjoy! 

Ingredients

8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
 
8 eggs8 eggs
 
1 1/2 cups of Gruyere cheese, shredded1 ½ cups of Gruyere cheese, shredded
 
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream½ cup of heavy whipping cream
 
saltsalt
 
pepper

Steps

Grease a 8x8 baking panGrease a 8x8 baking pan
Combine eggs and heavy whipping cream, then add salt and pepper. Beat the mixture together and set it asideCombine eggs and heavy whipping cream, then add salt and pepper. Beat the mixture together and set it aside
Mix bacon with shredded cheese, reserving some cheese and bacon for toppingMix bacon with shredded cheese, reserving some cheese and bacon for topping
Spread the bacon and cheese mixture evenly in the prepared baking panSpread the bacon and cheese mixture evenly in the prepared baking pan
Pour the egg mixture over the bacon and cheese, ensuring everything is covered without mixingPour the egg mixture over the bacon and cheese, ensuring everything is covered without mixing
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutesBake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes
After baking, sprinkle the reserved bacon and cheese on top and return to the oven for a minute or two to melt the cheeseAfter baking, sprinkle the reserved bacon and cheese on top and return to the oven for a minute or two to melt the cheese
Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before servingRemove from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving
This is best pre-made. To enjoy the leftovers, microwave or put in air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes until bubbly hot

Sunday Chat: Leading With Love

 

But I say, love your enemies Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:44-48

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. Philippians 4:8

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. Mark 12:30

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Abide (remain) in my love. John 15:9

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? Matthew 7:3

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Roman's 12:18

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

‘We all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 1 Corinthians 8:1 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. Matthew 7:12

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:19 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:23

And even when you ask,

you don’t get it because your motives 

are all wrong you want only what 

will give you pleasure.

Egg Muffins - Three Versions - Make Ahead

There are three versions below...one is just with mayonnaise and the other adds flour and egg to the mayonnaise for a thicker coating. They are both DELICIOUS! (Note, if preparing both versions, I put a toothpick in the non flour version so I know which ones are mine!) When reheating, I put them frozen on a paper towel (to absorb any moisture) on a plate in the microwave for about 1 minute.

Ingredients

OPTION #1 CookedOPTION #1 Cooked
Ground Beef (about 1 C)Ground Beef (about 1 C)
Taco SeasoningTaco Seasoning
 
OPTION #2OPTION #2
Chicken Sausage precooked, choppedChicken Sausage, chopped
 
OPTION #3, CookedOPTION #3, Cooked
Mild Italian Sausage (about 1 link)Mild Italian Sausage (about 1 link)
 
red or white onion, optionalred or white onion, optional
5 or 6 Eggs5 or 6 Eggs
1 C cheese, grated1 C cheese, grated
S&PS&P

Steps

Combine meat from Option #1,2 or 3 with rest of ingredientsCombine meat from Option #1,2 or 3 with rest of ingredients
Measure 1/4 C mixture into greased silicone linersMeasure ¼ C mixture into greased silicone liners
Cook at 330F for 12 to 13 minutesCook at 330F for 12 to 13 minutes
Cool and freeze to heat later or serve right away with sour cream & salsa

Air Fryer Baked Chicken Fingers - Two Ways

There are two versions below...one is just with mayonnaise and the other adds flour and egg to the mayonnaise for a thicker coating. They are both DELICIOUS! (Note, if preparing both versions, I put a toothpick in the non flour version so I know which ones are mine!)

Ingredients

1 lb chicken tenderloins , cut in half lengthways into strips (or breasts but, they aren't near a tender)1 lb chicken tenderloins , cut in half lengthways into strips (or breasts but, they aren't near a tender)
2 1/4 cups pork rind crumbs (better than panko as they have even texture)2 ¼ cups pork rind crumbs (better than panko as they have even texture)
Olive oil sprayOlive oil spray
 

VERSION ONE - Mix wellVERSION ONE

Mayonnaise for coating with S&P for flavor (optional, add garlic and onion powder)
1 egg
Mayonnaise for coating with S&P for flavor (optional, add garlic and onion powder)
 

VERSION TWO 

Dipping mayo sauceDipping mayo sauce
2 large eggs2 large eggs
3 tbsp flour , plain / all-purpose3 tbsp flour , plain / all-purpose
2 tbsp mayonnaise or 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp mayonnaise or 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of saltPinch of salt

Steps

Coat chicken tenders in mayo or dipping mayo sauce and then coat in pork rind crumbsCoat chicken tenders in mayo or dipping mayo and then pork rind crumbs
Spray generously with olive oil spray, bake 15 to 20 minutes on baking sheet with a rack in the oven or in an air fryer at 400FSpray generously, bake 15 to 20 minutes on rack or in an air fryer at 400F
I like mine with a honey mustard sauce and Mark likes his with Stubb's spicy bbq sauce.