Families With Grace

Helping Christian moms create homes filled with grace, love & faith

Month: January 2023

“Grilled” hot dogs from the oven

Posted on by Stacey A. Shannon

Baked hot dogs have a fresh-from-the-grill flavor any time of year!

Affiliate links are used in this post, if you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. It helps support my blog, so thank you for your support! Read my full disclosure here.

The first year my husband and I were married, he told me he liked hot dogs. Since he’s a relatively picky eater and I was a relatively awful cook, I made hot dogs. A lot. As a result, the guy won’t eat boiled or microwaved hot dogs any more.

Nothing beats a good grilled hot dog, unless it's freezing outside! This baked hot dog recipe is super simple and just as tasty as grilled!

As a Midwestern resident, I decided to look for a winter-friendly way to get a grilled hot dog taste that didn’t involve anyone standing out in the cold at the grill. I decided to try baked hot dogs and was pleasantly surprised. Even my husband agreed that baked hot dogs were nearly as good as grilled.

Picking the hot dogs

When it comes to hot dogs, my husband prefers what I call “old school” dogs. We skip the specialty or all-beef hot dogs. Bun length dogs don’t even have a place in our home. And forget the extra thick guys. So, we get regular length, skinny dogs. That’s all I’ve tried baking in the oven. If you are baking thicker or longer hot dogs, you may have to have a longer baking time. Just beware of that.

Let’s get baking!

This is an incredibly simple and straightforward recipe. Start by preheating the oven to 400-degrees (F). Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. I spritz mine very lightly with non-stick cooking spray, but I’m not sure that’s necessary.

For my family of four, I use my 8×8-inch glass baking dish. It easily fits eight hot dogs.

9x9 glass baking dish lined with aluminum foil that's been spritzed with non-stick cooking spray

Next, just put the hot dogs into the pan in one layer. (How simple is that?!)

Uncooked hot dogs in a foil-lined pan ready to go into the oven

Pop the hot dogs into your preheated oven. They baked for 15 minutes total. (Maybe more if they are thicker.) I usually set my time for 7 minutes and shake the baked hot dogs around halfway through. If you really want crispy or blackened hot dogs, you can broil them for the final couple minutes of baking time to the correct doneness. We like ours to be cooked with a bit of crisp on the outside but not color.

Baked hot dogs fresh from the oven that are a nice golden brown

And that’s it. I told you this was a simple recipe! Serve the hot dogs in buns with your favorite toppings. The baked hot dogs pair well with this super easy fire-roasted corn and red peppers. If you’re looking for a crunchy side, try this skillet queso with tortilla chips. And whip up some mint chocolate chip mousse for a simple and refreshing dessert!

Baked hot dogs

Nothing beats a good grilled hot dog, unless it's freezing outside! This baked hot dog recipe is super simple and just as tasty as grilled!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 18 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package hot dogs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400-degree (F).
  • Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. (The size of the dish depends on how many hot dogs you're making. You need enough space for them to be in a single layer.) Spritz lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Arrange the hot dogs in a single layer on top of the foil.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through and golden. To add extra crispness or darkness, broil on low for the final 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time.
  • Serve with your favorite hot dog toppings!
Keyword baked hot dog, easy dinner, family dinner, grilled hot dog, Hot dog, Hot dogs, kid friendly, weeknight dinner

6 Skills you need to become a mompreneur

Posted on by Stacey A. Shannon

What mompreneurs should know

Thanks to Sarah Bull from EconomyMom.com for sharing this guest post about becoming a mompreneur with Families with Grace! Sarah is a single mom of two, an entrepreneur and a penny pincher. She created her blog to share what she’s learned about growing a home-based business and making money online all while raising two awesome kids. Through her site, she hopes to inspire readers, especially fellow moms, to take their earning destinies into their own hands using her career and money-making advice. Be prepared to be inspired!

As a stay-at-home mom, you might not work a nine-to-five, but you certainly spend the day working. Household chores and childcare are enough to fill your time, but perhaps you have an entrepreneurial itch and you want to start your own business. If you aspire to join the ranks of successful mompreneurs, these six essential skills can help you succeed.

1. Business initiative

The most important skill of all is a sense of initiative. Even if you have a stellar business idea and a fully fleshed-out plan, you’re the only person who can make that plan a reality. Mompreneurs need to have the confidence and determination to start your business — and keep it going when challenges inevitably arise.

6 Skills you need to be a mompreneur Pinterest image 1

2. Ability to plan ahead

Planning ahead is another vital skill that entrepreneurs — and parents — must have, and you can plan ahead for your business by starting a limited liability company. An LLC can minimize the amount of taxes that you owe and protect your personal assets, and it may also reduce the volume of paperwork you have to complete.

Another great way to plan for your business’s future is by going back to school for a degree in Information Technology. And if you’re open to online learning platforms, you should consider this option which allows you to learn at your own pace as well as gain skills like networking and data management that are vital to modern businesses.

3. Knowledge of digital records

Successful mompreneurs need to know how to run a business efficiently — and maintaining digital records is a huge part of that. Digitizing paper files will save space, and it also allows you to save documents on your tablet or phone in a PDF format.

Keep important documents readily available when you’re on the go. PDFs are great because they can be accessed on a mobile device even if you can’t connect to WiFi. They’re also great for sharing documents without worrying about editing permissions.

4. Social media marketing savvy

Social media is a vital tool for connecting with your target customers and marketing to them directly. In order to take advantage of this potential, you need to learn how social media algorithms work. You also need an eye for aesthetics if you plan on creating marketing graphics to use on social media.

According to statistics, members of Facebook spend an average of 19.6 hours on the site each month. Using a Facebook ad maker can simplify the process of marketing to these users. It’s easy to edit a template with your own photos, fonts and other details. Download it immediately once your design is done.

5. Marketing smarts

Social media isn’t the only marketing tool you need to master. You should also familiarize yourself with local print advertising opportunities and other marketing channels that may be effective.

6. Balance between work and kids

Achieving work-life balance is a skill some people spend their whole life chasing. If you plan to be a stay-at-home mom and a small business owner, though, you need to master it sooner rather than later. You can start by clearly designating your time and splitting it between your business and your kids.

Moms make great business owners

Moms are some of the hardest-working people on the planet. If you’re ready to start making a profit from your work, starting a business could be the right path. Your business will benefit from forming an LLC, going back to school and devising a solid social media marketing scheme. Being a mompreneur can be your path to the successful work-life balance you want.

Families With Grace invites you to join in the journey to create a home filled with grace, love and faith. Questions? We’d love to hear from you!

Advice for moms to be

Posted on by Stacey A. Shannon

Some words of wisdom for first time mamas

Affiliate links are used in this post, if you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. It helps support my blog, so thank you for your support! Read my full disclosure here.

I originally wrote this post back in April of 2011 when I had only one child who was 1-1/2 at the time. While I did some updating to refresh it, I still feel compelled to give advice for moms to be when I see them out and about. For now, I am still able to resist!

I’ve always been a quiet person. I’ve never had a need to give random advice to others (especially strangers). That is until I became a mother. Now it sort of makes sense to me why mothers dole out advice — both wanted and unwanted — to their kids and random strangers. It is just in you.

When I’m shopping at Target and see a woman with a big belly perusing the baby department with a scan gun for her registry, I want to stop her and chat. Anywhere I go and see a couple who is pregnant with their first child, I feel the urge to tell them things. When I read status updates on Facebook of friends or family who are expecting their first child, I fight the urge to type all sorts of thoughts and advice. And even when childless friends talk to me about wanting to start a family someday, I have to stomp down my urge to overshare.

Advise for moms to be Pinterest image

I do manage to keep my mouth shut with complete strangers. And I try to take it easy on my friends and family. Hopefully, I succeed. But, I want to somehow explain to them that they really don’t know what they’re in for. Having a child is so much harder and so much more wonderful than you can ever expect. Becoming a parent changes your world completely.

Practical advice for moms to be

I definitely have practical advice for moms to be. I would share what to really expect from labor and delivery — the things no one tells you, not even in the birthing class at the hospital. For instance, you will be amazed at how little you care about lack of modesty during the birthing process and even learning to nurse if you go that route.

Moms to be also need to know to buy plenty of feminine hygiene products. Get the largest pads made, and buy twice as many as you think you’ll need. Consider getting at least one package of adult diapers, which are also great for postpartum moms.

I’d share things like which infant tub is best because it will work for newborns to toddlers. We had a few styles and found this one worked best.

Also, I’d tell her which big toys really come in handy and which take up more space than they are worth. A baby play mat is awesome. And my daughter spent a lot of time hanging out in her bouncy seat. It saved my sanity to know she was strapped in somewhere safe.

I’d let her know that big swings aren’t worth it for the cost and space they take up. Not all babies like swings, my daughter didn’t care for the swing so much. If your baby does like to swing, though, having a portable swing takes up less space and lets you move it around the house with you. [I had to add in the portable swing, because my second child loved swinging and the portable swing was a lifesaver!]

I’d tell both parents to be to take time to shower and relax in those first few months whenever they had a chance. I’d tell them to ask for help and let a trusted person (grandparents are ideal) watch the baby for a bit even just so they could nap, run errands or (dare I say it) see a movie.

Emotional advice for moms to be

And there are more abstract tips and ideas I’d share. I’d tell them how the baby will take all of your energy and just when you’ve about had enough he or she will give you a smile for the first time. Suddenly your energy renews and your heart melts, even if it is 3 a.m. and you’re up for the third time since going to bed at 10 p.m.

I’d share that it might take time, but you will eventually adjust to living life completely for someone else. Eventually you will be able to find pieces of your identity again and remember sometimes that you are more than just a mom.

For sure I’d get advice to moms to be to worry less and enjoy more. For the first couple of months, I lived in fear every time I put my daughter down at night to sleep that she wouldn’t wake up in the morning. She’s a happy, healthy almost 19-month-old now. [And now a 13-year-old!]

I worried that if she saw a television show for even one minute she’d have ADD. She couldn’t care less about TV, and she’s as smart as can be. [She’s tested as high ability from kindergarten on.]

So many times I worried that I wouldn’t produce enough milk, and then I ended up with a chest freezer full. All that worrying for nothing. When we’re new moms we can put so much pressure on ourselves and worry about every little thing. Do your best to remind yourself that humans have been surviving for thousands of years. You can do this!

The truth about becoming a mom

You see, all this advice (and more!) bubbles up within me as I encounter new moms. I have lots to say. Instead, I smile. Or I say “Congratulations” if I know them. Internally, I want to warn them. I want to prepare them. But, I also know that no one can prepare you. It just isn’t possible. I thought I was prepared and knew what I was in for. I didn’t and, frankly, I couldn’t have.

Then again, I guess that’s part of the whole parenthood experience. And so you’re left with lots of advice. I’m sure there is untold advice around me from parents of older children about what will be coming my way. On the other hand, I’m not sure I want to know, yet. I’m also pretty sure that I won’t really get it until I experience it for myself. That’s just the way life is.

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