The Caitlin Moss Blog

I have a confession. Last fall Darren and I talked about leaving our church. A few things made us feel like that might be a possibility - we didn't like the series we were on, I didn't really care for the study I was doing in my small group, the friends we hang out with often go to different churches, our friends are pastors at other churches, etc. There wasn't anything big or crazy that happened, there was just something pulling at my heart saying maybe this isn't where we need to be. So we prayed about it. Quietly. But dog-gonnit, I prayed every day Jesus would make it clear to me. And He did. Hear my prayer, LORD, listen to my cry for help. Psalm 39:12 Sometime in October or November, our pastor called me to ask Darren and I to lead a young couples social group for the church. Say whaaaat? He picked us? Out of the whole church. Are you sure? No, we weren't the only couple on the list but we were on it. He wanted us to lead. Jesus was calling us to lead. May...

As much as I loved my last round of grill-ready meals, I really missed my crock pot. So for this round most of the meals are cooked in the crock pot (a few can cook in the crock pot or grill) and all are great summer meal options. I did 28 meals for $180 ($6.40/meal). So here it goes.... MENU | 2 BBQ Ribs Two Ways 2 BBQ Meatballs 2 Chili 2 Chicken Taco Soup 2 Pulled Pork 2 Tavern Style Pork Loin 2 Ranch Pork Chops & Potatoes 2 Cilantro Lime Chicken 2 Italian Sausage & Peppers 2 Zesty Herb Chicken & Peppers 2 Smoked Sausage, Sweet Onion & Pepper Kabobs 2 Mango Salsa Chicken 2 Roast Beef Au Jus 2 Creamy Tortellini Soup GROCERY LIST | Seasoning and Sauces: 2 Alfredo Sauce Packets 2 Roast Beef Au Jus Seasoning Packets 2 Zesty Herb Seasoning Packets 1 Slower Cooker Tavern Style Roast Marinade 2 Ranch Seasoning Packets 2 taco seasoning 5 bottles BBQ sauce 2 chili seasoning 1 smoked applewood seasoning packet Produce: 2 packages of sliced mu...

Everyone knows I love my crock pot. I mean, do I really have to say it anymore? But I also love my grill. Especially during the Spring and Summer months. I like to take full advantage of grilling. It's so easy to make healthy meals with the grill and clean up is always pretty easy too - my kind of cooking! So for this round of freezer cooking I made 24 grill-ready (that could also be put in the crock pot or oven) and summer favorites for $140. All of these meals with exception of the beer chicken are also GLUTEN-FREE . One of the great things about freezing grilling meat with the seasoning (besides that it's easy) is that as the meat defrosts, the meat marinates and soaks up all the flavors. The entire process took me 3 hours (and both my children were here and awake without my husband home to help entertain). Success! Menu | 2 Cilantro Lime Chicken 2 Smokey Mesquite Chicken 2 Baja Citrus Chicken 2 Ranch Pork Chops 2 Italian Sausage & Peppers 2 Beef & Vegg...

I've seen many different versions of these on Pinterest and wanted to share the version I made that were SO yummy. A great healthy treat that tastes like cookie dough. Everyone will love these - kids included. In a bowl, mix: 1 cup oats 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/3 cup honey 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 handful dark chocolate chips. 1/3 cup flax seed Once everything is mixed, roll into balls and keep in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Ok. Recipe break. Let me just take a moment to give an update on these cute faces shown above. After all, that is the reason I started this blog way back when. I must say we are in a smooth sailing zone with these two. Sure, I have some bad days. Some moments are still r-r-rough! But, this is it. This is the stage of life where Isaiah and Maci become friends, they play together by themselves more often than me having to separately entertain them. They are my buddies, my comrades, my PICs. Yes, they still try to swallow me whole but for the most part I find these pockets of time in the day where I can, dare I say, go pee all by myself. Awesome. Maci is feisty. She is hilarious. She is dramatic. 100% girl. Our hands are full with this one but she oh so sweet and snuggly and loving and smart. She puts herself in time out when she needs to, she loves helping me do my makeup, she loves taking care of her babies and jumping on the trampoline. She loves to blow bubbles and hunt in the dirt ...

Whether you’re a working or SAHM mom, dinner time can be a struggle. After a day filled with the busyness of life, getting a hardy and healthy meal on the table for pallets young and old can be challenging. Thankfully, there is always spaghetti. Everyone knows how to make spaghetti. It’s the ultimate easy, cheap comfort food. And I must say my spaghetti sauce has turned into something pretty spectacular. And, of course, it’s super simple and made in the crock pot – something I use more often than my black, stretchy pants. Here is a simple and healthy gluten-free meal the whole family will love that begins and ends with a crock pot. Spaghetti Sauce: 2 cans tomato sauce 1 can diced tomatoes, drained 1 can tomato paste 1 lb. cooked ground Italian sausage (I use mild but sweet or spicey works depending on your preference) 1 lb. cooked ground beef (or another pound of Italian sausage) **be sure to drain the excess oil from the cooked meat 1 tsp. Basil 1 tsp. Oregano 2 cloves o...

Rain, rain. Go away. I'm someone who just so happens to love the rain. The sound. The smell. The fact that I don't have to remember to water my flowers. Rain, in my mind, is great. But I do understand that rain...constant rain...can be a problem when you have kids. Not only is going outside an important part of development but getting out of the house provides a level of stimulation that tires my kids out enough to have a quiet afternoon, which something (as I'm sure you can relate) I need . Here in Washington, we get plenty of rain. Especially during January - April. These are honestly tough months (and this is coming from someone who prefers living in Washington over Southern California). But if there's one thing I've learned as a mom, it's how to improvise. I've used Pinterest to get some great rainy day indoor activities (many of which are fabulous) but sometimes (or most of the time) I just need to get out of the house before I lose my ever-loving m...