I have never felt so impatient! This baby is really starting to tease me with all these contractions. I can't get any of them strung together in a timely manner enough to go to the hospital! I would love to have him already and see how beautiful he is and bring him home, but I guess he's just not ready yet.
I scared myself last night a little. We went to bed after I had several strong contractions (nothing that could be timed very well or getting closer together). I was lying on my right side and the baby starting kicking and moving around fast and hard. He hadn't moved so much in several days - I had assumed he is running out of room to thrash around as usual. :) So, I took notice when he start squirming very fast and was pushing on my side very hard. I rolled over to my left side to get him to maybe switch positions or calm down, and he just stopped moving completely. All I could think was how my OB had told me once that it is possible for the cord to tighten around the baby's neck - the baby would act frantic and then just stop moving; she advised me to call them if that ever happened and I was concerned.
So, of course, last night that's the first and only thing I'm thinking about when he just stops moving completely. I laid very still to see if I could feel even a flutter. Nothing.
Then, I was slightly pushing on my left side to move him a little, thinking maybe he had just fallen asleep very quickly. Nothing again.
I didn't move, didn't say anything to Arthur, and just started to worry. I began praying, asking God to have the baby move just once so I would KNOW he was ok and not get too freaked out. It took a good minute or two, but the baby FINALLY kicked again. WHEW!!! I was so scared for that minute. I have been so looking forward to having him, that I was afraid to think of losing him.
Now today, all I'm thinking is "let's have this baby already, so I don't get scared like that again!" :) But, once he's here there are a whole new set of things to worry about. It's never-ending, really. Parents will always worry about something for their children. But, I think there's a balance between being concerned for the child's safety and trusting God to hold them and keep them safe. I tend to forget that second part when it comes to my kids. I try too hard sometimes to shield them, and I think it backfires. Or I go nuts some days just thinking of the awful things out there in the world.
My prayer is that God will help me to relax, to trust Him, to understand I don't control anything except my own actions. He knows the future - good or bad. Everything works for His good, even if I can't see it that way some times.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Rejoicing in Recipes: Yogurt Berry Pie
I found this recipe a while ago but haven't really had a reason to make a whole big pie that Arthur won't even try. :) BUT, this afternoon my in-laws are coming over, and I know they like cheesecake-ish desserts, so I made it for today!
My Strawberry Sauce
2 cups frozen strawberries (i used a combo of packaged strawberries i had left and some fresh ones i had frozen myself)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Put 2/3 of the strawberries in a pan (still frozen is fine, no need to thaw) with sugar. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling and starting to reduce. Using potato masher to mash the strawberries while cooking (or remove and puree in blender/processor). Continue to boil for another 5-10 minutes until thicker. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool for 10 minutes. Add in remaining strawberries (cut up) and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
*You could probably serve this warm over ice cream or the pie, but it might melt the yogurt and cream cheese filling pretty fast, so keeping it cool until serving is probably ideal.
I am so excited to eat this later. I sampled the sauce already (of course!) and it's delicious. I might leave out the vanilla next time. It was very tasty before I added it in; the vanilla might have taken away a little of the berry tartness. BUT, it's still going to be so delicious with the pie!
Yogurt Berry Pie
- 1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt ( I used vanilla)
- 8 ounces of cream cheese ( softened)
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 graham cracker or granola crust
- fruit sauce
- Place yogurt in a fine mesh sieve or use a colander lined with cheese cloth. Let sit 30 minutes. Do not skip this step as it drains some of the liquid off and will help keep this pie thick. Discard liquid or use liquid in smoothie.
- In a mixer beat cream cheese until very smooth. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add strained yogurt and beat just until mixed in well.
- Pour filling into crust and refrigerate for 6 hours or until firm.
- Serve with a homemade fruit sauce. You could also use plain fruit or even a can of fruit sauce.
My Strawberry Sauce
2 cups frozen strawberries (i used a combo of packaged strawberries i had left and some fresh ones i had frozen myself)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Put 2/3 of the strawberries in a pan (still frozen is fine, no need to thaw) with sugar. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling and starting to reduce. Using potato masher to mash the strawberries while cooking (or remove and puree in blender/processor). Continue to boil for another 5-10 minutes until thicker. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool for 10 minutes. Add in remaining strawberries (cut up) and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
*You could probably serve this warm over ice cream or the pie, but it might melt the yogurt and cream cheese filling pretty fast, so keeping it cool until serving is probably ideal.
I am so excited to eat this later. I sampled the sauce already (of course!) and it's delicious. I might leave out the vanilla next time. It was very tasty before I added it in; the vanilla might have taken away a little of the berry tartness. BUT, it's still going to be so delicious with the pie!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Kitchen Tip: Freezing Veggies
Freezing fresh produce is a GREAT way to extend the fresh taste of the vegetables and fruit, if you aren't able to consume them all before they go bad.
I do this often with berries. For strawberries, I just cut the tops off and put whole ones into freezer bags to pull out as needed for smoothies. Blueberries can be frozen as-is. Bananas can be peeled and chopped or left whole and put in freezer bags. We use them whole in smoothies or breads. For breads, I just lay one out to thaw before mashing.
For bell peppers, I chop or use my Ninja (food chopper/blender/processor all in one) and then divide 1/2 cups of the chopped peppers into freezer bags. I then label with the name of the pepper and the date and pop them into the freezer.
Tomatoes are super easy as well. You can freeze them whole, to use later in stews or chili. When it's time to cook them, you can thaw them and pull the skin right off OR throw the frozen tomato into the pot and let it cook to thaw. They cook down to practically nothing, which is awesome for those of us with picky people in our families. :) Another way is to chop them, as with the peppers, and label to freeze.
Zucchini can be grated and measured into bags, labeled and frozen. This is super handy for making breads/muffins later. Just thaw the bag, drain and use it. You may end up needing to use a larger measurement from the freezer because of all the water that drains out.
Onions can be chopped and frozen, too. Celery is great to chop and freeze for cooking also!
I don't recommend freezing potatoes. They tend to get gritty and mushy.
For corn from the cob, cut the kernels off the fresh cobs. Blanch them before freezing, to hold in the flavor. Label and freeze. You CAN freeze corn without blanching and it won't go bad, but you do lose some of the fresh flavor. Same with broccoli, carrots, and green beans - blanch first.
Things that should not be frozen: radishes, cucumbers, lettuce. These are all made of mostly water, so freezing them will reduce them to mush once thawed.
When there's a good bell pepper sale, stock up, chop up and freeze it up! You will be glad you did when they're no longer on sale but you need some for a recipe!
I do this often with berries. For strawberries, I just cut the tops off and put whole ones into freezer bags to pull out as needed for smoothies. Blueberries can be frozen as-is. Bananas can be peeled and chopped or left whole and put in freezer bags. We use them whole in smoothies or breads. For breads, I just lay one out to thaw before mashing.
For bell peppers, I chop or use my Ninja (food chopper/blender/processor all in one) and then divide 1/2 cups of the chopped peppers into freezer bags. I then label with the name of the pepper and the date and pop them into the freezer.
Tomatoes are super easy as well. You can freeze them whole, to use later in stews or chili. When it's time to cook them, you can thaw them and pull the skin right off OR throw the frozen tomato into the pot and let it cook to thaw. They cook down to practically nothing, which is awesome for those of us with picky people in our families. :) Another way is to chop them, as with the peppers, and label to freeze.
Zucchini can be grated and measured into bags, labeled and frozen. This is super handy for making breads/muffins later. Just thaw the bag, drain and use it. You may end up needing to use a larger measurement from the freezer because of all the water that drains out.
Onions can be chopped and frozen, too. Celery is great to chop and freeze for cooking also!
I don't recommend freezing potatoes. They tend to get gritty and mushy.
For corn from the cob, cut the kernels off the fresh cobs. Blanch them before freezing, to hold in the flavor. Label and freeze. You CAN freeze corn without blanching and it won't go bad, but you do lose some of the fresh flavor. Same with broccoli, carrots, and green beans - blanch first.
Things that should not be frozen: radishes, cucumbers, lettuce. These are all made of mostly water, so freezing them will reduce them to mush once thawed.
When there's a good bell pepper sale, stock up, chop up and freeze it up! You will be glad you did when they're no longer on sale but you need some for a recipe!
Motherhood Mania: Crafts This Week
The other night I came across a blog about Busy Bags for kids. I wasn't sure what they were, so I read on. Busy Bags are the best invention ever!!! :) They are simple crafts/activities/games put together in Ziploc bags for kids to do in the car, when they're bored, on a plane, wherever! I found several sites that offered really cute ideas:
The Sunny Patch
My Delicious Ambiguity
Our Journey
Walking By The Way
Here are some photos of the bags I put together over the past 2 1/2 days. I think these will be great things for the girls over the summer, while we're stuck indoors when the baby is born. PLUS, these will be great bags to choose from during the school day for their free play! I am so excited to have gotten them done, and the girls (so far!) are loving them!
The Sunny Patch
My Delicious Ambiguity
Our Journey
Walking By The Way
Here are some photos of the bags I put together over the past 2 1/2 days. I think these will be great things for the girls over the summer, while we're stuck indoors when the baby is born. PLUS, these will be great bags to choose from during the school day for their free play! I am so excited to have gotten them done, and the girls (so far!) are loving them!
Pattern Matching: I created a pattern of foam colored shapes on a ribbon. The girls get the same colors and shapes to then thread on their own ribbon. (The sewing needle is plastic)
Clothespin Number Wheel: Styrofoam plate cut into circle and divided into 9 sections, designating #'s 1-9 with dots. Numbered clothespins are used to match up the dots with the numbers.
Lacing Cards: Foam pieces poked with holes to mark shapes. Girls get a needle and ribbon (piece of pipe cleaner attached to ribbon) to sew the shapes.
Felt Play: Blue sheet of felt with removable felt pieces. I would also like to make a set of silly face parts and a transportation theme to use on this blue piece as well. Then, they'll have more options for what scene they want to make.
Popsicle Color Matching: I folded over strips of cardstock into shapes of popsicles, then stapled them onto cardboard, leaving open a space at one end. The popsicle sticks are marked with the names of the color WITH that color marker. The girls find the corresponding popsicle top and put the stick in the slot. On the opposite end of the stick, the color names are written in just black marker. Once they can read, they can work on reading the color name and matching the popsicles!
Clothesline Busy Bag: This was so fun to make...and VERY easy. My girls love to do home-type things, so they were instantly in love with this activity. I found 4 ft of ribbon and tied it to hang up in the living room. I cut out shapes of clothes out of felt (shirts, shorts, socks, pants, skirts, dresses). They use clothespins to hang up their "laundry" to dry. They use that blue baby doll bathtub in the back on the left to pretend wash them first. :) Even my youngest is doing ok working the open/close of the clothespin. Very good hand-eye coordination, as well as fine motor skill practice. PLUS, you can give them a game of hanging certain colors in a pattern or write letters or numbers on them to put in order or spell words! So many ideas!!
I really enjoyed making all of these. There are a few more I'd like to do, but I thought this was a great start. They could bring them to the hospital when they come to visit the baby and I, or Dad can give them these to do here, so he can get a little rest before baby and I come home! :)
House Help: Here and There
I have a great memory to complete my daily and weekly chores. MY problem is remembering the items we do here and there....less than once a week. These I've had to make a list of and put in my household binder to keep it within reach and so I run into them on paper whenever I'm in the binder.
Here are a few of the things we do every couple of weeks or once a month:
-Change the furnace filter (yes, the packages say up to 90 days, but our furnace installer said that changing them every 30 days helps them run most efficiently; so that's what we do...when I remember!)
-Clean out the car (some people do this weekly, but I just can't seem to do it that often!)
-Sort toys to proper bins(they often get misplaced) and take out the ones used the least to donate (this i try to do every 3 months)
-Give dog heartworm pill (monthly)
-Go through medicine box and get rid of old/expired ones (as needed, not necessarily on a schedule or monthly)
-Dust/Wash Blinds
-Dust Baseboards
-Clean Garbage Cans
-Wash Windows
So, make a list of the items you only do once in a while or only need to be done every few weeks. Make a chart and note each date that you do them; keep the chart handy (on the fridge, in your household binder, with other important papers you look at often) and stick to it! :)
Here are a few of the things we do every couple of weeks or once a month:
-Change the furnace filter (yes, the packages say up to 90 days, but our furnace installer said that changing them every 30 days helps them run most efficiently; so that's what we do...when I remember!)
-Clean out the car (some people do this weekly, but I just can't seem to do it that often!)
-Sort toys to proper bins(they often get misplaced) and take out the ones used the least to donate (this i try to do every 3 months)
-Give dog heartworm pill (monthly)
-Go through medicine box and get rid of old/expired ones (as needed, not necessarily on a schedule or monthly)
-Dust/Wash Blinds
-Dust Baseboards
-Clean Garbage Cans
-Wash Windows
So, make a list of the items you only do once in a while or only need to be done every few weeks. Make a chart and note each date that you do them; keep the chart handy (on the fridge, in your household binder, with other important papers you look at often) and stick to it! :)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Motherhood Mania: End of School
The girls' last day of preschool is tomorrow. I'm excited to have them home for the summer, but this also means I won't have the 2 1/2 hours of down time each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. :) I have enjoyed my one-on-one days with Addy. BUT, this will ALSO mean that we're a little closer to starting the homeschooling!!
The preschool will not be open next year, so Lily is for sure going to be home with us learning. I'm sad that it's the end of the church's preschool, but I think it allows their teacher to find a better-paying job for the summer and next year, which I guess is good for her. And I guess it's good it happened this year, when there are only 3 families to have to give the bad news of no school to, rather than last year when they had several more families. So, it's bittersweet really.
They have an end of year program tomorrow, and Arthur is scheduled off of work, so he'll finally get to be there for a program! :) And of all days, I do NOT want this baby to come tomorrow so I can see the program and enjoy the picnic lunch with the girls, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Baby did come tomorrow and I missed it. :)
This year feels like it went by so fast now. I felt like it was dragging for a while, when I was just planning out our homeschooling things. But, now that the end of my pregnancy is here and I have things pretty set for the school year this Fall, I feel like time is flying by.
I am excited to add Teacher to my list of names. :) BUT, I am praying that the Summer goes smoothly and we stay on track for starting when we need to and that my patience lasts. :)
The preschool will not be open next year, so Lily is for sure going to be home with us learning. I'm sad that it's the end of the church's preschool, but I think it allows their teacher to find a better-paying job for the summer and next year, which I guess is good for her. And I guess it's good it happened this year, when there are only 3 families to have to give the bad news of no school to, rather than last year when they had several more families. So, it's bittersweet really.
They have an end of year program tomorrow, and Arthur is scheduled off of work, so he'll finally get to be there for a program! :) And of all days, I do NOT want this baby to come tomorrow so I can see the program and enjoy the picnic lunch with the girls, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Baby did come tomorrow and I missed it. :)
This year feels like it went by so fast now. I felt like it was dragging for a while, when I was just planning out our homeschooling things. But, now that the end of my pregnancy is here and I have things pretty set for the school year this Fall, I feel like time is flying by.
I am excited to add Teacher to my list of names. :) BUT, I am praying that the Summer goes smoothly and we stay on track for starting when we need to and that my patience lasts. :)
Favorite Food Deal of the Week: Duncan Hines Brownies and Lawry's
I have 2 favorites this week!
First, Meijer and Jewel both have Duncan Hines Brownie Mix on sale for $1.09 and $1.00, respectively. I was able to use $.50 off 1 coupons and get them for $.59 or $.50 each! I ended up buying 5 with all my coupons. The expiration dates are far enough out that I don't have to use them quickly. :) I like homemade brownies, but sometimes last minute I want to make a dessert and these mixes are very good, so I was happy to score some cheap ones and store them!
Second, the Lawry's Marinades are on sale at Jewel for $1.00 each. There are $.50 coupons for those as well. I had 3 coupons but ended up buying 4 because I wanted to try a new flavor. I figured paying the full $1.00 wasn't going to bankrupt me this week. :) We tried the Herb & Garlic flavor last night on chicken. Delicious! I will store the other 3 bottles for the next few weeks. I love being able to just pour a marinade on some meat and let it sit then throw it in the pan to cook. Very simple for those days when the day has just gotten away from us and I need a quick meal!
I also got to use up an $8 CAT at Meijer from my purchases last week, which netted me free foundation and powder. AND, I had the $3 CAT from buying all the Naturals tomatoes last week at Meijer, so I used that to get some Naturals butter (organic, unsalted sweet cream butter sticks). The butter costs $4.99 normally, and I got it for $1.99, which is still cheaper than the regular butter was on sale! So, I was happy about that! Can't wait to see if there's a taste difference between the organic and the regular that we buy.
These sales and deals end today at Meijer and Jewel, so if you're interested in scoring them you'll have to go out in the rain to get them. :(
First, Meijer and Jewel both have Duncan Hines Brownie Mix on sale for $1.09 and $1.00, respectively. I was able to use $.50 off 1 coupons and get them for $.59 or $.50 each! I ended up buying 5 with all my coupons. The expiration dates are far enough out that I don't have to use them quickly. :) I like homemade brownies, but sometimes last minute I want to make a dessert and these mixes are very good, so I was happy to score some cheap ones and store them!
Second, the Lawry's Marinades are on sale at Jewel for $1.00 each. There are $.50 coupons for those as well. I had 3 coupons but ended up buying 4 because I wanted to try a new flavor. I figured paying the full $1.00 wasn't going to bankrupt me this week. :) We tried the Herb & Garlic flavor last night on chicken. Delicious! I will store the other 3 bottles for the next few weeks. I love being able to just pour a marinade on some meat and let it sit then throw it in the pan to cook. Very simple for those days when the day has just gotten away from us and I need a quick meal!
I also got to use up an $8 CAT at Meijer from my purchases last week, which netted me free foundation and powder. AND, I had the $3 CAT from buying all the Naturals tomatoes last week at Meijer, so I used that to get some Naturals butter (organic, unsalted sweet cream butter sticks). The butter costs $4.99 normally, and I got it for $1.99, which is still cheaper than the regular butter was on sale! So, I was happy about that! Can't wait to see if there's a taste difference between the organic and the regular that we buy.
These sales and deals end today at Meijer and Jewel, so if you're interested in scoring them you'll have to go out in the rain to get them. :(
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Menu Plan: May 24 - 30
Tiring Day! Got groceries done - not a ton of great deals but I got what I needed for under $100, so I guess I'll call it a success.
Here's what I've got planned for this week's meals:
Breakfasts:
-English Muffins, Sausage, Apple Slices
-Cinnamon Biscuit Rolls (new recipe), Orange Slices
-Pancakes, Bananas
-Cereal/Oatmeal, Toast, Pineapple
-Waffles, Strawberries
-Eggs, Sausage, Oranges
Lunches:
-Leftovers (3x)
-PB & Honey sandwiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
-Ham & Cheese Rollups, Strawberries, Chips
-Grilled Cheese, Bananas
-Hot Dogs, apples, chips
Dinners:
-Marinated Chicken, Hidden Valley Salad kit, Potato Cubes (tonight's meal)
-Brown Bag Burritos, Rice, Corn (didn't use this one last week, so we'll carry it over)
-Chinese Pepper Steak, Rice, Green Beans
-Sloppy Joes, Carrots, Salad
-BBQ Pork Ribs, Potatoes, Green Beans
-Tagliarini, Carrots, Corn
-Arroz Con Pollo (i'll post some time this coming week; very delicious!), Beans
I didn't leave room for eating out this week or weekend because we're stretching our money until the 31st. Because of how the paydays landed on the calendar, we're having to stretch our bi-weekly budget a few extra days. Hopefully we stick to this plan and do NOT spend what we don't have. :)
Here's what I've got planned for this week's meals:
Breakfasts:
-English Muffins, Sausage, Apple Slices
-Cinnamon Biscuit Rolls (new recipe), Orange Slices
-Pancakes, Bananas
-Cereal/Oatmeal, Toast, Pineapple
-Waffles, Strawberries
-Eggs, Sausage, Oranges
Lunches:
-Leftovers (3x)
-PB & Honey sandwiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
-Ham & Cheese Rollups, Strawberries, Chips
-Grilled Cheese, Bananas
-Hot Dogs, apples, chips
Dinners:
-Marinated Chicken, Hidden Valley Salad kit, Potato Cubes (tonight's meal)
-Brown Bag Burritos, Rice, Corn (didn't use this one last week, so we'll carry it over)
-Chinese Pepper Steak, Rice, Green Beans
-Sloppy Joes, Carrots, Salad
-BBQ Pork Ribs, Potatoes, Green Beans
-Tagliarini, Carrots, Corn
-Arroz Con Pollo (i'll post some time this coming week; very delicious!), Beans
I didn't leave room for eating out this week or weekend because we're stretching our money until the 31st. Because of how the paydays landed on the calendar, we're having to stretch our bi-weekly budget a few extra days. Hopefully we stick to this plan and do NOT spend what we don't have. :)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Rejoicing in Recipes: Veggie Lasagna
Today is Meatless Monday! We're having a Veggie Lasagna tonight for dinner. It smells very good right now, so I'm hoping it tastes just as good! This is kind of my own recipe. I found a bunch that used spinach and mushrooms. We don't have any spinach in the house, and we don't like mushrooms. So, I tweaked it to use what we have on hand - zucchini and yellow squash.
Veggie Lasagna
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 beaten eggs
2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
12 oz Mozzarella Cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 TBSP olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
4 cloves garlic (I used dried minced onion)
1 medium zucchini squash, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 cup shredded carrot
2 TBSP flour
2 cups milk
3/4 tsp pepper
Combine eggs, cottage cheese, 4 oz Mozzarella Cheese, and Italian seasoning in bowl. Set aside. In pan, heat oil and add onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook on medium heat until veggies are tender. Stir in flour, milk and pepper all at once. Heat and stir constantly until mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from heat and add in carrot squash, and 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese.
Pour 1/2 cup veggie mixture in bottom of 3 quart baking dish. Place 1/3 of noodles over mixture. Layer 1/3 of cottage cheese mix over noodles then 1/3 of veggie/milk mixture and then 1/3 of remaining Mozzarella. Repeat 2 more times, ending with Mozzarella on top. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly and noodles are cooked through.
We're having this with homemade garlic bread (buttered slices of bread, sprinkled with garlic powder and broiled for just a few minutes until browned). Super yummy! I'm very excited to eat tonight! (of course, that's nothing new - I am always excited to eat!) :)
Veggie Lasagna
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 beaten eggs
2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
12 oz Mozzarella Cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 TBSP olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
4 cloves garlic (I used dried minced onion)
1 medium zucchini squash, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 cup shredded carrot
2 TBSP flour
2 cups milk
3/4 tsp pepper
Combine eggs, cottage cheese, 4 oz Mozzarella Cheese, and Italian seasoning in bowl. Set aside. In pan, heat oil and add onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook on medium heat until veggies are tender. Stir in flour, milk and pepper all at once. Heat and stir constantly until mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from heat and add in carrot squash, and 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese.
Pour 1/2 cup veggie mixture in bottom of 3 quart baking dish. Place 1/3 of noodles over mixture. Layer 1/3 of cottage cheese mix over noodles then 1/3 of veggie/milk mixture and then 1/3 of remaining Mozzarella. Repeat 2 more times, ending with Mozzarella on top. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly and noodles are cooked through.
We're having this with homemade garlic bread (buttered slices of bread, sprinkled with garlic powder and broiled for just a few minutes until browned). Super yummy! I'm very excited to eat tonight! (of course, that's nothing new - I am always excited to eat!) :)
FREE Preschool Printables Pack - Pretty Bugs :)
I came across this FREE pack of preschool printables today on another mom's blog. It is very cute looking, and I am excited to print them out later for the girls!
Go HERE for the download. The mom at this blog actually created the printables. Wow....some people are sooo creative!
I noticed one mom likes to laminate her printables and just have her kids use dry erase markers on them. I think I'd like to do that, so we're not wasting a ton of ink each time we need a new copy of the pages!
Go HERE for the download. The mom at this blog actually created the printables. Wow....some people are sooo creative!
I noticed one mom likes to laminate her printables and just have her kids use dry erase markers on them. I think I'd like to do that, so we're not wasting a ton of ink each time we need a new copy of the pages!
Basic Kitchen: Potatoes
We love potatoes. I mean we LOVE them. I have come across so many different ways to make and/or season them, that we really do love them.
I think sometimes people get stuck making potatoes the same couple of ways, so it's not as enticing a side dish to make as it COULD be. :) Plus, they seem to get a bad rap for taking a long time to prep that we don't make the effort to have them with dinner.
Here's a couple ways to take care of your potatoes to extend their shelf life as well as a couple different (possibly new to you?) ways to prepare them.
First, ways to handle, store, and extend the life of your potatoes:
1 - Store them, unwashed, in a cool, dark place. I know some people who regularly wash and refrigerate them after purchasing them. Washing and cooling in the fridge before they hit their peak point of freshness, actually diminishes their freshness. I keep mine in the bag I bought them in, wrapped in the plastic shopping bag and in the lower shelf of our pantry. It stays pretty dark and cool in there.
2 - Store them away from onions. I forget all the chemistry behind it, but storing onions and potatoes next to each other makes them go bad quicker. Eyes grow very quickly on the potatoes and they don't last as long.
3 - Don't throw them out just because they grew eyes. I know sometimes those eyes look creepy and yucky, but that doesn't necessarily mean they've gone bad. You can scrape off the eyes when you wash and peel them, and as long as the potato isn't mushy or too dark green under the skin, they will taste fine.
4 - Green under the skin isn't a sign of nastiness either. I read online that being slightly green under the skin isn't good for young children or elderly people; I forget why (and was too lazy to re-research that this morning), but they are safe to eat. I think it's some chemical that is released or is of higher concentration when they're green, but that doesn't mean they are rotten. I typically peel off the green as much as possible, with the peel, before cutting or using. No big deal, really.
Now that we know how to STORE the potatoes, let's talk about a few fun ways to EAT them. :)
1 - Mashed: typical peeling of potatoes, chopping into pieces and boiling til soft and mashable. I like to cut my pieces pretty small, so they cook through quicker. Takes a little more time on the chopping side, but I hate having to check the pieces every few minutes, hoping that they're soft enough to mash. I drain them and then mash with my potato masher (or just the beaters on my hand mixer), add a little butter and milk or cream and start mixing. I typically do NOT measure my milk or butter. I just add a little at a time until I have a consistency we like. Too much milk, and the consistency becomes like that of baby cereal. Too little milk and they taste very dry. I salt and pepper at the end to taste. The best tip for making them this way is to try and keep the chopped pieces of uniform size; this will keep you from having small mushy pieces and bigger, uncooked pieces.
2 - Smashed: A close relative of mashed. This is pretty much the same as mashed but you stop short of completely blending the potatoes into the fine mashed-ness. (Not sure about that word.) I like to make smashed potatoes if I'm adding cheese or ranch to them. I enjoy the slightly chunkiness of the potatoes to go with the zing of the cheese or ranch. I also do not measure the cheese or ranch. I'm sure there are plenty of great measurable recipes for both of those online (try AllRecipes), but I just add a little at a time until I reach a taste we like. We LOVE cheese, so I'm pretty sure I add way more than a recipe would call for! :)
3 - Boiled: If I absolutely do not have time to play around with the mashed or smashed, I just leave the potato peel on and chop into big chunks before putting in some water. I boil them just until they are soft, but not to the point of mashing upon impact from my fork. I drain them and put a little butter, garlic salt and pepper on them. Super easy and fairly quick way to add potatoes to the meal. If you let them boil too long and they're mushy, just mash them with the peels and add butter and cream like for mashed or smashed. The peel actually has the best vitamins, and I really like the flavor with the peel in (though my kids and husband do not!).
4 - Baked: This can be done a few different ways. First, you can microwave bake them. Yes, microwaves suck vitamins out of everything they "cook", but if you are strapped for time this is the best way to do it. Take a fork and poke a few holes around the potato (after you've washed it very thoroughly). Microwave on high for 4 minutes or so (or use the Cook setting for Potatoes, if your microwave has one - it'll ask for the weight and will guesstimate for you the time needed to cook it; I enjoy this when I'm doing more than one at a time.). You might here them whistle and pop a little, but as long as they don't explode it just means they're cooking. BE CAREFUL, THEY WILL BE HOT when the time is up. I use a hand towel to grab them out and keep them wrapped up and warm. Squeeze the potatoes slightly to help loosen the insides. Cut a slit down the middle and top as desired to serve.
Second baking method: Oven. Wash and poke with holes as you would for the microwave. Wrap each potato in foil and bake at 400 degrees for at least an hour. I do not like making them this way unless I have something else I'm going to be baking at 400 degrees with it. Seems like a waste of oven temp and time, but they do taste the best when baked this way. :) Again, THEY WILL BE HOT when you take them out. Squeeze them to loosen slightly inside and serve with desired toppings.
Lastly, a great way to change up the whole baking method is to wash the potatoes and cut them (with the peel on or off) into big chunks. Lay the chunks out on a piece of foil that is large enough to roll up and close over the potatoes. Before closing them up, though, dot with butter and sprinkle with seasonings. We like garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and cracked peppercorn. Close up foil and fold over opening. Poke a few holes in foil for venting. Place foil pouch on baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, or until chunks are slightly soft when poked with fork. DELICIOUS!! My mom does this on the grill in the summer, but when grilling isn't an option you can always use the oven. So good! Not totally healthy because we love a lot of butter on ours, but very tasty and you can mix up the seasonings any way you like.
5 - Fried: Not the most ideally healthy way to consume them, but you can wash and slice potatoes into thin pieces and fry them in oil for a few minutes and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. I don't like messing with heating oil, so we never eat them this way. An alternative to frying is to cut them just as thin, brush them with oil and put them on a baking sheet and bake them until just soft enough to pick up and eat. Sprinkle with salt and enjoy. You can still have that slightly oily taste without having to heat a whole pot of oil.
Of course, there's also Twice Baked and other fun and fancy ways to make them. But for those of us that don't always have the time to experiment with several steps of a recipe, these couple of ways will help keep a variety when it comes to making them. Of course, trying out new fancy recipes is fun, too. Then you can get used to making them just as quickly as these simple ways. Continually building on your recipes is great to keep dinner making from getting boring!
Trying different or new ways to make potatoes can make them more enjoyable to include in your meal prep. One thing I like about them is that if you have planned to use them at some point in the week, you can prep them (wash, peel, chop) ahead of time and store them covered in water in a closed tupperware dish. The water should be changed every couple of days (3 or 4 days), so they don't get slimy, but this makes the dinner prep time shorter on the day you'll be using them! I did this 2 years ago for Thanksgiving. I prepped my potatoes 2 days before and stored them in a giant tupperware bowl with a lid, completely covered in water. Then, Thanksgiving morning all I had to do was drain them and throw them in a pot of new water to boil and then mash. Soooo much less time to make them on that day, when we have a bazillion other things going on in the kitchen. :)
I think sometimes people get stuck making potatoes the same couple of ways, so it's not as enticing a side dish to make as it COULD be. :) Plus, they seem to get a bad rap for taking a long time to prep that we don't make the effort to have them with dinner.
Here's a couple ways to take care of your potatoes to extend their shelf life as well as a couple different (possibly new to you?) ways to prepare them.
First, ways to handle, store, and extend the life of your potatoes:
1 - Store them, unwashed, in a cool, dark place. I know some people who regularly wash and refrigerate them after purchasing them. Washing and cooling in the fridge before they hit their peak point of freshness, actually diminishes their freshness. I keep mine in the bag I bought them in, wrapped in the plastic shopping bag and in the lower shelf of our pantry. It stays pretty dark and cool in there.
2 - Store them away from onions. I forget all the chemistry behind it, but storing onions and potatoes next to each other makes them go bad quicker. Eyes grow very quickly on the potatoes and they don't last as long.
3 - Don't throw them out just because they grew eyes. I know sometimes those eyes look creepy and yucky, but that doesn't necessarily mean they've gone bad. You can scrape off the eyes when you wash and peel them, and as long as the potato isn't mushy or too dark green under the skin, they will taste fine.
4 - Green under the skin isn't a sign of nastiness either. I read online that being slightly green under the skin isn't good for young children or elderly people; I forget why (and was too lazy to re-research that this morning), but they are safe to eat. I think it's some chemical that is released or is of higher concentration when they're green, but that doesn't mean they are rotten. I typically peel off the green as much as possible, with the peel, before cutting or using. No big deal, really.
Now that we know how to STORE the potatoes, let's talk about a few fun ways to EAT them. :)
1 - Mashed: typical peeling of potatoes, chopping into pieces and boiling til soft and mashable. I like to cut my pieces pretty small, so they cook through quicker. Takes a little more time on the chopping side, but I hate having to check the pieces every few minutes, hoping that they're soft enough to mash. I drain them and then mash with my potato masher (or just the beaters on my hand mixer), add a little butter and milk or cream and start mixing. I typically do NOT measure my milk or butter. I just add a little at a time until I have a consistency we like. Too much milk, and the consistency becomes like that of baby cereal. Too little milk and they taste very dry. I salt and pepper at the end to taste. The best tip for making them this way is to try and keep the chopped pieces of uniform size; this will keep you from having small mushy pieces and bigger, uncooked pieces.
2 - Smashed: A close relative of mashed. This is pretty much the same as mashed but you stop short of completely blending the potatoes into the fine mashed-ness. (Not sure about that word.) I like to make smashed potatoes if I'm adding cheese or ranch to them. I enjoy the slightly chunkiness of the potatoes to go with the zing of the cheese or ranch. I also do not measure the cheese or ranch. I'm sure there are plenty of great measurable recipes for both of those online (try AllRecipes), but I just add a little at a time until I reach a taste we like. We LOVE cheese, so I'm pretty sure I add way more than a recipe would call for! :)
3 - Boiled: If I absolutely do not have time to play around with the mashed or smashed, I just leave the potato peel on and chop into big chunks before putting in some water. I boil them just until they are soft, but not to the point of mashing upon impact from my fork. I drain them and put a little butter, garlic salt and pepper on them. Super easy and fairly quick way to add potatoes to the meal. If you let them boil too long and they're mushy, just mash them with the peels and add butter and cream like for mashed or smashed. The peel actually has the best vitamins, and I really like the flavor with the peel in (though my kids and husband do not!).
4 - Baked: This can be done a few different ways. First, you can microwave bake them. Yes, microwaves suck vitamins out of everything they "cook", but if you are strapped for time this is the best way to do it. Take a fork and poke a few holes around the potato (after you've washed it very thoroughly). Microwave on high for 4 minutes or so (or use the Cook setting for Potatoes, if your microwave has one - it'll ask for the weight and will guesstimate for you the time needed to cook it; I enjoy this when I'm doing more than one at a time.). You might here them whistle and pop a little, but as long as they don't explode it just means they're cooking. BE CAREFUL, THEY WILL BE HOT when the time is up. I use a hand towel to grab them out and keep them wrapped up and warm. Squeeze the potatoes slightly to help loosen the insides. Cut a slit down the middle and top as desired to serve.
Second baking method: Oven. Wash and poke with holes as you would for the microwave. Wrap each potato in foil and bake at 400 degrees for at least an hour. I do not like making them this way unless I have something else I'm going to be baking at 400 degrees with it. Seems like a waste of oven temp and time, but they do taste the best when baked this way. :) Again, THEY WILL BE HOT when you take them out. Squeeze them to loosen slightly inside and serve with desired toppings.
Lastly, a great way to change up the whole baking method is to wash the potatoes and cut them (with the peel on or off) into big chunks. Lay the chunks out on a piece of foil that is large enough to roll up and close over the potatoes. Before closing them up, though, dot with butter and sprinkle with seasonings. We like garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and cracked peppercorn. Close up foil and fold over opening. Poke a few holes in foil for venting. Place foil pouch on baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, or until chunks are slightly soft when poked with fork. DELICIOUS!! My mom does this on the grill in the summer, but when grilling isn't an option you can always use the oven. So good! Not totally healthy because we love a lot of butter on ours, but very tasty and you can mix up the seasonings any way you like.
5 - Fried: Not the most ideally healthy way to consume them, but you can wash and slice potatoes into thin pieces and fry them in oil for a few minutes and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. I don't like messing with heating oil, so we never eat them this way. An alternative to frying is to cut them just as thin, brush them with oil and put them on a baking sheet and bake them until just soft enough to pick up and eat. Sprinkle with salt and enjoy. You can still have that slightly oily taste without having to heat a whole pot of oil.
Of course, there's also Twice Baked and other fun and fancy ways to make them. But for those of us that don't always have the time to experiment with several steps of a recipe, these couple of ways will help keep a variety when it comes to making them. Of course, trying out new fancy recipes is fun, too. Then you can get used to making them just as quickly as these simple ways. Continually building on your recipes is great to keep dinner making from getting boring!
Trying different or new ways to make potatoes can make them more enjoyable to include in your meal prep. One thing I like about them is that if you have planned to use them at some point in the week, you can prep them (wash, peel, chop) ahead of time and store them covered in water in a closed tupperware dish. The water should be changed every couple of days (3 or 4 days), so they don't get slimy, but this makes the dinner prep time shorter on the day you'll be using them! I did this 2 years ago for Thanksgiving. I prepped my potatoes 2 days before and stored them in a giant tupperware bowl with a lid, completely covered in water. Then, Thanksgiving morning all I had to do was drain them and throw them in a pot of new water to boil and then mash. Soooo much less time to make them on that day, when we have a bazillion other things going on in the kitchen. :)
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Motherhood Mania: Pride
I was very frustrated yesterday after speaking with another mother about how smart their 6 year old is. She didn't seem interested that we are going to homeschool, but I really don't expect people to be impressed or ask tons of questions. :) I just wasnt in the mood to hear about her overly intelligent child. I tried to brag about my Iris, but she kept shooting me down with how much more her kid knows. I quit trying to brag.
We, as mothers, I think, have a tendency to share all we can about how great our kids are, but I HATE competing with other moms to do so. I'd rather just shut my mouth and act interested in what they're saying.
My girls are great. Are they the smartest? Probably not. Are they the dumbest? Nope. Do I really care how they compare to others? NO. I'd rather they just learn at their own pace and retain what they want and be happy about learning.
I don't know why I care about what other parents say about their kids. I guess I expect others to be impressed when I talk about MY kids, so it's natural for me to "care" about their kids' intelligence levels.
Regardless, I'm over it (sort of). :) I love my kids and I love that they want to learn.
We, as mothers, I think, have a tendency to share all we can about how great our kids are, but I HATE competing with other moms to do so. I'd rather just shut my mouth and act interested in what they're saying.
My girls are great. Are they the smartest? Probably not. Are they the dumbest? Nope. Do I really care how they compare to others? NO. I'd rather they just learn at their own pace and retain what they want and be happy about learning.
I don't know why I care about what other parents say about their kids. I guess I expect others to be impressed when I talk about MY kids, so it's natural for me to "care" about their kids' intelligence levels.
Regardless, I'm over it (sort of). :) I love my kids and I love that they want to learn.
Pleasantries of Pregnancy: 38 weeks
Friday night, I really thought Baby Artie was going to be here. I started timing contractions around 10PM, while we were watching a movie. They were coming between 8 and 15 minutes apart, and I said I would call the doctor if I had 2 more that close (this was at midnight) and then they just stopped coming! I was so frustrated. My stomach was upset and I thought I was definitely in labor because that's exactly how I felt with Addy. Nope!
So, we went to bed and I woke up several times throughout the night with a painful contraction or 2 but nothing to time. :( I was so bummed.....and TIRED the next morning! Thankfully, Arthur is off this weekend, so we were able to just relax yesterday with our lack of sleep.
I can't believe this Baby is already teasing his mommy and sisters by pretending he's ready to arrive, then not come! :)
So, we went to bed and I woke up several times throughout the night with a painful contraction or 2 but nothing to time. :( I was so bummed.....and TIRED the next morning! Thankfully, Arthur is off this weekend, so we were able to just relax yesterday with our lack of sleep.
I can't believe this Baby is already teasing his mommy and sisters by pretending he's ready to arrive, then not come! :)
Rejoicing in Recipes: Country Morning Coffee Cake
This coffee cake is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Easy to make, relatively short baking time, and it feeds an army! :) You can't go wrong with those 3.
I made this Friday morning for breakfast, and even though I read that it serves 18, I didn't really think about it until I saw HOW MUCH there was left over afterward. We ended up giving some to our neighbor that morning, and had it for breakfast yesterday and again today! So good! Even my husband, who doesn't typically like coffee cake-type breakfasts, ate it...and liked it. :)
Country Morning Coffee Cake
1 c. softened butter or oil
2 c. sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt (i used plan yogurt because i have a ton. LOVED the flavor)
4 c. flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine fats, sugar, eggs, and sour cream/yogurt in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients: mix thoroughly. Pour into a greased 15"x10" jelly-roll pan (i used my large bar stoneware pan from Pampered Chef - and it STILL puffed up and over the sides!): sprinkle with the Cinnamon-pecan topping. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until a toothpick tests clean. Cut into squares. Serves 18 to 20
Cinnamon-Pecan Topping:
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans (i skipped; we don't really like pecans)
Use a fork to mix all ingredients together.
I made this Friday morning for breakfast, and even though I read that it serves 18, I didn't really think about it until I saw HOW MUCH there was left over afterward. We ended up giving some to our neighbor that morning, and had it for breakfast yesterday and again today! So good! Even my husband, who doesn't typically like coffee cake-type breakfasts, ate it...and liked it. :)
Country Morning Coffee Cake
1 c. softened butter or oil
2 c. sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt (i used plan yogurt because i have a ton. LOVED the flavor)
4 c. flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine fats, sugar, eggs, and sour cream/yogurt in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients: mix thoroughly. Pour into a greased 15"x10" jelly-roll pan (i used my large bar stoneware pan from Pampered Chef - and it STILL puffed up and over the sides!): sprinkle with the Cinnamon-pecan topping. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until a toothpick tests clean. Cut into squares. Serves 18 to 20
Cinnamon-Pecan Topping:
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans (i skipped; we don't really like pecans)
Use a fork to mix all ingredients together.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Kitchen Tip of the Week: Dry Milk vs Regular Milk
I assume everyone has noticed that lately milk prices have been going up, up, up! It's becoming more and more rare to catch a gallon of milk on sale for $1.99. The cheapest I've seen in recent weeks is $2.29. So, that's only $.30 more, but with all the baking we do and 5 people drinking at least 1 glass a day....we go through 2 + gallons a week!
I have recently started using dry milk in my baking. There is virtually no taste difference, and it lets me save the expensive liquid milk for drinking with meals and with cereals.
I bought a cheap box of Meijer Dry Milk to use in recipes. I think I paid $4 for the box. I have used it in 5 different recipes that call for 1/2 cup or more of milk, and I still have more than half the box of dry milk left! I'd say that we made out pretty good with it.
When I mix it up, I've been mixing for a quart of milk at a time. You can mix up 8 fl oz, if you want, but I figured if I'm baking a few things at a time, I might as well just mix up a quart and keep it in the fridge. It's good for a few days (I think the box says to use with 10 days of mixing with water; the most I've gone is 2 days.).
The measurements on my box say to mix 1 1/3 cups dry milk with 3 3/4 cups COLD water. I emphasize COLD water because the directions on the box did, too. :) I have been mixing it in a container with a lid and spout, so I can just shake it up together then open the spout and pour it into measuring cups for the recipes.
I cannot taste any difference in the foods once they're baked. I even used the dry milk mixture in 2 casseroles and we didn't notice a difference in taste for those either.
We are not quite brave enough to drink the dry milk mixture. I think I'll let us stick with our expensive liquid milk for now!
With the way food prices have been increasing, maybe dry milk is something you should start considering to use in recipes. If you can find a box on sale, you'll probably end up spending way less per cup on the dry milk than you would on the gallon of liquid milk per cup usage.
I have recently started using dry milk in my baking. There is virtually no taste difference, and it lets me save the expensive liquid milk for drinking with meals and with cereals.
I bought a cheap box of Meijer Dry Milk to use in recipes. I think I paid $4 for the box. I have used it in 5 different recipes that call for 1/2 cup or more of milk, and I still have more than half the box of dry milk left! I'd say that we made out pretty good with it.
When I mix it up, I've been mixing for a quart of milk at a time. You can mix up 8 fl oz, if you want, but I figured if I'm baking a few things at a time, I might as well just mix up a quart and keep it in the fridge. It's good for a few days (I think the box says to use with 10 days of mixing with water; the most I've gone is 2 days.).
The measurements on my box say to mix 1 1/3 cups dry milk with 3 3/4 cups COLD water. I emphasize COLD water because the directions on the box did, too. :) I have been mixing it in a container with a lid and spout, so I can just shake it up together then open the spout and pour it into measuring cups for the recipes.
I cannot taste any difference in the foods once they're baked. I even used the dry milk mixture in 2 casseroles and we didn't notice a difference in taste for those either.
We are not quite brave enough to drink the dry milk mixture. I think I'll let us stick with our expensive liquid milk for now!
With the way food prices have been increasing, maybe dry milk is something you should start considering to use in recipes. If you can find a box on sale, you'll probably end up spending way less per cup on the dry milk than you would on the gallon of liquid milk per cup usage.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
House Help: Daily Duties
Last Thursday, I wrote about creating lists for each person in the house for tasks that need to be completed each day/week.
Today, I am going to go over the daily items or tasks that I have listed for myself to do. These are things I strive to do every single day, regardless of scheduling or additional assigned items. When I miss doing these tasks, I really feel off. They help me maintain a routine around here, which is absolutely necessary with 3 1/2 little ones running around. :)
On my daily to do's, I have listed:
-Shower
-Dress/Makeup
-Make Beds
-Quick clean upstairs bathroom
-Empty dishwasher
-Quick clean downstairs bathroom
-Blog (ok, so this is a fun one for me, but chores can be fun, right? lol)
-15 minute tidy up (this happens around 5:30 or 5:45 right before my husband gets home)
-Run dishwasher
These are in addition to the obvious To Do's of breakfast, lunch, dinner, meal cleanup, and naps. I figured those would be understood as items we have every day. :)
As I explained last week, I am pretty particular about having clean bathrooms. My girls touch EVERYTHING, and I shudder at the thought of them touching dirty bathroom things. Ew! As for the other items, I do them because it helps us stay on top of things around here.
If I don't run the dishwasher before bed at night and empty it before breakfast in the morning, we are usually scrambling for a certain dish or utensil or cup, only to find it dirty and sitting in the washer. But, when we stay on top of running and emptying it, getting breakfast on the table in time for us all to sit down together is sooo much easier!
Making beds actually burns calories. I forget how many, though. I just know that doing it right when we get up actually helps us get some motivation to start our day. Same with showering, dressing, and doing makeup right away. I feel motivated to get my list done if I'm dressed with makeup on. And then when we need to leave the house later, I don't have to go back and put on makeup or find an outfit. It's already done. :)
So, my advice would be to think of the items that you would like to see done every day, that will help you stay on top of the clutter or dirty dishes or schedules. The littlest things, done daily, can help reduce stress when trying to get out the door for school or work or appointments.
My husband and I have a pretty nice routine in the morning and (if we stay on track) for the evening:
4:45/5:00 - he's up and out the door for his marathon training (running, swimming, whatever)
5:45 - i'm up and in the shower, getting dressed, doing makeup and making our bed; Arthur's back and starting the coffeemaker and pouring the girls' drinks for breakfast
6:00 - Arthur showers, while I start breakfast (I usually cook breakfast, so it takes a little while; some days we do cold cereals for a break)
6:15ish - Iris and Lily are up and SUPPOSED to be getting dressed...we struggle with that transition often. :)
6:30 - Arthur, Iris, Lily and I sit down to eat (Addy has been sleeping in lately, so we let her)
6:45/7:00 - breakfast cleanup, Arthur brushes teeth with the girls, i pack his lunch (usually leftovers, great time saver!)
7:00/7:10 - Arthur leaves for work; girls get cartoons; Addy wakes up and eats; I clean bathrooms
7:30 - Addy is dressed, and I finish breakfast cleanup
7:45 - I sit to blog, girls do whatever - read, play, or homework (if any); I pull out anything frozen we'll need for dinner
8:25 - we start to get ready to leave for school (Tues, Wed, Thurs) - everyone potties, jackets, bookbags, shoes, load in car
8:40 - leave for school
9:00 to 11:30 - school for girls, errands or housework for Addy and I
12:00 - lunch for the girls (planned out ahead of time, makes for easier service!)
12:30 - lunch cleanup
12:45 - potty and naps for the girls, I sit down to eat, blog, read/watch news, email, etc.
2:30/3:00 - girls are all up from naps usually; craft, movie, books, whatever we decide to do that day
4:30 - dinner prep
5:30/5:45 - 15 minute tidy up - girls have to pick up all toys and books in living room and their room and sit to relax until Arthur gets home (helps relax the hyper-ness they have!)
6:00ish - we sit to eat all together
6:30/6:45 - dinner cleanup for me, girls and Dad play together. :)
7:15(lately) - pajama time, teeth brushing, baths (every other day), kid devotions, bed for girls
9:30 - start dishwasher; bed for Arthur and I
_____________________________________________________________
In addition to the routine daily items, I do have certain tasks designated for each day. I wrote them in last week's post, but here they are again:
Monday - Laundry
Tuesday - Groceries, Garbage collection
Wednesday - Garbage day (out to curb), Change all beds' sheets
Thursday - Dust, Vacuum, Windows
Friday - Wipe down appliances (stove, microwave, dishwasher front, washer/dryer fronts and doors), kitchen and Bathroom floors
These tasks take longer than the little everyday items, so I try not to combine any of these on the same day or I start to feel overwhelmed. :) Plus, with my big pregnant belly, if I get behind and have to make them up on other days I am SUPER tired by the afternoon. So, having them divided up on different days really helps maintain my stress levels!
So, these are my routines and my schedules. Anyone want to share theirs?
Today, I am going to go over the daily items or tasks that I have listed for myself to do. These are things I strive to do every single day, regardless of scheduling or additional assigned items. When I miss doing these tasks, I really feel off. They help me maintain a routine around here, which is absolutely necessary with 3 1/2 little ones running around. :)
On my daily to do's, I have listed:
-Shower
-Dress/Makeup
-Make Beds
-Quick clean upstairs bathroom
-Empty dishwasher
-Quick clean downstairs bathroom
-Blog (ok, so this is a fun one for me, but chores can be fun, right? lol)
-15 minute tidy up (this happens around 5:30 or 5:45 right before my husband gets home)
-Run dishwasher
These are in addition to the obvious To Do's of breakfast, lunch, dinner, meal cleanup, and naps. I figured those would be understood as items we have every day. :)
As I explained last week, I am pretty particular about having clean bathrooms. My girls touch EVERYTHING, and I shudder at the thought of them touching dirty bathroom things. Ew! As for the other items, I do them because it helps us stay on top of things around here.
If I don't run the dishwasher before bed at night and empty it before breakfast in the morning, we are usually scrambling for a certain dish or utensil or cup, only to find it dirty and sitting in the washer. But, when we stay on top of running and emptying it, getting breakfast on the table in time for us all to sit down together is sooo much easier!
Making beds actually burns calories. I forget how many, though. I just know that doing it right when we get up actually helps us get some motivation to start our day. Same with showering, dressing, and doing makeup right away. I feel motivated to get my list done if I'm dressed with makeup on. And then when we need to leave the house later, I don't have to go back and put on makeup or find an outfit. It's already done. :)
So, my advice would be to think of the items that you would like to see done every day, that will help you stay on top of the clutter or dirty dishes or schedules. The littlest things, done daily, can help reduce stress when trying to get out the door for school or work or appointments.
My husband and I have a pretty nice routine in the morning and (if we stay on track) for the evening:
4:45/5:00 - he's up and out the door for his marathon training (running, swimming, whatever)
5:45 - i'm up and in the shower, getting dressed, doing makeup and making our bed; Arthur's back and starting the coffeemaker and pouring the girls' drinks for breakfast
6:00 - Arthur showers, while I start breakfast (I usually cook breakfast, so it takes a little while; some days we do cold cereals for a break)
6:15ish - Iris and Lily are up and SUPPOSED to be getting dressed...we struggle with that transition often. :)
6:30 - Arthur, Iris, Lily and I sit down to eat (Addy has been sleeping in lately, so we let her)
6:45/7:00 - breakfast cleanup, Arthur brushes teeth with the girls, i pack his lunch (usually leftovers, great time saver!)
7:00/7:10 - Arthur leaves for work; girls get cartoons; Addy wakes up and eats; I clean bathrooms
7:30 - Addy is dressed, and I finish breakfast cleanup
7:45 - I sit to blog, girls do whatever - read, play, or homework (if any); I pull out anything frozen we'll need for dinner
8:25 - we start to get ready to leave for school (Tues, Wed, Thurs) - everyone potties, jackets, bookbags, shoes, load in car
8:40 - leave for school
9:00 to 11:30 - school for girls, errands or housework for Addy and I
12:00 - lunch for the girls (planned out ahead of time, makes for easier service!)
12:30 - lunch cleanup
12:45 - potty and naps for the girls, I sit down to eat, blog, read/watch news, email, etc.
2:30/3:00 - girls are all up from naps usually; craft, movie, books, whatever we decide to do that day
4:30 - dinner prep
5:30/5:45 - 15 minute tidy up - girls have to pick up all toys and books in living room and their room and sit to relax until Arthur gets home (helps relax the hyper-ness they have!)
6:00ish - we sit to eat all together
6:30/6:45 - dinner cleanup for me, girls and Dad play together. :)
7:15(lately) - pajama time, teeth brushing, baths (every other day), kid devotions, bed for girls
9:30 - start dishwasher; bed for Arthur and I
_____________________________________________________________
In addition to the routine daily items, I do have certain tasks designated for each day. I wrote them in last week's post, but here they are again:
Monday - Laundry
Tuesday - Groceries, Garbage collection
Wednesday - Garbage day (out to curb), Change all beds' sheets
Thursday - Dust, Vacuum, Windows
Friday - Wipe down appliances (stove, microwave, dishwasher front, washer/dryer fronts and doors), kitchen and Bathroom floors
These tasks take longer than the little everyday items, so I try not to combine any of these on the same day or I start to feel overwhelmed. :) Plus, with my big pregnant belly, if I get behind and have to make them up on other days I am SUPER tired by the afternoon. So, having them divided up on different days really helps maintain my stress levels!
So, these are my routines and my schedules. Anyone want to share theirs?
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Motherhood Mania: Paint
I really dislike messes. Really. I don't know why I have such a hard time letting go to just have fun when we do crafts, but I do.
Today, I let the girls use paint and stamps to make some pictures for their Dad. Then they stopped with the stamps and just took paintbrushes and "scribbled" all over their papers. Paint was everywhere, and I felt like I was going to explode! :)
It actually wasn't all over, but I felt like it was. It is all washable, so it came off the table, placemats, and hands very easily. No harm done. I just didn't enjoy the time during painting. Guess I'll need to get used to mess, since we'll be homeschooling. I have all kinds of crafts and projects listed, and I don't imagine it'll be spotless while we work on them!
Regardless, the girls had fun. It was for them, so I was ok to grin and bear it and let them enjoy the fun. Iris even told me I was the best mother ever, while she was washing her hands afterward. I asked if she still thought so when she gets in trouble.
She said, "Yes. And even when you're old, I'll still love you."
:)
Today, I let the girls use paint and stamps to make some pictures for their Dad. Then they stopped with the stamps and just took paintbrushes and "scribbled" all over their papers. Paint was everywhere, and I felt like I was going to explode! :)
It actually wasn't all over, but I felt like it was. It is all washable, so it came off the table, placemats, and hands very easily. No harm done. I just didn't enjoy the time during painting. Guess I'll need to get used to mess, since we'll be homeschooling. I have all kinds of crafts and projects listed, and I don't imagine it'll be spotless while we work on them!
Regardless, the girls had fun. It was for them, so I was ok to grin and bear it and let them enjoy the fun. Iris even told me I was the best mother ever, while she was washing her hands afterward. I asked if she still thought so when she gets in trouble.
She said, "Yes. And even when you're old, I'll still love you."
:)
Rejoicing in Recipes: Cheeseburger Meatloaf
I usually don't post recipes before I've tried them, but this one seemed pretty good, with no surprise flavors. We're having it for dinner tonight.
A few changes I made:
I'm using 1.4 lbs of ground beef because that's the size I had frozen. :) I am using BBQ sauce instead of chili sauce because I don't really like chili sauce, and I have several bottles of BBQ sauce on hand.
I am serving this with corn on the cob and zucchini. I am very excited to have the vegetables! I love spring and summer, when great tasting corn and zucchini are available!
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup uncooked regular oats
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. minced onion
1 large egg
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 dry mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup chili sauce (or bbq sauce)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl; stir just until blended. Shape mixture into a loaf, and place in an ungreased 8×4-inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Pour chili sauce over meat loaf, and bake 15-30 more minutes or until meat is no longer pink in center. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and cut into 8 slices.
A few changes I made:
I'm using 1.4 lbs of ground beef because that's the size I had frozen. :) I am using BBQ sauce instead of chili sauce because I don't really like chili sauce, and I have several bottles of BBQ sauce on hand.
I am serving this with corn on the cob and zucchini. I am very excited to have the vegetables! I love spring and summer, when great tasting corn and zucchini are available!
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup uncooked regular oats
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. minced onion
1 large egg
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 dry mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup chili sauce (or bbq sauce)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl; stir just until blended. Shape mixture into a loaf, and place in an ungreased 8×4-inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Pour chili sauce over meat loaf, and bake 15-30 more minutes or until meat is no longer pink in center. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and cut into 8 slices.
Pleasantries of Pregnancy: 37 Weeks
I had my 37 week appointment this morning. I wasn't expecting much, but I am excited to report I am now 75% effaced and 1 cm dilated! I know - nothing HUGE, but this is where I was with Addy right before I went into labor with her, so it's progress, right? :)
The doctor said the baby has definitely dropped more and she said there was definite progress from last week's visit.
I go back on Monday, so we'll see if anything happens before then. :) Trying not to get my hopes up and just enjoy being pregnant for these last few weeks of it!
The doctor said the baby has definitely dropped more and she said there was definite progress from last week's visit.
I go back on Monday, so we'll see if anything happens before then. :) Trying not to get my hopes up and just enjoy being pregnant for these last few weeks of it!
Favorite Food Deal of the Week: Meijer Tomatoes!
My most favorite deal this week comes from Meijer.
They have their Meijer Naturals canned diced tomatoes on sale for $.69 each. Currently, if you buy 5 Naturals products you receive a $3 store CAT at checkout. I bought 5, paid $3.45 for the cans and received a $3 store CAT (off a future Naturals purchase). So, essentially I paid $.45 for 5 cans of tomatoes! That's $.09 a can! We use canned diced tomatoes often in dishes and casseroles, so it was definitely worth fronting the $3.45 for them! Plus, this gives me $3 to apply next week toward another Naturals purchase at Meijer!
This deal runs through today, I believe. So, if you're wanting to take advantage you will need to get over to Meijer today. Sometimes their store CAT specials run a second week, but I don't believe this one does.
Happy shopping!
They have their Meijer Naturals canned diced tomatoes on sale for $.69 each. Currently, if you buy 5 Naturals products you receive a $3 store CAT at checkout. I bought 5, paid $3.45 for the cans and received a $3 store CAT (off a future Naturals purchase). So, essentially I paid $.45 for 5 cans of tomatoes! That's $.09 a can! We use canned diced tomatoes often in dishes and casseroles, so it was definitely worth fronting the $3.45 for them! Plus, this gives me $3 to apply next week toward another Naturals purchase at Meijer!
This deal runs through today, I believe. So, if you're wanting to take advantage you will need to get over to Meijer today. Sometimes their store CAT specials run a second week, but I don't believe this one does.
Happy shopping!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Rejoicing in Recipes: Crockpot Italian Chicken
I came across this "recipe" several weeks ago and am just now getting around to making and posting it. It is soooo simple. I picked up the dressing I needed at Meijer (part of their 10 for $10 sale! yay!), so we can make it tonight!
Crockpot Italian Chicken
5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I'm using the frozen breasts from Meijer, $4.99 for a 40 oz bag...not bad!)
1 bottle Italian dressing
Brown rice
Put the chicken in the crockpot. Pour the dressing over the top. Cook for 4-6 hours. Serve over brown rice.
I used a coupon for FREE Uncle Ben's Ready Rice today at Meijer as well as a $.75 off 1 Ready Rice, so we are using those 2 packages of Chicken Flavored Brown Rice for this meal tonight! See how easy I just made dinner? Chicken in the crockpot, ready rice just has to be microwaved, dinner will be a cinch tonight! I love taking it easy on Tuesday night dinners, especially since I rush around all morning do the grocery shopping!
Crockpot Italian Chicken
5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I'm using the frozen breasts from Meijer, $4.99 for a 40 oz bag...not bad!)
1 bottle Italian dressing
Brown rice
Put the chicken in the crockpot. Pour the dressing over the top. Cook for 4-6 hours. Serve over brown rice.
I used a coupon for FREE Uncle Ben's Ready Rice today at Meijer as well as a $.75 off 1 Ready Rice, so we are using those 2 packages of Chicken Flavored Brown Rice for this meal tonight! See how easy I just made dinner? Chicken in the crockpot, ready rice just has to be microwaved, dinner will be a cinch tonight! I love taking it easy on Tuesday night dinners, especially since I rush around all morning do the grocery shopping!
Menu Plan: May 17-23
Grocery shopping done!....almost. :) But, I have my list of meals for the week in my head, so I better get them down in a post now before I get busy and forget!
Breakfasts
Cold cereal, oranges
Scrambled eggs w/cheese, sausage, toast
Cinnamon Rolls, bananas
English muffins or bagels, strawberries
Pancakes, sausage, oranges
Smoothies (this is new for us - smoothies for breakfast. we'll see how it goes!)
Coffee Cake - new recipe. I'll post if we like it. :)
Lunch
Peanut butter and honey sandwiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
Leftovers
Ham and Cheese Rollups, strawberries, chips
Leftovers
Grilled Cheese, bananas, carrot sticks
Leftovers (yes, we eat a lot of leftovers.....and we like it!)
Hot dogs, strawberries, chips
Dinner
Brown Bag Burritos, Corn, Salad
Cheeseburger Meatloaf (another new recipe. will post if good), corn on the cob, zucchini
Crockpot Italian Chicken (new. posting later today), brown rice, green beans
Veggie Lasagna - Meatless Monday (another new one!), peas and carrots
Crockpot BBQ chicken, potatoes, salad
Hot Dogs, black beans and corn
Leftovers or out to eat
Hoping we stick to this list! I have everything on hand for these meals, so I am praying my motivation to plan ahead sticks around and I get the breakfasts completed as planned. :)
Breakfasts
Cold cereal, oranges
Scrambled eggs w/cheese, sausage, toast
Cinnamon Rolls, bananas
English muffins or bagels, strawberries
Pancakes, sausage, oranges
Smoothies (this is new for us - smoothies for breakfast. we'll see how it goes!)
Coffee Cake - new recipe. I'll post if we like it. :)
Lunch
Peanut butter and honey sandwiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
Leftovers
Ham and Cheese Rollups, strawberries, chips
Leftovers
Grilled Cheese, bananas, carrot sticks
Leftovers (yes, we eat a lot of leftovers.....and we like it!)
Hot dogs, strawberries, chips
Dinner
Brown Bag Burritos, Corn, Salad
Cheeseburger Meatloaf (another new recipe. will post if good), corn on the cob, zucchini
Crockpot Italian Chicken (new. posting later today), brown rice, green beans
Veggie Lasagna - Meatless Monday (another new one!), peas and carrots
Crockpot BBQ chicken, potatoes, salad
Hot Dogs, black beans and corn
Leftovers or out to eat
Hoping we stick to this list! I have everything on hand for these meals, so I am praying my motivation to plan ahead sticks around and I get the breakfasts completed as planned. :)
Lessons in Love: Happy Face
"A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:13 NLT
Iris and Lily have been asking me constantly, "Mom, are you happy?" I thought it was cute and funny at first, but they are asking me several times a day now; I'm beginning to worry slightly. I tell them "yes", but they follow up with "but you don't LOOK happy".
I admit, I'm not a smiley person. Never have been. My mom even tells me that I didn't smile much as a baby and toddler. Apparently, when I was born we lived far from my parents' families, and my mom wasn't particularly happy all the time and didn't smile a lot. I guess I picked up on that and didn't smile often as a child.
Even in high school, while I was a cheerleader, I did not smile often. I can remember being reminded constantly to smile by our coaches. Guess they expect the cheerleaders to appear happy to be there! ;)
Fast forward to now, I'm a mom to 3 very observant children. I know I'm not smiling 24/7, but I thought I at least gave the impression that I was happy. I guess not. This is starting to bother me because of the number of times I'm being asked now if I'm happy.
I don't want my girls to think I'm unhappy being here with them or that they don't bring a smile to my face. How do I smile more, though? It's not like I'm aware I DON'T smile. How can I remind myself to smile more? As if I don't have enough things to remember during the day.....now I have to remember to smile?! :)
My girls are very social, very smiley (for the most part), and I'm pretty sure both of those are because of their father. :) I am not very outgoing or overly cheerful looking. Arthur, on the other hand, walks up to strangers to chat and smiles at everyone everywhere.
This verse makes sense, though....."a glad heart makes a happy face..." I have a glad heart, so I guess the point of the verse is to remind us that if we're happy in our hearts, we should be displaying happiness on our faces. If I'm teaching my kids to be joyful and happy with Jesus in our hearts, how are they going to believe what I'm saying if I look like a sourpuss all the time?
The challenge for me this week, then, is to show my happiness on my face. I can be as glad as I possibly can, in my heart, but I need to be expressing it on my face. Who would want to know more about Jesus if they see my sober face 24/7? That doesn't seem very appealing!
"Yes, please tell me more about this Jesus that gives you such a crabby look." LOL.
The world has enough things going on to make us all crabby looking or angry or just sour. The only thing I can think of to make me feel joyous all day every day is the love of Jesus. Why not show it?!
Iris and Lily have been asking me constantly, "Mom, are you happy?" I thought it was cute and funny at first, but they are asking me several times a day now; I'm beginning to worry slightly. I tell them "yes", but they follow up with "but you don't LOOK happy".
I admit, I'm not a smiley person. Never have been. My mom even tells me that I didn't smile much as a baby and toddler. Apparently, when I was born we lived far from my parents' families, and my mom wasn't particularly happy all the time and didn't smile a lot. I guess I picked up on that and didn't smile often as a child.
Even in high school, while I was a cheerleader, I did not smile often. I can remember being reminded constantly to smile by our coaches. Guess they expect the cheerleaders to appear happy to be there! ;)
Fast forward to now, I'm a mom to 3 very observant children. I know I'm not smiling 24/7, but I thought I at least gave the impression that I was happy. I guess not. This is starting to bother me because of the number of times I'm being asked now if I'm happy.
I don't want my girls to think I'm unhappy being here with them or that they don't bring a smile to my face. How do I smile more, though? It's not like I'm aware I DON'T smile. How can I remind myself to smile more? As if I don't have enough things to remember during the day.....now I have to remember to smile?! :)
My girls are very social, very smiley (for the most part), and I'm pretty sure both of those are because of their father. :) I am not very outgoing or overly cheerful looking. Arthur, on the other hand, walks up to strangers to chat and smiles at everyone everywhere.
This verse makes sense, though....."a glad heart makes a happy face..." I have a glad heart, so I guess the point of the verse is to remind us that if we're happy in our hearts, we should be displaying happiness on our faces. If I'm teaching my kids to be joyful and happy with Jesus in our hearts, how are they going to believe what I'm saying if I look like a sourpuss all the time?
The challenge for me this week, then, is to show my happiness on my face. I can be as glad as I possibly can, in my heart, but I need to be expressing it on my face. Who would want to know more about Jesus if they see my sober face 24/7? That doesn't seem very appealing!
"Yes, please tell me more about this Jesus that gives you such a crabby look." LOL.
The world has enough things going on to make us all crabby looking or angry or just sour. The only thing I can think of to make me feel joyous all day every day is the love of Jesus. Why not show it?!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Rejoicing in Recipes: Green Rice Casserole, Take 2
I know I've already posted the recipe for Green Rice Casserole (courtesy of Money Saving Mom), but we're having it again tonight. Since I don't have a new recipe to post for today, you can click on the links in my previous sentence to see copies of this recipe.
Tonight, though, I have all the ingredients it calls for, so this will be our first taste of the ACTUAL recipe as it's written. The chiles smelled so good when I opened them, and I hope they make the dish taste just as good!
We're having salad as our side. Nothing big, pretty low key tonight. It's a nice break from the normal 4 dish meal. :)
Tonight, though, I have all the ingredients it calls for, so this will be our first taste of the ACTUAL recipe as it's written. The chiles smelled so good when I opened them, and I hope they make the dish taste just as good!
We're having salad as our side. Nothing big, pretty low key tonight. It's a nice break from the normal 4 dish meal. :)
Pleasantries of Pregnancy: Patience
I am running out of patience. Yes, I'm only 37 weeks 2 days, but I am seriously READY for this baby to arrive. Ok, once I finish laundry today I will be ready. :) I keep saying that...."I finished __________, now I'm ready."
But, this week I am really ready. I am exhausted, sore, irritable, impatient, and READY!
Had a couple contractions earlier today but they didn't continue. Saturday morning I had a lot of painful ones, but they never got closer together in timing, so I gave up focusing on them and they eventually went away. Boo!
Arthur works late tonight, so I guess it's not the ideal time for baby to arrive, but I'd be ok with it. :)
But, this week I am really ready. I am exhausted, sore, irritable, impatient, and READY!
Had a couple contractions earlier today but they didn't continue. Saturday morning I had a lot of painful ones, but they never got closer together in timing, so I gave up focusing on them and they eventually went away. Boo!
Arthur works late tonight, so I guess it's not the ideal time for baby to arrive, but I'd be ok with it. :)
Free eBook: Craving God
Currently, the ebook Craving God by Lysa TerKeurst is available for Kindle at Amazon for FREE! :)
You don't have to have a Kindle to order and read this book. There is an application, Kindle for PC, that you can download and read ebooks on your computer. That is what I do, since I do not have a kindle. This application is also free.
I downloaded this ebook a while back when it was free, but I have not yet had a chance to start it. Lysa is on K-Love, and since I LOVE k-love I figured I'd love her book as well. :)
Enjoy!
You don't have to have a Kindle to order and read this book. There is an application, Kindle for PC, that you can download and read ebooks on your computer. That is what I do, since I do not have a kindle. This application is also free.
I downloaded this ebook a while back when it was free, but I have not yet had a chance to start it. Lysa is on K-Love, and since I LOVE k-love I figured I'd love her book as well. :)
Enjoy!
FREE McDonald's Frozen Lemonade
Check your Sunday paper Parade insert. I believe all of Chicagoland received a coupon in the Parade insert for a FREE Frozen Lemonade from McDonald's!
And...because we get 3 papers here, I have 3 FREE coupons!! Yay! I've never tried their frozen lemonade, so hopefully it will be delicious!
And...because we get 3 papers here, I have 3 FREE coupons!! Yay! I've never tried their frozen lemonade, so hopefully it will be delicious!
Basic Kitchen: Slice, Dice, Julienne
Continuing with week #2 of our Basic Kitchen series...
Last Monday I explained about Boiling Water and the proper way to do it, as well as tips for boiling water effectively if you have an electric stove. We also went over the how-to for boiling pasta and rice.
This week, I thought we'd take a look at the preparation of foods before cooking them. For instance, cutting techniques. Recipes often state "chopped" or "diced" or even "julienne", but how many of us actually know exactly what each cut looks like? How do we know if we're performing it right? And....do we even care??
I know a lot of us are trying to move around quickly in the kitchen, to beat the clock and get the meal on the table before Husband gets home or before the kids are screaming they're hungry. Some of us plan our meals but do not prep ahead of time (or don't have the TIME to prep ahead). Some plan and prep every detail of the meal ahead of time. And still some are rummaging through the pantry and fridge at 5:30, to have dinner ready by 6:00! Whichever type of cook you are, I think it's important to know HOW to read the recipe's instructions for the planned out meals as well as the planned-in-5-minute meals.
Chefs take pride in the PRESENTATION of their dishes, not just in the taste. They also know that different cuts are appealing in different ways for different dishes, as well as UNIFORM cuts allowing uniform cooking.
Big chunks of vegetables cooking with tiny pieces of vegetables are not going to all cook at the same rate. The smaller pieces will either be overcooked (or burned!) before the big ones cook, OR the big chunks will be undercooked when the small ones are ready. If we take the time to learn to uniformly cut our pieces, we will actually help ourselves cook better-tasting meals!
So, before I get to rambling about putting thought and effort into our dishes, here's a list of some of the cuts I have come across in recipes:
(NOTE: Some of these I've only seen once or twice, while others I see in practically every recipe I use. So, don't think I use crazy difficult French recipes every day, when you see some of the more obscure types of cut!)
Dice (large, medium, and small)
Julienne (and Fine Julienne)
Batonnet
Allumette
Brunoise (and Fine Brunoise)
Now, I will go over what I know of each type of cut and the measurements I have found that make each one different.
DICE
The exact measurements are as follows:
Large Dice - 3/4 inch x3/4 inch x 3/4 inch
Medium Dice - 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch
Small Dice - 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch
I know we aren't all going to get a ruler to measure our cuts every time we are dicing, but it might be a good idea to do it the next time you're dicing something, just to get an idea of each size...so you can do it the next time. After a few times of practice, we can probably just eyeball the measurement and become pretty good with making each one uniform.
JULIENNE
I have only attempted this cut twice. It was mostly because I had just seen that movie Julie and Julia, and I felt inspired to master cooking. :) I didn't do very well, and I really haven't taken the time to practice. I do hope to try again, though, and get it down.
The measurements for a proper julienne cut are 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 2 1/2 inches. HERE is a photo of a julienne cut.
I love the look of this cut for carrots. I don't know why, it's just cute. :)
Fine Julienne measures 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 2 inches. That seems very difficult to do, and I have not yet come across that cut in a recipe yet. I would be nervous of chopping my fingers off to get 1/16 inch cut.
BATONNET
I have not yet tried this one or read it in any of my recipes, but I would love to be able to point out "I did a batonnet cut on those potatoes" some day. :) Yes, that's dorky. It just seems pretty cool to a)KNOW that type of cut and b)MAKE that type of cut....properly. :)
The batonnet cut measures 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 2 1/2-3 inches. And it is pronounced bah-tow-NAY.
ALLUMETTE
This cut is also know as the "matchstick cut." It measures 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 2 1/2 inches and is pronounced al-yoo-MET.
I tried this cut once, as far as I can remember. It turned out alright. Again, another cut I think it'd be cool to say I know and can do. :)
BRUNOISE
Pronounced BROON-wahz, this cut measures 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch. Yes, it's tiny! I haven't attempted this yet, nor have I read it in my recipes.
I was googling "brunoise" to see what types of food you might perform this cut on, and I found it's used for fine salsas. I read it is best used on onion, tomato, celery, carrot and turnip. To perform this cut, it's recommended that you julienne the item first, then make the cuts for the brunoise. There is also a Fine Brunoise that measures 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch. Yikes! I would definitely lose fingertips making that one!
Interesting, but I don't know when specifically I'd use it. Just something to practice...you know, in the spare time we all have to sit and make different cuts of foods. :)
So, no matter what type of cut your recipe calls for, we can know exactly what it's referring to and how to make it. And be sure to use safety when cutting anything! Have proper control of your knife and hold your food item with your fingertips turned in, to avoid any unnecessary ER visits!
Oh, and before I go, I found this step-by-step for how to chop an onion that I found pretty interesting. It's different than what I've seen on the cooking shows. Enjoy!
Last Monday I explained about Boiling Water and the proper way to do it, as well as tips for boiling water effectively if you have an electric stove. We also went over the how-to for boiling pasta and rice.
This week, I thought we'd take a look at the preparation of foods before cooking them. For instance, cutting techniques. Recipes often state "chopped" or "diced" or even "julienne", but how many of us actually know exactly what each cut looks like? How do we know if we're performing it right? And....do we even care??
I know a lot of us are trying to move around quickly in the kitchen, to beat the clock and get the meal on the table before Husband gets home or before the kids are screaming they're hungry. Some of us plan our meals but do not prep ahead of time (or don't have the TIME to prep ahead). Some plan and prep every detail of the meal ahead of time. And still some are rummaging through the pantry and fridge at 5:30, to have dinner ready by 6:00! Whichever type of cook you are, I think it's important to know HOW to read the recipe's instructions for the planned out meals as well as the planned-in-5-minute meals.
Chefs take pride in the PRESENTATION of their dishes, not just in the taste. They also know that different cuts are appealing in different ways for different dishes, as well as UNIFORM cuts allowing uniform cooking.
Big chunks of vegetables cooking with tiny pieces of vegetables are not going to all cook at the same rate. The smaller pieces will either be overcooked (or burned!) before the big ones cook, OR the big chunks will be undercooked when the small ones are ready. If we take the time to learn to uniformly cut our pieces, we will actually help ourselves cook better-tasting meals!
So, before I get to rambling about putting thought and effort into our dishes, here's a list of some of the cuts I have come across in recipes:
(NOTE: Some of these I've only seen once or twice, while others I see in practically every recipe I use. So, don't think I use crazy difficult French recipes every day, when you see some of the more obscure types of cut!)
Dice (large, medium, and small)
Julienne (and Fine Julienne)
Batonnet
Allumette
Brunoise (and Fine Brunoise)
Now, I will go over what I know of each type of cut and the measurements I have found that make each one different.
DICE
The exact measurements are as follows:
Large Dice - 3/4 inch x3/4 inch x 3/4 inch
Medium Dice - 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch
Small Dice - 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch
I know we aren't all going to get a ruler to measure our cuts every time we are dicing, but it might be a good idea to do it the next time you're dicing something, just to get an idea of each size...so you can do it the next time. After a few times of practice, we can probably just eyeball the measurement and become pretty good with making each one uniform.
JULIENNE
I have only attempted this cut twice. It was mostly because I had just seen that movie Julie and Julia, and I felt inspired to master cooking. :) I didn't do very well, and I really haven't taken the time to practice. I do hope to try again, though, and get it down.
The measurements for a proper julienne cut are 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 2 1/2 inches. HERE is a photo of a julienne cut.
I love the look of this cut for carrots. I don't know why, it's just cute. :)
Fine Julienne measures 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 2 inches. That seems very difficult to do, and I have not yet come across that cut in a recipe yet. I would be nervous of chopping my fingers off to get 1/16 inch cut.
BATONNET
I have not yet tried this one or read it in any of my recipes, but I would love to be able to point out "I did a batonnet cut on those potatoes" some day. :) Yes, that's dorky. It just seems pretty cool to a)KNOW that type of cut and b)MAKE that type of cut....properly. :)
The batonnet cut measures 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 2 1/2-3 inches. And it is pronounced bah-tow-NAY.
ALLUMETTE
This cut is also know as the "matchstick cut." It measures 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 2 1/2 inches and is pronounced al-yoo-MET.
I tried this cut once, as far as I can remember. It turned out alright. Again, another cut I think it'd be cool to say I know and can do. :)
BRUNOISE
Pronounced BROON-wahz, this cut measures 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch. Yes, it's tiny! I haven't attempted this yet, nor have I read it in my recipes.
I was googling "brunoise" to see what types of food you might perform this cut on, and I found it's used for fine salsas. I read it is best used on onion, tomato, celery, carrot and turnip. To perform this cut, it's recommended that you julienne the item first, then make the cuts for the brunoise. There is also a Fine Brunoise that measures 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch. Yikes! I would definitely lose fingertips making that one!
Interesting, but I don't know when specifically I'd use it. Just something to practice...you know, in the spare time we all have to sit and make different cuts of foods. :)
So, no matter what type of cut your recipe calls for, we can know exactly what it's referring to and how to make it. And be sure to use safety when cutting anything! Have proper control of your knife and hold your food item with your fingertips turned in, to avoid any unnecessary ER visits!
Oh, and before I go, I found this step-by-step for how to chop an onion that I found pretty interesting. It's different than what I've seen on the cooking shows. Enjoy!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Half-Priced Starbucks! Last Day is Tomorrow, 5/15!
Starbucks is having 1/2 price Frappuccino drinks from 3-5 pm. Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to take advantage of this!
I am a big Starbucks fan...except for the fact that it costs a lot to get a drink there. And if I have the kids with me, forget it....I go bankrupt. :) BUT, this half price offer sounds delicious....so take advantage!
Happy Saturday!
I am a big Starbucks fan...except for the fact that it costs a lot to get a drink there. And if I have the kids with me, forget it....I go bankrupt. :) BUT, this half price offer sounds delicious....so take advantage!
Happy Saturday!
Plesantries of Pregnancy: 37 Weeks
Almost there! Last night I woke up a few times with painful contractions. I was too sleepy to time them, and I ended up falling asleep again shortly after they stopped. :)
This morning, as soon as I stood up my stomach/abdomen felt very sore. I assume it was from the contractions or the position I slept in or something.
My stomach is a little upset this morning also. I think it's because now I'm worried that I'll go into labor today, and Arthur will be on a funeral for work. Because of my quick labors, I'm worried he wouldn't make it in time! I know that's unlikely, but I'm a worrier about that kind of thing. My sister-in-law Jackie will be around today, though, so I do have her if I go into labor. Plus, church people will be around today (there's a cleaning day at church), so for a last resort I could call over there for help.
For now, I'm just trying to relax. My stomach is crampy because I'm so sensitive when it comes to worrying or being nervous - my stomach is the first to react. Trying not to think about it for now. I really should just get a shower in and do that little things on my To Do list for today. Maybe if I ignore it, I'll feel better. And if I do go into labor today, I'm really hoping it's after 3 pm so Arthur will be available and it would be after the birthday party for Iris' and Lily's friend. :)
Of course, there's no planning these things though, right? :)
This morning, as soon as I stood up my stomach/abdomen felt very sore. I assume it was from the contractions or the position I slept in or something.
My stomach is a little upset this morning also. I think it's because now I'm worried that I'll go into labor today, and Arthur will be on a funeral for work. Because of my quick labors, I'm worried he wouldn't make it in time! I know that's unlikely, but I'm a worrier about that kind of thing. My sister-in-law Jackie will be around today, though, so I do have her if I go into labor. Plus, church people will be around today (there's a cleaning day at church), so for a last resort I could call over there for help.
For now, I'm just trying to relax. My stomach is crampy because I'm so sensitive when it comes to worrying or being nervous - my stomach is the first to react. Trying not to think about it for now. I really should just get a shower in and do that little things on my To Do list for today. Maybe if I ignore it, I'll feel better. And if I do go into labor today, I'm really hoping it's after 3 pm so Arthur will be available and it would be after the birthday party for Iris' and Lily's friend. :)
Of course, there's no planning these things though, right? :)
Rejoicing in Recipes: Garden Salad with Chicken Strips
Last night was a pretty boring dinner night. :) I had thawed some boneless, skinless chicken breasts for dinner, thinking I'd make a casserole. My husband said he wasn't really in the mood for a casserole (of course! lol), so we decided on big salads for everyone with chicken pieces on top. It sounded really delicious.
I just cut the chicken into thin strips and seasoned with Goya's Adobo seasoning and some black pepper. I heated up Extra Light-Tasting Olive Oil in a large pan and cooked the chicken on Med-Low, covered, until they were cooked through.
For the salad, we just chopped up lettuce and did small bowls of toppings, so it was sort of like a build-your-own salad. We had shredded carrot, diced tomato, radish slivers, and shredded cheese. I was hoping to have some cucumber, but the last piece I had was soft and mushy, so I didn't try to slice that up.
We each put whatever we wanted on top; the girls chose to have their chicken on the side and just ate it by itself. I also made some white rice and a white sauce/gravy to go on it. I wasn't sure if the salads would be filling enough for everyone.
It went over well and we had just enough lettuce and sides for me to throw together for Arthur's lunch today. Plenty of rice and sauce for everyone to have a little for lunch today, also.
I like doing salads in the Spring and Summer because they don't require cooking (or very little, if you do chicken on top) and they are so healthy. I wish I'd had some spinach or romaine to throw in with the lettuce, but I didn't exactly have these salads planned out ahead of time, so we worked with what we had. :)
I just cut the chicken into thin strips and seasoned with Goya's Adobo seasoning and some black pepper. I heated up Extra Light-Tasting Olive Oil in a large pan and cooked the chicken on Med-Low, covered, until they were cooked through.
For the salad, we just chopped up lettuce and did small bowls of toppings, so it was sort of like a build-your-own salad. We had shredded carrot, diced tomato, radish slivers, and shredded cheese. I was hoping to have some cucumber, but the last piece I had was soft and mushy, so I didn't try to slice that up.
We each put whatever we wanted on top; the girls chose to have their chicken on the side and just ate it by itself. I also made some white rice and a white sauce/gravy to go on it. I wasn't sure if the salads would be filling enough for everyone.
It went over well and we had just enough lettuce and sides for me to throw together for Arthur's lunch today. Plenty of rice and sauce for everyone to have a little for lunch today, also.
I like doing salads in the Spring and Summer because they don't require cooking (or very little, if you do chicken on top) and they are so healthy. I wish I'd had some spinach or romaine to throw in with the lettuce, but I didn't exactly have these salads planned out ahead of time, so we worked with what we had. :)
Friday, May 13, 2011
FYI: Blogger Issue
So, if Blogger hasn't corrected this yet, you'll notice the 2 posts prior to this one are from Tuesday and today. Apparently, Blogger had some issues and everything from Wednesday and Thursday was deleted. I put up several posts on those 2 days, so I am REALLY hoping they get them back on here soon. The Blogger Buzz info said they are slowly reposting everyone's stuff, but I don't know how long it will take. If they don't, I will see about reposting my own....if I can remember what I even wrote! :)
Kitchen Tip of the Week: Bread and Cookies
I don't know how many people are aware of this "secret". I learned it from a girlfriend when I was in high school, but other than my friend I had not heard of anyone else doing this.
When you have homemade cookies or brownies in a container and they've gotten a bit dry and hard, throw a slice of soft bread in with them and reseal the container. Let it sit for a few hours and voila!...your cookies or brownies will be soft again. The bread will eventually dry out and get hard and crumbly, but the cookies should remain soft for a few extra days.
This is a great way to extend the life of your homemade goodies. We have some snackers around here that don't always close the cookie container all the way, so my cookies dry out sooner than I'd like. I just throw in a slice of bread, and we can keep the cookies soft for a few more days.
Anyone else have a tip they use to extend the softness of cookies? I know if we microwave a cookie for about 10 seconds, they soften up for a few minutes but it doesn't last very long.
Oh, and if you and your family don't use the heel of the bread very often, this is a good way to NOT waste that slice of bread. :)
When you have homemade cookies or brownies in a container and they've gotten a bit dry and hard, throw a slice of soft bread in with them and reseal the container. Let it sit for a few hours and voila!...your cookies or brownies will be soft again. The bread will eventually dry out and get hard and crumbly, but the cookies should remain soft for a few extra days.
This is a great way to extend the life of your homemade goodies. We have some snackers around here that don't always close the cookie container all the way, so my cookies dry out sooner than I'd like. I just throw in a slice of bread, and we can keep the cookies soft for a few more days.
Anyone else have a tip they use to extend the softness of cookies? I know if we microwave a cookie for about 10 seconds, they soften up for a few minutes but it doesn't last very long.
Oh, and if you and your family don't use the heel of the bread very often, this is a good way to NOT waste that slice of bread. :)
Thursday, May 12, 2011
House Help: Creating Clean Habits
I absolutely LOVE having routines for housework. Designating days or people for certain tasks is what makes me feel secure. :) Yes, I'm slightly insane.
I have found that the best way to create a cleaning habit is to set a certain day, time or person for that task. For us, this is the ONLY way things get done.
This does take some time to become a habit, though, so assigning every task to a day and person doesn't just automatically make it all happen overnight. Writing it down, though, and posting it somewhere public in the house does help with making it happen sooner than later.
I was very good about chore charts for a while with the girls. The chart was posted at their eye level and we did well going over it every day and checking off the items they completed. Then we fell off the wagon and became lazy with marking the chart.
I make chore lists and daily to do lists for myself all the time. This I am very good at doing and completing regularly. So, here are my tips for getting a good cleaning schedule down:
1. Make a list of ALL the household chores/tasks that need to be completed each week. Don't worry about breaking it down into daily chores yet. Just make a giant list of everything that needs to get done - laundry, toilets, floors, windows, dishwasher filling/emptying, even coffee making. :)
2. List each person in the house that is physically capable of completing at least one of those chores. Leave plenty of blank space below each name to fill in their chores later.
3. Take your master list of chores and group them together, like with like. For example, toilets, bathroom floors, bathroom mirrors all go together because they're all in the same room. :) Changing sheets and laundry could be put together because they are similar. Or you could break down "changing sheets" to "parent bed sheets" and group it with "vacuuming parent bedroom". Whatever you think will make the most sense for you. Don't overthink it, though. You'll be here all day grouping things!
4. Decide which person can do which chores. My husband empties the clean dishes from the dishwasher first thing in the morning because he is the first one up and downstairs; this gives us all clean dishes for breakfast, so it just seemed natural that he be assigned that chore. Maybe the last one to take a shower in the morning could be responsible to tidy up the bathroom? Or the first one up could set the coffeemaker to start? Whatever flows easiest for everyone; don't have everyone go out of their way to do these things. You want it to be a natural reaction after a few weeks of doing it.
5. Break down each person's chores for each day of the week. Monday through Friday is the typical range of days for chores to be completed, with the weekend off. HOWEVER, if you have a different type of working schedule, maybe different days for chores and off days would work. Do what will work best for everyone's schedules.
6. Type up a cleaning chart for each person and post it somewhere in the house that each person will see it and be reminded each day - bedroom, fridge, bathroom mirror, wherever.
Here's my own personal chore list:
Monday - Laundry
Tuesday - Groceries, gather all garbage into kitchen can for garbage day(Wed.)
Wednesday - Change everyone's bed sheets
Thursday - dust and vacuum and clean windows
Friday - floors (kitchen and bathrooms), wipe down appliances
I am in the habit of cleaning the toilets, sinks and mirrors in both bathrooms DAILY. This is something I like to do because we have 5 people using the toilets every day, 2 little ones that use the bathroom on their own (and aren't necessarily the cleanest bathroom users!), and 1 that is potty training and holds onto any part of the toilet she can reach (ew!). Sooo, I have found that I feel less disgusted by it all if I wipe down the mirrors, sinks and toilets (and swish the toilet brush and some cleaner on the inside of the bowl) each morning. That's my personal feeling about bathrooms, though. Don't feel you need to adopt it. :)
Once you can write out everyone's chores, go over them all with each person. Be sure they know what supplies to use and how to complete the task. Be prepared to remind kids (and husbands!) for a while to complete their list, but don't feel obligated to complete any tasks that they don't. If you leave a sink dirty for long enough, it might just click that the person assigned to it really should do it because they are the one responsible for it. Trust me, kids are gross sometimes, but they will notice when things are stuck to the sink and will take action. :) Husbands might be a little more difficult....they might even complain about something being dirty, even if it's theirs to clean. I'm still working on molding mine! :)
I have found that the best way to create a cleaning habit is to set a certain day, time or person for that task. For us, this is the ONLY way things get done.
This does take some time to become a habit, though, so assigning every task to a day and person doesn't just automatically make it all happen overnight. Writing it down, though, and posting it somewhere public in the house does help with making it happen sooner than later.
I was very good about chore charts for a while with the girls. The chart was posted at their eye level and we did well going over it every day and checking off the items they completed. Then we fell off the wagon and became lazy with marking the chart.
I make chore lists and daily to do lists for myself all the time. This I am very good at doing and completing regularly. So, here are my tips for getting a good cleaning schedule down:
1. Make a list of ALL the household chores/tasks that need to be completed each week. Don't worry about breaking it down into daily chores yet. Just make a giant list of everything that needs to get done - laundry, toilets, floors, windows, dishwasher filling/emptying, even coffee making. :)
2. List each person in the house that is physically capable of completing at least one of those chores. Leave plenty of blank space below each name to fill in their chores later.
3. Take your master list of chores and group them together, like with like. For example, toilets, bathroom floors, bathroom mirrors all go together because they're all in the same room. :) Changing sheets and laundry could be put together because they are similar. Or you could break down "changing sheets" to "parent bed sheets" and group it with "vacuuming parent bedroom". Whatever you think will make the most sense for you. Don't overthink it, though. You'll be here all day grouping things!
4. Decide which person can do which chores. My husband empties the clean dishes from the dishwasher first thing in the morning because he is the first one up and downstairs; this gives us all clean dishes for breakfast, so it just seemed natural that he be assigned that chore. Maybe the last one to take a shower in the morning could be responsible to tidy up the bathroom? Or the first one up could set the coffeemaker to start? Whatever flows easiest for everyone; don't have everyone go out of their way to do these things. You want it to be a natural reaction after a few weeks of doing it.
5. Break down each person's chores for each day of the week. Monday through Friday is the typical range of days for chores to be completed, with the weekend off. HOWEVER, if you have a different type of working schedule, maybe different days for chores and off days would work. Do what will work best for everyone's schedules.
6. Type up a cleaning chart for each person and post it somewhere in the house that each person will see it and be reminded each day - bedroom, fridge, bathroom mirror, wherever.
Here's my own personal chore list:
Monday - Laundry
Tuesday - Groceries, gather all garbage into kitchen can for garbage day(Wed.)
Wednesday - Change everyone's bed sheets
Thursday - dust and vacuum and clean windows
Friday - floors (kitchen and bathrooms), wipe down appliances
I am in the habit of cleaning the toilets, sinks and mirrors in both bathrooms DAILY. This is something I like to do because we have 5 people using the toilets every day, 2 little ones that use the bathroom on their own (and aren't necessarily the cleanest bathroom users!), and 1 that is potty training and holds onto any part of the toilet she can reach (ew!). Sooo, I have found that I feel less disgusted by it all if I wipe down the mirrors, sinks and toilets (and swish the toilet brush and some cleaner on the inside of the bowl) each morning. That's my personal feeling about bathrooms, though. Don't feel you need to adopt it. :)
Once you can write out everyone's chores, go over them all with each person. Be sure they know what supplies to use and how to complete the task. Be prepared to remind kids (and husbands!) for a while to complete their list, but don't feel obligated to complete any tasks that they don't. If you leave a sink dirty for long enough, it might just click that the person assigned to it really should do it because they are the one responsible for it. Trust me, kids are gross sometimes, but they will notice when things are stuck to the sink and will take action. :) Husbands might be a little more difficult....they might even complain about something being dirty, even if it's theirs to clean. I'm still working on molding mine! :)
Weekly Lineup
After much thought and consideration, I have decided to lay out a daily topic to give some piece of information on. Of course, it all relates to food, cleaning or saving. :) Here is the daily topic/theme:
Monday - Basic Kitchen (a tip about basic cooking)
Tuesday - Menu Plan (since I grocery shop on Tuesdays, I will be able to give my menu plan for the week. this will also help me be more consistent with it!)
Wednesday - Fav Food Deal of the Week (shopping on Tuesday means I can post the following deal about my favorite deal I found)
Thursday - House Help (a tip about staying on top of the housework; this will be my own opinion about things I found that help us around here)
Friday - Kitchen Tip of the Week (pretty self-explanatory there. lol!)
It probably feels like I've been adding some new aspect to this blog daily for the past week, but these are things and topics I've been thinking about and writing notes to myself about for a while, so I figured why not add them now? I mean, I'm only having a baby in the next few weeks? What's more blog work for myself on top of that? :) Nothing like cramming in everything at once, right?! Haha.
Monday - Basic Kitchen (a tip about basic cooking)
Tuesday - Menu Plan (since I grocery shop on Tuesdays, I will be able to give my menu plan for the week. this will also help me be more consistent with it!)
Wednesday - Fav Food Deal of the Week (shopping on Tuesday means I can post the following deal about my favorite deal I found)
Thursday - House Help (a tip about staying on top of the housework; this will be my own opinion about things I found that help us around here)
Friday - Kitchen Tip of the Week (pretty self-explanatory there. lol!)
It probably feels like I've been adding some new aspect to this blog daily for the past week, but these are things and topics I've been thinking about and writing notes to myself about for a while, so I figured why not add them now? I mean, I'm only having a baby in the next few weeks? What's more blog work for myself on top of that? :) Nothing like cramming in everything at once, right?! Haha.
Rejoicing in Recipes: Easy Meatballs
It was too hot to really heat the stove or oven for dinner, so I waited until the last possible moment to make it last night. I ended up going with turkey meatballs, using a recipe I have in a book. So fast and easy. I wish I had made more of them, actually.
Easy Meatballs
1 lb meat (ground beef, ground turkey, whatever)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
Dried Parsley (no measurement here, but the book's measurement is 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley)
1 egg
2 tsp garlic powder
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil. Mix all ingredients together. Shape into balls (big or small or whatever size you'd like. I ended up with 15 medium sized) and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 or 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
I served this with a side of Birds Eye Steamfresh rice and veggie mix. (I love the Birds Eye Steamfresh packages, by the way. There are no additives or preservatives. It's just the veggies and rice listed in the "ingredients". And it's super fast to steam them in the microwave!) We also had green beans and a salad. The girls LOVE tomatoes on their salad, so we cut up some plum tomatoes to go on top. :) I love that they'll eat practically anything!
We've also had these meatballs with pasta before, and I made a white sauce to go over the meat and pasta both. That's also tasty. It was just too hot to make the pasta and sauce last night, and a side salad sounded much cooler.
Easy Meatballs
1 lb meat (ground beef, ground turkey, whatever)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
Dried Parsley (no measurement here, but the book's measurement is 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley)
1 egg
2 tsp garlic powder
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil. Mix all ingredients together. Shape into balls (big or small or whatever size you'd like. I ended up with 15 medium sized) and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 or 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
I served this with a side of Birds Eye Steamfresh rice and veggie mix. (I love the Birds Eye Steamfresh packages, by the way. There are no additives or preservatives. It's just the veggies and rice listed in the "ingredients". And it's super fast to steam them in the microwave!) We also had green beans and a salad. The girls LOVE tomatoes on their salad, so we cut up some plum tomatoes to go on top. :) I love that they'll eat practically anything!
We've also had these meatballs with pasta before, and I made a white sauce to go over the meat and pasta both. That's also tasty. It was just too hot to make the pasta and sauce last night, and a side salad sounded much cooler.
Motherhood Mania: Moving Up in the Car
Lily and her car seat graduated to the back row in the van, with Iris. Arthur put the baby's seat in the middle row next to Addy.
Yesterday was the first day that Iris and Lily rode together in the back. There was a little bickering and fighting over who got to hold what toy or who was teasing whom, but overall they did well.
This morning, on the way to preschool, they started singing the Little Einsteins song together. It was very cute; they were giggling and trying to remember the words and do motions, all at the same time. Addy, of course, tried to join in but couldn't see what motions they were doing.
I love when they all get along. With the crazy hot weather the past 3 days, it was nice not to have the aggravation of bickering children. :) I love my girls. I love when they show love to each other.
Yesterday was the first day that Iris and Lily rode together in the back. There was a little bickering and fighting over who got to hold what toy or who was teasing whom, but overall they did well.
This morning, on the way to preschool, they started singing the Little Einsteins song together. It was very cute; they were giggling and trying to remember the words and do motions, all at the same time. Addy, of course, tried to join in but couldn't see what motions they were doing.
I love when they all get along. With the crazy hot weather the past 3 days, it was nice not to have the aggravation of bickering children. :) I love my girls. I love when they show love to each other.
Lessons in Love: Apologizing
I started reading a free Kindle book, Don't Make Me Come Up There by Kristen Welch. It's a devotional book for moms, but I found myself reading chapter after chapter at once, like it was a regular book! :) It is funny and very encouraging. Makes me feel less ridiculous and alone as far as the mistakes moms make.
One of the chapters/days has to do with moms apologizing to kids. The author talks about having been grouchy and yelling and ends up apologizing to her kids. They don't seem to be phased by it until she says "I've sinned." They quickly forgive her.
I don't think I've ever said "I've sinned" to my girls. I've apologized to them (in a very fast way....almost too fast for them to realize I had erred and was trying to make it right because I didn't want them to really see my vulnerability..."mom is never wrong" is kind of the way I like for them to think), but I'm not even sure if I meant it or even made sure it sank in with them. I know when I'm wrong, and I expect them to learn when they are, but I know I need to be in the habit of expressing my shame and my desire to be forgiven...by God and also by them, if I've wronged one of them.
I have disciplined out of anger, no doubt. I might or might not have apologized for it. I know I should every time and that my discipline to them should be out of love and a desire to see them learn to be more loving. My desire, since reading that book and really recognizing my error, is to be more genuine and more consistent with my apologies to the girls. How can I expect them to understand when they've sinned, if I'm not willing to recognize when I do and work to correct it?
One of the chapters/days has to do with moms apologizing to kids. The author talks about having been grouchy and yelling and ends up apologizing to her kids. They don't seem to be phased by it until she says "I've sinned." They quickly forgive her.
I don't think I've ever said "I've sinned" to my girls. I've apologized to them (in a very fast way....almost too fast for them to realize I had erred and was trying to make it right because I didn't want them to really see my vulnerability..."mom is never wrong" is kind of the way I like for them to think), but I'm not even sure if I meant it or even made sure it sank in with them. I know when I'm wrong, and I expect them to learn when they are, but I know I need to be in the habit of expressing my shame and my desire to be forgiven...by God and also by them, if I've wronged one of them.
I have disciplined out of anger, no doubt. I might or might not have apologized for it. I know I should every time and that my discipline to them should be out of love and a desire to see them learn to be more loving. My desire, since reading that book and really recognizing my error, is to be more genuine and more consistent with my apologies to the girls. How can I expect them to understand when they've sinned, if I'm not willing to recognize when I do and work to correct it?
Pleasantries of Pregnancy: I Wish...
...that the 2 painful contractions that woke me up last night had actually progressed into labor. :)
Nothing new to report here. I got overly excited about the 2 painful contractions last night that I feel pretty let down this morning! Oh well. I'll just work on lots of walking and lifting today. :)
Nothing new to report here. I got overly excited about the 2 painful contractions last night that I feel pretty let down this morning! Oh well. I'll just work on lots of walking and lifting today. :)
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Rejoicing in Recipes: Skillet Rice with Veggies
I have posted on here about Skillet Spanish Rice with Ground Beef, but last night I changed up the recipe a bit for Meatless Monday. Turned out very good!
Skillet Rice with Veggies
3 slices bacon
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tsp dried garlic
1 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
3/4 cup long grain white rice
1 can (undrained) diced tomatoes - 14.5 oz
Shredded cheese
Cook bacon to crispy. Remove and place on paper towels. Leave bacon grease in pan and cook onion and pepper until almost mushy (I used frozen chopped onion and pepper, so it cooks down to mush, which is good for us.). Add garlic powder and cook for 1 minute more. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine and cover rice with liquid. Bring to boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until rice is cooked. Let stand, covered, removed from heat for 5 minutes. Crumble bacon pieces and sprinkle over skillet dish. Top with cheese.
The girls and I really like the bbq-esque flavor of this dish. It's slightly spicy, but not too much. We all ate a lot of it. Arthur didn't care for it, but I think it's because he saw the chunks of tomatoes and zucchini....he's very much turned off by texture in his food, so it can be difficult to make things he likes. :)
We had this with green beans. I figured there were a lot of veggies already in the dish, so we didn't do any big sides with it.
Enjoy!
Skillet Rice with Veggies
3 slices bacon
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tsp dried garlic
1 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
3/4 cup long grain white rice
1 can (undrained) diced tomatoes - 14.5 oz
Shredded cheese
Cook bacon to crispy. Remove and place on paper towels. Leave bacon grease in pan and cook onion and pepper until almost mushy (I used frozen chopped onion and pepper, so it cooks down to mush, which is good for us.). Add garlic powder and cook for 1 minute more. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine and cover rice with liquid. Bring to boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until rice is cooked. Let stand, covered, removed from heat for 5 minutes. Crumble bacon pieces and sprinkle over skillet dish. Top with cheese.
The girls and I really like the bbq-esque flavor of this dish. It's slightly spicy, but not too much. We all ate a lot of it. Arthur didn't care for it, but I think it's because he saw the chunks of tomatoes and zucchini....he's very much turned off by texture in his food, so it can be difficult to make things he likes. :)
We had this with green beans. I figured there were a lot of veggies already in the dish, so we didn't do any big sides with it.
Enjoy!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Welcome to the Kitchen
Yes, I'm starting ANOTHER series. I figured if I'm giving a kitchen tip every Friday, I might as well give some cooking help or instruction too. Keep in mind, I am NOT a chef and have had no formal training. The information in this series is strictly my unskilled, uncertified cooking assistance. :) I have read and read and read about cooking, online and in books, so I feel like I can get around in any kitchen and have the know-how for a lot of basic techniques. If anyone disagrees with my posts or has anything to add, please feel free! I am always interested in learning more!
Today, the first thing I'll post is about boiling water. Yes, everyone can do it, but how many people actually do it right? Sounds strange, but there are certain techniques to boiling water properly for the particular type of dish you're making.
To start, here are the basic instructions:
First, get a pot. Unless you're boiling several quarts of water, you do not need your largest pot. Having a tall pot with just a few inches of water in the bottom actually slows down your boiling process. So, get a pot that will hold the amount of water you need plus a few more inches at the top. You basically want room for the water, any height from bubbles, plus the addition (and expansion!) of whatever food you are going to boil. Having too small a pot with water to the top is just as bad an idea as having a huge pot with a tiny bit of water. A small pot will more than likely overflow once you put your food in.
Second, use COLD water from the tap. Hot water from the tap is not a good idea. Water sits in the pipes in between use, so warming it up in those nasty pipes only adds bacteria to your pot of water. Using cold water and then heating it on the stove helps keep the bacteria (or at least lessens the amount of bacteria) out of the water your food absorbs.
Next, heat your water. I typically set my temperature to Medium-High. We have an electric stove, so setting it on High just makes it take forever to decrease in temperature later.....which tends to cause more boiling over the side of the pan because the water can't cool down fast enough. I love, love, love gas stoves because you can instantly change the temperature, but we aren't able to have a gas stove at this time. :( So, make do with what you have and keep in mind the slow change in temp for the electric stoves.
Lastly, watch to see when the water is actually boiling. People sometimes assume that when you see the little bubbles on the bottom and sides of the pot the water is boiling. Not so. The water must be rumbling with big bubbles that come to the surface and pop. This is a "rolling boil", often mentioned in recipes.
Now that we can boil water, here are a few things I've learned about different dishes requiring boiled water:
For pastas, add salt to the water after it's in a rolling boil. The order for pasta cooking is : boil water, salt, pasta....in that order. Adding salt before the rolling boil will only delay the boiling. Salt raises the boiling point of water, so it will take more heat and time to bring the salted water to a boil. Hot, boiling water also dissolves salt better than cool or cold water. You might end up with salt pieces or chunks if you put it in the water while still cool. The purpose of the salt in pasta water is to help enhance the pastas natural flavor, not to actually season anything.
For rice dishes, combine the water, rice and oil/butter in the pot BEFORE heating. Rice will cook as the water comes to a boil and then continue to cook as the boiled water is brought to a simmer and maintained for a period of time. (A special note for electric stoves and cooking rice: It is actually best to use TWO burners to make rice on an electric stove. Use one burner to bring the water/rice/butter mix to a boil. Meanwhile, set a second burner to simmer and just transfer the pot over to the 2nd burner when it's time to bring down the temp and simmer the dish. This helps avoid keeping the rice boiling while the electric temp slowly lowers the temperature; the slow lowering of the temp can make the rice stick together after cooking or overcook it. I promise it really does help!)
When boiling potatoes, always be sure to start with cold water. Not lukewarm, not hot, but COLD. This gives the potatoes a chance to cook evenly and you don't end up with some mushy, some firm potatoes in the end.
For veggies, steaming is the best method to cook them, but boiling is a good way as well (even though you do lose nutrients in the boiling process). Start veggies in the water before bringing to a boil....unless you're blanching them. That's another technique for another day, though. :)
In conclusion, the act of boiling water may seem very simple, but these are some steps to follow in order to make the best dish you can. Impress your family or dinner guests with perfectly cooked foods by following these tips!
Now, go boil some water! :)
Today, the first thing I'll post is about boiling water. Yes, everyone can do it, but how many people actually do it right? Sounds strange, but there are certain techniques to boiling water properly for the particular type of dish you're making.
To start, here are the basic instructions:
First, get a pot. Unless you're boiling several quarts of water, you do not need your largest pot. Having a tall pot with just a few inches of water in the bottom actually slows down your boiling process. So, get a pot that will hold the amount of water you need plus a few more inches at the top. You basically want room for the water, any height from bubbles, plus the addition (and expansion!) of whatever food you are going to boil. Having too small a pot with water to the top is just as bad an idea as having a huge pot with a tiny bit of water. A small pot will more than likely overflow once you put your food in.
Second, use COLD water from the tap. Hot water from the tap is not a good idea. Water sits in the pipes in between use, so warming it up in those nasty pipes only adds bacteria to your pot of water. Using cold water and then heating it on the stove helps keep the bacteria (or at least lessens the amount of bacteria) out of the water your food absorbs.
Next, heat your water. I typically set my temperature to Medium-High. We have an electric stove, so setting it on High just makes it take forever to decrease in temperature later.....which tends to cause more boiling over the side of the pan because the water can't cool down fast enough. I love, love, love gas stoves because you can instantly change the temperature, but we aren't able to have a gas stove at this time. :( So, make do with what you have and keep in mind the slow change in temp for the electric stoves.
Lastly, watch to see when the water is actually boiling. People sometimes assume that when you see the little bubbles on the bottom and sides of the pot the water is boiling. Not so. The water must be rumbling with big bubbles that come to the surface and pop. This is a "rolling boil", often mentioned in recipes.
Now that we can boil water, here are a few things I've learned about different dishes requiring boiled water:
For pastas, add salt to the water after it's in a rolling boil. The order for pasta cooking is : boil water, salt, pasta....in that order. Adding salt before the rolling boil will only delay the boiling. Salt raises the boiling point of water, so it will take more heat and time to bring the salted water to a boil. Hot, boiling water also dissolves salt better than cool or cold water. You might end up with salt pieces or chunks if you put it in the water while still cool. The purpose of the salt in pasta water is to help enhance the pastas natural flavor, not to actually season anything.
For rice dishes, combine the water, rice and oil/butter in the pot BEFORE heating. Rice will cook as the water comes to a boil and then continue to cook as the boiled water is brought to a simmer and maintained for a period of time. (A special note for electric stoves and cooking rice: It is actually best to use TWO burners to make rice on an electric stove. Use one burner to bring the water/rice/butter mix to a boil. Meanwhile, set a second burner to simmer and just transfer the pot over to the 2nd burner when it's time to bring down the temp and simmer the dish. This helps avoid keeping the rice boiling while the electric temp slowly lowers the temperature; the slow lowering of the temp can make the rice stick together after cooking or overcook it. I promise it really does help!)
When boiling potatoes, always be sure to start with cold water. Not lukewarm, not hot, but COLD. This gives the potatoes a chance to cook evenly and you don't end up with some mushy, some firm potatoes in the end.
For veggies, steaming is the best method to cook them, but boiling is a good way as well (even though you do lose nutrients in the boiling process). Start veggies in the water before bringing to a boil....unless you're blanching them. That's another technique for another day, though. :)
In conclusion, the act of boiling water may seem very simple, but these are some steps to follow in order to make the best dish you can. Impress your family or dinner guests with perfectly cooked foods by following these tips!
Now, go boil some water! :)
Update on Baby
So, nothing exciting from the doctor's appointment. :( I am 50% effaced, which isn't bad, but I'm not dilated at all. She did say baby is head down and low, so that is great....except that it means more bathroom use until he comes. :)
His heart rate was 142. He was pretty inactive while I was there, which was surprising. My blood pressure was still nice and low - 110/62. BUT, I did gain 6 pounds in the last 2 weeks! I could NOT believe it! :) I'm at 149! That's the most I've ever weighed during a pregnancy, I believe. Hoping he comes soon before I gain any more. LOL
His heart rate was 142. He was pretty inactive while I was there, which was surprising. My blood pressure was still nice and low - 110/62. BUT, I did gain 6 pounds in the last 2 weeks! I could NOT believe it! :) I'm at 149! That's the most I've ever weighed during a pregnancy, I believe. Hoping he comes soon before I gain any more. LOL
Rejoicing in Recipes: Easy Beef Stroganoff
Friday night I had a taste for Beef Stroganoff. I couldn't find my recipe for it, so I googled and found this variation of it. Worked out well for us, since I had all the ingredients on hand. And I ended up browning extra beef to freeze and keep on hand for a quick meal of beef stroganoff after baby arrives (yes, ANOTHER make ahead freezer meal. lol).
Easy Beef Stroganoff
1 lb ground beef ( I used a combo of ground turkey and ground beef)
1 cup water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 TBSP dried chopped onion
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
Pepper, to taste
8 oz noodles
Brown meat. Drain. Add water, bouillon, onion, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and soup. Stir to completely combine. Simmer 10 minutes. Add in sour cream and season with pepper. Warm through and serves over noodles (or rice).
I served it over egg noodles. We had sides of corn on the cob (I know, weird combo, but I had a taste for this, too!) and carrot sticks and green beans. Very easy and tasty. If you'll notice, there's no salt listed in the ingredients. Between the soup and the Worcestershire, it was salty enough. I wouldn't recommend seasoning with any...it might taste way too salty.
Easy Beef Stroganoff
1 lb ground beef ( I used a combo of ground turkey and ground beef)
1 cup water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 TBSP dried chopped onion
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
Pepper, to taste
8 oz noodles
Brown meat. Drain. Add water, bouillon, onion, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and soup. Stir to completely combine. Simmer 10 minutes. Add in sour cream and season with pepper. Warm through and serves over noodles (or rice).
I served it over egg noodles. We had sides of corn on the cob (I know, weird combo, but I had a taste for this, too!) and carrot sticks and green beans. Very easy and tasty. If you'll notice, there's no salt listed in the ingredients. Between the soup and the Worcestershire, it was salty enough. I wouldn't recommend seasoning with any...it might taste way too salty.
Motherhood Mania: Mother's Day
I had a spectacular Mother's Day yesterday! The girls and Arthur both had cards for me. The girls' card was super cute. Arthur's card played a SuperMom song when it was opened. Very funny and cute. :)
We went to church; Arthur played in the worship band and I did announcements. Iris made me a card in Sunday School. I LOVE homemade gifts from them. :)
After church we ate a light lunch and put the girls down. Then, after naps, we went for an early dinner at our favorite restaurant here in town and ate out on the patio! We took a short walk after dinner downtown and then rented a movie to watch together as a family last night. It was a full and fun day. Everybody always asks if we're going out to eat for Mother's or Father's Day, but we like to eat at home normally because it's so crowded everywhere. It worked out to go out for dinner, though, because there was pretty much no one there and we ate outside and had our favorite waitress. :)
I love my family very much, and I'm so thankful we could spend the entire day together - in church and at home. :)
We went to church; Arthur played in the worship band and I did announcements. Iris made me a card in Sunday School. I LOVE homemade gifts from them. :)
After church we ate a light lunch and put the girls down. Then, after naps, we went for an early dinner at our favorite restaurant here in town and ate out on the patio! We took a short walk after dinner downtown and then rented a movie to watch together as a family last night. It was a full and fun day. Everybody always asks if we're going out to eat for Mother's or Father's Day, but we like to eat at home normally because it's so crowded everywhere. It worked out to go out for dinner, though, because there was pretty much no one there and we ate outside and had our favorite waitress. :)
I love my family very much, and I'm so thankful we could spend the entire day together - in church and at home. :)
Pleasantries of Pregnancy: 36 weeks!!!
I am finally at 36 weeks! So exciting! Today is my checkup, so hopefully they'll say I'm starting to dilate and baby will come in the next week or two. :)
Saturday I had plans to go to brunch with 3 of my friends. When I arrived, I walked in to a surprise baby shower! My family from Indiana was there, as well as Arthur's family and our friends! It was so nice. After such a crazy week mentally, I was so happy to be with friends and family to celebrate Baby Artie! :)
I received tons of clothes for him, all the sizes I hadn't even bought yet! It was so great. I also received a lot of receiving blankets and bedding and toys and socks for him.....everything I needed!
My girlfriends did a fantastic job with the table decorations, and both my mom and Arthur's mom took care of renting the place to have the shower. It was so sweet of them to do this for us. It was a huge answer to prayer, as far as the things we had needed or wanted to get the baby. :)
Needless to say, it was an awesome brunch! I was so happy my side of the family was able to drive up and be there. My mom, aunt, Grandma, 2 sisters-in-law, cousin, and my baby sister were all there. It wasn't ALL of my side (as you know, there are many extensions of the Ballah's in Indiana. lol), but it was nice that at least some of them were there. It was a great day, and I am working on washing the blankets this week so they can all be ready for Artie to come home to.
I had a lot of contractions yesterday, and I was secretly (or not so secretly, because I think I told about 5 people!) hoping to have him yesterday - that would've been the best mother's day present ever. :) But, even though he didn't arrive, I'm excited to go to my appointment today to see if I've gained any weight and if I'm even dilated at all. With all the hoping and wishing to have this baby, I will more than likely not be dilated at all. LOL. Oh well. At least, then, I can enjoy the nice weather we're going to have for part of this week!
Saturday I had plans to go to brunch with 3 of my friends. When I arrived, I walked in to a surprise baby shower! My family from Indiana was there, as well as Arthur's family and our friends! It was so nice. After such a crazy week mentally, I was so happy to be with friends and family to celebrate Baby Artie! :)
I received tons of clothes for him, all the sizes I hadn't even bought yet! It was so great. I also received a lot of receiving blankets and bedding and toys and socks for him.....everything I needed!
My girlfriends did a fantastic job with the table decorations, and both my mom and Arthur's mom took care of renting the place to have the shower. It was so sweet of them to do this for us. It was a huge answer to prayer, as far as the things we had needed or wanted to get the baby. :)
Needless to say, it was an awesome brunch! I was so happy my side of the family was able to drive up and be there. My mom, aunt, Grandma, 2 sisters-in-law, cousin, and my baby sister were all there. It wasn't ALL of my side (as you know, there are many extensions of the Ballah's in Indiana. lol), but it was nice that at least some of them were there. It was a great day, and I am working on washing the blankets this week so they can all be ready for Artie to come home to.
I had a lot of contractions yesterday, and I was secretly (or not so secretly, because I think I told about 5 people!) hoping to have him yesterday - that would've been the best mother's day present ever. :) But, even though he didn't arrive, I'm excited to go to my appointment today to see if I've gained any weight and if I'm even dilated at all. With all the hoping and wishing to have this baby, I will more than likely not be dilated at all. LOL. Oh well. At least, then, I can enjoy the nice weather we're going to have for part of this week!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Kitchen Tip of the Week
I don't know about you all, but I am starting to get a little bored with just posting my normal 4 categories. I'd like to branch out and do more reviews (like the BookSneeze reviews I do or, most recently, the website review) and posts on other things I have some knowledge of. I know I am not certified to post on anything impressive :), but I have a little bit of kitchen knowledge that I think would be fun to share.
Each week, probably on Friday, I will post a kitchen tip or trick that I have learned. More than likely these tips will be something I learned from my mother, but they may also be from other women, whose blogs I follow, or things I've read in books. I have acquired so many good ideas and tips over the past year that I'd love to share them!
This week's tip is about freezing milk. Yes, it can be done. No, it isn't gross. :)
When I was younger, we had 10 people living in our home at one point. I have 7 siblings. My mother had us drink milk every evening with supper. There were no other choices, we were only served milk.
So, with 9 people drinking milk (my baby sister wasn't old enough to have regular food yet), purchasing milk became quite an expense. I noticed that my mom was buying 4 or 5 gallons at a time, but I did not ever see more than 2 in the fridge at once. I found out she was freezing them! I'm sure she found the milk at a great price and stocked up, so we could drink for less.
As a mother of 3 little ones and one on the way, I am sure to push the habit of drinking milk regularly. BUT with 5 of us drinking milk and with baking frequently, we go through at least 2 gallons of milk each week. I have noticed milk prices are on the rise yet again, and catching it at $1.99/gallon is becoming a rarity, unfortunately. We recently bought a freezer, and I plan to buy several gallons at its cheapest price and freeze what we won't be consuming within a week.
How do you do this? You can place the milk jug in the freezer. No need to put it in another container or wrap it in any way. The only tip is that the jug will need about 1.5" at the top for the milk's expansion when it freezes. Just open it up and pour a little out, replace the cap and throw it into the freezer.
As far as how long you can freeze it, I've heard a range of time. Four to six weeks is the common time frame I've heard or read, but I did just read recently about someone freezing milk for up to 3 months. I have not personally tried 3 months (and I don't believe my mom has either), so to be safe, I would stick with the 4-6 weeks.
To consume the milk, leave it out at room temperature for a day or two or defrost in the fridge for a few days. Shake it up well before drinking, as it may separate. This doesn't make it bad, but it will probably taste very watery if you don't shake it up first. The color may change slightly, to a yellowish color. Again, it has not gone bad....that's just the reaction from it being frozen. And because I have been drinking at least a glass of milk a day for the past 20 plus years, I can tell the difference in taste between milk from the fridge and milk from the freezer. It is not a bad difference, but there is a slight difference in taste. So, if you drink it often, don't be surprised if the taste is not exactly the same.
The best types of milk to freeze are skim or low-fat.
Tthe next time you see milk at $1.99/gallon, grab a few and freeze them. When the weeks go by without a milk sale, you will still be able enjoy your milk and cookies. :)
Each week, probably on Friday, I will post a kitchen tip or trick that I have learned. More than likely these tips will be something I learned from my mother, but they may also be from other women, whose blogs I follow, or things I've read in books. I have acquired so many good ideas and tips over the past year that I'd love to share them!
This week's tip is about freezing milk. Yes, it can be done. No, it isn't gross. :)
When I was younger, we had 10 people living in our home at one point. I have 7 siblings. My mother had us drink milk every evening with supper. There were no other choices, we were only served milk.
So, with 9 people drinking milk (my baby sister wasn't old enough to have regular food yet), purchasing milk became quite an expense. I noticed that my mom was buying 4 or 5 gallons at a time, but I did not ever see more than 2 in the fridge at once. I found out she was freezing them! I'm sure she found the milk at a great price and stocked up, so we could drink for less.
As a mother of 3 little ones and one on the way, I am sure to push the habit of drinking milk regularly. BUT with 5 of us drinking milk and with baking frequently, we go through at least 2 gallons of milk each week. I have noticed milk prices are on the rise yet again, and catching it at $1.99/gallon is becoming a rarity, unfortunately. We recently bought a freezer, and I plan to buy several gallons at its cheapest price and freeze what we won't be consuming within a week.
How do you do this? You can place the milk jug in the freezer. No need to put it in another container or wrap it in any way. The only tip is that the jug will need about 1.5" at the top for the milk's expansion when it freezes. Just open it up and pour a little out, replace the cap and throw it into the freezer.
As far as how long you can freeze it, I've heard a range of time. Four to six weeks is the common time frame I've heard or read, but I did just read recently about someone freezing milk for up to 3 months. I have not personally tried 3 months (and I don't believe my mom has either), so to be safe, I would stick with the 4-6 weeks.
To consume the milk, leave it out at room temperature for a day or two or defrost in the fridge for a few days. Shake it up well before drinking, as it may separate. This doesn't make it bad, but it will probably taste very watery if you don't shake it up first. The color may change slightly, to a yellowish color. Again, it has not gone bad....that's just the reaction from it being frozen. And because I have been drinking at least a glass of milk a day for the past 20 plus years, I can tell the difference in taste between milk from the fridge and milk from the freezer. It is not a bad difference, but there is a slight difference in taste. So, if you drink it often, don't be surprised if the taste is not exactly the same.
The best types of milk to freeze are skim or low-fat.
Tthe next time you see milk at $1.99/gallon, grab a few and freeze them. When the weeks go by without a milk sale, you will still be able enjoy your milk and cookies. :)
Thursday, May 5, 2011
CouponChief.com Site Review
Since we all know I enjoy saving money when I shop, I am excited to share a review of Coupon Chief - a website that has online coupon codes for practically anything!
With over 250,000 visitors a month, Coupon Chief is a leader in the online coupon field. They have over 50,000 coupons available for over 15,000 stores!
One of the first things I noticed was Coupon Chief's listing of only CURRENT coupon codes. I have found on other sites for coupon codes that they do not remove expired codes, they just mark them "expired" or "not valid". This causes us to have to scroll through all the codes to find current or valid ones to use. At Coupon Chief, they post only current and valid codes. How do they do this? Two ways:
1 - User contribution. You can sign up to contribute online codes through their Pays-2-Share program. When you register a new code and other customers use it, you get 2% back on the purchases! You can even get 2% back on purchases YOU make with YOUR code! How great is that?!
2 - Customer Rating. They allow customers to rate the code, so they are certain they have only valid coupons. Customers can comment, rate and validate codes.
Another highlight I found is that Coupon Chief is very well organized. They have participating stores listed by name that you can search or you can search the list of popular tags on their homepage to find a category of the product you're looking for.
Also, if you are an online store owner, you can also join their network of stores to increase your exposure...for FREE! They indicate that if you sign up your online store you can:
"* Grow your visibility with improved placement throughout CouponChief.com.
* Manage which coupons/promotions are displayed.
* Best of all, it's 100% FREE!"
The only negative thing I have to say is about their widget. This is questionably negative on their part, though, because I'm not sure if it was their html code or my lack of computer skills, but I could not get the widget to appear on my blog. It kept coming up as an empty box/gadget. Again, this could be me...and honestly, if that's the only negative thing I found on their site, I'm ok with that. :) I do plan to include their widget on here once I figure it out.
Overall, Coupon Chief is head and shoulders above the other online code websites I've used. They maintain an organized appearance with only the latest codes, as well as offer an easy and sophisticated way to browse or search for the coupon you need! With the additional perks of Pays-2-Share and allowing you to add your online store, you can't go wrong!
Follow them on Facebook and Twitter! And be sure to sign up for their newsletter and savings alerts, so you can always have the latest codes and the best deals!!
With over 250,000 visitors a month, Coupon Chief is a leader in the online coupon field. They have over 50,000 coupons available for over 15,000 stores!
One of the first things I noticed was Coupon Chief's listing of only CURRENT coupon codes. I have found on other sites for coupon codes that they do not remove expired codes, they just mark them "expired" or "not valid". This causes us to have to scroll through all the codes to find current or valid ones to use. At Coupon Chief, they post only current and valid codes. How do they do this? Two ways:
1 - User contribution. You can sign up to contribute online codes through their Pays-2-Share program. When you register a new code and other customers use it, you get 2% back on the purchases! You can even get 2% back on purchases YOU make with YOUR code! How great is that?!
2 - Customer Rating. They allow customers to rate the code, so they are certain they have only valid coupons. Customers can comment, rate and validate codes.
Another highlight I found is that Coupon Chief is very well organized. They have participating stores listed by name that you can search or you can search the list of popular tags on their homepage to find a category of the product you're looking for.
Also, if you are an online store owner, you can also join their network of stores to increase your exposure...for FREE! They indicate that if you sign up your online store you can:
"* Grow your visibility with improved placement throughout CouponChief.com.
* Manage which coupons/promotions are displayed.
* Best of all, it's 100% FREE!"
The only negative thing I have to say is about their widget. This is questionably negative on their part, though, because I'm not sure if it was their html code or my lack of computer skills, but I could not get the widget to appear on my blog. It kept coming up as an empty box/gadget. Again, this could be me...and honestly, if that's the only negative thing I found on their site, I'm ok with that. :) I do plan to include their widget on here once I figure it out.
Overall, Coupon Chief is head and shoulders above the other online code websites I've used. They maintain an organized appearance with only the latest codes, as well as offer an easy and sophisticated way to browse or search for the coupon you need! With the additional perks of Pays-2-Share and allowing you to add your online store, you can't go wrong!
Follow them on Facebook and Twitter! And be sure to sign up for their newsletter and savings alerts, so you can always have the latest codes and the best deals!!
Pleasantries of Pregnancy: Pains
I am so achy. I overdid it with the freezer meals yesterday, for sure. I had plans to keep cooking and freezing today, but I've decided I need the day off to rest. My feet were so swollen last night and my hands are so drying from washing them a bazillion times while cooking.
Regardless, I am 2 days away from 36 weeks! :) Baby's movements have slowed a little; perhaps he is moving into his head down position? I am hoping so. I feel like kicks or punches on the sides of my lower abdomen, so I am thinking maybe he's head down and punching me. :) I've also had some pelvic pressure the past few days, which I know comes around toward the end of the pregnancy. Not sure that means he's coming any time soon, but it gives me hope that the time is nearing!
Overall, nothing new to report. Not sleeping well. Using the bathroom a lot. Contractions slightly painful, but nothing consistent. I'm getting grouchier and more impatient with EVERYTHING - people, cars, life. :) My dog is especially annoying to me lately. He likes to sleep by me, but lately he's been lying on top of the covers at night, so I feel pinned in bed. I can't get him to move and lifting him hurts my stomach muscles. I end up yelling at him and he gets scared and jumps off the bed. I feel a little bad that I've yelled but I'm so stinkin' tired that I feel better knowing I can get comfortable. He's probably hoping this baby comes soon, too, so I can go back to my normal self. :)
Regardless, I am 2 days away from 36 weeks! :) Baby's movements have slowed a little; perhaps he is moving into his head down position? I am hoping so. I feel like kicks or punches on the sides of my lower abdomen, so I am thinking maybe he's head down and punching me. :) I've also had some pelvic pressure the past few days, which I know comes around toward the end of the pregnancy. Not sure that means he's coming any time soon, but it gives me hope that the time is nearing!
Overall, nothing new to report. Not sleeping well. Using the bathroom a lot. Contractions slightly painful, but nothing consistent. I'm getting grouchier and more impatient with EVERYTHING - people, cars, life. :) My dog is especially annoying to me lately. He likes to sleep by me, but lately he's been lying on top of the covers at night, so I feel pinned in bed. I can't get him to move and lifting him hurts my stomach muscles. I end up yelling at him and he gets scared and jumps off the bed. I feel a little bad that I've yelled but I'm so stinkin' tired that I feel better knowing I can get comfortable. He's probably hoping this baby comes soon, too, so I can go back to my normal self. :)
Rejoicing in Recipes: Chicken Bake
Last night, I decided to double up on a casserole and make one for dinner and freeze the other. You know, the whole "kill 2 birds with 1 stone" thing. :)
I had a recipe for Chicken Bake from America's Cheapest Family that I saved but hadn't tried yet. It's an easy one, with most ingredients being on hand almost all the time here.
Chicken Bake (for just one casserole....double if you want to freeze one)
12 tortillas, each cut into 8 pieces (strips or little triangles)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 3/4 cup milk (i used dry/powder milk, since liquid milk has NOT been on sale lately. no difference in taste once it's in the casserole.)
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese ( i used a little Monterey Jack in the mix, too)
Butter 9x13 pan (if you're doubling the recipe, you can do 2-9x13's or 3 - 8x8's). Combine soups and milk. Add in chicken, onion, salsa and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Layer tortillas in pan/dish then top with a layer or soup mixture. Continue layering, making tortillas top layer (mine made 3 layers - tortilla, mix, tortilla, mix, tortilla, mix, tortillas). Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and top tortillas are just beginning to crisp and brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
To freeze: put layers together, then cover with foil before baking. Label and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw completely and bake for 35-45 minutes.
I served this with sides of steamed corn and steamed broccoli (with melted American cheese on it...mmmm). Delicious! We had enough for today's lunch as well.
I had a recipe for Chicken Bake from America's Cheapest Family that I saved but hadn't tried yet. It's an easy one, with most ingredients being on hand almost all the time here.
Chicken Bake (for just one casserole....double if you want to freeze one)
12 tortillas, each cut into 8 pieces (strips or little triangles)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 3/4 cup milk (i used dry/powder milk, since liquid milk has NOT been on sale lately. no difference in taste once it's in the casserole.)
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese ( i used a little Monterey Jack in the mix, too)
Butter 9x13 pan (if you're doubling the recipe, you can do 2-9x13's or 3 - 8x8's). Combine soups and milk. Add in chicken, onion, salsa and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Layer tortillas in pan/dish then top with a layer or soup mixture. Continue layering, making tortillas top layer (mine made 3 layers - tortilla, mix, tortilla, mix, tortilla, mix, tortillas). Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and top tortillas are just beginning to crisp and brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
To freeze: put layers together, then cover with foil before baking. Label and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw completely and bake for 35-45 minutes.
I served this with sides of steamed corn and steamed broccoli (with melted American cheese on it...mmmm). Delicious! We had enough for today's lunch as well.
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