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Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Favorite Food Deal of the week: Pillsbury Brownies
Yes, I have already posted once about a brownie deal. BUT, they've had some good ones lately. This week, it was Pillsbury Brownie mix at Jewel. They were on sale for $.99, but if you purchased 10 of them (or in a group of 10 qualifying items - there were a lot of other things), you paid $.49 a box. AND there was a $.40 off coupon in the paper a few weeks ago, so I paid $.09 a box for 6 boxes!
We don't eat brownies that often, but I checked the expiration dates and they are pretty far off, so we're safe. I like to make them for dessert when we have company or to take to a get-together or just as a nice surprise for after dinner for the girls. :) We sprinkle powdered sugar on top of ours for an extra special sweetness!
Sale ends today, so go get some!
We don't eat brownies that often, but I checked the expiration dates and they are pretty far off, so we're safe. I like to make them for dessert when we have company or to take to a get-together or just as a nice surprise for after dinner for the girls. :) We sprinkle powdered sugar on top of ours for an extra special sweetness!
Sale ends today, so go get some!
Basic Kitchen: My Best Friend, The Crockpot
I am pretty sure almost every household in America has a crockpot. Really. Most of us probably received one as a wedding gift or a "first home" gift or a Christmas gift.
They are an American household staple. And they should be used OFTEN. Honestly, they are the simplest appliance you'll ever own or use. They do all the cooking for you when it comes to a meal.
So, here are the oh-so-tough steps to using a crockpot to make your meal:
1 - Pick a meat...chicken, a roast, ground meat, whatever!
2 - Choose a few veggies...we like carrots and potoatoes.
3 - Pick some seasonings...for flavor, we use chopped onion (dried or fresh; or onion powder) and celery, salt and pepper, and usually a little garlic (or garlic salt or garlic powder)
4 - Decide how long you want this to cook. (Going to be at work all day? 8-10 hours, then, would be good. Running out for a few hours? 6 hours might work. Noticing it's after lunch already and you haven't thought about dinner yet? 4 hours is probably best.)
5 - Put your meat in the crockpot (brown the sides on the stovetop first, if using a roast). Then add your veggies and seasonings around the meat and on top.
6 - Add a little water. I have no exact measurement. I think about 1/2 to 1 inch of water in the pot would be good. Just so things don't dry out.
7 - Set your time and press Start.
Ta-da! You've done it. :) Now, dinner will be ready and you don't have to stand there and stir anything or even check on it. Throw it all in a large serving bowl or divide it up onto plates and there's dinner!
They are an American household staple. And they should be used OFTEN. Honestly, they are the simplest appliance you'll ever own or use. They do all the cooking for you when it comes to a meal.
So, here are the oh-so-tough steps to using a crockpot to make your meal:
1 - Pick a meat...chicken, a roast, ground meat, whatever!
2 - Choose a few veggies...we like carrots and potoatoes.
3 - Pick some seasonings...for flavor, we use chopped onion (dried or fresh; or onion powder) and celery, salt and pepper, and usually a little garlic (or garlic salt or garlic powder)
4 - Decide how long you want this to cook. (Going to be at work all day? 8-10 hours, then, would be good. Running out for a few hours? 6 hours might work. Noticing it's after lunch already and you haven't thought about dinner yet? 4 hours is probably best.)
5 - Put your meat in the crockpot (brown the sides on the stovetop first, if using a roast). Then add your veggies and seasonings around the meat and on top.
6 - Add a little water. I have no exact measurement. I think about 1/2 to 1 inch of water in the pot would be good. Just so things don't dry out.
7 - Set your time and press Start.
Ta-da! You've done it. :) Now, dinner will be ready and you don't have to stand there and stir anything or even check on it. Throw it all in a large serving bowl or divide it up onto plates and there's dinner!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Kitchen Tip of the Week: Location, Location, Location
Have you ever been in a cooking or baking frenzy and rushing around to get a bunch of things made? Or trying to beat the timer to get out your potholders to get the hot foods off the heat before they burn? You rush over to the spot you THOUGHT you stored the needed items, only to find they aren't there. OR you realize that the pot holders are in the last drawer, furthest from the stove, and you find that you're cursing yourself for putting them over there!
I have found that it really does matter where I store things in my kitchen. Yes, my kitchen is extremely small and I could probably reach every drawer if I stood in the middle of the kitchen floor and just leaned. :) BUT, when I am in a hurry I find that even in my tiny kitchen, it's still better to have the cooking utensils by the stovetop and the baking utensils over by the counter that I mix everything on.
I did some research, after days of frustration, and read about creating "stations" in the kitchen. Genuis! Since I use my kitchen very often, several times a day in fact, I loved the idea of designated areas for different tasks.
I rearranged some cupboards and now have a beverage cupboard. I keep our hot cocoa packets, coffee filters, mugs, tea bags, and any other hot beverage related items in that cupboard. I put the coffee maker directly under that cupboard, on the counter, so everything is easily accessible when we go to make coffee.
The microwave sat on our longest countertop, essentially cutting that space in half. :( I moved it over to a small countertop by the stovetop, leaving that largest area completely open. I made this my baking counter and stored all baking related items in the drawer and cupboards below. I separated my utensils between two canisters - one for stovetop cooking and one for baking. All the spatulas, knives, and other things used when I'm cooking, I placed in a canister and next to the stovetop. All the other things (spatulas, whisks, wooden spoons, etc) used for baking, I placed in a canister and in the cabinet below the baking counter, along with the baking sheets, mixing bowls, baking pans and other baking related items.
I keep my pots and pans in the lower cabinet right next to the oven/stovetop, with all the lids in the drawer under my oven. My baking dishes (glass), I store in the lower cabinet on the other side of the oven. I keep all of our drinking glasses together in a cabinet, and all the plates, dishes, and serving bowls together in another cabinet.
Keeping things organized and grouped by type really helps out when we're busy making things, or when my husband is rushing around in the morning to empty the dishwasher of the clean items. I think he finds it easier to know where things go because they are with other like items.
Anything to make putting dishes away faster is a plus here! We'd like to spend our extra time with the kids, not searching every cabinet to see where a whisk might go! :)
I have found that it really does matter where I store things in my kitchen. Yes, my kitchen is extremely small and I could probably reach every drawer if I stood in the middle of the kitchen floor and just leaned. :) BUT, when I am in a hurry I find that even in my tiny kitchen, it's still better to have the cooking utensils by the stovetop and the baking utensils over by the counter that I mix everything on.
I did some research, after days of frustration, and read about creating "stations" in the kitchen. Genuis! Since I use my kitchen very often, several times a day in fact, I loved the idea of designated areas for different tasks.
I rearranged some cupboards and now have a beverage cupboard. I keep our hot cocoa packets, coffee filters, mugs, tea bags, and any other hot beverage related items in that cupboard. I put the coffee maker directly under that cupboard, on the counter, so everything is easily accessible when we go to make coffee.
The microwave sat on our longest countertop, essentially cutting that space in half. :( I moved it over to a small countertop by the stovetop, leaving that largest area completely open. I made this my baking counter and stored all baking related items in the drawer and cupboards below. I separated my utensils between two canisters - one for stovetop cooking and one for baking. All the spatulas, knives, and other things used when I'm cooking, I placed in a canister and next to the stovetop. All the other things (spatulas, whisks, wooden spoons, etc) used for baking, I placed in a canister and in the cabinet below the baking counter, along with the baking sheets, mixing bowls, baking pans and other baking related items.
I keep my pots and pans in the lower cabinet right next to the oven/stovetop, with all the lids in the drawer under my oven. My baking dishes (glass), I store in the lower cabinet on the other side of the oven. I keep all of our drinking glasses together in a cabinet, and all the plates, dishes, and serving bowls together in another cabinet.
Keeping things organized and grouped by type really helps out when we're busy making things, or when my husband is rushing around in the morning to empty the dishwasher of the clean items. I think he finds it easier to know where things go because they are with other like items.
Anything to make putting dishes away faster is a plus here! We'd like to spend our extra time with the kids, not searching every cabinet to see where a whisk might go! :)
Basic Kitchen: Oat Flour
I feel like a dummy. Did anyone else know about oat flour? How easy it is to make? I thought it was some expensive flour you buy at the store. Little did I know you can make it at home!
I am forever stocking up on old-fashioned oats because we use them so often in cookies and muffins and whatnot. I recently read a recipe that included oat flour and almost closed that web page because I didn't have oat flour on hand. BUT, as I read, the author indicated that if you don't have oat flour, you simiply grind up rolled/old-fashioned oats in a food processor or blender (I use my Ninja!) and voila! you have oat flour.
Magnificent! :) I wish I had bookmarked the other recipes I had come across in the past that had oat flour as an ingredient.
Can't wait to try that recipe I read the other day!
I am forever stocking up on old-fashioned oats because we use them so often in cookies and muffins and whatnot. I recently read a recipe that included oat flour and almost closed that web page because I didn't have oat flour on hand. BUT, as I read, the author indicated that if you don't have oat flour, you simiply grind up rolled/old-fashioned oats in a food processor or blender (I use my Ninja!) and voila! you have oat flour.
Magnificent! :) I wish I had bookmarked the other recipes I had come across in the past that had oat flour as an ingredient.
Can't wait to try that recipe I read the other day!
Rejoicing in Recipes: Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists
I came across this recipe recently and it is FANTASTIC! It's a great snack, a wonderful breakfast item, or something yummy for those late-night sweet cravings! :)
Originally from MoneySavingMom, I plan to make this recipe again today to have for a potluck at my parents' church on Sunday. They are good right out of the oven or a day or two after being made. They store well for a week in a sealed container. I stored them in a food storage bag last time and they were fine as well.
Click Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists for the recipe. I am too lazy to type it out. :)
Originally from MoneySavingMom, I plan to make this recipe again today to have for a potluck at my parents' church on Sunday. They are good right out of the oven or a day or two after being made. They store well for a week in a sealed container. I stored them in a food storage bag last time and they were fine as well.
Click Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists for the recipe. I am too lazy to type it out. :)
House Help: Unclogging Drains
Baking soda is good for more than just baking! Most people also use it to keep their fridge, freezer, and pantry fresh. BUT, there's another great use for it...unclogging drains!
We rarely keep Drano on hand anymore. It is so expensive for a bottle that doesn't last very long. Sooo, I googled natural drain cleaners to see about using things I already had on hand. I found a baking soda and vinegar combo that has worked great...and I'm about to use it again today. :)
1. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the clogged drain.
2. Pour 1/2 cup vinegar (white/distilled) down drain.
3. Cover drain opening quickly to keep the bubbling concoction from coming up. You want the bubbliness to stay down in the drain to work out the clog.
4. Wait 30 minutes. In meantime, put on a kettle full of water to boil.
5. After 30 minutes, pour boiling water down drain. Drain should be cleared. If not, repeat process.
Walgreens often has baking soda on sale 2 for $1.00 with their in-ad coupon, so you can definitely stock up on this for cheap and always have it on hand to use for those stubborn drains.
Forget about paying $5.00 or more for that container of chemicals. Use this natural unclogger and you don't have to worry about making sure the sink is free of any residue or leftovers because it's just baking soda and vinegar. So if the kids touch it or something falls in the sink and touches either of the ingredients...it's fine!
We rarely keep Drano on hand anymore. It is so expensive for a bottle that doesn't last very long. Sooo, I googled natural drain cleaners to see about using things I already had on hand. I found a baking soda and vinegar combo that has worked great...and I'm about to use it again today. :)
1. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the clogged drain.
2. Pour 1/2 cup vinegar (white/distilled) down drain.
3. Cover drain opening quickly to keep the bubbling concoction from coming up. You want the bubbliness to stay down in the drain to work out the clog.
4. Wait 30 minutes. In meantime, put on a kettle full of water to boil.
5. After 30 minutes, pour boiling water down drain. Drain should be cleared. If not, repeat process.
Walgreens often has baking soda on sale 2 for $1.00 with their in-ad coupon, so you can definitely stock up on this for cheap and always have it on hand to use for those stubborn drains.
Forget about paying $5.00 or more for that container of chemicals. Use this natural unclogger and you don't have to worry about making sure the sink is free of any residue or leftovers because it's just baking soda and vinegar. So if the kids touch it or something falls in the sink and touches either of the ingredients...it's fine!
Favorite Food Deal of the Week: STRAWBERRIES!
We enjoyed some strawberry picking yesterday with some friends. I had my four children and my friend had her three boys. It was chaos at times, but it was a lot of fun!
We went to Stade's Farm & Market in McHenry, IL. The farm is run by Christians, and every Sunday they invite a local church to come and lead a worship service there at the farm. A friend of mine had gone with her family this past Sunday and said they heard the praise music while they picked strawberries. :)
The farm opens at 9, and I had wanted to be there right when it opened so we could pick and be done before it got too hot. Well, we were about 10 minutes behind schedule when we left and didn't get there until about 9:15. I guess that's not too bad for a 45 minute drive with 4 kids by myself!
When we started out, all 7 kids had hats on. When we left, no one had a hat on and one of my friend's boys lost his green hat somewhere in the green strawberry plants! Her youngest boy choked briefly on a piece of strawberry. My Addy didn't want to help pick and just wandered around. Iris ate way too many strawberries and had what looked like a murder scene on her shirt from all the strawberry juices! Lily did a great job of actually picking and filling her basket, but when I went to inspect the content I noticed she had a lot of little unripe green strawberries. :) Ah, kids...
I ended up with about 5 1/2 pounds of strawberries when we picked through the unripe or mushy ones in our baskets. I also picked up some fresh asparagus and radishes. Yum! We spent only $15 for all of that! The strawberries were $1.75/lb, which was the cheapest I had scene yet all season (until this week, actually. The stores have 1 lb containers for $1.50 now, but they are nowhere near as fresh!)! I was very happy of the quality for that price! They were so sweet and juicy. We do have quite a few tart ones because I apparently didn't pick through Lily's collection well enough and we ended up with several smaller, not quite ripe ones. Oh well. We cut those up and put them on Cheerios this morning for breakfast. :)
Click HERE for a link to Stade's Farm & Market website. They are also on Facebook. Great farm, nice people, fantastic produce!
We went to Stade's Farm & Market in McHenry, IL. The farm is run by Christians, and every Sunday they invite a local church to come and lead a worship service there at the farm. A friend of mine had gone with her family this past Sunday and said they heard the praise music while they picked strawberries. :)
The farm opens at 9, and I had wanted to be there right when it opened so we could pick and be done before it got too hot. Well, we were about 10 minutes behind schedule when we left and didn't get there until about 9:15. I guess that's not too bad for a 45 minute drive with 4 kids by myself!
When we started out, all 7 kids had hats on. When we left, no one had a hat on and one of my friend's boys lost his green hat somewhere in the green strawberry plants! Her youngest boy choked briefly on a piece of strawberry. My Addy didn't want to help pick and just wandered around. Iris ate way too many strawberries and had what looked like a murder scene on her shirt from all the strawberry juices! Lily did a great job of actually picking and filling her basket, but when I went to inspect the content I noticed she had a lot of little unripe green strawberries. :) Ah, kids...
I ended up with about 5 1/2 pounds of strawberries when we picked through the unripe or mushy ones in our baskets. I also picked up some fresh asparagus and radishes. Yum! We spent only $15 for all of that! The strawberries were $1.75/lb, which was the cheapest I had scene yet all season (until this week, actually. The stores have 1 lb containers for $1.50 now, but they are nowhere near as fresh!)! I was very happy of the quality for that price! They were so sweet and juicy. We do have quite a few tart ones because I apparently didn't pick through Lily's collection well enough and we ended up with several smaller, not quite ripe ones. Oh well. We cut those up and put them on Cheerios this morning for breakfast. :)
Click HERE for a link to Stade's Farm & Market website. They are also on Facebook. Great farm, nice people, fantastic produce!
Friday, June 24, 2011
House Help: Less Stress Solutions
A few ideas to help get started with keeping up on housework:
FlyLady - this woman is amazing! She lays out a schedule for daily things to do around the house, weekly things to schedule, and ways to make work habitual.
Start slow. Find 3 things you want to make a daily habit. Write them down, write a time down that you want to be doing each one (before breakfast or 9AM or last thing before bed), so you know WHEN you should do them and can get into the habit of doing them at those times.
Find a friend. I am sure all women/mothers struggle with balancing housework with kids and life. Find a friend that you know will be an encouragement to get you going - someone you can call when you're not motivated, someone who will give you that kick in the butt when you need it. I think for me, this would be my sister. :) She doesn't know it, but she's a huge encouragement to me. I haven't asked her for that kick in the butt, but her attitude towards everything is a huge motivator for me!
LISTS! Make a daily list of what you want to get done - from things you already do (make your bed, take a shower) to the things you want to start to incorporate. Checking off the list works wonders for our mental states! :)
Lastly, be understanding. You won't be completing a list 100% of the time. There will be days you will not get things done. It's life. I have the hardest time letting this go. If I can get over my imperfection, I'd be perfect. :)
FlyLady - this woman is amazing! She lays out a schedule for daily things to do around the house, weekly things to schedule, and ways to make work habitual.
Start slow. Find 3 things you want to make a daily habit. Write them down, write a time down that you want to be doing each one (before breakfast or 9AM or last thing before bed), so you know WHEN you should do them and can get into the habit of doing them at those times.
Find a friend. I am sure all women/mothers struggle with balancing housework with kids and life. Find a friend that you know will be an encouragement to get you going - someone you can call when you're not motivated, someone who will give you that kick in the butt when you need it. I think for me, this would be my sister. :) She doesn't know it, but she's a huge encouragement to me. I haven't asked her for that kick in the butt, but her attitude towards everything is a huge motivator for me!
LISTS! Make a daily list of what you want to get done - from things you already do (make your bed, take a shower) to the things you want to start to incorporate. Checking off the list works wonders for our mental states! :)
Lastly, be understanding. You won't be completing a list 100% of the time. There will be days you will not get things done. It's life. I have the hardest time letting this go. If I can get over my imperfection, I'd be perfect. :)
Favorite Food Deal of the Week: Gatorade
My husband is training for a half marathon and the Chicago Marathon this Fall. Today he is running 13 miles; when he runs long distances, he has a fuel belt that he loads up with Gatorade and water. Before his runs, he drinks a Gatorade Prime. After the run, he drinks a Gatorade Recover drink.
Gatorade Prime and Recover are not on sale as often as the regular 32 oz Gatorade bottles. They often cost $1.99 each and up! With his mileage increasing each week, this means he will go through a lot of the Prime and Recover drinks before and after runs....which can get to be very costly.
For the past several weeks, Meijer has had the Prime and Recover drinks on sale for $1.09 each (with no limit posted!)! I have been buying a few each week to stock up. This week, I bought 4 of each and spent under $10! That's great for those 2 products. They were actually the same price as the regular Gatorade, so I bought the big bottles of Powerade to use during his runs. (They were $.69 each.)
So, we brought home 5 Powerade, 4 Gatorade Prime, and 4 Gatorade Recover! I plan to keep buying a few each week as long as I notice the sale price of $1.09. Meijer is quickly becoming my favorite store! :)
Gatorade Prime and Recover are not on sale as often as the regular 32 oz Gatorade bottles. They often cost $1.99 each and up! With his mileage increasing each week, this means he will go through a lot of the Prime and Recover drinks before and after runs....which can get to be very costly.
For the past several weeks, Meijer has had the Prime and Recover drinks on sale for $1.09 each (with no limit posted!)! I have been buying a few each week to stock up. This week, I bought 4 of each and spent under $10! That's great for those 2 products. They were actually the same price as the regular Gatorade, so I bought the big bottles of Powerade to use during his runs. (They were $.69 each.)
So, we brought home 5 Powerade, 4 Gatorade Prime, and 4 Gatorade Recover! I plan to keep buying a few each week as long as I notice the sale price of $1.09. Meijer is quickly becoming my favorite store! :)
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