As a new mom, I often find myself craving a bit of something special, an out-of-the-ordinary snack or few hours to break the monotony of sleep/feed the baby that takes up most days. But of course, being a stay-at-home mom, I'm not rolling in the dough to make that happen. So here's an easy, quick, inexpensive solution:
Naan with Chevre dip and a side of blueberry sparkling juice.
The naan can be made by hand or bought at Walmart or Costco. You can use any bread you like, but naan tends to be soft and luxurious-tasting.
The blueberry fizzy is from Earth Fare, and is made by Knudsen, but you can get sparkling anything at Walmart. Just pick something unusual and decadent!
The Chevre dip is goat cheese, which I got at Costco, mixed with my homemade vinaigrette dressing:
olive oil
vinegar
few drops of lemon juice
salt and pepper
Italian spice blend
fresh herbs, if you have a favorite you keep on hand.
Mix a little of everything to taste, add a little goat cheese and blend with a fork until the mixture is creamy and white. It will be runny, that's ok, just let it set in the fridge for an hour or two. I also use this on my baked sammiches to add a little zing. It winds up being very savory and tangy and so offsets the smooth naan and sweet fizzy drink super well!
Enjoy, all! If you want baby-related posts, check out my blog "And Minja Makes Three."
Monday, November 19, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Making Awesome Sauce
It's like one of those "choose your path" books I keep hearing about but have never seen. First, pick apples or pears. Second, pick sauce or butter. Or don't pick at all, since I'll tell you how to make it all.
To make applesauce or pear sauce:
I used about 1/4 of a Walmart bag full of pears. Whatever you pick, core it and slice or chop it. Leave the peel on.
Then, take a big pot with a thick bottom and put about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring it to a boil, then add fruit and simmer until the fruit is tender enough to be squished.
I did the squishing the low-tech way with an old-fashioned colander and pestle, but I've heard there are fancy, potentially more expensive ways of doing this as well.
Add cinnamon to taste. Serve warm or chilled. You can also can this stuff for later use--it makes great baby food and has no added sugar, since the fruit has plenty to spare.
Hint: Orchards often sell their ugly/damaged fruit for super cheap, and ugly fruit tastes just as good!
-OR-
If you want to make this stuff into the butter version (apple butter or pear butter), which is a thick, spiced jelly-like critter that will make you, to use a colloquialism, "wanna slap yo momma," (Translation: it's delicious) then continue down the line.
Per quart of sauce you have, you will need the following:
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/16 t. cloves (a pinch)
1 allspice clove (half a pinch)
1/4 t. orange peel
1/8 c. orange juice (which I didn't have, so I doubled the orange peel and used the juice from the pears)
3/4 c. sugar (I'd skimp on this, especially if you have very ripe fruit. This will be very sweet even with less)
Add all of the above to the sauce and let simmer in a crock pot 6-12 hours, or overnight. The variables will be how thick you want it and how patient you are with these amazing fall aromas wafting about.
This is also can-able (not cannibal, that's not something you eat, that's something that eats you.) I just highly doubt that it will last long enough to be preserved anyway, with the bipedal hounds that ransack the refrigerator on a regular basis.
Enjoy! Happy Autumn!
To make applesauce or pear sauce:
I used about 1/4 of a Walmart bag full of pears. Whatever you pick, core it and slice or chop it. Leave the peel on.
Then, take a big pot with a thick bottom and put about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring it to a boil, then add fruit and simmer until the fruit is tender enough to be squished.
I did the squishing the low-tech way with an old-fashioned colander and pestle, but I've heard there are fancy, potentially more expensive ways of doing this as well.
Add cinnamon to taste. Serve warm or chilled. You can also can this stuff for later use--it makes great baby food and has no added sugar, since the fruit has plenty to spare.
Hint: Orchards often sell their ugly/damaged fruit for super cheap, and ugly fruit tastes just as good!
-OR-
If you want to make this stuff into the butter version (apple butter or pear butter), which is a thick, spiced jelly-like critter that will make you, to use a colloquialism, "wanna slap yo momma," (Translation: it's delicious) then continue down the line.
Per quart of sauce you have, you will need the following:
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/16 t. cloves (a pinch)
1 allspice clove (half a pinch)
1/4 t. orange peel
1/8 c. orange juice (which I didn't have, so I doubled the orange peel and used the juice from the pears)
3/4 c. sugar (I'd skimp on this, especially if you have very ripe fruit. This will be very sweet even with less)
Add all of the above to the sauce and let simmer in a crock pot 6-12 hours, or overnight. The variables will be how thick you want it and how patient you are with these amazing fall aromas wafting about.
This is also can-able (not cannibal, that's not something you eat, that's something that eats you.) I just highly doubt that it will last long enough to be preserved anyway, with the bipedal hounds that ransack the refrigerator on a regular basis.
Enjoy! Happy Autumn!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
POTATOES! Boil em, mash em, stick em in a loaded baked potato salad...
It's recipe time! My hubby and I brought this one to a birthday party this weekend, and it didn't last the evening. It was decently easy to make and would be delicious served warm or cold. Without further ado:
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
3 lbs red potatoes, pricked, brushed with olive oil, and baked in a 425 degree oven until fork tender
1lb cheap bacon (I discarded half of it in fat, so if you get good/turkey bacon, you only need half of a pound)
2-3 green onions, snipped
sour cream
sharp cheddar cheese
sea salt, black pepper, Morton's Nature's Seasons seasoning
I think you can see where the instructions are going. Everyone has their own preferences in amounts of creaminess or cheesiness, so pretty much everything is "throw it in there to taste." Mix and serve, or mix and chill and serve, your thing. You can cut up the potatoes with a knife while they're hot and melt it all together, that really disperses the sour cream and cheddar flavors well. I kept some of the bacon out and used it as a garnish on top, but you could do that with most of the ingredients.
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
3 lbs red potatoes, pricked, brushed with olive oil, and baked in a 425 degree oven until fork tender
1lb cheap bacon (I discarded half of it in fat, so if you get good/turkey bacon, you only need half of a pound)
2-3 green onions, snipped
sour cream
sharp cheddar cheese
sea salt, black pepper, Morton's Nature's Seasons seasoning
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
3 DIYs for baby that I plan to use forever
One, pictured above, is the diaper bag. Far from being a baby print item, I made this to be functional. It has 6 pockets, one that is bottle or sippy cup applicable, stroller straps (pictured), and the other side has a detachable fold-out changing pad. The whole thing is washable, and I made a detachable messenger bag strap that could turn this into a laptop case, school bag, or multi-purpose tote with ease.
These still need to be serged, but I pictured them anyway. That stack represents 50 small pieces of receiving blanket, and will be my homemade baby wipes. When they are no longer needed for that purpose, the surviving ones will become my dusting wipes, and generally multipurpose cloths.
What are some other DIYs that will be great for baby and beyond?
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Dinner on the Last Night of Spring
Gardening is paying off! The work that began in February is now beginning to culminate. 3 quarts of yellow squash is the most obvious iteration, but there is much more as well!
For this post, I thought I'd go through recipes and how I made tonight's dinner with a hooray when appropriate to celebrate that an ingredient came from the garden:
Eye of round:
4 eye of round steaks, cut into strips and sprinkled with pepper and onion powder
1 sprig of fresh basil, chopped (HOORAY!)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c. vinegar
Heat up lemon, basil, and vinegar to a boil, place steak strips into it and cook until done. Reserve the juice, as this is the basis for the gravy. Reserve the steak, as this goes into the green bean dish.
Green beans:
1 quart green beans (HOORAY!)
2T butter
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic, minced (I have garlic growing, it's just not ready yet)
Saute all until green beans are done. I added 1/2 cup of water at the end to steam the beans. Add the steak strips at the end and serve together.
Gravy:
Steak juice (see above)
1-2 T flour
1-2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Put flour into steak juice and whisk until hot and bubbly. Add milk and whisk until thick, about 10-15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Mashed Potatoes:
1 yellow potato per person
Milk, sour cream, butter, salt, and pepper to taste
Fresh garlic snips (the green bit off the garlic growing HOORAY!)
Cook potatoes, add other ingredients to taste. The snips give a mild garlic flavor that is delightful.
Roasted squash:
Zucchini (HOORAY!)
Yellow squash (HOORAY!)
Olive oil
black pepper, sea salt, and Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on it.
Roast at 425 on parchment paper on a baking sheet until it starts to brown on top. I put it in the oven to cook while everything else was going.
Believe it or not, there were no leftovers. Go figure.
For this post, I thought I'd go through recipes and how I made tonight's dinner with a hooray when appropriate to celebrate that an ingredient came from the garden:
Eye of round:
4 eye of round steaks, cut into strips and sprinkled with pepper and onion powder
1 sprig of fresh basil, chopped (HOORAY!)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c. vinegar
Heat up lemon, basil, and vinegar to a boil, place steak strips into it and cook until done. Reserve the juice, as this is the basis for the gravy. Reserve the steak, as this goes into the green bean dish.
Green beans:
1 quart green beans (HOORAY!)
2T butter
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic, minced (I have garlic growing, it's just not ready yet)
Saute all until green beans are done. I added 1/2 cup of water at the end to steam the beans. Add the steak strips at the end and serve together.
Gravy:
Steak juice (see above)
1-2 T flour
1-2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Put flour into steak juice and whisk until hot and bubbly. Add milk and whisk until thick, about 10-15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Mashed Potatoes:
1 yellow potato per person
Milk, sour cream, butter, salt, and pepper to taste
Fresh garlic snips (the green bit off the garlic growing HOORAY!)
Cook potatoes, add other ingredients to taste. The snips give a mild garlic flavor that is delightful.
Roasted squash:
Zucchini (HOORAY!)
Yellow squash (HOORAY!)
Olive oil
black pepper, sea salt, and Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on it.
Roast at 425 on parchment paper on a baking sheet until it starts to brown on top. I put it in the oven to cook while everything else was going.
Believe it or not, there were no leftovers. Go figure.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Hand Soap/Body Wash DIY
Recipe and tutorial source: http://www.thefarmersnest.com/2011/11/liquid-hand-soap-diy.html
Ingredients: 1 gallon distilled water, 1 8-oz bar soap (NOT Dove or any "moisturizing"), 2T liquid glycerin (band-aid section at Walmart)
Nutshell version: Grate bar of soap. Add everything else. Melt in pot. Let sit 12 hours. Beat if necessary.
Cost: Liquid glycerin costs about $4.00 for enough to make around 10 recipes, so $0.40/recipe. Distilled water costs about $0.80/recipe, and the other variable is your soap. I spent about $3.80 on a bar of goat milk soap that smelled glorious and not too girly so that my husband can enjoy the body wash and hand soap as well. This brings my total per recipe to $5.00.
*I do have to note that I bought less than 8 oz of soap, so it made a little over 1/2 a gallon, whereas getting a bigger bar or two bars would have cost a little more and yielded more. If you get a cheap bar of soap you like, you can make this cheaper. I wanted a luxurious soap, so I paid a little more.
This whole project is perfect for a rainy day and smells tremendous! I used Goat Milk Red Jasmine Rice soap, which is a rich red-orange color and has a slightly sweet, clean smell. I bought it at World Market and used my birthday coupon to bring down the price a little. The hardest part for me was grating the whole bar of soap on a grater not entirely made for that kind of punishment. I dumped everything in a pot on the stove, making approximate adjustments for the fact that I was using under 6 oz. of soap instead of 8. I heated it up until it was all melted, really only a couple of minutes, then took it off the heat and the waiting began.
In a couple of hours, it started to cloud. When we went to bed, I brought the whole pot in the bedroom and set it on my printer so that I could wake up to a wonderful-smelling room. Though it did smell great, the consistency when I woke up this morning was downright odd. The soapy part had separated from the watery part and settled on the bottom to cool, making for a pretty goo. I heated it up for about 30 seconds on the stove, then blended it with an electric mixer on low for about 30 seconds. That did the trick, and I had a pour-able liquid soap that smelled great and made my hands feel nice and soft. It's not very thick, but each soap works differently, and I would rather have a thinner soap than a thicker one, anyway, so I can squirt it from our existing body wash bottle with ease.
David's mom washed the dishes in the pot I had used, and the remaining soap on the beaters and funnel I used to pour the soap into the used milk jug was enough soap to clean the dishes and leave the kitchen and her hands smelling fresh.
Verdict: I would totally make this again, it's just that I doubt we'll be finished with this much soap by the time we're too old to remember how to make it! How amazing is that?
Ingredients: 1 gallon distilled water, 1 8-oz bar soap (NOT Dove or any "moisturizing"), 2T liquid glycerin (band-aid section at Walmart)
Nutshell version: Grate bar of soap. Add everything else. Melt in pot. Let sit 12 hours. Beat if necessary.
Cost: Liquid glycerin costs about $4.00 for enough to make around 10 recipes, so $0.40/recipe. Distilled water costs about $0.80/recipe, and the other variable is your soap. I spent about $3.80 on a bar of goat milk soap that smelled glorious and not too girly so that my husband can enjoy the body wash and hand soap as well. This brings my total per recipe to $5.00.
*I do have to note that I bought less than 8 oz of soap, so it made a little over 1/2 a gallon, whereas getting a bigger bar or two bars would have cost a little more and yielded more. If you get a cheap bar of soap you like, you can make this cheaper. I wanted a luxurious soap, so I paid a little more.
This whole project is perfect for a rainy day and smells tremendous! I used Goat Milk Red Jasmine Rice soap, which is a rich red-orange color and has a slightly sweet, clean smell. I bought it at World Market and used my birthday coupon to bring down the price a little. The hardest part for me was grating the whole bar of soap on a grater not entirely made for that kind of punishment. I dumped everything in a pot on the stove, making approximate adjustments for the fact that I was using under 6 oz. of soap instead of 8. I heated it up until it was all melted, really only a couple of minutes, then took it off the heat and the waiting began.
In a couple of hours, it started to cloud. When we went to bed, I brought the whole pot in the bedroom and set it on my printer so that I could wake up to a wonderful-smelling room. Though it did smell great, the consistency when I woke up this morning was downright odd. The soapy part had separated from the watery part and settled on the bottom to cool, making for a pretty goo. I heated it up for about 30 seconds on the stove, then blended it with an electric mixer on low for about 30 seconds. That did the trick, and I had a pour-able liquid soap that smelled great and made my hands feel nice and soft. It's not very thick, but each soap works differently, and I would rather have a thinner soap than a thicker one, anyway, so I can squirt it from our existing body wash bottle with ease.
David's mom washed the dishes in the pot I had used, and the remaining soap on the beaters and funnel I used to pour the soap into the used milk jug was enough soap to clean the dishes and leave the kitchen and her hands smelling fresh.
Verdict: I would totally make this again, it's just that I doubt we'll be finished with this much soap by the time we're too old to remember how to make it! How amazing is that?
Summer Pinterest Challenge
I absolutely love summer! I love the first warm days in March (we're in Georgia, so yes, it can get mighty warm in March) all the way through the last few afternoons in October before the cold really sets in. The rest of the year, I'm more just surviving than anything else.
This winter, I did something unexpected and conceived a child. So the entire summer this year will be spent in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Hello, activity restrictions. I have been tending my garden (which deserves its own post entirely) inshort, 2-hour increments and keeping the tanning to a minimum, especially since it's been raining stinking every other day.
But I've come to face that, once the heat sets in and I get another few weeks along, doing much outside for extended periods is not going to be easy. After I mourned for my normal summer routines, I decided to give myself some challenges to look forward to. The internet came to my rescue!
My Pinterest has a list of things I want to do. These are all DIY projects I'd seriously love to give a good try, and I used a little money to gather some ingredients. My mom bought a few more for me and saved me a lot of money!
1. The first on my list was an easy one--I want to make my own cleaning products. It turns out that this is a bit too easy, because baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon in different combinations will clean pretty much anything for ridiculously cheap. And, since my living space right now consists of one tiny bedroom, there isn't much to clean.
2. I want to make my own toiletries. This includes shower gel, hand soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. I have recipes for each of these things, and now the ingredients!
3. I want to make my own detergents. This will be laundry (liquid or powdered) and dish detergents, both sink and dish washer. Aside: God has randomly provided us with a free working dishwasher! How cool is that? This one may have to wait a little for me to have my own home so I'm not trying new products on my in-laws' appliances.
4. Finally, I want to make my own baby stuff. This will include cloth and paper towel wipes, shampoo, and soap. These I want to be fragrance-free as Raiden will likely have sensitive skin if he takes after his mommy. I have a pretty bad case of eczema and don't want my little bundle of joy to be a bundle of rash. Personal opinion, of course.
First up--hand soap/body wash
This winter, I did something unexpected and conceived a child. So the entire summer this year will be spent in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Hello, activity restrictions. I have been tending my garden (which deserves its own post entirely) in
But I've come to face that, once the heat sets in and I get another few weeks along, doing much outside for extended periods is not going to be easy. After I mourned for my normal summer routines, I decided to give myself some challenges to look forward to. The internet came to my rescue!
My Pinterest has a list of things I want to do. These are all DIY projects I'd seriously love to give a good try, and I used a little money to gather some ingredients. My mom bought a few more for me and saved me a lot of money!
1. The first on my list was an easy one--I want to make my own cleaning products. It turns out that this is a bit too easy, because baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon in different combinations will clean pretty much anything for ridiculously cheap. And, since my living space right now consists of one tiny bedroom, there isn't much to clean.
2. I want to make my own toiletries. This includes shower gel, hand soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. I have recipes for each of these things, and now the ingredients!
3. I want to make my own detergents. This will be laundry (liquid or powdered) and dish detergents, both sink and dish washer. Aside: God has randomly provided us with a free working dishwasher! How cool is that? This one may have to wait a little for me to have my own home so I'm not trying new products on my in-laws' appliances.
4. Finally, I want to make my own baby stuff. This will include cloth and paper towel wipes, shampoo, and soap. These I want to be fragrance-free as Raiden will likely have sensitive skin if he takes after his mommy. I have a pretty bad case of eczema and don't want my little bundle of joy to be a bundle of rash. Personal opinion, of course.
First up--hand soap/body wash
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Speculoos has nothing to do with doctors
Speculoos, as I learned today, are actually Belgian spiced shortbread cookies. For those of us who fly Delta, think Biscoff cookies. Yeah. Delicious. This is the recipe I found online:
Ingredients:
2c AP flour
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. allspice
1/4 t. cloves
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1 c. butter, soft
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
(it called for additional sugar to sprinkle on top, but I omitted that)
Instructions:
You combine everything before the butter in one bowl, then everything else in another, then add the two together. Roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters or press it into a cookie sheet. Bake at 350: shapes bake for 12-15 min, a sheet for 20-25 min. Cool on a cooling rack and serve!
Because we don't fly often, I thought I'd try to make the cookies from scratch as a treat. My husband had a hop flight to Raleigh, NC from Atlanta for a conference. He remembered how much we enjoyed the Biscoff cookies we shared from our flights to and from Honduras last summer. So he brought me his pack of cookies and we shared them over cups of tea while listening to a sermon we had missed from church. <3 (Yes, I've been dubbed a "theological flirt" and it fits.) He said that he thought about eating them, but knew he'd enjoy sharing them with me more than eating both himself. So thoughtful!
Ok, before you all get sick from our sappiness...the verdict on these cookies?
They're make-you-drool delicious. Would I say they taste "just like" a Biscoff? Hmm, pretty close. They taste like the wholesome, not mass-produced version, which in some ways is actually BETTER than the processed variety. They're true-buttery, flavorful, and crisp. I'd definitely make them again, especially around Christmas.
Here's the original link to the blog where I got the recipe. http://matzoandrice.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/speculoos-belgian-spice-cookies/
Ingredients:
2c AP flour
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. allspice
1/4 t. cloves
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1 c. butter, soft
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
(it called for additional sugar to sprinkle on top, but I omitted that)
Instructions:
You combine everything before the butter in one bowl, then everything else in another, then add the two together. Roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters or press it into a cookie sheet. Bake at 350: shapes bake for 12-15 min, a sheet for 20-25 min. Cool on a cooling rack and serve!
Because we don't fly often, I thought I'd try to make the cookies from scratch as a treat. My husband had a hop flight to Raleigh, NC from Atlanta for a conference. He remembered how much we enjoyed the Biscoff cookies we shared from our flights to and from Honduras last summer. So he brought me his pack of cookies and we shared them over cups of tea while listening to a sermon we had missed from church. <3 (Yes, I've been dubbed a "theological flirt" and it fits.) He said that he thought about eating them, but knew he'd enjoy sharing them with me more than eating both himself. So thoughtful!
Ok, before you all get sick from our sappiness...the verdict on these cookies?
They're make-you-drool delicious. Would I say they taste "just like" a Biscoff? Hmm, pretty close. They taste like the wholesome, not mass-produced version, which in some ways is actually BETTER than the processed variety. They're true-buttery, flavorful, and crisp. I'd definitely make them again, especially around Christmas.
Here's the original link to the blog where I got the recipe. http://matzoandrice.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/speculoos-belgian-spice-cookies/
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Gravy: the good, the bad, and the worst for you
I grew up in the South. We often ate a breakfast of biscuits and milk gravy with the occasional sausage gravy. Whoever decided that this kind of substance was "good for you" probably deserved the heart attack they died from. But man, was that stuff delicious.
In honor, or I should say "memory" of whoever that was, here are recipes for three southern tradition gravies that are sure to send you to an early grave, but you'll go the whole way smiling!
1. Mom's Milk Gravy (all amounts in all recipes are estimates)
1 T bacon grease
1 T AP flour
6 c. milk
Salt/Pepper to taste
Heat the bacon grease in a large skillet until melted. Add flour and whisk to make a stiff roux, continue to cook until the roux begins to brown. Add milk "until it looks like you've ruined it." Continue to whisk constantly until the gravy thickens to desired consistency, about 10 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of freshly baked biscuits.
2. Sausage gravy
Same thing as above, but with sausage grease and add 1/2 lb. cooked, crumbled sausage with the milk.
3. Red-eye gravy (also called Stricker gravy)
1 slice country cured ham
1 cup hot coffee
Fry the ham in its own juice. When done, remove ham and add coffee to ham fat, scraping the bottom to incorporate.
What are some other delicious but artery-clogging recipes you use to indulge?
In honor, or I should say "memory" of whoever that was, here are recipes for three southern tradition gravies that are sure to send you to an early grave, but you'll go the whole way smiling!
1. Mom's Milk Gravy (all amounts in all recipes are estimates)
1 T bacon grease
1 T AP flour
6 c. milk
Salt/Pepper to taste
Heat the bacon grease in a large skillet until melted. Add flour and whisk to make a stiff roux, continue to cook until the roux begins to brown. Add milk "until it looks like you've ruined it." Continue to whisk constantly until the gravy thickens to desired consistency, about 10 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of freshly baked biscuits.
2. Sausage gravy
Same thing as above, but with sausage grease and add 1/2 lb. cooked, crumbled sausage with the milk.
3. Red-eye gravy (also called Stricker gravy)
1 slice country cured ham
1 cup hot coffee
Fry the ham in its own juice. When done, remove ham and add coffee to ham fat, scraping the bottom to incorporate.
What are some other delicious but artery-clogging recipes you use to indulge?
Friday, March 30, 2012
I finally broke out my Christmas present...and made AWESOME!!!
My mom is too cool. Even though I'm probably one of the most difficult people to buy presents for, she consistently comes up with wonderful gifts that brighten my life. This Christmas, she waded through the Black Friday crowds to get a great deal on a Ninja (trademarked) blender. Because its specialty is icy beverages, I waited until the weather warmed up to break it out and give it a thorough test run.
The recipe I made was frozen strawberry lemonade. I used several large frozen strawberries, about eight large ice cubes, the juice of two Meyer lemons, and a smidgen of sugar, and put about one and one-half cups of water in the mix to round it out.
This is a very mean brew to make with a standard blender, with frozen fruit as well as ice cubes, and I think the new addition did very well. I did have to remove the lid and poke a few of the topmost ice cubes down to where the blades could chop them, since they floated on top of the mixture halfway into blending, but I think an extra set of blades would have been the only way to get that to change. It chopped both frozen things and made a drink with incredible consistency--we even had to break out the straws!
I'll probably still keep my old blender for a backup, but this one is much more powerful (and actually chops ice without making screeching death sounds and leaving massive chunks).
With summer on the way, it's great to be able to stop ogling those amazing smoothie concoctions on Pinterest and start making a few of my own! We make lhassis, smoothies, milkshakes, and juice blends often, and this will be great for all of those things!
With a baby on the way, it's nice to know that I have a powerful, easy-to-clean blender to help me mix baby food on the fly. I love the idea of offering Minja some nutritious, whole food blends that are fresh from the garden, rather than buying over-processed baby food. I'm even planning on steaming/canning my own jarred baby food this summer so that I will have some ready to supplement whatever our table has to offer next season as well.
So, for those interested, here's the recipe in line form. Crack out those blenders and enjoy this amazing weather!
Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
8-12 large, frozen strawberries
8 ice cubes
the juice of 2 medium lemons (I used Meyer, but normal is good, too. 1 1/2 large lemons should be fine)
1 1/2-2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar (to taste--we don't like much sweet, so we used even less)
Add all ingredients to the hopper of a good blender. Blend until smooth. Scoop into cups and enjoy immediately. Yields 3 tall glasses of delicious strawberry lemonade!
The recipe I made was frozen strawberry lemonade. I used several large frozen strawberries, about eight large ice cubes, the juice of two Meyer lemons, and a smidgen of sugar, and put about one and one-half cups of water in the mix to round it out.
This is a very mean brew to make with a standard blender, with frozen fruit as well as ice cubes, and I think the new addition did very well. I did have to remove the lid and poke a few of the topmost ice cubes down to where the blades could chop them, since they floated on top of the mixture halfway into blending, but I think an extra set of blades would have been the only way to get that to change. It chopped both frozen things and made a drink with incredible consistency--we even had to break out the straws!
I'll probably still keep my old blender for a backup, but this one is much more powerful (and actually chops ice without making screeching death sounds and leaving massive chunks).
With summer on the way, it's great to be able to stop ogling those amazing smoothie concoctions on Pinterest and start making a few of my own! We make lhassis, smoothies, milkshakes, and juice blends often, and this will be great for all of those things!
With a baby on the way, it's nice to know that I have a powerful, easy-to-clean blender to help me mix baby food on the fly. I love the idea of offering Minja some nutritious, whole food blends that are fresh from the garden, rather than buying over-processed baby food. I'm even planning on steaming/canning my own jarred baby food this summer so that I will have some ready to supplement whatever our table has to offer next season as well.
So, for those interested, here's the recipe in line form. Crack out those blenders and enjoy this amazing weather!
Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
8-12 large, frozen strawberries
8 ice cubes
the juice of 2 medium lemons (I used Meyer, but normal is good, too. 1 1/2 large lemons should be fine)
1 1/2-2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar (to taste--we don't like much sweet, so we used even less)
Add all ingredients to the hopper of a good blender. Blend until smooth. Scoop into cups and enjoy immediately. Yields 3 tall glasses of delicious strawberry lemonade!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Seed starting
I adore me some gardening. Though I'm in no way an expert and tend to try far more than works out, I adore the entire process. I love weeding, I love seed starting, I love planting, I love watering, I love watching things grow, I love harvesting, and I love fertilizing plants. I love summer storms when God waters my plants for me.
I decided that I would make gardening a priority this year. One reason is that I'm pregnant and the exercise will be great for me. The other is that I would love to have healthy, home-grown fuel to power this growing baby. Another is that it gives me goals to look forward to. Honestly, it can be a little dreary living in someone else's home with little responsibility when you're itching to enjoy family life.
So, about two months ago, I kept every kind of container I could think of so I could start seedlings. Cardboard boxes, plastic boxes, tea boxes, cardboard and plastic egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, and one electronics box that I don't know quite what it is.
Those assorted containers are now filled with moist soil and there have been seeds germinating in them for about two days.
I'll blog later about which containers did well, how easy/difficult transplanting was, and which seeds win the sprouting prize!
Here's the starter list:
Muscadine grapes
Parsley
Oregano
Rosemary
Basil
Marigold
Phlox
Tomatoes
I decided that I would make gardening a priority this year. One reason is that I'm pregnant and the exercise will be great for me. The other is that I would love to have healthy, home-grown fuel to power this growing baby. Another is that it gives me goals to look forward to. Honestly, it can be a little dreary living in someone else's home with little responsibility when you're itching to enjoy family life.
So, about two months ago, I kept every kind of container I could think of so I could start seedlings. Cardboard boxes, plastic boxes, tea boxes, cardboard and plastic egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, and one electronics box that I don't know quite what it is.
Those assorted containers are now filled with moist soil and there have been seeds germinating in them for about two days.
Here's the starter list:
Muscadine grapes
Parsley
Oregano
Rosemary
Basil
Marigold
Phlox
Tomatoes
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
How to handle your money better
I've come to love learnvest.com. It is the tool I use to cringe at my budget, and is much more non-math-person friendly than Excel or Word, which is how I used to keep our budget. It lets me set savings goals, subtract bill payments from the rest of the budget, and create custom folders so I can manage where the money goes as well as see when we're approaching going over budget in any of the folders. This is especially useful since I can update and change the budget any time. I rarely "know" how much income we're going to have until it actually comes in, so I can edit the income and add money to whichever folders are high on my triage list.
The less income we have, the more I'm looking for ways to make it stretch. I was super happy to see this article: http://www.learnvest.com/2012/03/7-habits-of-highly-effective-money-managers/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=lvdaily&utm_campaign=read-on
Here are the principles from it (because that's what I'm most interested in) that can help anyone move toward handling money more responsibly:
A promise is a goal that you're held accountable to reach. Someone who doesn't keep a promise is a liar, someone who doesn't reach a goal just "didn't make it." Tie your integrity to what you're trying to accomplish. I might be able to make a promise with my husband about what we'll put away in savings this month.
Stressing about things doesn't make them happen. Instead, choose to focus on that thing and actual tenable steps you can take toward accomplishing it. This comes easier to me than to most people.
You can't have enough information. Impulse buys are financially stupid--the more you "shop around" the better. I love using the internet to search for better ways to get something. I saved thousands on textbooks alone during college by not just showing up at the college bookstore with a list in hand--I got the information early and shopped online for used textbooks.
You can't give up dumb spending for Lent. This is all your life or don't bother. You must change who you are, not just what you do. There is no such thing as "we're doing better, so I can blow more money now." That opportunity of having a good month is a great time to further your financial goals.
Ugh. This is my weakest of the seven. I tend to rely on my husband to do the math for me, as I can barely count to 20 without having to think about it. Ask me to explain the parts of speech, and I'll be all over it. I think there are 8, but that's a number. I may bring a calculator with me on grocery shopping trips.
The less income we have, the more I'm looking for ways to make it stretch. I was super happy to see this article: http://www.learnvest.com/2012/03/7-habits-of-highly-effective-money-managers/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=lvdaily&utm_campaign=read-on
Here are the principles from it (because that's what I'm most interested in) that can help anyone move toward handling money more responsibly:
1. Make a promise and keep it.
2. Trade stress for focus
3. Be informed about your purchases
4. Consistency is mandatory.
5. Be conscientious (self-discipline, need for achievement, and organization)
I am definitely high on the conscientious scale, but my mom takes the cake on this one. I'm self-disciplined and organized, but I don't necessarily feel a need for achievement. I think tying goals into promises will help me on that area, because then I'll have a very good reason to achieve those things.
6. Be able to calculate. "Brush up your math skills!"
7. Delay gratification
This one is so hard for our generation. Few of us had parents who, when we asked for X item, told us to "save up for it." My sister and I used to make plans on how many teeth we would have to lose before we could buy a certain toy horse. Christmas and birthday money was well planned out, too. We pooled our money, and I don't know how many teeth we lost, but we eventually had a whole box of toy horses.
You can get the game/CD/DVD when the price goes down. You can watch the movie in the cheap theatre or wait until it comes out on DVD. You can wait for a coupon to get that item. You can buy that or you can grow your own. You can learn to make your own.
Each time you delay gratification and it saves you money, write down how much you saved. Keep a log of it. Some people do this and put the saved money away for a yearly vacation.
The other thing to emphasize about delayed gratification is that this does not conflict with the consistency bit. Your money is there, in part, for you to enjoy. This does not mean that enjoying your money is equivalent to frivolously blowing it. Even in your fun, maximize your savings. The planning and information-gathering actually adds to the anticipation of planning a vacation or event.
I have some principles to work on! Which ones are the most difficult for you? How can you work on them?
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Making Food While Pregnant. Period. Amazing is irrelevant.
Hormones have not changed my love of cooking, nor have they taken away my enjoyment of a good meal. Au contraire, eating has taken on a whole new meaning, as it is the primary way I fend off nausea. But the nausea becomes a whole new obstacle in cooking. Just the other day, in the middle of making tomato basil soup (recipe below) for my husband's dinner, my body decided that it couldn't handle the smell of tomato basil soup. He had to finish cooking the food himself as I hunkered down in the bedroom to avoid smelling the kitchen. Another aspect of this is that I skip "hungry" and go straight to "nauseated." This means that I will not feel like standing and cooking a meal while waiting to eat.
Thankfully, the latter issue is relatively easy to fix. I grab a cereal bar, a piece of fruit, or some graham crackers and peanut butter, and I can snack while I prepare the meal. Bye bye, nausea, hello, breakfast!
To the aversions, I'm not sure what to do quite yet. I'm only 7 weeks along, so I know that fried foods and strong-smelling foods are not doing so hot for me. I can avoid those, but smells come with cooking. Ahh, well. We shall see how it all goes.
Now, to the recipe for a delicious tomato soup (unless you're in your first trimester)
1 quart canned tomatoes, juice and all (I home-canned mine)
1/2 cup cooking wine or apple juice (apple juice is usually cheaper)
2 slices bacon, cooked
1 onion
1 clove garlic
a few leaves of basil
a tiny bit of lemon juice or zest
You can cook the onion and garlic in the bacon grease for an easy flavor enhancer. If you do this, you may even be able to put the bacon pieces into the tomato stuff whole and fish them out later, so you get the flavor without mouthfuls of bacon fat. Or, if you really like bacon, you can just cut up the bacon and put it in. Other than sauteing the onion and garlic and cooking the bacon, just toss it all in a pan, be sure you mash the tomatoes with a fork or whisk, and cook until desired thickness. If you chop up the basil leaves, you can leave them in as well.
Thankfully, the latter issue is relatively easy to fix. I grab a cereal bar, a piece of fruit, or some graham crackers and peanut butter, and I can snack while I prepare the meal. Bye bye, nausea, hello, breakfast!
To the aversions, I'm not sure what to do quite yet. I'm only 7 weeks along, so I know that fried foods and strong-smelling foods are not doing so hot for me. I can avoid those, but smells come with cooking. Ahh, well. We shall see how it all goes.
Now, to the recipe for a delicious tomato soup (unless you're in your first trimester)
1 quart canned tomatoes, juice and all (I home-canned mine)
1/2 cup cooking wine or apple juice (apple juice is usually cheaper)
2 slices bacon, cooked
1 onion
1 clove garlic
a few leaves of basil
a tiny bit of lemon juice or zest
You can cook the onion and garlic in the bacon grease for an easy flavor enhancer. If you do this, you may even be able to put the bacon pieces into the tomato stuff whole and fish them out later, so you get the flavor without mouthfuls of bacon fat. Or, if you really like bacon, you can just cut up the bacon and put it in. Other than sauteing the onion and garlic and cooking the bacon, just toss it all in a pan, be sure you mash the tomatoes with a fork or whisk, and cook until desired thickness. If you chop up the basil leaves, you can leave them in as well.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Slider heaven
My dear husband always encourages me/us to eat healthily--organic, all-natural, complex carbs, veggies, free-range....
But he LOVES hamburgers. In fact, after a foray through Five Guys, the next night he was still craving a good burger. Apparently his appetite was only whetted. So I intervened.
In the same pan, I fried an egg (runny yolk), a couple slices of bacon, cooked some small turkey burgers (for a recipe, see previous post on burgers), and sauteed onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
The bottom layer or "bun" was a piece of sourdough bread that I lightly buttered and turned upside down onto the pan to "grill" or "toast." Next came a little mayo and mustard and some spinach leaves as a lettuce substitute. Then the burger and a half piece of all natural Vermont white cheddar, followed by the mushroom/onion mixture, the egg, and topped it all off with a slice of bacon, curled as a garnish. I used a toothpick to hold it all together, and it caused the yolk to drip down over the entire dish. In short, it was fantastic. He ate three that evening and two the next.
I haven't heard a peep about burgers since! Mwahaha! And all that with only 1 lb of turkey meat and a couple slices of bacon. (We normally use turkey bacon, but this was given to us so we're using it)
I'd like to make one with avocado next time, and maybe some sauteed bell peppers. The more veggies, the better!
But he LOVES hamburgers. In fact, after a foray through Five Guys, the next night he was still craving a good burger. Apparently his appetite was only whetted. So I intervened.
In the same pan, I fried an egg (runny yolk), a couple slices of bacon, cooked some small turkey burgers (for a recipe, see previous post on burgers), and sauteed onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
The bottom layer or "bun" was a piece of sourdough bread that I lightly buttered and turned upside down onto the pan to "grill" or "toast." Next came a little mayo and mustard and some spinach leaves as a lettuce substitute. Then the burger and a half piece of all natural Vermont white cheddar, followed by the mushroom/onion mixture, the egg, and topped it all off with a slice of bacon, curled as a garnish. I used a toothpick to hold it all together, and it caused the yolk to drip down over the entire dish. In short, it was fantastic. He ate three that evening and two the next.
I haven't heard a peep about burgers since! Mwahaha! And all that with only 1 lb of turkey meat and a couple slices of bacon. (We normally use turkey bacon, but this was given to us so we're using it)
I'd like to make one with avocado next time, and maybe some sauteed bell peppers. The more veggies, the better!
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Texas Cheese Fry Massacre!
Our favorite appetizer at Chili's is their Texas cheese fries. Pretty much every time we eat there, it's on the agenda. So, when I noticed a massive jar of jalapenos in the refrigerator, I got an idea. And it was a good one, therefore, I shall share:
Texas Cheese Fries
1 Idaho baking potato, cut but not peeled
Peanut or veggie oil for frying the potato/es
Salt and pepper to taste
6-12 jalapeno slices (the pickled ones do fine)
About 1/4 c. cheddar cheese
1-2 snipped green onions
Fry potato/es until golden and crispy. Place in oven-safe dish and add salt and pepper, jalapeno, cheese, and finally onion to garnish. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. Serve hot with a buttermilk ranch dressing for dipping, if desired.
I really wish I had taken a picture of this before it was devoured. I don't like jalapenos, so I pick mine off and give them to my husband. These would make a fantastic Superbowl snack, especially since you can make multiple recipes at the same time.
Any other imitation recipes of which I should be aware?
Texas Cheese Fries
1 Idaho baking potato, cut but not peeled
Peanut or veggie oil for frying the potato/es
Salt and pepper to taste
6-12 jalapeno slices (the pickled ones do fine)
About 1/4 c. cheddar cheese
1-2 snipped green onions
Fry potato/es until golden and crispy. Place in oven-safe dish and add salt and pepper, jalapeno, cheese, and finally onion to garnish. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. Serve hot with a buttermilk ranch dressing for dipping, if desired.
I really wish I had taken a picture of this before it was devoured. I don't like jalapenos, so I pick mine off and give them to my husband. These would make a fantastic Superbowl snack, especially since you can make multiple recipes at the same time.
Any other imitation recipes of which I should be aware?
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Making Homemade Hamburgers Better than Amazing
Okay, I know most people don't find homemade hamburgers to be an amazing food. You patty some meat out, cook it, slap it on a store-bought bun, and add whatever toppings you like. No biggie.
I posit that the above description is not amazing at all. It may be amazingly convenient for you who have a gazillion mouths to feed and no time in which to experiment, but I have two mouths to feed and time in relative abundance. For your consideration, then:
Homemade Hamburger Buns:
Courtesy of the 14th Edition of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
This is a basic recipe for dinner rolls that can be formed into hamburger or hot dog buns. It yields 12 of either. Today, I made a half-recipe because there's no way on this green earth that we can eat 12 hamburgers in 2-3 days.
Ingredients:
4.5-5 c. AP flour (I use King Arthur white wheat--they never bleach or bromate)
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. milk
1/3 c. sugar or 1/4 c. honey
1/3 c. real butter
1 t. salt (I use sea salt exclusively)
2 eggs
In a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 c. of the flour and the yeast. In a 2 c. glass measuring cup or bowl, nuke (microwave) milk, sugar/honey, salt, and butter until warm and the butter almost melts. Add eggs and beat to break up eggs and combine ingredients. Pour into the flour mixture and beat with a mixer or a whisk until soft and smooth, about 2 min. Add as much of the remaining flour as you can and beat with a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until it is soft and smooth.
Let it rise for about an hour, or until doubled, preferably in an oiled bowl away from drafts. Punch it down, turn it out onto the flour again, and divide in half. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. Grease a baking sheet or two, but don't preheat your oven yet.
Cut into 12 pieces and shape your buns. You can really form them into whatever shape you like. This recipe can make rosettes, butterhorn rolls, parker house rolls, or sandwich rolls. Put them on the baking sheet and cover them again, let rise for 30 minutes. About 15-20 minutes into it, preheat your oven. Put them in for 12-15 minutes or until golden on top. They smell great, and taste even better.
Marinated Hamburgers:
Courtesy of Jenny's experiments
1 lb ground beef or turkey (Don't dis the turkey--I actually prefer it to beef)
1 slice stale bread or 5-6 crackers, crumbled
A splash each of hoisin and soy sauce
A dash each of garlic, lemon/pepper, cajun seasoning, fresh black pepper
1-3 green onions, snipped
Mix it all with your hands. Refrigerate 1-6 hours. Patty out, cook. Charcoal grilling is the best.
Okay, now, what toppings do you guys like the best? I love me some Spring Mix salad greens, tomato, sauteed onion and mushrooms, mayo, and a tiny bit of mustard.
I posit that the above description is not amazing at all. It may be amazingly convenient for you who have a gazillion mouths to feed and no time in which to experiment, but I have two mouths to feed and time in relative abundance. For your consideration, then:
Homemade Hamburger Buns:
Courtesy of the 14th Edition of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
This is a basic recipe for dinner rolls that can be formed into hamburger or hot dog buns. It yields 12 of either. Today, I made a half-recipe because there's no way on this green earth that we can eat 12 hamburgers in 2-3 days.
Ingredients:
4.5-5 c. AP flour (I use King Arthur white wheat--they never bleach or bromate)
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. milk
1/3 c. sugar or 1/4 c. honey
1/3 c. real butter
1 t. salt (I use sea salt exclusively)
2 eggs
In a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 c. of the flour and the yeast. In a 2 c. glass measuring cup or bowl, nuke (microwave) milk, sugar/honey, salt, and butter until warm and the butter almost melts. Add eggs and beat to break up eggs and combine ingredients. Pour into the flour mixture and beat with a mixer or a whisk until soft and smooth, about 2 min. Add as much of the remaining flour as you can and beat with a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until it is soft and smooth.
Let it rise for about an hour, or until doubled, preferably in an oiled bowl away from drafts. Punch it down, turn it out onto the flour again, and divide in half. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. Grease a baking sheet or two, but don't preheat your oven yet.
Cut into 12 pieces and shape your buns. You can really form them into whatever shape you like. This recipe can make rosettes, butterhorn rolls, parker house rolls, or sandwich rolls. Put them on the baking sheet and cover them again, let rise for 30 minutes. About 15-20 minutes into it, preheat your oven. Put them in for 12-15 minutes or until golden on top. They smell great, and taste even better.
Marinated Hamburgers:
Courtesy of Jenny's experiments
1 lb ground beef or turkey (Don't dis the turkey--I actually prefer it to beef)
1 slice stale bread or 5-6 crackers, crumbled
A splash each of hoisin and soy sauce
A dash each of garlic, lemon/pepper, cajun seasoning, fresh black pepper
1-3 green onions, snipped
Mix it all with your hands. Refrigerate 1-6 hours. Patty out, cook. Charcoal grilling is the best.
Okay, now, what toppings do you guys like the best? I love me some Spring Mix salad greens, tomato, sauteed onion and mushrooms, mayo, and a tiny bit of mustard.
Discover and define your interior decorating style
I've had the urge lately to define my interior decorating style. I have no idea why, especially since we're in the middle of re-locating back to a space in which I'll have approximately 24 square feet of actual personizeable area. I have always loved earth tones, Asian (especially Japanese and Zen) spaces, softened geometric lines, houseplants, and Mason jars.
And now, thanks to two things I have access to for free, I know what all that stuff above says about my style: simplistic (not minimalist, though similar) rustic chic. FYI, all styles apparently end with the word "chic" these days, though few actually probably deserve the title. As to the two free things, here they are:
1. House Beautiful Magazine. Yes, I know it doesn't come for free. But here's how I got it for free, and the option or a similar one should also be available to you:
Get a Swagbucks account and use their search bar. You will randomly get Swag Bucks, 450 SB = $5.00 Amazon Gift Card. Amazon frequently runs 1-yr magazine subscriptions for $5.00. Get the magazine.
2. Pinterest. Sign up. Under "Everything," go to "Home Decor." Browse to your heart's content. Pin things that interest you and look for themes. Read blogs to discover what terminology usually is associated with your themed interests. Think of ways to create similar looks using your space and your budget.
What is your style? Is it a strange combo platter, like mine? Or is it more straightforward? How do you incorporate your style into your budget?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)