Happiness is Homemade

January Birchbox Review

2012-01-19T06:17:00.000-08:00

I've had the opportunity to try out all my Birchbox goodies. I thought it would be fun to share the results with you.

1. VMV Hypoallergenics Eye Serum: I am not really the eye serum kind of girl. I didn't even try this product. I am thinking about saving the products I am not interested in and having a give away once I've collected a few products to share. I'll keep you posted!

2. Larabar: This was just okay. No plans to buy the full product.

3. Zoya Nail polish: I was disappointed in this nail polish. I thought I was going to love the light gray color but it came off more blue than gray. Also...I found the product to be a bit thick and therefore didn't give the finish I like. I am not ruling out Zoya nail polish totally...and plan to try a different color. I know many people love Zoya and think it's worth giving it another try.

4. Jouer Lip Gloss: This is an okay product. It's very sheer with a faint pink color...but gives a nice build up when layered. I'm enjoying the sample but won't run out to buy the full product. There are other brands that I like better. It is fun sampling this though....

5. Juicy Couture perfume: This is really nice. I love that the sample has a nice little spray top. I would definitely buy this product.

Now...I know I wasn't thrilled with all the products but it was FUN trying new things. I look forward to my next Birch box!

January Birchbox

2012-01-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

Isn't this fun? I loved the little wrapped surprises.This is a generous sample of VMV Hypoallergenics Eye Serum. A full size bottle sells for $80. This is a $40 bottle! I haven't tried this yet. I've never used an eye serum before and am anxious to give it a try.

This mini Larabar was a little extra treat that was included in the box. I'm not a huge fan of Larabars, but I know many people love them.

I love this mini bottle of Zoya nail polish. What girl doesn't love polished nails? This is a half size bottle. The full size sells for $8.00.

I am really enjoying this Jouer moisturizing lip gloss. It came in a mini size but this will go a long way. The full size sells for $20. I love the shade. You can apply one coat for sheer pigment, or layer it for a brighter pink pucker!

I was most excited about this. It's the same size as the store samples..but this Juicy Couture fragrance has a little squirt top which makes it much better! I love the fragrance and have added it to my Valentine's wish list.

I am so excited to share with you my new find! It's Birchbox! Birchbox is a company that sends out monthly high end samples for the minimal price of $10 a month (that includes shipping). We all love to try new products and this an inexpensive way to do that. Plus...who doesn't LOVE getting a present each month? There is no commitment. You can do Birchbox on a month to month basis. I got my first box yesterday and I loved it. I will be sharing my Birchbox with you each month..along with 2 other boxes I subscribe to each month.

Birch Box and Eco Emi

2011-12-30T10:15:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of Birch Box and Eco Emi? Well...if you haven't let me enlighten you! These tw0 companies send out monthly boxes to their subscribers. These boxes contain high end samples of health and beauty products. The prices are very reasonable. Birch Box is $10 and Eco Emi is $15. Not a bad deal considering this includes shipping and...a lot of the time you get a full sized sample. I am expecting my first boxes in January and can't wait to share them with you. I will be showing you each item and will do a review every month.

Cabbage

2011-12-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks to some special friends...I have a nice home grown cabbage to cook. It's delicious with sausage (my plan today) or ground beef. Not everyone in my family loves this vegetable...but my youngest and I adore it! Here's how I do it. I take a beautiful cabbage like this one (thanks Terri and Robert) and dice it up. You don't have to dice it too finely as it will cook down quite a bit. Set aside. Take your sausage and brown it on the stove in a little olive oil. Set sausage aside and put the cabbage in the pot with all the yummy sausage drippings. I like to cook my cabbage for a few minutes in the drippings as it intensifies the flavor. You don't really want to get any real color to the cabbage though. When your cabbage has softened a little it's time to add a little water to the pot. You want to steam your cabbage. You don't want to submerge it in water. The key here is to keep checking the water level so you don't run out of water. This will result in a stinky smelly mess! Once your cabbage is tender...season with salt and pepper to taste. You don't want a lot of liquid in the pot. If there is too much water drain it. Add in the cooked sausage...and let simmer a few more minutes for the flavors to marry. There you have it....a delicious easy meal. Enjoy!

Menu Planning

2011-11-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

If you've visited my blog before...you know that I am an avid menu planner. I honestly believe... it's what makes my kitchen a productive place. Up until the last week or so..I've made extensive menus..ones that would last several weeks. I did this for a several reasons..one being that I didn't have to grocery shop as often. Another reason is that there were lots of things to choose from. I began noticing though...that I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by so many things to choose from . I also noticed it didn't really keep me out of the grocery stores. You can't exactly buy fresh asparagus or other perishables and expect them to last in the fridge for several weeks. I also had to make trips for milk and fresh fruit. So...considering the above I decided to make one week menus and give them a whirl and I found that I love it. It's not overwhelming and I can shop once a week and get everything I need. Beginning next week I am going to start posting my menus. I always incorporate several new recipes so..I'll be sharing my take on them.

Thanks for tuning in.....

Baked Zita-Lasagna Style

2011-11-04T15:29:00.001-07:00

This is by far the best new recipe I've tried of late. It is a real crowd pleaser for everyone! It made a huge 9x13 pan and my boys polished it off in no time. If you have a smaller family...you can freeze half before you bake it. Give it a try...I promise you won't be disappointed.

1 pound Ziti (I used Penne)

1 TBSP olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 pound lean ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

pinch of dried oregano

1-26 ounce jar of pasta sauce (your favorite)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1-15 oz. container ricotta

1-10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove liquid

2 cups. shredded mozzarella (I used Monterrey Jack)

Cook pasta and set aside. Don't over cook it because it is going to get baked as well. Heat the oil in a dutch oven and add the onion, beef, and garlic and cook until the beef is cooked and then drain any fat. Add oregano and pasta sauce and heat for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and add the cooked pasta and season with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan, ricotta, and spinach and toss to mix. Spread the mixture in a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until the cheese melts, about 15 minutes.

*This picture was taken before baking. I mean't to take one afterwards...but I forgot.

Bentos

2011-11-04T15:18:00.001-07:00

Turkey sandwich on multigrain bread, string cheese, dill pickles, and fresh pineapple.

Green salad with homemade blue cheese dressing (and yes..she ate it all), cheese cracker, fresh plum, and a boiled egg.

Chicken tenders (the healthy kind) with ketchup, grapes, and fresh pineapple.

Banana Bread

2011-10-27T17:47:00.001-07:00

This is delicious..my kids love it for a snack or breakfast. I used 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all purpose flour. I also added a bout 1/3 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips...just because.

3 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the butter with the banana in a large bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last and mix until just incorporated. Pour mixture into a buttered loaf pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour. Cool and remove from pan. Delish!

I'm Back....

2011-10-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Turkey sandwich on wheat, carrots & ranch dip, and 2 cheese crackers.

Pumpkin turkey sandwich on wheat, fresh kiwi, and popcorn

Ham sandwich on wheat, fresh kiwi, pirate booty, and chocolate Teddy bear cookies (these are a healthier version of Teddy Grahams from Whole Foods)

Ham sandwich on wheat, cheese crackers (again a healthier version from Whole Foods) and apple wedges.

Turkey rolls, fresh strawberries, grapes, and cucumbers & ranch dip.

Turkey on wheat, quackers, peaches, and cucumber salad.

Chicken nuggets (the healthy Whole Foods ones) with ketchup, and kiwi.

Turkey on wheat, dried apple & cranberries, and pretzels.

Some of you may have noticed..but it's been quite sometime since I've updated my blog. I had a little mishap a few weeks ago and quite seriously sprained my ankle. For the most part..it's been a time of rest and ice packs. I always thought I'd love a bit of down time, but I found it very depressing. I detest relying on others and must admit I had a crying jag or two. I am back on my feet somewhat (with a limp) and feeling better being a bit more in control. Here are some recent bentos for you to view.

This Week's Bento Boxes

2011-09-25T17:29:00.001-07:00

Turkey sandwich on wheat, Quackers (healthy alternative to goldfish), and blueberries, raspberries, and purple grapes. Chedder cheese (car) cookies, turkey rolls, dill pickle slices, blueberries, and raspberries.

Leftover mac n' cheese, greenbeans, purple grapes, and two little teddy bear brownies.

I think, I forgot to take a picture of one day's lunch! I only have 3 and I know I made 4 days worth of lunches. Oh well...here are some of the past week's lunches.

Cheddar Cookies

2011-09-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight, my little princess and I baked up something from her Pink Princess Cookbook. I let her chose what cookie cutter to use and she chose little cars and houses. She is quite the tom-boy and wouldn't dream of choosing flowers or hearts! Regardless...these cookies are delicious. Don't be fooled by the word "cookie"...there isn't anything sweet about them. They are savory and wonderful. They are easy too! I love cooking with my kids...

Cheddar Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Stir in flour, salt, and cayenne pepper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut into assorted small shapes and place on a foil lined baking sheet that has been very lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

This weeks Bentos

2011-09-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Jelly sandwich on wheat, quackers (the healthy alternative to goldfish), roasted turkey breast rolls, and diced kiwi.
Roasted turkey sandwich on wheat, more quackers (they are a favorite), and more diced kiwi.

Homemade lunchable with roasted turkey, cheddar, and multi grain crackers, dill pickle chunks, dried cranberries, dried apples (a new favorite), and a whole wheat fig cookie.

Roasted turkey sandwich with a cheddar heart, cheddar popcorn, and grapes & fresh pineapple.

Freezer Cooking

2011-09-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today, I took some time to do a bit of freezer cooking. As I've probably complained more than once...mornings are HECTIC around here! Regardless, of how busy things are...I want my children to have a good breakfast before going to school. I not only want their breakfast nutritious...but I want it to be enjoyed. I have one child that eats a whole wheat pancake each and every morning. If I try to serve her anything else, she really doesn't eat well and it's a fight. I re-stocked my freezer with whole wheat pancakes and decided to try something new for the older kiddies. I made my homemade biscuits and added a healthy chicken & maple sausage patty and a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. I let everything cool before assembling them. They look and taste wonderful.

Yummy Greenbeans

2011-09-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

I made a couple new recipes this week and one definitely needed to be shared. The Swedish meatballs (crockpot recipe) were pretty good. They weren't good enough to merit sharing the recipe though. What was good...was these green beans! They were absolutely delicious and something I will make again and again.

Easy Asian Green Beans

A bunch of fresh green beans

olive oil

soy sauce

salt and pepper

white sugar

Heat 1-2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the green beans and saute' over medium heat until they brown on the side a little. Reduce heat to medium low and put on a lid. Let them cook a few minutes until they are as tender as you like, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid, and splash with soy sauce, season with salt and pepper, and about 1-3 teaspoons of sugar. Stir and serve.

*I was careful when adding the seasonings to the beans. I wasn't sure of how much to put of each ingredient. I adjusted everything to taste and they were wonderful!

Bentos

2011-09-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

Pineapple chunks, Chicken nuggets (the healthy kind), carrot sticks and ketchup for dipping.

Egg salad sandwich, more pineapple chunks, and veggie sticks.

Tuna salad sandwich, string cheese, fresh strawberries, and popcorn.

I only had to prepare 3 school lunches this week. This was because...Monday was a holiday and on Fridays we pick up lunch and bring it home.

How To Eat Organic On A Budget

2011-09-07T12:28:00.001-07:00

Groceries are getting more and more expensive. It's getting harder for families to put food on the table...much less pricier organic foods. Feeding my family a healthy, organic diet is very important to me. I've learned some tips along the way to make it a little easier and I thought I would share these tips with you.

Ways to save:

1. Instead of buying organic pasta or rice, buy whole grains (like whole wheat pasta). The whole grains are less processed and though they may not be organic...they have a bigger nutritional impact than white processed grains.

2. If you peel it...buy conventional. Since you won't be eating the peel and it's the part mostly exposed to the pesticides..buying organic can be wasteful. Here is a list of things I buy conventional: sweet potatoes, mango's, bananas, avocados, citrus fruits (unless you'll be using the zest), and kiwis. But, if you plan on eating the peel...then go organic. I buy apples, grapes, plums, peaches, cherries, and pears organic.

3. Don't buy bagged organics. Prewashed lettuce is pricey and you are paying for the convenience of having these foods washed for you. I do buy these organic but I buy them as a head and do the washing myself.

4. When possible...buy store brand dairy. Many chains have teamed up with farmers that do not use artificial growth hormones in their store brand dairy. Usually..store brand diary is half the price of certified USDA organic.

What I buy organic...always.

1. I buy organic chicken in bulk. Just like most everything else..it's cheaper in bulk. I mostly buy whole chickens because that is the cheapest way to go.

2. Buy organic eggs. It's a fact that organic eggs contain less saturated fat and more omega-3s and beta carotene then conventional eggs. Don't fall for labeling tricks such as: cage free, free range, or all natural...those aren't nearly as closely regulated.

3. Buy grass fed beef. Red meat that is pasture raised or grass fed can be double the price of regular beef. But...it contains more heart-healthy omega-3s and other good fats. Counteract the high price by eating red meat less often and use budget cuts. Some good wallet friendly choices are: chuck, flank, or skirt steak. I also make my meats stretch by making soups and stews etc.

Happy Eating!

English Muffins

2011-09-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

This recipe is wonderful. Who ever thought about making homemade English muffins? I certainly never did.

1 cup hot water

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. salt

4 cups flour (I used 2 cups wheat flour and 2 cups white flour)

2 tsp. instant yeast

3 Tbsp. softened butter

cornmeal

Mix together the water, milk, honey, and salt. Add 2 cups flour and the yeast. Mix until you have a loose batter. Cover the mixture and let rise for approximately 1 hour. Add the butter and the remaining flour. Roll out on a surface that is sprinkled with cornmeal. Roll about 1/2" thick and cut into circles. Let rise until doubled. Cook on a hot, (about 350 degrees) well buttered griddle until light brown. Turn once while cooking.

Vanilla

2011-09-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

My homemade vanilla is progressing nicely. Every so often we remove it from the dark corner of the pantry and give it a little shake. It will be ready around the end of December...just in time for some holiday baking.

This Weeks Bentos

2011-09-05T11:50:00.001-07:00

Monday's lunch was baked fish (this is the healthy version from Whole Foods. It's 100% fish with no fillers..and no minced fish. They are pricey but I only serve them on occasion. They cost a little under $8.00 per box and that is enough for 4 lunches), string cheese and cantaloupe.

Tuesday: Turkey sandwich on wheat, popcorn, and fresh pineapple.

My 5 year old has been asking for Lunchables. I refuse to buy these processed convenience foods and decided to make my own. My daughter was just as happy. I cut cheddar cheese and turkey into rounds, added some healthy crackers, popcorn, and a fresh strawberries and pineapple. WIN!

Thursday: Because the homemade Lunchable was such a hit my daughter requested it again. So...there was cheddar and turkey rounds, healthy crackers, fresh watermelon, and pineapple.

On Fridays we purchase a meal out. It's a treat for my kids at the end of the week. I usually let them choose.

This weeks Bentos

2011-08-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Baked fish (These are from Whole Foods frozen section. These are a bit pricey around $7-8 dollars a box. I am uncertain how many come in the box..probably enough for 4 lunches. These are the healthy version of fish sticks and are made with 100% fish fillets. They were eaten all up!), fresh apple chunks, banana yogurt, and ketchup for dipping.

Turkey sandwich on wheat, quackers (healthy version of goldfish crackers), carrots and Borsin cheese for dipping. Unfortunately, not all the carrots were eaten but the cheese disappeared quickly! Next

Turkey sandwich on wheat, more quackers, diced plum, and baby pickles.

I only made toddler lunches three times this week. On Tuesday, we had a lunch date and on Friday we had leftovers.

Bentos

2011-08-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

It took forever to load these pictures. I apologize for the delay...but I tried all weekend to get them to load. I had to finally do them individually and this took a little while. I will mainly be posting toddler lunches. On occasion, I will post an older kid lunch if they are interesting. I think that most parents have trouble figuring out what to feed the little guys. Once kids become teenagers most of them eat you out of house and home!Diced leftover turkey breast, fresh organic strawberries, and Quackers. These are similar to goldfish but much healthier. You can find them at Whole Foods.

Turkey sandwich on wheat, organic strawberries with a blackberry topper, raisins, more Quackers, organic carrots and hummus. A. was not a fan of the hummus and it wasn't eaten. She did try it but didn't care for it. I love that my kids are willing to "try" anything.

Chicken tenders (these are healthy ones..made with 100% organic chicken breasts. You can get them frozen at Whole Foods. I will say they are a bit pricey..about $7.00 for 8 small pieces. I don't get them often...but it's a nice treat on occasion), Ranch dip for dipping the tenders (I make this homemade most of the time...but if time is an issue, I use Paul Newman's brand. It's definitely the healthier choice), apple slices, and baby pickles.

Since the chicken tenders were such a hit we had them again! We also had baby organic carrots with a side of healthy ranch dip and pear sauce (like applesauce but made from pears).

This is a big kid lunch...it has a whole wheat tortilla, chicken tenders, organic romaine lettuce, carrot chunks, and ranch dip. The tortilla, lettuce, and chicken tenders were made into a wrap with some of the ranch dip. The rest of the ranch dip was used with the carrots for dipping.

Week 1 Bento Lunches

2011-08-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Wednesday's lunch was diced watermelon & pineapple, pirate booty (a healthy puffed corn snack), cherries, a turkey sandwich on wheat, and a small cup of miso soup. My little one at it all!

Thursday's lunch was a turkey sandwich on wheat, more pirate booty, diced watermelon & pineapple. Everything was eaten again!

Sadly to say...we started school this past week. I already miss having the kids around. With school starting it is time to start packing some bentos! I will be posting weekly pictures for you. I hope this inspires you to pack healthy lunches for your family and I hope it gets your creative juices flowing. This week was a short school week..so without further ado....week 1.

Couponing

2011-08-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

I have decided to officially take a break from my extreme couponing. I had the worst experience this week and I am burnt out! I have been doing all my coupon shopping at Walmart. They match competitor prices. This allows me to take advantage of all sales in one place. Sound easy? It's not! Every time, I've done my coupon shopping at Walmart it's a huge fiasco. They always have to call over a manager to complete my transaction. It's nothing I've ever done...but after so many price adjustments and coupons the register freaks out and requires some assistance. The manager each time has scrutinized each item I'm buying along with each ad and coupon. I've been careful to check the store's coupon policies before shopping each time. The policies seem to change from week to week...so I always make sure I am up to date on any changes. I've made sure beforehand that none of my coupons have expired and I check all the dates on all ads. Regardless...each and every time it has been a huge hassle.

This week...was no different. I got in line with about 50 items...30 of which were coupon/price adjustment items. I was buying several "like" items for example: 5 crest toothpaste, 5 bottles fantastic cleaner, 5 pkgs Bic pens etc...not too complicated. Immediately after putting my purchases on the conveyer belt, a gentleman got in line behind me. He had only 3 items. I turned around to him and said..the he might want to consider moving to another line..that usually this takes a little time. He assured me all was fine and he didn't mind waiting until I was finished. He even complimented me on my frugal shopping skills..ha! About 2/3Rd's of the way through scanning my coupons....the register did it's "freak out" and a manager was called over. The manager stated there must be a mistake with my coupons. The clerk assured her that it was just the amount of coupons I was using. After 5 minutes or so, the manager did an over ride and my check out continued. At the end of my transaction the register required another over ride from a manager. So...a different manager came over. She started going through each and every coupon...rechecking expiration dates etc. She stated that I MUST have made a mistake. The man behind me began yelling at the manager. He insisted that I had indeed bought each and every item. He actually starting spouting off how many of each item I had purchased. He said that he had been watching for the entire 40 minutes (yes.... 40 minutes). The clerk also insisted that I had purchased every item and that none of my coupons were expired. This didn't convince the manager and she continued to scrutinize my purchases...as if I were trying to cheat the system or steal from her personally. Then the stranger behind me took out his wallet and actually offered money to fix any mistakes she claimed I had made. He stated how ridiculous this was and how I was being harassed. I was so embarrassed. I apologized to him for the 10Th time about his long wait. I even offered to carry his items to another register for him. He stated he wasn't leaving now! He said he was a lawyer, had witnessed this whole outrage, and he had my back. At his comment the manager quickly did an over ride. It took an entire 50 minutes to check out. I did save $75.00 but honestly it wasn't worth it. I was scrutinized, embarrassed, and made to feel like I was doing something wrong. It's their way of discouraging the use of coupons and price adjusting. So..on that note I'm taking a little time off. I'm sure the "couponing bug" will bite again....and I'll be back at it!

Summer Is Officially Over

2011-08-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that summer has come to an end. It went entirely too fast and it didn't seem like we had a summer at all. I didn't accomplish all the things I wanted to get done...but I can say that I immensely enjoyed each and every minute with my children. My youngest starts school this year. I am not thrilled. I know all too well how quickly the years will fly by. Remember when you were a kid and summer seemed to go on forever? I think every child wants to grow up quickly. Time seemed to almost stand still back then. Now that I am an adult and a mother especially...the years are zooming by at a pace that makes me dizzy (and sad). My goals are to cherish the small things. I want to never be too busy to listen to my little one's stories and answer all of the millions of questions she comes up with. I want to be more patient. I want to really hear what my older children are saying. I want to be more compassionate and understanding. I want to bask in their strong suits and not focus on the negative things so much. I want to spend more time encouraging then fussing and nagging. I want to create special memories...the kind of memories they will carry with them for a lifetime. And...it all starts tomorrow.

Coupon Shopping!

2011-07-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

I must say...that I am learning lots about coupon shopping. I have learned that all Walmarts are not alike. You have some that take your word concerning price matching. You have some that don't believe you and you have to show each and every ad. I've learned that Walmart's coupon policy seems to change in some way...week to week. I've also learned that there are some mean Walmart employees that act as if you are trying to steal money out their own pockets. Don't get me wrong..I am not getting anything for free like on television. I am getting some good deals...but nothing free. I don't come in with a boat load of coupons either. Regardless, it's an experience week to week and it's not all that fun. I did get some good deals this week that I wanted to share with you.

I got:

Chex mix .50 each

Raisin bran 2.00 each.

Gain 1.99 each (Smoking deal! These were originally almost $7 each!) Eat your heart out Heather!

Poptarts 2.00 each (ignore this "bad" food..it's a one time treat)

Excedrine 1.25 each

Pads 2.00 each

Cottonelle wipes 1.25 each

Pantene shampoo 1.49 each.

Toothbrushes .99 each (These are 3.69 originally)

100% Welches Grape juice 1.73 each.

V8 Juice 2.16 each

I was really happy with these deals...especially the Gain and Excedrine.

Ramblings....

2011-07-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

I'm going to grumble, complain, and whine a little bit. It seems I've geared up all school year for summer vacation and it's almost over! It just began! The lazy days of summer that I was dreaming of never came. There has been only 2 days where we didn't leave the house. We've had to leave for one or more activities on a daily basis. This summer we've had vacation Bible school, swimming, t-ball, and music camp. I was really looking forward to those lazy days where you sleep in and play board games all day. They never came. Now..I'm counting the days until school starts. YIKES! All the kids start at different times. That's a good thing. Ease me into it. I must say I am NOT looking forward to the early morning (and I do mean EARLY) rush, homework, and carpooling. Personally, I just wish life would slow down a little bit.

Homemade Vanilla

2011-07-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about my new venture! I am making vanilla extract. Actually...it's really making itself. It's a pretty simple process and I am contemplating getting another batch going soon. It's a tad pricey to get started...but oh so worth it. It takes about 6 months to complete. I will keep you all posted on its progress.

French Breakfast Cakes

2011-06-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 large egg

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl and combine with a whisk. In a medium size bowl, whisk the egg until frothy. Blend in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture. Mix the batter until just blended, then spoon it into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3rds full. Bake the cakes for about 18-22 minutes and let cool slightly. While still warm combine the sugar and the cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Dip the tops of the warm cakes in the butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar.

*I used half whole wheat flour and half unbleached flour to bump up the nutrition. My kiddies loved these.

Vanilla...This Makes Me Happy!

2011-06-23T18:13:00.001-07:00

I've been following a blog called Heavenly Homemakers for quite sometime. I love everything about Laura. I enjoy her recipes, menu plans, and even her food storage tips. I really love that Laura makes her own vanilla and for limited times sells it. I was fortunate to get a bottle of her vanilla this go round...I missed it last time. I just got it in and can't wait to use it!

Mini Cheesecakes

2011-06-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, after you bake the cheesecakes the vanilla wafer looks like a normal crust. If you don't tell your guests or family..they'll never know!

I follow several cooking blogs and one of my favorites is, "What's for lunch at our house". Recently, she featured these yummy mini cheesecakes and I thought I'd share her recipe with you. What I love about them is that they are not only delicious..but so simple. You can easily serve them in the muffin liners or remove the liners for a more elegant presentation. I added strawberries macerated in a little sugar. You can find this insightful blog at http://www.bentolunch.net/

2 bars (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

vanilla wafers for crusts

Mix all of the ingredients together until they are well blended. Line the muffin tin with cupcake papers, then put 1 vanilla wafer on the bottom of each one. Fill each cup about 1/2 full of cheesecake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Chill, top and serve!

Cottage Pie

2011-06-22T19:19:00.001-07:00

I have to say that this was absolutely delicious! I recommend everyone try it!

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 onion, diced

2 large carrots, cut into 1/4 " circles

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 lb ground beef

2 teaspoons fresh thyme (if you use dried decrease by more than half)

1 cup dark beer

2 tablespoons flour

3/4 cup frozen peas

2 gold potatoes, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper and cook until meat is browned and the onions are softened. Drain the fat. Add the tomato sauce, thyme, and beer and bring to a boil. Cook stirring frequently until reduced a bit. Sprinkle in the flour and add 1 cup of water and cook until thickened. Stir in peas and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Transfer into a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Top with potato slices overlapping the slices. Drizzle with the rest of the butter and salt and pepper the potato slices. Bake about 40-45 minutes until the potatoes are golden, brown around the edges, and fork tender. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

*If you aren't aware you can find tomato paste in a tube in your local grocery store. It's a great thing to have on hand. After opening keep it in your fridge.

This Makes Me Happy!

2011-06-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of summer that we stayed home. We are finally winding down from all the extra curricular activities and it is feeling good! Today, with the help of the kids we tackled cleaning out the pantry and fridge. It was beginning to get unorganized and I was losing sight of what was actually in there. I was able to inventory everything and I feel so much better now. I am beginning a pantry challenge tomorrow. This is a great way to use what you have and save money. I am picking up my organic chickens and ground beef this week so we will be good for awhile. I should only have to purchase milk and eggs. Here is the results of all our hard work today.

Couponing

2011-06-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

These are the bargains I've gotten so far this week.

6-Lysol Antibacterial 4-1 cleaner $1.49 each

6-Gillette Body Wash $1.24 each

10-Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner $1.00 each

I happened to meet up with my friend, Teri while coupon shopping at Walmart. She shared with me some of the deals she's gotten recently with her couponing. It was great running in to her and sharing our love of couponing!

Homemade Chicken Broth

2011-06-17T17:12:00.001-07:00

Making your own chicken broth couldn't be easier. It's also economical and it is made with fresher ingredients. I purchase organic chickens in bulk and because they are organic...I pay a premium price for them. Every time I cook one of my chickens, I am left with the back. I am usually too busy, tired, or lazy to do anything with it and I guiltily throw it away. It crosses my mind every time that I am being wasteful. I've decided to put a stop to my wastefulness and to make stock each and every time for my freezer. In case you haven't done it before...here is how you do it. I take whatever chicken pieces I have, carrots, onion, garlic, celery (the leaves are delicious), salt, pepper, and any fresh herbs (I have on hand ) and drop them in the pot. Then I cover them liberally with water and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Discard the veggies and the chicken pieces and there you have it! There isn't a specific recipe...just use what you have. You will definitely notice a difference in your soups and stews when using the real deal.

Extreme Couponing On A Small Scale

2011-06-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Today, I did my weekly coupon shopping trip. I came away with some awesome deals. This is what I got for $37.12 before taxes.

4-Zest soaps (8 bars each) $1.50 each
4-Zest body wash $1.50 each
1-Double roll of Charmin toilet paper $1.99
1-Loreal face powder $4.99
2-Mini Wheat Cereal $1.99 each
4-Old Spice Body Wash $1.99 each
2-V8 juice $1.16 each
4-V8 Splash juice .98 each
3-Glade air fresheners Walmart paid me .2 cents each to take them off their hands!

The total before the sales and coupons would have been $83.42! I've got a small stock pile growing..and it's exciting!

Shout Out To Jill

2011-06-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a big thanks and shout out to my friend, Jill. She hooked me up with some killer honey and I appreciate her thinking of me.

The failures

2011-06-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

Banana Muffins

Chocolate Pecan Biscotti

Spinach manicotti (this was taken before topping them off with a homemade tomato sauce)

Here are some of the failures from this past week. They weren't terrible...they were just okay. Being just "okay" doesn't merit ever making them again.

The Absolute Best Brownies!

2011-06-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

I love trying new recipes. At times you have some real disappointments and then there are times when you get a real winner. This recipe was one of those times...so I wanted to share it with you.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups sugar, 1-1/2 sticks melted butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk in 3 eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 cup of flour. Transfer the batter to the baking pan and bake until just set about 25-30 minutes; let cool.

Delicious! I think what makes these extra special is the huge amount of cocoa powder.

Couponing! Score!

2011-06-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

In my quest to learn more about couponing...I discovered something. I discovered that all Walmarts are not the same. I usually visit a particular Walmart and last week went to one that was closer to home. Big mistake! The clerk I got scrutinized every thing and called the manager over four times. She insisted that when doing comparative pricing that I had to purchase the EXACT item that was on the picture in the ad. Meaning...if I was buying an Old Spice body wash and it came in 3 different scents (Sport, Fresh, and Tropical scents) and all three scents were $3.47 but the Fresh scent one was the pictured in the ad...then I had to purchase the Fresh scent body wash. It didn't matter that the ad didn't specifically say a particular scent. She also wouldn't allow me to buy multiple items even if I had a qualifying coupon for each item. My check out of a handful of items took almost 30 minutes and I ended up putting several things back. Needless to say I was very frustrated.

I returned to my regular Walmart two days later and was able to get everything with no problem...and score I did! These are the things I got!

3-Colgate toothpaste (.25 cents each)

8-rolls of Bounty paper towels ($4.00)

2-Gillette fusion razors (1.97 each)

4-Pantene shampoo/conditioners ($1.50 each)

2-Tide detergent (.99 cents each)

2-Always Pads ($1.99 each)

2-Ban deodorant (.74 cents each)

4-Oral B Pulsar toothbrushes ($1.99 each)

4-Crest toothpaste (.24 cents each)

I had $38.30 dollars in coupons and I combined them with the Sunday and Tuesday sale ads and saved a ton of money. I ended up paying $30.99 before tax with a savings of $87.49! I didn't buy anything I won't eventually need and am excited about my little (growing) stockpile. I know what you are thinking......HOARDER! Stop it! I am definitely not a hoarder...but why not save money now on things I will need later? Can I help it if I got a good deal?

Couponing again....

2011-06-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to like this thing called couponing! I am certainly not racking up like the Extreme Couponers on TLC...but I am getting some good deals. If my calculations are right...I am going to get some SWEET deals tomorrow. I've already started a small stock pile (that's what the extreme couponers call it) and it's exciting. I am not purchasing things I don't need or use..nor am I getting things for free but, I am saving my family money on things we will use and I will eventually have to buy.

Last week, I saved $30.22 on my $76.22 purchase. That is a big savings! My plan is to even do better tomorrow. I actually got 3 deodorants for .94! This is a list of all the things I got for my $46.00. This total includes tax.

10-carnation evaporated milk

10-Lysol wipes

8-paper towels

36-double rolls of toilet paper

2- taco kits

3- deodorant

Summer Cooking and Couponing!

2011-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

I finally feel like summer is here. Last week was our first week off and it didn't quite feel like summer yet. It could have been the house "business" I had to attend to. It could have been the "big" dental appointment for my youngest. Or.... it could have just been an adjustment period. Regardless....summer is here and I aim to enjoy every minute of it!

There are several things I want to do this summer. I'm not talking about the big things like vacations..I'm talking about the simpler things. I want to try a million new recipes. I want to finish typing my recipe binder. I want to master the art of couponing and most importantly, I want to enjoy every minute with my family.

What are your plans for the summer? I'd love to hear....

Couponing

2011-05-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Many moons ago, I used to be a coupon clipper. I was pretty diligent about it and I always had my coupon binder with me. But...once stores quit offering double coupons and we started shopping at stores that didn't carry those "coupon" items, I quit. With TLC's new series "Exteme Couponing" I have become intrigued again with the whole process. I definitely do not want to take it to their level. That kind of commitment takes way too much time...time I just don't have. I do though..want to try out the coupon shopping again..at a level I can commit to. So...this week, I bought several Sunday papers, clipped coupons, and scoured the sale ads. I found several things that I could get good deals on using coupons along with items on sale. Here is what I got at Walmart today:

Two large bags of charcoal: The Academy had a buy on get one free in their sales ad this week. In order for Walmart to honor a buy on get on free...the ad has to state a price. The Academy advertised 2 bags for $7.99.

Four bottles of barbecue sauce: Someone had it on sale 2/$3.00. I had 2 coupons for $1.00 of 2 bottles. So..I got each bottle for $1.00. I know you can get some brands cheaper..but this is a good price for this particular brand.

Two deodorants: I had a sales ad that had them for 2/$4.00. I used 2 coupons for .75 each. So..I got each deodorant that originally sells for $3.68 each for $1.25 each.

The best deal was the toothpaste! Each tube was $3.24...but I had an ad for 2/$4.00. The kicker here is that each tube was attached to another tube as a buy one get one free. I had 4 coupons for $1.00 each. I bought 4 double packages. Bottom line, I paid $1.12 for each tube of toothpaste. What a steal!

The items listed above originally sold for $57.14 and I got them for 22.94! I saved 34.18 on items I would have eventually bought anyway. Remember that Walmart matches prices! I'd love to hear your strategies and how you are save money at the grocery store!

Extreme Couponing Adventure

2011-05-25T19:15:00.001-07:00

Mustard Potato Salad

2011-05-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

I know most of you out there know how to make potato salad...this is for the few who don't! It's a simple recipe. I don't use any measurements..everything is eye balled.

4 gold or red potatoes, boiled until fork tender

2 boiled eggs

1/4 cup diced onion

1-2 small spoonfuls of dill or sweet relish

2 large tablespoons or so of mayonnaise

About 1 tablespoon of mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Cook your potatoes and dice them into a mixing bowl. Dice the boiled eggs and add those to the potatoes along with the onions. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. YUM!

Chocolate Chip Scones

2011-05-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

I made these for the first time along with my raisin scones. They are so good...kind of like a hot chocolate chip cookie. They aren't quite as sweet and are great with the double cream and some coffee.

1-1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup chocolate chips (dark chocolate is the best)

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Additional sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Toss in the chocolate chips and stir to blend. Add the heavy cream to the flour mixture, stirring just until a dough forms and the dry ingredients are incorporated. Knead the dough very briefly with well floured hands to ensure even mixing. Roll our about 1 inch thick and cut with a cooking cutter. Place on greased baking sheet and bake about 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.

Current Scones

2011-05-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

These are absolutely delicious. We love to serve them with double cream (see the picture below).

2-1/4 cup flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sour cream

1 egg, beaten slightly (this is used to glaze the scones before baking)

1 cup currants (I usually make these with currants which are like small raisins. I didn't have any, but had an abundance of California raisins...thanks to my girlfriend Rhonda. So..I diced up some raisins instead).

Extra sugar for sprinkling

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and sour cream. Combine slowly until it resembles coarse crumbs. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until it forms a nice dough. Roll out about an inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheet and brush each with some of the beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden.

You can change up the recipe a bit and use lemon or orange zest or crystallized ginger.

Extreme Couponing

2011-05-20T11:54:00.001-07:00

If you know anything about me...you KNOW I am a huge coffee fan. Look at these yummy coffee drinks! YAY!This is what I got: Semi sweet chocolate chips, 8 cans of coffee drink, almond butter, granola bars, maple cookies, coffee beans, pear sauce, baking cocoa, bourbon vanilla, cheddar corn puffs, 4 boxes of pudding mix, red pepper spread, pickles, and olive oil. JOY! JOY!

My new coupon binder.

Have you seen the new reality show Extreme Couponing? It's unreal! It's about people that collect and clip mountains of coupons, spend 60 hours a week planning their shopping trips, and who have huge stashes of food etc. to show for it! The show highlights a new Couponer each week as they follow them to the grocery store while they purchase $1600 dollars worth of groceries for 40 bucks! These people have huge coupon binders (and they would kill you if you dared touched it) and have money saving down to a science. If I'm honest here...I'd have to say I'm a bit jealous. Who wouldn't be? We all want to save money don't we? We all want to get the most bang for our buck!

I've know that there isn't anyway....that I have the time or patience to take up extreme couponing. Like everyone else, I like to save money. I just don't have the time for all that collecting and clipping...and I can tell you right now, you aren't going to catch me dumpster diving for coupons (though I might throw a kid in)! I also...don't use a lot of the products that you readily find coupons for. But, I have decided for now...to try this coupon thing on a much smaller scale. And so...it has begun!

I purchased a binder with pockets and labeled them accordingly:

Condiments/Snacks

Paper goods/detergents/toiletries/makeup

Baking goods/Spices

Misc/Craft stores

Meats/Produce/Deli

Ethnic Foods

Pasta/Rice

Cereals/Canned Goods

I just realized while typing this that I forgot frozen foods! Ugghhh!

I am beginning to collect a few coupons here and there. I tried some of these online coupon sites where you can print out coupons...but I think they are a joke. You have to literally pull teeth to finally get a coupon. They seem to require a lot of time for little return and my time is valuable. I plan on buying a few Sunday papers each week and collecting some from family and friends. So....if you don't use your coupons...let me know and I will pick them up!

I also...began checking out the weekly sales at our local grocery stores and using coupons for sale items as I can. I'm not a huge Walmart fan...but they do price match so you can do all your sale shopping at one place. This week, I was able to pick up a few things we use for great prices.

I found that you can save money at Whole Foods with coupons too. Whole Foods has their own in store coupons at both entrances. I was able to get some large bags of fancy Kettle Chips for $1.00 each. The chips were regularly priced at almost $4 per bag. They were on sale for 2/$400. The store brochure had $1.00 off coupons and so I bought 2 bags for $2 bucks! That's a huge savings. I don't normally buy chips...but love to have them for special occasions. So...you see it can be done at some specialty stores too. I'd love to hear how you save money at the grocery store!

This week...I was also blessed with a "Trader Joe's" care package. I LOVE Trader Joe's and wish we had one here.

Summer Is Almost Here!

2011-05-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

I can't believe summer is almost here! My youngest child's last day of preschool is tomorrow. That will leave just one child in school until next Thursday. I am looking forward to several things this summer and I've listed them below in random order.

1. I cannot wait to sleep past 5:00 A.M. each morning.
2. NO carpooling my kiddies to and from school (20 round trips a week!).
3. Cooking and baking lots of yummy food.
4. Spending quality time with each of my children. I love having them home.
5. Taking the younger kids on a vacation trip.
6. Having lazy non-stressed days.
7. Scrapbooking with my girlfriends.
8. Devoting more time to my blog.

I am sure I've forgotten something.....my head is spinning with all the possibilities!

Marathon Monday...A Day Of Cooking And Baking!

2011-04-26T20:36:00.001-07:00

It's been quite sometime since I've been able to take almost an entire day and just cook. We were running low on a lot of the food...that I like to keep on hand. With spring break here I decided to dedicate a day to restock the provisions! With the kids help, I was able to get quite a lot accomplished. We prepared a large garden salad with homemade vinaigrette, 2 batches of whole wheat pancakes, granola, whole wheat brownies, almond butter biscotti, cinnamon sugar biscotti, spaghetti and meatballs, green beans with bacon and onion, and garlic bread. PHEW!

I am looking forward to summer. I have really enjoyed being able to sleep in past 5:30 A.M. Summer and it's lazy days can't get here soon enough!

Sponge Bob

2011-04-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

A Krabby patty!

A starfish shaped sanwich that looks like Sponge Bob's friend Patrick.

I don't get Sponge Bob. Not only do I not get him...I don't like him. My only problem with Sponge Bob is that my youngest child LOVES him. She's only caught snippets of the show...so I just don't understand her like (no...obsession) with this cartoon character. Friends and family have (clearing my throat) blessed her with MANY Sponge Bob accessories and he seems to be overtaking our home. A owns stuffed Sponge Bobs, T-shirts, lunch boxes, pajamas, blankets, books, and even panties...all yes...Sponge Bob themed. Today, I thought I would surprise A with a Sponge Bob themed lunch. It was very simple and easy..and best of all it thrilled her.

Two Recent Bentos

2011-04-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

The first bento includes edamame salad, banana yogurt with fresh fruit, deli sandwich, 2 pretzel sticks, and a gluten free chocolate chip cookie.

This bento includes a deli sandwich, 3 healthy chips, a pear, and some pickled okra.

Here are a couple of my recent toddler bentos. Lately, things have been really busy and we haven't been home for lunch everyday. I am counting down the days until spring break and ultimately summer vacation!

Eggs And Goats Milk

2011-04-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

Goats milk mustache!

Beautiful healthy goat's milk!

I absolutely love when I can get farm fresh foods. In past posts I've mentioned a friend that sells her chicken eggs. I love when her hens are laying and she has a surplus to sell. In the past year or so, my friend has been breeding goats so that she can harvest the milk. She plans to make soap and if I'm not mistaken cheese. When I went to pick up my eggs last week she brought out a lovely little mason jar of raw goat's milk for us to try. I have to admit that I am quite squeamish and I just couldn't try it. My kids (no pun intended) on the other hand couldn't wait! They loved it so much and I had to literally ration it out! Thanks M!

Toddler Bento

2011-03-25T04:51:00.000-07:00

Can you smell summer? I can! Only a little over 2 full months and school will be out! I am ready for a break! I am looking forward to sleeping past 5:30 A.M. and no carpooling to 2 different schools. I am also looking forward to lazy summer evenings with no dance or cheer. I love when things slow down and we get to enjoy the important things in life.

We didn't have to make lunches today. This toddler bento was from yesterday. This bento consisted of a boiled egg, a cereal bar, cheese and salami butterflies, 2 large black olives, and some baby pickles. I am happy to say that A consumed most of it.

Toddler Bento

2011-03-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

I've been out of the loop a bit this past month or so. I've had sick kids. One child was diagnosed with mononucleosis..only to find out 6 days later that she was misdiagnosed. Shortly after that she came down with bronchitis. One of my boys was throwing up all day yesterday and another had a bad headache. I am so tired of our routine being disrupted. I don't do well when things aren't on schedule. I feel totally discombobulated. Recently, I've been slacking on making lunches and haven't been cooking like I should. I vowed yesterday to get back on track. Yesterday..I cooked our favorite chicken dish and today there is a roast in the crock pot. (I'm starting to feel like my old self again!).

Here is my toddler bento from today. It included a flower shaped sandwich with ham and Genoa salami. I topped it off with a cheddar flower. I also included a "cutie" which is a small clementine. If you haven't tried these they are the perfect size for your little ones. A's new favorite is Pirate Booty. It's a healthy corn snack that come in a variety of flavors. The ones pictured are cheddar cheese flavored (with real cheese mind you!). Not pictured was a small chocolate cookie as dessert.

Catching Up!

2011-03-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Almost 3 weeks....ago my computer went on the fritz and I had to take it in to be repaired. I got it back today and I am so excited. It's amazing how much we rely on our computers these days. I felt totally discombobulated and I am so thankful to be back in the wonderful world of technology! Ironically, I haven't done very much cooking or baking lately. Life in our home has been very busy and we've had some quickie meals that don't merit posting. I did do a little baking last weekend...nothing too exciting though. We were all out of whole wheat pancakes in the freezer and it was time to restock. My youngest doesn't think life is worth living without her daily pancake for breakfast. I also had some strawberries and I wanted to make some muffins for the older kids. My family loves Applegate brand sausage and I usually fry up a box of 8 links and store them in the fridge for later. I'll post the recipe for the muffins soon. It's a great recipe that you can change up to suit your taste.

Summer Is Coming!

2011-03-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

I have been loving the warm weather. I am not a girl that enjoys the cold. I love everything about summer...no school, sleeping late, lots of outdoor play, swimming, vacations, and fresh produce! Today, I was able to pick up a flat of strawberries and a huge bunch of green onions from a farmer on the side of the road. I am shared some...but put up 8 bags of sliced green onions in the freezer. I plan to make some strawberry bread with the berries..and of course the kids will be eating them with breakfast and lunch.

Toddler Bento

2011-03-01T19:04:00.001-08:00

My toddler bento included strawberry Greek yogurt with heart sprinkles, blueberries, hard salami and pepperoni slices, and crackers. She hardly touched it at all.

Things have been so hectic around here. I've had a sick kid for almost an entire month. I haven't been making as many bentos lately. Here's my most recent..and she barely touched it at all. Sigh.....

French Toast

2011-03-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

I love cooking from scratch for many reasons. We all know it's healthier than eating processed foods. It's also much cheaper and goes a lot farther....I also love it because I get to use up what I have. There is less food wastes and I love the challenge of how can I turn a particular food item into something yummy. This week...I had 1/2 loaf of wheat bread left over. I hated throwing it away...so Saturday I made French toast. This is how I did it.

Left over bread

1 large can evaporated milk

sugar (a tbsp. or so)

cinnamon

vanilla (1 tsp. or so)

2 eggs

There are no specific measurements....just eyeball everything. Mix all the ingredients except the bread in a pie plate. Dip the bread in the batter and cook on a hot buttered skillet. Top with butter and maple syrup. We also spread some Nutella between a slice or two and the kids loved it.

Toddler Bento

2011-02-24T20:26:00.000-08:00

I made 2 turkey on wheat sandwich halves with cheese hearts on top, green grapes, and 2 mini homemade brownie hearts.

I haven't been posting very much this week. My youngest child A. has been sick all week with bronchitis. I did make her one bento this week...but it basically went uneaten. She really hasn't had much appetite.

Sunday Baking

2011-02-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

These came out perfect! They are made with whole wheat flour, bittersweet chocolate, and topped with white chocolate.

They would certainly be good without the white chocolate. I think I am going to start making them for gifts.

Whole wheat banana muffins...big kid size.

Whole wheat banana mini muffins...toddler size.

It makes me feel good to have homemade baked goods for my family. Today, I baked some chocolate chip biscotti and whole wheat bananas muffins. I will share the recipe soon.

Toddler Bento

2011-02-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

My toddler bento had a salad (lettuce from my mom's yard) with a healthy ranch dip, soy crackers, and an orange. I LOVE that my kids love good food!

Pantry Challenge

2011-02-17T19:27:00.001-08:00

I haven't mentioned it lately, but I am still doing my pantry challenge. I haven't spent much money on groceries in the past several weeks. I did pick up some sour cream, asparagus, hamburger buns, and milk yesterday. I spent $28.00. I am still cooking my way through my freezer....hoping to use up what we have. I ordered 20 organic chickens and 50# chicken leg quarters and I want to clean and reorganize my freezer before they arrive. Yesterday, we had sloppy Joe's that I had frozen in January. Tonight, we cooked some sirloin steak, salad, asparagus, and roasted garlic potatoes. I was all out of lettuce until my mom shared some from her yard today. We had a few olives and some purple onion...and it made a wonderful salad. Thanks MOM!

Wednesday Bentos

2011-02-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

My teenager lunch has a turkey & cheddar sandwich on wheat, whole grain animal crackers, a babybel cheese, and a boiled egg.

My toddler lunch has edamame, diced strawberries, and a boiled egg.

I am obsessed with looking at other people's bento blogs. Everyone is so creative. I find that my bentos are very simple in comparison. I'm okay with that....I really am. I do plan to get a bit fancier....but time is a factor for now. Most importantly, I want my lunches to be nutritional, tasty, and EATEN! Here are two of our bentos from today.

Today's Toddler Bento

2011-02-15T20:05:00.001-08:00

Todays toddler bento included some cucumber salad with basalmic vinegar, salt, and pepper. I also included a turkey on wheat and some panda cookies.

Snow Party!

2011-02-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

My friend, Laura hosted a snow party for her son's 4th birthday. Since we rarely see snow...it was a splendid idea and the kids had tons of fun. I thought I would share a picture or two.

My Pantry Challenge

2011-02-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

My pantry challenge is still going well. I bought a few groceries last week and listed them below. I haven't spent much at all and am pleased with my progress.

2 gallons milk 3.99 ea.
turkey deli meat 4.99
sliced cheddar 4.99
3 plums 2.99
1 pkg. fresh strawberries 3.99
1 wheat bread 2.69
1 gallon apple juice 7.99
4 onions 3.59
Total: 39.21

I also spent $22.00 to make 2 pies and garlic bread for a dinner we were attending. Total for the week $61.31

I still have plenty of food to work with..and will keep you updated on what I cook this week. I'd love to hear your strategies on saving money in the kitchen!

Friday Bento

2011-02-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

Today's bento is being served in an Easy Lunch Box. We love these lunch boxes and use them everyday. A had left over Jambalaya and carrots with ranch dip (Newman's brand).

Jambalaya

2011-02-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

This is a super easy jambalaya recipe. I don't recall where I got the recipe...but it's a winner.

1 large onion, diced

1 large bell pepper, diced

1# smoked sausage, sliced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 cups cooked chicken, cubed

3 cups uncooked white rice

2 cans French onion soup

1 can chicken broth

1 can beef broth

2 tsp. Tony's Cajun seasoning

2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Saute the first 3 ingredients in the oil. You just want the sausage to brown some and the veggies to soften. Stir in chicken and the rest of the ingredients. Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and stir. Bake an additional 45 minutes covered. When done...let it rest with the lid on for another 10 minutes or so.

Thursday Toddler Bento

2011-02-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

My daughter's lunch included 3 mini turkey sandwiches on wheat, diced plum, veggie chips, and a heart shaped lemon cookie.

My youngest child is in preschool. My favorite time of the day starts when I pick her up from school. My older children are in school until 3:00 p.m. So.... A. and I have from 11:45 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. to enjoy each other's company. I love having this special time with her. Don't get me wrong...I love all my children, but she is my baby (the caboose). I know how quickly kids grow up and I know how time flies. So.....I am savoring this time with her.

Everyday, A. and I enjoy eating our bento lunches together. I decided to include some pictures from lunch today. Yes....that is a tear on her little cheek. We purchased some books at her school and one is about the dentist. Big Mistake! She has been looking at the pictures and discovered a picture of a shot! Now.....she isn't too happy about her upcoming visit to the dentist!

Tuesday Toddler Bento

2011-02-08T20:06:00.001-08:00

Here is Tuesday's toddler bento. My husband went in to work late today and actually watched me prepare school lunches. He couldn't believe that I went to such "trouble". I don't see it as being an inconvenience. I get a lot of satisfaction from knowing my children are eating healthy foods.

The bento included a turkey sandwich on whole wheat, veggie chips, baby pickles, and apple wedges.

Baking And More Baking....

2011-02-06T12:39:00.001-08:00

Today, I baked another batch of the almond butter biscotti. All the biscotti I've been baking lately has been huge hits. My older children are definite fans! They usually have it with a cup of coffee and a bowl of Greek yogurt. I also baked a chocolate chip coffee cake. This recipe has been a family favorite for years. I wouldn't say it's very healthy, but it is made from scratch (no chemicals or processing) and I do make it with whole wheat to bump up the nutrition. Here is the recipe for you to try.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

6 oz. of chocolate chips

Combine the first 4 ingredients. Mix until crumbly. Remove 1 cup and set aside for later. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla to the remaining crumb mixture. Mix until just blended. Pour the batter in a greased 11x7" pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and then with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let cool.

School Is Out For Bad Weather!

2011-02-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

So...yummy!

Just so you know...I won!

I LOVE....LOVE when my children are out of school. I am constantly on the road (at least 4 round trips daily) transporting my children to their various schools. This doesn't include cheer, dance, or football. So...when school is out for whatever reason...I am ecstatic! We were expecting some bad weather Thursday and Friday..and so our schools closed. We stayed home both days in our pajamas and just enjoyed spending time together.

To stay on task with my pantry challenge....Friday, I used some Healthy hot dogs that I had in my refrigerator. Surprisingly, my kids aren't too fond of hot dogs. They will eat them...but they aren't thrilled. I also had 7 hot dog buns that were slightly stale. I was determined to use this food up and make it as delicious as possible. I took the hot dogs and split them down the middle. I put a slice of sharp cheddar cheese in each one and then roasted them in the oven until done. I also toasted the buns in the oven. I served them with a little mustard and ketchup...and I must say, they were mighty tasty! Everyone loved them. After lunch, I made a batch of homemade brownies and we ate them while playing Monopoly. I also.... started a big pot of beef vegetable soup and finished simmering it today. We will have it tomorrow with some honey oatmeal bread.

Let me know what you do to save time and money in the kitchen. I'd love to hear from you!

Day 6&7 Of My Pantry Challenge

2011-02-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

I am really pleased with my pantry challenge so far. In all seriousness..it has been a lot of fun. This is what I spent this week at the grocery store and it will see us through at least another week. I've also included a few menu items I plan on cooking this coming week. Let me stress that...this is a pantry challenge. It is about meal planning, using what you have, and saving money. I have purchased other needed items...such as some toiletries etc. but those aren't a part of this challenge. So..here is what I've spent so far.

Walmart $2.01
Winn Dixie $14.34 (for game night with friends)
Target $107.42
Total $122.77

This isn't too shabby...it equals out to $61.39 for each week. Here is a break down of what I bought at Target today.
6 pack V8 juice (for lunch boxes)
8 pack organic juice boxes (for lunch boxes)
1-1/2 lbs thick apple wood bacon
3# red potatoes
mixed fruit jam
mustard
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 Ramon noodle (my son talked me into this...disgusting)
2 chicken broth
1 beef broth
1 can chicken noodle soup (my 4 year old talked me into this)
2 organic tomato pastes (I had a $1 off coupon)
5# rice
smoked turkey deli meat
sliced Swiss cheese
5 lg. yellow onions
4 cans green beans
1 can of asparagus
1 wheat bread
4 bananas
2 lemons
8 pack of coke zero...a splurge
6 pack of bottled water
2 gallons milk
1 dozen eggs
2 lg. Greek yogurt
2 4-pack Greek yogurt
2 # butter

I am also blessed to have a girlfriend that supplies me on occasion with a Trader Joe's care package. Here is the run down on what we got free of charge!

2 salad dressings
1 olive oil
1 orange champagne vinegar
1 sunflower butter
1 lemon heart cookies
1 multi grain soy crackers
2 vanilla pudding mixes
1 box oatmeal
2 tomato soups
1 coffee
1 box cereal
1 applesauce crushers
1 bag baked onion rings

Listed below are a few of the dishes I plan on cooking this week. I will be preparing other foods too...I just haven't decided what. I have plenty of flour, sugar, raisins, chocolate chips, apples, potatoes etc. to come up with some other dishes. I will keep you posted!

Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken Skillet dish
Jambalaya
Honey Oatmeal bread
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

Day 4 & 5 Of My Pantry Challenge

2011-02-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

Kitchen sink pizza.....delish!

Sampling mommy's whole wheat pancakes.....

Pizza toppings ready for later.

Cinnamon Sugar biscotti...

Chicken and veggies from yesterday...ready to go in the oven.

Mountains of yummy pancakes!

My pantry challenge is going great! I cooked my roasted chicken and veggies for dinner last night. I haven't bought any groceries with the exception of a 2 liter of coke (for a treat) and 3 bananas. The total cost was $2.01. The hubby is stopping at the grocery on the way home to buy 4 baking potatoes, an 8 oz. sour cream, 1 bunch of green onions, 1 # real butter, and a french bread. We are getting together with friends tomorrow night. I am bringing twice baked potatoes and garlic bread. I will let you know what we spend on that later.

Today, I made another batch of homemade biscotti. The last batch is almost gone. My older children love biscotti with coffee. This time I made cinnamon sugar biscotti and bumped up the nutrition with whole wheat flour. We haven't tried it yet..but it looks promising. I also made a double batch of whole wheat pancakes for the freezer. My youngest loves pancakes and eats one almost everyday for breakfast and we were all out.

I have homemade pizza crust in the bread machine for supper tonight. I don't have mozzarella cheese..but I did have a little bit of provolone, Parmesan, and sharp cheddar. I also don't have any pepperoni....but I do have 4 nice slices of Genoa salami. I diced those up and will use those instead. I have 5 queen olives from Whole Food's olive bar and I sliced those to use as well. It's all about using what you have and being inventive. My girlfriend T. says that her family loves it when she is doing a pantry challenge. They find her food delicious and enjoy it even more. It's because she is thinking out the box. It's not about depriving yourself..it's about being creative with what you have.

Tell me about your pantry challenges...I would love to hear.

Day 3 Of My Pantry Challenge

2011-02-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

Teenage bento: 2 boiled eggs, strawberries, granola bars, and a few veggie chips.

Toddler lunch: Ham sandwich on wheat (cut into puzzle pieces), veggie chips, sliced strawberries, and some organic gummy stars.

Today I made a pot of white beans & sausage over rice, homemade cornbread, and chocolate chip cookies. Everything was delicious and I didn't have to buy anything to prepare this meal. Tomorrow...I'll be making my roasted chicken and veggies. I will say that my fruit is getting low. I am left with a few clementines and about 4 apples. I will have to make a fruit and veggie run this weekend. I will post all that I buy. Here are the bento lunches from today.

Peanut Butter Pecan Biscotti And My Pantry Challenge

2011-01-31T19:34:00.000-08:00

This makes me happy!

Day 2 of my pantry challenge went well. I served some fish from the freezer, baked potatoes, and steamed some broccoli. Tomorrow, I am making a pot of white beans with sausage (served over brown rice) and homemade cornbread. One of the perks of doing a pantry challenge is that you are motivated to use all that you have on hand. I purchased this rather pricey jar of almond butter (like peanut butter) awhile back from Whole Foods. I actually only have one child that likes peanut butter, but I thought maybe the others would like it and it would offer an alternative to deli sandwiches. I avoided opening it...because I hate how all natural nut butters separate and they are a pain to reincorporate.

Today, I found an interesting recipe for peanut butter biscotti. If you are unfamiliar with biscotti..it's an Italian (twice baked) cookie. It's delicious dunked in hot tea or coffee...and my children love them for breakfast or snacks. To my disappointment, only my son who likes peanut butter actually liked the almond butter. So....I figured a good way to put the almond butter to use was in this biscotti recipe. I must say the results were amazing. If you don't have almond butter on hand use peanut butter. Enjoy!

4 tbsp. butter, softened

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 egg yolk (save the white for the egg wash)

2 cups flour (I used 3/4 c. whole wheat and 1-1/4 cup all purpose flour)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

egg wash: Add 1 tbsp. milk to egg white

sugar for topping

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl beat butter, peanut butter, and sugar. Add egg and egg yolk. Mix until just blended. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix until just incorporated. Add pecans and mix in with a spatula. Dough will be slightly dry.Divide dough in half and shape dough on baking sheet into an 8" long and 1-1/2 " wide log. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake for approximately 35 minutes until cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough for you to handle them. Cut into 1" slices with a serrated knife and lay them cut side down back on the baking sheet. Bake for another 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool. Biscotti will keep for approximately 10 days in an air tight container.

Bentos

2011-01-31T05:31:00.000-08:00

My bento consists of a garden salad, watermelon, and some deli meat and cheese.

Teenage lunch is a salami, ham, and provolone cheese sandwich on wheat, veggie chips, an apple, and a mini rice krispie bar from Whole Foods.

Toddler lunch is a ham sandwich in the shape of a dinosaur, baby pickles, veggie chips, and 2 sliced strawberries.

Today is day two of my pantry challenge. I pulled some fish out of the freezer and will be baking it. I also have 4 large baking potatoes. I am going to cube 2 of them, toss them in a little olive oil, season them with minced garlic, salt, and pepper and roasting them. I was recently given a bag of frozen broccoli and I will be preparing that as well. Here are our bento lunches for today.

Pantry Challenge

2011-01-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

I love to read other peoples blogs...especially those that deal with cooking, baking, and meal planning. I have gotten tons of great recipes and ideas that I have used with my family. One of the blogs I've discovered recently is Mom's Plan. You can find it here www.momsplans.com/. Go take a look...she's got some great ideas! Recently, Melissa quit her job to stay home with her young children. Staying home with our children is well worth the sacrifice..,but we all know it takes cutting corners and good planning to make it work! She has found some great ways to bring in extra income and save money too. One of the ways she is saving is by implementing a pantry challenge. Melissa has been planning menus that allow her to use up her excess food in her pantry and freezer. That way she can purchase minimal groceries and nothing goes to waste.

I decided this was a good time to implement a pantry challenge of my own. The reason behind me doing my own challenge wasn't for financial purposes necessarily (though..who doesn't like to save a buck or two?). I have a vast amount of food right now and I want to purge what I have before buying more. I need to clean out the freezer before purchasing my organic chickens and leg quarters (in bulk). I have quite a lot of canned goods and dried pasta too.

So...today, I officially began my pantry challenge. I am excited. I love a good challenge! First things first...I cleaned out my refrigerator and pantry. I took inventory of what I had to work with and what was needed to get started. I also pulled food that needed to get used immediately. I had a partial bag of fresh spinach, a little feta cheese, and an excess of eggs. I went online and found a crust less spinach & feta quiche recipe. I just pulled it out the oven and it smells delicious. I will share the recipe later...if it's as good as it smells! I had almost 4 dozen eggs..so I boiled 7. I can use them with my canned tuna, for snacks, or include them in my children's lunches. I had a box of cranberry bread mix from Trader Joe's and baked that right up. I also had 1 romaine heart, some shredded carrots, and a few green olives. I made a small green salad. I will have this for lunch over the next couple a days with some cheese and crackers.

I will be updating my progress and will hopefully have some new recipes to share with you. I'd love to know how you save money in the kitchen and any recipes you are willing to share.

Toddler Bento

2011-01-20T10:51:00.001-08:00

Toddler lunch: Sliced grilled chicken breast, fruit salad, baby pickles, black olives, and some healthy gummy stars from Whole Foods.

I would love for you to share what you pack for lunch. I love new ideas!

Toddler Lunch

2011-01-19T12:08:00.001-08:00

I wanted to show you what the bento box looked like closed.

Lunch today: Turkey & Genoa Salami on pumpernickel bread, black olives, healthy chips, and organic applesauce.

Today's lunches

2011-01-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

My lunch: Salad with diced grilled chicken breast, 4 crackers, Babybel Gouda cheese, and a small fresh fruit salad.

Teenager lunch: Turkey, Genoa salami, and mozzarella cheese sandwich on pumpernickel bread, fresh blueberries, and a cream filled cupcake (from Whole Foods).

Toddler lunch: Turkey and Genoa salami sandwich on pumpernickel bread, carrots and ranch dip, and fresh blueberries.

Obsessed!

2011-01-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

My newly organized "Bento" drawer!

My basket of Bento boxes.

Paper liners.....love them!

This is everything dumped on the kitchen table...

You probably know by now...that I am OBSESSED with Bento boxes and accessories. They eliminate the boredom that can come from preparing lunches and make it fun an interesting. Kids love them too and the "cuteness" encourages them to eat their food. I am not the only one obsessed...there are literally hundreds of bento blogs singing their glory. I do find that a lot of the blogs go a bit over board. They take painstaking time that I just don't have to make wonderful works of art. I prefer a more simpler bento and my kids love them just the same.

I was storing my supplies in a large kitchen basket and in a couple of drawers. It just wasn't working for me. I needed to find one place for everything. So...today, I organized and inventoried all my boxes and supplies. Everything now has a home and I am feeling much better. I thought I would share a few pictures with you.

Toddler Lunch

2011-01-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

Sliced pumpernickle bread with real butter, mini pickles, genoa salami, and grapes!

Quicky Pizzas

2011-01-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday....on a whim I decided, I wanted to make my children homemade pizzas for their lunchboxes. I knew, there wasn't time in the day to make homemade crust. Conveniently, I was in Whole Foods and decided to pick up a couple of their homemade whole wheat pizza doughs. They sell it fresh or frozen at their pizza bar. It's very inexpensive..at only $2.49 each and it's enough to make a 16" pizza or 10 mini pizzas. I bought two and hurried home to put some mini pizzas together for today and some for the freezer. I was able to make 20 small pizzas...enough for 20 lunches! Here's how I did it. I divided the dough into 20 balls. I rolled each ball out to make a small pizza and let them rest while I prepared the sauce. I took a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, crushed fresh garlic, a splash of balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper and simmered it for about 10 minutes. I let it cool and spread a small amount on each pizza. I actually had almost half of the sauce left when I was finished and was able to freeze it for later use. Then I shredded some fresh parmigiana on each pizza and topped that off with a smidgen of dried basil and oregano. Next, I put a slice of whole milk mozzarella cheese on each pizza and then finished them off with a few slices of pepperoni. I baked them on 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. All 20 pizzas cost about .50 cents apiece. That's a deal!

Today's lunches

2011-01-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

Toddler lunch: homemade mini pizza, fresh fruit salad (pineapple, blueberries, & blackberries), and black olives.

Teenager lunch: Homemade pizza, grapes, and fudge filled chocolate cupcake from Whole Foods.

I didn't post a picture of my lunch because it wasn't very exciting to look at. I had a homemade hamburger patty (with a little ketchup on the side), and some fresh pineapple.

Random Musings

2011-01-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

I have to say that 5AM came really quick this morning. I was not ready to get out of bed and start my week. I had good intentions of taking pictures of the lunches I prepared...but despite all my planning, we were in a hurry to get out the door. So...I'll just tell you what I packed in our lunches today (on school days I pack my lunch too). Toddler Bento: Diced grilled chicken breast (1/4 cup more on those later), blueberries & blackberries (about 10), black olives (4), baby pickles (2), apple slices (4), and Quackers (1/4 cup). School boy lunch: 3 boiled eggs, apple, healthy cereal bar, and some Gouda cheese. My lunch: Diced grilled chicken breast (1/2 of a small breast), blackberries (about 7), 2 large green olives, 6 wheat thins, small wedge of smoky Gouda cheese and 1/2 of an apple.

This weekend I went shopping at my favorite grocery store...Whole Foods! Here's what I bought. It will last a little over a week. I actually purchased some meat this time. Our meat we purchased months ago is already getting a little low. We are officially out of ground beef and whole cut up chickens. We plan to stock up again soon. I've included the prices today in case you are interested.

1 # butter 2.99
1 gallon orange juice 5.49
1 gallon milk 4.99
1 box yogurt tubes 3.79
1 apple juice boxes (for lunch boxes) 4.39
1 white grape juice boxes (for toddler lunches) 3.99
light bulbs (was desperate) 2.99
1 Quackers (healthy goldfish) 2.99
1 Cinnamon cereal 3.49
1 Water bottles 3.29
1 blueberry cereal bars 2.69
2 passion teas 2.98
1 gallon apple juice 7.49
1 chips 2.50
1 honey cereal 3.49
1 toaster pastry (healthy alternative to Poptarts..a huge treat in our house) 3.00
2 dozen organic eggs 4.78
1 pork loin roast 10.77
1 sirloin tip roast 10.78
2# ground beef 11.20
turkey deli meat 4.99
6 pork chops 14.67
1 Cheddar cheese sliced 6.99
queen olives 3.10
1 smoked Gouda wedge 4.18
1 mini Babybel Gouda snacks 3.99
5 grilled chicken breasts 16.28
2 prepared pizzas (made at whole foods) 28.00
2 pkgs fresh black eyed peas 3.00
1 romaine hearts 2.99
1 lg. green cabbage 1.39
1 bag fingerling potatoes 3.46
4 organic bananas 1.15
6 tangerines 1.84
grapes 5.27
1 cucumber 1.05
2 lemons 1.58
2 avocados 3.98
broccoli crowns 2.95
4 apples 2.87
1 purple onion 1.69
green bell pepper .85
red bell pepper1.68
1/2 pint blueberries 3.99
1 pint blackberries 4.99
Total 234.00

Whole Foods has a cold section where you can purchase prepared entrees and sides. On occasion, I've bought some grilled boneless-skinless chicken breasts. They are great in salads, on sandwiches, in casseroles...etc. They are a bit pricey though. I got them on sale for 9.99 a pound this weekend. I usually only purchase 2 at a time. I wanted to buy more but, I figured they weren't grilled on site and they probably arrived at the store frozen. If that was the case they shouldn't be refrozen and I didn't want to buy more than we would use in a day or two. When I saw them on sale....I wanted to buy several. I spoke to the lady at the counter and she stated that they are prepared on site and they can be frozen. Happy me!! So...I bought 5 and froze the rest. I suggest you give them a try. They are so convenient and delicious. If you are watching what you are eat...they are an excellent protein source. They are a bit costly but so worth it!

My Simple Granola

2011-01-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

The granola can be seen on the pan behind the pancakes.

I have tried several granola recipes and my children have decided this is their favorite. They aren't about a bunch of dried chewy fruit...they like a bit of bittersweet chocolate in theirs.

4-1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 cups assortment: Chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, raisins, M&M's, or nuts.

I add a cup of bittersweet chocolate chips and about 1/2 cups chopped pecans.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9 pan. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Spread evenly on pan. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool completely and add your chocolate, nuts, etc. After it's cooled crumble into a jar until ready to serve. Great with milk or sprinkled on top of yogurt.

Toddler Bento

2011-01-02T17:00:00.001-08:00

Some of the bento boxes come with chopsticks.

I ordered these little wax lined paper cups online. They help keep foods separated.

Toddler lunch for today was chicken salad on wheat, baby pickles, black olives, quackers (a healthy version of goldfish), and blueberries. There wasn't one bite left!

This little bento was about $3.00. It's double layered and the perfect size for a small child's lunch.

I know it sounds silly..or strange but, I love making my kid's lunches! I've always enjoyed it. It never gets old and it's always a challenge to keep it new and exciting. This past year, I have began using bento boxes. They are the best thing since sliced bread! They have recently gained in popularity. They come in all sorts and sizes to accomodate everyone. There are many online sites to order supplies. I've spoken with several frustrated moms...who don't know what to put in their child's lunches. My plan is to include more pictures of our lunches this year. Hopefully, you will be encouraged and find some creative ideas.

Things to remember:

1. Try new foods..never assume your child won't like something.

2. Send small portions. Large portions can be overwhelming.

3. Don't send candy or Koolade type drinks! YIKES!

4. Make every bite nutritional.

5. Send a varity of foods...even kids get bored.

So...here's our toddler lunch from today.

Today's Cooking Extravaganza!

2011-01-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

Today, I found myself a tad depressed. School starts back tomorrow and I'm just not ready for the holidays to be over. It's not that I will miss Christmas and all it's hoopla...I am actually glad that's all over with. What I am going to miss....is my kids! I love it when we get to spend quality time together and things aren't so stressed or rushed. I love the lazy mornings. I love playing board games together (and winning). I LOVE when there isn't any homework or tests! I love watching late night movies with my older kids. I dread the very early mornings and carpooling! Enough said...I'm even more depressed now!

Today, I made a double batch of whole wheat pancakes. I froze most of them to use on busy school mornings. They are my little one's absolute favorite and she eats one every morning. I don't complain, they are made with whole grains and I add ground flax meal for extra nutrition. I serve them with a small pat of real butter and a smidgen of real maple syrup. I also made a batch of homemade granola, cooked cabbage, fresh black eyed peas (I found fresh ones at Whole Foods), beef roast, and roasted chickpeas. I recently saw a show on Foodtv where they roasted canned chickpeas in the oven. They seasoned them with cumin and chili powder. They are crunchy and serve as a great snack. I couldn't find that particular recipe..so I tried another one. These came out just okay. Really not a lot of flavor....rather bland. So...the hunt is on for a better recipe to try.

I've included some pictures for you........

Roast

2011-01-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

There are many dishes that I prepare without a specific recipe. Growing up, my mother taught me to cook several dishes and through out the years I have taught myself as well. My mother always cooked her roasts on the stove top. I've tried recipes where you bake your roast in the oven...but I've always preferred the stove top version better. When preparing beef, I prefer a sirloin tip or chuck roast. This will work great with a pork butt or tenderloin too. So without further ado..this is how I prepare my roasts.

Remove the visible fat from the surface of your roast. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or vegetable oil) in a dutch oven. Salt and pepper one side of the roast and put season side down in the hot oil. Brown the roast and repeat until all sides are seasoned and browned. Remove roast to a plate and add enough oil to the pot to make about 3 tablespoons. Add 3 tablespoons of flour and cook until the roux is a little darker than peanut butter. Be careful...this burns quickly so don't walk away and be sure to stir it continually. Whatever you do..don't let any get on you. It will burn you badly. Once the roux is cooked add diced onion, celery, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook for a few minutes. This creates one of the best smells in the world! Once the vegetables are tender add a few cups of water. You want the water to cover about 1/2 of your roast so use this to gauge how much water you add. Add the roast back to the pot and simmer slowly until the roast is cooked to your liking. I can't even give you a guess at the time. It depends on the type of roast, the size, and how done you like your meat. When the roast is almost cooked...I remove it from the pot, slice it, and then return it. Continue cooking until done. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

I included a picture...it was taken today after the roux was made and the vegetables were tender. I hadn't added the water yet. I promise it looks better when it's completely cooked!

The New Year and Resolutions

2011-01-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you and your family! I pray that each and everyone of you are blessed with good health, happiness, and prosperity. This is the time where most folks make their New Year resolutions. So.... I thought I would share my resolutions with you. My first resolution is healthier eating for me and my family. We eat healthy most of the time and I am usually very conscientious but, there is always room for improvement! I want to improve on my menu planning and meal preparations....and most importantly, I want better execution! I plan on sharing my ideas and recipes with you...not only the success stories but the failures too.

My last resolution is to be a better person. I want to be a better mother, wife, and friend..simply put!

Please share with me your resolutions. I'd love to hear them.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

2010-12-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

I think a lot of people find making a cheesecake from scratch a bit scary. It's really quite easy and the results are soooo good. The only special equipment you need is a spring form pan. I think you can find them at any kitchen store and possibly Walmart or Target. For Christmas, I made one that is a family favorite and I wanted to share it with you.

Crust:

18 Oreo cookies, finely crushed

3 Tbsp. melted butter

Filling:

1 can condensed milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. flour

3 eggs

1 cup. mini chocolate chips

3-8 oz. cream cheese, softened

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Crust: combine cookies and butter. Press in the bottom of a spring form pan. In a large bowl; beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. In a small bowl, toss 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips with the flour to coat; stir gently into cheese mixture. (FYI: tossing the chips with flour helps them to not sink to the bottom.) Pour into crust. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake 1 hour. Turn oven off and allow to cool in the oven. When almost cooled (this takes some time) chill in refrigerator.

This is really easy. It just can't be rushed. It needs to cool in the oven and must be chilled..so it can't be made last minute.

Christmas Break Is Here!

2010-12-19T21:21:00.000-08:00

It seems like it's been forever since I last posted anything. I had such good intentions for this month....I really did! We are already 2/3rds of the way through and I've done nothing exciting that I can share with you. It seems that most of the time life seems to get in the way. This month has been so busy. There have been Christmas school programs, lots of shopping, and quite a few parties to attend. Thankfully, the holidays are here, school is out, and most of the parties are over. I am looking forward to spending lots of relaxing time with my family. We had the best Thanksgiving holidays this year. We watched movies and played board games all day. There were days when we didn't even get out of our pajamas! Everyone agreed it was the best school break ever! My shopping is almost complete and there isn't really a lot on the agenda. I do have plans to get together for a play date or two and I plan to try some new recipes from a children's Christmas cookbook that I recently purchased. I still have stocking stuffers to purchase and we need to visit with Santa...but other than that..I'm good.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

This post is a little late....better late than never, I say! Each year, my family visits our local pumpkin patch. We purchase pumpkins for roasting and some to decorate with. Our children enjoy picking out their own pumpkins. I love creating special memories and traditions with them.

Sweet Potato Pie

2010-11-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

I try my best to purchase local produce whenever possible. This is important to me for several reasons. Local produce is best because it doesn't travel far to get to us. It's fresher than the produce that travelled for days, possibly weeks to get to our local markets. This means the local fruits and vegetables are more nutritious. That is a huge selling point for me. I also want to support our local farmers. They definitely don't have it easy. It takes a lot of hard work and sweat to farm. There is an elderly farmer near my home that sells his mustard greens and sweet potatoes road side. For the past few years I have bought sweet potatoes from him. I started buying 5# bags...moved up to 8# bags and this week bought a huge honking 11# bag! My family (with the exception of 1 child) loves sweet potatoes. We love them baked with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. We love them cubed and slow roasted in the oven. Sweet potatoes are a quick side dish on a busy night. They are much better for you than regular potatoes...and I got a great deal! I paid less than $10 for the entire bag!

So....because we are "swimming in sweet potatoes", I thought it would be a great idea to make a sweet potato pie. It was my first. It was easy and delicious.

1 pound sweet potatoes

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 45 minutes, or until done. Let cool and remove the skin. Mash the sweet potato in a bowl until smooth. Add butter, and mix well with a mixer (I did mine by hand). Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated. Pour filling into shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. The pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools. YUM!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2010-11-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

One of the advantages to roasting your own pumpkin is the seeds! They are delicious freshly roasted and good for you as well.

1-1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 pinch of salt

Wash your pumpkin seeds and remove all fibrous pumpkin bits. Dry between a clean dish towel. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Toss seeds in a bowl with melted butter and salt. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown, stir occasionally.

Easy Pumpkin Pie

2010-11-26T07:26:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this by saying...that I did not take the easy route when making this pie! I had 3 pumpkins from the pumpkin patch and I did not want them to go to waste. The kiddies and I had a great time roasting the pumpkins and seeds and making a completely "scratch" pie. I must say..it was a lot of work but so rewarding. Not only did we end up with an absolutely delicious pie, we also had left over pumpkin puree for the freezer. I can't wait to use it for muffins or pancakes later. In addition, to roasting my own pumpkin...I also made my pie crust from scratch. I'm not including this as part of the recipe...you can use your own favorite recipe or use a premade crust. The recipe calls for 1 can pumpkin, so I simply weighed out 15 oz of fresh puree for my pie. For best taste results chill the pie before serving.

1 can pumpkin (or if you are adventuresome..15 oz of freshly roasted puree)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 can evaporated milk

1 tsp. salt

1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix all the ingredients. Pour into unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake until done or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Let set and serve with whipped cream. I baked my pie for about 35-40 minutes after reducing the temperature to 350 degrees. Every one's oven is different...so it is difficult to give an exact time.

Thanksgiving Day Pictures

2010-11-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

More Thanksgiving Day Pictures

2010-11-26T07:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T15:38:00.000-08:00

I want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I pray your holiday was filled with joy and that you made special memories with the ones you love. We are celebrating Thanksgiving this Sunday to accommodate every one's work schedules. So...today, we spent our time playing board games (I am the champ!), making homemade pizzas (everyone made their own), roasting pumpkins and sweet potatoes for pies (to snack on through the weekend), burning a tree stump in our yard, and making smores. I'll have lots of pictures to share with you later.

Are you hitting the stores tomorrow for all the Black Friday sales? I decided this year to shop online. I'd much rather shop in my pajamas! I checked out some of my favorite stores and I was really disappointed with their sales. The only great deal that I found was at Target. They have some kitchen appliances for $3 each! I am hoping things look better tomorrow and I can get a steal or two!