Organizing: The Kitchen Pantry

For many years now, it has been my goal to reorganize every room in the house. Now that hubby and I just bought our first house during the Summer of 2012, and I know we won’t be moving anywhere anytime soon, I have finally put my goal in action. It is a slow process, but someday I will get the whole house organized.

We certainly aren't hoarders in our household. Clutter? Maybe a tad. Messes? Definitely a few, but who doesn't have a few of those? In fact, I’m a neat freak. I like order. I like a clean house. I like simplicity. I like practical. I like things picked up and in there place before bed. All dishes need to be in the dishwasher. The kids’ rooms need to be picked up before they go off to bed. Anyway I can make the household run more efficiently, all the better for us.

Since our kitchen is a very central place in our house, and I do a lot of cooking, lunch making, cleaning, meal planning, homework, and projects, the kitchen area needs to be systematic. Our evenings are short and the quicker I am able to get dinner on the table, the better. But in order for me to get dinner on the table, I need to have a kitchen that runs smoothly and items in its proper place. Thus, I started with our pantry.

Our pantry was getting out of sorts. We tried to keep categories like pasta, rice, breads, and cereal together in an area on a shelf, but eventually things were ending up on different shelves. I knew we had mayo, and found it located on three different shelves. My stack of canned soups was becoming just a pile of metal with labels, I didn't know what I had anymore.

So, here are the BEFORE pictures of our pantry:

Game on!

I preferred clear plastic bins and with handles.  In case of food spillage it is easier to clean. I kept my options open while looking in different stores for storage bins and what could work, yet still trying to keep the cost down as much as possible. I loved these plastic weaved bins at Target but the price was way more than I wanted to spend, especially when I needed about 20 bins!

Finally, my last store, I found them at Walmart. Each bin was under $5. They were clear plastic, a good variety of sizes, and even had green handles, just the color I was hoping for. I bought what I needed and couldn't wait to get home and start filling up each bin.

I created my own labels for each bin. I printed them on white card stock, and cut each label to size.

Then put the sheet through the laminator.

Instead of using a gooey glue, or sticky tape, or some other icky adhesive to adhere the labels to the bins, I used sticky Velcro tabs. Genius right? (I love it when my brain works!). As food habits change, I’m sure at some point these food labels will change too. Using the Velcro tabs makes for such a clean and easy switch. You can even reuse the sticky Velcro tabs too, just rip them off the back of the old label and stick them on the new one.

Now here are the AFTER pictures of our pantry:

Together, the BEFORE and AFTER pictures.

Happy organizing!!

Random Post: Dryer Sheet Uses Around the House

Now that I have made the wool dryer balls (which work amazing!), and will never be buying dryer sheets again, I now have a Costco supply of dryer sheets leftover and wonder what to do with them all?!?!

I put together a simple list of dryer sheet uses for around the house.

Clean Pots and Pans. If last night’s dinner is still stuck on a pot or pan, simply place a dryer sheet in the pan and then cover it with hot water. Let the pan soak overnight, and then use the dryer sheet to wipe away the loosened food in the morning. Then clean as usual.

Loosen Pet Hair. Before you attempt to vacuum pet hair off of your couch, chair or even your rug, rub the surface down with a dryer sheet. The dryer sheet will loosen the hair from the upholstery and make it easier to vacuum up.

Dust Computer Screens. Or a television screen, or iPad surface. 
   To remove dust without damaging 
   your electronics, rub a dryer sheet 
   over the surface. It will reduce 
   static and pick up the dust.

Keep Deer Away. If you live in an 
    area where deer are prevalent and nibbling on your garden, cut dryer sheets into one-inch strips and 
    then tie them onto the tips of   greenery or in trees. The smell will keep deer away.

Remove Soap Scum. If you have mineral deposits or hard to clean soap scum in your shower, wipe it away with a dryer sheet. Lightly wet a dryer sheet, and then scrub the soap scum away. To learn more about soap scum, read: Be A Soap Scum Ninja.

Clean Scissor Blades. To clean your scissors without dulling the blades, rub them down with a dryer sheet. The sheet will remove any built-up stickiness, dust and dirt.

Repel Bees Outside. At your next backyard barbeque, put a dryer sheet in your back pocket. The smell will repel bees. If you don’t have a pocket to hide the dryer sheet, simply tuck a few sheets under your lawn furniture or blanket.

 

Cure clingy clothes. With the swipe of a dryer sheet you can do away with clingy, static-ridden clothes in seconds. Carrying a dryer sheet in your purse to avoid those situations. It will make your bag smell nice, too.

 

Scent your stuff. Tuck a fresh sheet into your dresser drawers. It leaves a subtle fragrance they lend to everything stashed away with it. This is also a good trick for gym bags, suitcases or even smelly sneakers.
 

Tame frizzy hair. Don't you hate it when you've just blow-dried your hair, smoothed on some anti-frizz serum and yet your strands are still determined to go haywire? Static + hair is never a good combination. Simply run a dryer sheet over your hair. It may seem odd but it works like a charm.

De-squeak Your Feet. Are those new rubber-soled shoes squeaking all over the office? Quiet them down by rubbing the bottoms with a dryer sheet.

Freshen your ride. You know those scented pine trees on a string car fresheners that are really strong? Instead, slip a few dryer sheets under the seats in your car. It will keep your whole car smelling so fresh and so clean.

    Dust it up. Dryer sheets can be used on nearly any surface to do away    
         with dust. Rub a dryer sheet on your baseboards to keep the dust 
         from collecting on the edge.

Taken from: http://pinterest.com/creativesuz/home-cleaning/

Organizing: Sneak Peek of our Pantry

I am incredibly giddy with excitement over this organization project with our pantry. Here is what our pantry looks like BEFORE.

Yes, kind of a mess, looks crammed. Even though we try to keep things together in categories (pasta, rice, peanut butter) it doesn't always work that way. As I was organizing I was finding the same type of item on different shelves.

Check back soon for the new totally organized pantry in our house! Eek, I can hardly contain myself. I am so excited.

Random Post: Wool Dryer Balls

How cool would it be if you never had to buy dryer sheets again!?! Any way I can save a few bucks for this household I am definitely down to doing it. I am all about saving money, which is why I tried out these wool dryer balls.

Here is what you need:
100% wool yarn (you can find this at any crafty store. Walmart has some. I purchased mine at Michael's).
scissors
nylons, or tights
embroidery thread

I got a two 3.5 ounce skein of 100% wool. I made a total of four wool dryer balls. I could easily get another 2-3 more balls out of each skein.  I paid $4 for each skein.

To get the ball started, wrap the yarn around your fingers 15-20 times. 

Slip it off your fingers and wrap around the yarn another 15-20 times. I almost looks like a bow.

Pinch the ends together and start wrapping the yarn around and around into a ball. Make sure you wrap it around nice and tight. 

Leave a little tail of yarn.

When the ball is about 5-6 inches around, cut the yarn leaving a couple inches and tuck under and around other stands of yarn to secure it.

Continue with the steps above for as many balls as you want to make.





To felt:
Take a pair of tights, or nylons. Take the first ball and place in the nylons at the foot area. Take a small piece of embroidery thread and tie it off (double knot) and continue this with each ball.  Do not use the wool thread to tie it off because it will felt in the process - you do not want this!

Embroidery thread

Take the balls of wool secured in the nylons and a load of clothes (I used towels) and use the hottest setting of water on your washing machine. Hotter the water, the better. Run the load in the washing machine. Then put them in the dryer on the hottest heat setting. The fibers of wool will come out tight.

Now you have complete dryer wool balls. 

How awesome is that! No more expensive dryer sheets.


adapted from: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/09/save-time-money-and-energy-make-your-own-wool-dryer-balls.html

Random Post: Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I was incredibly curious and excited to see how this homemade liquid laundry detergent would turn out. The estimated cost is about $10.00 for 608 loads, depending on soap used, 1 box of Borax, and 1 box of washing soda. The savings is incredible!

Here is the recipe:

• 1 bar grated soap (any kind you prefer). I used Fels Naptha for this batch, but you can also use Zote or Dove.
• 1 cup Borax (found in the laundry detergent isle)
• 1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (found in the laundry detergent isle)
• 3 gallons of water

Supplies needed:

• A BIG pot that holds 3-4 gallons
• A grater
• A funnel
• A long handled spoon (or something long to mix with)
• 3 empty one gallon containers

Grate bar of soap.

We have a grater with a container in the bottom to catch the shreds. There are still some that escape so I put a paper towel in a dry side of the sink. For any shreds that end up on the paper towel, just dump them in the pot. It makes for a really easy clean up.

Or you can grate the soap right into the pot you will be making the laundry detergent.

Turn the stove on medium-high. Add a gallon of water to grated soap in pot. Stir occasionally. Cook until soap dissolves.

Add the Borax and washing soda. Bring to a boil. The mixtures will turn a semisolid when it cools.

Turn off the heat. Add 2 gallons of cold water to the pot. Mix well.

Pour 1 gallon of detergent into each container. A funnel will really help for this. If the pot is too heavy, I used a measuring cup with a pour spout and transferred the detergent mix until the pan was easy enough to pour.

Now you have 3 gallons of homemade laundry detergent. I use ½ cup per load.

I get an estimated 608 loads per one box of Borax and washing Soda (about 12 batches of soap that make 3 gallons each = 36 loads per gallon = 72 loads per recipe using 1/2 cup of made detergent per load. So that's 608 loads for about 10 bucks!

My thinking was since I was making liquid detergent, instead of using gallon containers I found this 2.5 gallon container with a handle and pour spout at Walmart. This detergent ends up being really thick so, genius me, the spout tends to get clogged very easily and end up shaking the container and cleaning the spout every time I want to do a load of laundry. A bit more time consuming then I want to deal with. So I may end up switching over to some sturdy gallon containers and labeling them.

If you have a he (high efficiency) front loader or top loading washer, this detergent works just fine in it!    

If you find the detergent is still too thick, use a ½ bar of soap (instead of a whole bar) on the next batch.

As with all cleaning products, please keep out of reach of children, especially when using recycled containers.

Happy laundry!

Adapted from http://whynotsew.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-detergent.html

Random Post: Opened Shop at Etsy.com

I opened an Etsy shop called, Simply Create Everyday.

For those who do not know what Etsy is, it is an online store where you can purchase handmade, vintage, or supplies.

In my Simply Create Everyday shop you will find a variety of my handmade items, such as, cards, sugar foot scrub, journals, coasters, clothes pin magnets, recipe holders, magnetic post-it holders, and more. All items have been handmade with care by me. 

I am still adding new items, building my inventory. Enjoy taking a look around at what I have posted so far. Please check back often for new items added to my shop. Thanks for stopping by.

Random Post: Nutrition and Fitness

I know it has been awhile since I have posted on here, quite a while, okay, maybe a long time but as a mom who has a full-time job, two small children, happily married, and tries to keep a clean house, cooks a homemade meal for my family every night, and all the motherly/wifely things to keep the house together, I don’t get much time for just me.

So, in the past couple of weeks this is what we have been up to:
    ·         Finding healthy food and sticking to a meal plan.
    ·         Exercising at home every night.
    ·         Cleaning out all cupboards, fridge, freezer to get rid of processed foods, sodas, and refilling
            the  house with lots of fruits and veggies and healthy food.

I am the body type that is thin, can eat anything, never exercise, and won’t gain a pound. My husband decided to start exercising and wanted to start eating healthy. At first, I wasn’t all down for it. He would make a green smoothie every night, pack a healthy lunch, eat smaller portions throughout the day, and tell me how much better he felt.

My husband gave up coffee completely.  The first couple of days were painful with the caffeine headaches. He started drinking green tea every morning and hasn’t had coffee for a couple of months. Me, on the other hand, can’t give up coffee. I still have to have my cup in the morning on the way to work but, I have started to enjoy a cup of tea more, especially Earl Gray with a bit of half and half and sugar.

After a few weeks, we were at Walmart looking at fitness equipment wanting to be able to work out in the comfort of our home. We purchased a Gold Gym brand over the door pull up bar and inside the box was a booklet with 8 weeks of healthy meal plans which included breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. I got super excited since the meals looked healthy (I'm kind of a picky eater) but the food looked really good, and better yet, my meals were planned for the next 8 weeks. All I had to do was go grocery shopping! Three weeks into this meal plan and we haven’t been disappointed with the food. Some of the dinners I have cooked even turned out to be our favorites. Easy meals, fresh ingredients!

I have followed this booklet meal plan carefully for 3 weeks now. I have not had any sodas, no fast food, no sugar, no eating dinners out 3 times a week, and I feel amazing. I searched our local library for some at home workout DVDs to check out and I started doing 30 minute routines every night. I feel much more energetic and I know I am doing by body good. I went with some workout DVDs from Jillian Michael’s. She has a variety of workouts from Yoga to Kickboxing. I haven’t been disappointed yet.

Before we started this health and fitness routine, my husband and I would put the kids to bed, grab a bag of tortilla chip and a can of salsa and eat till the bag was almost gone, or grab a bag of potato chips, or a bowl of ice cream, bag of popcorn with melted butter and salt on top. We recently went through and cleaned out the cookies, bags of chips, candy, and processed foods. We have filled our house with fresh fruits and vegetables, some organic foods, limited our sweet snacks for the kids. Even when they want a snack, they ask for something healthy! YES!

 

 

Random Post: Daily Deal - JoAnn's

I went into JoAnn’s only to purchase one small item, because I knew they had it. Then I thought I would look for a birthday present for my girl. Then I saw a 70% off bin.

I had signed up for JoAnn’s emails some time ago, and remembered there was a bunch of coupons in the last email. I opened up the email and there was an option to have a mobile coupon sent to you for 50% off one item. I did it all right in the store on my iPhone. Thank goodness because I left my ad at home on the counter.

I ended up purchasing:
·    the pen, I originally came into the store for ($3.29)
·    A small notebook, which was in the 70% bin, originally $7.99 marked down to ($2.39)
·    An insulated lunch bag, which was in the 70% off bin, originally $16.99, marked down to ($5.09)
·    Perler Beads, the birthday present for my girl ($7.99)

With the 70% off items, and using the 50% off one item coupon, I got the pen, notebook, and Perler beads for free.

My total for everything came to $16.29, when the insulated bag at regular price cost $16.99.

Total savings: $21.50

Random Post: Daily Deal - Burger King

A few days ago we had received a bunch of coupons for some fast food restaurants in the mail. Since I have been so coupon crazy lately I put them away in my little organizer.

As we were out running errands, it was getting closer to lunch time and we all needed to eat. Typically when we eat out at places like McDonald's the kids will order chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink.

I remembered I had seen a coupon like that but it was for Burger King. The coupon was for a 20 piece chicken nuggets, 2 small fries, 2 small drinks for $6.99. As I was standing in line, I looked at the menu to see how good the deal really was. Below is the breakdown. (These prices may vary by location).

20 piece chicken nuggets    $4.99
2 small fries (1.79 each)     $3.58
2 small drinks (1.79 ea)      $3.58
                          Total      $12.15
                      Coupon      $6.99
                         Saved      $5.16    That is almost half price.

All that food fed 2 children and 1 adult, which makes it about $2.33 per person. Where can you eat out for that price anymore? It was the perfect amount, we were all full, and there was no food leftover.

That is the kind of deal I love!

Random Post: Shopping with Rewards

I am completely into this coupon thing. After I had attended the session (see post below for more details), I looked a little further into this whole coupon world and ended up checking out some books at the library. I found a fabulous read, one I can hardly put down. Although my head was spinning for days with all the amazing information she had, it all made perfect sense. The book is called, "How To Shop For Free: Shopping Secrets for Smart Women Who Love To Get Something For Nothing" by Kathy Spencer. She also has a Web site.

Today I needed printer ink. I went to Office Max since I had just opened a Max Rewards card and also knew they had the exact printer ink I needed. Here is the breakdown of what I had purchased.

12” ruler (2)                            .05 each (.10)
Scissors (2)                             .50 each (1.00)
3x5 lined index cards 300 pk   2.00
2 pack Canon ink                  49.99
4oz white glue (2)                    .25 each (.50)
3 pk Pink Pearl Erasers (2)        .75 each (1.50)               
1 subject notebook (5)        5 Free – promo deal
                                         $55.09
$5 off a purchase of $25        -5.00
                         TOTAL      $50.09 the price for ONLY the printer ink.

Just by getting the items advertised in this week’s Office Max ad (as Max Perks), and taking advantage of the 5 free notebooks, and using the $5 off coupon, all the items (rulers, scissors, index cards, glue, erasers) I purchased above was FREE! How can you not say “Woo Hoo” to that deal! With two elementary aged children in the house, I know eventually I will need these items.

I have two ink cartridges that are empty. If I take them back to Office Max, I get 2 rewards, which equals $2, for each empty ink cartridge I return, the store will put on my rewards card. That is $4 free bucks. You can do that up to $20 a month for any kind of ink. Multiple that by 12 months and that equals up to $240 back a year.

Also at the end of every receipt (that I have received so far) if you take their survey you get a $5 off of $25. It is $5 free bucks for just a few minutes of your time.

Happy Saving!

Random Picks: Coupons

Over the last many years I have been trying to be frugal and find some good deals and try to pay attention to who is selling the lowest prices. I will often make a list of things I need and stop at Goodwill to see if they have the items. This takes patience and may take a few of trips before I see an item on my list, but overall, I have been very successful.

Since we recently bought a house, I have been trying to keep track of the bills that come in and how much they are. I have also been tracking our Eating Out Expenses and Grocery expenses in a simple excel spreadsheet I created. It just gives us an idea of how we are spending our money and gives me ideas on where we can do better at saving or cutting costs.

I recently attended a 1 day conference for work. One of the sessions was titled “Dollars and Sense” and was all about couponing, saving money, and never having to pay full price for anything ever again. I was completely inspired and got some really good Web sites and tips during this session. Since I have been trying to save money for our family I left with a whole different attitude about coupons. I rarely, more like NEVER, use coupons. I have cut a few out, and when I do that, I usually forget to use them. After listening in this couponing session, I look for them everywhere I can. I got so inspired listening to the presenter!

Here are a few places to look for coupons: Sunday newspaper, weekly grocery ads, register coupons, on product coupons, online/printable coupons, Entertainment book, Val Pak, Smart phone coupons, online coupon codes, social media.

One thing that was discussed is it is so important to get organized first. In our session we were given a small coupon organizer with 6 tabs. Every family is different on what they do, their activities, and how they shop, but here are a few examples of sections you could use: Groceries, Frozen Food, Household, Restaurants, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kids, Crafts, Retail, Car, Spa, Events, Receipts.

Treat coupons like cash. Always keep your coupons with you – not in your car, not in your kitchen. Always keep your coupons next to your wallet. That way wherever you go you will always have your coupons for savings.

One thing that was highly suggested, is to open a separate email account only for your coupons you get online and Web sites you sign up to get updates with. It keeps this email address completely separate so your everyday email account doesn’t get cluttered with an enormous, overwhelming amount of emails to go through. I personally did this and opened a separate email account then started signing up on coupon saving Web sites to receive printable coupons. It was also suggested to register products you use regularly. For me some of those products are Neutrogena, Air Wick (the air fresheners), and what do you know, at the end of registration there were coupons to print, and they also send some to by inbox.

Check out deals for yourself at these Web sites that were mentioned in the couponing session I attended. Restaurants.com, Braddeals.com, Saveology, Amazon Local, KGB Deals. If you have a smart phone, I’m sure there are some couponing apps available as well.

The day I went to the couponing session, it was Friday. I had intentions of cooking, at least had the meal planned out. I got this craving for Mexican food instead. I had a coupon for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant for $6 off. My dinner that night only cost me $3.95 for a small combo plate of a cheese enchilada, ground beef taco, rice and beans, when regularly it would cost about $10. Although it might not seem like a huge amount but every little bit helps and pretty soon you have saved a hundred, or more saved, by the end of the month. Think about what that means in a year!

We are a family of 4 – two adults and 2 elementary aged children. Depending on the place we chose for dinner, sometimes our kids will order from the kids menu. Other times we will order one entrée plate and the kids will split it. My point is by the end of dinner, our bill is usually well over $30, sometimes $40, not including a tip. The dinner at the Mexican restaurant came to $28, just by using the $6 off coupon. There are so many deals like that, you just have to look for them.

My recommendations are to start small at first and get comfortable with two store's prices. Start looking for coupons and start organizing them and building your system. I also highly recommend you buy things you only really need at first. A really good Web site I came across is called The Krazy Coupon Lady. She lists some amazing and very helpful tips on couponing, especially if you are a beginner.

I haven’t been so excited about something like this for a long time.

Happy couponing and saving!

 

Random Post: Menu Planning

I had a few minutes and decided to read some of the pins I had recently pinned on Pinterest. I got really excited about this one pin and had to share.


There will be weeks when I get so busy I don’t menu plan very well. It ends up I text my husband at 4:30p asking him for suggestions for dinner.

This site, Shrinking Kitchen, has a series of Menu Plan Your Butt Off. An interesting title to say the least, but I found this site incredibly amazing. It provides you with weeks and weeks and weeks of pre-planned menus as well as the printable grocery list.

There will be some weeks when I won’t personally like a certain item (I can’t stand eating fish, or seafood) so I would substitute that day with some of my recipes. I can still do some menu planning but most of it is already done for me.

The menus look easy and the ingredients are something you would usually already find in your pantry or fridge.


Happy Menu Planning!

Recipe: Creamy Garlic Pasta

I love garlic. You have to love garlic to like this recipe.

Creamy Garlic Pasta
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil.

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Source:  http://thecheesepusher.tumblr.com/post/2719857351/creamy-garlic-pasta

Recipe: Skillet Baked Penne

This recipe also came from the cookbook “The Best 30 Minute Recipes” by America’s Test Kitchen. I was honestly surprised at how much of a hit this was with my kids and hubby. It was almost like they couldn’t get enough of it. I would also like to mention the title of the recipe in the cookbook is “Skillet Baked Ziti”, however it specifically says in the recipe you can use Penne pasta, which is what I used.

Skillet Baked Penne

To complete this recipe in 30 minutes, preheat your oven before assembling your ingredients. If your skillet is not oven safe, transfer the pasta mixture into a shallow 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with the cheese and baking. Packaged pre-shredded mozzarella is a real-time saver here. Penne can be used in place of the ziti.

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and ground black pepper
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
12 ounce Penne (3 ¾ cup)
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup minced fresh basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Making the Minutes Count:

Measure the water and the pasta before you begin cooking. Prep the parmesan and basil white the pasta cooks.

1.       Heat Oven: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees.

2.       Simmer Penne: Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt in 12-inch oven safe nonstick skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, water, penne, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until penne is almost tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

3.       Add Cheese and Bake: Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over penne. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Recipe: Almond-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Cranberry-Orange Relish

Recently I was given a cookbook. It is titled “The Best 30 Minute Recipes” by America’s Test Kitchen. So far I have tried two recipes and it has made me rethink all the cookbooks I have sitting on my bookshelf. What I mean, exactly, is this cookbook, and the recipes I have cooked from the book, have been so incredibly delicious, I want to clean out my other cookbooks and get more like this one. This is one of the best cookbooks I think I have. I didn’t know too much about America’s Test Kitchen. I had definitely heard of them but wasn’t familiar with their recipes. I do have a couple magazine’s they also produce called, Cook’s Magazine. I’m one of those cooks who like to have a colored picture with every recipe. This particular cookbook is all black and white with just a few pages of colored pictures of the food in the middle. One thing I love about this cookbook, is the recipes all take 30 minutes to cook. With my crazy life, this couldn’t be more perfect. I’m still cooking my family a really yummy homemade fresh meal, it just doesn’t take that long. The recipes are super easy to read and it explains why to do it this way. I just love it. This is the first recipe I cooked out of this cookbook.

Almond-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Cranberry-Orange Relish

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
¾ cup sliced almonds (see note*)
¾ cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable oil
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup orange marmalade
½ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Making the Minutes Count:

Line the flour, egg, and bread crumbs up in a row for efficient breading. Also, start to heat the oil while breading the chicken.

Heat Oven: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees.

Prep Breading: Spread flour in shallow dish. Beat eggs in second shallow dish. Process almonds into fine crumbs in food processor, about 10 seconds, (I used a hand food chopper and chopped the nuts until they were in fine crumbs. It did take a little longer than 10 seconds), then toss with panko, cinnamon, and cornstarch in third shallow dish.

Season and Bread Chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge in flour, then dip into egg, and finally coat with nut mixture. Press on nuts to make sure they adhere.

Cook Chicken: Heat oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken and brown thoroughly on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes total. Drain chicken briefly on paper towels, then lay on wire rack set over baking sheet and keep warm in oven.

Make Relish: Pour hot oil out in pan and wipe pan clean with wad of paper towels. Add cranberries, marmalade, and orange juice to skillet and simmer over medium-high heat until mixture is thick and glossy, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in chives and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon cranberry relish over chicken before serving.

 * Don’t process the nuts longer than directed or they will turn pasty and oily. You can substitute an equal amount of whole pecans for the sliced almonds, but note that the crust will be darker colored. It does say to use a food processor. I actually used a hand food chopper and it worked perfectly.

Being Crafty: My next (big) project...

I have been looking for a piece of furniture. You can read about what I found and what I plan to do with it here.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Lasagna

This recipe was unbelievably easy and so good. It even came out of a slow cooker, of all things. I think I finally found my favorite lasagna recipe!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 pound ground beef
1 jar (15 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 container (15 ounces) Ricotta cheese
1 package (7 ounces) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
¼ cup parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown meat in large skillet; drain.

Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.

Mix ricotta, 1 ½ cups mozzarella, 2 tablespoons parmesan, egg, and parsley.

Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles (broken to fit) and cheese mixture.

Cover with 2 cups meat sauce.

Top with remaining noodles (broken to fit), cheese mixture and meat sauce.

Cover with lid.

Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or until liquid is absorbed.

Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; let stand, covered, 10 minutes, or until melted.

Makes 8 servings.

To make ahead: If your slow cooker has a removable liner, layer ingredients in liner as directed. Refrigerate overnight. Place liner in slow cooker the next day and cook as directed.

Recipe from Kraft Foods

The Great Outdoors: The Front Yard Island Area

A few posts ago I had dug up this huge bush and started with a clean slate for this front yard island area. I finally got this area planted. Check out the progress here: 
http://simplydeliciouseveryday.blogspot.com/p/great-outdoors.html

The Great Outdoors: A New Flower Bed

I had no intention of doing what I just did. I came outside to do a few clean up items: trim a tree, and cut blackberry bushes. I guess I got a little into what I was doing. Take a look at the new flower bed.

http://simplydeliciouseveryday.blogspot.com/p/great-outdoors.html

The Great Outdoors: Parking Area Pavers

I dug up some scalloped pavers and reused them to outline a distinct area. Check out the progress here:
http://simplydeliciouseveryday.blogspot.com/p/great-outdoors.html

Being Crafty: Magnetic Board

I made a bright and cheery magnetic board for only $1.  See what I made it with!
http://simplydeliciouseveryday.blogspot.com/p/being-crafty.html

Being Crafty: Wood Birdhouses

I was feeling crafty today and had these wood birdhouses. Take a look at what I did with them!

http://simplydeliciouseveryday.blogspot.com/p/being-crafty.html