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

Recipe: Jalapeno Popper Dip

One of my most favorite things at a fast food restaurant, Jack in the Box, is the stuffed jalepenos you can order, with a side of buttermilk ranch dip. They are burning hot, oozing with cheese from the center.
I was on Pinterest awhile back and came across this Jalapeno Popper Dip recipe. I was so anxious to try this dip and see how well it compared. It turned out really good and satified my craving for stuffed jalapenos. I found it much better to serve this straight out of the oven and heat it up as necessary to keep it hot. It is served well with tortilla chips. 

Jalepeno Popper Dip

A hot cheesy dip inspired by the flavours of jalapeno peppers with a crunchy panko bread crumb topping.

Servings: makes 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced jalapenos (pickled), drained
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, parmigiano reggiano and jalapenos in a bowl and pour into a baking dish.
• Mix the panko bread crumbs and parmigiano reggiano and sprinkle over the dip.
• Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the sides are bubbling and the cheese cheese has melted and turned golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.

Recipe from: Closet Cooking

Recipe: Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - doesn't really add heat, just adds more flavor)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot.

In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes.

Pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. 

Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. 

Stir to combine with sauce.

Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. 

Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. 

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

*You can also sprinkle more red pepper flakes on top if you want more heat.

Recipe taken from: Six Sisters Stuff

The Great Outdoors: Yard Projects and Progress

With all the gorgeous weather we are having here in the Northwest I have gotten myself into a few yard projects. You can check out the yard progress here.

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

Random Post: Pampered Chef Kitchen Gadgets

At the end of March, I hosted a Pampered Chef party. I had never hosted one before but had been to a couple parties in the past. They were fun! The Pampered Chef Consultant will make a recipe, show the products off and tell a little bit about them, have prizes, eat food, hang with friends, and have fun.

Although I do not have many Pampered Chef items, but the ones I do have, I throughly enjoy! People that have had them for many years literally rave about them. One thing that is fun is bringing a catolog into work or when people look through the catalogs at a party and they start telling all the items they have and how much they love them.

So, here is everything I got from hosting my Pampered Chef party.

• Kernel Cutter
• Garlic Press
• Mix 'N Chop
• My Safe Cutter
• Cutting Board
• Season's Best cookbook
• Quick Stir Pitcher

I am so looking forward to trying all my new items out.

Recipe: Easy Fresh Fruit Tart

1 (9 1/2 by 9-inch) sheet puff pastry, thawed overnight in refrigerator

2 teaspoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons strawberry jelly

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups fresh berries

Turning Puff Pastry into a Tart Shell

Brush a 1/2-inch border along the edges of the pastry with water. Fold the long edges of the pastry over by 1/2 inch, then fold the short edges over by 1/2 inch.

Working lengthwise, lightly score the outer edge of all folded edges of the tart shell with a paring knife.

To prevent the center of the tart from puffing up in the oven, poke the dough repeatedly with a fork.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold thawed pastry onto baking sheet and, following photos at right, prepare pastry shell.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle mixture over inside of tart shell. Transfer to oven and bake until pastry and sugar are deep golden brown, 15 to 22 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour.

While crust is baking, stir softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons jelly, and vanilla in bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Mixture can be made up to 2 days in advance; stir well before using.)

Spread cream cheese mixture over inside of cooled tart shell. Place remaining jelly in large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high power until jelly melts, about 30 seconds. Add berries to bowl and toss gently until coated with jelly. Spoon berries over cream cheese mixture and refrigerate until jelly is set, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve.

Recipe from Cook's Country magazine August/September 2007

Recipe: Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breast

The chicken breasts is very moist and tender. This goes perfectly with a green salad and side of fresh cut corn or steamed carrots.

4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix mayonnaise, cheese and seasonings.
Spread mixture over chicken breast and place in baking dish.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Recipe on food.com

For the Birds Project, Part 3

The end results of my For the Birds Project...click the link of this post to see the pics.

Random Post: The many uses of plastic grocery bags

If you are anything like me, I forget to bring my reusable grocery bags into the store with me. When I go to the grocery store I always end up putting my groceries in those plastic bags. The plastic bag storage I keep under my kitchen sink gets over full and starts spilling over and getting in the way of everything. There are places that recycle these plastic bags (I know for sure Target has a container inside the store), but these plastic bags have some handy household and everyday uses.

· Use them for a small trash can liner.
· Use them for putting dirty diapers in.
· Use it as a container for used cat liter.
· If you are going on a walk with your dog who decided to do the doo in your neighbor’s lawn. Use it as a container for picking up after your dog.
· Use it as packing material.
· You don’t have any rain boots and have to walk through some mud. Take a bag, put your foot inside, and tie the handles together around your ankle. You may need more than one for this one.
· Use them as small lawn clean up bags.
· Use them in place of rubber gloves if you don’t have any gloves handy.
· Use a bag to get a credit/debit card to swipe. Place the card inside the bag tightly against the card, and swipe. I have no idea why this works, but it does.
· Use them as flags.
· Use them as dirty laundry when you are traveling.
· Use them to protect a plaster cast so you can take a shower.
· Use them as freezer bags.
· Use larger bags to cover clothes in a closet or while traveling to keep clothes clean.
· Use large ones to slip over ceiling fans when cleaning the blades to catch the dust and keep it from falling on the floor.
· Use them as a toy parachute.
· Use them as sick bags when someone has a sour stomach.
· Use them as a rain bonnet.
· Put them on your wiper blades and mirrors in the winter to keep them free from snow and ice.
· Store your shoes in plastic bags when you have to travel to the rest of your clothes don’t smell like stinky feet.
· Store wet paint brushes in them after you’ve washed out the paintbrush.
· Use them to store rags in.
· Use one to store the rest of your plastic bags in.
· Stuff one or a few in the bottom of a flower pot, then add your dirt, and flowers. It helps the flowers stay moist and not have the water run out of the bottom of your pot (if it has holes in the bottom).

Recipe: Balsamic Pork with Shallots

Yet another sucessful dinner! Tonight was this amazing balsamic pork with shallots, asparagras, and a ceasar salad.

5 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into (1/2 inch thick) slices

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 8)

1 garlic clove, minced (I sliced mine with a nifty Pampered Chef gadget- Garlic Slicer)

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.

Remove from pan, and keep warm.

Add remaining 4 teaspoons oil to pan; reduce heat to medium.

Add shallots to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic; cook 2 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 water and vinegar; simmer 6 minutes.

Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining pepper.

Spoon shallot mixture over pork.

Serve immediately.

Cooking Light March 2009

Recipe: Rib-Eye Steaks with Spring Mix, Pear, and Blue Cheese Salad

Tonight's dinner menu:

Rib-Eye Steaks

Spring Mix Salad with Pear and Crumbled Blue Cheese

Roasted Potato slices
Sopapilla Cheesecake

I have definitely mastered cooking chicken. One of my goals is to master cooking beef. In the past times I have tried to cook it, it usually ends up being tough or overcooked. But the only way I am going to learn to cook a great piece of beef is to keep trying to cook it. Tonight, I think, I finally came to that point. I’m getting closer, not quite there, but almost, so close.

Rib-Eye Steaks

4 8-9 ounce rib-eye steaks (each about 1 inch thick), trimmed

Coarsely cracked black pepper

Olive Oil

I used a grill pan and poured a little drizzle of olive oil and turned the heat up (to medium-high) till the pan was smoking hot. I seasoned each steak with salt and pepper, and placed the steaks in my square grill pan. I cooked each side until I couldn’t see any red meat, about 4-5 minutes per side. My hubby likes a well done steak. I tend to like mine a little pink in the middle. Once the steak was done to our likeness I put it in a dish to let it rest.

Potato Slices
3-4 Russet potatoes, sliced

Olive oil

Seasoning salt

Herb Mix

I took some russet potatoes, scrubbed the outside and sliced each potato on my mandolin so the slices were thin and would cook evenly. I took a rectangle baking sheet and added a piece of aluminum foil to the bottom, drizzled olive oil on the foil (so the potatoes wouldn’t stick), added the potato slices so there were no overlaps, drizzled a little bit more olive oil on each potato slice, sprinkled with seasoning salt and herb mix and put them in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Spring Mix salad with Crumbled Blue Cheese and Pear

Spring Mix lettuce

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 ½ tablespoon honey

1 small ripe pear

1/3 cup crumbled chilled blue cheese

I had a Spring mix of lettuce I added to a bowl. I added the blue cheese, and pear on top of the lettuce. In a small mixing bowl I combined the oil, vinegar, shallot, and honey. The very last thing I added to the salad is the dressing. You don’t want the salad to get wilted and soggy before it is served, so this is really the very last thing you do after all the other dishes are ready.

This dinner was a HUGE success.  The only thing left was a little bit of steak. My husband is still oohing and awing about how satisfying and delicious dinner was. The flavors in the salad were so delicious and complimented the potatoes and steak perfectly. The steak was absolutely tender and juicy, however a little more red than I liked, but I made sure that hubby’s steak was not pink. His steak was even tender and perfect for him.

What a very exciting feeling about dinner.

The end results of dinner!

To top it off I made Sopapilla Cheesecake. This is the most easy, unbelievably yummy cheesecake ever!

2 cans Pillsbury butter crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Cinnamon and Sugar

Unroll and spread 1 can crescent rolls on bottom of an ungreased pan.
Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
Spread mixture over crescent rolls.
Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture.
Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

It's that simple.

Delicious!

Organizing: Kitchen Gadget Drawer

I decided to organize my kitchen gadget drawer next. You can check out the results by clicking the title of this post.

Being Crafty: For the Birds Progress

I have made progress on the For the Birds project. You can check out the latest by clicking the title of this post.

Being Crafty: For the Birds

I have been working on my next project. To take a sneak peek at what I'm working on click the title of this post to read more.

Organizing: Medicine (Adult and Children's) Cupboard

I organized our medicine (adults and children's). See the before and after pictures. Just click on the title of this post.

Organizing: Hutch Scrapbooking Organization Project Part 6 Unveiling

So here it finally is...the moment we have all been patiently waiting for...the unveiling of my refurbished hutch and made into my scrapbooking storage. Click the title of this post to see the before and after pictures.

Organizing: Hutch Scrapbooking Organization Project Part 5

To read an update about the Hutch Scrapbooking Organization Project, click the title of this post.

Random Post: Happy Valentine's Day

A great big Happy Valentine's Day to all my blog readers. You are appreciated in so many ways.

The Story of Life



At this time of year we should all reflect on our life.  Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor, coworker, long-lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger), but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you have may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, will power, or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost mements of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul.  Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and uterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from.  In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make everyday count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen.  Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you.  You can make of your life anything you wish.  Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets. Most importantly, if you love someone tell him or her, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store...and learn a lesson in life each day that you live.

- Author Unknown