Monday, September 6, 2010
31 in 31 - Day 27
Darryl was working today, putting our front screen door back on the house (it was ripped off during a storm earlier this summer) and he had helpers. So, this is actually two pictures because I didn't get a good one of everyone together.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
40 by 40 Update
My first goal is completed!! I have canned tomatoes, salsa, beets, jam and pickles. Here's the proof!
Yeah :-) Was it perfect? No, but that's ok. My first bunch of jam is actually syrup but it's still good; the beets are a little spongy so I either cooked them too long or not long enough and they are a little spicy; and we haven't tried the salsa yet but we'll see!
Here is what I learned from canning:
1) Find the recipes you want to use (new or old) and purchase all none "home grown" supplies such as lids, sugar, garlic bulbs, etc. before the fresh veggies and fruits come to season. I did the opposite - I would go to the farmers market to see what was in and than it would be 2 or 3 days before I could get the other supplies which impacted the freshness of my produce.
2) Purchase a good food processor. I did a lot of hand chopping and "squishing" of fruits and veggies due to the lack of a food processor. It would have made canning salsa and jam a lot easier.
3) Plant a garden. Canning would be an economical way to make food for your family if you grow a lot of the ingredients. I purchased mine from a farmers market but am planning to plant a small container garden next year to grow things for pickles and salsa at the very least. Fruit I will always need to buy as I don't have fruit trees but I may try to get some raspberry and strawberry plants and see what happens.
4) Don't schedule the deep cleaning of your kitchen the same week as you are canning - deep clean the kitchen AFTER you done canning ;-)
5) Don't can tomatoes :-) I only added it to my list because I knew I would have tomatoes left from doing Salsa - next year, assuming I have a salsa recipe we like, I will can multiple batches of salsa and not do tomatoes. Why? Tomatoes take a lot of time for not a lot of results - I only got 4 jars out of a HUGE amount of tomatoes. Tomatoes are so cheap and so good in the store - for me, it's not worth it.
6) If you do can tomatoes know that there will never be the right about. You will have one more or one less than you need every single time!
7) I need to get that apron item marked off my list - one of my goals is to sew myself an apron; I could have used that this year :- )
8) You can fit ALOT more cucumbers in a jar than I thought you could! There is a lot of space in those jars now :-)
9) One last thing - canning really isn't very hard. I always thought it was - but it's not, its actually pretty easy; you just have to take the time and energy to do it :-) Granted I don't have a huge garden with stuff pouring in but I think that is where the time consuming thing comes in :-)
Yeah :-) Was it perfect? No, but that's ok. My first bunch of jam is actually syrup but it's still good; the beets are a little spongy so I either cooked them too long or not long enough and they are a little spicy; and we haven't tried the salsa yet but we'll see!
Here is what I learned from canning:
1) Find the recipes you want to use (new or old) and purchase all none "home grown" supplies such as lids, sugar, garlic bulbs, etc. before the fresh veggies and fruits come to season. I did the opposite - I would go to the farmers market to see what was in and than it would be 2 or 3 days before I could get the other supplies which impacted the freshness of my produce.
2) Purchase a good food processor. I did a lot of hand chopping and "squishing" of fruits and veggies due to the lack of a food processor. It would have made canning salsa and jam a lot easier.
3) Plant a garden. Canning would be an economical way to make food for your family if you grow a lot of the ingredients. I purchased mine from a farmers market but am planning to plant a small container garden next year to grow things for pickles and salsa at the very least. Fruit I will always need to buy as I don't have fruit trees but I may try to get some raspberry and strawberry plants and see what happens.
4) Don't schedule the deep cleaning of your kitchen the same week as you are canning - deep clean the kitchen AFTER you done canning ;-)
5) Don't can tomatoes :-) I only added it to my list because I knew I would have tomatoes left from doing Salsa - next year, assuming I have a salsa recipe we like, I will can multiple batches of salsa and not do tomatoes. Why? Tomatoes take a lot of time for not a lot of results - I only got 4 jars out of a HUGE amount of tomatoes. Tomatoes are so cheap and so good in the store - for me, it's not worth it.
6) If you do can tomatoes know that there will never be the right about. You will have one more or one less than you need every single time!
7) I need to get that apron item marked off my list - one of my goals is to sew myself an apron; I could have used that this year :- )
8) You can fit ALOT more cucumbers in a jar than I thought you could! There is a lot of space in those jars now :-)
9) One last thing - canning really isn't very hard. I always thought it was - but it's not, its actually pretty easy; you just have to take the time and energy to do it :-) Granted I don't have a huge garden with stuff pouring in but I think that is where the time consuming thing comes in :-)
31 in 31 - Day 26
Saturday, September 4, 2010
31 in 31 - Day 25
Things That I am Loving
I was thinking today about things that I am loving and I thought I would share.
1) Cool weather! If you look close you will see the cloudy sky and damp ground. After being in the 90's and humid just a few days ago the 60 degree, cold, windy day was VERY enjoyable.
2. Mocha Frappes!! I love these every day LOL I got hooked on McDonald's Frappe's by accident. I was going through the drive through and they had an extra one so they gave it to me. I figured I wouldn't like it since it is coffee but I took one drink and was hooked. I have since found a couple of recipes for homemade versions but nothing is quite as good as the real thing. I splurged tonight and bought one - it is a rare treat.
3) My Spice Rack! I know this seems odd but there is a story behind this one. My husband bought this for me several years ago and I loved it. Recently, in order to declutter my kitchen I decided to get rid of this and just put my spices in the cupboard. Well, I moved it to the garage with garage sale things . . .but every day I was going out there to get a spice LOL (I hadn't cleaned it out yet) So I moved it back inside this past weekend and today I washed the jars, peeled off the old labels and have them drying so I can fill them back up tomorrow. I'm so glad to have it back :-)
4) September! Why? There are many reasons but one of them is that all the TV shows we love start over :-) Looking forward to some good laughs with a couple new comedy's and a few old ones too. Not to mention all our reality shows. I love DVR - we record all our shows and watch them when we have time.
5) The Stripe on my bathroom wall! This is a preview to the "new and improved" bathroom. I can't post pictures yet because there are still some small things left but every time I go in there, I smile a little because I just love the stripe. I got the exact feel I wanted - relaxing and peaceful.
6. My Candles! Yep, it is that time of year. I lit this candle for the first time since spring and it smells SOOOOO good! I love the smell and how it looks when I have candles lit; it brings such a comforting appearance and makes everything seem so much warmer. My favorite is in the middle of winter, when there is a good snow happening - the candles just make me feel so good!!
7. Football! I L O V E football! I start watching with the first preseason game and watch all I can all season long. I cheer for the Lions despite the fact that they seldom win; I play fantasy football and love it; and I plan special snacks for during the games; we celebrate the opening Sunday and Superbowl Sunday. AND this year, I will get to watch College Ball too! My husband works on Saturdays so I'll have the games on. It isn't that he doesn't like it - he gets overloaded on football and really enjoys pro so we quit watching college. Just one last thing to say . . Are YOU ready for some football????
8. Cookies!!!! I posted a link recently for a Christmas Cookie Challenge and when I saw this Magazine today I had to get it. It has a ton of Christmas cookie recipes in it and since they are from Paula Dean I know they will be good and won't be too weird. She has gotten weird but her recipes are still pretty good LOL It seemed odd to see this in the checkout today though especially since it says to only keep on shelves until October?? Still, I felt like I had find a little gem today :-)
Do you have things that are making you smile right now? Take time to enjoy those little things and don't overlook something as simple as a Frappe - we need those little pick-me-ups
Do you have things that are making you smile right now? Take time to enjoy those little things and don't overlook something as simple as a Frappe - we need those little pick-me-ups
Friday, September 3, 2010
31 in 31 - Day 24
The joy of a "new" toy:
I brought this little car up from the basement today for Nate to start enjoying. It was one of Josh's favorite toys because it is how he got around until he learned to walk. Nate tasted every part of it . . but when Josh got up from his nap, he took it over for the day. That was part of my strategy in bringing it up now, though. Nate isn't quite ready to ride it by himself yet so hopefully Josh will tire of it quickly and Nate will be able to enjoy it :-)
Menu Planning/Grocery Shopping
Over the past few months, I've really refined my Menu Planning and Grocery shopping. Really, I've always planned because that is who I am - I can't just walk into the grocery store, pick up a few items, and than go home and cook. I need a list when I walk into the store. But I didn't always plan well. I never planned side dishes, breakfast, or lunch for myself. Instead I just figured it would "happen" - something would entice me to eat it. That really isn't the best plan. After reading lots of other posts, sites, and books on how to plan a menu and how to shop, this is what works for me. I don't think that the same plan really works for another person - it always has to be tweaked to fit your lifestyle, but if you currently aren't planning, do! It will save you stress, money and those last minute trips to take-out or the store. You'll become the "hero" in your home when you put dinner on the table - something different - every night of the week and those special pizza nights will be a treat instead of an expectation.
What works for me is to shop weekly - I read a book about a family that shopped monthly for a family of seven on $350.00. Wow. I tried going two weeks - was in the store for hours and still had to go back the second week to get produce and dairy products. So once a week works best. As you may know from my other posts - I'm working to get my budget down from the current $75.00 a week fifty cents at a time and this is part of what helps me.
First, I am a coupon cutter. Honestly, this is not my favorite past time but in order to save as much as possible, I do cut, file and use my coupons. I found a really great coupon organizer online at http://www.couponmagicorganizer.com/ that I use to the fullest and it has really made actually using my coupons so much easier. It uses the basic "baseball card" holders but they are designed to withhold the constant use. It also has tabs for the different areas (I will say, I wish there were blank tabs so I could refine some of the groups but now that I've used it for awhile, I know where I put things) and it has front pockets where I keep my menu/recipes until after I shop and the ad for the week. Yes, I carry my menu/recipes with me in case I'm going over budget and need to make a quick switch. I can actually see what ingredients to put back and what I also needed for another recipe. Don't let coupons deter you from planning, though, it is just one more tool I happened to have in my basket.
Second, look at the weekly Ad. I only really shop one store, Meijer, and that is dictated more by my location. If I had others like Aldi's, I would probably try to save more and shop there for most things. Or shop at Super Target, Meijer and others if they were all close; the cost in gas currently cancels out any sales the other stores may have. I use the ad to match to coupons and also to try and plan meals - especially meat - on what is on sale.
Third, plan your weekly menu. Mine runs from Saturday-Friday because I normally shop on Friday night. To plan you menu you need to plan all things. Look at your calendar - are there nights that you will be gone or the family will be gone? Are there plans on a certain night that will dictate dinner?? Once you have done that, than start with which ever meal is the easiest and plan all things - the sides, the main dish, etc. This includes snacks for you and the kids - it is hard to snack when there is nothing in the house!
Fourth, take your recipes and fill in the grocery list, double checking your pantry so you don't over buy or assume you have something you need. After years of having a random list, I finally created a master shopping list in order of my store. This has cut my time in the store down because I don't have to backtrack all the time. Make sure you get everything on there you need - even if you have made a dish 100 times, double check it to make sure you haven't forgotten anything
Fifth, shop :-)
So, how does my menu work? It's simple. First, each day is assigned a "theme" that I use for dinner:
Saturday: Fun, Appetizers, Eating Out, Grilling (Pretty broad because I don't like cooking on Saturday's)
Sunday: Crockpot or a long cooking oven meal to cook during church; Sunday night I try to plan something "fun"
Monday: New Recipe Night
Tuesday: Ethnic - Pasta, Pizza, or other ethnic based meals
Wednesday: Chicken or Beef
Thursday: Breakfast or Pork (I added breakfast meals here since most breakfast meat is pork)
Friday: Seafood, Grilling, Family favorites, or out - which is normally Pizza or Taco's from our favorite place in Grand Rapids)
This might not seem like a big deal but it really makes picking meals easier and I don't end up with beef 7 days in a row!
Here's a Sample Menu:
Saturday:
B: Toast or Cereal (keep breakfast simple but still plan)
L: Cheese slices, crackers, apple, tomatoes
D: Pizza or Tacos (I'm not going to the store until Saturday night!)
Sunday:
B: Toast or Cereal
L: Stuffed Pork Loin, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans and Rolls
D: Hot Broccoli Dip, Cheesy Bacon Bites, Chocolate Chip Cheeseball and Crackers
Monday:
B: Cereal and Fruit
L: PB and J Roll ups, Gold Fish Crackers, Apple
D: Sweet and Sour Crockpot Pork, Rice, Salad
Tuesday:
B: Aunt J. Breakfast Entrees (they were on Sale!)
L: Quisidilla's, black olives, tomatoes, apple
D: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad
Wednesday:
B: Toast with Cin and Sugar and Fruit
L: Meat Sandwich, Pretzels, Apple
D: Chicken Pot Pie, Salad
Thursday:
B: Cereal
L: Cheese and Crackers, Tomatoes, Apple
D: Breakfast Casserole, Banana Sour Cream Bread, Sauteed Apples
Friday:
B: Toast
L: Leftovers
D: Taco Bell
Snacks: Pretzels, Gold Fish, Graham Crackers
Sweets: Chocolate Chip Cookies, Strawberry Pie
It's that easy :-) I will say that our breakfasts generally stay the same - it is just Josh and I so we have cereal, fruit, toast with jam or he likes Nutri grain bars. My downfall is still planning my lunch - the lunches you see are more for Josh (I don't like some of them but he does!!) This was actually last weeks menu - some of the items I didn't end up fixing so I carried them over to next week. That's part of the plan - sometimes something comes up - just move that item to the following week and part of your planning is done!
Hopefully this didn't confuse you but rather inspired you to maybe even plan just one or two full days worth of meals. If you have questions, please feel free to ask too! I'm still working on this process but am more than willing to help.
What works for me is to shop weekly - I read a book about a family that shopped monthly for a family of seven on $350.00. Wow. I tried going two weeks - was in the store for hours and still had to go back the second week to get produce and dairy products. So once a week works best. As you may know from my other posts - I'm working to get my budget down from the current $75.00 a week fifty cents at a time and this is part of what helps me.
First, I am a coupon cutter. Honestly, this is not my favorite past time but in order to save as much as possible, I do cut, file and use my coupons. I found a really great coupon organizer online at http://www.couponmagicorganizer.com/ that I use to the fullest and it has really made actually using my coupons so much easier. It uses the basic "baseball card" holders but they are designed to withhold the constant use. It also has tabs for the different areas (I will say, I wish there were blank tabs so I could refine some of the groups but now that I've used it for awhile, I know where I put things) and it has front pockets where I keep my menu/recipes until after I shop and the ad for the week. Yes, I carry my menu/recipes with me in case I'm going over budget and need to make a quick switch. I can actually see what ingredients to put back and what I also needed for another recipe. Don't let coupons deter you from planning, though, it is just one more tool I happened to have in my basket.
Second, look at the weekly Ad. I only really shop one store, Meijer, and that is dictated more by my location. If I had others like Aldi's, I would probably try to save more and shop there for most things. Or shop at Super Target, Meijer and others if they were all close; the cost in gas currently cancels out any sales the other stores may have. I use the ad to match to coupons and also to try and plan meals - especially meat - on what is on sale.
Third, plan your weekly menu. Mine runs from Saturday-Friday because I normally shop on Friday night. To plan you menu you need to plan all things. Look at your calendar - are there nights that you will be gone or the family will be gone? Are there plans on a certain night that will dictate dinner?? Once you have done that, than start with which ever meal is the easiest and plan all things - the sides, the main dish, etc. This includes snacks for you and the kids - it is hard to snack when there is nothing in the house!
Fourth, take your recipes and fill in the grocery list, double checking your pantry so you don't over buy or assume you have something you need. After years of having a random list, I finally created a master shopping list in order of my store. This has cut my time in the store down because I don't have to backtrack all the time. Make sure you get everything on there you need - even if you have made a dish 100 times, double check it to make sure you haven't forgotten anything
Fifth, shop :-)
So, how does my menu work? It's simple. First, each day is assigned a "theme" that I use for dinner:
Saturday: Fun, Appetizers, Eating Out, Grilling (Pretty broad because I don't like cooking on Saturday's)
Sunday: Crockpot or a long cooking oven meal to cook during church; Sunday night I try to plan something "fun"
Monday: New Recipe Night
Tuesday: Ethnic - Pasta, Pizza, or other ethnic based meals
Wednesday: Chicken or Beef
Thursday: Breakfast or Pork (I added breakfast meals here since most breakfast meat is pork)
Friday: Seafood, Grilling, Family favorites, or out - which is normally Pizza or Taco's from our favorite place in Grand Rapids)
This might not seem like a big deal but it really makes picking meals easier and I don't end up with beef 7 days in a row!
Here's a Sample Menu:
Saturday:
B: Toast or Cereal (keep breakfast simple but still plan)
L: Cheese slices, crackers, apple, tomatoes
D: Pizza or Tacos (I'm not going to the store until Saturday night!)
Sunday:
B: Toast or Cereal
L: Stuffed Pork Loin, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans and Rolls
D: Hot Broccoli Dip, Cheesy Bacon Bites, Chocolate Chip Cheeseball and Crackers
Monday:
B: Cereal and Fruit
L: PB and J Roll ups, Gold Fish Crackers, Apple
D: Sweet and Sour Crockpot Pork, Rice, Salad
Tuesday:
B: Aunt J. Breakfast Entrees (they were on Sale!)
L: Quisidilla's, black olives, tomatoes, apple
D: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad
Wednesday:
B: Toast with Cin and Sugar and Fruit
L: Meat Sandwich, Pretzels, Apple
D: Chicken Pot Pie, Salad
Thursday:
B: Cereal
L: Cheese and Crackers, Tomatoes, Apple
D: Breakfast Casserole, Banana Sour Cream Bread, Sauteed Apples
Friday:
B: Toast
L: Leftovers
D: Taco Bell
Snacks: Pretzels, Gold Fish, Graham Crackers
Sweets: Chocolate Chip Cookies, Strawberry Pie
It's that easy :-) I will say that our breakfasts generally stay the same - it is just Josh and I so we have cereal, fruit, toast with jam or he likes Nutri grain bars. My downfall is still planning my lunch - the lunches you see are more for Josh (I don't like some of them but he does!!) This was actually last weeks menu - some of the items I didn't end up fixing so I carried them over to next week. That's part of the plan - sometimes something comes up - just move that item to the following week and part of your planning is done!
Hopefully this didn't confuse you but rather inspired you to maybe even plan just one or two full days worth of meals. If you have questions, please feel free to ask too! I'm still working on this process but am more than willing to help.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)