Cheese, Please?

We have a historically-based special event coming up at work this weekend. As the site's Historic Foodways Coordinator, I was trying to come up with a fun new demo. I decided that we would try our hand at making cheese. However, having never done it before, I decided to try a batch at home before the special event.

And...

THIS is the fruit of my labors! My first ever batch of homemade cheese. It's a soft whole milk based cheese. And it's pretty good. It could use just a bit more salt for an extra flavor kick, but I didn't know how much to use, so I still consider it a success. It's great with Ritz crackers.

And now that I know what I'm doing...it will be even better on Saturday!!!

The method is this:

Pour a gallon of whole milk in a pan. Pour in 4 Tbs of lemon juice and heat to 84 degrees, stirring constantly. Add rennet (Amount varies by brand. Check package for amount needed.). While stirring, heat to 113 degrees. By the time it reaches desired temperature, you will start seeing the curds separating from the whey. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes. Uncover, and use a sharp night to cut through the curds. Spread cheesecloth over a bowl, and pour the curds and whey into the cheesecloth. Bundle the curds up, and twist the bundle closed. Squeeze until all of the whey is removed, and no more liquid runs out. Spread dry curds out onto a cutting board. Sprinkle with salt, and work curds with your hands until the salt is all mixed in. Return curds to cheesecloth and rebundle. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Once you unbundle it, you will have a ball of cheese, ready to slice and eat. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

That's it. It takes less than an hour from beginning to end!

The cheese was only one part of my cooking adventure from the day. I also made lemon poppy seed muffins, and a fantastic new dish for dinner. THAT recipe was awesome, and I will post about it next time. In the mean-time, you should try making your own cheese. It's lots of fun, and pretty yummy!

Pasta Machine Search

I am currently looking for a pasta machine for my next self-challenge. If anyone has one, and doesn't use it, I would be interested in purchasing it. I have fallen in love with the idea of making all of my own pasta from scratch. I've never made my own pasta before, but I am SO READY to try it. If you have one, please leave me a comment below, and I will contact you.

I have been challenged to try a healthy chocolate pudding recipe, using avacados. Thank you for the challenge, Mom. I will be trying it very soon, and I'll definitely blog about it to let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, I've been keeping busy with work, babysitting, menu planning and lots more. I'm going to try to spend more time with you all in the near future. I'm sorry for my long absences.

For dinner tonight we had a yummy big batch of Zucchini, thanks to co-worker Linda. She grows lots of fresh veggies in her garden every year, and shares the excess with other people. I have been the grateful recipient a few times, and we enjoy it so much. I do miss having my own garden, but that's part of living in an apartment in the city.

Good night to all. I'll see you all soon!

Doll Hair De-Tangler

This is a secret every mother/grandmother/aunt/babysitter/friend/etc. of young girls should know...

You're sitting there and all of a sudden a little girl throws a doll in your lap and asks you to comb her hair. The hair is tangled and matted, and no matter how much you brush it with that mini doll brush, it just isn't working. What do you do now?!?!

Make your own doll hair de-tangling solution. Not only does it work great, but it makes the doll smell GREAT! Here's how you do it:

Take a spray bottle and put in 5 oz. of water. Next add 2 oz. of liquid fabric softener (Downy or generic...doesn't really matter) and 3 drops of baby oil. Put the lid on the bottle, and shake it up.

Now, pull the dolls hair up, and cover it's face and body with a towel. Spray the solution on the hair until it's saturated, and start combing it out. Once you have the tangles removed, brush it down the way you want it to dry, and set the doll aside. Once it's dry it will look so much better!

Hello, all!

Hello, everyone!

I hope you are all doing well. I would like to apologize for my long absence from my blogging. Things have been crazy, and quite honestly, sitting down and blogging was the last thing on my mind.

So why is it on my mind now? Because we've had so much fun the last few days. Let me explain...

I was scheduled off work to reduce some of my comp time, so I took advantage and came to SW Missouri to visit my family for 6 days. While here, my sister introduced me to the show "Master Chef". I had never watched this show, and fell in love with it immediately. Watching all of the interesting dishes and challenges has been so much fun. But it's led to 2 things....

1. I want to be on "Master Chef". Will I ever make it? Probably not. But I'd sure love to check into it. It's not because I think I'm the best chef in the world, but because it would be interesting to learn so many new things and find some new challenges myself.

2. We decided to try our hand at making molten lava cakes.

One of the challenges on the show was to make a perfect Molten Lava Cake. According to chef Gordan Ramsey, these make chefs all over the world tremble in fear, as it's a very delicate dessert to make. 1 minute too long in the oven, and it's overcooked and there's no "goo" in the middle. One minute too few, and it's runny and collapses. Now I have certainly eaten a few of these, but had never made one. My sister Amber (another great cook) had neither eaten or made them. So....we decided to give them a try.

We invited my parents over to my sister's house, and while they were here we made a beautiful molten lava cake batter. We poured it into our ramekins, and baked it for the exact 13 minutes the recipe called for. We pulled it out and held our breath as we inverted a plate, and carefully dumped the cake out of the ramekin. It didn't collapse! We dusted them with powdered sugar and quickly handed them off to brother-in-law Patrick and my parents. They cut into them, and they were PERFECT!!! Yay!!!

Now...I'm not going to pretend everything I/we've ever made was perfect...but I'm pretty proud of this. I wish chef Ramsey could try them.

This has really renewed my passion for cooking yet again, so look out blog friends...I'm looking for challenges, so I'll probably be posting more frequently!

Also...here's your chance to be involved....

Challenge me. If there's a dish you would like me to try to make, leave a comment, and if I've never made it before, I'll try my hand at it, and see what happens.

Have a great night!

So true...

I just got done reading a quote by the late Albert Einstein. That man was so smart. His thought?

“The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has its limits.”

Boy...how true is that?! I've noticed some pretty interesting people recently who have surprised me with their level of stupidity. LOL!

WD-40...Who Knew???

Ok...first off, I can't take credit for this post. I read this on the internet recently, and then saw it again on a Facebook post. But it's such great information I had to share!!! Who knew this stuff was so great?!

"The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts.
WD-40 was created in 1953, by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.
Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'Water Displacement' Compound.
They were finally successful for a formulation, with their fortieth attempt, thus WD-40.
The 'Convair Company' bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that could hurt you.


WD-40 Uses:
1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floor that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps the flies off of Cows, Horses, and other Farm Critters, as well. (Ya gotta love this one!!!)
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic / terracotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on both home and vehicles doors.
18. It removes that nasty tar and scuff marks from the kitchen flooring.
It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off.
Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Remove those nasty Bug guts that will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gearshift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers...
22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes grease splatters from stovetops.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons away (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
38. The favorite use in the state of New York, it protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose.
Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. It is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray it on the marks and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you spray it inside a wet distributor cap, it will displace the moisture, allowing the engine to start.

P.S.
As for that Basic, Main Ingredient.......
Well.... it's FISH OIL...."

Cool, huh?!

Eggs, Spring, Menus and More....

Good afternoon, all!

It has been awhile since I posted anything of any substance due to just being so busy, so I thought I would take a few minutes to share with you all.

Last Saturday night we (several friends, my husband and myself) all got together and dyed about 5 dozen Easter eggs. After sending some home with some of the friends, I will still left with about 3 dozen eggs to use up, so my April menu plan has found lots of dishes with hard-boiled eggs, plus I have a half dozen in the fridge being pickled as we speak. :)

Here is my April 1-15th menu plan. Let me know if you are interested in any of the recipes...

4/1 - Egg salad sandwiches, chips
4/2 - Ham Steaks, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs
4/3 - Egg salad celery bites, Cobb salad sandwiches, chips
4/4 - Waffles
4/5 - Pork chops, boiled eggs, stove-top stuffing, frozen baby veggies
4/6 - Turkey vegetable chili, biscuits
4/7 - Leftovers
4/8 - 4/10 - DSP Conference (A.K.A. Phillip fends for himself) (I normally make food for him before I leave on work trips, but won't have time to do so this time.)
4/11 - Baked potato bar
4/12 - Fish sticks, macaroni and cheese and frozen veggies
4/13 - Corned beef chowder, biscuits
4/14 - Leftovers
4/15 - Taco soup, bread and butter


At work yesterday I finally saw our first real sign that spring may officially be here. Beautiful crocuses blooming!!!! There were 4 beautiful colors, 3 of which appear in the picture...

The above pictures were taken on my new phone, which takes better pictures than the digital camera I used to have. Smart phones are amazing, and I have fallen in love with mine. Someone told me that if I got one, I would never even be able to consider going back to just a normal basic cell phone. HOW. TRUE. Wow... I never knew a simple phone could do so much. I'm giving a huge shout-out to whoever designed the Motorola Droid RAZR M! Last night I bought a pretty silicone purple case for it, and I love it even more. For those of you who know me, you should know I'm all about color, shininess and sparkle. LOL. :)

Ok...I guess I should go. Stay tuned for my next posting, which should be my Peach Melba Pie recipe. See you all soon.

Still Kicking...

First of all, No...I'm not dead. I feel half-dead sometimes from pure exhaustion, as NOTHING ever seems to slow down. But...I'm still alive and kicking.

I know it's been a long time since I've been on here, and so much has happened since then. I hope to be able to post a few things soon. These things include my April 1-15 menu plan (which I still haven't finished...AGGGHHHH!!!), and my recipe for the fabulous Peach Melba Pie I made the other day. It's a light, yummy, not-that-horrible-for-you dessert that would be fantastic on a hot summer day.

So stay tuned...I will be back...

Chicken Pot Pie with Celery Seed Pastry

This recipe goes out to April, who asked me to post it when I showed this picture on Facebook. The celery seed crust is SO YUMMY, and gives it a very distinct flavor. This has been a favorite since childhood.

CHICKEN POT PIE
1/3 cup margarine, butter or chicken fat
1/3 cup all-purpose flour*
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken or turkey broth
2/3 cup milk
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas and carrots
          Celery Seed Pastry (below)

Heat margarine over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken and frozen vegetables; reserve.

Prepare Celery Seed Pastry. Roll 2/3 of pastry into 13-inch square on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Ease pastry into square pan, 9x9x2 inches; pour chicken filling into pastry-lined pan. Roll remaining dough into 11-inch square; place over filling. Roll edges under; flute. Cut slits in center to allow steam to escape. Cook uncovered in 425 degree oven until crust is brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
6 SERVINGS.

CELERY SEED PASTRY
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening or 2/3 cup lard
2 cups all-purpose flour*
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 tablespoons water

Cut shortening into flour, celery seed and salt until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into ball.

*If using self-rising flour, omit salt.

(Recipe taken from Betty Crocker's Cookbook, 1978)

My Tips:

• I always double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13x4 inch pan. This way there are plenty of leftovers.
• I use a little extra water in the crust to make it easier to roll out and hold together better.
• I prepare my crust first. I put the bottom crust in the pan, and roll the top crust out, so all I have to do after the filling is prepared is pour it in, and put on the crust.
• It calls for frozen peas and carrots. I prefer frozen mixed vegetables, as this adds more flavor. I usually buy the kind that has peas, carrots, green beans, corn, Lima beans, etc.

Snowed-in In Kansas City

It's cold and snowy outside, but in my house it's nice and warm, and wafting through the air is the smell of one of my favorite cold-weather breakfasts/brunches/snacks of all time...

Hot orange scones with orange butter and hot tea! :)

I made a big batch of scones this morning, and they were so yummy. There is just something comforting about sitting down with a hot cup of tea and a tasty treat, while you watch the snow falling outside.

Our electricity blinked out several times during the night, but at least we aren't in the 50,000+ people who lost power completely. The snow is so heavy that limbs have fallen on power lines, and I know of at least one person who had pretty much a whole tree come down on their house. The roads were so slick that there were at least 8 snow plows off in ditches early this morning. I'm glad I didn't leave my house. If the snow plows are ending up in ditches, what chance to the rest of us have?

The roads are looking more passable now, so I'm sure that by tomorrow they will be all cleaned up and ready to go. I'm going to enjoy the last few hours of today snuggled up with my wonderful husband playing games and watching movies. You all have a warm, happy and safe afternoon!

Snow Cream!!!

We have had our biggest snow in a LONG time, and it was the perfect time to make snow cream. That's right...ice cream made from snow. It's SO easy. Here's how...

Mix 2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of milk, and 2 tsps of vanilla in a bowl or saucepan (you will not be cooking this). Whisk until well blended.

Go outside and find a clean, deep, uninterrupted area of snow. Using a clean spoon, scoop the top couple of inches of snow away, exposing the clean snow underneath it.

Scoop your clean snow into the bowl until the bowl is completely full. Take it inside.

Whisk your milk mixture again, and pour it over the snow. (More of this may be needed. Make additional mixture if you have more snow than it can mix into properly.)

Stir it up, smooth it out, and eat immediately...or pop it into the freezer. However...this will make it VERY hard over a couple of hours.

My husband Phillip sure likes it!

 

February 16-28, 2013 Menu

Olive Oil and Thyme Roasted Carrots

 

Fresh carrots

Fresh thyme

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

 

Wash carrots and cut in half, lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil and coat well. Sprinkle on the plenty of fresh thyme leaves (NOT the dry stuff!), and some salt and pepper. Toss to coat well and lay them skin-side up in the pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven until carrots are wrinkly and tender. SO DELICIOUS!!!

 

OK...here is my latest menu plan...

 

2/16 - Dinner at Jame's House

2/17 - Tuna patties, mac & cheese and fried potatoes

2/18 - Grilled Cheese and clam chowder

2/19 - Baked pork steak, olive oil and thyme roasted carrots, mashed potatoes

2/20 - Chicken parmigiana, mashed potatoes, garlic bread

2/21 - Work late (eat out)

2/22 - Dinner at Pierpont's (Thanks, N.J. and R.J.!)

2/23 - Orange scones (brunch), meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green bean bundles

2/24 - Porcupines, mashed potatoes, corn with cream cheese

2/25 - Stuffed green peppers, cottage cheese, peas

2/26 - Chicken Pot Pie

2/27 - Late night dinner (????)

2/28 - Baked potatoes

Valentine's Day

Here it is...after Valentine's Day and it has been SO LONG since I posted. I promised some folks on Facebook awhile back that I would post a recipe for a Streusal Coffee Cake, and I haven't done that yet. I also need to post my February menu for the second half of the month. I don't know where time has gone. I will get those posted, but first I wanted to talk about Valentine's Day.

5 years ago on Valentine's Day, I had my first date with my wonderful husband. He showed up with chocolates and cards and roses. The chocolates were great. The cards were sweet. The roses were absolutely beautiful. And so a few days later, when they started to wilt, I couldn't part with them. I carefully dried them, and so began the tradition that would led to me saving every flower my wonderful husband ever bought me.

Saving flowers is easy. Once the flowers start to wilt, you have to start preserving them fairly quickly. If you let them go long enough that they're limp and the petals are starting to fall off, you may be past the point of saving them. In these cases, you can remove the petals and dry them individually. To save the whole bouquet, pull them out of the water and dry the stems so they're not dripping everywhere. Turn the bouquet upside down, and use a rubber band to hold all of the stems together, making it tight enough that they can't escape. Then simply hang them upside down on a hook or nail in a dry room (no basements or damp areas), and walk away.

You must be sure that they dry long enough that the interior of the flower is dry, all the way to the center. With flowers that have dense, overlapping petals (such as roses), this takes awhile. I have been known to leave them hanging for weeks, and even months, to ensure that they are thoroughly dry. They can add a bit of decoration to the room they're drying in as well, so don't feel bad about leaving them.

I just hung my Valentine's Day roses today. They will be drying for awhile.

I haven't figured out what to do with all my dried flowers yet, but someday, when I have my own house, I will use them to decorate something. Until then, they are stored in plastic containers to keep the dust and moisture away from them. I love going back to look through them, and remember all of the beautiful memories associated with each flower.

For the hopeless romantic, this is a great way to keep all of those memories alive.

February 1st - 15th Menu

I got my menu planning done the other day. I made my grocery list, and even did my shopping today, but I hadn't had a chance to post the menu plan until tonight. If you want any of the following recipes, please let me know!!!

2/1 - Eat out after grocery shopping (Corner Cafe)
2/2 - Grilled chicken, Chinese vegetables, hot rolls, streusal coffee cake
2/3 - Leftovers
2/4 - 5 cheese pasta, garlic bread
2/5 - Chicken with black beans, chips & salsa
2/6 - Tator tot casserole
2/7 - Oatmeal
2/8 - Eat out
2/9 - Beef enchiladas, chips & salsa
2/10 - Leftovers
2/11 - Slow-simmering Beef Bourguignon, hot rolls
2/12 - One skillet spaghetti, French bread
2/13 - Turkey stew with dumplings
2/14 - Eat out for Valentine's Day
2/15 - Chicken Pot Pie

Strange Weather...

What strange weather we are having here in Kansas City. Yesterday evening I opened all of my windows and enjoyed the fresh air blowing through. I left them open overnight, and soon it started raining. It was PERFECT sleeping weather!!! I still have the windows open, and am enjoying the sound of a lovely (and much needed) thunderstorm. But as you can see..my time with the windows open is limited. At some point today, the temperature is going to start plummeting, and that will be the end of the nice weather for awhile again. But what can we expect? It is still January.

So...why am I home blogging on a Tuesday? Well...the car is still acting up, so it's in the shop (and of course won't do the same thing while the mechanic has it!), and I'm going to be doing some work from home today, in addition to some menu planning a bit later. It's time to figure out what we'll be eating in the first half of February so I can get my list made, as I have to go grocery shopping on Friday evening.

So stay tuned....I'll post my menu plan later today or tomorrow. Hopefully there will be something in there to inspire you, or maybe a new recipe you will want. Who knows? See you soon!

Car Issues

I love my "new" vehicle, which was a generous gift from a family member. I've been driving it since mid-November, and have loved every second of it. With cruise control, a CD player, and a sun-roof, I've felt like I was moving up in the world. LOL!

But late last week it started making a funny noise, and after taking it to the shop found out it needs a few hundred dollars worth of work. Thankfully, the Lord has provided a way to get it taken care of, but it's always a pain in the wallet when vehicles decide to start acting up.

Last night I was grumbling about having to pay to get it worked on, and then realized I was forgetting my blessings. The car was provided during a time when I had absolutely no money, and we were trying to figure out what to do. I've run it for a couple of months now, and if it had to have work done, now's the time to do it, with our tax refund around the corner. If it had broken down any other time of the year, I don't know what we would have done.

All in all, I'm thankful for the vehicle (and the dear folks who gave it to us), and I'm thankful that we will have the means to get it repaired. While it's never good to have car problems, sometimes it's better to just focus on the positive aspects, so that's what I'm choosing to do. I have too much other stress in my life to focus on these things, and I am bound and determined to try to make 2013 a year of focusing on the positive.

Love my hubby!!!

So, first of all....GREETINGS! I'm so sorry that it has been so long since I've posted anything. I was having trouble with my blog, and could never get it figured out, so I finally started using a different browser for my blogging, and VOILA! Here I am...

On Friday I celebrated my 27th birthday. After work, hubby took me to dinner at Cracker Barrel (One of my favorite places! I love to get a salad and baked potato when I go there. Yum!), and then to the movies to see "The Hobbit". After that we came home for sparkling grape juice and presents.

One of the presents that he got me (amongst other things) was this nifty set of Better Homes and Gardens Flip-Tite stackable storage containers.

My pantry is one area where I just can't seem to keep things organized. I'm always digging to the back to get the items I need, and no matter how much I clean it, it's always a mess. ERG! So, he decided to help me out, and get me some storage containers.

Now...4 containers isn't going to get me too far in my organizing...but wow! What space savers! I am going to start investing in a few of these containers at a time. They may cost a little bit initially, but it's going to be great when my pantry is organized!!!

They come in all shapes and sizes. I can't wait to go get more! Flour will go in one...sugar in another. Brown sugar, powdered sugar, coconut, chocolate chips, oatmeal, spaghetti, lasagna noodles....the list is unending.

These are great, because you flip up the handle on top to open them. When done, you replace the lid, snap down the handle, and it creates a suction, keeping all moisture out of the container. You just can't beat that.

That's my newest item in the land of organization. And now, maybe it won't be so long before you hear from me again!

Awesome Fitness Tool!

Ok...so for some reason I'm having trouble putting in pictures. You'll have to forgive my boring pictureless blogs until I can figure out why.

However, I wanted to share my latest find with you, and this one is in the fitness area. There is a website that helps keep track of all of the food you are eating, and counts your calories for you, as well as your weight and measurements and so many other things. It's AWESOME....and so easy to use! The web address is www.myfitnesspal.com. I honestly can't say enough about how great this site is.

It's one thing to know what you're eating, and maybe even keep a food log. But when you see all of the numbers in front of you in black and white...WOW! It makes you sit up and take notice. Once you enter all of your food for the day, it will tell you "If every day were like today you'd weigh XXX in 5 weeks", and reflects whether you would have lost or gained. And it really works to see it. I've lost 5 pounds using it already. On those days you don't do so well, you take notice, and it makes you want to try all the harder the next day.

I thought the hardest part would be remembering to login every day, but I find myself wanting to know how I've done that day, so up to this point at least, that hasn't been a problem.

I would like to get healther in the new year, along with saving some money, and just trying to make a good life even greater. Would you like to join me?

Money Saving Plan

Today I saw a money-saving plan that I really liked and thought may be usable. Because of this, I am going to share it with you.

It's actually very simple. It works on a 52-week basis. Every week you put back the same amount of money for the week that corresponds with it.

For example:
Week 1 - $1.00
Week 2 - $2.00
Week 3 - $3.00
Week 4 - $4.00
Week 5 - $5.00

And so on. On week 52 you put in $52.00.

The monthly break-out is as follows:
January (5 weeks) - $15.00
February (5 weeks) - $40.00
March (5 weeks) - $65.00
April (5 weeks)  - $90.00
May (4 weeks) - $90.00
June (4 weeks) - $106.00
July (4 weeks) - $122.00
August (4 weeks) - $138.00
September (4 weeks) - $154.00
October (4 weeks) - $170.00
November (4 weeks) - $186.00
December (4 weeks) - $202.00

By doing this, you can save a total of $1,378.00 per year! WOW! The hardest weekends are at the end of the year, so I may switch those to the middle of the year so I don't have to deal with that around Christmas and tax time, and put some of the easier weeks towards the end of the year. But what a great idea!!!

Here's another thought...if you use the same model with pennies, on a daily basis instead of a weekly basis, you could still save $668.72. The hardest day would be day #365....a total of $3.65. It's amazing how quickly small amounts add up!

Crock Pot Cabbage Rolls

Thanks for your request for this recipe, Amber R. They are one of my husband's favorites. I hope you enjoy them!

CROCK POT CABBAGE ROLLS
1 large head of cabbage
3/4 cup cooked rice
2 lbs. ground beef
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can tomato soup
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomatoes
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Remove whole cabbage leaves from head, and scald in gently boiling water for a few minutes. Remove to clean towels/paper towels to cool and drain. Mix meat, rice, onion, egg, salt and pepper. Place a scant 1/4 cup of meat mixture  into cabbage leaf. Fold in sides and roll. Secure with toothpick and place in crock pot. Repeat until all of mixture is used. Mix tomatoes, soup, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Pour over cabbage rolls. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

I usually serve this with a vegetable (mashed potatoes works well), and a bread. So yummy!

I Love Scentsy!

I've seen Scentsy burners before. All of my in-laws have them in their homes. But I didn't have one.

And then my sister-in-law drew my name for Christmas. She got me this "Lisbon" Scentsy warmer, and several scent bars (the little wax squares that you melt in it). I brought it home and plugged it in. I then threw in a few squares of "Sheer Innocence" wax. The room quickly filled with the scent, and the house has smelled great ever since.

I knew it was doing its job when my 11-year old nephew walked in tonight, and the first words out of his mouth were "Wow! Your house smells GREAT!"

Thanks, Debbie! It was a great Christmas present!

January 1-15 Menu

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! The last year has been full of ups and downs. Because of this, I am excited to start a new one, and am hopeful that it will be a better one, without so many roller coaster moments.

So what does my hand have to do with the new year, or my menu plan? Absolutely nothing. LOL! My sister-in-law got a home gel nail kit for Christmas, so we did our nails today. Supposedly it will last for two weeks. We shall see, as I am pretty hard on my hands.

 

(L-R: Phillip holding Freddie, Preston, Connor, Maddie, Carson and Wally)

Tonight we have 5 of our nephews and one of our nieces here at the house, ranging in age from 9 1/2 months to 11 years. We have been having fun. We had dinner, ate snacks, watched TV...bedtime in 15 minutes!

Ok...Menu...

1/1 - At Mother-in-law's house
1/2 - Chicken with black beans, chips and salsa
1/3 - Tuna patties, mac & cheese, canned potatoes
1/4 - Eat out
1/5 - Crock pot cabbage rolls, peas, bread & butter
1/6 - Leftovers
1/7 - Chicken parmigiana, cream cheese corn, garlic bread
1/8 - Steak, creamed corn, baked potatoes
1/9 - Chicken with wild rice
1/10 - Waffles
1/11 - Eat out for my birthday (Cracker Barrel)
1/12 - Crock pot lasagna, garlic bread
1/13 - Leftovers
1/14 - Taco salad
1/15 - Chicken enchiladas, Mexican rice

If you saw my last menu, you'll see some of the recipes repeated this time. I have to admit that I failed miserably with my last menu plan. With Christmas and New Year's coming up, we were invited to so many places, that many of the nights I wasn't home to cook what was on the menu. So...I already had the ingredients, and they showed up here. This saved me bunches of money with my grocery shopping on New Year's eve.

And by the way...grocery shopping on New Year's eve when it's snowing is NOT a fun time to be out and about. Just saying...

I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful upcoming year. Let's strive to make 2013 the best that it can be!!!