Get Well Giving Bags and Pink Hair!

So, you know when you are at church or in a group that you meet with and somebody says their spouse or so- and- so is under the weather? And you may have visions of making them soup and dropping it off, knowing that the likely hood of that actually happening is nill? Well, that happened to me, so I went to the grocery store and got the boxed Chicken Noodle soup (that you add water to, three servings per box) and a carton of saltine crackers. I took a box of the soup and a sleeve of the crackers and put them in brown lunch sacks. Now I will put them in my car so when so-and-so says that somebody is sick, or I see someone under the weather, I can have them on hand to give out. It is a very cheap and easy way to let someone know that you care. It is not about the items, it is about the thought. And when you are sick a little good cheer can go a long way! Here are pics...

And my girls have asked for PINK hair for a w-h-i-l-e. So yesterday they got it!

Bulbs Up, Valentines Heart, and Garden, Phase 1

Last weekend we got in our first plants..onions. We are adding compost and soils to our beds one at a time, so we did that and also fenced off the WHOLE garden area. One of the dogs, as precious as she is, loves to lounge in one of the beds! Now I just need to keep the kids from trying to play football over the garden!

It is Feb! And I've had blooms since this picture last weekend!

Ok, so how yummy does that look??? I got a box of chocolate covered berries for Valentine's Day..they were soooooo good. And I thought it was so cute that they look like hearts when you cut them in half!

New Kitchen Floor

So last Monday I put in a new kitchen floor. We are anticipating doing a "new kitchen"..cabinets and the whole thing, but for now a new floor is sufficient until we do the extreme remodel!

I used the same vinyl plank stick flooring as I put in the bathroom (refer to that post for those pics) but in a different pattern and color. I was not as happy with this flooring, nor the results. The backing did not seem as consistant as the other I have used. But, nevertheless, for under $150, we have a  nice fresh upgraded look that should last until we are ready to upgrade the whole kitchen. It REALLY brightened the space and I like bright so that rocked!

Southwest Chicken Bake

Super easy, super yummy and fairly inexpensive to make. This is hearty and when served with rice it is super high in complete protein.

Here is what you need:

1.5 lb boneless chicken breasts
1 Onion
Taco Seasoning Packet
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Corn
1/2 C Salsa
Shredded Cheese (about a cup or two)

Cooked Rice or Corn Chips to serve over it. I like mine with sour cream too :)

Dice the onion, and brown it in a little oil in a skillet or pan. Then cube the chicken, and brown it with the onions. After it is not pink anymore add everything except the cheese and the rice or chips. Simmer covered on low for 40ish min. If the mixture gets too thick, add some water. Stir frequently.

After the 40-ish min (which gives the flavors time to meld) Top with cheese and put the lid back on till it is melted. Or you can put it in the oven in a baking dish and brown the cheese (who really wants another pan to wash though? Not me!) So the stove top works really well!

Eat and enjoy!

Eat In Kitchen, Fun for Kids!

Our home has one eat in area, which also serves as the lone dining room! So, this week I put up bead board (pine) and we painted a chalk board border and then I put up some trim. Today I gave it a coat of white paint for easy cleaning. This gives our home the fun feel..chalkboard area for the kids and guests to doodle, and the bead board protects our walls in this small and frequently used space. Total cost: about $95. It also makes our kitchen seem brighter and larger, a big plus!

Small Space: Kitchen

With using my kitchen so often (I tend to cook and bake a lot), plus having it as a hub of gathering for us throughout the day (the back door is IN the kitchen!) I need to use my space wisely. I have always favored a more clean lines approach. Some pretties to look at, but most things put up. Then I moved to my ~120 sq foot kitchen AND eating area. ( It was also the laundry area (the hook ups are in the kitchen!) until I had that moved outside to the hot water heater closet.) Small, yes. Too small, no way. We have it "piled in there" but it is "orderly" and meets all of our needs.Here are some pictures. NOTE: The kitchen is under an "upgrade" currently, so I'll post those areas pics when I am done with those things.

This is our microwave in the green box. I like the look of it much more than seeing a micro in such a small space. The jars house things like lentils, dates, etc. Up was about the only direction to go and it worked out very well.



I put a little shelf up on the wall past the stove to hold my spices and seasonings so I would have ready access when cooking with them. The cabinets were oak. I hated them, so I painted them and now I really like them. Odd thing was I have never really been a mustard colored fan! Go figure!



We keep our trash under the sink. Out of sight (helps me mentally!) and the dogs can't partake that way. There is another section of cabinets past these, which house my cleaners and some school things.

We had bought this hutch for our girls room. But it is working well to house our plates, bowls, and glasses. The drawer houses our linen napkins, and the bottom...is empty! I will have to figure out what to put in there!  

Ok, this pic did not get turned up, but this is my canned goods pantry. It is SOLID and holds enough canned goods for our family for over two months. It is screened and helps me to see what we have "in stock".

Dress Up Fun

This weekend was the Daddy Daughter Dance aboard our base. (Last year it sold out, so we were thirlled to have gotten tickets!) The girls got all dressed up and it was so fun and cute. Here are some of the pics ...

Lasagna

I have been making lasagna for many years. Last week I made a "boat load" of it (lol!). I made enough for maybe for about 25  people. I enjoy it because it is quick and easy. Lots of folks like it so here is how I do it as per my BFF request! I might make this for Wednesday night soon, that would be enough for like 50 or so people. I've never made that much at once!

Below is my general recipe, I don't measure so these are my guesses. Now let me say this...I made some week before last that was not so good. I did not precook the sauce long enough (and I used a generic bland one) and then I did not cook it quickly in the oven (I waited because we ran out). The results were not delicious (we did eat it, but I was disappointed! Thankfully we had no company that night!) This week I did it the better way and it was so delicious.

You need:
1 onion
Ground Beef (1 lb is more than enough)
Sauce (two jars, or three cans. Classico brand rocks,And the ones in a tin can are good too. Get diff flavors if you can... Onion & Garlic, and 4 Cheese are my favorites. Don't use a "traditional" or "meat" flavor if you can help it. They are b-l-a-n-d)
Lasagna Noodles (does not matter brand/type~ 1 box)
1 small ricotta
1 small cottage cheese
1 bag mozzarella (I also like to use a 5 cheese blend in addition to mozzarella, but you don't have to)
Parmesan (does not matter what kind, just need a few table spoons or you can leave it out)
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt, Seasoning Salt, Whatever else you like to season with

A pan, 9x13 or 8x8..thicker if 8x8, thinner if 9x12...either way good!

Dice the onion, saute it with the ground beef that you season with spices till browned. Add the sauce and 2  cups of water. Simmer covered slowly for at least an hour. This makes a HUGE difference. I did mine for like two or three hours the other day and it was soooooooooo good.

Now, when it is done simmering stir in 1/4 cup water, in a bowl mix your ricotta, Parmesan & cottage cheeses. Add garlic salt and pepper..and don't skimp! If it is TOO thick, add 1/8-1/4 cup of water so you can spread it with ease when layering.

So now, get your pan. Put about 1/4 of your sauce on the bottom. Then layer noodles across it, covering the whole bottom of the pan. Next, spread a layer of the cheese mixture on the noodles. Then sprinkle some mozzarella on it. Then top with another nice hearty layer of sauce. Repeat twice, just remember to change the way the noodles are going...go long ways one time, short ways the next. This keeps it from falling apart when you serve itYou should end up with three noodle layers, two with ricotta mixture on them. If you have more, then don't worry, it will be yummy still!!

When you top the final layer with sauce, make sure it is ALL covered well or you will get dry, yuck noodles. Add a bit of water if needed. Put into your 350 oven after you cover it with tin foil.

Wait for 45-60 min. Take the foil off. Is it bubbly? If so, then it is done. Take foil off and top with some mozzarella cheese and put in oven for about 5 more min.

Take it out and let it cool for at least 10-15 min. This is super important for it to hold its shape.

Then eat it.

This freezes well, very well. Just wrap in foil and then put into baggie in the freezer. Super handy for a quick meal later in the month. This is also fabulous as a leftover.

Super Simple Dinner

So this week we made lasagna for some folks we know, and I had some leftover ricotta and cottage cheese. I came up with a quick and easy meal that was really good...and thought I would share it.

What I had was...no-boil noodles, sauce, leftover mozzarella cheeses, leftover bag of ricotta and cottage cheese mixed together with spices I had on hand.



I put really hot tap water in a dish and put the noodles in to soak for about 10 min..this softened them so I could use the to make "shells" for the filling. Then I put a spoon of the  ricotta mixture &  mozzarella in the center of each noodle and rolled it up, and put it in the pan. Then after the pan was full, I covered it all in sauce really well. sprinkled a little cheese on top and baked for about 45 min.



It was good! And the kids and I ate the WHOLE 9x13 pan for linner (our lunch/dinner combo!)

Trash Can Potatoes

In a place with no yard? Want to garden anyway? Then this might be for you!

I did this last year with AWESOME results. Trash Can Potatoes! You can grow a lot of potatoes in a trash can! Even if you only have a patio in an apartment you can do this. And the best part? You don't have to buy it all at once, so it is budget friendly!

Here is how to do it:

1) Buy a trash can (plastic is best) I found one with wheels on sale at the local hardware store
2) Take a screwdriver and a hammer and make holes on the bottom and some on the sides, about 12" up the side
3) Put a bag or two of dirt in it. I mix top soil and potting soil.  (You can add a fabric landscape liner in the bottom if you want to, it helps keep more dirt from leaking out. I did not do this and don't plan to this year either...)
4) Bury your starter potatoes & water (you can order them from SowTrue seeds in Asheville, NC, or local places like True Value and Ace Hardware stores often carry them.)
5) Water when needed
6) when the runners come up (looks like green stems coming up out of the soil) cover them with soil, leaving the leaves UNcovered, this will force them to grow more potatoes.
7) when you reach the top, at the end of the season, take a tarp or find a spot that dirt is okay and dump out the potatoes. Wash-em, and eat-em!

There are many better and more informative articles on this on the Internet, so read them first! I can tell you I had success with this great method last year! In fact, I think Sow True potatoes came with a paper on how to use this method.

Family Mill; Kitchen Island Makeover

Before our move, I had to basically get the mill out when I wanted to grind flour, but at our new home I have it mounted to a mini-island (that I redid...pics below)  so we have access to it all the time. Milling is" fun" for the whole family, and a great way to eat grains with fuller nutritional value. I got ours at Pleasant Hill. It can also convert to a food processor with other attachments available. It has a very nice capacity and is more than adequate for our family of 6. I did a lot of research and still think, after 3 years or so, that this was the right one to buy.



It is adjustable...I put it through twice to get "fluffy" flour!



We went with a manual! No plugs!

 

I found this "island" at a yard sale. I painted it, took the wheels off and put feet on it, bought imported tiles that I adore, and now it adds to the eclectic feel of our house!




It was light colored, so we roughed it up and stained it to give it an older feel, as it sits close to my grandmothers restored oak icebox. It is great becuase it doubles as my baking storage area!