I've been trying to feed my family less processed foods in an effort to instill a healthy lifestyle with my kids. Yesterday, my neighbor introduced me to a co-op of local farmers, so now, I have a way to obtain fresh fruits, veggies, herbs, eggs, and meat. So excited! It's funny how that little invitation from her has me giddy with the possibilities of creating some really delicious and healthier meals for my family. :)
So, one of the first things that I decided to conquer that I usually buy processed, (because honestly, I was completely afraid of the making process) is re-fried beans. We have tacos weekly in this house, and I just recently tackled one of my other faves that I used to leave to the pros, Taco Pizza, so I figured this one had 2 options: 1. really tasty or 2. really ugh... not for me. Luckily for me it turned out super tasty!! :) Yay!! My kids also said they liked them more than the "other" kind. Double yay!!
These beans were so incredibly easy to make, total cost for a huge crock pot's worth of 're-fried' beans less than $3. Seriously. Not only were they inexpensive, they are delicious!
Here's the easy peasy recipe:
1 yellow onion (mine was about the size of a softball), peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups of dried pinto beans
9 cups of water
1/8 tsp ground cumin (I used 1/4 tsp. and it was not overpowering at all)
5 tsp. salt
1 3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (I coarsely ground mine)
Step 1. Rinse beans thoroughly in water, and place in crock pot.
Step 2. Put water into crock pot, and turn crock pot on high.
Step 3. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper to crock pot.
Step 4. Cover crock pot and let it cook for 8 hours. Periodically check on it, stir to make sure it doesn't burn to bottom. (Long time to cook, but really worth it. I guess you could do it over night, but I started mine at 10am and they were ready for dinner at 6pm.)
Step 5. I used a slotted spoon to pull my beans out of the crock pot, then placed them into my food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you could mash them however you would like to your desired consistency using a whisk, potato masher, blender, etc . Reserve some of the water to thin out beans if you want them thinner. Entirely up to you.
Enjoy. :)
Sunday, February 5, 2012
No Bake Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate "cookies"
So, today is Superbowl Sunday... Yay. No really, this year I'm *really* not into watching the game. I could care less who wins the Giants or the Patriots. I am really only into watching it for the commercials, and as of half time, they have been pretty sucky, with the exception of Betty White for the Voice. Betty White is awesome. 90-something years young and can still hang with the crowd and throw in a jab or two. I want to be like her if I live to be 90 something. :)
Earlier today, I was craving something yummy- a salty and sweet combo. I usually don't do anything for Superbowl Sunday, and since this household is waiting for next season to start (Go Steelers!) I wanted a no-fuss, little mess to clean up treat. A no bake cookie would be fantastic. Not really in the mood for the Chocolate Oatmeal ones, so, the peanut butter crispy ones came to mind. Check in the pantry to see if I had the supplies- yep. Sweet! I love it when that happens. :)
Now, I don't honestly remember where I stumbled across this recipe. I've known it for years, and it would satisfy my salty and sweet craving. I wouldn't call these "cookies" per se, but more of a naked truffle. Here it is.
See what I mean about it being more like a naked truffle?
Peanut Butter Naked Truffle
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
1 1/4 cup peanut butter (I used creamy, but chunky would be yummy too)
2 cups Rice Krispies
Approx. 1 cup melted Chocolate of your choice (I used dark chocolate-I've used milk chocolate before, but didn't have any in my pantry.)
Cream together: butter, powdered sugar and peanut butter.
Add Rice Krispies. Incorporate well- without crushing them. The dough will be very sticky.
Form into balls. (Mine are about the size of a gumball you would get from a machine for 25 cents.)
Put in freezer to firm up for about 15 minutes.
Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals, be careful to not burn the chocolate. :)
Dip truffles into chocolate so it covers about 1/2 of the truffle.
Set aside and cool, allowing the chocolate to harden.
Store in fridge so they don't get too mushy before serving.
That's it. Enjoy. :)
Earlier today, I was craving something yummy- a salty and sweet combo. I usually don't do anything for Superbowl Sunday, and since this household is waiting for next season to start (Go Steelers!) I wanted a no-fuss, little mess to clean up treat. A no bake cookie would be fantastic. Not really in the mood for the Chocolate Oatmeal ones, so, the peanut butter crispy ones came to mind. Check in the pantry to see if I had the supplies- yep. Sweet! I love it when that happens. :)
Now, I don't honestly remember where I stumbled across this recipe. I've known it for years, and it would satisfy my salty and sweet craving. I wouldn't call these "cookies" per se, but more of a naked truffle. Here it is.
See what I mean about it being more like a naked truffle?
Peanut Butter Naked Truffle
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
1 1/4 cup peanut butter (I used creamy, but chunky would be yummy too)
2 cups Rice Krispies
Approx. 1 cup melted Chocolate of your choice (I used dark chocolate-I've used milk chocolate before, but didn't have any in my pantry.)
Cream together: butter, powdered sugar and peanut butter.
Add Rice Krispies. Incorporate well- without crushing them. The dough will be very sticky.
Form into balls. (Mine are about the size of a gumball you would get from a machine for 25 cents.)
Put in freezer to firm up for about 15 minutes.
Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals, be careful to not burn the chocolate. :)
Dip truffles into chocolate so it covers about 1/2 of the truffle.
Set aside and cool, allowing the chocolate to harden.
Store in fridge so they don't get too mushy before serving.
That's it. Enjoy. :)
Friday, February 3, 2012
Ruler Artwork & Family Keepsake
I love today's project. I found the idea/inspiration on Pinterest (shock, I know) and knew that I could make it for less than the hefty price tag on it.
My kids are growing like weeds. I swear the boy has grown 4 or more inches since the summer, the girl has grown a bit too and I'm trying to capture as much of their growing as possible. We move around a lot, so the whole tradition of scratching into a doorway's trim their height and dates isn't a feasible option to keep track of their growth. Also, they are very competitive with "who's taller?" even though they are 3 years apart in age, so this project is perfect. :)
Here is the inspiration here and she found them here. So, an idea popped into my head, I can make this myself for a whole lot less- and get a piece of art for the wall with the bonus of capturing the kids' growth. :) Yay!
Here it is. My version of the previous two links. I love the way it turned out.
Ignore the dog's food bin in the picture- we have a 200# mastiff, and this is the only thing that he can't get into and eat his food! ;)
The cost for this project was about $10- but you could do it for less if you have some of the supplies on hand; which I did, so it only cost me $6.
What you will need:
1) 1" x 8" x 6' board- I bought mine at Home Depot for $6
sandpaper
stain- left over from Oregon Art project
paint
brushes for stain and paint
sealer
stencils (optional)
picture hanger- bought these at Hobby Lobby- left over from Oregon Art project
Step 1: Sand your board- if desired. Mine had some rough edges and a stamp on it from the manufacturer on the side I wanted to use for my ruler.
Step 2: Stain board to desired depth of color. I ended up doing 2 coats for mine. Let cure. Mine took a couple of days because the weather was cold/rainy/damp for a few days after I began the process.
Step 3: Since my board is 6' long (Actually measured it at this point and it was 73" instead of 72"- so measure your board in case yours is off too. You could cut off an inch or so to make it 6' or you could leave it. Either way, it works.) I decided to make my tick marks at 2" intervals.
Step 4: I began my measurement with the bottom of the board is 6". The reasoning behind this, is because I will hang the ruler 6" from the ground, so starting from 0" would be unnecessary. So, the first tick mark is 8", second 10", third 1', etc.
Step 5: Decide on length of tick marks for varying heights. I ended up making my full foot measurements 3 3/4" long, 1/2 foot was 2 3/4" long and the remaining were 1 3/4" long. If this isn't clear, check the picture. :)
Step 6: Stencil in your numbers for the full foot measurements. Or you can skip this step if you are going to just paint them free-hand.
Step 7: Paint your tick marks and numbers. Let dry.
Step 8: Seal with acrylic sealer. Do this in a well ventilated area. I ended up with a headache from this and I did it in my garage. If you can do this outside- I would recommend that. :)
Step 9: Position your wall hanger on the back of your ruler, 1" from the top of your board.
Step 10: Hang on your wall- if you are using a 6" one that is actually 73" like mine is, I put the nail in at 6'6" so it lines up correctly.
That's it! :)
Enjoy your new art piece that will capture your kids' growth throughout the years- maybe even your grandkids too. :)
My kids are growing like weeds. I swear the boy has grown 4 or more inches since the summer, the girl has grown a bit too and I'm trying to capture as much of their growing as possible. We move around a lot, so the whole tradition of scratching into a doorway's trim their height and dates isn't a feasible option to keep track of their growth. Also, they are very competitive with "who's taller?" even though they are 3 years apart in age, so this project is perfect. :)
Here is the inspiration here and she found them here. So, an idea popped into my head, I can make this myself for a whole lot less- and get a piece of art for the wall with the bonus of capturing the kids' growth. :) Yay!
Here it is. My version of the previous two links. I love the way it turned out.
Ignore the dog's food bin in the picture- we have a 200# mastiff, and this is the only thing that he can't get into and eat his food! ;)
The cost for this project was about $10- but you could do it for less if you have some of the supplies on hand; which I did, so it only cost me $6.
What you will need:
1) 1" x 8" x 6' board- I bought mine at Home Depot for $6
sandpaper
stain- left over from Oregon Art project
paint
brushes for stain and paint
sealer
stencils (optional)
picture hanger- bought these at Hobby Lobby- left over from Oregon Art project
Step 1: Sand your board- if desired. Mine had some rough edges and a stamp on it from the manufacturer on the side I wanted to use for my ruler.
Step 2: Stain board to desired depth of color. I ended up doing 2 coats for mine. Let cure. Mine took a couple of days because the weather was cold/rainy/damp for a few days after I began the process.
Step 3: Since my board is 6' long (Actually measured it at this point and it was 73" instead of 72"- so measure your board in case yours is off too. You could cut off an inch or so to make it 6' or you could leave it. Either way, it works.) I decided to make my tick marks at 2" intervals.
Step 4: I began my measurement with the bottom of the board is 6". The reasoning behind this, is because I will hang the ruler 6" from the ground, so starting from 0" would be unnecessary. So, the first tick mark is 8", second 10", third 1', etc.
Step 5: Decide on length of tick marks for varying heights. I ended up making my full foot measurements 3 3/4" long, 1/2 foot was 2 3/4" long and the remaining were 1 3/4" long. If this isn't clear, check the picture. :)
Step 6: Stencil in your numbers for the full foot measurements. Or you can skip this step if you are going to just paint them free-hand.
Step 7: Paint your tick marks and numbers. Let dry.
Step 8: Seal with acrylic sealer. Do this in a well ventilated area. I ended up with a headache from this and I did it in my garage. If you can do this outside- I would recommend that. :)
Step 9: Position your wall hanger on the back of your ruler, 1" from the top of your board.
Step 10: Hang on your wall- if you are using a 6" one that is actually 73" like mine is, I put the nail in at 6'6" so it lines up correctly.
That's it! :)
Enjoy your new art piece that will capture your kids' growth throughout the years- maybe even your grandkids too. :)
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Family, food, GMO?! Huh?!?
I don't what it is about food. Whenever I'm especially missing my family (like today), I end up finding myself browsing food blogs, recipe databases, combing through my cookbooks, etc trying to find that "perfect" dish to create- only to be frustrated that I don't have *all* of the ingredients to whip it up. Grrrr... so frustrating!
Anyhoo... as I was browsing through some recipes today, I came across some information. I tend to have an ADHD type browsing style- I find a recipe, then see something shiny and open up a new tab/window and explore, repeat, repeat, repeat, then end up with entirely too many windows on my browser and wonder why it is taking so l-o-n-g to load info. ;) My dad used to tell us kids growing up that we are "jitterbugging" and need to focus, not sure what a dance from the 30's, a WHAM song lyric or that crazy little cell phone with only a few buttons has to do with things, but hey, whatever. See what I mean, I'm all over the place today! ;)
So... back to my point... in my search for the perfect recipe, I stumbled across some information that I had kinda tucked away in the back of my mind. Back when I was in college (the first time around- late 90s) I took a class on Bioethics. The class was incredible- and I remember being outraged back then at how our food could become modified in a way that was "roundup ready" and that Monsanto was a huge culprit. One of the books I read was extremely enlightening,- so much so, that I started reading labels like a crazy person back then. Now... I would absolutely love to tell you I kept up on that outrage, kept up on reading the labels like a crazy woman and all of that. *shaking head* Unfortunately, I didn't/haven't, I still read labels- don't get me wrong, just didn't realize what I needed to be looking for exactly. All I know, is that I'm going to look closer at the ingredients, and not just for the nutritional information, but at the actual ingredients.
GMO (genetically modified organism) is a lot more common than it was 10 years ago. I found a blog that had a really simple way to understand what is going on in addition to links for more information if you wanted to know more. There are several links to find brochures that you can print out and bring with you to the store to help you out. There are even codes on your fresh fruit and veggies that will indicate to you whether or not it is a GMO, natural, natural & organic to help you with understanding your fresh veggies and fruit. If you're not convinced something is up, then do a simple Google search on GMO, see what pops up- crazy stuff. I'm talking stuff from a sci-fi movie, seems unreal, but unfortunately, it isn't.
Too much information is not really a bad thing when it comes to knowing what is going in to your body or your family and your kids' bodies. You only get one, you have to take care of it. Garbage in - garbage out.
Just some food for thought.
Anyhoo... as I was browsing through some recipes today, I came across some information. I tend to have an ADHD type browsing style- I find a recipe, then see something shiny and open up a new tab/window and explore, repeat, repeat, repeat, then end up with entirely too many windows on my browser and wonder why it is taking so l-o-n-g to load info. ;) My dad used to tell us kids growing up that we are "jitterbugging" and need to focus, not sure what a dance from the 30's, a WHAM song lyric or that crazy little cell phone with only a few buttons has to do with things, but hey, whatever. See what I mean, I'm all over the place today! ;)
So... back to my point... in my search for the perfect recipe, I stumbled across some information that I had kinda tucked away in the back of my mind. Back when I was in college (the first time around- late 90s) I took a class on Bioethics. The class was incredible- and I remember being outraged back then at how our food could become modified in a way that was "roundup ready" and that Monsanto was a huge culprit. One of the books I read was extremely enlightening,- so much so, that I started reading labels like a crazy person back then. Now... I would absolutely love to tell you I kept up on that outrage, kept up on reading the labels like a crazy woman and all of that. *shaking head* Unfortunately, I didn't/haven't, I still read labels- don't get me wrong, just didn't realize what I needed to be looking for exactly. All I know, is that I'm going to look closer at the ingredients, and not just for the nutritional information, but at the actual ingredients.
GMO (genetically modified organism) is a lot more common than it was 10 years ago. I found a blog that had a really simple way to understand what is going on in addition to links for more information if you wanted to know more. There are several links to find brochures that you can print out and bring with you to the store to help you out. There are even codes on your fresh fruit and veggies that will indicate to you whether or not it is a GMO, natural, natural & organic to help you with understanding your fresh veggies and fruit. If you're not convinced something is up, then do a simple Google search on GMO, see what pops up- crazy stuff. I'm talking stuff from a sci-fi movie, seems unreal, but unfortunately, it isn't.
Too much information is not really a bad thing when it comes to knowing what is going in to your body or your family and your kids' bodies. You only get one, you have to take care of it. Garbage in - garbage out.
Just some food for thought.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Feeling Lucky?
I love giveaways! I have only won twice in my entire life- but I have entered a lot of contests along the way! ;) It is so much fun to enter- hoping to win and thinking of the possibilities to be made if you do win...
This one is pretty easy to do, and you can get multiple entries too. If you like to sew cute stuff for your little one you can check out Whimsy Couture for the patterns you like so you can tell Positively Splendid which ones you would choose to create. Over at Positively Splendid's place, you can enter to win some patterns from Whimsy Couture! :) Cool huh?
Good luck!! :)
This one is pretty easy to do, and you can get multiple entries too. If you like to sew cute stuff for your little one you can check out Whimsy Couture for the patterns you like so you can tell Positively Splendid which ones you would choose to create. Over at Positively Splendid's place, you can enter to win some patterns from Whimsy Couture! :) Cool huh?
Good luck!! :)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Cookies, cookies, cookies...
Ah, yes... it is Girl Scout cookie time. I'm the proud troop leader of a bunch of Brownie Girl Scouts. For those of you who don't know me on a day-to-day, you probably don't know about this new little activity.
Kind of a funny story actually how this all came about... so if you care to know the story, keep reading... if not, well, skim it to the last paragraph and come back tomorrow... :)
Anyhoo... Back in September a note came home from school asking if your daughter would be interested in Girl Scouts. I was never actually a Girl Scout growing up, one of my younger sisters was in Girl Scouts and my mom was an assistant leader, so that's basically all of the experience I had with it. So, I asked the girl if she was interested, she said yes... and there you have it. We went to the place to "register" her for a troop, yada, yada, yada, and on the form was a place for volunteering as an adult to help out the troop- yes, I filled in my info and checked the box too.
My husband and I both believe strongly in being involved with both of our kids. We have done the whole soccer thing, swimming and soon to add softball and football to the mix, so to me this Girl Scout thing wouldn't be any different. As it turns out, I ended up not just being a volunteer, but the actual Troop Leader of a group of 2nd grade girls. Bear in mind, I have basically no experience with Girl Scouts.
At this point, I was kinda freaking out. How was I going to lead a bunch of girls that are looking to me for inspiration in crafts- well, I could definitely do that one, cooking- eh, maybe, camping- um, does camping in a cabin count?? and inspiring them to "make the world a better place?" I hope so... ok. Maybe not so hard after all... right?
So... being the crazy person that I am, I decided that I was going to go full-bore into this Girl Scout stuff- earning badges with the troop as often as possible, participating in events, etc. I had set a goal to make my troop the most amazing troop ever- these girls are going to make an impact. And guess what? They have!! We have so far to date participated in making sock monkeys for Texas wildfire victims through Craft Hope, we have collected cookies to donate to our service members overseas, we are in the process of gathering food and clothing for our local shelters *and* the girls are trying to think of their next service project. These girls are 7 and 8 years old... they are already making a difference *and* know they are too.
Now, what was all of this for? To just let you know, that when you see those cute little Girl Scouts selling cookies in front of the store or at your front door- you are helping them to make a difference too by purchasing a box of cookies. Yeah, I know, a long sales pitch, but really, these girls are trying to "make the world a better place" and cookies are delicious. I think that is a win-win deal to me. :)
Kind of a funny story actually how this all came about... so if you care to know the story, keep reading... if not, well, skim it to the last paragraph and come back tomorrow... :)
Anyhoo... Back in September a note came home from school asking if your daughter would be interested in Girl Scouts. I was never actually a Girl Scout growing up, one of my younger sisters was in Girl Scouts and my mom was an assistant leader, so that's basically all of the experience I had with it. So, I asked the girl if she was interested, she said yes... and there you have it. We went to the place to "register" her for a troop, yada, yada, yada, and on the form was a place for volunteering as an adult to help out the troop- yes, I filled in my info and checked the box too.
My husband and I both believe strongly in being involved with both of our kids. We have done the whole soccer thing, swimming and soon to add softball and football to the mix, so to me this Girl Scout thing wouldn't be any different. As it turns out, I ended up not just being a volunteer, but the actual Troop Leader of a group of 2nd grade girls. Bear in mind, I have basically no experience with Girl Scouts.
At this point, I was kinda freaking out. How was I going to lead a bunch of girls that are looking to me for inspiration in crafts- well, I could definitely do that one, cooking- eh, maybe, camping- um, does camping in a cabin count?? and inspiring them to "make the world a better place?" I hope so... ok. Maybe not so hard after all... right?
So... being the crazy person that I am, I decided that I was going to go full-bore into this Girl Scout stuff- earning badges with the troop as often as possible, participating in events, etc. I had set a goal to make my troop the most amazing troop ever- these girls are going to make an impact. And guess what? They have!! We have so far to date participated in making sock monkeys for Texas wildfire victims through Craft Hope, we have collected cookies to donate to our service members overseas, we are in the process of gathering food and clothing for our local shelters *and* the girls are trying to think of their next service project. These girls are 7 and 8 years old... they are already making a difference *and* know they are too.
Now, what was all of this for? To just let you know, that when you see those cute little Girl Scouts selling cookies in front of the store or at your front door- you are helping them to make a difference too by purchasing a box of cookies. Yeah, I know, a long sales pitch, but really, these girls are trying to "make the world a better place" and cookies are delicious. I think that is a win-win deal to me. :)
Monday, January 30, 2012
Keepin' it real
One of my resolutions this year was to get my blog up and rolling again. Like every new year resolution that I have made in the past (because I am really bad about some things) this one was about to fall to the wayside and get forgotten after the first couple of weeks.
However... I made a decision to not only get my blog up and movin' but to revamp it. Hence, the whole new look, of not just focusing on crafts with kids, but to make it more getting involved with your kids, spending time doing crafts on your own (because it is important to take care of you too), recipes, etc. So, the new and improved blog has begun to emerge- and I have to say, it has become something that I look forward to writing each day. Like catching up with a friend over a cup of coffee, writing for has become less daunting, because I have decided to write how things are- not how they should/could be, but how they are today. No more of the highlight reels to showcase life, this is off of the editing floor, and it is quite liberating.
I'm not going to post a "you need to go do this - now!" sort of entry every day. I'm also not going to feel guilty about not posting some awesome project either- believe me I have had my share of project "fails." Honestly, there are also days, like today, that it is literally zapping all of my energy to just type this post up. That is an entirely different subject- not sure how to approach that one, but I might just in case it helps someone else.
Most of the people that read my blog are my family and friends, some of you I have known for years, some of you I have only "met" through cyberspace, others I have yet to meet you; but I do enjoy reading all of your comments. I also like to look at my stats to see where exactly my traffic is coming from, and I am truly amazed at some of the places. I found out that I had one of my posts referenced in a blog that was entirely in Spanish. Pretty cool, considering I only know enough Spanish to get into trouble- but learning how to speak Spanish is on my resolution list for this year too.
With all of that being said, I will sign off for now. I will post again later- not tonight, maybe not even tomorrow, but when I do, I hope that you'll stop by and say hi. :)
However... I made a decision to not only get my blog up and movin' but to revamp it. Hence, the whole new look, of not just focusing on crafts with kids, but to make it more getting involved with your kids, spending time doing crafts on your own (because it is important to take care of you too), recipes, etc. So, the new and improved blog has begun to emerge- and I have to say, it has become something that I look forward to writing each day. Like catching up with a friend over a cup of coffee, writing for has become less daunting, because I have decided to write how things are- not how they should/could be, but how they are today. No more of the highlight reels to showcase life, this is off of the editing floor, and it is quite liberating.
I'm not going to post a "you need to go do this - now!" sort of entry every day. I'm also not going to feel guilty about not posting some awesome project either- believe me I have had my share of project "fails." Honestly, there are also days, like today, that it is literally zapping all of my energy to just type this post up. That is an entirely different subject- not sure how to approach that one, but I might just in case it helps someone else.
Most of the people that read my blog are my family and friends, some of you I have known for years, some of you I have only "met" through cyberspace, others I have yet to meet you; but I do enjoy reading all of your comments. I also like to look at my stats to see where exactly my traffic is coming from, and I am truly amazed at some of the places. I found out that I had one of my posts referenced in a blog that was entirely in Spanish. Pretty cool, considering I only know enough Spanish to get into trouble- but learning how to speak Spanish is on my resolution list for this year too.
With all of that being said, I will sign off for now. I will post again later- not tonight, maybe not even tomorrow, but when I do, I hope that you'll stop by and say hi. :)
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