Marvelous Monday: No mo Suppahtime rut~Part 5!

Before we begin today's fun, we need to cover one item of bidness. I've been getting some feedback from peeps trying to comment but having trouble. I had tightened comment securities to eliminate those dirty spam comments but didn't mean to cut out your comments! So...if you are having fits trying to comment, please let us know at our Facebook group (since I'm assuming you wouldn't be able to comment on this) and let me know what it does when you try to comment or give me any info. that might help me resolve this issue. I would greatly appreciate it because we would LOVE your comments!

Some days, quick, go-to, easy, tried and true recipes are the ticket to dinnertime sanity. As I mentioned here, it seems many of my fav sisters had the same problemo- a recipe rut. So the recipe sharing began. Thanks to them, you can get outta your suppahtime rut, too, because we're sharing them with you! First, let's review:

Curry Chicken with Brown Rice (Caroline L.)
Homemade Sloppy Joes (Mandi B.)
BBQ Chicken Pizza (Mindi S.)
Black Beans and Rice/Baked Potato Night (Katie L.)

Now, for today's fun! In case you haven't heard me mention like a million times, I big fat heart this time saving, cost saving, flavor bursting tip to getting vein free (gag), grizzle free (double gag), white meat chicken breast.

If you didn't believe my the first 30 times I mentioned it, the proof is in the puddin'. So, here's your puddin'.

I recently bought two packs of those split chicken breasts when they went on sale for .99/lb. Each pack had 3 breasts and did not cost over $3 each (normally close to $8 each). Whipped those babies up in the crockpot like the tips says and here is everything I was able to make with STILL some left over.

• Chicken Nachos
• 4- Musing Foodie's Chicken Enchiladas adding black beans and green chiles
• 24 mini-Nacho Cups for freezer- using leftover Enchilada filling and Trader Joe's whole wheat ready made pizza dough. Babies LOVE these.
• Chicken Divan
• 6-Musing Foodie's Buffalo Chicken Squares- substituting biscuits cuz I was outta crescent rolls).
• 2-Buffalo Chicken wraps (w/ regular ole whole wheat tortillas using leftover buffalo chicken square filling)
• 24 mini-Buffalo Chicken "cups" for freezer (same principle as nacho cups using leftover buffalo chicken square filling). Hubs loves these and requested them to pack in his lunch.
• ...plus I gave the babes some of the chicken straight up for a dinner AND I have a whole tupperware of it in the freezer for a later date.

Convinced yet? That chicken tip really is the ticket to stretching a little bird breast a looooong way. Tell us some recipes you've come up with using this tip so we can be sure to stay out of our suppahtime ruts.

Happy Monday. Have a Marvelous one!

Thrifty Thursday: Best Organizational Solution EVER

Do you have overcrowded bookshelves? Do you cringe when you walk by your child's bookshelf and see it crammed with books that aren't perfectly lined according to size and width but know as soon as you organize it to your liking it will end up looking just like that again?

If you answered yes to either of those questions--oh my word!!!!!--do I have THE solution for you. This solution is so brilliant that it pretty much requires all of you to do it in your house immediately. I mean, you even may want it in like every room.

I was at my girl Anna's home for Memorial Day and walked into her playroom to witness this eye candy--a tidy semblance of books! Now, these shelves were not in her playroom the last time I was at her house, so, of course, I had to inquire. I assumed the answer would include words such as "Pottery Barn, Land of Nod, custom made, etc." Boy, was I wrong and had to pick up my jaw off the floor when the two word answer that my ears heard was, "rain gutters." Yep, you heard right--RAIN GUTTERS.

Maybe I live under a rock and this idea is old news but I find it revolutionary. Anna told me to google "rain gutter bookshelves" for a tutorial and to see the other layouts that people have implemented. I encourage you to do the same for your own personal inspiration. You will find an excellent tutorial here. This particular blog also explains that the rain gutter bookshelves "encourage children to read more because they can see the fronts of the books and are intrigued, rather than just seeing the edge of the book and not being able to tell what it is about. " Not to mention, it makes it waaaaay easier for the children to put away their books!

Already have a tidy book system? Don't put this brilliance in a box just yet! Perhaps you need a solution for your craft area/room...

or more gardening space and containers...

Are you wondering about the savings? A 2 foot version of a similar ledge from Pottery Barn would cost you $24.00 and the 3 foot would be $34.00 OR the children's version at Pottery Barn kids ranges from $39.00 to $59.00. At Home Depot, a whole 10 feet of white gutter is a mere $5.23 without any coupon or discounts. You may even be able to find some great gutters at your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. No more justifiction needed. Get busy and be sure to share how you implement this concotion. I know I'll never look at rain gutters the same.

Thank you, Anna!

Happy Thursday!

Love,
Hannah

Marvelous Monday: A Savory Smackerel~No mo suppah rut Part 3!

Some days, quick, go-to, easy, tried and true recipes are the ticket to dinnertime sanity. As I mentioned here, it seems many of my fav sisters had the same problemo- a recipe rut. So the recipe sharing began. Thanks to them, you can get outta your suppahtime rut, too, because we're sharing them with you!

Tonight, we're having the Coconut Milk Curry Chicken! Last night, we had another EASY PEASY that my friend, Mindi, shared. There are two GOLDEN NUGGETS that you can put to use to make her tip extra easy and yum.

1. Remember this chicken tip? Use that moist (sorry, don't like that word), flavor filled frozen chicken to save time. OR you can even use rotisserie chicken, too.

2. Trader Joe's and our local chain, Harris Teeter...oh and we've even gotten it at Publix at the beach, too!...have balls of white and/or whole wheat pizza dough already prepared and all you have to do is spread it on a pizza pan. It's only like 1.99 and SO good. I usually find it in the deli area by the deli cheese and meats, pre-made subs and take and bake pizzas.

That being said, here's Mindi's GREAT go-to dinner tip to get you outta a supper rut. My hubs told me I should patent it last night he likeyed so much. Thanks, Mindi! ;)

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza
For homemade pizza (and using frozen shredded chicken) I love to make BBQ chicken pizza.  I keep bacon in the freezer and just cut into bits and fry them.  Use some of the leftover grease to caramelize red onions.  Spread BBQ sauce on the pizza crust, top with shredded mozzarella or mont jack cheese, shredded chicken, onions and bacon bits.  Sooo yum.  It's one of our favorite homemade pizzas.  Not sure if this will go over well for the kids.  I usually make two pizzas.  One with pepperoni or just cheese and one BBQ chicken.

Happy Monday! Have a marvelous one.

Thrifty Thursday: ...and MORE Homemade Cleaning!

We had a great response to our first homemade cleaning resource here and brief sequel here .  Here's a little more natural cleaning wonder for you!

This weekend I witnessed a miracle before my very own eyes! There is a house that I visit frequently that happens to have skylights. Unfortunately, those skylights happen to leak when there are heavy rains and we happened to have heavy rains this past weekend. The homeowner has a couple of carpet stains where these leaks occur and has tried EVERYTHING...Resolve, Bissell steam cleaner, Professional carpet cleaners. The stains fade but never go away. On a whim, the homeowner conjured up a little natural wonder figuring there was nothing to lose. Um. You won't believe it but the stains DISAPPEARED! It was a miracle. I wish I had before and after pictures.

Have any stubborn carpet stains? Don't give up and definitely don't spend a fortune. Give this thrifty, environmentally friendly, natural concoction a whirl. I've witnessed firsthand. I really, really works.

Homemade Carpet Cleaning for the Impossible Stains

• Use water to start. A spray bottle gives you more control, so you can apply water carefully without spreading the stain. Spray, let it soak in for a moment or two, and blot it with a clean white cotton cloth or plain white paper towels. Repeat this process until you no longer see dirt transferring to the cloth. That may be enough to get it all, but if not, on to the the next step...
• Mix about 1/8 teaspoon of Dawn or Joy dish washing detergent into two cups of warm water. Apply this (that spray bottle works well.otherwise be careful and use your finger tips) to the spot and work it in very gently (no heavy rubbing or you might damage the fibers). Blot the spot with a clean cloth or paper towels and repeat the process until you see no more stain transfer on the cloth.
• Rinse the area repeatedly with plain water, removing it between applications using a wet/dry vacuum cleaner or by blotting it up with a cloth.
• Dry the spot quickly with a fan blowing on it. Fast drying prevents any dirt that is lower down in the fibers from migrating up to the top where it would be visible.
• If that procedure is not enough, you can try removing dirt stains using 3% hydrogen peroxide. Apply it with the corner of a cloth or with cotton swabs. Let this stay on the fibers for an hour. Blot it. Rinse.

Try it and let us know! Happy Thursday. Have a Thrifty one!

Train Up Tuesday: "Large Family Logistics" Book Review

Okay, I know what your thinking since you read the blog heading - "'Large Family'? That's not me! I'll pass!" But just wait a minute, please.

Technically, we are not a "large family" (though we've now passed the 2.5 child per household average). BUT, I have trouble keeping my house in order - clean, tidy, organized, on schedule with homeschooling, open for visitors and friends to drop by, etc. I had trouble with that with one kiddo, much less (uh, er, more) with 3!

Vision Forum has offered a new book recently: "Large Family Logistics: The Art and Science of Managing the Large Family," by Kim Brenneman. My thoughts were, "well, if it works for a 'large family', I'm sure I can learn SOMETHING!"; and learn, I have. :)

I've read other "organizational" type books before, and I have them either neatly on my shelf, or I've passed them along to someone else. Usually, these books are a little overwhelming for me because in the end, I don't know where to really start, I don't have time to figure out a good schedule/method, and most importantly, there is a HUGE lack of motivation for me.

However, in the last few years, God has been doing a work in my life and in my family. Through other books by godly women and studying His Word (especially Titus & 2 Timothy), there has been a bit of a change (well, I say that; hopefully I can get some backup from friends/family who have seen it, too). My outlook towards my role as a woman of God has fortunately changed for the better and more for His glory (though I certainly haven't reached it all yet!). "Large Family Logistics" has added to that, too. The "motivation" behind the "Logistics" is spiritual, and that benefits your family, certainly, but more importantly, your testimony to those who need Christ!

I really want to share a little from this book, in hopes that you will make it a resource for your home. Resource is a good word, because this book is LARGE, as in size! It's like a textbook! But it's well-worth your $20-$25.

Brenneman's motivation for writing this book is to help women who are like she once was - struggling to handle even the basics, longing to master even the "simple" things, and perhaps overwhelmed by it all, even with just 1 or 2 children.

In Part 1 of the book, she goes through the many challenges that are in front of us, from being overwhelmed by the Proverbs 31 woman, lack of goals and systems (the benefits of having them), having a self-check (your attitude and discipline), evaluating your time, life's interruptions, making it work when you have little ones or babies, and getting your family on board. She covers all that and so much more, while offering tips in each of these areas that are both practical and necessary to be successful.

In Part 2, Brenneman goes through what your week can look like in a very practical way. She gives great outline suggestions for your personal "Home Management Book" that include dedicating a day of the week to specific tasks (like "Town Day", "Laundry Day", "Kitchen Day"). Part 2 also shows how you can get beyond just "maintaining" and make your home a source for ministry.

I know some of you are probably rolling your eyes at the idea of "scheduling" your days at home, especially if you are a bit of a free spirit or "artsy" (yeah, I know those code words....I've had them applied to me here and there), but in having a workable system, it leads to so much more freedom and liberty to move through your days and weeks without having an extra load on your shoulders! It gives a great sense of security even if you do have an "interruption" to your day or week. You know that you'll get to whatever you missed later by keeping up with your system.

I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of what all is in this book, but it has been a game changer for me! My sister read it first, and I can see changes in her life, too! I recommended this book to another friend (Laura who is married and has 3 boys 4 y.o. and under). She bought it and had almost all of it read within 2 weeks! Here is what Laura had to say about it:

"The beginning is very eye opening on what we are supposed to be doing as mothers and wives. The second half is filled with so many good ideas. I can't believe that I haven't thought of some of this stuff. I complain every Sunday about how hard it is to get to church, but I have never once thought of packing the diaper bag ahead or laying out all of the church clothes. I have complained about my kids waking up sooo early and how I can't get a shower. Well thank you 'Large Family Logistics,' I have planned out how long it takes to shower, dress, Bible study, throw in load of laundry, and be ready to greet little children with a happy face. And I love love love the 15 minute clean sessions. I always think 'oh there isn't enough time to do these things' so nothing every gets done. It is amazing how setting a timer works and how much can really get done in a little amount of time when I work at it."

To be completely honest, I haven't accomplished everything this book sets out to help you do. The book is a resource and can be read in it's entirety all at once or in bits (for whatever area you want to work on). In about 1 1/2 months, though, I've been pleasantly surprised at the change in our home, both in cleanliness and in general attitudes towards "work". My little helpers (3 y.o. & 5 1/2 y.o.) seem more inclined to help, too. Yes, there have still been days (weeks) where I feel disappointed by what wasn't accomplished or feel momentarily "overwhelmed", but, again, at least I have a workable system that gives me hope! :)

So, if your looking for help in your role as homemaker, this is a FABULOUS tool!

Much love,
Ashlie

Thrifty Thursday: More Homemade Cleaning

Last Thursday, you received a plethora of homemade cleaning recipes to cut the cost, chemicals and grime all in one. You can find that great resource here.

I wanted to mention one additional recipe that you may find handy in a pinch.

I recently overestimated my stockpile of dishwashing detergent and HAD to run my dishwasher but there was no way I was going to be able to go to the store w/in the next few hours (remember: I have a 3 year old and 1 year old twins so such outings require some planning)

I decided to see if I could find a homemade concoction without suds pouring out of my dishwasher and filling my kitchen (been there done that by using dishwashing liquid). I found a great recipe here! It worked like a charm. I wouldn't recommend for serious pot and pan grime but for your run of the mill dishwasher load, it is great! Give it a whirl.

Dishwashing Detergent Substitute

• 1/4 teaspoon liquid dish detergent (I use Dawn)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
• Pour into the 2 detergent cups in the dishwasher.

Also, Amy A. shared one of her fav cost and time saving tips. She said:

Our house is currently on the market so I'm often having to run through the house on an hour's notice, cleaning and straightening up. In a spray bottle I keep:

• 1 c. water
• 1 c. rubbing alcohol
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar.

I like it because I can spray counters, mirrors, faucets, toilet seats, etc. with it without having to switch cleaners.

Check out one of her favorite cleaning resources here.

Happy Thursday, ya'll. We'd love to hear how you're making it a thrifty one. :)

Stay at Home Saturday: Fix and Freeze~Part 3

The past couple of Saturdays have been devoted to a special Savory Smackerel Series on the topic of Fix n' Freezes...what they are, our insight gained through trial and error and maybe a freezer friendly recipe or two. If any of you are experienced at FNFs we would love for you to throw in your 2 cents! Feel free to comment on this post, email us at roofwithaview (at) gmail (dot) com or join our Facebook group here.

So far, our FNF tips to ensure FNF success and harmony have been:

• Select friends that have roughly the same size family as yours.
• Be sure the people you do it with have similar "taste" as you and your family.
• Be honest with one another about preferences, likes, dislikes (ex.-no grizzle, dark meat, mayo, peppers, etc.).
• State expectations of portion size and # of servings from the onset to prevent assumption and the feeling of getting jipped. :)
• Select your recipes.
• Do not select a recipe that you've never made or perfected.
• Share your recipe that you've selected with your FNF partners to make sure they give an A-OK and aren't repulsed.

Today's FNF tips are focused on how to balance the cost so you can justify the convenience without it costing an arm and a leg.

• Schedule your FNF exchange date far enough in advance (all the while collecting coupons)-- preferrably 3-4 weeks out so you can work the sales and coupons accordingly.
• Even if you aren't a couponer, keep an eye on the sales, particularly meat (a department which doesn't usually have many coupons). Meat will most likely be your most costly FNF item so Buy One Get One or significant cost reductions will be your time to stock up.
• Select your FNF friendly recipe based on the sales you have hit and the stockpile of groceries you already have. It will be more costly if you buy your items based on need because you will most likely be paying full price.
• So far, my most favorite budget saving meat trick is in regards to chicken. I only dig white meat and white meat errs on the expensive side. Awhile ago, Amy A. posted a white meat chicken tip here that is KEY to keeping cost down for FNFs. Note: NOW is the time to take her up on it b/c the particular chicken needed (split chicken breast) for this savings is on sale NOW at Harris Teeter for .99/lb. I stocked up this week on 5 packs of those bad boys at $2-$3 something a pack (normally would've been $8-$9 a pack) and had two crockpots roasting it up in my kitchen yesterday. Half I'll use for a next FNF and the other half will go in the freezer to save bookoos of time. It's inexpensive, easy and saves time in the long run so it's a win win.

Here is an oh so fabulous recipe for which you can use your new batch of homemade roasted, flavorful, white meat chicken~ Chicken Divan and to quote a fan, "Chicken Divan is chicken divine!" The jury is out on how it will freeze but Passionate Homemaking freezes it (even though our recipes differ. can't speak for hers so use the one I just gave you but you should still be able to freeze it) and she also gives you a homemade Cream of Mushroom substitute if you have a prob using the canned version. Check it out here.

What are your fav Freezer recipes? Do tell!

Happy Saturday, ya'll!
HPS

Free-for-all Friday: REAL Houses of the Roof

Are you one to carry the weight that every square inch of your house needs to look perfect at all times....only to feel more weight of all the other things that "need" to be perfect...clothes, kids, meals, you know the drill. Well, loosen those too tight ponytails (your eyes are starting to slant), let down your hair, take a deep breath and say with me, "IT's OOOOOOKAAAAAAYYYYY!"

A dear, sweet and what I would consider "clean" friend recently sent me my most fav email ever....a pic of her messy kitchen for the sake of accountability BUT what she got was replies of pics of other messy kitchens (including mine). It was my most fav email thread ever for a couple of reasons.

1. It was freeing to know I wasn't alone at that moment and I'm not the ONLY one w/ an overwhelming mess on my hands at times.
2. It was REAL.
3. Believe it or not, it gave me incentive to get busy on the whizzy and begin somewhere despite my feeling of being overwhelmed.

Soooo....the Women of the Roof  are here to say that we have messes, too. Our houses are real just like yours. Granted, they cover a broad spectrum~little piles and clutter to BIG piles and clutter BUT despite the size of our messes, I can attest the one common thread behind every single picture below was the woman that shared it obviously felt guilt (we woman are good at carrying that) judging from each detailed description and reasoning that accompanied each and every picture. Every picture. No joke. I'll admit it gave me a good chuckle. No judgment here. At least, the good (or bad) thing about a mess is it's not going anywhere. It'll wait for you. It's the one thing in your life that's not in a hurry.

So, tell us to which mess you most relate. Do I hear an "AMEN!" for...

...messy kitchens!

....cord clutter!

...dirty sinks (don't tell the Fly Lady)!

...strowy closets!

...overwhelming "catch all" rooms!

....stacks of papers, etc!

...toy areas!

....bathrooms!

You name the area and the mess and between all of us, we most likely have it covered. If you need motivation getting started, trust me. Take a picture and email it to us (roofwithaview at gmail dot com). It will get you started when you see your mess in an actual picture. Another piece of good news is Catherine is going to be giving us her tried and true Spring Cleaning tips since the Spring Cleaning bug has bit her good. Maybe it's contagious. :)

BTW, names were not shared to protect the innocent. ALTHOUGH, Angela wants her name shared so someone will see her bathroom mess and have a burning desire to select it for a makeover. Any takers? She deserves it just for being loud and proud.

Happy Friday!

-HPS

The Clipper and her Challenge

We meant to share this with you for Thrifty Thursday this past week but time got away with us. Our Carolina Clipper is hosting a Pantry Challenge and you may be interested. Really, you can do this at anytime but tomorrow starts the second week of the Pantry Challenge lasting from February 1-15, 2011. If you missed the first week, no problem! We’d love for you to join us this last week.

What is the Pantry Challenge?

It’s not a competition…the point is to use existing foods and resources to feed your family for a set period of time in order to reduce your grocery spending. Click here to read the full story behind the Pantry Challenge.

The challenge is easy for some and difficult for others. That’s why Carolina Clipper created the Pantry Challenge February 1-15, 2011 Facebook Group. It become a fun way to connect with people cleaning out those pantries while adding to their wallets. We’d love to have you share your ideas, tips, and tricks! Join the FB Group Pantry Challenge February 1-15, 2011 today and tell them you heard about it from the ROOFtop!

Stay-at-home Saturday

Did you know?

Permanent marker doesn't always have to be permanent. You can use nail polish remover to wipe away permanent marker from many surfaces! Try it on plastics and laminated materials to wipe your surfaces clean. I did it this week to re-label these plastic canisters:

A cool product:

I want tell you about a product that has made cooking a little easier (and fun!) for me the last few months. I make a lot of breakfasts that can be frozen ahead of time and pulled out for a quick breakfast. Muffins are a great example of this. Both my 3 year old and 1 year old love to eat muffins but I have to make them different varieties, as my 1 year old is currently on a non-dairy diet. I have always disliked muffin baking for one reason alone: the clean up. I do not like cleaning out the individual muffin cups! However, I recently discovered these awesome mini-muffin tins that make muffin baking a breeze!

The Wilton baking company now makes the coolest muffin tin I've ever seen - it is metal-safe, non-stick and dishwasher safe! It's called Wilton Indulgence Professional Bakeware 12-Cup Mini Muffin Pan. These pans are awesome. They are non-stick but they clean up in the dishwasher! I still spray mine with baking spray but it washes off every time. You can even use metal utensils on these, but I haven't found it necessary; the muffins lift right out.

Target sells a 24-cup version, but I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and got 2 12-cup tins instead. That way if I want to make a half recipe I can, and they are easier to fit in the dishwasher.

By the way, one of our favorite muffin recipes is Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Chip Muffins. It's found in Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious cookbook and they are sooo good. Making them mini-muffin-size just adds to the fun!

Love,

Amy

Stay-at-home Saturday: Let a Little Sunshine In!

When decorating for Christmas we always put a wreath on our big kitchen windows behind our table. Since I'm working with glass, I use those Command hooks to hold the wreath. Before attaching the hook, the instructions call for you to clean the surface with rubbing alcohol. Every year when I clean that spot, I'm reminded of how FILTHY my windows are! I decided this year to go ahead and clean all of the windows with rubbing alcohol and old burp cloths, and I'm so glad I did! The eating area actually seems brighter! I think I know why:

Can you believe that? I actually read that if you want your windows to really sparkle, you should follow up by polishing your windows with, get this, newspaper! I've never tried this, but apparently you can crumple up your newspaper and polish your windows to a shine. Just don't use your coupon section! I plan to try this out on Sunday. In the meantime, here are my sparkling clean windows: Another great use for rubbing alcohol is cleaning your chrome fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen. I've done this and not only does it wipe out the water spots, toothpaste splatters, etc., but it also wipes out germs!

A Recipe
I rarely buy salad dressing. In fact, I can't remember the last time I bought it! The reason for this is because years ago my mom started making this dressing at our house, and I've since used it for almost every salad I've made. I guess it's more like a vinaigrette, since it isn't thick and creamy. Instead it's sweet and tart and very tasty. I almost always have the ingredients on hand so it's simple to shake up a batch of this right before dinner, and it will last several days in the fridge. I love this recipe, but if you have a homemade dressing you'd like to share, I'm all ears - please leave it for me!

Apple Dressing


1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. grated onion (many times I cheat and use onion powder)
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup finely chopped apple


1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a jar and shake very well.
2. Add in apple and shake well.
3. Best if allowed to sit for an hour or two in the fridge before using, though not critical. Shake well before serving!

Love,
Amy

Stay-at-home Saturday: Question for YOU!

I need your help. It's no secret that I greatly dislike cleaning. In fact, I'm writing this post right now when I should be cleaning. You know how it goes: I got up from eating my lunch because my downstairs is a wreck and I need to straighten it up. I decided to check my email first, which led to me checking out the Pampered Chef website, which led to a phone call to my mom. My baby then started crying, which reminded me to clean while I still have time, which led me to thinking about my iPod, which led to this post. I'm a very productive person, you see.

Okay, I want to make a cleaning playlist. I need music to get me up and motivated to work. I need upbeat, fun, high energy music to get me excited to clean. Well, that may be a stretch, but the music at least should get my foot tapping as I work. Got any suggestions? Please leave them in the comments section for me. You can leave an entire playlist or just a song or two. I just need some ideas!

Okay, off to clean. Oh wait, the mail is here! I should go check it - maybe there are some Christmas cards in there . . .

Love,

Amy

Stay-at-home Saturday: A Tip and a Lesson

Did you know?
You should clean your coffee maker regularly to prevent impurities from tainting the taste of your coffee. Here’s an easy way to do it: Put a ½ cup of white vinegar in your pot and fill the rest of the way with water. Add to the coffee maker and brew. Pour out water and refill with a full pot of water. Brew. Voila! A clean machine! (By the way, I got this from Woman's Day magazine a few months ago. I wish I could claim to have come up with so many nifty ideas but I can't!)

Pumpkin Lessons

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, you may need to use the following information that I'm about to share. Have you heard that there is a shortage of canned pumpkin this year? Well, there is, so you'll need this critical information more than ever: I roasted and pureed my own pumpkin this year. I'm not sure why, but I had this need to do something homemade and maybe to save a little money in the process. Let me say that I did not enjoy this process, not one bit, so my perspective is a little on the, ah, negative side. If you have done this before and had a great experience I'd love to hear from you.

First, let me say that the pumpkin my dear husband chose for me to roast was way too big for this job. Way too big.

The pumpkins at the pumpkin patch that were good for pies, etc. were all $4, no matter the size. So we walked off with a prize-winning pumpkin that I had to wrestle when I started my task. You are supposed to be able to chop off the top, then cut it in half, then quarters. Well, I just had to cut off any side I could, and here is the result: After you get the pumpkin cut into quarters (or manageable pieces, in my case) you scrape off the seeds and strings. No one prepared me for how gross this was. I was not expecting the seeds and stringy-ness to be so slimy. Shudder. Oh, and it stained my hand orange. I was told not to discard the seeds so that they can later be roasted. I set them aside to deal with later. Update: I roasted the pumpkin seeds. I burned them.

After you scrape the sections clean then you put them on a roasting pan. You don’t have to put any oil on them but I recommend spraying your pan, as I now have two pans with permanent spots on them where I can’t get the pumpkin residue off.

Into the oven they go for about an hour on 400 degrees. You’ll know they are ready when they are fork-tender. When they have cooled enough, you separate the pumpkin “meat” from the skin. There’s probably a better way to do this, but I was so over this project by this time that I just ran a knife under the meat and called it done.
Dump your pumpkin into your food processor or blender and purée away! If needed you can add a few tablespoons of water, but my pumpkin was plenty juicy so I puréed for a minute or so, scraped down the sides, and puréed some more. Here is what I got: I poured one-cup portions into bags and stuck them in the freezer. Done! Thank goodness. I got 6 cups of purée out of my pumpkin, so at $4 that’s about $0.66 a cup. Not bad I guess, but my time is worth away more than that. Next year it’s canned pumpkin for me, baby! Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Amy

Stay-at-home Saturday: A Tip and a Recipe

Did you know?

Antibacterial dish soaps don't get your dishes any cleaner than ordinary dish soaps. Soaps with the ingredient triclosan are made to kill bacteria on your hands, not your dishes. Hot water and regular dish soap will get your dishes just as clean. Remember, using many anti-bacterial products could potentially cause resistant bacteria to emerge. You'll end up killing weaker bacteria and be left with strong bacteria that aren't killed by these products. Yikes! (Good Housekeeping, November 2009)

A really bad day

A few days ago I had a bad day. A really bad day. I was having so much trouble with my 3 year old that I wanted to pull my hair out. Since this isn't Train Up Your Child Tuesday I won't go into the details, but it was one of Those Days.

I noticed something throughout the course of this Really Bad Day. I wanted cake with icing all day. I dreamed of pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing and yellow cake with chocolate icing (Hello, Emotional Eater!). Since this isn't Slim Down Saturday either, I won't go into the strategies of fending off emotional eating, or how to battle your urges to binge. I will just tell you how to make chocolate icing. The very best chocolate icing you've ever tasted. It will leave you wondering why in the world you ever let Betty Crocker frost your cakes. Trust me.

This is a buttercream frosting, and making it will make you feel like a real cook, even if you're a terrible cook. I would venture to say that if you make this you will never go back to a store-bought tub again. At least that's what I was telling my husband as I was licking my fingers after making the frosting (and the bowl, and the beater, and the spatula).

Okay, here we go. The only investment you need to make for this is about $3 for unsweetened baking chocolate squares, found in the baking section alongside of chocolate chips. They may even be less than that during the holiday baking season. Otherwise the other ingredients are probably some things you keep anyway.

4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I use reduced fat cream cheese and it works fine)
3 unsweetened baking chocolate squares
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 box powdered sugar
milk

1. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler (if you don't have one, see below).

2. Put cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar in a large bowl.

3. Add melted chocolate and butter.

4. Mix on low (otherwise the powdered sugar will cover you and your kitchen).

5. After ingredients are combined, add a splash of milk and mix. Keep adding splashes until frosting reaches the consistency of, well, frosting. (This is where I get in trouble with my dear friend, Carolina Clipper. She hates descriptions like a splash and a pinch. I'm sorry! That's all I can tell you! Just pour a little splash in and go from there.) If you don't use the icing right away you can refrigerate it. Just bring it back to room temperature before using. Here's what I did with mine. I am definitely not a professional, but not bad for a Thursday evening!

*If you don't have a double boiler don't worry, neither do I. Just put about an inch of water in a pot. Put a glass bowl (or another heat safe bowl) on top and bring the water to a simmer (don't let the water touch the bottom of the bowl). Add ingredients and stir occasionally until completely melted.

Love,

Amy

Stay-at-home Saturday: A Tip and a Recipe

TNT: What to do with leftover celery (and other produce conundrums)

Remember that chicken and rice soup from a couple of weeks ago? It called for a stalk or two of celery, but I had to buy a whole bunch of it. Not one to just throw out perfectly good celery, yet unwilling to eat raw celery, I needed a plan. I did a little research and it turns out that you can freeze celery to use in another dish!

Here are the steps:
1. Wash the celery
2. Cut it up into desired size (I will use it in soup, so I cut it into bite-sized pieces)
3. Spread out on wax paper that is placed on a large baking pan (please ignore the Krispy Kreme boxes in the background. Thank you.)

4. Freeze for a few hours.
5. Scoop into labeled bags or containers and store in freezer.

The reason you do it this way is to avoid freezing your celery into a great big lump. When the pieces freeze unattached they won't stick together in the bag. That makes it easy to measure out what you need! (There's no need to thaw before you use it again.)

I've done this with bananas, onions and strawberries. However, with onions, I don't freeze the pieces individually. I just measure the onions according to what I usually use, which is 1/4 and 1/2 cups, and freeze them in a baggie. When I'm ready to use the onions I just dump them into my pan or pot. This is an excellent way to put your freezer to work for your budget!


Caramel Popcorn

This recipe is an oldie from an old church cookbook and let me tell you, it is soooo good. It's not healthy and it's not fancy, but it's a crowd-pleaser every time. This Friday Movie Night recipe is always a hit. And if you're making it just for yourself on a Tuesday night, that's okay too! Just halve the recipe (or not) and dive in!

-5 quarts popped popcorn (Let me just say that I have no idea how much this is. If you have an air popper then maybe the bag of kernels will tell you. Otherwise just buy plain, unsalted microwave popcorn and start with two full size bags.)
-1 stick butter
-1 cup brown sugar
-1/4 cup clear Karo syrup
- 1 pinch of baking soda (literally, just get a pinch out of the box)

1. Melt butter, brown sugar and Karo syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Boil one minute, stirring now and then.
3. Add baking soda and stir (call the kids in for this - it foams like a science experiment!).
4. Pour over popcorn and stir.
5. Devour!

Stay-at-home Saturday: Cleaning Day. Ugh.

You will not find anyone that hates cleaning the house more than I do. No one. Anywhere. I hate it. It seems pointless to me because as soon as I clean something, it gets dirty again. And the house is never totally clean. There's always something dirty. Even if I've done all of my regular cleaning and the house is sparkling, my baseboards are there to remind me that I've never cleaned them. Ever. My blinds can say the same thing. Ugh. I know, I know, I just wrote a post on the importance of keeping your kitchen sponge clean. There is no explanation, except to say that e.coli scares me. Mildew in my shower does not.

To make things more manageable, I try to employ the same cleaning technique as the Carolina Clipper - a little each day goes a very long way (I just made that up!). I'm okay at this, but not great. However, there are some tasks that MUST be done that I cannot ignore forever. For example, cleaning the bathroom. I can only ignore the bathroom for so long before the pink ring around the drain stares back at me everytime I brush my teeth.

For this reason, I started timing some of the tasks I do the most. When I look at them time-wise, they seem a lot more manageable. It turns out that cleaning the master bath only takes 13 minutes (this does not include the shower; that's a different day because I hate it so much). Unloading the dishwasher usually takes 5 minutes. Vacuuming and dusting the downstairs? A mere 30 minutes.

Looking at my tasks this way helps me muster the energy to tackle something. Now if someone could just show me how to keep the clutter off the floor so I could actually vacuum it . . .

Love,

Amy

Stay at home Saturday

TNT Tip: Kitchen Sponge

There is someone in my life that I love very much, but her kitchen sponge is disgusting. I have had the (dis)pleasure of doing dishes at her house multiple times and it always grosses me out to use the pitiful excuse of a sponge that sits in her sink. You know the type: it's one of those sponges that is attached to a handle that is supposed to dispense soap when you press the top. The sponge is brown, the green scrubby part is falling apart, and it looks like an e.coli accident waiting to happen. (Shudder.)

I have always been somewhat obsessive about keeping my kitchen sponge clean. This may seem silly, but think about it: you slide this thing along your counters and dishes, which eventually come in contact with your food. Important stuff! According the November edition of Good Housekeeping magazine, the most effective way to clean your sponge is to soak it in a mixture of 3/4 c. bleach and 1 gal. water for 5 minutes. The runners up? 1-2 minutes in the microwave or throwing it in the dishwasher (I personally do 2 minutes in the microwave). By the way, you're supposed to replace your sponge when it starts looking shabby. I highly recommend the sponges at Aldi. You get 2 for $ .99 and they work great.


Savory Smackeral: No Peep Stew (courtesy of my friend, Andrea)

Do your prep work for this delicious cold weather meal on Saturday night (except the potatoes), then assemble and pop in the oven early Sunday morning. By lunch time you'll have a heavenly dish that screams to be served with big, fluffy yeast rolls. Mmm . . .

1 1/2 -2 lbs. stew beef
1/2 onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce (I use a large can because I like it more "stew-y")
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. tapioca (granules, not pudding! Find near the pudding mixes)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Mix sugar, tapioca, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Mix vegetables in an oven safe pot.
3. Sprinkle 1/3 seasoning mixture on top of veggies.
4. Put meat on top of veggies and cover with remaining seasoning.
5. Pour tomato sauce on top.
6. Cover and cook at 250 degrees for 4-5 hours. Enjoy!

Love,
Amy

Thrifty Thursday ~ Free Lists

To celebrate ListPlanIt's 2nd Anniversary they are offering a FREE 1 week trial membership. The website features almost any list you can imagine. Their motto is "lists to put your world in order" and I couldn't agree more. I did the trial membership last month and really enjoyed it! A few of my favorite lists are:

• Babysitter instructions
• Chore lists (available from toddler to teen)
• Medications tracker
• Equivalent Measurements

My suggestion is to use the lists as a guide and tweak them to fit your family. My all time favorite list on ListPlanIt is the Weekly Cleaning Schedule!! I created my own to fit our needs. My goal is to do a few small tasks each day and by the end of two weeks my entire house is clean. I also added an "other" column to manage those weekly errands that remain the same each week. It has given me an easy, one stop glance of what I need to get done. I'm not overwhelmed and I feel a sense of accomplishment every day. Click here to see my Weekly Cleaning Schedule. Give it a try!

Household Duties

Uh Oh, It's Magic!

In case you haven't heard (I hadn't until just last month), let me tell you about this amazing product--Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Original. It is awesome!

When we were at the beach, Kate ended up sitting on some crayons in our rental home's booster seat. Well, needless to say, said crayons left quite a few marks on the seat that I could not get out with the cleaning products we had on hand. Just when I thought we might lose part of our deposit (running joke all week) ... family members put my mind at ease with talk of this Mr. Clean Magic Eraser product. I was intrigued.

The family picked up a package of these magic erasers at a local store, and I soon went to work on the booster seat. And just like that ... *poof* ... the crayon markings were gone. It was like ... well ... magic!

Fast forward a few weeks. We are back at home. One morning, I think Kate is happily watching a video in her room. I am doing some things around the house, and she seems to be very content and very quiet. After all, she does love her Little People DVDs. Well ... she loves them all right ... but she also loves to wander. And wander is what she did on this particular day ... right into our room, the door to which I had mistakenly left open.

When I found her, she was on our bed, Sharpie in hand. SHARPIE IN HAND! That is not good, folks. A Sharpie and a toddler do not mix well. Kate loves to draw, and she went to town with that Sharpie ... on our sheets ... on our wall ... on my cedar chest. But the worst of it was on the counter top that is directly behind our headboard. It was bad. Real bad.

And it was with a Sharpie.

Whoo-boy. I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. I decided to laugh (it was partly my fault, after all) and immediately got out that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser package from the beach. I could not believe my very eyes when the Sharpie was starting to come off. Seriously, I couldn't believe it. I did have to scrub and use lots of elbow grease, but it worked! YAY!

I got pretty much all of the Sharpie markings off of the counter top--the sheets, the wall and the cedar chest are a different story. But at least those were minor compared to the artwork that was removable.

I highly recommend Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Original. Go ahead and pick up a package before you need it. You won't be sorry. This would make a nice gift for moms everywhere, too. Happy Cleaning!


A "BEFORE" shot. This photo shows just part of Kate's Sharpie artwork on the counter top that is directly behind our headboard.


And ... AFTER! Look how clean! To put the erasers to use, simply wet and squeeze out excess water. Then go to town. (This is just my opinion. Please use according to the manufacturer's directions. Thank you.) The more you scrub, the smaller and crumblier (for lack of a better word) the eraser will become. (See photo--the eraser piece on the right has obviously been used more than the one on the left.)


Mr. Clean is the man behind that shine!

TNT Tip

Here are a couple of unique ways to organize everyday items that seemt to be taking over your home.

1. Use a pretty teacup and saucer as a "catchall" on your bedroom dresser or nightstand to store loose change, jewelry and what-have-you.
2. Use a wine rack on your bathroom counter to hold towels, bubble bath, loofahs, shampoo and even pretty glass bottles as decoration.
3. If your reading material and remotes are taking over your living room, store them in a flat tray that you can conveniently slide under your couch or chair and pull out when needed.

(Courtesty of All You Magazine)

Savory Smackerel

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

A great lunch meal to place in the slow cooker before leaving for church. Easier still; shred the meat and put on a hamburger bun. Will serve our family of four two meals.

• 6 skinless chicken breast halves (boneless)
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce of your choice
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (I use fat free)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

*The ingredients give it a wonderful flavor. I recommend using a barbeque sauce that you really like to secure you get a great flavor

*Place chicken in the slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbeque sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worchestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken. Cover and let it cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 on low (if chicken breasts are frozen). If the chicken is not frozen I recommend 4 hours on low depending on your individual slow cooker. If you plan to serve it as barbeque about an hour before eating take out chicken and cut in small pieces or shred and return to the slow cooker.

(Courtesy of What's for Din Din?)

Mommy Marketing Moment
A BIG thank you to our reader, Ashlie M., for making today's MMM possible. She not only recommended this Mommy business but did an interview and put this all together for YOU. Thank you, Ashlie! Here's a BIG RWAV hug from us to you!

Mommy Marketing Moment comes to you courtesy of WhiMSy Love’s Nikki Mans. Nikki describes herself as a “wacky goofball” at times and a “girly romantic” at others (hence “WhiMSy Love”). One thing is for certain, she is definitely at all times “eclectic,” whether it is in her music tastes, various collections, or artsy aspirations! This mom of 2 adorable girls (Pazely age 5 & Zoey age 6 1/2) somehow manages time to design various fabulous pieces of dazzling love!
Check out her “FunkOlicios” vintage button rings (her daughters’ favorite hand made items that “mommy” makes) on Etsy.

Or how cute would these Pinwheel Cupcake Picks be for a summer time party?
A unique spin on the traditional table place card for a wedding reception could be these “Fork Easles” that Nikki creates (which could also be used to display a favorite photo, recipe, or poem)! Wouldn’t these “Writing on the Wall” be perfect for your favorite book-lover? They would look so nice in your home’s reading nook!

And these are but a FEW of the one-of-a-kind items this busy mom makes! But before you write her off as another “superwoman” whose powers are not of this planet, let me assure you, Nikki Mans is just a normal mom who has her priorities straight - Jesus, Family....and then Crafts! ;-)

Her daughters are in part responsible for inspiring Nikki and these “mini crafty versions” (as she puts it) of her are often found in their own art center (which Nikki says is often a “complete pigsty”...just like hers) or literally under mommy’s feet finding hidden trinkets in the desk drawers to feed their imagination as Nikki gets busy crafting. She says she’s loosened up over the years, neverminding the “messes” that seemed to get in the way of business. Now she views these messes as “too fun to pass up!”

“WhiMSy Love started out as a creative outlet to feed my passion to make, make, make stuff. It also makes me feel very proud to help pay the bills.” And Nikki may be getting more help paying the bills soon; WhiMSy love made it into Greece’s Glamour magazine’s June 2009 issue!

Her advice to other moms (or anyone) going into their own business: “I'm learning with my business this simple statement is true: ‘However much I put into it is how much I get in return.’ If I dedicate my time in creating nice, quality items & take really sharp, interesting pictures & list the items in my shop at a frequent cycle, than I see a definite return in all my hard work.” Just like most of us, she notes that it takes lots of work to be consistent; and the reality of a stay-at-home mom proves that you “can’t just make stuff” all day. There is a lot of juggling involved to keep the house clean, be present in your children’s lives, be a good wife, friend, etc., but “laughter and silliness” seem to help this Mommy get through it! Nikki has become “comfortable with who she is and who she is becoming.” Verses like Psalm 139: 14 “...I am fearfully and wonderfully made” and Nehemiah 8:10 “...the joy of the Lord is your strength” help to reach that state of heart and mind for her. “I would not have such a freedom, joy & surety of who I am if it were not for my relationship with Jesus.” A humble, content woman, Nikki says, “I’ve got my family, my heath, and crafty supplies. What more could I ask for?”

“Authentic” is another word to describe WhiMSy Love and Nikki Mans for the handmade items and for the person that she is. No wonder so many comment on her “enthusiasm”, “zest for life,” and see this wonderful woman as “inspiring”.

For more daily inspiration, great ideas for kids and crafting, or first dibs at cool sales and random specials, subscribe to her blog http://whimsy-girl.blogspot.com//. To shop now, check out her Etsy shop as well!

Happy Saturday!