I've been a while between posts because a) football season ended for one kid and I found extra time on my hands. So what did I do?? I filled it with furniture restoration projects. Yeah... I can't sit still long, obviously.... And b) my computer is cranky and won't let me post pictures on here. So I've been trying to post this one for several days including a picture. Maybe I'll get the picture on here at some point.
Ok here's the deal on this one. This will actually take you about 10-15 minutes to do. So in terms of saving you time, it's kind of half a dozen of one and six of another. But the beauty of this recipe for me is that you'll save time in the crazy busy mornings getting ready for school and you'll save some dough, too. (BTW, is it just my house that does the 'mad dash' before school? I tell myself we are going to get up 10 minutes earlier to avoid the hurriedness, but that's yet to happen. haha)
Homemade Uncrustables
Loaf of Bread (I buy the cheap store-brand kind for these, wheat)
Jelly (Flavor of choice)
Peanut Butter (Creamy or Crunchy)
Make a PB&J sandwich, only putting the PB&J in the center of the bread, in about a 1.25' circle. Using a very fat lipped cup, press down firmly and hold for 30 seconds, making a deep, round impression on the sandwich. Tear away the crust and gently remove the now round sandwich. Place the sandwich on a cookie sheet. Once your cookie sheet is full of sandwiches, place it in the freezer, sandwiches uncovered. Flash freeze for 2+ hours. Remove sandwiches from the freezer and place them in individual sandwich baggies. Store in the freezer until you are ready to pack them into lunches.
TIPS: Make sure you have a really fat lipped cup, otherwise the PB&J will leak out. Once frozen, the sandwich will thaw nicely in a lunch box for a few hours and will be soft and taste fresh. Since you are cutting off the crust, it is most cost effective to purchase the cheapest bread. You likely won't tell any difference between the breads.
I purchase store-bought Uncrustables for about $2.25 for 4 sandwiches, sometimes more. That's over .50 for each sandwich. When I make them myself, they taste fresher and, since I prefer wheat bread, just better overall. I spend about $1.00 on an entire loaf of bread and I keep PB&J on hand always. So I'm spending less than .10 per sandwich doing it this way. SO WORTH IT!!
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Monday, October 19, 2015
Mississippi Chicken
Ok I don't even know why people in Mississippi make chicken like this, or if it's even a real thing in Mississippi, but this is a super easy, super yummy recipe that I want to share. I found it on Pinterest and changed it up just a little. I've also made it with roast beef (do everything the same, except use roast beef instead of chicken.)
I personally freeze my meal beforehand and then make it in the crock pot; It can also be made 'fresh' in the crock pot without being frozen first.
MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN
Chicken legs and/or thighs (enough to feed your family)
6-10 Pepperoncini
1 Envelope Au jus gravy mix (or brown gravy mix)
1 Envelope Ranch dressing mix
1/2 Stick Butter
1 cup water
Low: 4-5 hours
I serve this with instant mashed potatoes and microwave steam-able veggies to be quick.
I personally freeze my meal beforehand and then make it in the crock pot; It can also be made 'fresh' in the crock pot without being frozen first.
MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN
Chicken legs and/or thighs (enough to feed your family)
6-10 Pepperoncini
1 Envelope Au jus gravy mix (or brown gravy mix)
1 Envelope Ranch dressing mix
1/2 Stick Butter
1 cup water
Low: 4-5 hours
I serve this with instant mashed potatoes and microwave steam-able veggies to be quick.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Keep It Clean
Ok, this post is for me as much OR MORE than anyone else. When my life gets super busy, my house gets super messy. There have been times where I was so tired from running from this event to the next one and back again, that if I had time to tidy up, I just flat out didn't want to.
So here are a few tips to keep a tidy house that I've heard from other people (and that I've recently tried) along with a few things I've done for a long time.
1. Keep the dishwasher in business - Always have a load going. It literally takes <5 minutes to load or unload it, so this should always be going on. It might not empty all your dishes from the sink, but keep the cycle going.
2. Fold your laundry on your bed. Once it's folded, you have a decision to make: Put it up or put it aside. Don't set it aside because it will stay there forever on your dresser if you're like me. Take 5 minutes to put it away.
3. Make the kids stay up on their daily chores. In our house they have it pretty easy. They just have to put all dishes in the sink, feed the dog, take out the trash and put their clothes in the laundry bins. It's amazing how fast things get really messy when they fail to do their chores.
4. Spray down the shower with bleach cleaner every time you leave it. Keep your spray cleaner on hand in the bathroom and spray everything in there daily as you have a few seconds.
5. Commit to ONE, 10 minute chore a day. Set yourself a schedule if you think you'll stick to one. If you're like me, just pick the one that needs the most attention that day. Look at the clock and tell yourself that you aren't going to stop tidying/cleaning for 10 minutes. Who's too tired or lazy to work for 10 more minutes? This one really works for me, because I usually will work for longer than 10 minutes if I just get started.
6. Pay your kids to do extra chores. The older your kids get, the more they can do. Incidentally, the more they usually want money for stuff. I'm pretty cheap, so my kids have to really work for it. I'm building character in them. And getting stuff cleaned. It's good.
7. Buy a vacuum robot. Turn that puppy on as often as possible to keep your floors clean. Realize that it won't be as good as doing it yourself and be ok with that. It'll still be cleaner than not doing anything and will buy you a few extra days before you have to sweep.
8. If your budget allows it - Hire a housekeeper. You'll thank yourself over and over and over if you can do this!
Being in a hectic stage of life doesn't mean we have to be cave dwellers. There's not much better than coming home to a clean house. YEAH?
So here are a few tips to keep a tidy house that I've heard from other people (and that I've recently tried) along with a few things I've done for a long time.
1. Keep the dishwasher in business - Always have a load going. It literally takes <5 minutes to load or unload it, so this should always be going on. It might not empty all your dishes from the sink, but keep the cycle going.
2. Fold your laundry on your bed. Once it's folded, you have a decision to make: Put it up or put it aside. Don't set it aside because it will stay there forever on your dresser if you're like me. Take 5 minutes to put it away.
3. Make the kids stay up on their daily chores. In our house they have it pretty easy. They just have to put all dishes in the sink, feed the dog, take out the trash and put their clothes in the laundry bins. It's amazing how fast things get really messy when they fail to do their chores.
4. Spray down the shower with bleach cleaner every time you leave it. Keep your spray cleaner on hand in the bathroom and spray everything in there daily as you have a few seconds.
5. Commit to ONE, 10 minute chore a day. Set yourself a schedule if you think you'll stick to one. If you're like me, just pick the one that needs the most attention that day. Look at the clock and tell yourself that you aren't going to stop tidying/cleaning for 10 minutes. Who's too tired or lazy to work for 10 more minutes? This one really works for me, because I usually will work for longer than 10 minutes if I just get started.
6. Pay your kids to do extra chores. The older your kids get, the more they can do. Incidentally, the more they usually want money for stuff. I'm pretty cheap, so my kids have to really work for it. I'm building character in them. And getting stuff cleaned. It's good.
7. Buy a vacuum robot. Turn that puppy on as often as possible to keep your floors clean. Realize that it won't be as good as doing it yourself and be ok with that. It'll still be cleaner than not doing anything and will buy you a few extra days before you have to sweep.
8. If your budget allows it - Hire a housekeeper. You'll thank yourself over and over and over if you can do this!
Being in a hectic stage of life doesn't mean we have to be cave dwellers. There's not much better than coming home to a clean house. YEAH?
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Easy Baked Potatoes
Ok, admittedly this isn't a super earth-shattering recipe. But I'm all about saving time and money, and this checks off both of those boxes. This recipe is one that I found on Pinterest and changed up a little.
Ingredients:
Potatoes (however many you want for your family)
Olive oil or butter
Salt & Pepper & Seasonings of your choice
Toppings
1. Scrub your potatoes
2. Make slices in your potatoes to allow air to escape while it bakes
3. Wrap each potato in foil, leaving the top open
4. Brush the top with oil or butter and add salt/pepper/seasonings (Italian) to taste
5. Finish wrapping the potatoes and crock pot on high for 3 hours
(If you freeze your potatoes beforehand, add at least 1 hour of crock pot time.)
6. Serve with your favorite potato toppings or as a side to steak
This recipe took me about 10 minutes to prepare and plop in my crock pot. I spent less than $3 to feed my whole family. I'm winning at life.
Ingredients:
Potatoes (however many you want for your family)
Olive oil or butter
Salt & Pepper & Seasonings of your choice
Toppings
1. Scrub your potatoes
2. Make slices in your potatoes to allow air to escape while it bakes
3. Wrap each potato in foil, leaving the top open
4. Brush the top with oil or butter and add salt/pepper/seasonings (Italian) to taste
5. Finish wrapping the potatoes and crock pot on high for 3 hours
(If you freeze your potatoes beforehand, add at least 1 hour of crock pot time.)
6. Serve with your favorite potato toppings or as a side to steak
This recipe took me about 10 minutes to prepare and plop in my crock pot. I spent less than $3 to feed my whole family. I'm winning at life.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Quiet Moments
One thing I have found essential to my continued sanity amongst a busy schedule (albeit only partial sanity at times) is carving out quiet time at some point in my day. I'd love to say that I wake up super early every morning and get organized and prepared for my day, but that is false. My natural bio-rhythms keep me up pretty late at night, so waking early is a challenge. (Thanks, Mom, for that inherited trait!)
I'm not sure the point is doing it just one prescribed way anyway...I think the goal is to set aside a little time each day to get in your zone, meditate, pray, think about your opportunities and seize them mentally. For me personally, the best quiet moments are spent in the Bible just reading and thinking. I find that when I do this, my spiritual battery stays charged up longer than when I fail to make time. My spiritual battery seems connected to my emotional and physical well-being, too. It's all connected, crazy stuff! (Almost like we are designed this way?!)
Oh, and that's a key point here...You won't FIND time to do anything when your life is hectic. You must MAKE
Find your quiet moments and don't trade them in for the temporal stuff that fades or falls away.
I'm not sure the point is doing it just one prescribed way anyway...I think the goal is to set aside a little time each day to get in your zone, meditate, pray, think about your opportunities and seize them mentally. For me personally, the best quiet moments are spent in the Bible just reading and thinking. I find that when I do this, my spiritual battery stays charged up longer than when I fail to make time. My spiritual battery seems connected to my emotional and physical well-being, too. It's all connected, crazy stuff! (Almost like we are designed this way?!)
Oh, and that's a key point here...You won't FIND time to do anything when your life is hectic. You must MAKE
Find your quiet moments and don't trade them in for the temporal stuff that fades or falls away.
BBQ Pulled Pork
Ok, I picked this for my first recipe to share with you. It's been a family favorite for a few years now. A teacher friend told me this recipe the year I taught school and it was the first recipe I remember loving from my crock pot. And a bonus: It couldn't be simpler!
*You can choose to make this fresh or freeze the first two ingredients beforehand.
BBQ PULLED PORK
1 Pork Tenderloin (size it to feed your family)
1 Can Root Beer
BBQ Sauce (to be used once it's done)
Place the tenderloin and the can of root beer in the crock pot. Cook on Low: 6-8 hours. When it's done, pour the root beer off and smother with BBQ sauce of your choice (I use sweet BBQ sauce.) Shred the pork and serve over buns or bread. Serve with chips.
Easy breezy!!
*You can choose to make this fresh or freeze the first two ingredients beforehand.
BBQ PULLED PORK
1 Pork Tenderloin (size it to feed your family)
1 Can Root Beer
BBQ Sauce (to be used once it's done)
Place the tenderloin and the can of root beer in the crock pot. Cook on Low: 6-8 hours. When it's done, pour the root beer off and smother with BBQ sauce of your choice (I use sweet BBQ sauce.) Shred the pork and serve over buns or bread. Serve with chips.
Easy breezy!!
Freezer Meals: Getting Started
While it may seem overwhelming to get started on planning ahead your weekly meals, I promise it isn't. I'm the Queen of Keeping it Simple, so if I can do it, anyone can!
1. The first thing you need is a block of time. For your first time, it's better if you can plan for 3-4 hours of time to set aside. Get your kids involved! This can be delightfully win-win if they are old enough to help you. Also, make sure you have some storage space in your freezer before you get started.
2. Make a list. First decide WHAT you want to make. I write down the name of the meal I'm making because, sure enough, I'll forget 30 minutes later. Then I write down each ingredient I will need and exactly how much of it to buy. Make sure you purchase FREEZER bags. Trust me...Storage bags are sno-go here. Big. Mess. Yuck.
3. Shop. When you get home, lay out everything on your cabinet. Sit down for a minute and rest. Most people suggest not shopping and preparing on the same day, but like I said, I'm simple. I don't want to put all these groceries away and then get them out again. Uh, no spank you.
4. Get up and get going. Label your freezer bags BEFORE you put anything in them. Once there is food in them, you can't write on them. Label them with the title of the recipe, and how to prepare it. Example: Mississippi Chicken, Add 1 cup water, L: 6-7 hours.
5. Freeze it and get ready for healthy, quick, affordable family eating! YAY!
1. The first thing you need is a block of time. For your first time, it's better if you can plan for 3-4 hours of time to set aside. Get your kids involved! This can be delightfully win-win if they are old enough to help you. Also, make sure you have some storage space in your freezer before you get started.
2. Make a list. First decide WHAT you want to make. I write down the name of the meal I'm making because, sure enough, I'll forget 30 minutes later. Then I write down each ingredient I will need and exactly how much of it to buy. Make sure you purchase FREEZER bags. Trust me...Storage bags are sno-go here. Big. Mess. Yuck.
3. Shop. When you get home, lay out everything on your cabinet. Sit down for a minute and rest. Most people suggest not shopping and preparing on the same day, but like I said, I'm simple. I don't want to put all these groceries away and then get them out again. Uh, no spank you.
4. Get up and get going. Label your freezer bags BEFORE you put anything in them. Once there is food in them, you can't write on them. Label them with the title of the recipe, and how to prepare it. Example: Mississippi Chicken, Add 1 cup water, L: 6-7 hours.
5. Freeze it and get ready for healthy, quick, affordable family eating! YAY!
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Crock Potting Craze
One thing you will see a lot of on this blog are recipes and kitchen hacks. I have found that the single greatest way to create more time in my family life during the week is to plan and prepare ahead in the kitchen.
Let me break it down for you using my brand of logic here.
After working all day and picking up kids from two different schools at two different times, I'm usually trying to beat the clock as we get ready to head to one or more sporting practices or church events. I imagine this is the same for many other people anymore. There's usually somewhere to be in the evenings. Almost always. The last thing I will feel like doing is preparing a nutritious, well-balanced meal for my family. If we eat at home, they are totally eating Spaghettios or Mac N Cheese (I'm guilty!) I know they need to eat a well-balanced meal...But if left to my desperate devices, I'll run through a Jason's Deli and pray they select something of some nutritional value. Usually my oldest son picks a few lettuce leaves smothered in shredded cheese and buried in ranch dressing and bacon bits. My younger son picks pasta. Every. Time. I tell myself that we will do better tomorrow. And then we don't have time to do any better tomorrow.
So when on a Saturday afternoon I can carve out a little time, here's what I CAN do about it. I can research a few recipes online or on Pinterest and compose a grocery list (10 minutes.) Go to the store and purchase said items (45 minutes if I stick to my list.) Separate my items and pack family meals into freezer bags, label, and throw in the freezer (1-2 hours depending on how many meals I make.)
All in and out in about 3 hours. Here's what I get as a return on my investment:
Before I run to the kids to school and go to work in the morning, I throw a completely frozen meal into my crock pot and turn it on low (2 minutes.) I come home after grabbing the kids and MY DINNER IS READY. We eat at home and not only did I reclaim the time it took to make it (25 minutes?), I save the travel time to and from a restaurant (20 minutes?) and save about $20 each time (Eating at home is far more cost effective!)
SO WORTH IT!! SO SO SO WORTH IT!!
Let me break it down for you using my brand of logic here.
After working all day and picking up kids from two different schools at two different times, I'm usually trying to beat the clock as we get ready to head to one or more sporting practices or church events. I imagine this is the same for many other people anymore. There's usually somewhere to be in the evenings. Almost always. The last thing I will feel like doing is preparing a nutritious, well-balanced meal for my family. If we eat at home, they are totally eating Spaghettios or Mac N Cheese (I'm guilty!) I know they need to eat a well-balanced meal...But if left to my desperate devices, I'll run through a Jason's Deli and pray they select something of some nutritional value. Usually my oldest son picks a few lettuce leaves smothered in shredded cheese and buried in ranch dressing and bacon bits. My younger son picks pasta. Every. Time. I tell myself that we will do better tomorrow. And then we don't have time to do any better tomorrow.
So when on a Saturday afternoon I can carve out a little time, here's what I CAN do about it. I can research a few recipes online or on Pinterest and compose a grocery list (10 minutes.) Go to the store and purchase said items (45 minutes if I stick to my list.) Separate my items and pack family meals into freezer bags, label, and throw in the freezer (1-2 hours depending on how many meals I make.)
All in and out in about 3 hours. Here's what I get as a return on my investment:
Before I run to the kids to school and go to work in the morning, I throw a completely frozen meal into my crock pot and turn it on low (2 minutes.) I come home after grabbing the kids and MY DINNER IS READY. We eat at home and not only did I reclaim the time it took to make it (25 minutes?), I save the travel time to and from a restaurant (20 minutes?) and save about $20 each time (Eating at home is far more cost effective!)
SO WORTH IT!! SO SO SO WORTH IT!!
The Hectic Home
When my kids were little, I took pride in limiting activities so that we could carve out valued family time. On Friday nights we saved dinner for our extended family and we made every single Saturday night family night with just our covey of four. Sundays were for worship and rest, and by Monday we were charged up and ready for our week of work and school.
But as the years have progressed, our family calendar has filled with sports, volunteer positions, extracurricular activities, and other extensive obligations that rob us from precious time together. Our school-aged kids are older now and have events scheduled more frequently and for longer durations. With this new family status there also sits the somber realization that we only have X more years with each child. We feel the strong desire to maximize those years with quality and quantity opportunities and life experiences.
And it leaves our home.... HECTIC!!
Have you felt this way? Perhaps you find yourself in a different stage of life from us. Perhaps your kids are still little and you are walking through your day in a half zombie-like state and dreaming of someday achieving eight consecutive hours of sleep. Or perhaps you find that your children will soon or recently just left the nest and you have filled your schedule with new opportunities. Or perhaps you are retired and wonder how you ever had time to work a full-time job with as busy as you find yourself now. Wherever you are...Have you felt HECTIC?
This blog is created to offer tips and hints to help you navigate through the busy years; To help you reclaim precious minutes of your day that can be invested into things in which you are passionate. I don't have it all figured out...I just enjoy any help I can get and I love to pass it along.
But as the years have progressed, our family calendar has filled with sports, volunteer positions, extracurricular activities, and other extensive obligations that rob us from precious time together. Our school-aged kids are older now and have events scheduled more frequently and for longer durations. With this new family status there also sits the somber realization that we only have X more years with each child. We feel the strong desire to maximize those years with quality and quantity opportunities and life experiences.
And it leaves our home.... HECTIC!!
Have you felt this way? Perhaps you find yourself in a different stage of life from us. Perhaps your kids are still little and you are walking through your day in a half zombie-like state and dreaming of someday achieving eight consecutive hours of sleep. Or perhaps you find that your children will soon or recently just left the nest and you have filled your schedule with new opportunities. Or perhaps you are retired and wonder how you ever had time to work a full-time job with as busy as you find yourself now. Wherever you are...Have you felt HECTIC?
This blog is created to offer tips and hints to help you navigate through the busy years; To help you reclaim precious minutes of your day that can be invested into things in which you are passionate. I don't have it all figured out...I just enjoy any help I can get and I love to pass it along.
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