Now that I am happily unemployed (well, relatively, I do still sell Thirty One Gifts and work in the nursery on Sundays), I'm working on getting this house under control!
Today I've decided to tackle the guest bedroom- aka the junk room. Unfortunately, when we moved we downsized. I've donated, given away and thrown out tons of things in the three years we have lived here, but somehow we still have too much junk!
Part of it is my unwillingness to get rid of some of my craft items. I want to paint more, I want to cross stitch more- I want to finish those latch hook projects- but I just don't have the time to do it. Still, I find it hard to move out my items.
Part of the problem is that the house also came with furniture I don't want and don't need- but we have to find a place to "cram". If we stick it outside in the garage and it gets ruined, it's still our fault, even though we've asked them to remove what we don't want. Sigh.
So, I'm working on trying to condense what I can't bring myself to donate or give away. I'm trying to put all the unwanted furniture in the guestroom. It's not going to give folks who need to stay the most luxurious room in the house, but it comes down to inconveniencing one person for a day or two, versus everyone in the house all the time.
I definitely think this is going to be longer than a one day project! Accccck!
-Kristen
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Awesome Diced Potatoes
You'll Need:
*3-4 medium sized russet potatoes. Adjust this based on the amount of people you will be feeding, but these are great- you'll end up scarfing them up, trust me.
* Lipton's/Great Value/Whatever Onion Soup Mix (1 packet)
* 1 tbsp. of Olive Oil.
Peel and dice your potatoes.
In a baking dish, mix your potatoes with the Olive Oil, making sure they are coated. You don't want them too oily. These cook better if they aren't piled up too deeply in your baking dish, so try to keep them to a thin layer.
Dump in your soup mix and stir well, making sure the potatoes are well coated.
Pop in to the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, making sure to keep a check on them. Stir occasionally.
You're done! Delicious! This recipe can also be adjusted to use canned potatoes quite easily- just reduce cooking time in the oven.
-Kristen
*3-4 medium sized russet potatoes. Adjust this based on the amount of people you will be feeding, but these are great- you'll end up scarfing them up, trust me.
* Lipton's/Great Value/Whatever Onion Soup Mix (1 packet)
* 1 tbsp. of Olive Oil.
Peel and dice your potatoes.
In a baking dish, mix your potatoes with the Olive Oil, making sure they are coated. You don't want them too oily. These cook better if they aren't piled up too deeply in your baking dish, so try to keep them to a thin layer.
Dump in your soup mix and stir well, making sure the potatoes are well coated.
Pop in to the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, making sure to keep a check on them. Stir occasionally.
You're done! Delicious! This recipe can also be adjusted to use canned potatoes quite easily- just reduce cooking time in the oven.
-Kristen
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Canning
I'm doing more canning this year- I've found it so darn convenient- I love taking an hour to make 3-4 times the amount of something I need, if it means I will only take 10 minutes to use it later on!
For instance- tonight we had French Onion Soup for dinner. My preferred recipe can take forever to make and messes up multiple dishes (pots, pans, the mandolin slicer, measuring spoons, etc. Not to mention I have to get all that junk out). I also can put it in the exact amounts I need it- we don't end up with WAY too much soup leftover that we have to either toss out or eat until we are sick of it. Money saving! woo hoo! Bags of onions? Cheaper than buying a few at "full" price.
By doing it all at once, I can simply pop open a jar, toss in the croutons and some gruyere cheese and it's done! Today I cut up a small onion (by hand- it's not such a task when it's only ONE) to add a little crunch to the soup. I didn't have to measure a single thing and a dinner that would have taken me an hour to make took 10 minutes.
I plan on canning potatoes this year. I'm able to buy bags of small russets and do all the peeling, dicing, etc. just once. Then I can pop open a can of potatoes, mix up any ingredients I want (I have a killer recipe coming for you guys- cheap, easy and quick!) and voila- fancy side dish is done. It also will take them a shorter time to cook, since the potatoes cook while being canned.
Don't feel good? Pop open a can of french onion soup instead of ordering pizza. In a hurry? Pop open a can of potatoes to make hashbrowns, instead of paying out the nose for a bag of frozen ones. Not to mention- my salsa tastes way better than the junk you get at Walmart. Sorry- but it's totally true. Healthier too- we don't get all that extra sugar, GMOs, whatever.
There is something satisfying in seeing all that homemade food on your shelves as well. Makes me feel so darn self-sufficient!
-Kristen
For instance- tonight we had French Onion Soup for dinner. My preferred recipe can take forever to make and messes up multiple dishes (pots, pans, the mandolin slicer, measuring spoons, etc. Not to mention I have to get all that junk out). I also can put it in the exact amounts I need it- we don't end up with WAY too much soup leftover that we have to either toss out or eat until we are sick of it. Money saving! woo hoo! Bags of onions? Cheaper than buying a few at "full" price.
By doing it all at once, I can simply pop open a jar, toss in the croutons and some gruyere cheese and it's done! Today I cut up a small onion (by hand- it's not such a task when it's only ONE) to add a little crunch to the soup. I didn't have to measure a single thing and a dinner that would have taken me an hour to make took 10 minutes.
I plan on canning potatoes this year. I'm able to buy bags of small russets and do all the peeling, dicing, etc. just once. Then I can pop open a can of potatoes, mix up any ingredients I want (I have a killer recipe coming for you guys- cheap, easy and quick!) and voila- fancy side dish is done. It also will take them a shorter time to cook, since the potatoes cook while being canned.
Don't feel good? Pop open a can of french onion soup instead of ordering pizza. In a hurry? Pop open a can of potatoes to make hashbrowns, instead of paying out the nose for a bag of frozen ones. Not to mention- my salsa tastes way better than the junk you get at Walmart. Sorry- but it's totally true. Healthier too- we don't get all that extra sugar, GMOs, whatever.
There is something satisfying in seeing all that homemade food on your shelves as well. Makes me feel so darn self-sufficient!
-Kristen
Monday, July 22, 2013
Benefits of Eating In-
I was thinking today- as I often do. The topic was money and how to acquire more of it, or keep more of what I have- as it often is.
I thought of the website 5 Dollar Dinners and said to myself "Hmm. $5 a dinner for a month is $150. Fast Food at $12 for 2 people is $360. $20 a dinner (going out to a decent place for 2 people) is $600! WOW."
That's right. Eating at home can save so much money. I know most of us won't spend $20 a meal every night, but think about it this way- Let's say you go out for a sit down dinner twice a week (let's call it dinner on the weekend), and grab fast food one night a week. That's $72 in food that week, compared to $35 making a $5 dinner each night. Wowza- that's twice the cost.
Sometimes you can come in better than $5 by eating out. For instance- by utilizing a Papa John's coupon code tonight, I got a large pizza with tons of toppings for $8.54. We'll get two meals (for 2 people) off the one pizza, coming out to $4.27 for each meal.
Now is the time to start if you are interested in making cheaper meals. Cheap corn is easily frozen. You can go ahead and can your tomatoes, freeze your peppers- whatever you want to do. I'm going to try canning potatoes this year as a quick to prepare and inexpensive side dish.
Couponing and working the sales is essential to making cheap dinners. When you do go out, utilize coupons and bring home leftovers! $20 for your two people meal out isn't a budget buster if you get two meals off of it!
Drink water! That helps cut the costs of eating out as well.
The benefits to eating at home extend beyond saving money. You know what is in your food, how it was prepared, you don't have to wait in line to get it and it always is going to be just the way you like it.
I'm currently working on eating in more. It's satisfying to make your own meal and even more satisfying to make it with ingredients you grew or hand chose.
-Kristen
I thought of the website 5 Dollar Dinners and said to myself "Hmm. $5 a dinner for a month is $150. Fast Food at $12 for 2 people is $360. $20 a dinner (going out to a decent place for 2 people) is $600! WOW."
That's right. Eating at home can save so much money. I know most of us won't spend $20 a meal every night, but think about it this way- Let's say you go out for a sit down dinner twice a week (let's call it dinner on the weekend), and grab fast food one night a week. That's $72 in food that week, compared to $35 making a $5 dinner each night. Wowza- that's twice the cost.
Sometimes you can come in better than $5 by eating out. For instance- by utilizing a Papa John's coupon code tonight, I got a large pizza with tons of toppings for $8.54. We'll get two meals (for 2 people) off the one pizza, coming out to $4.27 for each meal.
Now is the time to start if you are interested in making cheaper meals. Cheap corn is easily frozen. You can go ahead and can your tomatoes, freeze your peppers- whatever you want to do. I'm going to try canning potatoes this year as a quick to prepare and inexpensive side dish.
Couponing and working the sales is essential to making cheap dinners. When you do go out, utilize coupons and bring home leftovers! $20 for your two people meal out isn't a budget buster if you get two meals off of it!
Drink water! That helps cut the costs of eating out as well.
The benefits to eating at home extend beyond saving money. You know what is in your food, how it was prepared, you don't have to wait in line to get it and it always is going to be just the way you like it.
I'm currently working on eating in more. It's satisfying to make your own meal and even more satisfying to make it with ingredients you grew or hand chose.
-Kristen
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Google It!
I am giving making yeast rolls once last shot. I always manage to royally screw it up, most recently adding too much salt. It should be noted that this is the same recipe I use for my homemade bread, so I really should have a better handle on it, but what can I say... it's my Achilles Heel.
I turned on the bread machine and it appeared to be stuck on a 4 hour bake cycle. I tried several things- holding the on/off button for 10 seconds. Unplugging it, then plugging it back in. Randomly mashing buttons while cursing at it. I tried everything ya'll.
Now this is where you can save some money. I could have chunked it out and bought a new one. I could have taken it in to be repaired somewhere.
Instead, I jumped on google and looked up "Panasonic bread machine won't change functions". <-- eloquent, no? Instantly up came pages of people who had the same problem. The solution? Hold the on/off button until it turns off, then hit the timer button. Voila, it functions again.
Woo hoo! Saved myself having to buy a new machine or pay someone to do the exact same thing! So next time you have an appliance or item that went a little wonky for no reason- simply google what it's doing. Chances are, someone online has a simple solution for fixing your problem!
-Kristen
I turned on the bread machine and it appeared to be stuck on a 4 hour bake cycle. I tried several things- holding the on/off button for 10 seconds. Unplugging it, then plugging it back in. Randomly mashing buttons while cursing at it. I tried everything ya'll.
Now this is where you can save some money. I could have chunked it out and bought a new one. I could have taken it in to be repaired somewhere.
Instead, I jumped on google and looked up "Panasonic bread machine won't change functions". <-- eloquent, no? Instantly up came pages of people who had the same problem. The solution? Hold the on/off button until it turns off, then hit the timer button. Voila, it functions again.
Woo hoo! Saved myself having to buy a new machine or pay someone to do the exact same thing! So next time you have an appliance or item that went a little wonky for no reason- simply google what it's doing. Chances are, someone online has a simple solution for fixing your problem!
-Kristen
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Garden Robber
We lost another tomato to our garden robber. This is the second tomato that has been partially eaten on the vine. Add in an already pitiful yield and we just can't afford to lose more produce!
I think the obnoxious, whiny birds that are living around the house are robbing our plants of their ripened tomatoes. We've managed to get two tiny little tomatoes, approximately roma sized, off of our "Better Boy" plants. Ugh.
I think I will tie a plastic bag to one of our tomato sticks and position it near the plants that are fruiting. Hopefully the bag moving in the wind will discourage the small birds from scarfing up our vegetables.
The chickens enjoyed getting what was left of the tomato, again, so at least it wasn't a complete waste.
I also purchased the book "Container Gardening for Dummies" yesterday from a clearance table. Hopefully it has some helpful hints and tips for me!
-Kristen
I think the obnoxious, whiny birds that are living around the house are robbing our plants of their ripened tomatoes. We've managed to get two tiny little tomatoes, approximately roma sized, off of our "Better Boy" plants. Ugh.
I think I will tie a plastic bag to one of our tomato sticks and position it near the plants that are fruiting. Hopefully the bag moving in the wind will discourage the small birds from scarfing up our vegetables.
The chickens enjoyed getting what was left of the tomato, again, so at least it wasn't a complete waste.
I also purchased the book "Container Gardening for Dummies" yesterday from a clearance table. Hopefully it has some helpful hints and tips for me!
-Kristen
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Jalapeno Happiness
We went to visit with some folks from our church today. It wasn't
the best day for it, since Tim and I are both exhausted from a long
night at a rabbit show. We didn't get home until the wee hours of this
morning. While I got more sleep than he did, I still feel ready to
drop.
Regardless, we went to eat lunch with the couple and the lady, Diane, offered Tim a big, beautiful bowl of Jalapenos to take home with him.
It seems that while she loves to grow them, she doesn't care for the spicy jalapenos. Of course, her plants are fruiting like crazy, while ours have only a single, pitiful jalapeno on them. At least the one I thought was dead is finally beginning to bloom! The rain we have had lately has everyone worried about small harvests.
I'm trying to decide what exactly we will do with all these jalapenos. Tim isn't a big fan of pickled jalapenos, but I may try a jar again anyway. I know he'll eat some fresh or in various dishes.
I definitely think I am going to try making a small batch of "Cowboy Candy"- aka Candied Jalapenos. I figure if they don't turn out well, at least we didn't spend a lot of money or use our entire crop of jalapenos on them. I also want to include a jar or two in some Christmas gifts!
-Kristen
Regardless, we went to eat lunch with the couple and the lady, Diane, offered Tim a big, beautiful bowl of Jalapenos to take home with him.
It seems that while she loves to grow them, she doesn't care for the spicy jalapenos. Of course, her plants are fruiting like crazy, while ours have only a single, pitiful jalapeno on them. At least the one I thought was dead is finally beginning to bloom! The rain we have had lately has everyone worried about small harvests.
I'm trying to decide what exactly we will do with all these jalapenos. Tim isn't a big fan of pickled jalapenos, but I may try a jar again anyway. I know he'll eat some fresh or in various dishes.
I definitely think I am going to try making a small batch of "Cowboy Candy"- aka Candied Jalapenos. I figure if they don't turn out well, at least we didn't spend a lot of money or use our entire crop of jalapenos on them. I also want to include a jar or two in some Christmas gifts!
-Kristen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)