Meaty Red Sauce

My friend gave me permission to post her awesome red sauce recipe.  We love it!
I admit I'm a little bit persnickety about red sauce.

I don't like it too chunky or too runny.
I don't like it too acidic or too sweet.
I like meat in it, but not too much.
I like it flavorful, but not so much that it overpowers everything else.

I suppose you could say that my journey to satisfying red sauce has been a long and difficult one.

I have no beautiful food photos to offer; just a simple recipe that we absolutely LOVE.


Awesome Red Sauce

100 oz. tomato sauce
28 oz. tomato puree
28 oz. water
12 oz. tomato paste
2 T. each oregano, basil, Italian seasoning
1/2 T. garlic salt
1/4-1/2 c. sugar
1-3 beef bullion cubes
2# meat, cooked (We use 1# ground beef/ 1# bulk sausage.)

Combine all ingredients in stock pot.  Simmer about 4 hours.
Portion into freezer-safe containers.

Enjoy!

It's a DIY Miracle! ($0.90 Personalized Pillar Candle with $2 DIY Hurricane)

I like pretty things.

I do not, however, spend lots of money on pretty things.

I also do not have the Crafting gene.  Crafts make me twitch.  It's all the mess and the perfection that's required, and the concentration/focus... as well as the personal failure you feel when you don't get the results you were hoping for. 

(That's what I've heard, anyway.)

BUT!  When I came across this little project, I knew that I, LO, EVEN I could do this!

Behold:  the DIY hurricane, sporting a DIY monogrammed pillar candle!

(I also do not have the photography gene.)

For the Hurricane, I used the these supplies, purchased from Dollar Tree:

• glass candlestick 
• tall glass vase

Now, these instructions are PRET-TY tricky, so play close attention.

1. Apply super glue to the top rim of the candlestick.
2. Place the vase atop the candlestick, exactly in the center.  (DUH.)
3. Place a small book on top, just for slight pressure, until the glue is dry.**

**Note:  It would be pretty embarrassing to admit it, but if you did a little happy dance and puffed your chest out at all the craftiness which you obviously possess, it would be perfectly acceptable in the privacy of your own home.

Garden

Does a gardener ever get over the wonder of plant life?

I love the smell of tomato plants.  If Eau de Tomato were available, I'd totally wear it.

I had two little rows of green beans, but alas, they are no more. 

To the fat little bunny who nibbled them down to nubs:

WATCH OUT.  I HAVE HALF A MIND TO CATCH YOU AND PUT YOU IN MY SOUP POT.

This baby bell pepper is so cute, wedged in there. 

(Even cuter, though:  the baby jalapenos!)

My snow peas are just about done.  They don't appreciate the 90+-degree weather we've had.

Very few of them made it into the house anyway.  The girls loved eating them right off of the plants!

 For the record, when the pumpkin seed package tells you to allow eight feet of space all around your pumpkin plant, you should definitely obey.  These monsters are threatening to choke out my parsley, several pepper plants, and especially my basil, which is doing exceptionally well!  (Same thing goes for Eau de Basil, by the way.)

I have a couple watermelon plants back there by the mysterious blue bucket also. They're not nearly as invasive as the pumpkins.  I'm thinking of ripping out a couple of the really huge vines, since the root base isn't doing well anyway. 

How's your garden growing?

Wanted: Personal Assistant!

The Proverbs 31 woman had hired help.  Someday I hope to be like her, especially in that respect.  Currently on my to-do list:

1. Function as Director of the 4's, 5's, and K's, and also a Team Leader, in our church's Vacation Bible School program.
2. Fill out & submit health insurance paperwork for myself and all three girls.
3. Get in approximately 1000 hours of piano practice. 
4. Self-medicate a mild but irritating case of poison ivy.
5. Finish weeding the garden. 

6. Get my house clean enough to live in safely.
7. Stake the tomato plants.
8. Try not to scratch poison ivy rashes.
9. Determine why we keep getting overcharged by our cell phone company.
10. Continue training the baby to keep her shoes on.

11. Maintain a positive attitude while scaling the steep slope of Mt. Laundry.
12. Get back on The Exercise Bandwagon.
13. Get back on The Read-Thru-The-Bible-In-A-Year Bandwagon.
14. Get back on The Blogging Bandwagon.  (Clearly, I am the picture of motivation.)
15. Keep working on balancing my out-of-home job (secondary!) with my in-home jobs (primary!).
16. Take Ellia's 3-year pictures.

17. Go grocery shopping.
18. Dust.
19. Find and eliminate the poison ivy in my yard.
20. Scrub the bathtub. 
21. No longer judge any busy woman who has a dirty bathtub.
22. No longer judge any mother whose children are a little bit wild.
23. Plan a menu.
24. Find a way to deter the resident mole from tunneling through our front lawn. 
25. Fill the birdfeeder.  Poor little things!
26. Finish pulling weeds in the driveway.
27. (Ugh, good grief.)  CLEAN EYEGLASSES, for Pete's sake.
28. Continue treating Brienna's sunburn.  (Yes, I am the leading candidate for Worst Mom Ever Award.)

29. Establish meaningful contact with my parents, who by now have probably concluded that I am dead or dying.
30. Go through every belonging we possess & purge ruthlessly for a garage sale.
31. Obtain cheap yet sturdy school clothing for Olivia.

and et cetera... 
Anyone out there up for the job?

Craft: Headband Holder

The girls and I did a quick (and cute!) project yesterday:

a headband holder! 

Supplies

• 1 empty oats canister
• enough paper to wrap around the canister
• glue stick/mod podge/tape... or the adhesive of your choice



Instructions

1. Cut the paper down to size.
2. Adhere paper to canister.
3. Place headbands on headband holder.

They love it!  And their brushes, combs, and detangling spray all fit inside!

I *Heart* Markdowns! (subtitled: How to Know if You're Getting Old)

We'd been without fruit for about 4 days, and the kids were missing it. 
So was I.

So I bundled everyone up and headed to the nearest grocery store--about a mile away.  It's not in a good neighborhood, and not exactly known for being the cheapest, most well-stocked store.  But I was tired, and so were the girls.  Their flier advertised a good sale on strawberries and pears, so off we went.

I nearly squealed with delight when I noticed several packages and bundles of marked-down produce, sitting dejectedly at the end of an unused register!  Now, who says God doesn't ordain our steps?!? 

a bag of Tropicana oranges:  $1.49

a head of cauliflower:  $1.39

4-packs of pears:  $0.89 each

not pictured:  packages of turkey bacon for $1 each, chicken pieces for $0.89/lb., and ground turkey for $1.88/lb.

I'm still feeling all warm & fuzzy inside at the thought of snagging such great deals!

Does this make me weird?

Old?

Crazy?

Lame?

Geeky?

Christmas Goodies

Last night I made our fourth batch of this sinful Christmas goody. 

(We haven't eaten all four batches... most of them have been made for parties or gifts.)

(Though we've done our share of snitching.)

(Can't blame us--it's GOOD!)

Here's the recipe:  totally foolproof, and nobody can ever believe it's made with saltine crackers!

Cracker Toffee
6-7 T. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar, lightly packed
about 1/2 sleeve saltine crackers
3/4 c. chocolate chips
additional toppings for garnish, if desired

1)  Preheat oven to 400*.  In a 13x9 pan, place saltine crackers in a single layer, covering as much of the bottom as possible (I cut them to fit).  In a small saucepan, slowly bring butter and brown sugar to a boil.  Boil about 2 minutes, stirring often, until mixture is bubble and a little foamy-looking.  Pour over tops of crackers & gently spread to cover evenly.

 

2)  Bake for 5 minutes.  Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.

3)  When chips are melty, spread gently to cover surface of crackers.  Sprinkle with your choice of toppings, if desired.  I use colored sugar, toffee bits, crushed candy canes, and the like. 

4)When toffee has cooled completely (fridge is recommended!), slide a spatula under toffee to separate it from pan.  Break into pieces and devour.

Or, give it grudgingly as a gift.
We can't get enough! 
What's your go-to sweet recipe?

In the Kitchen

I've been spending some extra time in my kitchen of late, making a few extras.  We've been trying to squeeze every last cent out of our lean budget, and since necessity is the mother of invention--er, discovery, I've made several things from scratch.  Or at least, closer to scratch than usual.

Double batch of cream of chicken soup and placed in freezer (total of 4 "cans"). 

Dry onion soup mix, x2 (total of 4 "packets")

A dozen or so cheesy bean & rice burritos for the freezer--a great, inexpensive, healthy convenience food!  Started with 2 bags frozen refried beans and some leftover cilantro-lime rice.  I rolled out a half-batch of tortillas and divvied up the beans & rice, and tossed in some shredded cheese.  Wrapped each burrito in foil and slipped into Ziploc bags.  Voila!  And topped with home-canned salsa, they're infinitely tastier than storebought!

Chocolate Mug Cake ingredients, along with a pretty mug, for the birthday of a chocolate-loving friend who has no oven.  WOW, this was a dangerous discovery indeed.

Powdered Laundry Detergent.  Smells so good.  I just need someone who's willing to run it through a food processor for me!

Baby Wipe Solution.  I didn't do the reusable baby wipes during the summer; the heat & humidity were not condusive to wet cloths sitting around (yuck!).  Now that it's cool, we're back at it.

Intervention

The salsa, it is life-changing.
I just can't stop eating it. 

I think I've got the aroma of garlic and hot peppers coming out my pores, but I don't care.  What better perfume is there, anyway?

I've done a total of 12 jars, so that we'll have enough to last through--you know, the winter? 

Well.
I doubt we'll have a single jar left by the time my birthday rolls around  (late October).  As promised, here is the recipe. 

Make it if you dare.

I-Need-An-Intervention Salsa
Yield:  8 pints

Ingredients:
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
6 pounds (about 12) tomatoes, peeled and chopped
4 small jalapeno peppers, mostly seeded & finely chopped (Use gloves, friends!  Trust me and my tear ducts on this one!)
3 green peppers, chopped
2 (6-oz.) cans tomato paste
½ c. white vinegar
6 cloves garlic, minced
1½ T. salt
1 T. cayenne pepper
1½ t. cumin
¼ c. brown sugar
¼ c. white sugar
2 c. cilantro, chopped (about 1 bunch, store-bought)

8 pint canning jars with lids & rings

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer until thick, roughly 2-3 hours.

2. Pack salsa into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within ¼ inch of the top. Remove air bubbles; wipe the rims of the jars; top with warmed lids and rings.

3. Bring to a full boil, cover, and process for 10-15 minutes, being sure to leave at least 1 inch of water above jars.

4. Remove jars and place on a cloth-covered surface, several inches apart, until cool. Refrigerate after opening.

 
Or, if you're like me:
eat and eat until the jar is empty.  No refrigeration needed.

To-Do List of One.

My to-do list for today has but one item on it, and it involves (in part) these:

By day's end, these fragrant beauties will be gone.  In their place will stand 8 jars of Hot & Sweet Salsa! 

I can hardly wait!  (Recipe to follow)

I also aim to can about ten pounds of pears, many of which were given to us by a friend whose yard boasts two pear trees. 

Earlier in the week, I put up 38 cups of green beans.  I feel like I've been livin' in the kitchen, but I don't mind!

How have your gardens been doing this summer?  Are you into food preservation?

Resolution Review: July 2010

Happy (almost) August!  Just checking in to log my progress regarding my New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I'm doing monthly reviews, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month.
Here's how I did for July:

• Start and/or maintain healthy habits... check!  I did the TaeBo videos several times in June; even though TaoBo is INFINTELY more fun than Pilates, I still longed to get outside and RUN!  Finally, after receiving the green light from my bodyguard (Love you, Nate!), I've been running nearly every day since.  It's just around the block--most of it is a busy main street--but it's better than exercising in front of the TV!  The block is .6 miles, and I'm running it three times most mornings. 

          I lost 6 pounds in July, bringing my total to 31 pounds.  My goal for 2010 was to lose 30 pounds; I can hardly believe I've actually accomplished it--in 7 months!  Losing weight is not easy for me, (If it's easy for you, do me a favor and DON'T tell me!)  and I have to give God the credit for granting self-denial and perseverance.  Although my 30-pound goal has been met, my ultimate goal is 40 pounds--what I weighed on my wedding day.  I have a feeling these final 10 pounds won't come off without a BIG fight, so my weight loss goal for August is 3 pounds. 

• Go one one date per month...check!  We went out last night; a big thanks goes to Justin & Kelly for babysitting.

• Spend less...check, I think!  I threw out a whole wad of receipts, without realizing that they hadn't yet been recorded.  But we've not splurged on anything, so my guess is that July was fairly typical.

• Host guests once per month... check!  We had Nate's brother Ryan and his family over for dinner, along with Kathy (my friend who taught me to sew).

How'd you do with your resolutions in July?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

It's so exciting to watch my little garden grow!  I have only a handful of plants, but perhaps one day, when I have a sunnier yard and I'm not lactating or gestating...I'll grow some of everything.

The Garden

My poor tomato plants went unsupported til just last week.  They've got little bitty marble-sized tomatoes, and I can't stop looking at them!  They're so cute!  In addition to eating the tomatoes this summer, I hope to do a little canning as well. 

Jalapeno peppers.  Mmmm.  I see a lot of pico de gallo in my future.  Also these.  Be still, my spicy-lovin' heart.

Bell Peppers.

Zucchini.  Okay, so I got a little carried away.  Thankfully, it freezes well. 

Parsley.  Hello there, parsley.  You're looking fine.

And my one lone yellow squash plant, the only one that came up.  Sadly, the rest of the row sits in the shade until about 4 p.m. 

A couple weeks ago, after I finished weeding in here, I noticed a small patch of dirt.  It was empty, plant-less.  Kind of lonely-looking.  So I did what every conscientous gardener does.  I dumped a handful of basil seeds in there and covered 'em up.  And looky there... teeny weeny BASIL!

But look at this, friends.

This, oh THIS...  this is going to help me make mounds and mounds of cilantro-lime rice.  (only I will use about 1/2 c., rather than the 3 T. called for)  And lime-cilantro crema to drizzle on my tacos.  And my trusty pico de gallo.

I love you, Cilantro. 

I'm almost afraid to snip off any of your fragrant leaves, in fact.

What are you growing?

Freezer Cooking Day: Wrapping up with WW Pancakes

I borrowed eggs from my kind neighbor & whipped out a double batch of these yummy, healthy pancakes for the freezer. I clipped the recipe from a magazine, but I can't seem to locate the link. Here's the recipe--the girls love 'em, and so does their mama! Daddy, though? Not so much. More for us!

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
2-1/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 egg
3 T. oil or melted butter
2 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
2 bananas, mashed (other fruit options: 2/3 c. mashed or pureed blueberries, or pumpkin)

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl.
Pour wet into dry and mix thoroughly. Batter will be thick.
Pour by 1/3 cupfuls onto prepared griddle or pan & cook til golden brown.
Yield: 14 pancakes

To freeze, cut 14 squares of wax paper. Stack cooled pancakes, separated by wax paper, and place in a large Ziploc or other freezer container. I'm told they'll keep for about a month, but we don't let them sit around long enough to find out!

To reheat, pop frozen pancakes in a toaster, just as you would frozen waffles. Or heat in the microwave.

And my freezer cooking list is complete! What a great feeling!

Freezer Cooking Day: a smashing success!

Wow, I'm pooped! After nearly 7 hours in the kitchen, I'm ready to take the evening off.
I got all but one item crossed off of my list--whole wheat banana pancakes. I realized that I'd miscalculated the number of eggs I would need. Oops.

But it was almost 4, the girls were waking from naptime, and I was out of steam! I'll see about getting the pancakes done later this week. Other than that, though, the day went off without a hitch! And to top it all off, my crock pot meatloaf that I pulled from the freezer is nearly done. I'll warm up mashed potatoes & gravy, leftover from yesterday... throw a couple freshly-made butterhorns in the oven, and BAM! Dinner's done!

Here's the haul:














Butterhorns (32)
Olive Cheese Bread x2 (This doubled recipe actually made 6 servings, since the girls won't touch it.)
Breakfast Cookies x2
Chicken Spaghetti x2
Stove Top Meatloaf x2
Basic Meatballs x2
Pizza Dough x4
Chopped onions x4 (1/2 cup each)
Taco meat x3
Pinto Beans (4 "cans")
Refried Beans (3 "cans")
Chicken Broth (6 "cans")

And now, I'm off to play with my kiddos!

Cooking up a storm!

So far freezer cooking day is going great! I didn't really get started until about 9, and look at all I've been able to get done! 6 "cans" homemade chicken broth, 3# taco meat, 9 dozen meatballs, 4 pizza crusts, 2 pans chicken spaghetti, and butterhorn dough. Whew! I'm glad I had a frozen meatloaf to throw in the crockpot for tonight!
As I assembled the Chicken Spaghetti, I started feeling jittery. Brienna wanted to nurse, so I figured I'd better eat, too. Melissa has been wonderful this morning, taking the girls outside to play and take a walk, doing fingerpainting (brave soul!), playing with modeling clay, and feeding them lunch.

I'd better get back at it!

Freezer Cooking Day: The Night Before

Dishes are washed & put away (proud of me, Mom? PUT AWAY!)...

Countertop is cleared...

Preparations have been made--beans are soaking; bananas, broth, and beans are thawing; butter is softening.

Let the cooking day begin!

I'll try to remember to update during the day tomorrow as I'm able.

Freezer Cooking Day: April 2010

As much as I love to cook, I don't like to spend the afternoon and evening in the kitchen! I recently hinted at freezer cooking , sometimes referred to as once-a-month-cooking, and I'm almost ready!

Here's how I'm going about it:

1. Secure a date. Mine is Monday, April 5.
2. Secure childcare, if necessary. Our heaven-sent angel Melissa has Mondays off, and she's coming over to tend to the girls while I cook like a madwoman.
3. Decide on the items you want to freeze.
4. Make a list of the necessary ingredients, along with quantities needed (TWENTY cups of flour) (!).
5. Check those items which you already have. The un-checked items=ready-made shopping list!

6. Double check with husband regarding mile-long shopping list. Assure him that your family will SAVE money in the long run!
7. Scour sale ads and dig through your coupons.
8. Devise your play-by-play for Cooking Day. Consider necessary counter space (rolling out yeast rolls?), oven use, time needs (using a crock pot? waiting for pizza dough to rise?), and clean-up times.













All I've got to do now is go shopping--for me, almost as fun as Cooking Day itself.

Here's my list of items for Monday:

Butterhorns (makes 32)
Olive Cheese Bread x2
Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes x2
Breakfast Cookies x2
Chicken Spaghetti x2
Stove Top Meatloaf x2
Basic Meatballs x2
Pizza Dough x2 (total of 4 crusts)
Chopped onions x4 (1/2 cup each)
Taco meat x3
Beans (2 bags=8 cans)
Refried Beans x3

Ambitious much?
Have you ever done freezer cooking?

Resurrection Eggs

Ever heard of these? What a super-duper object lesson to reinforce the events of Passion Week!

I got the basic idea here, but I swapped a few of the verses.

Start by emptying an egg carton and decorating it.

Number 12 plastic eggs. Fill them with the appropriate objects...
...along with their corresponding Scripture verses.
for example: Egg #1 contains a plastic branch or leaf, along with Mark 11:7-10. It symbolizes Jesus' triumphal entry.

Place the eggs in their (numbered) spaces.


Olivia loves her Resurrection Eggs!
It'll be an exciting week, especially when we get to Egg #12!
Hint: It's EMPTY!!!

I'm a geek, and I don't care who knows it.

When I was in college, my life was held together by a little thing called a planner. Did you have one? They were kind of "in," which was a very good thing. Everything that needed remembering got scribbled into the planner.

Well. Not scribbled. More like entered meticulously in color-coded ink. I was a little infatuated with my planners. What a geek, right? But I would've failed miserably without them. And HEY, I was never surprised by a quiz or a test!

When I became a (REAL! LIVE!) teacher, my planners were even more crucial. You can't have the teacher forgetting about a quiz, after all! I had a job that was important, and I wanted to do it--all of it--well. (Plus, I could NOT have my parent-teacher conferences overlapping with my dates with Nate! Priorities, people!)

The point is this: The busier my life became, the more crucial it became to plan.

This job that I hold right now--that of wife, mother, and homekeeper--it's the most important job I'll ever have. I've been foolish to think I could do my job well by trying to keep track of everything in my head. I finally found myself running in circles, always busy but never feeling like I got anything done.

Then, I saw this post. And I knew I needed my planner back in my life.

Meet my new best friend:
Homekeeping Planner

WARNING: If you often find yourself laughing aloud at organized people, please turn away now. These photos are not for geekophobes. They're gruesome.

The cover

The first page: 2010 Goals. How can I improve myself, my home, and my relationships if I don't have goals? Keeping these in the forefront is important!

Schedules & Routines (on the left). My daily cleaning schedule, along with our basic daily routine. On the right are the week's lists...things to do, places to go, people to see/contact.








The week's menu plan and grocery list












A Monthly Plan, including health goals, monthly cleaning tasks, and birthdays & anniversaries for the month.












Freezer Cooking Day. I've yet to attempt one, but April 5th is the anticipated date of my first!












I've even got a page for blogging.












A projected reading list and some topics of interest that I'd like to pursue.












I can't tell you how much more efficient my days have been these last 3 weeks or so! What do you do to achieve maximum efficiency?

Homemade Baby Wipes

I'm trying my hand at reuseable baby wipes.
(Not brave enough to use them for Ellia's messy diapers. Gross!)
A cinch to make, and it saves us money!

I scored this box of small, thin washcloths from freecycle. Must be at least 150 washcloths in there!











Made up the soap solution:
3 cups water
2 T. olive oil
2 T. baby wash (I used the lavender scent)
2 drops tea tree oil



Then, I swished several cloths in the solution and squeezed almost all of it out.



Placed the moistened cloths in an empty wipes container.

And that's it!