Today is the one week with no dishes left behind mark. I am so proud of us and most especially of G. When given the option of either handwashing 2 dishes or unloading the dishwasher and then putting those 2 dishes in....he chose to UNLOAD THE DISHWASHER! This is a step in the right direction. I thanked him profusely for stepping it up. :)
Today is Sunday which means meal planning and grocery shopping. My fun day!
Sunday
Lunch - Leftover amazing pasta from last night's dinner
Dinner - Baked cajun tilapia and green beans
Monday
Lunch - More of that amazing leftover pasta
Dinner - Taco Salad
Tuesday
Lunch - Leftover taco salad
Dinner - Asian marinated pork chops, mac and cheese and veggies
Wednesday
Lunch - Leftover pork chops
Dinner - Honey Sesame Chicken (yes we had this last week but it was SO good and SO easy we're having it again!) with brown rice and peas
Thursday
Lunch - Leftover honey sesame chicken
Dinner - We have a groupon for VA BBQ
Friday
Lunch - Peant butter and jelly sandwich
Dinner - Book club night so I'll be eating wherever we meet up.
Saturday
Lunch - I'll probably grab lunch while I'm out...I'm helping friends paint their new place
Dinner - TBD
Yesterday I made my dog-children some homemade doggy treats. Recipe below:
Before you start: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1) In one bowl mix 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1 tbsp. honey, 1/4 cup water, splash of chicken broth, 1 egg. Mix until completely incorporated and the peanut butter blends in completely.
2) In a seperate bowl mix 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of oat flour (just put plain oats in a chopper or food processor to make oat flour)
3) Pour the dry ingredient combination into the wet ingredient combination and mix until it becomes dough-y. You may need to add more flour if this is too liquidy for you.
4) Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter and spread the dough out to about 1/4" thickness. I read other places to roll it out but the roller just gets messy and sticky so just use your hands.
5) Use a cookie cutter to cut out your shapes. The size of the shapes should be the same size as the treat you would want to give your dog. Not too big. I snagged some dog bone shaped cookie cutters from a yard sale last week for $1. WOOT!
6) Place the cut out pieces on an grease or ungreased cookie sheet. I'm not sure which since I used a silpat so if you have one, use it...makes it easier to deal with.
7) You can arrange the treats next to each other as they will not spread, but don't allow them to touch.
8) Bake for 25 minutes.
9) Remove from over and cool them on a wire rack.
10) After completely cooled try giving one to your pup for their approval. I guarantee they'll love it! Mine do.
***This recipe was a combination of a few different recipes I found online. Every dog is different and have different allergies. Please discuss this option with your veterinarian before attempting. I am not responsible for any situations that may arise from your use of my recipe above. ***
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Sweet
It appears that I have had visitors on this site from Germany and Russia.
Helloooooooo out there! :)
Helloooooooo out there! :)
Thursday, July 26, 2012
No Dish Left Behind
The other day I created a new rule. I am also the ENFORCER (I sound authoritative don't I?)
Every night, no dish will be left unwashed. Either handwashed or in the dishwasher. If the dishwasher is full then handwash it is while it runs. If the dishwasher is done, we unload it.
G despises anything cleaning related. I will convert him yet!
So far so good. We started Sunday night and everything is going great. I just threw dinner in the oven and did all of my dishes used to prepare it are already done! BAM!
There is one caveat. If it doesn't get done at night, it is allowable to do them in the morning but they MUST be done first thing. If it makes you late for work, well then you should have done them that night. We haven't had to do that part yet because we're still rocking the dishes at night situation.
Wish us luck!
Every night, no dish will be left unwashed. Either handwashed or in the dishwasher. If the dishwasher is full then handwash it is while it runs. If the dishwasher is done, we unload it.
G despises anything cleaning related. I will convert him yet!
So far so good. We started Sunday night and everything is going great. I just threw dinner in the oven and did all of my dishes used to prepare it are already done! BAM!
There is one caveat. If it doesn't get done at night, it is allowable to do them in the morning but they MUST be done first thing. If it makes you late for work, well then you should have done them that night. We haven't had to do that part yet because we're still rocking the dishes at night situation.
Wish us luck!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
How My Brain Works
Just a small glimpse into the inner workings of my brain.
I cut this onion and this is what my brain instantly went to........
Does anyone else see it? Snorks is a registered trademark of Hanna-Barbera.
I cut this onion and this is what my brain instantly went to........
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Homemade
Lately I have become more and more obsessed with "homemade" items. Thanks to Pinterest I now have ideas that I never would have imagined I could do myself. I want to make homemade seasonings, detergent, shampoo, everything!
So far I have made homemade air freshener (baking soda and lavender essential oil), vanilla extract (vanilla beans and vodka, in cute little bottles I might add), taco seasoning (waaaaay less sodium than the packaged kind) and tonight I made homemade spaghetti sauce. While I could have gotten a jar of spaghetti sauce for $2, I spent $3 on tomato sauce, tomato paste and diced tomatoes to make my own sauce, just add spices. This made 2 batches, so while I paid more upfront, I will pay less overall. Woot!
I also picked up a few books today from my local library on self-sufficiency and homesteading. Ohhh how the nerd powers have activated!What is up next for me to make from scratch?
-Jet Dry (just use vinegar y'all)
-Dishwasher Detergent
-Spray Bleach Cleaner
These alone will save us a ton of money over the year and I do love saving money.Is there anything you make from scratch? -JJ
So far I have made homemade air freshener (baking soda and lavender essential oil), vanilla extract (vanilla beans and vodka, in cute little bottles I might add), taco seasoning (waaaaay less sodium than the packaged kind) and tonight I made homemade spaghetti sauce. While I could have gotten a jar of spaghetti sauce for $2, I spent $3 on tomato sauce, tomato paste and diced tomatoes to make my own sauce, just add spices. This made 2 batches, so while I paid more upfront, I will pay less overall. Woot!
I also picked up a few books today from my local library on self-sufficiency and homesteading. Ohhh how the nerd powers have activated!What is up next for me to make from scratch?
-Jet Dry (just use vinegar y'all)
-Dishwasher Detergent
-Spray Bleach Cleaner
These alone will save us a ton of money over the year and I do love saving money.Is there anything you make from scratch? -JJ
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Super Market Sweep!
I love grocery shopping!!!
I love going up and down every single aisle. I love the sight, smell and feel of the grocery store. I used to play "grocery store" in the kitchen when I was little. Sliding the cans across the linoleum floor all while screaming BEEEEEP, and then going to the other side of the kitchen, bagging up my purchase and restocking the shelves.
It wasn't until recently that I realized that a lot of people try to avoid the grocery store at all costs. WHY?????
Not only do I like to grocery shop, I am also a bargain shopper. Not an extreme couponer by any means but I love a good deal. There are very few brands that I am loyal to when a cheaper option is available. I also make weekly meal plans. I plan out lunches and dinners for the entire week. The better I plan, the less going out to eat and wasting money.
Here is our meal plan for this week:
I love going up and down every single aisle. I love the sight, smell and feel of the grocery store. I used to play "grocery store" in the kitchen when I was little. Sliding the cans across the linoleum floor all while screaming BEEEEEP, and then going to the other side of the kitchen, bagging up my purchase and restocking the shelves.
It wasn't until recently that I realized that a lot of people try to avoid the grocery store at all costs. WHY?????
Not only do I like to grocery shop, I am also a bargain shopper. Not an extreme couponer by any means but I love a good deal. There are very few brands that I am loyal to when a cheaper option is available. I also make weekly meal plans. I plan out lunches and dinners for the entire week. The better I plan, the less going out to eat and wasting money.
Here is our meal plan for this week:
Sunday
Lunch – Buffalo Wild Wings with Mom
Dinner – Cajun Tilapia and salad
Monday
Lunch – Leftover Pizza
Dinner – Honey Sesame Chicken
Tuesday
Lunch – Honey Sesame Chicken
Dinner – Spaghetti
Wednesday
Lunch – Spaghetti
Dinner – Meatloaf
Thursday
Lunch – Meatloaf
Dinner – Chicken, potatoes and green beans
Friday
Lunch – Chicken, potatoes and green beans
Dinner – McCormick's Sweet Basil and Oregano Bruschetta Chicken
Saturday
Lunch – McCormick's Sweet Basil and Oregano Bruschetta Chicken
Dinner – TBD
Tonight's dinner is almost ready and it smells delicious!
JJ
Why Hello There
Why hello there and welcome to my new blog. While this is a new blog I am not new to blogging. I used to blog on skurdycat.com and then penguintarts.com Don't ask, it was about 8 years ago and the names made sense somehow back then.
I went to lunch with my mom today and we started talking about blogging. She is getting ready to retire and wants to blog about all of the crafts that she does and how she is going to be enjoying retirement. I'm jealous and also nowhere NEAR retirement. So I will have to live vicariously through her.
So why am I starting a blog? I need a place to put all of my crap without clogging up my Facebook feed. I like to post movie reviews, book reviews, recipes, random stuff that makes me laugh or makes me mad, and anything else that strikes my fancy. I hesistate to say my "crafts" because I swear I am slowly turning into my mother and I swore I would never do crafts when I grew up.
This blog will be very light as I need a place to have some happiness. No, I am not depressed. Let me explain. I am currently in grad school studying Forensic Science which means that a large portion of my times is being captivated by the darkest side of humanity. So this will be a happy and smily outlet. While yes, Crime and Punishment is a passion for me, I need to have balance.
This will be my balance. :)
Feel free to stop in and say hello.
JJ
I went to lunch with my mom today and we started talking about blogging. She is getting ready to retire and wants to blog about all of the crafts that she does and how she is going to be enjoying retirement. I'm jealous and also nowhere NEAR retirement. So I will have to live vicariously through her.
So why am I starting a blog? I need a place to put all of my crap without clogging up my Facebook feed. I like to post movie reviews, book reviews, recipes, random stuff that makes me laugh or makes me mad, and anything else that strikes my fancy. I hesistate to say my "crafts" because I swear I am slowly turning into my mother and I swore I would never do crafts when I grew up.
This blog will be very light as I need a place to have some happiness. No, I am not depressed. Let me explain. I am currently in grad school studying Forensic Science which means that a large portion of my times is being captivated by the darkest side of humanity. So this will be a happy and smily outlet. While yes, Crime and Punishment is a passion for me, I need to have balance.
This will be my balance. :)
Feel free to stop in and say hello.
JJ
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