Simply Claudine

Valentine's Day and Red 40..oh my!

2012-01-29T13:34:00.001-05:00

Do any of you avoid Red 40 dye with your children?

We do. It makes my 7 year old bonkers. Literally, nuts. She can't control herself, gets out-of-control silly & loud, and then feels awful (physically and emotionally) later. While she doesn't always like having to say no to treats that contain Red 40 - she is now very aware of the fact that it's not good for her. She tries very hard to make good choices, and fortunately for the most part, it's not too hard to find a substitution (for example at gymnastics when they get a popsicle, she knows to choose a lemon or lime or orange - instead of red, blue or purple).

However, it's the time of year when Valentine's Day classroom parties are being planned. It's not even February yet, and we've already had tearful discussions about how everyone else will be able to eat red treats - and she will not. She's feeling left out of the festivities, isolated, and the holiday hasn't even happened yet!

I've talked to her teacher about why we avoid red 40 dye. It's a stepping stone to making MANY more healthy choices - eventually leading up to ALL food dyes, but for now I'm focusing on red 40 just to make it more manageable. Her teacher seems to "get it" but that doesn't mean I can convince the entire classroom of parents to not bring in anything un-naturally red for this holiday event (let alone for the rest of the school year!).

So my daughter and I have been talking about how she will handle the classroom party. I've set a rule that allows her to choose, from all the red/pink goodies that are not naturally that color (this is important...we'll revisit this in a minute), ONE treat. She will be allowed to have one red or pink item. Meaning, one frosting topped puffy sugar cookie (you know the ones I mean, they show up everywhere) or one cupcake with swirls of red icing, or one whatever of her choosing.

Alternatively, as long as it's not red or pink or some other color that clearly was made using red dye - she can go for it. Generally, we teach moderation when it comes to sweets and treats, but heck...I'm not a monster! She already is limited with her allergy to cow milk, so for this particular holiday I'm willing to let the moderation rule be a little flexible. And, for our contribution to the party, we've signed up for a "healthy snack" and will be bringing Target brand Market Pantry strawberry fruit pull-apart leather. No added sugar, no dyes, no HFCS - all natural, and it's RED! Perfect.

Alright, back to the part about naturally red. We had some confusion early on when we eliminated Red 40 from the line-up of acceptable things. I think it was hard for her to understand that some things are naturally red, and some are not. Shoot...strawberries are red, so in a 7-year old mind (even in a 40-year old mind) why would they add red dye to something that already has strawberries in it?!? I supposed that's a whole other blog post - perhaps written by someone who knows more - but I can see why she would be confused. We made a list on the way to school of some naturally red things to eat that would be safe. She came up with some great ones, and maybe you'll want to investigate more for your classroom party too!

fresh strawberries
fresh cherries
fresh raspberries
red apples
dried versions of the above (or freeze dried) plus dried cranberries
no sugar/dye added fruit leathers in the above flavors - I love the Market Pantry versions, affordable and fun
Yummy Earth lollipops
chocolate (dairy free in her case) even though it's not red...hey, it's CHOCOLATE!
...and many organic brands of gummy candies also use natural colors from black carrot juice or beet juice to make things red...google it and you'll find some options

If you've had any luck avoiding red dye at school and at home with great tasting alternative, please share! Happy Valentine's Day!

Soupy Success

2012-01-22T20:49:00.000-05:00

Today I held my 5th Annual Soup Swap. Man, I love soup!!

Even more than my love of soup, is my love of having friends and family over for a casual gathering. One of the best things about soup swap is that everyone who attends not only gets to go home with 6 quarts of delicious, fresh soup - but it doesn't really cost them anything except time. I love a good home-based-business, don't get me wrong. I try to support stay-at-home moms as much as my budget allows. But honestly, my group of friends is so tired of being invited out to a jewelry party, or a purse party, or a food party - where you're just expected to buy something to be polite, even if you don't really need said item. Not so with a soup swap! Nobody had to pull out their wallet today - and that's a nice feeling.

So, the gist of my swap was that we only had 6 people - good on one hand, because everybody was able to take home each of the other soups, plus one quart of their own. The downside was that because we all picked our own soup last, we had a hard time deciding who was "first picked" and "last picked" (it's not just the first physical soup picked, it's the one soup in total that's gone first). But none-the-less, we still had some fun prizes to give away after the festivities - we just did it "door prize" style.

The soups present this year included:

my own white bean and ham
minestrone
loaded baked potato soup
beef chili
greens with beans
potato bacon

We even indulged in a bit of wine mixed with orange juice! LOL, it was supposed to be mimosas but the champagne tasted like malt vinegar so we opened a bottle of wine instead. I thought maybe with the relatively low turn-out today, this may be my last soup swap (at least as the host). But the outpouring of canned and non-perishable food items that my friends brought for the local food pantry was so awesome - I may just give it another year and see what happens. Until then.... eat more soup!

Good Stuff

2012-01-12T20:20:00.001-05:00

I donated blood today. It always makes me feel happy, knowing that someone might be saved because they needed blood and mine was available. I'm a universal red cell donor, meaning my blood can be used by any other blood type. Type O Negative, baby! On the flip side, that also means if I were to require blood, I can only have Type O negative. It's tricky. But still, it feels like a small sacrifice and that makes me feel good. I can donate again in March. March 8th to be exact. When was the last time you donated blood? Consider it.

Soup Swap 2012 - get ready!

2012-01-10T21:58:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited that Soup Swap time is almost here! If you've read my blog before, you may recall that I am a tried and true soup swapper. The National Soup Swap is going on it's 6th year - and I'm only one year behind. I think, truth be told, one of my favorite parts about the swap is having my guests bring canned foods (soup is suggested, but it can really be anything) that I donate to our local food pantry afterwards. So much fun, and a little philanthropy thrown in for good karma.

I have no idea how many people are going to show up this year, but I'm anticipating between 10-15 people to come out for my 5th annual soup swap. If I'm wrong, no worries...even just a few swappers is still a party. Guess what!?? It's not too late to host your own Swap. And really, you don't need as many people as you may think. Ideally, you want to have at least 7 people so that nobody gets the same soup twice. But frankly, if you've got some good soups to choose from (and a larger family) having 2 quarts of one type of soup is nothing to complain about. All you need to do is select a date and time for you swap and start inviting people. Word travels FAST, and chances are good that a friend will bring a friend...and then you've got your swappers. Last year, I had a couple newbies at the swap that I've never even met. How awesome is that?! Share the soup love!!

If you're not even sure where to start - here is the sample wording from my invite. I used to mail these out, but now I just post on facebook and email people. It's easier for them to respond, and I like it when people rsvp. Now keep in mind, National Soup Swap Day is January 21...but because that's a Saturday, and I find Saturdays to be completely insane and chaotic, I choose to hold mine on Sunday. It's all good.

So - let's begin with the invitation:

Claudine's 5th Annual Soup Swap!

Sunday,January 22nd

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

You're invited toparticipate in National Soup Swap Day!

Simply bring 6individually frozen 1-quart containers of your favorite soup, chowder, stew orchili - and swap with us. (one quart=4 cups) You'll leave with 6 different quarts ofhomemade soup.

· 2:00pm– snacks and hot cranberry-apple punch

· 2:30pm- "telling of the soup" (This is each chef’sopportunity to talk about what makes their soup special.)

· 3:00pm- swap begins

· 4:00pm- head home with 6 quarts of delicious soup

As usual, there will be prizes forfirst and last soup picked, most unique soup and one special prize for asurprise category. J

~Please RSVP at (put your phone number here) on or before January 20^th~

We need at least 7 soup-makers to dothe swap.

Remember, you should bring:

· One recipe card for each soup container

· A reusable bag to carry home your soups

AND....FIVE cans of soup to donate to a local food pantry

(sorry, the formatting is all jacked up - just ignore that)

Now, take my invite, edit it to fit your own swap details and send it out into the Universe! Enjoy hosting a Soup Swap, enjoy socializing with a bunch of friends and soon-to-be friends, enjoy knowing you will have a freezer packed with soupy goodness - and really enjoy knowing that you'll be making a difference at whatever food pantry or local charitable organization you choose to support with the donations collected at the Swap.

And for those who are curious - I'll be making a slow cooked white bean with ham soup. Delicious!

Raw Food for the New Year

2012-01-02T17:31:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!

It's 2012. I can't even believe it. Time really flies, no?

So, I'm right on schedule with another post. Yay me! This time, I want to talk about raw food. Last year, I got on this raw food kick and spent about a month trying to create elaborate raw food meals and snacks. I bought a fancy-pants Excalibur dehydrator (which rocks, by the way) and a couple raw "cook"books. And suddenly, I realized that I missed cooked foods - and I wasn't having very good results with my creations. So I gave up and moved on to another way of eating.
Since that time, I've tried sugar-free, low carb, high protein, Weight Watchers, Nutrasystem and several other things to lose a few pounds here and there. They all work, and then I jump on another band-wagon and either maintain or gain more pounds. (sigh) I just can't find a happy medium because I love carbs and sugar - even though I know, first hand, that those things are the enemy for me and my body! (disclaimer: not all carbs, just the carby-carbs like white stuff, pasta, bread, processed junk, etc)
We just came back from a week in California, and while there, I was able to have lunch at a raw food restaurant. I fell in love with raw food all over again! Prepared properly, it's freaking AMAZING! So today's post isn't as much about my weight loss goals/struggles, as it is about adding in more whole, real, raw foods to your diet. Believe me, it's tricky sometimes - and I'm no expert. But I think everyone can benefit from eating more raw, vegan cuisine...and maybe these photos will inspire you, like it does for me, to try and get a little creative with your raw goodies. Here we go....
My sister, her husband, my 7 year old (with a dairy allergy), my husband and I all went to Cru in Silverlake, California.It's a small place, almost hidden, but SO worth a trip. It's not cheap, but then again, neither is good organic produce and raw nuts. So I guess I expected to pay more than I usually would for lunch. Plus, it was SO filling and delicious. Totally worth it - and I just wish there were a raw restaurant closer to me!

(another disclaimer: blogger is weird with photo placement, so forgive it they seem all random)
We started with an appetizer for the table of the bruschetta. Remember, everything here is vegan and raw (although the chorizo on my taco salad may have been cooked, I'm not quite sure...but still vegan for sure). It was so awesome to give the menu, including the dessert menu, to my daughter and say "you can get ANYTHING on this menu - anything you want! Because there is no dairy in a vegan diet, she was able to pick and choose. I think she was kinda confused by it actually, because she kept asking before bites "are you sure I can have this??". So fun!

This is the bruschetta. OMG. Fantastic. Fresh and flavorful! It had tomato, capers, basil, cashew cheese and some kind of flatbread made of (I think) squash and sunflower seeds. To Die!
Oh, and before that, my daughter and I shared the fresh basil limeade. Yum!!
I wasn't sure if my daughter would like the food - she claims to not like nuts of any kind, and also doesn't usually like coconut (both things are somewhat of a staple in raw food dishes). So, we shared the taco salad. Well, guess who ate most of it?!?! She did! Again, no complaints - this was by far the best taco salad ever. The "lettuce" was massaged kale, pumpkin seed chorizo (I need a recipe for this!!), guacamole, cashew sour cream and these crispy/chewy corn and flax chips. I'm drooling right now.

We finished the meal with two desserts to share - chocolate pie with raspberries and a key lime pie. Again, I remind you, NO DAIRY in any of these things. I didn't miss it at all. The big hit at the table for the 7 year old was, shockingly, the key lime pie. Again, I'm going to need a recipe for this one!

If you're ever in Los Angeles, you MUST try Cru. And if not, maybe you'll be a bit inspired to try out some raw recipes on your own. Google raw food recipes and I'm sure you'll be able to find something interesting.

New Year's Resolution - a few days early

2011-12-27T15:22:00.003-05:00

I vow to write more blog posts in 2012.

There are so many wonderful bloggers out there, it's hard for me to keep up! I don't always have a lot to say, but I do feel the need to document my life every now and again. So with that in mind, I plan to do one post a week (at least). Starting now.

January first 2012 is going to be a good year for me. I can feel it. I will make it a good year. There's a man who works at my local post office, and instead of saying "Have a good day!" after my transaction is complete, he always says, "Make it a good day!" - and for a long time, I just thought that was plain weird. However, I'm starting to see the truth in those words. I really have the ability to choose my destiny - I *can* make it a good day. And, I can also make it a good year....so I shall.

I am starting off with a BANG! I'll be doing a one-day juice cleanse on Jan 1 and spending a full day dedicated to creating a one-year plan for myself, my family (ie, our budget) and my Etsy shop. As they say, I'll either go big or go home, in terms of my shop. So....that's my plan, and things will just go from there.

Remember, Soup Swap is coming up toward the end of January! We have a lot to look forward to...but in the meantime, I'm hanging out with my sister for the rest of this week, soaking up the winter rays in sunny California!

Until next time.

Long Time, No See!

2011-07-10T19:04:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post. Is anyone out there still checking in? Stat counter tells me that I get a few hit every week, so I know someone is reading. Or, at least looking to see if I've written anything.

I'm going to try and post something weekly. I've said that before, I know. It's important to me to keep blogging, but sometimes real life gets in the way - and in my case, it's a full time job that wakes me at 5:30am Monday thru Friday and doesn't get me home until close to 6pm in the evenings. Not much time leftover for thinking up blog posts when there's dinner to be made and laundry to wash (and family to be snuggled!). But, that being said...I'm going to give it a shot.

New things in my life are that the house selling plan is on hold for another year. Really, it's a good thing because it will give me/us time to declutter and organize for some real good staging. I want to sell this house, move to a location where I can have backyard chickens, and not live within the confines of a "community" of rules and regulations.

Another thing that's new is my Etsy shop. Yay! I love Etsy, and I'm sure everyone by now has heard of it and probably purchased something at least once. Due to my love of baking and cupcakes and cake decorating, and the fact that I'm not as artistic as I like to believe, I opened a shop to sell cake decorating and baking supplies "to help you bake a masterpiece". Fun, eh?? Yea, I'm enjoying it. Having an etsy shop doesn't make a lot of money, and it also doesn't take a lot of my time - so hopefully I can build it up a little, gradually, and have a little "fun money" from it. Want to see me shop? www.etsy.com/shop/simplyclaudine and if that doesn't work, go to etsy.com and type in my shop's name "SimplyClaudine".

And the last new thing that I can think of is that we're getting a KITTEN! More on that to come....

Thanks for hanging in there, and I'll try to be back soon. I made pickled green beans today - and pickled pickles and pickled peppers. So I'll need to tell you all about it. :)

Get Ready...Soup Swap 2011!

2010-12-15T10:57:00.000-05:00

The Fifth National Soup Swap Day is January 22, 2011.

Can you believe it's already here?? This will be my 4th annual swap, and I am very much looking forward to it...not only for the company of friends, but to stock my freezer with delicious homemade goodness. Check out my post from last January to read more about soup swap, and maybe plan an event of your own! Stay tuned for more information....

Shutterfly’s Holiday Card Promotion

2010-11-13T08:25:00.001-05:00

Look at that cutie pie! The card above was the first holiday card we made as a family. You know how important that *first* card is - you want to show off the baby to everyone! So I tried a couple different card-making-websites and decided that Shutterfly had the best design at the best price. Since then, we've used Shutterfly for TONS of projects, like photo books, and also just for simply sharing photo albums and printing pictures.

I can't wait to get started on my 2010 cards! We usually go with a simple look, nothing religious, mostly just a wintery type of feel. I was thinking this year we may do a "happy new year" card and kinda shake things up a bit. My little sister got married this year and we have a boatload of great pictures of our daughter dressed up as a "flower maid", so we might use a photo from that event - or maybe her school picture (after we see whether or not it's acceptable to show off!).

Whatever photo you choose to make your cards, you know there will be a ton of options from Shutterfly for backgrounds and types of cards. Have fun with it!

If you want to browse around, here are a few links for Shutterfly:

holiday cards www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

new years cards www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/new-years-cards

canvas wall art (very cool!) www.shutterfly.com/home-decor/canvas-wall-art

And if you're a blogger like me....guess what?!?! You can try to earn 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly. After all, good quality cards are certainly worth paying for...but getting some free is even better! If you blog, go sign up at www.http://bit.ly/sfly2010 and you can earn some too. So yea, I'm writing this post to try and earn some free cards...but I wouldn't be doing this for crappy free cards. I know that Shutterfly makes a great quality card, and I'll definately order more stuff while I'm there. I'm thinking photo canvas...

Happy Card Making!

Slacker

2010-11-12T09:41:00.002-05:00

Yea, I'm a blog slacker. Life just gets in the way of my blogging ability. I think they days are getting shorter too.

But fear not....I'm going to start making a plan to submit a blog post every weekend. And I have a ton of stuff to tell you about, from my newest hobbies (crafting for the holidays, a small fabric addition I've recently developed, and attempting to make cake pops) to new products that I love and stories about things my hilarious daughter says.

So if you're still checking my blog, thank you! I haven't forgotten about it. I'm still here, surviving my new life as a working-out-of-the-home mom who's trying to "do it all"... with the help of a cleaning lady a few hours a month. (Lifesaver! That woman is a lifesaver. And I'm skipping my eyebrow/bikini waxes to afford it....worth every penny.)

Anyway, stick with me and check back early in the week for more fun stuff.

Freezer Cooking Revisited

2010-09-16T16:00:00.002-04:00

I got a full time job!!
ACK!

In preparation for returning to work full time, I'm trying to plan out how I'mn going to continue to do all the "at home" stuff that I currently do, like grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. I'm certain I won't be able to do it *all*, but hopefully we can figure out a way for things to run relatively smoothly. And one of those things involves freezer cooking. I am pretty sure that is going to make a big difference between coming home and eating dinner vs coming home and having a panic attack because it's 6:30pm and there's no plan for dinner.

I love my husband, don't get me wrong...but left to his own devices, I suspect he and the child would end up eating cold cereal and soymilk for dinner every night.

So, freezer meals to the rescue! I've experimented a bit before with freezer cooking, really just doing a few big batches of chicken meals and ground beef meals, maybe 2 of each of 4 different kinds (8 or so meals at once). But the problem has been that once I make a few meals, I end up not liking them very much so they hang out in the freezer for several months. The key to avoiding waste, is to only make meals I know my family likes and will eat.

I'm currently making a list of said items and will then devise a way to bulk cook & freeze them for easy preparation on hectic weeknights. Voila! Freezer cooking returns. :)

For the sake of me not forgetting, here are a few ideas:
ground beef red chili
taco meat (tacos, burritos, taco soup)
meatloaf
sloppy joe pockets
fried rice with meat
perogies & red sauce
white chicken chili

Actually, now that I am thinking about the food we like, I realize that not only do we need the convenience of pre or half cooked meals (a la freezer cooking) but also just simply having a meal PLAN is important. Some of our favorites, like chef salad, can't be frozen...but knowing that I want to have that one week means I have to be prepared to have all the ingredients on-hand. So after doing a bulk cooking session, it's important to make a meal plan. I like to do mine in 2 week increments. Any further than that and my brain can't handle it.

Here I go!

40 is the new 30....really!?!

2010-09-06T11:21:00.002-04:00

Today, I am 39.

This means I have one year to really get it together, because I am a far cry from the woman I was in 2001 - the year I turned 30. I mean, in some ways, (many ways) my life is SO much better now. I'm happily married and have a beautiful, smart, loving daughter, a nice house, a nice life really. But personally, physically and mentally, something doesn't seem quite right.

My weight is not where it was when I was 30. I *could* blame it on having a baby, but that's really just a lame excuse for not paying attention to myself. And I could also blame it on not having enough time to work out, but again, lame excuse.

So September 6, 2010 marks a new chapter in my life. A year-long adventure to be my personal best, whatever that means. I want to get my 30 year old body back...no, I want better than my 30 year old body! I want to be healthy, inside and out. Body and mind.

I can do it. Wanna join me on this journey?

Energy Audit

2010-08-27T14:09:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my friend Sandy over at Modern*Simplicity, I had the brilliant idea to get a home energy audit. Technically, this was her idea... but still. Not only is this a free service offered by the utility company (at least it's free here), they also give you a free energy efficiency kit. Cool! So, Randy from the local energy company came by today to check out the house and give me some tips.

First we sat in the dining room and he asked me several questions. I'm embarrassed to admit I really didn't know the answer to some of them - things like, do I have a gas or electric water heater and furnace (both are gas, now I know). He opened the free energy efficiency kit and explained how to utilize all the items inside (things like efficiency bulbs, weather stripping, a low-flow shower head and faucet thingy, and these cool outlet insulating foam things.) Next, we did a tour of the house. He looked at the windows, peeked into corners, checked outlets, checked faucets, measured the water temperature...and a bunch of other things. All the while, I took notes and he explained what he was looking for and why. VERY informative.

Then, he went to the attic. I stayed in the garage. My attic freaks me out... I'm always afraid I'm going to fall through the ceiling into the living room! After that, he went outside to check out the exterior. Finally, we sat down again in the dining room while he completed a report for me to keep and refer to in the future.

So, want to know what he said??

First of all, the amount it costs to heat our home in the winter (tops out around $250) really isn't that bad, all things considered. So that's good to know. And for the most part, the house is relatively efficient...also good to know. But of course, there were some areas where we can improve. And ironically, many of them are simple things we can do ourselves with very little effort and cost. Yippee!

1) Seal leaks. He said we should caulk around the fireplaces in both the upstairs and basement, where the brick connects to the wall.

2) Insulate. We need to insulate the exterior outlet with the little foam plates that came in the kit. A box of them can be purchased for about $3 if we run out. Also, we need to wrap the hot and cold lines on the water heater with 3/4 pipe wrap insulation. And, a bigger project, the recessed lights in the ceiling on the main floor are visible in the attic - they need to have insulation boxes built around them so they can be insulated with insulation. HA! (how many times can I use a form of the word insulate in one sentence? Three.)

3) Keep it Clean. The exterior air conditioning unit needs to be cleaned. Apparently, it's pretty "gross", and that can affect the operation of the unit.

4) Turn it down. We are pretty good about keeping the thermostat set at a reasonable temperature, but it wouldn't hurt to dial it down a few degrees in the winter - especially during the daytime when nobody is home (assuming I get a job!) and overnight. Even a few degrees can make a difference. Also, our hot water coming from a bathroom sink measured 134 degrees, too hot! He recommends no hotter than 120 degrees, so we need to turn down the thermometer on the water heater too.

So all in all, I think for a 12+ year old house, we did pretty well! With a few minor adjustments, we will be on our way to (hopefully) a lower energy bill and certainly on the road to saving energy.

Check out Sandy's energy audit on her awesome blog, Modern*Simplicity. And while you're at it, give your local electric company a call and ask about getting an audit for your home!

Farmer's Market and other news....

2010-07-28T17:38:00.002-04:00

I've been setting up at the Market, selling my homemade jams and fresh bread. I love it! Makes me feel like Ma from the Laura Ingalls Wilder chapter book series. :)

My daughter is going to come with me next time we set up and have a mini lemonade stand. She's very excited. I think it's because she's saving up for glasses for her American Girl Doll...and braces. Strange. I know.

In any event, I'll have fresh bread loaves, blackberry jam, blueberry syrup and raspberry jam next time. YUM!

And in other news, I've started making reusable sandwich bags with a fold over flap closure. They are SO cute, photos still to come. I am waiting for my snap press to arrive with my KAM plastic resin snaps so I can finish the bags. I'll have sandwich size and snack size available, just in time for back-to-school.

Last but not least, a giveaway is on the horizon...for Maggie's Pureland Soap Nuts. Very cool, and I'll tell you more about them very soon!

Happy Summer!

Crafty

2010-07-16T21:03:00.002-04:00

I'm all over the place lately. Really, summer is killing me. In a good way, but also in an exhausted-all-the-time-can't-get-it-together kind of way too. I'm setting up at the local Farmer's Market to sell my homemade goods like bread, biscotti, jam and apple butter. And I'm also starting to SEW.

With a sewing machine. Can you imagine?!?! LOL

I love sewing, despite the fact that I'm not very good at it and can't cut a straight line of fabric to save my life. But still, I'm sewing my heart out making snack size reusable bags for my daughter's lunches in the fall...and for every other child I know who wants one.

Frankly, I'm beginning to think I should make a spreadsheet because I've had so many people say they want some...and some of them even want to pay me. (note to self, move the paying people up to the top of the list!)

We took our house off the market as of July 1st, so it looks like we're here to stay. At least for a while. So I guess it's time to set up my Sewing Room for real!

A Cleanse Day

2010-06-14T13:58:00.002-04:00

Today I thought I'd blog about what a typical cleanse day looks like when you're on the Isagenix program, if you choose to cleanse. I choose to cleanse, mostly because I like the idea of ridding my body of toxins that have built up from a variety of sources.

However, TODAY I am cleansing in a completely different way and for a completely different reason. That's right...I'm having a colonoscopy tomorrow. TMI? Sorry, it's my blog and I tell it like it is. :)

Anyway, I figured since I have to do the pre-op cleanse I may as well think of it as a total real cleanse and do a semi-Isagenix cleanse. Because I didn't think to ask my doctor about the Cleanse for Life drink, I am only using it in the morning and afternoon instead of all day long. And no snacks. GAH! I'm hungry, but it's a good test of will-power. Right??

Here's what to expect from a typical day of an Isagenix cleanse:
7am - 4oz Cleanse for Life with 8-16oz cold water
1 serving of Ionix Supreme
1 IsaSnack (little chocolate wafers which I actually think are delicious!)
1 Natural Accelerator
9am - 1 IsaDelight (actual chocolate, SO YUM!) & 8-16oz cold water
10am - 1 IsaSnack & 8-16oz cold water
12:30am - 1 IsaSnack
4oz Cleanse for Life with 8-16oz cold water
2pm - 1 Natural Accelerator
1 IsaDelight (chocolate, again?!? AWESOME!)
8-16oz cold water

....and this continues on, basically with Snacks, Cleanse for Life and cold water into the evening.

In all honesty, because you drink so much water and eat a few snacks, chocolates and the Cleanse juice - you aren't starving to death. You can also change up the snacks to inclue a small apple, a few almonds, or other choices if you really are struggling. It's more like the *idea* of food is what consumes you. Or...me, I guess. LOL Mind over matter.

But today, I exist on water, lemonade, 6 oz of Cleanse for Life and chicken broth with a popsicle or two thrown in for good measure. Wish me luck tomorrow!!

My Isagenix Journey

2010-06-13T13:49:00.003-04:00

I like to do a springtime cleanse to get things back into balance and ideally, lose a few pounds. So, several weeks ago, I was ready for a new cleanse and considered doing the Master Cleanse again. Last time I did it, I lasted 5 days (out of 10) and it was horrible. I lost very little weight and found the salt-water flush to be extremely difficult and time consuming. I remembered a cleanse my sister's friend told me about a YEAR ago. Yes, it was a year ago that I first heard about Isagenix. I wasn't ready then, but decided to give it more research this time around....and it turns out to be exactly what I was looking for. So, I signed up for the program and awaited my shipment.

I started the Isagenix 9-day cleanse while working with my Cleansing Coach, Gretchen. Unlike other cleanses I've done, this is not a G.I. cleanse...meaning I wasn't spending my life in the bathroom. In fact, it's quite easy to do but it just takes some will-power. For those who know me, you'll probably agree that when it comes to food and dieting, I have very little will-power. But I'm determined to lose those extra pounds I've gained over the past year, and also make some really healthy lifestyle changes to my diet along the way. Again, Isagenix fits the bill.

After my 9-day cleanse, I was feeling wonderful! I had only lost about 4-5 pounds, but the additional benefits were far worth the time I spent cleansing. (most people are said to lose 7-10 lbs) I had an unreal increase of energy and mental clarity. I was completely off my morning (and sometimes afternoon) coffee, and I would literally snap awake around 7am every morning and just be completely ready to get up and get moving.

Then, I started with the 30-day program...which I'm still working on. Confession time: I'm a cheater. After following the strict schedule for the 9-day cleanse, I decided I could create my own plan for the 30-day. WRONG! Well, partially wrong. I am tweaking the general plan to "make it my own" and I probably could really just do shakes and cleanse days here and there IF I were just in this for the nutritional benefits of Isagenix. But I'm not. I'll be honest, my primary motivation is weight loss...and I know that *for me*, the key is to be strict with my food choices until I lose some weight and see some more results.

What the heck IS Isagenix?! It's basically a program of shakes, bars, snacks, cleanse juice and other products designed to provide your body with perfect nutrition. Here's my website, you can browse around at http://www.claudineeskonen.isagenix.com and see for yourself. It's really important to talk with a Cleansing Coach, so my friend Gretchen is happy to speak with anyone who wants more details on nutritional cleansing for weight loss, or just for good health.

So far, so good. I'm still down a few pounds and feeling great. I am kicking up the exercise and will be sharing my Isagenix daily food plan with you next week (both for the sake of interest and also to keep me accountable...it's that pesky will-power problem getting in the way again!).

By the end of June, I hope to be down 10 pounds from where I started this month. Think I can do it??

Oh, and some of my friends have asked why, if I like this program so much, haven't I blogged about it before now? The answer is simple really. I tend to get into fads, and then quickly find a new thing to be in to. I wanted to try Isagenix for at least 3 weeks and see if this was something that woul stick, or if I'd just move on to something else. My friends, it STUCK! :)

Summer Jam

2010-06-02T10:17:00.003-04:00

It's not officially summer, but it's absolutely strawberry season here in central Indiana! My 5 year old and I picked strawberries yesterday afternoon at a local place that charges $1.49 a pound for u-pick. We ended up spending about $8 and getting over 3 quarts! That much would have cost $14 if we bought it from the farm stand, so that's a great deal.

Today, we're going to make strawberry jam. You may recall that I'm not really a fruit person, but I do love to make jam....so off we go!

ps- The jam turned out perfect! All but one jar sealed (thank you, inversion method) and it set up just like it's supposed to. Love making jam!

Aerogarden...aka, Fun With Hydroponics

2010-05-04T23:05:00.003-04:00

I bought myself a used Aerogarden Classic 7 from a dude on Craigslist. Best investment ever! Well, not really, but probably a close 2nd to the Prius....

These are my new tomato babies growing in the light of the dome at just over 2 weeks old. So cute!

Clean Energy....WIND!

2010-05-03T21:07:00.003-04:00

I am obsessed with wind farming. Even the name of it seems whimsical, and yet it provides such a vital service, that calling it whimsical is almost insulting. For those who haven't seen the beauty of a wind farm first-hand, I'm including some pictures I captured yesterday of what I believe to be a portion of the Meadow Lakes Wind Farm off I-65 in Indiana.

Achieving commercial operation just recently in October 2009, the wind turbines in Meadow Lake can generate enough clean energy to power 60,000 average Indiana homes each year. How freaking cool is that?!?!?

And mostly, I just like looking at them. Which is why I think I should be a *passenger* next time we head back to Chicago....because I can't take my eyes off them!

Meal Plan week of 4/4/10 & a clothes line

2010-04-05T09:36:00.002-04:00

Spring!! Yippee. I will keep saying that for at least another month, until it gets hot and muggy and then I'll be complaining about summer and wishing for fall!

I've been a little off my game lately, and I blame spring fever. LOL! I'm getting back on track and back-to-basics, so let's start with a meal plan for the week....

Sunday: Corned Beef Rubens
Monday: Turkey Chili (a la Homemade Gourmet)
Tuesday: Taco Soup (a la Homemade Gourmet)
Wednesday: Gumbo & Rice
Thursday: Spaghetti & homemade Meatballs, salad
Friday: BBQ Smokies and Coleslaw
Saturday: leftovers

So the part about being back-to-basics refers to the sad, sad state of appliance affairs at my house. Murphy's Law, as it were, has decided to wreak havoc over here. My microwave went out last week, so I've been heating coffee (and everything else) on the stove or in the oven. Then yesterday, my clothing dryer decided to stop heating. ACK! So I asked DH to rig up a clothes line for me...which I've actually been wanting for a while now. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I now have a clothes line hanging off my lower deck.

It's actually pretty cool. The clothes do dry out there pretty quickly, but I was only able to get 2 loads done yesterday due to extended drying times. So that's a bit of a drag, considering the dryer can dry double that in the same amount of time (at least). But I LOVE the idea of saving resources and being a little more green whenever possible.

Yes, I *am* going to have my dryer fixed...but not the microwave. At least not for a while. It's an interesting experiment to see how I can adapt to a way of living that is not unlike the way I grew up. We never had a microwave at home as a kid. Nor did we have a computer, cell phones, dvd player, video game system, bread maker or any of the other things I sometimes feel I "need". I will admit, we did have a dryer...cause living in the Midwest is a tricky proposition for trying to dry clothes in between rain and snow storms!

So for now, that's my story. I planted spinach outside yesterday and I'm looking forward to more blogging later this week.

Distractions

2010-03-31T18:48:00.002-04:00

I'm still here!
I'm just SO distracted by Spring...I love how the weather has turned so beautiful all of a sudden.

I'll be back next week to blog some awesome stuff, but in the meantime, here's a preview!

I bought an AeroGarden and ordered a seed kit. This is going to be SO fun!
I have perfected my sourdough bread recipe and am working on a "breakfast bread" version.
I'm trying to figure out how to make soy yogurt using the crock pot and my dehydrator.
I'm getting back into sprouting seeds (to eat) and am looking into sunflower greens - yum!
I got a new mop for the hardwood floors that I totally need to rave about, it's amazing.
I've started Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, and while I hate it, I also love it!

More to come soon, just stay with me!
:)

Free $5 at iHerb.com - love free stuff!

2010-03-05T20:45:00.002-05:00

Have you discovered the wonders of Sweet Almond Oil? If not, you really should. I've been using Sweet Almond Oil for a while now, and I keep finding new things to do with it. My skin loves this stuff, and I bet yours will too...unless you have a nut allergy, in which case it's probably not a good idea. ;)

But the real point of this post is to share a coupon code for $5 off at www.iHerb.com which is my newest favorite online "health food" store. They have SO much stuff on this website, so be sure to check it out. You can order even just a couple small things, use the $5 credit and only pay for shipping! Sweet. Better yet, click the link at the top of the page called FREE SAMPLES and choose as many free samples as you want (one of each will be free).

I have found lovely essential oils, raw sunflower seeds, a myriad of vitamins and supplements, gluten-free products, cleanse products and melatonin...just to name a few things they offer. But again, my all-time favorite is Sweet Almond Oil. Want to know what I use it for?? I'm glad you asked.

facial moisturizer, just a few drops
cuticle softener
hair smoother
eye make-up remover
sugar scrub base (white sugar, almond oil and essential oil....divine!)
bath oil
post-bath body moisturizer

I bet there are more ways to use this amazing, all natural stuff...what am I forgetting?

Oh yea, here's the CODE for $5 off your first order... KON547 and don't forget to add some freebies to your shopping cart! Happy Bargain Hunting!

March 1st

2010-03-01T09:11:00.002-05:00

Spring!!!

Well, ok, not really. But the first day of March always makes me feel like we've turned a corner and can really start to see the first signs that winter truly will be coming to an end soon. Since the Vernal Equinox isn't for a couple weeks, I can't get too excited about it actually being spring but I can see it on the horizon.

The snow is almost all melted (which in Central Indiana doesn't really mean much since the weather can turn on you in an instant), and I bet if I look closely there are some daffodils coming up already.

The temperatures are also steadily on the rise. Sure, it's only supposed to be 37 today...but the birds are singing this morning like I haven't heard in months! Surely, they know something wonderful is going to happen.

And lastly, today is a great day because I *think* (knock on wood) I am finally on the mend from a nasty sinus infection. It must be the pre-Spring air filling my sinuses with happiness! ;)

Happy March!

My First Sourdough Starter & Loaf

2010-02-21T14:19:00.003-05:00

I love bread, and sourdough is a treat for me. Lately, I've been reading the King Arthur Flour baker's catalogue like it's a magazine. I'm really getting into bread making, and decided it was time to make a starter.

I've been reading Nancy Baggett's book, Kneadlessly Simple, and found her sourdough starter recipe to be pretty simple (ha ha) and that's what I used. The pictures here include the starter just getting going and the finished product.

My starter, unfortunately, isn't bubbly enough to make those really big holes in the bread like you usually find in sourdough loaves. Maybe it's still young, or maybe it's because I accidentally used cold water instead of warm when feeding it daily. Oops! Today, my baby had nice warm water and is bubbling away on the counter much more lively.

The taste of this loaf is lovely, it's sour and soft on the inside - just a bit chewy, but not enough for my liking. The crust, while perfectly browned and crisp, is a bit thin and almost too flaky. So I clearly have more practice ahead of me. But for now, I feel successful. The starter worked!! And it's still alive, so that's a good thing. I hope to be able to pass this starter on to my daughter someday. But in the meantime, maybe some friends will want to bake with it....

Do you make bread? Do you have a Mother Starter? Post a comment and share!

Freezer Cooking on a Whim

2010-02-18T12:10:00.003-05:00

I've been known to do some freezer cooking here and there, but mostly I just double or triple recipes I make and freeze the extras for separate meals. But yesterday, I stumbled upon a chicken sale and I knew it was fate! Because just the day before that, I received 2 big boxes of my hostess gift products from when I had my Homemade Gourmet party last month. So, with several packets of mixes and spices in my pantry and a chicken sale...what else could I do but freezer cook today! (I also went to Kroger this morning to stalk the manager's meat specials and came home with some good deals.)

Here's what I started with:
1 big pack chicken breast (about 6 lbs, 8 large breasts) $7
3 packages of ground beef (each was just over 1 lb) $6
4 cube steaks (each about the size of my hand) $4
1 package of stew meat (full price) $3ish

Meat cost = ~$20

Here's what I ended up with:
onion & mushroom cube steak in the crock pot right now
BBQ chicken sandwich kit
Hawaiian Chicken
Burgundy Beef Tips
Santa Fe Chicken
Crock Pot Meatloaf
and ground beef cooking now to make Hamburger Macaroni Dinner and Ground Beef Egg Rolls

That's 8 meals, which will surely provide leftovers on at least half of them, for just about $20. Of course, add in the Homemade Gourmet mixes I used (6 recipes used HG items) and it's a bit more. But still...this is a good example of how freezer cooking can save you time, money AND headache.

The only thing left to do now is work these into a meal plan...and I bet I can do 2 weeks at a time on Sunday! :)

Want any of these recipes? Check out http://www.homemadegourmet.com/ for most of them (and you can be creative if you don't have the proper spice mixes).

Oh Deer!

2010-02-15T11:36:00.002-05:00

I wish I could get a picture of this, but they're moving too fast and it's too snowy. :(

My backyard woods is the most amazing place to watch deer. There is currently a small family of 6 frolicking back there. It's so cute! The 4 young ones are literally chasing each other like really tall dogs (LOL!) while the 2 adults watch. The snow is coming down pretty steadily, but they sure don't seem to mind.

Love That Custom Granola

2010-02-13T15:42:00.002-05:00

Do you love granola as much as I do? You should. It's practically the perfect food. You can eat it plain, with milk, in yogurt, on ice cream, over fruit...however you want, really. But sometimes, it's hard to find just the right flavor. Especially if you're picky, like me, finding the idea granola combo of flakes, fruits and other goodies can be nearly impossible if you're hoping for low fat to boot.

BUT. The time has come granola lovers! I've discovered a shop online where you can custom create your own granola....it's incredible! Why? Because not only do you choose a base granola
(like gluten free, low fat, cinnamon, organic or whatever), but you also can then add in all kinds of fruits, nuts, seeds, tasty treats (like organic gummy bears), and various powders.

It's called Mix My Granola.... www.mixmygranola.com and it's soooo fantastic! (and no, they aren't giving me free stuff for saying this...although if anyone is reading, I'd LOVE some free stuff!)

Before you order, click on the nutrition stats button and it give you the low down on your custom blend. Need more fiber? Add some chia seeds. Need less fat? Take out those chocolate covered peanut butter balls.

You get to name your mix and place your order. When it arrives, it's in a tube. A TUBE! How freaking cool is that!?!? I love this site. I actually have 3 custom mixes sitting in my online cart...now, where's that email with my discount code??

(ps - if you want a discount code, just fill out the refer a friend thing and you'll get 10% off too!)

Check out www.mixmygranola.com and let me know what you choose!

Meal Plan week of 2/9/10

2010-02-09T14:57:00.003-05:00

I was out of town until yesterday and didn't do a meal plan until this morning...so I'm starting it for today. :)

Tuesday: white chicken chili with naan bread
Wednesday: garlic lemon chicken in the crock pot (homemade gourmet seasoning for freezer meal)
Thursday: 2 chicken breasts from yesterday to make Creamy Italian Casserole (also a homemade gourmet pasta mix)
Friday: crock pot meatballs with Trader Joe's Soyaki marinade & salad
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: Happy Valentine's Day! I'm not cooking, so it's up to my husband and daughter to figure out dinner. LOL!

The Game On Diet

2010-02-09T11:12:00.004-05:00

As many of you know, I am ...let's see...how do I say this...."doing" Weight Watchers. It's more than just *doing* it, because it's a complete change of eating habits and making different choices so it feels like I should say "living it". But 4 weeks ago, a group of girlfriends challenged each other to a new game called The Game On Diet. Because I can barely count my daily points, I opted out. That is, until the first week of the game had ended and ALL my girlfriends had lost weight. Alternatively, I was still on Weight Watchers and I had gained a pound. So, I signed on to the game for the remaining 3 weeks.

Long story short, in three weeks of playing the game, I lost about 4 pounds. Yes, I still counted points (although not as strictly as usual and I stopped tracking after 2 weeks). But there is a lot more to Game On (GO, as I call it) than just what you're eating.

If you're interested, check out this official website http://www.thegameondiet.com/ and see for yourself. I'll give you the low-down here too...

There are certain rules and regulations to the game. Frankly, it's a bit overwhelming in the beginning, but it makes a lot more sense as you go along.There are points involved, gaining points for doing things on the list and deductions for not doing them or cheating. I'm going to skip the part about the points and just give you the basics. Like I said, it's not just about food...

1) eat 5 balanced, small meals a day - this basically means a carb, protein and fat at each meal.
2) eat at least 4 servings of veggies a day with meals, unlimited sizes
3) drink 100 ounces of water a day. (Holy Cow. That's a lot of water!)
4) no alcohol, no artificial sweeteners
5) you can have one day off a week and one additional meal off
6) work out 20 minutes a day
7) for the duration of the game, choose one new good habit to do and one bad habit to avoid
8) get at least 7 hours of sleep each night

There may be more, but these are the basics. I loved drinking all that water. I've noticed a huge difference in my skin, and I think that's largely what helped my weight loss. After playing for 3 weeks, I realized that I'm not drinking nearly enough water on a regular basis. Now, I noticed that instead of wanting water with crystal light, I prefer plain water. Crazy! LOL

Has anyone else tried this game? Shoot me a comment and let me know your thoughts. We start another round at the end of this week!

Albino Squirrel

2010-02-02T11:16:00.003-05:00

I just had to take a picture of this little guy (or girl?) who somehow landed on our upper deck last week. My daughter saw it and thought he was cute....that is, until he tried to jump through the window into the house (fortunately, since it's freaking cold here, the window was closed). Not too bright, those albino squirrels. Once he realized he couldn't get into the house via the window or the sliding screen door, I think he freaked out a little. He started running in circles and then eventually took a flying leap off the edge. I'm sure he's fine. Probably just landed on the lower deck....

In any case, check out the color on this little dude. Very interesting. Has anyone else seen him, or his family members, around? Incidentally, he's also featured on the cover of the community newsletter.

Guest Meal Planner - week of Jan 31

2010-01-30T18:56:00.004-05:00

This evening as I was sitting down to do the meal plan, I asked my husband and 5 year old daughter for ideas since we have 5 leftover cooked chicken breasts. My daughter decided *she* wanted to make the meal plan for the week. Whoo hoo! Mission accomplished. I have successfully trained her in the ways of meal planning.

Actually it was pretty cute, because not only did she want to choose the meals for the week, she also wanted to write them down. See the picture? That's her handwriting. And in case you can't interpret kindergarten handwriting, here's what we're having:

Sunday - pea soup
Monday - taco soup
Tuesday - chicken tacos
Wednesday - bbq chicken pizza
Thursday - gumbo
Friday - leftovers
Saturday - leftovers

Most of these meals involve leftover chicken, except the pea soup which is from the Soup Swap. I'm going to be so sick of chicken by the end of the week....good thing I'll be hitting the city of Chicago to meet up with my sister for some bridal planning bonding (and eating out!). She's the bride, not me. I'm the matron of honor. That makes me sound old, right? Ahhh, well I am old. Guess that works. ;)

Meal Plan week of 1/24/10

2010-01-25T08:28:00.003-05:00

Have I mentioned that I love Homemade Gourmet? Probably, but it's worth repeating. Right now, all the soup mixes are on sale at 15% off regular prices...and just because it's a soup mix doesn't mean that you have to make soup with it. The website has a recipe search and there are tons and tons of variations for all the mixes. Yippee!

You can even order online and skip the whole party thing (but then you wouldn't get to sample stuff!). My friend Sherri has a website, even if you don't think you want to order, check it out!

www.homemadegourmet.com/sherri20571

Here is my meal plan for the week:

Sunday- burgandy beef tips (crock pot, amazing!)
Monday- salmon soup & salad
Tuesday-WW lasagna in the crock pot
Wednesday- Homemade Gourmet chicken in the oven
Thursday- pea soup & bread
Friday- leftovers
Saturday- pizza

Soup Swap!

2010-01-24T10:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, January 23rd, was National Soup Swap Day. My friends and I participated by gathering at my house for the 3rd annual Soup Swap. It's so much fun, and I hope to be able to continue this tradition for many years to come.

Essentially, each guest brings 6 individual containers (1 quart each) of one kind of soup or stew. Freezable recipes are best, so not usually cream soups or potato. We do a "Telling of the Soup" where everyone says a little something about the soup they brought; special ingredients, if it's organic, family story behind it, etc. Then we draw numbers and take turns selecting a soup from the table - until all the containers are gone.

I give prizes for First Picked (the first soup to be completely taken) and Last Picked. This year, I made a No-Knead bread from the book Kneadlessly Simply (by Nancy Baggett - could that be a more perfect name for a bread author?!?). It was the multi-grain recipe and I made 3 batches to use as door prizes, and as a taster at the party. By the way, if you bake, you absolutely must check out this book, it's amazing and will change the way you bake bread!

At the end of the party, we each ended up with 6 quarts of homemade soup to take home. Fantastic!

Here's what everyone brought: (sorry, I always forget to take pictures!)

buffalo chicken soup (mine)
chicken noodle
Texas chili
chicken & noodles #2
cabbage soup
vegetable beef
minestrone (last picked winner)
creamy salmon soup (first picked winner)
vegetable beef #2
split pea

The cool thing is that even when you have 2 or more of the same named soup, each person's recipe is as unique as they are themselves....so you still get something new every time you reach into the freezer for a quick dinner and hearty lunch. I love soup swap!

Meal Plan for the Week

2010-01-11T12:29:00.003-05:00

Ahh, you know me so well. Yes I *am* on another kick. I always seem to have something that I'm raving about...something that I'm "totally doing right now". LOL, and this month it's meal planning for the future. I hope to work myself back up to monthly meal planning, but for now I'm just taking it week by week.

Over the weekend, I had a Homemade Gourmet party. I'm impressed! I love the idea of buying a pantry staple of a seasoning mix (it comes with a tub and a scoop...fun!) and then being able to use it for over a dozen different meals. Talk about multitasking, there are many recipes on their website to help you figure out how to create awesome meals in minutes.

Speaking of, they even sell a 4 Meals in 4 Minutes kit....that was the demo my rep. did at the party. I bought chicken and a roast, she brought the seasonings and recipes. I now have 4 meals in my freezer for this week...but the best part is that each "meal" is really 6 chicken breasts, so for our family I can stretch that into THREE meals. I am so clever! Ha ha ha...

Anyway, we made freezer bags of italian chicken, garlic basil chicken, garlic lemon chicken and grandmother's sunday roast. Cool!

Here's my meal plan for the week:
Sunday (yesterday) : italian chicken
Monday: leftover linquine with clam sauce (thank you Tastefully Simple!)
Tuesday: white chicken chili (using Sunday's leftovers)
Wednesday: grandmother's sunday roast, bbq in the crock pot
Thursday: chicken spaghetti (with more leftover chicken from Sunday)
Friday: leftover bbq roast, probably made into burrito style something-or-another
Saturday: out to dinner (I hope!)

Each meal will be accompanied by a veggie and a salad...we're working on eating more veggies, so trying to eliminate bread and cut down on the pasta. I'm also doing weight watchers, and every single meal will fit nicely within my points plan. I only get 22 per day, so I do have to be careful.

I feel so organized!! Meal planning, Homemade Gourmet and Tastefully Simple all rock!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T16:28:00.002-05:00

And welcome to 2010!

I don't make resolutions.
I used to. I even had this cute system where I'd put all my resolutions on paper and seal it in an envelope, and at midnight of the new year I'd read all my prior year's resolutions. But for the most part, I'd just end up feeling bad about all the things I *didn't* accomplish - instead of looking at what I did accomplish. So several years ago, I banished resolutions as we know them.

Instead, I just have "plans". Plans can change, which means things are flexible and fluid. And that also means, if I need to focus on something else instead of one thing I had hoped to change, I don't have to beat myself up for it next new year's eve.

One plan I have this year is to try and post at least once a week with something interesting that people will want to read about. And I'd love a few more followers too!

So with that said, here's a post for the new year....off to a good start already! :)

Last Chance for Uppercase Living!

2009-12-29T10:31:00.002-05:00

It's with a heavy heart that I announce my "retirement" from Uppercase Living. I love, love, love the products - but my life is moving in another direction and there's just not room for direct sales right now. So, if anyone is interested in taking a peek at the catalog before I go inactive on January 1st, my website is http://claudine.uppercaseliving.net/ and you can order online until the 1st.

There's currently a sale going on too! Select expressions are 40% off and you can earn free shipping with a $50 or more product order. Hurry! Time is running out....

Ron & Frank's Giveaway #2!!

2009-12-08T13:49:00.003-05:00

UPDATE WITH WINNERS!!

Thanks to all 5 of you who entered...I did random.org and even though I have no idea how to post the results here (screenshots didn't work), you'll just have to trust me when I tell you that it selected number 5 and number 4. So congrats to Becky and Sandy, you've got some hot eggnog mix coming your way! :)

Remember a little while back, the nice people at Ron & Frank's (http://www.ronandfranks.com/) sent me some samples to share with those of you who visit my blog? Well, I've saved the best for right now because with this Giveaway #2, you can enter to win the most awesome flavor of their hot beverage selection. EGG NOG! If you love egg nog flavor but can't deal with the fat and calories of the real stuff, check this out...20 calories, 0 fat and 1 g. protein!!

I wanted to wait until the holidays were upon us, and today I realized I better get moving on this contest because time is ticking....can you believe it's already December?!? We woke up to our first snow of the season yesterday, so even though winter doesn't officially begin until the Solstice on the 21st, it sure feels like winter. :)

So, on to the contest....

I was trying to think of something super cool and fun to make you do in order to be entered to win. This time, I'm taking the contest up a notch by offering TWO WINNERS. Each one will get a package of Ron & Frank's Skinny Gourmet Egg Nog Mix, no sugar added with splenda. For 20 calories a serving, that means ZERO weight watchers points and a whole lot of creamy, egg noggy goodness. Believe me, hot egg nog is to DIE for. TO. DIE. Trust me on this.

Back to my plan, I was trying to figure out how you could win... and for some reason, the holiday preparations have sucked the smarts out of my brain. So, all you have to do is leave me a comment with your favorite hot beverage and your name/email address. Check back on Friday to see who the winner is. The contest will close at noon EST on Friday, December 11th.

Easy peasy!

Now do me a favor and please go check out the Ron & Frank's website too....gotta show them some love for sending us free contest goodies!! http://www.ronandfranks.com/ And maybe place an order while you're there. ;)

Watch This Space...

2009-11-30T20:29:00.001-05:00

Word on the street is, there's a new contest coming to this blog in less than a week and you could be the lucky winner if you pay attention! Keep your eyes peeled.....

;)

ZERO point breakfast or snack

2009-11-13T09:10:00.004-05:00

Even if you're not following the Weight Watchers point system plan, you can surely appreciate a good-for-you breakfast. My newest favorite is a container of Fiber One yogurt (I like key lime) mixed with 1/2 cup Fiber One original cereal. It's like a little parfait, and is SO delicious and filling. Imagine my surprise when I plugged it into the points calculator, only to discover that the entire bowl has ZERO points.

You heard me right! No points. And yet, it's a yummy, filling, fiber-packed bowl of breakfast goodness. I eat this every morning for breakfast and it keeps me hunger-free for at least 2-3 hours (something a plain old bowl of cereal never did).

Plus, it doesn't just have to be just for breakfast. This bowl is great as a go-to snack when you are out of points or just want something sweet with no points wasted. I'm not a Weight Watchers expert by any means, but to me, this just makes sense!

Visit the Fiber One website and print a $1 off coupon for a 4-pack of yogurt to get you started.

http://www.fiberone.com/Product/Yogurts.aspx

Have you got any good low point go-to snacks you want to share?? Hit me with a comment!

Coughing Stinks

2009-11-09T20:11:00.004-05:00

I have bronchitis.

And asthma.

It's not pretty.

My 5 year old has been coughing for 2 weeks now, and my husband just started coughing too. Oy.

The good news is that I stumbled upon a cough syrup that actually WORKS, and it tastes fantastic too. Seriously, I can't get over this stuff. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit that I did receive a sample bottle of this magical elixir from the wonderful people at Boiron. But after we went through that bottle, I bought another THREE bottles today (I don't like to run out of things). I just wish I had thought to look for a coupon before I bought these guys. Oh well, my loss is your gain...print out two of these $1 coupons http://www.boironusa.com/files/boironwebcoupon.pdf and then head over to Walgreens, where you can score $6 in Register Rewards (free money!) if you buy two bottles.

Bottles of WHAT??

I'm getting to that....

It's called Children's Chestal Honey. It is a homeopathic cough syrup with a bunch (9 actually) of random active ingredients that I've never heard of - and honey. No artificial color, no high fructose corn syrup. And I'm not kidding, this stuff tastes just like a spoonful of honey. YUM!

And the best part is that it works. For about $6.99 a bottle (minus the $1 coupon I found), it's a great deal. Trust me on this one.

Disclaimer: Be sure to check the bottle to make sure there's nothing in it that you or your kids can't have, and please check with a doctor if you have concerns about your health. The honey in Chestal is filtered to ensure its safety for children 2 years of age and older.

Ladybug or Impostor?

2009-11-07T16:42:00.005-05:00

Is anyone else starting to get really disgusted with the ladybug infestation this fall? I keep finding dead (or pretending-to-be-dead) ladybugs lying around my house in the strangest places. And I have no idea how they are getting in! They are probably taking the same route the wasps take this time of year, but that's another story for another time.

This story involves me, leaf blowing the yard, and an innocent looking tree...at first glance, the tree looks like any other which hasn't lost it's leaves yet. But upon closer inspection, I found thousands of ladybugs! At first I thought it was kinda cool, then I got a little creeped out by the sheer amount of them climbing all over the trunk and base of the tree. Ewww! What *are* those things?!?

Well, it turns out that these aren't ladybugs at all. Nope. These impostors are actually called Asian Lady Beetles...and their specialty is swarming. In late fall (yep, it's late all) they look for a place to hibernate and try to work their way indoors or to a warm spot. You can tell a lady beetle from a ladybug primarily by the color. Ladybugs are red with black spots. Lady Beetles are varying shades of orange, with or without black spots.

So what's a girl to do about this? Not much, really. They'll be gone once it gets cold enough, and being in Indiana I know that could happen any day now. They aren't as bad here as I've heard tell in other parts of the country, so I guess I'm lucky in that respect. I do vac them up, as needed. And my 5 year old thinks they are cool. So as long as the majority of them stay outside, I'll deal.

Wanna tell me your lady beetle story?? Hit me with a comment!

Bird Feeder

2009-10-29T10:54:00.005-04:00

We have a bird feeder on our deck that I love to fill up in the fall and watch the birds go to town! They sing and chirp, it seems to make them so happy. I took a few pictures for you. It's hard to really capture the beauty of this sight with my camera, so you may have to imagine how cool it is on your own.

But here's the rub. We also have a local raccoon. A hungry, feisty, BOLD raccoon. A raccoon who likes to climb up on the deck, tip the feeder, hook a perch on the railing of the deck, and let the bird seed pour into his mouth...leaving none for the bird.

He does leave us something though. If seeing the tipped feeder isn't enough evidence that he's been around, there's frequently a small pile of...er....poop, left on the deck. It really just adds insult to injury.

I do not like that raccoon.

Easy Fridge Decor

2009-10-26T09:53:00.003-04:00

While I'm on the subject of upgrading the house, I wanted to show off my refrigerator for those who haven't seen it in person. I sell Uppercase Living on the side, so I like to use it in my home for easy, temporary decorating. This is how I fancied up my fridge. Love it!

The vinyl is removable but not reusable, and comes in over 30 color choices. You can choose from the catalog, or create your own. If you want to check out some designs for your house visit my website at http://claudine.uppercaseliving.com/ before I get kicked out for not meeting minimum sales for the quarter...which will probably be January 1st. LOL!

New Sink - Kitchen Upgrade

2009-10-23T09:36:00.005-04:00

We've been trying to sell our house. It's a pain. One of the feedback notes we've heard is that there are other homes in the area with more upgrades....well yea, and they are priced a lot higher too! Regardless, we decided that it wouldn't hurt to take a critical eye to the house and see what we might be able to change. Ever since we moved in 4 years ago, I've hated the kitchen sink. So, I wanted to upgrade that sink from a crappy 11 year old stainless to something new and sleek. I got a great deal on an off-white Blanco sink from a local plumbing supply store, so off we went!

Unfortunately, the Blanco was accidentally damaged during the install....so I ended up with an Elkay e-granite in white instead. Still, it's beautiful! Deep bowls, wire racks for the bottom, and even a cutting board. We added a new Kohler faucet that has a built-in sprayer that pulls out, and a new rim part for the disposal to complete the look.

You like?

Meal Planning

2009-10-22T09:18:00.003-04:00

For a while, I was making a meal plan for the entire month and somehow sticking to it! It was a joy to be able to look at my list in the morning and know what we would be having for dinner. Things were easy then...but somehow I got away from monthly meal planning. I started back up recently with weekly plans for a month, and then two days ago I totally pulled the trigger on making a meal plan for the rest of October and I am SO glad I did! It really makes things simple to be able to look at the list in the morning and not have to think about dinner as much. I think it's also cost effective because I'm able to plan ahead and use up a lot of the bargain meat I have in the freezer, instead of running out every couple days for meat. As a rule, I try to incorporate at least 2 crock pot meals each week, as well as at least one leftover day a week.

For those who want to start meal planning, the first step I use is to take an inventory of food/meals I have in the freezer, fridge and pantry. You have to know what you've got to work with...and if you're like me, chances are there are packages of frozen meat that have been lingering in the back of the freezer.

After taking an inventory, make another list of all the meals your family likes to eat. Even if it's things that you don't have ingredients for on-hand. You still need a master meal list to give you ideas of recipes for the month.

Finally, take a 3rd piece of paper (or use the computer if you prefer...me? I'm a pencil and paper kind of gal) and merge the two other lists. My advice is to work with what you have on-hand to create a month of meals that you know you and the family will eat. Also, remember to build in meals of leftovers every few days. And you can also plan to double cook...ie, make a double batch of chili for week one and freeze half for another meal during week three. See how easy!!?

Here's the rest of my month, in order:

shrimp with tarragon pasta
homemade pizza
out to eat (if I'm lucky!)
ranch chicken
crock pot tostadas
gumbo
italian beef
quesadillas (from left over beef)
quiche (to use up eggs and veggies from fridge)
fly to new orleans (yippee!)

Do you meal plan? Let me hear about it!

Apple Season

2009-10-14T10:44:00.004-04:00

I love autumn. There are so many reasons why... the temperature drops (but not too low), we can fire up the fireplace, the colors change beautifully and apples are in season. My thoughts turn to the kitchen - applesauce, apple butter and baked goods of all varieties.

Today, I have applesauce on the stove and will later magically turn it into apple butter by cooking it low and slow with fragrant cinnamon, cloves and a bit of brown sugar. YUM!

I also have a new pie recipe in the oven. It's called Swedish Apple Pie and there is no bottom crust. Gotta love that! I hate pie crust. There, I'll admit it. I dislike pie crust. But this recipe intrigued me because you combine sugar, flour, egg, butter and spices to pour over the top of the apples in your pie pan before baking. Hmm, a cross between a pie and a cobbler perhaps? Or maybe a buckle? In any event, it's in the oven and when it's cooked and sampled, I'll report back with the recipe (with my modifications, cause you know I can't follow a recipe without making it my own by altering something or another!) and pictures.

Apple season rocks!

*Swedish Apple Pie*

1 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and sliced

2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoon cinnamon (divided)

3/4 cup melted butter

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss apples with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and pour them into a pie plate. Thoroughly mix together brown and white sugar with the flour, remainder of cinnamon, butter, and egg. Spread this evenly over the top of the pie. Bake in preheated oven until the apples have cooked and the topping is golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Tamales

2009-09-30T17:50:00.003-04:00

OMG.
I made tamales this week with my friend Norma and they are amazing! The backstory on my search for the perfect tamale started with some fresh tamales I had a few years ago in California from a Farmer's Market. Since then, I've visited other markets and ordered them online...good enough, but just not what I've been craving.

Until now.

And making tamales is a lot easier than I ever thought it would be. It's definately time consuming, which is why I was so glad to have Norma around. In fact, it was her idea to make tamales, so hats off to Norma!

I'll link the recipe I used from a website that has really specific directions AND photographs. The cool thing is that you can totally deviate from the ingredient list (for the most part) and customize your tamales. We made chicken/pork like the website suggests, AND we made black bean & cheese and beef tamales. YUM!

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/tamales/Tamale_Recipe.htm

The cool thing about this website is that they break it down for you to the ingredients you need, how to cook the meat, how to prepare the masa, how to assemble the tamales and how to cook them. After cooking, you can freeze these babies and re-steam them for dinners or lunches later. AWESOME!

Check out the link above and please let me know if you make tamales....I can't wait for Tamale Making Day to come again this winter. :)

Next up, my soon-to-be-famous GUMBO recipe! (and I'll add tamale pics soon)

Giveaway Time!

2009-09-24T18:59:00.005-04:00

Update: the WINNER is #8

Random.org picked post #8 as the winner. Congratulations!! (I have no idea how to do a screen shot of the actual draw, so you'll have to trust me on this one.) Thanks to everyone who entered....check back often for more contests and giveaways. I'll do the 2nd Ron & Franks giveaway in November.

With the weather turning cooler, my thoughts turn to warm drinks. I love a hot drink on a cool morning, or before bed, or in the afternoon...well, any time really! And last year I discovered a super-delicious brand of drink mix that is not only affordable, but also low calorie. Ron & Franks Skinny Gourmet! They sell a variety of drink and baking mixes with or without Splenda in flavors like cappuccino, spiced apple cider, peanut butter hot chocolate, and so many more.

Ron & Franks (http://www.ronandfranks.com/) Skinny Gourmet drink mixes are THE BEST. The company is pretty darn awesome too, because when I sent them an email requesting a sample for my blog giveaway, they sent me FOUR packages of their creamy hot chocolate mixes. So exciting - you are going to love this stuff!! I'm tempted to keep them for myself...but that wouldn't be right. ;)

Here are the rules for this giveaway contest. If you want to win, you must visit the Ron & Franks website here and poke around, then come back here and tell me (in a comment) what flavor drink mix sounds the best to you. Or any product really. Check them out, and if you can't wait for the results, place an order for yourself....you will *not* regret it!

This contest will have one winner, selected by random.org, from comments left on my blog. I'll keep the contest open until noon EST on Sunday, September 27th. You're going to have to check back on Sunday evening to see who the winner is and then email me if it's you so I know where to send your goodies.

Oh, you probably want to know what the prize is....eh?

The winner will receive two packages of drink mix:

Ron & Franks Skinny Gourmet Diet Hot Chocolate in White Chocolate Raspberry flavor
Ron & Franks Skinny Gourmet Diet Chai Tea

Each package makes 24 servings and each serving has only 20 calories!! For those Weight Watchers followers like myself, that's ZERO points. Don't let the word "diet" in the title of these scare you off. Seriously, these are so good, I am stocking up for the fall & winter. But you can also make iced versions if you prefer your beverages cold.

Now those of you who have been paying attention might be thinking to yourself, "hey, she got 4 packages and is only giving away 2...what's up with that?!?". Well, good question. I'm saving the other two bags until closer to holiday time because those are both the famous Egg Nog mix. If you like Egg Nog, but can't stand all the calories, you're going to want to try this! I love egg nog flavor, but the actual drink is a generally little too....thick...for me. Ron & Frank's version is PERFECTION. And like the other mixes here, these too are made with Splenda for a low calorie treat.

Good luck with the contest!

Swag Bucks

2009-09-18T16:23:00.005-04:00

While I'm waiting for the giveaway item to arrive (yippee!), I thought I'd let you know about a new freebie/earning website I just joined. I'm going to pimp it here with my referral code, so if you join too then I can earn more stuff. Then get your friends to join and you can earn even more free stuff too!

It's called Swag Bucks.

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Cluck29

That is my referral link. So far, I have 8 swag bucks.

What is it? It's an online portal dedicated to helping you earn digital dollars called "Swag Bucks", which can be redeemed for exclusive swagbucks.com merchandise. You SEARCH the web (like you already do now) using their website, EARN swag bucks periodically during these searches, and then REDEEM the bucks for prizes like gift cards.

So lend me a hand and join, mkay?

Stay Tuned...

2009-09-10T21:32:00.002-04:00

I'm going to give something away soon.
I just have to figure out what it's going to be...but when I do, it's gonna be good!

Stay tuned.

Chill Time

2009-09-06T22:42:00.002-04:00

I love relaxing. I mean, it's probably obvious...most people do, right? But it's that especially important, ever-so-rare occasion that I get to really, really RELAX that I enjoy most of all. This weekend, I got to do just that.

I spent a day and a half in Michigan with my family and friends, just having a good time and being together. Such a wonderful way to spend a weekend....a birthday weekend, none-the-less. And even with the chaos of making dinner and entertaining 15 people, including two 5-year olds, in someone else's house - we still managed to feel relaxed. THAT is the sign of a great weekend.

So I'm sending a big shout out of thanks to my husband, daughter, sister, Aunt and the 'significant others' who helped make this weekend one to remember.

Ahhh, I needed that!

Free Food from Schwan's

2009-08-27T11:25:00.002-04:00

I love having food delivered to my house. Where I live, not many places will deliver...but the Schwan's Man will! Of course, I have to cook that food myself, but it's not all that bad. If you've never ordered from Schwan's, then you're like me. I didn't even really know what it was until we moved to Indiana. Basically, it's a quaint little service this frozen food vendor uses to get customers. Delivering food right to your door, every two weeks, just like the milk man of days gone by. (...and no, I'm not old enough to remember the milk man, thankyouverymuch)

So, here's how I was introduced to Bob, my Schwan's delivery guy...FREE FOOD. Yep. Free. $10 worth on your first order. He'll come back every 2 weeks to see if you want to place a real, paying order - but if you don't then just say so. And chances are you will, because some of their stuff is AWESOME.

This is a link to the $10 free deal - check it out soon, I have no idea how long this will last.
http://www.schwans.com/promos/freefood/freeFoodBegin.aspx

My favorites?

Strawberry Daiquiri Sorbet (dairy free! and limited time only, do a search for it)
Single Serve Fruit Packs - Island Blend (great for healthy smoothies, and it's tropical fruits which are harder to do on your own - but they do have a regular berry one too...I can get 2 smoothies from one fruit pack and you get 4 in each big bag)

I've heard their fish and seafood are both really good, and I'll be getting those next time. I'm on a diet, so a lot of the frozen stuff here isn't really in my "plan"...but for family or a splurge or a party, it all looks really yummy!

If you order, leave me a comment and let me know what you tried!

Blog Me

2009-08-21T20:41:00.001-04:00

My sister just sent me a Facebook message. She said to update my blog. Which must mean that at least some people are reading it. Or, at least one person is reading it. Thanks, Sis!

I like knowing that people are reading. I've been gone for a bit, but I promise to try and write more frequently. I think I'm just having a hard time trying to figure out what to say lately. I'm open to suggestions....

Amazon Grocery Deals!

2009-08-02T09:31:00.002-04:00

I don't typically post about sales on my blog, but this is one I took advantage of yesterday and placed an order. I got some good stuff, and I think you can too...so I want to share the details.

Amazon is having a promotion on some grocery items, good for back to school. Stock up and save up to 40% on any combination of eligible products.

Here's how it works:
Buy any 2 eligible products and save 20%
Buy any 3 eligible products and save 30%
Buy any 5 eligible products and save 40% (this is obviously the best deal!)

Use the following promotional code when you check out: BCKSCLO9.

This offer applies only to products offered by Amazon.com and for purchases made between July 20 and September 6, 2009 (This offer cannot be combined with Subscribe & Save or other code-based offer).Stock up and save--all items are eligible for Amazon Prime and FREE Super Saver Shipping over $25.

Here's the link to the main page. Some items are super cheap to begin with, and adding free shipping with 40% off makes it SWEET (esp. if you like to buy in bulk and have things delivered right to your door!) http://www.amazon.com/Back-School-Grocery/b/ref=amb_link_84843791_1?ie=UTF8&node=235692011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=top-1&pf_rd_r=1ZR70JG2A6X0RVRJ18PG&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=484170531&pf_rd_i=235692011

Wanna know what I bought and paid? I was thinking about school lunches when I was filling my Amazon cart....unfortunately, many of the snacks have milk in them, so those were out. But, I managed to find some stuff! I bought:

36 mac n cheese cups (Audrey's new obsession, we don't use the cheese packet!)
8 chicken & stars Campbell's soup at hand cups
8 chicken & mini noodle Campbell's soup at hand cups
6 boxes (20 bags each) Tazo apricot vanilla white tea
20 no sugar added organic squeese applesauce things

So essentially, if you don't count the tea (since it's not for lunches) I paid $65 for 52 lunch items (mac n cheese and soups) plus 20 sides (applesauce). Not bad??

ps- we don't use the cheese sauce packet in the mac n cheese cups, in case anyone was wondering how my non-dairy child can eat mac n cheese!

Leftover Rice, Rice Pudding

2009-07-26T22:15:00.002-04:00

I adore rice pudding. Love it!
We had leftover rice from some mediocre Chinese food last night and I needed to finish off the meal on a positive note, so I went searching for a non-dairy rice pudding recipe that was sinple and delicious. While I didn't find one exactly right, I was able to come up with my own.
Turns out, my dairy-free daughter doesn't like rice pudding so I could have used cow milk. Oh well.

Enjoy!

Leftover Rice Rice Pudding

1 cup leftover cooked white rice
2 cups milk (any kind - I used almond milk)
1/4 cup sugar
small pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg, optional

Combine cooked rice, milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and stir in the vanilla. Cook until just about all of the milk is absorbed. Stir in cinnamon and/or nutmeg, if using. Divide rice pudding into individual serving dishes serve warm or chilled. Makes one big bowl, which for me was pretty much 2 servings but that just depends on whether or not you want to share.

From Trash to Treasure - arm warmers!

2009-07-26T10:23:00.007-04:00

I bought my husband some new dress socks for work at the outlet mall a couple weeks ago. He tried one on, and it had a big hole in the heel. One sock out of 3 pairs, so it wasn't really worth the 40 minute drive back to the outlet mall to exchange it. So...I had this brilliant idea on how to reuse that particular sock.

My husband likes to destroy things when he throws stuff away, so he was beginning to cut up this defective sock. I caught him just after her cut the foot off..... "gimme that!", I said.

I pulled it onto my 5 year old's arm and asked her where the thumb should go. She showed him, and he cut a tiny slit (not a hole) for her thumb to stick out. Viola! Arm warmers...just like Baby Legs or Hanna Andersson, only waaaay cheaper. But still super cool. At least, my 5 year old daughter thinks so.

Arm Warmer Instructions:

take a sock, cut the foot off

cut a small slit into what would be the top of the sock

the cut portion will be slightly looser, that goes at the top of the arm (cuff it, if need be)

You can even go nuts if you really know how to sew and stitch up the cut portion, sew in a cuff, add some embellishments...I just saw a bedazzler at CVS for $5, I *knew* I should have picked that up! You can also make one for each arm, but around here, we prefer the rock star look with just one.

Guilty Pleasures

2009-07-24T10:57:00.004-04:00

I had a wonderful dream last night.

I dreamt that Nabisco created a new flavor of Cakester....orange! You've never had a cakester? Oh boy. Let me tell you, the golden ones are divine. And I imagine that if there were an orange flavor, it would be even better! I can still see it in my mind, a little pale orange cake with fluffy, sweet white filling....

Of course, I think I'll have to go out and get a Hostess cupcake - orange flavor - instead. It won't be the same, but after I peel off that nasty "frosting" layer, it should do the trick.

Pajamas

2009-07-16T19:08:00.002-04:00

My 5 year old is a great kid, and she totally cracks me up because she's both smart and witty. Case in point, last night I asked her to get her jammies on. She decided, after being unable to locate a proper pair of pajamas, to come back to the kitchen wearing only panties.

She then declared that she was going to sleep in her "nude jammies". My husband has coined the term for these as "skin jammies".

Whatever you call them, she's wearing them again tonight.

It's the Little Things

2009-07-04T12:32:00.002-04:00

It's raining.
It's also the 4th of July.
Bah.

But...
I love the sound of the rain gently falling on the trees in my backyard.
I love how it gets just a bit (or sometimes a lot) darker outside during a rain shower.
I love the smell of fresh rain.
I love that my daughter gets just a bit more snuggly when the thunder claps.

So I guess it's not all that bad to have rain on the 4th of July.

Easy Way to Fold Sheets

2009-06-23T18:13:00.002-04:00

I do not like folding sheets. I'm terrible at it, really.

I do like being mentioned on other people's blogs (in a positive way, of course). And I also like winning contests. Today's post is the best of both!!

Check out my friend Sandy's organization blog. It's awesome! I have used, and plan to use more, of her amazing organizing ideas. And today, she mentions me in her blog because I won a contest by describing how I organize my sheets in the linen closet. It also works for stuffing them in a drawer or under your bed, if you prefer.

:)

http://modern-simplicity.blogspot.com/

Visit her blog and leave a message to let her know you stopped by.

Fun with Shaving Cream

2009-06-18T20:52:00.003-04:00

While I'm sure some adults would enjoy this too, I'm specifically speaking of fun for kids with shaving cream.

Rainy day? Too hot to play outside? Just plain bored? Struggling for bathtime? Give the kid a can of shaving cream, strip 'em down and plunk them in the tub. Instant fun!

I gave my little one a $0.79 cent can of shaving cream and free reign to "play" in the tub. She covered herself and every surface she could find, including a cup, spoon and 3 barbies. About 45 minutes later, she was rinsed, clean and smellin' great. She later told me that this was "the best day of her life!". With feedback like that, you can't go wrong.

Shaving cream. They are already half way to a bath!
Trust me. Worth every penny....

Contest Winner!

2009-06-16T10:10:00.001-04:00

The winner of the crock pot liners, as chosen by random.org (so you know I didn't cheat), is comment #8!

WHOO HOO!

You've got some liners coming your way girlfriend. And I fully expect a comment here after you try one out. Got it?

Congratulations, and thanks for all of your entries (as few as they were)....I appreciate your support! :)

Crock Pot Liners Saved My Life

2009-06-15T09:49:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm exaggerating a little. They didn't really save my life exactly. But they sure made clean-up a lot easier...which makes my life easier. And who doesn't like easy?!?

I've been using Reynolds Slow Cooker liners for a while, they run about $4 for a box of 4...so $1 each. Expensive, yes. But totally worth it.

Then one day, I stumbled across a similar product that changed my life. Ok, exaggerating again, but seriously trust me on this one!

EZ Pans slow cooker/crock pot liners. THE BEST!

You've heard of crock pot liners, right? Basically, plastic-type "bags" you put into your slow cooker before you dump in the food. Then after cooking, you simply lift out the bag and toss it. Wipe down the inside of your crock pot with a damp towel (I use vinegar & water) and you're done. Simple, fast clean up. It makes me want to use the crock pot more and more, which is a huge time saver.

So here's another great thing about the EZ Pan liners. They cost about .30 cents each! I found a seller on Ebay who had them, but they are also available on Amazon.com....here's a link....free shipping too! You may not *need* 100 of them, but at this price you can either stock up for the year or share with friends.

Check them out and let me know what you think if you try them!
http://www.amazon.com/Special-Temp-Crockpot-Liners-Slowcooker/dp/B001GDFVZO

Let's do a contest, shall we? I'll choose a random number and the person with that number post in today's comments on this entry will WIN 5 of these crock pot liners. Yippee! My first contest. Post entries must be entered by midnight EST 6/15/09.

ps- please remember to either put your email in the comment or be a registered user so I can contact the winner! check back tomorrow for the winner's name. :)

Oatmeal Packets

2009-06-11T12:17:00.005-04:00

It's summer. In an attempt to lure my 5 year old away from PBS, I needed a craft. And we needed breakfast. These Homemade Oatmeal Packets accomplished both!

It's really simple and delicious (and inexpensive!). What else would you expect from me?!?

CUSTOM MADE OATMEAL PACKETS

Ingredients:
3 cups oats
brown or white sugar
baggies or some container (you'll need about 8 per batch)
small blender/chopper/Magic Bullet
mix-ins for the oatmeal (dried fruit, powdered creamer, chocolate chips, etc)

Instructions:
Blend up 1 cup of oats and set aside in a bowl. Next, portion out 1/4 cup servings of the remaining whole oats (not the ones you just blended) into airtight containers like baggies or other small containers. To each packet, add 2 tablespoons of the powder oats (it's a thickening agent). Some recipes call for a dash of salt, but I didn't find it necessary. If you like, add a teaspoon or so of brown/white sugar or powder sweetener of choice. The final step is to add the mix-ins...

dried fruit (raisin, blueberry, cranberry, cherry, apricot)

spices (cinnamon, nutmeg)

powdered creamer (for a fruit & cream variety)

chocolate chips

chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds)

colored sprinkles

Close up the bag and your custom made, healthier-than-store-bought, instant oatmeal packets are complete! You can even take the craft aspect of this activity a step further by making fun labels for the packages. Or, set up a "topping bar" and have some friends over to make oatmeal packets and let them choose their own mix-ins. The possibilities are endless.

To serve, just add approximately 1/2 c. boiling water to a bowl with one packet of oatmeal. Mix well and let it sit to thicken. You can play around with the water amount if you like thicker or thinner oatmeal.

My daughter loved making these, and because we used a combo of red/green sprinkles (leftover mix from our Magic Reindeer Food from last Solstice) her oatmeal turned blue! Be cautious, with the mix-ins added, you may not even need sugar or sweetener. Our had sugar added, but next time I'll leave it out if we put in sprinkles because she said it was too sweet. Huh!??! It's true!

Homemade Bug Repellent - Deet Free!

2009-06-09T16:02:00.004-04:00

Know what I don't love? Bugs. Namely mosquitoes. I have a bite on my ankle that is driving me crazy. Literally, crazy. So I needed a solution to prevent mosquito bites this summer, and I've found one that isn't going to harm me or my child with harsh chemicals. This bug repellent recipe is affordable and can easily be made in the kitchen without needing to buy a lot of crazy ingredients. And, of course, it's simple. I was given this recipe by a friend who found it in Family Circle. Thanks Brandi!

All you need are a few ingredients:

equal parts of apple cider vinegar & witch hazel (I used 1 cup each)
a few drops of citronella oil (for 1 cup and 1 cup, I used about 2 teaspoons of oil)
spray bottle (walmart, $1.57)

Mix it all together and funnel into a spray bottle, or just funnel it all in and then give it a good shake. I can vouch that it does work. My daughter went to camp 2 days this week and hasn't had a single bite. One of her instructors, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, tried it out today on her legs only. She was bitten by mosquitoes on her arms, but not on her legs. Success!

If you don't have citronella oil, today is your lucky day because I have a website for you to order from AND a $5 coupon to pay for it!!

http://www.iherb.com/

use $5 off code KON547

I bought this citronella oil for $3.37.

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Citronella-Oil-1-fl-oz-30-ml/921?at=0

While you're there, you can also pick up some wonderful sweet almond oil to make sugar scrub!

Good Deal!

2009-06-05T17:14:00.002-04:00

I love a good deal.
But, you know that about me already don't you. ;)

Here's one for those of us who hate to pay full price on clothing.

Chadwicks - 50% off any 1 item
Code: CH21595
Expires: 6/18/09

Guess what? I just bought a new dress!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2009-05-29T09:09:00.002-04:00

(UPDATE 9/10/09: The Organic Vanilla Co. emailed me that they are out of stock now but should be getting new beans in late September 2009 - so hang tight if you haven't ordered yet!)

Two years ago, I learned how to make vanilla extract. I love it! Homemade vanilla is so much better (and far less expensive) than store-bought extract. And it's very, very simple. Here's a basic recipe and a link to a reputable vanilla bean store online with a special offer! Free shipping if you enter the promo code "mayspecial"...so hurry! If you buy the Tahitian package, you should have enough beans for one batch, but I just ordered the combo pack. One of my water recipes calls for a vanilla bean, so make sure you order plenty!

Vanilla bean special: http://www.organic-vanilla.com/servlet/Detail?no=101

How to make vanilla extract:
Take a bottle of cheap-o vodka and pour it from the plastic container into 2 large quart size mason jars. Rinse off your vanilla beans. Split them open down the middle, leaving them attached at the tip. Drop 4-6 beans into each mason jar. Cover tightly with a clean lid and ring. Place somewhere dark and cool. I keep mine in a kitchen cabinet. Give the vanilla a shake once a week. It will take at least 4 months for the vodka to turn into usable extract. So if you're hoping to give these as gifts for the holidays, plan accordingly...start now! The longer it sits, the better.

When you're ready to use it, strain out the vanilla bits and bottle the vanilla. For a unique presentation, add half (or whatever amount) of a fresh vanilla bean to the container. Lovely and useful!

I'll post pics later.

One million thanks to my friend Tracy for reminding me of my love for vanilla extract and my need to blog about it. Check her blog for awesome deals of the day, including this vanilla bean steal! http://outnumberedbythekids.blogspot.com/

Turtle Mama, part II

2009-05-27T10:25:00.003-04:00

She was back this morning, presumably laying more eggs into the hole...and digging up more of the yard. I was able to get a picture of her this time. Box turtle or snapper?

Here's a picture of the nest too (sorry, I have no idea how to arrange photos here). Yesterday you could see one of the eggs in there, covered mostly with mud. Today, it looks like she peed in the hole and maybe laid more eggs. (That's what I read, I know, it's kinda icky but hey, that's nature!)

Yard Turtles

2009-05-25T21:08:00.004-04:00

The family and I went out to dinner this evening. As we were leaving the driveway, my husband asked if that round thing on the grass was a turtle. It was indeed, almost as big as a freaking dinner plate. She was hovered over a hole, and I wondered if she was laying eggs. I got out of the car and looked in the hole, which seemed to be filled with these big white glops. I thought they were too big to be eggs, we've seen remnant shells on the driveway before and they were much smaller.

Low and behold, next thing you know, she pushed an egg out of her behind. I mean, probably not literally her "behind", but that's what it looked like. Those are some big eggs! I'm guessing she laid about 10-12 of them in that hole, pushing them down gently with her back leg each time. So freaking cool to see that, and to be able to give that experience to our daughter -who laughed hysterically when I yelled, "OMG, she just shot an egg out of her butt!" because it completely shocked me.

We're hoping the eggs survive, I may fashion some sort of "cage" over the hole so predators don't eat them. But I'm on the fence about whether or not I should interfere with natural selection and nature's fate and all that. From what I have heard (and I'll do more research), turtles lay eggs and then just leave them, never to return. The babies who make it, hatch and go happily on their merry way. Weird, no? In any event, we've got some investigating and observing coming up this summer...there looks to be at least 1 more turtle egg hole in the yard!

Another thing I found out is that the incubation time for turtle eggs is anywhere from 45-90 days, depending on the type of turtle. Of course, I have no idea what kind of turtle this one was, so that's more research we need to do. Can anyone say homeschool activity?!? That ought to keep us busy for a day or two, now that preschool is out. And by early fall, maybe we'll be lucky enough to have a handful of baby turtles to watch as they leave our yard to start their own lives.

Got anything cool like that in your yard? Leave me a comment and tell me about it!

Facials

2009-05-24T16:52:00.005-04:00

I sure do love a good facial. I try to do them at home for myself, but finding the time makes it difficult. As a splurge for getting our tax refund, I treated myself to a facial in town at a salon which uses my favorite products by Repechage. Ah, it was bliss. Pure bliss. And my face looks and feels super clean. So now, I'm motivated to keep things clean and do mini facials at home at least once a week. In reality, it doesn't take that much time to pamper your face if you break it down into simple steps.

These are the steps I use for my home facials...in the interest of full disclosure, let's keep in mind that I am not a cosmetologist, esthetician or dermatologist. I have no training in giving facials and I'm probably not qualified to give advice on them. I'm just a girl who likes facials, who used to get a lot of facials, and who now can't afford facials so I mostly do them at home. That being said, here we go. Whee!!

1) Cleanse
Rid your face, neck and upper chest area of dirt and oil by using a gentle cleanser made for faces. Rinse with warm, not hot, water.

2) Exfoliate
This step is important because it removes not only dirt and oil build-up, but also clears away dead skin cells and stimulates circulation. All are very good things.

3) Steam
I like to stick my face into the steamer (or use a sink full of hot water with a towel over your head) during the exfoliation stage after the scrubbing and before the rinsing.

4) Mask
Depending on your skin type and needs, there are a variety of masks you could use. Me? I like a calming clay mask because I have sensitive, yet blemish prone skin. Leave the mask on for 5-15 minutes and rinse off using a warm, wet washcloth.

5) Tone
Swipe a cotton pad or the tip of a washcloth soaked in toner over your entire face, avoiding the eye area. I recently discovered Witch Hazel for toning and I love it.

6) Moisturize
The final step in your facial is to moisturize the skin with a cream of your choice. Remember my water post? Skin needs moisture, so load it up after a facial. Drink water and use a moisturizer.

Pamper yourself!

Eagles

2009-05-19T12:26:00.007-04:00

Look what I found in my backyard! No. I'm kidding. But, a dear friend of mine was kind enough to send me this picture of a real, live local eagle. In central Indiana, who knew?! Apparently, eagles around here aren't that unusual, but I've never seen one.

So my friend took me to see the nest. Whoa, those things are huge! When I was there, we didn't see the bird. Darn. However, my pal was lucky enough to not only catch an amazing shot of this eagle, but she also saw it's mate AND some babies in the nest. How freaking cool is that?!?

Let's face it. You just can't get any cooler than an eagle. Seriously, they are indeed the most awesome bird alive...and for a while there, things weren't looking so good for our national symbol. In 1940 Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act, which made it illegal to shoot at, kill, or poison the birds. Things were ok for a while ...until the pesticide DDT came along. It got into the food chain and eventually caused the birds to lay eggs with thinner shells (which, you know, can't be good) and the eagle numbers dropped dramatically.

After DDT was banned in 1972, eagles began to recover. Congress passed the Endangered Species Act in 1967, and the modern act in 1973 - and the bald eagle was among the first animals named on the protected list.

On June 28th, 2007, they announced that the bald eagle had been taken off the federally protected list. YAY! However, laws still prohibit killing and harming eagles or their nests or eggs. So, that's good for the eagles.

There you have it. Many thanks to National Geographic for the info about eagles. :)

And if you'd like to check out my friend's website, here's the link. She and her husband are - by far - two of the most talented photographers I've ever known. Very cool stuff. http://www.ennisphotography.com/

Bountiful Garden

2009-05-17T12:41:00.003-04:00

I love fresh produce. Even better is when it's locally grown, organic....and free!

A good friend of mine has been working very hard on her garden (which is extremely impressive), and now the cool weather crops are ready to harvest. So, she invited me over to gather some herbs and veggies. What a feeling of accomplishment it must be to see actual plants and FOOD coming up from the ground where once there was only dirt and tiny seeds.

Today I came home with lettuce, mustard greens, chives, green onions, something that smells like cilantro but is more wispy (ideas anyone?), fancy french radishes, and a garlic bulb to put into the ground at my house.

Technically, it's not free....she paid for the seeds and fertilizer, etc. She also paid for these crops with her blood, sweat and tears. But for those who love to be outside and work in the earth, it's a small price to pay. And being able to share our bounty with friends makes it even sweeter! For my part, I will share my homemade jam and sugar scrub (and a couple tall nonfat caramel machiatos) in exchange for the ability to image, even for a few minutes while I feel the warm sun on my face, that I was the one who toiled away in the garden to produce such an impressive harvest. I'm certainly looking forward to later this summer when the potatoes, tomatoes and corn is ready!

Aside from the single garlic bulb in my side-driveway plot of garden (and I use the term garden very, very loosely), I have a small patch of strawberry plants (either the deer or the rabbits keep eating the flowers before they can mature). I also have one of those upside-down tomato planters on my deck that I'll fill with tomato starts with basil on top. For a garden novice, it's a start.

Are you making a garden this summer? I'd love to hear about it in the comment section!

Water - Pure & Simple

2009-05-12T12:28:00.006-04:00

We just returned from a wonderful cruise, my husband and I. At dinner, our table-for-two was right next to a beautifully large round window that overlooked the ocean. Being on the ship for 6 days, it got me thinking alot about water....and the fact that I totally do not drink enough of it.

You've heard the idea that we should all drink eight 8 oz. glasses per day. Or maybe you've heard that you should cut your body weight in half and drink that many ounces of water per day. (No, I won't tell you how much that would be for me, so don't ask.) Personally, I think it's more a matter of personal hydration - everyone is different and hydration needs are too. Unfortunately, the problem is that most of us don't realize when we're actually thirsty...and we either ignore it or mistake it for hunger.

So today I'm vowing to increase my drinking water intake and I'll going to share a few of my favorite natural water-flavoring recipes to make things more interesting. If you've got a good one I missed, please leave me a comment...I'm always looking for creative ways to flavor water.

With all these recipes, the longer you let them steep in the fridge, the more flavor you'll get. I'm using a big 32 oz. Tupperware mug for these recipes, with ice. Feel free to adjust for your personal taste!

Simply Lemon - add a slice or two of lemon (or lime) to water. Please be sure to WASH the fruit first.

Citrus Burst - add a squeeze and a slice of fresh orange plus a peeled slice (quarter size) of ginger to water.

Minty Fresh - add a few sprigs of mint (you can probably get this fresh from someone's garden, mint takes over like crazy and most people would love to share!) to your favorite citrus water.

Vanilla Orange - add half of a fresh vanilla bean (split open) and 2 slices of orange to water. (in a pinch, a teaspoon to taste of vanilla extract works too)

Cranberry Orange - toss in a few crushed fresh cranberries and a couple slices of orange to water.

Refreshing Cucumber - add just a few thin slices of cucumber to water for a unique refreshing flavor, and it's even better with a bit of mint.

Raspberry Splash - crush a few and leave some whole, but toss some berries into the water....yum!

Silver Jewelry is Pretty

2009-04-29T07:04:00.003-04:00

Do you ever find that you need a little gift for someone, say for Mother's Day or a birthday, and you can't spend a lot but still want it to be nice? I've got just the ticket!

Silver Jewelry Club. http://www.silverjewelryclub.com/

Only, it's not actually a club, so there's no joining or fee involved. And the best part is that the jewelry is FREE! Yep, free. You pay $6.99 for shipping...and if you buy a pendant and want to add a necklace chain, it's $4 more. Not too shabby!

I'll tell you honestly that some of the items are really nice, and others are not so much. But that may just be personal preference. And they look a lot bigger online than they do in real life, so keep that in mind. But I've bought a couple pendants and find them to be relatively heavy (which means they don't have that automatic cheap feel to them). The chain is nice too, for $4.

So for $7-11 each, you can buy a couple nice silver jewelry pieces to hide away for those times when you need a last minute gift...I'm thinking these would be great for birthday parties for the 8-15 year old set, friends, sisters, that hard-to-buy-for aunt...take a look at the website and see what you think.

Oh yea, I forgot to mention that there are four items up at one time and they change every 15 minutes. So if you see something you like, buy it...don't wait....or it may be gone when you come back. :)

The Virtues of Vinegar

2009-04-28T16:57:00.004-04:00

I'll admit it, I typically use Melaleuca products for most of my cleaning. I'm really happy with the products, especially Sol-u-Mel because (among other things) it can get marker out of my carpet. But recently, I discovered the virtues of vinegar. White vinegar, that is. For a long time, I thought vinegar was just a liquid used for cooking. And to be honest, I wasn't really sure what you cooked with vinegar except for coloring hard boiled eggs.

Well guess what?! There are a ton of uses for vinegar, and I'll list a few for you that I personally do....

Clean hard wood floors with a vinegar and water mixture. (I keep a spray bottle full of 1/2 water, 1/2 vinegar and use that for everything!)
Pour 1/4-1/2 cup of vinegar into the laundry machine during the wash and/or during the rinse cycle to get cleaner, brighter, softer clothes.
Spray windows and glass with a vinegar and water mixture and wipe dry.
Wipe down counters, stove, oven and kitchen appliances with a vinegar and water mixture.
Clean stains out of the microwave with about 1/4 cup of vinegar and a splash of water in a bowl, heat it for a minute or so until it steams, then wipe the inside of the microwave clean.
Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the dishwasher in the rinse agent compartment to help remove water spots.
Put a cup filled with plain white vinegar on the top rack of an empty dishwasher and run a cycle thru to clean the interior.

What do you use vinegar for at your house? I've love to know more uses....leave me a comment!

Playing with Our Food

2009-04-26T10:01:00.004-04:00

My "almost 5" year old daughter loves fun food. She'll eat practically anything if I put it into a bento box. Kabobs of any kind are one of her favorites. Lately though, I've been getting lazy in the creative department...and she seems to be getting more picky about dinner. So, a friend showed me a blog I hadn't seen before with some fun food ideas, and I made hot dog spiders! She liked them so much, she ate two hot dogs worth, and asked for them for lunch the next day. Not only that, she didn't request the usual "dipper" of ketchup or spaghetti sauce. Amazing!

Here's how you make 'em...it's simple (as per the title of this blog, it has to be!)

Hot Dog Spiders

ingredients:
saucepan of water
hot dogs
spaghetti noodles (dry)

instructions:
Boil the water. Meanwhile, cut up the hot dogs into your preferred size. We like bite size so they are easier to eat as finger food. Break the spaghetti into thirds. Poke several strands of spaghetti thru the hot dog bite. Toss them all into the boiling water, cook until noodles are tender, approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain, cool and eat!

I can totally see doing these for a child's birthday party or playgroup too. And for the record, Mama like them too!

Special thanks to this website for the awesome idea~ http://www.boingboing.net/2009/04/21/freaky-food-fun-inse.html

Beets...Not Just for Dinner Anymore.

2009-04-23T20:15:00.006-04:00

"I was cutting root veggies for tomorrow's dinner and one thing lead to another...."

This is what a friend of mine told me last night. I wasn't sure what to think, until she elaborated. Turns out, she gave herself "lowlights" with a fresh beet. While I wasn't entirely sure what that meant, I assumed it has something to do with coloring her hair. You see, I'm a brunette. Ask me about highlights, and I can explain it, show you old photos from college and give you suggestions for your own color. But lowlights...huh??

"I took the end of the beet and rubbed it on a few strands of hair.....sounds like something you'd do!"

Indeed, it does. I was intrigued and needed to know more.

"Highlight is light, lowlight is darker than your base color."

That was my AH-HA! moment. I got it now. Sounds awesome! And it got me thinking, what could I possibly rub on my own dark brown hair to change the color naturally like that? Aside from juicing lemons and hanging out in the sun (who used Sun-In as a teenager and then claimed that the sun just did that "all on it's own"? admit it, I know you did.) I started looking through the pantry and fridge to see if I had anything might work. Kool-aid? Coffee? Rhubarb? Bananas?

I'll have to keep you posted on this one. For now, I think I'll just let my stylist hook me up.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

2009-04-23T12:37:00.003-04:00

Yum. Mexican food. One of my favorites...along with Italian, Green, Thai, Chinese, Afghanistan, Sushi....well, you get the idea. Anyway, for those who don't know, our daughter is allergic to milk. And you will likely be surprised to know that almost all commercial taco seasoning packets contain milk or a milk product. Who knew?!? So I set out to create my own taco seasoning and it turns out that not only does a homemade mix taste better, but it's also more affordable and time-saving to keep a jar of this stuff in the pantry. You can alter the recipe below to suit your tastes - more or less of any ingredient will just make it "yours". Enjoy!

And if you want a super easy and delicious recipe in which to test out your homemade taco seasoning mix, try my friend Tracy's Crock Pot Tostadas...and check out her blog at http://outnumberedbythekids.blogspot.com/ for her Deal of the Day. Sweet!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

ingredients:
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried onion flakes
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
1/2 - 1 cup chili powder (we use 1/2 c.)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin (I love cumin!)
4 teaspoons salt

instructions:
Put all ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid (I like canning jars personally). Shake to mix. Use to taste in whatever recipe you choose - approximately 1/2 cup equals one seasoning packet from the store, but I frequently use less, especially if I add more chili powder to the mix.

Tracy's Crock Pot Tostadas
6 to 10 servings

ingredients:
1 lb ground beef-browned and drained
2 cans refried beans
1 envelope dry taco seasoning mix (or use homemade version above!!)
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
10 tostada shells ( I skip this and use tortilla chips instead)
diced tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese
black olives
sour cream
guacamole
salsa

instructions:
Combine ground beef, beans, seasoning, tomato sauce and water in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Crisp tostada shells (or just use tortilla chips, Fritos, etc.). Spread hot mixture on shells and top with remaining ingredients OR scoop hot mixture onto plate, top w/ remaining ingredients and scoop with chips.

Worms.

2009-04-22T09:27:00.004-04:00

Today is Earth Day, so I thought it would be appropriate to tell you about a "green" effort I've undertaken. At home, we have been increasing our general recycling and trying to use fewer disposable paper products by using rags instead of paper towels for cleaning, cloth napkins instead of paper, glassware instead of plastic, etc. And of course, we traded in the H3 for the Prius (hee hee! sorry honey.) But this past winter, I started a worm compost bin for our preschool.

My friend Sandy, the Green Guru, turned me on to an idea known as Vermicomposting. Her blog is here, http://modern-simplicity.blogspot.com/ and I highly recommend checking her out!

To put it simply, vermicomposting is using worms to convert organic waste into usable compost for the garden. It's really easy to do, fortunately for me because (I hate to admit it) sometimes if new things are hard, I just won't try it. But I'm so glad I did, because (1) kids love worms and (2) it's totally good for the environment.

Want to make your own worm bin? Here's how.....

1) Gather up the following supplies

an old plastic storage container (fairly large, like a Rubbermaid tub)
a handful of red wiggler worms (from the bait shop or online)
a handful of soil
some kitchen scraps
some newspaper

2) Toss the worms in the tub with the soil and the food, cover them in barely damp newspaper strips and put the lid on. Don't forget to poke holes in the tub's lid for air circulation.

3) Every week or so, add more scraps and newspaper strips as needed. In a few months, you'll have wonderfully rich compost for your garden or houseplants. You'll also have a lot more worms -- they multiply like crazy in there. Happy worms make a lot of babies, so I've heard.

4) Generally, you want to put only raw fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds and the like in the bin. Stay away from meats, oils, dairy products, orange rinds and other citrus fruits. Worms also like a weekly eggshell or crushed Tums.

At school, the students give their teachers any leftover scraps from lunches - surprisingly, nobody is "saving" lunches for the worms...just giving them things like brown spots from bananas or the peels or crust from a sandwich. It's very cute. At first, one of the teachers found an escapee on the floor one morning before class. I'm sorry to say, he didn't make it. But I believe that was the only casualty. And we know now that if they try to escape, they are not happy. In this case, a little more newspaper and water did the trick.

I'll be taking home the preschool worm bin for the summer and hopefully keeping them alive and happy. My daughter has a new fascination with worms, and has even created her own mini worm bucket in the garage. She found a new worm today and now there are 7 of them. Plus one leaf and a bunch of dirt...and some grass clippings.

I would also like to state for the record, I will never actually have to touch a worm. I will use a spoon, if necessary. Or have my daughter do it. She will be more than happy to volunteer for worm duty. Actually, maybe I can convince her this is a new pet. Yeah, that way...we won't ever have to get a dog!

Do you vermicompost? Are you going to give it a shot? Drop me a comment and let me know! (and check out Sandy's blog for more details on starting your own bin)

Goodwill....Great Deals!

2009-04-21T09:50:00.004-04:00

I can smell a bargain a mile away. That's why I knew I had to stop in at the local Goodwill store after yoga class yesterday. See, I've been staking out 2 Coach bags for a while now...watching, waiting, hoping that they would soon go half price. Yesterday, I had the feeling! I went in, checked the color of the week and...YES! It was blue! So I headed to the locked case and asked to see "my" two purses. I bought them both, along with a blue tagged s'mores maker for $4. One purse was $10 and the other was $7.50....success!

What's that? You don't know what the color of the week means? (GASP!) Each item is marked with a price tag which includes a color code. Each Sunday, the sale code color changes, and that means it's HALF OFF. Such a great deal, especially if you can find things that are clearly worth more than the price tag states.

My favorite things to get at Goodwill are Coach bags, wood furniture, and kitchen gadgets like bread machines and juicers. When my daughter was smaller, I frequently would find barely used Hanna Andersson dresses for her as well. For the record, I draw the line at a few items. There are several things I will never buy from a Goodwill store, including shoes for myself, unders, bathing suits and food. That's just me though.

Did you know that Target uses Goodwill to dump all their unsold merchandise? I've seen loads of new-in-box Target furniture and toiletries (yesterday it was mostly hair dye and anti-gas meds).

Really, if you think about it, getting things on sale like this is actually like making money. Don't you agree? :)

Leave me a comment and share your best Goodwill find!

Best. Jam. Ever.

2009-04-19T11:28:00.006-04:00

I love making jam. I do not love eating jam. Frankly, I just don't really like fruit so jam never really hits the spot for me. But several years before my Dad died, he taught me how to make and can homemade jam. I have fond memories of he and his girlfriend making jam during the summer and early fall at my grandmother's house in Michigan. The smell of hot fruited sugar can't be beat. And now that my Dad is gone, I cherish those memories more than ever...and continuing the tradition of making jam helps me keep him close.

So yesterday I realized I had a 2.5 lb bag of pie cherries in the outside freezer that I intended to use for jam this winter. Oops. I ended up making a quick batch while my daughter was at a playdate. It only took me 45 minutes to make a batch of the best cherry jam ever. Typically, I'm a certo girl. Certo, for those new to the process, is pectin (which makes the fruit set up into jam, rather than sauce). Certo is a liquid which comes in a pouch, and it's the only thing my Dad would use. But I wanted to make sugar-free jam, and certo requires sugar, lots of sugar. Instead, I deviated from the norm and went with Ball Natural Gel No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin, in a box...cause it's a powder.

Making jam is really very simple and I'll outline it for you here, in case you want to give it a try. The first time you make jam, you'll be hooked. Trust me.

What you need:
canning jars
lids & rings (must be new)
stock pot
fruit
pectin
sugar or splenda
lid magnet (a stick with a magnet on it, I'll explain this later)
funnel
damp towel

What you do:

PREPARE: Put your jars into the dishwasher and run it with the heated dry cycle. You need to sterilize the jars and keep them hot. Put the lids and rings into a saucepan filled with water and boil them, keeping them on the heat until you're ready to can.

COOK: Next, follow the instructions on your pectin package. They are pretty much all the same, and it involved cooking the prepared fruit (*prepared meaning chopped or crushed, sometimes adding lemon juice) over high heat with sugar, stirring constantly. When the fruit and sugar reaches a rolling boil, add the pectin and cook for 5 minutes or so, depending on the pectin package. A rolling boil is one that you can't stir down.

JAR: Once the timer rings, you'll ladel the hot jam into the hot jars. Take only 2-3 jars out of the dishwasher at a time, fill those, then grab a few more until all the jam is in jars. Wipe off all the edges of the jars with a damp towel so they are clean. Then, take the stick with a magnet on it and grab the lids from the saucepan, place them on top of the jars. Do the same with the rings. Screw the rings on, only as tight as you can using your fingertips...ie, not too tight.

SEAL: Here's where things get a little controversial....I pretty much only use what is called the Inversion Method. That's what Dad used, so that's what I use. After the jars have lids and rings, flip them upside down onto a clean towel on the counter. Time it for exactly 5 minutes. No more, no less. FIVE minutes. After 5 minutes is up, flip them right side up. Then, you wait. You'll hopefully hear the "pop" of each lid sealing. Don't touch them or test them out for several hours or you risk accidentally creating a false seal by pressing on the top of the lid. (My husband did this once, he knows better now.)

Now if the jars don't seal, that's when I might do a water-bath. I don't even want to get into the details of a water-bath, it's just a PITA really. It's not hard, but I rarely use it. Some people will tell you that it's not safe to invert for canning. But for over 25 years of eating my Dad's jam and almost 10 years of canning myself, I'm perfectly content with inversion and feel confident that it's safe. And since I never enter contests with my jam, I think I'm fine. (contests usually specifically state you can't use inversion)

So there you have it.
Jam Making & Canning 101.

Hmmm, maybe that should have been the title for this post.....

Homemade Laundry Soap

2009-04-18T12:34:00.005-04:00

More homemade stuff today, this time it's laundry soap. Eventually I'll add pictures, but for now just imagine in your mind what these things look like. Thanks.

So, everyone uses laundry soap. And it's not cheap. Or if it is cheap, it doesn't clean very well in my experience. As an alternative, I decided to try a homemade "recipe" for laundry soap that a bunch of my friends are using...and it turns out that I really love it! It's easy to make, very economical and, since you only use one-two tablespoons per load, it saves me time in the long run because I don't have to continuously buy laundry soap.

Here's the basic recipe below with instructions. I keep mine in an old coffee can. It's plastic, so maybe it's more of a coffee tub. None-the-less, it's there, and it lasts a long time. You can use the aforementioned pure essential oils from your sugar scrub recipe too if you want to fragrance it up a bit. See, now that's thrifty! I don't, personally, because I like it just the way it is. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Oh, and one tip is that you'll need a grater. Specifically, I recommend a microplane. Trust. Without one, if you're anything like me, you'll cut your knuckles up during the assembly process. Microplane is the way to go, it gets a finer grate AND it's safer. :)

Basic Homemade Laundry Soap

Ingredients:
one bar Fels-Naptha (found in the laundry section, it's a bar of soap for laundry not bodies)
one box of Arm & Hammer washing soda (not baking soda, not laundry detergent, "washing soda" - it's a powder, also found in the laundry isle)
one box of Borax powder (guess where this is...yep, laundry isle)

Instructions:
Grate fels bar with a microplane. If you use a regular box grater, please be careful and use the smallest grate you can. Add one cup each of the Borax and the Arm & Hammer washing soda. If you have lots of stains, you can add an additional 1/2 cup of the Borax for added cleaning power. Mix and store in a container with a lid.

To use:
Add one to two tablespoons to each wash load. Add essential oil if you like.

Obviously, this recipe is for a powder soap. Historically, I never liked using powders, but this soap has changed my mind. I love it. You will too. Believe me. Have I ever steered you wrong?

Sugar Scrub

2009-04-17T09:32:00.002-04:00

I like to make things from scratch. I think it's that feeling of accomplishment that gets me hooked. It could also be the fact that I'm cheap. Er...um...thrifty. Yea, thrifty is a better word. In any case, if I can make something homemade that equals or is better than store-bought, then I'm all over it.

So right now, my thing is sugar scrub. I adore a good sugar scrub. I also find them exceedingly necessary during dry skin weather. Before I shave my legs, I use my sugar scrub to exfoliate and then I don't get those itchy, red bumps all over the place. Plus, sugar scrubs smell so nice, they make me smile!

Recently I realized that I was paying way, way too much for a sugar scrub. Because really, how hard is it to make a sugar scrub?? Not hard at all! Here's my recipe below. You can get creative and adjust not only the ingredients (change up the oil or fragrance) but also the measurements. It's all up to you. Enjoy!

Basic Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:
oil -I use sweet almond oil with a touch of olive oil
sugar - I use white sugar, but sometimes do half white and half brown....divine!
fragrance - I believe 100% pure essential oils work best, make sure you use one that is meant for the body, not a room freshener. I really like Young Living brand oils, they are therapeutic grade.

Instructions:
Find a container to hold your sugar scrub. Tupperware is good, or a glass jar with a secure lid. Just realize that you'll be slippery and wet when you use it, so glass might not be the best choice if you're slightly clumsy. Add as much sugar as you want to the container (start with one cup), then pour in some oil (start with 1/4 cup) and mix until you have the consistency of wet sand. Next add a couple drops of essential oil fragrance. If you like it stronger, add more.

Voila, sugar scrub!

Pamper yourself with a daily or weekly sugar scrub. You, and your skin, deserve it.

(I've had a special request so tomorow, I'll share my homemade laundry soap recipe. It's easy and economical, plus it cleans big time.)

Namaste

2009-04-16T19:51:00.001-04:00

In yoga, the word namaste is said to mean "The light within me honors the light within you.". As an aspiring yogi, I want to welcome you to my blog! Simply Claudine is my attempt at journaling things I find interesting or useful or just plain cool, from homemade laundry soap to delicious recipes to shopping bargains...and everything in between.

First things first, I want to acknowledge that yes, if all my friends were to jump off a bridge, it is quite possible that I too would jump off said bridge. Why? Because I love my friends. I trust my friends. And if they all jump, there must be a good reason. So it stands to reason that since practically everyone I know has a blog, I need one too. In my defense, I do have a dozen full journals in my closet from my high school and college days, so writing to myself and documenting my existence is not a completely new concept for me. Blogging just makes things a little more public.

So... read on my friends, the best is yet to come!