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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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!