Crafty Christmas Wreath

 I am super excited to write this! This was my 2nd wreath to ever make and I think I did really well. First I search pinterest to get an idea of what type of wreath I wanted to make. I didn't want one that was over the top just something simple. I wanted to not use a wire wreath but one with evergreen.
 Micheal's was having a 50% off sale which was perfect. I bought the evergreen wreath, blue wired edge ribbon, and 6 blue and silver holiday decorations. The total cost was $24.90. I came home and couldn't wait to start. I fluffed up the evergreen wreath, then I took my ribbon and wrapping it around 1 green steams and continued the same patten with the ribbon all around the wreath. I only did 1 passed around, you can do two if you like. (just remember it will make your wreath bigger)

 Next I played with where I wanted the accent pieces to go. I knew I wanted to place them in 2 different places. I wrapped each piece around each steam until it came out the way I liked it. This project I was so proud of and it only took 30 minutes to do!

Tuesday Weekly Menu Day!!

I love cooking meals for my family. I love everything from the planning of my weekly menu's, making the grocery list, grocery shopping, to Preparing the meals and eating the meals I make. My menus have not only nightly Dinners but Lunches as well, and I try to throw in a weekend breakfast and a dip. Last week our menu actually was me and my wonderful Husband eating out (week long date night)because all the kids were gone for the week. But stay tuned folks next weeks menu is awesome!!!

AHHH Thanksgiving is over! Hope everyone had a great time with family and friends! Now it time to focus on Christmas! So today I started a 21 day organization challenge. Everyday I will be working on a part of the house to get or keep it organized for the Christmas holidays! Every Monday I'll keep you updated on how everything went and what is getting organized next week.This week I'll be organizing:

Monday - Medicine Cabinet
Tuesday - Hall Closet
Wednesday- Under my bed (EEKK)
Thursday- Landry room
Friday - Hand Bags
Saturday-Under the sinks
Sunday- Fridge and Freezer

What is Emeals?

I have been grouponing always looking for a deal, when I found a deal for 1 month of emeals and thought: "OUU what's that?"
Basically you pick the size of family where you shop and the type of meals you make (they have all sorts from classic to Diabetic) for this month I choose Paleo because I have been working out and need a high protein diet,
Next thing I received via my email 7 recipes and the shopping list. the meals included side dishes and different types of cooking. (crock pot, grilling and stove top)

On Groupon the cost is 29.00 for 1 month. Normally it's 58.00 a month. For the next month the recipes I will be cooking for dinner will be from Emeals, I can't wait to post how each meal is turning out.http://emeals.com/

Philly Cheese Steak Sanwiches

Who doesn't like a Philly Cheese Steak? Albertson's sells seasoned meal buy 1 get 2 free. This is one of he packages I had got for free. So the cost for this meal is not as much as it could have been.  I got this recipe from http://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/philly-cheesesteak-sandwiches/



Ingredients:

1 lb Sirloin Steak, sliced thin 

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Green or Red Bell pepper, sliced

1 small Yellow Onion, sliced into rings

Season Salt, to taste

Ground Black Pepper, to taste

4 Tablespoons Cream Cheese, softened

4 slices American or Provolone Cheese

4 Hoagie Rolls

Instructions:

 In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter. Add the onion and bell pepper. Saute until softened. About 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the steak meat on and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Once each side is browned, start to chop it up with your spatula. You want small bite size pieces. Sprinkle with season salt and pepper to taste.

Once meat is thoroughly cooked, add in the onions and bell peppers. Stir.

Place each hoagie bun half on a cookie sheet. Top bottom halves of hoagie buns with a quarter of meat mixture. Top each with one slice of cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese has melted, and the buns are slightly toasted. *Stand by your oven the whole time to watch the cheese melt. It melts fast!*

Remove sandwiches from oven and spread 1 Tablespoon of cream cheese on top half of bun. Close sandwiches and serve immediately!

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

It's Friday night! It's been a long week and we have a 3 day weekend ahead of us, I had put this on the menu for a FUN meal. Usually Friday nights are Left Over nights on our menu.

Total cost for this meal is $7.60 that's equals .76 for each Flautas

What your going to need:
3 boneless, skinless Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used Chicken tenders they were on sale)
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
8 ounces Extra Sharp Cheddder, shredded
10 taco-size flour tortillas
cooking spray

Yes I have modified the recipe that I got from : http://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/baked-chicken-and-spinach-flautas/

 For me it take 1 hour to cook my chicken. (I always boil mine)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

 Place the cooked, shredded chicken in a large bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of chicken broth over the chicken and then sprinkle with the chili powder, garlic powder, salt, . Mix well. Set aside

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth over medium heat and then add the chopped spinach leaves. Cook 3-4 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove  from heat, and set aside.

Take one flour tortilla and spread about 1/4 cup of seasoned chicken down the middle. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and then top with 1 Tablespoon of spinach. Roll up. Place flauta seam-side down onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, cheese and spinach.from heat, and set aside.

Once all flautas are rolled and on baking sheet, spray the tops of them with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden-brown and crispy.

I have to share this!

I have found this website that has delious recipes that are easy and quick to make!
http://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/recipe-index-2/
Tonight I'm making her Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas
I know it's going to turn out great! I'll keep you updated.

Quote of the week 2/10

14 Weeks of organizing your home! Week 4!

I am challenging myself to a 14 week organizing my house. I got the challenge at: http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2012/08/home-organization-101-printable.html


Week 4 has come a gone. The Bathroom being the smallest room in the house you would think would be the quickest. My medicine cabinet can hold A LOT of things! I was surprised at the amount of expired stuff I had. This room though I had fun using a lot of the plastic bind I had bought at Dollar General. 

Here are the Before Pictures:

And Here are the After Photos

1. Kitchen
2. Pantry
3. Laundry Room
4. Bathroom
5. Office
6. Master Closet
7. Master Bedroom
8. My Son's Bedroom
9. Step-son's Closet
10. Dinning Room
11. Living Room
12.My Daughter's Room
13 & 14. Garage

What a Great printout!

 I grew up in a family where my parents kept a lot of their paperwork. Piles and piles of old check books,paycheck stubs and receipts.I thought this was normal when I reached adulthood until I started to see I was having the same problem my parents had. Piles of paperwork and not knowing what do with any of it.
 Once I started realizing I didn't have to keep everything the clutter went down but still what do I do with my old check books? This is the answer! What a wonderful print out for your family organizer or home office! It's a free Printout!ENJOY!
http://www.cleanmama.net/2013/08/how-long-should-i-keep-it-for-free-printable.html

Quote of the Week 2/2/12

                   

I hear this a lot! I grew up in a family where you did what was asked of you and didn't expect a huge woohoo afterwards from others; but you gave yourself a huge WOOHOO for it. I think we all stayed humble for it. It's something I've taught my kids. Do you best and don't worry if anyone notices because you know the truth. I know I get a lot done because I don't worry about getting that credit and I stay humble (and surprised) when I do get that credit.

Quote of the week

Isn't that true! This week I am reminding myself that I do have to do the hard work so the opportunities in life come. Whether it's work, home or myself it's work. We can not be lazy and think everything will come to us but get out there and work for it. The best thing is, it's rewarding! When you get that goal you've worked for so hard,it's a feeling of self accomplishment and no one can take that away!

So this week when you have some hard work to accomplish just remember the OPPORTUNITY it will give to you!

14 Weeks of organizing your home! Week 3!

I am challenging myself to a 14 week organizing my house. I got the challenge at: http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2012/08/home-organization-101-printable.html




We are into week 3 full steam ahead! It's Laundry Room Time! Lucky for me it's the smallest room in the house. I took everything out of the room,except the washer so that I could scrub the top of the shelf. As I starting putting things back in the room I asked myself "Do we use this?" or "Would this fit better in some other part of the house?" 

With the inside of the washer I used some vinegar  to clean.

1. Kitchen
2. Pantry
3. Laundry Room
4. Bathroom
5. Office
6. Master Closet
7. Master Bedroom
8. My Son's Bedroom
9. Step-son's Closet
10. Dinning Room
11. Living Room
12.My Daughter's Room
13 & 14. Garage

TourdeCure

I thought I's share this with you. My Very good friend Shane is riding his bike for a good cause, . Visit his site and help fight Diabetes!

Why I Ride...

It's pretty simple.  I see people every day who suffer from the effects of diabetes.  I lost my uncle to diabetic complications and I know others who have passed too soon because of what this disease can do.

This is my opportunity to make a difference.

I'm guessing that you know someone whose life has been changed by diabetes, and I'm asking you to please help me do some good, to raise awareness and education, and to generate a little money for a huge cause.

This is my second time to ride the Tour de Cure.  Last time I rode the Tour I barely made the minimum donation requirement, and while every bit helps, I want to do more this year.

My goal is $1500.  I put in $26 of my own to get started.  I'm not asking you for that much, just a few dollars - one, five, ten - whatever you can spare to help me make a difference in the lives of so many.

This year I'm dedicating my ride to Jay Ganz and my Uncle Kyle, two lives cut short, two souls that are dearly missed, and to my friend Pam Fitzgerald, quite possibly the funniest diabetic on the planet.

Thank you for your support!

 - Shane

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=7275687&fr_id=9399&pg=personal

About me and why I am blogging

As a Mother of Teenagers that still works 40 hours a week outside of the house there are days when there are not enough hours to do everything that needs to be done. It was getting frustrating and I wanted to just throw my hands ups and try to do the bare minimal. 

However something inside me said “NO” I starting searching the internet for ways to improve my time with everything and still be able to spend time with my family.

I have a To-Do List I work on every night for the next day and I follow it to the letter. On it I put my daughter’s wok hours, School functions, Kids Chores, the craft I am working on (ad how long I will be working on it), Reading for 30 minutes a day, and all the extras it comes with running a house. (Dinner, making the weekly menu, coupon night, Coupon match up with my grocery list, E.C.T.)

 I even made a separate laundry list that I framed and everyone goes buy. Since I started this I have managed my time extremely well!

So for all of you don’t give up because you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be managed. Find the system that works for you and use it for 21 days! It will make a difference and it will become a habit.  

Valentine's Wreath

Here is a super easy craft I did over the weekend. For the supplies I went to Hobby Lobby and Brought a Wire wreath and 3 different types of ribbons(2 of each ribbon). The supplies cost 20.00

All I did was tie a knot with the ribbon,alternating 3 ribbons. It took about 2 hours to make. This was my very first wreath and I am so happy with the way it turned out.

14 Weeks of organizing your home! Week 2!

I am challenging myself to a 14 week organizing my house. I got the challenge at: http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2012/08/home-organization-101-printable.html

Week 2 was reorganizing my pantry. Now we live in a house built in the 1940's. There was no built in pantry back then. What we did was use one of the cabinets in the kitchen to hold all of our dry food. Thanks to my wonderful husband he hung a new cabinet for me this week for all our dry foods. What this did for my kitchen space was wonderful! It actually didn't take all week to do this project. What did take the longest was making out my pantry inventory. Every time we use a can from the pantry we mark through the list or if we buy more dry food we add to this. The idea for this was to make it easier when I had to make the weekly grocery list. I must say I got to use it last week and it work! It cut having to go through everything to see what I had. Because my Pantry was organized and I had my list it only took 20 minutes to make my list!
I only took an after picture.

I am so looking forward to completing week 3 and sharing with everyone!




1. Kitchen
2. Pantry
3. Landry Room
4. Bathroom
5. Office
6. Master Closet
7. Master Bedroom
8. My Son's Bedroom
9. Step-son's Closet
10. Dinning Room
11. Living Room
12.My Daughter's Room
13 & 14. Garage

This week's Quote

I am running a bit behind. We had a lot of company this weekend and I did not have a chance to get back to my computer. This weeks quote goes on with what all happened this weekend. My daughter came home from college to let us met her new boyfriend. I entertained them all weekend long instead of working on my projects. By Monday I revamped myself back into gear. The most important thing this weekend was having my whole family here at the house and making memories! NOW BACK TO WORK DONNA!



Tonight I've gotten a lot done and it feels GREAT!

Thursday Family Meal - Bratwurst Hot Dogs

This was actually the one meal I was worried about when I planned my menu. I had never cooked bratwurst Sausages. My husband just told me to make sort I cooked them at a low heat so they don't spilt. I had purchased the sausages at Albertson's because of a great sale each package (which had 5 sausages) was .99. So I figured if it bombs here at the house I didn't spend that much money.
I did cook the sausage on a low heat using my trusty skillet and it took 30 minutes for them to cook all the way through; but man it was worth it! They were a HUGE hit!

Wednesday Family Meal - Turkey Dinner!

Thanks to my dad! He had brought me a Turkey breast when he came up to visit New Years Eve. For this meal I followed the directions on the Turkey breast package.
Thanks to Albertson for having a great sale a few months ago on Stove Top Stuffing.(I mean what's Turkey without stuffing)
Believe it or not the most expensive part of the meal for me was the Green Bean Casserole. and you guessed it, I follow the directions on the fried onion package I had bought.
YES we had a basic Thanksgiving meal in January, so we can remember to be Thankful everyday!!

Tuesday's Family Meal - Lasagna!

For the sauce  please see my previous post! For this recipe you will need (in addition to the sauce)

8 uncooked lasagna noodles
15oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 TB oregano
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat you oven to 350.
Cook and drain noodles (as directed on package.)
In a small bowl mix:
 ricotta cheese
 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
 oregano

Using a 13x9 ungreased glass baking dish, spread half of the sausage mixture.top will 4 noodles.Sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat  layers ending with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan Cheese on top.

Cover a baked for 30 minutes. Then uncover the wonderful Lasagna and back for addition 15 minutes. After you pull it out of the over let it stand for 15 minutes and the ENJOY!!!!

One word about my picture it was taken after half of the Lasagna was gone it is a family favorite here! The leftovers made a great lunch at work!

Monday's Family Dinner- Spaghetti!

For Today and Tomorrow's meal I actually started Sunday making the sauce. A good sauce for Spaghetti and Lasagna take a while to make. I doubled everything because I was using this for 2 meals.

Homemade Sauce:
1lbs Italian Sausage
1lb Ground Turkey meat
1 Clove Garlic (finely chopped)
2 TB spoons Parsley
1 TB spoon Basil
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 cans Whole Tomatoes (Drained)
2 cans Tomato Sauce
1tbl spoon Vodka (optional)


 In a skillet cook the sausage, turkey meat, and garlic until meat  is no longer pink. Drain the meat.

 Transfer to a large pot and add the Parsley, sugar, Basil,Vodka, Tomato Sauce and Whole Tomatoes , breaking up the Tomatoes with a fork or snipping with kitchen scissors.

 Heat to a boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer uncover for at least 45 minutes. (I let mine simmer for 3 hours)

That's it for the sauce!

Just cook your spaghetti noodles and add sauce to the top. My family likes meaty sauces that is why I added both Sausage and Turkey Meat.

14 Weeks of organizing your home! Week 1!

I am challenging myself to a 14 week organizing my house. I got the challenge at: http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2012/08/home-organization-101-printable.html

I had to take their list and change it a bit because it's January, it's cold, and my garage will be a 2 week Family Task!
Going room by room and getting rid of things we do use or that have expired and cleaning as I go! First take a picture of before and then take a picture after. Use 4 baskets for keep, donate or garage sale, trash,other room. Here is the 14 week list of rooms:

1. Kitchen
2. Pantry
3. Landry Room
4. Bathroom
5. Office
6. Master Closet
7. Master Bedroom
8. My Son's Bedroom
9. Step-son's Closet
10. Dinning Room
11. Living Room
12.My Daughter's Room
13 & 14. Garage

This is not something that can be done in 1 day. So if you choose to do this take baby steps.
 Before I started I went to the Dollar Tree and bought different containers for organizing!
They have a great selection and only a buck who can go wrong!

The 1st day I decided I would clean the top of our fridge (and outside of it too) and use the cabinets that are above the fridge for things we use seasonally. The goal was to get as much stuff off the top of my fridge.

 Day 2 was the microwave area and cabinet under the microwave. I wanted to put my spices in a draw so that they were easier to get to and take all my tupperware and put it in the cabinet under the microwave. After I was done I could see a huge difference and that's when it hit me how great of a thing this 14 week project was!

Day 3 I did all my lower cabinets. Got rid  of baking pans that were way to old and wouldn't clean up.

Day 4 was all the drawers. This was the big test! I had that junk drawer that I just wasn't looking forward into cleaning out. I went through it and thought "do we really need this?" What ended up happening was most of the drawer found it's way to trash.

Day 5 Upper Cabinets. I live in a house from the 1940's it didn't come with a pantry. One of my upper cabinets was being used as part of our pantry. My goal was to get the canned goods out and to be able to used it to hold my baking stuff.
  Also I love, LOVE dishes! I has to go through and put into a garage sale pile dishes I'm not going to use. After I finished I was very happy with the result!

 Day 6 counter tops. It actually got easier and easier to organized as the week went on because I started to think of where I wanted everything and how I wants it to look. I wanted A LOT of stuff off my counter tops. and because I had organized the rest of the kitchen it was completely easy. This was maybe an hour job!

Day 7 Fridge and Freezer. We all need clean out our Fridge's at least once a month. I hadn't done it in 6 months so this was chore. I also did this on a very cold day that made me not very happy! LOL

 After I was done I was amazed I had fallen in love with my kitchen again! I was and am so inspired to head into week 2!