Stories from the dinner table

Family time at Christmas, including long car rides and all the stories that go along with this craziness make me want to start recording the stories I hear and the stories I tell.

I hope you heard a lot of good stories, and I hope you share them.

Fall wreath

I really needed some therapy ... I mean craft time.  So I finally made some time for crafts yesterday.  At the beginning of the school year, I bought a package of fall-colored card stock at Michael's (for about $3) with the intention of making this wreath.  So Friday night I started making flowers (like we did for Chelsea's wedding). 

First cut a circle (it doesn't have to be perfect). Then cut a spiral within the circle, again, perfection is not required.  Then start wrapping the paper into a cone from the OUTSIDE working toward the center - this seems odd, but the center will be the base you glue your flower to.  I usually unwind the flower some, add a lot of hot glue, press your flower down, burn your fingers, remind yourself that hot glue is hot. 

   

Admire you work, repeat, repeat, repeat.

Then Saturday, Xman and I ventured out to Michael's again.  This time I needed more hot glue (project took 10-15 glue sticks total - best guess), and something to glue my flowers to ... what I ended up with was more than $50 worth of other projects ... I need supervision.

So I found these wood bases.  I purchased two of this size and one larger one for a snowflake wreath (I will post that one right after Thanksgiving -- I like to let turkeys have their day.)  First hold it up by your face ... then act like it is a hula hoop for your neck ...

 

I glued the biggest flowers on first,  trying to create a random effect. 

Then I glued on the next flowers, then smaller, then smaller, then I had to make some ultra tiny flowers to fill in a couple of spaces.

I am very happy with this project.  I have enough paper to make probably 10 more wreaths this size. I like making all the flowers first and then gluing them on and just filling in as needed.  I will be making another one for my classroom ... but I should probably do my lesson plans and notes first, and maybe clean house.  When I hang this up I will add an update.

Gearing up to craft and cook!!

I am so ready for Thanksgiving Break!!!!  I keep pinning Thanksgiving and Christmas crafts and foods.  This picture makes me a little too happy ....

This is from the Pampered Chef site.  I want to make the melted snowmen (made with the scoop loop) and the brownie houses (uses 2 brownies from brownie pan) ...

I also want to make this Turkey Shirt from artsy-fartsy mama for Xman...

I am hoping to make Cranberry Pepper Jelly Dip from Life With the Crust Cut Off.  It's pepper jelly mixed with half a can of cranberry jelly, poured over cream cheese and served with crackers.  (My link isn't working at the moment - I will update the link as soon as I can get it working)

I also love these ornaments from By Stephanie Lynn

I would love to have this ribbon wreath from Dear Emmeline...

This is only a start to what I want to accomplish .. if only I had more than 3 days off!  I will take what I can get, and try to make the most of it ... maybe I could catch up on sleep also ... dare to dream ...

I just can't clean this place ...

Have you heard "I'm all about that bass?"   Of course you have, but I will add it so you can watch it again.

Just typing it the song is stuck in my head again ... It have been singing it for a week, or a parody version of it.  Have you seen the moms parody "I just can't clean this place". 

I saw this Monday morning, sang it all day, showed it to my husband and he said "obviously" and gestured to our lovely home ... Immediately my horns are showing and I say "seriously?"  And he said "I didn't mean you, we just can't clean this place."  

It's like shoveling the driveway in a blizzard ...

I need an army of minions ...

Disclaimer: I share this story because it was hilarious to me.  And because I wanted to watch both of the videos again ... I just can't clean this place ...

Baked Tacos

This is one of my favorite quick dinners.  I found this somewhere on pinterest originally - thanks for the idea BlogChef! (I cheat and use seasoning out of a packet.)

Hard shell Tacos

Ground beef or turkey

Your favorite taco seasoning (I use Old El Paso original taco seasoning)

Cheese

Toppings of your choice

Brown meat. Season to your liking.

Place unbaked shells in casserole pan or ridged baker.

Top with cheese

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Top as you wish.

Baking tacos like this is tastier, faster, and less messy (the shells don’t break as easily)

*I was lining a glass baking dish in foil to help fold the shells up until I saw that I could use my ridged baker. If I am making too many to fit in the ridged baker I will use my stoneware rectangular baker from now on because of how easily the cheese comes off of the stoneware.

I also use my Mix 'n Chop to make browning ground meat an easier job - one of my favorite tools

I need an army of minions ...

I have decided today I need an army of minions.  What would they do?   Well, let me tell you!

I need one team at home to complete all the house work that I just can't get around to ... including house work, organizing the garage, craft projects I have started, running to the errands (more on this later), and tending to the yard/garden.  

Then I need one team at school.  I need a team to complete all the projects that I think up (but don't have time to create), the paperwork from the office, making posters, keeping up with the concept wall, keeping my desk cleared off .... (oh if only) .... the make-up assignments, the lab prep, the lab clean-up, creating/updating presentations and lessons, updating my website and social media for classes, contacting parents, and grading ... I can't forget the grading!

Wow.  I feel better just thinking of handing off these activities to someone else.

Okay, lets get back to that running errands.   I think that there is a huge market for service (and maybe money), for errand runners.  I would love to have the time and resources to coordinate students (high school and college) and house wives/stay at home moms to help others.  There are so many times where you can't or don't want to leave the house and need errands.  Whether it is because you are sick, have a sleeping baby, already have things on the stove, or you already put your pajama pants on ... there would be so many times I have thought "I wonder if the pizza boy would mind running by the store ..."

What would you need from my army of minions?

My Pampered Chef Experience ... so far

August 2013 I jumped into the role of Pampered Chef consultant.  I had several motivating factors.  Money is always tight., I love the products, and I like parties.  A friend had a party and the consultant wasn't pushy or over the top, he was real, and I thought, well if I don't have to be pushy, I might be able to do this.  I went to the party knowing I could spend $20-40, and there were so many products I wanted.  One of the products I wanted most was the manual food processor ... and it was out of my price range ($50).

I am a teacher and I teach swim lessons in the summer for extra money.  It was the end of the summer, and I had been saving up money for two things: I wanted a Nike Fuel Band ($150) and the Advocare 24-Day Challenge ($150).  I did the 24-Day Challenge later and used $170 (with tax) to buy the biggest start-up kit ($500 value), because it had the manual food processor and a lot of other items I wanted.  

The way I saw it the only risk, is that I was "stuck" with all of the items I wanted anyway.  

I saw this on pinterest the other day it didn't have a good link to cite.  I am definitely a hobby consultant.  I make $50-$200/party.  I book or host 6-8 parties a year.  I have fun, but it doesn't consume my life.  I also think of this as my back up plan.  I know it is possible to make this a full time job if the want or need ever arises.  But when I added this to my plate I wasn't looking for a new path, just a little extra cash.   

I am currently a part of a huge direct sales holiday Facebook party.  There are two direct sales people per week and we are pooling our contacts.  It sounded like a great idea to me, my week is coming up soon and I am so excited about it. I have found so many new ideas, including an online party game.

I may start putting some of those ideas on this blog to help me keep track of/easily share these with my party people!   

I would love to hear from other consultants or anyone interested in pampered chef products or opportunities.

Friday Fun Day

Today is the one year anniversary of my mother's very unexpected death.  What a downer, right?  I found out at school and didn't want to be there today.  I took the day off for a doctor's appointment and made a day out of it with the boy, so that this day was completely different than this day a year ago.

We went to see BoxTrolls, complete with candy and popcorn.  Xman was really excited to try his first Mike and Ikes.   He sang about it all through Target, all the way to the car, and the entire ride from Target to the movies ...

 We went to four party/halloween stores to try to find a Green Lantern costume ... just to buy a "Speedo Batman" costume that was every store searched.  At the third store we asked for costume 103 -small, went back to pick it up and they had given us 003.  I asked again for 103 and the worker brought me 130.  Seriously?!  Hence, the fourth store.  

We bought two goldfish ... I mean orange fish.  Xman was so cute, talking to them all the way home and kissing the bag they were in ... and he named them "bomby-bomb" and "R."  

We got home in time to see Daddy, and then Chonte' came over.


Sometimes you are Superman and sometimes you are Doctor Doom.  Today was a pretty good day.

Tres Leches

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday.  He usually requests German Chocolate cake, but gets GC cupcakes, because he  (and my Dad) are the only ones who like that coconut/caramel/pecan concoction that is slathered on top.  

But this year he requested Tres Leches.  I know I have made this a couple of times, but have no idea where I found a recipe ... So I turned to Pinterest (of course)  ... but every recipe I saw included making a cake from scratch ... umm ... no.  So this is what I did instead.

1 box white cake mix made as directed  (+1 more egg).  Baked.  Cooled.  Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or fork.

1 can evaporated milk (12oz), 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14oz) and 1 c whole milk (because I forgot to buy the cream at the store).  Stir and pour it over the cooled cake.  I did this in stages.  I was prepared for it to be too much liquid for the cake, but I was able to use it all. 

The I topped the cake with 1 small container for Cool Whip. And drizzled caramel sauce on.

Someone told me today about a cake similar to this but instead of the milk concoction you pout piña colas mix over the cake - I don't eat coconut, but maybe I will make it for Robert sometime...

Experiments with Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers

I started an Etsy shop a while back as an experiment.  I listed the doodle coffee mugs, got questions about custom mugs, nothing really panned out, and I forgot about it.



I really like drawing on mugs and made about 20 one night for fun, I really like them all, but I don't really drink coffee.  I figure I will take some to school, but I did go ahead a list a few on etsy again.  My shop is called All the Whole Heaps (thanks Xman for the name).

 Some of the mugs have a Biology theme ....

 

Some of the mugs are just circles ....

 

I have also listed one of my creations for my Biology students this year.  This is a summary sheet for the basics my kiddos need to know for my class.

I have many summary sheets like these, but I don't know if these are things other teachers or students would like or not.

I have also played around on Teachers Pay Teachers where my store is called I Teach High School.  I have sold a couple of spreadsheets on Teachers Pay Teachers, but I have a problem with Teachers Pay Teachers.  I get $0.29 for every $1 I sell.  That doesn't seem right.  And the only way to increase the percentage you keep is to pay the site $60 per year.  Therefore, I am trying my educational items on etsy.  I am not looking to make a lot of money off of these items.  I make them for my kids.  But at the same time I think they are worth the $1 or $2 I ask for the items.  This item took probably 3 hours of my time.  Sorry if that seemed like I was ranting, but I believe in teachers. I think we should help each other out. If you are interested in seeing more examples of my summary sheets you can also check out my "teacher blog" We Teach High School.

Crockpot Ravioli

With school back in full swing, I have been trying to find meal ideas that are quick or don't require much attention.  Last week I tried Crockpot Ravioli from Recipe Me.  The first time I try a recipe I follow the directions the best I can, then see what adjustments need to be made.  This time I added 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce after I tried it, because it was just not saucy at all.  And during dinner I just kept thinking that I needed ricotta to add in.  So here is my newly adapted recipe:

Into the crockpot:
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (15 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 t oregano
2 t Italian seasoning
2 t garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Add-ins once you get home:
10 oz frozen spinach (thawed and all liquid removed) or fresh
16 oz bowtie pasta, cooked
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c mozzarella, shredded
1/2 to 1 container ricotta (depending on how much you like ricotta)

Chili & Cornbread

Today we had a bit of a cold spell, so of course chili is the first thing that pops to mind. I was out with Chonte' and I mentioned making chili, and she said she was making beans and cornbread, so of course I wanted cornbread.

 Now I call my Chili "Almost Chili" it has everything I like, but "real chili" fans would most likely not approve.

Almost Chili

2 cans Ranch Style beans
1 can black beans
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 can Rotel 1 packet taco seasoning
1 bottle of beer (whatever is handy)
more garlic powder, chili powder and cumin to taste (I probably used about 1 T each)

Put all in stock pot or crock pot and simmmer - longer is better.

 This is an easy recipe to double or triple for feeding a crowd, and easy to change to what you like. Some times I skip the beer and I throw in a bag of coleslaw and call it Cabbage Patch Stew - that is definitely a crock pot meal, and you cook it all day and you won't even notice the coleslaw. If you make too much, freeze it. I have used muffin tins to freeze individual servings or freezer bags and lay them flat until frozen.

Cornbread

 2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix

 make cornbread according to box directions

 add 1 c. frozen corn
1/2 c cheese
jarred jalapenos diced - I use about 1/4 c and a little bit of the juice from the jar of jalapenos

 Heat about 2T oil in cast iron skillet in the over on whatever temp the box says (I think it is 400). Pour cornbread mix into hot skillet with hot oil -- be careful. Cook 25 minutes (again look at box).

 This cornbread is amazing!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos

I am a sucker for jalapeno popper anything!  We have had Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken and even Jalapeno Popper Quesadillas (both of which are from Cassie Craves - I had not realized that before), so these Jalapeno Popper Taquitos from Creme de la Crumb were right up our alley.  Unlike most of the other items this one starts out in the crock pot, then you just wrap them up and stick them in the oven.  These were yummy and good even as left overs (though less crunchy when nuked).

3 chicken breasts, frozen or thawed

8 oz cream cheese

1/3 c jarred jalapenos, chopped

1 t garlic powder

1 t salt

1 t cumin

16 flour tortilla (taco or fajita sized)

1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (I used colby jack)

something to dip them in: cilantro lime sauce, ranch, salsa, etc.

Add chicken, 1/2 c water, jalapenos, garlic powder, salt, and cumin to crockpot.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.  

When you get home, stir the pot and shred the chicken with two forks. (If it looks gross before you stir, don't lose hope - it isn't ruined.)

Preheat the over to 425 and spray a foil-lined cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Lay all the tortillas out on the counter and divide the shredded cheese between them.

Top with chicken mixture, I just did this as evenly as possible.

Roll the tortillas up, put them on the basking sheet and spray the tops with cooking spray.

Bake 10-15 minutes, switch oven to broil for a few more minutes you want crispier taquitos.

Enjoy.

Korean Beef Wraps

Do you love  lettuce wraps?  I do.  In a pinch, this Korean Beef Bowl from Damn Delicious (which was adapted from Six Sisters Stuff) is a fast, easy and overall light dinner.  I think I could eat this whole recipe on my own.   Today I read about substituting lentils or quinoa for beef in recipes. The substitution is less noticeable when used with a more intensely flavored recipe.  I will not get away with a straight up substitution in my house, but I will be trying to add it to beef to stretch a recipe.  The next time I make this I am adding water chestnuts (sliced), more green onion,  and I am adding quinoa.

*Do you have sesame oil.  I resisted, but now I am never without it. It really adds a lot to a recipe.
** I love my new garlic press - you don't even have to peel the garlic!!

This will be my recipe next time.

2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c soy sauce
2 T sesame oil*
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t fresh grated ginger
2 T vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, pressed**
1 lb ground beef
1 c quinoa dry
6 green onions, thinly sliced
Lettuce for wraps or rice to serve over

In a bowl mix the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and ginger to make the sauce.

Cook quinoa according to package directions.  (I substitute chicken broth for water sometimes ... I know ... it's a crazy life I lead.)

Heat skillet, add vegetable oil and garlic saute about 1 minute.

Add beef and cook til browned.  (I use my Mix n Chop to make this job quick and easy and make the meat mixture fine enough for my liking.)  Drain excess fat.

Add sauce, water chestnuts, quinoa and green onions.  Simmer until heated through and reduced.

Quick Meal Ideas Tips

As I get ready for another school year I start mentally preparing for having less time to cook.  So here are a few tips and tricks for getting meals on the table fast!

Meatloaf

Instead of a full size meatloaf – I mix up all the meat ingredients and form indivial patties on a baking sheet.  Cover with cling wrap, and put the entire pan in the freezer.  After a couple of hours you can pop the meat loaves off the pan and into a freezer bag until we want them.  I cook them about 10 minutes less than the recipe calls or until they are cooked through.

Soup

I love soup, but I usually have a lot of leftovers.  Instead of eating the same soup for the entire week I freeze a couple of servings.  I have used everything from ice cube trays, muffin pans and freezer bags as storage.  I like ice cube trays and muffin tins for smoother soups and freezer bags for soups with more texture and or noodles.  I remove all the air from the bags and lay them flat on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid.  This is the same way I freeze homemade spaghetti sauce.

Chicken

I buy a big package of chicken breasts (when it is on sale or at Walmart or Winco because you can usually get it for 1.99/lb), and I can prep it all at once for the week.  I can split the meat into different bags for marinades, grill it all and top salads for lunches and pizza,  bake it or throw it in the crockpot casseroles.

Ground Meat

I brown all the ground meat we use for the week at once.  I split it into containers of individual servings (for grab and go tacos) or meal servings (spaghetti, manwhiches).

Meat balls

You can make up a ton of meat balls all at once, put them on a baking sheet and freeze them a few hours, remove them and put them in a freezer bag, then you can cook what you need as you need them.  Spaghetti or meatball subs are both easy crowd pleasers.

BLTs  …. Yummmm …. Bacon

I cook an entire package of bacon at once … in the oven.   I line a cookie sheet with foil, arrange the bacon on the tray, put it in a cold oven and set it to 425.  I start checking the bacon at 15 minutes, but it usually takes 18-ish to get it crispy.  Bacon can be used for BLTs, breakfast burritos, etc.

Burritos

I make my own burritos for crunch time.  I use flour tortillas, refried beans or mashed black beans, taco meat or chicken, and a little shredded cheese.  I roll them up and wrap them in cling wrap then put them in a freezer bag.  Xman gets one of these a week at Miss Shelly’s and I have them if I don’t have leftovers for lunch.

Casseroles

It takes about the same amount of time to make one pan of a casserole as it takes to make 2 pans of the same thing.  You can split it into smaller pans and freeze it or trade with a friend.   Chicken Spaghetti, Chicken Enchiladas, Lasagna, all kinds of pasta bakes, etc  Who’s up for a dinner exchange? Even grilled chicken or crockpot meals ….

Crock pot

I don’t have time to prep in the mornings.  I try to have things I can prep on Sunday or the night before I throw it all in a freezer bag, and store it in the fridge until the next morning.  I add a little extra water if I think I will be late getting home.

Pizza

If your meat is cooked and veggies are sliced and cheese is grated, then making your own pizza is faster than delivery.

 What are your tricks and tips?

My new craft

This is my new favorite craft!  I made two mugs today.  After I bake them and see how well the wash, there may be a new set of dishes in my future. 

I like this design on both of these.  No need for the mugs to match.

I think these will be my first items on etsy!

Waiting, waiting, waiting

I am so glad there are so many things to do while you wait for the doctor.  No wonder he always asks to go to the doctor.  Let's see if that lasts after he gets shots today.

Birthday Play Dates v. Birthday Parties

If you love throwing a big shindig for a kids party - awesome, invite me.  But if that sounds too stressful and too expensive, how about a birthday play date?  

You still have to clean house.  Set out a few snacks.  You can let the kid open presents as they come in, so it is less likely for kids to sit and cry because they want to open presents.  This year it was 80 degrees the day before Xman's party, and it sleeted and hailed during his party. Thankfully he still had a few friends show up, and he had a blast.  And thankfully I didn't spend a fortune on decorations, gift bags, and scheduled games to play that not many people would have gotten to see.  

I even let the kids decorate their own sugar cookies ... because I ran out of time.  It's not a competition, right?

Dinner Faster

Ever forget to set out meat for dinner.  I have a bad habit of this.  I am loving this idea.  If you remove the meat from it's original package, put the frozen-meat-block in a big freezer bag, and put in in the sink with cold water and weigh it down, you will be cooking in no time!  

Please excuse the Christmad bowl in February, I would like to say it just didn't get put up, but I love ten so much I use them year round.  Check out the shape and size of that bowl!