The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... rain is falling, and the sound of the cars whisking by our house, splashing their way through puddles is mesmerizing.
I am thinking... that my mind is overflowing with too much information.
I am thankful... to live where I do.
In the kitchen... homemade macaroni and cheese, ham, and cauliflower this evening. Last night I made my first successful, healthy fish recipe, and everyone loved it!
I am wearing... navy shorts and a pink top.
I am creating... homeschooling plans and notification.
I am going... to the Canal Days Festival this weekend. Can't wait!
I am wondering... when missing Mom and Dad will become less a part of my daily life. I know it won't go away, but it will certainly fade into the background a little.
I am reading... The Crown and the Crucible. I started it in June, put it down, and now I'm picking it up again.
I am hoping... for a new beginning for our family.
I am looking forward to... sitting in the courtsquare under the evening sky listening to good music. This is middle America small town loveliness!
I am learning... that my rational, always-planned-ahead, well-researched self can sometimes become irrational, spontaneous, and uninformed without drastic consequences.
Around the house... catching up after a busy month.
I am pondering... my own thought patterns. Why do I think the way I do? Am I crazy, or am I merely one of the few willing to admit that there is a lot of crazy going on in my head.
A favorite quote for today... "'I will strengthen them in the Lord and in His name they will walk,' declares the Lord." Zechariah 10:12
One of my favorite things... rainy days at home with my kids with little that must be accomplished on an agenda.
A few plans for the rest of the week... Canal Days Festival, parade, and concert, handing over the keys to my parents' house to the new owner, homeschool prep, notification, Pampered Chef shows to plan for, and spending time playing with my growing-too-fast kids.
A peek into my day... (or my yesterday)

Find this Parmesan Crusted Tilapia recipe HERE. I added 1 t garlic powder to the coating and melted 2T butter on the pan before adding the fish. Perfect!

Visit The Simple Woman to hear what others are writing about this summer!

Apple Cinnamon Refrigerator Oatmeal

Last night before going to bed, I made APPLE CINNAMON REFRIGERATOR OATMEAL for this morning's breakfast. I won't post the entire recipe here because of respect for the blog where I discovered this delicious, refreshing, summer breakfast treat, but I will give you my changes to the original recipe.

First, you should know that I've been making my own kefir, a slightly tart, yogurt-like drink that is loaded with awesome for your gut probiotics. It is so completely easy to make, and I love it! Making kefir is one of those things I've been wanting to try for years and just never got around to it until this summer when my life seemed to have some space in it for new, fun, interesting things (within reason). I have not only successfully made kefir for the past month, but I have incorporated it into the entire family's diet! We have all enjoyed kefir fruit smoothies.

So back to the recipe. I didn't use yogurt or milk. Instead, I used all kefir sweetened with maple syrup instead of honey. I also don't have chia seeds on hand, though I plan to get some on my next major grocery trip. The result was delicious, sweet-tart, slightly chewy apple-y goodness. It's a hit when the whole family enjoys a new recipe!

Last night, I only made one pint jar of this because I was skeptical of the idea of refrigerator oats. Skepticism gone! 

The only glitch in this recipe for me is that it has a higher than normal carbohydrate count than I should eat. Tonight, I will try the same recipe sweetened with stevia, and I will remember to take my morning meds (duh). We'll see if that makes it a feasible breakfast for me or not. Either way, it's going to make an easy, on-the-go breakfast for the kiddos on busy swimming lesson mornings!

Wander around the recipe website for other refrigerator oat recipes. I want to try peaches or strawberries. Cherries would be good! Yum!

Parmesan Herb Bread

Years ago, I loved making bread in the bread machine my mother bought us for our wedding anniversary. She knew how much I wanted one, and she definitely delivered. I baked all of our bread in it for a while, and then the novelty wore off a little, and I had a baby. Our bread came from the grocery store for several years after that except for special occasions when I felt inspired.

I went for it a second time when the kids were a little older, and then I made a loaf in the oven once a few years ago. We were studying the Biblical feasts, so I made challah bread. It changed bread making for me forever. After a decade of bread machine bread, I had found a better way! Sometimes, you just can't improve on a good thing. I've been making bread in the oven ever since.

I don't personally eat a large amount of bread, but I do indulge occasionally. Last night was one of those nights. I finally mastered how to take this recipe that was once a bread machine recipe made with white flour, and I turned it into something better in the oven with a healthier flour. I am avoiding wheat right now, and I knew I would want a slice of this bread with dinner, so I made it with spelt flour, which is a flour that our family is used to eating already. I also switched out the dry herbs for freshly harvested herbs from my patio garden. Wow, did I make a good loaf! The kids snacked on the leftovers today, and there isn't a crumb left!

Here's the recipe complete with both wheat and spelt directions. I apologize that I neglected to take a photo!

Parmesan Herb Bread

1 1/4 C warm water (110 degrees approximately)
3 C flour (spelt, whole wheat, or bread flour work great)
2 T dry milk powder
2 T sugar (I used sucanat, but white sugar works)
1 1/2 t salt
2 T olive oil
1/3 C grated or shredded parmesan cheese
1 T active dry yeast
1 1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried thyme or 1 T fresh
1 t dried oregano or 1 T fresh
1 t dried basil or 1 T fresh
1 t dried rosemary or 1 T fresh

Place ingredients in bowl in the order listed in the recipe. Using dough hook, mix all ingredients until a stiff ball of dough forms. For wheat flour, machine knead the dough for 3-4 minutes (2 minutes for spelt flour). * Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes. Knead a second time for 3-4 minutes (1 1/2 minutes for spelt). Grease a bowl using olive oil. Form your dough into a ball and place in greased bowl. Turn it over so all sides are coated evenly. Cover with a towel and allow it to rise for 90 minutes in a warm location. After 90 minutes, form the dough into a loaf shape and place into a greased 4x8 loaf pan. Cover again with a towel and allow to rise for an additional hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

* If you do not have a KitchenAid or similar mixer with a dough hook that can handle bread making, you can still make this bread. Double the kneading time and knead the dough by hand.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

Want to simplify your Mother's Day and still offer something somewhat healthy for breakfast? Try this! You can mix it together on Saturday and have your husband toss it into the oven on Sunday morning!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

1/3 C butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 C brown sugar or honey
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/4 C cocoa powder
1/3 C peanut butter
1 1/4 C milk
3 C oats (steal cut or quick oats)

Melt your butter. Grease 2 quart baking dish. Add eggs to dish and beat well. Add brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and salt and whisk together. Add cocoa powder, peanut butter, and milk and whisk until peanut butter is mostly combined. Add oats and stir to combine continuing to combine peanut butter evenly.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until center is set.

Serve warm with warm milk or cream poured over it.

Note: You can substitute milk of choice for milk if you prefer a dairy-free recipe. Almond milk works well!

Tasty Tuesday: Corn Casserole

T-2 days until Thanksgiving. I have the awesome privilege of hosting my parents, my Uncle Frank and family friends of ours which means we'll have 13 people including the four of us. I can't tell you how excited I am about this! I love hosting Thanksgiving dinner. It's my favorite holiday to host. Maybe it's the focus of the day; maybe it's the time with family and friends. I don't know, but I know I love this holiday.

And because I know that everyone who buzzes by my blog wants to know my soap-box opinions, I must say this (promise to keep it short so we can get onto the recipe). Thursday is THANKSGIVING, a day set aside for centuries to give thanks to God, a national holiday declared by President Lincoln for doing so. Just say no to calling it turkey day. Please, and thank you.

But enough about that. This is my Tasty Tuesday post, so let's get on with the story behind the recipe. This is actually my mother-in-law's recipe with the addition of 1/4 C of sugar because my family always ate a similar dish called scalloped corn with a little sweetness. You could also use honey if you prefer. In fact, I use honey as a substitute for sugar in all kinds of dishes (that's for another post...moving on).

The reason I am sharing this recipe is that I believe that creating a great Thanksgiving feast requires balance. Last week, I posted my Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, which is a little more complex. This recipe is easy-peasy. Dump and pour. Stir. Toss it in the oven. Raise your glasses to keeping it simple!

Corn Casserole

1 can whole kernal corn (drained)

1 can creamed corn

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

2 eggs

1/2 C butter

1 C sour cream

1/4 C sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Pour into a deep, 3-quart casserole dish (I use my large pyrex bowl). Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Variation: Use a can of mexi-corn in place of the whole kernal corn to serve on the side of a Mexican feast.

That's it! Let me know if you give it a try. This is also a great dish to take to carry-in dinners. Everyone enjoys it and you won't have any leftovers!

Tasty Tuesday: Sweet Potato Casserole

Before getting married, I didn't know sweet potato casserole existed. We ate canned yams, cooked on the stove-top with a little brown sugar and butter. It was a Thanksgiving staple. I didn't love them or hate them. I was indifferent toward the yam.

Then, I got married and discovered that people are passionate about their sweet potatoes. Some say yes to marshmallow, and some say absolutely NO to them (I would jump on that bandwagon). For some people, this dish is defined by pouring the canned yams into a dish and topping them with butter and marshmallow. For my husband's family, that was not the case. The sweet potato concoction which they enjoyed was a gooey, sweet dish that had things like nuts and coconut in it. They loved it. I didn't.

Then came 2005, the year Eric worked in retail and we had to stay in our little southeastern PA apartment for Thanksgiving with no family or friends to visit. Black Friday ruled our Thanksgiving that year. Eric still wanted sweet potato casserole. Imagine my happiness when I discovered that you could make this dish in a way that wasn't oozing with thick, syrupy goo. We accidentally caught a segment of The 700 Club just before Thanksgiving, and that is where we found this recipe (of all places). They were making this slightly healthier version that contains significantly less sugar than most recipes (though it is still plenty sweet). The good news for my sweet husband is that I now look forward to sweet potato casserole as much as he does, and for all of you who actually enjoy the flavor of sweet potatoes, you will actually be able to taste them if you make this recipe. Let me know if you try it!

Sweet Potato Casserole

8 C sweet potato pulp (4 large sweet potatoes) **
1/2 C butter, very soft
1 1/2 t salt
1 egg
3 T milk or cream

Topping:

1/2 C butter, just softened
1 C brown sugar
1 C oats
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

**Alternatively, use 4 C sweet potato pulp and 4 C butternut squash pulp (squeeze water out of it first)

Grease sides and bottom of large casserole dish. Set aside. In large bowl, combine sweet potato pulp (skins removed), butter, salt, egg and milk. Blend with electric mixer until fluffy and spread into casserole dish.

1 1/2 Hours before serving, pre-heat oven to 375. Combine topping ingredients in medium bowl with fork. Gently toss topping over sweet potato mixture. Bake until topping is slightly brown and bubbly, 45-60 minutes. Allow to cook and set for 20 minutes before serving.

Note: I bake my sweet potatoes the day before Thanksgiving, allow them to cool and then assemble the sweet potato portion of the casserole. It refrigerates overnight (covered). I add the topping and bake it the day it is being served. If you choose this technique, your casserole will likely take longer to bake because the mixture is cold, but it simplifies things the day of your gathering.

Simple Family Treasures

Life moves so quickly, doesn't it? Our children change and grow a little each day. Our parents age. We age. We move to new places, start new careers, have babies, leave friends behind, lose family members. We experience financial valleys and, if we are being good stewards, financial peace. We lose and gain weight. We change our lifestyle. We travel to new places and enjoy familiar places. It all happens so quickly that, if we aren't careful, we don't even realize as time whizzes by our windows. Don't you want to pay closer attention? To notice the last time your child mispronounces caterpillar? To be aware when he is old enough to dress himself? Ride his bike around the block unchaperoned? Choose her own clothes and have them actually match(We haven't really experienced that yet...heehee)?

I have chosen to not be one of those people who misses it. I have chosen to be one of those people who notices each little thing that happens. I know I still miss a thing or two, but I am putting forth a conscious effort to notice life as it happens, to have time to do so, to enjoy each moment and make special memories out of the little things in life.

Over the years I have created little traditions that cause us to slow down and enjoy family life together. Two of these activities have become ultra-important to my kids, and, though we aren't legalistic about making sure they happen every single weekend (life happens), they happen most weekends, and I know that we will all remember them. These things came about during the time when Eric was working part-time, and even though he has a fantastic job now, we're sticking with them. 

So what is the big deal all about? Saturday brunch and Sunday movie night. Yep. That's it. Simple family memories are being made with these two, old-fashioned, as simple as it gets activities. Today we enjoyed eggs scrambled with potatoes and cheese with freshly baked whole wheat cherry scones (CLICK HERE for recipe). I sipped a cup (or three) of hot tea. I smiled as Lukas tried to like the scones and giggled with Ava after she told us one of her crazy quips. I paused and looked around and found that there is so much happiness to be discovered when a family comes together and enjoys a meal together at the dining room table. 

I noticed this past spring when we were looking for a house that some newer houses are being built without dining rooms. I find this to be so sad. It isn't about the food. It's about the time spent in that room, and it's about taking the time to eat a meal in a healthy amount of time rather than chowing down and moving on. It's about making the most of life's simple pleasures. I hope I always have a dining room.

Sunday movie night is another highlight of our week. We watch all kinds of movies. Recently we've enjoyed Pollyanna, Enchanted, and An American Tail. Some of our favorites have been The Swiss Family Robinson, The Princess Diaries and Mary Poppins. I just reserved Babe on our Netflix account to watch next weekend, and I think we're going to reserve the original Parent Trap movies next. I almost always make a living room friendly meal like homemade pizza, fajita bowls, salad or stew, and we snuggle on the couches and enjoy some down time. The movies are not always guaranteed to be great, but the memories are.

Sunday drives, family dinners and gathering around favorite television programs used to be the way memories were made. Sunday drives cost a little too much these days, but a family walk in the park sounds just as great, doesn't it? It's great exercise too. Combining simplicity with memory making...it is what we do, and I'm so glad that we do it. I hope that I have enticed you to do the same thing. When your kids start asking on Friday what you're serving for Saturday brunch, or they start asking on Monday what movie you'll get to enjoy the next Sunday, you'll know that you're on the path to making life-long memories with your children, no matter what age they are. It is so worth it. A house filled with love, giggles and happiness is something to remember forever. I pray that my children cherish these memories forever and enjoy this kind of simplicity with their own families.

The Simple Woman's Daybook #81

Outside my window...as Winnie the Pooh would say, it's a blustery day.

I am thinking...about decorating the new house.

 
I am thankful for... a very hard working husband.

 
I am wearing...brown yoga pants, aqua t-shirt.

 
I am remembering...lazy summer days.

I am creating...a household filled with grace.

I am going... to somehow manage to pack and clean this entire house while continuing to babysit and educate my children in the next 4.5 weeks.

I am reading...blogs.

 
I am hoping... to feel WELL very, very soon!

 
On my mind... the best way to support my husband.

From the learning rooms... finishing Samuel(appropriately and accidentally timed right before a Bible quiz meet), Ruth, Greek mythology and lessons in obedience.

Noticing that... I have laid-back kids.

 
From the kitchen... crock-pot red beans and rice tonight. Last night we had whole wheat calzones and THESE TRIPLE LAYER PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES. I made a real ganache using cream instead of cool-whip like the recipe calls for.

Around the house...a freshly mopped floor makes me happy.

One of my favorite things... blogging.

 
Praying for...a healthy family. One of us has been sick non-stop since I started babysitting 5 or 6 weeks ago.

A verse to share..."Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." Deuteronomy 5:33

A lyric or two...

Draw me close to you,

Never let me go,

I lay it all down again,

To hear you say that I'm your friend.

You are my desire,

Nothing else will do.

'Cause no one else can take your place,

To feel the warmth of your embrace.

Help me find a way,

Bring me back to you.

You're all I want!

You're all I've ever needed!

You're all I want!

Help me know you are near.

A few plans for this week...dance, piano, packing, sub sale, Bible quiz meet, and children's choir rehearsal.

A picture thought...

Lukas took this on his camera. I love that Ava is striking a pose for him.

If you enjoy dwelling on the simple things in life and want to participate in this, CLICK HERE to read all about it and join us! Leave me a comment so I know to check out your blog to see your post!

25 Days of Christmas Days 20-22

This has not been the relaxed, laid-back week for which I had hoped. What was I thinking? Of course this week is busy! It's the week before Christmas!!! Because of this, we had to alter our Monday plan. Day 20 was supposed to be a baking day, and we did actually bake two cakes (Eric needed dessert for an Aflac luncheon). It ended up being a "shop for Dad" day because shopping, in general, took far too long. Traffic was insane. Stores are crowded. I do not enjoy shopping this time of year, especially when I go to three stores and don't find the treasured gift I seek. I digress. Monday, Day 20, our activity was shopping for Daddy. The kids chose the perfect gift for him, and they are pretty excited about it!

Day 21 was baking day, though we didn't get as much baking completed as I had hoped. We're still working on it. Sugar cookie dough is waiting to be rolled. Russian tea cakes are baked. Cake truffles are done(those Aflac folks liked them, but we have PLENTY left over!!!). Cinnamon vanilla toasted walnuts are complete, and they are super tasty! The walnuts were a new recipe, and I am so glad we tried them! Click the recipe title to check it out!

Day 22 isn't complete yet, but, as I type, Eric is gathering the wrapping supplies from the garage (where we have recently discovered a mouse is living!!!), and the kids will get to do some wrapping. They'll wrap the gifts they purchased for each other, and they'll wrap the gifts they bought for Eric and me as well. It's always a fun time wrapping gifts with them and watching to see how they decorate their packages.

Three days til Christmas. Can you believe it? This month seems to have flown by! I'm so glad that we've taken the time to make these memories together. More to come! Check back soon!

Southwestern Goulash

Searching for a quick, super easy, healthy meal? Look no further. I promise this is just as easy as making something from a box. Someone recently told me that I make some pretty strange things. I think she may be right (Hi Shereda!), so I decided to post a recipe that is a simple twist on a classic meal. This one is not strange, and it's super simple!

I made Southwestern Goulash tonight, a recipe which I found in my Taste of Home magazine. They've included an entire section of recipes in the December-January issue that are slimmed down, which is exactly the way I cook. If you like to cook, I suggest you pick up a copy of this month's magazine. They've divided the healthy meals section into recipes featuring beef, pork, seafood, poultry, and veggies. I've already tried two recipes, and I'm pleased with them. Here is the link to the recipe I tried tonight.

Southwestern Goulash

I made a few very small changes(a recipe is a guide, never a rule). One cup of macaroni did not sound like it was going to be nearly enough for this recipe, so I cooked 2 cups and then added half to see if I wanted to add more. I added about half of what was left, so, next time, I'll cook 1 1/2 C macaroni (use whole wheat if you can). I also initially added half the can of chilis. Ava is sensitive to spicy foods, so I didn't want to spice it up too much. I ended up using about 2/3 of the can. I would have enjoyed it with the whole can, but I expected Ava to love this recipe, so I kept it a little tame for her. I also did not have fresh cilantro, so I used a tablespoon of dried cilantro instead and added it when I added the other ingredients after browning the meat.

The next time I make this I will probably double the amount of corn in the dish.There was so little in the recipe that you barely noticed it as you were eating it, and I wanted just a little more flavor from the corn. Also, I served this with the option of putting a dollop of reduced fat sour cream and a little cheese on top, but it totally didn't need it. I tried it both ways, and it was delicious either way. The recipe says it makes 6 servings, and it was definitely accurate. We ate just over half of the pot tonight and will have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

If you give this a try, let me know. Three out of four of us loved it (which is what I expected). It is a rare recipe that pleases all four of us (uh-hem...Lukas...cough, cough). This was a perfect, warm meal on a cold, snowy night. I hope you try it!

I apologize for getting a photo of my finished dish. There is a photo of the recipe on the link.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potato casserole is my husband's absolute favorite Thanksgiving side dish. It was never one of my favorites because nearly every sweet potato casserole I had ever seen was covered in gooey marshmallows, not on my list of desired foods to eat,  and so filled with sugar that you couldn't even tell there were sweet potatoes in it. Still, I wanted him to be happy on the holiday, so I went on a mission to find a healthier version that maybe I would actually enjoy as well. 

This recipe was found 5 or 6 years ago. I originally found it when I was flipping channels and saw  a cooking segment on The 700 Club, not exactly my normal choice for t.v. watching or recipe finding, but this recipe sounded great and they had worked to reduce the calories, fat and sugar content significantly from the average sweet potato casserole. The original recipe calls for 4 C butternut squash pulp and twice the remaining ingredients to compensate for it, but I've never made it that way. My recent love of all things butternut causes me to believe that it would be divine, but I'll stick with this version for the holiday this year. Let me know if you try this. It's fantastic, and it's not too sweet so it actually tastes like sweet potatoes. This also doubles very easily if you're feeding a larger crowd (or add the butternut squash).

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups sweet potato pulp (4 large sweet potatoes, approx.)
1⁄4 cup butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 teaspoons milk 

Topping:
1⁄4 cup butter, just softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whole oats
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Roast sweet potatoes any way you like. I roast mine in the skins at 350 for about an hour depending on the size of the potato. When they're tender, I slice them in half and scoop out the pulp. You can wait until they're cool if you do this ahead of time.

Combine sweet potato pulp, butter, salt, egg and milk and pour into casserole dish. This can be done the day before, but the topping needs to be added right before baking.

In separate bowl, combine topping ingredients. I use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the mixture. Crumble on top of sweet potatoes.

Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Last December, I made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent. I had been considering this option since I first heard that it was possible (What exactly did I think people used to wash their clothes before chemically laden detergents were mass marketed???). Ava has extremely sensitive skin. The only detergent I had found that was semi-mild enough for her skin was the 365 brand at Whole Foods. Whole Foods is in Dublin, which is technically only 30 minutes from where I live on the south side of Columbus, but, when you live in a city, you have no reason to travel 30 minutes away to shop because nearly everything you need is five minutes from your front door. Going to Dublin once a month (or two months if I had enough cash to spring for 2 containers of detergent) wasn't really that difficult, but, as I said, the detergent was only semi-mild enough for Ava, so why would I travel that far that often if I didn't have to?

Eric's lay-off at the end of October 2009 gave me the push I needed to dive into the detergent making process. I chose a powdered detergent recipe(it involves much less storage space) after doing more research than anyone ever needs to do for such things. It contained borax, liquid castile soap, vinegar, baking soda and washing soda. It doesn't sound like it would end up as a powder, but all the chemical reactions and lots of stirring resulted in something that was almost a powder. Sort of. And as far as the stirring goes? When I say lots of stirring, I mean that I stirred until I thought my arms were going to never move again. Eric and I took turns. The author of the recipe made it sound like it took 5 minutes to make that recipe. I promise you we stirred for 45 and still had rock-hard chunks in our detergent. It was a pain in the patutie, and I didn't love that the recipe contained borax because it made my skin itch when I was making it thus making me wonder if it really was the best for Ava's skin.

Over the summer, this recipe wouldn't mix well at all. The extra humidity in the air prevented it from becoming a powder at all, although we used it anyway. It was hard as rock at times, but we made it work. The clothes were clean. That's all that mattered, right? No, that's not all that mattered. The detergent making process was becoming super frustrating!

Thank goodness I discovered  that my friend, Sarah, makes her own detergent. I asked if her recipe was difficult to make. She showed me her stash, and it was somewhat pasty. She copied her recipe for me, and, when I was ready for a new batch, I very happily gave it a try. It's easier, has fewer ingredients, no borax and works just as well as the previous recipe I was using without 45 minutes of hammering away at the rock-hard lumps caused by the chemical reactions. This recipe really does take only 5-10 minutes to make a double batch. 

It's frugal. It's all-natural. You choose your scent or none at all. Ours smells fantastic! We used a bottle of peppermint scented castile for 11 months worth of detergent and now we're using a bottle of citrus orange castile. We all love the scent, but Lukas raves about it.

So where is this fantastic, inexpensive, easy to make detergent recipe? Here you go! Give it a try. Even if you aren't an all-natural, crunchy, granola-type gal like I am, you might find yourself smiling when you try this and like it and realize that you're saving so much money while doing something so great for your family!!!

LAUNDRY DETERGENT

8 T liquid castile soap (I get Dr. Bronner's which you can find on-line or at many local health food stores or chains like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's)

3.5 C baking soda

3/4 C washing soda

2 C warm tap water

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl that is permanently designated as your soap making bowl(you can buy one at Dollar Tree for $1 if you don't want to give one up). It takes 5-10 minutes to get the lumps out, and there is no pounding necessary. The detergent may seem to be more like a thick liquid when you are done, but, once it sits for a day or two, it will become thicker and more paste-like. It can be used immediately and stored in an air-tight container. I use 1/8 C per load.

Please let me know if you give it a try! I love the smell, the cost and the fact that it's all-natural and easy to make. One batch lasts us about a month or so. I make a double batch most of the time. Anyway, let me know how it turns out for you if you!

Here's what it looks like when you're done

Italian Deliciousness

Eric and I have discovered in the past year or so that we enjoy being in the kitchen together. I love to cook and plan healthy, delicious meals for my family, and Eric loves to be with me, so we've learned that the kitchen is a great place for us to enjoy some time together once in a while. I still do most of the cooking around here, but, when Eric helps, it makes me melt a little inside. 

For our anniversary, I decided I wanted to make one of his favorite Italian dishes, chicken marsala. Prior to this, I had never cooked with wine, so I didn't even know where to begin. I asked a couple of friends and did some research. Marsala wine is apparently not an easy find. I probably could have found it if I went to Whole Foods or an actual wine store, but we're on a tight budget. My friend, Mindy, suggested that we use merlot, and so we did. 

It turned out perfectly. I researched several recipes before deciding which one I wanted to use as a guide. I made a couple of changes (next time, those changes will involve less fat). The flavor was amazing. I look forward to making it again (though it will not frequent our menu because the calories are pretty high). 

Here are the recipes for the incredible meal we enjoyed on our anniversary. Chicken marsala, roasted garlic mashed red potatoes, and roasted honey almond green beans. Yum! If you try any of these recipes, please let me know how it turns out and what you think!

Chicken Marsala

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves pounded to 1/2 inch thickness

1/2 C flour

3/4 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1/2 t oregano (dried)

1/4 C plus 2 T butter

1/4 C plus 2 T olive oil

2 C sliced mushrooms

1 C marsala or merlot wine (NOT cooking wine)

3 cloves roasted garlic (or 2 cloves freshly minced garlic)

Combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Dredge chicken breasts lightly in flour mixture and place in large skillet in which the oil and butter have warmed. Cook for 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken. Add mushrooms, garlic and wine. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Chicken and mushrooms will finish cooking and the sauce will reduce.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes

6 medium red potatoes

4-6 cloves roasted garlic (to taste)

1/3 C milk, cream or evaporated milk (skim milk works fine, but cream or evap milk would probably be even tastier)

2 T butter

salt and pepper to taste

Combine cooked potatoes with other ingredients (boil or baking works best). Mash them the way you would any other potato recipe combining all the ingredients together. I creamed mine together in my kitchen-aid, but they would be great done the traditional, chunky way with a hand masher.

Roasted Honey Almond Greenbeans

1 lb. fresh green beans

1 T olive oil

2 T honey

1/3 C sliced almonds

salt and pepper to taste

Snap ends off fresh green beans. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over green beans and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

This recipe is so easy, inexpensive and delicious that, if you try it, you may find yourself wondering why you spend so much for processed salad dressings. I've been making this for a few years now, and it is my favorite salad dressing. Sometimes, I switch it up with different herbs, but this is my favorite way to make it.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

1 t mustard (yellow or dijon both work well)

1-2  t honey (this depends on your personal taste)

1/4 t sea salt

Whisk all ingredients together or pour them into a carafe with a lid and shake. On a dinner salad, I use 2 T of this dressing. On a side salad, I use 1 T or less. If you're wanting a lower fat dressing, you can make it with slightly less oil and more vinegar. I've actually been doing so, and it still tastes great! Even if you don't, here is the nutritional breakdown for a 2 T serving of this delicious recipe:

Calories: 85

Fat: 9

Carbohydrates: 1.6

Other ideas: Replace the mustard with lemon or orange juice and use lemon flax oil for half of the EVOO. You can also replace the mustard with your favorite herbs. I've made this using garlic and dill, and it is also good.

Let me know if you try this, or if you create your own version using this as a basis!

Chipotle Copy Cat Recipes

We have virtually stopped eating at restaurants. Occasionally, we’ll find our way to an inexpensive eatery out of necessity, but necessity actually requires us to eat at home these days. We love eating at home. It’s so much healthier. I control the ingredients that go into our food. The amount of processed food within our diet is drastically decreased, and we’re saving large sums of money by doing so. This was a goal of ours for quite a while, so I am glad that financial necessity required this of us. See? I am blessed by our current circumstances. Heehee! I also love to cook healthy meals for my family!
It has been a favorite hobby of mine for years to recreate recipes that we enjoy at restaurants. I eat something and love it and think, :"I can make this." and so I do. Sometimes, it takes some tweaking to reach perfection. Sometimes, it ends up being better than the original. That’s where I am on my newest culinary copy cat meal. We love eating at Chipotle. It is one of our favorite "casual family" eateries. While the cost isn’t exorbitant, it’s no Taco Bell (ew) either. This is why I decided to create our own fajita bowls at home. I did this originally back in January when we were following the Daniel fast for three weeks. This meal completely fell within the Daniel fast guidelines as we did it vegan style. Since then, we’ve changed it up a little. You can do with it whatever you wish! Here are the recipes that I’ve found and changed a little to make them our version of perfect.
Cilantro Lime Rice
1 C basmati or brown rice
2 C water
juice of one fresh lime
1 T dried cilantro
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 T olive oil
Pour oil into sauce pan. Add rice and cook for 1 minute. Slice your lime in half and add juice to pan. Cook an additional minute. Add water, cilantro and salt. Bring to boil. Stir, cover and simmer for the amount of time directed on package (this varies sometimes). Fluff with fork before serving.
Refried Beans (which really aren’t fried at all)
2 cans pinto beans
2 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 C vegetable broth (you can use chicken or beef stock as well or even water)
1 t dried cilantro
1/2  C chopped onion
salt to taste
2 t olive oil
Pour oil into saute pan(you could use cooking spray if you have it on hand, but I don’t). Add onion. Cook on medium until clear. Pour beans into a bowl and mash w/pastry blender (if you don’t have one, you can use a large fork or be creative). Add beans, garlic, cilantro, salt and broth to pan. Cook over medium low for about 10 minutes uncovered stirring every few minutes to prevent scorching and to allow the liquid to mix with the beans properly. It may appear to be thin at first, but the liquid will cook down during that 10 minutes.
Guacamole
2 haas avocados
2 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 t dried cilantro
juice of one lime
salt to taste
1 T finely chopped onion
1 T finely chopped jalapeno (optional…I leave it out)
Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop out fruit and mash to desired texture (we like ours smooth, so I use the pastry blended again until most of the chunks are gone). Add garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt and onion. Mix together and serve.
In addition to these three recipes, you will also need to saute one green pepper and one medium onion to serve with your fajita bowls.
This is how we put our bowls together. Layer your ingredients in this order: rice, beans, veggies (peppers and onions), and guacamole. You can also choose to top it with your favorite salsa, cheese and/or sour cream if you wish.
I haven’t  tried any of the following recipes, but if you are used to your Chipotle bowls having meat, here are some suggested recipes to try:
Chipotle Chicken Marinade: http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=chicken_recipe
Chipotle Barbacoa Beef: http://chipotlog.com/recipe/the-real-chipotle-barbacoa-recipe
If you try any of these recipes, please let me know how they turn out for you. Also, if you’re more of a burrito eater, you can always wrap all of the above recipes into a tortilla. Enjoy this thrifty version of a delicious, easy restaurant meal!

Pate Chinois

We're studying world geography this year. I decided that we should have a meal from each country that we study. Cooking with the kids is a blast for me, and it is highly educational for them. Ava gets to practice kitchen safety, and Lukas gets to practice his math skills by measuring. Plus, they both love it! This week, we made a Canadian meal. I found interesting things on the internet when I was googling for traditional Canadian recipes. For instance, did you know that seal fin is quite the big deal on the east coast of Canada? I also found a couple recipes for muskrat. Since seal fin is not readily available in central Ohio and muskrat is anything but appealing, we opted for an inexpensive French-Canadian dish similar to shepherd's pie called pate chinois. It's so simple and seems to be so similar to traditional American cuisine, that you won't believe that it's actually a traditional French-Canadian recipe. I found several recipes for this, and I decided to use the one that seemed to be the friendliest for my kids (well, Lukas, mostly, since he's the picky one). Here it is for your enjoyment:
PATE CHINOIS
1 pound ground beef, lamb or pork (we used beef)
1/2 medium onion
1/2 cup green pepper
1.5 cups frozen corn or 1 can whole kernal corn
1 can creamed corn
6-8 servings mashed potatoes (I guessed at this and think we actually had more than this)
1.5 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Brown ground meat, onion and pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Drain any fat from meat, and spread meat into bottom of 9x13 casserole dish. Pour whole kernel corn over meat (if using a can, drain water first). Pour creamed corn over the whole kernel corn. Layer the mashed potatoes over this. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for 10 minutes longer.
Note: If your potatoes are not freshly made (ours were cold), you will need to bake this longer. Ours baked for almost an hour because the potatoes were refrigerated. Also, I left the green peppers out because neither of my kids eat them. Normally, I would put them in anyway, but I knew it was going to be a battle to get Lukas to eat this meal. He doesn't do casseroles very well. Let me know if you make this! It's delicious, and it makes a lot! It's a great meal to stretch your grocery buck too!