Mongolian Beef

1 lb chopped skirt steak
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ginger
2 tablespoons garlic
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1/8 cup chopped green onions

Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat.
In a Ziploc bag place the corn starch, then the steak. Make sure to coat each piece.
Shake off any excess as you add the steak to the heated pan carefully.
Cook till just light brown almost a minute each side.
Remove streak from pan.
Add the ginger and garlic to the pan, for about 10 to 15 seconds.
Then add the soy sauce,water, brown sugar and let it come to a boil.
Lower the temp and reintroduce the streak to the mixture, this will help the sauce thicken.
Sprinkle in you green onions.
Serve over rice.

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Dollar Store Halloween Table

Let me start off by saying I love Halloween, the costumes, candy and especially the decorating. What I don't like is spending an arm and a leg to decorate for it. So I hit the dollar store and what do you know, you can find some cute stuff. I already had a red tablecloth, so I bought the spiderweb tablecloth to go over it, then just played off that. When I saw the silver spider dish I knew he would be a focal point and we will pile on silver wrapped Hershey kisses to make it look bigger. We grabbed red and black felt skulls to go with the tablecloths. We found matching plates to rest the skulls on, but we switched and did opposite colors underneath so the skulls would pop. Then I found these cute skeleton hand cups that also match the color scheme, which we'll probably fill with dip or candy. To finish it off, these cute little glitter spiders that tie in the focal point spider to the rest of the table. This whole thing only cost me a whopping $12.00. Not bad right?

Fall Chicken

1 Chicken
8 yellow yukon potatoes
8 large peeled carrots
3 celery sticks
2 tablespoons Montreal Steak seasoning
1 tablespoon chicken broth powder
1/2 cup broth
Aluminum Foil
Pam


Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut the veggies all into 1/4ths.
In a large mixing bowl mix the veggies and the chicken broth powder.
Rub the chicken with the steak seasoning.
Place the chicken cooking rack into a large baking dish the place you chicken on top.
sprinkle the veggien inthe bottom of the baking dish around the chicken.
Pour in the broth.
Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for one and half hours.
Remove foil for then bake for 30 more min or until internal temp of chicken reaches 165° (in the thigh).
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

I cover this so the juice will flow into the veggies below and steam will cook the chicken. I remove the aluminum towards the end so the skin will crisp up.

P.S.

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Almond French Toast

4 eggs
1/2 a baggett
1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon butter extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons butter
powdered sugar

Heat griddle to 325°.
Cut baggett into inch thick slices.
In medium mixing bowl mix, egg, milk, extracts,sugar.
Dip each side of the baggett in mixture.
Plave Almonds on a plate.
Butter griddle.
Shake off excess.
Dip baggett top and bottom in slivered almonds.
Place baggett on griddle, cook till toasted (slightly firm) around the edges and middle,
then flip.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Great recipe if you have a baggett because then the edges are crisp already, but you can really make this with any bread.

P.S.

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Shower Tabs

1 cup corn starch ($1)
1/2 cup baking soda ($1)
4 oz jar of Vaporizing chest rub ($1)
5 drops eucalyptus oil ($1)
ice cub tray ($1)
plastic disposable bowl and spoon
Jar with lid
*disposable gloves

Okay, so I got most of this at the Dollar Store and I only used 1/4 of the the cornstarch, baking soda and eucalyptus, only used one of the 2 ice cube trays. This DIY is super cheap maybe five dollars.

In your disposable bowl, mix (with your disposable spoon) cornstarch, half of your baking soda, vaporub, and add the 5 drops oil.
Take the remaining baking soda and dust the ice cube tray.
With the mixture, use your hands to make small balls press them into the ice cube tray.
Freeze them for a couple of hours.
Pop them out and place them in an airtight container till ready to use.

I used disposable mixing implements because eucalyptus absorbs in plastic. *If you have sensitive skin you might want to use glove for this as well.

P.S.

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Easy Peach Cobbler

1 (12 oz) can peach pie filling
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
mini loaf pan
1 teaspoon butter

Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease loaf pan including the outer rim with your butter. This will make sure it doesn't stick and gives a great taste.
Fill the pan with your pie filling. I spooned out the fruit because they put way too much of the syrup filling and I want the fruit more than the filling.
In a medium bowl mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon.
Using a pastry blender cut butter into the sugar and flour mixture. Mix until it turn into little peas.
Place crumble on top of filling. If you have extra you can freeze it for a month.
Place loaf pan on a sheet pan and put it in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes till topping is browned and crispy. I place it on a sheet pan in case it drips.
When it's done set it on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Scoop ice-cream on top, get 2-4 spoons and dig in.

P.S.

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Protein Pack Lunch

1-2 hard boiled eggs 

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup cheese 

2 cut celery sticks

1 to go peanut butter pack

I hard boil a batch of 12 eggs to last the week.

Chop up a head of celery for the week.

Cut up 1/2 lb a cheese into sticks.

Then just pack 5 containers and you're good to go throughout the week.

P.S.

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Blueberry Pie

Blueberry filling 
2 1/2 cups flour plus extra for dusting when rolling out
1 cup ice cold butter
7-8 tablespoons ice water (no ice cubes)
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar in the raw

Make pie filling per my linked instructions and let cool.
Put flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. 
Add the butter to the food processor and pulse several times until the largest pieces of butter are the size of large peas. 
Start adding the ice water a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition until the dough just barely begins to hold together.
You know it's ready if you can pinch it and it holds together.
Kneed dough a couple of times (careful not to over kneed) into 2 balls.
Wrap and place them in the fridge for an hour.
Let them sit till they are at room temperature about 10 to 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Dust rolling area, and rolling pin, lightly with flour.
Roll dough out into a nine inch round it should be about 1/8 inch thick.
Carefully place one 9 inch dough rounds into the pie pan.
Add the filling.
Cut thin strips and lay them across the pie, then do the same thing going the opposite way. 
* I don't do the weaving in and out it's a hassle and time consuming. Besides it still looks good like this in my opinion. 
Pinch the pie crusts together around the edges and cut off any excess pie crust.
Whisk together, yolk, and cream.
Brush the cream mixture on the pie dough and sprinkle with sugar.
Place pie on a baking sheet just in case,then place it in the oven.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.
Serve with ice cream or by itself so yummy!

P.S.

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Pinwheel Wraps

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 teaspoon (your favorite jam)

1/2 pound lunch meat

4 leaves of romaine lettuce

large tortilla 

Mix cream cheese and jam together till smooth.

Smear your cream cheese onto the tortilla.

Place a thin layer of lunch meat on top of the cream cheese.

Layer the lettuce (remove the hard white portion from the center or it won't wrap right) in the center.

Then start to tightly roll it.

Cut about a three finger size slices.

Lay them face up if they start to open place a little dab of the cream cheese on the opening.

These are great for parties, and easy enough for unexpected guest.

P.S.

I would love to meet you on Facebook or on Twitter! 

Italian Baked Pasta

1 and 1/2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce
2 boxes whole wheat cooked Penne pasta
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Pam

Preheat oven to 350°.
Boil pasta till al dente.
Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with Pam.
Drain pasta of all water.
Pour half the pasta sauce in the baking dish and and half the pasta.
Toss till well coated.
Then do the same with the remainder tossing till pasta is coated.
Mix ricotta cheese, garlic, basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Spoon cheese mix over pasta and bake for 35 minutes.
Then serve.

FYI- My family said it tasted like Buca Di Beppo's Baked Ziti so it must be good!

P.S. I would love to meet you on Facebook or on Twitter! 

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Bronze Chief whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon backing soda
2 sticks room temperature butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups chocolate chips
1 cup precooked bacon crumbles

Preheat oven to 375°.
Sift both flours, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl.
Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy.
Beat eggs into creamy mixture one at a time.
In small amounts start to mix in the flour mixture.
Stir in chips and bacon.
Place dough in the fridge for about an hour.
Drop by the round tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Let cool then enjoy or remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

P.S. I would love to meet you on Facebook or on Twitter! 

Rib Rub

1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Paprika
1 tablespoon Garlic Salt
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Turmeric

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well.
Use or store in an air tight container.

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Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup Panko crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup diced oinion
1 packet spaghetti sauce seasoning
*A Jar of marinara or spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Spray baking dish with Pam.
In a medium to large mixing bowl mix all the ingredients.
Shape beef mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls.
Place them into the baking dish.
*You can cook them with or without sauce.
Cover with foil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

P.S. I would love to meet you on Facebook or on Twitter! 

Green Apple Cranberry Salad

2 heads of Romaine lettuce
1 cup dried cranberries
2 green apples
Non fat feta cheese
1 cup Candied Walnuts
Balsamic Dressing

Clean, and dry the head of Romaine lettuce into your salad bowl.
Core and slice the apple.
Sprinkle it on top of the lettuce.
Then sprinkle the cranberries, walnuts.
You can Sprinkle the cheese on top. (I don't do this since not everyone likes it.)
Add the Balsamic Dressing and serve. (I let each person do their own dressing.)

P.S. I would love to meet you on Facebook or on Twitter! 

Balsamic Dressing

3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and honey with your frother.
Server immediately or bottle.

P.S. I would love to meet you on Facebook or on Twitter! 

Candied Walnuts

2 cups walnut halves
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sugar
Cinnamon to taste
parchment paper

Heat walnuts, butter and sugar in a large skillet on medium heat.
Stir continuously.
When you see the sugar starting to melt make sure all the nuts are coated.
Transfer them to the parchment paper.
Separate them as fast as you can, in a single layer, so you don't wind up with a popcorn ball looking mess.
Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon.
Then let them cool.

P.S. I would love to meet you on Facebook or on Twitter! 

Lighter Version of Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheese Soup

3 1/2 cups 2% milk

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/2 medium chopped onion

1/4 cup flour

2 cups low sodium chicken stock

2 cups broccoli slaw

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

 

Saute onion and butter in a large sauce pan.

Whisk in flour till it's light brown in color.

Slowly whisk in the chicken stock and continue to whisk.

Till it's nice and smooth.

Simmer contents about 10-15 minutes, stir frequently.

Lower heat.

Stir in milk slowly.

Then add in the broccoli.

Cover and cook on low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Don't let it boil the milk will curdle.

Remove from heat, and add cheese a bit at a time stirring it in as you go.

You don't want clumps.

Serve immediately with our nice sourdough.

P.S. I would love to meet you on Facebook or on Twitter! 

Painted Glass

Mod Podge Super Gloss
Food Color
Bottle
Paint brushes
Black Sharpie
Rubbing alcohol
Q-Tips
Paint pallet or small cups

First make sure your bottle is clean.
Then using your Sharpie draw your design onto the bottle.
If you make any mistakes use rubbing alcohol and a q-tip to rub it off.
Mix one color at a time (they dry out fast) mixing the mod podge and food color together in your paint pallet or cups.
*Go light on the food coloring remembering it's concentrated.
Paint in your design as you like.
Using the food color and super gloss Mod Podge made it more see through and more like stain glass.
I loved the effect.

Decluttering Your Home

Patience
cleaning supplies
3 boxes

I recommend creating a list of places/areas in your home to declutter starting with the easiest… which doesn’t sound like all that, but you’ll feel more accomplished if you can get something done even if it’s simple.

Use the four box method. One box for keeping, another for storing, one for trash, and one box for Goodwill/ Garage sale. Doing this means no item gets passed over. 

I clean out areas for a solid 15 minutes before taking a break or just 15 minutes a day. If you clean for a solid 15 minutes then you are more likely to finish the task. I tell myself, “If I can clean for this long then I can keep going.”

Take pictures to track your progress. Take before and after pictures this will also help you to feel more accomplished and to remind you and others of where things go after you declutter.

Teach your kids where things go. If we teach your kids where things go, and start teaching them the habit of putting them there, you’ll go a long way to keeping your house decluttered.

Remember it's not going to happen over night it takes patience and hard work.

P.S. I would love to meet you on Facebook or on Twitter!