I love my crock pot. This is a love that is undescribable. Anyway, I also love yummy, inexpensive, not so fatty meals to feed my family. Of course, my son would not touch this with a six foot pole, but my daughter would. My husband loves it too. Its a no fuss meal.
3-4 Chicken breasts
1 bottle italian dressing, any brand
1 bay leaf
2 carrots
1 onion
pepper
garlic powder
crock pot
Box of pasta, your fave, your choice
Put half of the bottle of italian dressing in the bottom of the crock pot. Place chicken in the pot then poor the remainder italian dressing on top. Add your chopped carrot and onions. Toss in bay leaf, as well as your pepper and garlic powder (as much as you like, if you love garlic add a lot, if your not a fan add a little). Cook on high for two hours, then put on medium for four to six hours. Shred the chicken in the sauce. Cook your pasta and add shredded chicken and sauce over pasta. A good side for this is a salad or garlic bread. You can also use your leftover, cold chicken over a salad with some croutons.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Healthy Thoughts on Quesadillas
I admit it. I have a horrible time with getting my son to eat anything healthy - anything remotely healthy. I mean, sure, he will eat a wheat thin - but thats it.
So, I am finding a great and creative way to sneak veggies into your child's diet, without them noticing!
Children love Quesadillas. Well, sometimes these quesadillas are just not good for you. Sneaking in some healthy alternatives, besides just cheese, is a great way to get other nutrients into your child.
Children love to dip things. Load the quesadilla up with veggies, omit the cheese to just a light sprinkling, and allow the child to dip in white queso.
Using pea puree, such as baby food, or even sweet potato puree in a grilled ham and cheese quesadilla is a great way to get some vitamins and nutrients into your child without altering the taste.
Using refried beans, or making your own from dried-soaked-over-night-beans, will add fiber and other vitamins into your childs diet. Just add a bit of cheese and a little bit of salsa before grilling.
A great way to make sure they are getting all of the vitamins, and less fat, that they can get is try to get all natural whole foods. I buy homemade salsa. It is freshers and I feel better about feeding this to my children because there are less preservatives!
It is an easy knowledge to acquire, it just takes a bit of creative thinking. Sometimes, it will take a while for a child to try new things.
So, I am finding a great and creative way to sneak veggies into your child's diet, without them noticing!
Children love Quesadillas. Well, sometimes these quesadillas are just not good for you. Sneaking in some healthy alternatives, besides just cheese, is a great way to get other nutrients into your child.
Children love to dip things. Load the quesadilla up with veggies, omit the cheese to just a light sprinkling, and allow the child to dip in white queso.
Using pea puree, such as baby food, or even sweet potato puree in a grilled ham and cheese quesadilla is a great way to get some vitamins and nutrients into your child without altering the taste.
Using refried beans, or making your own from dried-soaked-over-night-beans, will add fiber and other vitamins into your childs diet. Just add a bit of cheese and a little bit of salsa before grilling.
A great way to make sure they are getting all of the vitamins, and less fat, that they can get is try to get all natural whole foods. I buy homemade salsa. It is freshers and I feel better about feeding this to my children because there are less preservatives!
It is an easy knowledge to acquire, it just takes a bit of creative thinking. Sometimes, it will take a while for a child to try new things.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Birthdays on a Budget
On November 3rd, my daughter will be turning two. You would think this would be joyeous for me, but it just means she is growing out of her baby years and turning into a big girl! This is so frightening to me!
Anyhow, I am trying to acheive her birthday party on a budget. When I had my son's party in May I really was not budget conscious because we had a bit of money to spare to throw his party. We had a big turn out, had a lot of family attending. This time of the year, considering Thanksgiving and Christmas is right around the corner, I have to be a bit more budget conscious. So, here is what I am going to do. You get to see my list, and then photos later!
♦ Create and Print labels for each cupcake - I do this through Power Point presentation and I believe that it has turned out really well. I attached a photo below. I will print these out on thicker, white paper, and tape to a toothpick. Then, they will be placed on a cupcake.
♦ Make Tutu for her Birthday outfit - Making tutus are fun and easy to do. I will post a tutorial when I make her's. I am making this a birthday tutu with colors like pink, white, purple, orange, yellow (if I can find all of these colors!)
♦ Sew the number 2 on a plain tee - Walmart sells 18"x18" blocks of cloth. They have a great assortment for only a buck! Finding the plain white tee is a different story!
♦ Decor - I am a big dollar tree fan. They have a fantastic assortment of decor for birthdays, weddings, and baby showers - and you can't beat a buck!
Well, that is a start! I will add more as I plan!
What do you do to save money while planning your child's birthday?
Anyhow, I am trying to acheive her birthday party on a budget. When I had my son's party in May I really was not budget conscious because we had a bit of money to spare to throw his party. We had a big turn out, had a lot of family attending. This time of the year, considering Thanksgiving and Christmas is right around the corner, I have to be a bit more budget conscious. So, here is what I am going to do. You get to see my list, and then photos later!
♦ Create and Print labels for each cupcake - I do this through Power Point presentation and I believe that it has turned out really well. I attached a photo below. I will print these out on thicker, white paper, and tape to a toothpick. Then, they will be placed on a cupcake.
♦ Make Tutu for her Birthday outfit - Making tutus are fun and easy to do. I will post a tutorial when I make her's. I am making this a birthday tutu with colors like pink, white, purple, orange, yellow (if I can find all of these colors!)
♦ Sew the number 2 on a plain tee - Walmart sells 18"x18" blocks of cloth. They have a great assortment for only a buck! Finding the plain white tee is a different story!
♦ Decor - I am a big dollar tree fan. They have a fantastic assortment of decor for birthdays, weddings, and baby showers - and you can't beat a buck!
Well, that is a start! I will add more as I plan!
What do you do to save money while planning your child's birthday?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Crockpots: A Moms Hero
So, as I tossed my chicken and potatoes in the crockpot, I realized how much I love crockpots. I am the proud owner of three - and hopefully more in the future! When I am not in the mood to cook, there it is. I think every household should have one - whether your a stay at home mom, working mother, single mother, grandmother - whatever. I love the cookbooks for crock pot cooking. They tend to have a variation of different recipes consisting of different types and cuts of meats, deserts, soups, breakfasts, etc. If you have no time then this is a key to a successful night of not slaving over the stove! If you have a crock pot, go buy a crock pot cooking book or head to the local library. If you do not have a crock pot, then you are completely missing out on how easy it is to get things cooked!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
My little creations
Queen of the Maven
So, I have been doing research on how to have a better home, make more homemade recipes and get less takeout, how to organize, and how to save money - and I have to say - I think that it is going to be like having a full time job! But, I think I can do it. Here is what I already knew, but learned again:
Cut Coupons (duh!)
Get organized and sell what is not in use - this declutters and makes money at the same time.
Find some ways to make money throughout the year - for instance, having yard sales, eBay, etc.
Keep it Clean - create a cleaning schedule
Keep a routine - this will help with time management, not something I am good at!
Stick to the schedule! - this will help with homeschooling, suppers, etc
Spend less money - this is something I have a hard time doing because I love shopping. I buy things that I do not need just to have it. Sometimes, I don't even use what I buy. We also waste a lot of food at times.
Meal Plan - this saves money on your grocery bill and takes away that question of "What's for dinner?"
Plan a budget - yeah, this is almost impossible for me, too.
These are all of my goals before the move to Ohio. I do not think it will be impossible, I just think that is will be difficult. I am not sure if I can do it, but sure am going to try.
What do you do to be th Queen of your Maven?
Cut Coupons (duh!)
Get organized and sell what is not in use - this declutters and makes money at the same time.
Find some ways to make money throughout the year - for instance, having yard sales, eBay, etc.
Keep it Clean - create a cleaning schedule
Keep a routine - this will help with time management, not something I am good at!
Stick to the schedule! - this will help with homeschooling, suppers, etc
Spend less money - this is something I have a hard time doing because I love shopping. I buy things that I do not need just to have it. Sometimes, I don't even use what I buy. We also waste a lot of food at times.
Meal Plan - this saves money on your grocery bill and takes away that question of "What's for dinner?"
Plan a budget - yeah, this is almost impossible for me, too.
These are all of my goals before the move to Ohio. I do not think it will be impossible, I just think that is will be difficult. I am not sure if I can do it, but sure am going to try.
What do you do to be th Queen of your Maven?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Making Money
So I figure I would write a post telling about all the easy and inexpensive ways a person could make money. Now, I personally have not done some of these, and these ideas are the kind that would fit my lifestyle. I have some suggestions that cost right around $100 and less. So, it is not a break the bank sort of thing.
Here is my ideas:
♦Sell on eBay - now personally, I have lost money selling on eBay because of the shipping prices. On items that you think will only ship for just a few bucks actually ship for about three to four times more than that. So, make sure you really price out your shipping correctly.
♦Party Sales - I am a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts and I personally love them and their products. I have made good money for the parties that I have sold for. So far, out of two parties I have made over $100 in about four hours worth of being away from my family. This is really good money. The only thing you may struggle with is the fact that you may have trouble booking parties. This is what I am running into. But the advice I received is to offer a free gift just for booking the party on top of what they would receive as hostess gifts.
♦Plant Herb Gardens - You could plant an herb garden in one pot. Many people really like things like this. Me, personally, if someone was to sell this I would buy it in a heartbeat. It would save me money from buying it in the grocery store, plus I would have a pretty indoor plant that would serve some great use and I could grow all year long.
♦Have a Yard Sale - We accumulate things all year long. Things we use for a short time and then put in the back of a closet to forget about. Our past year sale made over $250. Not bad for just a few days of selling. We sell a lot of baby clothes, clothes that the kids grow out of, and things of that nature. Baby items sell fast!
♦ Sell Indoor Potted Plants - This will definately take someone with a green thumb and patience. But, it is inexpensive to do and you could sell the plants for right around $10 or more.
♦SwagBucks - I have heard of many people doing SwagBucks on some of my mom community boards I am a part of. I do it as well. You sign up, use them as a search engine, and you can receive SwagBucks to trade for gift cards and other items. It is very easy.
♦ChaCha - This is something new. You do not get paid tons, but you do get paid! Basically, you are answering questions that people text into the website. You get paid per answer. I believe it is around $0.02, but I am not sure. This is not something I am able to do because it is quite difficult to log on during the day.
These are just a few suggestions!
What do you do to earn money?
Here is my ideas:
♦Sell on eBay - now personally, I have lost money selling on eBay because of the shipping prices. On items that you think will only ship for just a few bucks actually ship for about three to four times more than that. So, make sure you really price out your shipping correctly.
♦Party Sales - I am a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts and I personally love them and their products. I have made good money for the parties that I have sold for. So far, out of two parties I have made over $100 in about four hours worth of being away from my family. This is really good money. The only thing you may struggle with is the fact that you may have trouble booking parties. This is what I am running into. But the advice I received is to offer a free gift just for booking the party on top of what they would receive as hostess gifts.
♦Plant Herb Gardens - You could plant an herb garden in one pot. Many people really like things like this. Me, personally, if someone was to sell this I would buy it in a heartbeat. It would save me money from buying it in the grocery store, plus I would have a pretty indoor plant that would serve some great use and I could grow all year long.
♦Have a Yard Sale - We accumulate things all year long. Things we use for a short time and then put in the back of a closet to forget about. Our past year sale made over $250. Not bad for just a few days of selling. We sell a lot of baby clothes, clothes that the kids grow out of, and things of that nature. Baby items sell fast!
♦ Sell Indoor Potted Plants - This will definately take someone with a green thumb and patience. But, it is inexpensive to do and you could sell the plants for right around $10 or more.
♦SwagBucks - I have heard of many people doing SwagBucks on some of my mom community boards I am a part of. I do it as well. You sign up, use them as a search engine, and you can receive SwagBucks to trade for gift cards and other items. It is very easy.
♦ChaCha - This is something new. You do not get paid tons, but you do get paid! Basically, you are answering questions that people text into the website. You get paid per answer. I believe it is around $0.02, but I am not sure. This is not something I am able to do because it is quite difficult to log on during the day.
These are just a few suggestions!
What do you do to earn money?
Friday, October 15, 2010
Titan the Chihuahua
So, I have a pup named Titan. He is a Chihuahua/Dachshund mix - plus probably a few other types of breeds in there. He stands like he is a bulldog, has long legs, and a little head - but he is too cute to me! Anyway, we adopted him from the shelter in April as my Mothers Day present - which was fabulous. We live smack-dab in the middle of Florida - - - and the poor dog freezes all of the time! It is just baffling to me. Its something I do not understand.
So, I told you all of this to tell you about my really great find the other day when going to Target. I am not much into dressing up my animals. Back before I had kids I had a dog that I dressed up and brought to the groomers to have her nails painted. But, since I have had kids, my dog is just a dog now. But, I had to do something because this little dog freezes when it is not even cold in the house. You can find him bundled anywhere that may be warm. So, I found these two sweaters. They were both only $2.50 a piece. Which is a fabulous buy! Target now has a small dollar section where everything is like less than $3. So, I decided to compare prices to those that are in the pet aisle. One sweater cost at least $8 - that is a three dollar savings, and I got two!
Bargain shopper!
Have you found any great buys lately?
So, I told you all of this to tell you about my really great find the other day when going to Target. I am not much into dressing up my animals. Back before I had kids I had a dog that I dressed up and brought to the groomers to have her nails painted. But, since I have had kids, my dog is just a dog now. But, I had to do something because this little dog freezes when it is not even cold in the house. You can find him bundled anywhere that may be warm. So, I found these two sweaters. They were both only $2.50 a piece. Which is a fabulous buy! Target now has a small dollar section where everything is like less than $3. So, I decided to compare prices to those that are in the pet aisle. One sweater cost at least $8 - that is a three dollar savings, and I got two!
Bargain shopper!
Have you found any great buys lately?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Downsizing Saves
So, here we are in the market for a vehicle... again. We are actually downsizing and hoping to save anywhere from $200-$300 a month just in vehicle payment and insurance. Of course, we are downsizing to ONE vehicle! But, I don't really need a vehicle every day because I am a stay at home mom and RARELY ever go anywhere! So, what are the benefits to this? Of course, the number one reason we are doing this is to save money. We already pay about $520 a month just in the vehicle payment, plus insurance on top of that price which brings us to about $700 a month just on one vehicle. Another benefit is saving gas, which will increase and decrease often over time. Some of the downfalls of downsizing to one vehicle is just that - having one vehicle! I will have to wake up and bring my husband to work then pick him up when he is off of work. It sounds like such a hassle! But, I think it will be worth it.
So, this is what we are doing to cut costs and save a bit of money. What are you doing?
So, this is what we are doing to cut costs and save a bit of money. What are you doing?
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Hungry Girl
So, speaking of diets which is always on my mind lately, have you ever heard of hungry girl? I personally do not own any of the books but do have the recipe flash cards and they are amazing. Plus, the website is full of recipes and tricks to get what you crave without all of the calories along with it. You can check out the website at http://www.hungry-girl.com/. There are just tons and tons of recipes. For example, there is a recipe for an immitation of Arby's Roast Burgers. She uses a lot of vegetarian immitation meats, which personally I love and have a freezer full (I won't be able to chow on that stuff until after my low carb diet is OVER!).
But, take a look and I am sure you will find something that you love with less calories!
Good luck!
Dekota♥
But, take a look and I am sure you will find something that you love with less calories!
Good luck!
Dekota♥
Tuna Salad
I love tuna salad and could probably eat it daily. I use white chunk tuna packed in water. I have noticed that the tuna seems to be a bit more dryer than the tuna packed in oil. So, just use what you like. Here is my recipe for it.
White Chunk Tuna packed in water
Claussen Pickles, diced
Onions, diced
T. pickle juice
Low Fat Mayo
Salt and Pepper
Mix the diced pickles, onions, pickle juice, mayo, salt and pepper until dressing is blended. Add the tuna and mix thoroughly. Be sure to break down those chunks. If you don't want to add pickle juice you can always add a bit of lemon juice. This takes away the "sea food" taste intensity that some tuna fish has. If you decide to use a different type of tuna and it is already water you may want to add just a squeeze of lemon instead of pickle juice because it may become too watery. I don't give a measure of ingredients because your palette may not be like my palette so just judge by what you think you would like.
Dekota♥
White Chunk Tuna packed in water
Claussen Pickles, diced
Onions, diced
T. pickle juice
Low Fat Mayo
Salt and Pepper
Mix the diced pickles, onions, pickle juice, mayo, salt and pepper until dressing is blended. Add the tuna and mix thoroughly. Be sure to break down those chunks. If you don't want to add pickle juice you can always add a bit of lemon juice. This takes away the "sea food" taste intensity that some tuna fish has. If you decide to use a different type of tuna and it is already water you may want to add just a squeeze of lemon instead of pickle juice because it may become too watery. I don't give a measure of ingredients because your palette may not be like my palette so just judge by what you think you would like.
Dekota♥
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Fall
I am loving this fall weather rolling in. It is such a great feeling without all of that humidity here in Florida! Thanksgiving is right around the corner and then Christmas.... which I love! My children are at that age where they notice and ask questions about everything. So, it will be a wonderful experience to have a Christmas tree up and show them Christmas lights on neighbor's houses. Plus, this cooler weather means my electricity bill will go down. Who doesn't want to celebrate that?!
Plus, Fall brings Fall festivals and Octoberfest. Lots of activities!
What is Fall like where you live?
Plus, Fall brings Fall festivals and Octoberfest. Lots of activities!
What is Fall like where you live?
Roast Beef and Blue Cheese
I love this recipe, great for a snack or quick and simple lunch.
Deli Roast Beef
Blue Cheese
Pepper
tsp. oil
Heat a pan with the tsp. oil, add the roast beef in the pan in either scrunched circles or fold in half. Heat one side, then flip. Add blue cheese, allow to melt.
You can add this on top of salads, maybe with a bit of blue cheese dressing and hot sauce. Or, if you are not look at your carbs add it to a sandwhich with some mayo, letter, tomato, maybe a dash of hot sauce and..... yum... you'll love it!
Deli Roast Beef
Blue Cheese
Pepper
tsp. oil
Heat a pan with the tsp. oil, add the roast beef in the pan in either scrunched circles or fold in half. Heat one side, then flip. Add blue cheese, allow to melt.
You can add this on top of salads, maybe with a bit of blue cheese dressing and hot sauce. Or, if you are not look at your carbs add it to a sandwhich with some mayo, letter, tomato, maybe a dash of hot sauce and..... yum... you'll love it!
Low Carb Police
Cheating on diets. I begin with this because I am on one. And I cheated. With a McFlurry. Oreo.
But! I am back on today. Of course, it has only been a week. So, weakness with me should have set in on the first day. I think I am doing pretty darn good! I have lost a little over 10 pounds, which I am excited about. I actually can see daily the weight coming off. Thanks to a good friend who introduced to low carb dieting, I feel so much better. I walk at least a mile on the treadmill, in between chasing my three year old and my one year old. Plus, trying to stay active throughout the day cleaning the house and doing things of that nature.
So, is there a Low Carb Police. Absolutely! Its called your conscience! I felt so guilt.... after..... eating that McFlurry!
But, I am still on my way!
Dekota♥
But! I am back on today. Of course, it has only been a week. So, weakness with me should have set in on the first day. I think I am doing pretty darn good! I have lost a little over 10 pounds, which I am excited about. I actually can see daily the weight coming off. Thanks to a good friend who introduced to low carb dieting, I feel so much better. I walk at least a mile on the treadmill, in between chasing my three year old and my one year old. Plus, trying to stay active throughout the day cleaning the house and doing things of that nature.
So, is there a Low Carb Police. Absolutely! Its called your conscience! I felt so guilt.... after..... eating that McFlurry!
But, I am still on my way!
Dekota♥
Fair Trade Month at Meet Mark
Hello all! This is fair trade month at Meet Mark, a branch of Avon. These products are sold to show support for farmers and workers who benefit from the fair labor practices and sustainable work opportunities offered by Fair Trade.
"By choosing this Fair Trade Certified product, you are directly supporting a better life for farming families through fair prices, direct trade, community development, and environmental stewardship." http://www.fairtradecertified.org/
Why I Love Fair Trade Products from Meet Mark:
These products are inexpensive, portable, and have gentle scents to them. Check them out!
http://dbacon.mymarkstore.com/
"By choosing this Fair Trade Certified product, you are directly supporting a better life for farming families through fair prices, direct trade, community development, and environmental stewardship." http://www.fairtradecertified.org/
Why I Love Fair Trade Products from Meet Mark:
These products are inexpensive, portable, and have gentle scents to them. Check them out!
http://dbacon.mymarkstore.com/
Monday, October 4, 2010
Gyro Burgers with Cucumber Sauce
This recipes is tastey and healthy and super simple. Just go with what you like for toppings. I list my favorite toppings for this particular meal. I am in love with all things greek food. So, I never measure anything but I will try to give you a ballpark.
•Cucumber Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
3 tbsp sour cream
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp dry ranch seasoning
1 cucumber, seeded, grated
salt and pepper
(with the cucumber sauce you can get a cheese cloth and put it in a strainer over a bowl and spoon your yogurt into that, allowing it to sit to seep out all of its liquids. This makes the sauce much creamier. Although, I never do it!)
Mix all of those ingredients and put in the fridge for an hour or more. The longer it sits the better it is.
•Burgers
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 packet ranch seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
pepper
1 tsp plain yogurt
Pita bread
lettuce
tomato
red onion
feta cheese (optional)
Mix all of these ingredients together. You can either form each one into a patty and put on a baking sheet to put in the over, grill them, whatever you like. I pack it into a loaf pan and let it cook. When I take it out, I let it cool and cut it into slices. It is much easier to place in the pita bread this way.
ttfn.
•Cucumber Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
3 tbsp sour cream
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp dry ranch seasoning
1 cucumber, seeded, grated
salt and pepper
(with the cucumber sauce you can get a cheese cloth and put it in a strainer over a bowl and spoon your yogurt into that, allowing it to sit to seep out all of its liquids. This makes the sauce much creamier. Although, I never do it!)
Mix all of those ingredients and put in the fridge for an hour or more. The longer it sits the better it is.
•Burgers
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 packet ranch seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
pepper
1 tsp plain yogurt
Pita bread
lettuce
tomato
red onion
feta cheese (optional)
Mix all of these ingredients together. You can either form each one into a patty and put on a baking sheet to put in the over, grill them, whatever you like. I pack it into a loaf pan and let it cook. When I take it out, I let it cool and cut it into slices. It is much easier to place in the pita bread this way.
ttfn.
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