The Simple Solution Mom

The Perfect ANYTIME Snack Blend

2021-10-12T14:30:00.008-05:00

I enjoy making this yummy snack during Autumn. Makes a pretty table/counter display of Fall colors.

The perfect treat blend for my little grands for easy snacking at grandma’s.

A little bit of salty and chocolate heaven!!

Cheese Crackers

Salted Peanuts

Cashews

Pretzels

And a bit of sweet, makes a yummy blend:

Reese's Candy Bits

Caramel Corn

Honey-Nut Cheerios

Cocoa Puffs

M&M's -- I like lots of M&M's

Mix and add to clear jars or canisters for a pretty display! We all love this snack.

Best Easiest Chicken Cheese Enchilada Soup

2021-03-30T17:22:00.001-05:00

I created this easy chicken cheese enchilada soup a few years back. It has become a family favorite.

2 cans Progresso Chicken Cheese Enchilada soup

1 can rotel

dice cooked chicken

I like to add all the ingredients into a crockpot and simmer for a couple hours. Top with cheese and sour cream. Great to serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Ravioli Lasagna

2020-08-01T19:29:00.000-05:00

This easy lasagna is made with layers of fresh ravioli from HEB in place of traditional lasagna noodles. You’re going to love this cheesy ravioli lasagna bake.

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion diced
24 ounces marinara
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 large egg
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
25 ounces frozen cheese ravioli
2 cups shredded mozzarella
minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef and onion. Brown the beef, crumbling it as it cooks. Drain the grease from the pan.
Add the marinara sauce and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often, over low heat.
While sauce is simmering, mix ricotta, egg, Parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl.
Spoon 1/3 of the meat mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread across the bottom.
Top with a single layer of ravioli, ½ of the ricotta mixture, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat the layers, ending in marinara sauce.
Sprinkle the top with the shredded mozzarella. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with minced parsley.
Let set for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

How HOT is it in TEXAS?

2020-07-23T11:20:00.001-05:00

Wakie-Wakie

2020-07-15T00:11:00.002-05:00

At Olde Thymes Farm -- it's all about the fun! Miss Lulu never seems to be bothered by the baby goats. She continues on with her nap.

BEST Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars with Icing

2020-07-14T20:08:00.001-05:00

This is the best PB Bars!! Your family will love it.

Preheat oven to 350

9x13 pan greased 1 cup melted butter

while warm add 1 1/2 cup Peanut butter

mix until melted

1 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp Salt 1 T. Vanilla 4 eggs 2 cup All purpose flour

Add PB and butter mixture

Bake 30 minutes

Cool completely then frost

Icing 1 cup confectioners sugar 1/4 cup Peanut butter 2 to 3 TB Milk 1 tsp Vanilla

Easy Homemade Hand Sanitizer

2020-03-14T19:21:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup of 99% isopropyl alcohol
1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1 teaspoon of 98% glycerin
¼ cup, 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of sterile distilled or boiled cold water

1. Pour the alcohol into a medium-sized container with a pouring spout.

2. Add the hydrogen peroxide.

3. Add the glycerin and stir.

4. Measure and pour in the water.

5. Sanitize your spray bottles and pour in your hand sanitizer.

6. Label your bottles.

Estimated ingredient cost: $10 (makes 4 cups)
Difficulty: easy

Spaghettini Spinach, Garlic with Lemon

2020-03-02T11:24:00.002-06:00

1 lb spaghettini, angel hair or spaghetti pasta
6 tablespoons olive oil
8 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
10 oz bag of baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet heat, 6 tablespoons olive oil over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes to gently cook the garlic. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta well and transfer to a large bowl. Immediately add spinach and garlic lemon oil and toss everything together. Mound the pasta on a large platter and serve.

Serves 4-6

Serve with rotisserie chicken.

Homemade Lavender Laundry Soap

2020-03-02T11:10:00.001-06:00

Olde Thymes Farm Lavender Laundry Detergent

Ingredients:
4 - 4 oz. bars of grated Castile Soap
1 - 78 oz. box of Borax
8 - 16 oz. boxes of baking soda
3 - TB Lavender Essential Oil

Directions:
Grate the soap using a cheese grater or food processor.
Once the soap is grated - place in a large plastic pail with the remaining ingredients and mix it all together. You now have your own homemade powder laundry detergent. Each load only takes 2 tablespoons of detergent.

Makes 288 loads of laundry.

Powerful Dawn Dish Soap Hacks

2019-12-28T14:51:00.004-06:00

DAWN DISH SOAP is clearly one of the most effective and powerful dish-cleaning soap ever!! What’s even better? It is extremely gentle on the skin and does not cause any irritation and/or dryness. Plus, it has a great smell. But these alone are not the reasons which make Dawn the bestselling dish-washing soap in the market.

Homemade Ice Pack

Fill a zip-lock bag about half full with Dawn and add a little water (not too much). Now, get rid of any extra air and freeze it. By adding dish soap to it won’t freeze completely. This will make your Ice pack flexible and joint-friendly.

Window Cleaner

One of the many uses of this popular Dawn Dish Soap is that it can be used as a window cleaner. This hack can be utilized by dropping 4 drops of dawn dish soap into one gallon of water. Fill a clean spray bottle with the solution. Spray and wipe the windows with the solution just as you would do with any other window cleaner.

Multi-Purpose Cleaner

Dawn dish soap can be used to clean almost anything in your house. Your bathroom tiles can be shiny and pretty just by using dawn dish soap on them. By dropping about two drops of dawn dish soap into sixteen ounces of water you will be able to clean your kitchen counters, baseboards, tubs, and toilet seats.

Bath Bubbles

Children always love to blow bubbles all over the place. On one particular day, the kids might get bored with nothing to do. To keep them occupied, go for your dawn dish soap and mix together 1 tablespoon glycerin, 1/2 cup dawn dish soap, and 1 gallon of water. Using warm water will give better bubbles than cold water. So as not to break down the bubbles skim the foam of the top of the solution. Now the kids will have great fun by just dipping their wands and blow away.

Greasy Hair

Kids will always and will ever get their hair in a terrible mess with all sorts of dirty greasy stuff. Your dawn dish soap is on the job again. This dish soap is so mild that it can be used on hair without damaging it. Yet it is strong enough to remove all those grease and grime from your kid’s hair.

Hair Product Build-up

Once every month (twice if you use hair products quite heavily) instead of using your usual shampoo use Dawn. This will help you in getting rid of all that chemical build up in your hair which is caused by a variety of hair styling products.

Bathing Dogs

This is a hack that most people don’t know about, but I’m going to let you into it. To keep away fleas off your precious pet, you may drop just one teaspoon of dawn dish soap in your pet’s bath. This will help to avoid fleas from invading your precious pet’s body.

Insect Repellent

Is it really possible for dish soap to be used as an insect repellent.? Dawn dish soap can be used for so many things. It would really sound impossible, but yes it can be used to kill and repel those bothersome ants in the kitchen.

All you need to do is mix about two teaspoons of dawn, with diluted hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle. After spraying those bothersome ants, leave it on for about 15 minutes, and then wipe, with a damp cloth.

Carpet Stain Remover

This hack about using Dawn Dish Soap to remove carpet stains might sound a little weird. But Dawn dish soap can solve some of the weirdest problems in your home.

To get the stains off your carpet, mix the blue color dawn dish soap with some hydrogen peroxide and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture unto the stains and leave for a while. You will be shocked at the result, for all the stains are nowhere to be found.

Jewelry Cleaner

Believe it or not, Dawn dish soap may be used to clean your jewelry and make them looking brand new again. It is very gentle on jewelry and won’t damage them.
Mix 1 quart of hot water with a squirt of Mr. Clean and a squirt of Dawn dish soap. Dip an old toothbrush in the mixture and gently scrub your jewelry until it is looking brand new again.

De-Grease Tools

Automotive tools tend to get really dirty and greasy. You may use this same dawn dish soap to give your tools a good cleaning. In a bucket with warm water, pour a small amount of dawn into. Place your tools in the bucket and leave for about 30 minutes. You may then rinse and dry them well to prevent them from rusting again.

Sponge Cleaner

There are many ways you may clean your makeup sponges. Using dawn dish soap with a small amount of coconut oil can be very effective and also very unique.

In a small bowl, mix some liquified coconut oil with a small amount of dawn dish soap, place the bowl in the freezer, and leave to freeze. Once frozen, take your sponges and swirl them on top of the frozen soap. This will help to remove all the makeup from the sponges.

Weed Killer

Dawn Dish Soap may also be used as a weed killer. Isn’t that very interesting.? In case you have some very stubborn weeds giving you problems in your garden, you don’t need to worry. Using dawn dish soap will quickly solve the problem.

Mix together 1/2 cup salt, 2 quarts white vinegar, and 1 teaspoon dawn dish soap. Spray the mixture directly onto the unneeded plant. Be very careful not to make the mixture go on plants that you don’t want to get rid of.

Unclog Toilets

Whenever the situation arises that your toilet gets clogged, you won’t have to get an expensive de-clogger. Pour a cup of dawn dish soap into the toilet bowl and let it sit there for about 15 minutes.

Hold a bucket of hot water a few feet above the toilet seat and pour it into the toilet bowl. This tip should surely do the trick.

Eye Glasses Cleaner

If you happen to wear glasses, by now you should know that they can be one of the hardest things to keep clean. So to keep your glasses from getting too foggy that you can’t see properly our of it, just use some dawn dish soap.

With a clean cloth rub a small amount of dawn dish soap onto the glasses, and wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth. Never use rough fabrics or paper towels to clean your glasses. These items might scratch your glasses, thus making the situation worse.

Grill Cleaner

Cleaning your grill to get off all those grease and grime is not a pretty job. Here is an easy way, which won’t cost you a lot of money to buy chemicals to clean your grill. In a big garbage bag, put about a gallon of water and 1 cup of dawn dish soap into it.

Place your cooled greasy grill racks into it and sealed tight. Leave overnight, and the next morning, use a wire brush to scrub your grill down. Give the grill racks a thorough rinse, and they will be so clean again.

Shower Cleaner

To make it easier for everyone in your family to clean the shower after use, its best to make an after shower cleaner. In a large spray bottle pour 1 cup white vinegar and 1 cup dawn dish soap. Then slowly fill the spray bottle with water. Pour the water slowly so as not to make a lot of bubbles.

Make sure that the dawn is all mixed out and not sitting at the bottom. After each member takes a shower they can just spray the mixture on the wet shower walls. No need to rinse for the vinegar will cut the mineral deposits and the dawn will clean the soap scums.

Concrete De-Icer

Everyone who lives in snowy countries always believes that to de-ice their driveway they have to use ice. There is a safer way of de-icing, and also your driveway will keep from refreezing.

In a bucket, pour a gallon of water, 4 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol and 4 tablespoons of dawn dish soap. Mix thoroughly and pour the mixture over the frozen concrete driveway. This method is much better for your concrete than using the salt.

Outdoor Furniture Cleaner

By keeping your outdoor furniture outside at all times, they will eventually start looking dirty, especially if they are made from plastic. All you have to do to get them clean again is to wash them down with the help of dawn dish soap.

Mix a few squeezes of dawn dish soap into some water and give them a good wash. After washing rinse your furniture with clean warm water and leave to air dry.

Window Cleaner

Having a bottle of dawn dish soap in your home at all times will surely make your life much easier. You can make your own window cleaner by just using it. 1 tsp of vinegar, 2 tsp of dawn dish soap and 1 quart of warm water. Mix these ingredients together.

Soak a clean cloth in the mixture and wipe your windows with it. After wiping, immediately dry the windows with a dry microfiber cloth. By using the vinegar and the dawn your windows will be left streak-free.

Homemade Cajun Seasoning Mix

2019-06-18T11:27:00.003-05:00

Making your own Seasoning Mixes are easy to make and you get to control the SALT intake!!

They make great gifts for Christmas. Package them in pretty little jars with a ribbon, a list of ingredients and lots of love.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp black pepper
3 tbsp sweet paprika
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp celery salt
1 tbsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Mix together well.

Pour into a small jar and attach with a ribbon a gift card.
Use Cajun Seasoning Mix with Chicken, Pork, Seafood, Steak and Veggies.

2019-06-02T20:53:00.001-05:00

Loaded Cauliflower Broccoli Casserole

Loaded Cauliflower Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:
8 slices of bacon, fried crispy
½ large head cauliflower, cut into florets
½ large head broccoli, cut into florets
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise

Instructions:

First step is Preheat oven to 370 degrees.

And then, Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy and crumble. Set aside.

Thanks Evi for this Recipe: http://www.evseats.com/cauliflower-broccoli-casserole/

ORGANIZED MORNING!! Bulk Meal Breakfast Pancakes, Oatmeal & Storage

2019-05-27T18:03:00.001-05:00

https://youtu.be/0anF7EcB2I0

http://www.doitonadimeblog.com/
.
Do It On A Dime --- Kathryn's shares tips to get organized and declutter in 2019! I hope it motivates and encourages you! It doesn't have to take a long time and it doesn't have to cost a lot.
She is one of my favorite youtube bloggers! After watching her.. you will agree

2019-05-27T09:50:00.000-05:00

This recipe is not only easy but absolutely delicious!!

PINEAPPLE SUNSHINE CAKE

Ingredients
Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice

Frosting:

1 (8 oz) container whipped topping, thawed
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and 1 can of crushed pineapple with the juice. Mix well.
Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
In a medium sized bowl, fold together whipped topping, box of vanilla pudding, and 1 can crushed pineapple with the juice. Spread over the top of cooled cake. Enjoy!

credit for this recipe:
http://freerecipefoods.blogspot.com/2019/05/pineapple-sunshine-cake.html

Italian Meatloaf “Cupcakes” with Mashed Potato Frosting

2017-08-08T09:49:00.001-05:00

Savory meatloaf is flavored with Parmesan, Italian herbs, and marinara sauce, baked in a muffin pan, and then topped with seasoned mashed potatoes in these easy to make, fun to eat Italian Meatloaf "Cupcakes"

For Meatloaf "Cupcakes" -

1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 egg
2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 cup marinara or pasta sauce, DIVIDED
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
_
For Mashed Potato "Frosting" -

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions

Arrange rack in center position of oven and preheat to 450°F. Grease a six-cup muffin pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, Italian breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup marinara sauce, grated Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Using a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, evenly divide meat mixture between the six muffin cups, smoothing the tops of the mounds. Carefully spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the individual meatloaves. Place the muffin pan on a foil-lined baking sheet (to prevent spills and aid in clean-up) and bake for 20 minutes, or until meat is cooked through. Use a spoon to help lift meatloaves out of the pan (the grease released by ground beef will have accumulated at the bottom of the muffin cups) and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
To make Mashed Potato "Frosting," warm leftover mashed potatoes and milk in a small pot set over low heat, stirring until smooth. Stir in Parmesan, garlic powder, and dried herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Mound potatoes on top of mini meatloaves after they come out of the oven.

Notes
If you have fresh herbs on hand, you may substitute them for the dried. Since fresh herbs are not as potent, the typical conversion is to use 3 times the amount of fresh herbs as compared to dried.
You may add 1 cup of finely minced/grated veggies (carrots, onions, celery, bell peppers) to the meat mixture, if you wish.
This recipe feeds a small family, but you'll want to double it for a large family.
You may use a spoon to spread the mashed potatoes on top of each meatloaf, or you may scoop all of the mashed potatoes into a gallon-sized plastic baggie. Cut off a 1-inch piece from one corner of the bag, push the potatoes into that corner, and use the bag as a "piping bag" to swirl the mashed potatoes on top of each meatloaf.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

http://www.fivehearthome.com/2015/04/16/italian-meatloaf-cupcakes-with-mashed-potato-frosting/
4.14

Paula Deen Delicious Corn Casserole

2017-07-21T12:28:00.002-05:00

1 (15 1/4 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4 oz) can cream-style corn
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 (8 oz) package corn muffin mix (jiffy)
1 to 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream and butter. Pour into a greased casserole. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with generous amount of cheddar cheese and return to oven for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Best Cream Cheese Corn Casserole

2017-07-21T12:00:00.001-05:00

1 teaspoon oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup softened butter
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (15 1/4 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 1/4 ounce) can creamed corn
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 (2 7/8 ounce) package French-fried onions, divided

Preheat over to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and sauté onions until translucent.
In large bowl combine butter and cream cheese. Stir in corn, cream corn, chilies and onions. Pour into prepared dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in half of the french fried onions and sprinkle remaining onions on top. Bake 15 minutes longer.
Serves 8
(Note: easy and double recipe to cook in Crockpot)

Best Pumpkin Cake

2017-07-15T16:08:00.001-05:00

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix
1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. cool whip
½ bag Heath Bits
jar of caramel sauce

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, spice and pumpkin puree until a smooth batter forms.
Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking dish, and bake at 350º, according to the directions on the cake mix box (approx 23-28 mins).
Remove cake from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes after baking.
Using the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake. This should fill in the holes and soak into the cake.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove cake from refrigerator and spread cool whip over top of cake. Sprinkle on the heath bits, and drizzle caramel over top. (I didn't think the cake needed a lot of caramel at this point so I only used about ¼ of the jar. I thinned it out first by heating it in the microwave.)
Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight (best).

Serves: 12-15

Recipe from: http://www.cleverhousewife.com

Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies

2016-12-09T09:16:00.000-06:00

These Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies have so much going on >>> sweet + salty + chewy + crunchy. They’re fun and festive and awesomely delicious!

Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. tightly packed brown sugar
1 T. light corn syrup
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
3 oz. good quality white chocolate bar, chopped into 1/4" pieces, plus more for poking into the top of cookie dough
1/2 c. dried cranberries, plus more for poking into the top of cookie dough
1/2 c. old fashioned oats
1/3 c. roughly chopped pistachio nuts, plus more for poking into the tops of cookie dough
1 c. crushed thick rippled potato chips (aim for 1/4" to 1/2" pieces), plus more for poking into the top of cookie dough

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat for another 7 to 8 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to bowl of stand mixer and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add chocolate chips, chopped white chocolate, cranberries, oats, and pistachios. Mix just until incorporated. Do not over mix. Add the crushed potato chips and gently fold them in with a rubber spatula. Place dough in refrigerator to chill for one hour.
Heat oven to 375°.
Using a teaspoon, drop chilled dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets in smallish mounds. These cookies are on the smaller side - only about 1 generous tablespoon of dough per cookie. Do not try to smooth out the surface of the dough - leave it as rough looking as possible. If desired, poke in some additional mini chocolate chips, white chocolate, cranberries, pistachios, and potato chips into the tops of the dough. This will let the "kitchen sink" ingredients appear more obviously on the top of the cookie! Bake for about 11 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown at the edges. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

adapted from milk bar's original compost cookie recipe

This post is sponsored by the American Egg Board. I am happy to be partnering with them again this year, bringing you delicious recipes powered by eggs. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this site possible!

Cajun Jambalaya

2016-12-03T21:31:00.000-06:00

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil...
1 1⁄2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 lb andouille sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
1⁄2 green bell pepper, diced
1⁄2 red bell pepper, diced
1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1⁄2 cups long grain rice
1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes, chopped,with juice
2 cups chicken broth or 2 cups stock
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and devein
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 green onions, finely chopped

I add extra meat and season to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pan or Dutch oven, brown chicken in hot oil on both sides; remove and drain.
Add andouille, onion, celery, bell pepper, thyme, oregano, paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pan, cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes until onions are tender.
Add rice, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring to a boil.
Place rice mixture in a baking dish or oven-proof casserole; top with chicken; cover (can use foil) and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until rice and chicken are done and tender.
Stir in shrimp, parsley, and green onions; cover and cook 5-8 minutes longer or until shrimp curl and turn bright pink and serve.

All-in-One Laundry Bombs

2016-11-26T15:05:00.003-06:00

Laundry doesn't have to be a chore. Instead of lugging your detergent, stain stick, fabric softener, and your laundry to the washing machine, here's a homemade laundry bomb that does it all. You can pick up the basic ingredients at your local grocery store for a few dollars, making these little helpers seriously budget-friendly. Scent with your favorite essential oil for a personalized smell and you're ready to get washing.

What You'll Need:

Small mixing bowl
Grater
1 1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Fels-Naptha
2 tablespoons Epsom salts
3 tablespoons hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup vinegar
15-20 drops essential oil
Sheet pan
Parchment paper
Measuring spoons

Directions:

Grate the Fels-Naptha into the mixing bowl and add the washing soda and Epsom salts. Fels-Naptha is a laundry bar soap that does a great job of attacking stains and cleaning your laundry. The boost of all-natural washing soda softens water while washing clothes. And the Epsom salts cut down on static cling and also soften fabrics once clothes hit the dryer.

Now add the hydrogen peroxide and give things a stir. Hydrogen peroxide naturally whitens clothes and keeps your colors fresh. Stir in the vinegar, which busts through stains while leaving clothes soft. Then scent with several drops of your favorite essential oil.

Once everything's incorporated, the mixture should resemble wet sand and clump together when pressed. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and then use a rounded 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop up the mixture, press against the side of bowl, then tap out onto the pan. Finish with a quick spritz of equal parts vinegar and water. Let set for eight hours before using.

Your laundry bombs are ready to toss in the washing machine! Use one round for small loads and two when washing lots of laundry. You'll love how they refresh your clothing without all the extra cleaners!

Makes around 28 laundry bombs.

www.popsugar.com/smart-living

Peanut Butter Cups – Keto-Style Fat Bomb

2016-10-19T09:29:00.003-05:00

If you like Reese' Peanut Butter Cups, you’ve got to try these. They taste similar… except they’re 100% keto. In fact, these qualify as “fat bombs” in the keto diet culture; they have a large amount of fat, intended to help you meet your daily fat intake macros. .

Basically, as long as I get to eat chocolate every day and lose weight, I’m not feeling very deprived.

Ingredients

4 tbsp coconut oil (I have also made this with half coconut oil, half butter – it was also delicious)
4 tbsp natural nut butter (chunky or creamy, peanut or almond butter, just no added sugars!)
1.5 tbsp cream cheese
1 tbsp sugar free vanilla syrup (Torani, Da Vinci, whatever – usually found in stores by the coffee)
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 Packet Keto/OS Chocolate -
https://janetharrison.pruvitnow.com/product/ketoos-3-0-chocolate-swirl/
sweetener to taste (I use Stevia)

Mix all the ingredients together in a microwaveable glass measuring cup. Makes it easy to pour into the molds

Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between them, until ingredients are fully incorporated.

Pour mixture into some sort of mold.

Place into the freezer to harden.
Store in freezer bags, plastic container or mason jars in the freezer.

One dozen breaks down to this:

Easy Delious Crock Pot Chuck Roast

2016-09-03T08:21:00.000-05:00

1 chuck roast. Place roast in crock pot.--
Sprinkle roast with Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.
Sprinkle McCormick AuJus mix on top.
Place a stick of butter on top of seasoned roast.
Put about 5 pepperoncini peppers on top.
.
Do NOT add water - it will dilute the flavor.
Cook in crock pot on LOW for about 8 hours

~ ENJOY

Best Pot Roast, Carrots and Gravy

2016-08-25T19:35:00.003-05:00

Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients

Roast
1 3-5 pound chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dry minced onion
2 tablespoons beef bouillon powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Gravy
2 cups beef broth (or less depending on how much broth/juices remain after roasting)
1/4 cup flour
Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat olive oil over high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Using tongs, sear meat on all sides until lightly browned and transfer to a roasting pan. Add whole garlic cloves into the crevices of the roast (usually where there is a seam of fat). Add desired amount of carrots surrounding roast.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all remaining “Roast” ingredients and pour over roast and carrots.
Cover tightly with foil and roast for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Turn roast over, re-cover with foil and TURN OVEN DOWN to 300 degrees F. Continue to roast for an additional 4-5 hours at 300 degrees F. Roast is ready when it is fall apart tender.
Remove roast and carrots from oven to a serving platter and let roast sit 30 minutes before carving to reabsorb the juices.
Gravy: Remove any excess juices/broth from roasting pan and strain fat. Add canned beef broth to the juices/broth to equal 2 cups. Set aside.
Add 4 tablespoons fat/drippings to saucepan (from roasting pan or strained from broth/juices) OR melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup flour and whisk to create a roux. Cook over medium heat, while whisking, until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in 2 cups juices/broth and bring the gravy to a simmer until thickened. Add additional broth if needed to thin. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper (although it probably won’t need it!)
Notes
Prep time is for roast only and not carrots.

BEST CURE for CRACKED HEELS

2016-06-29T11:29:00.000-05:00

Ok ladies.. if you want an inexpensive way to heal those cracked heels.. this is it!! I used this method and in 2 days my farm feet look amazing! *rub feet with 1 acne pad and while wet, massage with gold bold lotion -- and wow within 2 or 3 treatments you will be thanking me!! (you're welcome)

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Powerful Dawn Dish Soap Hacks

Homemade Ice Pack

Fill a zip-lock bag about half full with Dawn and add a little water (not too much). Now, get rid of any extra air and freeze it. By adding dish soap to it won’t freeze completely. This will make your Ice pack flexible and joint-friendly.

Window Cleaner

Multi-Purpose Cleaner

Bath Bubbles

Greasy Hair

Hair Product Build-up

Once every month (twice if you use hair products quite heavily) instead of using your usual shampoo use Dawn. This will help you in getting rid of all that chemical build up in your hair which is caused by a variety of hair styling products.

Bathing Dogs

This is a hack that most people don’t know about, but I’m going to let you into it. To keep away fleas off your precious pet, you may drop just one teaspoon of dawn dish soap in your pet’s bath. This will help to avoid fleas from invading your precious pet’s body.

Insect Repellent

Is it really possible for dish soap to be used as an insect repellent.? Dawn dish soap can be used for so many things. It would really sound impossible, but yes it can be used to kill and repel those bothersome ants in the kitchen.

All you need to do is mix about two teaspoons of dawn, with diluted hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle. After spraying those bothersome ants, leave it on for about 15 minutes, and then wipe, with a damp cloth.

Carpet Stain Remover

This hack about using Dawn Dish Soap to remove carpet stains might sound a little weird. But Dawn dish soap can solve some of the weirdest problems in your home.

To get the stains off your carpet, mix the blue color dawn dish soap with some hydrogen peroxide and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture unto the stains and leave for a while. You will be shocked at the result, for all the stains are nowhere to be found.

Jewelry Cleaner

De-Grease Tools

Sponge Cleaner

There are many ways you may clean your makeup sponges. Using dawn dish soap with a small amount of coconut oil can be very effective and also very unique.

In a small bowl, mix some liquified coconut oil with a small amount of dawn dish soap, place the bowl in the freezer, and leave to freeze. Once frozen, take your sponges and swirl them on top of the frozen soap. This will help to remove all the makeup from the sponges.

Weed Killer

Dawn Dish Soap may also be used as a weed killer. Isn’t that very interesting.? In case you have some very stubborn weeds giving you problems in your garden, you don’t need to worry. Using dawn dish soap will quickly solve the problem.

Mix together 1/2 cup salt, 2 quarts white vinegar, and 1 teaspoon dawn dish soap. Spray the mixture directly onto the unneeded plant. Be very careful not to make the mixture go on plants that you don’t want to get rid of.

Unclog Toilets

Eye Glasses Cleaner

If you happen to wear glasses, by now you should know that they can be one of the hardest things to keep clean. So to keep your glasses from getting too foggy that you can’t see properly our of it, just use some dawn dish soap.

With a clean cloth rub a small amount of dawn dish soap onto the glasses, and wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth. Never use rough fabrics or paper towels to clean your glasses. These items might scratch your glasses, thus making the situation worse.

Grill Cleaner

Cleaning your grill to get off all those grease and grime is not a pretty job. Here is an easy way, which won’t cost you a lot of money to buy chemicals to clean your grill. In a big garbage bag, put about a gallon of water and 1 cup of dawn dish soap into it.

Place your cooled greasy grill racks into it and sealed tight. Leave overnight, and the next morning, use a wire brush to scrub your grill down. Give the grill racks a thorough rinse, and they will be so clean again.

Shower Cleaner

To make it easier for everyone in your family to clean the shower after use, its best to make an after shower cleaner. In a large spray bottle pour 1 cup white vinegar and 1 cup dawn dish soap. Then slowly fill the spray bottle with water. Pour the water slowly so as not to make a lot of bubbles.

Make sure that the dawn is all mixed out and not sitting at the bottom. After each member takes a shower they can just spray the mixture on the wet shower walls. No need to rinse for the vinegar will cut the mineral deposits and the dawn will clean the soap scums.

Concrete De-Icer

Everyone who lives in snowy countries always believes that to de-ice their driveway they have to use ice. There is a safer way of de-icing, and also your driveway will keep from refreezing.

In a bucket, pour a gallon of water, 4 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol and 4 tablespoons of dawn dish soap. Mix thoroughly and pour the mixture over the frozen concrete driveway. This method is much better for your concrete than using the salt.

Outdoor Furniture Cleaner

By keeping your outdoor furniture outside at all times, they will eventually start looking dirty, especially if they are made from plastic. All you have to do to get them clean again is to wash them down with the help of dawn dish soap.

Mix a few squeezes of dawn dish soap into some water and give them a good wash. After washing rinse your furniture with clean warm water and leave to air dry.

Window Cleaner

Having a bottle of dawn dish soap in your home at all times will surely make your life much easier. You can make your own window cleaner by just using it. 1 tsp of vinegar, 2 tsp of dawn dish soap and 1 quart of warm water. Mix these ingredients together.

Soak a clean cloth in the mixture and wipe your windows with it. After wiping, immediately dry the windows with a dry microfiber cloth. By using the vinegar and the dawn your windows will be left streak-free.

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Savory meatloaf is flavored with Parmesan, Italian herbs, and marinara sauce, baked in a muffin pan, and then topped with seasoned mashed potatoes in these easy to make, fun to eat Italian Meatloaf "Cupcakes" For Meatloaf "Cupcakes" -

Yield: 3 to 4 servingshttp://www.fivehearthome.com/2015/04/16/italian-meatloaf-cupcakes-with-mashed-potato-frosting/ 4.14

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BEST CURE for CRACKED HEELS

Savory meatloaf is flavored with Parmesan, Italian herbs, and marinara sauce, baked in a muffin pan, and then topped with seasoned mashed potatoes in these easy to make, fun to eat Italian Meatloaf "Cupcakes"

For Meatloaf "Cupcakes" -

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

http://www.fivehearthome.com/2015/04/16/italian-meatloaf-cupcakes-with-mashed-potato-frosting/
4.14