The Sushi Snob

Bread maker!

2012-02-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

From Cuisinart website

For my birthday, my in-laws gave me a bread maker. I was very surprised, and overjoyed at this gift. I've been having some fun with it, and I have even more plans for it. Not only does it make bread but it also...

Kneads dough

Makes quick breads (like banana bread!)

I can even use it to make jam (say what?!)

I have been having so much fun with this gift. In fact, it might be the best birthday gift I've ever gotten (thanks again Brian and Kathy). What have I made so far?

French bread (just the loaf variety--haven't done the real French bread yet)
Cinnamon swirl bread
Banana bread
Wheat bread (my standard recipe)
Pizza dough
Chocolate chip cream cheese coffee cake (using the quick bread function)
Bread sticks

I have many, many more plans for this bread maker. It's a time saver--if bread sticks sound good for dinner tonight, I can just put the ingredients in the machine, put it on the "dough" setting, and let the bread maker do its magic. All I have to do is shape the resulting dough into bread sticks and bake. It's a win-win: we can have homemade bread sticks with supper, and I don't kill myself in the kitchen. The last part is especially important now that I'm 35 weeks pregnant. Yes, 35 weeks...two more weeks and I could go at any time.

In conclusion, bread makers are the gift that keeps on giving. Ask for one for your next birthday, anniversary, Christmas....whatever comes first. Or buy one yourself, if you can't wait that long :)

Do you have a bread maker? What are your favorite things to make with it?

Food Storage Recipes: Cinnamon Apple Topping

2012-01-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Heh heh, it's been a few months. Anyone still there? Here's a food storage recipe that I use a lot. Enjoy!

This topping is simply delicious on top of pancakes, waffles, french toast, in crepes. Of course, who likes peeling, coring, and chopping up apples early in the morning when everyone is rushing to get ready? This is where food storage comes in: dried apples! You can use dried apple slices or dices--both work wonderfully.

Here's the recipe:

2 apples (or the equivalent in dried apple form)

Water (two tablespoons if you are using fresh apples; if using dried apples, use however much the package calls for reconstituting)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon (or to taste)

These instructions are for dried apples. Measure out apples and water according to package instructions and heat in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to boiling, then add sugar and cinnamon and let it cook until thick. Serve hot with your favorite breakfast item :)

Today, I made two pies

2011-11-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

From scratch. No frozen pie crusts or canned filling involved.

And it wasn't nearly as horrible as I thought it would be. Before I started this task, I thought I was nuts, especially for being nearly six months pregnant.

The food processor is my best friend now, because making pie crusts with it is so blissfully easy. Why did I try to do it by hand in the past? I was too scared. Wax paper makes rolling the dough out so much easier, and you don't have to worry about using too much flour to make it not so sticky.

I find it terribly ironic that women complain about not having time to cook from scratch, even though we have all these marvelous mechanical contraptions that streamline the process. I think our pioneer grandmothers are rolling in their graves because they would have killed for these contraptions. After all, they milked cows, grew their own food, sewed by hand, did laundry by hand, raised children, AND somehow managed to cook three meals a day.

I wasn't trying to sound self-righteous in that last paragraph...just wanted to point out the irony of modern living. I love modern living, don't get me wrong. Farming is not exactly my dream profession...I'll let the people who enjoy doing it have the pleasure.

Back to pies :)

I wasn't asked to bring pies to the Thanksgiving feast. This was all by my own volition. What kind of pies? Cherry and apple. Cherry because it's my favorite, and it's a big hit with my mom's folks (except my grandfather). Apple because it's my husband's favorite and in the two years we've been married, I hadn't made him an apple pie. Oh, it's also my grandfather's favorite. The reason why I hadn't made an apple pie before now is because peeling, chopping, and coring apples just seemed too daunting. Yeah, and I have an apple slicer and corer device thingy too (what was I just saying about modern women and not cooking?). But I did it, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I only have a few cuts to show for it ;)

So now, the pies are sitting on the stove, cooling and waiting to be taken to Thanksgiving tomorrow. Stephan and I are resisting the temptation to just scarf them down, but that wouldn't be nice.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Mmmm....pies

Chicken thighs, menu planning, and Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well this week should be interesting with menu planning because of Thanksgiving. I haven't actually planned out the entire week's menu...yeah yeah, I know. Breakfasts will be cold cereal, waffles, toast, etc. Lunches: sandwiches and leftovers. Dinners...well there's going to be some experimentation there. I'm out of chicken breasts, but have a lot of chicken thighs in my freezer. I don't normally use chicken thighs, and since we're trying to keep our grocery budget low, I'm going to use them. Tonight, I'm planning on making General Tso's Chicken (a favorite Chinese dish--I hope we like it!). I'm looking up recipes on Tasty Kitchen for some ideas for the rest of the week.

It's Thanksgiving already, eh? It snuck up on me this year. Stephan had class today and will be having class tomorrow, but after that, he has the week off. Our plans for Thanksgiving itself: we're going up to my grandfather's in northern Utah to spend it with my mom's side of the family. I'm going to be making cherry pie, and I might be ambitious and make another kind to take too....stay tuned to see if I actually do it ;)

Last week's goals? Well, I did a few of them. I did exercise three times, and I read a chapter out of the French Book of Mormon nearly everyday. But I did not clean out the craft box (whoops).

This week's goals are about the same, with the addition of being more in the moment. I'll blog about this another time.

Have a good day!

Yakisoba

2011-11-16T07:00:00.003-07:00

Yakisoba is a Japanese noodle stir fry. In fact, yakisoba literally translates to "fried noodles". This is probably one of the most versatile, easy dishes you can have in your arsenal. You can customize it to your liking, using pretty much any spice, meat, vegetable, or sauce you like. And did I mention that it's really cheap too? Cheap, nutritious, and tasty...all good words for one dish! This is also a great dish for getting rid of leftovers.

You're probably wondering, "Sounds great, but I need a few guidelines to start out." So did I! I'll show you what I did, and you can do what you want afterwards. Here we go!

The cast of characters

Chop up some celery (if you're using it)

Dice up some chicken....

Boil some ramen noodles (I realize this isn't the most authentic, but hey, ramen noodles are cheap, and work great for this)

Yep, three at once.

Drain the noodles, and set aside.

Heat the pan to about medium-high heat, and add the oils (I used cooking oil, sesame oil, and chili oil to start out)

Once the pan is hot enough, add a little garlic, and stir around for a few seconds. Then add the chicken and some soy sauce and cook until it's no longer pink.

Then add your veggies. I used the celery I chopped up and most of a bag of frozen stir-fried vegetables for this. Like I said, this dish is very flexible :) Cook until the veggies are heated through. You don't want overcooked veggies. Overcooked veggies are the reason why so many kids won't eat their vegetables.

Add some more soy sauce, or Ponzu (a citrus-y soy sauce) if that floats your boat (I did).

Now add the ramen noodles!

And mix it around until evenly blended....

Add some more sauces if you want.

Then serve to hungry people while it's still hot!

See the steam? Oooh yeah

This is one of my husband's favorite meals of all time, and that's saying something because he loves pretty much anything I make. I can honestly say that if he didn't like Asian food (especially Japanese), we would never have gotten married. I'll have to tell that story sometime ;)

Here's the actual recipe I used:

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 tablespoon chili oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic (or 1/4 teaspoon of powdered garlic)
4 pieces chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup soy sauce (or 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 Ponzu)
3/4 bag of frozen stir fry vegetables
3 stalks of celery
9 oz. ramen noodles, cooked and drained

Cook ramen noodles to package instructions, drain, and set aside. Heat large frying pan to medium-high heat, and add oils. Once pan is hot enough, add garlic and stir around for 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 soy sauce and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add vegetables and stir fry until heated through, but not overcooked. Add more soy sauce (or Ponzu) and the ramen noodles, and stir until combined. Serve hot.

DIY Drawer Dividers

2011-11-15T11:25:00.001-07:00

My husband and I share a dresser (naturally), and there are only five drawers. The top drawer is small and is used for socks. The other four are divided between Stephan's clothes and mine, so two drawers per person. This isn't much of a problem for Stephan because he doesn't have that many clothes, whereas I have more clothing items than he does (the joys of being female). More often than I want to admit, my drawers became the latest site for an archaeological dig, as a result of this arrangement.

Drawer dividers seemed like a wonderful option (even if a bit OCD), but they do not fit our tight budget.

Then one day, I saw some cardboard boxes that I hadn't gotten rid of for some reason. Light bulb moment! So I grabbed some scissors and went to town.

I didn't measure the drawers or the cardboard before I started cutting, so there was a lot of trial and error involved. If you are planning to do this yourself, please measure before cutting ;)

Here's a drawer filled with clothes, to show the dividers in action:

Undershirts, nylons, and half slips...if you were wondering.

Now, these can fall over and you can have another archaeological dig on your hands if you're not careful, but it's pretty easy to get the dividers back up and the clothes in good order again. But hey, cheap drawer dividers, can it get better than that?

So, find your nearest cardboard box, measure your drawers and the box you want to cut, and have some cheap dividers.

Have fun!

Pregnancy picture and update, menu plan, and weekly goals

2011-11-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

22 weeks pregnant

I finally post a pregnant picture of myself, although now I'm 23 weeks pregnant (give or take). Yes, I know I'm small. Baby girl is growing towards my digestive tract, which makes heartburn a regular, yet random occurrence. Random because I can eat one particular food item one day and not get heartburn, and yet eat the same item again the next day, and get heartburn. Tums is my friend ;) Other than that, I'm feeling good. Second trimester is nice stuff, I have to say. And yes, little girl is moving around, though my husband hasn't been able to feel her kicks yet (all in good time).

This is very belated, but thank you everyone for your congratulations and well wishes about our little girl. We are excited, and overwhelmed. I've started to crochet a lavender baby blanket, and my mother-in-law took me baby clothes shopping a while back. So, we have a few baby girl things hanging around, though not much. I've also been reading a lot of books about pregnancy and childbirth...you know, educating myself :)

So, here is the dinner menu plan for the week. Breakfast is pretty much the same as it always is...cold cereal some days, and a warm breakfast on the others. Lunches will consist of sandwiches or leftovers.

Monday: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans
Tuesday: Chicken piccata, pasta, vegetables
Wednesday: Leftover night
Thursday: Chicken Katsu, rice, stir-fried vegetables
Friday: Sloppy joes (on pitas!), pickles, cheese, fries
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: TBD

I don't deal well with boredom and do well when I'm working on some goals. I'm going to start posting some of them here so I can be accountable to my readers for accomplishing them:

Read Le Livre de Mormon everyday. The Book of Mormon in French. I've been studying French since high school, and have been slacking a bit on it the last few years. I'm going to read at least a chapter from it everyday. The Book of Mormon is one of my religious texts--we also read the Bible :)

Exercise at least three times a week. Exercise can help prepare a woman's body for delivery, and they say that it can make labor and delivery easier. Hmm, I wouldn't mind that! Besides that, it's good to stay active because staying active=feeling good. I've been going for brisk walks and doing some prenatal pilates YouTube videos (I'm too cheap to buy DVDs).

Reorganize the craft box. I have a box that I keep all my sewing/crocheting stuff in...it's overflowing and needs to be cleaned out and the stuff divided out. Maybe I'll sew more if I do this ;)

Try New Adventures Baby: The Bear Cub's identity!

2011-10-20T13:54:00.000-06:00

Today was *the* ultrasound.

The final poll results were very close: 11 for boy and 10 for girl.

Most members of my husband's family were betting on a girl.

My mom was betting on a girl. No one else in my family dared bet anything...I guess my brothers were afraid I'd kill them for being wrong...ha ha ha ha.

Stephan and me? We were convinced that this baby was a boy, and were actually kind of hoping for a boy. However, we planned ahead and had a boy's name and a girl's name.

My ultrasound was scheduled for 9:30 this morning, and we made sure to get there early, even though they usually tend to run late. It was rather surprising when the technician came out before my scheduled appointment to come get me. She took us to the room, prepared my belly, and asked us if we wanted to find out the sex (yes, please!).

This was the first ultrasound I had this entire pregnancy, and it was quite amazing seeing that baby for the first time on that screen (they had a big screen TV right in front of me...awesome). She went through the various parts of the anatomy, and baby was not shy about letting us look between the legs.

Now that I've left you in suspense long enough....

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

Like my mother before me, I was completely wrong. I have no mother's intuition. Like I said, I was convinced this baby was a boy. Ironically, my mom was right for this one. Anyone want to tell me how girls work? I'm not sure I know how they do....remember, I grew up with boys!

So, our little girl is looking very good and healthy. I think I saw the head measurements and uh, let's just say she's definitely taking after my family there (big heads run in the family). The technician got a good shot of her lips, and she seems to have gotten mine :) I'm measuring a week ahead, but they are not changing my due date, which is FINE with me. I'm healthy, baby's healthy, we're all good...

While Stephan was hoping to have a little boy first, he is delighted to be having a daughter. Our families are thrilled too :)

In other news, my brother-in-law just received his mission call yesterday, and opened it last night. For those who are not of my faith, young men in our church typically serve two-year missions when they turn 19. They go wherever our church leaders assign them. Young women can serve as well, but not until they are 21 and they only serve for 18 months. Anyway. My brother-in-law will be going to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! He will be leaving in January, so our little girl won't be meeting her uncle until she's nearly two years old. We'll be sure to show her lots of pictures :)

Menu Plan Monday, and a poll!

2011-10-10T16:09:00.001-06:00

Alicia does this over at her blog, and I did this in the very beginning, before I made people aware of this blog's existence, but then I fell out of the habit. Now it's time to get back into it :) For those who didn't follow this blog until recently, basically I try to make a menu plan for all the meals we're going to have within the week. It helps me plan grocery shopping accordingly, and it ensures that I will not suffer from "what to cook"-itis when 5:00 rolls around. Money is a bit tight right now, so I've really been trying to plan meals around what's on sale, and what we already have in our cupboard, etc.

So, here's a tentative plan for what we're having this week!

Breakfasts: cold cereal, oatmeal (for me; hubby won't touch it), pancakes, etc.

Lunches: leftovers, soup, etc

Dinners:

Monday: chili, cornbread
Tuesday: Yakisoba (Japanese noodle stir fry--it's yummy, cheap, and loaded with good stuff)
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: Chicken Fried Steak (cubed steak was on sale!), mashed potatoes, green beans
Friday: Chili-cheese nachos (one of my husband's specialties)
Saturday: Something Mexican...haven't decided yet
Sunday: Dinner with in-laws, most likely

Oh, I posted a poll on the sidebar. October 20th is the day we find out if the Bear Cub is a boy cub or a girl cub, so please vote! The poll will close on the 20th, and don't worry, I will announce what I'm having...as soon as the immediate families know ;)

Wherein the blog and I have a little chat...

2011-09-27T19:46:00.000-06:00

*pokes blog*

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

"Busy."

"With what? Aren't I more important than everything in your life?"

"Well excuse me, but you aren't pregnant. And you don't have a husband in school. And you don't have a few months' worth of housework to catch up on."

"Okay fine, I'll forgive you. How's the Bear Cub?"

"Treating me better, although it decided to celebrate its 16-week birthday by doing some remodeling in its cave to accommodate for more growth. That was a pleasant way to wake up. But, I can eat beef again, so I'll forgive the little one."

"So, 16 weeks, huh? Are you going to find out what you're having soon?"

"October 20. Disregard the facebook post saying that it's the 21st; it's really the 20th."

"So, what kind of posts are you planning?"

"Maybe some recipes, some musings on housework and on having a husband in school, and maybe attempt to be witty in the process."

"When will I see you again?"

"Soon, hopefully soon."

Inspired by similar posts on Carina's blog.

Cravings and Aversions

2011-09-05T13:11:00.000-06:00

Once again, I apologize for the hiatus in my posting. Shortly after my last post, we flew down to Houston to see my folks and to enjoy their wonderful central air. Then the day after we got back, I went up to northern Utah with my mom (who flew up for a family event that same day) to see some of my relatives there. And then my husband started back to school. Oh, and did I mention that just a few days before my last post, we went to the Utah Shakespeare Festival for our two-year anniversary? Are you dizzy yet?

I am now nearly 13 weeks into this pregnancy, which means that the nausea is going away and I'm starting to feel more normal. Well, as normal as you can feel when you're pregnant ;) Last week, I cooked dinner two nights in a row, which had not happened since before I was pregnant.

One of my friends asked me on facebook about my cravings, and I promised a blog post about them, since the list is so long and was always changing.

Let me begin by saying that cravings are not always the "I have to have this NOW" deal you keep hearing about with pregnant women. Most of the time, it's a food item that doesn't make you want to vomit at the mere thought of. And they aren't always constant. Not with me, anyway. What sounded good one day, would make me gag another day. This made leftovers a no-no.

But these are things that always sound good:

Mashed Potatoes (Image Credit)

Chocolate Milk (Image Credit)

Pizza. Specifically, Papa John's. (Image Credit)

Cereal (Image Credit)

Also, honey roasted almonds, but I couldn't find a picture ;)

The other cravings, I'll just make a list of them and about the time the cravings hit...

Before I knew I was pregnant...

Omelets (funny, because I don't normally eat these), Subway, spaghetti

After the two pink lines (in no particular order):

Wendy's baked potato and Baja salad

Bloomin' Onion from Outback

cheddar Sun Chips dipped in caesar salad dressing

shrimp tempura (Japanese dish; it's delicious even when I'm not pregnant)

string cheese

sour cream and onion chips and chocolate ice cream (not together, although it was tempting)

apple sauce and wheat crackers (this ended up being my go-to for nausea relief)

Stir fry

Asian dumplings

Fettucine alfredo with peas

Cinnamon Swirl toast with lots of butter (this is my current one, yum)

Now for the aversions. My biggest aversion has been beef. Apparently the Bear Cub doesn't know of its Texan heritage. This broke my heart, because I love me some chicken fried steak. Thankfully, Bear Cub let me have some when I was visiting relatives last weekend. Thank you baby :) And although I craved spaghetti before I knew I was pregnant, I can't stand the thought of it now. Ironic, because I can still eat weird things like eggplant parmesan. Mmm, eggplant.

I also don't have much of a sweet tooth. Well, baby does seem to like chocolate ;) But in general, no sweets. Mainly savory things. Old wives' tale says this means I'm having a boy. We shall see about that.

Try New Adventures Thursday--Why I haven't been posting much

2011-08-18T09:32:00.001-06:00

There are some very good reasons for it.

I've been sick to my stomach. I've been very tired. I'm putting on weight. I want to eat strange things. Smells bother me. And I have mood swings.

The weird part? I'm happy about all this, well, except the weird food part.

What does this all mean?

That's right y'all, I'm pregnant!

Want proof? Okay, since there seems to be some rule that you have to post a picture of something you peed on, here you go:

The second line is a little faint, but it's there, I promise!

I am about ten weeks along and due in the middle of March. I'm being vague about my due date because I don't want anyone (especially me) getting attached to an arbitrary date. And seriously, how often are babies born on that date anyway? Very few, although my husband was one of them. All I ask is that this kid does not come on February 29 (I'll be full-term then), because I've seen Pirates of Penzance too many times.

I had my first appointment yesterday and got to hear the heartbeat. It's relief knowing that you haven't had a weird case of the flu for the last several weeks, and that all the nausea isn't for nothing. Everything is looking great! I'm measuring at 10-11 weeks, heartbeat sounds good, and the midwife said that I have a pelvis made for pushing out big babies (thanks Mom!). This is good, in case the kid decides to take after Stephan, who was a nine-pounder.

So, boy or girl? We'll be happy with either, as long as it's human. Stephan is convinced that we're having a boy. Some members of his family are hoping for a girl (and the tendency in his family is for girls to come first). Me? I have a hard time imagining myself having a girl first, probably because I grew up with all brothers and no sisters. I guess we'll be finding out in October. Until then, we will refer to the fetus as "The Bear Cub."

The pregnancy symptoms are starting to ease up a bit, which I'm happy about because I've been too tired/sick to cook and clean much. Seriously, if you saw the state of my apartment right now, you would wonder why I bother with having a homemaking blog. And hopefully, I'll be posting more often :)

Linked to "Try New Adventures Thursday" on Alicia's Homemaking

Feels sheepish...

2011-07-19T17:00:00.000-06:00

I apologize once again for the lack of posting. It's gotten hot here and our AC was broken for several days, and when it's hot, I don't feel like doing anything. My house looks like a tornado hit it. Seriously. I feel like the worst homemaker right now. I didn't even bake on Sunday because it was so hot--we ended up going to my in-laws to borrow their air conditioning for several hours. It was lovely.

But our AC has just been fixed, so things should be looking up around here from now on.

Love y'all :)

Sinful Sweet Sunday: Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-07-11T17:23:00.000-06:00

News flash: Laura is a lame blogger.

I'm really sorry to any faithful readers I have, if there are any left after my absence. I have depression, which for the most part I'm able to manage. But sometimes, it hits in such a way that nothing can get done. Depression = no motivation whatsoever.

I'm doing okay now, and some old high school classmates wrote to me on facebook telling me how much they love my blog, and that really helped me motivate myself to get something here today.

I didn't actually bake yesterday because I made these cookies last Thursday. I came home that night from my knitting/crocheting group feeling the urge to bake something chocolate-y. When you get that urge, there is no ignoring it.

So, I decided to make some of my mom's famous oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I don't really care for chocolate chip cookies that don't have oatmeal in them. They have no character, and are usually waaaay too sweet. And yet, so many people here where I live *ahem* don't like anything except chocolate chips in their chocolate chip cookies. So unadventurous.

My mom has been making these cookies for a very long time--I think she got the recipe from a college roommate. I am glad to keep the tradition going.

Without further ado...

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Cream above ingredients together

Then add:

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix together until well combined.

Drop by the tablespoonful onto cookie sheets, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until puffed and very lightly browned.

Enjoy :)

Sinful Sweet Sunday: Cinnamon Rolls

2011-06-27T18:00:00.000-06:00

It wasn't dessert this Sunday that was sweet, it was breakfast. On Saturday night, I decided to start some cinnamon rolls to bake in the morning. Just because. Instead of giving you the recipe and giving you pictures, I'm just going to be lazy and link you up to The Pioneer Woman's and show you the picture of mine.

Summer induces laziness, didn't you know?

Here's a link to Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls.

There are a couple things I did differently: I didn't put coffee or maple flavoring into my icing. I also used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil in the dough. Despite these changes, they were the gooiest, most delicious cinnamon rolls I EVER had. My husband agreed.

Here's a picture of mine:

My hips are not thanking me, no sirree.

Complaining? Quit it! (Try New Adventures Thursday)

2011-06-23T12:07:00.001-06:00

Image Credit

I was reading this post at Heavenly Homemakers last night, and it made me feel very, very guilty.

Why?

I complain. A lot. And I hate it.

See? I'm complaining about complaining. This really needs to change. I complain about my husband still being in school, not having very much money, the piles of dishes and laundry that need to be done...the list goes on and on. Does complaining make me happy? Not at all. When I complain, I fail to see how the Lord has blessed me in my life, and if I stopped focusing on the negative, I would probably realize how much I have been blessed in my life, and be more grateful.

So yes, Stephan is still in school, but I'm grateful he's getting his education now to better support our family when he graduates (which will be next spring!). We don't have a lot of money, but we're learning how to budget properly so we can better provide for our needs. That pile of dirty dishes and dirty laundry? We have food to dirty those dishes and clothes to wash.

This week my adventure will be significantly cutting back on my complaints (eliminating is probably impossible right now), and instead looking for the things to be grateful for.

What do you have to be grateful for?

Image Credit

Linked to "Try New Adventures Thursday" at Alicia's Homemaking

The two household cleaners you need...

2011-06-21T16:44:00.001-06:00

Are probably already in your pantry!

Yes, they are useful for more than just science fair volcanos. They are also very effective and very inexpensive household cleaners.

I first tried them on some horrible soap scum in my bathtub. I had tried other generic household cleaners to no avail, and was interested to see if a natural solution would work.

You can't see the dirt, but I assure you it was there.

So first, I sprinkled a lot of baking soda in the tub....

Poured some vinegar (I always close my drain before I get started)...

Yes, you will have the fizzy effect going on, and this will help lift the dirt off! It's quite cool, actually.

Get your scrubbing brush and start scrubbing!

I'm right-handed, but I needed my right hand to take this picture :)

After you're done, open the drain, and rinse it off with hot water.

And you'll have this

A nice, clean bathtub.

Of course, you'll probably have a vinegar-y smell going through the house. It will dissipate within a few hours. My husband complained about the stench at first, but he's gotten used to it.

You can also use baking soda and vinegar to clean your toilet, mop your kitchen floor, and many other things! You'll save a ton of money on cleaning products because baking soda and vinegar are really cheap.

There are other natural cleaning products out there, such as lemon, borax, washing soda, isoproyl alcohol, etc.

Here's where I go for natural household cleaner recipes:

Non-Toxic Home Cleaning Solutions

What are some of your favorite natural household cleaners?

My Spaghetti Sauce

2011-06-20T14:32:00.003-06:00

My most popular recipe post of all time thus far?

My recipe for alfredo sauce. Who would have thought everyone was looking for a recipe for alfredo sauce? It gives me hope for the world.

As a sequel to my alfredo sauce recipe, how would you like my recipe for a very tasty spaghetti sauce?

Was that a yes? Alrighty then :)

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or four garlic cloves, minced)
1 medium onion (or one tablespoon dehydrated onions)

28 ounces diced tomatoes
8 oz. tomato paste
16 oz. tomato sauce
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

I also like to add a little cooking wine and sneak some carrots in too for a little extra vitamin A. Do what you like :)

First, cook up the beef with garlic and onion. Cook until brown. If your husband volunteers for this task (especially if the beef is still a little frozen), let him do it.

Ain't he handsome?

When it's all browned, drain the grease.

Then add your tomatoes (diced, paste, sauce)

Diced.

sauce

Paste.

Your spices and seasonings

Basil and oregano

Salt

Pepper

And let it simmer for 30-60 minutes. It depends on how flavorful you want it, and how hungry you are.

While the sauce is simmering, boil some noodles, toss a salad or prepare another vegetable.

When it's ready, spoon it over whatever pasta suits your fancy. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. Or if you're from northern Utah, some shredded cheddar cheese. Yes, I still think it's weird my husband does it. Why do you ask?

Enjoy :)

Linked to "Tasty Tuesday" on Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Also linked to "Real Food Wednesdays" at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Sinful Sweet Sunday: Chocolate sheet cake with ganache frosting

2011-06-20T11:18:00.002-06:00

Man, I've been bad about posting. Is anyone still out there? Anyone? *crickets*

I'll explain eventually what happened last week, but not in this post right. We shall move on to more delightful things, like chocolate cake. From scratch.

Wait, you like cake from boxed mixes better? Oh, what am I going to do with you? Once you make this cake, you will wonder why they make boxed mixes in the first place. Seriously, it isn't very hard, and probably takes no more time than the boxed stuff. Just a couple more ingredients, is all.

This recipe is more or less two recipes in one. Both came from Pioneer Woman. First, is her chocolate sheet cake recipe (also used for her Death By Chocolate cupcake recipe). The second is her chocolate ganache frosting recipe (minus corn syrup) used for said cupcake recipe. It was delightful.

The only modifications I made for this were so I could use as few bowls as possible, thereby reducing the number of dishes to be washed ;)

Oh, and if you are haters of butter, cream, and other deliciousness, please leave this blog. Or don't leave it, and wonder why you hate the stuff in the first place....

Chocolate Sheet Cake

1 cup of butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1.5 tablespoons vinegar in 1/2 cup milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate ganache
1 cup whipping cream
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start out by melting butter over medium heat

While the butter is melting, mix the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a big bowl.

After the butter has melted, add the cocoa powder to it and stir. Then add boiling water and boil the mixture for a few seconds.

Pour the chocolate into the dry mixture.

And add the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.

I don't have a picture of this part because I decided to be a little ambitious and mix the dry ingredients and some wet ones together and THEN add the chocolate mixture. Not the best idea--the cake still tasted good, just a tad lumpy.

Pour into a jellyroll pan, or any cookie sheet with rims. Or any other pan you want, just adjust the cooking time accordingly :)

Bake for 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking, start the ganache!

Heat cream over medium heat. Add vanilla.

Here's your bittersweet chocolate. Oh, Ghirardelli...

Break it up into pieces and add to heated cream.

Stir until completely melted

Looking good...

Even better...

Lick the spoon, if you wish. Just don't eat all of it...

Let it sit for a little while to cool, and by this time you should be taking the cake out of the oven.

Isn't it beautiful? Of course, you're going to have to let it cool a bit before pouring the frosting on. Ugh.

Your patience will pay off when you get to pour the ganache over the top...

And hopefully it will be more elegant than the way I do it.

Go ahead, enjoy this with a glass of milk, or whatever makes you happy.

Linked to "Tasty Tuesday" at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Try New Adventures Thursday--A Teddy Bear Picnic

2011-06-09T14:11:00.000-06:00

Image Credit

While I was at the park with Snow Monkey yesterday, a friend from our ward (congregation, for my non-Mormon readers) told me that our local library was hosting a "Teddy Bear Picnic" and there were a few other women from our ward who were going to take their kids. Of course, I accepted the invitation, and proceeded to get Snow Monkey pumped about it.

So today, we got our teddy bears (don't judge me), a few granola bars, and met up with the other women who were going to the library. I was the only one without a kid in a stroller. Of course, I forgot my camera or else I would have taken a picture of the four women with strollers walking through the neighborhood. It was pretty awesome, and a sight you probably only see here in Utah.

I probably didn't mention that we walked to the library. Snow Monkey wasn't too happy at this prospect, even though we don't live very far at all from our library. I guess to a four-year-old, things seem a lot farther than they really are.

We got to the library shortly after the "picnic" started. It wasn't a picnic in the sense of being outside and eating food--we were indoors and people brought small snacks for the kids. Some people brought blankets to sit on. Really it was a glorified storytime, but it was a lot of fun. They had a puppet show with professional puppeteers and some really funny stories. They also had people from "Build A Bear" give coupons to the kids.

But it was nice to take Snow Monkey to the library and socialize with some of the women from church. I was also able to check out a book that I had on hold (yay!). I also got some good exercise, walking to the library with a heavy tote bag and a large teddy bear (Snow Monkey could only carry his so far).

When we got home, we just chilled. Now he's playing video games with my husband.

Linked to "Try New Adventures Thursday" on Alicia's Homemaking

Easy Alfredo Sauce

2011-06-07T19:06:00.000-06:00

Did you know that I was afraid of alfredo as a child? Silly, I know.

I don't know why I hated it so much, but I would whine and gnash my teeth whenever my mom announced that she was making alfredo for dinner. I'm a spaghetti lover myself, still am. My mom made alfredo for the spaghetti haters in the family--there was at least one. I seriously cannot understand how it's possible NOT to like spaghetti!

Back to the alfredo...

It started growing on me as I got older, and eventually, I came to love it as much as I love spaghetti.

When Stephan and I were first married, I tried to replicate my mom's alfredo sauce recipe to little success. The cheese and the cream always separated, and I realized that heavy cream was a no-no. So, I bought the normal whipping cream, and SUCCESS! The cheese and the cream blended beautifully, Stephan sang my praises, and everyone was happy.

And folks, this is probably one of the easiest sauces you can make, provided you DON'T use heavy cream. You will wonder why you bought the jarred stuff, when making it yourself is so easy and so much cheaper.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup whipping cream (NOT heavy cream!)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Melt the butter

Repeat after me: the butter is your friend. Keep repeating until you believe it--it won't take long.

Pour in the cream

Add the cheese, garlic, and salt

Mix it all together over low heat until cheese is barely melted, stirring frequently.

Keep the sauce warm over the low heat, and boil whatever pasta you want.

Drain the pasta, and pour some of the sauce on top. Mix in some frozen peas if that floats your boat.

And enjoy :)

If your husband embraces you passionately after taking a bite, don't be surprised ;)

Linked to "Real Food Wednesday" on Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

Sinful Sweet Sunday: Classic Brownies

2011-06-06T17:35:00.000-06:00

I, Laura, the Sushi Snob, do not like brownies made from boxed mixes.

There, I said it. I mean, I'll eat them, but I don't care for them. It seems like most people prefer them, but I don't. You see, I grew up with brownies made from scratch. Actually, the vast majority of desserts that were prepared for my family's weekly Sunday night dessert were made from scratch, hence my love for homemade desserts.

My problem with boxed mix brownies is that they are usually too cake-y, too dry, and there's this aftertaste taste that seems to scream: "I AM FROM A BOX!"

These brownies that I am about to show you, are indeed made from scratch. I know it's a little more effort than pouring out the boxed mix, but I assure you that it is more than worth it. This recipe is adapted slightly from the Classic Brownie one on Cooks Illustrated. The only deviations from the original I made: I didn't use aluminum foil and I didn't use nuts.

No pictures except for the final product. It was late when I made them. If you love brownies made from scratch, I know you'll love these!

1 1/4 cup white flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

12 tablespoons butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl.

Boil some water, and put a glass bowl (a large one!) on the top, and add the chocolate and butter. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. You can also do the microwave-stirring trick; just remember not to let them burn.

Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the flour mixture. Stir to combine, and add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. If the mixture seems a little dry, you can add a little water. Stir very, very well!

Grease a 13" X 9" baking dish, and pour the brownie mixture into it, spreading evenly.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, then try to be patient as it cools.

If you (or your spouse) become impatient...

This might happen:

Be sure to have some milk with that brownie.

Linked to "Tasty Tuesday" on Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

My hobo tote (well, more like a purse...)

2011-06-03T17:15:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry for not posting since Friday. I don't know if I have much of an excuse, except a lack of motivation and poor planning on my part. Yeah, great excuses ;)

Nothing for Food Storage Friday today (hence the poor planning) but I would like to show off one of my greatest sewing accomplishments thus far:

Please ignore the mess behind me. Please?

It's a hobo purse. My mom sent me the kit a few months ago (she's really excited that I actually want to sew). The kit included the fabric, handles, and instructions. After sewing up three decorative pillows (pictures to come at another time), I decided I was ready for this. I started it last night, and finished it this afternoon. It wasn't *too* hard, although the instructions were a little confusing at times.

Yes, I'm pleased with myself. Although I'm a little disappointed that it isn't more..."tote" like, like the package. Maybe I sewed it a little too small? Who knows.

I'm such a model. Not. Just focus on the purse ;)

Linked to "Try New Adventures Thursday" at Alicia's Homemaking

Food Storage Friday: Favorite Food Storage links

2011-05-27T13:31:00.000-06:00

I don't really have any thing prepared for this week's Food Storage Friday, but I would like to share some of my favorite food storage websites. They are all on my blog roll, but I will provide links to them here and provide descriptions for them:

1. Safely Gathered In

Here you will get tips on how to use your food storage, including. the long-term stuff like wheat and powdered milk. There are two contributors, as well as the occasional guest post, and everyday they have some topic related to food storage. Here are the themes as follows:

Monday there is a motivational quote to keep you going on food storage and emergency preparedness.

Tuesday they give you an assignment for your three-month supply or 72-hour kit.

Wednesday & Thursday they post tutorials or articles on any given topic related to food storage and emergency preparedness.

Friday they share recipes that use only food storage items. They also have Food Storage Friday. I knew I wasn't original ;)

Saturday they share favorite links about food storage, frugal living, etc.

2. Food Storage Made Easy

Don't know where to start on food storage and emergency preparedness? Jodi and Julie can help! They will give you baby steps to make the process of storing food less intimidating. Think you don't have enough room for food storage? Their readers share tips on how to store your food storage creatively.

3. Everyday Food Storage

Not only do you need to have food storage, but you also need to use it. Hence the oft quoted "store what you eat, eat what you store." Crystal shows you how to use your food storage in everyday cooking AND have it taste good. I haven't used her recipes yet, but I will soon.

Do you have any favorite food storage/emergency preparedness websites? Please share them.

Top ten things I love about being a nanny (Top Ten Tuesday)

2011-05-24T16:04:00.000-06:00

I haven't talked much about being a nanny. It's the hardest job I've ever had, but also the most fulfilling. Here are some reasons why I love being a nanny :)

(1) I am figuring out what kind of a mom I want to be when I do have kids.

I have had much spiritual confirmation that one of the reasons I am caring for Snow Monkey is so I can learn how to be the mother I want to be. I don't want to be the mother who is always losing her temper at her kids, because really, what kid benefits from that? No one that I know. Kids need boundaries, but they also need to feel loved.

(2) Teaching the Snow Monkey new things.

Snow Monkey was graduated from preschool in January, so one of my challenges has been to keep his screen time to a minimum while still keeping him entertained. One day, I had him help me make strawberry freezer jam and bread. It probably took more time than it would have had I done it alone, but he had lots of fun helping me "smash" the strawberries and "punch" the bread dough. He also thought my wheat grinder was "SO COOL!"

He also likes to help me with chores. Can't say no to that...

(3) Seeing the fruits of my labors.

My job as a marketing assistant was actually pretty fun, but I didn't always see the fruits of my labors. I do working with Snow Monkey. The day he closed the bathroom door without me reminding him to was a great day, because I was starting to feel like a broken record reminding him all the time. His mom and I both celebrated.

(4) Seeing Stephan play with him.

Whenever Stephan isn't working or at school, I involve him in my nannying. Stephan has a knack for interacting with Snow Monkey, and I think it's really sweet. He rough houses with him. For those who know my husband, that might come as a shocker. He also plays video games with him. He just knows how to interact with little boys. I'm excited to see how he'll be with our kids, whenever we have them.

(5) The flexibility of my job

This is a luxury I know a lot of nannies don't have, but I'm very grateful for this. Snow Monkey lives just down the hall from me, so when I watch him, I'm pretty much on my own turf. It's great because I can run errands with him, take him to the park in our complex, and even bring him over to my apartment so I can get things done.

(6) Finding joy in the simple things.

This kind of goes hand in hand with number three. Snow Monkey has been teaching me in his own way to find joy in the simple things in life, whether it be a quiet morning, when he eats a full meal, or when he gets excited about something.

(7) I can sympathize with and relate to moms.

Whenever moms talk about something relating to their kids, whether it be good or bad, I can actually nod my head because I have had that experience with Snow Monkey.

(8) There is never a dull day

My job is predictable in only two ways: I know what days and what time I'll be watching him (mostly) and I know that I'll be watching him. Other than that, I never know. That is both a good thing and a bad thing ;)

(9) The funny things Snow Monkey says and does.

He provides excellent blogging/facebooking fodder for me. I hope he doesn't hate me later in life...

(10) I have a friend in his mom.

Through nannying Snow Monkey, I have become great friends with his mom. Sometimes, I stay over after she gets home from work just to have "girl talk." Of course, Snow Monkey doesn't always like this because he has missed his mommy! But she's great, and she has taught me a lot too :)