The Homemaking Fashionista

Chunky Vegetarian Chili (Summer Chili)

2012-05-05T21:27:00.000-05:00

Hi there all! It's been a LONG time since I've posted. Things have been super crazy and don't seem to be slowing down, but I've discovered a new recipe that I had to share. I found it on Pinterest where I was directed to myrecipes.com. I changed the recipe some.

I am a huge chili fan. And a huge meat fan. But the other night a friend that doesn't eat a lot of meat was joining us for dinner, so I decided to find a vegetarian chili recipe. It was fantastic! So I've decided to make it again for the two passionate carnivores that live in my home (my husband and myself).

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper (I used green, yellow, orange and red, but you can use whatever kind you like.)
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can (approx. 15 oz.) Mexican tomatoes or Rotel, undrained
1 can (approx. 15 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (approx. 15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (approx. 15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (approx. 15 oz.) can chili beans, undrained
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat oil in dutch oven and saute onions, peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add sugar and seasonings and stir.

3. Add remaining ingredients, stir and bring to a boil.

4. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Top with your favorite chili toppings. (I like chopped onions, fresh cilantro, cheese and sour cream.)

The taste of the vegetables are really brought out because of the vinegar. This chili tastes light and fresh, therefore it makes a great summer chili!

Sherylyn

Mexican Cornbread

2012-02-24T16:19:00.000-06:00

This recipe was given to me by a girl I used to work with. It is quite fantastic! I used pepperjack cheese but I have used the Mexican Velveeta in the past, and I definitely think it was better. The pepperjack was good but the velveeta holds the whole thing together.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning or 2 heaping tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
1 can (11 ounces) corn and peppers or mexican corn, divided
6 slices pepperjack cheese or mexican Velveeta (recommended)

1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

1. Brown beef with onion. Drain.

2. Add taco seasoning and simmer on low.

3. Add about half of the corn.

4. Spread mixture in a 9 x 13 baking pan. Place 6 slices of pepperjack cheese on top.

5. Prepare corn muffins according to package directions or use the Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread recipe. Add the rest of the corn to the corn muffin batter

6. Spread batter over meat and cheese.

7. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Sherylyn

Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread

2012-02-24T16:10:00.001-06:00

I've already posted this recipe on the Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup post, because it is fantastic with it. But I decided to post this by itself for future reference. It's the only way I make cornbread now!

Ingredients:

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (8.5 ounces)

1 egg

1/4 cup butter or margarine (melted)

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons diced pickled jalapeno, drained well

1 cup shredded cheese

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Combine corn bread mix, egg and butter.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Place cornbread in greased muffin tin or greased 8 x 8 casserole dish.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Sherylyn

Homemade Taco Seasoning

2012-02-20T18:13:00.000-06:00

So I think I was last to know that you can make your own taco seasoning. But here is my recipe. I know taco seasoning isn't THAT expensive, but I've always felt stupid for paying a dollar for a tiny packet of seasonings that I was sure I had at home in my cabinets.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon corn starch

1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

I usually double or sometimes triple the recipe so I don't have to mix up more every time I need it. It keeps just as long as all your seasonings would. Just make sure you store your taco seasoning in an airtight container. Two heaping tablespoons are about the equivalent to a packet, depending on taste.

Sherylyn

Easy Peasy Meatloaf

2012-02-17T19:51:00.001-06:00

It has been a busy week! My 5 year wedding anniversary was last Friday (February 10), so we, of course, were busy spending time together. Then Saturday, my cousin, Acacia, and some of our closest friends and family threw us a surprise party! It was one of the best nights of my entire life and I'm so thankful to all involved! I love you all so much!

Along with the surprise of the party, we were also surprised to find out that 2 of the main contributors of the party happened to be our best friends that live 2 hours away! So the rest of the weekend was devoted to spending time with them which means we didn't sleep much. And I don't do well with that. So my body has been mad at me and gave me a cold. Body jerk!

I'm not feeling 100% better so I decided to make one of the easiest recipes ever! My aunt taught me this one. The original recipe only contains 3 ingredients (not counting the topping).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can stewed tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
1 box Stove Top stuffing (I use generic because that's the kind of girl I am.)
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 square pan with cooking spray. (You can use a loaf pan and increase the cooking time. The square pan is quicker.)

2. Mix beef, tomatoes, onions and stuffing in a bowl.

3. Spread the meat mixture in the pan.

4. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

5. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

6. Remove meatloaf from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Normally I cover the top with ketchup before baking, but when I went to look for it in the fridge I remembered that we were out! So I looked up a recipe for meatloaf gravy. I'll be honest with you guys, it wasn't very good. So first chance I get I'm going to smother my leftovers with ketchup. Because friends, that's the kind of girl I am.

Sherylyn

I'm So Excited and I Just Can't Hide It (Since a Blog Is Public Domain)

2012-02-09T00:08:00.004-06:00

Well folks, here in the Seward house we FINALLY have Internet. I cannot tell you how sad it is to go without Internet this long. You know, since it's been a week and a half. There are plenty of sacrifices I can make to save money, say the fact that we haven't had cable for over 3 years (except for the time we lived with the in-laws), and I am all for covering up windows and putting things at the base of doors to keep the draft out, even if it means I only save $5 a month on my electric and gas bills. But I am here to tell you about some money saving tips for television and movies that can make you oh so happy!

Television: Like I mentioned, we haven't had cable television in 3 years. We did away with Cox back then and we were paying around $50/month just for the basic channels. That was difficult for the hubby since he really wanted to go up with our cable package and get digital channels. We also had a TiVo machine which was costing us $12.95 a month in service to record our favorite shows. This was also at a time when I wasn't in school and we didn't have an active toddler who only can stand television if Nemo is swimming around on it or the Bubble Guppies are singing their catchy little songs. Now that we live on our own again, we do need a little bit of entertainment so we decided to try out Hulu Plus. After the one week trial, we will be paying $7.99 a month for all the television shows (except for Happy Endings, which they don't have and which happens to be a HI-LARIOUS show) we normally would watch and record. So let's do the math:

What we used to spend:

Cable: $50/mo

TiVo to record it: $12.95/mo

What we spend now:

Hulu Plus: $7.99/mo

Savings:

$54.96/mo or $659.52/ year!!! That's a nice little vacation!

Movies: Movies here is Wichita are expensive. $10 for a ticket and then if you want food, you have to donate your left lung for a plate of fries and a sip of Diet Pepsi. Rentals aren't too bad, with the Redbox and Blockbuster Express kiosks everywhere, but Redbox upped their price from $1 to $1 and some odd cents and that just doesn't fly with me! Family Video isn't too bad with their prices and tend to have a decent selection, but if you are late returning your movie, after two days you could have purchased the movie for cheaper than the late fee you are paying. Justin and I suck at returning things on time. Like movies. And library books. And items we borrow. So Netflix has been a decent choice for us. We just get the streaming selection and pay $8 a month for that. So for our movies, documentaries, and some tv shows, we pay less than going out to the Warren! Not too shabby.

How do you save money on your entertainment?

Adrianna

Chicken Dorito Casserole

2012-02-07T20:12:00.000-06:00

Doritos for dinner? Sounds bad, huh? Well, it is. But oh so delicious! I found the original recipe at plainchicken.com. They have some awesome sounding recipes and I plan to try a lot more. I changed the original recipe a little.

Ingredients:

1 bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, crushed (I used a whole bag but I think you could get by with half a bag. It was almost too much.)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can rotel
1 can corn, drained well
1 cup shredded mexican cheese, divided
garlic salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour crushed Doritos into the pan.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and grill cubed chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Cook until completely done.

3. Add soups, rotel, corn and 1/2 cup of cheese.

4. Pour the chicken mixture over Doritos.

5. Bake for 20 minutes.

6. Top with remaining cheese (extra if you want) and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I used Clancy's Nacho Cheese chips, which taste exactly like Doritos. The original recipe calls for a cup of sour cream, but I forgot it. I also cut the cheese amount down a little because I felt so guilty about having Doritos for dinner. And I also served it with broccoli to at least make it look some what healthy. But it was fabulous!

Sherylyn

It's a Hard Life: Pizza Hut To the Rescue

2012-02-03T19:23:00.000-06:00

I'm exhausted! After working hard all week at my real job and killing myself to impress YOU PEOPLE here on my blog, I'm am genuinely pooped! (Eloquent, I know. I'm too tired to be clever!)

Ever since I started this blog (almost 2 weeks ago) I do believe I have not folded one load of laundry, scooped one cat box or scrubbed one toilet. I've washed a few loads of laundry, dried them, and then thrown the clothes that I don't need on the counter in the laundry room (those clothes need to learn how to fold themselves). Poor Dustin has been very helpful in the cat box area because, as you cat owners know, it is an every day necessity. The toilet, however, has not been cleaned for at least 2 weeks. (Is this one of those "tmi" posts I see bloggers complain so much about?) The point is: I need to get off this computer and be the "Homemaking Fashionista" I claim to be.

Bette Davis Jr. is also lounging tonight.

But... I am tired. So tonight, we are ordering a pizza and are going to cuddle in our "jammie-jams" on the sofa. I will beg to watch Doctor Who reruns but will probably end up watching some documentary about how contact lenses are made (yawn). Inevitably, my whining will succeed and we will settle on 30 Rock (courtesy of Netflix of course). Pizza Hut is the homemaker tonight. Pizza Hut is the boss with their Any Pizza for $10 (Who needs a sponser? Oh me?).

Chocolate Lava Pots

2012-02-02T23:08:00.000-06:00

Time for my first dessert post! I knew I needed to make something a little more interesting than a yellow cake mix with chocolate frosting, so I found this recipe at redcouchrecipes.blogspot.com, which an awesome blog so you should check it out. She calls these delicious little treats Pot Au Chocolat but I'm just not that fancy. I've decided to call them Chocolate Lava Pots, but I'm wide open for suggestions! I changed just a couple things so I don't really think I can take any credit (though we all know I'd like to).

What is awesome about these individual sized cakes is that they are super gooey in the center. YUM!

Ingredients:

10 tablespoons salted butter (Yup. 10!)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 eggs

3 egg yolks (The yellow part... I looked it up to make sure because I'm a little ditzy sometimes.)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (You can make your own!)

1/2 cup flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 6 ramekins (approx. 7 oz. each) with cooking spray. (I only had 2 so I used Pyrex. Two of the Pyrex were too big but they still baked well.)

2. Melt butter and chocolate chips in the microwave for about a minute.

3. While the butter and chocolate chips are melting, whisk together eggs and separated egg yolks.

4. Stir butter/chocolate into eggs. Mix well.

5. Add powdered sugar. Mix well.

5. Add flour... MIX WELL!

6. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet. Fill each ramekin about halfway.

7. Bake for 12 to 12 1/2 minutes. The outside should be done but the center should be soft.

You can top these with ice cream and chocolate syrup, or as RedCouchRecipes suggests, you can use warmed raspberry jam, or use Cool Whip and a sprinkle of cocoa, like I did. I'm sure there are hundreds of other awesome things to put on top, but beware; these are delicious and VERY rich! I imagine the calorie count of these little suckers are like 2000. Enjoy! :)

Sherylyn

Kitchen Dilema! So Much Drama!!! Oh... And How to Make Your Own Powdered Sugar

2012-02-02T18:15:00.002-06:00

So I had decided to make my first dessert for the blog. I make desserts all the time but they usually consist of a mix in a box and a can of deliciousness on top. So I had to find one that's a little more interesting than Duncan Hines can offer.

Ok so I found this awesome recipe but stay tuned... The point of this post is to show you my DILEMA! One of the main ingredients in my "mystery" dessert is powdered sugar. I was so mad at myself when I realized I didn't have enough! I remember now that Dustin used it to make buttercream frosting (half of which has been sitting in back of the fridge for about 2 months. I really need to clean out the fridge.) "Uhhhhhhh! I don't want to go the stoooooore!" I said in an incredibly whiny voice to Bette Davis Jr., who stared up at me with no reply.

I got on the ol' Google machine, trying to figure out if using regular white sugar would make a huge difference. I came upon this site that saved the day! Wholenewmom.com. I found a super easy way to make my own powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (Apparently you can use any granulated sweetener.)
1 tablespoon corn starch

Directions:

1. Put both ingredients in a blender.

2. Blend on high until the sugar is a powdery consistency. (It took me about a minute.)

That's it! I put my homemade powdered sugar back in the canister and I was a better woman for it! I'm very pleased to know that I don't have to buy powdered sugar again if I don't want to. SO THERE!

Sherylyn

I Wish I Were the Test-tube Baby of Julia Childs and Martha Stewart and Other Everyday Musings

2012-02-02T14:23:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Adrianna here, making my first appearance on The Homemaking Fashionista. And if you like me, really really like me, it won't be my last. As Sherylyn told you, I am mother to Livi, wife to Justin, and slave to nursing school. I usually prefer to trade in my scalpel, I mean stethoscope, for a fork. Actually a Knork. But we'll get to products I adore another time. I wish I had half the skill of the two ladies mentioned in my title but I can only settle for about 1/4 their skills.

I will share with you later this week about my love for making gourmet food at home and how I went through Rocky level training from a great mentor. (cue Eye of the Tiger and hoodie training sequence with kitchen knives). Until then I have a major test to study for and a new home to get settled into. New to me that is. Which equals one non working burner, a hollow front door, and a too small water heater. Feels like home! Happy eating and frugal homemaking!

Shepherd's Pie (My Mom's Way)

2012-01-31T21:53:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while I break down and buy ground beef. I know, I'm a cheapskate! I can't help it! It's how I've trained myself. But there was a thought in the back of my mind all day saying, Mom's shepherd's pie is so much better with beef... I've made it with ground turkey before and it was still really good. But today I just had to have it Mom's way.

Ingredients

3-4 large potatoes (These are for your mashed potatoes. You also need milk and butter (duh) but I don't know that anyone knows the actual amounts.)
1 pound ground beef or turkey, drained well
1 small onion, diced
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can green beans, drained well
1 tablespoon oregano
3/4 cup water or beef broth
cheddar or monterrey jack cheese
parmesan cheese (optional)
salt, pepper and garlic powder

Directions

1.Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

2. Boil your potatoes, drain and mash with milk and butter. Season with garlic salt and pepper. You can throw a little cheese in too. I used mozzarella because I was low on monterrey jack.

3. Brown the hamburger with the diced onion. Season the meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Drain well.

4. Add tomato paste, green beans, oregano and beef broth to hamburger. Mix well. If the mixture is dry, add a little more broth.

5. Pour mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes.

6. Top potatoes with cheeses.

7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Omg it was sooooooo good!!!!

Sherylyn

Spicy "Thai" Noodles

2012-01-30T21:01:00.000-06:00

Adrianna and I have been cooking together for years. This, however is our first recipe we have cooked together for the blog. "The Homemaking Fashionists" on location (Adrianna's house)!

Spicy "Thai" Noodles

Ingredients

1 box of linguine or spaghetti
1-2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sesame oil
6 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1-2 carrots peeled and shredded
3/4 cup chopped peanuts
toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain well.

2. Heat oils and crushed red pepper in a small sauce pan for 3 minutes. Strain red pepper and reserve oil.

3. Whisk honey and soy sauce in with the oil.

4. Toss together with noodles.

5. Top each bowl with green onions, cilantro, carrots, peanuts and sesame seeds.

So we had to modify the recipe a bit.. We forgot to get sesame seeds. And neither of us had a wire strainer so we tried to get some of the pepper out with a slotted spoon, much to our avail. But they tasted great! If you plan to leave the pepper in, you should only use 1 tablespoon because it was still pretty hot with just one. I'd imagine if the pepper had been strained like the recipe recommended, it wouldn't have been as spicy. The original recipe also instructed us to chill the noodles in the refrigerator over night and serve cold... but we were hungry right away. And I thought the noodles were good served warm. I think these noodles would be great with chicken.

The Most Exciting Announcement EVER

2012-01-30T20:00:00.000-06:00

Hello friends. I have some very exciting news! Starting today, "The Homemaking Fashionista" will have a co-writer! My good friend Adrianna is going to enlighten you with her immense knowledge on a subject that most homemaking fashionistas are quite interested in: thrifty child rearing! Obviously I can't give any advice on the kiddos since I have none of my own. Well, I could give advice but imagine it would all be wrong. When Bette Davis Jr. is annoying me I put her in the back yard. I guess you can't do that with kids. Anywho, Adrianna is the mother of a beautiful 18 month old little girl named, Olivia, whose hobbies include (but are not limited to) eating, pooping, talking, scowling, watching Nemo and sleeping.

Adrianna will also update on DIY tips, cleaning ideas, organizing suggestions and frugal YET gourmet meals! Seriously, fabulous meals that Juliet Child herself would gladly pull up a chair to your dining room table for, or TV tray in the living room.

Adrianna is a very busy lady. So don't expect to hear from her too many times a week. She is a full time mom, wife, student, Nobel Peace Prize award winning researcher, celebrity gossip aficionado and last but not least a Certified Nurses Aide.

As far as the "fashionista" part, Adrianna is somewhat lacking in the "style department," her words, not mine. Scrubs are only so stylish. But with the help of me, The Homemaking Fashionista, we plan to rectify her ways and lead her onto the road less traveled. Stay tuned....

Adrianna is very excited to be part of this blog. She looks forward to your feedback and comments as well as your suggestions for blog ideas. Keep us posted!

Sherylyn

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

2012-01-26T21:42:00.000-06:00

This is the exciting conclusion of "The Whole Chicken Experience!" (That's what I'm calling this. Fyi.) This is the third meal from our chicken from Monday. I saved most of the chicken breasts for this. I usually cook this in the crock pot, but I was running late because I was shopping. And really, what's a better excuse than that? If you'd like to cook it in the crock, you can cook it on high for about 2 hours. And add 5 minutes to the last step. I'm pretty sure it is delicious no matter how you make it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chunky salsa
2 cups of cooked shredded chicken
2 cups frozen corn
1 15 oz. can of black beans rinsed and drained
2 cans (10.75 oz. each) cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel
1/2 cup water or chicken stock (I used spicy chicken stock from my rotisserie chicken.)
1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeno (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
1 or 2 6inch corn tortillas cut into strips
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Stir the salsa, chicken, corn and beans together in a large dutch oven.

2. Stir the soup, tomatoes, chicken stock (or water), jalapenos, cumin and chili powder together in a separate bowl. Pour on top.

3. Allow the pot to heat at very low for a minute or 2, then stir well.

4. Cover and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

5. Stir in tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro. Cover and cook on very low an additional 10 minutes.

I think this soup is rich enough on it's own, so the only topper I usually use is green onions, if I have them, which of course I will have them FOREVER now (see The Green Onion Experiment). You can also use black olives, sour cream and/or cheese. This batch was particularly spicy for some reason so I used sour cream to cool it down. And you definitely need tortilla or corn chips! I have fried a few corn tortilla strips before, but I was being lazy tonight.

This soup is awesome with Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread. It's super easy!

Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (8.5 ounces)

1 egg

1/4 cup butter or margarine (melted)

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons diced pickled jalapeno, drained well

1 cup shredded cheese

1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Combine corn bread mix, egg and butter.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Place cornbread in greased muffin tin or greased 8 x 8 casserole dish.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

YUM!!

Turkey and Cranberry Sauce Sandwich With Sprouts And Sunflower Seeds

2012-01-26T21:14:00.000-06:00

Last night I wasn't feeling very well. It was one of those feverishy, headachy, exhausting, depressing nights when all I wanted to do was put on my PJs and watch Doctor Who reruns. (Being completely caught up on Doctor Who and finishing The Hunger Games series are 2 factors that contributed to my utter distraught.) I didn't feel up to cooking but fortunately I had the ingredients to a new sandwich that I wanted to try. Here it is!

http://www.creative-culinary.com/turkey-and-cranberry-sandwich-with-sprouts-and-sunflower-seeds

I grilled our sandwiches because it's so cold out right now and a cold sandwich just didn't sound very good. I served them with tomato soup. And watched "The Girl In The Fireplace" again.

The "Mix It Up Party"

2012-01-25T20:46:00.000-06:00

My good friend Caitee has had some health problems in the past. But happily, she recently got all better! To celebrate the return of her long lost health, she hosted a small party of 10 friends. But not any ol' party... It was a CD exchange party!

Here's how it worked: Caitee invited 10 people. She asked each person to make a mix CD of their favorite songs, make 10 copies and bring them to the party. Then everyone leaves with 10 new CDs! Isn't that a neat idea??

Not everything went as planned, however. Out of the 10 people she invited, 2 cancelled. Out of the remaining 8, two guests didn't bring a mix. So including Caitee's mix, there were only 7 mixes. And 2 of the mixes were made by Dustin and I. Sooooo we only got 5 new CDs. But we love our 5 new CDs!

Despite the flaws, the party was a success! Great music, food and friends. Now if there had been a clown I think it would have been the party of the century. Possibly ever. So invite 10 of your closest friends over for a "Mix It Up Party," as Caitee so eloquently christened it. Encourage them to design creative cover art and include a track list.

Not bragging about my amazing musical taste/awesome mix CD skills, but here are our tracklists:

The Dustin & Sherylyn Mix: Volume I

Innocence - Nero
1901- Phoenix
Nature Song- Maria Taylor
Monsters- Hurricane Bells
Janglin- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Cousins- Vampire Weekend
Buggin'- The Flaming Lips
Skinny Love- Bon Iver
Midnight City- M83
I Didn't Mean It- The Belle Brigade
In The Lost And Found (Honky Bach)- Elliott Smith
Can You Tell- Ra Ra Riot
Bodysnatchers- Radiohead
Turning Page- Sleeping At Last
Treat Me Like Your Mother- The Dead Weather
Coat Check Dream Song- Bright Eyes
She's Long Gone- The Black Keys
The Recluse- Cursive
Lazy Eye- Silversun Pickups
Where Is My Mind?- Pixies

The Dustin & Sherylyn Mix: Volume II

The Suburbs- Arcade Fire
Here I Dreamt I was an Architect- The Decemberists
Your Retro Career Melted- The Faint
The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)- Flight Of The Conchords
Work- Jimmy Eat World
Sofi Needs A Ladder - Deadmau5 Feat. Sofia Toufa
Roslyn- Bon Iver And St Vincent
A Diamond And A Tether- Death Cab For Cutie
Be Here Now- Mason Jennings
Say Please- Monsters of Folk
Teen Angst- M83
Sleepyhead- Passion Pit
We Are Nowhere and It's Now- Bright Eyes
Amsterdam- Peter Bjorn & John
Houdini- Foster The People
Campfire Kansas- The Get Up Kids
We Will Become Silhouettes- The Postal Service
Hearing Damage- Thom Yorke
January Wedding- The Avett Brothers

There were a couple of repeat tracks spread throughout all of the mixes at the party. For example, our friend Sean also had 1901 by Phoenix on his mix. And Caitee had January Wedding by The Avett Brothers at the top of her track list. And the number of Decemberist songs in all the mixes added up came to a grand total of 5! But we agreed that at least the band will be well represented.

Green Onion Experiment (Sounds Much More Exciting Than It Is)

2012-01-24T20:01:00.000-06:00

I saw a tip on Pinterest that I'm trying out. Supposedly if you put the ends of green onions in a glass of water and place it in a sunny window they'll grow. Growing my own green onions will save me like a buck a year! So yeah, this is a pointless experiment....

But don't worry, my loyal followers (all 2 of you), I will keep you all informed of the riveting progress of my green onion experiment! Perhaps I will stumble upon an amazing solution to many world problems. Much like the discovery of penicillin. Stay tuned.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

2012-01-24T18:53:00.000-06:00

Remember how I told you that we get about 3 meals out of 1 chicken? Well, this is meal number 2:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used left over rotisserie!)
1 cup shredded cheese, divided
6 standard size flour tortillas
1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Saute green onions until tender (3 or 4 minutes.) Add garlic powder then stir in the green chilies, soup and sour cream. Mix well.

3. Reserve 3/4 of the sauce and set aside. To the remaining 1/4 of sauce add the chicken and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Stir together.

4. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the dish.

5. Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish.

6. Combine the reserved 3/4 of sauce with the milk and mix well.

7. Pour the sauce on top and top with remaining cheese (or extra if you want.)

8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

There you have it! We got a little carried away with the plate presentation....

Saving Money- One Bird At a Time: Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot and Homemade Chicken Stock

2012-01-23T20:41:00.000-06:00

So my blog is to help you save money right? One of the most fundamental things I've learned about frugal cooking is the fact that chicken is so much less expensive than beef! Before I read that somewhere on a blog about saving money, I hadn't even thought about it. The idea that ground hamburger is always the cheapest choice seemed matter of fact. But it's true. A pound of hamburger is around $2-$3. Most chicken is sold under $0.99 per pound. And the cheapest, healthiest way to eat chicken is to buy a whole chicken and prepare it yourself. You're scared aren't you? Most people can't stomach the idea of having to put their hands all over a raw chicken. It is pretty disgusting. But it's amazing the things you'll do if you really want to save money!

I do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi. They get a bad rep but their products are quality and much more inexpensive than Dillons (Kroger) and sometimes even Wal-Mart. Something about contributing to a company that doesn't constantly raise their prices and wants people to save money is one of the reasons I shop there. Also... to save money! Aldi has their chickens priced at $0.85 per pound. So a chicken that is 5 pounds costs $4.25 before tax. Dustin and I (and Bette Davis Jr.) usually get 3 meals out of one chicken. (Well, Bette usually only gets one. But she is always close by looking for handouts while I prepare it.) One way to prepare a whole chicken is to cook it in your crock pot before cutting it up.

1. The first step is to rinse your chicken inside and out then pat it dry with paper towels. (I don't know why they say paper towels, but that's what everyone else says. I have used a dish towel before and Bette Davis Jr. dug it out of the laundry and tried to eat it... Perhaps that's why they recommend paper towels.) Some chickens have "innards" or "guts" so you have to remove those too.

2. Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray.

3. If your plans for your chicken are for soups, pasta, tacos or anything that you'll be chopping or shredding later, you only need to add a few of your favorite seasonings. I usually use a little salt, pepper, garlic and paprika. But if you are going to serve your chicken whole, it's very important to separate the skin from the breast meat but keep the skin attached. Then rub salt under the skin as far as you can reach. (EW!) This keeps your chicken juicy. I also recommend using a homemade rub on the outside. Here is one for Rotisserie Chicken that I love:

Rotisserie Chicken Rub

2 Tablespoons Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Sage
1 Tablespoon Dried Rosemary
Water, Olive Oil, or Chicken Stock

Combine all the seasonings in a bowl. Gradually add water OR olive oil OR chicken stock until you have a paste. Rub paste all over the chicken and inside the cavity.

4. Place your chicken inside the slow cooker breast side up and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. (Until it reaches 180 degrees.)

5. If you're serving your whole chicken for dinner you're done! But if you're using it for a casserole, tacos, soup, etc. allow your chicken to cool. Then pull the meat off the bone easily using your fingers.

6. Next put the bones back in the crock pot with the drippings. Sometimes I also put the skin back in too if I'm not planning on using it.

7. Add about 6 cups of water and cook on low overnight.

8. In the morning (if you have time) strain the bones and skin out of the juice and you now have your own homemade chicken stock! (I usually turn the crock pot off and put the pot in the fridge until I get home from work and then strain it.)

Your broth can last up to 6 months in the freezer. Once it has cooled you have to scrape a layer of fat off the top with a spoon. No big!

Kansas City Renaissance Festival 2011

2012-01-23T01:23:00.000-06:00

Back in October Dustin and I went to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival with some awesome friends and family!

Several of us made our own costumes. Well, my aunt made them for the most part. I cut a few pattern pieces out on my costume but she did most of the work.

Dustin surprisingly did a lot of his own costume. He found a pattern for his bracers, picked out his own materials, and put them together himself. He also sewed his vest and did all of the eyelets on all of our costumes (it takes a strong man!)

Obviously Dustin was an archer. Noble and solemn. I was his wild gypsy wife with a free spirit and carefree constitution. Our characters reflected our personalities in real life. If you knew him you may be shocked that he had the guts to dress up in a costume and pretend to live in the 14th century.

Fast Learner?

2012-01-22T23:28:00.000-06:00

I guess I'm getting this blogging thing after all. I know I have a long way to go if I want to achieve a beautiful page like those that I aspire to, but with the help of my clever husband I'm figuring out how to do simple things like apply a background and change my font size! I'm planning on sharing some kitchen tips I learned from The Happy Housewife and a few I discovered on my own tomorrow. Be excited! I know I am. :)

A Blogging Nightmare Prologue

2012-01-22T19:51:00.000-06:00

I have never had a blog. Of course I had the standard "MySpace" and even before that the ever popular with the kids "Xanga." And obviously the life controlling "Facebook."

When I say I have never had a blog I mean an actual, adult, HTML inspired page. But ever since I signed up with pinterest, I've discovered a world of more than status updates and uploading photos. Style blogs. I'm amazed to see girls my own age and younger, blogging and inspiring me. Showing me that I have the right to give fashion, make up, home making and love advice to anyone who wants to hear it.

The most inspiring blog to me (so far) is delightfully-tacky.com. It's the life of Elizabeth who loves "Winnebagos, the great Northwest and all things vintage and art... among many things." I first took interest in her blog because of her amazing taste in fashion. I love the way Elizabeth pieces together articles of clothing that you wouldn't expect. I try to be daring in my choice of outfits, but her style is what I aspire to. However as I continued to explore her blog and realized it's much more than fashion. She puts her life on her page; updating her followers on her road trips, her then-boyfriend (now husband), and fun DIY projects including recipes.

Another blog that inspired me (a polar opposite) is thehappyhousewife.com. The Happy House Wife, otherwise known as Toni, gives advice on things like cooking, frugal living and home management. Toni is a military wife and stay at home mom. She home schools her 7 children where she currently resides in North Florida. I don't have any kids (too many pets though...) and I work full time. But 5 months ago my husband lost his job. I have always enjoyed cooking but now that we are so low on funds, cooking every meal is an absolute necessity. I first found The Happy House Wife when I googled "cheap dinner ideas." Her blog is full of great tips, most of which I use weekly.

So gradually the idea came to me: I should start my own blog! That way I can combine all of my favorite tips, ideas and stories; ranging from fashion to slow cooker recipes. A blog designed for women my age with similar life circumstances as mine. Or even women with completely different circumstances that could maybe be inspired by me. Apart from being a small inspiration, I could maybe even make some extra cash... because we need it! My husband recently found a new job but it's part time and not nearly enough pay. He continues his search in this depleting economy.

So here's the "nightmare" of the situation: I know nothing about blogging! All I know is what I've learned from the handful of blogs that I've perused. So here in my first post, I'm hoping someone will take the time to read this and give me some tips!