The Internet Made Me Do It!

Burrito Casserole - Super Easy - Freezer Friendly

2013-05-20T14:20:00.001-04:00

This is a recipe that is easy to make, the recipe serves 8, so you could easily make it in two pans and freeze one for a future meal. Served with a salad, it's a keeper!

Originally found at All Recipes .com

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Beef
2 cans Beans (I used kidney), rinsed & drained
1 Envelope Taco Seasoning (or homemade equivalent)
6 - 8 small Soft Taco Shells (or wraps)
1 Onion, diced
1 large Tomato, diced
Green Onions
2 cups Shredded Cheese (I used the Kraft Habanero)

Directions:
1. Cook the ground beef until browned, draining grease.

2. Add 1/4 cup water, seasoning, onions and beans. Let simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. Layer the beef & bean mixture in a oven proof pan (or two is freezing).

4. Tear the tortillas into strips and layer on top of the beef.

5. Top with diced tomatoes and green onions. If freezing, wrap well and freeze at this point.

6. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350' for 30 minutes - until cheese is melting and beef mixture is bubbling.

Serve with a nice dollop of Salsa and Sour Cream!

If freezing, defrost and top with cheese - and bake as directed.

The Best Super Easy Highly Addictive Low Carb Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie

2012-11-27T10:06:00.000-05:00

This cookie is amazing - crispy, chewy, mouthwatering - and will only last as long as it takes to make them - and that is not long at all!

No one would ever be able to tell it's low carb or gluten free - and no one would care after just one bite. And the best thing about these cookies is how incredibly easy it is to make!

After scouring the internet for a simple easy peanut butter cookie recipe I could play with, I settled for a Kraft recipe, which I discovered was already on my peanut butter jar! *Duh!*

Now, I did know that because the cookie is flour-less, it still would need some 'bulk'. You could very easily just use Splenda for Baking in place of the sugar altogether (as it has the 'bulk' that is missing from just traditional sweetener). I used half sugar and half stevia.

Ingredients:
1 cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Stevia
1 Egg

I literally combined all the ingredients and mixed until well combined. It does feel a little oily, but that just the peanut butter trying to scare you! :)

On an ungreased cookie sheet I rolled the dough into 1" balls, and using a fork, made traditional criss cross patterns on top slightly flattening them as I went. Because there isn't any flour, these little bad boys will s-p-r-e-a-d right out, so don't flatten them too much, and leave at least an inch (if not two) of space around each ball.

Bake at 325' for 15 minutes. Do not over bake!! It's better to slightly under bake than over bake.

Let cool on before removing from the cookie sheet - these are very delicate until they cool, unless you only eat the broken ones (like me) and can't wait to try them.

The original recipe says it makes 24 cookies - I got 15 into the oven, and probably ate 3 or 4 'cookies' in dough equivalent. I'm assuming my cookies are a little larger overall... and maybe a ate a little more cookie dough than I thought... Officially only 15 cookies made it into the oven.

And if anyone by this point is still with me, and not off whipping up a batch of these - here's the nutritional information:

Per Cookie: 74 Calories; 6g Fat; 3g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber;

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Uncommon Design

How To Make Jam From Juice

2012-11-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

While making a batch of fruit baby food, I was struck with the most delicious idea.

Why not make jam (or jelly) from the left over juices from the strawberry, peach and pear puree I was making. It smelled heavenly, and it did not disappoint!

I literally ran out and bought a package of Bernardin No Sugar Needed Pectin. You need something to thicken up the juice. It was already sweet enough, so I didn't want to add any sugar.

Now the Bernardin recipe (in the box) calls for 4 cups of crushed fruit and one cup of liquid. The crushed fruit was pureed for baby food, so I just used 5 cups of juice.

The recipe also gives directions for adding sweetener (sugar or splenda). I skipped these altogether Its literally just juice and NSN Pectin.

I did follow the directions - bring to a boil, whisk NSN Pectin and ladle into sterilized jars and processed in a hot water bath. (My largest pasta pot with a small rack on bottom)

The jam is heavenly. Absolutely delicious - as good as I imagined.

Now, it is a little thinner than traditional jams - and I'm assuming this is because it is pure juice and without any bulk from actual fruit. Both myself and my family do not mind, but I think that if you do, using only 4 cups of juice would thicken it up nicely.

This has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for me... Apple Jam, Grape Jam, Fruit Punch Jam, Spiced Green Tea Jelly... I can hardly wait!

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Chocolate Chocolate and More

Making Your Own Moisturizer

2012-11-12T08:47:00.002-05:00

Both baby and I suffer from dry skin and eczema. This is a 'recipe' I've been using for a few years now, and it hasn't let me down.

It rivals the more expensive moisturizers out there, but costs next to nothing to make. It makes enough to last us a year, even with daily use and giving a few away.

It's easy to assume that the petroleum jelly in it will give it a greasy feel, but it's actually not. It gives it just enough for a silky feel, and you don't 'feel' the jelly in it. It feels creamy and whipped.

Here's what you need:
1 bottle of Moisturizer - I like the Vitamin E creams
I bottle of Baby Lotion
I tub of Petroleum Jelly

If you're like me, you probably have an assortment of moisturizers and lotions around the house, and you certainly can just use what you have and combine them - the only concern would be the scents. I'm not sure what it would smell like combined, but if they would compliment each other - go for it.

Literally combine them in your stand mixer (or in a bowl using your hand mixer) and let it whip!

It easily combines AND easily washes off your mixer!

Portion out into containers and you're done! This makes 9 small jars (250ml) AND I refilled the pump bottle.

Easy Broccoli & Beef Stir Fry - from Scratch

2012-10-20T08:07:00.000-04:00

This broccoli and beef recipe is actually my standard go-to for any stir fry sauce. I will change up the spices or flavourings depending on my mood as its very versatile but here is my basic recipe of broccoli and beef stir fry

Ingredients:
Steak - thinly sliced (can use leftovers, roasts, etc...)
Broccoli - I prefer fresh, but frozen can be used
2 Large Carrots
2 Onions
Noodles or Rice

Sauce:

1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Cold Water
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

1. Roughly chop the Broccoli, onion, carrots - cut up the steak (I use my kitchen shears and literally 'cut' it up) directly into the pan.

2. Slap a lid on that puppy and over medium heat, let her steam-fry. I find that there is enough moisture left from washing the broccoli, as well as in the onions and steak and it doesn't need oil. If you feel like it does, feel free to add some. Now would also be a good time to cook the noodles or rice.

3. While that's cooking its time to whip up the sauce. Combine all the dry sauce ingredients in a bowl. Add the liquids (soy & water). Whisk really well so there are no lumps. If you are not familiar with cornstarch based sauces - as soon as this heats up - it's thick, and as it cools, it thickens, so please note that the veggies & meat need to be cooked - as it won't cook much more once the sauce is on without burning.

4. Once the veggies are cooked to your liking (I like tender-crisp carrots and bright green broccoli), it's time to combine.

5. Add sauce to pan and stir fry until the sauce comes to a boil. Once it's bubbling, remove from heat and serve over noodles (or rice).

Now that you know how to make Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Sauce from scratch using a few basic things from your pantry - I better not catch any of you buying those horrible little chemical packets from the grocery store any more!

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Keeping Up with the Johnsons

Making Meaty Baby Food

2012-10-15T08:58:00.000-04:00

Making your own baby food is so easy! And when Baby is ready to be introduced to meat, it certainly is not any different.

If you missed my post on making your own baby food WITHOUT a Baby Bullet, it's linked HERE.

I started off with a pound of stewing beef, and a bag of mixed beans and carrots. I tossed it (obviously still frozen) into a pot, with a little water. What you don't see is a alos added a little garlic and onion powder - my bundle of joy loves his garlic!

I let it simmer until cooked thoroughly and tender. In this case it was about an hour and a half (if I remember correctly) on a lower simmer. This is also a great way to use up leftovers!

I tossed it into my blender and began to puree. In this batch specifically, he was just beginning meats, so I pureed it quite fine. As he got older and a more confident eater, I would puree less and less, giving the food more texture.

Extra fine pureed.

I then spooned the puree into sterilized baby food jars (I recycled the store bought jars - I always used store bought when introducing a new food or to bring along when traveling, as they are room temperature stable).

I would leave space at the top of each jar for expansion, and freeze open. Once frozen, add the lids. Of course you can also freeze them in ice cube trays, and store frozen cubes in freezer bags.

To defrost from a jar, I just put in the fridge the day before. When I take one from the fridge, I immediately replace it from one from the freezer.

He's definitely a well fed baby!

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Home Stories A to Z

Organizing on the Inside of the Cupboard

2012-05-23T08:53:00.000-04:00

For two houses now (moving), I've always had two of my most favourite go-to recipes taped to the inside of my cupboard door. These recipes I barely have to refer to I've used them so often, but during a brain-fart (aka distracted moment), if I needed it, I knew I didn't have to haul out my cook books to find them - they were always right inside the door - scribbled in marker, not even titled, in very short point form - but always there.

On Pinterest, I recently came across some amazing organizing boards, and specifically one that uses a cork tile on the inside of the cupboard, to pin up measuring cups and spoons. This gave me a 'Ah-Ha' moment, and this is what I came up with:

For Cupboard #1 - Bathroom:
I started with a cork tile, some cute push pins and double sided tape, all from the Dollar store (Dollarama).

Hubby and I have been watching what we eat, and trying to reduce our refined carb intake. We both need to loose a few pounds. Hubby wanted to tack a piece of lined paper to the wall above the scale in the bathroom, so we could track our weight. Riiiight..... I liked the idea, but that would mean a few things:
1) Everyone entering our bathroom would see my weight - No Thank You!
2) There would be an ugly piece of lined paper on the wall of our bathroom - No Thank You!
3) Did I mention everyone entering the bathroom would see my weight? No Thank You!

So this is what I did:

On the inside of the bathroom cabinet, I attached a cork tile using the double sided tape. The cupboard was a little smaller than the tile, so I had to cut it down (scissors worked beautifully).

Now I was going to just use push pins to hang paper for us to write our *gulp* weight on, but the cork tile was too thin, and the pins didn't sink enough. instead, I used them decoratively across the top. I ended up printing off a really cute to-do list, cutting the top off, and using more of the double sided tape, taped it up. I then hauled out some scrapbooking paper pieces, and jazzed it up a bit. I made sure to leave a pen on the cupboard shelf inside, for easy record keeping.

For Cupboard #2 - Kitchen

I used the same idea as Cupboard #1, except I used the whole tile. I pulled out some scrapbooking bits to decorate, and decided to mod podge a whole sheet right over the tile, knowing I couldn't use push pins.

Using a paint brush, I applied a thin layer of podge onto the cork, placed the paper and let dry. I then applied a second coat of mod podge over the paper. I'm thinking kitchen right? So with cooking and what-not happening, I wanted something to protect the paper.

Now I guess with all that mod podge and some humidity, the cork curled. Time to bring out the big guns... Hot Glue!

Using a little hot glue, I placed a little blob in the corners, and pressed flat. It worked perfectly!

Using the glue gun, I then attached some suction cup hooks. Three across the top, and two more about half of the way down.

I found really cute customizable vintage recipe cards and a quick reference chart of measuring conversions (I like to double and triple batches when cooking). I laminated the recipe cards with clear adhesive mac-tac and I mod podged the conversion chart right onto the tile.

I originally decided to hang my easy-to-loose-in-the-drawer measuring spoons, but they jangled every time we swung open the cupboard, making me jump or duck, so they did come down. And yes, I realize now that it's crooked (although I didn't notice until writing this post - I actually just went to check... lol)

For Cupboard #3 - Kitchen
We have a 'Mail-In' basket, where when bills or what-not come, it gets opened, tossing the junk, and whatever needs attention is placed in a basket. This basket gets very cluttered, very quickly, and I will confess that sometimes a bill *ahem* gets paid late because out of sight, out of mind. This cupboard was a little something-something I whipped up on the spot.

Using the scrap of tile from the bathroom cupboard and double sided tape, I attached it to the inside of another kitchen cupboard. I painted 5 clothes pins hot glued them up, eye balling the spacing. I then decorated with scrapbooking bits.

Now our important paper bits have a new home, and they hang here until dealt with. Out of sight often enough, but never forgotten - especially if you're getting a drink at my house. Anyone who would like to pay my hydro bill that is hanging there is more than welcome to!

Inspiration: Infarrantly Creative

Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-05-19T08:38:00.000-04:00

Me and Betty - we're BFFs. And she has kept my dirty little secret for quite some time.

While cruising on Pinterest looking for a reason to use all those cake mixes I bought on sale, without actually making a cake - I came across a recipe for cake mix cookies.

This recipe has 5 ingredients, takes 5 minutes to make, and makes 3 dozen cookies. Start to finish - including clean up - was less than half an hour, and hubby thought I slaved away all afternoon whipping up these little bad boys from scratch!

It reminded me of that Rice Krispies commercial where the mom lounges away in the kitchen, then last minute whips up the rice krispie treats, and tosses a little flour on the face before presenting them to the family. Anyone remember that one, or am I dating myself? lol

Ingredients:
1 box cake mix (I used butter pecan)
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350'.
Mix together the cake mix and baking powder.
Add in eggs and oil. Mix until well blended. The batter will appear oil and will be very stiff.
Mix in the chocolate chips.
Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes, allow to cool a few minutes before transferring to cool completely.

That's it! They are soft, moist and a little chewy. Not 'cakey' at all. And the buttery, nutty chocolatey goodness is amazing! I'm looking forward trying carrot cake with raisins, or french vanilla with toffee bits... or devil's food with white chocolate... or....

UPDATE** I just made these using Angel Food Cake mix - and it's quite an interesting cookie. It's flakey AND chewy, but I should have added some spice - maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon or ginger... Still devouring them though!

Inspiration: Tried & Tasty

Peanut Butter No Bake Krispie Clusters

2012-05-16T14:48:00.002-04:00

Originally this recipe used Special K, but seeing as I didn't have any, but had an abundance of Rice Krispies, the switch was made. I've been making these weekly since November, and I've experimented liberally with them, as every attempt have been delicious!

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup syrup (I used the cheap pancake kind)
1 splashing Tablespoon of vanilla
1 pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups crunchy peanut butter
7 cups Rice Krispies

The original recipe called for corn syrup, but I don't generally keep that in the house, so I substituted it with plain pancake syrup. The batch pictured here, I made a simple syrup and used that instead. It worked well, except that they remained a little sticky. I'm thinking my next batch I'll try it with a heavy syrup.

Combine sugar, syrup, vanilla and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 2 minutes.
Carefully add peanut butter, stirring to melt, and return to a simmer.
As soon as it is simmering, remove from heat, and stir in cereal.
While still warm, spoon onto parchment / foil and let cool.

Do not skimp on the simmer times - it's essential to 'setting' up the coating of deliciousness!

Start to finish - less than 30 minutes, and that includes doing the dishes!

I'm also thinking of expanding my cereal repertoire... Would Chocolate Cheerios make these taste peanut butter cup-ish? Golden Grahams... Apple Jacks... what about sneaking in a few All-Bran Buds? See where I'm going here?

This recipe is quick, simple and very versatile. I've added chocolate chips, m&ms, and toffee bits. I have yet to go wrong! Just note, chocolate chips completely melt when added - even after the cereal. It's not a bad thing, but it gets completely incorporated and a little lost in the peanut butter. Just so you know!

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Homestories A to Z

Simple DIY Candle Face Lift

2012-05-12T13:59:00.001-04:00

I have these chunky pale green candles that are sitting, forgotten, on our hutch, hidden away from general view by the fish tank... And I've had them for quite some time. They been beaten up over the few years, dropped, chipped, scratched, used when the power went out for 2 days... and generally they have seen better days.

I've been meaning to buy new ones for the stands, but I just can't seem to bring myself to spend $8 - $15 each for new ones.

So one day, while cruising through a Micheals, a came across beeswax sheets - 2/$1. And I thought, why not?

Materials:
3 badly beat up pillar candles
3 sheets beeswax
heat gun or hair dryer

Place candle against the wax sheet, making sure you have enough length & height to cover the candle. You could easily 'melt' two sheets together if you were covering a large candle. Using the heat gun, carefully warm the wax sheet and set the pillar into it.

The heat gun is VERY hot, so it does not take much to heat the wax. Carefully heat the wax sheet and begin rolling the candle up. It will stick very easily.

Once completely covered, use a butter knife to run a quick cut through the wax sheet.

Using the heat gun, carefully 'melt' the cut end of the sheet into the roll. Don't get distracted... Like me....

I used scissors to trim the top slightly - this will only depend on the height of your candle, or you could do it before you roll it - just be sure to leave yourself enough to be able to fold in to cover the top. It will depend on the diameter of your candle.

After folding the top excess in towards the wick, I decided to light them - for two reasons. One, they had already been lit, and you can't hide a lit wick, and two, it melts it slightly to give it a more natural look on top. This is the quick and easy route. You could always cut a scrap of beeswax slightly larger than your candle, lay it flat on top and poke a small hole pull the wick through. Then roll the wax sheet around it. It would look much cleaner, but I think I would have only gone to that trouble if the wicks weren't burnt.

In total, it cost $1.50 and about 10 minutes of time. Quick Cheap and Easy! I actually enjoyed working with the beeswax sheets, and I'm on the lookout for more beeswax projects!

Spaghetti Squash Instead of Pasta - a Low Carb / Gluten Free Alternative

2012-05-01T09:26:00.002-04:00

There are quite a few different schools of thought as to how to cook Spaghetti Squash ~ so instead, I just went with my instinct ~ and the results were fabulous!

I bought a big-honking squash. (Yes, that is the technical term). I wasn't sure how much it would make, so I gambled. If there was too much, well, leftovers would have become pureed baby food. If it was too little, hubby and I love my mom's recipe for spaghetti sauce so much, eating a bowl of just sauce rocks! But basically, the squash's strands are the same size and shape of spaghetti, so I tried to visualize it filled with noodles (minus the seed pulp). It ended up being just the right size for 6 servings.

I started by hacking this baby in half. It was not an easy feat - but not impossible. - exactly like carving a pumpkin You just need a sharp knife and a little elbow leverage - and a lot of caution!

I scooped out the seed pulp (think pumpkin carving again) and place a very generous scoop of butter in the centers and placed them on a baking sheet. I'm thinking next time I'm going to try drizzling with some oil or even a little water.

I baked them for about 45 minutes at 375'. It filled the house with a delicious smell! Way better than any stinking pot of boiling pasta! Your baking times will vary, depending on the size of your squash.

Using a fork, I pulled out the 'meat' of the squash, and it pulled out beautifully. Did I mention it smelled heavenly?

I added it directly into the pot of sauce, tossed it and served!

It was a little heavy on the sauce - but just to our liking. Topped with Parmesan Cheese it was amazingly delicious! The roasted squash added a depth to the flavour I didn't expect, and it just made the entire dish that much more appetizing!

Green Onions Forever - My 60 Day Experiment

2012-04-28T18:55:00.000-04:00

So somewhere on the internet, in all the Pinners I follow and blogs I subscribe to, I read somewhere about keeping onions growing in a glass of water, and have green onions forever...

Really? Well, I happen to use a lot of green onions, daily in fact, and they rarely last long - if I didn't use them up, they go soggy and slimy. So when I bought another few bunches, I thought, why not?

So, vaguely following what I remembered, I simply placed the onions I had just bought into a glass.

Please disregard the rotten banana in the background...

Within a few days though, I realized that the onions were too tall / heavy for the glass, so they were upgraded to a peanut butter jar. To use them, I just used my kitchen sheers and snipped a length off, and then snipped them directly into whatever it was I was making.

Within 2 days, the ones I had snipped, had started to re-sprout.

Please disregard the bottle of Skinny Girl Margarita in the background....

Thirty days - impressive. By this time we had used all of the original onion, and what you see are pure sprouts of re-growth. It was suggested to occasionally change the water every few days... and at first I did, but then I got a little relaxed in doing it, maybe it was the Margaritas....

By day 60, it was smelling funky, and quite a few of them slimed out on me. But it was my fault. I wasn't changing the water ~~frequently enough~~. These are the few that were left after I cleaned them up. I ended up throwing them out.

But based on what we had used and watching them regrow - I'm so doing this again. This time though, I'm in the habit of changing the water daily - and created the habit of doing to, as I know do it when I do the dinner dishes. If we go out for dinner, skipping 1 day won't hurt them. Skipping 2 weeks does.

Now I know.

So Onions forever? I don't know. But spending $0.99 on onions for 2 months? Ohhh yea!

Inspiration: Homemade Serenity

Make Your Own Tissue Cover

2012-04-19T16:19:00.000-04:00

I have been known as the one crazy lady who DOES care what her tissue box looks like, and I will buy the one with the nicest/most coordinating box - irregardless of how much it costs.

Then came baby, and we go through so much tissue, I finally broke down and started buying it based on cost - not colour of box. And looking at the ugliness of the box littering my house, I knew I had to do something.

At first I was thinking of covering a box with contact paper and just refilling it. Then I came across these birch tissue covers at the dollar store. Then I thought I'd Mod Podge / paint them.

On the same trip to the Dollarama, I found these place mats that I loved! The colours were perfect for our house, and I really liked the geometric pattern.

That night, I was telling Hubby about my Dollar Store Scores, and he actually came up with a brilliant idea - cover the tissue box with the place mat! I knew I fell in love with a genius!

Supplies:

Mod Podge

Thick Paint Brush

Birch Tissue Box

Place mat (or fabric of your choice)

Binder Clips or Clothes Pins

Cover the box with a layer of Podge. Center the box in the fabric, and using the clips, line the fabric up to the edge of the box and hold in place. Wrap the fabric around and trim the excess. Use the clips on the other side to secure.

For the short sides I folded the fabric flat with a solid front, tailing out the corner. Think 'gift-wrapping.

I trimmed the excess corner, leaving enough to fold 1/4 inch under, creating a clean seam. Wrap the edge from the long side around the corner and Podge into place.

I then folded the short side in 1/4" (or the extra so it's a clean seam the width of the side). Fold up, trim excess length and clip to hold. Do this for both sides and let the base coat of Podge dry.

Once dry, I used a steak knife and punctured the center of the opening so I could insert the scissors to cut the length. I then snipped a few extra cut width-wise.

View from the inside.

I then wrapped the sections into the inside and Podged into place.

Now, these boxes have a slide-in bottom, so be sure you do not block the grooves.

Cover the entire project with a nice thick coat (or two) of Podge and let dry.

I'm in love with these, and I completed it in one night. As you can tell by some of my poor quality photos, it was pretty dark out!

Update: I found that the opening was a bit wide and the tissue would sometimes fall back inside or tear from the rough texture in the inside. All I did was cut off the top of a disposable tissue box (that plastic flap window part) and lay it on top of the stack of tissues. It holds the tissues up in place, peeking out, and protects it from ripping from the inside.

Now bring on the great store sales of ugly tissue boxes!

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Finding Fabulous

Ground Beef and Mushroom Carbonara

2012-04-16T11:08:00.001-04:00

I love love love Carbonara dishes! It's what I order almost every time I'm at any Italian Restaurant. And when I stumbled across this recipe using ground beef, I had never heard of such a thing and at first I wrinkled my nose. Then as I thought about it, and decided to give it a whirl.

Inspiration: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
1 box Whole Wheat Spaghetti (I recommend 3/4 of the box, or more sauce)
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 package Sliced Mushrooms
1 Onion, chopped
1 heaping Tablespoon Minced Garlic
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Cup Whipping Cream
3 Eggs
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4+ Cup Fresh Parsley, chopped (I just grabbed some & chopped)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. When cooked, drain & let sit in pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt and pepper over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain off fat.

2. Add whipping cream to spaghetti and reheat to med-high heat, stirring constantly. (2ish minutes) Depending on what's larger, combine the beef mixture & spaghetti mixture into the larger pot or skillet, pour in beaten eggs and heat over medium heat, cooking 2-3 minutes, tossing constantly.

3. Add in Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve hot.

This recipe was incredibly easy, took less than 30 minutes start to finish, very tasty and cheap! And to think it does NOT include a can of soup! It was a hit with the whole family, but I used the whole box of pasta, so the sauce was wicked up by the pasta, making it a little dry. In the future, I'll either double the sauce, or decrease the amount of pasta - but I will make it again for sure!

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Chipolte Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Coleslaw

2012-04-07T09:18:00.000-04:00

Holly from June Cleaver Nirvana touted these as "Best. Thing. Ever" I agree. Her recipe was the inspiration for this dish!

Now I've already done the tutorial for the Coleslaw - you can find it here. The ingredients for this are included in the picture. This post is about the Chipolte Sloppy Joes and putting it all together.

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Beef
1 small Onion, Chopped
3/4 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Frozen Corn
1 can Kidney Beans
1/2 cup Pasta Sauce
1 small can chopped Chipolte Peppers
1 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon each salt & pepper
4 Hamburger Buns

1. Prepare the Crunchy Coleslaw and set aside in the refrigerator to mellow.

2. Over med-high heat in a deep skillet (or pot) brown ground beef and onion until no longer pink. Drain off any fat.

3. Reduce temperature to medium and stir in ketchup, corn, beans, pasta sauce, peppers and cumin. Mix well to incorporate and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5-ish minutes. Add salt, pepper & cilantro and mix to combine.

5. To assemble, spoon a good helping of Sloppy onto an open faced bun. Top with coleslaw and dig in!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Ravioli

2012-03-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

Maybe it was me.
Maybe it was the cheap tomato sauce.
Maybe it was the extra veggies.
But this recipe was my first bomb (of all the internet recipes I've done).

It's not that it was bad. We did eat it. Tomato sauce and frozen ravioli - certainly not rocket science, but after 5 hours in my slow cooker, it came out a one big sticky mess. But here we go:

Inspiration: Slow Cooker Cheesy Ravioli

We never did use the mozzarella in this pic

Ingredients:

Non-Stick Spray

1 Onion, chopped

2 Ribs Celery, chopped

1/2 Green Pepper, chopped

2 Tomatoes, chopped

A few leftover Basil Leaves that needed to be used up

1 Tbsp minced Garlic

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

2 bags frozen Ravioli

1. Spray crock with non-stick spray. (You'll be thankful you did after dinner).

2. Add 1 can tomato sauce, basil and 1 bag of ravioli to the crock in that order.

3. Add remaining veggies, garlic and Italian seasoning, in that order.

4. Add remaining bag of ravioli and top with remaining can of sauce.
5. Cook over low heat for 5 - 6 hours and serve.

It was very thick, and the ravioli stuck to itself in large lumps. Now, we had left the house, and came home starving, and anticipating this recipe. Maybe if I had been home, I could have added boiling water to thin it slightly as it cooked, or even shortening the cook time. It tasted fine, but I don't think I'd make it again.

Free EBooks to Get Your Craft On

2012-03-25T17:06:00.000-04:00

I've been MIA around these parts for the last *gulp* ten days.

Life has just gotten in the way - I've had too many projects on the go - lots of great things started, but struggling with focusing on getting things done, the Spring cleaning itch had peaked, we've had a summer heat wave in the middle of March, and my little man has had the flu / ear infection / teething hard core, so finding the time to sit and write has been difficult.

So now that I've gotten all these loose ends tied up, completed numerous projects, the baby is feeling much better, and the temperature outside has returned to a cool seasonal norm, I'm back and ripping to go! Now it's going to be hard to space out the posts instead of flooding you with all I've been doing.

First things first though, I've recent come across some great e-book freebies from amazon, hoping to help inspire and create some great projects. These are Kindle downloads, but if you don't have a Kindle, Amazon does have a free download so you can read the books from your computer.

The prices of these books at the time of this posting is $0 (FREE) but it can change at any time, so just double check the price before you hit the 'purchase' button - unless you do want to purchase it!

Let's get this show on the road (It feels good to be back!)

Duct Tape Bags

Funky & Waterproof - Perfect for Spring!

Christmas Projects - 12 festive projects from 82 Modern Style Ideas

How to Sew: Basics

Decorate! 52 Brilliant Ideas

I haven't personally had a chance to read these yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I have a 12 year old niece with very funky taste, and I'm looking forward to surprising her with some crazy duct tape bag!

And here's something - I have no clue what 'Everything' means, but I thought I'd include it as I love 'For Dummies' books and I downloaded it!

A Little Bit of Everything for Dummies

Peg Hook Organizing - A Quickie Before and After Project

2012-03-14T13:46:00.000-04:00

Maybe we're weird... I'm not sure, but we have a lot - and I mean A LOT - of sunglasses!

We love them - I love them as they not only protect my eyes, but they make great headbands. Yes, I'll wear mine on my head as I'm heading out the door - and THEN realize its raining! Not to mention Hubby gets to wear safety sunglasses for work (he's a Garbage Man), so depending on my outfit, and where he's going for the day - we have a large collection.

When we found out we were expecting, we registered at Babies R Us, and hubby insisted on adding a infant sized pair of Hot Wheels Sunglasses to the registry... And friends of ours actually gifted them to us - knowing us that well.

Anyways, someone in the house has a hard time hanging up his jackets when he gets home, and they will end up flung over a chair, dumped on the stairs, or even balled up and left on the dining room table. I won't mention who it is, but did I mention Hubby was a Garbage Man? Yea.... EWW!

So on a trip to the Dollarama, I found a cheap plastic white set of peg hooks and I screwed them to the wall by the front door before I even took my shoes off. And it has been there for months now. I was hoping the white would blend into the wall, and hide, but nooooo. And to add insult to injury, he still doesn't hang his coats off of it, but instead its become the catch-all for the over flow of our sunglasses.

So I got this great idea that I'd like to hang a towel bar of sorts so we could flip the arm of our glasses over it, and then maybe investing in a nicer peg hook for the coats. I search for weeks, but I couldn't find anything that didn't really look like a towel bar - or a safety handle for that matter. Then, while strolling through a local Value Village, I came across a peg hook rack that has a bar across it. Maybe it's a towel bar, with peg to dry bath towels... I think. Anyways, for $1.99 and 50% off, I wasn't go to argue, so I snatched it up.

It was pretty worn and there looks like some water discolouration in the wood on one end. Seeing as I have a lot of black accents in my house - including the chair at the front door - it was obvious it would be black.

A quick coat of black acrylic paint and normally I would have just given it a quick spray of clear glossy spray paint (yes, I like stuff glossy - I like glitter too, but I haven't figured out how to add it to my decor), but being winter, and we don't have a garage, Mod Podge would have to do.

Once dry, I tore down the white plastic one, and hung this new super-glossy-I'm-a-genius peg hook. When I go to replace the sunglasses along the bar, I discover that the bar is too thick and the arms of the sunglasses won't close and they don't hang right. I'm sure you can imagine the language when I discovered this. I am not a Genius!

Then I had an idea.

I dug out leftover metal shower curtain rings from another project and slipped them on! Whola! I kept the favorite glasses, herded the rest back to the bed room, and now we have an organized front entrance for both sunglasses and coats!

The hooks probably work even better as now we can slide them to save space!

Now to figure out how to get ~~Hubby~~ someone to hang up his coats....

DIY Photos on Canvas and Advice for First Timers!

2012-03-12T14:40:00.002-04:00

I've had this project completed for just over a month - and I've been wanting to share it so badly, but I've also completed so many recipe posts (as we eat daily) and I made myself wait until I reached it in calendar order.... Don't ask, I'm just weird like that!

I came across this idea from Jennifer over at Blissfully Ever After. And I was so excited, I jumped into Picnic, edited my then newest favourite pic of my wee man (there are soooo many to choose from). In my excitement, I decided to get all creative and make it a black and white photo, and leave his eyes blue. But then I decided that the b&w paled his eyes, so I lightly touched them up with a little more blue and placed my pic order online at Walmart. This all happened after midnight. This information might not seem important now, but it helps when explaining my advice later on.....

The next day I was at the dollar store, and came across some 12x16 canvases for $2! Sweet! I purchased 3.

The day after, my order is ready - I go and pick up the pic. I didn't look at it until I got home. Guess what. Not only did I order the pic as a 16x20 (not 12x16), but what looks like a "light blue touch up" on MY computer actually is more of a purple to Walmart. So now I have a GIANT picture (albeit adorable) picture of my son - with purple eyes! Yea......

So then I head to Micheals and bought a 16x20 canvas for $14.99 - used a 50% off coupon, and decided to give this a whack.

Materials:
Mod Podge $2 (what I used - I bought the big jar I assumed it would take a lot - it didn't)
16x20 Print $15.00
16x20 Canvas $7.49
Sponge Brushes $1 (I used all 4 - as I tossed them in between coats)
Black Acrylic Paint $0.25 (what I used)

Total Cost: $25.74 Same Sized Canvas Photo Ordered from Costco $69.99 Saved $44.24

1. Thinly spread Mod Podge on the back of the photo and the canvas face.

2. Place the photo onto the canvas, and very gently smooth out the photo with a soft cloth, working out air pockets. You have a little wiggle room, if it's not perfectly trimmed, you can do trim it quickly and smooth back down. Leave to dry.

3. Once dry, using a dry brush technique, very carefully (that's code for slowly) dry brush the black acrylic paint around the canvas edges.

I purposely made it a little 'sloppy' and let a little paint rub onto the edges of the photo. It's up to you. You could also paint the canvas edges before placing the photo if you want a clean edge.

4. Once the paint is dry, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge in one direction. I liked the texture the foam brush gave the Mod Podge, so I applied a second thin coat in the opposite direction to give it a 'canvas' texture (fibers in different directions). A second coat is not necessary though. Let dry and enjoy!

Now here is my advice for first time attempt-ers....

Tip #1. Choose your photo carefully. You may not have noticed, but in this picture, once blown up, I noticed he has a booger. Yup! Here's a close up:

Ok, this close up is kinda creepy, and hard to see - but believe me, there's a booger!

Tip #2. If you're going to 'mess' with the colour - make it the colour of things that don't really matter - like a red hat, yellow boots, or whatever. You don't want to memorialize your infant son with purple eyes.....

Tip #3. Check to make sure you're purchasing the correct size of photo (or canvas for that matter). You can order the wrong size and make your project a little more expensive than you're expecting.

But it was waaay easier to do than I thought, and I was 99% sure that Jennifer was crazy, and that the Mod Podge would ruin the picture - but she was right - it did not. This has opened a whole world of possibilities for me - look out fun free subway art pins I saved on Pinterest - you're next!

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Mushroom Penne with Sausage and Peppers

2012-03-10T18:04:00.001-05:00

Hearty and delicious, a great meal to pull together using the forgotten sausages from the back of the freezer (or was that just at my house?)

Inspiration: Campbell's Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 large green pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 2 cups)
1 large onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 box penne pasta, cooked and drained

1. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until well browned, stirring occasionally. Remove the sausage from the skillet. Drain off any fat.

2. Add the pepper and onion to the skillet and cook until they tender. Add the garlic, stir to combine. Stir in the soup and milk and heat to a boil. Return the sausage to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the sausage is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

3. Place the pasta into a large bowl. Add the sausage and soup mixture, and toss to coat evenly.

Thai Chicken Pasta

2012-03-09T22:04:00.002-05:00

This was a simple but very yummy Thai dish. If you're using pre-cooked or leftover chicken, you could have it all done in the time it takes to just cook the pasta! The ingredients are basic staples you probably already have on hand!

Inspiration: Taste of Home

1/2 box uncooked linguine
1/2 cup salsa
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon peach juice (you could probably use water)
1-1/2 teaspoons molasses
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 large chicken breast
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Serves 2
At the last minute, as I was cooking, I decided to toss in half an onion and half a red pepper.

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Saute the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink. Toss is chopped onion and red pepper, sauteing until fragrant.

2. In a bowl, combine salsa, peanut butter, juice, molasses & soy sauce. Whisk until combined. Add to pan and cook until heated through.

3. Add drained pasta and toss to heat through. Serve with some fresh chopped cilantro sprinkled on top.

Creamy Coleslaw Dressing

2012-03-05T21:08:00.000-05:00

I was recently out at Walmart with my sister and she needed to pick up salad dressing. Specifically Coleslaw dressing.

Growing up coleslaw at our house was mayonnaise-style salad dressing loving dumped over a whack load of shredded carrots and cabbage. That was it. And I hated it. I loved other people's coleslaw - I just hated my mom's "lump of salad". Fast forward a few years and living on my own, I decided to figure out coleslaw - and turns out - its too easy.

As for my sister? She just buys it. I tried to convince her to try making it, but she refused.

Its one of those things you can't go wrong with, and you have everything on hand to make it - you just didn't know you did.

Ingredients:
1 cup of mayo OR sour cream OR plain yogurt OR any combination of
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or any other vinegar (balsamic, malt etc... just NOT white)
1 Tbsp Hot Sauce - more or less to your liking
1/2 tsp herbs/spices - think garlic or curry or Italian or Cajun or....

1. Literally dump all into small bowl and whisk together. That's it.

At this point I'd be dipping my pinky finger in to taste test. It might need another splash of vinegar, maybe a little more garlic. Adjust to taste, whisk to completely blend. If its too creamy or thick, you can add water a teaspoon at a time.

2. Toss with favourite salad - fresh grated carrots & cabbage, bagged, it doesn't matter. Heck, it's still amazing over fresh greens.

What is Swagbucks and Super Points?

2012-03-04T23:29:00.001-05:00

If you're anything like me, you probably see tons of posts from coupon and freebie sites pushing Swagbucks and / or SuperPoints. - showing 'Look How Much Money I Made' statistics. They aren't lying.

But it takes a lot of work, effort and promotion to get to that level. 99% of Swagbuck or SuperPoint Members aren't going to earn enough to quit their day jobs. But anyone certainly can earn enough to add a luxury or two to their lives for a few minutes of their time. I am VERY passive in my 'earning' and I make enough right now to pay for my Netflix each month. $8 a month doesn't seem like much, but free Netflix? Why not? I've also earned enough to buy a few things from Etsy. Free earrings? Yes Please!

And what is Swagbucks or SuperPoints exactly?

Well, they are both web sites that are heavy on advertising - but they reward you for it. They will pay you to complete surveys, watch videos, play online games, even use them as a search engine. They let you earn Bucks or Points and you redeem them for prizes, gift cards or even just pay you cash to your paypal account.

Swagbucks:

Swagbucks is fairly passive - it does not require anything from you that you wouldn't already be doing online to even earn a few 'swagbucks' daily. Just having the toolbar installed earns you a buck every day, even if you do nothing else. Setting them as your home page is uber-easy as well, as being your default search engine increases your chance to winning a few more bucks. Generally I'll earn 11 swagbucks a day from a simple search - but it is random amounts - I've received 25 often enough as well.

Swagbucks also has a great video collection, and they'll pay you to watch. I get all caught up on my celebrity gossip and news while earning points. This is probably my favourite method of collecting bucks - as I will get caught up on the latest while checking my email. I've also watched a few Martha Stewart and DIY videos.

Of course Swagbucks wants you to take surveys and sign up for offers, that is the bread and butter of their earnings - and if you're interested - by all means! I've taken a few surveys and enjoyed them. My most memorable was a Ford Commercial survey, where they showed various versions of commercials, asking my opinion - but why it sticks out as they were actually funny. It was a nice way to earn 80 swagbucks. I have yet to try out any of their games or tasks.

Their prizes range from digital downloads (like wallpapers & animated Facebook widgets) to an Xbox 360 250G console or a $500 Amazon.ca Gift Card. The range in between is amazing - digital cameras, lcd tvs, video games, toys, books, jewelry, clothes. Gift cards to Starbucks or Home Depot to name a few - but my personal favourite is simply Paypal cash.

All members work on referrals, and if you would like to sign up - you need a someone in the 'know'. If you're interested in checking them out - I've linked them up here: Carrie on Swagbucks
The reason for the referrals as the referee earns when the referral completes registration.

Super Points:

Super Points is like the baby sister to Swagbucks - to earn quickly with Super Points you have to be on the ball when their surveys or videos drop - as they are limited to the number of members who can complete them. Their web site is not nearly as active, but they have a little something-something that is fun.
They have the Super Lucky Button!

The Super Lucky Button is like a slot machine. You get 30 clicks a day (only 5 if you haven't completed your profile / registration), and clicking the Super Lucky Button is like playing a slot machine - you never know how many Super Points you'll win. It's very random, and mindless fun, and an easy way to earn.

The second easy way to earn is the Super Point Daily email. They will email you once a day with your Super Point winnings, and you just click the link to collect. Some days its 1 point, some days its 25. Usually its some where in between.

Super Points doesn't have as many rewards as Swagbucks, but you require fewer points to redeem. Super Points does have Apple iPods, iPads, Shuffles, as well as Kindle, Wii, Xbox & Sony video game consoles. But again, I prefer Paypal cash. If you're interested in checking them out - I've linked up here: Carrie on Super Points

So if you're looking for a little something extra at the end of the month - albeit free Netflix, free coffee, or something to help supplement your income - Swagbucks and Super Points are easy ways to go. The more you work it the more it earns you. A few simple clicks a day and you too can have a little something extra - for free. But spend a few hours, and you could really have something there!

If you're still with me by this point, and you're interested in signing up - here are my referral links to get you started:

Join Carrie on Swagbucks

Join Carrie on Super Points

Come join the fun!

Making Your Own Baby Food - Without a Baby Bullet

2012-03-03T16:33:00.002-05:00

A recent conversation I overheard one new mom was going on and on about how much she loves her Baby Bullet and how much money she was saving. The second new mom she was talking to sighed and admitted as much as she would love to save money and make her own baby food, she couldn't afford a Baby Bullet right now...

Now don't get me wrong - Baby Bullets I'm sure are great little gadgets. I don't personally own one, but we do have a regular Bullet, and I use it often. They are very convenient, but not a necessity. I frequently use it to blend up leftovers from dinner into baby food. It works, and it great. But not owning one is not a reason for not making baby food - assuming you really want to!

So, I know that most of my readers right now are past the baby food making stages of their life, but if I can help even one mom know that she CAN do it, with out a Baby Bullet, that it's been a good day! Its simple and so easy - and I usually will whip something up while cooking dinner.

For Peeled Fruits & Veggies:
(Such as Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Apples, etc...)

1. For this tutorial, I used one 3lb bag of carrots. It cost $0.97.

2. Peel and roughly chop the carrots. Place them into a pot, and fill with about an inch of water. Lid it, and bring it to a strong simmer (I prefer to cook a little slower, as I am often pulled away from the stove, but use your judgement)

3. It is easier to use a hand mixer, but all I have is my Kitchen Aid, so that's what I used. You could even use a hand masher if that's all you have. It'll take more muscle, but its not that hard - think 'mashed potatoes'. Remove the carrots, but preserve the water, as you'll need it to thin the puree. I use a slotted spoon.

4. Using the mixing paddle, I let her rip while I did the dishes. It reached a point where it didn't seem like it was mashing it fine enough, so I switched it out for the whipping paddle.

5. As it's whipping, I begin to add the water, thinning the consistency as I go. Older babies prefer texture, the younger 'new eaters' prefer a thinner smooth consistency. Only you know your baby, so 'mash' to the desired consistency, adding the cooking water to achieve. If you happen to add too much, not to worry. It's easy to fix later.

6. Sterilize some baby food jars if you have any, if not, retire an ice cube tray for freezing (more on that in the pea tutorial). Portion out the puree. If freezing, be sure to leave a little space in the jars, as frozen baby food will expand slightly, and you want to be able to cap them.

7. I usually leave overnight - but then I usually make baby food in the evenings. When frozen, lid the jars and call it a day! The three pound bag of carrots made 11 jars and cost $0.97. That makes $0.09 a jar. Which means a savings of about $7.61.

For Everything Else:
(Such as Peas, Beans & Broccoli - including Meat, Rice, Pasta)

1. For this tutorial, I used one bag of frozen peas. It cost $1.49.

2. Boil the same as you would in the carrot tutorial, except this time, place the cooked peas into a blender. Because of the 'skin' of the peas, it cannot be as easily mashed - unless your baby is a little older and does not mind texture.

3. Puree the peas until desired consistency, adding the cooking water as needed. If there isn't enough, add some boiled water.

4. Portion out into sterilized baby food jars or ice cube trays. Be sure to leave a little space in the jars, as the food will expand when frozen.

5. Place in the freezer, and when frozen cap the jars. If you used an ice cube tray, when frozen solid, place into Ziploc baggies to store. The peas made the equivalent of 14 jars, which works out to $0.11 each - a savings of $9.43.

Basically it 'boils' down to cooking for your baby. You can certainly just take cooked or soft food (such as a banana) and mash directly in the serving bowl with a fork and a little water. It's not difficult or time consuming - I think it's more about being programmed by marketing. And what if you add a little too much water and its consistency is too thin? Thicken it up with a little baby cereal. Easy-Peasy!!

Chicken Broccoli Supreme

2012-03-02T10:42:00.002-05:00

My Brother-In-Law makes something very similar - minus the chicken - as a side dish for family gatherings. I'm not sure of his recipe - but its always a hit - and when I stumbled across this recipe I had to! Yes, just had to!

Inspiration: Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake

Ingredients:
1 Large Bundle of Broccoli
3 small Chicken Breasts, cooked & cubed
1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese
2-ish cups crushed Ritz Crackers
1/2 cup margarine
3 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

Sauce:
1/3 cup melted Margarine
1/4 cup Cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold Water
1/3 cup Chicken Broth (saved from boiling the chicken breasts)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 cup Milk
1 cup Water
1 1/2 cup Shredded Cheese

1. Chop broccoli into bite sized pieces and combine it with the chicken in a greased 9x13 pan.

2. In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine melted butter, cornstarch water, chicken broth, seasonings, milk & water. Stir well and continue stirring until the sauce has thickened. Turn the heat down to low and add 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese. Stir until melted.

3. Pour the basic cheese sauce over the broccoli & chicken and top with remaining cheese.

4. In a separate, smaller pot, melt butter and add the sesame seeds. Stir well.

5. Add the crushed ritz cracker crumbs and fluff with a fork. These crumbs will wick up the margarine very quickly. Toss to ensure its all coated.

6. Sprinkle over dish trying to get even coverage.

7. Bake uncovered at 350' for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Enjoy!

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Lil Pink Pocket
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