The BEST Stir-Fry

Stir-fry is another one of my family's favorites. I found this recipe in a Better Homes & Garden cookbook (my favorite) and tweaked it some to work for us (I double parts of it, left some things out, and added others!) This is one meal you can feel okay about getting seconds. If you're worried about sodium intake, make sure you use a low-sodium soy sauce!

For this recipe you can use either chicken or shrimp. I have made it both ways and it's delicious! The original recipe called for shrimp, so that's how I originally made it, but I switched it up with chicken and it was a hit! (Using chicken is also a money saver!)


To get started, prep your vegetables and put in a large bowl. (The recipe calls for specific amounts, but I no longer measure- I just add however much I want. For example, I'm the only one who likes the carrots so I don't add tons, but add extra broccoli and onions and even chicken!) Once vegetables are prepped, set aside.

If using shrimp, make sure shrimp are peeled/deveined, thawed, and drained. Pat dry with a paper towel and set aside.


If using chicken, cut chicken breast into 1" cubes and put onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375* until done (approximately 15-20 minutes).

While chicken is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet and add garlic. Simmer for about 15 seconds and add vegetables. Cook until vegetables are tender-crisp.  **Do NOT over-cook the vegetables!!**


While vegetables are cooking, prepare your soy sauce reduction. Mix your ingredients and have them ready to go!

Next you will scoop your vegetables from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside (I put them back into the large bowl I used for prepping). In the skillet you are going to make a soy sauce reduction. Make sure you're stirring the entire time so it doesn't burn! When it thickens and is bubbly, it's ready to go!

Soy sauce reduction cooking, chicken and vegetables ready to go!

Add your cooked chicken or prepared shrimp to the soy sauce reduction. Cook until chicken well heated or until shrimp is opaque (approx. 5 minutes). Add your vegetables at this time and continue to cook until vegetables are soft but still have a "bite" and everything is throughly heated.

While the stir-fry is getting a final heating, go ahead and make up some white rice. That's it! Once you get started making this meal, it goes quickly! Enjoy!

Dinner is served!

The BEST Chicken/ Shrimp Stir-Fry

1 pound fresh or frozen medium shrimp  -OR-
3-4 chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes (baked)

2 C broccoli florets
1 medium/large onion, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 C thinly sliced carrots
(optional: 1 C fresh mushrooms)

2 T cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed/minced

Soy sauce reduction:
2/3 C water
1/2 C soy sauce
4 T vinegar
2 T cornstarch
1 T sugar

4 C Cooked white rice

1) Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel, and devein. Pat dry on paper towels. Set aside. If using chicken, cut into 1" cubes and put onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375* until done (approximately 15-20 minutes). Set cooked chicken aside.

2) Mix together: water, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, and sugar. Set aside.

3) Heat oil in large skillet (add more if necessary during cooking). Cook and stir garlic in oil for about 15 seconds and add broccoli, carrots, and onions. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender-crisp. Remove vegetables from the skillet with a slotted spoon.

4) Sitr soy sauce mixture. Add to skilet; cook until slightly thickened and bubbly. Add shrimp or chicken at this time for about 3 minutes, making sure shrimp is opaque and well cooked. Stir in vegetables; heat through. Serve with rice. **Optional: sprinkle with toasted cashews**

What's for Dinner??

I love cooking for my family but honestly hate coming up with ideas as to what to make? I feel like we always eat the same things and when I ask for suggestions I get the famous "I don't care", "whatever" or "food". Then when you make "I don't care, whatever or food" everyone whines and says, "But I didn't want this! I don't like this."  *Palm slaps forehead* Sound familiar?! I bet everyone can relate at some level.

I finally decided to start planning out meals, and I'm so glad I did!! I literally have saved time and money by doing so.... I plan out my family's meals for two weeks at a time. This can be done on a weekly basis if preferred. Honestly, it takes me about 15 minutes to make my list of meals and grocery list to match. It's simple and so worth it!!

By planning out my family's meals, I have found that:

*I don't waste time asking "what do you want for dinner"- it's planned and there's no discussion about it. I can look ahead at my list and tell you what we're having for the next two weeks! I feel organized and prepared... and I like that!
*By knowing what I am making in advance, I'm able to plan what meat to have thawing in the fridge and can have ingredients on hand and ready to go. (Certain veggies prepped, items mixed in advance, and so on).
*When grocery shopping, I look at the meals I've planned and make sure I have all the ingredients on my shopping list. When shopping, I stick to my list. By sticking to my list and only buying the ingredients needed to make my meals, I avoid over-buying and impulse buys. (The only time I veer from my list is when I find a good deal and need to stock up on that particular item).
*And lastly...we aren't eating the same thing all the time. We have variety and change and it's a good thing!

So, I only plan one meal a day, five days a week. Five meals a week. Easy. Anyone can do it! I only plan one meal a day, five days a week because my kids are in school during the day. Also, I have one day planned for eating left overs, and another day I cheat with something simple like frozen pizza, packaged chicken nuggets, hamburger helper, sandwiches, or soup (cereal anyone?!). And of course, there's always the occasional eating out. (We don't eat out very often. My husband is required to eat out for his job, so he doesn't particularly care to do it when he can have a home-cooked meal. Eating out for me and the kids a treat though!)

Another thing I try to do is plan one "meat-less" night. My husband could eat meat everyday for every meal; however, I'm not a big meat eater. By planning one night without meat helps keep everyone happy and also save a little money. I also try to make sure I have a mix of chicken and beef meals in a week. Nobody wants to eat chicken five nights a week! Switch it up! On nights that I know we are going to be really busy and not have a lot of down time, I plan crackpot meals for those nights. Plan ahead- look at your schedule and pick a meal that will work for you and your busy schedule. My crockpot is my best (kitchen) friend!

One other thing I'm particular about is making sure my kids are offered a "well rounded meal". I always have at least one fruit and one vegetable available and some sort of side dish to go with. If I'm serving a large main dish, like lasagna for example, I won't make a side dish. When making a large 'main dish', I just include a fruit and vegetable and maybe some breadsticks. Do what works for you and your family though, but think about side dished and fruits/vegetables when grocery shopping and planning meals.

Searching Pinterest of flipping through cookbooks is a great way to get ideas. Maybe one night a week you will try a new recipe? Who knows, maybe one of those new recipes will become a new family favorite?! If you have several family recipes that everyone loves, make sure to get them on your list! Once you have a good size list and have made all the recipes, you can start the list all over again! No more eating the same thing all the time!

If you're willing to put a little time and planning into your family meals, you can save lots!! Not just time, but money. It feels so good to know I have dinner planned out and I won't have to stress out about what to make at 5:00. My kids also like knowing in advance what they will be having for dinner. My daughter suggested I print up a menu like they get for school lunches. I think I will pass on this idea however because I don't want them getting the idea that they can have "cold lunch" instead of what's being served. Sorry, this isn't a restaurant (or school). You eat what Mom makes and that's that!

Below I have complied a list of meal ideas. If you plan one meal for five days a week, the below list is enough to last you well over a month! Score!! Share your meal ideas with me, I'd love to hear them!

What For Dinner- Meal Ideas:
Goulash
Scalloped potatoes and ham
Homemade hamburger soup
Homemade chicken noodle soup
Chili
Maid Rites/ sloppy joes
Chicken drumsticks (crockpot)
Burritos
Grilled chicken with vegetables on the grill
Grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup
Tacos
Hamburgers
Hot dogs/brats
Spaghetti
Chicken or shrimp stir-fry
Homemade shells and cheese with peas
Homemade pizza (*See blog for recipe!)
Breakfast dinner: French toast or pancakes, eggs & bacon
Easy pot roast/ steak (*See blog for recipe!)
Chicken casserole
Meatloaf
Sweet and sour chicken with fried rice (*See blog for recipe!)
Chicken patties on a bun
Chicken and noodles
Chicken enchiladas
Lasagna (made in pan or crockpot)
Homemade chicken strips
Steak
Smoked ribs
Omelets, bacon, and cinnamon rolls/toast
Beef taco skillet/ taco bake
Beef stroganoff
Pot roast with vegetables
BBQ beef sandwiches (left over meat from roast)
Hot beef/ pork sandwiches with gravy over mashed potatoes (can use left over meat from roast)
Baked spaghetti
Manicotti
Tater tot casserole
Pork chops (crockpot)
Bubble pizza
Creamed chicken over biscuits
Chicken and rice casserole
Bacon wrapped chicken

DIY Art Desk

I see potential!! And for $30 it's perfect! 

This was a fun project! I had a vision from the beginning and I think it turned out perfectly!

Natalie is an art lover and collects all sorts of art supplies. She was quickly running out of space for all her markers, pencils and supplies. When I spotted this small desk on a Facebook for sale page, I snagged it up. It's small size is perfect- it's only 32" long and works well in the space. And to make the sale even sweeter, they threw in a matching chair that needed some TLC. With a little wood glue, nails, and a fresh coat of paint, it was back in business and better than before!


Thankfully for the rest of the project I had enough scrap wood and supplies that I didn't have to go purchase anything- including the paint! The paint I had left over from painting Natalie's bedroom.

For the back of the desk, I cut a piece of plywood to the length of the desk, 32 inches, and made it approximately 26 inches tall. I cut a shelf that measured 32" long by approximately 5.5" wide. The smaller of the two shelves was a last minute add on and I just eyeballed it and didn't even measure it!

I painted three mason jars the same pretty mint green color ('Scottish Glenn') as the chair and used dryer vent fasteners to secure them to the back. (I spray painted the fasteners gold). I secured three gold mug hooks into the bottom side of the small shelf so scissors or other supplies could be hung. A painted clothes pin was nailed to the board to allow pictures and other items to be hung!

I used the mint green color to add accent to the shelf and desk edges, knobs on the drawers, as well as the insides of the drawers.

I built a drawer organizer out of some more scrap wood and topped it off with some gold paint.

On the left side of the desk, I attached a Melissa & Doug paper roll/dispensor and cutter that Natalie got for Christmas. It literally was the perfect size and is a great addition to her art desk!

Paper dispenser & cutter!

All filled up! 

She LOVES her new desk and I can already see many hours of creativity pouring from it! I'm proud of how it turned out and look forward to another creative project!

Do you have any fun projects lined up or ideas for repurposing items?

Picky Boy's Version of "Steak"

I have a 7 year old that is pretty picky when it comes to what he eats. If it's not steak, chips, popcorn, or hot cocoa, it's a struggle to get him to eat sometimes. I came across a version of this on Pinterest awhile back and have since adapted it to work for our family. I have experimented using different meat and vegetables, and every time it seems to be an easy pleaser at our house.  This is a far cry from steak, but that's what the boy has dubbed it! Though it's not steak, it's delicious, easy, and enjoyed- for those reasons, it's a keeper! :)

The nice thing about this recipe is that it take minimal planning and prepping, it's filling, and you can feel good about serving this over take-out/fast food.

In a 9x13" greased dish, put 1-2 pounds of ground beef down the middle (can use 3-4 chicken breast). On one side of the meat, place 3-4 potatoes that have been peeled and cubed. On the other side of the meat, place one can of green beans (can use fresh green beans &/or carrots). I typically will add a handful of baby carrots to the dish... I'm the only one who will eat them, so I don't go overboard with them ;)

Once you have meat, potatoes, and vegetable of choice in the dish, lightly season with salt and pepper or seasoning salt (I use Lawry's). Then thinly slice some onions (as much as you prefer) and place over the meat and potatoes. Cut 2-3 tablespoons of butter into small cubes and place over the entire dish.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 375*  for approximately 1 hour, or until the meat is done and potatoes are soft.
 


Picky Boy's Version of "Steak":

1-2 lb. ground beef OR 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3-4 potatoes- peeled and cubed
1 can of green beans OR fresh green beans
Fresh carrots (baby carrots save you prep work!)
Onion
2-3 T. butter, cubed into small pieces
Put into a greased 9x13" dish and cover with foil. Bake at 375* for approximately 1 hour.

Enjoy!

The BEST and EASIEST Homemade Salsa Ever!

When it comes to salsa, my husband is pretty picky. We have yet to find a store-bought salsa that has met his standards. By that I mean, a salsa that has good flavor and isn't chunky. He doesn't like chunks of tomatoes, peppers, or onions in his salsa which makes this easy homemade restaurant-style salsa perfect! I love how quick and easy it is to make and the fact that you have control over how thick and how spicy you want it. Once you make this salsa, your days of buying salsa in the grocery stores will be over! 

It is da bomb!

To make this salsa you will need a blender or food processor.  I use my Ninja and it works great. 

Jalapeno seeds adds heat to your salsa!
More seeds= hotter salsa!

In your blender/food processor add the following ingredients:

1- 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1 10 oz. can of original Rotel

1/2 of a small onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled & smashed

1/2- 1 jalapeno, seeded or not (Seeds will make your salsa hot! More seeds= more heat!)

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Small-medium handful cilantro (I add a large handful of cilantro because I LOVE it!)

Juice of 1 lime (or use 1- 1 1/2 tsp. bottled lime juice)

Put all the ingredients in the blender and pulse for 30 seconds. Blend until it's to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust taste if needed by adding more of a particular ingredient. Serve with chips, tacos, burritos and more! Enjoy!!

**This salsa is delicious served right after making! It will make enough to fill two jars. I usually make a double batch and stick the extra in the freezer! Salsa will freeze perfectly fine, but be aware that upon thawing, the salsa will have a thinner consistency. Taste remains the same and just as delicious, just thinner due to the freezing/thawing process. 

Here's what you need! Blend and enjoy! 

I hope you enjoy this salsa as much as we do! 

Homemade Pizza

Hello all!! It's been awhile since I have last posted so today I am hoping to make up for lost time ;)

Today I wanted to share with you my favorite recipe for homemade pizza. Often times I think people get intimidated with having to make pizza dough or feel it takes too much time. The quick solution usually results in either going for a store-bought pre-made pizza crust or the refrigerated kind you can simply roll out. OR for some people, their idea of "homemade" is Pizza Hut! Now, I do love Pizza Hut, but if you haven't given a real homemade pizza a shot, I'd encourage you to do so!

Dissolve active dry yeast in warm water.

To begin, you will want to preheat your oven to 425* and have your toppings ready to go! To start off you will need to dissolve 1 package of active dried yeast in 1 cup warm water. (*NOTE- do not use hot water as this will kill the yeast.) Once the yeast is dissolved, stir in 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and 2 1/2 cups flour.

Knead the dough on a floured surface.

Mixing these ingredients will take some stirring in the bowl but in order to really mix well, flip the dough out on a floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, adding flour if necessary so it doesn't stick. Once the dough is well kneaded, flip the bowl over the dough and allow it to 'rest' for approximately 5-8 minutes.

Allow the dough to rest for 5-8 minutes.

Once the dough has rested, roll out on a lightly greased pan. I used a Pampered Chef round stone. This recipe makes enough to make two small pizzas (thin crust) or one large pizza (thicker crust). Top the dough with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings. **A favorite of ours is hamburger and pepperoni!!** Finish off with a generous layer of cheese and bake at 425* for 15-20 minutes.

Make your own pizza sauce using pizza seasoning
with your favorite pasta sauce! 

**Don't have pizza sauce? No problem!! I stopped buying pizza sauce because I have found a dual purpose for plain ol' pasta sauce! Score! To make pizza sauce, simple use your favorite pasta sauce on your pizza and then sprinkle with pizza seasoning. (found in the spice aisle and costs less than a $1.00) Pizza seasoning will give your sauce the flavor and spices that traditional pizza sauce would have.)


The total amount of time invested in making a homemade pizza is about 35-40 minutes... and that's time to allow the dough to rest and baking time! If you have your topping ready to go, the process of making and baking a homemade pizza is pretty simple! Enjoy :)



Homemade Pizza Dough:

1 package active dry yeast
1 C. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T. vegetable oil
2 1/2 C. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients, mix well and knead on a flour surface. Let dough rest for approximately 5-8 minutes. Spread dough over greased pan, top with pizza sauce and toppings of choice. Bake at 425* for 15-20 minutes.

Freezing Vegetables

This is just one of my freezers and it gives me a small sense of pride when I realize all the time I put into packing it full. Not to mention all the money I saved! I love being able to open the freezer door and know that I prepared all this food and saved our family lots of money in the process. PLUS- it all tastes better than the stuff off the store shelves. This freezer is packed full of items I have prepared and froze. Homemade jam,  homemade salsa, fresh green beans, sweet corn, cut and prepared chicken breasts, hamburger (93% lean, purchased on sale and packaged into individual bags), fresh broccoli, homemade applesauce, fish, rhubarb, and more!

A good follow up to last week's post, freezing fruit, I thought would be how to freeze vegetables. Freezing veggies is a little different in that you have to blanch (partially cook) the vegetable before freezing. The most common vegetable I freeze is green beans. We love fresh green beans and by freezing them, we can enjoy them year round. As stated in the previous blog post, I keep an eye out for when green beans go on sale ($0.99/pound or less) and stock up!


I was able to grab some broccoli on sale earlier in the week ($0.99 per bundle). There was no way we'd eat it all before it went bad, so I decided to freeze it and have it handy for later use.


Just as you would with fruit, make sure your produce is well washed before moving forward. (I use an organic fruit wash found in the produce section at the grocery store).

Once your vegetables are washed, you can begin cutting and preparing it. For broccoli, cut the broccoli florets and stems (I personally don't are for the stem part of broccoli, so I don't prepare it. If you do, cut and prepare it as you normally would). If you're doing green beans, cut the ends off the beans.

In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil. Put cut broccoli (green beans) in the water and cook for 3 minutes. While the broccoli is cooking, cover a cookie sheet with a flour sack towel and fill a large bowl with cold water and add ice cubes.

When the vegetables have cooked for 3 minutes, put immediately into the ice bath.  This will stop the cooking process. Allow the broccoli to completely cool in the ice bath and then lay in a single layer on the towel-lined cookie sheet.



Once the broccoli (vegetables) have dried, you can go about the next step one of two ways:
1) Line a cookie sheet with freezer paper and freeze the vegetables in a single layer. Once the vegetables are completely frozen, bag the vegetables.
OR
2) Put into a freezer bag in a single layer and freeze.

**(When I freeze green beans, I will put my desired amount right into the bag and freeze. I don't worry about freezing in a single layer or freezing before bagging simply because when I go to cook them, I use the entire bag.  My bag was froze with my desired amount and I don't have to worry about breaking them apart for separate uses. I use the entire bag of green beans when I pull them out of the freezer, therefore, freezing in a single layer is not important. This can be done for any vegetable, if you know you will use the entire bag when you take it from the freezer, you can skip the freezing in a single layer/freezer paper. Does that make sense?!)

Okay- once the vegetables are frozen/ bagged, make sure you label them and you're done! This process can go fairly quickly and when you look at the grand scheme of things- it's saving you so much money! Plus, as I said before, it tastes so much better than the stuff you get off the shelves in the store.

Freezing vegetables and fruits is a great way to preserve the flavors of summer and enjoy them all year. Just like freezing sweet corn- it's something you get once a year but not limited to eating it just in the summer. I hope you are able to use this insight and try it yourself. Looking for sales, stocking up, preparing good quality food, and saving money is something I can get behind and feel good about!