WFMW: The Five-Ingredients-Or-Less Edition

EDITED to ADD: ONE MORE RECIPE!!! And ... IT COOKS ITSELF!! WOOT!

This is the special Five-Ingredient-Or-Less Edition of Works for me Wednesday, hosted by Shannon over at Rocks in my Dryer! It was hard to keep the recipes under 5 ingredients, so I didn't count salt and pepper as an "ingredient" -- even though technically, it is. Also, I didn't count the pasta as an "ingredient" either ... just use your imagination. Its a shame it wasn't the 6-ingredient-or-less edition!

Also, make sure you take a few moments to check out all the other 5-ingredients-or-less recipes that are being shared over there!!

As a side note: Can you tell which ingredients I love to use the most??

Easy Creamy Pasta Dish

1) 1 Jar of your favorite Spaghetti Sauce
2) Ground Beef
3) 1/4 onion, chopped
4) 1 clove garlic, crushed
5) Cream Cheese

Cooked Angel Hair Pasta

Season ground beef with salt and pepper and brown with onion and garlic. Strain out fat. Return to pan and add spaghetti sauce. Heat thoroughly. Add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy. Serve over cooked pasta (Angel Hair spaghetti cooks up within 4 minutes) and top with Parmesan cheese.

Creamy Primavera ("spring style") Pasta

The following recipe is a great way to use up all your garden vegetables -- any combination will do.

1) 2-3 tablespoons butter with a swirl of olive oil
2) 3 cups of chopped vegetables from your garden -- any combination will do (sweet onion, asparagus, carrots, squash, zucchini, tomatoes)
3) 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
4) 2 cup heavy cream
5) 1 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, additional for topping

Cooked thick spaghetti (tubed pastas don't seem to work as well)

In a large, family-sized pan, heat up the butter and oil. Add the vegetables and cook until almost caramelized (add tender veggies last). Add the cream and simmer until the sauce is just thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Add cooked pasta and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, toss to mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with additional Parmesan cheese.

Strawberry-Infused Lemonade

The lemonade is a really pretty corally-color, and has a wonderful flavor to it. The recipe is best when made early enough that you can chill it.

1) 2-1/2 cups of water
2) 5 washed and hulled strawberries (I slice them up)
3) 1-1/2 cups sugar (or 1-3/4 cups, depending on how sweet you like your lemonade)
4) Juice of juice 6 lemons (1 cup and a little extra)
5) 3 cups cold water

In a small saucepan, make a syrup by bringing to a boil the water, strawberries, and sugar; soft-boil for 3 minutes.

In the mean time, combine the lemon juice, and 3 additional cups of water. Stir well. Add your strawberry syrup (at this point, you can choose to either leave the strawberries in or remove them).

Taste (remember that it will be hot) to make sure it's sufficiently sweet (if not, add more sugar), or if it's overly sweet (if so, add more water or lemon juice). Cool in refrigerator ... unless you're too anxious to wait, pour over a lot of ice. If you can stand the wait, chill for several hours before serving. It is even better the next day.

I forgot to include this recipe, and when I put my name on the Mister Linky, I typed in 4 recipes, but when I went to get my link, I only saw 3 recipes -- it didn't compute in my poor old brain until AFTER I published my link.

Anyway, while this may sound like an odd concoction, it really works, and tastes fabulous together.

Slow-cooked Roast

1) 1 Beef Round Eye Round Roast
2) 1 envelope dry Good Season's Italian Dressing Mix
3) 1 envelope dry Ranch Dressing Mix
4) 1 envelope dry Mushroom Gravy Mix
5) 1-1/2 cups water

In a medium sized bowl, mix all dry mixes together. Rub all over beef roast. Place roast in crock pot and pour reminder dry ingredients all over roast and around roast.

Pour water around roast, being careful to not let it pour over roast.

Cook for 8 hours, turning roast once.

Thicken juices for gravy (taste first ... may need to be diluted a bit so it doesn't taste too strong).

It's What Memories Are Made Of! (and Monday Menu Plan)

This weekend was a bit of a blur. Busy picking berries, crushing berries, jamming berries... but more about that in a later post. Promise.

But, in the rush-about of this busy weekend, I also managed to squeak a trip in to Costco on Saturday, and was shocked at how much MEAT is going up! Now, you need to understand something -- I'm TOTALLY a beef girl. And to see my precious and beloved meat SKYROCKETING in price just breaks my heart! Even ground beef!!! Phooey!

I must have looked at all the meat for over a half hour trying to decide what to do, and finally chose a pack of fat tenderloin pork chops (not my favorite, but cheap), some ground beef, a package of London Broil, salmon, a big bag of frozen chicken breasts, and some asparagus. And when I grabbed the package of Salmon, I was only thinking of my sister and brother in law, because they are practically the only people we can enjoy grilled salmon with. They love it as much as we do, and for some odd reason, I really enjoy Costco's salmon over any other! Maybe it's because it is farm-raised, and lacks in that wild-sockeye-fishy flavor (oh, don't get me wrong -- it's fishy, just not OVERLY fishy), or maybe because I'm spending less on the package at Costco. That really makes me happy.

So when I got home, I called my sister-in-law (forgetting they were at the beach for the weekend) and invited them for dinner on Sunday. They called back to say they would join us! YAY! Hunter was over the moon with excitement!

So Sunday, we enjoyed a wonderful meal of Caesar salads (with homemade dressing, of course), Asparagus with a lemony mayo topping, Teriyaki Grilled Salmon, and Pene with tomatoes, onion, garlic, Parmesan cheese and a splash of cream... and a yummy fruit salad with a dollop of homemade whipped cream with Splenda on top. It was such a wonderful and delicious way to cap the busy weekend off. So good. So easy. It's what memories are made of!

And let me just say -- my boy can chow DOWN on salmon. At one point, he even reached over to the serving dish and grabbed a second slab of salmon without us noticing! Naughty boy! But how can you fault him when he's eating something so healthy!


Moving on to Menu Plan Monday -- You simply must join Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for TONS of tips and ideas for fresh and easy menus for your busy week! This week, it's being hosted by Laura at Heavenly Homemakers... Here's mine:

• Hamburgers, salad, leftover Pene with added sauteed sweet onion slices, chunks of tomatoes, squash and zucchini chunks
• Rigatoni and meat sauce, salad, whole grain bread
  
• Shredded Pork tacos with corn tortillas, fresh corn and black bean salad
  
• Salmon and Cheddar Impossible Pie, sauteed garlicky spinach
  
• Marinated London Broil, salad, grilled potatoes and carrots
• 4th of July picnic at my in-laws home (I'll be making a coconut cake for my FIL, and individual cheesecakes, and maybe a side)
• Dinner out at the Japanese Steak House with out of town guest (maybe -- depending on budget)

WFMW: BBQ-ing with Charcoal Chimneys

I updated this post to add links back to Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer, who hosts the weekly edition of "Works for me Wednesday", where you will find oodles and oodles of valuable tips. Click on over and join the rest of the blogging world at Shannon's blog! (I'm getting very forgetful in my old age)

Nothing says summer like a beautifully grilled fat, juicy, hamburger, steak, ribs, chicken... well -- you get the picture... And, while a gas grill is easy, it just doesn't taste as good as a charcoal grilled slab o' meat.

We own both a charcoal grill and a propane grill, but we rarely ever use the propane grill. In fact, we grill year round -- with charcoal. Yup! It's that good! Well, actually, "we" don't grill, my husband grills, and that's who this tip comes from.

Most people don't like to grill with charcoal because it takes so long to start, takes so long for the coals to get perfectly hot, and if you use fluid lighter -- well, that's just nasty. So, here's a tip to all the charcoal grill lovers that have been living under a rock... and I say that lovingly.

The easiest, quickest way to get your charcoal lighted and hot is to use a charcoal chimney (or starter). It's a metal cylinder with a grate a few inches from the bottom, and a handle on the side. You fill the cylinder with charcoal, and place about two or three pieces of crumpled newspaper on the bottom part of the cylinder (under the grate). You light the newspaper through the holes on all sides. Remember not to use more than 3 pcs of newspaper, because it will smother the fire.

The charcoal on the bottom lights first, and then ignites the rest of the charcoal. It smokes away for about 10 minutes until the coals are turning ashy white and are red hot. Perfect. Then, you just dump the hot coals in the grill (carefully, of course), and grill away! My husband is an EXPERT at this, but I did find a video on You Tube so you can actually see it being done (below), and I've included pictures of our chimney in action.

Most of the time, we use briquettes without lighter fluid on them, but the best charcoal to use is Cowboy lump hardwood charcoal, which we get at our hardware stores and grocery stores. One thing we've noticed... hardwood charcoal burns hotter and tastes far better than charcoal, but doesn't last as long.

One last thing: My sweet trendy-church-friend just started a weight loss ministry at church. She's doing an awesome job. She just emailed out a great recipe that I thought I'd share with you for your healthy summer BBQ-ing... I make something very similar to this (I use lime juice instead of balsamic vinegar, and add finely chopped onion, a teaspoon of brown sugar (Splenda) and no oil), and trust me when I say... it is very, VERY easy, and yummy! We usually eat it with a Caesar or tossed salad. I hope you enjoy it!

Marinated Flank Steak

1/3 cup light soy sauce
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 flank steak

Combine soy sauce, vinegar, oil, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Put all ingredients and flank steak into a ziploc bag and marinate for at least an hour. Grill or broil the steak and eat with a baked potato and vegetable.

WFMW: Ground Beef Tips

One of these days... I'll learn to keep my WFMW tip SIMPLE!!!

Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer hosts the weekly edition of "Works for me Wednesday", where you will find oodles and oodles of valuable tips. Click on over and join the rest of the blogging world at Shannon's blog!

Here are a few tips for using ground beef...

1. Prevent ground beef from sticking to your hands: This is so simple, it's not even funny, but so appropriate for the grilling season... before shaping your ground beef into patties for grilling, wet your hands. When you pat the meat out with wet hands, the water prevents the meat from sticking as badly, and makes it simple to clean up afterwards. This also works when you're making meatloaf, or meatballs. By the way... see number 2!!

2. Season, season, season: Always, ALWAYS season your ground beef before you cook it. For instance, add salt, season-salt or garlic powder to the raw ground beef so the flavors cook into the meat... even if you're making spaghetti sauce, tacos, etc. Other yummy things to add to ground beef for burgers are: 1 envelope of beef-onion soup mix; 1 envelope of ranch dressing; 1 envelope of good seasons dressing mix; Pampered Chef chipotle seasonings ... just don't put all of those seasonings in at the same time.

3. Tender and juicy burgers: When making hamburgers, meatballs, or meatloaf, don't "over-work" the ground beef, because this will cause the finished product to be dry and tough. The heat from your hands and the friction of mixing and squeezing the meat can break down those itty-bitty bits of fat that you want to keep in the ground beef for juicy results.

4. Get leaner ground beef without buying lean ground beef: Buy the cheaper ground beef instead of the leaner ground beef. Brown it as you would for tacos, spaghetti sauce or soups, then pour the cooked meat (grease and all) into a colander in the sink, and rinse with hot water. Drain well, and blot dry with paper towels. When you do this to regular ground beef, the fat content is reduced down to that of the more expensive lean ground beef. Tight times call for wise actions.

5. Prevent a lot of shrinkage when cooking meat up: The higher the cooking temperature, the greater the shrinkage, so cook ground beef at a medium heat rather than high heat. At the same time, make sure your grill or pan is hot when you place the meat on it so that it will sear the outside and seal the juices in.

6. Don't loose the flavor: Never use a fork to poke holes in your burgers or smash them down with a spatula while it is cooking because you will squeeze out all the juice and flavor.

And... here are some easy recipes for ground beef:

Gourmet Ground Beef Stroganoff
Shepherds Pie
Salisbury Steak
Baked Ziti
Chili Mac
Beef Enchiladas

WFMW: Affordable and Quality Household Items

Updated to add current prices. Please see disclaimer at bottom.

Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer hosts the weekly edition of "Works for me Wednesday", where you will find oodles and oodles of valuable tips. Click on over and join the rest of the blogging world at Shannon's blog!

For all of you who are money conscious (and really, who isn't) ... yet still cherish QUALITY ... than bring your eyeballs closer to this screen because I'm going to share with you four of my biggest household money savers... (yes, I know this is a long post... but it is worth it!) By the way... This post is for the person that always wondered, but didn't want to put out the money to find out first hand...

#1: Baby Wipes

Okay moms... I know you are all picky about your wipes -- each mom having a preferred brand -- especially when it is your first baby. So am I. When Hunter was first born, we used a boat load of wipes that were given to us at showers -- all brands, scents, sizes and packaging. But the wipes I loved the very best (and still do) are ... drum roll please ... Kirkland Signature Unscented Baby Wipes.

In my humble, yet picky opinion, these wipes are high quality for "generic" wipes. The box contains 8 packages of 88 wipes for a total of 704 wipes. The individual soft plastic packages have plastic flip tops, and are each sealed with a piece of plastic sticky tape, but once the tape is removed, the plastic flip top does a great job of keeping the wipes moist. And to be honest, I occasionally leave the top open, but only the top wipe dries out, while the rest stay moist. According to the package, these wipes are not flushable... but... I've been known to flush them, and our toilet hasn't clogged (although, I would NOT recommend this for a septic tank).

Things I love about Kirkland Signature unscented Baby Wipes:

• They are affordable ($15.49 per box = $1.93 per package, or $0.02 per wipe).
• They are strong.
• Each individual sheet is very large (7.1" x 7.9").
• They are alcohol and scent free.
• They are gentle -- enough for me to use them to remove my makeup and my eyes don't burn or sting.
• They last me forever!
• Enough said.
  

#2: Toilet Paper

I am a stickler when it comes to toilet paper. It has to be soft but not too soft, strong, and work. I hate Scott brand, Angel Soft brand, and others because they are too scratchy... but still, I like affordability, as I'm sure you do to!

I also hate buying new things just to try them out -- especially when they are in bulk. If I don't like it, it becomes a waste of my money! So ... imagine my surprise when I was at a home group meeting a few years ago at my TrendyChurchFriend's house and saw that she was using Kirkland brand toilet paper! Basically, I got to try it out for free, plus, she gave me her own glowing review. And... I fell for it -- hook, line and sinker. I've been using it for years now, and have even sold my mom on them ... and she's the pickiest queen bee I know.

Things I love about the Kirkland brand toilet paper:

• The total package is HUGE with (I think*) 24 rolls of toilet paper
• The rolls are individually wrapped in clear wrapping, enabling me to leave a couple rolls sitting out in a basket or back of the toilet without getting dusty or nasty, or take a roll with us when we travel. This would be great for campers.
• It works well in a septic tank.
• It is soft. Not Charmin soft... but then again, I don't like it THAT soft -- too "linty" and Kirkland TP doesn't have lint. I LOVE that, because sometimes I use it to take off my eye makeup (if I've run out of wipes).
• It is strong.
• It is affordable (*$17.99 for 36 rolls = .49 per roll -- cheaper than what I thought it was yesterday!).

Gotta love it!

#3: Paper Towels

I'm sure it will come as NO surprise when I announce that my favorite type of paper towel to use is... Kirkland Premium Big Roll Paper Towels. Not because it is "Kirkland brand," although one might think I slightly favor this store brand over others (I have NO idea why you would think that) ... but because they are really, really good, absorbent and strong. Like the toilet paper, only more so.

I use a lot of paper towels. More than I should admit... but I like that they are more sanitary than using a dish towel. I use them to wipe off my counters, stove top and microwave, table, chairs, Hunter's hands and mouth (well, sometimes his whole body ... depending on what we've eaten), I clean bathrooms with them, sometimes I dry dishes with them, I dry my hands with them... the list goes on and on... but these stinkers are strong!

Actually, Consumer Reports tested name brand and store brand paper towels to see which ones were truly the best. They soaked the various products in water for the same amount of time, each towel was weighed to see how much water it would hold, and then a special machine was used to measure the amount of force required to tear a towel. They found one store brand that was the strongest, absorbed fastest, and cost 42% less ... Kirkland Signature paper towels from Costco. Which makes sense, since the Kirkland Signature brand is so good... and did you know that the Kirkland brand toilet paper and Kirkland brand paper towels are the largest selling items in the entirety of Costco???? It's true. But a savings of 42%??? That TOTALLY rocks in MY pocketbook.

Things I love about the Kirkland brand paper towel:

• Each roll is individually wrapped so they won't get dirty or dusty.
• It takes forEVER to use them all.
• You get 80 large sheets per roll -- 85 square feet per package
• Each sheet is 2 ply
• Each package comes with 12 rolls
• You get a 42% savings over other store and name brands (*$15.99 for 12 rolls = $1.33 per roll, or $0.014 per SHEET!)

Now ... the trick is navigating your way through Costco and leaving the checkout line with a bill that is UNDER $200.


#4: Laundry Detergent

I know what you're thinking... Kirkland brand again...

SURPRISE!!! I'm not choosing Kirkland brand! WHAT??? Heresy... Burn her at the stake!

Calm down... Kirkland brand isn't bad... it's just NOT what I use. I use "All Free and Clear" -- which, surprisingly, is CHEAPER THAN KIRKLAND Free and Clear brand at Costco. Yes. It is. My husband has very sensitive skin -- so does my baby. It works great at cleaning clothes, it doesn't break out anyones skin, and comes in huge containers at Costco.

Things I love about All Free and Clear (I buy the really big jumbo bottles, but couldn't find a picture of one to show you) laundry detergent:

• #1 Recommended by dermatologists and allergists
• Hypoallergenic
• Clear of dyes
• Free of perfumes
• Proven to remove two of the top everyday allergens (dust mite and cat dander)
• Available in HE (high-efficiency front loading) formula (which sadly, I don't need -- BIG sigh)
• Lasts forever
• *A 300 ounce container of All Free and Clear is $8.75 -- compared to Kirkland brand of Free and Clear which is only 170 ounces at $12.99! Incredible!
  

Each of these items I've mentioned are BULK items... which means, you need to have a place to store them. Many people don't like to buy bulk for that very reason -- I'm included in that "many people" bunch -- but I make an exception for these items because they are so cost efficient and the quality is so high. In fact, I'm starting to like bulk more and more.

*Prices were confirmed from our local Costco on 6/10/08 -- prices may vary depending on location -- new information is in blue.

WFMW: 7 FREE things to do for summer fun

Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer is hosting the "Mom I'm Bored" edition of Works for me Wednesday, where you will find hundreds (literally) of ideas for keeping the kids busy during the summer.

Last week, I listed 20 things that we are planning to do with Hunter. Sadly, we both work full time, but because we do, we only have to plan activities for weekends. Here is an abbreviated list of the free things (or relatively cheap) that we plan on doing:

1) I strongly recommend that you research your area and see if you have an Aquatic Garden around. They are usually free to visit, and have a ton of ponds with floating gardens, cool fountains, birds, turtles, and such -- and they have tanks and tanks of beautiful fish. I particularly enjoy the fact that he can run wild and work off a lot of energy, and then we can enjoy a picnic lunch.

2) We also plan on going for long walks on the toe path along the canal (Potomac River). Dad loves to fish, so we'll pull out a fishing pole and have at it. Picnic lunch would be most appropriate.

3) I can't wait to visit the local Amish Market and Farmer's Markets -- although, that probably won't end up being free, per say -- because we'll probably want to purchase a ton of food.

4) Our town has a city park where they host free evening concerts at their bandshell. Can't wait to see what they have in store this summer!!!

5) Check out your local hobby shop (not the Hobby Lobby kind -- the kind where you get stuff to build stuff). Ours has a cool full-sized indoor race track for remote control cars, and they have races on weekends. They also have a great area set up with three large tables for toy trains, and Hunter loves to sit there and play.

6) Of course, I'll be baking with Hunter, and taking care of our little garden. We will also go to a "pick-your-own" farm, and pick fresh fruit to make jams, freeze fruits, and make yummy desserts and popsicles.

7) Finally, last year I posted about a way I found to capture my child's attention for hours on end. This tip is specifically and only for toddlers, as an older child would find it boring. Anyway, my son was afraid of the pool last year (he's over that now), so I created a water bin and bubble bowl for him. I found a medium- to large-sized storage bin, a huge bowl, some tear-free bubble bath, and a handful of non-destructive kitchen stuff (ladles, plastic cups, Tupperware bowls, etc.) I filled the storage bin with clear water, and I filled the huge bowl with bubble bath and water. He literally spent hours playing with the water, scooping it, sloshing it, spilling it, blowing it, splashing it, sitting in it, and wrinkling up in it. This year, I'll use this same idea if it is a rainy day where he can't go outside and play in the pool or sprinkler (in the garage).Whatever fun thing you have planned ... DON'T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN AND HAT!!!

Oh yeah ... one more thing ... head on over to Rocks in my Dryer for more fun summer stuff to do when the kids are bored!

Below are pictures of Hunter having fun in his water bin and bubble bowl last year, but first, here are some quick water safety tips:

Water Safety: Never, ever leave your child unattended while around any water ... never take your eyes off your child or turn your back on them, not even for one second, and don't depend on flotation devices as a substitute for supervision. One of the biggest dangers is water -- a child can drown in as little as three inches of water, and after 3-5 minutes of submersion, a child can face irreversible brain damage or death. Be sure that you are aware of all buckets, basins, tubs, bins, bowls, or other kinds of containers in your yard. They can hold water in them, and a child can easily topple into these items. Even a puddle can be a danger. Finally, learn CPR.

WFMW: CHEAP Allergy Medicine

Thanks to Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer for hosting the weekly Works for me Wednesday Carnival! Head on over for a lot of useful tips!

Sometimes, I just can't figure out what is WRONG with me. I should know better by now, really I should ... but I DON'T. Hardheaded sunshine girl that I am, I thought I would share with you what I've learned about allergy medicine ... and maybe I can save you some money, honey! Of course, you probably already know about it...

I use Zyrtec -- year round. When I could get it as a prescription, it wasn't too bad, because I only paid $5 through our prescription plan -- so, $5 x 12 months = $60 per year. Now that Zyrtec is an over the counter drug, it can run up to $20/bottle of 45 tablets... meaning, I would need 8 bottles for the whole year which works out to $160 per year.

Now ... I know some of you are saying: "GET GENERIC you silly goose!" Well, I could get CVS brand (which at first I did), but it runs anywhere from $12 for 14 tablets up to $35 for 120 tablets. I thought that was a great savings, and I was all proud of myself for being clever and what not ... but then ... I found this (and if you use allergy medicine year round, you should really find this, too!): Kirkland Signature Aller-Tec Cetirizine HCL / Antihistamine Tablets. DUDE!! THIS PRODUCT RULES!!!

Get this: 300 tablets for $15.99. HOLA! I don't think I even need to do the math for you, but basically, I can feed my annual Zyrtec habit for a mere sixteen bucks. Can you totally dig it???

You might also want to check into the other Kirkland-brand MAMMOTH sized bottle-o'-pillages because they pretty much have it all in generic: Benadryl, Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, on and on and on and on and on.

Gotta love a deal... and THAT'S a deal!

Costco? My new hero. UHHH-gain! (that's "AGAIN" for you grammatically correct folk)

What DOESN'T Work For Me: Homemade Bread

UPDATED TO ADD: I just realized that my husband will KILL me when he realizes how much money I wasted on my hair-brained experiment. Especially since I told y'all first, and not him. Sorry, honey... I choked good and hard too when I added it all up from the receipt... hope that helps calm you down! Love you! Make the girl happy!! (inside joke y'all)


Thanks to Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer for hosting the weekly Works for me Wednesday Carnival. This week, she's hosting "What DOESN'T Work for Me"! Head on over for a lot of useful tips and stuff to stay away from!

I'd like to say that no human was injured for the purpose of this post ... but our stomachs would argue. Loudly. So, for this blogging chick ... making homemade bread without a bread making machine SERIOUSLY does NOT work for me for the following reasons:

Reason number 5: I spent a whopping $12.77 on organic wheat, gluten (which wasn't easy to find), yeast, etc. oh, YES I DID. TWELVE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY SEVEN CENTS. It took me FOREVER to find the gluten -- almost two weeks. I had to search high and low in numerous stores. The total does not include my pain and suffering. I'm suing the maker of the bread for that. Oh, wait. That was me. Never mind.

Reason number four: The dough did not yield as much as the directions claimed after I let it raise. And ... when I put it in the oven, the top raised high -- very nicely, in fact -- then dropped back down like a bomb went of in it, leaving a hole in the middle -- as if it were a souffle. See picture for a nice visual.

Reason number 3: The finished product was so chewy and rubbery that it vaguely resembled was exactly like chewing on a sea sponge (I think it was the gluten that made it so chewy and spongy, but the recipe called for it!). It was so gross that my husband took one bite, chewed slowly, then proceeded to spit it out in his hand. At the table. Then, he threw the whole piece of bread away. And I followed him with the remaining loaf. Don't worry -- there's no picture so you can visualize it in your mind's eye. Suffice it to say... it was DEEEEES-GUSTING.

Reason number 2: I wasted my "homegrown" organic honey on this stuff. My friend gave me that honey, and it's like a precious commodity! The recipe called for 1/3 cup, and I now consider it 1/3 cup of gold that went down the drain. Or in the trash. Whatever.

And the number ONE reason why I won't make homemade bread anymore (without the aid of pre-frozen dough or a bread machine)... I can buy bread just as good at the market or the Amish market, or even the local Mennonite bakery for $2.50. Enough said.

With a full-time job (at LEAST 40 hours per week, sometimes WAY more), a husband, an active toddler, a home to clean, laundry to be washed, stuff to be sorted and un-cluttered and un-piled ... this chicky does NOT have time to find the "right recipe" for me and my family, nor do I have the time for trial and error.

Now ... if you'd like to make a delicious homemade loaf for me ... I'll take it. I'm not THAT dumb!!!

WFMW: Raspy-Grater-Zester!

Thanks to Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer for hosting the weekly Works for me Wednesday Carnival! Head on over for a lot of useful tips!



These have got to be the "funnest" set of tools that I have in my kitchen. Before I got them, I tried everything, and I do mean everything... a box grater, a knife, a cheap hand-held grater I got at WalMart... the list goes on and on. All I would get is a slimy, juicy mess, or big pieces of peel (not zest).

But then, I started seeing the two different Microplane brand zester/graters on all of my favorite cooking shows, so, I went out and purchase each one, at different times, and it has revolutionized my zesting and grating! I also have a Pampered Chef zester, but I only use it for decorations, as it leaves me with long strings of zest.

The Microplane "rasp" is awesome for zesting citrus fruit, ginger, coconut, and even for grating hard spices like cinnamon sticks or whole nutmeg. The Microplane "grater" is awesome for grating hard cheeses like Parmesan, as well as coconut, too. The Pampered Chef zester is great for getting long, thin slivers of a citrus peel (they sometimes curl nicely) for decoration.

How to use them:

1. Rasp-style Zester and hand-held Grater: Hold the item being grated or zested (like a piece of hard cheese or a lemon) on the top, and run it on top of the grater. I use the grater for grating cheese which I use for my home made Caesar dressing/salad, over pasta, or in an Italian recipe.

2. Pampered Chef Zester: Hold the zester in your dominant hand and the fruit in the palm of your other hand and pull on the zester from top to bottom of the fruit.

Of course, as with all graters or zesters, you must use caution that you don't "rake your fingers!"

WFMW: Slow Melt Popsicles

Thanks to Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer for hosting the weekly Works for me Wednesday Carnival!

With the wonderfully warm weather arriving, I thought I'd share an awesome product with you... and trust me, if you have kids, you'll want to stock your freezers full of them (although probably everyone knows about these by now)! The product? SLOW MELT POPSICLES Oh, my word ... I ADORE this product! In fact, I thought I did a WFMW post on this last year, but I can't find it anywhere, so it probably didn't make it out of my brain.

I don't know about you, but my son takes for-ever-and-a-day to eat a Popsicle, an ice cream cone, or anything else that seems to melt... which leads to goo all over his hand, arm, clothing, neck, chest, stomach, legs, table, chair, carpet ... or anything else it can drip on. That's why I love this product so much -- it takes much longer ... MUCH longer ... to melt! These Popsicles don't have any chemicals that retard the melting process -- they are just made with gelatin. Genius. (ingredients below)

Hunter can take as long as he wants to eat it, because it doesn't drip down his hand like water. About a half hour into the whole Popsicle licking time, it may start to drip in blobby-gelatin-like drops which he can lick up real easily.

Total calories per serving? 40. Total Carbohydrates 10g. The down side? Slow Melts don't come in sugar free.

One other semi-slow melt: Big Stick Lick-A-Color Sours with a slow-melt core, and 90 calories (that's a TON of calories for a Popsicle, but they are large).

Just as a side note -- here are a few other Popsicle brand Popsicles: Peel-A-Pops have 80 calories for ONE serving!!! Dora pops and Twister Pops each have 60 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS: WATER, PEAR JUICE (FROM CONCENTRATE), SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LEMON JUICE (FROM CONCENTRATE), CHERRY JUICE (FROM CONCENTRATE), STRAWBERRY JUICE (FROM CONCENTRATE), NATURAL FLAVOR, GELATIN, CITRIC ACID, MALIC ACID, VEGETABLE JUICE (FOR COLOR), TURMERIC (FOR COLOR), ANNATTO (FOR COLOR), ASCORBIC ACID, ICE STRUCTURING PROTEIN. CONTAINS 10% FRUIT JUICE.

WFMW: Insomnia Help

Thanks to Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer for hosting the weekly Works for me Wednesday Carnival!

I struggle with insomnia. I have a tough time getting to sleep, and once I get to sleep, if I wake up for any little thing, like to go to the bathroom (which I do), I can't get back to sleep. I will lay for hours just tossing and turning. Recently, I've been noticing the volume of people discussing problems they have with insomnia, and I'm so surprised at how many people actually experience insomnia in one form or another! In my family alone, my mother, father, sister, and myself all struggle with it. I read where an estimated 30-50% of the general population are affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia -- so basically, I'm a statistic.

A while back, I actually mentioned it to my doctor, and he suggested that I try taking 2 Benadryl to get to sleep before trying a prescription sleep aid. He explained that Benadryl is actually the active ingredient in medicines like Advil PM or Tylenol PM, but without the pain reliever. It is also the same active ingredient in Tylenol's Simply Sleep, but the beauty of Benadryl is that you can get the generic brand WAY cheaper than Tylenol. Diphenhydramine HCl is the active ingredient I'm referring to, and not only is it an antihistamine, but it is also a sleep aid, and a motion sickness aid! I can get a mega bottle at Costco (100 pills) for about $5. I don't take it every night... only when I've laid in bed for more than 45 minutes unable to fall asleep. Usually, within 15 minutes, I'm drifting off.

Now -- here's the thing ... even though Benadryl helps get me to sleep, I still wake up in the middle of the night and am not able to get back to sleep. This is just as frustrating, and another form of Insomnia that I can do without, thankyouverymuch!

I mentioned this to a friend of mine who has a certificate in homeopathic stuff (not sure what it is), but she recommended that I try Valerian. It is natural, homeopathic, and it works like a charm at keeping me asleep! I get mine at Vitacost, and it is called "Relax & Sleep" -- I take two at bed time along with my 2 Benadryl, and voila. I sleep through the night. Praise the Lord! I like that it's natural, and I like that it's gentle.

One thing you need to know... I do take other prescriptions on a regular basis, so I ran these two sleeping aids by my doctor, and he is totally okay with me using them. I would not combine things (whether prescribed or not) willy-nilly, and don't suggest you do, either.

It TOTALLY works for me! If you try this, I hope it works for you, too. Head on over to Rocks in my Dryer where you will find hundreds of other helpful tips!

WFMW: Instantly Numbing Earache Pain Relief

Remember two weeks ago when I mentioned a little teaser about a magical ear drop that totally numbs ear pain for 6 hours? I'll repeat myself... a magical ear drop that TOTALLY NUMBS EAR PAIN FOR 6 (SIX) BLESSED HOURS of sweet relief for your child?

Well, as you all may remember, my family has been slammed sideways with illness over the last three months. My poor little baby has had 2 ear infections, the flu, the stomach virus ... twice ... the flu again, or a cold... on, and on, and on. Not to mention the adults that live in the house, too.

A friend of mine from church ... we'll call her Angel Friend, because she uses the perfume Angel, and it smells so good (I walk behind her sniffing the air she leaves in her wake) -- anyway, Angel Friend happened to ask me how Hunter was feeling, and I told her the battles we've had with his ears. She happened to mention to me that her kids swim, and her doctor prescribed an ear drop for her son for whenever he gets swimmers ear that numbs the ear for 6 hours.

Wait, WHAT???? What did she say? Six hours of blessed numbness?

Yes. That's what she said! Fortunately, the following Sunday, she brought me the empty prescription box, and it's a good thing, because that very night, Hunter woke up screaming with another painful ear infection. I called the doctor at midnight-and-a-half hours, and asked her to call our 24-hour pharmacy and prescribe it for Hunter. She acted as if she had never heard of the drops, but I insisted she prescribe it. Hunter wouldn't let me touch his face, let alone place a warm compress on it, it was that bad. After a few mishaps (one including a parked police man taking radar), I finally got it, dropped it in his ear, and ... within 5 minutes, IT WORKED.

The magical drop? Quick ... go get a pen and paper to write this down. It's THAT important ... I'll wait...

The drops are called: A/B-Otic Drops. The prescription contains: Antipyrine, which is a pain reliever, and Benzocaine, which is a blessed numbing medicine. It is a thick drop the consistency of a heavy oil or lubricant, and one or two drops is all you need. Antipyrine and Benzocaine are used to treat pain, and swelling caused by ear infections. Magical, I tell you!

To be honest, Hunter's Pediatrician has always told us that there is "noting that can be done for the pain other than Motrin or Tylenol." That's just not true, and it is one of the reasons we CHANGED Peds this past month... a child shouldn't have to suffer such severe pain if there is something out there that brings true relief.

So please... do three things: 1) write down the name of this prescription; 2) tuck it away next to the number of your Pediatrician; 3) include the number of a near by 24-hour pharmacy in the event you need it.

Thank you Angel Friend ... for caring enough to ask how my son is doing, and caring enough to share your tried and true mom advice... You rock!

WFMW Backwards Day: Removing stains from leather furniture

Ever see that commercial (Delta? Kohler?) where the couple goes to a fancy schmancy architect, and when the fancy schmancy architect is done schmoozing them, he asks what he can do for them. The wife takes a faucet out of her purse, plops it down on the desk, and says to the architect... "Build a house around this."

That's what I feel like... Find a solution around this...

You see -- I have a leather chair and ottoman. The ottoman has random, and undescribeable stains on it from random drippy sippy cups. Actually, suddenly, I'm not feeling like that faucet ad anymore. Now, it sounds sort of like Dr. Seuss. The drippy sippy cup slipped down on the leather ottoman and out slithered slimy, slippery sippy stuff that sank slowly into the sitting ottoman, leaving a silly, stinky, stain.

Anyway -- what can you do for me? Describe how I can clean drip stains from my leather ottoman. Seriously -- I love my leather chairs, but we got them BEFORE a child. They are not too child friendly!

So, now I'm dashing back to work, to continue frying my brain... but until then, check out THIS POST, which leads you to a cool video.

And ... visit the lovely Shannon, who hosts Works for me Wednesday for more opportunities to share your knowledge or get some tips!

WFMW: Earache Pain Relief

This past weekend, we had a bout of ear ache pain ... severe ear ache pain. Hunter woke up screaming, and proceeded to scream the whole night away. Tylenol and Motrin were both to weak to touch the pain.

The next day, I did a search on ear ache relief, and got a great idea. One woman said she wrapped a pile of salt in a wash cloth and heated it up in the microwave... the first thing that came to my mind was ... "that's like a rice pack. HEY!!! A rice pack!"

So, I got a baby wash cloth, poured a mound of DRY rice in it, added a couple drops of good-smelling essential oil (because hot dry rice just smells bad!), and tied it off with a piece of ribbon. Nothing fancy, nor expensive... yet, once I heated it up in the microwave and held it up against Hunter's ear, you could see the comfort set in.

Just be careful when you heat it. You only want to heat it for 10 seconds, pull it out, mush the rice around, and if it is too cool, heat for another 5 to 10 seconds more. Essentially, it can either be heated, or placed in the freezer for a versatile home made boo boo bunny. (picture below was taken with my phone camera, so it is blurry -- sorry!)

So, that's what worked for me in a crisis! Head on over to Rocks in my Dryer for more tips of all kinds!

WFMW: The BEST Kids Bible EVER

Works for me Wednesday is hosted by the ever-so-exhausted Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer... click on over to check out hundreds of other great tips!

Okay -- I may be alone in this, but... my two year old's span of attention is that of a gnat. Yes, he is a very active, on-the-go boy, who is, after all... Superman. So, getting him to sit down and read books is hard ... but do-able ... if it captures his attention. Especially if he can FIND STUFF on the pages (sort of like ... where's Waldo).

I have tried several kids Bibles, but they are either over his head, or I get bored with them (I know I'm reading to HUNTER, but if I GET BORED, think how HE gets?!). At two, I think a lot has to do with the pictures... but I have found one totally incredible Bible that TOTALLY works for us! It has such a fun, "rhymie" style that I can really act out for Hunter with drama in my voice... and seriously... if you know me, then you know I'm all about DRAMA! I think Superman takes after his momma.

Anyhoo -- a friend of mine asked me for suggestions for a good Bible for her daughter about eight months ago, and I never got back to her. This weekend, she's having a birthday party for her daughter, and while I was out shopping for a gift for the party, and getting totally discouraged with all the "I'm a Hotty" outfits for little 4 year olds, it dawned on me... I should get her that Bible! She'll love it! And guess what??? So will you...

Well, that's enough suspense ... the Bible is called Growing Readers Phonics Bible. It is perfect for ages 3 through 8 (or higher). Each chapter focuses on a phonetic sound like er, ou and ow, th, etc. The pictures are bright and colorful, and the Bible includes stories from Genesis through Revelation! How often do you see that?!? By the way... this is the Bible I used to read most of the stories for our Jesse Tree at Christmas time.

Right now, it is $13.99 at Christianbooks.com (or $14.24 at Amazon.com)

Here are pictures and excerpts from the first chapter that I got from Christianbook.com:





So... that's what Works for Me...

Have a great day!

WFMW: Sponge CLOTH

Thanks to Melanie over at Don't Try This At Home for sponsoring Shannon's weekly Works for Me Wednesday feature today! Check out Melanie's post today for all the great Works for Me tips. Shannon is in Uganda, so make sure you stop by to read her latest updates... Now that I've confused you with all those links, let me share with you what works for me...

In my kitchen, I have two separate cleaning cloth-type items (and a scrub brush, too)... a sponge for washing dishes, and a sponge CLOTH for wiping down counters, spills on tables, floors, etc. I love this little spongy-cloth... "thing." It is maybe a total of 1/4" thick, and it is about a 7" square. Two come in one pack for about $2.50 USD. I have a very hard time finding them in my grocery store, because once they come into stock, they fly off the shelf. I am in the process of searching for an online solution, and so far what I've found is that I can get it HERE in the US and HERE in Canada. SWEET!

The company says the following about the product: Sponge cloths wipe like a cloth, but absorb like a sponge – up to 10 times their own weight in water. Use around the house, or in the yard. Perfect to take along on picnics – they fold easily for neat storage. Great for getting the dew off patio furniture or cleaning off a seat in the park.

Here's what I say about the product: The cloths pick up puddles of water (any liquid) like NO PAPER TOWEL can! They wipe off the counter leaving it clean and dry. They are a small miracle in disguise of a sponge. We are constantly... contsantly spilling the dog's water bowl, and if I lay one sponge cloth on top of the spill, it will pick it all up. Not so with a paper towel. I adore these things, and have one in all our main bathrooms, and in the kitchen.

Added bonus ... Antimicrobial! It kills bacteria in the cloth!

Downfall ... it does dry out and get hard, because it is, after all ... a sponge. But if you wet it and wring it out, you're in business again... so not really a downfall.

Warning: don't confuse these with other items such as the microfiber cloth, which smears... or the Handi Wipes reusable cloths, which tear easily and are flimsy. The sponge cloth is tough and works well. If it "sours" like sponges tend to do, I soak it (along with my sponge and scrub brush) in a solution of: a splash of clorox bleach, a dash of dawn detergent, and a bowl full of hot water.

WFMW: Online Shopping Edition

Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer has asked that we share our fav online shopping locations for this week's Works for me Wednesday... so here it goes...

Of course, the place I love for handcrafted jewelry is GiBee Designs... Custom made, quality materials... how can you go wrong?

The place I love for all things Christian -- books, music, videos, shirts, etc. is Christianbook.com -- they usually BEAT all other prices, including Amazon.com.

The place I love to go for Christian t-shirts for tweens and teenagers is C28 -- It is an awesome store, and it's the best source for "bold" Christian Gifts, Christian T-shirts, clothing, and music. They also carry Ezekiel wear! Trust me when I say -- this place caters to the young at heart and the music they carry will make your teenager happy (but will make your ears bleed!). Warning to moms: in my humble opinion, the t-shirts for girls at this site are cut specifically for a girl's figure. While this can be nice, they can also run "small" and tight, so go one size up if you want room to layer, etc.

So there is just a few of my favorite places to shop online! What are yours???

On another note, has anyone noticed that spell check on Blogger isn't working, or is it just me???

WFMW: Receipts in order and Picture Card storage

Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer is hosting a Christmas edition of Works for me Wednesday ... go check out all the tips flowing freely from us to you!

Here are two tips I find enormously helpful.

The first one is for my picture card storage for after Christmas. I take all the beautiful Christmas cards with pictures of your children and place them in a small album. Right now, I'm using a "brag book" sized album, which is plenty big enough. I keep it out all year long so I can look through it and see pictures of family and friends. If I get a letter with it, I fold it up and tuck it behind the picture. If I get a 5x7 picture, I'll cut it to fit into the album sleeve, and place the cut piece behind it so I know who it is. Easy peasy!

The second one is receipt organization. A year ago (or so), I purchased a set of Organizing Bags from Lara Gallagher at The Lazy Organizer. First of all, I love the ruggedness of these bags. They are a thick black canvas-like material on the back, and a thick clear plastic on the front with ZIPPERS to keep everything contained! Love it. Anyway, I keep one of the smaller ones in my purse, and all receipts go into the bag (including shipping receipts). I use the "small bag" which is 6x9", and it doesn't have a handle on it (and I like it like that, too!). Someone once asked me (when I did a purse meme one time) how long I expected to keep my purse in order. My answer? Always. If I keep all my receipts in this bag, then it keeps my purse clean for ... well ... purse things! Here are some pictures for you (sorry they are so hazy -- took them with the cell phone in my car this morning -- real live action going on here!):











Hope some of these tips are helpful to you! Have a great week!

WFMW: Quick "Bare-Pantry-Leftover" Meals

This week, Shannon's Works for me Wednesday is THEMED! Yay ... love those ... because I don't have to scour my brain for ideas! Today, it's the WFMW: What Do I Fi