Pinterest...Fab? or Fail...

I don't remember the first time I saw Pinterest. I want to say it was about 5 years ago. I don't even remember how I came to know of it. Just that somehow, this fantastical website arose when I was going through a rough spot in my life. And it shed some light through my little rain cloud and showed me all the possibilities of a life I could lead if I were the least bit talented. I started pinning right away. Recipes, crafts, pictures of tall ships. I could make a board for everything. Like dream boards. Only, instead of one corkboard you might hang on your wall and pin your dreams to, I have 84 virtual dream boards. And every so often, I look them over and decide to actually act on one of my "pins". Recipes are the easiest. I pin yummy looking recipes and try them out on my unsuspecting family. If it's good, I keep the pin. If it doesn't work out it is easily deleted. 

Crafts are fun. There are so many DIYers out there. Some are truly talented and have such vision. (Who knew there were so many uses for those little beads in the Silica Gel packets?) I, myself, would never have thought to make a chandelier out of Mason jars. I tend to stick to the easier, do it in 5 minutes type of crafts. Like my $3 lazy susan I posted back on January 1, 2015.

Lately, my little family and I were getting way too lazy about our dinners. I was not planning out my shopping trips and it was so easy to just eat out since there was no real plan for dinner. Enter Pinterest. I was looking over my Crafts board and saw something I had pinned quite a while ago. It was a dry erase calendar of sorts. I thought it was so cute when I pinned it from http://ladies-trends.com/. 

This is so super easy. I hustled over to Walmart and bought the frame. It wasn't very expensive. It was less than $10. We have so many calendars around the house that I didn't really want to use it for that. I wanted a menu board. Something that would answer that age old question, "What's for dinner?" On Sunday I sit down and figure out a menu for the week and make my shopping list. Then I use my white board markers to write out a meal for each day. It hangs in the kitchen and helps to remind me to take meat out of the freezer if need be. And as much as I love the colorfulness of the Pinterest version, I stayed pretty neutral, using only leftover craft paper I had on hand, making this a very cheap menu board. We use it every week and it really has come in handy.

So, for me, this is fab. I really do enjoy using this. It has helped us to stay on track for eating better. And if we need to rearrange a couple of nights, that's easy to do too.

Do any of you use a menu board? How do you plan your meals?

 

Meatless Monday

I am raising meat lovers. I didn't do it intentionally. I was raised a meat lover, so I guess it just came naturally. I have nothing against veggies. I love veggies. Well, most of them. And I've heard all the arguments about meat being bad for you. Especially red meat. I'm not sure I really buy into that. I think there is something to it as far as processed meats. They pack so much sodium and nitrates into those. And I don't like the idea of meat having antibiotics or chemicals in it to make it safe for me. But I like to think that lean and organic meats are ok to eat. That being said, I still think it's fun to make a meatless meal for dinner. 

One of the reasons I enjoy Meatless Monday is it gets my family to eat more veggies. And sometimes we try vegetables that we've never had before. Maybe in the future we'll have more than one meatless meal a week. I don't ever think I'll convert my family into vegetarians. But I like knowing that they are open to trying new things. 

Now y'all know I'm all about the super easy peasy recipes. I don't want to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen. And like a lot of you, I'm not a huge fan of measuring stuff. But I found a wonderful and super easy recipe that I think you'll enjoy. It was even better as leftovers.

http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/13/one-pot-zucchini-mushroom-pasta/

One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

 

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Yield 6 servings

An incredibly creamy, hearty pasta dish that you can make in just 20 minutes. Even the pasta gets cooked right in the pot!

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced and quartered
• 2/3 cup peas
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine spaghetti, mushrooms, zucchini, peas, garlic, thyme and 4 1/2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and heavy cream.
• Serve immediately.

 Super fast. Super easy. Super yummy.

Eggplant

I love eggplant. I think it is so pretty. Deep, rich, purple color. So pretty to look at. So good for you. And right now, it's eggplant season! You can readily find it in your store or Farmer's Market at really good prices. 

Besides that beautiful purple color, eggplant can be found in a rainbow of other colors, including lavender, green, white and orange. When choosing an eggplant, you want one that is firm and heavy for its size. The skin should be shiny and smooth. And whatever color you decide on, it should be bright. Make sure it's free from scars, discoloration and bruising.

Eggplant is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B1, and copper as well as manganese, vitamin B6, niacin, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. It also contains phytonutrients such as nasunin and chlorogenic acid. It is said to decrease the risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity while promoting a healthy complexion and hair.

This jewel colored vegetable contains significant amounts of chlorogenic acid, which is one of the most powerful free radical scavengers found. Chlorogenic acid has been shown to decrease LDL levels, and also serves as an antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticarcinogenic agent. Polyphenols in eggplant have been found to exhibit anti-cancer effects.

My mother used to make a fabulous Ratatouille. Even as a picky eater, I loved her recipe. Luckily, I inherited her recipe book after she passed away. You can find it below along with some other recipes that I think you'll enjoy.  

Ratatouille

1/3  cup melted butter

1  clove garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp each basil and thyme

1/4 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp pepper

1 large zucchini cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 large eggplant peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices

4 medium tomatoes sliced

1 large green pepper sliced

1 large onion sliced

 

You may add other vegetables of your choice. I usually add yellow squash as well.

 

Pour melted butter into 3 quart casserole and add garlic.

 

Combine all seasonings. Alternate layers of vegetables, sprinkling each layer with seasoning mixture.

 

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove cover and sprinkle bread crumbs and shredded cheddar cheese. Continue baking until vegetables are almost tender.

 

Makes 8-10 servings

 

 

Eggplant Pizza

(This is a Julia Child recipe)

 

 

 

 

I am all about pizza. I found this on Pinterest. Here is the link to take you to the website...   http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/08/recipe-for-julia-childs-eggplant-pizzas.html

 

 

Eggplant Parmesan

 

 

This is so yummy. I love me some parmesan. Again, this is a Pinterest find, so here is the link... http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/eggplant-parmesan/

 

I hope you give these a try. Let me know if you do. :)

 

National Ants on a Log Day

So who's celebrating this national holiday? Personally, I think everybody should. But not just for the day. Ants on a log are good every day and should be celebrated as often as possible. People ask me all the time, "How can I get my kids to eat more fruits and vegetables?" or "I try to eat healthy, but I don't know what to eat. And I don't like to measure stuff out.". Well...here ya go...



 

Ants on a Log is the perfect snack for kids or adults. It gives us a veggie, fruit and protein, wards off hunger pains and really packs a punch with vitamins and minerals. When shopping for food, always try to buy organic. Make sure you wash your celery. Sure, it's organic, but who knows who has been touching it. So just to be safe, wash your fruits and veggies. I trim my celery at the top near the leaves and at the bottom just before the stalk gets white. Then I cut them in half. Makes it easier to put into a lunchbox.

Celery on its own doesn't have much of a taste. But it's very versatile. You can eat it alone, or chop it up to be added to stir fry or salads. It is full of phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. And unlike some vegetables, it will retain its vitamins even when steamed. It's a good source of vitamin K with smaller amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, and some B vitamins. And it's a good source of potassium and fiber.

I don't normally measure out the peanut butter. But I used about a tablespoon of peanut butter for all 4 pieces. Peanut butter is high in calories, so be careful not to overdo it. However, peanut butter is a great source of potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, zinc, manganese and selenium. It also has good levels of vitamin K, niacin, vitamin B3, vitamin E, thiamin and riboflavin. 

 

The final step is to add the "ants". I like having the little snack size boxes of raisins on hand because raisins help satisfy my sweet tooth. I put a few on the celery and then put the box in my purse. That way I have a snack that is easily accessible while I'm running errands during the day.

The health benefits of raisins are amazing. They are known to help with constipation, acidosis, anemia, fever, and sexual dysfunction. These little gems have high levels of catechins. What? Catechins. Those are polyphenolic antioxidants in the blood. You know what antioxidants are right? Antioxidants scavenge on free radicals that float around the body and wreak havoc on the organ systems and cells.  Free radicals are bad. They are one of the primary, underlying factors that lead to the spontaneous growth of cancer cells. So while this all sounds promising, raisins are also a high calorie food. Again, don't overdo it. Everything in moderation. 

So Happy National Ants on a Log Day! Celebrate with your family and friends and put this power packed snack into rotation of your healthy eating habits.

No More Sody Pop

My oldest son has been after me for some time to have everyone in our family cut out soda. Compared to a lot families, I would have said we didn't drink that much. I mean, I know families that drink multiple cans of soda per day. And we usually only drink one, maybe two a day.  But then I started looking into it. And when I say we only drank one or two, I don't mean cans. No, I'm talking large sodas from fast food restaurants.

Twenty years ago, about the time I really started to drink soda, a serving was 6.5 ounces. Soda can hold 12 ounces. And now a serving is considered 20 ounces. We always get large drinks. And even with ice in the cup, the McDonald's large cup is still a 32oz cup. Wendy's and Burger King is 40oz! So my little family is consuming way too much sugar, chemicals and high fructose corn syrup.

 

Most of you know by now that drinking non-diet soda can lead to diabetes. It can also lead to an increase in cholesterol. So sure, that sugar water can cause you to gain weight. But hey, I drink diet sodas, so I'm ok.

Not so fast. Drinking diet soda can still cause your mid section to expand. Up to 500%. After being tested on mice, researchers at the University of Texas concluded it was due to aspertame. Yep. The ingredient that is supposed to keep you from gaining weight by replacing that naughty sugar.  It raised blood glucose levels and that caused weight gain. If your liver encounters too much glucose, it converts the excess to body fat.

Then there's the whole cancer thing. Apparently, making soda brown is purely cosmetic. The coloring contains 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole. Contaminents known to cause cancer in animals. Just 16 micrograms pose a cancer threat. And most brown sodas, both regular and diet, have 200 micrograms in a 20oz bottle.

So, yeah. We're going to try and go cold turkey. No soda. Only water, unsweetened tea or coffee and milk are our choices.

I'm going to miss the bubbles.

Celebrate with birthday freebies

Hopefully you haven't had your birthday yet this year. If so, you're going to have to wait a whole year to enjoy these birthday deals. But you'll have something to look forward to. Most restaurants have specials to help you celebrate your special day. In fact, play your cards right and you can eat all day...for free!

You could start your day off at Denny's for a free Grand Slam breakfast. Eggs, pancakes, sausage and bacon. All yours for free. But be sure to bring ID to prove your date of birth. Also, did you know that on Tuesdays kids eat free from 4pm to 10pm? If your birthday falls on a Tuesday you could feed the whole family on the cheap.

Maybe you didn't get enough coffee at your free breakfast. Stop by Dunkin' Donuts on your birthday and get a free beverage. For this one, you will have to sign up for their rewards program. But then you can drive through for a hot coffee, hot chocolate, iced coffee, iced latte, or my favorite, iced tea.

Come lunch time, head on over to Firehouse Subs. Never been there? Be prepared to be greeted with a loud and resounding  "Welcome to Firehouse!" given quite loudly by the employees as you walk in the door. You can get a free medium sub sandwich.

 

 It's your birthday. I hate to say it, but you're getting older. You don't have to look it though. Head over to Sephora for your free gift. Last year I got lipstick and mascara. Then stop by Ulta for another free gift of beauty. These gifts change monthly so you may not know what it is until you get there.

 Got your appetite back yet? Time for dinner.

At Black Bear Diner you can get a free meal on your birthday. And if you sign up for their coupons, you always get a free bear claw and coffee.

Having birthdays can sometimes be hard on us. But getting free stuff can soften the blow of getting older. Do your research. There are so many places that give free or discounted goodies on your birthday. Check out these websites for more birthday freebies:

 http://www.mrfreestuff.com/birthday-freebies/

http://www.freebie-depot.com/birthday-freebie-list/

And whenever your birthday is, I hope you have the best one ever!

 

Happy New Year!

Hey Honeypot! Happy new year! I hope you had a fun and safe New Year's Eve and are ready to make this year even better than the last. I love the start of a new year. I look at it wide eyed. So full of promise and potential. I have fun things planned for this year. So stay tuned.

Did you make any resolutions? I don't really make any hard and fast ones. I like taking life as it comes. But I know a lot of people that say, "This year I'm going to be more organized." I love that one. I would love to be more organized in all aspects of my life, but alas, it doesn't always work that way. However...

How about a fun, quick, easy and CHEAP little organizational thing to start off our new year. I got this from Home Organizing with Alejandra.tv. 

I love lazy susans. I have a couple in my pantry. I think I got them at Bed Bath and Beyond a few years ago. I paid almost $20 a piece. Have you priced them? I have found them online anywhere from $15 to over $200! Well, I'm going to show you how to make one for about $3. What? Yep, $3.

What you'll need:

2 round baking pans (I got mine at Walmart for 88 cents each)

1 bag of marbles ($1 at the Dollar Tree)

First thing you do is empty your marbles into one of the baking pans. Make sure you put enough marbles to cover the bottom but they can all move freely. 

Then place the empty baking pan on top of the marbles. You can see I have lots of spices on my shelf that didn't fit in my spice rack. I really don't like having to unload half my cupboard to find anything. 

I took the items I use the most and started loading up the baking pan.

Now I can find what I need much easier. It spins great and makes the shelf look much neater. See? Easy peasy. It took me less than 5 minutes to do this. It neatened up my cupboard and gave me a sense of accomplishment. But it didn't take up my day.

So if you made "getting organized" one of your resolutions, I hope this helps you out. 

Happy New Year!