Illusions that Help with Weight Loss

Tonight I made fat-free sugar-free chocolate pudding.  It was yummy.  In order to make it more appealing, I put the pudding into 4 tiny dishes.  The dishes almost couldn't hold all of the pudding.  It is a great illusion.  It makes you think you are getting more.  The kids loved it.  The husband wondered how many more we had.  I enjoyed a nice sweet treat without feeling deprived. :)

A Quick Tip for Spaghetti Sauce

If you are like me, you want to keep the dishes to a minimum when cooking dinner. I don't mind the cooking as much as the clean up. I try to look for ways to cut down on the dish washing (especially hand washing big things like pots and pans). Here is a tip for making spaghetti sauce:

Before:
Use 1 skillet to cook meat, peppers, and onions.
Use a pot for sauce.

After:
Use a big pot and cook the meat, peppers, and onions.
Add sauce to the pot once the meat, peppers, and onions are cooked.

This cuts my pot usage down to 1, uses less electricity since you aren't having to heat up two burners the whole time, and makes less mess (the grease doesn't pop all over the place, plus there isn't the difficulty of trying to pour a pan of meat into a pot of sauce.

Want to hear another trick?

After I cook my pasta, I go ahead and add it to the sauce as well to make it all stay good for that day and the days to come. Just make sure you cook the pasta al dente (AKA a little tender) so it doesn't get soggy.

Prepping Ahead for Dinner

Let me preface by saying that I don't do this everyday, but when I can, I go ahead and lay out the stuff that I can during the day for that night's dinner. Now that I have a baby to feed every 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours, I am usually pretty busy right before I cook dinner, so I do this to save myself the time of getting everything out so I just have to focus on making dinner really quick.

Today I laid out:
Dinner plates, napkins, and silverware (Luke sets the table which helps me out)
A pan lined with foil to bake the pork chops in
The honey baked pork chops (thawing out in the white bowl)
My pampered chef microwave cooker (I LOVE THAT THING!) and can opener for the canned peas & corn
A measuring cup for the water as well as a pot for the wild rice

PS I am really looking forward to dinner tonight. I love this recipe.

The Payoff of Stockpiling and Meal Planning

So back before I got into this whole "Organized Homemaking" thing, I really struggled with grocery shopping and meal planning (or lack thereof). A lot of the time we would go out to eat, but when I would actually cook, there was zero planning. I would just say, "Let's have spaghetti (or whatever meal sounded good)." It was a totally different experience back then than it is today.

Before:

I would just go to whatever store was closest (usually Harris Teeter or Super Target) and would buy what I needed. I would grab some pasta noodles, sauce, lean ground beef/turkey, a green pepper, an onion, and perhaps some frozen garlic bread/texas toast. I would also usually end up grabbing some other random things (especially if I went to Target).

I wouldn't have a single coupon, but I would grab what brand was the best "deal" that day. I would spend probably around $11.00 just for the stuff for the spaghetti. If I added texas toast, it would be at least $13.00, not to mention the other random things (ie cookie dough/brownie mix for dessert).

After:

Now, I coupon and only buy things when they are great deal and stockpile. I buy all of my meat on sale and individually package it for the freezer. I never spend more than $3.33 on lean ground beef/turkey and usually get it for better than that. I buy pasta noodles (whole wheat) for virtually nothing and spaghetti sauce (even the large jars) for under $1.00. I buy my peppers when they are 50 cents to $1.00 (I cut them up and freeze them in freezer bags). I still buy onions when I need them, but they are usually not that expensive (maybe 50 cents apiece). I also stockpile baking goods (like brownie mix) when it goes on sale. I don't impulse shop anymore.

So, even if I haven't technically meal planned, I can say, "Let's have spaghetti." I go to the pantry and grab my free pasta noodles and cheap spaghetti sauce. I grab a pound of lean ground beef/turkey and my diced peppers from the freezer. I either have an onion from my fresh produce shop or have Lee stop and get one (saving me money - he will not impulse shop). If we want garlic bread, I have it in the freezer (I probably got it for 50 cents). If we want brownies, I have mix in the cupboard that I probably got for free or maybe 25 cents. So, I cook the same meal (if not better since I only buy name brand with coupons) for roughly $5.00 (including bread and dessert).

So by doing all this couponing, stockpiling, and meal planning, I saved myself $6-8 (or more) for just one meal. Not to mention the headache of going, "What's for dinner?" "How about spaghetti?" "I have to go to the store." "It's not worth it." "Let's just get fast food." We have a healthy, home-cooked family dinner which to me means we are building family memories. For me eating around the dinner table at home is very different from eating around 10 other families at McDonalds while your kid plays (and doesn't eat). Of course there is the place and time for that as well (all moms need a break from cooking and kids enjoy playplaces).

Perfect Hardboiled Eggs

I think I got this "recipe" from Martha Stewart. Lately, I have been craving egg salad sandwiches. The weird thing is that a month or two ago I couldn't stand eggs and now I love them again. So anyways, I thought I would share how I make hardboiled eggs for egg salad or deviled eggs.

Get a pot big enough for all the eggs and water to cover.
Put in the eggs and cover with COLD water.
Put on high heat and bring to a boil.
Take the eggs off the heat, cover with a lid, and set a timer for 17 minutes.
As soon as the timer goes off, pour the water of and cover with COLD water.
Fill a bowl with ice and COLD water.
Put the eggs in and let them sit there for a while.
Peel them and enjoy.

You have to use cold water so the eggs cook a little as the water heats up.
You can't overboil because they will be overdone.
You want to put them in an ice-cold water bath so they stop cooking and it makes them easier to peel.

I eyeball everything when I make egg salad or deviled eggs, but I put mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper into the eggs (or egg yolks for deviled eggs), and do a taste test and add stuff accordingly.

Meal Planning

A lot of blogs and books that I have read talk about meal planning. Basically you fill out a calendar, be it weekly or monthly, of meals that you plan to make. I have tried this so many times.

Being that I am really organized, I have no problem filling it out and even putting what I would need from the grocery store (only fresh items - not meats or pantry stuff as I buy that before I need it with coupons and sales) on a nice little post-it.

The problem is: I never want what I put on the calendar that day. And if we don't make the meal I feel like I am completely out of whack. I am the type that if I write it all out I want it to go perfectly.

My solution to this waste of my time and feeling like I wasn't being "perfect" when I didn't follow it was to stock my pantry and freezer and keep a few fresh items (bell peppers, onions, potatoes, carrots, fruits) on hand each week so that I could make almost any meal any night of the week.

Usually the night before or the morning of I will lay out the meat I intend to use (I alternate chicken a couple of times and then beef). Then I will ask my husband what he wants for dinner using that meat. Sometimes I give him a couple of choices (ie If it is chicken, "Do you want something like Chicken Pot Pie or Buffaloe Chicken Tenders?"). He tells me, I come up with a few side dishes, and TADA we have dinner.

This works for my family. I have known lots of people that make a meal plan and stick to it. I commend them. I think I am just the type that if I know what I am going to have it already becomes boring to me. I would love to hear what you do to get dinner on the table in your house - Scheduled, Semi-Scheduled, Day Of, of Fly By the Seat of Your Pants? :)

My Top Ten Kitchen Must-Haves

Let me start this post by saying that I am not in any way trying to tell you to go out and buy all (or any) of these items. I know that setting up a kitchen costs a lot of money. If you do like or need any of these things, I would recommend talking with your spouse and checking out your budget and acquiring them at a pace that won't break the bank or upset your spouse.

My Top Ten Kitchen Must-Haves:

1) A good cutting board - This is a Kitchenaid that I got at Target for under $20. I recommend anything Kitchenaid makes as it is quality and will last you a long time. It's better to invest in quality than to have to replace a cheaper item more frequently. This one is great because it has grips on the bottom so the cutting board doesn't slip when you are chopping on it which is a great safety feature, especially if you are clumsy like me ;)

2) A good supply of measuring devices - I like to have a few different sized wet measuring cups. As you can see I have a plastic 4-cup, a glass 2-cup, and a great Pampered Chef 2-cup that measures dry and wet ingredients. I highly recommend Pampered Chef as they are high quality products. I also like to have a few nesting dry measuring cups. I got the red set for $1.00 at Target and it included 1-cup, 3/4 cup, 2/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, and everything from 1/2 tsp to Tbsp. It's also good to have a few tsp and Tbsp measuring spoons. I love these as you can measure any amount with the same spoon. It's great to have a lot of these so you don't have to waste time cleaning one set every time you need one.

3) A good pair of kitchen shears - These are great. They came in a kitchen knife block set that I got. You can just pick up a set without buying a knife set. They are great for opening packages, clipping the fat off of meat, and anything else that might require scissors in the kitchen. You can get a pair of these for $10.00 at Target.

4) A good Santoku knife - If you have ever watched The Food Network, you see chefs using these fancy looking knives. Let me let you in on a little secret...Kitchenaid has them at Target for under $20.00 for a set of 2. They work awesome. They are great for chopping anything from veggies to fruit to meat.

5) A good peeler - If you have ever made homemade mashed potatoes or needed to peel an apple, you know that a good peeler is essential. You only cut the peeling and it takes a lot less time than a cheap peeler or kitchen knife (unless of course you are like the deceased wife in Sleepless in Seattle). This came in a set of Kitchenaid kitchen tools, but you can get a peeler for under $10.00.

6) A kitchen scale - I bought this at Weight Watchers back when I was on my weight loss journey after Luke was born. I thought it was a great investment when I needed to weigh out my food to lose weight, but I soon found that it was awesome for weighing out meat or pasta so that I didn't use too much for a recipe. You can get a good digital scale for about $25.00 at Target.

7) A colander - You must have a colander in your kitchen if you ever plan to make pasta. You can get one of these at Target for under $15.00.

8) Lots of mixing bowls - I love having a lot of different sizes and types of mixing bowls. It helps when you are making a lot of food and you don't have time to keep washing and drying bowls. You can pick these up for as cheaply or expensively and as simple or fancy as you like. They have nesting bowl sets. They come in plastic, stainless, ceramic, and glass. I like to have a few of each.

9) A good set of cookware - Lee and I have a great set of iCook. It was expensive, but we had just gotten a bonus and Lee wanted me to have a nice set. A good set of cookware will last you a long time. It's good to get a set that is non-stick. It's great to have a small, medium, and large cooking pan and a small, medium, and large cooking pot.

It's also good to have some great bakeware. I recommend non-stick bakeware as well. I like to have a couple cookie sheets, a couple 12-cup muffin pans, a roasting pan, a bread pan, a square pan, and a casserole dish.

10) A microwavable cooking dish - Lee actually had this when we got married. It's from Pampered Chef ($10.50). I love it because I can toss in some veggies and throw it in the microwave for a few minutes while I am finishing up the rest of the meal.

A Fun "Dinner Party" Idea

Tonight we had some of our close friends over for dinner. Since there were 3 kids, I wanted to do something casual and fun. I decided to set up a "make your own pizza" station for the kids and then decided it would be fun for all of us to do it (not to mention less work).

Here's the "make your own pizza" station:

I made up 2 batches of pizza dough using the recipe on my blog. We used canned spaghetti sauce for the sauce.

For the toppings, I put out pepperoni, ground turkey, canadian bacon, turkey bacon, bacon, green peppers, yellow peppers, red peppers, onions, and pineapple.

Luke pressing out his dough.

Liesel and Caedmon pressing out their dough.

Liesel and Caedmon making their pizzas.

Luke putting the cheese on his pizza.

Luke with his pizza.

Liesel and Caedmon with their pizzas.

Heidi and I making our pizzas.

Heidi and I making our pizzas.

It was a lot of fun even for the adults. :)

Frozen Dinners

I am sure that visions of packaged chicken nuggets or TV dinners are running through your head, but those aren't the frozen dinners I am talking about. What I am talking about is having a complete homemade meal in your freezer that you can cook on those days you can't take the time to prep, make a meal, and clean it all up. We all have those things that come up like sickness, running around all day and not having time to prepare dinner, or just not feeling like making a meal.

In the past, I would just have Lee pick up $15-$20 worth of fast food or takeout. I can tell you that that didn't always get a favorable response from Lee since a) he didn't like blowing our budget on fast food/take out and b) he preferred a nice hot meal when he got home - what man doesn't? So I decided that I would freeze meals for the future. I am not talking about an elaborate freezer cooking session. What I mean is that when you are making a freezer-friendly meal like a casserole or pasta dish, you just double the recipe, put half in a freezer dish/bag, and freeze it. Then when you need it, you just thaw it out a little (if needed) and toss it in the oven.

Personal story - This week I have strep throat. Today Lee pulled out a Chicken Pot Pie and let it thaw for a few hours. He threw it in the oven and baked it. It tasted just as good as the other one we had over a month ago. Here is what it looked like:

Here is the recipe:

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken
1 bag (1 lb) frozen veggies
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
½ cup milk
1 pkg Pillsbury pie crusts (2 in a package)*
* You can use only 1 pie crust for the top to save calories/fat

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put 1 pie crust on the bottom of a pan (if desired).
Mix chicken, veggies, soup, and milk.
Add to baking dish.
Put 2nd pie crust on top of mixture.
(Freeze if desired).
Bake for 30 minutes.

Prepping Meat for the Freezer

I can remember those days of pulling out a huge piece of frozen meat at 5:00 and wondering, "What in the world can I do with this?" Or, I would have way too much meat for just Lee and I to eat on our own. We'd end up throwing some extra meat out most of the time. Plus I would just grab the meat wherever I shopped. Sometimes I would spend $6.00 a pound for meat and not even think about it.

Once, I decided to become an "organized homemaker" I started doing things that would help us save lots of money and time on meat.

Step 1 - Check the circulars to find the best prices on meat. I find that Kroger has the best prices on meat. I aim to buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts for under $2.00 a pound, ground beef or turkey for under $3.00 a pound, and roast for under $3.00 a pound. When I find it at these prices, I buy about a month's supply of it.

Step 2 - Get out my supplies - cutting board, knife, kitchen shears, a bowl for the chicken tenders, a scale, some freezer ziploc bags (that I get for pennies with coupons), and a permanent marker.

Step 3 - I trim all the fat off the chicken breasts.

Step 4 - I cut the breasts into tenders.

Step 5 - I weigh out about a pound of chicken tenders and put them in freezer ziploc bags that are labeled with the contents and date. I mash them out so that they freeze in flat packages (which makes the thaw really fast as well). This is great because I can take out a package of tenders and they thaw in the fridge during the day or on the countertop in about an hour.

Step 6 - I cut the roasts in half so that we don't have to eat roast 3 nights in a row. I freeze them in freezer ziploc bags.

Step 7 - I divide out bigger packages of ground turkey or beef into one pound servings. I put them in labeled freezer ziploc bags and mash the meat down into flat packages. This makes them easier to store and they thaw out a lot quicker than a thick package of beef.

I hope these tips help :)

How to Make a Variety of Pancakes in Practically the Same Amount of Time as Plain

In most households, each family member has different tastes. When it comes to pancakes, I know that my family of 3 has 3 different preferences. Luke likes plain (with a gallon of syrup), Lee likes chocolate chip, and I like blueberry (that way I can go less on the syrup). How can I accommodate different tastes without a lot of extra effort or time? I will show you.

I use pancake mix that I got with a coupon for really cheap (this happens to be Fiber One pancake mix - yes you can get the fancy stuff when you know how to shop the right way) that requires just water. I get out three plastic containers (again that I got for pennies with coupons) and put 1/3 of the amount of mix in each.

I then add 1/3 of the amount of water in each.

I mix it up.

I add a handful of blueberries to one bowl, a handful of chocolate chips (that I got for super cheap with coupons - see a trend here? ;) ), and leave the other plain.

Then I use an ice cream scoop and evenly place them across the griddle that my wonderful mom and grandma got me for my birthday. It cooks them evenly and very quickly.

I end up with a platter of 3 different types of pancakes with little to no extra effort as just making a bunch of the same kind.

Enjoy! :)