Our New Year's Eve Date

(The hubby was prepping Gorilla Bread while I was making the Orange Chicken for dinner.)



(Orange chicken...it was fabulous, if I do say so myself.)



(Gorilla Bread, fresh out of the oven.)

Instead of going out, the hubby and I made our own dinner--together. Made a knockoff Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken recipe for dinner, and Paula Deen's Gorilla Bread for dessert. Eating out wouldn't hold a candle to the awesomeness that was our dinner--and we got to enjoy the prep as a couple. Yay for being frugal!

Orange Chicken (from www.recipesecrets.net)

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Oil (for frying)

Glaze:
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp grated orange rind
1 c fresh orange juice
1/2 c hoisin sauce
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 c granulated sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cut your chicken into 2 inch piece and put them into a large
bowl. Add in the egg, salt, pepper and oil. Mix it well and set it
to the side. In another large bowl, stir the cornstarch and flour
together and mix it well. Add the chicken into the flour mix and
coat each piece generously.

2. Pour about a 1/2 inch of oil into a heavy skillet and set it
over high heat. When the temperature is 375 degrees, carefully put
some chicken pieces in small batches and fry for 3 to 4 minutes or
until it’s brown and crispy/crunchy. Carefully remove the chicken
from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels,
brown bags, or however you’d like to drain it. Finish frying the
chicken until they’re all done. Set it aside and put together your
glaze in the next step.

3. Let your oil cool slightly in the skillet and remove all but 2
tbsp. of oil and put it over medium heat. Saute the minced garlic
for a minute, being careful not to burn it so you don’t end up with
a bitter taste. Add the rest of the ingredient in and bring the
mixture to a boil. Make sure to stir this for 3 minutes and reduce
the heat and simmer it until a saucy thick glaze is created. Pour
the glaze over the chicken and serve!

AND..........

Gorilla Bread Recipe (www.pauladeen.com)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
2 12-ounce cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

Happy 2012!!

Wishing everyone a safe, wonderful, productive 2012!! Here's hoping I can keep all of my resolutions, and that, if I stumble, I get back up and start over again!! Looking forward to a date night with the hubby tonight and celebrating with the children tomorrow! Will document the fun!

Back to (Financial) School

I've been struggling a lot with my goals to get out of debt and spending less money.
It's difficult. There's pressure from all sides--commercials tell us we need more, more, more. Friends don't always understand why you don't want to spend even a few dollars and sometimes joke and criticize. If you're an emotional spender, like myself, in times of stress, you find yourself nickel-ing and dime-ing your money away in a futile attempt to feel better for a bit. When money is tight, and you get behind on bills, the feelings of inadequacy are like a kick in the teeth.
And then there's the shame of getting into debt in the first place.
Needless to say, there's a mountain to climb, and it's often terrifying and daunting.
However, my wise hubby shared an analogy with me. I spent six years in college, doing a lot of drudge work, doing things that I didn't want to do, sometimes facing the criticism of others, stress, mistakes, failures, and so forth, all in the pursuit of something greater that would benefit myself and my family someday in the future. I didn't always want to keep going, but I did, and it was worth it.
Finances are very much the same thing. You spent years learning from mistakes, picking up new skills and habits, doing things you don't want to do, making sacrifices, dealing with stress, often for years, all for the sake of a future benefit.
And the thing is, stress and all, I loved being in school, and even contemplate going back--and a lot of times, while in school, I wanted it to be over so badly, but the success and the end goal makes me want to go back. So, when things get me down when it comes to financial goals, maybe I need to relate it to my schooling--something that will take years to accomplish, and strength and hard work I often don't feel capable of--all to ensure a comfortable future for me and my little family.

Bulk Food Locator

For anyone as hooked on buying bulk foods as I am:
Discover Bulk Foods
This is a search site that allows you to look for bulk food suppliers in your area. Check it out!

When You Gotta Go.......

Goob admitted to me that he peed in the air conditioning vent in our floor. Actually, switch out the word "admitted" and change it to "bragged." #pottytrainingrocks

Why My Friends Are Better Than Yours

I volunteer at our local animal shelter. A few days ago, a 16 week old kitten came into the shelter with a very severely injured eye--I'll spare you the details--and the shelter had to raise $700 for surgery, or else the kitten would be euthanized.
I was frantic. We were down to our last $12 in our checking account (because we're awesome), and I was feeling guilty about even going to Taco Bell and spending $10 before I knew about said kitten.
So, thanks to social media, I posted the kitten's Chip-in info, and urged my friends to donate, shared the pic, etc.
Some of my friends, who lives miles away and have never set foot in our shelter, gave to this little kitten, purely out of the goodness of their hearts, even though they will likely never personally see the results. Some of these friends are good friends of mine, and others haven't seen me since I was a kid. But, it's safe to say that I was incredibly moved, and because of them, a life was saved. The money was raised, and the little gal is recovering from her surgery.
It's stuff like this that keeps me from being completely and utterly cynical. It's moments like this that keep me from going completely postal during the holidays. The generosity of others never ceases to amaze me. Yes, it's true--I have the best friends.

Pinterest Project--Crazy Crayons

Goob and I made another Pinterest project this morning...Crazy Crayons. They are pretty on top, but super ugly on the bottom. If unicorns existed, I'm pretty sure this is what their poop would look like.
Instructions: Tear wrappers off of old crayons. Break into pieces and put the pieces into muffin tins (mix up the colors). Heat on 170 degrees in the oven for about 20 minutes. Let cool. Place into freezer for 20 minutes. Crayons should pop out.
(For any of my projects, just look at my Pinterest page for the graphic/instructions. The ones I did today--Stars in a Jar and Crazy Crayons--are under the project listing, "For My Little Boy.")

Pinterest Project--Stars in a Jar

OK, so if you're on Pinterest, you've likely seen that very dreamy Stars in a Jar picture, with the little girl holding a mason jar in her hands, and this jar is beautifully lit from the inside by glowing blue stars. Basically, the premise of the project is taking glow in the dark paint, painting stars in the jar (duh), and voila!
I ask you...have you ever tried painting stars inside a jar? It doesn't work.
So, this morning, The Goob and I attempted the project. Armed with an arsenal of glow in the dark paint, Bell jars, brushes, and astronaut themed stickers, we painted the insides of the jars as best as we could. Goob made one with "stars," one solid, another solid with stickers on the exterior, and I painted one solid and added old sprinkles because I thought maybe the sprinkles in the paint would create a mottled glowing exterior in the dark, more resembling stars. OK, so I basically just had fun with sprinkles and paint, but hey, I have never admitted to being good at crafts/creativity, but I HAVE admitted an addiction to junk food. ;)
So, here's a picture of the project, and envision them glowing..... (The camera on my phone sucks at taking pics of glowing jars in the dark.)

My First Pinterest Project--Buckeyes

So, I conquered my first Pinterest project today--buckeyes. I basically morphed two pins--the one for Peanut Butter Balls, and the other for Buckeyes--and made my own creation. This was one of my very first attempts at making homemade candy, and that's one of the beautiful things about Pinterest--I keep finding projects that I think, "Hey, even I could maybe do this?" There are so many creative ideas, and I'm inspired to broaden my horizons and expand my skills. I'm generally not a DIY/project kind of gal, so I'm hoping to break that and surprise myself.
Here's the recipe:

-1 cup peanut butter
-1 cup honey
-1 cup powdered milk
-1 cup malted milk
-1 package chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients into a thick mixture. (You can play around with proportions as needed.) Roll into walnut sized balls and place onto flat sheet/container. Chill for one hour.
In a microwave safe bowl, place chocolate chips and oil. Heat on half power for two minutes, or until melted, stirring after one minute. Roll chilled balls in melted chocolate. Chill for two more hours, and enjoy! Keep refrigerated. Yields 2 to 2 1/2 dozen.

My Latest Addiction--Pinterest, Part 2

OK, so, if you know me well, you know that I am *not* a crafty, do-it-yourself kind of person. I end up stabbing my chin when I sew (no joke). I have bound my fingers together while knitting. I spill paint. Just not my forte.
BUT, thanks to my new Pinterest addiction, and my efforts to maintain frugality and benefit my family, I am going to tackle the many wonderfully awesome projects I have found while using the site. I have chosen things that will be beneficial to our home, that will teach me how to make homemade gifts, that will create yummy treats, projects for my children to do and receive, and that will help me eliminate costs by learning how to do things like make my own body scrubs, coasters, etc. The sky is the limit, and as I pick each project, I'll document my progress on this blog. I'm curious to see if I can go from crappy crafter to a snazzy DIY frugalista. Wish me luck! This is so important to me--I want to be able to make things for my family, save money, develop skills and talents, and surprise myself.

My Latest Addiction--Pinterest

Follow me on Pinterest! I'm completely addicted to this. Thanks a bunch, Charissa!!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Found this recipe online via Taste of Home...will file away for future use. Yummy.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

• 24 Servings
• Prep: 20 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch
  

0 10 30

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Colored sugar or sprinkles, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, sour cream and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Divide dough in half. Shape one half into a 5-in.-long roll. Wrap in plastic wrap; place in a resealable plastic freezer bag. May be frozen for up to 3 months. Cover and refrigerate remaining dough for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles if desired.
• Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To use frozen cookie dough: Remove dough from the freezer 1 hour before baking. Unwrap and cut into 12 slices. Place 1 in. apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles if desired.
• Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 2 dozen.

Welcome to the Path Less Traveled

Over the weekend, I found a little sign that stood out to me while shopping at Dillon's Country Treasures. It's a simple, green, rustic looking sign with the phrase, "Welcome to the path less traveled." I put it above my kitchen window, and pondered why it stood out to me so much, beyond the fact that it references a Robert Frost poem, and I am an English literature buff.
I have been struggling a lot lately, wanting desperately to make changes in my life. I want to repair our financial situation and work on whittling down debt. I want to be a more productive and loving wife and mother. I want to become more frugal and really work toward making our family more self-reliant and provident. And when you work toward making those changes, it can be really difficult. I watch friends spending tons of money on their families at Christmas, and I worry about our modest budget and gifts and what others will think of them. When I shop with friends, I think about every purchase as I watch them buy what tickles their fancy. I feel like the only person who struggles with motivation after cleaning up the same messes day after day. I feel like the only parent who loses their patience with their kids so often.
And it can be really difficult sometimes, wanting to be like other people, feeling like the only one who is saying no to stupid little purchases, or who can't do this or that because we're trying to pay down debt. Sometimes, friends do look at you funny when you say you don't want to do this or that, or can't spend the money right now. But, the thing is, beside this sign is another little one that says, "Forever and always, no matter what." I am doing these things for my family. Sure, maybe I can't keep up with my friends when it comes to shopping, and maybe we aren't spending as much as another family is at Christmas, and maybe I am cleaning the same stuff time after time, but I'm doing these things for my family, who is mine forever, and who really matter. Sometimes, keeping up with everyone else is "the path most traveled," but it's going to be "the path less traveled" that will the best for my family and those who are truly important to me. And if they are walking it with me, it's not a bad road to be on.

Today is the Day....

Today is the day...
-I start working toward getting out of debt and improving our financial lives.
-I start working toward feeding my family more foods that are better for them.
-where I resolve to use eating out as a treat, rather than a habit.
-when I show more gratitude for what I have been blessed with in my life.
-that I find ways to save money and live a more frugal life.
-I focus more on my children and what they need, instead of simply muddling through the day.
-when I work toward living a more productive life every day.
-where I worry less about appearances and what others might think of me.
-that I strive to be a better wife to my husband.
-I begin working on cleaning out our mess of a basement after the horrors of Mouse-a-geddon.
-that I start working on becoming more self reliant, particularly in the areas of emergency preparedness and food storage.
...And the beautiful thing about this? If I slip up, or I have a bad day, tomorrow will someday be today, and I can start anew.

Learning to Love the Local

If you remember, one of my New Year resolutions is to buy more local foods whenever possible.
Grocery shopping is one of those things where I really strive to make my money count. I have already mentioned the fact that my main grocery M.O. is buying frequently used products in bulk, but I have also discovered that buying local can often be both yummier and easier on your wallet.
There are major advantages to living in a rural area, and for me, I can use these resources more than someone who might live in a larger city, but I still recommend exploring your options. I don't buy local foods as often as I should, but that's why I have that as a resolution for next year.
As a general rule, I like buying certain things locally. For example, I don't have very good luck buying produce at mass market grocery stores. Usually, it goes moldy and nasty faster than I can use it, and it's so pricey. But, when farmer's markets are available, I can get fresher, homegrown produce at a fraction of the supermarket cost, and, for whatever the reason, it lasts longer. (I really need to master my canning skills so I can preserve more of what I bring home.)
I also buy as much meat as I can through local butchers. The quality is significantly higher, I can trace where the meat is coming from (and even visit the farms if I like), it's custom cut and packaged just for me, and they usually offer discounts for buying in bulk (which I love to do, of course). And, once again, it's better quality and cheaper than in the grocery store (as a general rule).
I buy spices locally and in bulk. There's a little grocery store in our area that is run by a Mennonite group, and they sell cheap, bulk spices. It is much cheaper to buy there than it is to buy the small containers at the chain stores. This same store also sells fresh baked goods, homemade jams (for WAY less than the generic jams at Walmart or the grocery store), and Amish made cheeses. They also sell bulk baking products, so I can both locally and in bulk.
I discovered that if I focus buying locally produced snacks, that we eat healthier in the process. After realizing that The Goob had developed an addiction to Lucky Charms, I made the goal to give him healthier snacks when I can. So, we found local fruit markets that sell dried fruits, trail mixes, etc., and he LOVES these new snack discoveries. I managed to snag bags and bags of healthy snacks--honey drops, loads of trail mix bags (with flavor themes like strawberries and cream, pomegranate and cherry, strawberry honey crunch, tropical Tahitian, etc.), dried fruits, chocolate and yogurt covered cranberries, sweet potato chips, crystallized ginger...the haul was insane--all for $19.
I love locally grown eggs, though they ARE pricier than their store counterparts, but they lack that egg-y aftertaste you get with store eggs.
So, this is a goal for my new year. I can support small business, save some cash, and eat yummier, higher quality food. Wish me luck!

Kitchenaid 7 Quart Mixer Giveaway

They are giving away an AWESOME 7 quart, Kitchenaid stand mixer at Love From the Oven. I just received a 6 quart version as an early Christmas gift, an upgrade from my tilt-head Kitchenaid Artisan, and I LOVE it. So much power...I'm a little afraid to put it on the highest speed...it's THAT powerful. ;)

Good luck! I'm hoping to win it, too! My dream is to have two Kitchenaid mixers in my kitchen (and two dishwashers, too...I already have two microwaves), and the only way I can justify it to the hubby is to win one for free! (My sister in law has my old mixer.)

Making Fresh Baby Food at Home

OK, so I said repeatedly that I would feed my first child homemade baby food as much as possible...and...well...didn't. Now that I am revisiting introducing solid food to The Bean, it is my goal to make as much as possible at home and with whatever we are cooking/from fresh food. This entry is pretty much a resource for me/a selfish entry compiling some websites for future use. I am open to all ideas and suggestions for feeding healthy, homemade food to my little gal.

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/pdfpubs/4309.pdf
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-infants-toddlers/making-you-own-baby-food
http://www.parents.com/recipes/baby-food/make-your-own-baby-food/
http://www.ouhsc.edu/onie/documents/MakeYourOwnBabyFoodBrochure.pdf
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-baby/PR00029

Curried Rice Pilaf With Apricots, Dried Cranberries, and Golden Raisins

So, I made curried rice pilaf for dinner alongside salmon in Lowry's Hawaiian marinade. I took a recipe from Taste of Home and made it my own. It was fabulous, so here ya go:

CURRIED RICE PILAF WITH APRICOTS, CRANBERRIES, AND GOLDEN RAISINS

-2 1/4 c. water
-1 tablespoon butter or margarine (optional)
-1 cup long grain rice
-1/4 cup dried cranberries/Craisins
-1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
-1/4 cup golden raisins (can up to 1/2 cup, if you want)
-2 teaspoons chicken bouillon or chicken soup base
-2 teaspoons curry powder
-dried minced onion, to taste
-1/2 tsp. of salt

Set water and butter (if using butter) to boil. While waiting for the water to boil, mix the remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Once water is boiling, add remaining ingredients to boiling water. Reduce heat and cover, allowing to simmer for 20 minutes. Serve.