Organizing the Pantry

Organization is NOT my "thing".  Despite years of trying to keep everything neat and structured, it goes against my nature.  That said, I never stop trying and making an effort to keep my home tidy and less cluttered.  Having been previously married to someone who was OCD in scary ways, I think there is certainly a balance between an unkept home and glorifying tidiness to an unhealthy degree.  I am ALWAYS trying to find that balance.

When I was a child, my mom was a wonderful housekeeper, but she went into panic mode when we were having parties and/or guests over.  Feelings of tension about keeping everything "perfect" for our guests ran high.  I still struggle with that since I have had my own home.  My friends know that I get very uncomfortable and apologetic if someone drops in and my home doesn't look "perfect"...whatever that means.  This is my problem and I am continually working on giving myself grace and not losing out on laughter and joy in welcoming others into my home in all its stages of cleanliness and disarray.

Last week I tackled the pantry and the freezer.  The freezer had so many odd packages of meat and veggies that I had frozen.  Some were crusted over with thick ice and I just decided to toss them for safety concerns.  In addition, I purchased a Food Saver so that I could more effectively freeze portions and stack them neatly.  It arrived yesterday and I used it to seal some chicken thighs that I poached in stock.  They are fully cooked and ready to use for chicken salad.  I sealed them and placed in freezer.  We get so much organic produce from our CSA since we are the local pick up location; I will know be able to freeze the greens for using in winter soups and smoothies.

Here are two BEFORE pictures of my pantry.

We have a tiny home, but the kitchen is the largest room in the house with a tremendous amount of storage.  This is kind of embarrassing for me, but shows how easy it is to just toss things into the pantry after grocery shopping.  Sometimes we need to clear the table and island, so I quickly put all the pantry items on the shelves and never return to arrange them.

We use a great deal of fresh produce, but always keep canned items on hand.  I make all of our marinara from scratch, so I keep canned tomatoes on hand when fresh aren't available.  I tossed some leftover boxes of sugar cones in there in December when I bought them for a craft night at church.  The taco shells are great for standing upright in a baking dish, filling with meat and cheese and baking.  My boys love to then top with fresh tomatoes, lettuce, etc.  Not as tasty as my homemade tortillas, but they are quick and easy to hold.

Here are the AFTER photos:

So much better!  I realized that I had A LOT of tomato soup cans, too.  We make tomato soup in the Vitamix, but my boys love good old Campbell's for dipping grilled cheese sandwiches.  I had forgotten when I bought these at Meijer for 59 cents (a great price).   I love olives and they are also nice to have on hand for adding to a salad when you are bringing a meal to someone.  

I rotated out some of the baking supplies and made note of a few items that were missing.  We had a few bags of pasta that were half used, so I made some simple pasta dressed with butter for a side this week.  

If you are serious about meal planning, keeping an organized pantry is so helpful.  We generally always have the following on hand:

-canned tomatoes

-tomato sauce

-canned beans

-chipotle with adobo (freeze whatever you don't use)

-Chicken and beef stock

-tuna

-flour (white, wheat, bread flour)

-sugars

-baking soda and powder

-spices

-pasta

-rice

-1 extra ketchup and mayo

Today I am going to start another organization project: tackling rounding up our financials and doing our taxes.  2017 brought an unexpected job offer for my husband and he was able to quit driving uber as a side job and I was able to ease up on etsy.  Taxes will be "fun" this year with the first half uber in addition to the job change.  With the change came his employer reimbursing us for our health insurance which was a huge blessing, although we were locked into a high deductible plan until 2018.  This December we got the incredible news that we now have group health insurance.  With a very low deductible...at no cost to us.  I actually cried and not a day passes that I am not incredulous at God's great mercy to my family.  I know that as I do these taxes, I will be thanking God for His lavish provision and goodness.  Continue honoring Him with your money, be a wise steward and live below your means.  

Spinach and Potato Frittata

I loosely call this a Spinach Potato Frittata because it sounds better than "Easy Way to Use Up Veggies".  My family enjoys variations on this and we have added bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes.  The tomatoes do make it watery so don't go crazy with too many.

The first time I had a frittata was in a college Spanish class. My grad student teacher, Ms. Beauchamp, had just returned from studying abroad in Spain and she discovered how to make it there.  She brought one in for us to try and we ate it cold and it was really delicious.  (Side note: she wanted us to pronounce her name Bee-Chim....it felt sacrilegious to me as a French major.)  The two things I remember from her class was the tasty frittata and the awful butchering of her beautiful French name.

For this recipe, I do not use exact measurements since I usually use the eggs as a vehicle for whatever we need to use.  After poking around the fridge and pantry, I saw that we had one small bag left of our CSA potatoes and a package of spinach that needed to be used.  There are always onions, garlic and eggs readily available for use.

9-12 eggs
Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 cups chopped potatoes (you could use shredded, too)
3 cups fresh spinach
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and pour some olive oil into a heavy cast iron skillet.  My huge Le Creuest is perfect for this job.  You will need to use a skillet or heavy Dutch oven that can go from stove to oven.

Add chopped onions to the hot oil and cook until softened.

After peeling the potatoes, I sliced them in small uniform, pieces (this is important so that you don't have some under cooked, large potato chunks.  Add the potatoes and garlic to the onions and cook until potatoes are tender.

 Add all the spinach at once.  It will heap up in the pan, but the heat will quickly begin wilting the greens.  (This is where you could also add other veggies).

After about 5 minutes and a splash of water, the spinach was wilted down.  Season with salt and pepper.

While it was cooking, I blitzed the eggs in the Vitamix.

Pour the eggs over all and lift the potato mixture so that the eggs can seep underneath.  Pop the whole thing into the hot oven!

Bake for about 15-20 minutes until top is set and golden brown.  Serve while hot or cold.  Tastes delicious with salsa, too!

Meal Planning and Grocery Budget Fun

After several requests to share some of my meal planning and grocery shopping tips, I decided to write up another blog post since my "system" has changed since my last post a few years and I no longer coupon.

A few important things to help yourself:

1) Prepare a document on your computer that lists all the meals your family eats.  It helps to divide them into columns.  The ones I use are: chicken, beef, pork, other, pasta, meatless, eggs.  When you are stuck in a rut as you plan the week's meals, this document helps refresh your memory.

2) Familiarize yourself with good sale prices.  If you buy a lot of chicken, know what a great price is on breasts, thighs, organic, roasters, etc.  Same thing for produce and other items.  If you see a great deal on something you use a lot, stock up.  For instance, Meijer has their salad dressings 10 for $10 this week.  In general, I like to make our dressings from scratch.  However, I do bring a lot of meals to others and often have a salad.  I keep bottles of dressing on sale to bring with my meal, so I buy about 5 or 6 when they go on sale.  If you have a freezer, you can buy meat in bulk when there is a great price.  Meijer bought too much organic chicken thighs once and I was able to buy several packages for about $1.79/lb (GREAT for organic boneless, skinless thighs).

3) Set aside about 20-30 minutes to plan for your meals.  I actually timed myself tonight and it was about 20 minutes, including taking these pictures.

4) If you like, having a big chalkboard or erase board in the kitchen with our meals is an easy way to stay in track and within your budget.  I generally write down the week's meals and take a photo.  It helps to glance at the photo while shopping to remind myself of the menu and stay on task.

That said, here is a quick breakdown of what works for me:

Get the sales papers for the week and grab about 2 or 3 from stores with which you are familiar.  This week I am looking through: Meijer, Fresh Thyme and Shop & Save.

Go through the papers, circling items that are on sale and also noting ones that have really great prices (and that you use often) that you can add to your pantry. 

You can see here that I marked up the 10 for $10 at Meijer this week.  I love when they have this sale because they have fresh items and also pantry items (like the dressing I mentioned above).  That is a good buy on organic mushrooms so I know right away that I will make something like stroganoff this week. 

A half sheet of paper is perfect for writing down the sales for the week.  This is usually how I decide where I will shop as I generally only go to 2 stores.

Use that list to make a quick sheet for:
-Meal
-What you have (fresh and pantry)
-What you need (fresh and pantry)

This is where it all comes together and you can pull out your document of meal ideas (see #1 above) if you are in a rut. If there is a great sale on chicken, add it to your meal plan twice.  Cook double the amount and you can schedule in a leftovers day if you know you will be busy.

Make sure you add any item from that need list to your grocery list for the week.

Finally, head to the store and stay on task.  Know what seasonal produce is on sale and buy in bulk.  Make your family eat what you have chosen to serve.  Complaints get the complainer booted from the dinner table. 

Keep in mind that stores like ALDI, Costco and Trader Joe's are excellent for regular staples, too.  I make a trip every 2 weeks to the Caputos in Carol Stream for produce, dried apricots ($1.99/lb!!), roasted almonds ($3.99/lb), house Ricotta, beef tenderloin and their house canned tomatoes.

The first few months may be hard, but I firmly believe that anything can become a habit if done regularly.

Posole by an Irish Girl who Married a Mexican Man

Posole is one of my husband's favorite meals.  I remember eating it for the first time on Christmas day several years ago.  My mother-in-law had made a big pot and it smelled fantastic.  She ladled up big bowlfuls and we added an assortment of toppings: shredded cabbage, chopped radishes, lime juice, tostadas and queso fresco.  It was like nothing I had ever tasted and I loved the crisp, cold of the cabbage with the spicy soup loaded with pork and maize blanco (hominy) offset by the tart lime and salty, crunchy tostada.

After that initial taste, I tried to make it myself and failed miserably. It tasted nothing like my mother-in-law's posole. She is one of the best cooks I know and just a natural in the kitchen.  The second try was a little better and I slowly improved.

That brings us to today.  I finally made my posole JUST RIGHT.  Not sure if it was my new, huge 9 quart Dutch oven (Christmas gift from husband) or a random recipe success....but it was pretty darn delicious.  

Remember, I am not great at measuring exact quantities, so adjust as needed:

3-4 pounds pork butt or shoulder
2 onions, chopped
2 Tbs. garlic
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1 tsp. sauce
1 Tbs. Mexican oregano
6-8 cups chicken stock
1 can tomato sauce
Big can maize blanco/hominy (108 oz)
cumin
dried chilies of your choice, stems removed
salt and pepper

Saute onion in olive oil until softened.  Add pork and turn on all sides to lightly sear.  Toss in garlic, chipotle pepper, sauce, dried chilies, tomato sauce, stock and seasonings.  Set lid on top and let cook on medium low heat for 2 hours, making sure it does not boil.  I generally remove the pork at this point as it is fully cooked and falling apart.  I do like to pull off the fattier pieces and shred the meat.  Add maize blanco and taste to adjust seasonings.  Cook on low another hour.

Serve with shredded cabbage, chopped radishes, oregano, tostadas, cilantro, queso fresco and fresh lime wedges.

Anisette Knot Cookies

To be truthful, I am posting this recipe mostly for myself.  After tweaking a couple recipes this afternoon, I baked a tasty batch of anisette cookies and know how I often forget my changes.

Thes are delicious!   Not too sweet,  perfect with hot coffee.  Even better the next day as the anise flavor is more pronounced.  Enjoy!

Anisette Cookies

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Scant Tablespoon baking powder
3 Tablespoons anise seed

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
Anise extract
Vanilla

In heavy enamel skillet or pan, toast anise seeds until fragrant, shaking pan often so they do not burn.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla and blend.  Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Using mortal and pestle, tap and lightly grind anise seed.  Add all dry ingredients and anise seed to mixer and blend until it forms a ball.  Do not over beat.  Pop in fridge for a few minutes while you prep oven.

Preheat oven to 350.  Lay parchment on baking sheets.  Make thin icing glaze with powdered sugar, extracts and some water.

Roll out teaspoon sized amount and form into knots.  Bake about 8-10 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned.  Remove and slide parchment off hot baking sheet so bottoms don't keep browning.

Dip tops of hot cookie in icing.  Sprinkle with sugar or nonpareils.  Let cool and store in airtight containers as they tend to dry out.  Even better the next day or two!

Just Tired

Sometimes I revisit the blog, mainly to look up a recipe that I have posted here.  It always makes me a little sad because I had so much more time to tend to my home.  Granted, the boys were smaller and Charlie was not in school, but those were sweet days.  And I probably didn't realize it most of the time.

For the past 2 years I have been working part time doing office work.  Initially, it was a limited number of hours and it has stretched into about 18 a week.  That translates to 3 days a week from the time I drop off Charlie to the time I pick him up.  And I am exhausted.  Still doing etsy as much as I can.  We self insure and our premiums have increased to such an extent that they exceed our mortgage.  In fact, in 2017 our premiums will be 39% of our take home pay.  Feeling like we are drowning in the burden of it.

My heart wants to be home, doing the mundane things like: laundry, meal planning, cooking and making the house beautiful.  Perhaps it doesn't seem like an admirable aspiration to some, but it is simply how my heart is wired.  I love being a wife and mom and homemaker.  I love it.

Hopefully people give me grace when me home is messy, because it feels like it has been an endless "messy season".

Through it all, God is good.  He gives us clear signs of His providence and love.  Despite all the weariness and anxiety, we are living in a home of love and riches that transcend anything money can buy.  E and I are praying for wisdom and clarity on how to best manage our time, finances and family.  He has been driving uber and it has been an excellent means of extra income.  We are thankful, but I miss him.

Will try to post more stuff, mostly recipes!  I know no one reads this, but if you do, thank you for "listening".  If you are a homemaker, your work is precious and my heart finally understands this more than ever.

It has been a long time since my last post!  Wanted to share some of this year's Christmas decor.  Christmas is an exciting time around here as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  My mom always did a fantastic job of creating a peaceful and joyful atmosphere in our home and I hope I can do the same for my family.  Enjoy!

Warm Cake in 10 Minutes

Last week I stumbled onto a video tutorial of baking a cake in the microwave.  The end result of the cake on the video looked fantastic and I knew I wanted to try to bake one myself.  This recipe is not going to be the healthiest option for dessert and fresh fruit would certainly be a quick option, but.....sometimes you just want cake!

You will need:
Large glass bowl (I used a Pyrex 4 quart mixing bowl; the largest of the nesting sets)
Cake mix of your choice (Choose one that needs only water, oil and egg)
Oil
Eggs

Butter or spray the inside of your bowl.

Follow instructions on cake mix.  If you are making a chocolate cake, substitute strong, cooled coffee for the water to intensify the chocolate flavor.

Pour into prepared bowl.

Microwave on High for 8 minutes.  Set the bowl slightly off center on the turntable so that it rotates evenly.

When it is finished, you should be able to press the center and it will slightly spring back.  Immediately invert onto serving platter.  It looks like a giant, delicious sponge dome.  We used a quick ganache glaze and sprinkles on the one pictured below (banana cake mix).

Enjoy!

Dinner Prep in 15 Minutes

Spinach Lasagna

Ricotta Cheese (about 2 pounds), homemade or bought

2 eggs

8 oz. Mozzarella, divided

1/2 cup freshly grated Parm.

1 box frozen, chopped spinach  (thaw & squeeze until dry)

Salt & pepper

No cook lasagna noodles

Favorite marinara sauce (about 2-3 cups)

9 x 13 pan

Mix Ricotta, Parm, eggs, spinach and half of Mozzarella.  Season with salt & pepper.

Spoon sauce and drizzle olive oil onto bottom of pan. 

Add one layer of noodles.

Use 1/3 of cheese mixture and spread over noodles.

Add layer or noodles.

Spoon some marinara over top.

Add layer of noodles.

Use 1/3 of cheese mixture.

Add layer of noodles.

Use 1/3 of cheese mixture.

Add layer of noodles.

Cover completely with sauce and sprinkle with 2nd half of Mozzarella.

Cover loosely with foil Bake in 350 oven for 50 minutes.

Let stand for 10 minutes and serve.

Taking Care of Business

This winter has been long, cold and icy.  The supposed Polar Vortex enshrouded the Midwest in snow, freezing temps and high winds.  Normally, I would welcome the heaps of glorious snow since my kids love to play outside and it wear them out, thus reducing cabin fever.  That is not an option when the temp drops to negative degrees.  Baking cakes and roasts was a great way to heat the house and the boys loved eating cake late at night!  We all love our cozy cottage of a home, but it feels really, really small when we have been trapped inside for weeks on end.....

Here is a picture of the little guy building "machines" with his wooden blocks.  Our new cat, Roger Wee, enjoys watching him from under the stool.

Stay warm!

Freezer Meals

Kelly & I decided to roll up our sleeves and prepare freezer meals again.  Making a large quantity of food seems like such a huge chore, but each time we have finished I find myself thinking, "This was easy! Why don't we do this more often?"

Following is a list of our recipes with some pictures!

Broccoli & Beef (I had raw beef on my hands=zero pics):

4 pounds lean beef (used a chuck roast from Costco)

6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbs. sesame oil
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
2-3 Tbs. tapioca
2 Tbs. fish sauce (optional)

1) Mix sauce ingredients and set aside
2) Trim fat from meat and cut into 1 inch strips
3) Divide meat into 4 Ziploc bags
4) Pour equal amount marinade over top and seal tightly

When ready to cook, place in crock pot for 6 hours on low with 1/2 cup water. During last hour, add 1 pound package frozen broccoli florets. Serve with steamed Jasmine rice.


Skinny Chicken Rollatini
(Kelly & I have made this before and our husbands and boys give it two thumbs up)
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/chicken-rollatini-with-spinach-alla.html

We quadrupled the recipe.

We bake the chicken with out the sauce and freeze after it is baked. When ready to make for dinner, place in pan lightly coated with olive oil and slather your favorite marinara (and cheese) atop. Bake at 350 until heated through.

Marinated Pork Chops

20 boneless pork chops (thick cut from Costco)

1 1/2 cups orange Marmalade or apricot jam
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed OJ
6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. cayenne

1) Mix sauce ingredients and set aside
2) Divide meat into 4 Ziploc bags
3) Pour equal amount marinade over top and seal tightly

When ready to prep, thaw and heat grill. You may add a dry rub before grilling, too.
Grill as desired!

Turkey Taco Filling
(Light recipe. Great for tacos or filling lettuce wraps)

6 pounds lean ground turkey (used 1/2 ground turkey & 1/2 ground turkey breast)
3 bell peppers, diced
4 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 small cans tomato sauce
2 tsp. Adobo
4 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin

Brown meat in large pot in shifts. When cooked through, place in very large bowl. Using unwashed pot, cook onion and peppers in leftover juice/fat. When softened, add garlic. Add cooked onion mixture to meat along with tomato sauce & spices. Taste and adjust seasoning in necessary. Let cool and place in Ziploc bags. I used two cups per bag. We add lots of beans and rice to our tacos.

Cilantro Lime Chicken
We (DLP familia) has had this and really like it.

4 pounds chicken breast

4 cans black beans (we used kidney this time b/c I opened the wrong cans)
2-3 bags frozen corn
2 bunches cilantro, chopped
4 cloves garlic. minced
8 limes, juiced

1) Cut chicken into large chunks
2) Drain beans
3) Add beans, corn, cilantro, garlic and lime juice to large bowl and toss.
4) Divide bean mixture in to 4 bags.
5) Add equal chicken to each bag.
6) Seal and freeze

When ready to cook, add to crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. We serve ours with rice.

East Meatballs
Kelly & I are floating in oceans of testosterone and know that men love meatballs. Toss into pasta, add to a sandwich, make some peanut sauce and serve in lettuce wraps.
These taste a lot like the ones I ate when I was in Italy (college days).

3 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 1/2 pounds ground veal

2 cups Italian or plain breadcrumbs, toasted
Milk
5 eggs
1 cup grated Parm (use the real stuff, grate fresh...no green cans!)
Salt & pepper
3 cloves minced garlic

Place meat in huge bowl. Add bread crumbs and enough milk to moisten. Add eggs and rest of ingredients.

Scoop into meatballs and place in lightly coated (olive oil) pan. Bake in 350 oven until done.
Let cool and divide into bags. Freeze. If you make homemade marinara, these taste great simmered in the sauce and give it a rich flavor!

Meatball Heaven

Pork Chop Marinade:

Turkey Tacos:

Beef & Broccoli Prep:

Ricotta & Spinach Filling for Chicken Rollatini:

Ready for Freezer!

Pounding Chicken:

Thankful for My Grandma

Here I sit, thinking about my Grandma Wilder as I wait for my turkey to cook.  Today we are having my parents and sister's family for a big dinner and I am thankful that it's a joint effort!  My Grandma hosted an enormous crowd every year and I have spent the majority of my 38 Thanksgivings at her home in Indiana. 

She reveled in cooking for her family.....preparations began in advance although the menu never changed:
Turkey (of course)
Stuffing (regular with giblets and oyster)
Mashed potatoes (mountains of fluffy spuds!)
Green beans (the best ever)
Corn
Rolls
Gravy
Waldorf Salad (mostly for my Uncle Charlie)
Apricot Delight (Grandma's favorite)
Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows in the early years, pecans more recently
Cranberry Sauce
Pie
Red Velvet Cake
Angel Food Cake
Grandma's famous sugar cookies

Grandma never seemed to mind the crowd. The kitchen was always full of my mom and aunts, bustling around to lay out the food. Someone was always brewing sweet tea and filling the glasses with ice. Not sure how they managed to have the food hot all at once at 11 o'clock sharp, but they did!

We ate until we could eat no more.  On the warmer days, the kids (that's me!) would go outside to play on the swingset.  On rainy days, we kept busy with coloring and games.  Husker Du, TriOminos and Uno.  Later, Rook and Up and Down the River.

The food fest didn't end there.  Thanksgiving evening meant the highlight for us kids: the traditional Wienie Roast.  (We did this every Easter Eve, too).  The men would build an enormous bonfire in the backyard and we would load up the folding table with hot dogs, buns, condiments, marshmallows, grahams and chocolate bars.  Good times with my pyro family.

When we cleaned out my Grandma's house before it sold, we had one last bittersweet wienie roast for old time's sake.  The fire was super hot that day; we were burning piles of non essential papers.  It was our last wienie roast, but such great memories we have had. 

The final roasting of the wienies:

Thank you, Grandma Wilder, for instilling a deep love of Thanksgiving and family in us!

Upcycling A Huge Mirror

September is right around the corner and I am thrilled to be working with etsy at the Junk Bonanza in Shakopee, MN. 

http://www.junkbonanza.com/

In preparation for the JB as well as some other flea markets, I have been acquiring some larger items to offset the "smalls".  Last June I found a massive mirror at the Village Discount.  The frame was like a Syroco (durable plastic) and the mirror was in good shape.  It looks as though it was from the late 60s.  Unfortunately, there was no price on it and I know how weird they are about pricing things spur of the moment.  The supervisor was in the back with about 20 workers and I don't think anyone spoke English, but he grabbed his teenage son to help me.  The young man was a little embarrassed and he had the pricing marker and asked it $5 was too much!  (!!?@?#>#)  I replied, "That sounds like an excellent price" and snatched up the giant mirror to awkwardly haul it to the cashier.  She looked askance at me when she saw the price and I could tell she was exasperated that someone priced it so well.  (She is a shrewd but lovely lady;)).

Here is the mirror on the back porch, ready for a thorough cleaning, no easy task with all its curls and festoons.  After all the grime was removed with the help of a toothbrush and q-tip, I bean to paint.  The color was a rich orange, almost a deep pumpkin color.  The paint clung beautifully to the frame and tiny bits of the chocolate brown peeked through.  I decided to leave it with the subtle flecks of brown instead of a solid orange. 

This treasure will be heading to Shakopee with me, although I am reluctant to take it down from our family room wall where it has been hanging.  It's such a HUGE piece and brings space to the room and well as being a lovely focal point. 

Long, Hot July

Two months have passed since my last post, although it feels like 2 years.  June was consumed with prepping and recovering from VBS, which was a wonderful week.  T left the last week of June to visit his father for two weeks and we were still enjoying a "surprise" visit from Lisa and Hannah, who traveled from Dubai to spend time with us.

July brought oppressive heat and humidity.  If you know me well, you are aware of how physically ill I become in the heat.  I wish that I could sit outside with a cool drink and enjoy the heat, but two incidents of heat stroke seem to have permanently affected my body.  Fourth of July was a scorching hot day and we went to the (early) Darien parade and had a celebration dinner at our house that night.  The kids splashed in a pool and we stayed in the A/C eating brats, watermelon and ice cream.  That was the last "normal" day in July.....

On July 5th, my sister from Dubai called from my parent's home in distress.  My dad had completely no short term memory and was wandering around confused.  Thankfully, E was home so that I could drive over and pick up my parents to drive them to the hospital.  My dad was diagnosed with a rare episode of something called transient global amnesia and spent some time in the hospital.  My mom was feeling under the weather during this time and we were increasingly worried about her. 

The day after my dad was sent home, we drove Lisa and Hannah to the airport and said our good-byes.  Dad was better albeit tired from restless hospital sleep and my mom was still not feeling well.  Within 2 days, the doctor determined that my mom needed to be hospitalized for kidney failure and some other issues.  We spent another long week in the hospital and my Aunt Betty (mom's best friend & sister) was also admitted.  Ironically, the same hospital and similar issues.  The staff was baffled and said it was the strangest thing ever.

T came home from his visit and we celebrated C's birthday the day after the ladies were released from the hospital. 

My back went out the Sunday after.  Literally could not walk.  Terrifying. 

Honestly, I am getting tired typing all this and rehashing the events of July. 

Through it all, God has been faithful and shown us his love and compassion.  Being confined to bed for a few days made me realize that I am ready to take several things off my plate so I stepped down from Children's Ministry Director at church.  It was a wonderful 18 months of service, but I am exhausted and feel that a huge burden is lifted and I have renewed energy to be a wife and mom.

I will add that there were some beautiful, bright spots throughout the month, the best being the wedding of a lovely young woman named Michelle.  I had the joy of working/mentoring her through her teen years and her mom has been a mentor and friend to me.  They are both women that I am blessed to call my friends.  Her wedding was quite simply "magical". 
Kudos if you were able to read this whole novel.  I hope to get back to posting more recipes, vintage finds and family ideas.

Busy June and Our New Normal

So many things have been happening all at once. 

1) E has a new job and with it come many blessings.  It also has different hours and we are now enjoying eating lunch together as our family time since he works from 2-10:30pm.

2) Summer Kid's Club (aka VBS) kicks off on the 11th.  Much to be done.  We are spread thin this year, but have an excellent team.  I am confident that it will be a wonderful year.

3) Garage sale season has begun!  Enough said.

I will now unveil my favorite garage sale find.  It is an old Schwinn Breeze.  Red and white, excellent condition, wire basket, original red glittery grips.  It is a single speed and quite a challenge on hills.  However, I have been enjoying my rides.  It makes a lovely creaking sound that draws smiles (usually from older folks who have a flashback when they see my cool wheels).

Flea Market Weekend

Pam, Trev & I headed to Sandwich this weekend to sell our "stuff" at the Sandwich Antiques Fair.  It's been a few years since I last visited the fair and I was aghast at how much smaller is has become.  Such a lovely venue: mature trees, old buildings and loads of open spaces. 

We arrived late Saturday afternoon on the hottest day (so far) this year.  It took several hours to erect our canopy, set up tables, unpack and arrange our items.  Two if the neighboring vendors came to chat with us, also expressing their disappointment at the small showing.  (There were 3 very large antiques fairs at the same time).  In any case, we all agreed that it was less competition!

Pam headed home later that night.  Trev & I had decided to camp out in the van.  Following a hot, buggy night that resulted in 2 hours sleep, we agreed that it wasn't our best idea.  Especially when the gentleman adjacent to our plot decided to build a bonfire and belt out songs on his vintage Gibson....at 2am.

The very best part of the whole adventure was about midnight on Saturday.  Trevor had opened the van for some fresh albeit buggy air.  He said, "I can see the Big Dipper!" and started talking about the stars.  When he started to drift off later, he said, "Good Night, Big Dipper" and I replied, "Good Night, Little Dipper".    New tradition formed, sweet memory.  Even though we didn't make as much money as we would have liked, that special moment was priceless.

It's 8:45pm here.  Off the tuck in Little Dipper and even Littler Dipper.

ALDI Faves

Been working on this post for awhile and was finally able to upload some pictures of the products to add to the post.  For many years, I avoided Aldi like the plague.  Not sure why... but after shopping there once, I wondered why I had been so stubborn (and prideful, if we're being honest).

Like any store, Aldi has some excellent products and some lousy ones.  This review if for the excellent products, but I must warn to stay away from their worst product ever: the glass cleaner.  Never have I used such a worthless product; in fact, I am convinced it is blue-tinted water.  Save your $1.50 and pass on the glass cleaner. 

For 1st time Aldi shoppers, bring a quarter to unlock a cart for shopping.  This reminds me of shopping in France when I was a student.  It's actually quite effective in keeping the carts corralled and you will never have a wet cart on rainy days.  Bring some reusable shopping bags, too, or purchase them at Aldi.

Beaumont Donut Store Blend Coffee & Benton's Ginger Snaps

Our cousin in Costa Rica is our official coffee supplier.  We buy Cafe Britt in bulk from him and the proceeds go to supplement youth ministry.  However, we are fresh out!  We have had the Beaumont coffee in Donut Store Blend (below), Hazelnut and French Vanilla.  Mind you, the bar is set REALLY high after drinking Cafe Britt regularly and the Aldi stuff is pretty stinking good.  It makes a decent cup of robust coffee with no bitterness.  Smooth and a nice caffeine kick.  $3.99

The Ginger Snaps are my hands-down favorite.  Zero trans fat, super crispy with an intense ginger spice.  Around $1.60 per bag.  Can't beat that!  They are a decent treat for WW, too.

Mandarin Oranges, Evaporated Milk and Baked Beans

When Tman was little, he went through a mandarin orange phase.  We loved putting them on our Romaine salad with sweet & salty toasted almonds.  Aldi always has a low price, usually around $.59.  Nice plump orange segments in water, not syrup.

The evaporated milk is just a great bargain.  We use it often in place of heavy cream to add richness while cutting fat.  A basic staple at a great price: $.69

The Dakota's baked beans are a recent find.  My sister served baked beans at her daughter's birthday party (one of my niece's favorite foods).  Our family is a tried and true Bush Beans buyer and I assumed they were Bush Beans, somehow gussied up to add some interesting depth of flavor.  The beans were polished off and we were all raving about them.  My sister told us they were purchased at Aldi and a new favorite was born.  TRY THESE-for $.95, it's an inexpensive gamble.

Mandarin Orange Chicken

Found in the frozen section, I grabbed a bag one day for a quick dinner.  Although I ate something else, I did try a piece and it was really good.  My husband and son said it tasted like Panda Express but I cannot say for sure as I have never had Panda Express orange chicken.  For $4.99, it is a quick, easy dinner that my kids and husband enjoy.  We steam white rice and serve veggies alongside.

Willow 1-ply Bath Tissue



Lately, we have had an issue with (ahem!) boys using too much t.p., thus creating a back up.  This t.p. is fantastic.  Super cheap ($2.49), the 4 roll package lasts a long time since it's 1-ply.  My dad is horrified as he insists on the most plush t.p. ever, but to each his own.  My family's derrieres will have to deal with the one-ply because I am not about the mop up another stopped up toilet disaster.

Lacura

Amazing.  $3.99.  Don't believe me?http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=117386/Q10-Anti-Wrinkle-Night-Cream-/Lacura/Moisturizers  Read the reviews on makeupalley:



Darling Chicks

Aldi is a great place to find little holiday treats.  Their chocolate is decent and super affordable.  I always splurge on some Fannie May, but these are nice fillers.  $2.99 or about 12 foil chicks.

Another item I love: the Light and Fit Ranch Dressing (100 times better than Hidden Valley)!

That's all, folks.  Have a lovely weekend as we celebrate our Risen Savior and King Jesus!

Homemade Fruit Leather

Last week I had a tremendous amount of plums, peaches and apricots that were very ripe.  I pitted them and then cooked down the fruit for a couple hours in a covered pot.  After running the cooked fruit through my trusty Foley food mill, I had a huge bowl of puree left.  I added a little bit of sugar and then cooked to hard ball stage.  The plum "jellies" never firmed up enough...they were like a thick, smooth jam.  Delicious, but we already have too much jam.

I stirred in a box of apricot jello and then spread the jammy goo onto parchment-lined baking sheets.  Baked at 200 degrees for about 1 hour, then left in the oven overnight.  This morning they were tacky and almost done.  A quick blast of heat and a rest in the oven (about 2 hours) had them ready for peeling and eating.

They peeled off easily and taste so delicious.  I rolled the parchment into long tubes (GIANT fruit roll-ups).  They will not last long with this crew.  Don't have room for a dehydrator, but this method worked really well.