Homemade Bread

The boy and his classmates were asked to provide a loaf of bread to our local Golden Age Center (seniors center).  The school provided all of the ingredients and instructions which was enough for 2 loaves (one to donate and one for our family).  I let the kids make it together.

It was a simple recipe, a bit different from our regular recipe, but it was very good.  You can see how we made the bread on my facebook page here:  Homemade Bread

Being Green 2

These sandwich wraps are a great investment and a great way to get rid of all those pesky sandwich bags!!  I have used the first set I purchased for 2 years.  My son recently “lost” his, as in probably threw it in the garbage at school in a rush to get outside to play after lunch, so I had to purchase a new set.

I have seen these all over in supermarkets and department stores.  However, I believe these are the best around.  They are a little pricier from here but when you factor in my first set is over 2 years old, these are a worthwhile purchase.

I bought them from:   One Step Ahead.

When they get dirty they can easily be wiped off and once a week I soak them in hot soapy water and scrub the outside with a sponge as needed.  When done, I hang them to dry.

I have used them for sandwiches, buttered bread, and rolls and never had a problem with them drying out.  The food is always fresh!!

Stalking??? Not Really

I like to wait outside for the kids when they get home from school.  I specifically change my hours at work so I am able to drop them off in the morning and be home when they get home.

The tween informed me that it’s embarrassing for me to stand out there.  Well little does she know, I found a secret spot on the front porch that is not visible from the street.  BAM…..one point for MOM!!

 

Remember when….

Yesterday was the last day of school.  I can still remember the feelings I would have when school was over.  It was a feeling of freedom.  Especially during the elementary and middle school years.  I loved not having a schedule, knowing I would be camping for 3 weeks with my family, riding my horse all over the place, swimming, boating, sleeping in, bonfires and so much more.

Then in high school that feeling started to change.  Responsibility kicked in if I wanted to have a car and buy nicer clothing.  Those cherished summer vacations were cut short so I could babysit and earn money for gas, car insurance, and clothes.  In my junior and senior year, I almost dreaded school ending for the reason of having to work more and also not seeing and flirting with the cute boys for 2 months.

So tonight while my children are still in their innocent years, years of summer vacation truly being a vacation spent doing what children should do, we celebrated with a toast while in the hot tub.  We had the bonfire going, Chance’s best friend Graer sleeping over and their happiness was contagious.  I love them being home for the summer!!

Multi-Task Cooking

In the past few posts of recipes I have used the phrase “multi-task cooking”.  In our crazy busy life this is one of the ways I keep my sanity.  I thought I would briefly explain how I do it and show how a quick few minutes of planning can really help you stay organized and efficient!!  I look through the freezer and plan which meats I will be cooking for dinner for 4 days.  I move them to the front of the freezer or place them in the fridge to thaw.

The picture above is from last night.  I marinated chicken in dressing for a 1/2 hour.  During that time, I par boiled Italian sausage to grill for tonight’s dinner, cooked the pasta for the chicken meal and made a quick fruit salad.  After 20 minutes the sausage was done and ready to cool to store until today for dinner.  I then put a pot of water in it’s place to boil the corn on the cob and lit the grill to preheat for the chicken.  Ten minutes later I cooked the chicken and seasoned the pasta with butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper while the corn was boiling away.  The chicken and corn were finished at the same time and dinner was served.

Later I set up the above before heading to bed.  The kids lunch boxes and the hot meals they will have instead of a sandwich and the crockpot with all the seasonings ready next to it for the Italian Sausage to be put in before heading out to work the next morning.  While making their lunch choices I will be seasoning the sausage and getting it slow cooking.

I have hot dogs thawing and while cooking the onions and peppers for the Italian Sausage tonight I will boil potatoes to make potato salad to go with our hot dogs for Wednesday evening.

It’s like a game pre-planning and multi-task cooking.  But it’s a game I like to play because it helps me make wise food choices for our dinners, offer a homemade meal to my family, and helps me utilize my time effectively so I have more free time for my kids, gardening, riding, walking or whatever else I choose.