Dividing Nuts Into Portions

 Each month we buy some bags of nuts for snacks, usually from Trader Joe's. Their nuts don't have unhealthy oils and are very good quality.

Nuts are expensive and eating too many of them is counter-productive to weight loss.

So to help them last longer and make sure we ,meaning I, eat only an appropriate amount, I've started portioning them out into small containers and baggies at the beginning of the month.

We love this--the nuts are ready to grab and go and they last longer too!

When following the serving size recommended on the back of the bag, we end up with 15-16 servings of each kind of nut.

I don't have enough reusuable snack containers so I used sandwich bags too. To cut down on waste, we just put the empty bag back in the snack box to reuse the next month!

This has worked so well, I've been prepackaging other things too like cottage cheese and grapes. Super handy for packing lunches!

How To Wash Lettuce

In my recent library pile was the book, In The Green Kitchen: Techniques To Learn By Heart by Alice Waters.

I enjoyed this book since I love reading cookbooks and how-to's. This book is a combination of the two.

One of the "how-to's" instructs how to wash lettuce. I knew I could learn from this!

Now you may be thinking, "Who wouldn't know how to wash lettuce? It's just putting lettuce in water, for Pete's sake!"

Anyways, while I knew the basics of washing lettuce, her instructions walked me through the simple process and left me with dry lettuce leaves instead of soggy ones in a very short amount of time. I also learned that smaller batches in the salad spinner do much better than stuffing it full--who knew!?!

So I thought I'd share "How To Wash Lettuce" with my readers.

How To Wash Lettuce

Fill a large bowl/basin with cold water--your kitchen sink can also work. Separate leaves, put them in the water and swish them around a bit with your hands. Let soak for a minute or two. The dirt and sand will settle to the bottom of the bowl. Lift leaves out of the water; drain in colander. Or do as I do and shake them a bit to get the water off.

If lettuce is still gritty or dirty, change water and soak again.

To dry lettuce: Put lettuce in salad spinner, no more than half full and spin leaves dry. Empty water after each batch.

No salad spinner? Use a colander to let leaves drain before proceeding. Or you can use this method. :-)

Lay leaves out in a single layer on a clean dish towel.

Roll it up. I let it sit for a bit like this. I think if I read the directions right, you can put your lettuce towel roll in the fridge.

Cut or tear your lettuce leaves for a salad or refrigerate until ready to use! 

Fabric Gift Bags

We've been wanting some reusable fabric gift bags for several years. I decided that this year I would make them my first project of the year while I'm thinking about it. That way, they'll be all ready for Christmas gift wrapping in December!

While we're happy about reducing trash and not spending money on gift wrap, we really are excited about simplifying when it comes to wrapping gifts! Stick a gift in a bag; tie it up and you're done!

Especially for my husband--he is really happy about these!

These will be mainly used for the gifts for our own little family--so we can reuse them each year! It could be awkward to have to ask for the bags back from other folks. :-) We will still use our simple wrapping methods for gifts we give away outside our home. Unless I make extra bags as part of the gift.

For these bags, I raided my Christmas fabrics and used a bunch of fabric I've had for a while. I kept these super simple; nothing fancy, so they were quick to sew up.

 Still need to add ribbon to most of them but otherwise, all ready for Christmas 2013!

Christmas 2011: Recycled Gift Wrap

I've been pondering waste-free Christmas gift wrappings for awhile now and wondering if I should make it a personal challenge for next year's Christmas. Especially since we've used up most of our wrapping paper.

The multiple garbage bags of wrapping paper trash on Christmas Day made me cringe a little.

But yet, I'm a bit overwhelmed with the idea of wrapping all of our gifts in reusable packaging. Maybe some, but all?  It seems a bit much for me.

While folding a brown paper bag yesterday, I came up with the non-original idea that we could save brown paper bags through the year and wrap our gifts in those instead of purchasing wrapping paper. I'll cut them apart and turn them inside out so any logos and images will be on the inside. Gift tags/package decorations will be recycled Christmas cards which I keep for projects anyways. I always have random ribbons around or I could make these bows out of old magazine pages.

My husband likes this idea and I think it'll be fun to save these items through the year and not purchase any wrapping paper!

If feeling extra ambitious, I could dress these packages up with rubber stamp designs. That would be pretty, although I'm more likely to leave them plain. We'll see!

Have you started planning for next year's Christmas yet?

Christmas 2011: Christmas Card List

You might as well know that I am very bad with sending Christmas cards.

I send cards most years but I don't usually have a complete list and I'm always scrambling everywhere looking for addresses. And I forget half of the folks who faithfully send us cards.

This year, I had my husband print up a nice list of names and addresses for me. Of course, I didn't remember everyone. So as we received cards from those whose names weren't on this year's list, I went ahead and wrote the new names and addresses on my list for next year.

I'm looking forward to having my Christmas card list ready to go for 2011!

Preparing For Winter: Elderberry Syrup

One part of preparing for winter is getting ready for the inevitable flu and cold season!

I started making my own elderberry syrup last winter  and it is so nice to have on hand and use especially during the holidays when we aren't eating as healthfully and we're traveling all over the place and coming in contact with sickness.

We take a spoonful of elderberry syrup every day to help prevent and relieve sickness. When sick, I'll use  a spoonful every couple of hours. This can also be used as pancake syrup or to sweeten and flavor yogurt. The honey makes it very yummy!

I purchased a one pound bag of dried elderberries from Mountain Rose Herbs last year. One pound goes a long way! It's so quick and easy to make and way cheaper than purchasing elderberry syrup from the health food store. A similar product is Berry Well from Beeyoutiful which I love and have had very good success with.

Elderberries help to boost the immune system, among other things, which we can all use this time of year!

What To Do With Big Bags Of Frozen Veggies

Costco offers four and five pound bags of frozen organic veggies at terrific prices. Since my idea of a side dish is quite often a dish of cooked veggies, I stock up on these when I  shop there.

Sometimes, these bags are already divided into 4 or 5 smaller bags and all I have to do is pull a bag out when we want veggies. But on this trip, I got two 5 pound bags that weren't divided up. And I wanted the ease and convenience of the smaller bags, especially since my freezer isn't in the house!

It only took a few minutes and I had those two big bags divided into smaller quart-size freezer bags.

Looks like we'll be eating these veggies for a while!

A Miscellaneous Freezer Cooking Day

Or Breakfast Foods and Bean Burritos!:-)

 I did another of my small freezer cooking sessions yesterday. My stash of breakfast and lunch foods were both nearly depleted so I did a combination of both!

I was feeling rather peaceful and unrushed yet I checked the clock to see how long this took me since my goal is to keep these small freezer cooking sessions to 2 hours or less.

Cooking and preparing all these foods  plus grinding two Tupperware cereal containers of flour took me right at 2 hours. This did not include cleanup!

The fruit of my labors:

• 11 bean burritos (directions below)
• 8 sausage biscuits (directions below)
• 8 unbaked biscuits (I used whole wheat pastry flour(soft white wheat) for the biscuits. They turn out much lighter than if using regular whole wheat flour(hard wheat).
• 1 dozen cranberry pineapple muffins (I'll be sharing this recipe soon. Fantastic!)

Bean Burritos

These burritos are super simple to assemble and freeze.  They are also very inexpensive and can be quickly heated in the microwave making them a nice convenience food to have on hand.

You will need:

• 1 can refried beans
• Salsa
• Shredded cheese
• Flour tortillas

Mix refried beans and salsa together. I probably use about 1/2 cup of salsa, maybe a bit more. You don't want it too runny, at least I don't!

Spread bean mixture on tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place on waxed paper lined baking pan (or reuse a cereal bag like I do!). Freeze until solid and place in a freezer bag until ready to use.

When ready to use: Take out as many burritos as you want and heat them in the microwave until heated through. I usually cook 4 burritos in about 3 minutes, checking them often to be sure they don't overcook.

You can add meat, green chilies, really anything you want!

Sausage Biscuits

My husband loves it when I make sausage biscuits, which I freely admit isn't that often! They're pretty easy to make and I figure if you're going to make biscuits and fry sausage anyways, then you might as well make a big batch and only clean up once!

You will need:

• Biscuits- Use your favorite recipe or mine. Store-bought biscuits will work well too!
• Sausage- A 1 pound roll makes 8 patties for me.

Bake biscuits according to directions. Cook sausage patties and drain on paper towels. Let cool.

Slice biscuits in half and place one sausage patty in between. Bet you couldn't have figured that step out, huh!

Wrap each biscuit in plastic wrap and freeze in a gallon sized bag.

To use: Remove biscuits from bag. Again, duh! Allow biscuits to thaw for a little while if you have time.  Unwrap biscuits and wrap in a  paper towel and heat in microwave for about 1 minute or until heated through.

Enjoy!

Priorities During A Busy Time

What are your priorities during a very hectic and busy season?

Since I'm in one of those seasons right now, I spent a little time thinking it over last week and here's what I came up with.

Note: This is suitable for me, my family and my lifestyle. It will probably not work for you; adapt as needed!

Daily:

• Quiet time with God-usually 15-30 minutes.
• Sweeping and vacuuming floors.
• Meal prep-keep meals simple!
• Kitchen clean-up.
• Make bed.
• Keeping house generally neat.
•  Thirty minutes of exercise-this is usually a walk with dog and stroller in tow but it works and is a win-win for all of us!
• Childcare(if applicable).

Weekly/Bi-weekly:

• Clean clothes, towels and sheets.
• Keeping to my budget.
• General cleaning- kitchen, bathroom, floors.
• Two-hour freezer cooking session-this has helped tremendously to have some prep work done and food ready to pull out. This is beneficial for both time and budget!
• Stretching grocery trips to save time and money. 
• Planning and using my calendar!

When life gets hectic, how do you keep your priorities in order and still stay sane?

Works for Me Wednesday: Chamomile Tea For Cramps

Just a warning to any male readers: This post is about "woman stuff". You may want to move along now! Shoo, shoo!


Alright.

A number of years ago, I read in a magazine that drinking a cup of chamomile tea helps to relieve menstrual cramps. 


Even though I can't remember the name of the magazine, I've used this "remedy" ever since then and it really does help. Sometimes, it totally eliminates the need for Tylenol and other times not. But it certainly makes things a bit more bearable. If that is possible.

So with my cup of tea beside my laptop today, I thought, "That would be a great topic for a WFMW post!" 

Drinking chamomile tea once a month works for me. Maybe it will also work for you!

**This post is a part of Works For Me Wednesday. 

New Routines

My personality thrives on routines, a schedule and lists. My productivity rises when I'm on a good schedule. And truth be told, I'm happier, too.

It does seem that once I get a good schedule going, something comes along that requires a change. Isn't that the way life works?! So I am always tweaking and changing things around to make the schedule work better for us!

I started a new childcare job a month ago which again required quite a few changes to my then-current routine. This family arrives at my house at 7 am and then leaves mid-afternoon.

Even though I'm a morning person, I was skeptical of having company that early in the morning. I love me some quiet time to get things done!

As it turns out, I love this new schedule! I get up and since I'm on a stricter time schedule, I do what needs to be done instead of putting things off or spending too much time at the computer. I also simplified my morning routine greatly so that it is very doable.

Morning Routine:

1. Get up at 5:45.
2. Shower and dress.
3. Spend time in God's Word.

That's it!

By the time I've accomplished these 3 things, it's about time for the kids to arrive. Sometimes, I have a few extra minutes where I fix the bed and throw a load of laundry in the washer, which is nice but isn't a horrible thing if it doesn't get done first thing.

My husband usually rises and has his quiet time while I'm in the shower and then he showers while I have mine. This works out pretty well!

Since I don't do as much in the early morning hours now, my evening routine is a bit longer than it was before.

Evening Routine(in no particular order): 

1. Sweep and dust mop floors in general living areas. (Living room, kitchen and dining areas, hallway.)

2. Vacuum area rugs in living room.

3. Make sure breakfast and lunch items are ready to go for the next day.

4. Straighten up around the house and put things away.

5. Sort laundry and start a load soaking overnight, if needed.

6. Make sure dishes are washed and kitchen is clean.

Most days, this list takes me about 30 minutes to an hour to complete, depending how much there is to do. It's worth it to have a less chaotic morning!

I really don't have a really firm routine down for during the day yet. I just try and do a little housework each day and do things in between childcare. Plus I don't want to be too busy and scheduled that I can't take a lot of time to hold and cuddle the baby! Some things are much more precious and important than schedules!

The oldest child is starting preschool this week so it will be me and the baby. I suspect my days will fall into a more predictable pattern then since the baby is on a very good schedule already.

I'm already seeing the great benefits of having a very set schedule and these new routines. I've been much more productive, even on the weekends. A routine is a little thing but really has helped me with my time management!

Are you a routine person or do they drive you nuts? Inquiring minds want to know!

Waste Not, Want Not

During our recent canning adventure, we were left with quite a bit of tomato juice in the bowl we had used for the peeled tomatoes.

Naturally, I didn't want this to go to waste! We poured it into containers to use in soup later on when the weather is a bit cooler. I ended up with two containers of tomato juice to freeze.

Cutting down on waste by trying to find a use for every little bit of food is one way I'm able to reduce our food costs.

What have you done recently to reduce waste in your kitchen?

Bottle Brush For Washing Dishes

Since I am obsessed with washing dishes right now, it's appropriate for me to share my favorite tool for cleaning glasses and small items.

A bottle brush.

About five years ago when I was caring for a friend's baby , she brought me an extra bottle brush to use for, well, cleaning bottles.

It wasn't long before I figured out that it was very useful for washing glasses, jars and other hard-to-reach-inside items.

And the baby was long out of bottles by the time I noticed the nipple brush hidden inside the handle.

What can I say? I have my moments...

The nipple brush also comes in very handy for cleaning cake decorating tips and other tight spots, like the ridges in the center of my Bosch Universal mixer bowl.  Cleans them right out!

A cheap bottle brush works for me!

**This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday!

No Computer Day

For the past three weeks or so, I've been taking a break from the computer on Sundays.

And you know what? It's really nice.

I blog.  I love to read blogs. I do facebook. I'm forever researching health and nutrition online. I check my email. I do online banking. The internet is my favorite cookbook.

I end up spending a considerable amount of time on the computer during the week.

After a while, it's just too much. My brain gets cloudy from information overload.

Stepping away from the computer on Sundays has been really refreshing to me. I get up and read God's Word, get ready to go to Fellowship and make sure food is prepared, eat breakfast, go to Fellowship, come home, usually take a nap and then get up and go to a church leadership meeting, come home, eat supper and go to bed. Even though it's still a busy day, it's a peaceful one.

Taking a break from the computer works for me!

Organize or Declutter?

 Banana box full of magazines to give away.

This week I sorted out all of the magazines we'd accumulated over the last year or two. I got rid of all but several of the latest issues.

I'll admit that my first thought was to cut and decorate recycled cereal boxes into creative little magazine holders and organize them all on a shelf.

Fortunately that thought didn't stay long. It was quickly shooed away by " Are you crazy? Why organize something that you'd be better off decluttering?"

That second thought was dead-on. I know myself. Most likely, I'm not going to go back through those magazines often enough to justify keeping all of them. In my little home, space is at a premium. Stuff has to earn its keep.

This experience took me back a couple of years ago when I was organizing my fabric collection. Lamenting over my lack of storage space, I suddenly had an epiphany.

"Instead of cramming all I could into a space, in the name of great organization, why not keep only what I had room for?"

Brilliant!

That single light bulb moment was all I needed. I began to purge that fabric into a manageable amount, keeping only what I loved and was certain I would use. Cookbooks were limited to a certain shelf. When it was full, no more.  Clothes had to fit in the closet or dresser drawers. Gift wrap and gift bags were pared down to only what I could reasonably use. Kitchen equipment had to be used and have an appropriate storage spot  (i.e. not the top of the washing machine) in order to stay.

Now, I am not an extreme minimalist. I am not against having stuff. I have a house full of stuff- some necessary and some not. Stuff is a part of life.

I'm also not against organization. In fact, I love to organize! Give me storage boxes and baskets and I take great joy in wrapping a room in labeled Rubbermaid.

There's a place for organizing one's belongings. Organization helps to bring order to a home. We all have necessary stuff- books, clothes, kids toys, kitchen equipment and paper that needs to be organized so it doesn't take over our homes and lives. Those of us with tiny homes and even smaller closets know the virtues of organizing even the basics into the most creative of configurations to get it all to fit.

But there also comes a time when I need to stop organizing and start decluttering. Keep what I need, love and use and pass the rest on for someone else to enjoy.

I don't want to spend all my time sorting, sifting and organizing my stuff. Instead, I'd like to enjoy what I have and experience something much more important, life itself.

Works For Me Wednesday: Packing and Moving Tips?

Today is the backwards edition of Works For Me Wednesday, where I ask the question and you give me the tips! Fun!

Today's question: What kind of tips do you have for moving and packing?

We are going to be moving soon. When exactly, or where, I do not know. But moving is inevitable, whether in a month or two or later this year. As far as we know we will be staying in this general area, so the move will most likely be across town and not across the country.

I haven't moved that much in my lifetime and this is the first time I'll be packing up a whole household and moving it from point A to point B. Naturally, I won't be doing all the work myself.  I have a capable husband and friends who are sure to help out, but I will be the one organizing and overseeing the move.

I know how to pack boxes and label them specifically instead of having all marked 'Misc.' (That's what my husband's former roommate would do when he moved. ) And I've been decluttering and am having a yard sale this weekend.

Do you seasoned movers have specific systems that you follow when packing? Color-coded stickers... numbered boxes with coordinating lists...throw everything out that you can't fit in the Neon? :-)

Please share! What works for you for packing and moving?

**This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday.

Cloth Napkins

We love our cloth napkins! Not only do they save us money because we're not constantly buying the disposable variety (although I do have a cheap pack of paper napkins on hand for hosting large groups), but they are also just so much nicer to use! Not to mention not generating so much trash.

I had several comments on the cloth napkins in last week's  green and frugal post so I thought I'd devote a whole post to the subject of cloth napkins today!

But don't they require so much care?

Not in my experience. We don't wash ours after every meal but instead use the same ones for several meals or days or until they are noticeably dirty. This may gross some people out, but it works for us! Some families use napkin rings to keep everyone's napkins separate. I throw them in the wash with a load of towels so they don't really create any extra laundry.

I iron napkins for special occasions, otherwise I don't bother with ironing. Linen napkins really look and feel much better if ironed and/or starched.  So I don't use those kind. :-) Plain cotton works well and is very low-maintenance.

What about cost?

At regular department store prices, cloth napkins can sometimes be a little on the pricey side. But they don't have to be! Every napkin in my collection has either been purchased on clearance, at yard sales and thrift stores, given as gifts or handmade.

After several uses, the napkins will begin to pay for themselves because you will no longer be buying paper ones.

How do I go about making my own cloth napkins? 

Napkins are one of the simplest items to sew, even for a beginner seamstress. I've used small pieces of leftover fabric to make ours. You can also make napkins out of a sheet from the thrift store or an extra sheet that you have around the house. Pretty much any cotton fabric will do!

They are so easy to make! Basically, you cut a square of fabric then hem the edges or you can make cute no-sew napkins like these.

My homemade napkins that you see at the top of the basket are reversible. These would be really cute to make with a stylish "adult" fabric on one side and a kid-friendly print on the other. I was going to do a tutorial on how to make reversible napkins but ran out of time so I found these instructions for you.

--Reversible napkins with matching napkin rings.
--Reversible napkins with adorable rick rack edging.

Some other cute cloth napkins I've found:
-- Five different styles of cloth napkins. I love all of these. The retro prints! The rick rack! The embroidery! The applique!

Alright, I may like cloth napkins a bit too much.

But they are fun! And cheap! And easy to use! Try it!

**This post is part of Frugal Fridays.

Cooking With Beef Fat

When I made beef stew last week, I skimmed the fat off the broth and saved it.

Nothing new there. I've read how wonderful it is for cooking and that it's a good fat, so I always save it. Since I am frugal and all and can't bear to throw anything away that might possibly be used for something.

But this time, I actually used it!

I cooked scrambled eggs and sauteed green peppers in the beef fat instead of butter. I put  a generous spoonful into cooked pinto beans and used it for Friday's stir fry. 

I must say it added delicious flavor to everything I used it for. I plan to save it and actually use it again. It's a frugal alternative and stretches my butter and coconut oil supply.

I use mostly grass-fed and good quality meats so I feel more comfortable using the fat from those than the typical grocery store variety.

I remember my dad talking about a time he bit into a delicious-looking piece of pie at a potluck only to discover that the cook had used chicken fat to make the pie crust. I can only imagine how that tasted! Ewww!

That being said, I think it's important to match the fat with the type of recipe I'm creating. A meaty flavored fat or lard will probably not be the best flavor combo for most desserts. :-) I'll continue to use butter or coconut oil for those. On the flip side, some folks may not like the flavor of coconut oil in their meat or main dishes.

Just in case anyone is concerned!

Kermit, it is easy being green!

Kermit came out of the toy basket to celebrate Earth Day!

To celebrate Earth Day, I'll be sharing some green living tips that we practice. More than "living a green lifestyle", I believe it's important to be a good steward of God's creation and what He has given us.

Stephanie wrote an awesome post today on why they celebrate Earth Day from a biblical perspective. Well worth the read!

When I stop and think about it, most of my "green" practices originated out of frugality and have progressed to more of an awareness of living sustainably. And so far, everything has been pretty easy to implement! 

Simple ways that we reduce, reuse and recycle:

1. Buy beef and milk from local farmers.

2. Buy groceries in bulk rather than tiny packages.

3. Make good use of leftovers.

4. Wash and reuse Ziploc bags.

5. Make many of my own cleaners using vinegar and baking soda.

6. Line dry laundry. In addition to this drying rack, we also have an outdoor clothesline.

7. Clean with cloth rags, rather than paper towels. 

8. Use newspapers for washing windows. 

9. Think of ways to recycle old t-shirts. 

10. Use cloth napkins at mealtime. Mine are stored in a basket for accessibility.

11. Shop thrift stores and yard sales.

12. Use reusable grocery bags. 

13. Use plastic grocery bags for trash can liners. 

14. Share one vehicle. 

15. Use a Brita filter and reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water.

16. Use reusable lunch bags and containers.

17. Take steps to reduce energy consumption. We recently stuffed insulation up inside the chimney and covered the fireplace opening with a piece of plywood cut to fit snugly in the opening. We've already seen a  big difference in our heating and cooling bills. (Not a working fireplace.) 

18. Repurpose used and thrifted clothes.

This placemat and napkin were made from old jeans and scrap fabrics.

19. Repurpose food containers. 

20. Make my own storage containers instead of purchasing new.

What are some ways that you practice good stewardship? 

**This post is part of Frugal Fridays!

Measurement Conversion Chart

I received a handy little "measure magnet' in the mail recently. The company I got it from is a scam and I will not sign up for their cooking club but I immediately saw that this little chart could come in handy.

And it has. It is so helpful to have these measurement conversions right at my fingertips.

The list may be very helpful to you too, so I'm sharing it here.

Cup         Fluid Oz.         TBSP          TSP       Milliliter

1 c.          8 oz.                 16 Tbsp       48 tsp     237 ml

3/4 c.       6 oz.                 12 Tbsp       36 tsp     177 ml

2/3 c.       5 oz.                 11 Tbsp       32 tsp     158 ml    

1/2 c.       4 oz.                   8 Tbsp       24 tsp     118 ml   

1/3 c.       3 oz.                   5 Tbsp       16 tsp       79 ml

1/4 c.       2 oz.                   4 Tbsp       12 tsp       59 ml

1/8 c.       1 oz.                   2  Tbsp        6 tsp       30 ml

1/16 c.    .5 oz.                   1 Tbsp         3 tsp       15 ml

Not having to do so much brain work when converting measurements is a kitchen tip that works for me!

**This post is a part of Kitchen Tip Tuesdays and Works For Me Wednesday!