Name That Leftover! Can you guess what this awesome dinner used to be?

Ah, leftovers. They get a bad rap. But they're actually the basis for some really tasty and creative culinary inventions!

So many of those Old World recipes that were passed from Great-Grandma to Grandma to Mom and so on down the line, originated from leftovers. Take rice pudding, for example. A perfectly delicious way to use up last night's leftover rice.

Can you guess which leftover last night's dinner is based on?

I'll give you a hint. It's not the chicken. I took that out of the freezer, per yesterday's "One chicken breast, 4 mouths to feed" post.


I'm calling this my "Salsa, Chicken and Black Bean One-Pot Medley."

The ingredients are:

1/2 chicken breast (see!? I didn't even use the whole thing)
1/2 can of black beans
jarred salsa
chopped onion
chopped green pepper

Brown chicken breast on all sides. Add a little water to the pan. Cover and cook on med-high until simmering. Then turn down to low and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Remove from heat. Prep your onion and green pepper. Find jar of salsa in back of fridge. Add to chicken drippings in pot. Cook the onion and pepper in that. Then add chicken and stir. Add black beans at the very end. Combine with cooked pasta (see below) and serve hot.

ANNND the mystery leftover ingredient that made this all possible was...

Homemade mac 'n cheese!

Did you guess right? Yep, there's mac and cheese in there. That was the "pasta" that I added at the very end. I made a home cooked chicken helper style meal, without the helper!

What's your favorite way to use up and transform leftovers? Leave a comment, get a link.

xo,
Mom

Quick and Easy Roasted Peppers at Home

Has your September garden become a veritable bell pepper factory?

If you have so many peppers you don't know what to do with them all, then check out this quick and easy method for making roasted peppers. Do it on a night when you're already using the oven.

Step 1. Go out to garden or local nursery. Procure peppers.

Step 2. Rinse and pat peppers dry.

Step 3. Place peppers in baking pan in oven. Bake at 350.

Step 4. When skin of peppers is soft and wrinkled, remove from oven and let cool.

Step 5. Peel skin from peppers. Remove stem and seeds. Slice into strips or chunks. Place all in a clean jar with lid. I like to use the jars from my Bon Maman preserves. They're pretty!

Step 6. Smash a clove of garlic with the back of a wooden spoon (or your fist). Place in jar with peppers. Add vinegar, olive oil, and salt to taste. Put lid back on and place in fridge.

The more time your peppers are allowed to marinate, the better they will taste!

What do you typically do with an abundance of peppers from your garden?

Chinese Takeout Inspires Cute Craft for Kindergarteners to Make and Enjoy

So about a month ago, we were sitting there giggling over our fortunes after just having eaten a meal of Chinese food. Suddenly, I was hit with an idea. We had this can with a lid that I'd been saving in the cabinet. The can previously held coconut macaroons. It was the perfect size and shape for a fun and easy craft project with my little boy.

We turned the can into a "Fortune Picker," in just a few easy and kid-friendly steps.

What You'll Need:

One can with lid – coffee can size is good
2 pieces of construction paper
Safety scissors
Pen or pencil
Colored Markers
Tape or glue
More paper – any kind will work


Step 1. Make the sign. Get a piece of construction paper. On it, have the child write the words "CHOOSE YOUR FORTUNE" or whatever fun, fortune-related phrase you can think of. Let him or her draw a picture or decorate in some other way if they feel inspired.

Step 2. Size your can cover. Get a second sheet of construction paper. Take this one, and hold it up to the can so it wraps around (covering the product label), making sure the paper is lined up straight along the bottom edge of the can.

Step 3. Trace and cut. With a pen or pencil, have your child trace along the line where the paper meets the can. Be sure the line goes all the way around the can.

Step 4. Cover the can. Have your child cut the line that you previously traced. Take the paper that you just trimmed, and wrap around the can so that the entire label is covered. Tape or glue the paper to the can, along the vertical seam.

Step 5. Decorate the Can. Let your child write the same words, CHOOSE YOUR FORTUNE, on the outside of the can using the markers. He or she can pick whatever colors, or add stars, moon, or another fun design idea.

Step 6. Make fortunes. Take the other paper and cut strips from it. As many as you think will fit in the jar. For each strip, think of a fun fortune and write it on the paper. Fold in half and place in the decorated jar. Your fortunes can be funny, silly, inspiring or complementary. They should make the reader feel happy! Moms may want to take over, as this is potentially a lot of writing work for a young child.

Step 7. Have fun with it! When friends come over, ask if they would like to have their fortune told. Take out your Fortune Jar and Sign, and have them close their eyes and pick. They can even help by adding their own fortunes to the jar, and letting you take one!

Skills practiced:

Planning | Eye hand coordination | Handwriting | Fine motor | Cutting and Pasting | Writing | Creative play | Sharing

What's your idea for a great, kid-friendly craft? Leave a comment, get a link. 

xo,
Mom

What to Do When You Only Have 1 Chicken Breast and 4 Mouths to Feed

Sometimes you take a look in the freezer, and the only meat you have in there is a lone, frosty chicken breast.

I don't know about you, but I feel like I spend my life in Shoprite. Part of my "Mom ain't got time for that" agenda is to streamline dinner prep and do a better job of utilizing what I have on hand.

If you find yourself with a small bit of meat for a family of 3 or more, here's what to do.

Put the meat out to defrost in the morning. Fridge is fine if you work all day; I'm home, so I do kitchen sink for most of the morning and then transfer to a container in the fridge for continued, afternoon thawing.

Plan a stir-fry or one-pot meal. Think about what veggies you have. If it's a bag of frozen broccoli, that's easy enough to incorporate. You can zap it in the microwave 10 minutes before adding to your one-pot chicken medley. Check the crisper for a carrot, zucchini, green pepper, mushrooms. Whatever you find will be dinner.

Consider adding beans. You'll probably want some extra protein if everyone's sharing a single chicken breast. I keep cans of kidney beans, chick peas, white beans and black beans in my pantry. Plan to use those in your stir-fry.

Select your grain of choice, as you'll most likely serve this with pasta, rice, or some other, more sophisticated grain like quinoa, right? Cook the grain in a pot of water on the stovetop at any point in the day when you have a free moment. You can also root around the fridge for a leftover starchy side to use. There could be a tub of pasta in there from 2 nights ago!

Start cooking. When you've got about an hour before it's dinner time, sautee up some garlic and/or onions in a big Dutch oven or wide frying pan. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. If it's on the bone, it will take much longer. Reduce heat, and cook covered until the meat is no longer pink.

Cut up the chicken. You'll have to cool it first. Use a chopping board to cut into bite sized pieces, then set aside.

Cut up all the veggies, and add to the pan with more garlic if you like. I sometimes use those Thai curry pastes that come in a jar. When the veggies are done, return the chicken to the pan and add a little soy sauce or whatever seasonings you like. Gently stir in the beans at the very end.

Sauce it up. If you want to make a sauce, add chicken broth and a little flour or cornstarch, then blast with high heat until it bubbles and thickens. Be sure to stir frequently.

Heat up the rice, pasta or other grain. Add a pat of butter or a drizzle of good oil, like sesame. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve, and eat!

What's your favorite go-to meal when there isn't much meat in the house?

The Kiss of Death

Do you ever say stuff like "Oh my God, it's the kiss of death!" Sometimes I do. I'll tell you what my "kiss of death" is.

It's falling asleep in my son's bed during 7:30 story time, then waking up 2 hours later all "Oh, no! WTF, where am I!?"

Because if you take a NAP at 8 p.m. and wake up at 10, you know that you're not going to feel tired again until, OHH, 3 a.m., and that isn't really the ideal time to "go to bed" when you have to wake up at five-fucking-thirty!

I am writing in the blog right now because that's exactly what happened tonight. Do you know what this busy mom ain't got time for? Sitting there being idly awake when the rest of the world is sawing wood like they should be!

My husband is sawing wood right now, actually. This just compounds my problem of being awake at an inconvenient hour. When I finally realized (at midnight) that, hey, this whole sleep thing isn't working for me right now, who comes shuffling up the stairs but dear Hubby. Who, bless his soul, is dead to the world as soon as his head hits the pillow and stays that way all night.

Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Sleep and me, we have a special kind of love-hate relationship. Here are some things I've tried in the name of conquering the insomnia beast.

Yoga. I did my yoga this morning, and again, just before giving in to writing this. Did it work? No. Why would night time yoga relax and put me to sleep?



Meditation. This is something I'm not good at, and rarely feel inspired to do. I don't even really understand what meditation is. Sitting cross-legged on the floor with eyes closed, imagining a flickering candle flame, while attempting to clear my mental clutter?


Natural progesterone cream. I'm at the age where a gal needs a little progesterone boost now and then. Cranky, cranky! My brand of choice is Natural Woman. It's pleasantly scented with lemongrass.

Knitting. Knitting is supremely relaxing. But I don't feel like doing it right now. Maybe after I finish this post, I'll park myself in front of some Netflix comedy with some worsted and a pair of circulars.

Ear plugs. My dear hubby bought me a container of lady-sized ear plugs. They're pink foam. You squeeze them and shove in your ears, then they expand. I have my trusty ear plugs in now. They work pretty well, but tonight the hubs was really taking his snoring to new and impressive levels.

White noise. Window air conditioners... an insomniac's best friend! I use fans in the cooler months, and just position them so they're not blowing on us. I was hoping the fan would drown out hubby tonight, but alas, it did not.

Deepak Chopra's book on sleep. The cover is purple, it's a paperback, I think I may have sold it in a garage sale though. Among others, such as yoga and not eating late at night, his big breakthrough tip was to sip hot water all day every day. Hmmm. Oh, and I think he said to relax. Wow, what a revolutionary idea. Thank you, Mr. Chopra.

Do you have occasional brushes with the insomnia monster? What are your favorite ways to get back to sleep?

The One Natural Product that Totally Turned me into a Compulsive Clean Freak

I appreciate a tidy home, but I am (was?) definitely not one of those compulsive cleaning types. Back when I was single and freelancing from home, I kept a somewhat sparse apartment that remained in fair order. But that's often the case when the only person to clean up after is you.

However, when I became a mother and wife, my tidying-up habit quickly went out the window. Face it, after a full day of toddler chasing, diaper changing and cooking and serving food on demand, I really didn't have the energy to scrub floors and dust (even though I probably should have). Put hubby's shoes away, and they're back in the middle of the floor again. Dog barfs in his bed on your way out the door. You know how it goes.

Well, let me tell you the unexpected natural product that permanently changed my attitude toward cleaning. Can you guess what it was? I bet you can't.

It was essential oils!

Yes – quite unbelievable, no? I mean, how can something as seemingly innocuous as a small vial of potent plant essence shake up someone's world in such a manner? Once I tried them, I hardly knew what hit me. What is this sudden, wild urge to purify and feng-shui everything in sight?

So, let me tell you what happened. I started smelling the stuff. And I liked it. A lot.

I began to amass a respectable-sized collection of essential oils. I liked sampling the various scents and trying them out for their various purposes. Lavender for a calming effect. Lemon for cleaning and disinfecting. Geranium to balance the lady-moods. Peppermint for a lift.

I bought a couple of spray bottles. Blue plastic, nothing special. I mixed up some of my favorite oils to make an all-purpose blend for spritzing about the house. I used it to clean my counter tops, tables and cabinets. I sprayed it on my husband's office chair that smells of cigars and old campfires. I freshened up the air all around the house with an intoxicating potion.

Pictured: my essential oils collection, when it was about half as large as it is now.
Note the key ingredients - jojoba oil as a carrier oil, witch hazel for mixing spray blends.

So, what ended up happening is that I liked the scent of all the various essential oils so much that I ditched my former cleaning products, and began using oils exclusively to clean the house.

Into a bucket I added 20 drops of lemon and 10 drops of eucalyptus, along with 5 drops of tea tree oil, with a mix of Dr. Bronner's and a couple of gallons of water. I used that to clean the kitchen floor, then the bathroom. It smelled so yummy. People who came over to visit remarked on how fresh and inviting my house was. "What IS that amazing aroma? "they would ask after I had sprayed the kitchen trash can with a combination of lemon, peppermint, cinnamon and geranium.

Buy lemon oil on Amazon, and support this blog!

So that ended up being the catalyst for me becoming a clean freak. I began to feel disgust at the sight of any crumbs or smudges on my kitchen floor. What was this strange compulsion? I'd spray the air that had been fouled with stale cooking odors, and the bright lemon aroma would inspire me to start wiping down everything.

Now, instead of just remaining plopped in front of the computer impulsively checking messages over and over, I was impulsively cleaning – and my house has never looked better!

I even do stuff like go in the fridge for a snack, find old food that needs to be trashed, get rid of it, clean the container, then spray and wipe the refrigerator with my magical cleaning mix.

Now, when people come over, they can't help but remark on the delightful, clean appearance of my home. I can't even believe it myself. Mr. Clean and the Tidy Bowl Man have got nothing on this gal.

Okay – so I might be exaggerating just a wee bit up in this piece.

(Is that acceptable to say? Did I use that one correctly? Ah – who am I kidding? I am old, and uncool. Hooray for being uncool, and not really caring!!)

 

Sure, some days I don't go near a broom, and the laundry accumulates up to the ceiling on a sleeping bag in the basement. But honestly, I have never been more excited to have a shiny, fresh-smelling home, and this is all due to the addition of essential oils into my life.

So, thank you, amazing, mood-inducing, germ-fighting, olfactory-tingling, vibe-changing, essential oils!

You've made me a better mother, wife, woman. ::gush::

What ways do you have tons of fun with essential oils? Drop a line, get a link.

xo.
Mom

Now, as a Mom, I Do Things I Never Thought I'd Do

Here's a list of things I never imagined myself doing, that I regularly now do as a Mom.
Never say never, old dogs do learn new tricks, and (insert your favorite cliche remark about change here).

I drink wine. When I was young, I was a beer gal. But then I got a beer gut, and became fancy. Moms in their forties drink wine. What can I say, it's good! "Choosy Moms choose Bordeaux," as my dear friend Laura likes to say.

Keep my house in a semi- permanently clean state. I have never been a Type A, or at least I wasn't in my home life. But now, as the wife of a man who is always in Go Mode, I've learned to expect the unexpected. That means keeping my house as though someone were to pop in unexpectedly.

Feed my child dessert before dinner. I did this last night. Brought home a delicious berry pie from the orchard, and then thought about what would be the ideal time for him to eat it. After dinner would be bath, then bed... not a time for sugar-high. So, pre-dinner pie it was, and yes I had to threaten him that there would never be pie before dinner again if he didn't eat his hot dogs and beans. But yes - he did eat everything!

Serve hot dogs and beans to my kid. I'm mostly a "natural mama." I buy organic milk and chicken and grow my own backyard vegetables. I try to limit sweets (within reason). Hot dogs... well, we all know what they're made of. Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails, right? Yes - I made them for dinner last night. And I am not ashamed!!


Never talk on the phone. Nope - the eighties kid whose mom had to constantly pop onto the downstairs line and tell her to hang up, the college girl who had a 6+ hour conversation with her best guy friend who later became The Boyfriend, has no spare minutes to chat on the phone. Granted, I am a blogger, so the majority of my thoughts go to written communication. But oh, times have changed, haven't they! Are you a phone person? Were you ever?

Spend $600-800 a month on groceries. I admit, I must be doing something terribly wrong. The Facebook extreme couponers would probably have a coniption (sp?) if they heard about this. But I feel like there's always something coming up that requires some wild expenditure, or maybe it's just that Shoprite carries almost everything these days, including patio umbrellas.

Do you do stuff you never thought you'd do? How has motherhood and wifedom changed your life? Leave a comment, get a link.