I usually enjoy March break. It's nice to have Tyler at home and even if we don't go away, puttering around the house, spring cleaning... it just feels good. This break, however, was nothing like that. I don't know why sickness breeds in our home but we've had the stomach flu and the resulting relapse (which didn't include vomiting) for over a week. I'm tired of laundry and less than happy children, and the smell. Seriously, I want to throw the house in a washing machine!
We did manage to cut down a very tall, shedding tree which opens the yard up so much! And the boys and I felt well enough to watch Coraline in 3D. But other than that, this break was a bust. I'm almost through another major project but once that's over, I start the biggest catalogue I've ever worked on. I can't complain about the work I guess. I just need to figure out a better way of getting it done without staying up till all hours then getting up with the kids.
New thought: So I'm going to try and organize all my recipes. I have clippings, online files, cookbooks where I only use a couple... I want to figure out a way to organize them all so I actually use them instead of filing them away and never looking at them. Do I type them all out so I can format them all the same and come up with some sort of labeling system? My sister (who just had a birthday on Friday... Happy Birthday Sara!!!) has started her system so I should take a peek at that. I think it would be cool to take pictures of the recipes so that you know what they look like too. If anyone has done this and had it work for them, let me know/give me your suggestions. And I will post my progress when I figure out what I'm doing.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
What's Cooking Wednesday - Issue 15
The Frugal Edition
Money's tight (as always) so I'm trying to clean out out pantry/fridge/freezer before heading out to the too-convenient grocery stores. I had some dried chickpeas so on Monday I soaked them and yesterday at lunch I cooked them. I also had some couscous and some potatoes. I figured I could do a roasted vegetable with chickpeas and couscous. It was so yummy!! I made a tonne of chickpeas so I froze the cooked chickpeas in 1 cup portions so I can add them to anything and it an additional meatless meal to cut down on cost. Apparently soaking and cooking chickpeas reduces their gas inducing properties and they tasted better than the canned kind.
Here's my made-up recipe...
Roasted Vegetables with Chickpeas and Couscous
2 cups cooked chickpeas
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1" pieces
3 large or 6 smaller potatoes, cubed into 1" pieces
3 large carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 large or 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2" wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
salt to taste
1 pkg couscous
Soak and cook chickpeas if necessary (To soak, cover chickpeas with water and soak in fridge for 24 hrs. To cook, drain and rinse soaked chickpeas. Put chickpeas in pot and cover with water about 2" above the chickpeas. Cover and bring to a boil skimming off foam. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 hrs. You know they're done when they have that creamy texture when you eat them... Note: After soaking, make sure you go through and take out the ones that are not plumped; they will be as hard as rocks).
Heat oven to 400˚. Put chopped potatoes and veggies in roasting pan. Add olive oil and spices. Mix it all up. Cook for 1 hr checking every once in a while and stirring to cooking evenly. About 10 mins before veggies are done, put the water on to boil for the couscous. Once boiling, add the couscous, stir, remove from heat and cover for 5 mins. Fluff with fork. Get a large bowl and stir the veggies, chickpeas and couscous together. Enjoy!
Visit the Shan's blog for the other What's Cooking Wednesday entries.
Money's tight (as always) so I'm trying to clean out out pantry/fridge/freezer before heading out to the too-convenient grocery stores. I had some dried chickpeas so on Monday I soaked them and yesterday at lunch I cooked them. I also had some couscous and some potatoes. I figured I could do a roasted vegetable with chickpeas and couscous. It was so yummy!! I made a tonne of chickpeas so I froze the cooked chickpeas in 1 cup portions so I can add them to anything and it an additional meatless meal to cut down on cost. Apparently soaking and cooking chickpeas reduces their gas inducing properties and they tasted better than the canned kind.
Here's my made-up recipe...
Roasted Vegetables with Chickpeas and Couscous
2 cups cooked chickpeas
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1" pieces
3 large or 6 smaller potatoes, cubed into 1" pieces
3 large carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 large or 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2" wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
salt to taste
1 pkg couscous
Soak and cook chickpeas if necessary (To soak, cover chickpeas with water and soak in fridge for 24 hrs. To cook, drain and rinse soaked chickpeas. Put chickpeas in pot and cover with water about 2" above the chickpeas. Cover and bring to a boil skimming off foam. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 hrs. You know they're done when they have that creamy texture when you eat them... Note: After soaking, make sure you go through and take out the ones that are not plumped; they will be as hard as rocks).
Heat oven to 400˚. Put chopped potatoes and veggies in roasting pan. Add olive oil and spices. Mix it all up. Cook for 1 hr checking every once in a while and stirring to cooking evenly. About 10 mins before veggies are done, put the water on to boil for the couscous. Once boiling, add the couscous, stir, remove from heat and cover for 5 mins. Fluff with fork. Get a large bowl and stir the veggies, chickpeas and couscous together. Enjoy!
Visit the Shan's blog for the other What's Cooking Wednesday entries.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
What's Cooking Wednesday - Issue 14
It's just after 8. I have the kids fed, dishes done, made muffins and cleaned those dishes and Craig is tucking them all into bed so I can watch America's Next Top Model (which starts tonight). Oh, yes. It's a guilty pleasure!!
The muffins are a favourite from Muffin Mania. Enjoy! (Please visit WCW to see the other entries)
Muffins That Taste Like Donuts
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. oil
3/4 c. white sugar
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
In another bowl combine thoroughly oil, sugar, egg and milk.
Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir only to combine.
Bake 350˚ for 20-25 min.
For a delicious variation, fill tins 1/2 full of batter, put 1 tsp. jam on top, and top with the rest of the batter.
The muffins are a favourite from Muffin Mania. Enjoy! (Please visit WCW to see the other entries)
Muffins That Taste Like Donuts
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. oil
3/4 c. white sugar
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
In another bowl combine thoroughly oil, sugar, egg and milk.
Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir only to combine.
Bake 350˚ for 20-25 min.
For a delicious variation, fill tins 1/2 full of batter, put 1 tsp. jam on top, and top with the rest of the batter.
New Look
So what do you think? I have saved the original format. Of course as a designer, you'd like I'd come up with my own layout design but I haven't conquered the whole CSS, HTML stuff needed to do it. If anyone knows how to create a layout, let me know and I'll give it a go!
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