Rosemary Chicken Tacos

I have a lot of cookbooks on my shelves and often people ask me if I cook from every one of them.  I don't.  Some I use for just a few recipes that are really yummy.  One of my cookbooks has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies just like the ones you buy in Costco.  I keep it on my shelf just for that recipe.  Last month, I got a new Taco cookbook.  My husband's favorite foods are tacos and pasta with red sauce.  In our house, Tuesdays are taco night.  So, when I saw a cookbook all on tacos--300 best taco Recipes by Kelley Cleary Coffeen, I thought my husband would love it!

What I found with this cookbook is that it made my mouth water and it made me want to cook.  It also sparked my imagination.  In the beginning is a great description of all the different ways to warm or fry tortillas.  Her list of equipment and ingredients was very helpful.  As I read through the cookbook, I recognized my mom's beef taquito recipe.  She uses variations of this recipe for both chicken and beef taquitos or rolled tacos.  These were a family tradition in my house around Christmas time that I miss.  I highly recommend making some of these with some guacamole!  There are several great sections of appealing pictures--that will of course make you want to have some tacos very soon.  There is also a great variety of sauces and salsas in that section of the book.  It didn't have everything I've ever wanted to make when it comes to salsa, but it had some fun ideas and we enjoyed the Citrusy Lime Salsa I made.  


Now for some specific notes...
1) My family has been frying corn tortillas for years, so I read her description carefully.  I do not deep fry mine.  I use a nonstick skillet with a little oil.  Fry it until it starts to puff up a little and then use a wooden spoon.  Place it in the middle and use tongs to fold over the side of the tortilla (to fold it into a moon shape).  Fry it until both sides are as crispy as you would like them.  Place on a paper towel lined plate when cooked.


2) Last week, I made some great tacos on a non-designated taco night.  I think it was a Thursday.  I made some chicken tacos.  The chicken was seasoned with pepper, sea salt, and rosemary.  I served the tacos with chicken, sour cream, and carmelized onions. They were yummy!  

Here's the recipe for the chicken.  

Put 1 tsp. dried rosemary, 1 tsp. coarse sea salt, and 1/2 tsp. cracked pepper in a Mortar bowl.  Use a pestal to crush it.  Slice 1 lb. chicken breasts into strips.  Place in a bowl and toss with 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil.  Then, add in the spice mixture and toss to coat.  Saute chicken in pan until cooked through.

Carmelized onions:

I thinly slice an onion.  Add 1 tsp. brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. canola oil.  Saute for 30-40 minutes over med. low heat.  If the heat is too high--they won't cook faster, they'll just burn unfortunately.  I know this from experience of trying to rush them!

This recipe is not in the taco cookbook, but I took the idea from the book.  There is a great recipe for Rosemary Chicken Tacos in the book.  I used it as a springboard.  The recipe in the cookbook calls for grilling the chicken and a creamy garlic spread (which sounds wonderful).  


When I made my version of Rosemary chicken tacos, I realized that this is what made me like this cookbook--it started my brain going.  I had put tacos in a box and not thought of them as anything other than meat or refried bean tacos.  This cookbook helped me see that there's a lot more to tacos than meets the eye!


Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook from Robert Rose Publishing for review.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

I am 37 years old and last year was the first time I remember a friend giving me a cookie plate at Christmas time.  I think we even got two from two different friends--with the same name :)  It was such a treat!  I love to bake, one of the gals made some peanut butter blossoms that were so much better than mine!  I tasted one and I thought, "Mine aren't as good as these!  I need to find a better recipe!"  So, I set out to find one...


I did find one.  It was in my King Arthur's Cookie Companion Cookbook.  I love to make cookies--and eat them, of course.  I wanted a big cookie cookbook for a long time and found this one at a used book sale.  I've had really good luck with the cookies I've made from it.  


I searched online for a recipe identical to the one I made and found one HERE.  Of course, I don't use Reese's Peanut Butter in mind.  I use Simply Jif--the kind without hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil.  I also use butter instead of shortening.  I use the exact same amount.  Some substitution books will say that there's a slight difference in how much shortening to replace with butter.  I found with recipe that I simply substituted the 1/2 cup shortening with 1/2 cup butter.


They're really yummy!

October Free Audio Book: Think

Every month Christianaudio.com has a free audio book.  This month, it is the book Think by John Piper.  


The description of the book says that it is a book about thinking.  Piper wants us to glorify God in our thinking.  Our faith is a combination of heart and mind.  Our mind is an important part of that--a very important part and that is what this book is about. 

A funny thing happened at BJs a few weeks ago...

A few weeks ago, it was time for the monthly change of our air conditioning filter.  I'd run out, so I headed over to BJs.  There were 2 packages left but no price tag up on the rack.  I picked up both packages and headed to the checkout lane.  After checking out all of my other items, the checker called over the supervisor for help.  


It turns out that the 2 pk of filters rang up for 3 cents.  Really.  It rang up for 3 cents!  He thought it was a fluke as did the checkout supervisor, so they called the store manager.  Nope.  3 cents it was.  I went back to see if there were anymore.  There was--1 more package.  It was a little bent, but for 3 cents I was willing to try them. It was only the cardboard frame that was a little bent.  


So, that day I left BJs with 6 air conditioning filters for a 11 cents.  Normally, a 2 pk is $15.  So, instead of being $45 plus tax, it was only 11 cents.  


The lesson I learned that day...  it never hurts to ask how much something is!  You may just find an extra good deal!

Cooking for Special Diets

I think that cooking for someone with a special diet is often difficult.  We are so accustomed to cooking with a lot of dairy, meat, salt, and sugar in America.  I fall into this group wholeheartedly.  I try to be wise about all of these ingredients and eat them in moderation.  Two months ago, I wanted to decrease the sugar in my family's diet.  So, my answer was to look for some new recipes.  That's usually my first impulse when it comes to cooking.  When I have recipes I want to make and that sounds good, I'm much more likely to make them.  


Because I wanted to decrease the amount of sugar, I thought of cookbooks for diabetics, since they have to have diets low in sugar.  I requested two diabetic cookbooks for review.  I really enjoyed America's Best Cookbook for Kids with Diabetes.  I wrote a review here two months ago.  Since then, I've been sporadically cooking recipes from the second diabetes cookbook I have, 250 Essential Diabetes Recipes.

I've made a white sauce for my fish, the broccoli ranch salad, classic greek salad dressing, and an eggplant dip.  The white sauce needed spice.  The Broccoli salad was surprisingly good.  The Greek salad dressing was pretty salty, but good.  The eggplant dip was declined by my husband after a few bites.  He wasn't crazy about the strong celery taste to it.  


What I loved about the Kids cookbook was that the recipes had just enough spice for kids and enough to keep parents happy.  In contrast, the recipes from this cookbook were quite bland except for the broccoli salad.  I'm going to rabbit trail for just a second...


I have noticed that many cookbooks from the 1950s and 60s had recipes in them that were very basic and mild.  Usually the recipes didn't have a lot of spice in them or strong flavors.  Over the years, the number of cookbooks has greatly multiplied!  There are still those cookbooks with pretty mild dishes, but there are also many cookbooks that have plenty of spice in their recipes.  My tastes fall toward the more flavorful side.  So, with those random thoughts...


The recipes from this cookbook reminded me a lot of those blander recipes from days long ago.  They weren't bad recipes, but they simply weren't as packed as flavor as I'd like.  


But, there are many strengths of this cookbook.  1) The formatting, as with all Robert Rose cookbooks, is great.  The recipes are so easy to read and understand.  None of the recipes are very difficult to make.  There's a very helpful introduction at the front of the cookbook.  2) You can modify the recipes in this cookbook.  With special diets, food often needs to be bland so that it will settle with someone's stomach.  If that's what you're looking for, this cookbook will meet that need.  Also, if there's an ingredient (like my husband and celery), adjust the amount you add to the recipe.


If you're looking for a diabetes cookbook to check out of the library, look this one up.  The pictures are appealing and it's easy to use.  You may find that it's a good fit for you and it will give you a place to start.


Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook from Robert Rose for review.

Gluten-Free Brownies

Yesterday, I got a new cookbook, Taste of Home Baking, in the mail to try out.


My mom loves Taste of Home magazine so I was curious about this cookbook. I bake a lot so I do have many cookbooks on my shelves.  At one point I had 100 (my husband counted), but I've cut back to only the ones I use which has left me with about 80 or so.  I guess I cook a lot.


When this cookbook arrived, I was immediately pleased. Inside the front cover was an insert offer with a free 1 year subscription to Taste of Home magazine ($10 is the special rate usually) which makes the $18 price on Amazon for this cookbook a great value! When you open up, you'll see that there are two plastic pages protectors that you can use to protect the cookbook pages while you are cooking. I can't tell you how many spots my cookbooks have on them from my cooking! Once you get past those two features, you'll notice that there are many sections including one for cupcakes (the new craze), lighter recipes, and special diets. The formatting of this cookbook makes it very easy to read and use. There are plenty of pictures to give you an idea of what you're making--and make it appealing! The pages are thicker than the ones in America's Test Kitchen's family cookbooks (also binder-style) which makes the pages easier to turn and less likely to rip out.

I chose to make two recipes from this cookbook in the 24 hours that I've had it so far. Yesterday, I made the gluten-free brownies. They have... garbanzo beans in them. The recipe sounded so strange I had to try it. They turned out! Actually, my kids (3, 5, and 7) raved about them. They weren't as heavy as normal brownies since they didn't have any wheat or butter in them. They were really quite good!


I was able to find the recipe for the brownies online HERE.  


The second recipe I made was one for apple muffins. I do want to note that Taste of Home is not typically thought of as a "healthy" cooking magazine so I wouldn't say that most of the recipes in this cookbook are "healthy" type baking recipes. The muffins were quite good (and easy to make) and because there was butter in them, we didn't need to put butter on them when I served them.

This cookbook has significantly improved my opinion of Taste of Home recipes. I had a church supper cookbook by them last year that I finally gave away because the recipes I made didn't turn out that well. This cookbook, on the other hand, has already proven successful in our house! 


Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from the publisher.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

One of our favorite salsas over the past 10 years has been the green salsa verde at Trader Joe's.  But, with the rising cost of groceries, it is also one of the treats that I've cut from my grocery list.


I found a recipe last week that is just as good--if not better--than that salsa.  Green Salsa Verde is either made with peppers or tomatillos.  Trader Joe's salsa is made with tomatillos, so that's what I wanted to use.  The recipe came from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.  But, I found this recipe online Here that is almost exactly the same.  The recipe I made did not have the cumin, though.  So, I'd try it the first time without the cumin and see how you like it.  Add the cumin the next time and see if you like it better or worse!  I will mention that I seeded the jalapenos and Did Not add the seeds back in to spice it up.  I'm a pretty mild salsa eater.  If you like it hot, add the seeds back in to taste when you're blending the salsa.  

A Funny Story About Clothes...

Last week, my daughters started taking an art class at our homeschool co-op.  They donned two shirts that were the same style but different colors.  I had just bought them the weekend before at a consignment sale and they loved them.


Yesterday was the second class day and they donned the same shirts.  Autumn told me they wanted to wear them every week.  I told her that the other kids might think they only have 1 outfit!  At the suggestion, my daughter just burst out laughing. 


And then she said some magical words, "I don't care, Mommy. I love this shirt."


A big smile spread across my face.

How Many Clothes Do You Need?

I could have asked,
How many blankets do you need?
How many shoes do you need?
How many books do you need?
How much curriculum need?
How many toys do your kids need?


What do you need?
What do you not?


Do you think about this a lot?


I think about it from time to time.  I try to be mindful of it.


When my girls were little, I wanted to make sure they had enough clothes.  (They're still little to me.) Like most adults, I have baggage from my past.  And when I was a kid, there were a lot of kids that made comments about my clothes.  I didn't want my kids to have comments made about them.  So, they had plenty of clothes--brand names from garage sale clothes, but still great clothes.  Then, I had a little boy.  He would be our only little boy, so it made sense that I didn't need a lot of extra clothes for him.  I just needed him to have enough.  It made me step back with my girls.  Now when I'm tempted to buy my girls clothes (even at garage sales), I hold myself to a lower limit.  Do they really need it or do they have enough?  Because even if it's a great price, if they don't need it--well, then they don't need it and I shouldn't get it.


As often happens to my blog posts, a rabbit trail is about to sneak in...


I began this post yesterday and tonight I was reading about "needs" in a book I've meant to finish up.  There was only about a chapter or two left and I'd gotten derailed.  Tonight I read about "needs" in a different way that is challenging me.

"When I forget what my true and essential need really is, I will name things as needs that are not really needs and then invest my life in anxious pursuit of 

them.  Subtly, these things begin to exercise control over the way I think 

about myself and my life...Subtly, desire for these things begins to shape the way I invest my time, energy, and money.  Subtly these things become my 

reason for making the decisions I make.  Subtly, these things become the lens through which I evaluate my life.  Subtly, I begin to look to these things for my happiness and my inner sense of well-being.  Somewhere, somehow, I have 

forgotten who I am.  Somehow, I have let go of God's gift of grace.... You see 

life always involves worship.  Our lives revolve around the thing that has 

captured our attention and desire."  

quoted from pg. 182-184 of Broken-Down House by Paul David Tripp

This quote made me realize that it's okay to think about what my family 

needs, but I need to guard the time and energy that this "thinking" takes from me.  I need to be careful that whatever I think I "need" hasn't captured my 

heart and mind.

Newspaper Subscriptions

I know that everyone thinks newspapers are a dying artifact of our culture.  But, the fact is, I enjoy them!  I look forward to the paper delivery on Saturday and the coupons that come with it.  I look forward to reading the news in print form.


I have been subscribing to the local newspaper wherever I lived since I was in college.  There is a trick I've learned along the way.  Usually, promotional rates are for a year period.  When the year is over, the weekly rate will go up.  I always discover this when the bill takes a big hike for the next period.  


That happened to me today.  In the past, I've opened up the newspaper to compare rates that they are offering and called to sign up for one of the rates listed.  They've stopped publishing these rates, so I called the newspaper.  I asked what promotions they have available.  Usually, the best rate is only open to new subscriptions.  I discovered when I asked that there is a rate available for $1.50 per week (vs. the $4.50/week I had just been charged on the most recent bill).  I told the customer service gal I would like to sign up for that promotion.  She mentioned it starting when this billing cycle ended.  I informed her that I'd like it to start this week.  I knew I could ask for that (since I had done this in the past).  She good naturedly said "Okay."  


My paid up date extended by 2 months with that phone call.  Yay!


So, that's my newspaper renewal story :)

To See God Provide

One of the things that brings me such sweet joy is to see how God works things out.  My younger daughter's tennis shoes started coming apart yesterday.  They needed to be replaced ASAP.


At the beginning of the summer, I had bought there the cheapest--yes, literally the cheapest tennis shoes Target had for $10/pr for each of the girls.  It was summer and I knew that their sandals would be what they'd wear most of the time and that they'd probably grow some more over the summer.  I anticipated buying new tennis shoes in the fall.  The girls were happy with them because they liked the colors of the shoes (pink and white) and I was thankful that they didn't mind the cheap construction of them (the price was justified).


Well, fall is here.


The girls are getting to an age where they need better athletic shoes.  I want them to have some support for their feet.  So, we've been going to the Stride Rite outlet when we can for tennis shoes.  But, that takes planning and time.  Neither of which I have in the immediate future.  So, I went by the Stride Rite store in the mall.  The tennis shoes were all very flashy except for some Saucony's that were $49/pr.  They did have a buy one get one half off sale, but that would have made two pairs of shoes $75 plus tax.  It felt a bit steep to me and the shoe colors were flashier than I'd like.  So, we left without any new shoes.  


We traveled onward.   

I thought we'd stop by Dick's Sporting Goods on the way home just to check to see if they had any.  They only had 1 style.  It happened to be on sale!  They were $30/pr but they only had 1 pair of 12s and my girls both wear size 12.  So, the sales associate checked the online store and found the same price online.  I learned that if you order them from the store, you won't pay shipping.  Yahoo!  So, Sami left the store wearing new shoes (I had the cashier throw the old ones away) and Autumn has a package on its way in the mail with her new shoes.  Both girls are happy, though Autumn is already pining for her package to arrive.  I can't blame her.  She was a great sport about it.


It was interesting at the Stride Rite when Sami told me she liked the flashy shoes and I explained that I didn't. I shared with her that I would choose what I thought might be some good choices and ask them if they like them.  After this summer's experience with Sami, I know this is important.  I bought her some sandals that she only thought were so-so and wouldn't wear them until her old ones were literally falling apart.  Thankfully, this one pair came in white/teal/light yellow and the girls both loved the colors!  


The total came to $60 plus tax for the two pairs.  


I was very thankful to save some money on the shoes and see God provide a pair of shoes that Sami, Autumn, and I all like.  It was a little blessing that made me smile.  

The Sugar Problem and Our Kids

There's been a huge increase in obesity in children in the last decade.  It is a growing concern among doctors, educators, and parents.  I think it has an awful lot to do with the food we're feeding our children.  One of the culprits is sugar.


I was thinking about this and wondering how I could find some good kid-friendly recipes with less sugar when I realized that diabetics must eat less sugar.  I found a cookbook for kids with diabetes and was excited to see what was inside it!

The cookbook is America's Best Cookbook for Kids with Diabetes by Colleen Bartley.  It's published by Robert Rose Publishing.  Honestly, I really like how they format their cookbooks.  The fonts are very readable.  The spacing is great so that it's easy to follow a recipe and come back to the step you're on as you're cooking.  You don't lose track of what you're adding or what you're doing!


In this cookbook, there's a great introduction and discussion about sugars and artificial sweeteners.  The discussion about artificial sweeteners isn't very indepth, but it's a good introduction to the topic and gives some food for thought.


As I flipped through the cookbook, I immediately thought "What a great cookbook!"  The recipes are all what I what I'd say are "kid-friendly".  I have often noticed that well intentioned cookbooks for kids throw in a lot of healthy ingredients that kids are reticent to eat.  If you have amiable eaters, that's great.  If you don't, you may often find yourself in a pickle like I do.  


Over the past few weeks, I've made several recipes from this cookbook.  One night we had the fish sticks and the tartar sauce.  I was surprised at how well the coating stuck to the fish. I've had a lot of problems with that over the years!  Then, a few days ago I made the Baked Apple-Raisin Oatmeal.  Of course, my picky eaters won't eat raisins, so I subbed in mini-chocolate chips.  I know this adds in sugar, but for an afternoon snack, this was still a lower sugar alternative than cookies.  A friend of mine was over and ate some.  She commented how much she enjoyed them because it wasn't quite so sweet.  Another recipe I made was using the teriyaki sauce from the pork chop recipe.  I used it when we barbecued chicken.  It good and mild.  Each of the recipes were simple and quick to make.  


If you a) have picky eater and are looking for simple, healthy recipes or b) have a child with diabetes, then you might really like this cookbook.  I did.


Please note note that I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook for review from Robert Rose Publishing.

Birthday Parties

Birthday parties are expensive.  A less expensive option than having a party at a bounce place or Chuck e. Cheese's is to have a special party at home.  I try to do it as wisely as I can.  The parties are always on the back of my mind.  During the year as I'm walking through Target, I watch for clearance items that could be the future stuffings of birthday treat bags.  I watch for invitations and decorations.  I even watch for plates.  This has worked as my kids have been little and I've had a lot of say in the themes of their parties.  But, as they get older, I am finding they have more opinions and it is important that I listen to them.

Fortunately for me, my girls have loved the princess theme for several years.  This year is no exception.  So, I've been doing my usual.  Collecting supplies, invitations, etc.  My girls will have a joint birthday party at the beginning of November.  A few years ago I tried to have separate parties.  The problem?  Six little girls could come to Autumn's party and none to Sami's two weeks later, because everyone had gotten sick.  So, now we have one party.

The princess theme can be a little tricky for me because we don't do the whole "Disney Princess" thing in our house.  So, what can I do new this year?  Well, I found a little book to help me.

It's the Pink Princess Party Cookbook.

Inside you'll find plans for 6 different types of "princess" parties like a "Snowflake princess party" and "Enchanted Pony Princess Party".  There's one called the "Spa Princess Party which I think would be perfect for a young tween that mom wants to have a party for and the daughter wants to be a kid and a grown up at the same time.  

Each party has food suggestions and recipes as well as crafts you can make.  The crafts are appropriate for 6 or 7 year olds to 11 year olds.  In the front, the author does say that children can make the recipes and crafts.  Her advice is that 5 to 7 year olds will need more help and that children 8 and older will be able to do things with less assistance.  

This party guide is smaller than you'd expect.  The font is small, but readable.  The directions are pretty simple.  At first, I thought they were too simple.  Then I tried the author's directions for the Snow Princess Punch.  She suggests dampening the glasses with a lemon or sugar half (I just used a lemon wedge).  It worked well!  I've tried putting salt on margarita glasses before with mediocre success.  The lemon wedge worked much better!  So, I learned through trial and error that the directions were enough with some recipes and crafts.  In one craft, the directions weren't quite enough.  Or rather--I'd do it a little different.  The craft was the Pink Princess Tiara.  It would have been nice to know how much room you needed to leave on each end of the pipe cleaner without beads and also that a little bit of space should be left between the beds.  The other change I would make is to use glue dots instead of tacky glue.  It would be very hard to make 4 or 5 little girls wait an hour for their tiaras to be dry!   

As my girls and I looked through the book, we picked from each of the parties what we wanted to include in theirs in a few months.  Autumn wanted to do the snowflake meringues, but they didn't go with the other things they picked out.  So, we'll save them as a special treat for Christmas.  

If you're wanting to throw a princess party for your daughter, this book will give you lots of ideas.  Some are easier than others, but amidst the bunch, you'll find enough to have a fun party!

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Simon and Shuster Publishing.

Confessions of a Sugar-Loving Mom

Two or three weeks ago, I wrote that I was going to cut sugar out of my diet.  I did...for a few days.  I continued to ponder it and decrease my daily sugar intake, but I didn't continue to cut it out completely.  I like sugar!


Almost two weeks ago, I was among friends and our kids.  The occasion was a beautiful day and a picnic at one  friend's house.  The other gals had the discipline to forgo half of an Eskimo Pie for dessert.  I didn't.  I never buy Eskimo Pies.  They were a treat to me.  So, I chose to have half of one as my dessert for the day.  I felt bad because my friends and I had been discussing forgoing sugar...  And there I was eating half an Eskimo Pie!  Ay Ay Ay!  


After talking with my husband, I've been trying to eat sugar in moderation.  If I cut it out completely, I am afraid I will crave it all the more.  If I'm able to choose a dish that has less sugar in it, I am.  I've cut back the sugar in my coffee and I still drink it before anything sweet in the morning--even yogurt.  I've also been taking acidophilus pills because a friend said she had greater success with those than with eating yogurt.  


So, that's me.  I needed to confess to you that sugar is a weakness of mine--but I'm trying.  I respect my friends who are much stronger than me and were able to forgo the Eskimo Pies!

Buzzzzzz Bars

I went to college in Oregon.  The little coffee shop on campus made these super yummy bars called "Buzz Bars".  Before I left college, I somehow got a copy of the recipe even though I didn't work there.  Here it is:


For a 9x13 pan:


Cream 2/3 cup butter with 2/3 cup brown sugar.  Cream well.
Mix in 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk.  
Mix in 2 2/3 cup rolled oats.
Mix in 3/8 cup light corn syrup.


Spread in a 9x13 sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (I did 18 minutes.)
The "crust" will be a little runny, but put immediately into fridge and let cool completely.


Melt 2/3 cup Skippy Natural peanut butter to spreadable consistency in a pyrex measuring cup.  I microwaved it for a minute.  Spread over the base and cool in the fridge.


Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute.  Don't overcook the chocolate chips or they'll harden up.  Stir for a minute or two.  If you need a little more time and the lumps aren't all getting out, microwave for 15 seconds more.  When all the lumps are out, pour over the peanut butter and spread with a spatula.  When cool, cut and eat them!


Today, I made a bigger pan.  I have a half size bun pan (half of the commercial size cookie sheet). It has a low lip, so it works really well for this bar.  At the cafe, they used full size bun pans to make them.  

If you make the larger pan (18 x 13)like this one that I bought at the webstaurant store online, here are the measurements you'll need:
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
4 cups uncooked rolled oats
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/3 cups chocolate chips


If you try them, I hope they turn out well for you!  

My first dresses

Last Sunday, two of the little girls at church were dressed in the cutest matching dresses.  I could tell they were homemade so I asked my friend about them.  She explained that her mom had bought them from someone who had made them and that they were called "pillowcase" dresses.  


Hmmm... the wheels in my mind started spinning...  could I make one?  I've only ever attempted one outfit and it was with the help of a friend in Australia.  AND that was 17 years ago!  


I went home and found this youtube video:

It seemed pretty straight forward so I thought I'd give it a try.  Here's my first attempt on the hanger:

The hem and dress are actually not tilted--it's just hanging on the hanger that way.  Here is my younger daughter modeling her new dress

After she tried it on, I hemmed the yellow piece so that the dress would be shorter.  When she's taller, I can let out the hem and she'll be able to wear it for longer.

Here's my second attempt:

The video was very helpful.  It doesn't give measurements though.  I figured those out on my own.  The dresses are called pillowcase dresses because they were originally made from pillowcases for little girls.  I believe they are similar to the flour sack dresses of old.  I searched for sample measurements and came up with these for a size 6x dress:  The top piece is 26" long and 18" wide.  You need two of these pieces (front and back).  You need one piece for the trim that is about 37" long (room for trimming) and 4 1/2" wide.  This will give you a dress that is about 28" long.  The armhole I cut was 4" long and 1 1/2" wide.  The video shows a good example of how to cut these.  I did fold my material in half to make sure the hole cuts match in size.


The first dress I made took me about 2 1/2 hours.  The second about 2 hours, The third about 1 1/2 hours and the same for the fourth.  The first dress took so much time because I needed to remember everything from the video and figure out the fabric measurements.  


Tips I learned in the process:
1) I took the time to wash and dry the fabric first so that the dresses won't shrink.  I made myself slow down and make sure to wash and dry the fabric before I started this project.
2) White thread on fabric that has a white background blends in.  White thread on the red dress really showed up!
3)  These are simple dresses so you don't need pins if you feel comfortable with eyeing things.  But, if you feel better with pins, use them :)


I'm excited.  I never thought I could make a dress for my girls.  They were thrilled.  The most challenging part was juggling making the dresses with the rest of my life.  It was very stressful having the girls attempt to come in and out of the room where I was sewing and ironing.  I am very anxious about one of my children knocking over my iron and getting burned.  This morning I made my third and most of my fourth dresses while my kids were at vacation Bible school.  I have to admit that this was so much easier.  In the future, I am only going to work on these when they are in their rooms.  When they are a little older, I look forward to teaching them how to make these dresses!  But, I think that time isn't here yet.  They need to be able to slow down and concentrate a bit more.  They also need to be better at obeying my directions to a tee.  There's no room for error around a hot iron!

Credit Monitoring and The Stuff Movies are Made Of

For the past year, we've had some very quiet neighbors living next door to us.  The house was bought by a man who owns several properties and he rented it to a family of 4, sometimes 6 people.  It was hard to know how many people were living there at any given time because they almost always stayed inside.


There was a mom, a dad, and 2 young kids 3 and 5 years old.  There were two teenage boys who seemed to come and go.  The mom and dad worked in the mortgage business.  He said he worked on restructuring loans for the people struggling to pay their mortgages.


Two weeks ago, they suddenly packed up and moved.  They told my neighbor they were moving back to where they came from one day and left 3 days later.


This weekend the landlord started cleaning out the place...that was full.  It was as if they left their children's whole lives behind--baby pictures, wedding pictures, toys, figurines, furniture...  The strange part is that they left here in a Uhaul--and made 2 trips.  Does this sound like an episode of a drama on television yet or a 48 hours mystery?


It sounds very sketchy and strange to me.  I'm not sure what the real story is, but I'm sure it's complicated.  Honestly, whatever it is can't be good.  It likely involves a lot of the yuckiness and troubles in this life.


There's a catch though, because my neighbor happened to process loans for people with troubled mortgages.  The landlord said he is a skilled liar.  That statement alone makes me very uneasy considering what he purported to do for a living.


I read a recent article in the Sun about some of the recent scams that have been pulled on people with troubled mortgages.  One of the scams was that someone would offer to help them refinance or restructure their loan.  They would give them a fake pay booklet and instruct them to stop paying their old mortgage company and to instead pay the new amount (based on the new, but fake loan) to another address given to them by the person who is restructuring/refinancing their loan.  After missing a few payments, the bank that still held the loan would foreclose on the property and the property owner would lose the property.


There have been other scams that I've read about over the past few years, but this was the most recent one I remember.


So, what would you do if you found yourself duped?  Or potentially duped?  I've been reading the business section of the Baltimore Sun for the past 6 years and it's been surprising to me the little financial issues that I've begun to think about. (It used to be a much better and thicker section before the recession of course.)  But, all that I've read gave me several ideas of what I would do.


#1  Get credit monitoring.  If I'd given forms to someone and I didn't know where they were or what the status on them was, I'd make sure to get credit monitoring right away.  There would have been a lot of personal information in those forms that would enable someone to easily steal my identity.


#2  Start a real refinancing loan or a restructuring loan via a bank.  I would look for an organization that was financially backed and secure.  I would begin this process quickly so that no one would step in and mess with my home.  I would want to take control and know what was going on.


#3  I'd watch my back and be wary.  I'd check my credit card and checking balances and stay on top of them.  I would want to notice anything unusual right away.  


I guess I'd be a bit paranoid, but I've already been the victim of minor identity theft as have other members of my family.  I am naturally on my guard.  My job is to protect my family.  I hope that the situation for my former neighbors isn't as bad as I've imagined it might possibly be.  This experience has reinforced the belief that I need to be observant and careful.  You never know...

Shampoo and Conditioner

Back in June, I ran out of conditioner one morning for my hair.  I'm one of those people that always has a spare in the closet.  I don't like to run out.  But, I had mistakenly bought a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner (which doesn't work as conditioner).  So, I was stuck.  I had shampoo, but no conditioner.  I wondered if I could use Suave or a more inexpensive conditioner.  I have pretty plain hair.  It's stick straight.  I don't perm or color it.


So, I tried.

First, I tried Suave.  I used it for a few days and felt like I was tearing my hair  out.  Every day, I found that my hair got rougher and rougher.  I knew I had to get some new conditioner for my hair--fast!


I had been using Herbal Essences for about 7 years.  Before that, P&G used to make a great shampoo and conditioner comparable in price to Suave that was as good as Herbal Essences.  I've always saved the coupons for Herbal Essences, but this time when I ran out, I didn't have any.  That was really what prompted me to think about Suave.  Over the years, I've tried a few others like Dove (really watery), Tresemme, Aussie, Pantene...  But, I've found that Herbal Essences works the best for my hair.  


Since I still didn't have any coupons for Herbal Essences and I am quite stubborn, I felt determined to see if I could find something else that would work.  


I discovered in my search of shampoo aisles that ShopRite carries a generic of Pantene.  I also discovered that Costco has tried to make a generic professional shampoo and conditioner.  


I tried both, but with so-so results.  The generic Pantene was quite watery.  I like conditioner that is thicker because it coats my hair better, goes farther, and I can use a smaller amount.  The Costco conditioner works pretty well, but it has weighted my hair down so that it's flatter and straighter than normal.  I am still using it because I didn't want to waste the bottle.  


Over vacation, I used VO5 conditioner and I found that I had the same results with my hair that I did with the Suave.  


Finally, some coupons came out in the paper for Herbal Essences and in the BJs coupon book!


With the combination of the two, I got a great deal on two large bottles (40 oz.) of Herbal Essences conditioner for $5 ($2.50/each).  I did use coupon in July and get two large bottles (40 oz.) of Pantene Conditioner for $4 ($2/each).


In all this time, I had been using my herbal essences coupons at Target because they had the best price and I learned long ago, that using coupons on the smallest size is often a better deal than using the coupon on a large size item.  So, I had never checked the prices at BJs using coupons (store and manufacturer together).  It turned out to be a great deal and a much better value than buying them at Target!  


I'm really looking forward to finishing up my Costco conditioner and getting back to my old Herbal Essences!

What can you do when your hands burn?

Yesterday, we were at a church picnic with friends and the topic of jalapenos came up.  What do you do when you've cut a jalapeno and your hands burn?


One of my friends said she'd looked online and found that if nothing works to take 2 benadryl and go to bed--sleep it off.  I've done the same recently to cope at times with my outbreaks of hives.


Jalapenos and other peppers can really be a doozy.  For me, plants can have the same effect on me.  I have contact dermatitis so my skin is particularly sensitive.  I have found something that works for me.  


My dermatologist several years ago recommended cleaning my hands with Cetaphil.  I found that Target carries a generic.  When I have touched anything--a jalapeno, a plant, crabs with tons of Old Bay on them, I wash my hands as soon as I'm able to with Cetaphil.  It has worked wonderfully for me.  If I forget, as I did once last week, and just use regular soap I end up with burning or itchy hands.  So, I really try to remember to use it.  Honestly, I've been surprised at how well it works.  When I bought the generic at Target about 2 years ago, the bottle I bought cost about $3.50.  It may cost about $4 or $5 now, but it will last you quite a long time.  I get my hands wet, put a quarter size amount in the palm of my hand and rub it all over for a minute or two and then rinse my hands.



So, if you're in the same predicament I am--try the generic Cetaphil.  


I do also try to use gloves as much as possible.  I wash my dishes with the pink lady gloves from Casabella.  I save my coupons for Bed Bath and Beyond and buy a few pairs at a time.  A friend recommended these to me about 5 years ago and they've been a lifesaver for my dishwashing!  They do unfortunately have latex in them so if you are allergic to latex, as several friends of mine are, they won't work for you.  But, if you aren't, they are great.  I find that one pair lasts me several months.  They're about $5 or $6 a pair at BB&B.


If you know any other good solutions for burning or itching hands, I'd love to hear what you've found works for you!

Making the Most of the Harvest

Every summer there's squash and cucumbers a plenty at our farmer's market.  I have to admit that every week when I go to the market my eyes are bigger than my stomach, or rather my family's stomachs.  Part of my problem is not knowing what to do with the squash and cucumbers.  

This summer I have started using a cookbook that I've mentioned in a few other entries on this blog, Put 'em Up by Sherri Brooks Vinton.  I've made some Asian Cucumber Pickles, Cumin and Coriander Beets, and Blueberry Vinegar.  I know that if I have extras this summer--there's something that I can do with them.  


I really was expecting this book to be mostly about jams and jellies.  After all, that's what most people think of when they think of "canning" or "preserving".  But, I'm so thankful that it's not!  Instead, this is a cookbook all about how you can preserve the varied fruits and vegetables of your harvest.


The explanations, illustrations, and general information in this cookbook about how to can are great.  They are easy to read, well formatted, and simple to follow.  For someone like me who has a lot of questions when I try something new, most of the answers are here.  


I did write a few weeks ago that I'd keep you posted about how my blueberry vinegar turned out.  It turned out just fine.  I used it in a salad dressing with tomatoes just the other day!


If you're looking for a canning cookbook that focuses on sauces, pickles, jams, jellies, and other toppings (there's even a lemon curd recipe!), I think this is a great cookbook.  One way that I know whether I really like a cookbook is whether I continually want to come back to it.  I've had this cookbook for two months now and it has been one that I've opened up numerous times--which says a lot to me!


Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Storey Publishing.