tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14705627834107982052024-02-20T13:16:27.465-08:00Exploring, Learning, EnhancingJanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-13458890663161183292013-05-24T17:09:00.000-07:002013-05-24T17:09:37.956-07:00Beginning AgainWell it's been a long time since I've last written in this blog, and almost just as long since I've last looked at it. Instead of starting a brand new blog, I'm going to somewhat change direction a bit...well not completely. I still might post some recipes, but what I really want to do is focus on life and travel. Summer is almost here and there is so much to look forward to in this big city. As well as having future travel plans, I've also recently returned from an overseas trip that was both humbling and inspiring to say the least. I look forward to writing more and hopefully having more people read my blog. See you soon!Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-28358522490592869332012-05-11T11:37:00.000-07:002012-05-11T11:37:57.983-07:00Recipe: Soft PretzelsThis recipe is easy and simple, but for some reason it took me forever to make these pretzels, could have been because it was my first time making them. When I was a teenager, way back when, I use to work at a movie theater and one of our kiosks sold these kind of pretzels. The whole time I was making them I was thinking "oh this brings back memories". I was really hoping the taste would be similar, it wasn't - it was the same! I am so happy I found this recipe, I use to eat these all the time on lunch break, not very healthy I know, but ooooh so tasty. This pretzel tastes slightly sweet without any toppings or dip, so if you want to add savoury toppings or a salty dip to your pretzel I would cut out some of the sugar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CiHBzXcX_9B_P6sPBpiFJNesH0-iT4aKFxh01_fApB6Q3nzyHZzCIckBWpANbN24e8ug4TIUTsqqVCgnSditET5unR7WD9ps-Q0_B0tdJTJDvEzoZO0jk_7SR24bmPZlqvpKqUkAcgtY/s1600/100_8065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CiHBzXcX_9B_P6sPBpiFJNesH0-iT4aKFxh01_fApB6Q3nzyHZzCIckBWpANbN24e8ug4TIUTsqqVCgnSditET5unR7WD9ps-Q0_B0tdJTJDvEzoZO0jk_7SR24bmPZlqvpKqUkAcgtY/s640/100_8065.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
This is what the pretzels look like naked, I brushed melted butter on them and added cinnamon and sugar with cream cheese icing drizzled over top.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
4 teaspoons active dry yeast<br />
1 teaspoon white sugar<br />
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)<br />
5 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />
.....<br />
1/2 cup baking soda<br />
4 cups hot water<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.<br />
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.<br />
When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with whatever you like.<br />
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Enjoy!!!</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-83281987213162616872012-03-20T09:04:00.001-07:002012-03-20T09:06:17.305-07:00Recipe: Broccoli Baked Mac and Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEWlrrEK-hA1oTu8poyC2kvKTtFZXWDF_sBLcQd_fM0WymyWXVULQXf3SuXaODLik3mds1DliHabZ0GnWh0j6QNIsNZzfgiXgMWkeG-0p_DW8bf78ljd8p660TaGqzhWxuEAMHBuDdU_H/s1600/DSC_1317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEWlrrEK-hA1oTu8poyC2kvKTtFZXWDF_sBLcQd_fM0WymyWXVULQXf3SuXaODLik3mds1DliHabZ0GnWh0j6QNIsNZzfgiXgMWkeG-0p_DW8bf78ljd8p660TaGqzhWxuEAMHBuDdU_H/s640/DSC_1317.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 cup of macaroni</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 cup broccoli (chopped up)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3 tbsp flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 tsp salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 tsp pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2 tbsp butter (melted)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2/3 cup bread crumbs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVsRYAnnbFeP80BoE9QaLuzGePkGgRcp7p1XsaI_UGcU2KqDaFbbB92L-ETFrN7hAw22aC_aYwSqJdOWC5MZHVpLyV6SLuI9nArIWmEkhuTiiiKA4kwMR_psqeL5yZgpfoG8ZnBHewpgE/s1600/DSC_1314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVsRYAnnbFeP80BoE9QaLuzGePkGgRcp7p1XsaI_UGcU2KqDaFbbB92L-ETFrN7hAw22aC_aYwSqJdOWC5MZHVpLyV6SLuI9nArIWmEkhuTiiiKA4kwMR_psqeL5yZgpfoG8ZnBHewpgE/s640/DSC_1314.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both;"><b>Directions:</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both;">Cook macaroni in salted boiling water until soft. Drain well.</div><div class="" style="clear: both;">Grease a large shallow casserole dish and set aside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In a bowl mix together cooked and drained macaroni, broccoli, 3/4 cup of cheese, flour, salt and pepper. Place mixture in the casserole dish and cover with remaining cheese. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Mix melted butter with bread crumbs and sprinkle on top of macaroni.</div><div class="" style="clear: both;">Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.</div><div class="" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both;">Enjoy!!!</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-66821763634570821462012-03-18T10:20:00.001-07:002012-03-18T10:26:00.797-07:00Organizing My Husband's Workspace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My husband is away travelling right now, and as much as I miss him, this has been the perfect opportunity to purge and organize his work space. It's hard to believe looking at the picture below that he actually was able to work here and knew where everything was. I've been told all tech workers are like this, but it still seemed a little too much to me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLunbL6WkHc8okEenH_6r5qDxc7_zGwburOjmQU0FkX_ZrsTagElSkfI8YbtQWOmbg4N4a1I8PFQhIpIelgFm-jXvbMpMiDojX7tOfmFkmKOno33iqoEMVRvyVcSPzUuCswghSCKo_FyD/s1600/DSC_1064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLunbL6WkHc8okEenH_6r5qDxc7_zGwburOjmQU0FkX_ZrsTagElSkfI8YbtQWOmbg4N4a1I8PFQhIpIelgFm-jXvbMpMiDojX7tOfmFkmKOno33iqoEMVRvyVcSPzUuCswghSCKo_FyD/s640/DSC_1064.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The picture above is from about a month ago, a few things were organized by my husband before he left, so I shouldn't take all the credit, but it still took me three days to get it from close to that to this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuOu1RSSLhyphenhyphenEP0rae2h3-sQhdZrCj0svIhT1IqkyNz_BJGrhj34c85zH_2GnxOTghpcVekbg48XIovkqcAXSGMTvFlIR4PhyphenhyphenAtDOeOx1VryNAmILxp8ZIu5Dbc45_kjKv3esVjodx10Ix/s1600/DSC_1381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuOu1RSSLhyphenhyphenEP0rae2h3-sQhdZrCj0svIhT1IqkyNz_BJGrhj34c85zH_2GnxOTghpcVekbg48XIovkqcAXSGMTvFlIR4PhyphenhyphenAtDOeOx1VryNAmILxp8ZIu5Dbc45_kjKv3esVjodx10Ix/s640/DSC_1381.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkq6o2amjhEGkd-VvQsE6CkbyKSipFPx-fLIcKhbcHZqhh9EdV1DFagmRXmXEmWm81xRU16xj9bVEWQee_IqarbB1oZcEGHTLYZsWwxuwaw1aeclWFkmxEXvo35x0I-_RXpGmOBMk6xCo/s1600/DSC_1383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkq6o2amjhEGkd-VvQsE6CkbyKSipFPx-fLIcKhbcHZqhh9EdV1DFagmRXmXEmWm81xRU16xj9bVEWQee_IqarbB1oZcEGHTLYZsWwxuwaw1aeclWFkmxEXvo35x0I-_RXpGmOBMk6xCo/s640/DSC_1383.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkixNtDXXo7OS3STAOK5LhpZ6ckT7poz7CBhJwn88VsB_uN-L-yX1oe5uqm8dT_NxgXIJxKvfgo0qiJL92Vy8zOC6Upuo17n1mTnOpj15Hpp5RMRgAdqt8w_3jtESxu-XRyENf5Pcxuz1S/s1600/DSC_1386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkixNtDXXo7OS3STAOK5LhpZ6ckT7poz7CBhJwn88VsB_uN-L-yX1oe5uqm8dT_NxgXIJxKvfgo0qiJL92Vy8zOC6Upuo17n1mTnOpj15Hpp5RMRgAdqt8w_3jtESxu-XRyENf5Pcxuz1S/s640/DSC_1386.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMlmmc-j8cFVNYSPQRJKZDJHadp9iwR6k_ujLhB3syLoEoGOt1s5Se9MlF-YVDnBHwVdP5OlmdPKPt_0nsn1ZFfHUL4piS05qsgEFA4laznpzfdplft05kmKIrb_dh30WerLlaPwJkTyz/s1600/DSC_1380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMlmmc-j8cFVNYSPQRJKZDJHadp9iwR6k_ujLhB3syLoEoGOt1s5Se9MlF-YVDnBHwVdP5OlmdPKPt_0nsn1ZFfHUL4piS05qsgEFA4laznpzfdplft05kmKIrb_dh30WerLlaPwJkTyz/s640/DSC_1380.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love my husband very much, but if his desk gets messy again I think I may have to kill him. </div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-82952107026707439602012-03-15T17:04:00.002-07:002012-03-15T17:08:51.410-07:00Leftovers Recipe: Creamy Spinach Dip Baked Pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In my last post I made some <a href="http://exploringlearningenhancing.blogspot.com/2012/03/recipe-creamy-spinach-dip.html">creamy spinach dip</a>, well I realised I made just too much for the amount of people in our home right now and it was getting a little repetitive. I only had about half the amount of spinach dip left when I used it in this recipe, so keep in mind, what I made here is a relatively small amount and you may need to double up this recipe to satisfy everyone's stomach. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNobzLks1icFCTwoaF_jonrUCFce2dJyDxk_eZLw9Vr0BPOmF2xK2VGLbBJxdFSJI65n7V07TzMEdXaijW52WW42OW6EfeGQah1g7jyCACG3RO6vj_i-AoGiVia673YHyx9iq57khTygDa/s1600/DSC_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNobzLks1icFCTwoaF_jonrUCFce2dJyDxk_eZLw9Vr0BPOmF2xK2VGLbBJxdFSJI65n7V07TzMEdXaijW52WW42OW6EfeGQah1g7jyCACG3RO6vj_i-AoGiVia673YHyx9iq57khTygDa/s640/DSC_1329.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
Creamy spinach dip (<a href="http://exploringlearningenhancing.blogspot.com/2012/03/recipe-creamy-spinach-dip.html">click here for the recipe</a>)<br />
1 1/2 cups of bow tie pasta (or 1 cup of macaroni)<br />
1 cup shredded mozzarella <br />
1 tsp butter<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5FuhPgCfF4cOF826SPTSoOw4EwWF0z0Y6wtWCzvorzn22_Jw_3lufJSogrWiRJTO7lz_T6WISYehgByxJjTcT3Y99n-IQBL2idX2T2vyP9zBhu8L-0t7Dk3BXxutZmT8iqOJcYFthmkp/s1600/DSC_1331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5FuhPgCfF4cOF826SPTSoOw4EwWF0z0Y6wtWCzvorzn22_Jw_3lufJSogrWiRJTO7lz_T6WISYehgByxJjTcT3Y99n-IQBL2idX2T2vyP9zBhu8L-0t7Dk3BXxutZmT8iqOJcYFthmkp/s640/DSC_1331.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Cook pasta according to directions on the box until soft. Drain well.<br />
Using the butter grease a shallow casserole dish and set aside.<br />
Take the cooked pasta and stir in the spinach dip and half the mozzarella cheese. Place in the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.<br />
Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEJcMLIWcqp5hAsnvRCIkoMS7WRXe6btG0BpdeUnoX9OjG8wOhLj6esnL9uRnE279Jxb1CD0KqdZrKKszeT0tOkHzujw2axeMNdfpIo18MfqBZyB1SfZwetiQ5btOHydcWx437tKd1TnN/s1600/DSC_1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEJcMLIWcqp5hAsnvRCIkoMS7WRXe6btG0BpdeUnoX9OjG8wOhLj6esnL9uRnE279Jxb1CD0KqdZrKKszeT0tOkHzujw2axeMNdfpIo18MfqBZyB1SfZwetiQ5btOHydcWx437tKd1TnN/s640/DSC_1343.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy!!!</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-32377485271218898642012-03-13T09:11:00.000-07:002012-03-13T09:11:33.961-07:00Recipe: Creamy Spinach Dip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67-p2f-ph5tgkChDcT8wFLUx2NFEfr7lQL1uKHJGZOP84uW8KN9cRqQr0GfSvDsKyz9k6Eig6rNwifMeDhCgLZQa_JVXSJ7SbFwkngIcwWMVKizGLaLSjW4okOsRN45fvMtQqwEn5AqE/s1600/DSC_1271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67-p2f-ph5tgkChDcT8wFLUx2NFEfr7lQL1uKHJGZOP84uW8KN9cRqQr0GfSvDsKyz9k6Eig6rNwifMeDhCgLZQa_JVXSJ7SbFwkngIcwWMVKizGLaLSjW4okOsRN45fvMtQqwEn5AqE/s640/DSC_1271.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love snack foods. I sometimes replace lunch with various types of snack foods, which, (hanging my head in shame) is really bad. Nonetheless, I thought I'd share a current favourite snack food of mine, a creamy and delicious spinach dip. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1/2 cup onion</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 1/4 cups washed and thoroughly drained spinach </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1/2 cup softened cream cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1/2 cup sour cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">sprinkle of cayenne pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 tsp salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 tsp pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2 tsp garlic salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnkv3vEEGMFjt0wuHg_fkCo_BjASSr9wIYt5kJLui0iGd7DOTpFJ49TqPUSkdX-_R8Xv5TbTjJUnYO82yVuEff_Z9w_RNQ7A6ItGIddT9D_7luQsUScmW8G7M0zb-PapBEkyu7alFPSc/s1600/DSC_1273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnkv3vEEGMFjt0wuHg_fkCo_BjASSr9wIYt5kJLui0iGd7DOTpFJ49TqPUSkdX-_R8Xv5TbTjJUnYO82yVuEff_Z9w_RNQ7A6ItGIddT9D_7luQsUScmW8G7M0zb-PapBEkyu7alFPSc/s640/DSC_1273.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Directions:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chop up the onion and spinach and set aside. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a small mixing bowl, bring together all other ingredients using an electric mixer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Spoon in chopped spinach and onions, stir in well until combined. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let the dip sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy!!!</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-88673732564477864322012-03-11T10:04:00.000-07:002012-03-11T10:04:36.466-07:00DYI: Glass Cleaner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRN0CSV8aaOrkEEmDpdZj7CXfzRrSS-tMn4ZKq93eq_lpv1Ne3pbd8ma7964aGAd07-P0Kma1QbmCSctx7F53xE85Hd9fG5xskZRnux9aj0592jRuMb7cq_SfM8jBm58F2pZvNhjSUrceY/s1600/DSC_1215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRN0CSV8aaOrkEEmDpdZj7CXfzRrSS-tMn4ZKq93eq_lpv1Ne3pbd8ma7964aGAd07-P0Kma1QbmCSctx7F53xE85Hd9fG5xskZRnux9aj0592jRuMb7cq_SfM8jBm58F2pZvNhjSUrceY/s640/DSC_1215.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are many reasons to start making your own household cleaning products, be it environmental reasons, financial reasons....really any reason. Although, no matter what the reason may be, we all still want products that work well. I think I have it, this might possibly be the best homemade glass cleaner ever. This recipe comes straight from <a href="http://www.crunchybetty.com/battle-of-the-homemade-glass-cleaners">Crunchy Betty</a>, all I did was alter the measurements a teeny bit to fit in my spray bottle. Try it, it works great!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/5 cup vinegar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/5 cup rubbing alcohol</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tbsp cornstarch</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/2 cups warm water </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Direction:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pour all the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well. Voila, homemade glass cleaner.</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-17621721235319959912012-03-09T08:03:00.001-08:002012-03-09T13:52:00.729-08:00Recipe: Crock Pot Apple Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPLvyob1436k6TV4W12DkwyDBrF4Q-iQpxtz-enAbWj1bGR6IzVP-PADVQawgkyElZum7tPBl9VIx-kKCpcn4J31GC8n1AkN7a-O7AX096naFDbTBz7V-IdN47Pi4qYIY6YPmmEioCp6h/s1600/DSC_1195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPLvyob1436k6TV4W12DkwyDBrF4Q-iQpxtz-enAbWj1bGR6IzVP-PADVQawgkyElZum7tPBl9VIx-kKCpcn4J31GC8n1AkN7a-O7AX096naFDbTBz7V-IdN47Pi4qYIY6YPmmEioCp6h/s640/DSC_1195.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is my favourite crock pot recipe, I love absolutely anything with apples in it. My kids eat this mixed in with yogurt, on top of waffles and I'm sure they wouldn't mind having it straight out of the jar either. It uses minimal ingredients, doesn't require much effort and tastes great. When it comes to recipes, what else is better than that?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0Io0j8QaIPs9fznH-co3SiSwAdsBbkcoVrdUP_ljAsvlBQXErF1hIrdqg9acvetYGTjveOBhyphenhyphen3NPWGc8eS0e7QoBOYWArrRoeC-8o1IsRGMQ86tgiUjW-WWck11uacq6tgfSPMixtYUs/s1600/DSC_1194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0Io0j8QaIPs9fznH-co3SiSwAdsBbkcoVrdUP_ljAsvlBQXErF1hIrdqg9acvetYGTjveOBhyphenhyphen3NPWGc8eS0e7QoBOYWArrRoeC-8o1IsRGMQ86tgiUjW-WWck11uacq6tgfSPMixtYUs/s640/DSC_1194.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><b>Ingredients:</b><br />
1 dozen apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces (I used red delicious)<br />
1/2 cup Water<br />
1/3 cup brown sugar<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon all spice<br />
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DLIdt9b4wx9NrnNwiwTIva4s9zZCCrH-3cp8tXSOv6-Em1fveqFCaaD91PmGhCbaIlKh1h7RU2YRiuK2s6grhj9W_b4NmoNumTRIe_q5fOQIsQI9WfLKqMiVSVS_3xBlW0kWriicFEDw/s1600/DSC_1197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DLIdt9b4wx9NrnNwiwTIva4s9zZCCrH-3cp8tXSOv6-Em1fveqFCaaD91PmGhCbaIlKh1h7RU2YRiuK2s6grhj9W_b4NmoNumTRIe_q5fOQIsQI9WfLKqMiVSVS_3xBlW0kWriicFEDw/s640/DSC_1197.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Take the cut up apples place them in the crock pot or a large bowl and coat them with the brown sugar, all the spices and water, mix well and turn the cock pot dial to the lowest setting. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-H45SR9nbzQWo009MGJsHik0mGxJ06mN-cR_3ZOOSvj5_BC_8qP7PFuw9rWja5q2w-hOocnlagtr_-Mhundr0L0mF1zUuiz-LliJHIQlPdINZkX_a9qTgxk5LocZgExOpBOsD57gJofQ/s1600/DSC_1198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-H45SR9nbzQWo009MGJsHik0mGxJ06mN-cR_3ZOOSvj5_BC_8qP7PFuw9rWja5q2w-hOocnlagtr_-Mhundr0L0mF1zUuiz-LliJHIQlPdINZkX_a9qTgxk5LocZgExOpBOsD57gJofQ/s640/DSC_1198.JPG" width="440" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Cover and let sit for 5-7 hours....really the longer the better. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeO3ZKwOicuS6oSGjmY9KTgOVN9VZT53Bu3Mns4ATf5INhEiQ6iXbgVXcu8-ElvZDMrZNoT-j5WPXqqxZ31O27dB0OkO7J5E51WeAsaZoQhBi3DOZgEEEwCDR6WRaxfgOr0orpafHmo_Z/s1600/DSC_1200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeO3ZKwOicuS6oSGjmY9KTgOVN9VZT53Bu3Mns4ATf5INhEiQ6iXbgVXcu8-ElvZDMrZNoT-j5WPXqqxZ31O27dB0OkO7J5E51WeAsaZoQhBi3DOZgEEEwCDR6WRaxfgOr0orpafHmo_Z/s640/DSC_1200.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Use a blender to make it a smooth apple butter (which is what I did) or leave it as is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vLKeHZs4z6xKl9GfopUpJUKq69piYXPuxOcnHBLGz23KOb1AeZ54lyo36VGdhHNjldXQlmtpsUtrMz_smVDWXu33VEF0IUt1BvSIgImi2_Is91vTQr0bpVs9E2WbQlMXNZA5z6DfVT2y/s1600/DSC_1205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vLKeHZs4z6xKl9GfopUpJUKq69piYXPuxOcnHBLGz23KOb1AeZ54lyo36VGdhHNjldXQlmtpsUtrMz_smVDWXu33VEF0IUt1BvSIgImi2_Is91vTQr0bpVs9E2WbQlMXNZA5z6DfVT2y/s640/DSC_1205.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jar it and enjoy!!!</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-43351354371179144212012-03-07T07:47:00.000-08:002012-03-07T07:47:28.009-08:00Health Food Review: Bolthouse Green Goodness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQ96YIh77YYn0c1_2vP6-86q5DsnGsgy55r07Sh6MHElOkpmseq9Md-fewO8reNt8rVSHqN9_1vI_mliETchbdfvcPXexWr1itwlUCoYb5M6mQh5ty0Ua82Am8fqE6gWrQA7OwQsJ4a_1/s1600/DSC_0932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQ96YIh77YYn0c1_2vP6-86q5DsnGsgy55r07Sh6MHElOkpmseq9Md-fewO8reNt8rVSHqN9_1vI_mliETchbdfvcPXexWr1itwlUCoYb5M6mQh5ty0Ua82Am8fqE6gWrQA7OwQsJ4a_1/s640/DSC_0932.JPG" width="632" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From the website: "<a href="http://bolthouse.com/our-products/beverages/smoothies/green-goodness/detail"><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;">Bolthouse Farms®</span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;"> </span><strong style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;">Green Goodness®</strong></a><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;">starts with wheat grass, spirulina, spinach and blue-green algae. We add apples, kiwis, mangos, bananas, pineapples and dragon fruit to make it a good source of iron and Vitamin B6, naturally rich in Vitamins A, C, and B12, and packed with powerful phytonutrients found in nature's most nutritious greens.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"></div><ul style="font-style: italic; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><li style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Blend of 8 delicious juices/purees.</span></span></li>
<li style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Packed with 14 powerful nutrients delivering unmatched healthy green phytonutrients.</span></span></li>
<li style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No preservatives and nothing artificial.</span></span></li>
<li style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Flash pasteurized and cold-filled for longer shelf life and superior nutrition.</span></span></li>
<li style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">100% Juice, 100% Natural and no sugar added.</span></span></li>
<li style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gluten free."</span></span></li>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAup5hBR523y18LO5FmpFmkVS3prdQFJp42WYP6_-plG_6hSEyRziq8HLJmeLzYL1uB_2CE-HodoNCwK9gujFUlafUyHtsjCoquTQYzKRMuacH8WD5pVT22j0dqhSWJOi1i8kN4P1YPzw/s1600/DSC_0934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAup5hBR523y18LO5FmpFmkVS3prdQFJp42WYP6_-plG_6hSEyRziq8HLJmeLzYL1uB_2CE-HodoNCwK9gujFUlafUyHtsjCoquTQYzKRMuacH8WD5pVT22j0dqhSWJOi1i8kN4P1YPzw/s640/DSC_0934.JPG" width="554" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The colour of this drink can understandably put anyone off, but once you take that first sip, you will soon become addicted. Although this juice contains many kinds of potent vegetables, the first thing I noticed was the taste of tart apples, the drink is overall very sweet, but that doesn't hide the tart taste.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This drink tastes more like it is a fruit juice concoction and not a fruit and vegetable juice mixture, although the slight vegetable taste will be stronger for those who are new to these types of drinks. This juice is more like a smoothie rather than a juice, but does not have a gritty texture. As well, one cup of this juice is pretty filling, I wouldn't use this juice as a meal replacement, but drinking one cup of this instead of eating a chocolate bar would leave you feeling physically more satisfied, while consuming less calories. What really makes this juice worth drinking is the amount of vitamins and minerals even one serving contains, as shown below. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the end of the day this juice is just good, I don't find it to be spectacular, it's tastes good, but there are also better tasting juices out there that have the same nutritional value and similar vitamin and mineral content. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnotvANFQ5pqKzgswT6GlMXRWg6MuQUkM-GNENI2yq8wUCBvWpNmoCGKXPmt9BHeGQ5K4p-VX5iV10kNatCyiaipuaPZbAAa4C1p4OB7pIDeCJY4_aCEU2CU7v8BOzKtl6VzhitfvtTo3T/s1600/beverages_green_goodness_nutrition_panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnotvANFQ5pqKzgswT6GlMXRWg6MuQUkM-GNENI2yq8wUCBvWpNmoCGKXPmt9BHeGQ5K4p-VX5iV10kNatCyiaipuaPZbAAa4C1p4OB7pIDeCJY4_aCEU2CU7v8BOzKtl6VzhitfvtTo3T/s1600/beverages_green_goodness_nutrition_panel.jpg" /></a></div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-89018918482009678892012-03-05T22:04:00.000-08:002012-03-05T22:04:49.900-08:00Organizing the PantryOur pantry has needed a little love and attention for a while, so I finally got around to doing some organizing. Although there is a vast improvement, I'm not 100% happy with how it looks now, I think I'll let some of the food whittle down a bit and go from there. Here are some before and after pictures, just in case it's hard to tell the before is on the right, while the after is on the left.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTm9fWP09fz_WAa6kMBl13s82fzoe7KkObBsFBxvq8fCGCxPJYAHy9tjJr6N5q98kBsp06vV0APCg6E1EbF6K3CzwAjRNhofMkMIu4BUh1EWFbETPAUTYqg-KA-akhEpInBzyRrZ-lf2p/s1600/pantry.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTm9fWP09fz_WAa6kMBl13s82fzoe7KkObBsFBxvq8fCGCxPJYAHy9tjJr6N5q98kBsp06vV0APCg6E1EbF6K3CzwAjRNhofMkMIu4BUh1EWFbETPAUTYqg-KA-akhEpInBzyRrZ-lf2p/s640/pantry.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Canned and baking goods before, become canned, soup and baking goods after.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1ml26WAW9wHP4hEBXL5Z8lptypZvkTTJJbR4Gn7Fvud-EYV12jVi6dpYitJggA3TTgRPZLP-coRSg6imB0vHhNdYFz93e0BKM9N03IV3u4AdEmQKVC6hW-j8p3DoeFn0vIqSZK2xFYUK/s1600/pantry1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1ml26WAW9wHP4hEBXL5Z8lptypZvkTTJJbR4Gn7Fvud-EYV12jVi6dpYitJggA3TTgRPZLP-coRSg6imB0vHhNdYFz93e0BKM9N03IV3u4AdEmQKVC6hW-j8p3DoeFn0vIqSZK2xFYUK/s640/pantry1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From the top to bottom: baking goods, pasta related items and baking items that are sealed. Notice how I used some old baby wipe containers as risers, pretty ingenious eh? Well maybe not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have no idea what to do with this pantry, all I know is that I want to change it. Add some more shelves in between the existing shelves? Paint the Shelves? Some thing's in store for this pantry. </div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-24864299626721831122012-03-04T08:43:00.000-08:002012-03-04T08:43:42.767-08:00Today's Great Deal: Thrift Store ShoppingMy family and I went thrift store shopping today, I think we've gone so much lately that we've really gotten all we can get for the time being. There are really only a few other things I'm looking to pick up that is second hand, but have had no luck finding them. Garage sale season is coming up shortly, so I'm thinking I'm going to take a second hand shopping break until then.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf-8jFQcwUIlwodNeNWWeXFd1ujwnpdRfSKpJiJqN4Cd9noh-EshYdXMmsdBywodoRIH6bSK162t1B-VrXUAGInE_Rt_BPymdjN83VsMsStoKURbt7IlTcyOGvpOnd3MFxmokCW7MA05r/s1600/DSC_1206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf-8jFQcwUIlwodNeNWWeXFd1ujwnpdRfSKpJiJqN4Cd9noh-EshYdXMmsdBywodoRIH6bSK162t1B-VrXUAGInE_Rt_BPymdjN83VsMsStoKURbt7IlTcyOGvpOnd3MFxmokCW7MA05r/s640/DSC_1206.JPG" width="468" /></a></div><br />
Today we went to Talize where all blue ticketed items were 50% off, unfortunately the blue ticketed items were few and far between. From Talize I bought a shirt/dress, can dispenser and camping pan. After that, we went to this little thrift store, I can't remember the name of it but all the proceeds go to the Surrey Memorial Hospital, where we picked up the jars, jar accessories, salad spinner and mini cake pan. Considering we spent just over $15.00 for everything it wasn't at all a bad trip.Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-80176954248823683092012-03-02T08:39:00.001-08:002012-03-02T20:09:27.713-08:00Recipe: Old Fashioned Pectin Free Strawberry JamI'm sure just about everyone knows how to make pectin free strawberry jam, but since there was a point in my adult life when I didn't, I'm making a recipe post for all others out there that mirror the younger version of me in the this department.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_0CchUC393dtYdUE1MoDwLbUjCSebwnfyTCspbxx_2aq84Lg6iiVRgJcUGRC4Cw65kqyiMWVVAyNqe-IXHE5v1sO-xQYsW4Xhjlxl9rLxQfEinLe8jZ1YAmmdSWx5-Dvbg4sjIRQFRyX/s1600/strawberryjam.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_0CchUC393dtYdUE1MoDwLbUjCSebwnfyTCspbxx_2aq84Lg6iiVRgJcUGRC4Cw65kqyiMWVVAyNqe-IXHE5v1sO-xQYsW4Xhjlxl9rLxQfEinLe8jZ1YAmmdSWx5-Dvbg4sjIRQFRyX/s640/strawberryjam.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8 cups of whole strawberries </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6 cups of sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup lemon juice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dHukQAOveJj529hUW-_j1mnXwJwP42leNblO51QvxETbdXLAf_1-yR9k82h9xA98iYHTwzba3IakRahIJDx1wQ1_KeqXMQsU_yeKHlo8ruyVK6inoHPNXguekUXkMIn1hvDMWrJwdSZd/s1600/DSC_1190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dHukQAOveJj529hUW-_j1mnXwJwP42leNblO51QvxETbdXLAf_1-yR9k82h9xA98iYHTwzba3IakRahIJDx1wQ1_KeqXMQsU_yeKHlo8ruyVK6inoHPNXguekUXkMIn1hvDMWrJwdSZd/s640/DSC_1190.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Directions:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Set the stove to low-medium (on a 1 to 10 dial I use a 3).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Rinse and drain the strawberries and place in the a large pot. Add sugar and lemon juice to the pot and gently stir together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Take a fork and press the strawberries against the pot as everything starts to heat up. Stir occasionally and let the jam come to and stay at a boil. Leave on the stove for at least an hour, or until you get the desired thickness and then place in jars.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JG17BlGMPuX4ssDPF6v5Cq7eARyUwMzOO_9ytPQaaa789xZufbfQhGMZaWTp4ZGIfaxBfqIcJLbXKIGawgPkbmbfjgnCjn_ngQsx7B85HHfKqgN3_Fd6zY46kqaGWYH2BegOh4dQiS4E/s1600/DSC_1188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JG17BlGMPuX4ssDPF6v5Cq7eARyUwMzOO_9ytPQaaa789xZufbfQhGMZaWTp4ZGIfaxBfqIcJLbXKIGawgPkbmbfjgnCjn_ngQsx7B85HHfKqgN3_Fd6zY46kqaGWYH2BegOh4dQiS4E/s640/DSC_1188.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy!!!</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-24995189600222221292012-02-29T08:19:00.001-08:002012-02-29T08:23:30.193-08:00Decorating a Cash Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJX8CKnl8TuhRoUbxioiV8iv5Rk0cPC4Jh0lS-PgJZhIGG4pYVdrq5ckJwhR1L2lOfUSc-CpPTqTVPSHm68m6p91O2zyhrxBxynF7cGQYZfBw7AAnwR00lTXeYDxzM0TGwYDDdUuaX8c2m/s1600/cashbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJX8CKnl8TuhRoUbxioiV8iv5Rk0cPC4Jh0lS-PgJZhIGG4pYVdrq5ckJwhR1L2lOfUSc-CpPTqTVPSHm68m6p91O2zyhrxBxynF7cGQYZfBw7AAnwR00lTXeYDxzM0TGwYDDdUuaX8c2m/s400/cashbox.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.1stchoiceoffice.com/store/filing-storage-cash-boxes-coin-wrappers-c-6_290_291">Photo Credit</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This cash box above doesn't look very pretty does it? I think the only thing I find attractive about it is the money inside. Well recently I picked up one of these old boring cash boxes at a thrift store for $3.00. I wish I would have taken a before picture, because the thing was not only boring to look at but mine seemed like it was uglier than the average cash box. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9CMm0ELLqgeqCVeXpV7K0MTIvAsGljcrVByOfvZFId0ppCFalaRYRyrwu-mbLQaSUpYWLy1rkPhX_PeNheLVD3o4CnGYg3IvDXAZDea-_oVSnr119eBgb9e2SHEHzYeki24X5Elcd6fA/s1600/DSC_1124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9CMm0ELLqgeqCVeXpV7K0MTIvAsGljcrVByOfvZFId0ppCFalaRYRyrwu-mbLQaSUpYWLy1rkPhX_PeNheLVD3o4CnGYg3IvDXAZDea-_oVSnr119eBgb9e2SHEHzYeki24X5Elcd6fA/s640/DSC_1124.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a few moments of thought the solution came to me, I decided I was going to spay paint a stencil pattern on it. I've never spray painted anything in my life and thought it would be easy enough. I didn't sand the box down before hand, which wasn't a terrible mistake, but would have made things a lot easier had I done so. Patches of gray kept creeping through and every time the paint dried I had to do touch up after touch up, I'm pretty sure this box has about five coats of paint on it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9BqMDSE9Zi0WEHIoyvA6oSkT5bVNdrKYo-nDIrguffq_p4dnbOGQ5LMaU8q_SPDhtHOcfvqakb6zLqV9RSoKgZElKPIxIuzbb_aUO0gLgt7gOTqBKMvMyZDvfnzGNMc4BcYVuIo3XPZa/s1600/DSC_1123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9BqMDSE9Zi0WEHIoyvA6oSkT5bVNdrKYo-nDIrguffq_p4dnbOGQ5LMaU8q_SPDhtHOcfvqakb6zLqV9RSoKgZElKPIxIuzbb_aUO0gLgt7gOTqBKMvMyZDvfnzGNMc4BcYVuIo3XPZa/s640/DSC_1123.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While going through the whole spray painting process I had pretty much thought that I had ruined the box, and couldn't wait for it to dry so I could assess the damage. However, after all was said and done, it just so happens that I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It's not prefect, but I think it's pretty funky. I might just do this again if I ever come across another boring gray cash box. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZ3bIokiAvlcIMIebv6_RR4qS5poI5d2K20fL6p1uJ5wU1mFHyTxPIsCL48jDRAWSr2rAhpMcGo5lbypO9YvZPHhOeC8eYp4hTdOMffoygl1Y7RhSW0WjwzgXCBsfhd3Q_dz1rGm1x4Lf/s1600/DSC_1129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZ3bIokiAvlcIMIebv6_RR4qS5poI5d2K20fL6p1uJ5wU1mFHyTxPIsCL48jDRAWSr2rAhpMcGo5lbypO9YvZPHhOeC8eYp4hTdOMffoygl1Y7RhSW0WjwzgXCBsfhd3Q_dz1rGm1x4Lf/s640/DSC_1129.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-43466569667097337232012-02-27T15:11:00.001-08:002012-02-27T20:25:50.464-08:00Recipe: Ooey Gooey Cheesy Garlic Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpd5iyDI6vODqh4q94QL5D6h0GzDwRVR2IZgYNC38MaNnRg655-_0l6cbGdBBvUpEYri7ha6KQq1BLra5v1HxTTdN2Mp69mSeshXCT0eL8G4YFKk1hofFSO-6bUwQ4-OUGRRyrLiqc3ts/s1600/DSC_1181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpd5iyDI6vODqh4q94QL5D6h0GzDwRVR2IZgYNC38MaNnRg655-_0l6cbGdBBvUpEYri7ha6KQq1BLra5v1HxTTdN2Mp69mSeshXCT0eL8G4YFKk1hofFSO-6bUwQ4-OUGRRyrLiqc3ts/s640/DSC_1181.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*WARNING* These are delicious, ooey, gooey and very bad for you. You may be tempted to eat the whole tray and I have no doubt you will, these are highly addictive.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3AM0oasklOCbHPSm3LmNq1ZaXc_dpfuLUDKIq0JJ5ok357r-ozfCHBnP5tTxVSvEvp0RJr4UIQZXoqcUS-HVfPQ6IneyO5Lba1sAp_U9U2gRAgz_DRn000A3C7IwcIbCUxHNP14WX4QJ/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3AM0oasklOCbHPSm3LmNq1ZaXc_dpfuLUDKIq0JJ5ok357r-ozfCHBnP5tTxVSvEvp0RJr4UIQZXoqcUS-HVfPQ6IneyO5Lba1sAp_U9U2gRAgz_DRn000A3C7IwcIbCUxHNP14WX4QJ/s640/Untitled.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Dough Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 cup warm water (110 degrees)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 tablespoon sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2 teaspoons salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2 tablespoons olive </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3 cups all purpose flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Topping Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-garlic butter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">- lots of mozzarella and cheddar cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TZQ1Uz5dQ9UsuPkmShDrLr1rx-mjQjwNlfxDm6dGY8AuUbcvB-zOhHLEUtphSzpsvp8ftEj1M4A0ufrjmBmEi_MyTGKqCL8Tt441A4iPTr3R-GLmKbO9tCfuG1vt_bzxP7ogRnqeBSe2/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TZQ1Uz5dQ9UsuPkmShDrLr1rx-mjQjwNlfxDm6dGY8AuUbcvB-zOhHLEUtphSzpsvp8ftEj1M4A0ufrjmBmEi_MyTGKqCL8Tt441A4iPTr3R-GLmKbO9tCfuG1vt_bzxP7ogRnqeBSe2/s640/Untitled.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Directions:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In a cup or small bowl, stir yeast and sugar into warm water. Let sit for 10 minutes (until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam). In a large bowl add in salt, oil and half the flour and then add the yeast mixture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVBUfDGwpz_UL-AVqn-hl1ynGMLFIvhOdDhjGGEdeDBAulfb1YN7deqK9S7WdZeWoEtGdPcroxti8Zj11-S0252izL2aoKnOYtUSsttbozBWCaGiQQnpj-4_90lGI48bekkD6FY0YtmA2/s1600/DSC_1167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVBUfDGwpz_UL-AVqn-hl1ynGMLFIvhOdDhjGGEdeDBAulfb1YN7deqK9S7WdZeWoEtGdPcroxti8Zj11-S0252izL2aoKnOYtUSsttbozBWCaGiQQnpj-4_90lGI48bekkD6FY0YtmA2/s640/DSC_1167.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Once that first half of the flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with, but still a little bit tacky. Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with a clean damp cloth and let it rise for 1-2 hours. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjporrk7lH5B8i9N0K34Kl6tU7b1UEFq8GdBeHlBO8d5jVbxu_Nv6q74g5DSk_uPBYttB8b8xCurFqQulb6GAGQvWsRI33wAOsUVTwLAW6_xd7DbuQ0xKNRMwfkbMr2vIbdJme3bTDWcg/s1600/DSC_1169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjporrk7lH5B8i9N0K34Kl6tU7b1UEFq8GdBeHlBO8d5jVbxu_Nv6q74g5DSk_uPBYttB8b8xCurFqQulb6GAGQvWsRI33wAOsUVTwLAW6_xd7DbuQ0xKNRMwfkbMr2vIbdJme3bTDWcg/s640/DSC_1169.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Once the dough has risen preheat the oven to 375 degrees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuA-U_vCQNw5CdQ_qKWMQUuV7OEqrLbnHJ5A9BM9Tgp2dyySffKqLHzXOxi9-WK4tiG4Ovk4_p_XjXkVdzPvVMc51WNQz10Sguya0i73Nrv5LaLH3wJ2aVkYZMqJm22FVw8rv_DZuodny/s1600/DSC_1170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuA-U_vCQNw5CdQ_qKWMQUuV7OEqrLbnHJ5A9BM9Tgp2dyySffKqLHzXOxi9-WK4tiG4Ovk4_p_XjXkVdzPvVMc51WNQz10Sguya0i73Nrv5LaLH3wJ2aVkYZMqJm22FVw8rv_DZuodny/s640/DSC_1170.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Grease pan with butter and spread pizza dough out evenly onto the pan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4f8R8oTpMaNc2ZF5r-8OCMI1SjWzvBhBDbF9i6a109FS6NuKaNksDtDSfNr1FVBRIQTJFLJcUXWroHLvPG2WBUhlCOUz_tIzuo7pLVnLYgcjX-BGbAoLMe0Ke8axeESz00_oyLCVLkYzh/s1600/DSC_1171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4f8R8oTpMaNc2ZF5r-8OCMI1SjWzvBhBDbF9i6a109FS6NuKaNksDtDSfNr1FVBRIQTJFLJcUXWroHLvPG2WBUhlCOUz_tIzuo7pLVnLYgcjX-BGbAoLMe0Ke8axeESz00_oyLCVLkYzh/s640/DSC_1171.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Spread the garlic butter over the dough and top with lots of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMMqDaEBYZ9wYe6Hfo8ZtD2Ozos0iuCmQ8hnXnKR6mBOOLkK1qqTuE86e5NeepQT8ui4t_yUjgp9HXxEjgbrLwWQ8V6Qwz11-fq8RN5M3TAPmRfdAr3p5QXfk749dmNlAHdEGNGBY-X0J/s1600/DSC_1172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMMqDaEBYZ9wYe6Hfo8ZtD2Ozos0iuCmQ8hnXnKR6mBOOLkK1qqTuE86e5NeepQT8ui4t_yUjgp9HXxEjgbrLwWQ8V6Qwz11-fq8RN5M3TAPmRfdAr3p5QXfk749dmNlAHdEGNGBY-X0J/s640/DSC_1172.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Bake 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8V2SKzXRlBmB2a5aLl4ixhkB5Np4arkYjTtTMjT6QFFC1EGL1eVQHJ-NvSLLvUxZyfmmSJsFAEbbsG8YlWnhVzwFd4FXerPypZhvB_eSlCHcHskv7EZqxAaauMY8oCN6qdVhwMx1LNpY/s1600/DSC_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8V2SKzXRlBmB2a5aLl4ixhkB5Np4arkYjTtTMjT6QFFC1EGL1eVQHJ-NvSLLvUxZyfmmSJsFAEbbsG8YlWnhVzwFd4FXerPypZhvB_eSlCHcHskv7EZqxAaauMY8oCN6qdVhwMx1LNpY/s640/DSC_1176.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div>Enjoy!!!Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-1086421679959084052012-02-25T17:44:00.001-08:002012-02-25T17:46:45.148-08:00How We Save and SpendMy husband and I use to be poor, so poor that we couldn't afford to buy cheese for the first two years of our marriage and had to be really creative when planning a date. I remember a time when I was the only one working, sometimes I'd come home from work sobbing my eyes out because I was only given 20 hours to work that week. Those were hard times, and I honestly think we suffered way more financially then we really had to. There are however more ways to save money now, than ever before. I could talk all day about how to save money and live a better life, but for the sake of putting my thoughts into one entry I'll just list off a few things.<br />
<br />
1) <b>Use Coupons!</b> - These things are everywhere (especially for you Americans). You can find coupons in newspapers, order them online and have them mailed to your door, print them out from your computer, call up your favourite company rave about their products and see if they will send you coupons....etc. Coupons are no longer just for food and deodorant, you can get coupons for museums, attractions, oil changes and the list goes on. Using coupons was our first step in saving money, over time it really makes a difference.<br />
<br />
2) <b>Getting Cheap Clothing</b> - For our children there are a few different things we do to save money on clothing. We go to thrift stores, kids swap meets (which for us seem to give us more for a lot less than the thrift store) and go to the many garage sales in the summer. If we need something that we weren't able to find second hand or just want to buy a few new items for the kids we go to Gymboree when they are having one of their many sales (their quality is amazing, almost guaranteeing it will be passed down from oldest to youngest), Old Navy and GAP clearance sections and every other store on boxing day. My husband and I don't go through clothes nearly as fast as two toddlers, but we have the same shopping habits when it comes to buying clothes (generally), we just do it less frequently.<br />
<br />
3) <b>Saving Money at the Grocery Store</b> - Besides using coupons there are other ways to get a deal at the grocery store. Many times food that is about to expire either that day or the next has a 30-50% off sticker on it. If you have a freezer (which I highly recommend and many times can be obtained free from craigslist) you can throw so many things in it. Milk freezes well, so does cheese, butter, bread.....etc, there is no reason to pay full price for these things all the time. Ask the manager or supervisor when your grocery store does their markdowns so you can be there to catch the good stuff (assuming you're like me and don't have a paying job).<br />
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4) <b>Vacations</b> - I love vacations, although who doesn't?! Since we are not rolling in cash we have to be very careful with what we do on our vacations. As it stands now, if we want to go on a vacation every year it means no flying. Plane tickets, airport tax and little things like taxis and buses from spot to spot is just beyond our budget right now, so we do road trips. We save for each vacation starting a year in advance, we may not know where we will be going or for how long, but getting away from it all is incentive enough. All of our coins, well I should be saying my coins since my husband only uses his credit card go in a "vacation" jar, so does the money from bottle returns, any mail in rebates or things we sell on craigslist or at a swap meet. When our kids get a little older I'd like to take them to Disney Land, I don't know if our financial situation will improve or God forbid get worse so I'm saving now, not in the way of money, but in airmiles. Airmiles is a great rewards program, it's free to join and lately more and more stores are apart of the airmiles program including Toys r Us and Michaels.<br />
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I think because I still have so much more to write, I will be doing a "how we save and spend" part two and possibly even part three and four. Nonetheless, these are some of the things we do to save so we are able to spend.Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-68159842406956693622012-02-24T08:13:00.000-08:002012-02-24T08:13:34.372-08:00Recipe: Healthy Kale Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFx6uHG9v_waXtyA9FeCDbWuYeK0K6d8ZMMFP-PBLURQ9WfjNqdAY-ZlRZSR6MAItjYI7bpnCSSRm7i3o-qCHw-Wr-hOU1yjZC7-2yrNsXglgGu1JJPciyG-I1EIt9uhMcvwp22laIJNf/s1600/DSC_1101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFx6uHG9v_waXtyA9FeCDbWuYeK0K6d8ZMMFP-PBLURQ9WfjNqdAY-ZlRZSR6MAItjYI7bpnCSSRm7i3o-qCHw-Wr-hOU1yjZC7-2yrNsXglgGu1JJPciyG-I1EIt9uhMcvwp22laIJNf/s640/DSC_1101.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Dough:<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast<br />
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)<br />
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup buckwheat flour<br />
1/4 cup flax seeds<br />
1/5 cup ground chia<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 teaspoons white sugar<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlL_jsCxJYgQXw8wP1lHP5-rr3W7EvFu2ePmCG1r705mxQCbijK7u8MEuimAig5HBsw8A7kZN7pcchgBANmxga8-1ZpbpMdKmil5D0w7gVxqw1pv9BEhYC5bc0Cgv-CJ4XZplqqC-8ek06/s1600/DSC_1090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlL_jsCxJYgQXw8wP1lHP5-rr3W7EvFu2ePmCG1r705mxQCbijK7u8MEuimAig5HBsw8A7kZN7pcchgBANmxga8-1ZpbpMdKmil5D0w7gVxqw1pv9BEhYC5bc0Cgv-CJ4XZplqqC-8ek06/s640/DSC_1090.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Directions:<br />
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.<br />
In a large bowl, combine both types of flour, ground chia, flax seeds, olive oil, salt, white sugar and the yeast mixture; stir well to combine until a stiff dough has formed. Cover and rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy4bnOnvHiicYN36YtFq1sTt2kIMMiNCGa2IOuA8AVfXVfFdUMdmHNUi336q5gPrpug7fNzUtxlzcqg6PbejyEvsxIt9kyWmPpge69SQ8rEqvzw34YhU4ayYkmo77BvhGiqMsHJ6umPOk/s1600/DSC_1091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy4bnOnvHiicYN36YtFq1sTt2kIMMiNCGa2IOuA8AVfXVfFdUMdmHNUi336q5gPrpug7fNzUtxlzcqg6PbejyEvsxIt9kyWmPpge69SQ8rEqvzw34YhU4ayYkmo77BvhGiqMsHJ6umPOk/s640/DSC_1091.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Toppings:<br />
Pizza sauce or something similar, I used Hunt's tomato paste.<br />
Kale, washed and and dried as much as possible, if you have a salad spinner use it.<br />
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xg4EBzxCqXIRa1RObz_F32tX4FmiiZSK2B-ElD9eliSmtQ_SnA66CaZgzsUulWW37OSIb979sqTpcEBNAqX07fmT5FVkQZpAoZ5qgHbJ0am_idJ_4vAGufhSZcS5xyTfP8x8lndI3wxt/s1600/DSC_1097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xg4EBzxCqXIRa1RObz_F32tX4FmiiZSK2B-ElD9eliSmtQ_SnA66CaZgzsUulWW37OSIb979sqTpcEBNAqX07fmT5FVkQZpAoZ5qgHbJ0am_idJ_4vAGufhSZcS5xyTfP8x8lndI3wxt/s640/DSC_1097.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Form dough into a round and roll out into a pizza crust shape. Cover with sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBOlxGbRymu6-ic9dX0Gwa313npTyucFyBqP__zReeFd5EpQ5YzO9fjlxNaKOacmaQPZGpATtrTEHfSRQKhD0Zq3lFFzN_ww3CpBug5BaPZSuSgSIXZ74xTu2qzil2ZQ4IdWoib1-yZz4/s1600/DSC_1100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBOlxGbRymu6-ic9dX0Gwa313npTyucFyBqP__zReeFd5EpQ5YzO9fjlxNaKOacmaQPZGpATtrTEHfSRQKhD0Zq3lFFzN_ww3CpBug5BaPZSuSgSIXZ74xTu2qzil2ZQ4IdWoib1-yZz4/s640/DSC_1100.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Enjoy!!Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-40810922277957462242012-02-22T08:03:00.000-08:002012-02-22T08:03:26.078-08:00Decorating Light Switch/ Electrical Outlet Coverings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The standard light switch and electrical plate covers that come with every rental suite are always a boring and drab beige. I've been wanting to liven up our bedroom for a while, but didn't want to spend a whole lot of money on doing so. This idea came to me from <a href="http://www.pinspire.com/JanaB">Pinspire</a>, it's easy to do and I'm very happy with the results, little touches sometimes make the biggest impact. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48Wo7mZfj3s8CXfQIUQ8CPrPmr10OZa7gLut73FuD82_6Cfp__EvYAO-P9Hxmb6_mxUQcjDNZJa8CSbCZUSWVwxKcGk8BerCHgdxFt01uBi0WTj-79yHEXpQ5AvRn-_Y7ns91Y5WVKzB1/s1600/DSC_1077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48Wo7mZfj3s8CXfQIUQ8CPrPmr10OZa7gLut73FuD82_6Cfp__EvYAO-P9Hxmb6_mxUQcjDNZJa8CSbCZUSWVwxKcGk8BerCHgdxFt01uBi0WTj-79yHEXpQ5AvRn-_Y7ns91Y5WVKzB1/s640/DSC_1077.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I chose a lovely damask purple, that goes well with our solid purple bedding.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhCWeBNeI5FJBXj9uDAyDob2cdKVG5dDjjdY7Y8273BEO-ifX4cP-62yclfNwU2h_EKGbp-iwO_yg5jcFpFIInUkJH85nnNcgJeuAPKUe3WfEy2lygN6T1D43PcVZxcdowKKXrumY7rnG/s1600/DSC_1078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhCWeBNeI5FJBXj9uDAyDob2cdKVG5dDjjdY7Y8273BEO-ifX4cP-62yclfNwU2h_EKGbp-iwO_yg5jcFpFIInUkJH85nnNcgJeuAPKUe3WfEy2lygN6T1D43PcVZxcdowKKXrumY7rnG/s640/DSC_1078.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
For this project you will need:<br />
- Light switch / electrical plates<br />
- Scissors<br />
- Box cutter<br />
- Acid free adhesive<br />
- A sponge brush<br />
- Mod Podge<br />
- Scrapbook paper<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3md0MBc4Kon1t0qZ6SXXn0sgtOgckep3SWMbEJxI_oUvp6JADXp9JtCTzq51PCgQ1kTAY0kMmxrAF8l0IfkVyUHKkcU4tSjIlI31GGyZ0OmIrV7XmBMUdShznirY_3155JrjF51r_uPr/s1600/DSC_1079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3md0MBc4Kon1t0qZ6SXXn0sgtOgckep3SWMbEJxI_oUvp6JADXp9JtCTzq51PCgQ1kTAY0kMmxrAF8l0IfkVyUHKkcU4tSjIlI31GGyZ0OmIrV7XmBMUdShznirY_3155JrjF51r_uPr/s640/DSC_1079.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
- Take your electrical cover place it on the scrapbook paper, trace the area and cut it out. It's OK it you've cut more than you need, you can cut any excess off later.<br />
- Use the sponge brush and paint the acid free glue onto the electrical cover as well as the paper. Place the paper over the cover and gently smooth out with your fingers. Now let it dry.<br />
- Once everything is set cut any excess paper and cover decorated plate with mod podge, add as any coats as you want, I recommend 4-6. Let dry.<br />
- Now that the mod podge is dried, take your box cutter and cut out all the holes.<br />
- There you have it, some beautiful covers to replace those boring ones!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2og8YzIIGcUV4B0icsobZN2hc5MneSoaoC0-8AkxSqeBcDj4MkPMgpde3oy6N8FPzFRkBp-mYI1fDYF21y6ABXHMt-M1keJO79NR7RFmQWUUld12d0j4ov88U596ek2nfyNGt29VNAy5/s1600/DSC_1081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2og8YzIIGcUV4B0icsobZN2hc5MneSoaoC0-8AkxSqeBcDj4MkPMgpde3oy6N8FPzFRkBp-mYI1fDYF21y6ABXHMt-M1keJO79NR7RFmQWUUld12d0j4ov88U596ek2nfyNGt29VNAy5/s640/DSC_1081.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-38796837203710593732012-02-21T11:30:00.002-08:002012-02-25T17:47:40.470-08:00Today's Great Deal: London DrugsLondon Drugs is a Canadian drugstore (and more) that is found only in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. London Drugs is the only store in Canada that allows coupon stacking, as far as I know and has it in their <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=html">written policy</a>. Although, the coupon stacking rules use to be a lot more relaxed last year, you can still get some great deals if you have the right coupons.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyoYNfRNFL0_34lDHcQ0-Ee0IrSK4vvsRifGetqG8OFh58nuAwp9KS0HYyoi_CghF3HP7MLxR_YOr6ODWDgroeeSfHM0Wa2_7YSi85H5kIAh_fZGFWoFCSuyWbjWHoWLyjiYywd3bnzZF/s1600/DSC_1104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyoYNfRNFL0_34lDHcQ0-Ee0IrSK4vvsRifGetqG8OFh58nuAwp9KS0HYyoi_CghF3HP7MLxR_YOr6ODWDgroeeSfHM0Wa2_7YSi85H5kIAh_fZGFWoFCSuyWbjWHoWLyjiYywd3bnzZF/s640/DSC_1104.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Most of these coupons came from different issues of Smart Source coupons that are found in the Saturday paper once a month or so, while others came from <a href="https://www.websaver.ca/en_ca/">Websaver</a> and promotional offers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXTYzQUOAHUT8Cbx7-9PSopQtE6sUP5TcnnpEYJk94D0_TWWIAwiKZxk3VR2rXfAqRsmX7ZBPycStG1LOds7XpFo-ZOvD9PIpr9LMHUnZicCcNPxzQVISVtwfKiiKtymFRpF_E_XDF0jg/s1600/DSC_1106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXTYzQUOAHUT8Cbx7-9PSopQtE6sUP5TcnnpEYJk94D0_TWWIAwiKZxk3VR2rXfAqRsmX7ZBPycStG1LOds7XpFo-ZOvD9PIpr9LMHUnZicCcNPxzQVISVtwfKiiKtymFRpF_E_XDF0jg/s640/DSC_1106.JPG" width="558" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everything you see in the first picture cost me $2.93 including tax and gave me a coupon savings of $24.97, I'm smiling ear to ear. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-62051380278896087412012-02-20T09:07:00.000-08:002012-02-20T09:07:51.401-08:00Recipe: Cookie Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvrD8kt0M0iTZWU_k__xJbwTk1NcWc4YuR3vtjTvK4YCpUwHaWQDJlrZLHOd7THIF5f449LNxKCHEADcSC4QvShXYodA_XLtutSXwPDmHFypjTAIS68Vxg9r_6aetHXafXgcO3BcE5TMx/s1600/DSC_1075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvrD8kt0M0iTZWU_k__xJbwTk1NcWc4YuR3vtjTvK4YCpUwHaWQDJlrZLHOd7THIF5f449LNxKCHEADcSC4QvShXYodA_XLtutSXwPDmHFypjTAIS68Vxg9r_6aetHXafXgcO3BcE5TMx/s640/DSC_1075.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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This recipe is incredible and when I say incredible I mean I've already made it three times in the past two weeks, it's really just that good. I even made these once without eggs and they are still delicious, it you decide to skip the eggs as well make sure to replace them with a tablespoon of corn starch and a couple teaspoons of flour, just to thicken it up.<br />
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<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<br />
<b>Cookie Part: </b><br />
1 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
3/4 cup softened butter<br />
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<b>Cream Cheese Filling:</b><br />
12 oz (1.5 bars) of cream cheese softened<br />
1/2 cup pf white sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
2 eggs<br />
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<b>Apple Filling:</b><br />
2 large apples<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
2 tbs white sugar<br />
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<b>Crumb Top:</b><br />
1/2 cup quick oats<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup softened butter<br />
1 cup all purpose flour<br />
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<b>Top it Off:</b><br />
Caramel drizzle (as much or as little as you want)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBDybb8XZfpDd76-1JvDKku3-g7OshKAQ-zfKDe8sPEvXlvirAUgU3D8POw-NbRubvYdnfGUqxolzNi-Nttr2hjkPYnFEX6U48krQH0ricmMiGKrCz6zOjWi9kW1AWTAo6hQvwyRFpHWt/s1600/DSC_1076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBDybb8XZfpDd76-1JvDKku3-g7OshKAQ-zfKDe8sPEvXlvirAUgU3D8POw-NbRubvYdnfGUqxolzNi-Nttr2hjkPYnFEX6U48krQH0ricmMiGKrCz6zOjWi9kW1AWTAo6hQvwyRFpHWt/s640/DSC_1076.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<b>Directions:</b><br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 °F.<br />
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In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar snd butter until the mixture is somewhat crumbly.<br />
Press the dough evenly into a 13 × 9-inch baking pan or a cookie sheet with edges. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.<br />
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In a larger bowl, beat the cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time (beat after each addition). Next add the vanilla and mix until combined. Pour the cream cheese batter over the warm crust.<br />
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Peel the apples and chop them into 3/4-inch chunks. Mix the apple chunks with the cinnamon and white sugar. Spoon the apple chunks evenly over the cream cheese mixture.<br />
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In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, oats, butter and brown sugar for crumb topping. Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture.<br />
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Bake 30 minutes, or until the filling is set. Reduce the temperature to 300°F for the last 5 minutes.<br />
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Last but not least drizzle with the caramel topping.<br />
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Enjoy!!!Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-14286309753221876152012-02-17T08:45:00.000-08:002012-02-17T08:48:20.680-08:00Store Bought Recipe: Vanilla Oreos Wrapped in Chocolate Chip Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0J5s_VOVznCAB5-MAM4CnbSbADpjh6m6lYIJeQ3cDI2LZ0Q7-qGvDDBED3fDLhceCY34cdJNR8uQGn1TechdGJK3bzTJvQLNZ5bJlFCWKrPOOmL8WMx0BSuVS_jqdTmGXHeUaX9cpvEd/s1600/DSC_1060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0J5s_VOVznCAB5-MAM4CnbSbADpjh6m6lYIJeQ3cDI2LZ0Q7-qGvDDBED3fDLhceCY34cdJNR8uQGn1TechdGJK3bzTJvQLNZ5bJlFCWKrPOOmL8WMx0BSuVS_jqdTmGXHeUaX9cpvEd/s640/DSC_1060.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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I first saw this on pinspire (a complete copy of pinterest) and thought how incredibly easy and yummy these cookies looked. I didn't have a lot of time to make the cookie dough from scratch, so I used the store bought kind that was sitting in my fridge.<br />
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This recipe is so easy all you do is take your store bought cookie dough out of the package, place it in a bowl and add about a 1/4 cup of flour to it. The reason why you need to add the flour is so that the dough becomes a little stiffer and doesn't run off the oreo cookie. Next you take the dough and lovingly wrap it around the entire oreo cookie and place it in an ungreased pan. Once your pan is full place it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.<br />
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These taste the best when the chocolate chip cookie part is still slightly "raw". Once you try this recipe you will want to make them over and over again, if you are on a diet or thinking of going on a diet you might want to skip this recipe.<br />
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Enjoy!!!Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-89437826443154149442012-02-15T17:08:00.002-08:002012-02-25T17:48:14.579-08:00Today's Great Deal: Thrift Store Finds<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">I love thrift store shopping, it's fun searching for treasures and finding things you haven't seen since childhood. The only thing I don't like about thrift stores is how incredibly expensive some places like Goodwill and Value Village have become, looks like both these stores have become a giant corporate affair. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qu54-pb2XAl3VSYFrgqlwxL7nUfCx2Q480QkgR63U1hIuqe7cQj-zh5Uz8gvEdI7b8PHU34gOOPtTdKlb4iedP_cg8KNiQ7ANB8uQmwksIAKpbadxUAnQbG_v5A9gjpGWy57c3inknp0/s1600/DSC_1084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qu54-pb2XAl3VSYFrgqlwxL7nUfCx2Q480QkgR63U1hIuqe7cQj-zh5Uz8gvEdI7b8PHU34gOOPtTdKlb4iedP_cg8KNiQ7ANB8uQmwksIAKpbadxUAnQbG_v5A9gjpGWy57c3inknp0/s640/DSC_1084.JPG" width="492" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Early today my family and I went out to have our children participate in a university study. I love going to these things, the university is about a 30-40 minute drive away but the kids get a free book and we all get to spend part of the day in an area where we don't usually head out to too often. We made it a plan to check out all the thrift stores, or at least as much of them as we could while we were out. Somehow... and I know this is my fault, (I may have not written down the exact address) we couldn't find the address to the first thrift store, but it was no big deal and instead of really searching it out we got out of the car and went for breakfast. After breakfast we spent sometime walking around looking at some shops, there were some really great boutique stores, but no thrift stores to be found. We had given up on our plan and after enjoying the morning we headed off to another thrift store, only this time I actually knew the location of it. We must have only been driving for three minutes when you wouldn't believe it, a whole row of thrift and consignment stores. Ack! Well they had to wait, we had passed them at high speed and we had other things to do with our day, yes we had to make our way over to that other thrift store.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4efmmuTtaOs4cNHe5V-svgQeJW5OsRwldlWk9ZGH6QaMVtJIuNAeoCcAse3gicLtTksA3bDxapx93xKwpuFpWxypg5eXsgssbJvExdjgjlKY5Xb7OAGI9HT8GnAW2aMJ559gE-6PA69Je/s1600/DSC_1085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4efmmuTtaOs4cNHe5V-svgQeJW5OsRwldlWk9ZGH6QaMVtJIuNAeoCcAse3gicLtTksA3bDxapx93xKwpuFpWxypg5eXsgssbJvExdjgjlKY5Xb7OAGI9HT8GnAW2aMJ559gE-6PA69Je/s640/DSC_1085.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Heading over to the thrift store I had in mind was the best decision, it's a good thing we didn't stop off at those other stores we drove by (although maybe if I had gone in I wouldn't be saying this now...). This thrift store was having a renovation sale and everything was 30-75% off. It was the last day of the sale so everything was really picked over and the store was quite busy. Still, I managed to pick up ten children's books, a pair of jeans and a funky shirt for myself, the shirt reminds me of something a farm girl might wear and I think it will look cute with those jeans I picked up. I wasn't really keeping count of the price of these things, I was thinking everything would be about $10, but no it was less. I paid $3.50 for everything, I think this is the best deal I've ever gotten on second hand items and as we left the store I told my husband I felt like I just robbed the place. Ha, these kind of prices for second hand items should be the norm, not the exception. </span>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-37370132634424419922012-02-14T13:35:00.000-08:002012-02-14T14:55:32.362-08:00Recipe: Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I found this recipe in an issue of "Today's Parent", I made these cupcakes for my daughter's second birthday a while back and she loved it, it was literally all over her face. </div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9p5GNmG_JLvjJFFPo6vlyoJVmGuCpPH_xY4bl-Vj22HJqY8Pok8tojbSElhFKNn3CA8CEiZBIi2QWET1-_9aGDH8cZ1mvXGQj9uRI0TDkn1qn7ZrO43wJUUCyb86e2V5E23_JufxQs5v/s1600/102_8549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9p5GNmG_JLvjJFFPo6vlyoJVmGuCpPH_xY4bl-Vj22HJqY8Pok8tojbSElhFKNn3CA8CEiZBIi2QWET1-_9aGDH8cZ1mvXGQj9uRI0TDkn1qn7ZrO43wJUUCyb86e2V5E23_JufxQs5v/s640/102_8549.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Cupcakes</b></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1/2 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">2/3 Cup boiling water</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1 1/2 Cup all purpose flour </div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1 Cup white sugar</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">2 tsp Baking powder</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1/2 tsp Salt</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1/2 Cup vegetable oil</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">2 Eggs</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1 tsp Vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1/2 Large bag of "Rolo" chocolate or something similar</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Icing</b></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">3 tbsp Butter at room temperature</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1 3/4 Cup icing sugar</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1/4 Unsweetened cocoa powder</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">3 tbsp milk</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1 tbsp Vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMN_DIZ9KK0U1Hg2R8UMgMosvXgg9d6ry004Wf2Cvv8AiOC8H9L88ndXgClt86Mj7aLEswxfwdz3m5GeyKkgaNeJ0LDVTdcr-XzWhMgNDnTmN3VxM5ISJDr_GowHMmzsfiZQsFSh852h4/s1600/102_8552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMN_DIZ9KK0U1Hg2R8UMgMosvXgg9d6ry004Wf2Cvv8AiOC8H9L88ndXgClt86Mj7aLEswxfwdz3m5GeyKkgaNeJ0LDVTdcr-XzWhMgNDnTmN3VxM5ISJDr_GowHMmzsfiZQsFSh852h4/s640/102_8552.JPG" width="448" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;"><b>Directions:</b></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fcffec; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat Oven to 350 F.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a large bowl, whisk cocoa with boiling water until no lumps remain.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a medium bowl, whisk flour with sugar, baking powder with salt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whisk oil into slightly cooled cocoa mixture, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stir in flour mixture until combined. The mixture will be very thick.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Spoon batter into paper lined muffin cups. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bake until batter is barely set, approx 8-10 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Remove partially baked cupcakes and push pieces of chocolate into the center. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bake for another 8-10 minutes, then set on cooling rack. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kVHXtjqon4Ke_ODw2-jum1S68GtrOZQ4CDV2taefOEgpjAdkcFr7diUKDvEmmnThsPIEjZISXt7CoPk6U5f74dfi0wO7Bh-pC9TMiHUn3_8NMISAKZPgsO-7uJPO5UCoUwVm8lKEZyXk/s1600/102_8554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kVHXtjqon4Ke_ODw2-jum1S68GtrOZQ4CDV2taefOEgpjAdkcFr7diUKDvEmmnThsPIEjZISXt7CoPk6U5f74dfi0wO7Bh-pC9TMiHUn3_8NMISAKZPgsO-7uJPO5UCoUwVm8lKEZyXk/s640/102_8554.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">For the icing beat butter in a large bowl.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Whisk icing sugar with cocoa to remove lumps. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Beat into butter, alternating with milk. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Beat in vanilla until icing is smooth. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy!!!</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-8500820240923847442012-02-13T09:33:00.000-08:002012-02-14T14:56:09.815-08:00Health/Diet Food Review #1 ~ Gardein Santa Fe Good Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciSG7Ot_In-_ZHsE6YinmkpxRuJanWa5hyimBL1PS3RCRNASmo6KlBsumd2KbP5A61VfFyhuayVEnW9wuL0MYUBdXOrzZDRGpYZtBVQjMKygTr9ZJf9Dt7vrvjydCtr1qgHsUXQwtWyHh/s1600/DSC_0923+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciSG7Ot_In-_ZHsE6YinmkpxRuJanWa5hyimBL1PS3RCRNASmo6KlBsumd2KbP5A61VfFyhuayVEnW9wuL0MYUBdXOrzZDRGpYZtBVQjMKygTr9ZJf9Dt7vrvjydCtr1qgHsUXQwtWyHh/s640/DSC_0923+%25283%2529.JPG" width="442" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was my first time trying any Gardein product, and as soon as I pulled the food out of the package my expectations went from being hopeful to thinking it was going to be terrible. Nevertheless, I pushed on and gave it a try. There are three ways you can prepare this food, you can bake it, boil it or microwave it. The packaging suggests microwaving it as the best method, and that's exactly what I did. I popped a few holes into both the meat alternative and into the sauce and threw it in. The packaging suggests 2-2.5 minutes in the microwave, but I only needed 1.5 minutes in the microwave, and then waited another 2 minutes to let the food cool.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveqbltcYFk4UN-JQ0tcBKbCpX6DqQZZcqk_242tbLIwW3mNBNG3zUamnVGuvqlPIaLUaY-uQ7DTVCsVM1gsZK1R1HjTJK87aTWk37HKR-TeO8FrMFuJfROvtL7crhOP8AEkcpuW9uNJJ7/s1600/DSC_0922+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveqbltcYFk4UN-JQ0tcBKbCpX6DqQZZcqk_242tbLIwW3mNBNG3zUamnVGuvqlPIaLUaY-uQ7DTVCsVM1gsZK1R1HjTJK87aTWk37HKR-TeO8FrMFuJfROvtL7crhOP8AEkcpuW9uNJJ7/s640/DSC_0922+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The cooked veggie "meat" looks nothing like the picture on the box, but that's to be expected since no heat and eat food I've ever tried has ever come out resembling anything like the picture on the box. The Santa Fe Good Stuff meat alternative is filled with, but not stuffed with black beans, corn, onions and hints of jalapeno pepper. The meat alternative is a little spicy on it's own, but also comes with a packet of spicy tomato sauce that adds an extra kick for those who are a fan of spicy food. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Looks aside this product tasted pretty good and the company did a good job of trying to make it taste like chicken. The texture was nice, not rubbery and again in this aspect as well you can tell the company was trying to get it as chicken like as possible. The spice factor was a bit too much for me though, I am normally not a fan of spicy food and only used about a 1/4 of the tomato sauce. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This product works as both a diet food and a health food. Overall I think vegetarians would love this and it might cause meat eaters to develop an interest in vegetarian food. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKD6mRIv8usQ8TvlnNoYtsONdcCbQk99h1dSm72w05X3_NsZlp98lruEdIQEl6GymEJbf1A76-ukzmgpJ0zDTx811eY4ep1uMonLeFB5LOufGbMnbyMe0U5nl6VTPz900kzUmeXsGEhtr_/s1600/Picture+2849.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKD6mRIv8usQ8TvlnNoYtsONdcCbQk99h1dSm72w05X3_NsZlp98lruEdIQEl6GymEJbf1A76-ukzmgpJ0zDTx811eY4ep1uMonLeFB5LOufGbMnbyMe0U5nl6VTPz900kzUmeXsGEhtr_/s1600/Picture+2849.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><b><u>Ingredients</u></b>:<br />
<div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-transform: lowercase;">water, soy protein isolate, vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed/canola oil, organic ancient grain flour (kamut®, amaranth, millet, quinoa), onions, natural flavors (from plant sources), yeast extract, sea salt, potato starch, organic cane sugar, pea protein, carrot fiber, organic beetroot fiber, garlic powder, onion powder, extractives of paprika and tumeric. </span><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: lowercase;">rub:</span><span style="text-transform: lowercase;"> red bell pepper flakes.</span><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: lowercase;">stuffing:</span><span style="text-transform: lowercase;"> black bean, corn kernels, jalapeno peppers, expeller pressed canola oil, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, parsley flakes, sea salt.</span><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: lowercase;">sauce: </span><span style="text-transform: lowercase;"> water, tomato paste, onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, organic evaporated cane juice, expeller pressed canola oil, corn starch, sea salt, vinegar, spices, xanthan gum, chili flakes, ground chipotle pepper.</span></span></div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-52228122876521014632012-02-11T16:25:00.000-08:002012-02-13T23:23:54.818-08:00Recipe: Kale ChipsKale chips are a great snack food especially for those of you who are thinking about eating a little bit healthier.When it comes to having healthy snacks it's sometimes hard to jump into snacking on carrot sticks right away, so I think this is a great alternative, besides that it tastes great and is easy to make!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbA3QOfAhPPNyQcHdgROGsBZ8L4l_nbg8CtHwL66lDXs4Gng2oOyQ9YEzWnXjRAtj7SEH1GXNsHHPTN1ZVo32mcSltTF_scfC5lMjZsU6avfOkqEpccBWAusmdcGF-iHmJpzU6CwVDPgK/s1600/kalechips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbA3QOfAhPPNyQcHdgROGsBZ8L4l_nbg8CtHwL66lDXs4Gng2oOyQ9YEzWnXjRAtj7SEH1GXNsHHPTN1ZVo32mcSltTF_scfC5lMjZsU6avfOkqEpccBWAusmdcGF-iHmJpzU6CwVDPgK/s320/kalechips.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canadianliving.com/blogs/food/2011/04/26/crunchy-kale-chips-recipe-ie-how-to-eat-a-bucket-of-kale-per-day/">Photo Credit</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 bunch of kale</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 tblsp olive oil </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1 tsp salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Directions:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Preheat oven to 350 f</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">- Remove leaves from stems, wash and dry kale, either with a salad spinner or by shaking the water off really well </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Place into baking dish, mix in olive oil and sprinkle on salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges turn brown, if you have a small pan and a lot of kale leaves turn them half way through baking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Enjoy</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1470562783410798205.post-84883026375638123022012-02-10T16:54:00.000-08:002012-02-10T16:54:54.818-08:00Organizing The FridgeOne of my goals for this year was to be more organized with everything. Time management, my closet, old kids clothes, my fridge....you name it, it needs/needed organization. Now while I'd love to attack my husband's desk with about a dozen black garbage bags, I won't, at least for now. His desk as he believes, is an organized mess and paperwork and receipts from 2006 might be needed one day (I doubt it though).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRObFsnt4PmByrZ7oo-QMTt3_LeJh2GP2AEpGf5ULk1CW2ggoU5jRfpice9Z6pxH_h9YnAy83RWiBbzUuv0FcJUKWFOSxUl-OBURR-o59HWi54xgQO5MYx-wL3DrJy-xIHucWHXONXjdtL/s1600/DSC_1064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRObFsnt4PmByrZ7oo-QMTt3_LeJh2GP2AEpGf5ULk1CW2ggoU5jRfpice9Z6pxH_h9YnAy83RWiBbzUuv0FcJUKWFOSxUl-OBURR-o59HWi54xgQO5MYx-wL3DrJy-xIHucWHXONXjdtL/s320/DSC_1064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Ahhhh! See what I mean!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've starting working on organizing a few things since January already, overall I'm pretty satisfied with what I've accomplished. I really wasn't planning on doing much today, it's cold and raining outside and all I had on my list of things to do was relax, then I went to make lunch. When something remains disorganized for so long you usually become accustomed to it, at least I did, that is until today. I opened the fridge door took one look and decided that I wasn't going to be putting this off anymore, today was cleaning and organizing day for Mr. Fridge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Before</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojzb6nmRpWV4XznsbJk8-NHYaGUxo793_ipf8gK91D6LSHoQ74UzlS4A9jr4LBfnhFVi7QoXE2CiciwRH70ehVA9ZGHHuxaXmC_1cWGlSKFOG1Ubp2wAjh2toQ_b-9ClXSFjAtuUwBrO5/s1600/DSC_1061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojzb6nmRpWV4XznsbJk8-NHYaGUxo793_ipf8gK91D6LSHoQ74UzlS4A9jr4LBfnhFVi7QoXE2CiciwRH70ehVA9ZGHHuxaXmC_1cWGlSKFOG1Ubp2wAjh2toQ_b-9ClXSFjAtuUwBrO5/s320/DSC_1061.JPG" width="221" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>After</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqexd9Z8UI6BHd7OiCPIdV2F9buY1eUUUWqtnUS6VE5oF1GxBSQSZMROgQL4iqo9FnGGdfNOaJNyYytafgFnP7zgrh0wK8hSJmbj3uZO8VXtyPQXkQJyohAHxjfSSiTmEptqbm8Zwn3ji/s1600/DSC_1062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqexd9Z8UI6BHd7OiCPIdV2F9buY1eUUUWqtnUS6VE5oF1GxBSQSZMROgQL4iqo9FnGGdfNOaJNyYytafgFnP7zgrh0wK8hSJmbj3uZO8VXtyPQXkQJyohAHxjfSSiTmEptqbm8Zwn3ji/s320/DSC_1062.JPG" width="230" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel so much better, being disorganized is stressful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05692260719883957762noreply@blogger.com1