Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year.....2013, Here we come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I don't know about you, but I am ready to pack up 2012 and run full speed ahead into 2013! Everyone always has high hopes when they make their New Year's Resolutions (me included), but rarely stick to them....So, my first resolution is to stick to all of my resolutions! Every year I resolve to do something that I have put off, to be something that I think I should be (or to not be something that I shouldn't be), to do this, do that and I always fail! I sat down and reflected on why I always fail and I came to the conclusion that it is because they are empty resolutions. They don't mean enough to me to follow through with, so this year I am making those that resolutions that mean something to me and to my family. So here goes:

1. To be a better wife, mom, daughter and friend. 
         ^--To be quite honest, if this is the ONLY resolution that I stick to this year I will be more than happy.
2. To be more efficient. 
       ^--#1 and #2 are really tied together. In order for me to be a better mom and wife, I need to step up my efficiency and organization.
3. To loose the baby weight.
   ^--Yes, I know, cliche! But, its an honest goal. I know that I will feel better all around and it doesn't hurt to want to look good for the hubs. =D

To kick off my resolutions, and the real reason for this post, I will start by organizing my house day by day, room by room. I will post before and after pictures and day by day progress for those who want to follow along and do the same with their homes! So stay tuned for Susan's version of "30 Days to an Organized (AND FUNCTIONAL) Home!"

                I hope everyone has a safe holiday and a fun night!!

new year
(Photo Credit:  http://marian16rox.tumblr.com/post/9437391488 )

--Susan

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Hello! Anyone out there??

I'm sure that everyone is thinking the same about our blog and I am really sorry that it has been so long since the last update! Life has been speeding ahead and I was scared that if I let go with one hand, I might just fall off the ride! LOL. I decided that since I had about 5 seconds today, that I would devote that time to the blog. (And it's my way of avoiding laundry, mowing the lawn and anything that would be boring and responsible =D). Moving on....to fall....holy cow!! It's October already?!? Fall has fallen upon us here in Colorado and we are expecting snow within the next week or two....*sigh*. This makes a lot of people in Colorado happy (like my husband, who doesn't like to work in the extreme heat), but it makes others sad (like me, who doesn't like to get out of bed when it is freezing out! I don't like to be cold either). On the up side, it is the season for pumpkin....EVERYTHING! This week we started off our baking with some delicious pumpkin bread...mm mm....and today I decided to shake it up with some of the best pumpkin muffins ever! My house smells delicious and the oven keeps me warm =D. In light of Halloween being just 8 days away, I have decided to post a Recipe-A-Day...all pumpkin related of course! Stay tuned for delicious recipes, you won't want to miss this! 

Love always, 

Susan

Sunday, August 26, 2012

How to avoid a cooking burnout!

Hello all! I hope that everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather we are having! (And I hope that FL isn't floating yet)!
Over the summer I have had the luxury of taking a cooking break...some days. I just haven't felt like cooking and I needed some inspiration to get back in the game. Do you ever feel like everything you make is boring and just don't have the motivation to cook? That's where I was at! While the break was nice, it was getting costly and my kids weren't eating as healthy as they could. And let's just face it, nothing beats a home cooked meal! Here are some tips that I have learned to avoid burning out:

*Take a break every once in awhile! See if the hubby will cook, or designate so many days a month to eating out.

*Have a "left over buffet" night! Take out all the delicious goodies from the fridge and let everyone choose what they want to eat. This is also a great way to avoid having food spoil in the fridge (if it even lasts that long in your house, I know that it goes pretty quickly here).

*Bust out your crock pot! I LOVE my crock pot....It's the best of both worlds! Throw in all of your ingredients and let the crock pot do all the work for you. An easy way to have a delicious home cooked meal after a long day!

*Have a few previously cooked freezer meals on hand. This is a good way to think ahead for those nights that you just don't want to cook at all! Just warm them up in the oven and serve...whew, that was easy!

*Add variety! I have one cookbook that is my all time favorite, but I feel like we have made everything in the book over and over again! While it's okay to have favorites, don't be afraid to try something new. Who knows, it might become a favorite!

*Add a BBQ night in there when it's nice out! I love the grill almost as much as my crock pot! My kitchen isn't a thousand degrees and the kids love hanging out with me while I grill.

*Let the kids help! My kiddos love to help in the kitchen and sometimes it's nice to have an extra hand or two! So, after we look over our weekly menu we get everything we need out and get to work! They feel pretty important when they can sit down and say "I helped make this!". 

I hope that these little tips help you to avoid the burnout and get back in the kitchen. I will be posting some of our favorite family recipes soon...SO STAY TUNED for some yummyness!!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Easiest Pulled Pork that will make you smack........your lips!!!! YUMMMMYYYY

Okay so I know this one isnt all on the "healthy" side but it sure is yummy and easy!!!!! Its PERFECT for a backyard BBQ in the heat we are having this summer!!! You dont have to stand over the grill!!!!

Here's what you will need:

A Large Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
1 ~ 5LB Pork Butt
1 ~ 2 Liter of Root beer
Your favorite BBQ Sauce
Cole Slaw
Hamburger Buns

Here's how easy it is:

Place pork Butt in Crock Pot with 2 liter of root beer set on low cook for 6-7 hours
Remover half of the cooking liquid and discard. Leave half in the crock pot, Add BBQ Sauce, Shred pork using two forks return pork to crock pot continue cooking 1 hour on high.

SERVE!!!! Add cole slaw on top of pork on the bun for a yummy treat, Or simply serve the cole slaw as a side!!!! 

Happy Cooking!!!

~ Opal
The FL half of 2NTM

Friday, June 22, 2012

Garlic and Thyme Seared/Smashed Potatoes, Pork chops and Kale OH MY!!!!

It was a typical wednesday evening in the rainy region of west central florida, And I was in the mood to create something different for dinner, but didnt want to go out in the rain to the store. So I rummaged around in the fridge and this is what I came up with!!! You will be thanking me for this recipe later I promise!!!

Shopping list:

6-8 Yukon gold potatoes
6-8 large cloves of garlic
6-8 TBSP EVOO ( Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
3-5 Fresh thyme Sprigs
2 large Pork chops ( butterflied)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder
3 large handfulls fresh Kale
Fresh (wet) Mozarella
1 cup water
1/4 red onion thinly sliced

1. Wash an pat dry Pork chops, Place on a paper towel season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika  to taste let rest. Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash and cut Potatoes in wedges and steam for about 15 minutes or until tender

3. While Potatoes are steaming, in a shallow saute pan add 2 tbsp EVOO,  2 cloves garlic ( minced), 1 cup water, onion and kale saute uncovered until little or not water is left in the pan, remove and drain kale mixture. return pan to stove and turn to low

4. Lay 2 slices fresh mozarella and a handful of Kale mixture on one side of Pork chop and fold the other side over and secure with toothpicks



5.  Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes depending on thickness

6. Add remainder of Olive oil and Garlic to sautee pan. Drain potatoes and add to saute pan, Sprinkle with fresh thyme and turn to medium high heat for 5-10 minutes until garlic is lightly browned. remove from heat transfer to a large bowl and with the back of a fork mash potatoe wedges until slightly creamed.



7. Plate, Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

8. Thank me later!!!! :D

~Opal



Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Summer Fun with School year discipline!!!!

Its that time again!!!! The kids are throwing their books in their room and reaching for the remote and video games!!!! NOT in this house!!! ( Well not if Mom gets her way that is) Ive developed a few things through summers past that have helped keep the kids in the swing of things for the approaching school year while they have their summer fun AND It Helps keep me in the Sane rather than Shiny Pink Straight jacket category!!! The first summer I was a SAHM was, ummm how do i put this......Challenging to say the least. DH came home from work to find me drooling in a corner rocking back and forth chanting "MOMMY SAID NO" loudly....On more than one occasion LOL J/K!!!!! Although I felt like this most days!!! So I made a pact with my sanity that I would be more organized over the summers from there forward..... So Here is what I do during the summers!!!!

CHARTS!!!!! Lots and Lots of Poster Board and Sharpies lol!!!

My kids work on a Reward system really well. So, We make charts so they can see how GOOD or BAD they are doing!!!!

Chores
1st chart we do is our Chore Chart, At ages 5 and 7 its time that these little ladies learn to be responsible when it comes to their space and belongings. All of their "chores" are age appropriate I believe and teach them about responsibility and cleanliness.

Little A's (5 yrs old) chart includes making sure her dirty clothes make it in her hamper when she takes them off, that her toys and her play area are clean when she is done with them and that all common areas are clear of her toys, books etc when she is done. Her chart also includes feeding and watering and letting her puppy out ( Shae)


Big A's  (7 yrs old) chart includes much of the same of Little A's however it varies just a tad. She must make sure the table is  cleared of dishes at the end of each meal and they make it to the sink as well as making sure that when the dirty clothes hampers reach full she helps her sister take her hamper to the laundry room as well as hers and ask mommy to help them sort their laundry.


Rewards
Our reward charts are the fun ones :) With 2 little girls, both school agers now, I decided to use a different approach this year that helps them with math skills and responsility. Fake money :)


We are using a Catalog system, In the catalog we have alot of small low priced items as well as a few large High priced items. The smaller lower priced items will be used as weekly goals and the higher priced items will be used as a summer goal. I have decided to give each child a bank with $10 (fake dollars) in it. They will have a small "check register" to keep. At the end of each day we will assess the days beavhior and decided who must give back a $1 and who gets a $1 on fridays they get to pick a thing ( or activity) from the catalog for the next week and pay for it with their $. Then at the ed of the summer they can pool their $ and choose a high priced item for the end of the summer EXSTRAVAGANZA!!!!

 So Far so Good!!!!



Friday, May 18, 2012

Summer TIme Lunch Fun!


The countdown in the Amen house has begun! We only have 4 short days of school left before we are on our own to play the summer away! Most of the country is sharing our excitement, that soon our little monsters…*ahem*….I mean our little angels will be home soon for 3 whole months! As I was thinking about all of the fun activities we would be packing our calendar with, it hit me all at once! LUNCH! I usually make breakfast and send the oldest off to school with her lunch money or lunch packed in hand and then it’s just me, Aj and the bun that’s cooking in the oven. So, lunches are pretty easy around here and he is so picky that I usually only make a few different things throughout the week anyways, and I try to eat left overs as much as possible. The older one however, is a totally different story. She enjoys variety, so I made a dash to Google and found some amazing lunch ideas! I also learned that if you have to serve the same thing a couple of days in a row that making it LOOK different makes a huge difference! Some of the things that I found have an amazing level of creativity, I was very impressed. I have included all of the links to the pictures that I have found so if you want to explore further (and to give credit where credit is due =D).
Some easy ideas to use to spice up the daily lunch routine are things like: “Ants on a Log” (peanut butter on celery topped with raisins), “Pigs in a blanket” (little Smokey’s wrapped in a crescent roll), pizza rolls (these are a favorite of everyone in our house. When I make these, I have to make enough to feed an army!), Fruit layered on a stick is also a fun one that kids seem to enjoy. Not only are these a great way to spice things up, but with some fresh fruit or veggies, yogurt (Greek yogurt is GREAT for dipping fresh fruit like apples in and making Parfaits with), and a drink these are great “on the go” lunches as well! Just pack it all up and you are on your way to the pool in no time! Here are some other great lunch ideas, which I also love because they are all a fun spin on the regular old plain-Jane sandwich! http://blog.hwtm.com/2009/08/whats-for-lunch-funky-cuteness/ <<<This blog has a TON of cute sandwich ideas!
My goal for this summer is to make something different every day for an entire week (7 whole days)! I think that the site above and the ideas that I already have up my sleeve will make it a lot easier than I thought it would. Maybe I will even take another step and strive for 14 days of variety. I hope that this helps and please feel free to share any ideas that you have found for fun meals, or if there is something that you would like to see featured here. Happy picnicking! =D

Susan

Monday, May 7, 2012

Get the most out of your produce...Tips to make them last longer!!!

If you are anything like me you stock up weekly on your produce! I get the majority of my produce from Tampa Bay Organics ( www.tampabayorganics.com ) Its a fantastic home delivery service in the Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties (Florida) Every Friday I receive an email with what to expect in my box on Tuesday of the following week ( We receive the large box, seeing how I am borderline vegetarian). I can then log in and substitute or add to my order. Each week there is an assortment of Fruits and veggies (of the normal varities, ie : apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, celery, etc.) But usually ever week its something you would never expect ie: Dandelion greens, Kabocha squash, Kiwiberries etc. It has allowed the Double A's aka Picky and pickier to try new things because they are so excited to be apart of the washing and putting away of all the produce! We then can hunt up a fun recipe for our new items and go from there which in turn they want to try it because they helped!!!





I always have a plethera of fresh herbs and "salad" items. These items tend to go bad quickly so I have complied some of my "tricks of the trade" for making your produce last the longest and some to help you be able to enjoy them sooner by escalating the ripening!!! Enjoy!!!

LETTUCE

1st off is lettuce whether it be romaine, Boston Bibb, or red leaf this tip works for them all. When you receive your lettuce be sure to seperate and wash and spin dry each leaf. Then by simply wrapping the leaves in a Dish towel and placing it in your crisper drawer it should last a good 7-10 days.






MUSHROOMS

Always store your mushrooms in a paper bag, Do not clean your mushrooms until just before using them. When cleaning take a damp dish towel and gently wipe the mushrooms clean. Do not submerge them in water as mushrooms will absorb the water.

HERBS

Parsley
Fresh cut your parsley and Place it in a short rocks glass with water in the refrigerator. Just as you would fresh flowers on the dining room table.
Cilantro , Basil, Rosemary, etc.
Place your fresh cut herbs each in a freezer or paper bag with a paper towel and expel all excess air. The paper towel will absorb any moisture, therefore keeping your herbs fresher longer.






Sometimes, when we pick our produce at the market, it has not ripened to perfection yet so I have a few tricks to ripen your produce to perfection at home. These are sure fire tips to getting the best out of our yummy jewels.

Avacados
Avacados are very easy to ripen if they are too hard when you purchase simply place them in a brown paper bag and put in a warm spot, On top of the refrigerator works the best, for a day or so and you will have delicous perfectly ripened avacados in just a few hours. The gases from the avacado and the brown paper bag cause a reaction to ripen the fruit faster.


DO YOU HAVE TIPS AND TRICKS?! Email them to us @ 2NaturallyTwistedMoms@gmail.com
Or if you have any suggestions or these tips didnt work for your produce!!!

Have a great day!!!!

~Opal
The Florida half of 2NTM



Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Making Money From Home!


Making money from home…YES! it is possible to make money from home without spending a lot! (But please do your homework before jumping into a contract or sending anyone money, there are unfortunately A LOT of scams out there! =( ). I have heard several people over the last few weeks talking about money (or the lack thereof) and wondering how they could bring in an income without having to go to work and worry about day care (which is outrageous). Here are a few different ideas and sources that I have compiled, but don’t stop with just what’s here. Make this a starting point because there are literally THOUSANDS of ideas and options out there!!
1.       Direct Marketing (Don’t let these two words scare you!) I know that direct marketing has been given a bad name by companies who have done the pyramid scheme, but they are not all like that I promise! (This is where doing homework comes in handy. Be sure that you are not signing up for a company who is not ethical and a “fly by night” type of company). There are tons of different options out there, so be sure to pick something that you truly enjoy and can stand beside. The biggest part of direct marketing is believing in the product you are selling, otherwise you probably won’t make much (people can see when you are selling something that you are skeptical about). I am an independent consultant of Arbonne International and I absolutely LOVE it! If you want more info please feel free to contact me, I would love to help others get started and make some extra money! Opal is an Independent Consultant of Pampered Chef and this is right up her alley! She is an amazing cook, so having a job that she can cook for others and show them all the cool kitchen stuff out there is awesome. I am sure that she would love to help others get started with it too, so definitely don’t hesitate to contact her!! (Okay shameless promotions are done now LOL).
2.      Surveys and Product testing. YES! YOU CAN MAKE MONEY DOING THIS!! There are a lot of companies out there that will pay you to take surveys about products that you have tried, everyday things that make life easier (or sometimes harder), and even products that they send to you to test. (And you usually get to keep the item, so it’s a double bonus!)
3.      Offer a service! Are you fantastic at organizing and cleaning? Have a lot of time after the hubby gets home from work or on the weekends? Have days to yourself while the kids are at school? Offer a service to someone else and make some extra cash! Offer house cleaning services, errand services, grocery shopping services, etc. to those who may not have the time to do this for themselves. (Please, please, please be very careful not to put yourself in a situation that could be dangerous or illegal! Make sure that whatever you are doing that you exercises caution and common sense. Don’t forget to make sure that you are also compliant with tax laws. I don’t want to misguide anyone here =D).
4.      A second job? If you are looking for a second job that will work around your current schedule and will give you pretty quick money, why not look at the service industry? Waitressing is a great way to earn some money on the side and be able to work part time. You usually make pretty nice tips as well, so that could help bridge the gap in-between paydays.
5.      Make something and sell it! Not everyone is great at making everything. There are people out there who absolutely suck at sewing (like me!) and in turn, they avoid doing it all costs! You have an advantage if you are at all creative, you can make stuff at your own leisure and sell it on sites like EBay and Etsy. Signing up for an Etsy account is pretty easy and painless. They ask for your information and you get to pick your store name and can sell just about anything you can think of. (Just be sure to review their policies before you list something that might be questionable. You don’t want them to ban you because of an honest mistake!) J and I started our own Etsy store and I LOVE it. We can craft together and I list it. When something sells we package it up together and mail it right out. Each listing is only 20 cents (so you are out only pennies if it doesn’t sell) and the listing is valid for 4 months! That’s amazing!
6.      Ad space. Do you drive a lot? Why not sell ad space on your car? Companies will actually pay you to drive! This would be ideal if you have a long commute, are always driving the carpool or are just out and about a lot. Be sure to read and understand all of the information set forth by the company before signing any contracts though. Make sure that if there is a minimum mileage or any extra requirements of you that it is understood.
7.      Start a daycare or babysitting service! Are you home all day and love kids? Offer to watch someone else’s kids while they go to work. (Disclaimer once again! LOL Make sure that you are following all applicable state and local laws regarding daycare services. Some states make you go through a certification process to watch a certain amount of kids.) This might be a great way to make some extra money from home though, while also giving your kids a play buddy! The going rate for daycare is pretty high, so it could be very lucrative. Just make sure that you absolutely love kids and are capable of taking care of the kiddos, quality child care is of the upmost importance!
I hope that at least one or two of these ideas helps out, and like I said don’t limit yourself with this list. Use it as a starting point; there are TONS of options out there! =D

Susan

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Cleaning..the simple and "green" way!

Before I started researching ways to clean my house in an Eco friendly manner, I thought for sure that this was going to be quite the chore. I never really entertained the idea of "going green" when it came to housework. I thought that not only would it be harder and more time consuming (which I couldn't stand the thought of giving up even more of my precious play time with the kids!) but I also thought "you can't possibly have a clean house without chemicals!". I mean, how do you know that it is clean without knowing that all of those toxic chemicals have stripped every last contaminant off of that surface? Well, needless to say I was in for quite the surprise. I headed to the grocery store and picked up a few times that I would need to clean my house and not use a single chemical (I started to think how all of these chemicals could affect my family and I didn't like the thought that the chemicals could be hurting instead of helping). I found a few recipes on Pinterest and quickly went to work. I started with my dishwasher, it was in desperate need of help. I read online that you could clean your dishwasher with a simple packet of lemonade (yeah right!). So with only 15 cents and an hour of wash time to loose (since I had to clean the dishwasher already, if it didn't work I wasn't really worried). Jasmine watched as I dumped it in and laughed that this was how I was going to clean it, but then she thought it could work. After the cycle finished we popped open the door together and were shocked, it actually worked! My dishwasher was spotless! Needless to say, this started a chain affect and we became believers, so the next stop was the washing machine. The method I used was a little more time consuming but it was more waiting then anything. We filled the washer up with the hottest water it would allow and poured in two cups of white vinegar and let it set for an hour. After it had soaked we let it finish the cycle and filled it up again, this time adding two cups of Borax (an all natural bleach alternative that I couldn't survive a day without). We let it set for another hour and then put it through the normal cycle. It made most of my washer sparkly white, but there were still a few spots that I thought I would have to scrub, so I went and got my sponge and to my surprise (again lol) they wiped right out! I think that the results certainly speak for themselves. Since our day of experimenting we have happily traded in our chemical filled wipes and bottles for 4 simple cleaning supplies (aside from my laundry soap) that clean anything and everything. We have a box of Borax, s spray bottle of vinegar, a box of baking soda and home made dish detergent. Not only am I limiting the amount of chemicals we are being exposed to daily, we are saving a lot of money and it has actually made my cleaning routine easier. All of my green products clean better then any chemical I used to use and I uncluttered under my sink, finally! Here is a list of DIY cleaning supplies and the site that I found it on (always give credit where credit is due). I hope this helps to save others money, time and a few nose hairs. =D

To clean your washing machine: 
Fill with hot water and add 2 cups of vinegar. Let it set for one hour and then run it through the rest of the cycle. Fill it with hot water again and add 2 cups of bleach. *I use Borax because it is a natural bleach alternative, but you can use regular bleach if you would rather* Let it set for one hour and then run it through the rest of the cycle. If there is still build up in the washer, it usually wipes out pretty easily with a sponge. Here is the site that I found it on, she has some other great tips on there too! (Like how to clan your bath tub with a baking soda paste, and it actually works). http://www.somewhatsimple.com/how-to-clean-your-washing-machine/
To clean your dishwasher: 
Make sure that your washer is empty and put a packet of Lemonade Kool-aid *the generic works just the same, but this is the only flavor that will work* in the soap dispenser cup and run the cycle as usual. When it is all done it will be nice and sparkly clean and anything that is left on the bottom easily wipes out.
Homemade dishwasher detergent recipe: 
1 Cup "Washing Soda" *Such as Arm and Hammer* or Baking Soda
1 Cup Borax (It does everything! LOL)
1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
1/4 cup citric acid (available at brewing places or Amazon.com. Or as an alternative you can use the same amount of Fruit Fresh or two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid, ONLY lemon and ONLY unsweetened!)
3 Drops and ONLY 3 DROPS of liquid dish soap (any more than that will cause the dishwasher to overflow).  *Add to each load, not to the mixture above*
Then splash 1/2 Cup of Vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher and start the cycle. This will help the dishes to shine. 
Use 1-2 tablespoons of the above mix with each load in your soap tray.
This will save a ton of money and works great!
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/homemade-dishwasher-detergent-revised.html
Tips for cleaning with vinegar: 
http://www.vinegartips.com/scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=7

I hope that this helps (sorry if it is kind of long and overwhelming LOL). Enjoy!
~Susan 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Who wants to win something from 2NTM?

Oh yeah you read that correctly!!!! We have a challenge for you all....... A recipe off!!!

Do you have the best kept secret recipe in the whole wide world? Well here is your chance to share and possibly win a spice box from 2NTM's favorite Spice shop!!!

ENTRY RULES

We will be accepting 4 submissions for each category!
Categories are as follows:
Breakfast
Snacks
Dinners
Desserts

Submissions must be made to 2naturallytwistedmoms@gmail.com no later then Sunday April 1st @ 5pm

Your submission must be a full recipe and include a picture ( no more than 2 pictures please)  and in the subject line please put "Recipe contest: category" the category depends on your recipe if your recipe is a dessert it should look as follows : Recipe contest: Desserts

Please include your name, phone #, mailing address and email address in your emailed submission so we can ensure the winners get their prizes!!! ( We will only be posting your recipe name, your first name and your city and state with your recipe) Also please include a small photo of yourself!!!


All recipes will be posted on Tuesday, April 3rd.

Judging

Judging will be up to you and how many people you get to leave a comment with your recipe title and name on your recipe's category. (So tell everyone you know to get their vote in!!! and make sure they like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/2NaturallyTwistedMoms ) Voting will last until Friday April 5th at 12 midnight. Final tally of votes will be done on Saturday April 6th and winners will be posted that day around 5 pm.
This contest is not scientific!!!!
Winners will receive their prizes with in 2-4 weeks of close of contest.

Prizes

The winner from each category will receive a Spice box tailored to each category from 2NTM's favorite Spice shop. There is no prize for 2nd, 3rd or 4th places in each category. The winner will have a small bio written about them by 2NTM when the winner is announced!!!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR SUBMISSIONS QUICK AND EASY AND KID FRIENDLY, BECAUSE AFTER ALL THAT IS WHO EATS OUR COOKING RIGHT?!

PLEASE HAVE FUN AND LETS KEEP IT CLEAN AND BE GOOD SPORTS!!!! 

HAPPY COOKING ALL, BUENO APPETITO!!!

Whew! Having fun is hard work!


Good morning and happy Tuesday! It has been a chaotic but fun weekend around here and I think we spent Monday recovering from all of the fun! LOL. Last week our handsome little man turned 3….3!! (I still can’t believe that he is already 3 years old!) Well, since he is a Cars fanatic we had a Cars themed birthday party for him on Saturday. He was ecstatic! As soon as DH hung his “Happy Birthday” banner he was running all around the house saying “My birfday is here! My birfday is here!” I think that it was a huge success, we had a house full of people, a kitchen full of amazing food and AJ had a smile from ear to ear the entire day! (Now we just have to get the Thank You notes done! LOL).
The outside of the invite
And it pops up! (I wish I could take the credit for thinking this up, but I found it on another website...and now I can't remember which site it was. Once I do I will give credit where it is due =D).
The birthday boy and his gift from Mom, Dad and Sissy!
Sissy was due for a new bike too and Aj needed someone to ride with!
Some of the party go'ers and the DH!
On Sunday we thought it would be fun to take the kiddos to Disney on Ice. So, the entire family made a trip to the Event Center to enjoy a magical evening together. (The hubby, kids, me, my mom, brother, aunt, uncle and 4 of our wonderful cousins all came together for the event.) After watching it, I have to say that it is worth the price of the ticket and the effort of packing in two kiddos. They both watched in awe the entire time and at the end they were able to high five all of the characters as they skated off the ice! J even enrolled in ice skating lessons after watching it, she has decided that she wants to be a Figure Skater and work for Disney when she grows up. I think that it will be interesting to watch her go from beginner to pro (and knowing her, it won’t take her very long to get there!)
Mickey and Minnie on the Ice


Well, that was our excitement for the weekend! I hope that everyone enjoyed the sunshine and beautiful weather; I know that we did and we won’t be spending very much time inside this week. =D

Susan

Monday, March 26, 2012

Just as random as I am!!!!

I hope you all had an AMAZING Weekend!!!! The Renaud Tribe did, and Im pretty darn sure so did the Amen Clan!!!!!

1st of all The Renaud Tribe has a new family member we'd like you all to Welcome....... Say Hello to Kaluha Belle Renaud  aka LuluBelle lol




Kaluha was rescued by one of our friends from a kill shelter in Georgia, She came over to meet the girls and Shae Shae LaRay Renaud Yesterday and Everyone was in love!!!! We believe she is a Shiba Inu and terrier of some sort and roughly between 1 and 2 yrs old!!!!  We are absolutely smitten with her!!!

While Kaluha and Shae and the Double A's played and got acquainted, DH and I played around in the garden and got some things accomplished. DH built the box for our raised bed as well as hung my plant hanger for me while I planted some radishes and tended to the already planted herbs and veggies and watermelon we have growing!!!


So that was our Productive Sunday after a small gathering with good friends at our house friday night!!! Thanks for visiting My random post and HAPPY MONDAY!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Smokey Avocado Alfredo...Oh Yess I soooo just totally did go there!!!!

Ok, so, Me being Italian I love me some pasta ( not stereotyping Italians)!!!! I Love Love Love Love me some GARLIC!!!! ( and I mean Love, Sometimes I wonder how DH sleeps next to me seeing how I literally ALWAYS smell like Garlic and Olive Oil) And I am also apart of AA ( Avocado's Anonymous) Teeheehee!!!

So after picking up the DD's from school yesterday I came home to an order from my all time fave Organic Veggie and Fruit Delivery company, Tampa Bay Organics!! ( www.TampaBayOrganics.com) On Friday I got my menu order but, with my crazy schedule didn't get to look at it and see what was coming on Tuesday... Well I opened it up to a huge surprise!!!

Here is my "bill of lading" lol

 DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?!?!!?
3 HASS AVOCADOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm in Heaven!!! ( although I may need an intervention soon when it comes to these Green Oval shaped little gems!!!)




So, Here I am Planning tonight's meal and Gee what a surprise, I am craving......Drum roll Please......... Yep You guessed it, Garlic Pasta and Avocado's!!!! Hmmmmmm How am I gonna make that work seeing how both DD's Despise Avocado's ( only for the way they look)

So It came to me, If its a sauce they will never know......So my quest began for Avocado sauce!!!!
I had Rotini in the cupboard and I knew I had a quick fix Alfredo sauce as well.....And Well there is ALWAYS at least 5 Garlic bulbs in my house at all times!!! So I look and look, I scoured all the sites I know, Nothing fit my fancy for the taste I have Imagined in my head all day!!!

So I dug in the fridge and combined some ingredients and recipes and well this is the concoction I came to and lets just say DH and Both DD's Gobbled it up!!! It was even proclaimed by both DD's "this is the best sauce ever Mama!!!" With clear plates and enthusiasm and even asking for more I had to believe them!!!

So here is my concoction and Please Bare with me as I am not good at writing recipes, But I will try!!!

You will need your Grill and Stove top! Food processor, Pots, water and a large serving bowl

3 Hass avocado (medium ripeness)
4 large garlic cloves ( you can use less for a milder flavor)
Sea Salt to taste
Cracked Black pepper to taste
Olive oil
I box of your choice pasta ( I used  Rotini)
1.5 cups Alfredo sauce
juice of a lemon
zest of a lemon
1 Roma tomato
Steamed Broccoli


1. Boil your water for your pasta per package directions, cook pasta to Al Dente while you continue through the following steps
            1a. Steam your Broccoli while your pasta cooks

2. Cut your avocados in half stem to stern and remove the pits. Brush flesh side with olive oil and place flesh side down on a warm grill until you have a good char or grill marks.
Remove from the grill and cool  and and peel skin off of flesh





3. Add salt and pepper to taste, garlic cloves lemon juice  to food processor and puree to a sauce like consistency ( it will be slightly thicker than a sauce more like a paste.)

4. Prepare your Alfredo sauce.

5. Add Avocado Mixture to 1.5 cups prepared Alfredo sauce and mix together. warm on the stove top on medium low until slowly bubbling stirring occasionally

6. Drain your Al dente Pasta.

7 Combine Pasta, Broccoli and sauce in a large bowl and mix until all Pasta is Coated.

8. Garnish with Lemon zest , Parsley, Cilantro Or Basil

Voila!!!! A Yummy not so Original way to do Alfredo!!!


Buon Appettito From My Kitchen to yours!!!! :) 


Let your leftovers and trash boost your gardens productivity

Spring is in the air!!!!! If you are anything like me all you want to do is be outside. I typically cannot keep a plant alive!!! BUT, I have a new found LOVE........Gardening! Who woulda thunk it?! Well being an "all natural/ Organic" mom, I decided to compost to ensure our veggies are truly organic!! So We started our compost project just a few weeks ago Here are a few tips and tricks I have found useful!!!


Keep a Tupperware container on the counter (make sure you have a lid on it to ensure you don't have flies roaming around your kitchen) As you make your meals or do your daily house chores instead of throwing things away put them in your Tupperware, at the end of the day you can add them to your compost bin outdoors. I tend to do this after dinner when I go out to water my plants.




 In Florida it is hard to get your compost to break down instead of rotting, We use a few cups of Lime (Garden Lime) in our bin every few days or as needed. We also add a few cups of Organic soil we have purchased at the local garden store once a week.

Make sure you have a place to put your compost bin ( we used a Rubbermaid storage box and drilled holes all the way around on every side/top/bottom) where isn't easily accessible by rodents!



Also make sure you keep it in the garden, this ensures when you are ready to use your compost in your soil that you wont have to move it!!!

Here is a list Ive found of great things to boost your compost:
1.  Dryer lint
2.  “Dust bunnies”
3.  The insides of a vacuum bag (just empty the bag into the compost bin)
4.  The contents of your dustpan (just use discretion)
5.  Coffee grounds
6.  Coffee filters
7.  Tea bags/loose leaf tea
8.  Soy/rice/almond/etc milk
9.  Nut shells (but not walnut, which may be toxic to plants)
10.  Pumpkin/sunflower/sesame seeds (chop them to ensure they won’t grow)
11.  Avocado pits (chop them up so they won’t sprout)
12.  Pickles
13.  Stale tortilla chips/potato chips
14.  Stale crackers
15.  Crumbs (bread or other baked goods)
16.  Old breakfast cereal
17.  Bran (wheat or oat, etc)
18.  Seaweed/nori/kelp
19.  Tofu/tempeh
20.  Frozen fruits and vegetables
22.  Egg shells
23.  Old, moldy “soy dairy” and other dairy substitutes
24.  Stale Halloween candy and old nutrition/protein bars
25.  Popcorn kernels (post-popping, the ones that didn’t make it)
26.  Old herbs and spices
27.  Oatmeal
28.  Peanut shells
29.  Booze (beer and wine)
30.  Wine corks
31.  Egg cartons (not Styrofoam)
32.  Toothpicks
33.  Q-tips (not the plastic ones)
34.  Bamboo Skewers
35.  Matches
36.  Sawdust
37.  Pencil shavings
38..  Fireplace ash (fully extinguished and cooled)
39. Paper towels 40.  Paper napkins
41.  Paper table cloths
42.  Paper plates (non wax- or plastic-coated)
43.  Crepe paper streamers
44.  Holiday wreaths
45.  Old potpourri
46.  Dried flowers
47.  Fresh flowers
48.  Dead houseplants (or their dropped leaves)
49.  Human hair (from a home haircut or saved from the barber shop)
50.  Toenail clippings
51.  Trimmings from an electric razor
52.  Toilet paper and paper towel rolls (shredded first)
53.  Newspaper 54.  Junk mail
55.  Old business cards (not the glossy ones)
56.  Old masking tape

So happy Composting Enjoy the fruits and veggies of your labors!!! 
 
~Opal 

Post Inspired by
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/80-items-you-can-compost.html?page=3

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Ready...Set...Garden!




Spring is finally here! It’s not as warm in Colorado as it is in Florida, but I’ll take this weather over the snow any day! We are already planning our garden, and we can’t wait until we can go out back and pick some fresh fruits and veggies. If you live in a colder climate that still has the potential of freezing (like we do) then starting your plants indoors is usually advised. For most they need to be started indoors 4-6 weeks before they are ready to be transplanted. A trip to Home Depot is all you need to get started; they have everything that you could ever need. We picked out our seeds and our indoor mini greenhouse. These greenhouses are the most practical way to go; they are easy on your budget and easy to use. (And since I usually have two helpers on hand at all times it makes it a lot easier when the mess or potential mess is contained). For smaller plants, such as herbs you can use egg cartons and potting soil to plant them in. (We are planting our herbs in smaller containers so that we can keep them indoors or outdoors). Just make sure that you poke holes in the bottom for drainage. Planting your own herbs is the best way to save money and always have them on hand while cooking, or dry them for later. If you are fortunate enough to live where the danger of freezing has already passed then you can plant them directly into the ground, the seed packs usually has a guide for when to plant each one. (Each plant varies). Hope this helps and happy gardening!
Here are our seeds that we picked to plant

Left rows do not have any water added, center rows have just the water added and the right rows have water and the seeds added.
All done! Now we wait patiently for everything to sprout!
Susan