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!!

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

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

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!!!!

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

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

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