Ok, so I sat here yesterday trying to declutter but it feels like nothing has been done and it looks worse than when I started!! I got 7 BIG plastic storage containers out of my storage unit. I am attempting to empty them and empty my storage unit (atfer having it for over 5 years… this will be interesting!) and eliminate that bill! Can you believe I found receipts in one of the boxes from 1997!!? I was like OMG my mom is right… I AM a packrat… it IS genetic LMAO! I have some strange things I saved for god only knows why! So wish me luck on the great storage adventure!
Alright… reader comments… they were some GREAT ones let me tell ya ladies! Thanks so much for them and I am glad you enjoy my blogs. I hope they can be helpful for you. Now let me address them… As for leftover food… well there isn’t ever any! LOL you gotta remember I am feeding at MINIMUM 6 people at a meal… many times closer to 15 or more. BUT the few chances I do get to have food remaining is when I make the freezer meals. I freeze individual portions of soups in ziploc bags and lay them flat to freeze and I take the Ziploc divided containers and make homemade TV dinners each with a meat, veggie, and side. When there is an abundance of leftovers, I give them no more than 3 days in my fridge normally, and they magically disappear LOL! The food fairy carries them away! LMAO! Seriously though, I rarely have leftovers, which I guess is both good and bad… but if you need ideas for leftovers, I’d be happy to post some for you. I think I posted a Turkey Salad one after after Christmas somewhere… I’ll check. As for smaller meals… all the recipes I give you can be down-sized to make smaller portions. The sweet & sour pork was a 2-4 person recipe… but again, with so many people, I am always doubling or tripling the recipe anyway… but I will look at some I have and see if I can rewrite them for smaller portions. And congrads on the upcoming blessing BTW! If you’d like, I can teach you how to make your own baby food! Healthier for your baby and easy to do as well. You can do them now and freeze them in itty bitty portions LOL! I loved when my kids were babies! Makes me want another one… ah but we won’t go there. Ok, Christmas gifts and crafts… Yes I am starting some already… the blankets we are making and some recipe books. I also had a cute idea with some cookie cutters I saw on clearance yesterday that I might go back and buy. They were those Wilton 6pks in a mesh bag of Christmas shaped cutters. Although, I think I had a bunch of brand new cutters in a box in storage for basket fillers, I might use those… spend less ya know? Everyone puts the fleece on sale, so we’ve been busy with the blankets right now… me and the DS18 are just knotting away LOL! I plan on giving at least 20 blankets… not only expensive, but time consuming so with those we have to start NOW! But I know how much we all love ours and how well we stay warm in them, so I want to share and customize for a bunch of people I know. And the crafts… they are not gone for good… I plan on beginning to post upcoming holiday crafts soon… the obvious being Valentines coming up. So hold on to that thought ok? Lol But I will try to post any new crafts as I do them for whatever day… and seeing as I have readers who are expecting… I will start putting some baby crafts up for you too! And finally… Ravioli… OMG that little turkey is crazy! I now know why he got his head stuck in a can! Cuz he can’t stay out of stuff! He is one of the nosiest cats I have ever seen! But the next time I can catch him LOL, I will make sure to take a picture of him for ya’ll.
Ok, I mentioned baby crafts. Now these are not only gonna be good ideas for yourself, but they will make great ideas for anyone who is expecting too! This one is for a Fleece Carrier Cover to block the wind. I found it at ThriftyFun.com… you can find tons of awesome crafts there… I’ll share some of the ones I like over time.
Craft Idea of the Day: Fleece Baby Carrier Covers
Fleece cover to stretch over the carrier. The flap comes down over the baby's head to keep the wind of of it's face.
Approximate Time: 3 hours
Supplies:
1 yard of fleece for the top
1 yard of fleece for the lining
scissors
thread
sewing machine
54 inches of 3/4 inch wide elastic
a large safety pin
needle and thread for hand sewing
Instructions:
Lay the fabrics out and cut a piece 28 inches wide by 35 inches long from each piece. Lay them with right sides together and stitch around with a 1 inch seam allowance rounding the corners. Let an opening about 3-4 inches to turn it. Clip the curved seams so they lay flat. Cut off the points at the corners.
Now turn it right sides out. Cut a hole 8 inches from the top edge and 10 inches from each side edge. The hole should be about 7 inches diameter Cut through both thicknesses of fleece. I sewed around the circle I drew on the fabric before I cut it out. That way the pieces keep together nicely. Sew 1 inch around the entire piece.
Now take the safety pin and pin it to the end of the 3/4 inch wide elastic (54 inches long) and thread it through the pocket you've just created. When you bring it all the way around to the beginning end of the elastic, stitch the 2 ends together. Now hand sew the opening that's left from when you turned your piece right side out.
Cut a strip of fabric from the lining fleece about 24 inches long and 4 inches wide. Sew it around the circle you cut out and join at the ends. Now roll it onto the underneath and stitch in the ditch from the top. Cut extra fabric off on the underneath side. Cut a piece 12 inches x 18 inches for the flap. Zig zag around it to finish the edging. Sew it above the hole on the front side through all thickness. Put the flap down over the hole and top stitch on the top about 1/2 inch from the edge. Now stretch it out and pull the sides down around the baby carrier. Use the flap to cover baby's face. The first picture is the front and the second is the back.
Alright today’s meal… what do I make as a special meal for my nephew tonight? Well, I’m thinking some thick cut pork chops with sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I’ll also have the crocks fired up with some soups as well… that is a everyday thing, even if the meal really doesn’t consist of any. In the crocks today are tortellini soup, lentil soup, and broccoli cheese soup.
Pork Chops with Sour Cream & Mushroom Sauce
First, I melted a big hunk of butter in the saucepan and covered it in my favorite spices (thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper). Then I threw in two chopped onions and some minced garlic. Then I threw in a can of sliced mushrooms and put about 4 dashes of dark ale beer in. I let this mixture boil for a couple of minutes, removed it from the skillet & added the pork. I browned the pork for about ten minutes, mixed the sour cream, soups and mushroom mixture together and poured over top. Let this simmer for about an hour, turning every so often.
As for the mashed potatoes, they will be special. First I am gonna roast a head of garlic in the oven. Then I will boil some baby reds until tender. Leave the skins ON. Mash them up and squeeze in roasted garlic. Add butter and parmesan cheese for a yummy side!
Well kids, I have to go prepare for my nephew… he’ll be here in a few hours. Then I have to get back to the packrat-race LOL! I WILL get this place organized and better functioning! LOL My goal is by the end of February to be completely done. So until tomorrow kids… HUGS!
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