An Excused Absence

Can you tell I am a teacher? (or was...)

I will be taking a self-imposed blogging break from this weekend through next weekend. We will not be having the usual routine over the next week or so, and therefore I am going to not be posting during that time. I just thought I should let you know so that you didn't worry that I fell off of the face of the earth or something. :) Nope, everything's good. I will miss writing and being in touch with you, and will be excited to return in August!

It's My Party...

Well, no not really. I mean, it is my birthday today, but we celebrated last weekend by going out to dinner, and I will celebrate next week with a massage. But it is still my special day! :) And, our anniversary is on Sunday. Woo-Hoo!

Product Reviews

It is time to follow up on a few things...

EO Whole Foods All-Purpose Soap
So far, we have used it for washing the dog, washing the car, and hand soap. My evaluation: does the job well, smells mild but good, and according to my husband, does not lather a lot when washing the car. Will I buy it again? Yes, if it goes on sale, for hand soap purposes. I will probably choose to use cheaper dish soap for washing the car and cheaper shampoo for the dog next time.

Coconut Oil
So far, we have used it for popping popcorn (delicious), and in baked goods such as whole-wheat blueberry muffins, granola, and my favorite chocolate cake. I know I said I was going to test it out in the birthday cakes, but neither the Chocolate Sheet Cake nor the Carrot Cake Muffins required any oil!

I have been pleased with it in everything. On the chocolate cake, I mixed everything in mixer instead of just in the pan. So it wansn't any trouble to get the coconut oil mixed in well.

Basically, I have noticed no difference in the final product of baked goods. When this container of coconut oil gets close to running out, I will decide whether or not to order some from here. As long as I still feel it is the more natural/healthier option, I plan to continue using it in place of canola oil. I will still use olive oil when it is best, too!

Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup
Since it has a hard spout, my daughter had to truly suck to get liquid out, and not just bite on the spout. I like this. She seems to make less mess this way. We think the sippy cup is super cute and that her little hands look super cute gripping it to take a drink. I am glad I ordered one!

Current Cloth Diaper System

Now that my daughter is a crawler/cruiser, here is what I like to use for her diapers:

1. Premium Chinese Prefold Diaper in the twist fold and fastened with a Snappi.


2. Imse Vimse Soft Diaper Cover over top. I probably would have never tried these covers if my friend hadn't given me a newborn one as a gift. I love them. They fit my daughter well, especially around the leg holes, and are easy to use! Plus, they just look well-made. I think they are a good value for the money.

At night I use a double stuffed Happy Heiny's or Mommy's Touch Pocket Diaper.

My daughter is a super squirmer when it comes to diaper changes. But I've noticed disposables make it no easier!

I have ordered all my diaper supplies from Nicki's Diapers. I like their prices and their fast and free shipping on many items.

This simple system works for me!

Peeling Peaches

Ok, to show you what a novice I am at some things... this is the first time I've ever made something with my own peaches. We usually just eat them fresh or put them on fruit pizza.

Sure, I've used my apple peeler/corer/slicer to make sliced apples for apple crisp, applesauce, crock-pot cinnamon apples, or put them in bags to freeze. But, obviously that device doesn't work with a peach pit in the way. So, I've never done much with peaches, except eat them fresh (which we love to do). I figured it would be too much work to peel large quantities of them myself.

Then, my friend Staci told me the trick that everyone else in the world probably already knows or has read online. Using a slotted spoon, place the entire peach in boiling water for 1 minute, then in an ice water bath for 1 minute. The skins come right off! I was amazed - I could peel the peaches with my hands!

I will be freezing some more peaches for winter, now that I know how easy it is!

But first, I'm off to make some peach cobbler for this evening...

Visit Tammy for more tips!

Menu Plan 7/21/08

Breakfasts:

Granola w/ milk

Banana Bread

Lunches:

PB&J or Egg Salad
Carrots

Peaches or Grapes

Chips

Yogurt

Dinners:

M - Hamburgers on Homemade Buns with Baked Zucchini & Tomatoes with Cheese

T - BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Zucchini Cornbread Casserole

W - Chicken Fried Rice

Th - Leftovers

F - Homemade Pizza

S - Eating Out

S - Dinner with Family

Desserts:

Peach Cobbler w/ ice cream (Thanks, Amy!)

Visit Menu Plan Monday for more ideas!

Baked Zucchini & Tomatoes with Cheese

One needs:

Zucchini
Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese
Monterey Jack or Mozzerella Cheese, if desired

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of a glass baking dish (that's what I use, at least). Slice zucchini in half and then quarter lengthwise (so they look like pickle spears). Lay them skin side down in the baking dish. Top with tomato slices. Drizzle with a little bit more olive oil. Sprinkle generously with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Add monterey jack or mozzerella cheese. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes.

Optional: Cooked bacon slices are a tasty addition on top of the tomatoes.

I could eat a whole pan of this alone for dinner! :)

Ok, I am updating this to add: Do a dose of the garlic powder, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese on top of the zucchini before adding the tomatoes. Then, do it like directed on top of the tomatoes, too.

Fresh Finds

Our city Farmer's Market is too far away to justify the trip, but we do have a local orchard that is much closer that sells their own produce. It is more expensive than the grocery store, but you can pretty much guarrantee it will be extremely good. Their main produce items are sweet corn, tomatoes, and peaches.

Here are my purchases from today:

1 pint of peaches (7-8 peaches) : $4.50

2 tomatoes @ $2.25/lb.

4 "seconds" peaches @ 90 cents/lb.

Total w/ tax: $8.80

Driving home, I realized I should have checked out the "seconds" on the tomatoes. Oh well, lesson learned for next time. The "seconds" are the over-ripe/bruised/imperfect fruits. Sometimes there are some decents ones. I am going to peel and freeze the "second" peaches for cobbler.

I hope to get some fresh zucchini tomorrow at the grocery store. I will post my favorite way to eat zucchini and tomatoes this week!

Just so you know, I did not do much of a garden this year. I planted two tomato plants in pots. But, I didn't cage them soon enough, and one blew over and split. So, only one is left, and I think the rabbits have been eating it! I would like to grow my own vegetables, but didn't get an early of enough start on it this spring... and I've never grown food all by myself before, so I am a bit timid about it. I also just didn't feel ready to take on something else new at the time!

I comtemplated joining a CSA this past winter (for the spring through summer and fall), but from the one available here, most of the goods are vegetables and herbs (which I like), but not a lot of stuff that I am familiar with. Not a lot of fruit was on the list. I felt like I would need to learn to can, first, so that I didn't waste stuff. Also, the distribution point was not very close to us. So, not feeling up to the learning curve on cooking a bunch of unfamiliar stuff, I delayed, and the sign-ups were closed. Maybe next year.

Admitting that I chose to do neither one of those things makes me feel a bit bad. But I feel better knowing that our grocery stores are good about carrying local produce. And you know, sometimes something has got to give. I think that has been my slogan this past year. I want to do it all, but I can't. Everything has to have it's place on the list of priorities, and sometimes the ones at the bottom (and even in the middle) just have got to go now and then. And those things are different for everybody, depending a lot on your life situation!

Frugal at Whole Foods

My frugal tip of the week: Don't forget to check out the store brands... at Whole Foods, that is!

If you are a bargain shopper, you are probably used to trying out a generic or store brand product when you don't have a coupon for the name brand product. Remember that you can do the same thing at the big name health food stores, like Whole Foods.

I shop at WF only occasionally, when something I like is on sale, or I need soap or shampoo. The store is about 35 minutes from my home, and 10 minutes out of the way on my commute. So when I am there, I try to make the most of it. I have found that their 365 Everyday Value (store brand) items are very reasonable.

Not every item has a 365 Everyday Value equivalent, but many do. Some things I have purchased are all-purpose soap, shampoo, chlorine free diapers (for travelling), cereal bars (for travelling), veggie chips, whole wheat tortillas, and milk.

And don't forget that they have sales, too. Just this past week, ground beef was $2.50/lb. Not the cheapest you could buy ground beef, but a good buy on a quality product.

So don't be intimidated... if you are wanting to shop at Whole Foods or a similar store, take your time, and see what you find!

More reading: Here's an article from the Whole Foods website on finding deals at their store.

Visit Crystal for even more tips and advice on living a frugal lifestyle...

Baby Kanteen!

Look what came in the mail today! I'm excited to wash it and let my 1 year old daughter put it to use!

We (ahem, my husband) lost my daughter's good Born Free sippy cup at the park a month or so ago. I have a cheapo polypropylene #5 (deemed safe) plastic one that my daughter has been using since then.

I had been wanting a Klean Kanteen sippy cup for her, though, ever since she started on a sippy cup. Here are my reasons:

• I just don't love plastic, even the Born Free ones. I don't feel comfortable with them for long term use. I don't like to think of the liquids sitting in plastic or the plastic breaking down after many washes.


• I figured she is going to be using a sippy cup for awhile. I'd rather have one good one than several that I don't like.


• We had some extra b-day money... so I ordered the Klean Kanteen.
  

There's my justification for it. :) So now she has one good one, and one cheapo backup. Maybe that's neurotic, but I feel good.

If you're interested, read more about my favorite baby bottles that I used or on why I like to avoid plastics.

FYI-

I ordered my daughter's Klean Kanteen sippy cup from ReusableBags.com where it was on sale for $16.40 and used coupon code f70838 for 20% off. With shipping it was $18.07. I thought that was a decent deal since they are usually $19.95 + shipping. I think the plain one was on sale because they've introduced the colored ones, now.

Now my husband and my daughter both have their own Klean Kanteens. I am using my beloved glass Voss water bottle until the lid wears out... and then, who knows?

Zucchini Cornbread Casserole

I found this recipe here last spring. I thought I'd pass it on as another way to use zucchini from the garden- since it is that time of year! I haven't tried it yet, so let me know if you do!

4 cups of shredded zucchini

1 medium onion, chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1 small package dry corn bread mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 ounces shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. In a large bowl mix together the zucchini, onion, eggs, muffin mix, salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

If you want it to be cheesier, add 1/4 cup cheese to the recipe to sprinkle on top of casserole when done.

Mimi's comments: This casserole is very quiche like. My entire family loves it! It's a great brunch or dinner dish.

My Costco List

A few weeks ago, I tried shopping at Costco for the first time. Here's what I have purchased that I have found to be good deals there.

Basics:

hormone-free milk

butter

block cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, etc.)

eggs

organic peanut butter

jelly (Smuckers and organic jelly)

We eat a lot of those ingredients I just listed!

Notes: Aldi is cheaper on milk, but I can't seem to find out if theirs is hormone-free. - and - If you are a fierce couponer or drugstore bargain shopper these might not be deals for you. I occasionally/rarely do either of those things, so these are great buys for me, and they make my shopping trip simpler, too.

Other good prices:

organic baby carrots

pickles

honey

lemonade drink mix

Stuff I plan to buy when needed:

meat

laundry detergent

toilet paper

dog food, maybe

tires

I am still shopping the local grocery store sales as well as Aldi for other things. I decided to try Costco mainly for their good prices on hormone-free milk and organic foods. Above are all the items that Work for Me so far. I have yet to explore the whole store, so please let me know what I am missing... What do you suggest I add to my Costco shopping list?

Banana Bread

Ok, if you're like me, you've made multiple kinds of banana bread before. But when my neighbor Tina brought this to my daughter's b-day dinner, I asked her for the recipe. Instead of being heavy, dense, and somewhat crumbly (as my other banana breads have tended to be), this was spongy, moist, and light. I almost felt like I was eating cake. And it wasn't crumbly at all! I haven't made it for myself yet - gotta have some bananas first. But, I am looking forward to making it sometime soon, hopefully!

3 bananas (peeled)
½ cup butter (softened)
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vinegar
1/3 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp vanilla

In large bowl, mix together bananas until mushy. Add butter and sugar, then 2 eggs, beating well. In smaller mixing bowl, combine baking soda, vinegar, and milk. Mixture will be foamy. Alternately add flour and milk mixture (from smaller bowl) into large bowl and mix well. Add vanilla. Pour evenly into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Visit Tammy for more kitchen tips!

Menu Plan 7/14/08

Menu Planning has become one of my favorite posts of the week! I used to think that assigning a meal to a certain day was boring. But now that I've been doing it awhile, I really like it. It works out well with my husband's work schedule and eases my stress during the week. It's a beautiful thing.

Breakfasts:

Granola w/ Milk*

Whole-wheat Blueberry Muffins

Orange Juice

Lunches:

PB&J

Yogurt

Chips

Carrots

Fruit

Dinners:

M - Stir Fry

T - Leftovers

W - Italian Macaroni and Cheese

Th - Leftovers

F - Chili Cornbread Salad (great summertime meal!)

S - Leftovers

S - Waffles and Eggs

Desserts:

Cream Puffs and Strawberries*

Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream

*I made some granola last night and used peanut butter instead of the oil. We recently tried the Costco store brand (Kirkland) of organic peanut butter and like it. We used to be strictly Jif fans. I had tried natual peanut butter before and was disapointed, but I think we will stick with this stuff for awhile. Maybe the trick is keeping it in the fridge? Anyways, the granola is good. It was a little thick to mix. I had to used my hands - the peanut butter isn't as runny as the oil. So the granola doesn't get as coated before baking and therefore isn't as crunchy.

Visit the Organizing Junkie for more menus!

Rummage Sale Finds

I don't frequent second-hand sales very often... but there was a fundraising (for charity) rummage sale at the place of my work yesterday, so I decided to check it out.

The books are in near perfect condition. They were 50 cents a piece. I will keep the toddler one and the others will be gifts.

The shelves were $2 a piece. One is for my daughter's room because as of now she has no shelves on the walls. The other is for the guestroom. I like how simple they are.

I thought these bargains were worth sharing. Good stuff for $6!

Make-It-Yourself Izze

Pomegranate Izze is one of my favorite drinks. It consists of concentrated juice and sparkling water, with no added sweeteners, flavors, or colors. I also admire the company, from what I know of them, for what that’s worth.

The bad thing is that purchasing Izze, even on sale, does not fit very well into my budget. I rarely find them for less than $1 a bottle, usually $1.25 is the cheapest. Therefore, I only buy it for special occasions. It is my special drink.

Last summer, I attempted to concoct my own version of Izze. It was not a perfect imitation, but it helped satisfy the craving. I will share that with you now.

You need:

• concentrated juice
• sparkling water

I bought some frozen Apple/Cherry/Grape juice concentrate (about $1 on sale). Sorry, I wasn’t going to pay for the pomegranate juice. I also don’t even know if you can find that in a concentrated version.

Then, instead of adding tap water to mix, I used sparking water (about $1). This is just carbonated regular water (no calories). So, for about $2, I made a pitcher full of imitation Izze.

I stored my homemade imitation Izze in a sealed container in the refrigerator to try to keep in the carbonation. Even if you store it like this, I would still recommend planning to consume it within a few days because it did tend to lose its carbonation rather quickly.

If following these directions results in a drink that is too strong or carbonated for your taste, you can always dilute some of the juice with regular water before adding the sparkling water.

So if you are looking for a carbonated beverage to satisfy your summer sweet-tooth without pouring junk into your body, give this imitation Izze recipe a try. Health-wise, it is just like drinking diluted juice, and much easier on the budget than buying Izze at the store. It is a fun and frugal alternative to the real thing!

Writing about it makes me want to go make some now… and have it out on the patio...

Shampoo, Soap, Etc.

What I like:

365 Everyday Value Personal Care Products
(This is my personal opinion, not a paid advertisement.)

A few years ago, when I was first having hormone imbalances and discovering I had PCOS, I started on a quest to eliminate as many hormone disruptors as reasonably possible from our daily living. One obvious area was in shampoos, body wash, lotion, and other personal care products. (Disclaimer: I still use my antiperspirant. I sweat a lot, and haven’t wanted to go that crunchy yet.) I discovered the Whole Foods store brand of personal care products, and we have been using the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion ever since!

The 365 Everyday Value brand is reasonably priced. At $4.79 for 32 fl. oz. the bottles are less than some name-brands at Wal-mart. They are deliciously scented with essential oils, and the bottles are made from 50% post consumer recycled content. But the best part, as written on the side of the bottle:

Free of parabens, animal ingredients, artificial fragrance, and unnecessary chemicals. Made with biodegradable ingredients. Not tested on animals.

While these do not claim to be 100% organic, I think that these products are major bang for your buck if you are wanting to find paraben-free products on a budget. They work for me!

Visit the Skin Deep database if you have questions about the safety of what you are currently using.

Menu Plan 7/7/08

This week is rather simple compared to the hub-bub of last week preparing for the 4th and the birthday dinner party...

Breakfasts:

Granola w/ Milk

Lunches:

PB&J

Party Leftovers

Dinners:

M - Turkey & Swiss Rollers and other Party Leftovers (baked beans, pickles, chips, veggies & dip, fruit)

T - Dinner Meeting/Naked Pasta

W - Pineapple-Pepperjack Chicken, Carrots

Th - Same as Wed.

F - Cheese Ravioli w/ Tomato Sauce, Zucchini

S - Same as Fri.

S - Homemade Pizza

Desserts:

Key Lime Pie (We really liked it, but only got to eat it one night, so there's a lot left.)

Peppermint Ice Cream Dessert (w/ cookies 'n' cream instead of peppermint!)

Visit Laura @ Organizing Junkie for more menu plans!

Party Time!

Silly me! - I forgot to take a picture of the spread of food! I wish I could show you. This is all that's left... the plate on which my sweet neighbor Tina brought banana bread.

It was a busy week, and an even busier Friday and Saturday with lots of company, but it sure was fun! On Saturday, we celebrated our daughter's first birthday with friends and family. It was a gorgous night and we played outside with all the kids. I didn't actually "cook" anything except for the cakes. Here was the menu:

Drinks:
Lemonade
Water

Dinner:
Turkey and Swiss Rollers*
Cucumbers, Carrots, and Dip
Slow Cooker Baked Beans*
Pickles
Potato Chips
Banana Bread (compliments of Tina)
Cantelope
Watermelon

Desserts:
Carrot Cake Muffins*
Chocolate Sheet Cake*
Vanilla Ice Cream*


*Some notes:

The Turkey and Swiss Rollers are wrap sandwiches on a party tray from Costco's deli, sliced very prettily. They are not cheap, but I think are a good deal for how many people they feed and how good they are. They consist of turkey, swiss, tomato, green lettuce, and some kind of cranberry cream cheese-type spread in a tortilla, then sliced like a pinwheel so you see all the colorful food layered inside.

For the Slow Cooker Baked Beans, I just drained 8 cans of pork and beans, tried to pick out the pork, and dumped them in my large crock pot with a bottle of K.C. Masterpiece BBQ sauce. Then, cooked them on high for 4 hours. I liked that they were more spicy and bar-be-que-y than sweet.

I made a batch of the Carrot Cake Muffins with the cream cheese frosting from the recipe book, Deceptively Delicious. I honestly didn't expect them to turn out well, but they were OK. The healthnuts who ate them (myself included) liked them. The cauliflower does give them an earthy taste, somewhat. But they are still slightly sweet. I made these for my daughter's "cake". She devoured an entire one. I omitted the chopped apricots and prunes. The muffins aren't comepletely devoid of sugar (they contain some brown sugar and the frosting contains a bit of confectioner's sugar), but I thought were a good choice. I wanted to make something other people had a chance of liking.

I also made 2 Chocolate Sheet Cakes following The Pioneer Woman's recipe, minus the nuts. I think they turned out well. Except, the frosting dripped off of one of the cakes and all over my counter. So I licked it up. :) I have that same problem - messy countertop - whenever I make her Cinnamon Rolls, too. I guess I just need a larger, stainless steel workspace or something.

We also had plans to make homemade ice cream, but discovered earlier in the week that our ice cream maker no longer works. So that ended up being store-bought. We had so much other food, though, that it didn't get eaten!

Even though just about everyone came as planned, we had a lot of leftovers! That is better than running out of food, right? Actually, I already sent a lot of it away with relatives last night. And anyone who knows my husband and I knows that the rest sure won't go to waste! I'd venture to say we are pretty fit individuals, but we do love to eat.

All in all, it was a great weekend. Thanks, everyone! And Tina, I want that banana bread recipe!

-off to write some thank you notes...

Carrot Cake Muffins

From Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious... w/ slight adaptations. I think they make good little 1st birthday cakes!

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 T. butter
1 c. carrot puree
1/2 c. cauliflower puree (I prefer applesauce or extra carrot puree.)
1 large egg
2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. allspice

Frosting:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/4 c. confectioner's sugar
2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate

I realize now that I left out the cinnamon yesterday! Ahhh!

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper baking cups.

2. In a large bowl, beat the sugar with butter until smooth. Stir in the purees, egg, orange juice concentrate, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking pwoder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice, and stir until just combined. Do not overmix; there are supposed to be lumps in the batter.

3. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until the ops of the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, 12-15 minutes. Turn the muffins out onto a rack to cool.

4. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and orange juice concentrate in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread the frosting on the cooled muffins.

5. Store in an airtight conatiner at room temperature for up to 2 days, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 1 month.

Ice Cream Dessert

I made this recipe for our 4th of July get together with extended family. It was a bit of an experiment because I've never made it before (although my mom has made it a lot). Also, I've only had it with mint chocolate chip or peppermint ice cream, and this time I used cookies 'n' cream. My husband said he likes it best this way, though! It is a good and easy way to stretch a half gallon of ice cream, and I think it looks and tastes better than ice cream by itself, too.

Peppermint Ice Cream Dessert

4 squares unsweetened chocolate (I substituted 3 T. cocoa and 1 T. Crisco for each square. So I used 12 T. cocoa and 4 T. Crisco since I didn't have unsweetened chocolate squares on hand.)
1 stick butter
1 and 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk (I used reconstituted dry milk, just double strength.)
1/2 gallon ice cream

Crust: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs + 3/4 to 1 stick butter, melted

In a 9 x 13 pan, bake crust @ 375 for 8 minutes. Freeze while preparing next layer.

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat. Add milk and sugar. Slowly bring to a boil. Cool slightly and pour over crust. Freeze 30 minutes.

Soften ice cream and stir until cream. (Can be pretty much completely melted.) Spread over frozen chocolate mixture. Freeze at least 2 hours before serving.

Happy 4th of July

Wow, Friday is almost here!
We are in the thick of things getting ready for some festivities tomorrow and a birthday party this weekend. So you probably won't hear much from me over the next two days... take care and celebrate with thankfulness!

Coconut Oil...Mmm

Well, I did it. I bit the bullet and paid an arm and a leg for some coconut oil. Is it worth it? I do know it makes my house smell really good when I cook with it!

Last night we made some popcorn on the stove, and it was better than when we've made it with the ol' canola oil. My husband thought it tasted buttery - with no butter on it!

Tonight I used it in some granola. In an effort to stretch its use, I used part coconut oil, part flax seed for the recommended oil. It turned out a little different than usual, but I think that was due to the flax seed.

I plan to use the coconut oil in some baked goods this weekend. I feel that will be the true test.

So far, I am pleased. I plan to investigate further on the most economical way of purchasing it. Any tips in that area would be greatly appreciated!

If you are curious why I am trying coconut oil, here are some thoughts on cooking oils.

5 Ingredients or Less

"5 Ingredients or Less" is the theme.

This will be quick... 1 recipe and 5 links. Most of the links are highlights of recipes previously posted. This first recipe is a spruced up version of my favorite (easy and wholesome!) macaroni and cheese that we really enjoy. It doesn't have a name. I'll call it...

Italian Macaroni and Cheese.

4 cups macaroni

3 cups sharp cheddar cheese

1 and 1/2 cups milk, cream, or evaporated milk

1 can Italian style diced tomatoes (or use regular and add Italian seasoning)*

1 lb. ground beef, browned

Cook macaroni. Drain. Grease 9x13 casserole dish. Put in half the macaroni, tomatoes, and beef and top with half the cheese. Put remaining macaroni, tomatoes, and beef on top of the first layer of cheese and top with the remaining cheese. Pour the milk over the macaroni until you can see the milk. Bake until golden brown in a 350 oven about 30 minutes.

* I honestly can't remember if I use 1 or 2 cans of tomatoes or how much meat, so tailor that to your own liking. I like to mix the tomatoes and ground beef into the pasta.

Another similar recipe, but yet with a different flavor recipe is the Tomato and Spinach Pasta Toss. We like that, too. And I found sweet Italian turkey sausage with no nitrates/nitrites that worked well.

Another favorite: Pineapple-Pepperjack Chicken.

I am not a huge jello fan because of the artificial colors, but Red Hot Applesauce Jello is one that makes an easy side dish. If you like jello, and you've never tried it, you should. The applesauce makes it a unique texture!

A simple dessert that I have on the menu for this week: Key Lime Pie.

Oh, and my favorite: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars! Amazingly easy.

Hope you enjoy these recipes!

I'm looking forward to finding some more simple, 5 ingredients or less recipes at Rocks In My Dryer!

Be Nice, Give Spice

This is part kitchen tip, part wedding gift idea :)

One of the most practical gifts my husband and I received when we got married was a basket of dried herbs and spices.

Yes, we registered for and received a spice rack, but there were still a lot of other spices that we would need and use and my mother-in-law knew that! She went to a local kitchen/health food store where you can buy dried herbs and spices in bulk and filled probably two dozen miniature ziploc bags with different herbs, spices, and seasonings, labeled them, and put them in a basket.

I just wanted to share this idea because I am so thankful that I received it. It would be good for couple who is getting married and moving off on their own for the first time. You could even throw in some favorite recipes, too.

Bonus: If you are hosting a kitchen or cooking themed wedding shower, you can play the "Guess the Spice" game with these at the shower and then present them as a gift.

If you are really talented, you could grow, dry, and give herbs grown in your very own garden.

Visit Tammy for more kitchen tips!