Monday, March 4, 2013
Bread Crumb Chicken Tenders for Kids
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| Bread Crumb Chicken Tenders |
My kids gobbled them up like they were any other chicken nugget and I was a much happier mommy giving them real chicken to eat.
It is too easy to bread your own chicken tenders, bake and then freeze for later meals! I used a $.89 tub of bread crumbs from Aldi, but I am sure you can make your own, too.
Bread Crumb Chicken Tenders
3/4 lb raw chicken tenderloins
season salt
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
- Rinse and trim raw chicken
- Season with season salt.
- Dip tenderloin in flour.
- Dip tenderloin in egg.
- Roll tenderloin in bread crumbs.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Crock Pot Potato Soup for Two and a Top Sirloin Marinade
I had a 2 lb top sirloin in the freezer and wanted to serve it on bread since it was a cheap cut. I decided to soak the steak in a good marinade for a few hours to enhance the flavor! I was really happy with the results.
I halved the recipe I found via All Recipes. I had plenty of marinade for the steaks with a 1/4 or so of waste. I suggest using my recipe if you are using a similar sized cut of steak or have smaller steaks still equalling 2 lbs, or so.
Top Sirloin Marinade
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1. Peel & dice potatoes, layer on bottom of crock pot.
2. Add in onion, garlic & sprinkle seasonings evenly.
3. Pour in broth, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours; the potatoes should be 'fork tender'.
4. Use an immersion blender or hand mixer to mash up potatoes until it reaches a thick, even consistency.
5. Add in sour cream, bacon, corn, cheese and stir until melted.
6. Top with your choice of toppings!
2. Add in onion, garlic & sprinkle seasonings evenly.
3. Pour in broth, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours; the potatoes should be 'fork tender'.
4. Use an immersion blender or hand mixer to mash up potatoes until it reaches a thick, even consistency.
5. Add in sour cream, bacon, corn, cheese and stir until melted.
6. Top with your choice of toppings!
I garnished our potato soup with some more cheese, crumbled bacon, and also added French's fried onions for a little crunch.
I had such a nice little Sunday night dinner with my little family. The soup and sandwiches were the perfect combination of food. I just love putting new spins on foods I familiar with, like steak. I also really enjoy trying something new! Especially, if I can get my husband to eat it and like it.
Did you do anything different for supper tonight?
Saturday, March 2, 2013
No Weekends for Moms - So What?
I can't help I still anticipate weekends. I hurry through Wednesday, watch my favorite TV shows on Thursday night, and finally - the glorious Friday finally arrives!
Ummm. Wait.
What the heck?! I am still doing all the usual stuff I do during the week. Where is mom's weekend? Do I sleep in? No. Do I get a break from household chores? No. If we run out of something, does someone else go pick it up? No. Does someone else clean? No. Does someone else cook meals? No.
Sigh.
To top it off, I had a long laundry list (oh, wait our wash machine is broken to top it off - joy!) of things to accomplish this Saturday with my husband working and also having a scheduled long run of 9 miles to complete at some point. However, one of my kids came down with a fever, snots and cough last night which hasn't gotten any better today.
After a quick breakfast of pancakes I pre-made a day ago, I smooched my husband on his way out to work, envious nonetheless, and hunkered down for an awesome Saturday trapped in the house. I groaned at the thought of it.
I sat in my "mama chair" for a little while, still crusty, bra less and crabby. I put on 101 Dalmatians for the kids, which we never do. They sat for a solid 15 minutes before getting bored and I was soon welcomed by two pink cheek faces at the foot of my chair.
"Ok, ok. " I thought to myself. This is ridiculous. Just because we can't go anywhere doesn't mean the whole day is ruined. I shook it off. I played with the kids for an hour or so, I tried to get my oldest to eat. I succeeded with an entire green apple.
I cleaned all the floors in the house, did the dishes, and picked up the bedrooms.
I took a shower, did my hair, and suddenly my day wasn't seeming so gloomy after all. Both kids where in great moods and I was clean! Those are two things I can't always count on...
When I take care of the things I need to in a day, it just can't turn out bad. If I would have sat in my chair all morning, waiting for Pete to come home, only to be re-crabby when he left for his run, I would have no good thoughts about this day.
But, I recognize this error in myself, to get all cranked up for no good reason at all, and I chose to make a better day out of day that was looking to be pretty ordinary.
After playing, we ate a "super special lunch" consisting of chicken tenders, cheese sticks, carrots and Popsicles. I made M&M cookies to kill some time, and I gave both the kids a bath. Which, I think, made them feel a whole lot better, too.
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| Post-bath silliness. |
James started to wind down pretty fast and I put him down for his nap. David and I played with toys downstairs for a bit and cuddled under a big blanket, still wiping snot from his nose.
David went down for his nap shortly after James and now I am sitting in the peace and quiet of no husband, no kids, and no TV on. Just the ticking of writing this blog post. I even ate more than I should have of M&M cookies. Totally worth it.
Now that I accomplished things in my home today, I don't have a problem with asking my husband to sneak out for an hour and maybe go thrifting. Maybe I can run to Target and pick up a few things we need, and come home to surprise Pete with a 6 pack for tonight. Maybe we can watch a movie when the kids go to bed and hang out sweetly like we used to before we got married.
My day has a much more optimistic spin on it when I remind myself it wasn't ruined upon waking. It doesn't matter what day it is or what we planned for it. What counts, is that we make it the best day we can with whatever we are given.
I really need to think like this more often...
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Upstairs Bathroom Before and After
As you have read, last month I updated my upstairs bathroom cabinets, cleaned my grout, and had plans for updating the accessories in "my" bathroom. My husband primarily uses the downstairs bathroom.
Mission accomplished! I am really happy with the subtle modernization of our upstairs bathroom and I can now commit myself to the next project. Of course, if I had a limitless budget, I would keep going a little further with the bathroom. However, I am done for now and am happy with how things turned out.
Let's take a closer look at what I actually did. You will see I added some inexpensive accessories and completed easy DIY projects to update our bathroom. I hope you will find ideas for updating your own space!
Many of the items and techniques you will see in the post were originally pinned to my "Upstairs Bathroom" pin board on Pinterest.
I spray painted the picture frame and wicker basket with Rust-Oleum Paint Plus 2x Ultra Color in satin espresso from Home Depot. The pictures in the frame are vintage cards.
A closer look at the painted wicker basket:
I changed the switch plate from gold to stainless steel. I also updated the bathroom accessories with items from Ikea. I wanted a place to put my jewelry and charge my cell phone, so I got the NORRÖRA 2-piece bathroom dish set (on sale at my Ikea for $2.99). I also got a small clock and replanted my bamboo plant in a galvanized pot and added some decorative stones.
I updated our sidewall vent from a bent up gold to a clean white. I tried to spray paint the old vent in brushed nickel but it didn't look quite right, I thought white looked a lot better.
I had a successful shopping trip at Marshalls, where I found my bathroom textiles. I bought a new white chenille bath rug, similar to this one. The old rug was cream and it looked dirty next to my new white vent! I also bought a new tiled hand towel and rag in white, similar to these. I updated my shower curtain hooks to chrome and glass, similar to these found on Amazon.
Lastly, there were a few things I updated that aren't pictured. I got a new white shower curtain rod, a brushed nickel towel hook for behind the door, and a new nickel door stop.
Someday, I might get a spankin' new faucet. Someday...
Well, what do you think of my new bathroom? It is crazy how clean my bathroom looks now and I didn't gut it or anything. Pretty easy, huh?
Friday, February 22, 2013
Adventures of Supermom: Pluses and Minuses of Staying Home with my Kids
After our usual morning routine was over: waking, changing, feeding, cleaning - I opened the shades and plopped down in my "mama chair" with a semi-hot cup of coffee. With "Snow Storm Q" passing through, I thought I would check and see how my husband's commute was this morning.
Not to my surprise, the Fridley Patch commute update page showed the traffic radar looking like this:
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| Photo Credit // Fridley Patch |
While I was in semi-gloat state mode about not having to leave my cozy 73 degree house, I thought, "Crap, I am stuck in the house all day!".
It is a great feeling to know I hardly ever have to pack up the kids and take them anywhere if I don't want or have to. However, spending a glorious 12 hour day with no help, in the same house, can at any moment become not so glorious.
There are pluses and minuses to every profession. Someone might have a job where they make a million dollars, but in exchange for the money they may never get to see their family. That is just an example.
As a stay-at-home mom, I get the luxury of staying home all day, every day with my fabulous kids. In exchange for that time with my kids I, well - I have to spend all day, every day with my kids!
Any mom or dad would know the double edge sword of the time we spend with our kids. I often find myself teary eyed over the beauty of the little things, like, "I love you, mom", a great trip out, learning, pajama time, special treats, or helping out. However, I also get the everlasting joy of tantrums, refusing to eat, poopy diapers, crabbiness, and mess making.
Those treats are just for starters.
I can tell you without hesitation, I am a super mom. Actually, I am Supermom.
Superman (or Superwoman for the PC readers):
1. A man with more than human powers.
2. An ideal superior man who, according to Nietzsche,
forgoes transient pleasure, exercises creative power, lives at a level of
experience beyond standards of good and evil, and is the goal of human
evolution. Now, we could get into a philosophical (or theatrical for my Shaw people) discussion, but that is a cup of tea for my Nietzsche-freak husband.
No where in the "definition" of Superman do you see the word perfect, right?
Why do I think I am Supermom? I don't think I am superior, but I do it all in our home and in return I get the simple satisfaction of knowing I did it all. While, I feel like I spend the entire day holding my breath, I try my best to do everything I can for the betterment of my family. That is my primary job.
My husband and I have a semi-unspoken agreement that I take care of everything in the house, including the kids, and he takes care of everything outside of the house. There are plenty of days neither of us wants to do our jobs, but it beats having to decided who has to do what around here. We just know what we have to do, whether we like it or not!
I: am Supermom, cook, clean, shop, make appointments, chauffeur, launder, plan parties, make trips to see family members, and so much more.
My husband: works (12 hours days nonetheless), mows the lawn, takes the garbage to the curb, pays bills, fixes things that are broken, fills the cars with gas (yes, even mine!), maintains the garage, and so much more. On top of these things, he has to come home to crazy-house and be Superdad. On occasion I make him be Superhusband, but that is an entirely different post!
I don't claim to have a life much different than anyone else. As a parent, we work our tails off to make or children and the people around us happy. Whether we are staying home or working, the sacrifices we make are small when we can be assured all of our needs (and our children's) are met and then some.
Ok, let's lighten this post up a little bit here. Here are a few good examples of how being a stay-at-home supermom can have pluses or minuses:
Plus: I don't have to pack up my kids to go anywhere if I don't want to.
Minus: We often get stuck in the house due to: winter storms, tantrums, feeding schedules, ect.
Plus: I have the time to keep a tidy house.
Minus: It takes all day to keep it tidy with my little boys.
Plus: I don't have worry about when the lawn will get mowed.
Minus: If I have to unload the dishwasher one more time today, I might go insane.
Plus: Our fridge is golden.
Minus: I have to coordinate meals far in advance to avoid multiple grocery trips.
Plus: My kids eat very well.
Minus: I cook 3 meals a day.
Plus: I get the advantages of going to popular outings during the day like play lands, and they are never busy.
Minus: I have to chase the kids around by myself.
Plus: I get two hours of alone time when my kids nap.
Minus: This is when I take a shower, do cleaning projects, or work on blog posts. (Ok, ok I do nap, sometimes!)
Plus: I can go to Target whenever I want.
Minus: As a 12 hour mom of 2, I rarely get to go anywhere by myself.
Plus: My kids can come to me anytime during the day, and I am there for them.
Minus: Mom doesn't get sick days.
Plus: I get to do all the shopping.
Minus: Budget 2013.
Hopefully, my pluses and minuses don't sound too depressing! In the scheme of things, I love my life at home. In the same way, a lot of mothers enjoy their work outside the home. We all get sick of it from time to time, but hopefully, we are all doing what we chose to do.
Do you have any funny pluses and minuses about your life? Anything you would change, if you could?
Monday, February 18, 2013
Easy DIY Toddler Bib Tutorial
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| DIY Toddler Bib Tutorial |
We have a major shortage of bibs at our house. Now that James is getting the hang of coordinating a spoon, we usually end up with half of the food in his mouth and half his food on the front of his shirt!
Every time I browse the bibs in the baby section of the store, I am easily annoyed at how much they cost. I knew I had scrap fabric in my craft bin at home, so I decided to whip together a bib or two using a bib I already like, as a pattern.
This DIY bib tutorial is easy to do and only requires a few materials! I had left over cotton print and terry cloth fabric scraps to use to make the bib. You could easily use an old towel, fleece or any other fabric as backing for your bib.
Materials:
Fabric for front of bib (I used cotton)
Fabric for back of bib (I used terry cloth)
Thread
Velcro, snap or button for bib close (I used sew on Velcro)
Scissor
Pins
Sewing machine
Directions:
Start by laying out your fabrics. Lay your front fabric right side up. Place your back fabric right side down on top of your front fabric. By placing the fabric with right sides together, you can trace and cut your bib pattern without moving the fabric.
You will be sewing your fabrics right side together and then turning your bib inside out for a clean finish.
I traced my bib slightly larger than the original but still kept the neck hole the same. Remember, you will have a slight seam allowance when you sew your fabric together, so don't trace too close to your original bib.
Once your bib is cut out, remove fabric extras from around the bib and pin all around. Leave 2 inches open on the bottom of your bib for turning inside out.
Take your pinned bib to the sewing machine and sew all the way around your bib except for the two inches on the bottom of your bib. I left a 1/2 inch seam allowance around the bib.
Once sewn, turn your bib inside out and smooth.
Pin the 2 inch opening closed, and iron your bib flat.
Once your bib is ironed flat, got to your sewing machine and top stitch your bib. Top stitch over the opening of your bib to close. I sew very close to the edge and as straight as I can. This top stitch makes your bib look very finished.
Now we need to make a closure for your bib! I chose to use Velcro because it is what I had on hand. I cut my Velcro in a neat circle, pinned it to my bib, and applied with my sewing machine. Next time, I will hand stitch my Velcro to make it look more neat.
Now, you should have a completed bib on your hands.As you can see, I didn't pay close enough attention to which direction my fabric was facing and sewed our super cute police pattern sideways! Oh well, we can't get it perfect on the first try, right?
Monday, February 11, 2013
Monday Night Meal Planning
The boys and I have a pretty busy week, filled with arts and crafts, and play dates! We got a lot of snow last night, so I had to save my grocery shopping trip today with the boys. I went through the ads in the Sunday paper during the boys' naps and saw there were a few good coupons to use. If you don't get the Sunday paper, one place you can print coupons from is Smart Source.
Also, Aldi has a wide selection of fruits in this week including our favorites: strawberries and blueberries! I really haven't been splurging on these out of season, more expensive fruits this Winter. We have been sticking to mostly apples, oranges, bananas and some canned fruits, too.
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| Front page of this Sunday's Aldi ad. |
Monday: Bisquick chicken pot pie.
Tuesday: Tator tot casserole with salad.
Wednesday: Crock pot beef stroganoff for daddy. The kids and I had a pizza party at a friends house!
Thursday: Pan fried chicken with cream of mushroom and leftover egg noodles.
Friday: Chipotle before the hockey game.
Saturday: Ate out.
Sunday: Frozen pizza (from the $3.33 Target deal) and spaghetti.
This week, I have a few new recipes I would like to try as well as some new spins on old favorites.
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| Slim Cheesy Potatoes via The Spotted Lamb |
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| Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joe's via Six Sisters' Stuff |
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| Red Wine Vinegar Salad Dressing via Food.com |
This week's dinner menu consists of:
Monday: Vegetarian Chili and sub sandwiches or Hawaiian baked ham sandwiches.
Tuesday: Philly cheese steak sloppy joe's with french fries.
Wednesday: Pizza party night with friends (including fellow blogger from Live the Fancy Life). I won a free pizza from Papa John's during the Super Bowl. We'll see how free it really is!
Thursday: Baked oatmeal casserole for breakfast. NY strips from the freezer, Texas toast and lemon salad for V-day.
Friday: Sliced ham (or I might get a rotisserie chicken from Sam's club) with slim cheesy potatoes.
Saturday: Out to eat night?
Sunday: Pork chops with crock pot red potatoes and red wine vinegar salad.
Tonight, I had a friend from High School over and we caught up over a bowl of veggie chili with cold ham sandwiches on King's Hawaiian buns. I really threw the chili together with my eyes closed but I thought it turned out pretty good for what was in it.
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| Easy Vegetarian Chili via Two Peas and Their Pod |
Easy Veggie Chili inspired by Two Peas and Their Pod
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans with chili sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
2 celery stalks
1 medium sweet onion
2 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
First, I sauteed the onion and celery in oil until browned over medium-high heat. I then added the peppers and sauteed until tender.
While my veggies were cooking, I turned my crock pot to high and added the canned tomatoes. I crushed them with my hands to break up the big chunks. I then added peppers and all the other ingredients (you already used the oil to saute your veggies).
I added one Tbs. chili powder but I thought it needed a lot more so I added another Tbs. I gave the chili a big stir and let it sit on high for 2-3 hours. I turned the crock pot to low before serving.
I was considering making the popular Hawaiian baked ham sandwiches I found on Pinterest, but I thought the hot chili would be complimented with a cold sandwich instead. I also served dinner with BBQ kettle chips and my friend brought over red velvet cake with creamy frosting. I was a happy lady!
My husband isn't a huge fan of beans but he actually ate my chili and said he liked it! Go, super-wife!
Are you trying anything new this week?
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