Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas Greetings



















Wishing you a Christmas filled with love on this joyous holiday as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Cake Mix Recipes: Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies
















1 (19.5 oz.) package brownie mix
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 can chocolate frosting

Heat oven to 350°F. Beat brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese and egg in medium bowl 50 strokes with spoon until well blended (dough will be sticky). Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets to make 24 cookies; smooth edge of each to form round cookie.

Mix powdered sugar and peanut butter in small bowl with spoon until mixture forms a ball. With hands, roll rounded teaspoonfuls peanut butter mixture into 24 balls. Lightly press 1 ball into center of each ball of dough.

Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until edges are set. Cool on cookie sheets at least 30 minutes. Spread thin layer of frosting over peanut butter portion of each cooled cookie.

Makes 24 cookies

Monday, December 19, 2011

Bread Machine Garlic Bread

1 cup warm water (70° to 80°) 1 tablespoon margarine, melted
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
4-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions (check the dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices (about 1-1/2 pounds)
Servings: 1 slice
Calories per Serving:108
 
Note: Shape in loaf pan and bake in oven if prefered.

Monday, December 12, 2011

December 12-18 Menu Plan

















My family is volunteering this week for 3 days at Community Care Train so it is another crockpot week for us.

Monday: Crockpot Meatball Subs

Tuesday: Crockpot Pot Roast w/ Potatoes and Carrots, and Corn

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Honey Glazed Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, and Peas

Friday: Chicken Poppyseed Casserole, Egg Noodles, and Corn

Saturday: Stroganoff-Topped Potatoes, and Green Beans

Sunday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, and Carrots


Submitted to:
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie to see more menu ideas.

Crockpot Meatball Subs


1 package of frozen meatballs or precooked homemade meatballs
1 jar of marinara sauce
mozarella cheese slices
hoagie rolls

Place meatballs in the crockpot. Cover with marinara sauce. Heat on high for a couple of hours or on low for 4 hours. Once meatballs are done, place in hoagie rolls and top with mozzarella cheese.


Chicken Poppyseed Casserole

3 cups of cooked shredded chicken 1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 can of water
1 and 1/2 tubes of butter flavored crackers crushed
1 heaping tablespoon of poppy seeds
1 stick of butter

Heat in a saucepan the chicken soup, sour cream, and water. Mix chicken and creamy mixture together and pour in a casserole dish. Mix crumbled crackers and poppy seeds together. Place on top of the chicken mixture. Take butter and cut into pats and place all over the top of the crumb mixture. Place in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 45 minutes.



Thursday, December 8, 2011

Honey Peanut Butter Popcorn










3 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook sugar, honey, and corn syrup to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over popcorn, stirring to coat. Spread on greased aluminum foil to cool. Break into bite-size pieces. Makes 5 quarts.

Monday, December 5, 2011

December 5-11 Menu Plan














We have a potluck on Tuesday, volunteering over the weekend at Marmon Valley Farm, along with several other busy days. It looks like it's going to be a crockpot and chicken week.

Monday: Crockpot Chicken Tacos, Buttered Rice, and Green Beans

Tuesday: Potluck- All Day Macaroni & Cheese

Wednesday: Crockpot Savory Creamy Chicken Breasts, Egg Noodles, and Peas

Thursday: Crockpot Cabbage & Spinach Soup, and Garlic Bread

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Meal Provided at Marmon Valley Country Christmas

Sunday: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings, Carrots, and Corn


Submitted to:
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie to see more menu ideas.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 cup of salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup blackbeans (optional)
jalapeno’s (optional)

Line chicken breasts in the bottom of a crockpot. In a very small bowl, mix the chili powder with the lime juice, and pour over the chicken breasts. Make sure chicken is evenly coated. Set crockpot on Low and cook for 5-6 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and is easy to shred.

Remove the chicken, shred, and put back in crockpot. Add salsa and frozen corn and mix thoroughly. Let cook for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream.

Crockpot Cabbage & Spinach Soup


1 shredded cabbage
10 oz. package of frozen spinach
4 carrots
head of garlic smashed
2 tomatoes
1 cup of water
cracked black pepper

Place all ingredients in slow cooker (crockpot) for 8 hours on Low.



Crockpot Savory Creamy Chicken Breasts

5 chicken breasts, halves, boned and skinned 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
10 3/4 ounces cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon tarragon or rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic
Salt to taste
1 8-ounce can mushrooms, drained

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry; place in Crock-Pot. In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and heat until smooth and hot. Pour over chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.
Servings: 5

Monday, November 28, 2011

Ranch Oyster Crackers















1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
5 cups oyster crackers

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). In a large mixing bowl, combine ranch dressing mix, dill weed, vegetable oil, lemon pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well. Add oyster crackers to the mixture and mix to coat the crackers. Pour the crackers onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring gently halfway through the baking time.

Servings per Recipe: 10
Calories: 275

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Thankgiving Cookie Boxes















Our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:13


I used my favorite cookie recipe Parkay Cookie Jar Recipe to make several different peanut butter cookies. I doubled the recipe and added an extra cup of flour to make a stiffer dough. I made about 10 dozen cookies Mini Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter Cup, and Peanut.  I decorated up boxes with white paper that veggie cans had came in to deliver cookies with some tags that I made. I am delivery them this week to family and groups that I am involved in.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Ham, Swiss and Spinach Quiche













3 cups packed baby spinach, chopped
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound sliced ham, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 9-inch frozen pie crust
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place it in oven and preheat to 375°F. Mist a medium skillet with cooking spray and warm it over medium heat. Cook spinach, stirring often, until wilted. Remove spinach to a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry.

Combine eggs, half-andhalf and salt in a large bowl and whisk until well mixed. Arrange spinach on bottom of pie crust. Scatter ham over spinach. Sprinkle cheese over ham. Pour egg mixture into shell.

Place quiche on baking sheet and bake until filling is set and crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, slice into wedges, and serve hot.

Servings: 8
Calories: 298

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Brittany & Richard's Marriage Ceremony

My daughter Brittany got married.

The Guests
Brittany & Richard- Signing the Marriage Licence
Richard & Brittany Stein III Marriage Ceremony October 22, 2011

Friday, October 14, 2011

My Weight Loss Stats


I am retiring my weight loss stats from my sideboard so I am posting them. I started my weight loss journey April 2010 and after reaching my goal weight continued to lose in March 2011 I was down to 118 lbs. I thought that was too low for me so I increased my calorie count and gained back up to my goal weight.

MY WEIGHT LOSS STATS
April 5, 2010- 185 lbs Starting
May 1, 2010- 175 lbs
June 2, 2010- 168 lbs
July 7, 2010- 155 lbs
August 4, 2010- 145 lbs
September 1, 2010- 138 lbs
October 6, 2010- 129 lbs
October 27, 2010- 125 lbs Goal


April 26, 2010
October 16, 2010

Thursday, June 9, 2011

52 Weeks: #22 Graduation

I worked on my bedroom along with plans for my oldest son's graduation, the grad party, and my youngest son’s birthday.

My biggest project was to organize my son's display table for our homeschool graduation ceremony along with preparing a speech. If you would like to view more details and pictures visit my post Shawn Jr. Class of 2011.

Submitted to:
I'm an Organizing Junkie 52 Weeks of Organizing

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Shawn Jr. Class of 2011

My husband and I had the great pleasure to graduate our third child and oldest son at our homeschool groups annual ceremony. This completes his homeschool experience  I hope he learned that education is all within his control and that he has learned the tools to become a lifelong learner and to take advantage of all opportunities.

Procession and  Introduction of Graduates: Shawn Christopher Shutt Jr. escorted by his parents Shawn & Jennie Shutt, Sr.















During the Family Hour each parent gives a speech along with the graduate.

My speech

Shawn Jr. Speech

Shawn Sr. Speech















Leaving stage after Shawn Jr. gave me a white carnation and his dad gave him his diploma.


Presenting the Home On The Rock (HOTR) "Class of 2011"

This is just one of the Reception Cakes.

The reception tables decorated.


Each grad's family set up a table display and this is Shawn Jr.'s. I collected and organized everything for the display, made the diploma, sent out email invites, made the decorations, and purchased stands & frames. My husband made the slideshow on the computer, printed the diploma, made a SWAM Certificate, made the picture invite cards, and printed the graduation picture. Shawn Jr. collected some of his favorite music cd'd and memorabilia from his room. The three of us set up the table before the ceremony.

Friday, June 3, 2011

52 Weeks: #21 Picnic Basket & Travel Snacks

I gathered some supplies I had stored in the basement to get my picnic basket ready to go for summer picnics. I decided to include a set of plastic containers that had been given to me that I didn't need in my kitchen. I figured I could use them to pack food into without the worry of forgetting a container from my kitchen if I lose one of these no big deal.  In my kitchen I don't usually use paper good but have decided that on an outing it is more convenient because I don't like packing up dirty dished to wash at home.















Since my picnic basket was packed and ready to go I packed my husband and I a serving of Colossal Chopped Salad, cantaloupe, and homemade chocolate chip cookies to eat after a trip to the flea market. I used the Parkay Cookie Jar Recipe for the cookies.















I decide to pack some snacks and drink in the back of my van for the busy summer. I added single serving snacks that I had in my house along with a package of water and single serving drink packets.


Everything packed up in the van ready to go.


Submitted to:
I'm an Organizing Junkie 52 Weeks of Organizing

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Colossal Chopped Salad
















16 oz uncooked penne pasta
1 head romaine lettuce
1 large carrot
1/2 medium red onion
1 small head broccoli
2 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup  sliced pitted ripe olives
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian or ranch salad dressing

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold running water. Spoon pasta onto large serving platter.

2. Meanwhile, thinly slice lettuce, carrot and red onion. Coarsely chop broccoli. Slice tomatoes into thin wedges.

3. Top pasta with lettuce, broccoli, carrot, onion, tomatoes and olives. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over vegetables. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Makes: 16 servings
Calories per Serving: 200

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

52 Weeks: Recap Weeks 1-20















Since I have completed 20 weeks of the organizing challenge I thought it would be fun to do a recap of all my projects. I have to say it has been nice to get each area completed. For the most part I am organized but it was good for me to look at each area and to remove the clutter that had accumulated. I have enjoyed deciding each week what to work on and most weeks have completed more than one project. I like doing the challenge with others and seeing everyone’s progress each week.

My Progress:

Basement- I worked on 5 areas in my basement but there is way more left to do.

My Office- I still have to organize all my craft shelves but at least I tamed my magazines. I must say I have not gotten anymore lately and have been reading and purging them like crazy. I still have way too many and haven’t keep to myself imposed rule of purging 10 per week.

Kitchen- My biggest accomplishment so far has been my kitchen because I completely organized each area except for my chest freezer. I am trying to use up everything in it or enough to move whatever is left to my upright freezer in the basement so that I can defrost it.

Upstairs- I just started working on the upstairs of my house last week. My kids (DD22, DD19, DS18, and DS14 years) each have their own room so they are responsible for that, which makes it easy for me. Besides the game closet which I finished and vacuuming the hall I only have to monitor them so the whole upstairs area will be done this week. I will also do my bedroom on the main floor of the house this week since it would be an easy week for me otherwise.

What rooms are left to do: Upstairs 4 Bedrooms (this week), My Bedroom (this week), Bathroom, Laundry Room, Living Room, School Room, My Husbands Office, and unfinished areas in the other rooms.

For your convience you can also view each post under my Cleaning and Organizing Label rather than clicking each link.

Intro: 52 Weeks of Organizing















Basement

Week 1 (Jan. 02) Christmas Decorations

Week 2 (Jan. 09) Recycled Craft Box

Week 3 (Jan. 16) Shoeboxes

Week 4 (Jan. 23) Basement Storage















My Office

Week 5 (Jan. 30) Organizing My Office & Magazine Storage

Week 6 (Feb. 06) Magazine Organization & What Type of Magazines?

Week 7 (Feb. 13) Office Bookshelves

Week 8 (Feb. 20) Activity Bags Part 1 & Office Tablescapes

Week 9 (Feb. 27) Activity Bags Part 2 & Purse















Kitchen

Week 10 (Mar. 06) Gadget & Plastic

Week 11 (Mar. 13) Kitchen Drawers & Sink Area & Coupon Box

Week 12 (Mar. 20) Canned Goods Cabinet & Plants

Week 13 (Mar. 27) Outside of Fridge & Spices & Drink Mixes

Week 14 (Apr. 3) Breakfast, Snacks, and Baking & Dinner Cabinet

Week 15 (Apr. 10) Small Appliances, Pots & Pans & Stove Drawer

Week 16 (Apr. 17) Dish Cabinet & Kitchen Decor

Week 17 (Apr. 24) China Cabinet & Serving Size Snacks

Week 18 (May 02) Inside of Fridge & Freezer

Week 19 (May 09) Oven & Microwave & Kitchen














Upstairs

Week 20 (May 16) Game Closet

Submitted to:
I'm an Organizing Junkie 52 Weeks of Organizing

Friday, May 20, 2011

52 Weeks: #20 Game Closet

I decided to clean, organize, and declutter our game closet. I had my oldest daughter help to determine if the games were ones they liked to play or if we could donate them. If you would like to see my post on Board Games Get-together’s just click on the link.


This is the before picture.















This stack of games are all things my kids have outgrown and don't use anymore that we are donating. Some of these things we were saving for when we had younger kids visiting but, we decided that we could give away more things and keep a smaller amount.  We had too many games for younger kids and not enough for older kids or adults.















This is the closet after I finished decluttering and cleaning it up. I think at the end of summer I may get rid of a few more things that they wanted to keep that I wasn't sure they would actually play. I am also going to watch the yard sales for a couple of games that they would like to have.Some games we have used alot we need to rebuy because some of them are worn out and have too many lost or damaged pieces.















Submitted to:
I'm an Organizing Junkie 52 Weeks of Organizing

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Board Games Get-together’s

Playing board games is one of the things that we like to do for entertained on the cheap. With a collection of board games you could have a game night one night a week or every other week with you family or invite a few friends, add some snacks and you have a fun get together.

We have purchased all of our games from yard sales and thrift store over the years for no more than $2.00 apiece. If you need a game that is a good place to look but make sure you open the boxes and check that the pieces are their first. If you go to a yard sale and they have a lot of games you can ask if they will sell all of them for $5 or $10 and then donate the ones you don’t want. You could even play each of them first to determine if they are keepers or not.















When my kids were younger in the summer they always liked to invite a few friends to play out in the yard at the picnic table and I would serve kool-aid and cookies or some other really cheap snack. They are older now but still enjoy having friends over for game nights especially during the fall and winter. This winter they had friends over and we served soup, salad, breadsticks, and dessert along with a fun evening of playing some of their favorite games.

I hosted a game night with a Café Party theme in February that was a hit with my family and friends. I used mostly what I had around the house to serve my guest a nice cafe' style snack to keep the costs down. It would be fun to host other game night with different themes depending on what game you decided to play that night.















My oldest daughter (22 years old) has a group of friends that get together every Friday night and play board games it is an open invite to whoever can make it each week. Everyone brings a 2 liter of pop, a bag of chips, along with a game they think people would like to play. She is not the host but enjoys a night at one of her friend homes and helps clean up afterwards.

My husband and I lead a group called Students with a Mission (SWAM) they are Christian Homeschooled Teens that do volunteer projects in the community. Every other Tuesday night they have a meeting with a devotional, discuss group business, and play board games, everyone bring a snack and a 2 liter to share.














It can be as simple as serving popcorn, or ice cream with a drink. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy but you could dress it up a little by serving a nicer dessert. We have invited other families over and had a potluck and played games this way we could do something nicer but not have a large expense. With summer on its way I plan to invite some friends over to play games and have a cookout in the backyard. If you have a couple of card games you could hang out and play cards at a restaurant such as Steak & Shake or Starbuck’s.

Not only is it fun but is good to have an activity to do that doesn’t cost a lot of money. It is always nice to extend hospitality to others by inviting them into your home so many people don’t invite anyone into their homes anymore.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

52 Weeks: #19 Kitchen

I decided to do a detailed cleaning of my kitchen. I washed down the outside of all the cabinets, baseboards, woodwork, tops of doors, top of fridge, freezer, table, china cabinet, and vacuumed.

Submitted to:
I'm an Organizing Junkie 52 Weeks of Organizing

Friday, May 6, 2011

52 Weeks: #18 Oven & Microwave

There was only a little organizing involved in this project because I cleaned my oven and microwave. I reorganized the top of the microwave so that counts as organizing though it was a small change.

Before

I like to clean my oven before all big holiday's or if I have a major mishap in the oven. I guess I probably should do it again after the holiday but I don't seem to do that.















After

It looks a lot better but isn't perfect. I didn't have any oven cleaner so I used dishsoap and water.
I usually clean my microwave everyday when I do dishes but I had been put it off. This is the result of not cleaning it for a week.















Cleaning my microwave everyday works well for me because I don't get hard stuck on food and it wipes clean very easily. If I put it off I fill a coffee mug half way with water and microwave it for 2 minute and let it set for about 5 minute before I wipe it clean. This moistens the junk up and it comes off easier.














This is the top of the microwave that I reorganized. It looks like this most days but sometimes it does have some extra papers. It usually doesn’t get that bad because we each have a desk where we put our personal stuff. We have a filing cabinet for bills and household paperwork so this area is used for messages or mail until the person comes home to receive them.















Submitted to:
I'm an Organizing Junkie 52 Weeks of Organizing

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Cake Mix Recipes: Fudge Marble Pound Cake









1 pkg fudge marble cake mix

1 (3.4 oz) pkg vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
4 large eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans.

2.Set aside cocoa packet from mix. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Measure 1 cup batter. Place in small bowl; stir in contents of reserved cocoa packet.

3.Spoon half the yellow batter in each loaf pan. Spoon half the chocolate batter on top of yellow batter in each pan. Run knife through batters to marble.

4.Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Carefully loosen cakes from pans. Invert onto cooling racks. Cool completely. Cut cakes into slices.