7/29 ~ Words

7.29.22: golf banquet

7.29.21: how to make a tie blanket

7.29.20: smashed baby red potatoes

7.29.19: steering wheel cover

7.29.17: wonder woman keychain 

7.29.16: Brooke makes a tie blanket

My Sister Tried It: Ice Cream?

I have been trying to cut down on my night time snacking but its very hard to do when the husband and his ridiculous metabolism is eating a bag of sour cream and onion chips beside me. Now in all honestly chips wouldn't be my thing - it would be ice cream for sure. I was discussing life and its unfairness with Brooke and she told me something she saw on Tik Tok that I should try. Yes I'm aware that teens (and others) get recipes from Tik Tok however that's not usually my favorite go to for that sort of thing. 

This time though I was willing to give it a try. 

Maybe everyone knew this was a thing except me but here it is: 

Frozen Banana in a blender with flavored protein powder and a tiny bit of low fat milk.  She promised me it would taste like ice cream. I am not new to the world of frozen bananas in smoothies so how is this not just a smoothie?  She assures me if I blend it less and use less milk it will be ice cream. LOL. so here I go. 

one frozen banana
2 TBS Peanut Butter protein powder
Dash of milk

Blend until smooth. 

Sure enough.. ice cream.  Ok maybe not a big bowl of Moosetrax but definitely satisfying enough to feel like a treat and curb the cravings. Again, maybe everyone else in the world knew this was a thing - but either way try it! Oh, and I guess in the future maybe I need to get a Tik Tok? :)

7.28.22: MNIH: chicken stuffed crescent rolls

7.28.21: old fashioned ham salad

7.28.20: tt - float anchor

7.28.19: 🔥 week 30

7.28.18: blue cheese stuffed olives

7.28.17: jilly's jam - strawberry peach freezer jam

7.28.16: framed words

GF Chinese Chicken Corn and Bean Soup by Macey

 GF Chinese Chicken Corn & Bean Soup (So yum)!! 

• 2 cans of sweet corn 
• 1 1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken
• 6 cups of chicken broth (stock, bouillon, etc). 
• Green onion 
• White beans (1 can, rinsed) 
• 2 eggs whisked
• 3 T. tapioca flour (gluten free) or cornstarch
• 3 T. water
• 1 Tablespoons GF soy sauce, or to taste
• Salt and pepper 
• Top with some greens for looks :)

1. Add one can of corn with the liquid to 1 cup of the stock and blend it up with an immersion blender until no kernels are left. You can also do it with a standing blender or food processor.

2. Then add the remaining stock and the other can of corn to the crockpot 

3. Mix the flour and water together and stir into the crockpot. Then I add in 2 whisked eggs into the crockpot, this makes the soup have like ribbons in it… it’s delicious, trust me. 

4. Make sure to rinse first, then I add white beans and chopped green onions. Then add seasonings (you can dress this soup up down however you prefer to season but I usually just stick to salt and pepper and occasionally add ground black pepper and chili flakes if I want something more spicy). Add soy sauce to taste. 

5. I allow this soup to cook for an hour before I add the shredded chicken. (Remember, I’m using chicken from the whole chicken I made on Sunday, so I’m just shredding pieces of cooked chicken and putting them into the pot right before it’s done so that it doesn’t overcook the meat!) 

6. I usually top this with green onion, but today I was very low on green onion so instead (for looks) I threw a little fresh parsley. It was delicious.

7.27.22: zucchini brownies version 2

7.27.21: travel medication tip

7.27.20: gourmet s'mores

7.27.19: penne alla vecchia bettola

7.27.18: Japanese string gardening

7.27.17: crochet a mug cozy

7.27.16: travel trip for medications

Whipped Ricotta - Cream Cheese Dip

I used to make a certain dip all the time - you probably did too since it was a standard 'classic' back in the day haha - put a block of cream cheese on a serving plate, cover it with orange marmalade and top with black pepper. Served with Ritz of course! Yum, it's actually quite good even if it is old-school. The other day I wanted to make dip for a dinner party and almost made the one above, but decided to fancy it up a bit. 

I whipped 1/2 container ricotta, the block of softened cream cheese and a little milk together until smooth, seasoned with coarse salt and pepper. Spread in a small serving dish, spooned orange marmalade overtop and sprinkled on black pepper. Simple and delicious. 

I served it with an assortment of crackers, including Ritz :)

in addition to other crackers, it's really good on these raincoast crisps

7.26.22: TT personalized drink holder

7.26.22: apple strudel 

7.26.19: kid craft - Lego cord holder

7.26.18: chickpea cucumber salad

7.26.17: granola bites

Tip-sy Tuesday: Corndog Bedder Cheddars

This tip isn't really a tip, more like a 'hey have you seen this?' find...maybe this is only new or news to me but I was very excited (I know, I know, it doesn't take much - yes I can feel you rolling your eyes at me). 

Pillsbury has come out with corn dog wraps - find it in a tube where their crescent rolls are. 

The instructions are to wrap hot dogs and bake but I took it one step farther and rolled the corn dog wraps around turkey better cheddar smoked sausage links and YUM!!! I'm so happy right now. 

Side story for why I don't have a picture to show you - I made these for lunch when Mark and LeDonna were over and after we demolished them someone asked if I was going to blog it. I said no, because all it is is a store-bought piece of dough wrapped around a hot dog and I had no creative input at all LOL so what is there to blog? But then after discussing I agreed that even if I didn't make it up I should still be sharing this amazing find with everyone :)

YUM. 

7.25.22: star plates

7.25.21: 🔥 week 30

7.25.20: cold corn and shrimp soup

7.25.19: broccoli salad cole slaw mash-up

7.25.18: peanut butter granola
7.25.17: how to sharpen knives
7.25.16: Prague

Reusable Kitchen Sponges

I love this idea to make reusable sponges - I have a regular store-bought sponge next to my kitchen sink and try to put it thru the dishwasher to clean it as much as possible, and I've been using a towel that is only for wiping counters and cleaning up messes to reduce how many paper towels I go thru; I made a couple of these fabric reusable scrubbers and so far am finding them very useful and cleaner than my sponge since I remember to wash these when I do kitchen towels. The mesh is great for adding some scrubbing power, I found it pre-packaged at Hobby Lobby hanging in the aisle of sewing supplies (not on a bolt that had to be cut, maybe they have that to, I don't know). The batting I found isn't as thick as I'd like, I folded a piece in half to add some heft but I'm going to keep looking for thicker batting. 

I'm cutting and pasting the directions found at BHG since I just followed their directions and have nothing to add, I did take pictures of each step when I made them:

Store-bought sponges are wasteful, and can often be an eyesore in your kitchen. If you're looking for an excuse to toss your bright yellow scrubbing tools, consider their environmental impact: The microplastics used to manufacture typical kitchen sponges actually come out each time you use the sponge—meaning they go straight down your drain and into the ocean, where they sit forever.

Luckily, there's an alternative that works just as well. We'll show you how to make your own no-waste kitchen sponges. It's an easy sewing project you can finish in an afternoon, and the best part is that the sponges use printed cotton fabric, so you can choose any color or pattern you like.

How to Make a Zero-Waste Sponge 

Supplies Needed 

• Cotton fabric 
• Terrycloth 
• Mesh 
• Scissors 
• Mildew-resistant poly batting 
• Sewing pins
• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)

Step-by-Step Directions 

Follow these simple how-to instructions to make your own no-waste kitchen scrubbers. You should be able to make one in under an hour.

Step 1: Cut and Prep Fabrics 

Before you can start sewing, prepare the materials: Everything used in this project is plastic-free, so you can rest easy knowing you're not washing any microplastics down the drain. And since the pieces needed are relatively small, this is a great time to use up some fabric scraps from past projects. You'll need a 5x7-inch piece of printed cotton ($13 per yard, Rifle Paper Co.) terrycloth, and mesh. If you can't find terrycloth fabric, try using an inexpensive hand towel. You'll also need to cut a 3x5-inch piece of 1/2-inch thick mildew-resistant poly batting ($32 for 5 yards, Sailrite).

Step 2: Assemble Pieces 

To assemble the sponge, layer the mesh piece between the cotton and terrycloth pieces, right sides together. Use sewing pins ($4, Joann) to secure the layers together, then stitch around the perimeter with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Leave a 3-inch opening at one end of the sponge. Clip the corners, then turn the fabric right-side out.

Step 3: Fill Sponge 

To give the sponge a similar texture to the store-bought version, insert the mildew-resistant poly batting through the 3-inch opening you left in the fabric. This will also give your sponge some absorbency. Once you've added the batting, fold the opening inward and topstitch it closed. To finish the sponge, topstitch around the perimeter with a 1/2-inch seam allowance—when you're done, the sponge is ready to use! Be sure to rinse off the sponge and squeeze all the water out after each use to keep the sponge looking and smelling fresh. To clean your reusable kitchen sponge, wash it in your washing machine with detergent and dry completely.

terry cloth, mesh, cotton fabric, batting

sew right sides together, leave a gap to turn it right side out

turn it so the fabric and mesh is on one side, the terry cloth is the back side

add the batting 

sew the opening closed

sew all around the finished sponge

Found here at bhg

7.24.22: 🔥 week 30 

7.24.21: Cathy's peach cobbler

7.24.20: tuna cauliflower salad

7.24.19: propagating schefflera

7.24.18: Candy's shrimp dip

7.24.17: paper gift pouches

7.24.16: Nuremberg

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 30)

 Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap of what happened at camp last week in case you missed anything:

Posts ~

7/16: 🔥 week 29

7/17: pearl stretchy bracelets

7/18: TT lemon juice ice cubes

7/19: MSIH: chicken cobbler

7/20: Macey's scrambled eggs

7/21: MSTI: towel hanger

7/22: words

What's Cooking ~

• Greek grilled chicken (thighs this time) salad with pita bread 
• marinated pork tenderloin, flavored rice, roasted green beans
• tuna pasta salad (this time I kept it simple with celery and frozen (thawed) peas)
• grilled chicken breast, stuffed portobellos, roasted broccoli 
• spaghetti and meatballs, caesar salad

That's it for this week - hope you'll stop by to see what we make at camp next week!

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

7.23.22: s'more nachos

7.23.21: baked spicy shrimp

7.23.20: tuna with zucchini noodles

7.23.19: tt - plumping dried fruits

7.23.18: it's a real treat paper gift holder

7.23.17:  zucchini pie

7.23.16: travel log - Regensburg

7/22 ~ Words

 

7.22.22: loaded tater tots

7.22.21: mini fruit pies by Brooke

7.22.20: kid craft - grass seed jars

7.22.19: man-day Monday

7.22.18: summer squash spiral gratins

7.22.17: pitcher mojitos

7.22.16: passau, germany

My Sis Tried It: Towel Hanger

Well, this one is a weird one. I had a framed Pittsburg Steelers “terrible towel” in our basement. It didn’t fit quite right and constantly was scorching down in the frame. Tried taping it inside the frame, kept messing with it, just didn’t look great.  A friend then gave me a Wolfpack towel (from our basketball team” so that set me on a mission to frame this one better. Lo and behold I stumbled upon these awesome magnetic hangers! Who knew this was a thing! (Was I the only one?). These came in different sizes on Amazon, way cheaper than a frame, and strong magnetic hold. As I tried to capture in the pictures you simply pay the strip out, out down your object and place the other magnet strip on top. Fantastic. Could be used for any fabrics, paper, poster etc. but really worked fantastic for these towels. So happy with how it turned out! 

 7.21.22: pork tenderloin with mustard rub

7.21.21: double chocolate s'more cookies

7.21.20: tip-sy tuesday: cilantro

7.21.19: 🔥week 29

7.21.18: organizing the motorhome

7.21.17: everything cheeseball

7.21.16: austria to passau

Scrambled Eggs by Macey

Want to know the secret to the best scrambled eggs? It’s sour cream! 

On Saturdays when I have more time to cook in the kitchen, I will cut potatoes into little baby squares and fry them in a cast iron skillet. I add parsley, thyme, fresh, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

When making my eggs, I add one dollop of sour cream for every egg. Whisk this thoroughly, so there are no clumps of sour cream, butter the pan before you put the eggs into the pan, and flip them just as it starts to bubble! (Think… light and fluffy eggs, not “fried!”) 

The eggs with sour cream are great by themselves, however I like to add cheese. For this specific meal, I added some mozzarella cheese into the eggs just as they were done cooking so the cheese is still melty. 

I topped this with a dollop of sour cream, some salsa and fresh avocado! 😊 SO GOOD! (Definitely a bigger breakfast than normal but 🤷🏼‍♀️ 🐖) 😂 

7.20.22: peach cobbler

7.20.21: TT - silpat vs parchment paper

7.20.20: chocolate chip, banana, oatmeal muffins

7.20.19: grilled tuna pasta salad

7.20.18: kid craft: beach jars

7.20.17: how I organize my garden stuff

7.20.16: Budapest and Vienna