Christmas Clearance Tip

So, while most people shop the Christmas clearance section for Christmas-y things...

like an artificial tree...

source

outdoor decorations, like inflatable snow globes...

source

...and lights

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and more lights.

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But here's something you may have not considered shopping for

in the Christmas clearance section:

wrapping paper.

source

I'm sure you've purchased holiday-themed wrapping paper, but here's a new twist: 

look for paper that is generic enough to be used year-round.

Wrapping paper is expensive! Getting it at 50% - 75% off is a sweet deal!

Here is what I scored this year:

and close up

The Disney princess paper has only the slightest hint of holly.

Or maybe it's some form of poinsettia.

And I also picked up 2 rolls of Christmas paper

(since I already have plenty from previous years).

I just fell in love with this snowman.

So when you're at the store this week stop by the clearance area

and look for wrapping paper that can be used all year long.

Happy New Year!

Quick Tip: Don't Get Cheesed

~  QUICK TIP  ~

When cleaning up cheese, 

whether it's cheddar on the grater

or melted mozzarella in the lasagna pan

use COLD water to remove the cheese.

Why?

When warm or hot water hits the cheese

it melts and gets all gooey.

It gets stuck in your scrub brush.

Or sponge.

Or dish cloth.

{corny joke alert}

Stringy cheese in my scrubber really grates me the wrong way.

After the cheese is gone, 

clean as usual with hot water.

Linking up to

Fastest Way to Cereal For Breakfast

The original title for the post was to be

"Fastest Way To Roast A Chicken"

I was testing out a recipe to hopefully share with you guys. I found it at Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy food blog. It's a recipe from The Minimalist Cooks Dinner by Mark Bittman for roasting chicken in your oven in 30 minutes. 

I ran into a few snags along the way. It took much longer than anticipated, and no one cared for how it tasted, so everyone ended up fending for themselves for dinner (read: cereal). Well, here are my lessons learned:

1. Read the ingredients carefully. The recipe calls for a 3-4 lb chicken. The size of the bird would be critical to the cook time. I had chosen a nice plump 5+ lb chicken. Mistake 1.
   
2. I don't care for Tarragon. The recipe called for using Tarragon, a spice which I am not familiar with. I considered using alternatives instead, but thought, why not try something new. I smelled and tasted the Tarragon before using it - it has a minty taste.
   
3. Breast Side Down vs Breast Side Up. The recipe directions said to place in pan "breast side up", but the photos show "breast side down". I went with the "up". I think this also affected cooking time. (More on this in a second.)
   
4. A whole chicken is messy. Once it was finally done cooking, I had to let it "rest", then carve it. The carcas, the juices, the bones... my kitchen was a disaster area. Not a weeknight Quick Fix I was looking for. 

The concept behind the Fastest Way to Roast a Chicken is to preheat the pan and the oven together while you are prepping the chicken. So when the chicken hits the pan, it's already starting to cook. I love this shortcut! If I had placed my chicken breast side down in the pan, the meatiest parts would have started cooking immediately and my cooking time would have been faster.

I may decide, some day after the trauma of the evening fades, to try the recipe again. Instead of Tarragon, I would substitute one of the following:

• Garlic
• Rosemary
• Poultry Seasoning
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning

What's your favorite roast chicken seasoning? Let me know if you give this recipe a try!

Secret's In The Sauce II

If you've been in the grocery store this week, you've noticed that baking season is upon us. Now, I'm not a baker. But that doesn't mean I can't take advantage of the sales in the supermarkets this time of year. This is the perfect season for stocking up on spices, herbs and seasonings. But which ones and what for? Great time for another installment of . . .

The Secret's in The Sauce

The previous Secret's in The Sauce included my secret for Chicken Noodle Soup: poultry seasoning! The kids have even started adding it to canned chicken noodle soup when they fix it for a snack.

Here are a few more creative uses for those seasonings. And this time, they're not all cooking!

vacuuming - cloves

salt substitute - onion powder
pest repellent - bay leaf
mulled cider - cinnamon sticks
potpourri - out-dated seasoning

Deodorize with cloves: Place whole cloves inside your vacuum bag or sprinkle ground cloves on your carpet a half-hour before vacuuming.

Repel bugs and pantry pests: Place a bay leaf in your flour, rice of cereal. (Okay, I haven't tried this one. Not sure if the bay leaf change the flavor of the container contents. I found this idea here.)

Freshen up your kitchen with last minute home-made potpourri: Add rough-chopped fruit (apples, oranges, lemons) and spices to a pot of simmering water. Just open jars, take a whiff, and give a few shakes of whatever smells good! My favorites are rosemary, thyme, basil and cinnamon. This is a great way to use fruit past its prime and recycle old seasonings. And if you have a hood that vents inside instead of out, make sure you turn it on!

What are your favorite seasonings? Are you going to be baking during the holidays?

Dryer Sheets: Not Just For The Dryer

One of my new favorite online newsletters is

Real Simple: Life Made Easier, Every Day.

Here's a recent article: New Uses For Dryer Sheets -- 

Which caught my eye, because I rarely use them in my dryer. 

remove saw dust

 Makes sense. Why didn't I think of that?!

book deodorizer

I have a few books that could use this.

drawer sachet

More ideas can be found here!

I'd Love to Help, But...

I came across this idea on Cleverly Inspired. It is Tracy's go-to meal when cooking a meal to take to a friend.

disposable foil pan

rough chop basic veggies

roast it

deliver with a hug and a smile

See the complete recipe here.

See how simple? Next time someone needs meals delivered, I'll be quick to sign up instead of pondering "What on earth would I make???"

What's your go-to recipe for delivering meals?

The Secret's In The Sauce

I made fried rice for dinner the other night. It's great for using up leftover vegetables and meat. Three things I always include (4, if you count rice) -- garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Everything else is up for grabs. Vegetables? Whatever is on hand. Meat? Only if there are leftovers.

Fried rice is a family favorite that over the years seems to have gotten tastier and tastier. I think it's the sesame oil that has the most impact. Sesame oil is used for flavoring, not cooking. It's added after the dish is mostly done cooking, unlike other oils that are used as a cooking medium. You can find it in the Asian food section of your grocery store.

It got me thinking, what are other dishes I make that have that single must-have ingredient? There were a few. So here's the first installment of . . .

"The Secret's In The Sauce".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fried Rice - sesame oil

Chicken Noodle Soup - poultry seasoning

Shepherd's Pie - steak sauce (A-1 style)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What's your secret?  Any special ingredient you're willing to share?

Step Away From The Donut

Drop the cookie. Don't even look at that piece of cake.

How many of us have time (or take time) for breakfast every morning, even if it's just a bowl of cereal? It's easy to grab the carbs, because they feel the most filling.

What, you've never eaten cake for breakfast? It's got eggs, milk, flour - sounds like breakfast to me.

Next time hunger hits, no matter what time of day it is, try some protein. It doesn't take much protein to satisfy. Besides filling the void in the stomach, it will give you energy and just make you feel better.


Try these protein snacks:

Nuts - Cashews, peanuts, pistachios -- Just a handful will stave off starvation.  (Yes, peanut M&M's will work in a pinch.)

Cheese - Cubed or sliced. Goes good with that banana you grabbed on your way out the door.

Milk - Take a few swallows with those vitamins.


Not a protein, but worth mentioning

Tea. Sort of. - Not a coffee drinker, or no time to make a pot? Add a tea bag to your water bottle. It won't be strong because the water isn't hot enough for steeping, but it will add a refreshing flavor to your water. (Thanks to my friend Leah for this inspiration!)

Comedy Break

What Bill Cosby Feeds His Kids For Breakfast

Chip Clip

Remember when those chip clips first came out?

Neat idea, but expensive if you have more than 2 bags open at the same time. I think they're still expensive, actually.

For many years now I've been using clothes pins.

Not only for chip bags, but for bread bags, too.

They are super cheap (you can find a package at the dollar store), but they are quicker to use on bread bags than twist ties or the plastic clips. Which means they are more likely to be used by the younger generation. (No guarantees implied here!)

The kind of clothespins I have found to work best is the wood ones with the spring. Not only do they hold tighter than the plastic ones, they last longer too. A package has lasted me a year or two.

This

Not this

Okay, but not the best.

What do you use to keep your chips and bread fresh?

A Website to Drool For

Is there any more dreaded question in all of family life than

What's for dinner???

Need inspiration for dinner tonight?

Lost your appetite and don't know how to get it back?
Or maybe you're a recipe hoarder or just a Hardcore Foodie...

Well then, have I got the site for you.

***Warning***
Don't click on this link if you're already hungry.

That would be torture.

www.gojee.com

Gojee is a recipe site like none other. Gojee's home page is visuals - up close and yummy. When I grow up I want my food photos to look like these!  They take up your whole screen.  This pic here does not do it justice at all.

Apple Cider Brined Roast Turkey

And if mouthwatering photos aren't enough to keep you hooked, Gojee also offers filters: I Crave, I Have, I Dislike.  You can also mark favorites for future reference.  
What's your fave?
Do you have a favorite recipe site?  What inspires you?

Extreme Ironing

I quit.
I quit ironing. And I think I may have found a use for my unused ironing board:

No, I didn't hire Alice from the Brady Bunch to do my ironing for me. What I learned is that if I hang up my clothes as soon as they are dry, for the most part they remain wrinkle-free. And if I miss a load and it sits in the dryer, anything that needs "ironing" goes back into the dryer for another spin.  

I do iron once in a blue moon, usually that hem or lapel that won't stay down or a fabric that is stubborn. It's been a couple of years now, so I am seriously considering doing away with my full board and switching to a table top version.

Extreme Ironing

But did you know there is such a thing as Extreme Ironing? When I first heard of it, I pictured my Nana standing in her living room for hours, ironing dress shirts and tablecloths, while watching her "stories" (soap operas).

Actually, it is a "sport", or an "art", depending on who you ask. It's doing any extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt as a bonus. Teams compete to earn the prize for ironing in the most extreme places: underwater, on a glacier, at the top of a mountain. (Learn more about it here and here.)

  

So, you can get yourself some scuba lessons, or just a few more hangers and watch crazy people who iron.

***UPDATE***

Now THIS is the ironing board of my dreams

I found this idea on Pinterest.  Details on where this pull-out ironing board / drawer can be found here at Better Homes & Gardens.  Too bad I don't have a cabinet with drawers.  A girl can dream...

Freezer Essential # 1 - Browned Ground Beef or Turkey

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Secret To My Sanity:  

Having ground beef already cooked 

and waiting in the freezer.

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Purchase ground beef in bulk,

such as the 5lb rolls commonly seen in the store.  

Brown 5lbs at a time in a large pot.  

Drain.  

Divide into 5 quart-size freezer bags.  

Freeze.  

Thaws quickly and makes meals

~ spaghetti ~ tacos ~ Hamburger Helper ~ sloppy joes ~

a snap!

PB and Celery, To-Go

I came across this idea for a no-mess travel snack at "Choose To Thrive".

While it might be a no-mess eating scenario, I'm pretty sure I would make a mess getting that peanut butter into the bottom of the jar.  But it does look like a good way to use the last of the peanut butter.  

Here's a link to Nike's original blog post with more less-mess snack ideas:  Thrive: Summer Road Trip #1: Car Snacks.

Honestly, though, I think these are too much work for me.  But maybe that's because I have older kids.  But I'm interested in hearing if you use any of Nike's ideas and how it worked for you.

Do you have any snack hacks?