Dreams are things wished for…

I dream of little legs running through dandelion fields and of little lips blowing their wishes into the wind.

The pitter-patter of tiny feet chasing butterfly wings and dragonflies zipping overhead in the hazy summer afternoon.

Of innocent laughter as the wind teases hair and clothes and kites flying overhead.

Of wonder at baby chicks and rolling in the grass with loyal furry friends.

I dream of earthy rain scenting the warm summer nights and the steady drum on the roof.

I see little boots splashing in puddles and impish grins of joy at trips to the fishing hole.

I envision bonfires in cool evenings and short sticky fingers being licked clean with childish abandon.

I hear the crickets and cicadas song at night as it lulls my babies to sleep under starry skies.
I imagine scraped knees and boys in trees.

I see piles of leaves being rolled in and thrown in the air by little hands with joy.
I hear sleigh bells muffled by softly falling snow as it lands on tiny tongues anxiously awaiting each snow flake.

I dream of open fields and rolling hills and warm breezes of country air with little children running wild and free with rosy sun kissed cheeks.

Of nights twinkling with fireflies and mason jars filled with their glowing light.

I dream of you and me on a porch with tea rocking in the evening looking at each other knowing… we are in our heaven.

So I sent this lovely little bit to my husband for his reading pleasure and some warm fuzzies… and this was his response…

REALITY,

I hear questions (about 50,000) and grunting and feet STOMPING up the stairs and down the hall followed by the soothing thunder of doors slamming (Teenage Boy).

The joys of young adult smart ass backtalk singing through the house (Collegiate).

And the hollow sounds in the background of GO GO GO! BUUUT NO NO NO!

And on the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me 12 diaper changes, 11 grunts a grunting, 10 bucks fo gas money, 9 night time meds, 8 days a lazing, 7 glasses of wine, 6 college debts, 5  S—C—R—E—A—M—I—N—G hours (colic baby & frustrated momma), 4 Chinese combinations (what we order every time), 3 Spanish cousins, 2 bucks in my wallet and a FART filled bedroom STINK!

All as I walk down the hall with a coughed up fur ball on the bottom of my feet.

So there is that folks… 

I almost fell out of my chair laughing – I hope you enjoyed the laugh, I certainly did.  God I love my husband… HA!  

Happy New Year Ya'll

DIY Christmas Gift Ideas

Ok folks, Christmas is right around the corner and you still don’t know what to get your Mom, Dad, Significant Other, Spouse, Sibling, Grandparent, Friend, Co-Worker, Supervisor…  I am here to help you. 

There are some super quick and easy gifts that you can either make OR purchase that will leave your recipient quite happy. Almost of these involve essential oils.

Personally, I prefer to give homemade gifts. It is part of my love language; Acts of Service. I like putting some effort into the gifts I give. For me, it is like giving a little part of myself to the other person. I feel the same way about cooking for people. YES cooking can be an act of love! (So DON’T dog your girl’s hard work on dinner – Choke that shiz down and smile while you do it… Just kidding… Sorta)

THINGS YOU CAN MAKE:

Bath Salts – Difficulty - EASY

 2 cups Epsom-salts

10-15 drops of Essential Oils of your choice. (Lavender, Serenity, Rose)

Optional:  ½ cup baking soda, ½ cup powdered milk)

Sticky Labels (I use Ball Canning Labels)

Canning Jars

Pretty Ribbon

Add all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Pour into small canning jars (4oz – 8oz work best for gifts). Place lid on jar and tie a pretty ribbon of your choice around the neck.

Sugar Scrubs - Difficulty – EASY

2 cup Granulated Sugar

Essential Oils of your choice (Lavender, Peppermint, Breathe, Deep Blue)

½ c Base Oil (FractionatedCoconut Oil, Olive Oil)

Sticky Labels (I use Ball Canning Labels)

Canning Jars

Pretty Ribbon

In a large mixing bowl pour 2 cups granulated sugar, ½ cup of your base oil and add 10-15 drops of your essential oil of choice. Mix well. Pour into small canning jars (4oz – 8oz work best for gifts). Place lid on jar and tie a pretty ribbon of your choice around the neck.

Massage Oils – Difficulty – EASY

1/2 cup base oil (I prefer Fractionated Coconut Oil)

Essential Oil of your choice. (Deep Blue, Lavender, Serenity, Peppermint are some favorites)

Glass container of your choice. (I prefer amber or blue glass stopper bottles, but even a 4oz canning jar with a pretty ribbon will work)

Sticky Labels (I use Ball Canning Labels)

Blend your oils in a glass mixing bowl and carefully pour into your glass container. Wipe down glass container and when clean and dry add your label.

The three items listed above combined make a really nice homemade spa set. Put them in a small gift basket or other packaging and you have a winning gift!

Peppermint-Chocolate Dipped Spoons – Difficulty – MODERATE

If you have a flavored coffee lover or hot chocolate fan out there, this is a great little stocking stuffer.

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips, white vanilla baking chips or mint-flavored chocolate chips

1-2 drops Peppermint Essential Oil 

18 Plastic Spoons

Wax Paper

Plastic Wrap or Cellophane

Ribbon
(Optional: Crushed peppermint sticks)

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In heavy 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate chips over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly (or use a double boiler). Be careful not to over heat. Once melted add Peppermint Essential Oil and stir it in.

Tip saucepan so chocolate runs to one side. Dip bowl portion of each spoon into chocolate. Sprinkle with candy decorations or crushed peppermint sticks. Place on waxed paper. Let stand about 10 minutes or until chocolate is dry and hard.

Wrap spoons in plastic wrap or cellophane. Tie a ribbon on each one to secure and for flair.

Sampler Basket – Difficulty – MODERATE to DIFFICULT

This is where your canning skills can really shine. Imagine a gift basket filled with tasty treats made by you. Chocolate Dipped Spoons, Marmalade, Salsa, Jams, Jellies, Applesauce, Pickles, Soup, Chili, Massage Oils, Sugar Scrubs, Bath Salts, Soaps, and other goodies… Again ALL made by you. You can also throw in items that people are always in need of and never seem to have on hand - think travel sized.

I generally use 4-oz and 8-oz canning jars for these baskets because it is a Sampler Basket. I get my baskets on sale at the craft stores and load them up with goodies to give a Christmas. They are ALWAYS a hit. I have found many people really and truly appreciate homemade gifts and it seems to becoming a lost art.

If you are interested in learning more about the Essential oils listed on this page CLICK HERE to check out my Oil Page.

Green Bean Casserole – A Family Recipe

One of the things I wanted to do is share some recipes on this blog. I mean I like food … who doesn’t (ok so besides the picky 2-4 year olds out there). Anyway, there are some family recipes that are in high demand around the holidays and there are some holidays coming up so I thought I would share one. This is in no way healthy… at all. But man, it is ALWAYS a hit and there are never left overs so enjoy! Warning: If you make this and bring it to Thanksgiving, you may find that you are asked to bring it EVERY year… you were warned.

Ingredients

3-4 Cans of French Cut Green Beans (depends how many people you are feeding)

½ cup of Sour Cream

1 ½ cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (your preference – I don’t actually measure this)

1 tsp of garlic powder

1 Tbsp of butter

Can of French fried onions

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Drain the green beans before placing them in a large mixing bowl.

Add butter, garlic powder, sour cream, cheese to the beans and mix well. (Add more cheese or sour cream if desired).

Place in microwave & oven safe dish for 20-30 minutes stirring well half way thru.  (if you are traveling, cover and hold off on the microwave until you arrive to your destination and then continue with instructions)

Remove from microwave.

Add a layer of French fried onions. (You can use as little or as much as desired).

Place in oven until French Fried Onions are golden brown and crisp.

Let cool for 5 min before serving.

The nice thing about this is if you are traveling for a holiday and you are supposed to bring a dish this is one you can bring and heat it up in their microwave and just pop it into the oven right before serving. Also, you probably will be bringing home a clean pan too.

Personally I prefer to use a 9x13 pan and the oven method. I just cook the whole thing in the oven from start to finish. Basically once it is bubbly and cooked evenly, give it a stir and add your french fried onions and pop it back into the oven until golden. Done.

OMG We had a baby!!!

Baby has arrived! I have been pretty MIA these last 6 weeks due to spending some very precious time with our new little bundle of joy. “Mr Meatball” joined us at the end of October and has been a wonderful addition to our family unit. He is a chunky one for sure!

I had forgotten how consuming having a newborn can be. Getting 2 meals in a day while nursing and going on very little sleep was a serious accomplishment for my husband and I in those first couple of weeks for sure! But among all of that was the abundant snuggles and heart melting coos and baby noises and precious bonding that made every moment worth it. 

Actually there were a few things I had forgotten about. So here is a list of the top 5 things I did not anticipate:

How much we would NEED premade meals. I mean we had meals in the deep freezer but I didn’t realize how important they would be. If you know someone who just had a baby in the last 3 weeks, make them a meal or two. The kind that they don’t have to do anything other than heat up. Drop it off, and then just leave. (Parents of newborns do not want to entertain you – they are too tired and their time is too precious.) Cooking an entire meal was out of the question.   

Post-partum care packages can be great – they can make a new mom happy because it means she doesn’t have to go to the store to get things AND it makes hubby happy because he likely isn’t thrilled at the idea of having to shop for these items either... Just Sayin…  (Ideas: mesh panties… yep super sexy (stock up on them at the hospital). Ice packs for south of the border, Witch Hazel, Large pads, peri-bottle, numbing spray, Epsom salts, LavenderEssential oil, other random toiletries.)

How messy a house can get in that first week – you will not have time to clean it. Period. The up side of that is you will probably be too tired to care (or notice). And then there is the laundry (OMG the Laundry!) I went from doing a load of my personal laundry 1x a week to 1x a day. Not to mention the rest of the family’s laundry (Thank goodness my husband handles that like a boss!)

Nursing Tanks… These are GOLD. You want these. You need these. You just don’t know it until after the fact. Can we say hello Boob-City? Yes, you may as well just change your address to this.

Colic… So I sorta scoffed at this when I had my first baby. He was SUPER easy. Yeh… not a joke. I now understand why it has been called “The Witching Hour or The Arsenic Hour” by some. Lucky for us, he is beyond cute and he has trained us well on what he likes so Daddy and Mommy know the routine now… Sorta.

Slowly but surely life has returned to a more normal routine and pace. I began canning again (ahhh happy place), made a bunch of baby food pouches, went to appointments, and visited with family.

OK funny story (rabbit trail here) I had made a dentist appointment scheduled for what ended up being a week after Mr. Meatball was born (what was I thinking?!). I was SO sleep deprived (he nursed every hour that first week) that I fell asleep during my dental cleaning. How do I know I fell asleep? I woke myself up snoring. Yep. I was pretty embarrassed and apologized profusely. To which the lovely tech said “Sweetie you just looked so tired I just let you sleep and kept working. Your teeth are all set and you are good to go. It actually happens more often than you would think but usually with our older patients.”... Best nap I had in a week. So that happened.

Life with Mr. Meatball has been a wonderful, snugly, heart captivating, roller-coaster of joy full of blessings.  I wouldn’t change a thing.

Merry Christmas!!!

Thanksgiving…. Leftovers

Today is Thanksgiving and I have loads of things to do and people to see (as many of you do also) so this will be one of those blogs that you will want to use AFTER today for leftovers.

Leftovers… Yes! I LOVE leftovers! My husband, not so much. (Meh, more for me). It’s just because he doesn’t appreciate the magic of what you can make with leftovers. There so much you can do with Thanksgiving leftover turkey, stuffing, potatoes, relish and so on… If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed after today with those leftovers and need some room in your refrigerator, then here are some great recipes to get them used up... including your dead, used up, carcass… er your turkey carcass.

Turkey Broth

So for those of us who hosted Thanksgiving, we are left with a bird carcass. This is NOT trash. This is unrefined gold! This carcass is going to become some amazing Turkey Bone Broth. If you have never heard about the health benefits of bone broth… oh man… definitely worth a Google.

1 Turkey Carcass from roasted bird

2 Onions Quartered

2 Carrots, cut into chunks

3 stalks of Celery cut into chunks

1 bunch of fresh parsley

4 cloves of garlic smashed

1 tsp of black peppercorns (you can use ground pepper but I prefer the corns because I can strain them)

2 bay leaves

First off, clean your bird carcass of any useable meat and set that aside because you will want that for other recipes. (I try to separate the white meat from the dark meat)

Next, using a sharp knife make a few cuts to get you started. Then, use your hands to carefully pull the carcass into 4 or 5 pieces.

Combine the carcass (yes with the bones), onions, carrots, celery, parsley, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water (about 7 quarts).

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer about 2 hours, occasionally skimming any foam or fat from the surface with a large spoon or ladle.

Pour through a large mesh strainer into a pot; discard the solids. Cool slightly, then refrigerate in covered containers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

OR you could pressure can your bone broth like I do and it is good for up to 18 months – this is liquid gold for recipes, soup bases, sick kidos/family, GI upset, Clear liquid diet restrictions (like after surgery)! I do not waste this.  (If you are new to canning, please refer to my Canning101 Post for more information)

Turkey Salad

The portions will depend on how much turkey you have to work with. Mix all the ingredients, place in fridge for a couple of hours covered to let the flavors merry and you are done. This is great on a sandwich with a slice of lettuce, in a wrap, or by itself. I love this on 12 grain bread, on croissants or in a pita. It is very unlikely that this will last long in your fridge because it is a quick and easy go to item that is always a hit. So yummy.

3-4 cups chopped leftover turkey

½ - 1 Cup Sliced Red Seedless grapes

½ - 1 Cup diced apple

½ cup Mayo (or for a lighter version use Greek yogurt)

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup Chopped Celery

1/2 cup chopped scallions, green onions, red or yellow onion (your choice)

1 Tbsp. Rosemary (I like a lot and prefer fresh – but not everyone does or use a couple of drops of Rosemary Essential Oil)

1 tsp of fresh dill (if using dried, use 1 tsp)

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Turkey & Stuffing Casserole

This makes a great hot casserole that you (or your spouse) can throw in the oven. I recommend using a tinfoil casserole pan so you can freeze it for a later date. I find this is perfect on those snowy days where you know it is going to take you an hour to get home and you call your spouse to say “hey… can you throw that casserole in the oven?” and then when you get home your house smells amazing and dinner is waiting… yes… I like those casseroles. This is that casserole.

3-4 cups chopped leftover turkey

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 cup leftover turkey gravy (or canned gravy – whatever you have, cream of mushroom works in a pinch)

1 bag frozen mixed veggies. (If you have leftover green beans or veggies, you can use those and just mix them in with the frozen veggies)

MIX & place in bottom of casserole pan

1 apple chopped up

4-6 cups of leftover stuffing (otherwise, make stuffing per directions on box/bag)

1 tsp sage & parsley each

1 small to medium onion chopped

MIX & place over top of turkey in casserole pan

Optional: my family likes cheese… A LOT. So this is where I will sprinkle about 2 cups of cheese (usually cheddar) over the top of the casserole.         

           

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown and a little bubbly.

TO FREEZE:  Cover with tinfoil and freeze. Bake 1 hour at 375 if from frozen.

NOTE: You can simplify this recipe to bare bones. Put any leftover turkey, gravy, veggies and stuffing in pan in that order. Put in oven at 350 until golden and done. It doesn’t have to be fancy and it still tastes amazing!

Mash Potato Cakes:

Have an abundance of leftover mashed potatoes? I have to thank my brother-in-law for this idea. A few years back when my teen was MUCH younger my B.I.L. had my kido help him make a lovely little dinner for us while visiting my sister and their first born. I do distinctly recall him saying “Now throw the butter in the pan” and instantly freezing knowing what would happen… yup, my kido THREW the butter into the hot pan with a Sploosh, Splash and Sizzle… LOL good times. Anyway, that night inspired this recipe. This makes a great side item for a meal.

1-2 tbsp butter or olive oil (your preference) to grease pan

2 cups cold mashed potatoes

1 Large Egg

¼ cup sour cream

Seasoning of your choice. (Minced garlic, parsley, paprika… fresh or dried, literally anything you like, I have even done this with ½ packet of dry ranch seasoning and that was tasty too!)

1 cup shredded cheese of your choice

MIX WELL

Divide into 4 portions and form into 4 patties 

Place into pan over medium heat to grill/fry up. Once a nice golden brown layer has formed on the bottom, flip and do the same on the other side.  Once they are heated through, you are done.

These go great with meatloaf & green beans!

Turkey Pot Pie.

My family LOVES my Chicken Pot Pie and this is a quick and easy version of it.

Package Pillsbury Pie Crust (2 crust)

 2 cups leftover turkey chopped

1 bag frozen mixed veggies

1 Tbsp flour (optional – this is your thickening agent)

2 cups turkey gravy

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp sage

Pre-Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line 9” glass pie pan with first crust. Trim edges (save the other for the top of the pie). Mix all of the ingredients well. Pour into crust and spread evenly. Cover with other pie crust. Tuck under first crust and pinch to seal. Cut vents in top of crust.  (NOTE, if you want that crust to be that beautiful golden color, beat 1 egg white a bit, and then brush over the top crust). Place in oven and bake 30-40 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Cranberry Carrot Muffins

For whatever reason there is ALWAYS leftover Cranberry Relish. Personally I love the stuff. And your muffins will too! The cranberry relish that we usually get for Thanksgiving has walnuts in it too, so yes… it is one of my go to add in for muffins or coffee cake when I make them.

2 ½ cups Bisquick

1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

2 TBSP veg oil

1 Large egg

½ cup pureed cooked carrots

½ cup leftover cranberry relish

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

Zest of 1 orange OR 5 drops of Wild Orange Essential Oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pan well. Stir all ingredients except cranberry relish in medium bowl, just until moistened. Fold in relish. Divide batter evenly in 9 muffin cups.  Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and remove from pan to wire rack. Yield: 9 muffins.

Ok side note: I love Bisquick. This stuff is so versatile. From a self-sufficiency/homesteading/prepping/off grid view (whatever you want to call it), this is one of those things that you should have on hand in case you are in a situation where you can’t get to a store for a bit.