Getting Started - Get to Know Me

After months and months of reading other blogs about decorating, living frugally, and decorating frugally, I decided I needed to take a stab at it myself. When I was discussing it with The Hubby, he suggested that I name the blog "recycled ideas" because I would basically be doing things that I have seen in other places. It is true that I am not the most creatively minded person in the world - I definitely have to build upon things I have seen others do. But hopefully I can show that even if it is not the most original idea in the world, you can still make it your own for your home and family.

For the past year, I have been trying to live more frugally, feed my family more food cooked from scratch, and thinking about decorating my house. I have had more success in some areas than others. I started couponing, and I have a little stockpile built up. I am disappointed if I save less than 30% when I go grocery shopping. I have definitely made strides in my cooking - I still have meals that turn out less than great, but I am trying to make it a bit more healthy. Decorating my house - not so much.

I suffer from decorating fear - I doubt my ability to put things together in a way that looks good, or I am afraid to do something for fear that it won't look good. As a result, we have lived in our house for four years and there is a serious lack of decor. Of any type. And I hate it. I covet the Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware catalogs and wish my house looked like that, but it really is just an empty box lacking in inspiration or creativity. So my goal is to make our house feel like a home with affordable (aka cheap) projects that fit our personality. I hope the accountability of blogging it will help me actually accomplish this lofty goal. And I hope that I can help you a bit, too!

Spicy Mac n Cheese

I am a mac n cheese snob. I cannot stand the fake powdered cheese boxed versions. I never buy it because it doesn't even occur to me that there may be other people out there who actually like it. Hot Stuff, on the other hand, really likes any mac n cheese. This recipe is the compromise we came to, and let me tell you we are both very happy! Even the Tiny Men will eat this one, and that is saying something! (I tone down the spiciness if I know the kiddos will be eating it). I have frozen this recipe before, and it holds up pretty well, but in general I think it is best hot out of the oven!

Spicy Mac N Cheese

2 -3 cups macaroni noodles, uncooked

1/4 cup hard butter or 1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup flour

3 cups milk

2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Cook and drain macaroni; rinse with cold water. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter or margarine in a pot. Stir in the flour. Add the milk and cook, stirring frequently until thickened and all the globs of flour are mixed in. Add the seasonings and continue stirring. When the pasta is done, pour into a greased baking dish, add sauce and cheese. Stir until well mixed. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Freezing Instructions:Follow all instructions until baking. Cover dish and freeze. To serve, defrost and bake at 375 for 25/30 minutes.

Teriyaki Honey Chicken

This is a great summer grilling recipe, and it is so yummy and easy! I am passionate about many things, but cooking is not one of them. So whenever I can find something that we like that is easy, I am on it like white on rice. The best part is, if your significant other is anything like Hot Stuff, he'll do the grilling and it is even less work for you! Oh, and by the way, this is another freezer friendly recipe, too!

(source)

Teriyaki Honey Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 C Honey
1 C Soy Sauce
1 C water
4 t ground ginger
4 cloves garlic

Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken. Allow to marinate for 1-2 hours. Remove chicken from marinade. Grill until juices run clear (caution - the honey will cause this to cook fast on the outside and get crusty if you are not careful). Or to cook in oven, place in a greased baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350º uncovered 20-30 minutes. Uncover; brush with marinade. Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Freezer Instructions: put serving sized chicken into gallon sized freezer bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. To serve, defrost, remove chicken from marinade, and follow the instructions above.

Chicken Enchilada Bake

This recipe is SOOO delish! It was passed from my aunt to my mom, and now I make it too! The Tiny Men are picky eaters so they turn their noses up at it, but everyone else agrees it is the best! We serve this with rice and a side of veggies. This is also a recipe that can be adapted for freezer cooking.

(source) *full disclosure - this is not my recipe, but I haven't taken a picture of it so I just searched for one that looks like it! I'll update it once I take my own photo :)

Chicken Enchiladas

2 T margarine or butter

1/2 C chopped onions

1 garlic clove, minced

4 oz can diced green chilies

1/2 C sour cream

1 can of cream of chicken soup (I make my own, post will be coming shortly!)

1 1/2 C chicken, cubed or shredded (I prefer shredded)

1 1/2 C shredded cheddar

1/4 C milk

tortillas

Saute onion and garlic in the margarine or butter. Stir in the chilies, soup, and sour cream. Mix well, reserve3/4 C sauce. Stir in the chicken and 1 cup of cheese with the remaining sauce. Roll in tortillas and place seam side down in a greased baking dish. Add 1/4 cup of milk to the sauce and pour over the enchiladas. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Freezer Instructions: Mix the filling, including chicken and cheese. Freeze in a gallon sized bag. To prepare, defrost, and separate 3/4 cup of the filling. Mix with 1/4 cup of milk. Fill the tortillas, pour sauce over, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. This means that the sauce on top will have some chicken in it, but that really doesn't affect the delish factor!

Organizing - The Neverending Story

If the title of this post has you singing the song and picturing a giant white flying dog, congratulations, you are a child of the eighties!

Unfortunately, this is not a post reminiscing about our favorite childhood movies. This is about my OCD tendencies, and my frustration at not being able to get ahead. Doesn't it seem like no matter how many times you straighten and organize an area of your home, it always goes back to the previously messy unorganized space it was before? I am reaching the point again where I look around and realize that it is time to again put in some serious organizing in the hot spots. In the interest of accountability, I am going to list the areas that need organizing the most, so that I can come back with a more detailed post about them later. The hot spots that need work in my life are (in no particular order): the pantry, the linen closet, the garage, and all of the Tiny Men's toys. And when I say all, that is not a statement to be taken lightly. Just to demonstrate the severity of the situation, Here are pictures of two areas in our living room:

This is what those Tiny Men did just before naptime. 

And this is just one corner. (Disregard the hideous red and gold curtains in this picture. The subject of making new, lined curtains will be a series of posts all on its own.)

Now let me tell you that they have all this stuff and more in the living room, plus they have baskets of toys in their bedrooms, and on top of that we have a (mostly) finished basement that houses more toys that the two other areas put together!! They have way. too. many. toys.

So hopefully I will be back soon with the dreaded "before" shots, and the delightful "after" shots to share. You didn't think I was going to show you the "before" shots now, did you? I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid :)