Happy 4th!!

Happy Fourth of July from our family to yours!! 

Breakfast Burritos: Spinach, Green Pepper, Eggs and onions!

These breakfast burritos are awesome! I love the spinach in them for an extra healthy additive and energy, but you can always leave that out or substitute for something else, bacon or sausage even! These freeze great, and are huge money savers compared to HotPockets or Breakfast sandwiches. Not to mention eating out when you're in a hurry, or in need of a grocery trip and its slim pickin's for breakfast! 

First, I chop up one green pepper and half a yellow/sweet onion. Throw it all in a pan with a tbsp of butter. Cook on low to soften. I start with green pepper and let that cook while chopping onions to give it more time to soften. When the onions are translucent, they're done! 

While these cook up I chop about 1/2 or 2/3 bag of baby spinach. It wilts on the pan, so doesn't have to be too small. I also mix up in a separate bowl a dozen eggs. 

Add spinach to pan and let wilt. Doesn't take long. 

I then transfer all of this to a separate bowl to hold and use as I assemble each batch. 

Back to the pan. I start with another dab of butter. Add in about 1/2 cup of eggs or so. A handful of the spinach/pepper/onions mixture and sprinkle on some cheese. Here I've used cheddar, but A Pepper Jack blend is SO much more delicious! You can also sprinkle a bit of pepper and salt if you like. I usually leave salt out. Let this cook up until it's just about cooked, but not over cooked. Remember, these are headed to the freezer to be reheated later, so they'll cook some more then too! 

Now, let's assemble our burrito! Each of these "batches" make two burritos. You can cook in larger batches if you have a bigger pan, or even a bigger stock pot. I lay out a piece of Saran Wrap, then lay on a large soft tortilla. 

Fold in the "short side"....

Over goes the long sides....

Then roll it over! 

Fold over the Saran Wrap, then place into gallon bag! Store in the freezer! To reheat, pull one out, take out of plastic wrap and wrap in paper towel. Defrost in microwave then zap about 30 seconds or so until it's warm through the middle. I like to stick mine in the oven on 350 degrees after defrosting to crisp up that crust! 

Enjoy! 

Shopping list!

One dozen eggs

Bag of baby spinach or homegrown about 2-3 cups

One green pepper

Half of a sweet onion

Shredded Pepperjack cheese (or cheese of your choice)

Soft Tortilla wrap

Be completely humble & gentle; be patient bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

A New Beginning

Today, we set off on a new adventure. After just two short years in this home, we have listed it for sale. We begin our journey to "the farm life". This house is amazing, the neighborhood and location, also, perfect. It's in the county, not the city!  God is calling us for something else, something more.  There's a bigger picture here. 

When we moved into this home, I distinctively remember saying "we are never moving again". I looked at our new, beautiful home, hugged my husband and said "this is it, we're home". And in that exact moment, I'll never forget it, God went "nope". If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans, right? So, here we are. For sale. Let me show you around!!

Come on in! 

When you first walk in, to the left is a formal living room.

And to the right, the dining room. I love extending this table out as far as it goes to feed my family for holidays and special events! 

Straight back takes you to the Family room with a gas fireplace and a bay window that overlooks the woods. 

And, here's the half bath we passed getting back to the family room. 

All of the rooms flow well into each other, and off the family room, which also attaches to the dining room, is the eat in kitchen! There's more counters and the stove on the other side of the refrigerator, just didn't snag a pic of it!

Ready to head upstairs? There are 4 bedrooms upstairs. I only currently have pictures of 3 of them because my daughter was napping. Up the steps to the right, as you past a large linen closet there is the spacious master bedroom. 

Not one, but two walk in closets. Yes my friends, my husband loves having separate closets, he also loves that I cleaned it up for pictures ;) This one is "hers", which is really large. 

And this one? This color coordinated, always perfectly organized closet is "his". 

You can see the sinks on the right here, and down in the back is the shower and toilet, which has a door. 

This is bedroom #2. 

And bedroom #3. Bedroom #4 isn't currently pictured because my youngest was napping, and I never wake sleeping children :) 

Another full bathroom up here to service these bedrooms. 

Let's head to the basement! One of my favorite spots to retreat! It's completely finished and the storage down here is amazing! Just wait and see! It also has the 5th bedroom of the house and a full bathroom with double sinks! 

Here is the first main space. It's got heat and air conditioner down here. 

Here's another view of that space from the other end of the room. Room in between for a desk space! 

And here's the other end of the basement.

Turn to the left and there is a closet, and then the bedroom and bathroom. This bedroom we use as a playroom. It's really nice to keep that mess in one place, and then shut the door!! 

Check out this closet in that bedroom. This is just one of the closets in this room. I know! It's storage central down here, and this isn't even the end of the closets!! 

Here is that full bath right outside the bedroom. 

And, out the back door downstairs is one of my favorite spots! The covered patio! So cool during the summer, we just sit back and watch the kids play. And, check out the large shed! 

And the woods, make the perfect scene! 

Back inside, because the basement tour isn't over yet, we enter the mother load of storage!! THIS!!! This is amazing. Am I right? Am I right? 

And here we are, full circle back out the front door! The cul de sac has been great for the girls, riding their bikes, drawing with chalk, but it's time to say goodbye. Were leaving the cul de sac, and headed to farm life!! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Xoxo

Jennifer 

“But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” Luke 11:28

Hearty Crockpot Chili Mac

Tonight's dinner was so good I just had to share it! I love finding meals that we all eat, including my two year old and four year old. The best part? With one recipe we have a ton of leftovers! Leftovers do my budget good! 

I will give you the link to the recipe I used. I didn't change much. I used a can of crushed tomatoes instead of the tomato juice just because I had it on hand, but then I cooked my noodles separately since it was a little thicker. I brown my beef right in my crockpot before I add any other ingredients as well. Serve it up with some crusty rolls and you've got yourself a great meal! This is definitely going on my winter dinner rotation. 

Get the recipe at http://www.julieseatsandtreats.com/hearty-chili-mac/

Waiting on a Snow Day

I've been rearranging my house a bit. We've lived here for a little over a year, and I really believe you have to live somewhere awhile before you can really get a feel for how it's supposed to be set up and be able to make it a functional room- not to mention- spend no money on furniture. Rearranging is my thing. I do it a lot. I like to keep things fresh. And you know, keep my husband guessing when he gets up in the dark. 

Don't mind the mess. Kids were coloring. It's hard to keep them entertained on such cold days! But, this is entering my family room from the hall. I love how big this room is. I want it to feel cozy but I wanted to keep it pretty open, so there's still play space. I love the light that comes in from our Bay window that looks out into the woods.  A dark TV cabinet is on the way for the corner which will really help this space. Keepin' it real....we're having a pajama day! We have a lot of those when we don't go anywhere. 

Here I've got some of my winter decor on the fireplace with some lit heart garland from The Dollar Spot at Target. 

I love the snow. I'm still crossing my fingers  and hoping we're about to get some. 

Turning the corner into the kitchen is my chalkboard- which I love - beckoning for some more snow days. 

That's all that's going on here lately! Cold, stuck inside- just waiting for white fluffy stuff to fall. 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Xoxo *Jennifer *

Quick & Easy Meatball Subs

Here is a GREAT recipe for homemade meatball subs!  I love meals that have a bunch of leftovers that will create a meal later in the week as something totally different, and this is one of them!  The homemade marinara sauce and meatballs are perfect for spaghetti night later in the week!

Total Time:  52 min

Prep:  20 min

Cook: 32 min

Yield: 4 servings (with spaghetti night leftovers)

Meatballs:

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup (3 handfuls), Italian bread crumbs

1 medium onion, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons (several drops) Worcestershire sauce,

1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano or Romano

Coarse salt and black pepper

5 Minute Marinara Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, (2 turns around the pan)

4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

A handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, about 2 tablespoons

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14 ounces) can chunky style crushed tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 semolina crusty sub rolls, with or without sesame seeds

1 (10-ounce) bag (2 1/2 cups) shredded provolone or Italian 4-cheese blend

Shredded basil (sweet) or shredded arugula (spicy) leaves, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place ground sirloin in a large mixing bowl and punch a well into the center of meat. Fill well with the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, parsley, cheese, and a little salt and pepper. Mix up meatball ingredients until well combined, yet not over-mixed. Divide mix into 4 equal parts, roll each part into 4 balls and space equally onto a nonstick baking sheet. Place meatballs in oven and roast about 12 minutes. Break a meatball open and make sure meat is cooked through before removing from the oven.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. When garlic starts sizzling, add herbs and crushed pepper. Allow oil to infuse for half a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer until meatballs are removed from oven.

Combine meatballs and sauce and pile into sub rolls, 3 meatballs per sub. Top with shredded cheese and place under subs under broiler to melt cheese. Top with shredded basil or arugula and serve with a pile of oven fries.

Crock Pot Brown Sugar Ham

Crock-Pot Brown Sugar Ham

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  4 hours

Total time:  4 hours 5 mins

Serves: 6-8

 

The key to this recipe is to let the ham sit after cooking to let it reabsorb some of the juices.

Ingredients

• 1 (4-5) Pound Ham (I prefer a spiral sliced ham for easy serving)
• 1 Cup Light Or Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and ground cloves and stir to mix.
2. Spread ½ of the brown sugar mixture on the bottom of a 6-7 quart oval crock-pot.
3. Place ham, cut side down, into crock-pot on top of the brown sugar.
4. Rub the remaining brown sugar mixture all over the rest of the ham.
5. Cover and cook on low 4 hours.
6. Turn crock-pot off and let sit for 30 minutes so that the ham can reabsorb some of the juices that will come out when cooked for a moister meat.

Notes

Spoon the remaining crock-pot ham juices over the ham when serving. Delish!   

FDA approved refrigerator and freezer guidelines

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm109315.pdf

Garden 2013

Here I am, yet again, sick in bed. This pregnancy has kicked my butt!! But hopefully I will be getting back on track as soon as this sinus infection moves out. I *think* my nausea has finally given up! One upside to me being in the bed so much lately is that I've had a TON of time to do some research for my garden this year. I'm so excited that its FINALLY time to get out there and get stuff in the ground!

Last year I went with a traditional, in the ground garden. Didn't have a lot of success. Once we came back from vacation weeds had taken over...I was OVER it. It wasn't a total loss, just didn't get as much from it as expected but it was a great learning experience.

I love going out to tend to the garden, harvest veggies, clip things back, pick a few weeds....but hoe a garden FULL of weeds? Not my thing! So this year I'm doing raised beds. I have two raised beds and a bunch of pots. During my "sick leave" research I've found this is called square foot gardening and you can fit a TON of things in these 4'x4' beds.

Here's what I've got going so far:
I planted some romaine lettuce and some white onions. I also have already planted my tomatoes in pots. They're going to stay on my deck so they can avoid that very hot afternoon sun. I did them in my garden last year and they were horrible, too hot for them and anytime one turned red the birds pecked at it!! I also planted some zucchini, squash and cucumbers already in these raised beds. I planted them way too early, but they seem to be ok. I also planted them way too spread out for this square foot gardening plan (SFG). So I'm hoping they make it through the move to their new location. Also, planted green peppers and pimento peppers, not realizing they're not in big enough pots...so, they need new homes too.

So here's my new plan, my SFG plan! You're going to be amazed what you can fit into these two 4'x4' raised beds!

Bed #1
4 green pepper plants
4 pimento pepper plants
2 cucumbers
2 cantaloupe vines
1 squash
Plus, I'll have one square foot left over for my later planting of peas!! In one square foot you can trellis 8 vines! (So they say! We'll see)

Bed #2
8 square feet of corn, with three stalks in each, for a total of 24 stalks! I'm also going to plant Lima beans to crawl up those corn stalks. This will go in the middle of the bed and in each of the four outside corners left to sprawl out will be 3 squash plants and 1 zucchini plant.

I'm so excited over this garden plan. It will be much more manageable for me since its in less space (with minimal weeds). Cheyenne is very excited over the garden as well. We have the fence up already and she helps me water everything and she just loves going out and standing in there! Just wait til she can pick some veggies! She's going to love it!

To learn more about SFG, here are some of the websites I came across and learned a bunch from:

www.mysquarefootgarden.net
www.squarefootgardening.org

I also typed in square foot gardening in YouTube and watched a few videos about it. I've had a lot of time sick in bed....

Food Lion Deals 5/1- 5/7

Starting tomorrow at Food Lion there's a few great deals that you want to pick up to help out your grocery budget.  I'm trying really hard to get my grocery budget back under control.  I haven't couponed in awhile (besides yesterday) so the past few months have been insanely expensive. Here are the deals:

•  Limes, 20¢ ea.
• Chicken Breasts Value Pack $1.79/lb
• Boneless Chuck Roast $2.99/lb
• Pepperidge Farm GoldFish $1.67
• Ronzoni Pasta, 12-16 oz, 99¢

-$1/2 Ronzoni pasta portions (regional), SS 3/24
-$1/2 Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta (Facebook) PRINTABLE
-$1/2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest pasta (regional), SS 4/28
(makes it 49¢ if included)


What to do with all those limes?

The limes are at a price where you would want to stock up for 6 months, but after doing some research on how to store all those limes, I don't recommend getting more than 3-4 months worth.  It turns out you can freeze the limes.  I love lime slices in my water.....and other choice drinks which I won't be having until NOVEMBER. :)  I'll survive.....

You can freeze limes whole, but apparently they will be a little mushy, but the juice will still be perfect.  You can also slice them and freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then once frozen place them in a freezer bag and they'll be perfect for throwing into your water....or your alcoholic beverage that I will dream about....  And lastly, you can go ahead and juice those limes and freeze the juice in ice cube trays and once they're frozen, pop them out into a freezer bag.  Fresh limes, all summer long, great price.

Chicken Breasts & Chuck Roasts

These are also at a price per pound where you would want to get 3 months worth.  Again, I only recommend about 3-4 months worth because I just don't like meat to be freezer burned at all.  These go on sale enough throughout the year where 3-4 months worth at a time is fine in my eyes.  Here's some of the recipes I'm thinking about trying with some of the chicken I plan on getting.

One of the things I'm thinking about doing is placing some of the chicken breasts in a freezer bag with homemade Neely's BBQ Sauce.  This recipe calls for this sauce to be cooked on the stove for an hour and fifteen minutes before using.  HAHA.  Did you laugh too?  I'm going to mix all ingredients in with the chicken and then just throw it in the freezer bag.  When I'm ready to cook, I'll thaw it out and then dump it in the freezer and hope it all turns out.  I feel like it will.  I hope it will.....

I also plan on cooking some of the chicken, shredding it in my food processor and then freezing it in one pound freezer bags so that it's ready to go for soups, chicken salad and casseroles. Saves me a step later when I'm ready to throw it all together.  Here's my favorite chicken salad recipe: Giada's Italian chicken salad! It's so good!  And, here's another recipe is like to try with some of this chicken: Chicken Picccata! Seems easy without a lot of ingredients!

And, you're about to find out the reason I started this collection of recipes.  There's a recipe SOMEWHERE on my computer, or pinterest or bookmark that I want to make for this chuck roast and it would be a little more "spring time-ish" than just making a beef stew with it.  So, when I come across it, I'll add it to my collection.

HERE it is!!!  Turns out I didn't have it saved anywhere, just came across it one day and decided I would remember where I found it.....I guess at that point I wasn't pregnant and still had a brain and thought I'd know exactly where to find it....That was then, this is now.  HOT & SPICY ITALIAN DRIP BEEF

Be sure to check your email to see if there's any Food Lion coupons to use on meat or produce this week.  If you're not signed up for their Shoppers Companion email, you can do it here.


Oh, and if you want to see all the deals this week at Food Lion with their coupon matchups visit TheSmartDollars.