FOOD FREEZING TIPS: HOW LONG CAN I STORE FOOD?

IS IT CRAZY THAT I FREEZE EVERYTHING??? I DO! CHEESE, COOKIES, BREAD, CAKES, MUFFINS, MEAT, VEGGIES, FRUIT - YOU NAME IT - I'VE FROZEN IT. I THNK IT'S BECAUSE I LIKE TO MAKE THINGS IN RIDICULOUSLY LARGE BATCHES AND THEN PULL THEM OUT OF THE FREEZER WHEN I DONT WANT TO COOK. I ALSO HATE THE FEELING OF THROWING SOMETHING OUT - LIKE MOLDY BREAD - SO I ALWAYS FREEZE MY BREAD. THIS CHART BELOW MIGHT HAVE ME BE THROWING OUT SOME OF THE REALLY OLD STUFF I KNOW IS HIDING IN THAT FREEZER :) EEK!

FREEZE IT RIGHT or IT MIGHT BE WASTED :(

There's nothing worse than taking out that meal you froze last month only to realize it's frost bitten and ruined. If you're going to freeze it - definitely do it right. I at-the-least double wrap everything I freeze. I'm on this kick lately where I'm trying to avoid plastic. Which is such an challenge! But if you're drinking the same cool aid as me, I first try to wrap the food in MYLAR BAGS, THEN PLASTIC WRAP or FREEZER ZIPLOCS. All the links are below on my favorite brands. 

 

MYLAR BAGS

I've strayed away (as much as possible) from letting plastic touch my food. This is really a challenge - but one I've attempted. So lately I've been putting the food in these mylar bags, and then wrapping them in plastic wrap or freezer-ziplocks. 

FREEZE-TITE

So the best plastic for freezing IMO is Freeze Tite:

FREEZER ZIPLOCS

You'll also want to stock up on quart and gallon size freezer bags. If you're trying to avoid plastic - simply put them in the mylar first and THEN the plastic to keep air out.

DIY CANOPY (EASY!)

This may be the easiest, most affordable canopy idea ever! My creative, resourceful sister came up with this in her romantic bedroom. This curtain doubles as a canopy and window covering to block sun and provide privacy. All the details below . . .

ITEMS NEEDED

2 CURTAIN RODS (that can be extended to match the width of your bed)

2 LONG CURTAIN PANELS (you only need 1 wide panel if you aren't using this as a window covering - but you may still want 2 to give it fullness)

2 CURTAIN HOOKS (if doing this to double as a curtain for a window - as pictured above)

TAPE MEASURE 

SEWING MACHINE  or  SAFETY PINS

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1 Attach 1 rod to ceiling a few feet out from the wall (depending on how far over the bed you want it to hang), extending the rod to match the length of the bed or wider. 
STEP 2 Attach the second rod to the wall slightly below the ceiling (matching the width of the first rod).
STEP 3  (this step is only if you're using the canopy to double as a window covering) Attach the curtain hooks to each side of the window where you want the curtains to open - as pictured above.
STEP 4
      OPTION 1 With a sewing machine (borrow a friends if you don't have one) sew a channel, that will slide onto the rod mounted below the ceiling. Decide where you want this channel by measuring  the distance between the two rods and adding about a foot to that number so you have a nice "drape" above the bed.
      OPTION 2 If you don't have a sewing machine or don't want to borrow one, you could always use safety pins to make a channel! Decide where you want this channel by measuring  the distance between the two rods and adding about a foot to that number so you have a nice "drape" above the bed.
STEP 5 Slide the top channel of the curtain onto rod on ceiling first, then slide the channel you made onto rod below ceiling. Spread out curtain gatherings evenly to your liking. And you're done!

 

STRESS FREE EGG-DYING WITH TODDLERS!

I admit I was a bit nervous about dying eggs with my 3 year old . . . and the artistic control-freak in me had to let go a little. But with these tips I created a very fun, stress-free memory with my son :)

EGG DYES:
1/2 cup warm water
3 Tb white vinegar
1/4 t Wilton's food coloring gel or regular food coloring drops will work
(Making your dye super concentrated will speed up the whole process. I don't use the tabs that come with those egg-dying kits because they're so weak)

HARD BOILING EGGS EASILY WITH KIDS:
Preheat Oven 350
Place 12 eggs in a cupcake pan (my 3 year old loved this part)
Place in oven for 30 minutes
Put hot eggs into bowl of ice water for 10-15 minutes
 

KEEPING CLEAN TIPS:

-No shirt, no stained clothes! For mommy, dark older clothing or an apron.
-Wax paper, newspaper or dollar store plastic table cloth to SAVE your counter/table from stains.
-Use a WISK to avoid stained hands!
-Dry the eggs in the carton they came from.
 

EASILY MAKING THE EGGS CUTE:

-STICKERS from your child's favorite theme (we used Cars) will make them excited about the project! They will enjoy putting them on the eggs, and my son enjoyed pulling them off after they dried. I loved the polka dot look it gave - it was a win-win project :)
-RUBBER BANDS are an easy fun way to wrap around eggs and give a cool line design.

 

AND THE BEST TIP: Donate some of your eggs to the fire men at the local station and they'll give your kids a free tour, hats, and maybe even sit in the trucks! And Mommy can enjoy viewing the strong fire-men too ;)

DIY: EASY EASTER IDEAS

Although I would love to hand paint fancy eggs, I wanted to find some ideas I could include my toddlers in too! So this post is a combination of EASY & fancy DIY Easter ideas. Although some are self-explanatory just by the picture, the links below will take you to the step-by-step sites for more details.  Happy Easter :)

EGG BANNER
MAKE AN EGG TEMPLATE AND CUT PAINT SAMPLES TO CREATE THIS RAINBOW-EGG BANNER
{ CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS }
 

RUBBER BAND EGGS
AFTER TIGHTLY WRAPPING RUBBER BANDS AROUND EGGS, DIE THEM!
SO EASY :)
{ CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS }

POLKA DOT STICKER EGGS
PLACE POLKA DOT STICKERS ON EGGS BEFORE DYING, SO SIMPLE AND CUTE!
{ CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS }

DIPPED EGGS
NEON DIPPED EGGS GIVE A WONDERFUL GRAPHIC PUNCH AND ARE EASY-PEASY!
{ CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS }

SHARPIE EGGS
AFTER DYING EGGS, TRY YOUR HAND AT SHARPY WRITING & DESIGNS . . . HOW FABULOUS ARE THESE?
{ CLICK HERE FOR MORE  DETAILS }

GLUED ON GLITTER EGGS
AFTER PAINTING ON GLUE, ADD SOME SPARKLE!
{ CLICK HERE FOR MORE  DETAILS }

PRINTABLE-TATOO PAPER EGGS
YOU CAN BUY TATOO PAPER AND RIGHT FROM YOUR PRINTER CUSTOMIZE ANYTHING TO PUT ON YOUR EGGS!
{ CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS & TEMPLATES }

DECORATIVE EGG VASE
FILL UP A VASE WITH WATER, THEN PLACE IT IN CENTER OF A MUCH LARGER GLASS CONTAINER. FILL THE SPACE WITH EGGS, THEN ADD FLOWERS TO THE CENTER VASE TO CREATE A LOVELY DISPLAY!

SEE ALL OF OUR FAVORITE EASTER IDEAS ON PINTEREST . . .

DIY: SUSHI

Being the thrifty, creative girl l am I decided sushi was a bit too pricey for the frequency I wanted to consume those yummy roles and learned to make it myself. It was super fun and easy with some practice. Because there's so many visual steps, I made my first DIY YouTube video. Although some grocery stores and Asian markets do sell sushi-grade fish, I stay away from making raw sushi at home as I'm a bit nervous about the dangers associated! Below is the video, recipes for the SUSHI RICE & SPICY MAYO and some tips on making the rolls. 

Enjoy impressing your friends and family with this homemade sushi :)

SUSHI RICE (MAKES ABOUT 5 ROLLS)

1 1/2 C SUSHI (NASHIMI) RICE [Most grocery stores carry this]
2 1/4 C WATER
2 TB RICE VINEGAR
2 TB WHITE SUGAR
1 TB SALT

Rinse rice thoroughly to remove starch. Bring rice to boil, reduce to low and simmer 15-20 minutes. Don't scrap the bottom rice if it burns onto pan - just use the good, unstuck stuff!

Mix together vinegar, sugar, salt in bowl and microwave 45 seconds. Wisk until dissolved, then stir mixture into cooked rice. Allow rice to cool before rolling. (I always make rice the same day I roll the sushi)

SPICY MAYO

1 C. MAYONAISE
1 TB. SIRACHI (or more - to taste)

Wisk together. You can make this ahead of time, it keeps well. I put this in a freezer bag and cut the tip of bag off with a knife so I can pipe/drizzle it on finished sushi for decoration and some extra spice!

PROTEIN TO PUT IN SUSHI ROLL

COOKED SHRIMP
IMITATION CRAB
COOKED SALMON (CANNED OR FRESH WORKS)
SPICY MAYO
CREAM CHEESE
(I am scared of serving the raw fish, so I stick to cooked proteins...although you can purchase sushi-grade fish at some markets)

VEGGIE'S TO PUT IN SUSHI ROLL

SHREDDED CARROTS
MATCHSTICK CUT CUCUMBERS
SLIVERED AVACADO
THING SLICED MANGO
GREEN ONIONS
ASPARAGUS
SPINACH OR LETTUCE

SUSHI TOPPING IDEAS

THINLY (1/8") SLICED AVACADO
THINLY (1/8") SLICED MANGO
SHRIMP CUT IN HALF
SHREDDED CRAB
SESAME SEEDS
DRIZZLED SPICY MAYO, SIRACHI, EEL SAUCE
PICKLED GINGER
WASABI
DECORATIVE VEGGIES COMING OUT OF ONE PIECE OF SUSHI

 

 

DIY: ST. PATTY'S DAY PARTY

I love coming up with themed dinners for friends or even just family night! After pinning for a while I came up with some Rainbow skewers that I thought fit perfectly into finding your way to the pot of gold ;)

Below are some links to other sites with my favorite dinner party ideas, along with my own DIY Rainbow Fruit Skewers. There's also a link to all my Pinterest ideas for St. Patricks Day at the bottom of the page.

RAINBOW FRUIT SKEWERS

STEP 1: MAKE A COLOR PLAN....decide on what seasonal fruits you want to use to make your rainbow
 

STEP 2:  WASH, CUT, PREP YOUR FRUIT
 

STEP 3: LAY OUT YOUR PREPPED FRUIT IN ORDER OF THE RAINBOW
 

STEP 4: SKEWER AWAY AND ENJOY!

 

THIS WOULD MAKE FOR A GREAT BREAKFAST, APPETIZER, SNACK OR DESSERT FOR A ST. PATTY'S DAY PARTY. I ALSO THINK KIDS WOULD ENJOY HELPING WITH THE SKEWERS AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT COLORS :)

 

DIY: VALENTINE'S DAY BREAKFAST

While I love getting doted on throughout Valentine's Day and treated to a fancy dinner, I always enjoy making the Valentine's day breakfast. I collected some easy DIY breakfast ideas that really look adorable! Below each image is the link to the how-to's...Hope you enjoy making your loved ones feel special this V-day :)

HEART SHAPED PANCAKES

To make these adorable pancakes I used 2 different sized metal cookie cutters. I set the sprayed shapes on the heated skillet and let the batter set and bubble before removing the cutter. For the big one I simply poured 2 big circles, side by side and a tiny one below. I used my spatula to kind of push the bottom into a "V" while it was setting. 

BUTTERMILLK PANCAKE RECIPE: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/blueberry-buttermilk-pancakes-recipe2.html

VEGAN PANCAKE RECIPE: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vegan-pancakes/
(I haven't tried the vegan recipe with the cookie cutters yet - but this is a delicious, must-try vegan option)

CLICK ON IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE & FIND LINKS TO RECIPES & HOW-TO'S:

TO SEE MORE VALENTINE'S DAY INSPIRATIONS CHECK OUR PINTEREST PAGE:

DIY: TIME OUT SPOTS

Quotes by John Lennon circle this Time Out Spot, surrounding the little one with positive discipline...

FOR THOSE MOMS PRACTICING TIME OUTS, THIS DIY PROJECT IS A FUN & EASY CRAFT TO MAKE A DEDICATED (BUT MOVABLE) SPOT!

MY FAVORITE OF THE THREE DESIGNS I MADE WAS THE "BEE HAVE" THEME WHICH I DESIGNED FOR MY SISTER WHO'S OBSESSED WITH THE BEATLES (EVEN NAMED HER DAUGHTER LENNON). I USED BEATLE QUOTES ABOUT LOVE & KINDNESS AROUND THE BOARDER. HOPING THAT THE POSITIVITY WOULD SURROUND THE LITTLE ANGEL NEEDING GUIDANCE! 

I ALSO THINK PARENTING, BIBLICAL OR OTHER FAMILY-FAVORITE QUOTES USED AS A BOARDER WOULD MAKE FOR A SPECIAL POSITIVE TOUCH.


SUPPLIES

  • PENCIL

  • SHARPIES

  • SCISSORS

  • TAPE MEASURE

  • 25”x25” WHITE VINYL (SOLD BY THE YARD AT MOST FABRIC STORES)

  • STRING & THUMB TACK (FOR USE AS COMPASS)

  • ROUND OBJECTS TO TRACE (FOR THE SPOT THEMED CIRCLE)


STEP 1
LAY OUT VINYL, WRONG SIDE UP, AND CUT INTO 25" SQUARE

STEP 2
IN THE CENTER OF THE VINYL SQAURE, STICK THUMB TACK  - WITH 12.5" STRING (PLUS EXTRA FOR TYING) ATTACHED TO ONE THUMB TACK AT ONE END AND PENCIL AT OTHER. USE THIS AS A COMPASS TO DRAW A 25" DIAMETER CIRCLE AROUND THE VINYL. CUT OUT CIRCLE.

STEP 3
DRAW DESIGN USING A PENCIL ONTO RIGHT SIDE OF VINYL. YOU CAN USE PHRASES LIKE "THE TIME OUT SPOT", "BEE HAVE" (AND DRAW LITTLE BEES) OR A FAVORITE DISCIPLINARY QUOTE OR PHRASE ABOUT BEING LOVE. 

TIP: TO CREATE BOARDERS EVENLY, SHORTEN YOUR COMPASS AND DRAW A SMALLER DIAMETER CIRCLE -THEN FILL IN AND DECORATE

STEP 4 
COLOR IT IN WITH SHARPIES, ALLOW TO DRY FLAT FOR 24 HOURS, ERASE ANY REMAINING PENCIL AND VOILA!

TIP: FOLDING THE VINYL LEAVES CREASES, INSTEAD TRY ROLLING IT