The One Where I Talk About Perspiration

These are seriously some great tips I am about to share with you.

And this first one?  About the greatest thing I have ever come across.  However, let me start at the beginning, because as always, there is a story behind this.

My husband works as a manager in a restaurant.  He's busy.  It's fast paced.  He even sweats from time to time.  I do prefer the term perspiration, however if for some strange reason the Man Police read this and see that I said Hubs perspires, they may come and take his Man Card away.

He always wears a white undershirt under his button down work shirts.  His undershirts HAVE to come from JC Penney because it's the only store he's ever found under shirts that come in talls, 'cause he's a tall guy and if he doesn't get the talls, the undershirt comes untucked and it's just all irritating.  At least from what I understand....but I totally get that.  I do. 

And for the record, I have Hubs full permission to post this.  I asked him if I could and he asked why I was even asking.  I said, well you know, it's a little personal and I thought maybe you might care if I shared your sweaty shirt story with the world.  His response?  "I am guy.  I sweat. Who cares?"

Alrighty then.

So combine the sweat with the deodorant and the day after day wear of his undershirts and over time, they start to get this nasty, yucky, yellow buildup in the armpit area of the shirt.  I've tried bleach, soaking the shirts, scrubbing the stained armpits of the shirts with crushed aspirin, the list goes on and on.....but nothing ever seemed to get rid of that build up. 

So our solution before was just to buy new undershirts when the old ones got gross enough.  Yuck, right?  But I didn't see any other solution.  Fast forward several years later and living on one income.  Dropping $60-$75 on a new undershirt rotation just wasn't in the cards like it used to be.

However, just a few months ago I came across a trick and thought, heck why not?  It's certainly worth a try and it's cheaper than getting new shirts.

The trick?  Baking soda.  Good ol' standard, been around since practically the beginning of time, baking soda. 

It totally works like no other.

And it's cheap.  

I seriously wish I would have found this YEARS ago, because whenever we got new shirts for Hubs, the old shirts were never really worn out, they just had nasty, stained armpits.  The condition of the shirt was always just fine. 

Now, this definitely takes more time in my washing routine, but Hubs has nice clean shirts to wear and I feel like I am taking care of him that much better.  (That probably sounds really dumb and archaic, but it's the truth.  I like being a "homemaker" and knowing I do the best I can running our home.  Hubs does his part in working 60+ hours a week and I do my part in taking care of our Peanut and all things home related.)

So how do I do it?   First, let me say that I started this process well after his shirts were all stained, so I am kind of playing catch up.  For us, the yellow color has not gone away completely, but the nasty gunkiness of the (deodorant?) build up has gone away completely.

Oh, and for the record, I usually work at the kitchen sink during the process.

I turn the shirts inside out first.  Second, I mix a solution of baking soda and warm water to a thickness of about pancake batter.  Then with each shirt, I run the armpit portion of the shirt under hot water to get the area wet and then I spoon about a soup spoon portion of the baking soda mixture onto the shirt.  I scrub it into the shirt and repeat the process on the other armpit.  Make sure to sort of wrap the shirt in on its self because the baking soda will sort of cake and fall off otherwise and you want the mixture to sit on the fiber as best you can.  Repeat the process with all shirts.  Then, I let the shirts sit for a couple of hours before putting them in the wash.  After a couple of hours have passed, I run the cycle with HOT water and set it to soak prior to letting the load actually start the wash cycle.  I also throw another cup of baking soda in with the detergent during the soak cycle.  Then, once the clothes have sat in the hot water for an hour or two, I start the load as normal.

The shirts look cleaner, feel cleaner, and smell cleaner.  I am just so happy I found this little trick, I wanted to share it with the world.  And it's so stinking cheap!  (FYI--Costco has a 13+ pound bag of baking soda for like $5!!!) 

Second sweat tip.  I know.  Two tips, right?

I love all those cute ballet flats that are so fashionable right now.  They are cute, comfy, and they look more dressy than the "non-athletic sneaker" I had become so fond of.  And they don't have heals.....'cause let's be realistic here people, heals and toddlers don't mix.  At least in my world they don't.

But what I don't love about the ballet flat?  Is that most ballet flats are meant to be worn with no socks.  And my feet sweat perspire from time to time.  I cannot stand it when my feet feel like they were wrapped in wet plastic wrap.  SO gross, right?

And for the record, I know I am not the only one that feels this way.  Before I quit work at the bank, one of the gals that worked for us at our branch always wore super cut high heels--almost always without stockings.  She always looked so put together--you know the type--you want to look like that when you grow up....even if that person is ten years younger than you?  Anyhow, I finally asked her one day, "Don't your feet get hot and sweaty without stockings?"  Why yes, as a matter of fact, they did--she's the one that described it feeling like wet plastic {saran} wrap.

So glad I am not the only one. 

Anyhow, just a few weeks ago, it hit me.  Those little insole inserts should work perfect.  And they do!  I picked up several sets (they were like $1 each) and put them in all of my (three pairs) ballet flats.  NO more wet feet!  Don't you just love it?!?!?! 


These little lovely tips definitely work for me!  For other Works For Me Wednesday tips, visit We Are THAT Family. 








cleaning sweat stains, t-shirt stains, getting sweat stains out of shirts, underarm stains in shirts,

Broken Eyeshadow

Peanut's new distraction is "putting on makeup" with me.   I don't actually let her put on makeup.  Normally she just stands in front of the mirror with me and goes through the items in my makeup bag.  She does occasionally get into the lip gloss.  But I'm okay with that because it's clear lip gloss and it's fairly harmless.  That was until this past Sunday.  We were going through the motions--I put on my eyeshadow and she tells me she wants some too, so I have her close her eyes and I brush my finger over her eye lids.  She looks in the mirror and then says, "Thank you, Mommy" and I move on to the next item.  Next thing I know, I look over and she has decided that she too, can apply lipstick like mommy.

So of course, like any good blogger mom, I ran downstairs to grab my camera so I could record the moment forever.  And in the 30 seconds I was gone, she was already into the 'scarra {mascara} by the time I got back.

Someone also is loving her mirror in her room--the mirror being new to her as it didn't get put on until just a few months ago.  We had used the dresser (without the mirror attached) as a changing station before the big PT in January.  She also LOVES to make faces at herself.  On Sunday, her painted pout only heightened this fascination.

Last but not least, the original point of this post--a great little frugal makeup tip for you.

My makeup bag fell over the other day and my eyeshadow container slid out and crashed on the bathroom floor.  One of my eyeshadows broke into a dozen pieces.  Argh!!!!  I was irritated with myself to say the least.  However, I had heard a makeup tip a while back and now was my chance to see if it worked.  When your eyeshadow breaks you can either A) throw it away and get a new one or B) try and salvage it the best you can.  But during weeks of salvaging, the broken eyeshadow bits eventually work their way all over the inside of your makeup bag and make everything an absolute mess.  Or am I the only cheap frugal one who does things like that?

What you want to do to salvage the eyeshadow and make it user friendly again (aka a lot less messy) is continue to break up the eyeshadow into a powder (using the back of a spoon or some other such tool) and the add just a drop or two of rubbing alcohol to it.  Just enough to make a thick paste.  Spread it as evenly as you can back into the eyeshadow compartment and let dry.  The alcohol will evaporate and you are left with  much more workable eyeshadow once again.  And it really does work.  Trust me. 


For other great tips and tricks, visit We Are THAT Family. 

Works For Me Wednesday-Buying Yeast in Bulk

This may be one of those "duh" tips, but I thought I would share anyway.  I bake *most* of our own bread.  If you bake with yeast only occasionally and use the pre-portioned packets, it's not really that expensive (in terms of a weekly budget), but if you buy yeast in the jars (because buying in bulk will stretch your dollar ounce for ounce) that can take a big chunk out of a weekly grocery budget. 

At my local grocery store, the jar of yeast was about $7.25 for 4 oz. jar of yeast.  But at Costco (insert pink fluffy heart here) I can get the same brand of yeast for under $4.00 for a 32 ounce bag.  That's a 93% savings!

Now how will I use two pounds of yeast before the expiration, you ask?  We all know that we don't want the yeast to go bad, as that defeats the purpose of yeast.  You refrigerate it!  I use a small container in our main fridge for my "working supply" of yeast and then I keep the bulk of it in our spare fridge in our basement.  We got a bag of yeast nearly two years ago and I have just about finished it up.  It's gone way past the expiration, but the cold fridge preserves the yeast and it's still works just fine, making wonderful homemade bread sticks, pizza crust, and cinnamon rolls--just to name a few.

For other great tips and tricks, visit We Are THAT Family. 

White Lasagna

I know, I know.

The "red" is better for you.  Yes, the red does have less calories, but butter isn't bad as we were led to believe.  And while I love the traditional red sauces, I have a thing for the white counterparts of the red classics.  Like my white enchiladas or white chili.  I just like the fun and different variations of the dishes we all know and love.

When I visited home last week, my Mom had started to make this for dinner but the Peanut was begging to go outside and play, so I shooshed my Mom and Peanut out the door and I took over in the White Lasagna preparation.   I would definitely make this one at home if seafood wasn't so expensive, as this is my kind of dish! 






















White Lasagna

2 (14 oz.) cans plain artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 lbs. large shrimp, cooked and tails removed
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
8 oz. lasagna noodles
1 box frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed completely dry of moisture,then crumbled to small pieces)
2 cups cheddar cheese (white cheddar is even better--you know, to make this "white")

Sauce:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/8 tsp pepper (white if you have it)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup white wine

Filling:

2 cups Ricotta cheese (cottage cheese works too, although Ricotta has a smoother texture)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cups fresh, grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water with 1 tablespoon of oil until just shy of al dente.  Rinse in cold water and drain.

Sauce:  Melt butter over low heat.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Add in flour, salt, and pepper to make a roux.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles for about two minutes.  Whisking constantly, pour in milk, chicken stock and white wine.  Bring to a simmer, whisking until mixture thickens--about five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to layer with other ingredients. 

Filling:  Mix together Ricotta (or cottage cheese) and egg and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.  Combine with cream sauce.

Place 1/3 of lasagna noodles in bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Spread with 1/3 each of artichoke hearts, shrimp, spinach, cheddar cheese, and sauce.  Repeat twice and top with remaining  1/4 cup of Parmesan.

Now here's another trick when making any type of lasagna:  When layering your lasagna noodles, start the bottom layer of the noodles going one direction (usually the length of the dish), add your fillings/sauce, then with the next layer of noodles, alternate the direction of the noodles.  Continue alternating the direction of the noodles with each layer thereafter.  What this will do is provide a little more structure/sturdiness to the lasagna so when cutting into it (and when combined with the cooling tip as suggested below), you it won't just be a mess'o'lasagna.    

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the middle is heated through.   Let stand (covered in foil) 20-30 minutes prior to serving.  Makes 8 to 10 servings. 


This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap  
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 
Paisley Passions Fun With Food Friday  
We Are THAT Family's Works For Me Wednesday

Works For Me Wednesday-Turbo Tax

Do you pay an accountant or tax preparer to do your taxes?  Or do you save money and do them yourself?  I always used to do our taxes myself but then Hubby and I bought a house--so that meant no more filing short form.  And deducting the blessed mortgage interest?  Somebody help!  That's when someone I worked with told me about Turbo Tax.  It was like the heavens parted and showered me with tax preparation blessings!  This is the seventh year I have used it and I know for certain we will keep using it.

In fact, I called around last year because now that we have a rental property, I knew things were going to be a lot more complicated.  Turbo Tax walks you through all sorts of different scenarios/questions to make sure you are taking advantage of your write offs.  Now, some people worry about the accuracy, but I fully believe as long as you are completely honest in answering all the questions that are asked (did you move this year?  was your move more than xxx amount of miles? was your move for a job? how much was your mortgage interest? etc, etc.) you should have no reason to worry about being arrested for tax evasion. 

Plus, Turbo Tax keeps all your information year to year and compares your current year to the previous years and suggestions things like, you had donations last year, what were your donations for this year?   If you want you can print out all 70 pages of your taxes, or it allows you to download a nice little Adobe file on your computer--yes, they are green too!


Now, back to the cost.  Most accountants/tax preparers were going to charge anywhere from $150-$300 for doing our taxes with our rental/investment property and with Turbo Tax it would be around $50.00 + tax.  That right there is a savings.  But wait, there's more! 

This is the best part of the tip~

Most financial institutions partner with Turbo Tax and offer some sort of discount to their customers.  You can start your taxes just by going to TurboTax.com BUT when you get ready to file, go to your financial institutions site and find their link for Turbo Tax and log on to Turbo Tax using your financial institutions link.  That will trigger the automatic discount you receive for being a customer with that institution.  We have several institutions (our main bank, our credit union, where our mortgage is held, etc.)--make sure to check out each of your institutions because the Turbo Tax discount will vary.  Our main bank offered a 20 % discount but one of our other banks offered nearly a 40 % discount--which of course is double the savings.  With the discounts we received, we paid just over $35 to get our taxes done.  Nice, huh?

Using Turbo Tax and getting discounts definitely Works for Me!

***This post is in no way affiliated with Turbo Tax.  They have never heard of my blog, nor do they care.  I just think it's a great tool and want to share it with the world.***  

Brown Sugar Indeed

Did you know that all brown sugar is is regular sugar with a little bit of molasses?  I just learned that not too long ago.  I know, huh?  

This last week, I had volunteered to bring a breakfast dish to my MOPs group.  Of course I didn't remember my commitment earlier in the week when I did the grocery shopping, so I tried to figure out a dish that I could make with ingredients I had on hand.  Homemade cinnamon rolls it was.

I prefer to make these with brown sugar in the filling rather than regular, but I stopped buying refined regular sugars a while back.  For recipes that call for sugar now, I use dehydrated cane juice that I order through Azure Standard.  I have also been getting black strap molasses through them as well.  This is a neat little trick that helps if you are either

A) wanting to use a not so refined sugar that has a little bit more nutrients or

B) trying to avoid running to the store in the middle of preparing a recipe and just making do with what you have on hand. 

Please know too, of course, if you have just regular sugar and molasses on hand, those would work just as well.

Brown Sugar

3 cups dehydrated cane juice or regular refined sugar
2 tablespoons black strap or regular molasses

Mix ingredients together thoroughly. Note: I tried doing this by hand and I did not have the patience for it.  I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mixed on medium high speed for about 2-3 minutes. 

After mixing for a minute or so (or mixing it by hand) it will look like this:

But give it a few more minutes and soon it will look like this:

Fresh brown sugar!

I store mine in the refrigerator because the black molasses needs to be refrigerated, but if your molasses doesn't say to refrigerate, I wouldn't worry about it.  This is also why I don't make a very large amount at once!  



This recipe/kitchen tip is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap  

and 

Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday
We Are THAT Family's Works For Me Wednesday
Heavenly Homemakers Parade of Recipes and Cooking Tips

Works For Me Wednesday-The Best Investment We've Ever Made

Although the Peanut is willful, she is a pretty good little girl.  EXCEPT when it came to teeth brushing.  That had become a battle of epic proportions.  But then I found something that changed all of our lives.  I kid you not.  When I was in the oral hygeinge section of WalMart a few weeks ago getting toddler toothpaste, I came across one of these:

It was easily the best $5 we have ever spent.  The Peanut LOVES to brush her teeth now.  As well as her tongue.  

Battery operated toothbrushes work for me!  For other great hints, visit We are THAT Family.

Oh, and while we are on the subject of bedtime, my mom made this darling little bas-robe {bathrobe} for her....

it even has a silk lining.  Too cute, isn't it?  Thanks, again, Mom. 

Works For Me Wednesday-Easy Food for a Road Trip

We go on a lot of road trips and gas isn't cheap, so even though we are driving, it can get expensive.  Fast.  One of the ways I help control the cost of our trips is to avoid eating out.  What I would usually do is make sandwiches because they are quick and easy.  But I don't really care for pre-made sandwiches--they don't often keep well, as the bread will get mushy.   Awhile back though, I happened to make pizza the night before we left on a trip.  And we needed something for lunch the following day.  Pizza it was!  Super fast, as I just wrapped it in individual portions that night and it helped not having food spoil in the fridge while we were gone.

Pizza on road trips works for me!  For other great hints, visit We Are THAT Family.  

Works For Me Wednesday-Storing Fresh Basil

We have had an abundance of fresh basil around here.  Could be because we planted so much.

Anyhow, I prefer to just cut it as I need it, but sometimes I get a little over zealous and I cut too much at once.  My hubby told me a great little tip that they do at their restaurant in order to store fresh basil in the fridge.  They fill a tall container with an inch or two of water and place the cut end in the water....it helps keep in fresh much longer and it doesn't get all flimsy nearly as fast.

So I did it and it really works!  Isn't that a nifty little trick?  For other great tips, visit We Are THAT Family. 

Works For Me Wednesday-Leftover Tomato Paste

I used to hate recipes that called for one or two tablespoons of tomato paste.  What do I do with the rest of the tomato paste?  Well, I always put it in a container in the fridge with good intentions.   Then months later, I would find it in the back of the fridge with gray little hairs that were not there before.  And out it went.

Watching Rachael Ray, I learned that you can buy squeeze tubes of tomato paste, so you can use just the amount you need without opening a whole can.  Very cool.  But I have searched and searched and I can't find those any where.  Plus, I am sure it costs way more.  Then she shared a tip a while back that I thought was just fabulous.

After using the amount of paste you need, roll up the rest in plastic wrap like you would a roll of cookie dough.  Then, pop it in your freezer.  So down the road when you need just a tablespoon or two, you can simply slice of the amount you need and put the rest back in the freezer. 

Isn't that nifty?  


For other helpful tips, visit Kristen at We Are THAT Family's Works For Me Wednesday. 

Works For Me Wednesday-Marking Items in Your Freezer

I freeze a lot of things.  I also reuse my zip top freezer bags (I wash them out and let them dry and reuse them--saves lots of money because I use them all the time).  But I often forget when I put something in the freezer, and I don't want to write on my bags (or containers for that matter) because I know I will reuse them at some point.

This week I searched high and low for those black wax "pens" that you can write on glass and plastic with and it wipes off.  I eventually did find them at the office supply store, but you had to buy a whole box of them for over $10.  And I am way too cheap for that. 

So I had to figure out something else and as they say, necessity is the mother of invention.  I started writing the date (and the item if I won't know what it is in few weeks) on a piece of tape and folding back the edge of tape so I can take it off the bag or container easily.  So when I come across it in the freezer down the road, I will know the date (and item) is.  No more guessing what that container of enchilada sauce is.   

Not that I've ever done that. 

For other helpful tips, visit Kristen at We Are THAT Family. 

Works For Me Wednesday-Grocery Shopping Tip

Whenever we make a trip to HomeTown, I always make a big foraging run to my favorite (and cheap!) grocery store.  Their prices can't be beat (even more so here in SmallTown where everything is expensive) and they have a huge bulk section that is so nice.  I love it because when making those recipes that call for something you probably will only use for that recipe, you can get just what you need and not have to purchase a predetermined amount.

Anyhow, as I was sitting here going through my menu and making my grocery list, I thought my little method for doing these big trips might work for some else.  It's not like I've reinvented the wheel, but if this tip helps someone else out, then that's all the better.

Of course, I plan my menu first.  Then I go through what I already have on hand and determine my shopping list around that.  Now this is where my tip comes in: After I've made my grocery list of everything I need, I go back and rewrite the grocery list sorting by the departments in the grocery store in the order I usually shop.  Departments such as Produce, Bulk, Dairy/Meats, Freezer, and Aisles.  Plus, it is easier to read when I take the time to rewrite it.  And that is always a time saver.


When I am super organized like that (which isn't necessarily all that often) and when Peanut is left in the care of her grandparents (bless their hearts) my marathon grocery shopping trips aren't so marathony any longer.

And that definitely works for me.  For other helpful hints, visit We Are THAT Family.  

Did You Know?

A little while back I was watching a cooking show and I found out that you could peel almonds.

Now, why would you even bother?  Because buying whole almonds (around $3-$4 per pound) is less expensive than buying the different "cuts" of almonds, whether they are slivered, sliced, or diced (anywhere from $11-$14 per pound). And let's face it, I have way more time than I do money. 

All you simply have to do is bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.  Remove the pot from the heat and pour in the almonds.  Let them steep for about five minutes and then drain them.  Once they are cool enough to handle, the skins will slip right off!

A word of caution:  They are slippery little suckers.  Name that movie. 

Once they are all peeled, lay them on a cookie sheet and put them in 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  This will insure the almonds are nice and dry to be able to store. 

I can peel them and do a rough chop in my food processor and use them for a variety of recipes, such as my Almond Roca and a new recipe that I am excited to share next week.  Check back early next week for yummy summer dinner!



This post is linked to We Are THAT Family's Works for Me Wednesday.  


Oh, and yeah, that movie would be Pretty Woman.  :)

Works For Me Wednesday-Cooking Ground Meat

Let me be up front and entirely honest....I did not think this up.  But I do use this tip I learned watching Rachael Ray.  Where else? 

Cooking ground meat can be such a chore, as you want to break it and up and have fairly, small, uniform sized pieces.  And you could buy one of these to do it.  But I am more along the Alton Brown philosophy about not having "uni-taskers" around the kitchen.  You know, those kitchen tools/gadgets that only do one thing. 

When cooking ground meat, I use just a wooden spoon to break it up in smallish size chunks and then when it's nearly finished cooking, I break up the meat with a potato masher.  Works like a charm every time--nice little uniform chunks of meat. 

Using a potato masher when cooking ground meat definitely works for me.




This post is linked to We Are THAT Family's Works for Me Wednesday. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know, I know.  Isn't this a standard Baking 101 recipe?  Chocolate chip cookies are hardly rocket science.

However in my recent interest in the whole foods movement (you can read about it here and here--this is some stuff I've come across and have found very helpful--oh, and those sites probably only scratch the surface) I am trying to stay away from "man made" fats like vegetable oils and shortenings and going back to fats like good ol' butter.  And who doesn't love butter?   

This butter love presents a problem though.  I don't know about you, but whenever I make cookies with all butter--while they taste fabulous, they usually are a big pooled mess when they come out of the oven.  They simply don't retain their shape. But then I got smart.  

After I scooped out my cookies on the cookie sheet, I stuck each sheet in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.  (The freezer would work too and with half the time, but I just don't have the room!)  The cookies get nice and hard and then I pop them in the oven and bake as directed--and possibly a minute or two longer. And will you look at these beauties?   Nice, round cookies that retain their shape.  No pooling. 

In addition, I've been using more and more whole wheat flour in recipes to make my baked goods a little more nutritious...so when I make things like chocolate chip cookies, I only have to feel half as bad.

At least that is what I tell myself. 

This recipe is derived from the one my mom gave me in my recipe box.  I have modified it, but they are still darn good!  

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar (the original calls for 1/2 cup...I am trying to reduce the sugar too...)

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup white flour

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1-2 cups chocolate chips

Cream sugars and butter.  Add in vanilla and eggs, mix until smooth.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Fold in chocolate chips.   Drop by spoonfuls or cookie scoop on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes--or about 12 if you don't refrigerate.  :)

Now, when I ran this by DH (using whole wheat flour in the cookies), his response was "What's the point of chocolate chip cookies?"  That isn't what I wanted to hear...so then I did what any good wife would do...I ignored him and made them anyway.  And guess what?  He ate like three in a row.  Score one for me! 

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap   
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap

We Are THAT Family  Works For Me Wednesday

Works For Me Wednesday-Lasagna Tip

I was watching a cooking show a while back and they mentioned an easy way to make lasagna was by using the "no-cook" noodles.  That way you don't have to bother boiling the noodles and then potentially tearing the noodles when you are layering the lasagna.  That truly is a great tip--a real time saver. 

 

 (source)

But you know what?  You don't have to do that. 

You can use plain ol' lasagna noodles.  And you don't have to boil them either.  Now, you do have to plan ahead and let it sit.  All you simply have to do is layer your dish with your uncooked noodles, tomato/meat mixture, and cheese mixture as you normally would then put the pan in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it.  Allowing it to sit overnight is best, but  I made lasagna just last week around lunchtime and we ate dinner between 5 and 6 pm.   I cooked the lasagna for about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven and it was cooked perfectly.   No undercooked noodles.

I have to admit when I do this, I always worry there won't be enough moisture, so after I layer the lasagna, I usually add about another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water, just to be on the safe side.  And it turns out wonderful every time.

In addition, purchasing your standard lasagna noodles is about a 60% savings over the "no cook" variety!  (At least where I normally shop.)  How awesome is that? 

For other helpful tips, visit Works For Me Wednesdays at We Are THAT Family. 

 

Works For Me Wednesday-Digital SLR Camera Replacement

My husband used to work in insurance, so he knows a lot about--wait for it............insurance! 

We just bought a new digital SLR camera.  Although it was purchased through many a gift card given to us for birthdays and other occasions, should something happen to the camera, whether it was stolen or damaged in some way, it would be very costly to replace--AKA it would take a really long time to save to replace it. 

He mentions to me the other day that I need to call our insurance agent and request to add our new camera to our personal articles policy.  Of course the camera would be covered under our standard homeowners policy, but that has a large enough deductible that it would not be worth it to file a claim. 

So basically, you can add a high ticket item and pay it's own premium and that item is completely separate should something happen to it.  Our premium for our new camera is about $14 a year.  A year.  So heaven forbid the camera gets dropped or the Peanut spills milk on it or it gets stolen, or whatever, we simply have to pay our small deductible of $100 and the camera will be replaced!  I had no idea we could do this, and I am guessing a lot of others don't know this either!

Insuring your digital SLR camera definitely Works For Me! 

Works For Me Wednesday--Recipe Binder

I like the appearance of organization.  Appearance.  I truly have the Monica syndrome.

As long as my house looks neat, picked up, and everything is in it's place, I'm good.  But don't look behind my cabinet doors, in my drawers, or in my closet.  I am more of an out of site, out of mind kind of girl.

Shameful, I know.  Drives my poor husband nuts.  Every so often I walk in a room and he's organizing something that he just can't handle anymore.  And I will keep it that way for a while.  I do try.  Sometimes.

But every so often, even I can't handle it anymore.  Like my recipes...I print TONS of recipes from online sites.   And I would fold the sheet in half and shove it in a recipe box.  When it came time to use it...it was a disaster.  Every time.  I went looking for it, couldn't find it, went online and reprinted it and the mess started all. over. again.

So I finally got smart.  I went and bought a three ring binder.  Genius, huh?  Best investment I ever made--well, that and the fentanyl shot.  I dug through my old college days school supplies and found several packs of dividers and my three hole punch and I started punching and organizing.  I even alphabetized.  I know.

 

Using a three ring binder for recipes printed from online works for me!