See my time on pinterest IS useful!

Abbie and her complete bracelet

Abbie's duct tape wallet

Alex winding embroidery floss

Yumm!

I want more!

These went FAST

Apparently I decided to put my pinterest addiction to use today.  We started off the day with Banana Baked Oatmeal and since I had the oven heated up I decided to make a batch of granola too. Then the kids and I gave the dogs a bath and headed to the pool.  After the pool we ran a couple errands and then came home and rested.  After that I taught the kids how to make a simple friendship bracelet out of embroidery floss (and had the bonus of teaching my kids how to wind embroidery floss onto those cardboard bobbins).  Next we made yummy cinnamon sugar pretzel bites (which was basically our dinner, just being honest).  Lastly we headed out to Michael's for a free make and take and the kids got to make duct tape wallets.  A very busy but productive day!

** Here is my granola recipe.  I was going to link to the site that I got it from but she has commercialized to so much that I now can't find the recipe anymore.

Brown Sugar Granola

1/2 cup margarine (I use butter)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups old fashioned oats (not instant)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dried fruit (optional)
1/2 cup nuts or seeds (optional)

In a large saucepan melt the margarine, sugar and water.  Stir well and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Add the salt oatmeal and cinnamon. Remove from heat, stir until all the oats are moistened.  Place granola onto a cookie sheet with sides and bake at 375 for 10 minutes (should be golden brown).  Allow granola to cool in pan.  When cool break into chunks and store in an airtight canister (if using add fruit and/or nuts at this point).

This is the best granola, easy to make and tasty.  We like to just it it by the handful but it can also be eaten on top of yogurt or like regular cereal with milk.

Why I love whole chickens (and why you should too)

I know that a lot of people out there don't like to mess with whole chickens and I have to agree that there is a yuck factor involved, but for a frugal gall like me the savings are too good to pass up. To start I buy whole chickens when they are about 60 cents a pound. This is my rock bottom stock up price and I'll usually buy 3 or 4 when they are this cheap and put them in my freezer for later. I will usually get a 4 or 5 pound chicken, which means that a whole chicken costs around $3.
My favorite way to use these whole chickens is to cook them in the crockpot. To do this I thaw a chicken, remove the giblets (save these for later) and put it in my crockpot. I then cover the chicken in water and cook it on low until the chicken is cooked through, usually about 4 or 5 hours. When the chicken is fully cooked take it out of the crockpot and let it sit until it is cool enough to handle, leave the liquid in the crockpot on low, you will get back to it later. After the chicken is cool enough to handle take all of the meat off the bones (put the meat in the fridge for later use) and throw the bones and such back into the crock pot along with the giblets you saved from earlier and turn it on high. Cook this on high for a few hours then take out all the bones and strain the broth into a large bowl (I usually use a tea towel over a strainer to get the clearest broth possible). Put the broth into the fridge to cool. Now you have lots of cooked chicken and chicken broth waiting to be made into yummy meals. The last time I did this I managed to get 3 meals out of the meat with broth left in the freezer for future meals. The meals I got were:

Curried Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken and Broccoli Braid (I made a half batch for the kids and I)

You could also use the cooked chicken to make my cheesy chicken and rice casserole or in place of the turkey in many of my turkey day take two recipes.

A couple new recipes to share

I have been craving Pad Thai lately, so I got online and found a recipe for Pad Thai with chicken and shrimp. On the 4th I thought about going out and getting the stuff to make it, but I procrastinated long enough that I ended up just going to Walmart to buy the ingredients to make a Vietnamese Sandwich. I got to tell you that both recipes are seriously delicious. Both recipes call for chili garlic sauce, but I used two different kinds. For the sandwich I used sweet chili garlic sauce and for the pad thai I used a savory chili garlic sauce. One change that I made to the Pad Thai recipe was that I used way less meat than called for. I used one thinly sliced chicken breast and 1/3 lb of shrimp that I cut in half. This was plenty of meat. The Pad Thai was not cheap to make (approx $17) but it made a huge batch and the two most expensive ingredients I have enough left over to make several more batches.

Mac and Cheese

I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a food snob and I just can't stomach the thought of feeding my kids mac and cheese from a box. This has made it so that I can't use one of those staples of childhood lunches, until today. Today I remembered an episode of Good Eats where Alton made a stove top mac and cheese that he presented as an alternative to the box ones. Well I have to say it was quick and tasty, I even had noodles left over from last night so the whole thing probably took less than 10 minutes. Now cost wise I have to admit that it was considerably more, probably $3 to $4 in ingredients depending on sales but it made a big batch and tasted good enough for me to want to eat it. Try it out yourself.

Cashew Chicken #3

Add your vegetables and 1/4 cup chicken broth to the chicken reduce heat to a simmer cover and cook for 2 minutes.

Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1tsp of cornstarch mixed in 2 tsp water to pan and cook until sauce boils and thickens. Add roasted salted cashews and stir. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup cashews but I just throw in a couple of handfuls.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

Cashew Chicken #2

Now have your kitchen helper chop up that garlic for you.


I have cut the chicken up into strips and then I added 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp Thai curry Paste (available in the ethnic food section of the grocery store) and 2 tsp cornstarch. You can add more or less Thai curry paste depending on how hot you want it. If you have any Chinese rice wine or dry sherry you can add 2 tsp at this point but I didn't have any so I didn't add it. let this mixture set for 10 minutes.


Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and add garlic and saute for about 10 minutes


Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes.

Cashew Chicken #1

I have been greatly enjoying The Pioneer Woman Cooks blog and so have decided to post a few of my favorite recipes here. The first one I have decided to start with is Cashew Chicken. Since I have included pictures this recipe might take more than one post.


Here are the ingredients: two chicken breasts, red bell pepper, onion, zucchini, garlic, rice, corn starch, soy sauce, olive oil, chicken broth, thai curry paste, sugar, and cashews



Take one cup rice add two cups water put on stove over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes


Cut up zucchini, bell pepper and onion into bite sized pieces.


Peel garlic. The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons but I love garlic so I usually put twice that much in.