Tip of the Day # 131: Knife Safety

BASIC KNIFE SAFETY

Keep the finger tips of your non-knife hand tucked firmly back and firmly against the food. The knife should be guided by the flat part of your fingers between the second and third knuckles of the non-knife hand. Yes, that’s right – the safest way to use a knife actually involves letting it rest against your other hand. See how my thumb is sticking out in this picture? It’s that way because it’s squeezing the onion layers together, but that positioning is not ideal. A moment of inattention and that thumb could creep forward and could slice the tip of your thumb off!

Tip of the Day # 130: Dicing Onions Properly

 How to Properly Dice an Onion--and quickly!!!

Many people have a problem when it comes to properly dicing or cutting certain vegetables, and the following technique will assist you in cutting veggies, such as an onion, more efficiently!
This tutorial may seem lengthy, but when completely in reality, you will be able to cut like a pro!

1. Get your onion. Peel it, and trim the root end flush but don’t carve it out. The stem will help hold the onion layers together as you cut.

2. Cut your onion in half. We’ll dice one-half at a time. Note the stem, still holding together most of the onion layers.

3.  We’re going to cut radial slices around the onion half without cutting through the stem. Picture the spokes of a bicycle tire. Now picture it’s just half a tire, with all the spokes radiating outward from the center. If you can imagine cutting along imaginary spokes as you slice your onion, this technique will be a cinch.

The first cut will be at a very shallow angle.

4.  The next will be slightly less shallow as you slice your way towards the top of the onion.

5.   Remember not to to cut through the stem – stop your slices 1/2-inch or so shy of the root end.

6.  By the time you are slicing down through the center (apex) of the onion, your knife should be vertical.

7.  Slice your way down the other side of the onion, making increasingly shallow cuts as you approach the cutting board on the other side.

8.  Now, turn your onion 90-degrees so that you can hold the root end firmly in your left (or non-knife) hand while slicing down and perpendicular to the radial slices you just made.

9.  As you slice down, tidy little diced onion pieces will fall from your knife.
The onion will try to splay apart as you cut down. You have to use your non-knife hand to hold the onion together. My thumb and fingers spread out a bit down the sides of the onion to hold all the layers together.

Tip of the Day # 129: Hanging Bath Mats

Hang your bath mat on a pants hanger to prevent stinky mildew.

Tip of the Day # 126: Shining Glassware

To shine glassware, pour 1 cup of white vinegar into your dishwater. Let items sit for 20 minutes, scrub clean, then wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Tips of the Day # 128: The writings on the Mirror!

Don't our best ideas or reminders come to us while in the shower or getting ready for the day?? Keep a dry erase marker in the medicine cabinet so you can write reminder notes or your To-Do list on the mirror!

Tips of the Day # 127: Toilet Leaks

Did you know that a leaky toilet can waste 50 gallons of water a day? To check for leaks, put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank, and see if it seeps into the bowl. Use a bold color, because using yellow might make matters confusing...

Tips of the Day # 125: Cleaning Stuffed Animals

If you have children, you know how dirty and musty stuffed animals can become. To freshen, place in a sealable bag with 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch, shake for 30 seconds, remove animals and brush or beat stuffed animals until all cornstarch is removed!

GUEST POST: Organization at its Best

I’ve always been one to focus on organization within the household for 2 main reasons;

1—I hope that my obsessive efforts will one day allow me to drop the title of “professional finder of all things for everybody” that I hate so much and

2—it helps keep things from being cluttered. I hate clutter. This is a purely selfish reason that exists only for my neurotic alter ego.

Over the years, I have gone from maintaining just a single bedroom with my parents, to progressively upping the ante to the two-storey family home I am now responsible for maintaining with a husband, two young offspring and a cat who eats anything left out by the 4 year old or the baby (who also eats everything). Anyone in my situation – and I trust there are a LOT – will understand the chaos of this. Toys everywhere, diapers, wipes, bottles, school books and tools from my “oh so handy” husband. Insanity, anyone?

So here it is. My basic list of “rules” I have in my household that helps to make my job slightly easier. I will warn you that some of it may seem a bit neurotic to the average person. You WILL judge me, unless you are also type “A”, in which case you may condone my actions, but just trust the process. The time doing these will HIGHLY help your day to day life. You will find things with ease. Things will remain in mediocre condition (you DO have kids, after all) and we will one day *fingers crossed* drop that title. Here we go;

1)      Label things – Yes I know. I warned you I would sound neurotic, but again, trust me. Label containers in your pantry for “baking goods”, “medicine”, I even tape natural remedy recipes to the inside of my medicine container. This can be used as a great, easy reference. I also cut out the directions, precautions, or storage requirements from the medicine boxes and label the back of them. This helps still keep everything in place, but without the “bulk” of keeping all the boxes. This same rule applies for organizing work places, home offices, or other items such as batteries.

2)      Baskets, Baskets, Baskets – I am a HUGE fan of the almighty basket (see picture below). Even though inside the baskets may be a complete and utter chaotic mess, they help in my home for a few reasons;

§  They keep the clutter from being on top of the fridge, the kitchen table, the night stands – yuck!

§  I love the homey feeling they offer and go great with any décor

§  They offer you a quick getaway from the toys for those unexpected, or last minute visitors.

§  Out of sight, out of mind.

My baskets help me keep things in place. Most of my baskets are for toys, some are strictly for accessible diapers and wipes, some hold our vast array of cell phone bits, chargers and batteries, and like I said, some are just a home for those odds and ends everyone has around. Either way, invest.

3)      Sing it Loud, Sing it Proud – Let your household know the “rules”. In my house, we follow basic principals;

§  If you use, you put it back

§  If you start something, you finish it

§  All garbage goes IN the garbage bin – it surprises me how many homes I have been into where this is obviously not the case…

§  If you turn a light on, you turn it off – not so much for organization, but saves us a few bucks come bill time

My oldest is 4 years old and he knows and follows these. I’m not strict about it but it is what it is…these are non-negotiable for my husband and I. You’re very welcome, future daughter-in-law.

4)      Don’t second Guess Yourself – If you are unsure that you put the lid back of the jar of pickles properly, just double check it. You don’t want anyone to go and grab it later creating a huge mess for someone else…but probably you

5)      Have Fun With It – None of this is to encourage a stuffy household where things cannot be out of place. After all, homes need to be lived in, not looked at. These are just some basic things I have implemented in our home, so that the “work” aspect of maintaining the home can be minimalized, allowing more time to enjoy life.

So now that I have given you some insight as to what MY home is about, here are my suggestions for getting started. Apply each principal to each project you tackle.

1) Start small – Select one area of the home, on a “free” day of the week for you to tackle. Let’s say, the front closet – check mine for example:

I used a basket I already had – surprise! – to store all of our gloves, hats and mittens in the winter months, and sunscreen, hats and umbrella’s in the summer months. I also purchased inexpensive shoe organizers, dollar store coat hangers and it all just really helps to keep things in their place. It may not be featured in House & Home Magazine anytime soon, but it spares me the embarrassment of a clustered closet when company visits.

2) Plan – Think about how you would like things to be, and how accessible you want them. Put a plan together for that particular area. If you are ever uncertain, I am a gigantic fan of Pinterest. You will never be shy of ideas and tips for areas of the home. Not sure how to organize all of your jewellery? Pots & pans? Shoes? It will help you.

4) Don’t Hoard – If it hasn’t been worn in 3 to 6 months, is ripped, broken, doesn’t fit or no longer serves its purpose, throw it away, donate it or sell it. Period, end of story.

5) Get Creative – There are SO many great, DIY projects available to us now that allows us to personalize everything and do it on a budget. My favourite!

6) Maintain – Take a few minutes out of one day each week and tackle those odd ball tasks around the house such as tossing the expired refrigerated items, or empty hairspray bottles from the bathroom vanity. Remember, don’t hoard.

Even if it is not embedded in your natural DNA, I truly do believe an organized home, is a happier home. It can help you lead a more relaxed, less stressful day to day life and feel accomplished. I just know you will enjoy your new found freedom when you release yourself of the physical clutter in your home. You will sleep better, and maybe, just maybe, you will find an extra hour at the end of your night for some you time!

Wishing you and your family the very best of the Holiday season and cheers to a fresh beginning in 2013!

Miss Victoria J

Effective Meal Planning

My years of Motherhood thus far have beenfilled with many ‘trial & error’ periods, in attempts to figure out the most efficient and cost-effective ways of grocery shopping. Now, I believe I have nailed the method that works best for my family, and hopefully, yours too. In total, our grocery bills rarely exceed a total of $200.00 per month!

1.       I have stated this before, and I will do so again: Plan all meals and shop in TWO-week intervals. Some people have suggested planning one MONTH in advance, but this does not seem all that effective because for example, how can you purchase fresh vegetables a month in advance without having them spoil? Two weeks is do-able and is a lot less time-consuming and painful.

2.       What I have done is created andorganized a meal plan on my computer that I can edit and work from when planning my next grocery trip. Again, aftermuch playing around, I have settled on a method that works extremely well—Icall it the “Themed Planner.” Essentially, what it consists of is a“theme-night” for every day of the week. For example, ‘’Slow Cooker Sundays,Mexican Mondays, Pasta Tuesdays” and so on. This planning method makes brainstorming meal ideas so simple. Over time, I suggest researching recipes,bookmarking and even categorizing them because when you may be stuck on planning a meal one evening, you can go to your list and choose one quickly from your findings.

3.       Once you complete your first two-week interval, sit down with your receipt and plan your ongoing budget. If your first two weeks were successful in terms of amountof food versus cost, then you are on the right track. If however, you feel thatyour spending outweighed your stock, you must think of a better solution. This may be done through cutting back on “fun foods” that we all enjoy, brand nameproducts (no name items are normally just as good), and premade foods orsauces—start making your own from scratch! Not only does this cut costs, but it also is healthier for you with no added sugars or salts. Lastly, I cannot stress this step enough—check your weekly flyers! I know some people may find it time-consuming, and I admit, I used to feel the same, but after changing and MAKING it a part of my routine, it has become second-nature. The day the flyers arrive, I sit down that evening and begin browsing through them. I bring out my stack of coupons and begin to price-match to get the best deals in town.

These are three very simple steps that will lead you in the right direction to saving money time and time again; and what is more rewarding than more money in your pocket???

**Please take advantage of our family meal plan template posted if you would like to (it will also be posted shortly on A Mum ‘n the Oven’swebsite in printing format). Note that in this plan, certain nights change the alternating week to add variety and can be effective if you have children. Playaround with it and have fun!

Tip of the Day #124: Repairing Scratched Wood

 HOW TO RESTORE SCRATCHED & WORN WOOD

For watermarks - Many of you may have heard how a blow dryer or smearing mayonnaise may work to remove these spots, however, I find the following recipe to be the most effective! Give it a try!

Mix a thick paste of olive oil and salt and rub onto the wood - leave it for about 30 minutes. The salt draws out the moisture and the oil feeds the wood. Used this many, many times!

Tip of the Day # 123: Effective Bathroom Cleaning

Heating up the bathroom 10 degrees above the normal air temperature "doubles the effectiveness" of cleansers--run your shower with the hottest water possible (uses less water than running the tap). It's a trick hotel staffers use. Let disinfectants sit for at least 5-7 minutes, and always rinse off cleaners to prevent build-up.

Tip of the Day # 122: Keeping Pop 'Fizzy'

Once you're done with your soda for the day, shake it up before putting it back in the fridge. It'll stay fizzy for weeks.
Also, never lay pop on its side in the refridgerator as this leads to it becoming flat drastically quicker!

Tip of the Day # 121: Stainless Steel Cleaning

CLEANING YOUR STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES IS AS EASY AS:

1 Tablespoon of Cream of Tartar with a couple drops of water. Rub and scrub. Then rinse.

DIY PROJECT--XMAS ORNAMENTS

DIY MOSAIC ORNAMENTS

Supplies:

CDs
Glue
Clear plastic or glass ornaments (available at the dollar store)
Glitter (optional)

1. Cut old or scratched cds into small pieces of different sizes & shapes
2. Adhere to your clear ornaments--glue pieces as close or wide together as you would like--continue to entire surface of bulb is covered
3. Remove top of bulb and pour in glitter of your choice

These ornaments really do look beautiful hung from your Christmas!

Tip of the Day # 120: Cleaning Dryers

Trapped lint in dryers is one of the leading causes of house fires! To prevent this from happening, it is very important to clean in and around your lint trap regularly--and the best way to do so to get in any tiny crevices is to use a small tool or pair of chopsticks to pick out all pieces that may be trapped.

Tip of the Day # 119: Removing Scuff Marks from Floors

WD-40: the magic ingredient to removing tough scuff marks from the floor.

SO MANY USES FOR COFFEE BEANS!

Not only do they taste good, but coffee beans have so many other useful purposes as well around your home!

• Coffee beans can be used to get rid of food preparation smells from your hands. Just put them in your hand and rub the palms together, for a few seconds.
• If your refrigerator smells too much of the food kept in there, place a bowl, filled with some coffee beans, inside it.
• In absence of a mouth freshener, simply suck on a coffee bean. It will make your breath fresh and clean, in a matter of minutes.
• Coffee beans can be used for dying paper. Put some coffee beans in a cup of hot water. After a few seconds, use the water to dye paper.
• Coarsely grind coffee beans. Now, wet your face and use the grounds to scrub your face. Ground coffee is good for exfoliating purposes.
• You can add ground coffee beans to the plant pots in your house. It will help keep flies and other mites at bay and also improve the quality of the soil. However, do not use in excess.
• Coarsely ground coffee beans have been found to be very effective for cleaning greasy pans.
• To keep your kitty away from your garden, sprinkle coffee grounds, mixed with orange peels, around the plants.
• Tossing wet coffee grounds over the ashes in the fireplace can help keep the ash dust under control. Thereafter, you can proceed to clean the fireplace.

Have YOU come across any other uses?? FEEL FREE TO SHARE! :)

Tip of the Day # 118: Fireplace Cleanup

Fireplace dust is always a big obstacle for someone who cleans the fireplace. Large dust formations can sting your eyes and irritate your sinuses. They can also make the surrounding areas dirty. To properly regulate dust, you can toss a handful of wet coffee grounds in your fireplace after operation. The wet grounds will hold the dust in place, lessening the appearance of dust clouds when cleaning the fireplace.

Tip of the Day # 117: How to clean your Iron

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR IRON:

1. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt onto your ironing board
2. Turn your iron to the highest setting, ensuring that the steam option is set to OFF
3. When heated, iron over the salt--what happens is that the dirt sticks to the salt, leaving nothing but a wonderfully, shiny iron!

It is good to do this every so often to prevent debris or dirt from your iron melting or sticking to your articles of clothing!

Tip of the Day # 116: Better Grilled Cheese!

Try slathering mayonnaise on the outer sides of the bread instead of butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches. Makes a nice and crispy sandwich as well as tastes delicious--and not to mention, it prevents your bread from burning!

Another favorite addition of mine is chopped green onions melted in the sandwich with the cheese. Sweet, at least the green onions are healthy! If you have a favorite twist to Grilled Cheese sandwiches, please share and add them below!

Tip of the Day # 115: Mmmm Mashed Potatoes

Add one teaspoon baking powder to mashed potatoes to make them fluffy. Also, substituting sour cream for milk is another nice touch!

Is there ever enough stove top space when preparing large meals? TRY THIS DURING THE HOLIDAYS WHEN HOSTING LARGE PARTIES: Prepare your mashed potatoes an hour or two before serving the meal and store them in the slow cooker (on low heat). Serve with the rest of the meal and they’re still hot and tasty!!!

CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY DECOR TIPS

The following are a list of tips to follow when storing, decorating and organizing during the Holiday Season that won't break the bank from common items around your house!

1. Use plastic cups or egg cartons to store delicate ornaments or xmas bulbs

2. Hang a thick piece of ribbon on a wall or from a door frame and pin holiday cards to it with clothes pins!

3. Use a small shoe box (or an aluminum foil or saran wrap box for smaller rolls) and poke holes to thread ribbon through to keep them from unravelling or getting knotted.

4. Use toilet paper rolls or paper clips to prevent wrapping paper from unravelling--and this will ensure there are no indents left to ruin the paper!

5. Wrap Christmas lights around a hanger or large piece of cardboard to prevent tangling. This way you can also easily find the end of the string of lights!

6. A dry-cleaning garment bag will stop your wreath getting dusty and mangled. Hook the wreath over the neck of the coathanger, wrap it up and then hang it in a cupboard, on the back of a door or on a wall with a small, adhesive Dollar Store hook next season!

Tip of the Day # 114: Cutting Pineapple

To pare pineapple easily, cut into rings then peel each slice separately--so much quicker! Try it for yourself!

Tip of the Day # 113: Acids with Vegetables

Adding a drop of lemon juice or vinegar to the water where cauliflower is cooked makes it keep its white colour--acids retain colors in white vegetables!

Tip of the Day # 112: Rice Tips

Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to each quart of water when cooking rice, this will keep your rice nice and fluffy! It also leaves a nice aroma and great taste as well ;)

If you ever burn your pot of rice, placing a slice of bread on top for 5-10 minutes will draw out any burnt taste and is safe to eat!

Do you have any additional tips that YOU use when cooking rice?

Tip of the Day # 111: Make Icing Last Longer

When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount! You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Tip of the Day # 110: Fridge Organization

If you have the room in your refrigerator, it is wise to add a 'lazy Susan' or two for condiments. This prevents you from having to reach to the back for an item, or removing all condiments to get to a certain one!

Tip of the Day # 109: Yummy Bacon!

Running your bacon under cold water before cooking will reduce shrinking by up to 50%!
Also, always cook bacon in the oven for 10 minutes at 365 degrees F--it tastes so much better!

HAPPIER AT HOME

SIMPLE THINGS TO MAKE YOU HAPPIER AT HOME

Our homes are an extension of who we are; what we do within the walls of our own places definitely shape our mood, affects our productivity, and influences our overall outlook on life. Scientific studies have shown that we can have an impact on our happiness by adjusting the tiny little habits and routines that constitute our daily lives--steps to a positive change! Here are a few simple things I do on a daily basis (and you can too) in order to feel happier at home.

1. When you wake up every morning, MAKE YOUR BED. I know from my own personal experience, I dislike coming into our bedroom at anytime of day and seeing an untidy bed. Plus, nothing is better than crawling into a nicely, MADE bed every night!! How often do most of you wash your bed linen? I generally do it on a bi-weekly basis because even better than crawling into a made bed, is a freshly WASHED bed--the smell never gets old and makes for a cozier sleep! ;)

2. BRING EVERY ROOM BACK TO "READY"--You are probably asking "what exactly does that mean?" Well, it is a proven fact that clutter causes stress, and can make for a moody household, causing quite the domino effect on everyone involved. It is very easy to change the problem of 'clutter' around your home by simply taking less than 5 minutes to tidy up before leaving that specific room. You do not need to deep clean, just a quick job around the area will do! I do this especially in the evening after watching television and heading to bed for the night--it's nice to come into a clean living area the next day. Examples include picking up any drink glasses, fixing/fluffing pillows, folding blankets, etc.
You can also make a game out of it with your family members--possibly setting a timer for 7 minutes before dinner each evening and everyone has to clean up certain areas.

3. NEVER LEAVE DISHES IN THE KITCHEN--this is a MUST in my home! Dishes are done immediately following dinner--if not during (obviously just the ones that aid in cooking). Nothing makes me cringe more than seeing dirty dishes lying around or filling up the sink! If you dread doing the dishes, try to get into the mood as much as possible--play your favourite music, get the family involved, etc. Even if you cannot do them directly following a meal if you are on your way out, just fill up your sink with water and dish soap and place the dishes in--at least they're soaking in there and hidden from counter tops.

4. MAKE YOUR HOME A GALLERY OF POSITIVE MEMORIES--this may be made possible by dedicating a wall in your hallway to images of close family or a few sentiments on a table from a beautiful trip. I have recently created a photo collage going up our main staircase in the house. These items surpass the enjoyment that is felt from material objects for one reason--they have MEMORIES attached to them. With that being said, take a walk around your home once a month or so and stop to reminisce about that day or event and smile. Memories are what life is all about and helps to forget the everyday stresses that enter our lives.

5. TAKE THE TIME TO CALL AT LEAST ONE FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER A DAY--with technology being so advanced and generations resorting to texting or social media to interact, it is still very important to never forget what a simple phone call can do. Not only can it help your mood, but you can bring a smile to someone else's as well. It is that personal interaction that is so special, and hearing a loved one's voice can turn us around. In other words, we humans are social beings and studies show that even when we don't feel like it, even if we are naturally introverted, socializing with our loved ones makes us feel better.

6. One of the most important steps is to TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF *EVERYDAY*-- we are so wrapped up in our work lives, our children's lives, doing errands, etc, but we have to realize the importance of taking even just 20-30 minutes each day to unwind and do what makes US the most happy and content; whether it being taking a warm bubble bath, a nap, reading a book or catching up on your favourite television show--take a deep breath, enjoy it and remember that there is always time for everything else to get finished.

7. DO SMALL FAVOURS FOR OTHERS LIVING IN YOUR HOME & EXPECT NOTHING IN RETURN--Mow the lawn for your husband, but don't expect him to massage you in return. Make the bed for your wife, but don't try to get bonus points for it. Take the trash out for your son, just because. The ability to cultivate strong, healthy relationships is one of the biggest contributors to health and happiness in a home, but when you start to keep score, the benefit is lost. Human nature is simple in that 'if you do good, you feel good.'

8. EVERY MORNING, SET AN INTENT FOR THAT DAY--by doing this, at the end of the day, you will feel like you accomplished something! However, this should never be something on your 'to-do' list. These daily intents can be as simple as "buy my co-worker a coffee," "say thank you to my loved ones today" or "spend 10 extra minutes helping my daughter learn to read." Something small, but can go a long way!

9. SAVE EXTRA MONEY TO USE FOR EXPERIENCES AT HOME--Save money for a new grill for parties or a new DVD or board game for family movie night — something that will encourage you to have people over and entertain or spend more time with family. Plan a summer barbeque, or winter potluck, invite your closest friends, kick back and relax. (And don't forget to print out the pictures to remember the good times.)

10. MAKE DINNER-TIME THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE DAY--sit at the table, not on the couch to eat, television off and just enjoy each others company. If this isn't possible every night because of your lifestyle, try to do it at least once a week. For example, we start off by each person saying one thing they are thankful for (even the little ones can contribute with simple answers), talk about your day and joke around--afterall, family are the most important people in your life to share memories with! If you have younger children, this time of the day will soon become a favourite for them!

Tip of the Day # 108: Benefits of Vinegar as a Cleaner

WHY YOU SHOULD SWITCH TO VINEGAR AS YOUR MULTI-PURPOSE CLEANER:
--A 5% solution of vinegar that is commonly sold in every supermarket kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of germs/viruses
--the odor of vinegar diminishes much faster than bleach
--vinegar is a completely biodegradable product so it is safe for the environment
--vinegar is a much cheaper alternative

Tip of the Day # 107: DIY Ice Packs

Want to make your own ice packs for kids lunches or booboos?
All you need is 1 part rubbing alcohol and 3 parts water in a Ziploc bag and freeze--its that easy!

Tip of the Day # 106: Preserving your Veggies

Wrapping your celery, broccoli and lettuce in tin foil before storing in the fridge will allow it to stay fresh for up to 6 weeks!

Tip of the Day # 105: Removing Marker from wood

This tip has come in handy SO many times!!
To remove permanent marker from wood floors, dab a small amount of white toothpaste on the area and vigorously scrub until the marker is gone. Has worked every time for me!

SOUP RECIPES!

Tis the season for warm, hearty foods on a cozy evening, wrapped up in a blanket on the couch! There is nothing I like more!

Please feel free to SHARE your favourite soup recipes below for everyone to try!!! I would also LOVE to expand my soup database this Winter :)

Here is a favourite of mine--and so simple!

BROCOLI & CHEDDAR SOUP

1 1/4 tablespoons melted butter

5/8 medium chopped onion
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
5/8 lb fresh broccoli
1 1/4 cups carrot, julienned
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
10 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 to taste salt and pepper

*You can also add a pinch of garlic to the recipe*

Directions:

1 Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
2 Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
3 Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4 Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
5 Add salt and pepper. Can be puréed in a blender but I don't. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.

Baked Apples in a Bag

 Great for the whole family!

Want a healthy, quick snack that will satisfy your cravings?? TASTES LIKE APPLE PIE FILLING AND
LESS THAN 100 CALORIES!

I had originally saw this recipe posted on Pinterest, but I played around with it a bit until it was to my liking!

All you need is:

1 small-medium sized apple (the original called for Granny Smith, but I used Empire)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4tsp Cornstarch
1 spoonful of sugar (or sweetner if preferred)
1 tsp of water
 1 Medium Sized Ziploc freezer bag (durable to withstand heat in microwave) or use a microwave-safe contained with lid.
Raisins, nuts, etc optional

Instructions:

1. The original recipe called for peeled OR unpeeled apple slices, however, the first time I attempted the recipe, I wasn't too fond of the cooked 'skin' taste.
2. Place apple slices & all ingredients in Ziploc bag, close and shake until all pieces are covered.
3. Open a small corner of the bag to act as a vent for steam.
4. Microwave for 2 minutes--let sit before removing from microwave as the bag will be VERY hot!
5. Open up, take a fork and dig in!!

SO DELICIOUS!

Tip of the Day # 104: Keeping socks in Order

Place a mesh bag on each family member's door handle--have each person throw their socks in their bag every night. Come laundry day, just zip each bag up and throw directly in the washer and dryer--not only will it stop confusion on which socks belong to whom, but also, socks won't go missing in the dryer! :)

Tip of the Day # 103: Adding Vinegar to Meat

When defrosting meat from the freezer, pour some vinegar over it. Not only does it tenderize the meat; it will also bring down the freezing temperature of the meat and cause it to thaw quicker.