DIY Custom Drawer Organizer

Yep, that is my utensil drawer.  Pretty isn't it?  And really safe with all those knives just thrown in there!  We have big drawers in this house which is wonderful but you have to have some sort of drawer organizer to corral the chaos!  Case in point is the picture above.  I know I could go out and buy drawer organizers but just didn't want the plastic or metal type.  And they can be up to $15.  And they still probably wouldn't fit as nice and tight in my drawer as I would like.  I want to utilize every square inch of my drawer.  I love, love the expanding bamboo ones like this.....

But really refuse to pay $30 for it!  It's wood for goodness sake.  So of course I headed to my guilty pleasure Pinterest and did a little drawer organizer search and discovered I could make this......

AAAAHHHH....perfect!  It was easy to make, fits my drawer just the way I want and cost me....wait for it....wait for it.....under $8!!

It is made with balsa wood that I picked up from Joann's.  And I used a 50% off coupon so got 5 pieces at $1.50 each.  Measure your drawer and figure out how you want your compartments to be.  Then I simply used a cheap miter box and saw to cut the pieces.

This is my absolute favorite wood glue!  It's very strong and dries fairly quickly.  You can find it at craft stores, home improvement stores and even Walmart.  

One piece at a time take a piece of the cut wood and run some glue along the edge and simply start putting your drawer organizer together like a jigsaw puzzle.  Let it dry completely and place in your drawer.  That's whats also great about this drawer organizer.  It looks like it is built in but it's not.  You can easily remove it to clean the bottom of your drawers.  I'm so happy with how it turned out!  Now only like 10 more drawers to go.

March Birchbox

I just love getting my monthly boxes full of goodies to try!  I belong to a few of these "boxed sample" clubs but the one I received today is Birchbox.  For $10 a month you get to sample new grooming, beauty and lifestyle products from high end brands!  I love trying new things and this lets me do just that.  If you find a product you love you can then order the full size at a discounted price just for being a member.  And with these sample clubs you have control.  If you don't want to receive the box that month you simply log onto your account and put a hold on your account for that month.  Easy peasy!  Here is what was included in my box this month......

1. Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Shampoo

2. Madewell Nail Emery Board

3. Skin & Co. Bagnodoccia Body Gel

4. MAKE Silk Cream Lipstick

5. MAKE Dual-Phase Eye Makeup Remover

If you are interested in trying this great boxed sample club you can go HERE and sign up!

Quinoa Chicken Fried Rice

I had a craving for Chinese food today.  More specifically chicken fried rice!  However, it is nasty out today.  I'm talking freezing cold, raining ice kinda nasty.  No way am I leaving this house.  And unfortunately chicken fried is NOT on my healthier eating plan.  So I got busy in the kitchen and came up with this delicious version using quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAH).  Have you ever tried this amazing stuff?  Run, go get some NOW!!  Quinoa is usually considered a whole grain but is actually a seed.  It is prepared like you would other whole grains like rice and barley using a 2:1 ratio.  That's 2 parts liquid to 1 part quinoa.  It has all 9 essential amino acids making it a perfect protein.  It is also a gluten free and cholesterol free.  It doesn't have a real strong flavor so basically you can mix it with anything and everything!  Basically using it as a substitute to rice.  So here's the recipe:

Quinoa Chicken Fried Rice

(Printable Link)

2 Cups Quinoa

Coconut Oil

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup Scallions

1/2 Cup Diced Carrots

3-4 chicken tenderloins

1 Cup Peas

2 Tsp Garlic

Salt/Pepper

Start by preparing you quinoa.  Use 2 parts of liquid (I use chicken broth for extra flavor) to 1 parts quinoa.  You will need enough for 2 cups of cooked quinoa.  Next, scramble your eggs in a skillet with a little oil.  I use coconut oil when cooking.  Put to the side.  Saute the carrots and scallions until tender.  Add them to eggs and put aside.  I then chop up the chicken tenderloins into little bite sized pieces.  Add them to the skillet with a little oil and saute until cooked through.  Add garlic and saute slightly.  Add 2 cups of quinoa to the chicken in the skillet and also add the egg, carrots, scallions and steamed peas.  I use the Steamfresh frozen peas you just pop in the microwave.  Mix it all together and add salt and pepper to taste.

If you are a soy sauce user but are on a gluten free diet, try using Tamari sauce.  It is only made from soy beans where as soy sauce can include wheat and it is 37% higher in protein.  And it tastes very similar to soy sauce.

Make this and I promise you won't miss the traditional chicken fried rice.  It is so good and my kiddos loved it!!  And I could feel good eating it.

DIY Magnetic Family Calendar

Isn't she glorious?  I mean really, really fab?  I look at her and just get giddy!!  Let's face it, life is busy!  And I for one have tried to use every calendar out there to keep myself organized.  Computer, IPhone, Ipad....nope, never look at them.  I need something big and pretty that just smacks me in the face every morning:) So I will first start by telling you mine is attached to the inside of our pantry door. We enter that pantry no less than a 100 times a day! Ok, I may or may not exaggerate but with 6 of us in this house it's alot.  I also needed something big!  I needed something that could handle 4 kids and all their practices and appointments and have room to accommodate my menu planning.  I started doing some research on Pintrest and looking at different calendars.  One I love, love is over at The Homes I Have Made!

And if your not up to making your own....she sells them in her Etsy shop!  It however mainly focuses on menu planning and wasn't big enough for me.

This is the blank dry erase/magnetic board I started with. It is 22" x 35" and has a pretty black frame around it. I had purchase this years ago and we used it as a dry erase board to try and write down dates but I hated it because first of all my handwriting is horrible and I hated how it would smear and erase off so easily.  I believe I purchased it from Target and it appears they still have them here.  Cost is $17.49.  If you don't have a Target close by, I'm so very sad for you :(  However, you can find them on Amazon although the price is $29.99.  You could also probably find something similar at Walmart or an office store.  And by all means, you don't have to do one this big.

Now you need to find something to make your lines for your calendar.  Above is my amazing Cricut.  I have tons of vinyl lying around so I decided to put it to good use.  I simply used my Cricut and program and made 1/4" vinyl strips.  Now I realize not everyone has a vinyl cutter so my thought before the Cricut was to use Japanese Washi Tape.

Isn't it yummy?  It comes is a million different patterns and colors!!  You can find it on Amazon  or arts and craft stores usually with the scrapbooking stuff.  This could really add some pizazz to your calendar!

Another idea would be to use electrical tape.  

Take a ruler and measure out your spacing for your calendar.  This really just depends on the size of your board and how big you want your boxes.  I used this metal ruler which came in very handy.  I could lay it on the board and then take my vinyl strip and carefully use the edge of the ruler as a guide to keep the vinyl straight.

Once you have your calendar boxes made it's time to add the pretty!   I needed to be able to move things around including change out the months and dates so thankfully I came across the blog Love From The Oven.  Here magnetic calendar is also pretty amazing and she is gracious enough to include the FREE printables to make all the little magnets.  Please take some time to look around her blog!!

You'll need to pick up a pack of these magnet sheets.  I found mine at a office supply store.  They go in your printer and then you just go to the above blog for the printables and print them out on these magnetic sheets and cut them out!  Easy peasy!  Or, you could make them yourself on any editing program.  I actually wanted more magnets that had my meals for menu planning so went onto Word and made magnets myself for that part.  I also needed magnets for each child for all the practices etc. that they have consistently. Why write them a million times every month?

 So again, I made those on Word.  You will notice the different colors on my board.  Each child has their own color!  Daughter #1 is purple, Daughter #2 is pink, Son #1 is blue and Son #2 is orange.  And yellow are my meals:)  If you don't want to take the time to make your own, Better Homes and Gardens have these free printables you could use.

The only thing I added were these little post it tags.

These are for all the dates that come up that I don't have a permanent magnet for!  You know, vet visits, doctor appointments, picture day (haha, that ones for you Missy).  Just jot it down on one of these babies and stick it on your calendar!

And that's it!  A beautiful, functional calendar that makes me happy:)

What kind of calendar system do you use in your house?  If you have any questions just let me know!

Freezer Meals Cooking Day!

Do you have the same problem I have?  The problem that when it comes to dinner time your mind goes blank?  I have 4 children to feed and a husband but no clue what to make!  On top of that it seems like every night one of the children have a sports practice of some sort which means time is short.  So basically I end up announcing...."All men for themselves!"  And that usually means ramen noodles.  I know, I know...mother of the year right here!

I have done bulk cooking, once a month cooking, freezer cooking(whatever you choose to call it) before and have been wanting to tackle it again.  And yes, I mean tackle.  It by no means is a walk in the park.  It takes planning and most of all it takes hours of preparation.  However, the end result is so worth it!  You will be able to know exactly whats for dinner and have it on the table in no time at all because it's already there waiting for you in your freezer!

So I'm going to share with you what I made on my cooking day and how I did it:)

I started off by figuring out what meals I wanted to make.  I utilize Pinterest, Blogs, recipe books and tried and true recipes I have made for my family in the past.  This is the list of what I wanted to accomplish and make to fill my freezer:

Boil 2 whole chickens for shredded chicken and broth
Garlic Ranch Chicken
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza
Salsa Chicken
Taco Soup
Shepard's Pie
Seasoned Ground Beef
Taco Ground Beef
Twice Baked Potatoes
Pizza Dough
Honey Pork Chops
Breakfast Burritos
Banana Bread
Blueberry Muffins
Shredded Cheese

Now, go shopping!

I have linked some of the recipes above and the rest I have below with printable links:)

Chicken Tortilla Soup 
(Printable link)

1 pound chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients into a Ziploc bag. Freeze. Thaw and put into a slow cooker add 2 cups water and one 14 oz can of chicken broth. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot after cooking is done.  You can serve this with crushed tortilla chips or you can make your own by taking corn tortillas, brushing with olive oil and baking at 400 for 10-15 minutes.

Salsa Chicken

(Printable link)

3-4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 jar of your favorite salsa or picante sauce

Combine chicken and salsa into a Ziploc bag.  Freeze.  Thaw and put into slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or High for 3 to 4.  Shred chicken in crock pot after cooking is done.  Serve with rice.

Taco Soup

(Printable link)

2 lbs ground beef or turkey

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans black beans

2 cans kidney beans

2 cans chili beans

1 bag frozen corn

1 packet taco seasoning

1 packet ranch seasoning

Brown ground beef.  I always brown my beef and place in colander and rinse with hot water.  This gets off some off the extra grease and fat!  Combine the ground beef and rest of the ingredients in a Ziploc bag.  Freeze.  Thaw and put in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.  We love to top ours with crushed tortilla strips, grated cheese and sour cream:)

Easy Shepard's Pie

(Printable link)

1 lb ground beef

1 bag frozen mixed veggies

1 can cream mushroom soup

8 medium potatoes

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

1/4th cup butter

Pepper

Garlic Salt

Cut potatoes in small pieces and boil.(these are to make mashed potatoes)  Brown the ground beef and drain fat.  I always put mine in a colander and rinse with hot water to really get that fat off!  Place mixed veggies, cream soup and beef in bowl and combine.  Drain potatoes when fork tender.  Add milk, butter, pepper and garlic salt and with an electric mixer beat for a few minutes until fluffy.  Place ground beef mixture in casserole dish or I use and aluminum pan so I can freeze.  Top with mashed potatoes and then with the shredded cheese.  I then cover really well with aluminum foil and freeze.  You can take this straight from the freezer and cook in oven at 350 for 1 hour to 1.5 hours.  Keep foil on until last 10 minutes so cheese doesn't burn.

Twice Baked Potatoes

This you can do so many things with!!  Take as many potatoes as you want (I usually do 6 at a time) and wash.  Then take a fork and poke holes in them.  Place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour or until soft through.  Let them cool so you can handle them:)  I will then take them and cut in half long ways.  Take a spoon and scoop out some of the middle of the potato and place in a bowl.  Don't scoop out all of it because you still want the potato to be sturdy.  Your making little potato boats.  Do all of the potato halves.  Now here is where you can go crazy!  Add to the potato insides butter, milk, sour cream, cream cheese, shredded cheese, bacon, scallions, chives, ranch seasoning....basically anything you like on your spuds.  Now mash that all together!  Once mashed place back in potato boats!  I'll then take each individual half and wrap in plastic wrap and then place in big Ziploc bags and freeze.  On serving day let thaw and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 min.  These make a great side dish or a meal on their own.

Breakfast Burritos

(Printable link)

These are a favorite to have handy in the freezer for the hubs or kids to grab in the morning!

1 Roll breakfast sausage

6 eggs

1 package frozen hash brown potatoes

2 cups shredded cheese

1 package flour tortillas

Brown and drain your breakfast sausage.  Place in bowl.  Scramble your eggs.  Place in bowl with sausage.  Follow package direction for the hash browns and add to bowl.  Add cheese.  Once all these ingredients are combined take a flour tortilla and add some of the mixture to middle.  Roll up:)  I then will take each burrito and wrap it in plastic wrap.  Then place is Ziploc bags and freeze.  To serve take burrito out of plastic wrap and place in dampened paper towel.  Microwave on high 2 minutes or until heated through.

I always shred my own cheese if possible.  It doesn't take long and it tastes so much better!  Package shredded cheese has a wax that they put on it to keep it from sticking together.  Eeeewwww!  So buy the big block, shred it up and place in plastic bags to freeze.

Above you will see on my list I had 2 whole chickens to cook!  Basically I will place the chicken in a big stock pot and cover it with water.  You can add whatever seasoning and spices you like.  One of my most favorite spices to use on everything is Adobe! It is usually located with the Spanish food.

Let the chicken boil until it start pulling away from the bone.  Take the chicken out of your now homemade broth and put it on a plate to cool.  I will then take the broth and put it in the fridge to chill.  As it chills all the fat will rise to the top and solidify.  This then makes it easy for you to scoop out and therefore remove unwanted or needed fat.  The picture below I put the whole pot with the chicken in the fridge to chill.  And you can see the solidified fat.

Once everything is cool I will remove and discard the skin and remove the meat from the bones.  Simply place in a Ziploc bag and freeze.  This is great for quick fajita, chicken salad or anything else you need chicken for.  Now, what to do with all that wonderful chicken stock?

I simply put it in ice cube trays and freeze.  Once frozen you can pop out and place in a freezer bag.  These are great for when you just need to add a little chicken broth to a recipe:)

The banana bread I bake and then cut into individual slices.  I wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then put them in Ziploc bags and freeze.  Same with the blueberry muffins.  This makes it easy for my family to just grab a single serving size and heat up in the microwave and go!

The pizza dough I make in my bread machine on the pizza dough setting.  When it is done I punch it down, form in a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and then place in Ziploc bag and freeze.  When I need it just put in refrigerator to thaw.

Here is a final picture of my goodies all bagged and ready to put in the freezer.

I will tell you my feet and back were killing me as this took probably about 6 hours to complete but I think it is ssssoooo worth it!  Plan on take out for dinner this one day and treat your self to a bubble bath and glass of wine;) Schedule a day to do this.  Or have a friend come and help you.  You can double the recipes and you both win!  This makes doing my monthly menu planning so much easier.  And no one ever has to ask...What's for dinner?