IT'S RAD: RADISH SANDWICH!

Posted by Lori~

The other day, my girlfriend and WOM-MOM follower Shelley mentioned to me that she was craving a radish sandwich.  What?!?  WTF?!?  That's right.  Maybe I am living in little city, ND, but I have NEVER heard of such a thing?  Have you?

Here's Shelley and Vicki at a coupon class!

A vegetable sandwich is for sure healthier than most!  Why not give it a try!

And, Wal-Mart actually sells shredded radish in the produce section.  Mur-Man actually helped make this lunch.

The only supplies needed are bread (I used low-cal), butter/margarine, radishes (you could slice your own), and salt.

It's really that simple.  The verdict:  It tasted OK.  Would I crave this sandwich? Sorry Shelley, but no.  However it wasn't bad.  And no, Mur-Man did not eat the sandwich.  I believe he had a hot dog or mac and cheese for lunch that day!

SPINACH STUFFED CHICKEN

Posted by Lori~

I am back from the weekend at the lakes in Minnesota and it was GLORIOUS!  The weather was amazing.  I soaked up lots of sun, did some pre-craft projects (more posts to come), and even went to the flea market where I scored some amazing finds!  

Prior to heading out, I whipped up this recipe and it was delicious.  And, if you are following a gluten free diet or a cave-man type diet, I believe this will work for you!

PS:  I am down 20 pounds and 3 inches in my waist, so eating better and exercising is working for me!

First up, if you do not like spinach it is OK...you can always scrape it out before eating, but honestly you really can't taste the typical spinach flavor...it was super yummy!

Supplies needed for spinach stuffed chicken include:  Olive oil, a couple cloves of garlic (I used the garlic chopped up in the jar and used two teaspoons), frozen spinach (thawed and drained with very little moisture remaining),  chicken breasts (I used five), salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and 1/4 cup of dry white wine.

First up, thaw your spinach.  Rinse and drain.

In a hot pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil and your garlic.  Fry for a few minutes.

Add your spinach and cook for three more minutes.  Then pull off heat and set aside.

Slice your chicken breasts like a book leaving one side connected. 

Stuff them with the filling (I used it ALL UP).  You could use toothpicks and roll the chicken, but I didn't find this step necessary.  Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.  Fry on each side until golden brown (around 7 minutes total).

Add 1/4 cup of white wine to the pan, cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Remove the chicken.  You can also continue to cook the drippings for a few more minutes creating a wine chicken gravy.  Poor over the chicken.

I also made quinoa for my side.  I promise to show my recipe in an upcoming post.  It is delicious and super healthy!

Mur-Man gobbled the chicken down.  The best part about the chicken is that it isn't dry.  I believe the key to good chicken is moisture. 

Last night I made paleo chick fil a nuggets (knock-off) and homemade ranch.  SO HEALTHY TOO.  And delicious.  (Thanks Ethne for the recommendation).  I haven't jumped on the paleo band-wagon yet, but SO FAR these meals have been delicious!  

Crafty G-Ma and G-Pa (my folks) are headed to town.  Mom and I are going to Antique Roadshow in Bismarck, ND on Saturday...I will update you on that next week!

WOM-WEEKEND: HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP!

Posted by Lori~

Remember, here where Ethne gave us a tutorial on how to make homemade laundry detergent.  It was TIME FOR ME to try it and I really wanted Ethne along to walk me through the process.

Honestly it was super simple.  Remember, you can read the step-by-step instructions here.

I do have a mini food processor that we used to chop up the soap; however at the time, we could NOT figure out how to grate the soap in the food processor.  I figured it out after this photo was taken.

I do have a few additional tips for you.  If you do not want any leftover product then purchase two boxes of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda, one box of Mule Team Borax, and six bars of Fels Naptha Soap.  I was able to purchase all items at my local Wal-Mart store.  

In addition, I purchased this cute glass container at Wal-Mart for $9.00.

This detergent needs a little more mixing!

Steve likes the idea of homemade laundry detergent, but questions...is it cheaper?  According to other blogs I have read, it averages around .07/load.  That seems cheaper--right?  Honestly, this detergent should last me FOREVER!

WTF (WAY TOO FUN): MUR-MAN'S LAST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!

Posted by Lori~

Mur-Man and G had their final day of school together.  These boys are best buds (sporting matching ties).  I promise to share more school photos later!

SUMMER "THYME" TEACHER GIFTS!

Posted by Lori~

Ethne was in town this weekend, and I was THRILLED!   We had an amazing time and of course had to rock-out some WOM-MOM projects. 

It's that time of the year to celebrate our teachers. Actually, Mur-Man's last day of preschool is tomorrow.

We created a fast and easy teacher gift (and affordable too). 

We quickly gathered up our supplies:  glasses (around $5.00 for 4), thyme plants (we were able to make three gifts from one plant), chalk markers, mini chalkboards, rocks, straws, and card-stock.

First up, put rocks in the bottom of the glass for drainage.  Break apart your thyme plants and place in the cups.

From there we created chalk signs (I opted to go with thyme, but Ethne included the teacher's name instead).

I hopped on the computer and whipped up a summer "thyme" cards.

I think they turned out super cute!  I promise to have more updates from our WOM-WEEKEND this week!

TORTELLINI SALAD

Posted by Lori~

Recently I attended a 2nd birthday party for one of Mur-man's friends.  They did a color themed art party and had an amazing food spread (unfortunately, I do not have photos to share).  However, I did request a recipe that was OUT OF THIS WORLD!  Thank you Janelle for sharing!

Supplies needed for Tortellini Salad:
2, 9 oz. packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
16 asparagus spears (trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 large yellow sweet pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil or salad oil
1 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped almonds (toasted)

Cook Tortellini according to package directions. 

Add asparagus and pepper (I already had green pepper in the fridge) during the last minute of cooking.

Drain and rinse with cold water.   Now it is time to create your dressing.  In a screw top jar, combine lemon peel, lemon juice, oil, mustard, sugar, salt, and garlic.  Cover and shake well.

Toss your dressing with the Tortellini and vegetables.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.  Just prior to serving, stir in cheese, green onions, and nuts.  

Let stand for 10 minutes, serve, and enjoy!

NEW XTRA LONG SHOWER CURTAIN (made a little shorter)!

Posted by Lori~

I had all these plans to make my white shower curtain longer, but honestly it never happened.  And then, Mur-man spilled medicine all over it (that would not come out).  Time for a new curtain.

I emailed my good friend and WOM-MOM follower Reagen for shower curtain advice.  I wanted an extra long shower curtain that would fit well into my current bathroom.

She emailed back with several options, but I landed on this one (plus it was on sale!):

Shower curtain found here.

It arrived in the mail and I immediately hung it.  The problem was, it was too long.  In my quick thinking I didn't even measure the space to ensure that 96 inches would fit and it didn't.  It was roughly 10 inches too long.

Thank goodness my Mom (crafty G-Ma) was in town.  She helped me shorten it.

We didn't want to cut the shower curtain (it was better to not have a raw edge), but instead we were able to double-fold it twice and sew along both seams.
 

You can't even tell that it has been shortened.  I totally love it!

The best part is that it is still extra-long!  Thank you Reagen for your awesome shopping skills!  Just under $24.00 for a shower curtain was perfect (and I received free shipping)!  PERFECTION!  

Now I need to finish up the bathroom by painting, creating a window roman shade, and so much more!  More updates to come!

ALL WHITE BATHROOM TOWEL UPGRADE!

Posted by Lori~

I am turning 30(ish) on Monday and this year I asked for white towels!  That's right...sounds boring...right?!?

This is actually something that I have been wanting for awhile.  I am still using college towels along with wedding towels (all mis-matched).

I made the decision I wanted all white towels.  There will be no color bleeding (and I can bleach them whenever I want).

I found a GREAT sale on Jonathon Adler Chevron Towels at JCPenney, and convinced Mom and Steve to buy them for me!  

I was lucky to get four sets (or 8 large towels total).
 

I found them on sale here.

I LOVE THEM!