Friday, June 26, 2015

Mason Jar Salad

Pack your lunch for the whole week!! Have a fresh salad that is ready when you want it and isn't wilted or soggy. 
I make a weeks worth of salads so everyday I just need to grab a jar on my way out the door. Easy, simple, healthy!
It takes me about a half hour to prep a weeks worth of salads. So worth the time!
Fill a quart size wide mouth mason jar first with all the toppings you like on your salad, usually 1/3 - 1/2 full. Then stuff the rest with your favorite greens. I add either clubbed ham or chicken for some protein. I pack my dressing in a separate small container as well as croutons if I want some crunch. Dump your salad out on a large plate or bowl, add dressing and croutons and dig in!! You will be surprised at how big of a salad you will have. I am full when I finish!!! Because the lettuce or greens are on top of everything else, nothing gets soggy and the lettuce stays crisp and fresh! And when you dump out your salad, all the other veggies  and toppings are on top. Great presentation!

Some of my favorite salad toppings:
Carrots
Radishes
Cucumbers
Strawberries
Blueberries
Peppers
Ham or chicken
Cheese
Snap peas
Cherrie tomatoes

In a separate container:
Croutons
Dressing

Greens:
Romaine lettuce
Spinich

Experiment with your favorites and enjoy!!!!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Raising Happy Chickens On A Budget

 
I have wanted to raise chickens for several years, and when my husband and I moved out to our new place in the county my dream could finally begin to take place!! I have learned so much already and I know I have much more to learn as we go. Currently we have 11 chicks that are about 2 months old...let the adventure begin!! :)
Last summer I was at a garage sale and found this old camper for the back of a pick-up truck and I thought, hmmm...that looks like a perfect chicken coop!!
I paid $25 dollars for it, hauled it home and we got it in place where we wanted it. First thing to check off my list: chicken coop...done!
We ordered our chicks the earliest we could in our area and got them April 7th.
36 hours old here!
We set up the brooder in our mudroom because it's still very cold in northern Minnesota in April, especially at night. We lost one the first night and two nights later one drowned in the water container :( I had read somewhere to put marbles in the bottom of the water tray to prevent that, wish we would have done that right away. But we did add the marbles and didn't loose any more chicks. The chicks are so small that if they get pushed into the water container, they might not be able to lift themselves out, which is one happened to one of ours.
Another thing we had to watch out for when they were very young was pasty butt, or sticky bottom...yes that rights...you have to check their butts!! Their poop can actually build up around their vent and they literally get "plugged up"! We found the easiest way to take care of the pasty butt issue was to run the chicks rear end under some warm water and keep gently wiping until all the poop comes clean. We found this way worked well because it kept them the most dry. We then dried their bottoms as best we could and I put a small dab of Neosporin or Vaseline around the vent to keep it moist...no, it's not the most pleasant job, but it's a must do because otherwise the chick will die if it's plugged too long.
Keeping the chicks in the brooder was pretty easy, we gave them fresh water daily and added food as they needed it. About every 3-4 days I sprinkled some more pine shavings in to cover up the poop and give them a fresh layer. We kept a heat lamp going 24/7 with a thermometer to keep on eye on the temp, we kept it around 90-95 degrees for the first week and then slowly raised the heat lamp to raise the temp by about 5 degrees every week.
We used a large plastic tote for the brooder until they were about a month old, then we took a large appliance box and turned that into their new brooder because they had outgrown the plastic tote. Our 11 chicks are 2 months old and we are still using the first bag of medicated chick feed we bought. They will start eating more the bigger they get, but I think 2 months on one bag at around $16 is pretty good. :)
 
Here they are about 1 month old, they are growing fast and getting their feathers in.
We knew they were ready to get out in the coop because their feathers had grown in,  we couldn't keep up with getting them fresh water, and they were really starting to stink!!! Everything in our mudroom had a thick layer of dust! Time to move them! We needed to get the chicken coop (the hillbilly camper coop as my brother in law called it!), so we spent a few weekend days on it and got it ready. I build a few nesting boxes and put them in the corner for when they start laying. I also added a piece of plywood at an angle above the boxes so they wont roost on top of the nesting boxes and poop there.
 
 
 I laid down some old laminate flooring that we tour up from our kitchen. This will make it easy to clean out the coop and scrub the floor.
We build a roost and I designed it so I can lift it up to be able to clean under the roost area easily without having to work around the roost legs.
We also stapled 1/2in hardware cloth over the windows on the inside.
 
Of course I had to do a little curb appeal!! I made a little patio in front of the door and hung some flower pots. We wrapped fencing around the whole outside along the bottom because the coop is resting on cinder blocks off the ground, we folded the fencing to have it lay out of the ground, I think this is called apron fencing. This prevents predators from digging and it's a lot easier than digging the fencing down into the ground.
 
We moved the girls out to coop and they didn't know what to do!! They were so excited to have more space to run around. It was still getting chilly at night so we kept the heat light on at night. We put out the 5 gallon water container and put it on a brick to raise it up so less straw gets in it to dirty it. We have also recently switched to the big feeder which is awesome because we don't have to refill it every day and we also put that on a brick to it doesn't get messy.
 
They are starting to explore the roost but still bed down on the floor at night.
Here's Sadie guarding the girls!
 
The last thing we needed to do was build the chicken run, we wanted the girls to be able to explore outside, they were getting "cooped" up in the coop. :) We have too many neighbor dogs plus our own black lab to let them free range so we build them a nice 8ft x 20ft run.
We did the same apron fencing around the whole run, laying part of it on the ground (after I took these pictures). The grass will grow up threw it and eventually dirt will burry it and you wont know it's there. We also plan to over the top with chicken wire.
 
First day exploring the outdoors!! Sadie was a little too curious!
The chicken run cost more to build than the coop, but we were still able to cut corners and use as much scraps as possible to cut down on cost. Our girls seem very happy with their finished home...hopefully they will stay that way and lay us plenty of eggs come fall!
They loved the watermelon rinds, third day outside.
My husband Max and Bella...happy man, happy chicken!!
 

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

No Bake Energy Balls
 
 
I saw this recipe last night and was craving something sweet and thought it would be a good alternative. My husband loves them as well, I will be making these on a regular basis! Such a yummy, easy and healthy alternative to a cookie. I packaged them in snack size zip lock bags with about 3 balls each so we can grab on the go when we need a pick-me-up or headed out the door. I only had whole flax seed, so I ground it up in my Magic Bullet and that worked just fine.
 
No Bake Energy Balls
  • 1 cup old fashion (dry) oats
  • 2/3 cups unsweetened shredded1/2 coconut
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup ground flax seed
  • 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix all the ingredients together very well, chill in refrigerator for 1/2 hr. Roll into small balls about 1 inch in size. Store in refrigerator in air tight container.
 
 


Thursday, March 26, 2015

Dehydrated Pineapple

Dehydrated Pineapple

 This weekend I dehydrated some pineapples to make a yummy, healthy snack, perfect for those sweet tooth cravings I tend to get. When the pineapple is dried, the natural sugars come out. I didn't dry it completely so the strips are still rubbery a bit, almost like fruit leather. An awesome snack for kids! My husband loves to munch on these!
I sliced up 2 pineapples and that was more than enough to fill the 4 trays I have with my dehydrator, there was a little left over to munch on. As you can see in the picture, I sliced it in long, thin strips. You can slice it anyway you like. The thicker you slice it, the longer it will take to dry.
I dried this batch for about 8-10 hours. It will vary depending on how many trays you have, the temperature you set the dehydrator (I did medium), how thin/think the fruit is, and also the humidity level.
I like the fruit still slightly rubbery and chewy, but some like it more crispy...all personal preference. :) 
I store the dried fruit in mason jars. Keep air tight for freshness.
Enjoy!
 
Here's a list with approximate dry times for other fruits I got from: http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=diy_turn_summers_fruit_into_natures_candy#_a5y_p=3425731










Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Use recycled K-Cups for starting seeds!


Save money on peat pots, pellets and other containers for starting plants inside. Save K-cups and pack with seed starting dirt. I put the cups in recycled strawberry and spinach containers to create a greenhouse like container to start the seeds. Recycle, reuse, save money!!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Garlic


 
 
I LOVE to cook with fresh garlic. There simply isn't any better way to get that yummy garlic flavor than to use fresh garlic cloves. 9 times out of 10, I always add an extra clove (or 2!) more than what the recipe calls for. I discovered this handy tip of preserving garlic in olive oil and it really does save time in the long run. I usually peel about 2 or 3 bulbs of garlic at a time, this step does take a little time, but in the long run it's a time savor because when you're in a hurry to get dinner on the table, having the garlic cloves already peeled is one small step that makes a big difference. Why olive oil? I don't know! I cook with a lot of olive oil, so I always have it out and handy, the person I originally got the idea from used olive oil, so that's what I did. Plus, as the cloves sit in the oil, it absorbs the garlic flavor...so now you not only have preserved garlic cloves on hand, but you also have garlic infused olive oil!!! Huge money savor if you were going to go out and buy infused olive oil in the store. I think you could use any oil you want, I would pick one that you are most likely to cook with so you can try garlic flavored oil. It's worth it! I peel the bulbs and add them to the jar when I'm running low and I top off the olive oil every so often as I use it. I keep the jar on my kitchen counter with my other oils so it's handy when I need it.
Now, lets talk preparing fresh garlic. I think many people don't bother taking the time to cook with fresh garlic for several reasons, a few I can think of would be: 1, why take the time to mince, slice or dice when you can just buy garlic in the jar already minced? Again, this might just be a personal preference, but I personally just think the flavor is so much better when the garlic is freshly minced. But maybe that's just me?! 2, Mincing, slicing or dicing garlic is kind of a pain and  messy. I will certainly agree with that! (That's why if the garlic is already peeled and waiting for me, that's one less step I have to deal with. Those little paper pieces from the bulbs get everywhere!) But garlic is sticky, and it's hard to mince up one little small clove with a knife...I do it when I have to, but it's a pain. So then, if you don't want to use a knife...try a garlic press or mincer.
Pampered Chef Garlic Press
Pampered Chef makes a nice garlic press, it works well for one clove at a time, it presses the garlic through tiny holes so it's all minced and ready to go and it's easy to clean. I can personally say from experience that it's worth it to pay the extra few dollars for a good quality press than getting a cheap one. You will appreciate it once you start using it.
My husband got me this little gadget for Christmas and it's honestly my favorite way to mince garlic.
 Plastic Garlic & Ginger Press Twist Mincer
It works just as well as mincing by hand or using a garlic press, I don't have to touch the garlic so my fingers don't get all sticky and it's super easy to clean, easier than the press. Plus I can mince 2-4 cloves at a time depending on how big they are as opposed to one at a time with the press.
 
Try a new recipe tonight with fresh garlic...you might be surprised at how yummy it is, and how easy when you prepare ahead. Work smarter not harder right?!?!

Monday, March 16, 2015

Pallet Cabinet

This weekend the weather was so warm that I couldn't stay inside. There is something about 60+ degree temps that help get my creative juices flowing and I want to start making stuff!!
I saw this example on Pinterest a couple weeks ago and thought it was so cool and it seemed easy enough. 

Thank you Pinterest for all the wonderful insperations!!
I got two free pallets from work last month and last weekend my friends mom gave me a free old window. 

I was just going to hang the window on my wall (again from ideas on Pinterest) but when I saw that idea to build a cabinet with the window as the door, I knew that's what I was going to do!! This project took me about 6 hours total, the most time consuming and hard work was simple tearing apart the pallets! If anyone has any tips please let me know because that was tough!! But between my husband and I we got it done, thanks for the help honey!!
I also used my husbands brad nailer and that saved a lot of time and energy. 

Here's what it looked like before I put the window on, which I think is cool just the way it is. If I wasn't set on using the window I would have left it as is and used as a book shelf. 

And here's the finished project! I added a simple hook and loop latch on the side to keep the window shut. I didn't paint this because I liked the rustic look of the pallets and the chiped paint from the window. But I do recommend that you sand the window to get any loose paint chips off because depending on how old the window is, it could be lead paint.

I put felt pads on the bottem because we have wood floors and I don't want the rough wood to scratch my floors.
This project cost me about 4 dollars because the only thing I had to actualy purchase was the hinges. Of course my time is worth something but this is like therapy to me so it was so worth it!! I'm excited to get it set up in my home and put things in it. This cabinet is the perfect addition to our home, the rustic appearance will fit right in.