Paper Towel Challenge

I wrote earlier this year that I was going to be more eco-friendly and economically minded this year. Being a very big paper towel user, had to figure out how to cut back on that expense and waste.

So, I got a bunch of bar mops for Christmas and decided to be more diligent about wiping up messes with bar mops instead of paper towels.

I am happy to report that I am reformed! :-)

We are using less than one roll of paper towels a week. This was a big feat for me b/c we were using a lot more than that a week.

Also, on the dishwasher and clothes dryer front, we have noticed a difference in our electricity bill. I also have noticed since I've been following the directions on the packaging for washing powder/detergent...that we've not had to buy as much detergent. A lot of times we put more soap in than was really required.

Anna's Taco Dip

Ate this Taco Dip at a Baby Shower recently and my friend, Anna, sent me the recipe.

Taco Dip

1 block cream cheese - softened
Sour Cream (several dollops - I don't measure, but appox. 3/4 cup)
1 packet Taco Seasoning
8 oz. Mexican blend cheese, shredded (or cheddar)
Jar of salsa - drained

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Spread evenly on bottom of pie plate. Drain salsa. Spread on top of cheese mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Chocolate Lovers Event for Teachers

This week our PTA put on a Chocolate Lovers Event for the teachers and staff at our elementary school. It was part of our monthly Teacher Appreciation project. All the food was donated. We provided drinks and chocolate for the teachers. Then parents emailed in comments/notes of encouragement for the teachers and we put those comments on hearts and hung them up in the teacher's lounge.

We wrapped gift boxes and covered the tops with wax paper and placed all the dessert on the boxes. The idea was to not have to worry about returning a lot of dishes to parents and to make for a quick clean up. It did take awhile to set up.

The Teachers and Staff at the school really enjoyed it. Mission accomplished: they felt encouraged.

Valentine's Day Cookie

I went to a Preschool party this week. For dessert one of the parents brought these cookies. She baked a big cookie/pan cookie/cookie cake. Then took heart shaped cookie cutters and cut out the cookies. Then added a little icing.

Very cool! I didn't know you could do this. It was the perfect size for the preschoolers.

Fruit Trays

So, I can never figure out how to do a fruit tray and it not be super expensive. We had a PTA event recently and they needed a fruit tray. I usually buy my fruit trays from the grocery store, b/c they are time consuming and I can never pick out the best in season fruits.

This time I didn't have the extra money to spend, so I did my own.

$5.50 on 2 lbs of Red Seedless grapes
$1.00 on 3 tangerines/sliced and then quartered them
$1.00 on 3 oranges/sliced and then quartered them
$3.00 on 3 kiwi
_________________
$10.50 Total

I think it was a pretty good deal and the fruit was good.

Tracy's Stamping Party

Handmade cards. We used stamps. Aren't they cool?

I am a stationary addict. I spend hours in card stores looking at stationary.

This week I got an email from a new friend, Tracy, that lives in my community. She asked if I'd like to come over to her house, once a month, to hand make cards.

She designs the cards, we just come in, sit down and make them. She'll teach us if we don't know how. We have to pay $10/month in supply charges, but she does the rest. This was a win-win situation for me. I like crafty things, it was a good chance for me to meet other women in my area, and I didn't have to design the card or buy any "expensive starter kit" to get going. I just had to show up.

It was fun! Tracy had yummy snacks, music in the background and there was a bunch of good conversation. I met women from all over the United States and at different stages in life. Some worked outside of the home, some didn't. It was just good to hang out.

Tracy's stumbled on to a good idea...have your friends over, share something you love to do with them and just relax.

A Coupon Hero

There is a woman in Iowa, Kay MacVey, who clips coupons for military personnel and then ships the coupons to them worldwide. I read about her in the American Profile in our local paper. She has a goal of saving our men and women in uniform over 1 million dollars.

I clip coupons every week, and I am sure that I save enough money each week to pay for a stamp to send the coupons I don't use to Mrs. MacVey.

Here is her address:
Kay MacVey
3419 Polaris Dr.
Ames, Iowa 50010

I don't think you even have to clip them, you can just send the stack of coupons in your paper to her and she has people that are her "clippers". If you are local to me, and would like to just hand your coupons to me, I'll mail them for you. :-)

Chili Recipe

Please forgive my photography! We always serve chili with rice around our house. It stretches the chili out so it serves us longer.

Okay, so I adapted a recipe out of Cooking Light Magazine. Honestly, it is pretty good. It tastes better the 2nd day after it has been sitting in the fridge, freezes well too and tastes even better after it has been frozen.

Here goes:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 pkg. Turkey Sausage (don't get Polly-O stuff is gross)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. ground cumin
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes, undrained, coursely chopped
2 cans (15oz) red kidney beans, drained (I like Bush's brand)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Remove casings from turkey sausage.
Chop your veggies
Measure out all your spices/seasonings.
Drain your kidney beans.
Open your tomato cans
Be careful when you add the tomato paste and seasonings cause it'll burn!

Here goes:
Heat large pot over medium high heat. This is when I add a little olive oil. Add sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic, sirloin, jalapeno pepper to your pot cook around 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned. It makes your house smell fantastic. Add Chili powder, brown sugar cumin, tomato paste, oregano, black pepper, salt, and bay leaves. Stir quickly add tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook for 30 more minutes. Take out bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving of chili with cheddar cheese.

I Burned the Toast

I have a bunch of stuff to write on the blog. It's just been wild and crazy the last few weeks.

I really did burn toast. I often wondered how people can burn toast, and then it happened to me. I did such a good job, I set off all the smoke detectors in my house, so I had to open my doors and let the freezing cold air in and the smoke out. Then, b/c of where my house is situated in our neighborhood you could hear the smoke detector sound echoing through the neighborhood.

My husband was laughing b/c as he sat on the couch, he thought it was hilarious that I had burned the toast and then in my madness to get all the smoke out of the house, I started to burn my spaghetti sauce. And I guess I was just hysterically funny as I ran around trying "to fix" it all.

I was just a big 'ole mess.

But I do have some recipes to share with you and a few ideas on how to encourage the teachers at your child's school OR your co-workers. Pretty inexpensively too. :-)

So, I'll try to post later today!