My own Pinterest challange

Like many others, I have fallen into the day dreaming fantasy world that is Pinterest.  I've only used a very few of the inspirations & ideas that I've seen on there, which is minute amount of compared to the hours I've spent on the site.  So, I either need to divorce Pinterest (sob) or put my pins to the test.

This week is the beginning.  I got home from the grocery store last night & wrapped my celery in aluminum foil before putting it in the refrigerator, then wrapped the tops of my bananas with plastic wrap.  I'm curious how those will turn out & will be sure to update you on the results.  I would have put the lettuce in glass jars but I don't have the space.

Last night I tried a new recipe for the family, Balsamic Maple Chicken!!  (found here Circle of Moms)

So, I altered the recipe slightly, I added an extra clove of garlic.  One because I love garlic, and two because my son was helping & he decided we needed more.  (I try not to rationalize with a 4 yr old to often, it causes headaches) Also, I didn't have scallions, so I didn't use any.  Another change I had to make was filleting the breasts.  I had a 2lb package of chicken breasts which contained 3 breasts & 7 people to feed.  After filleting, I cut them into tenderloins.  Since half of the eaters were children, it made prepping their plates much easier.  My last alteration was the cranking up of the temp on the oven for the second baking duration.  I figured since they were already cut thin, the should cook through regardless of the temp & I was roasting potatoes for our side dish.

And now for the critique: it was amazing!!!!!  The chicken was tender & moist!  We were able to cut through the chicken with a fork.  My husband thought it was delicious!  So, I'm giving this recipe 5 stars for simplicity & taste!!!


UPDATE: Recipe #2  Beef with Broccoli (found here food.com )

This recipe was so yummy!  I think the entire prep & cook time was a total of 30 minutes, which I loved.  I did make a few adjustments, not nearly as many as the last recipe.  First, I didn't have ground ginger, so I didn't us it.  Next was the oil, I had sesame seed oil on hand, so that's what I used.  Just that ingredient alone made my kitchen smell like authentic Asian cuisine. 
I give this recipe 4 1/2 stars!  It should be 5 stars but my son didn't like it, so that knocked it down. :(  That might have been due to a late snack & no nap while with grandma & not the actual taste of the meal.

The Beginning

So it's 2013 and like many others, I've made some resolutions.  I've never really attempted resolutions in the past.  Other than the same one everyone makes, lose weight, save money etc.  For some reason, maybe I'm getting older & wiser, I've decided to make goals for myself that I can actually keep.  Small enough to stick to & hopefully they become habits that make my life a little better.

My first resolution may seem silly or unimportant to some, but I know it's something that I need to do.  I'm setting out to make a weekly dinner menu for my family & shop accordingly.  I know, silly & almost a no-brainer.  What I've noticed over the last few years, is that I enjoy cooking!! Had you told me that 10 years ago, I would have laughed at you for hours.  But since my son was born in 2008, I've realized how important family time is and that popcorn is not a meal!  I also have an amazing husband, who's love language is Acts of Service, making dinner and having a plan for it, is another way I can express my love to him.  With that being said, it's day 3 of the new year, I have planned & cooked dinner twice.  So far, so good!  The reality of this resolution is the planning ahead aspect, that is not in my DNA. I've realized over the last few weeks, that stopping at the store on the way home from work, adds a lot more time than I would like to my evening.  My other fear with this is falling into the "Monday is spaghetti night".  I grew up that way, and it was fine, but I get bored easily now.  I need food to be exciting in order for it to be enjoyable

This brings me to my second resolution, organizing my life!!!!  My husband is very organized, so I like to think that my chaotic approach is a good balance, but who am I kidding.  I've realized I have a problem with letting go of items.  I'm a cluttered pack rat! It's so bad that it's beginning to bother me, or my husband is beginning to rub off on me.  It has become more clear in the last year or so, by watching my 4 year old.  My son was upset with me for putting his shoes in the wrong cubby in his closet, I apparently put his school shoes where his church shoes go.  He definitely takes after his father there! 
I'm thinking if I just take a few extra minutes & put things where they belong rather than "I'll do it later, before I go to bed".  Which never actually happens because once the boy is in bed, I sloth on the couch, watch the news, & drag myself to bed half asleep. 

My final resolution for the year is creating & sticking to a budget!!!  I know what everyone is thinking "how do you not have a budget?".  We have a certain amount of every check automatically transferred to savings.  We spend here & there, but never anything extravagant.  Occasionally we over spend & transfer the savings back to checking.  It's just that now, the savings isn't growing how it should.  My thought is that with my first goal being cooking regularly, we will have leftovers to take for lunch the next day.  That will save quite a bit of money from my husband & I eating out for lunch every work day.  That $8 Chick-fil-a meal adds up quicker than you'd think. The only question is: Is Mr willing to live on a weekly allowance?  I think if I present it to him, and suggest we try it for a month to see how it goes then, it might be an easier transition.  

Well, I'm trying a few new recipes this week & I will be reviewing them.  Hopefully, they will be as delicious & simple as they recipe says. 


Krissy