Let's Roast Some Vegetables

How do you cook your vegetables?  If you've never tried roasting, you should!  It's easy and it's more flavorful than most other cooking methods.  Here's what I do on a regular basis.

First, I cut up cauliflower and broccoli into small florets.  Then I cut up some cabbage into 1-2 inch squares.  I add some sliced carrots and put all this into a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.  I also use Rachael Ray's Crispy Baking Sheets, they're wonderful.

Next, I drizzle some olive or canola oil over the veggies and mix well with my hands.  Then I sprinkle sea salt and black pepper over the whole pan.  The vegetables are not swimming in oil, just a light coating is fine.

Sometimes I sprinkle frozen corn on the top, or I add some extra fine green beans (I love Aldi's brand!) before baking.

Bake in a hot 375-400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.  I have a convection oven so I put it at 375 with the fan on.  If you don't have convection, just turn the heat up.

I keep my eye on them and turn them over with a spatula after 10 minutes.  When they are nicely browned, take them out!

Serve as a side dish or as the main event with some rice or pasta.  We sprinkle Romano cheese over the top.  My husband could eat this every night.

I've roasted almost every vegetable you can think of, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes...  Asparagus roasts very quickly, 5-8 minutes.

Let me know if you try them and how they turn out!

It's Cooooold!

What do you do when it's too cold to go outside?  Let me give you some ideas:

1.  Brew a hot pot of tea and wrap yourself in a blanket with a good book.

2.  Do something with all the photos that are sitting either in your computer or on your phone.  Delete the ones you don't want.  Print some for a scrapbook.  Or order an online photo book.

3.  Go through your filing cabinet and get rid of old papers, invoices, receipts, statements and shred them.

4.  Write a letter, yes I said a paper letter with a pen in hand, to someone important in your life.  Emails and texts are ok, but there's nothing like a handwritten note from a loved one.

5.  Do some mending.  It's a great time to sew on buttons, fix torn seams, hem trousers.  (I do this in front of the TV.)

These are the things I do every January, at least.  You've got some time and nowhere to go, so what are you waiting for?

Send me your ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Something Old Is New Again

I love taking something that has lost its usefulness and turning it into something that can be treasured and valued again.  In my antique show travels I find many beautiful hand-embroidered linens that are not used anymore.  My mother had a cedar chest filled with pillow cases, doilies, and other linens that she sewed in her teen years.  I still have a few of them and I display them where I can.

Here's a sample of a linen table runner that I found that was stained on one end and had no purpose anymore.

I cut off the good end and the crocheted lace edges to make a small gift bag with handles.  I used an old white sheet to line the embroidered part.  Here's the finished product:

I can't wait to use this for a gift bag!  I hope that it will serve many new purposes as it's given over and over with gifts inside!

Here are some more that I made:

Have you repurposed any old linens?  Please let me know!

Where Are Your Cleaning Products?

Do you keep cleaning products near the area where you use them?  If not, you should!  Here you can see under my bathroom sink, and the stuff I need to clean is right inside the door along with a stack of rags, small plastic garbage bags, and other bathroom necessities.

When I'm ready to clean in my usual quick style, everything I need is within reach.  And I can get the job done in as few minutes as possible.  Because who wants to spend all day locating products and cleaning??

If you don't enjoy scrubbing your shower walls, here's my tip:  Wipe down the walls with a spare towel when you're done in the shower.  I trained my husband to do this years ago and the shower always looks like new.  It takes about 30 seconds to do this every time, but it prevents scum and mildew from building up.  And that means NO scrubbing later on - priceless!

A note to those with small children, I understand that  these kinds of products must be locked up for safety reasons.  Another possibility is to keep them on a high shelf away from small hands.  I may have to rethink my strategy when grandchildren come around:)  I can't wait!!

What are your tips for bathroom cleaning?  Please leave a comment!

Easy Killer Brownies

What could be more comforting on a cold winter day than a dense, moist, chewy, rich, brownie?  I've been asked more times than I can remember for this recipe.  It's so simple, you'll make these for all the chocolate lovers in your life!

Killer Brownies

2 box brownie mixes (any kind, I use Aldi's brand)
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
3/4+ cup oil
1 bag dark chocolate chips

-Mix the brownies as the directions say, usually with 2 eggs per mix, water and oil.  I use less oil than called for, it's not needed.
-Add the chocolate chips.
*(If you have chocolate left over from Christmas, this is a nice way to use it.  Just chop it up and add with the chips.  It bakes nicely into the brownies and adds more texture and richness.)
-Pour batter into a 9 x 13 inch greased glass baking pan.  Bake for 55-60 minutes.

These freeze beautifully.  I warn you, they're addicting.  We always keep a bag of these cut into small squares in our freezer for that small chocolate punch that we "need" sometimes.  Our son swears that they are better frozen than thawed!

Let me know what you think of these!  What other chocolate lovers' desserts do you enjoy?

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent!

If I told you that you could mix up an easy recipe for laundry detergent that costs just pennies per load, cleans as well as Tide with Bleach, works well in front-loading HE as well as top-loading washers, and is environmentally friendly...would you believe me??  Well it's true!

This coming June will mark my 3 year anniversary of NOT buying laundry detergent.  I came upon this recipe in a newsletter by Mary Hunt, author of Debt-Proof Living and Everyday Cheapskate.  If you like my blog, you'll love hers, it's full of great ideas.

Here's the recipe:

2 bars Fels Naptha soap
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer, not baking soda)
1 cup Borax (20 Mule-Team is good)

  

All these items can be purchased at Martin's Food Stores or Walmart.  

Grate the soap on a small-holed cheese grater.

Or cut it in cubes and process it in a small food processor.

  

                                       It looks like this:




Then add the powdered Washing Soda and the Borax and mix.  I keep mine in an old plastic container with a tight lid.

Use 1-2 tablespoons per load.  Put it into the water before you add the clothes.  It dissolves very quickly.

You might think that's not enough because you're used to dumping lots of soap into your machine.  Trust me, it's enough.   It doesn't make suds, but it will pull out the dirt from your clothes.  The water will turn gray-black depending on how much dirt is there.

I've also stopped buying fabric softener.  All you need is 1/4-1/2 cup of white vinegar in your rinse load.  It will get the soap out of the clothes and eliminate all static cling.  Your clothes will NOT smell like vinegar, they will just smell really, truly clean.  And clean smells really, truly good!

It's Tax Time

Now is the time of year when we all start thinking about tax returns, like it or not.  For a lot of people, it's a huge source of stress to locate the forms, receipts and papers necessary to file the IRS return.

So...how about establishing a file NOW for next year called "Income Tax" and make it a habit to put all the needed papers in there for next year's taxes??  If you don't have a file cabinet, they make small inexpensive plastic bin types now that can hold a lot.  They could fit in a closet or on a shelf if you don't have floor space.  I file lots of papers so that they don't clutter precious space.

What should go in the "Income Tax" file?

-tax deductible donation receipts
-real estate tax receipts
-school tax receipts
-W-2 forms
-bank interest statements
-mortgage interest statements
-sales receipts for work-related items
-sales receipts for tax-deductible purchases (in PA it changes yearly)
-anything else you're not sure if you'll need at tax time

Next year at this time you'll be thankful that you KNOW where your forms and receipts are, and you'll have one less stress producer in your life!

Please comment with your tax organizing tips!