I mentioned I intended to post every week, but here it is Friday again, and I have nothing to post. My excuse-The baby has been sick all week, so I am pretty much fried with no sleep and trying not to get sick myself. So far, so good, but you never can tell, right?
Since the baby's been sick, I haven't tried anything new. I've been surviving on routine, hoping for the best. The most interesting thing I can offer you this week is the tale of my Thursday evening after bedtime, when I half-heartedly attempted to prepare for a playdate at my house on Friday. I wanted to make the spider out of an egg carton craft, but when I tried to paint the egg carton, I failed to realize the petroleum in the styrofoam and the thinner in the spray paint would react together to dissolve the styrofoam. Fail. My poor husband sat there and watched me dissolve my project materials, after warning me, and didn't say anything nasty or condescending. Props to him!. :) Not to mention, the instructions for the craft DID say to use cardboard carton, not styrofoam. (Nowhere did it mention melting!) Besides, who reads instructions anyway?? So, we painted pumpkins instead. And had a BLAST, I might add.
Since I have nothing new to add and no new misadventures to speak of, besides Thursday's failed painting attempt, I will leave you with a bit of wisdom about parenting I found absolutely hilarious. Happy Reading! http://mommasaid.net/2011/10/10/parenting-proverbs/
See what I did there? I IMPROVISED a post. <cheshire cat grin>
I hope you have a great weekend! See you next week!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Chicken Ranch Tacos-Slow cooker style, with modifications
I am going to try to post about once a week, schedule permitting, and I will start with a very tame example of improvisation in cooking (don't want to get too crazy in the first post, in case you scare easily). Mostly, I just love this recipe and want to share it with you. It comes in the form of tacos-always a favorite in our house.
Original Plan/Recipe:
I attempted this recipe: http://pedersenfood.blogspot.com/2011/05/chicken-ranch-tacos.html. The first time I made it, I used the directions I found on a Pinterest pin (where I originally saw it-I spend a LOT of time there. You'll see.) which were already modified. The pin's modification were in keeping with my improvisational spirit-I don't cook much on the stovetop with two small children. That's a recipe for disaster anyway you spin it. They called for 1 can of broth, chicken breasts, packet of ranch and packet of taco seasoning in the crock pot for about 3 hours.
Practical application:
I wanted leftovers to make at least one more meal out of the chicken. Sometimes, increasing the recipe does not translate to exactly twice the ingredients and can end in a disaster. Plus, we all know Pinterest suggestions usually don't have the correct measurements, if they are specified at all. Thankfully,a disaster was not in the cards this time. I used almost 2 lbs of chicken, 32 oz of broth since I didn't have a can but an oversized box of broth in the pantry, and I wanted ALL the chicken in the liquid so it wouldn't dry out. I used 2 packets of ranch and taco seasoning though and let it cook for about two hours longer, about 5 hours total. It turned out awesome, I must say.
Additional modifications:
The second time, I bought a bag of frozen chicken (10lbs) and used 3 packets of each ranch and taco seasoning. I used enough water to cover the chicken (no broth because I didn't have any). I didn't measure at all. I cooked it on high for the first 3 hours and low for 2. It still turned out tasty as ever. I kept out what we'd eat in two days and froze the rest in 1-day portions. Score for bulk cooking! Double score for bulk cooking with almost no extra work!
Today, though, I tried the recipe with water instead of broth and pork roast instead of chicken. It tasted even better as pulled pork carnitas.
YUM!
Original Plan/Recipe:
I attempted this recipe: http://pedersenfood.blogspot.com/2011/05/chicken-ranch-tacos.html. The first time I made it, I used the directions I found on a Pinterest pin (where I originally saw it-I spend a LOT of time there. You'll see.) which were already modified. The pin's modification were in keeping with my improvisational spirit-I don't cook much on the stovetop with two small children. That's a recipe for disaster anyway you spin it. They called for 1 can of broth, chicken breasts, packet of ranch and packet of taco seasoning in the crock pot for about 3 hours.
Practical application:
I wanted leftovers to make at least one more meal out of the chicken. Sometimes, increasing the recipe does not translate to exactly twice the ingredients and can end in a disaster. Plus, we all know Pinterest suggestions usually don't have the correct measurements, if they are specified at all. Thankfully,a disaster was not in the cards this time. I used almost 2 lbs of chicken, 32 oz of broth since I didn't have a can but an oversized box of broth in the pantry, and I wanted ALL the chicken in the liquid so it wouldn't dry out. I used 2 packets of ranch and taco seasoning though and let it cook for about two hours longer, about 5 hours total. It turned out awesome, I must say.
Additional modifications:
The second time, I bought a bag of frozen chicken (10lbs) and used 3 packets of each ranch and taco seasoning. I used enough water to cover the chicken (no broth because I didn't have any). I didn't measure at all. I cooked it on high for the first 3 hours and low for 2. It still turned out tasty as ever. I kept out what we'd eat in two days and froze the rest in 1-day portions. Score for bulk cooking! Double score for bulk cooking with almost no extra work!
Today, though, I tried the recipe with water instead of broth and pork roast instead of chicken. It tasted even better as pulled pork carnitas.
YUM!
Welcome to my improvised life
Hello, and welcome to my new blog!
I have so much to talk about, but I'll start with introductions and background. First, I am a stay-at-home mom by sorta choice, and sorta necessity. I'm not that good at it, but I do the best I can and hope my children will collect the best of what I have to offer them. I have 2 boys, aged 3 and 8 months, and a husband who was (and still is) my high school sweetheart. Aww...I know-how sweet! And yes it is. Most of the time. Anyway, I am a perfectionist who has lost the ability to achieve perfection at the hands of two small children but who still valiantly tries to make everything work. I attempt many things. Most, I accomplish, but some not so much, and just about everything is modified from the original plan because I didn't have something I needed, or I ran out of time, or something went awry. Somewhere along the path of getting older, I've lost the art of planning thoroughly. It used to get on my nerves. Now, I feel it just makes my life that much more interesting. That's what I tell myself anyway. My mother was a working mother until I was in high school, when she was able to stay home and help me organize my life. I inherited some of my perfectionism from my mother. She was a great cook and an awesome housekeeper. The rest I developed on my own. I am organized, mostly, but I need to be cleaner. I would like to add that I used to be a housekeeper to rival my mother, but then I got married-then I had kids. I could probably stand to work out a little bit too. These are my sometimes goals. My all-the-time goals are to ensure my children survive to adulthood relatively well-adjusted and to feed my family in a healthful manner (mostly) on less than $500/month. To do this, I have had to adjust my cooking style, my cleaning style, and my organizational style and planning skills.
When I was single, no planning was really necessary. I could go to the store or run errands when I wanted. For that matter, I could sleep or use the restroom when I wanted too. Money was pretty easy to manage. Either I had it or I didn't, and I bought supplies accordingly. If I left the house, I had an errand list and a grocery list. I usually got my act together pretty easily and was able to do everything I wanted exactly how I wanted. When I got married, more planning was required, especially about money, but the rest was pretty much the same. When I had kids, it all went to hell in a hand basket. One was a struggle, but two is almost impossible. It takes an act of congress for me just to leave the house. If I leave without a plan, I'm toast. It's going to be a horrible experience, and we will probably miss a meal or a nap or both. As a result, I now plan meals for 1 to 2 weeks, including lunch and snacks as well as breakfast, and write a grocery list sorted by aisle. I still have my errand list, but it is now itemized. I pack the diaper bag as soon as I return home from each trip to ensure everything is ready to go long before I actually leave. Shoes have a home, as do keys, and that home is enforced religiously. I keep a fairly regular schedule so naptimes are easier to work around (although still a problem). You'd think this would ensure success. Sadly, I have had to leave a whole basket of groceries because I realized at the checkout I did not have my wallet. I have had to turn around to retrieve mail that needed to be posted that day, and I've returned home without key items on my grocery list. There is a saying that children steal your brain cells, and I totally agree.
All of these occurrences of non-perfect-ness have led to my improvised lifestyle. Examples include: Trying to make muffins and have no eggs, just use applesauce. No applesauce? Let's try to make some. The shower needs cleaned because the in-laws are coming. No cleaner? I saw somewhere baking soda paste works-let's try that. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. These are tame examples, but it sums up my thinking process. This is why I started this blog. I hope you enjoy my misadventures in housewifery. Welcome aboard!
I have so much to talk about, but I'll start with introductions and background. First, I am a stay-at-home mom by sorta choice, and sorta necessity. I'm not that good at it, but I do the best I can and hope my children will collect the best of what I have to offer them. I have 2 boys, aged 3 and 8 months, and a husband who was (and still is) my high school sweetheart. Aww...I know-how sweet! And yes it is. Most of the time. Anyway, I am a perfectionist who has lost the ability to achieve perfection at the hands of two small children but who still valiantly tries to make everything work. I attempt many things. Most, I accomplish, but some not so much, and just about everything is modified from the original plan because I didn't have something I needed, or I ran out of time, or something went awry. Somewhere along the path of getting older, I've lost the art of planning thoroughly. It used to get on my nerves. Now, I feel it just makes my life that much more interesting. That's what I tell myself anyway. My mother was a working mother until I was in high school, when she was able to stay home and help me organize my life. I inherited some of my perfectionism from my mother. She was a great cook and an awesome housekeeper. The rest I developed on my own. I am organized, mostly, but I need to be cleaner. I would like to add that I used to be a housekeeper to rival my mother, but then I got married-then I had kids. I could probably stand to work out a little bit too. These are my sometimes goals. My all-the-time goals are to ensure my children survive to adulthood relatively well-adjusted and to feed my family in a healthful manner (mostly) on less than $500/month. To do this, I have had to adjust my cooking style, my cleaning style, and my organizational style and planning skills.
When I was single, no planning was really necessary. I could go to the store or run errands when I wanted. For that matter, I could sleep or use the restroom when I wanted too. Money was pretty easy to manage. Either I had it or I didn't, and I bought supplies accordingly. If I left the house, I had an errand list and a grocery list. I usually got my act together pretty easily and was able to do everything I wanted exactly how I wanted. When I got married, more planning was required, especially about money, but the rest was pretty much the same. When I had kids, it all went to hell in a hand basket. One was a struggle, but two is almost impossible. It takes an act of congress for me just to leave the house. If I leave without a plan, I'm toast. It's going to be a horrible experience, and we will probably miss a meal or a nap or both. As a result, I now plan meals for 1 to 2 weeks, including lunch and snacks as well as breakfast, and write a grocery list sorted by aisle. I still have my errand list, but it is now itemized. I pack the diaper bag as soon as I return home from each trip to ensure everything is ready to go long before I actually leave. Shoes have a home, as do keys, and that home is enforced religiously. I keep a fairly regular schedule so naptimes are easier to work around (although still a problem). You'd think this would ensure success. Sadly, I have had to leave a whole basket of groceries because I realized at the checkout I did not have my wallet. I have had to turn around to retrieve mail that needed to be posted that day, and I've returned home without key items on my grocery list. There is a saying that children steal your brain cells, and I totally agree.
All of these occurrences of non-perfect-ness have led to my improvised lifestyle. Examples include: Trying to make muffins and have no eggs, just use applesauce. No applesauce? Let's try to make some. The shower needs cleaned because the in-laws are coming. No cleaner? I saw somewhere baking soda paste works-let's try that. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. These are tame examples, but it sums up my thinking process. This is why I started this blog. I hope you enjoy my misadventures in housewifery. Welcome aboard!
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