DIY Scarf Organizer

Originally posted on November 11, 2014

Hey guys, Brittney here! :-)

I'm not sure if many (or any) of you know, but I work for a homeless shelter.  My fiance and I have been really evaluating our lives lately, and one of the conclusions we have come to is that we simply have way too much stuff...junk....weighing us down.  It seems counterproductive to have so many material possessions when I spend my time at work telling people who have everything they own in one or two bags to downsize even more.  So, on that note, we have been doing alot of donations and getting rid of things which aren't a necessary part of our lives.

As we dove farther into our organization, I realized that the house could be much more organized to better utilize the space and the things which we are not yet ready to get rid of.  That's where my new project began - to organize the house, little by little, with fun DIY projects that bring me joy and save me money at the same time - win, win, right?? :-)

The first project I finished working on was a DIY scarf organizer.  I LOVE scarves, and with winter slowly creeping in I know I'll be wearing them much more often.  I saw this Pin on Pinterest, and figured I would give it a try: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291748882084713887/

Here is a photo of my scarves before I made my organizer:

Although I did have them on a hanger, they were always knotted in order to stay on and just simply looked messy.

I went to Target, and spent a little under $2 on a package of simple clear shower curtain rings.

It seemed promising, so I quickly put all of the rings on the hanger and threaded my scarves through.

I thought it was an adequate space saving solution...

Until this happened :-/

Not to be deterred, I went back on Pinterest and found another Pin that I thought might work: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/566820303073476343/

I bought a roll of scotch tape and found a really great deal on some Washi-esque tape, which only put me back another $2.50.  Then, I took each ring and wrapped the top of it to the base of the hanger using regular transparent tape.  It took a couple of tries to get the technique right, but it got easier as I continued down the line.  Don't be afraid to use lots of tape - the more tape, the less movement you will get in the individual rings.  I then did the same procedure, except this time I attached each ring to the one next to it.

Me being me, I couldn't just stop there - I pulled out my pretty tape, and rewrapped each section with a "top coat" of the Washi tape, and finished the project off with one more piece of scotch tape on each joint to keep everything in place.

I put my scarves back on and viola!  No more movement of the rings, plus the extra pop of color is awesome.  I absolutely love this, and it only took me about 30 minutes and a grand total of $4.50 to make - not too shabby!!

My fiance liked it too, and wants me to try to tackle something similar for his ties, except he wants to be able to keep them knotted and slip them on and off easily (lazy boy style!) ...

Let the brainstorming begin!

Until next time,

Brittney

P.S. Here is a picture of my amazing cat, Mia - she stuck by me during this whole DIY project, and didn't try to attack the tape once...I was proud. (It's the little things, right?)

Cowboy Stew

Originally posted on January 22, 2014

Good morning!

Once a week I meet up with a wonderful woman to help her around the house.  We quickly found that we both share a love for good food and cooking, so my favorite days are when she has a recipe in mind that she wants us to make.  This was one of the first meals that we ever made together and I love it - it's flavorful, super healthy, and quick and easy to make.  It only takes about 45 minutes to an hour total, and the end result is a really flavorful stew-like medley.

Hope y'all enjoy! :D

-Britt

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 teaspoons coconut or olive oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 3 medium/large carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Fresh thyme and basil + additional for garnish
• White Rice, cooked

Directions

1. Brown ground turkey; drain.

2. Add 2 teaspoons coconut oil to turkey.

3. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute for 1 minute.

4. Add tumeric and saute for additional 6-7 minutes, stirring often.

5. Add bell pepper and saute for 1 minute.

6. Add diced tomatoes, wine, salt, pepper, and herbs.  Bring to boil.

7. Cover, turn heat low, and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Garnish with additional basil and/or thyme if desired.

9. Serve on top of cooked white rice.

Tip:

If the stew seems too liquidy for you, feel free to simmer uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until it reaches your desired consistency.

Best.Chocolate.Chip.Cookie.EVER!

Originally posted on December 18, 2013

Hey everybody,

Is it just me, or does it seem like Christmas really snuck up on us this year?  I cooked my first ever Thanksgiving feast on the 30th, and the next thing I know, here it is with Christmas only one week away!! Our Christmas tree has been cut and brought home but there are no decorations on it yet, I haven't made a single Christmas themed dessert, and I'm only half way through shopping...SHEESH.  Now I really feel behind!!! :-)

Anyways, I hope that some (if not all) of you are at least a little closer to being prepared for next week than I am.

Today I'm sharing a recipe for a simple dessert - the chocolate chip cookie.  There are literally hundreds of recipes for these out there, and it has been a test of trial and error to find that truly *perfect* cookie.  Browned on top, tons of chocolate, and still soft in the middle...yes please!  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, and the secret ingredient was....drum roll please.....instant pudding mix!  It definitely made a world of difference, and I have a feeling I'll be making all of my cookies with this extra pantry staple from now on.

One last thing about this recipe before we get on with it - check the recipe size!  I just went along with the original recipe (shown below) without looking at the yield beforehand - and before I knew it I had SIX DOZEN - about 70 cookies in the making.  I have never seen my kitchen so full of cookies before in my life...it was an amazing sight. :-)

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 (3.4 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Sift together flour and baking soda and set aside.

3. In a large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.  Beat in the instant pudding until well blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla, then slowly blend in the flour mixture.  Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout batter.

4. Drop cookies by rounded teaspoonsfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets (use parchment paper if desired)

5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are golden brown, then let cool.

6. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Inspirations

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Award-Winning-Soft-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies

Baked Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Originally posted on July 19, 2013

Good afternoon!!!  Hope everyone is having as awesome of a day as I am.  :D

Today I'm going to be sharing one of my favorite original creations - Baked Chicken Alfredo Casserole!  It combines a classic pasta dish with a comfort food casserole, and makes enough to feed 3-4 people and still have enough for leftovers in the morning (sometimes!).

Hope you enjoy this one, and please let me know what spins you put on it to make it your own.

Enjoy!

-Britt

Ingredients

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 package noodles - I usually use linguine or angel hair pasta
• 1 bottle light Alfredo sauce
• 1-2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside.

3) Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.  Add olive oil to a skillet on medium-high heat.

4)  Add the chicken to the oil and cover with garlic and onion powder, cooking thoroughly until chicken is no longer pink; set aside.

5) In a 13" x 9" casserole dish, add the Alfredo sauce, frozen bag of mixed vegetables, salt, pepper, cooked pasta, 1/2 of the Mozzarella cheese, and chicken.  Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are mixed together.

6) Cover with remaining cheese and bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and casserole is bubbling.

Spaghetti Night Sides: Featuring Homemade Garlic Bread and Kale Salad

Originally posted on July 17, 2013

Hey blogees!!

Hope everyone's day is going awesome.  As a college student, finding ways to cut my grocery budget is super important to me, so today I'm going to share one of my economical dinner plans - spaghetti night!

I didn't have any garlic bread, so I made my own with ingredients I had around the house, and I finished the meal off with a light Kale Salad for some greenery.  Hope you enjoy! :-)

Homemade Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bread of your choice (I used sandwich bread, just because it's what we had on hand)
• 3-4 tablespoons butter (I used light butter with canola oil)
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tablespoon dried basil

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Mix together all ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended.  It will be very garlic-y to the taste at this point, but that will cook out during baking.

3) Take the mix and spread on one side of each slice of bread.  Place the bread slices side by side on a baking sheet and cover with foil.

4) Bake in oven for 10 minutes, then take off the foil and allow the bread to brown for another 5-10 minutes.

5) Serve immediately while hot.

Fresh Kale Salad

Ingredients:

•  4 cups leafy Kale - I used Tuscan, also known as Dinosaur, Kale
• Dried pepper of your choosing (I used a milder red pepper)
• 1-2 medium garlic cloves
• 1/2 lemon
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Wash kale and cut or tear into bite sized pieces, then put into a large bowl.

2) Cut up desired amount of dried pepper and garlic cloves, then add to the chopped kale.

3) Squeeze juice from lemon onto the salad, then add desired amount of salt and pepper.

4) Toss salad with olive oil until completely coated, then sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.

5) Serve and enjoy!

For the spaghetti I simply browned 1 pound of ground turkey and added it to a premade tomato sauce which I then heated on the stovetop, and cooked the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions.

Dinner came out amazing, and it was so affordable and quick.  This is definitely on my list of cheap and convenient meals that I want to make again and again.

Enjoy!!

-Britt

Recipe Inspirations:

http://earner.hubpages.com/hub/Easy-Garlic-Bread-on-a-Budget-Recipe---Ideal-for-Students

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownies

Originally posted on June 28, 2013

Hey everyone!

One of Nate's favorite desserts is brownies, and chocolate and peanut butter are flavors that we both enjoy.  However, I wanted to find something which was healthier than the average brownie but still had a good texture, was moist and yummy - and then I found this recipe on Dinner of Herb's blog!!
The brownies came out delicious - we couldn't keep our hands off of them, and didn't have to feel guilty the next day either - what a great combination!  They were still a bit cakier than I normally go for, but considering that they were oil and butter free, I was very impressed.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think of them!

-Britt

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 + 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup light brown sugar, not packed
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, non-fat
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl sift flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt together.

3. In a separate bowl mix peanut butter, eggs, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and water for 2 minutes on high speed.

4. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture, beating until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.

5. Pour brownie batter into a greased 9x9" or 8x8" pan.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie comes out cleanly.

7.  Cool completely and enjoy!!!

Makes 12 servings.

Recipe Inspiration

http://dinnerofherbsblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/chocolate-peanut-butter-brownies/

Spaghetti Squash with Skinny Alfredo Sauce

Originally posted on June 11, 2013

Hey everyone!

So I have been eyeballing the spaghetti squash in my local grocery store for awhile now, and decided that now was the time to go ahead and give it a go - I'm glad I did!  I am a HUGE pasta lover, but unfortunately, so is my waistline.  :-)  This recipe allowed me to still have a hearty pasta dinner, but without the calories and heavy feeling afterwards - a win-win situation!!

Also, my favorite pasta sauce is Alfredo - but again, it is normally LOADED with butter and cream - however, this recipe was much lighter and healthier and used only 1 tablespoon of butter and no heavy cream!

Enjoy, and please let me know if you try this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium to large sized spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon light butter
•  3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1 tablespoon fat free cream cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Dash black pepper & salt
• Optional Garnishes: extra Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and/or crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Squash

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut spaghetti squash in half using a large sharp knife and scoop out the seeds.  Place cut side down in a baking dish with about 1/2 inch of water inside.

3. Bake until tender, about an hour.

4. Allow to cool and then use a fork to gently scrape the strands into the center.  This is where you should see the squash begin to separate and look more like a traditional pasta noodle.

Alfredo Sauce

1. Melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat.  Once melted, add minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.

2. Whisk in flour and milk, stirring until no lumps remain.

3. Add cream cheese and stir until smooth; remove from heat.

4. Stir in Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Spoon the desired amount of sauce into each cooked half of the squash, gently pulling up the strands with a fork to coat as much as possible.

6. Top with extra Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and chopped fresh parsley and broil for 2-3 minutes if desired.

Tips

• An alternate way of baking the spaghetti squash is to poke a few deep holes into the whole squash with a knife and bake the entire squash for an hour.  Remove the whole squash from the oven and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing in half with a large serrated knife and scooping out the seeds.  Make sure that your holes are deep enough to that the steam can be released, or you could have an exploding squash on your hands!!
• If you do not want to eat the spaghetti out of the shell you can scrape the pasta onto a plate for an easier presentation.

Recipe Inspirations:

• http://fooddoodles.com/2013/01/10/skinny-spaghetti-squash-alfredo/
• http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/03/skinny-spaghetti-squash-alfredo.html

-Britt