Category: MISC

Need to Knead is drawing closer

Have you heard about the Need to Knead Bread Roundup? I wanted to do a bread round up and Joy at Joy of Desserts, another Scrumptious Sunday player offered to make this great button and co-host this bread Roundup on October 15th along with the help of Barbara at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers who has so generously offered to be our Mr. Linky person. We will roundup all types of bread recipes. We already have a number of people signed up and it promises to be great. You are all invited to participate. We would love it if you would join us, and we would love it if you would help us spread the word by putting this button in your sidebars or even writing a short post about the roundup.

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The Simple Woman's Daybook

I originally found this over at Sandra’s place, Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. And now I participate regularly in the Simple Woman’s Daybook, sponsored by Peggy at The Simple Woman. It is a great way to start off the week! Stop by Peggy’s blog to see who else is participating and read their entries, then think about joining us next week! For Today…

Outside my Window… is bright blue sky with large fluffy clouds and just enough of a breeze to ruffle the leaves, but it is unseasonally warm. It is supposed to turn fall temperatures Wednesday thankfully.

I am thinking… about how much work there is yet to be done before winter.

I am thankful for… hubby healing quickly and well after a mishap this past week.

From the kitchen… I am creating a series of guest posts for Barbara over at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers this week. Be sure to check out the September Homemaking event over there.

I am creating… lots of kitchen posts and bread recipes for the upcoming bread round-up here at 3 Sides of Crazy.

I am going… nowhere for a change and loving every minute of it.

I am wearing… shorts, flip flops and my favorite T-shirt

I am reading… Tempting Fate by Carla Neggers

I am hoping…to finish organizing this week and starting on the closet as well as finishing the wall quilt below.

I am hearing… the trash truck as it moves through town (yep they work here on Labor Day)

Around the house… kitchen trim molding and the decorative ceiling I hope.

One of my favorite things… Canning the summer harvest so we have fresh fruits and veggies through the winter

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… Organizing the office and cleaning closets. Getting the windows weatherstripped for winter (that’s a week all by itself – I have 35 windows in this house)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

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Homemaking September Shape Up – Organizing Your Pantry

Barbara over at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers is hosting the Homemaking September Shape-up. It’s going to be an all around comprehensive house to home style of posts to help us get our homes and lives whipped into shape.

She has asked me to write some guest posts for the kitchen section and I’m so excited to help her kick off this whole idea.

ORGANIZING YOUR PANTRY

Most of you already know that I feel most at home in the kitchen and despite my VIRGO guided perfectionist ways, I too have a tendency to have a messy pantry. We all have those moments when it’s just easier to put it anywhere other than where it really goes.

I’ll show this set of before pictures with the disclaimer that we’ve been super busy around here and it really was easier to just shove it back in.

I don’t use a ton of prepared foods due to health concerns, but we all have a pantry full of this and thats. I was fortunate in that the forced remodel of this kitchen allowed me to set things up my way when it went back together. I like to group like things together and that helps to make meal preparation simpler. In the Lazy Susan next to the stove I keep the small appliances together and then on the shelf above those I keep the canned meats, canned vegetables and soups. In the opposite Lazy Susan I group together canned fruits, Jell-Os, box mixes like cake mixes, rice mixes and stuffing as well as jams and jellies. In yet another cabinet I have grouped together all the” seasoning” bottles like soy sauces, vinegars, oils, Worcestershire, etc…. In the 2 shelves below that I keep all the back stock like extra ketchup, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, etc… Spices and such use on a daily basis are all labeled and alphabetized in their handy box close to the stove while additional infrequently used spices, bread crumbs, flavorings, baking soda & powder and such are kept in a separate cabinet. Baking staples are also all grouped together.

I have all of my seasonings and ingredients placed in such a way that the butcher block becomes my central point for creating. I try to keep all the necessary tools also within an arm’s reach. All of my reaching into cabinets is also at a minimum and I don’t have to dig for what I’m looking for. Every person and every family is different in their likes and tastes, so there is no right or wrong to pantry organization, just what works for you. That said, I have found that logic, organization and common sense play an integral part in kitchen success.

No matter what the size or shape of you ‘pantry’, the whole idea is to make your job easier and cooking more fun. So take that willy nilly approach and toss it out the window. It’s time to organize and see what you have in your pantry. Knowing will help you to keep things rotated and up to date. When I was growing up, my dad always wiped the lids of cans and then dated them when we got home from the store. I don’t go that far, but I do make sure to rotate the older forward paying attention to expiration dates and replace the restock to the rear.

Now for the after pictures.

I try to group like items together. For example the parts for a Mexican Meal are all together. The green chiles are right night to the enchilada sauce which is next to the refried beans, etc…

I store the back up stock on the lowest shelves since I don’t get in there very often. I also pull forward the most frequently used condiments and ingredients so I don’t have to dig for them. The refrigerator is the hardest ‘pantry’ part to keep organized since everyone is in and out all day some days, but I try to keep like items together here too. The jams are all on the same shelf, the pickles are grouped together, my garlic, pestos, bases etc… are all together on one of the top shelves to keep everyone from moving them!

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Menu Plan Monday

MONDAY ~ Grilled Spare Ribs & Salad
TUESDAY ~ Fried Egg Sandwiches & Cucumber Salad
WEDNESDAY ~ CORN (clean out refrigerator night)
THURSDAY ~ Lasagne & Salad
FRIDAY ~ 12 Hour Salad
SATURDAY ~ Something grilled to get the last days of summer in
SUNDAY ~ Something else grilled!

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Tasty Thursday hosted by Pumpkin Patch, Watchin’ What We Eat hosted by Lorie at Honey I Shrank Myself and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Monday Musings

“I’m a great believer that we all create our own bliss. Whiners never get very far with me. I always secretly think, Isn’t it easier just to be happy?”
~Stephen Drucker, Editor in Chief


Homemaking September Shape Up

Barbara over at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers will be hosting the Homemaking September Shape-up. It’s going to be an all around comprehensive house to home style of posts to help us get our homes and lives whipped into shape.

She has asked me to write some guest posts for the kitchen section and I’m so excited to help her kick off this whole idea. These are the topics I will be covering.

9/1 Monday ~ Organizing your pantry

9/2 Tuesday ~ Essential Kitchen Ingredients

9/3 Wednesday ~ Overall Kitchen Organization

9/4 Thursday ~ Menu Planning

9/5 Friday ~ Techniques to Make week day meals easier

9/6 Saturday ~ Cooking with Kids

9/7 Sunday ~ Family Dinners, organizing for a crowd

So stop on by and see Barbara for the Homemaking September Shape-Up. She has many other guest posters, surprises and a giveaway.

Be sure to stop back by and see our other kitchen topics as the week progresses.

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Sky Watch Friday bumps into Photo Hunt Saturday with the theme of Beautiful

Beautiful is having this all around you – peaceful serene river that is crystal clear and reflective of the beautiful trees! Thursday night this was covered with a beautiful fog after a storm and I didn’t have my camera with me. I came back hoping to find the fog again, but I’ll keep looking.

About the PhotoHunt: A theme is given for each Saturday. Post a photo that best represents the theme. New and old photos welcome but must be from your personal collection and not photos obtained from the web. Play along once a week by posting your photo on your site.

Sky Watch Friday is hosted by Tom at Wiggers World but now
has a new home at its own space in the blog world.

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Proof that words, respect and listening really do matter…

This is the motto I have on my desk and I try to live by every day.

Do you have a teenage girl in your life? 14, 15, 16, 17 years old? Do you dread the day you’ll hear “I met a guy”, “He’s really great”, “He respects me”, “We went to the beach for the day”? Are you waiting for the other show to drop? I was!

When I was is college I remember a class for my Health Education Major/Human Sexuality minor (once upon a time before I got sick I was going to teach high school) that taught us to speak to young adults as adults, to listen to them and what they have to say and most importantly to respect them.

I have always tried to follow that advice and you know what? It really paid off. Recently when I heard those exact sentences and sat waiting for that other shoe to drop, I received a wonderful reward for all my efforts. I heard, “When I try to figure out what my choices are I hear your voice in my head and it helps me think right.”

I have to admit I cried. There was nothing she could have said that would have me me happier or prouder of her as a young woman.

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Aloha Friday

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend.
I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer.
Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog
and leave your link at An Island Life.
Don’t forget to visit the other participants!
It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

Today’s question is:
When you watch all the disclaimers on commercials regarding medications,
I wonder what’s worse the disease or the cure? I don’t want to take any
medications anymore.
Do you believe in Mind Over Matter?

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Friday Fill Ins

1. When I’m sick I’m miserable.

2. When I take a walk, I think about whatever comes to mind ~ no agenda.

3. Money can’t buy happiness but it can help us try to.

4. Cotton makes me smile and leather makes me crinkle my nose.

5. The strangest person/character I’ve had lewd thoughts about was hubby.

6. My favorite color these days is purple because it makes me happy.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to the demo derby at the fair, tomorrow my plans include the All Vets Picnic and Sunday, I want to relax and work on some small projects!

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Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni

16 ounce rigatoni
1/2 pound ground beef, browned
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Classico Sun dried Tomato pesto
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoons Ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

  • Brown ground beef and onion, drain.
  • Cook the pasta and drain.
  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  • Spray 9×13 baking pan with PURE.
  • Whisk together the tomato sauce, cream, pesto and ricotta cheese.
  • Layer pasta, beef and onion mixture and 3/4 of cheese (Mozzarella & Parmesan) mixture in baking dish.
  • Pour sauce mixture evenly over top.
  • Top with remaining cheese (Mozzarella & Parmesan).
  • Bake 7-10 minutes until golden and bubbly on top.

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