Get Creative With Your Left-overs- Fish Taco Bowl

We don't often have many left overs on a regular basis around here.  We are a family of 6 with growing children so most of what I cook gets taken out!
However, when we do have left overs, I try to get creative with how I serve them the next day. It's fun to me to try and make a different meal out of them if possible.
It also makes what might have been just enough left overs for 2 people, sometimes able to stretch for the whole family by simply adding a few more things.

 This is the meal and recipe I shared with you yesterday.

 This is my lunch today.
We had one piece of baked Tilapia left and just enough Jasmine rice for one person. I was already making the kiddos some pinto bean and guacamole burritos so I thought I'd spice my dish up a bit too.

I got out my skillet, added the tilapia and rice, broke up the tilapia with my spatula into pieces, added some red bell pepper, some fresh cilantro, and a bit of salsa and enjoyed what I like to now call, Fish Taco Bowl!
It was DELICIOUS!

Get creative in the kitchen. Just like with anything else creative, once you start doing it, your creative juices start flowing and it's not so scary anymore.
It's fun!

-Jenny

Pump It & Unsticky Anything with WD40

I’m a fan of upcycling anything I can. So, when I was in the shower one day looking at Keylee’s baby wash that comes in a pump bottle it got me thinking. Pump bottles are the way to go! When you’re in the shower and you hands are soapy or wet it isn’t always easy to hold on to those flip top lid bottles. So, I’ve begun the journey to switching out all our shower goodies into pump bottles. When we use all of the contents of a pump bottle I clean it out, pull the sticker off and fill it with shower goodies like body wash, shampoo, etc. My pump bottles come from either lotion or Keylee’s baby wash. Why not just keep them and refill them with what came in them? Well, mostly because these products are usually sold in a pump bottle and the price for purchasing them in the pump bottle is not really more than buying them regular. And most shampoos and body washes do not come in pump bottles at all.

So start upcycling those pump bottles. And here’s a tip: if you pull off a sticker and some of the sticky remains there are a couple great things to help remove that sticky. Rubbing alcohol and believe it or not WD40 is amazing for removing sticky! Just spray the WD40 on the sticky area and rub and scratch off the sticky. Then make sure and wash the area with a good oil removing soap. 

Now get out there and pump it!

Daspri

A Cup of Tea

So, I have decided that I am going to drink more hot tea. I always enjoy it when I do. I always want to drink it more.
But alas, my love for coffee always gets in the way.
Not this time.

 That's the plan anyway; to drink more hot tea than coffee...for a while. ;)

 

This is one I am trying for the first time and it is pretty yummy. It has a very light flavor and with no caffeine, it really is pretty soothing.

It is Echinacea Immune Support, which I thought was fitting since everyone around us seems to be getting the flu!

It is loaded with goodies; Echinacea root, Elderberry extract, Cinnamon bark, peppermint leaf, Rose Hip, Ginger root, Mullein leaf, and more!

Do you drink coffee or tea? What's your favorite blend?

-Jenny

Wellness Wednesday-Brussels Sprouts!

It's Wednesday and I thought another installment of Wellness Wednesday was long overdue.
So, let's talk about Brussels Sprouts! They are delicious!  Who knew??!!!
Not me.
I had never had one before and grew up thinking that they were gross and I should stay away.

That all changed a few months ago when a good friend handed me a large bowl of them from her garden.
I am open to trying new things and especially love trying new vegetables, but I have to admit that when she said they were Brussels Sprouts, I might have twitched a little bit.

They are so pretty to me; little tiny, bright green, crisp leaves. But they are not just pretty and delicious. They are really good for you too.

Let's look at some facts.
Brussels sprouts are loaded with vitamin A, folacin, potassium, calcium. They have 3-5 grams of fiber per cup, and at 25 calories per 1/2 cup cooked, they give us a reason to eat them more often. Brussels sprouts are one of those foods that will fill you up, without filling you out.

Brussels sprouts are very high in fiber, and they belong to the disease-fighting cabbage family. Indeed, they look like miniature cabbages. Like broccoli and cabbage -- fellow cruciferous vegetables -- Brussels sprouts may protect against cancer with their indole, a phytochemical.

Brussels sprouts are also particularly rich in vitamin C, another anti-cancer agent. Whether you choose them for their healthiness or because you love Brussels sprouts, one thing is certain: You will be getting a good-for-the-body food that is high in protein and low in fat and calories.






 
Now, let's talk recipes for these little beauties!

 First, wash them. Then cut them in half/quarters.

 Next, toss them in a bowl with about 2 tbs of oil. I used melted coconut oil because that is what I had on hand, but extra virgin olive oil would work just as well.

Then, I sprinkled some of this on them, as well as some garlic salt. This particular seasoning has salt, pepper, garlic and a few other spices in it without the MSG and all of the other unnecessary bad stuff that lots of seasonings have in them.

Next, you will spread them out onto a cookie sheet and roast them in your preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

 

They are seriously loaded with flavor and just enough crunch.

Here's what the rest of our meal looked like.

Caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms. Simply slice, add a tbs of oil to your skillet, and  sprinkle some sea salt and garlic if you'd like.  Turn up the heat to medium high. They are done in just minutes (when they have a bit of caramel color to them but still a little crunch)

 Baked Tilapia (a small drizzle of oil on each fillet, freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic salt, sea salt and pepper-baked at 400 for about 15min).

Served with a bed of Jasmine rice (my fav!), roasted brussels sprouts, and caramelized onions and mushrooms.

A delicious, low calorie meal packed with nutrients and protein!

Give them a try!

-Jenny

Related Links:

Health Benefits of Brussels Sprouts

11 Health Benefits of Brussels Sprouts

Take Heart

Yesterday was a good day! but for most of the day I felt…flat lined. I’ve had these days before where I’m not necessarily in a bad mood or good mood but just there. Ever have one of those days? I don’t mind them, but sometimes they can start me down the wrong path to a not so great week. So, for those of you having one of those days, the word of encouragement that I got was this:

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

It felt like something I should share and leave it at that.

Daspri

Decorating With Color

I am a HUGE fan of color. Plain and simple, it just makes me happy.

I am working on changing our living room, which I am quite excited about. It was time for a change. Change is good.

One super easy and affordable way to bring some color and change into your space is with throw pillows.  Now, store bought throw pillows can be crazy expensive (at least they are to me) and I can't always find what I am looking for.  So, I opt for making my mine.

 First, go fabric shopping, which I love! There are so many great choices out there. I wanted to bring in a few new colors to our living room, the cobalt blue and red.  I wanted something that also had a few of the other colors in our living room too, so this fabric was perfect. I am also loving this fabric choice for my pop of red.

Next, take your measurements and start cutting. Is it weird that I love the crunch sound that a good pair of sharp scissors makes when cutting fabric?
I do things a bit unconventionally and don't actually measure to cut. I lay my pillow insert on top of the fabric (inside out), fold the fabric over and then make my cut allowing about a 1/2 inch for the seam. That way, the puffiness of the pillow insert is accounted for and I have one side of the pillow that is the fold and does not need sewn.

Then, you simply crank up the ole' sewing machine and make start stitching those straight lines, leaving one side open to insert your pillow.
After I have sewn with a straight stitch, I like to cut off any excess and then go back over it with a zig zag stitch to finish the edges.

Next, insert your pillow. Take your unfinished side and fold the material inward making a nice seam. Pin it and sew.

Voila!

 I am really excited about how they look and I can't wait to show you the rest of our living room!
As you can see, I purposefully took and cropped these photos so you could only see the couch, not above or beside!
It's a surprise.

Don't be afraid of color. It wants to be your friend.
Embrace mixing bold patterns. You will be pleasantly surprised. :)
-Jenny

UPDATE: I forgot to mention my fabulous chevron pillows! Daspri gave them to at Christmas and I super excited about them. You can find them right now at Hobby Lobby.

DiY Decorative Glass Bottles/Coffee Mugs (Sharpie)

Okay friends, we have all seen the numerous posts about using any ole' Sharpie marker to write/draw on a coffee mug or plate. Am I right?
Well, I have tried this....a few times. It works okay for a mug that will be very gently used and definitely not washed in the dishwasher or scrubbed. And that's okay with me for a mug for myself, but necessarily for a gift for someone else. I hate the thought of their gift being accidently thrown into the dishwasher and therefore, ruined.
I even bought some specialty markers online that are meant for this type of thing and claim to be dishwasher safe.
NOT!
They do wear better with the hand washing and scrubbing but they do not handle the dishwasher well at all.  They were also not as easy to work with because they resembled a paint pen; not near as smooth as a Sharpie. 
Then, I came across this little tip on Pinterest. 
I was pretty excited to find this and then my husband actually bought me some oil based Sharpie's with all of my other fun art supplies at Christmas! It was meant to be!

 

So, here are the little beauties. Mine are metallic colors, but you can buy them in all sorts of colors. These are meant for many different surfaces (wood, glass, metal) and they are fade-resistant and water proof.

 

These are the bottles that I decorated and used for the natural scented lotion I made. 

It is as easy as it sounds. 

First, you simply take your oil based Sharpie and begin writing or drawing on your bottle or mug.

Second, you need to let your mug/bottle dry for 24 hours. So, set it down and walk away. ;)

DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. THEY MUST DRY FOR 24 HOURS IN ORDER TO SURVIVE THE DISHWASHER.

And last, you will place your mug or bottle into the oven first. Then, you will turn your oven on and set it to 350 degrees.

*Do not turn the oven on before putting your mug/bottle in it. You want them to warm up with your oven.

Once your oven is preheated at 350 degrees, set your timer for 30 minutes.

When the 30 minutes is up, turn your oven off but leave the mug/bottles in the oven until they are cool.

I grabbed a mug from our collection just for fun. I really like how it turned out. And guess what?! 

It survived the dishwasher!

Go grab some cheap coffee mugs, bottles, etc and let your imagination run wild!

-Jenny