chicken marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice (I actually used lime)
2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced

Marinate chicken in fridge for at least 3 hours before grilling/cooking

Enjoy! {yum yum!}

another Krud Kutter miracle

Krud Kutter does it again!!! It got licorice out of our carpet without leaving a trace. AMAZING!!! Cam got some black licorice (whole other story) and left traces of it all over our carpet then proceeded to step on it. It was in there good....until Krud Kutter came to the rescue! Only wish I had taken before and after photos!

bathroom cleaning

(If only this was my bathroom!) :)

Here are some cleaning tips I have used and have found helpful and productive. Hope they help you too!

First and foremost always keep disinfectant wipes in the bathroom for quick, easy cleaning.

Sink:
For light stains, rub w/fresh cut lemon
For dark stains (like rust) scrub with a paste of borax and lemon juice
To freshen drain, pour 1/4-1/2 box of baking soda down the drain, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Pull up drain plug and let sit for a fee minutes. Flush with cold water

Toilet bowl:
Keep toilet bowl ring-free by pouring a half-gallon of white vinegar in it once a month. Let it soak overnight before flushing
Pour 1/4 cup bleach in toilet before leaving. Let sit while you're gone (don't forget to NOT use bleach when cleaning if you have a tank-held cleaner that's released when flushed. The two may react chemically)
To help w/odors, pour one cup of baking soda down the bowl weekly

Smell/odors:
Place fabric softener sheet in the trash can or a dab of fragrance on a light bulb for immediate fragrance boost

Shower curtain:
Before hanging shower curtain, soak in salt water solution to prevent mildew
For plastic curtains, spray with pre-wash spray at the top & let drip/run down to cover curtain. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then rinse it off.

Orzo w/Feta & Tomatoes

3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I just chopped up Roma tomatoes)
1/2 cup chopped dill (this would be yummy but I left it out because I didn't have it on hand)
1 tsp grated lemon zest (I used lemon juice instead)
1 cup orzo (I used angel hair)
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta (6oz)

Toss together oil, tomatoes, dill, zest and 1/2 tsp of salt & pepper each in a large serving bowl. Let stand at least ten minutes.

Meanwhile, cook orzo in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (1 1/2 Tbs salt for 4 quarts water) until al dente.

Drain orzo and toss with tomato mixture. Add feta and toss again.

The tomatoes in this photo are from this recipe.

Hair Straightener + ironing =

Making my life simpler!

Some smaller items such as childrens' clothes can be more difficult to iron. Yes, I iron my girls clothes. Not all of them but there are a couple dresses that I prefer the ties to be flat or the front flips up which drives me crazy. I have recently discovered a great way to get the job done without having to break out the ironing board and iron every time. Use a hair straightener! This has made my ironing SO much more simple and fast!

I still use the big iron for the few shirts and skirts that need ironing between Ty and I but I break out the straightener for the girls clothes and use it to get in-between the buttons on any button up shirt.

Hope this helps some of you obsessive ironers the same way it helped me!

H.E.Y!!!!

A "HEY" snack or meal is a Healthy, Easy, Yummy snack/meal....everyones favorite combination! :)


Broiled Tomatoes w/feta cheese

Cut desired number of roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. Season each half with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and crumbled Feta cheese. Drizzle with Fat Free Catalina Dressing. Last, top it with dried or fresh basil. Broil it 3 in from the bottom for 3 minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Remove and let stand for 1-2 minutes and ENJOY!!!!!

Other items you can use to top tomatoes: bacon bits, diced cucumber, black olives, fresh cilantro, whatever your heart desires!!!!

i am a mother. i am me.

i just finished watching Julie & Julia. i cried at the end. ok, truth be told i got choked up several times throughout the movie, although the few glistening tears weren't shed until the end.

so many thoughts are going through my head, some that contradict the next, that i can hardly keep them straight.

i love being a mother. the book "i am a mother" is a favorite of mine. i read it often and it always helps remind me how blessed i am. i wouldn't trade it for the world....but there are moments when i wish i was more than just a mother. i wish when the girls were tucked away in their beds that i could turn into someone else for a bit. a wonderful writer, a phenomenal cook, an excellent blogger, a brilliant seamstress, etc. what is stopping me really? i certainly have the support from my AMAZING husband. i have the ability to learn a talent and begin to perfect it but i suppose it is the determination i lack. or the fear of failure. yes, i think that is it more than anything else. why is it that fear can be so paralyzing? stopping you in your tracks from accomplishing something worth your while?

i like to blame not accomplishing things on lack of time, that seems to be my choice of excuse, but in all actuality i suppose it is fear far more than time. i could make the time. i will make the time.

first, i must organize myself. there is nothing i hate more than feeling unorganized. i have a hard time working or enjoying myself in a messy environment. (this may come as a shock to some who have seen my house, but none the less, it is true) :)

yes, i will focus on organization for awhile. and continue to blog. whether people are reading or not is not relevant, what is important is that i feel accomplished. i have an escape from reality for a bit. and that i feel i am not ONLY a mother. but oh so much more. i'm still....me.