How to Make a Smoothie

Did you know there are actually restaurants that only sell smoothies? I still haven’t figured that one out. I’ve never been to one, as I’ve heard they’re pretty expensive. To me, it would sorta be like drinking my money, all blended up. Do you know where that money has been? Eww! Also, I think those smoothies are supposed to sometimes stand in as your meal. What is THAT about? Only a smoothie to eat? Man, I need something else with my drink, like cereal, toast, or waffles. Man cannot live on smoothie alone. I make great smoothies at home, using whatever we have on hand. You can do it too, because it’s SO easy! I’ll go step by step, giving you ideas so you can create your own custom smoothie, and for heaven’s sake please eat a biscuit with it.
For this demonstration, I made Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothies. Those are two ingredients that are just meant to be together. Soul mates! These are the ingredients that I used if you want to make one just like me (awwww, flattery!): two bananas, two tablespoons of peanut butter, ¼ cup dry milk, two tablespoons wheat germ, one cup of yogurt, and a handful of ice cubes. This made enough for two smoothies, so if you only want one you’d cut it in half – genius, right? [Read more…]

How to Cut Butternut Squash

Ya know, I’m not very fond of winter. I hate being cold. I go into “shut down mode,” which leaves me balled up on the couch, surrounded by blankets, while I shiver and cry because I hate being cold. Thankfully this year Annie is on the move, so I should stay warm from running all over the house after her……right? Anyway, I know that when it starts turning cold that butternut squash are going to be ready, and that almost makes up for it. I love butternut squash! Annie loves it too! Last year my dad planted several and we enjoyed feeding them to Annie. I enjoyed eating them myself. I like to think that this year he planted more for me, but I’m not stupid. I know it’s all about Annie now. I’m chopped liver. Who cares? As long as he grows them and I get to eat them, I’m happy. Have you ever cooked one? Does it look intimidating? I used to think so, but now I cut them up with ease. It really doesn’t take a lot of time or effort…..and the payoff is amazing! So, let me show you how to cut one so you can enjoy them this season. If your dad didn’t grow any for your 16 month old, then you can pick them up at your local produce market – and they’re cheap! [Read more…]

Where’s the Beef??

So, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. All the beef recipes that I posted? Yeah, well……they weren’t made with beef in our house. Okay, there! Whew! I feel so much better. Confession is good for the soul. Barry is a deer hunter, so I always have a good stock of venison in my freezer. Yum! I grew up eating it, even though my daddy is a cattle farmer, so it’s what I am accustomed to. I use ground beef if I know someone who is coming to dinner would throw their meal up if they found out what it was. Or, if the president of PETA was coming to dinner I’d probably use beef. Oh wait….that’s not right either. Tofu? [Read more…]

Easy Ground Beef #5 – Beef and Potatoes

This is a good ole recipe. One for those people (aka – men) in your life that only eat meat and potatoes. Hi Daddy! It calls for a topping of brown gravy. Barry always sings “Gravy Love! My Gravy Love! I need ya, oh how I need ya love!” That’s how we feel about gravy in this house. You can put brown gravy on anything and instantly make it a delicious dish. Heck, I like eating it straight out of the pan with a spoon.  I am not ashamed.  Don’t point fingers because I know you do it too. So, let’s make this last ground beef recipe for the week and please all our men folk. [Read more…]

Easy Ground Beef #4 – Mini Meatloaves

I love a good meatloaf. Notice I said, GOOD meatloaf. Honey, I’ve been to some potluck suppers where meatloaf was served and it could have been a hockey puck…..a door stop……a fruitcake.  My Mama makes the BEST meatloaf. It’s also so nice and dense, yet perfectly moist.I like trying different recipes, so I don’t think I’ve ever tried the same meatloaf recipe twice…..but I have made them this way several times – in muffin cups. They make a nice little serving size so there is no cutting required. Nice!For some reason, some kids are scared of meatloaf. I have no clue why. I guess any food described as “loaf” could be scary. But, I think if you make them this way and each child has their own little loaf, then it might not be so bad……especially since there is salsa and cheese involved. Or ketchup. Even if they don’t like it, you can disguise it with ketchup. Ketchup –  disguising meatloaf since 1924. [Read more…]

Easy Ground Beef #3 – Hamburger Stroganoff

You can do so much with ground beef. My mind is just full of all the possibilities! This original recipe called for strips of beef, but I decided to change it up a bit and use ground beef instead. The result was amazing. Even Annie liked it! She isn’t much for ground beef, so that made it especially exciting to me. Isn’t it funny how your life changes when you have a child? When your kids eat, you feel like you need to dance the polka in the kitchen. This recipe is so easy and it tastes divine. Let’s dance the polka, shall we? [Read more…]

Easy Ground Beef #2 – Mac and Cheese Pizza

***UPDATE – See this post about our new eating habits. (7/10/11)

If two things are awesome and you put them together, it equals maximum awesomeness. Macaroni and cheese…….pizza. Glory! Put them together and it must equal wedded bliss. And it was, oh my it was! I should start pairing more things together. If I like both things, then it should work out, right? Peanut butter and banana, cereal and yogurt, ham and cheese, green beans and ketchup. Ok, something just came to mind that cancelled out that previous thought. Two things you like separately DO NOT always work out together. Once I tried to make Shrimp Pot Pie. Let me just tell you now, that was not my brightest moment in the kitchen. I still have nightmares about that dish. Now that I’ve sufficiently gagged you, let’s make an easy ground beef recipe that proves two awesome things CAN go together and be even more awesome – Mac and Cheese Pizza! [Read more…]

Easy Ground Beef #1 – Creamy, Meaty Rotini

I was asked to do some recipes for ground beef that were easy and quick. So, I’m taking this week and dedicating it to ground beef. Beef! It’s what’s for dinner! Where’s the beef? This is sort of a Stacy original. I used a recipe from Taste of Home as a base, and went from there. I didn’t have all the ingredients that it called for, so I improvised……I didn’t follow the recipe. Don’t shoot me or turn me in to Martha Stewart. If you shoot me, you may end up in prison WITH Martha Stewart. You can do so many things with ground beef. I grew up on a cattle farm, so we’ve always had beef in abundance. I’ve never had to buy it at the store, but I hear it’s pretty cheap as far as meat is concerned. So, let’s make a cheap meal shall we? [Read more…]

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

Meet Ruth and Rebecca. They’re expert laundry soap makers. Why are you seeing their photo? Well, because I tried making some laundry soap at home and it was a total dud. I mean, it was the duddiest of the duds. I got mad. This should be something I can do, right? Well, my soap chunked up and became almost un-stirrable. It was sad. I was sad. I was mostly mad though. I hate when I mess something up. So, I contacted Rebecca because I knew she made her own laundry detergent with her mom. I asked if I could come over and take photos to find out what I was doing wrong. Well, I wasn’t adding the same amounts of stuff that they were. Turns out that not everything you read on the internet is true. GASP! Sorry Al Gore. So, here is the story of the soap – the right way. [Read more…]

Homemade Powder Laundry Detergent

I had been wanting to make my own laundry detergent for a while….but being busy with Annie and other things kept me from it. However, when a reader asked me to write about the process, it was the shove that I needed – but in a good way, not like a shove off a cliff. The verdict? I really, really like it. It gets everything super clean and at a fraction of the cost of store-bought detergent. My mom and I have been using it and we’re both fans. I think when I empty out the last of my stash, I’ll only be using homemade detergent.  From what I can tell with my mad math skills and reading on the internet, this soap costs about $.05-10 per load, give or take. Most laundry detergents from the store cost around $.20+ per load. That’s a winner for me! Let’s get clean, y’all.
To make this powder detergent, you’ll need Washing Soda, Fels Naptha Bar Soap, and Borax. That’s it. You know how I feel about Borax.  So, all this stuff can be bought at Kroger. Strangely, the Fels Naptha Soap isn’t with the regular soap at my Kroger…..it’s with the mops. Tell me how THAT makes sense? The Arm and Hammer Washing Soda was on the top shelf near the Borax. A good source (thanks Rebecca!) tells me that these items can also be found at Food City. If you can’t find them at either store, you might be able to find them at a hardware store. Ivory soap can also be used, but Fels Naptha is really great for getting clothes clean. You can also use it as a pre-treater and just rub the soap right on the stain. Nice! [Read more…]