The Sauce Boss!

A while back I stumbled upon an article about Giada De Laurentiis being the "Sauce Boss" of the food network. I watched her sauce being made and instantly wanted some. I've really been excited about canning my own stuff lately...just the thought of knowing exactly whats in the food I'm giving my kids is exciting. What's even more exciting is the feeling of accomplishment when I pull it out of the pantry. I decided to give it a try last night. I changed the recipe up a bit, and made it my own. This will make 4 perfectly filled to the rim Ball Jars of sauce.

Recipe:

1cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped (you can do a whole green pepper if you like peppers!)
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (I used Meijer Naturals)
3 dried bay leaves
 
In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. (At this point your eyes will really be watering and your whole house will smell of onion and garlic!)
 Add the green pepper, carrots, and salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste if needed...I didn't find it needed. Can sauce and you are done!

The rest of these instructions are for those that are new to canning...if you know how to can, then you can skip this!
Pour sauce into Ball Jars. The easiest way to do this is to buy a cheap 60 cent funnel. It makes it way less messy! If you don't have a super tall pot, tighten jar lids as tight as possible. Lay jars on their side in the casserole pot for 5 minutes each in boiling water. Take out of water using cannong tongs or some other method...don't attempt with your bare hands...they will be HOT! The lids should not pop up and down. If they don't, success! You've canned your sauce.

do it yourself: Crayon Monogram

I was recently in need of a project for a special person in the boys lives. I decided to try a DIY project I saw online a while back on pinterest. Man am I loving pinterest. It is way too fun to find and take on new projects! 
Here is my inspiration photo: 

  

Now, this person is way crafty...with their fancy xacto cuts and perfectly straight lines. Part of my project was done while a 3 year old constantly asked why we were beaking crayons ON PURPOSE?! and the other half was just me getting angry at the xacto knife for not making perfectly even cuts and cutting my hand.

Either way, I think it turned out pretty darn good for a person with pretty much no artistic talent. I like to think stuff up, and I feel like I know a little bit about art when it comes to being behind the lens...glue on the other hand? Not really my thing. 

For this project we used a box of crayons, a frame from IKEA, a piece of photo paper, and a hot glue gun. Total cost on this was about $6. I'm not going to say it was easy...but I think R is kinda hard. Once I figured out what I was doing though, it all started coming together. Here are my results...I hope I make my super crafty sister proud! ;)

do-it-yourself: Bookshelves

These are my boys...

they love books. I wanted to find a way to make Ethan's books easily accessible to him in his new big boy room. I started searching the internet for options that wouldnt take up his whole room with a bookshelf. We don't have a ton of space in this room and I didn't want something huge that could easily take over his room.

 

I came across this online and thought it was pretty great. No big bulky shelves or bookcases taking up the whole room. Even better? These are IKEA shelves. This meant not only a cheap project, but a trip to one of my favorite places and cinnamon rolls. Oh how we love the cinnamon rolls!

So off to IKEA I went. I purchased three of the larger Ribba shelves from IKEA at $14.99 each. Total project was $45 and a little sweat from my hubby. Besides, who doesn't love watching their hubby break a sweat? ;)

Here's our finished project, I LOVE them. Thanks hubby!!

Michigan Summer Days...

Well since the last time I wrote was May, I guess you can tell it's summer in Michigan. Summer in Michigan just happens to be my favorite time of year to live here. There are SO many fun things to do, the lakes, the wineries, the campgrounds, farmers markets, oh I could go on and on.

A little update, We've just been enjoying the summer months as much as possible! We've had a few bonfires, played at Meijer Gardens, camped in Mackinaw City, and Pretty Lake, Pool parties at Grandma's house, Vacation Bible School, and lots more!

Ethan just turned three last month, and he's just as spunky as ever. He loves tractors, especially John Deere and anything that goes fast. :) He is currently taking a sports class at the YMCA every Thursday where he gets to learn a new sport every week. He loves it so far and hates when it ends each week!

Nolan is learning new things every day. While we are still working on asking nicely and not yelling (he's a screamer!) He is saying lots of new things. He loves anything cuddly, blankies, teddies, monkey, daddy. :) Pretty much anything that ends in -y.

I've really been enjoying trying to get healthier these days and have been working on my fitness a lot. Ian is kind enough to not pick on me too much when I'm trying out new Pilates moves. I've also been trying to incorporate cleaner eating. While we do indulge in some non-healthy treats every now and then, overall I think we are all eating a little better these days! I'm buying more organic products, and really reading labels to make sure we aren't taking in unnecessary junk! I'm going to try and start posting some healthier treats and recipes as I learn to make them!

Happy Summer!

A lovely little product review: Rainwater Botanicals Natural Sunscreen

Have I said how much I love Etsy? I love it. I have searched and searched in trying to find a natural sunblock for my kids that doesn't cost $20 for 3 oz. Why oh why must we pay more to keep our kids from wearing chemicals and unnatural, unneeded ingredients? I just don't understand. I think natural should be the norm. But hey, what do I know?
I came upon this lovely little shop on Etsy, and decided to try their sunscreen. First off, it smells amazing. It goes on easy, it's not at all hard to rub in like some are. We were out in the HOT southern sun in Tennessee and I lathered some on the boys. They didn't get a hint of color at all! I started to feel my feet getting hot, and normally end up with bright red feet and lines where my flip-flops sit. Awesome look by the way. I lathered some on my feet, and not a touch of color at all. This stuff works. It protects that chubby white baby skin, and it does it safely. I can't wait to order more when we run out. Oh yeah, the price is AFFORDABLE! Whoo hoo!

See the product HERE.

A lovely little product review: mrs jones Laundry Detergent/Fabric Softner

This week I purchased some all-natural laundry detergent from an etsy store. I have been really searching for new ways to bring less chemicals and un-natural ingredients into my children’s lives, especially when it goes on or near their skin.
I found a lovely little store selling a lot of fun household products. I decided to try the laundry detergent. It shipped AMAZINGLY fast, and even came with a little sample of soft cleaning scrub! Opening the box I immediately smelled the lovely scent. It smells SO good!
The detergent does not suds up when you put it in the water, so at first I thought, how good can it really clean? Our clothes came out very clean and very soft, with no static right out of the dryer! Yeah! No more laundry sheets, fabric softner, and detergent. When your jar runs low, you simply buy a refill bag, at half the cost of the original purchase price of the glass jar. I’m pretty sure it ends up being less per load than the tide free and clear I was previously buying.
There are only four ingredients, coconut & citronella soap, borax, washing soda, baking soda. It smells amazing, as does my entire laundry room now…bonus! It’s affordable, and safe for my kids. I give this product an A+.
See the product here

Recipe: Corn Bread Taco Bake

mmm. After giving you the recipe for the oh-so-not-healthy but Yummy deep dish pizza, I felt compelled to do a little bit healthier recipe. We just tried this out last night, and all three of the Ball boys LOVED it. I think it will become a part of our monthly routine. I hope you like it!

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 (1 1/8 ounce) pkg taco seasoning  
1/2 cup water 
1/2 cup chopped green pepper 
1 cup sweet whole kernel corn
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 
1 (8 1/2 ounce) package corn muffin mix 
1 (2.8 ounce) can french fried onions 
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In skillet, brown meat; drain. Return meat to skillet, stir in taco seasoning, water, corn, green pepper, and tomato sauce. Pour into 2-quart casserole. In separate bowl, prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions, except add 1/2 can french fried onions. Spoon corn muffin mix on top of casserole and spread to edges. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Top corn bread with cheese and remaining fried onions and bake 3 minutes more. Serve with taco sauce and salad, or chips and salsa.

Serves 6-8 people.
Number of Servings: 8

Recipe: Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza

Warning: This is not a low-fat dish. It doesn't matter how you slice it. :)

1 Pie crust or pizza crust for a thicker crust (You can also make homemade crust if you have time. Around here though, we go for quick.)
1 jar pizza sauce
1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian sausage
Pepperoni
Green olives
Ham

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a greased baking dish.I used a pie dish, you can also use a 9x13 if you want square, it just may not be as deep. 
2. Lightly butter the crust and sprinkle garlic salt on butter. YUM.
3. Pour a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of the crust.
4. Crumble the sausage into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle over the sauce in crust. Add 1/2 of any other toppings you would like to include. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly.
5. Add another layer of toppings, sprinkle with garlic salt.
6. Cover with final layer of sauce, and cheese if you prefer cheese on top (Typical Chicago style is sauce on top, but some people like a little extra cheese).
7. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool, this will prevent a runny sauce.
8.  ENJOY! :)

Recipe: White Chicken Chili

Okay ladies, without making you wait any longer, the official recipe for White Chicken Chili. This is quite possibly the easiest recipe you will ever make. Seriously, throw it all in and you are done! Enjoy! Sorry, no yummy photos to drool over, you will have to just make and take your own pictures. :)

1 Large can Salsa (Hot, Medium, or mild, any will do)
1 Large jar Northern Beans (These may be hard to find the first time, they are near the baked beans, and in a large glass gar with a red/white label, white beans.)
1-2 bricks Pepper jack or Monterey jack Cheese. We use Pepperjack cheese to make it a little spicier. Shred or slice into small pieces.
2 Cans Cut up chunk chicken (Or you can cook and cut up your own chicken, but for us busy people, canned is much quicker!)
1 teaspoon cumin (optional spice)
Salt and pepper

Mix all together in a stock pot on the stove. Chili is done when cheese is completely melted! Easy-Peasy! :)

Etsy!

So I know my last post was about burp rags and this post sort of is too, but it's exciting! I've got a new shop up and running on Etsy.com. Please visit it here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyMamaMade
Here's a preview:

I am so excited to be able to share some of the fun, cozy prints I've been sewing up! The toddler/baby blanket is my favorite, and my boys let me I'd probably use it on our stroller...but it's a bit girly for them I'm sure!

I'll be posting more items as I get new fabrics and continue to find time to make new projects, so check back often!!!!

Homemade: Burp Rags!

I found a pattern for burp rags online and decided to give it a go. I bought some fun girly prints, as I'm always subject to boy prints! I thought I'd sell or give these away to friends with girls. The instructions are easy enough. I think it really depends on the fabric. Is it just me or is minky fabric SO hard to work with? It moves all over the place!
Here are the instructions:

• Cut a square, or rectangle of  two pieces of fabric. One side can be 100% cotton or fleece fabric, backed with pretty much any type of cozy fabric including Minky, terry, or chenille fabric. A pretty standard size is 9x16.
• Put the right sides together and sew a straight stitch all the way around, leaving a 2-3 inch gap. 
• Turn inside out.
• Iron fabric, fold in gap you left open.
• Top stitch all the way around. This will close your burp cloth in the section that was left open as well.
• Done!

FYI I found it very hard to work with minky fabric, it was SO silky, it moves around a lot. My next batch, I am going to try terry or chenille. I think it may be a LOT easier to work with!

Here's what I ended up with. I plan to improve and make more throughout the year in lots of fun prints, and maybe, just maybe do a craft show with some blankets, burp rags, and washcloths/wipes in the fall!

Homemade: Baby wipes and washcloths!

A while back when Ethan was born I made some handmade washcloths and burp rags, and they work great for just about everything. I decided to revisit it, and make some wipes and washcloths again. Homemade wipes are awesome because you can use them for just about everything. We use so much less paper towel. We use them to wash the counter in the kitchen, wipe messy faces and hands, and now will be using them as wipes when our cloth diapers come. Here's a picture of my started collection, that I'm sure will grow when I get to the fabric store again!

After finishing the wipes I made a solution to put the wipes in. I just used an old wipes case, filled with the solution, then put the wipes in and made sure they were all soaked. I've been told they will stay good without molding or stinking or anything for 5-7 days! I'm sure we will go thru them by then anyway.



Wipes solution:
2.5 cups water
2 teaspoons baby wash  or soap, any brand will do
1 tablespoon baby oil

This was a pretty simple project, and I'm sure will save us some money down the road!

Recipe: Pioneer Woman's Mac and Cheese

We tried a new recipe this week and I wanted to share it! It was SO easy to make. Just a few extra minutes for cutting up veggies and you can go from making boxed macaroni, to making this amazing version of mac and cheese!Way healthier for your family...okay maybe not the heavy cream involved...but the fresh ingredients, YUM.
4 out of 5 stars, rated by the hubby!
Here are our pics:

P.W.’s Spicy Macaroni & Cheese

4 cups cooked macaroni or cavatappi
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 finely diced red onion
Equal amount diced red bell pepper
1 finely diced jalapeno
1 4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 cup frozen corn
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup cream
1 generous cup grated Pepper Jack cheese
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper

Boil pasta until al dente. In a large skillet, add olive oil and saute garlic and vegetables over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add in canned chilies and stir around, then turn off heat. Drain pasta and add it to skillet. Pour on cream, add cheese, then add salt and pepper to taste and stir gently. At the end, add 2 tablespoons butter and stir again. Check seasonings and serve.

Serve with juicy steak, with grilled shrimp, chicken, or on its own. It’ll change your life for the better.

Here's to not making NEW Years resolutions, but Year long resolutions...

I hate New Year's Resolutions. In fact I think they're stupid. Resolutions are really what you pledge to do that you didn't have motivation to do the rest of the year. So I'm not making one!

Throughout the year I like to think of things I'd like to change in my life, and I try to be better at those things. I don't always follow through...but I try. Trying is something and I'm going to pat myself on the back for those tries.

My wishes so far for this year are:
Learn to be more patient (if that's even possible!)
Learn to cook better, healthier, more natural meals for my family
Learn as much as I can about becoming a more "green" family.
Devote more time to our health and well being.
Devote more time to God and our home church.

I've already started off cooking better. Tonight, home made mac and cheese with lots of veggies. So much healthier for my family than the kind that comes in a box, processed cheese?? No thanks. And guess what? It was EASY!!! A few extra minutes to cut up some veggies and that was it. I also drank water all day, no Soda!! I feel accomplished.

After dinner and putting my boys to bed, I did Jillian Michaels 30 DAY SHRED. I didn't want to do it. I'm tired, and the Bachelor is on...but I did it...and guess what, I feel so glad that I did.

This afternoon I ordered some cloth diapers for Nolan. I've always wanted to try it, but never thought I'd have enough time to put in the effort. Now I'm making the effort and time!!

So here's to a new year, a healthy outlook on life and small, everyday life accomplishments that add up to big ones!!!