Green Thumb? Let's Hope!

So, I'm trying my hand at making things grow!  All I want are some simple treasures for my kitchen...Cilantro (for chicken, pork, fish, mmmm), Basil (spaghetti sauce!) and Mint (for a yummy "Nojito").  Is that too much to ask?

We're on day two, and no signs of life just yet.  Birds have been visiting my porch.  Hopefully there are still some seeds left in my little containers!

Yummy "Nojito" recipe.  Thanks to Gina at Skinny Taste

Nojito
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 1 • Serving Size: 1 tall glass • Points: 0 pts with Splenda, 1 pt with sugar
Calories: 58.5 • Fat: 0.1 g • Protein: 0.5 g • Carb: 15.2 g • Fiber: 0.9 g  

• 10-12 fresh small spearmint leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 7 oz sprite zero or club soda
• 1 tbsp sugar or Splenda
• crushed ice

In a cool tall glass, muddle the mint, sugar or splenda and lime juice. Add crushed ice and soda and stir well. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few sprigs of mint. Servewith a straw.

Plastic Lid Organizer for Kitchen

Today while putting away dishes, I was greeted by a waterfall of plastic lids.
I try and repurpose all of the plastic butter/sour cream containers that we use in the hopes of saving them from landfills. However, that good deed comes with a weighty price!

 After the cascade of lids, I decided to make them a safe haven. I did so out of a cereal box that I had been holding on to. I cut the cereal box, leaving about 4 inches at the bottom. Then from the part of the box I wasn't going to use, I cut a piece to place in the bottom to reinforce it. I used mod podge to cover the box and placed scrapbook paper on top of that. I also used mod podge on top of the scrapbook paper to finish it off.

FROM THIS......

 After all that, it turned out super cute. The lids are all happy being together and I am happy with a little less clutter!

TO THIS....

Oven Baked Grilled Cheese

For some reason today I really wanted a lunch suited for a 6 year old - grilled cheese and chocolate milk.
 I don't ever recall having that for lunch, but it sounded tasty. 

Since today is officially my first day home with 4 children (school's out:), I figured grilled cheese would be a super easy lunch to make....but wouldn't it be easier to make if I could fix them all up at one time?  So.....I did!  Why didn't anyone ever tell me about this?  They were golden, gooey and delicious!  I didn't even get to take a picture because everyone ate them up so fast!  Next time.  But they pretty much looked like this.....

So, I made the sandwiches and buttered the edges and the crust so that they wouldn't burn.  Put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, turned the oven on to 450F, then baked all 6 sandwiches for 7 minutes total.  The tops and bottoms were done perfectly.

You may have to keep an eye on yours the first go 'round, since all ovens are different and yours may cook your bottom first, and you may have to flip them over.

Happy lunching!

Garden Veggie Spaghetti

I can't believe how good this sauce is AND how easy it was!  I packed so many veggies in this recipe, that I think the 3 tablespoons of brown sugar I added will be forgiven ;)

Ingredients

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 zucchini, grated

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 carrots, grated

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried basil

2 tsp cornstarch (optional)
3 tbsp brown sugar

(3) 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes - Puree 2 cans in a blender

2 tbsp canola oil

Let's Start:

1. Over medium heat saute onions and minced garlic in canola oil until softened. (You can use olive oil if you like.  I don't like the chemistry that happens at high temps with olive oil)
2. Add the dried basil, garlic powder and onion powder and cook for about 2 minutes just to help flavor the oil.
3. Add the zucchini, carrots, and bell pepper and stir it up!
4. Then add the tomatoes and the brown sugar, stir well
5. Add the cornstarch (optional).  I like my sauce a little thicker, so I added it.
6. Let cook together over medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn down to low for another 15-20 minutes.

This makes about 50 oz of sauce - so be ready to package it up :)

Bored? Not anymore!

Last day of school!  Tomorrow, the madness starts!  Three school-age children (9 yoss, 12 yoss, 15 yosd) and a 1 yos.  *whew*  I believe tomorrow our plan is to make our summer schedule for the week.

And if your children are anything like mine, their favorite phrase is, "I'm booooored!".
Well, I've got an App...errrrr...solution for that.

Materials:

60 Craft Sticks - not popsicle sticks, the wider ones that look like tongue depressors (Target, $1.99)

10 oz glass jar (mine used to hold salsa - FREE)

Scrap book paper (8.5" x 11" book of paper from Michaels, $19.99 - used a mobile digital coupon too for 20% off)

I printed ideas for the sticks from ShabbyBeachNest.com (Thanks!) and I chose to only use the ones that the kids could do right away, using materials I already have on hand.  I didn't want them to chose an activity and then be disappointed that we are missing one component!