Crystal Light Containers

I had shown these containers in a previous post that discussed repurposing containers. So many great ideas out there!

These Crystal Light containers are my favorite because they are tall and slim. They stack easily, too. Many containers I have are short, wide, and take up a lot of space. 

I use them in the kitchen to store dry goods. There are great ideas using them in the office, workshop, craft room, etc. There are great ways to paint them, cover them with contact paper, washi tape, and other materials. 

The dry goods I currently store in these containers are sunflower seeds, bulgar, and sliced almonds. 

Looks like I'm running low on sunflower seeds!

Badge Protection Hack

Many organizations require employees to wear a badge for identification purposes. It serves as a safety measure to ensure who belongs in that location. 

Going through the daily tasks of a job can result in a beat up lanyard and badge. Here is a solution to keep your badge clean and free from scuffs: a luggage tag holder. 

Make sure the luggage tag holder has a clear window. Mine has a clear window front and a leather back. My current workplace does not have a double sided badge. For those who require this, there are fully clear luggage tag holders. 

Place the badge inside with the photo identification visible through the clear plastic. I flipped mine over for this post because much like my driver's license, my badge photo is not the most flattering. 

Attach the lanyard to the luggage tag holder and the badge will be protected! 

This is a fun way to jazz up the ubiquitous badge. Having an interesting luggage tag holder can also be fodder for water cooler conversation as well. It may break the ice with someone who will become important to you. 

Hot Peppercorns

One of my husband's relatives went back to Africa to visit recently. Upon his return, comforts from home were brought to our house. 

One of these comforts was a package of hot peppercorns that is sure to spice up anything. 

I was advised that the best way to use it and store it is by making a paste. I ground the peppercorns and then added water. Soon a paste was made and stored in the fridge. 

We've been able to add it to sauces and other food to kick it up a notch (read: several notches). 

It is amazing what you find out in God's big world!

Healthy Breakfast

I have found that the individual packs of oatmeal are more expensive and more sugary. I have resorted to buying quick oats or steel cut oats. 

It is just as fast as the individual packs because the longest part of the prep is the hot water. I posted recently and showed a Starbucks oatmeal DIY.

This time, I switched it up by adding chopped pecans and agave syrup to the oatmeal. Since I was already boiling water, I added a cup of hot mint tea as a side kick. 

Quick, easy, yummy, and budget friendly!

Smelly Shoes Solution

My husband is such an amazing man. I respect him so much for his admirable and noble traits. He's kind, athletic, and funny. 

Let's stay with athletic for a moment. He's a soccer player which involves a lot of running which involves a lot of shoes which involves a lot of sweat which involves odor. [I've been practicing the 5 whys developed by Toyota's Taiichi Ohno.]

In need of a solution for stinky shoes, aside throwing them out and buying all new, I came across the Homemade Experiment that posted a solution for eliminating shoe odor. The solution? Tea bags!

The good news is that we are not short on tea in our home (see more about couponing adventures for tea: here and here).

The procedure is so simple I dare not make it out to sound like a procedure. Place 1 or 2 tea bags in each offensive shoe. Leave the tea bags in the shoes for 24 hours or so. It works better if the subject shoes are stored in a dry place. 

Update: 3 days later the shoes smell a lot better. A little like tea, but a lot better! The tea bags did not take on the shoe odor. 

Repurposing Containers

I've been seeing a lot of pins on Pinterest about repurposing the containers used to package products we buy everyday. I throw things out and recycle things like crazy. I decided to start thinking differently about how we approach containers in our household. 

Once such pin provided ideas of reusing plastic containers as storage containers (see more here).

I started to look at other containers after they were empty and saving them. Here are some ideas I came up with for sunflower seeds, rice, and dry beans.

Homemade Version of Starbucks Breakfast

Even though, I earned a free breakfast at Starbucks (read more here), I had to wonder why I couldn't make this blueberry oatmeal breakfast myself. It's oatmeal, nuts, and blueberries. Not too complicated. 

And so I went shopping and got myself hooked up with the right ingredients. The Target Cartwheel app had a discount of 40% on Quaker Best Bowls oatmeal that I picked up on this shopping trip. My local market had blueberries. Done and done!

I added roasted sunflower seeds and agave syrup. Superb!

Sweet Potato Dinner

I'm guilty of having a fridge full of food and seeing nothing to eat. I need inspiration to guide me in the kitchen. 

One of my inspirations comes from the least logical places: Facebook. There is a trend of people sharing cooking videos. I like to watch them to see if it would be something appealing for us. 

A video caught my eye involving sweet potatoes as the base of a chicken fajita dish. Since we are meatless at home, I knew some modification would be needed. Fortunately, I had all the ingredients already.

Here's the ingredients I put together: 

Stuffing:

1 large sweet potato

1 can Pinto beans

1/2 can chopped chiles

1/2 large tomato diced

1/2 large onion diced

1/2 chayote diced

4 cloves of garlic minced 

Lime

Fresh cilantro chopped

Shredded cheddar cheese

Guacamole:

1 avocado

1/2 can chopped chiles

1/4 large tomato diced

1/4 large onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced 

Lime

Fresh cilantro chopped

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven 350°
2. Bake sweet potato in microwave for 6-8 minutes.
3. Mix chopped chiles, diced tomato, diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped cilantro with avocado for guacamole.
4. Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste to guacamole. 
5. Set guacamole aside. 
6. Cut baked sweet potato in halves,
7. Scoop out sweet potato stuffing and set aside.
8. Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl. 
9. Fill sweet potato skins with stuffing mix.
10. Bake for 20 minutes.
11. Add shredded cheese on top of sweet potatoes and bake another 10 minutes.
12. Scoop guacamole on top of sweet potatoes.
13. Sprinkle cilantro and squeeze lime on sweet potatoes.
14. Serve!

This dish is both delicious and filling. An idea that came from social media that is a good one!

Space Saving: Refrigerator

Part of the challenge we have in our home is stocking the fridge and cupboards in a way that it all fits. It is difficult to arrange tomatoes, carrots, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, and so many other things in a way that they are accessible and not hiding one another.

I've considered bins of some kind but have not moved in that direction quite yet. I have found a couple tricks to overcome our space challenge while keeping produce fresh. 

I place fresh cilantro and green onions in a glass with water. They stand up, save space, and stay fresh!

Smoothies

One of the benefits of couponing is having more money for fresh produce. Our dinners consist of lots of vegetables such as veggie pizza, salad, Brussels sprouts, and fried plantains to name a few. 

Periodically, especially after going to the gym, we make smoothies. I like to make them from juice, yogurt, and a combination of fruits. The key to a good blend is the right tool. I, personally, use a Cuisinart stick blender. 

While I like the the fruit-yogurt-juice combination, I have been hearing that other ingredients may be more healthy and beneficial. I tried a new combination with my usual orange juice, strawberries, and bananas. This time, I added almond milk, vanilla essence, and coconut oil. 

Pretty delicious this time!

An Artistic Life

I love art. I am unable to draw and play musical instruments. I admire those who do. I had possession of a clarinet once because saying I took lessons would not be accurate. I am able to create websites, graphic design projects, and other computer generated images. 

To quote Mr. Glenn Holland from the film Mr. Holland's Opus (one of my favorite films) "well, I guess you can cut the arts as much as you want, Gene. Sooner or later, these kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about. "

I am working on a project at work that requires a storyboard and narrative. I like starting projects by writing in a notebook my plan of action complete with drawings, charts, graphs, and arrows going everywhere.  

Here is my progress so far. My drawing is not unlike a small child's, I realize. Perhaps there's such a thing as making a "joyful noise" with a drawing. 

Pick Two

My husband and I love Panera's You Pick Two feature on the menu. The idea is a combo platter comprised of soups, salads, and sandwiches. 

That was the inspiration for dinner one breezy Florida evening. I wanted light fare but could not choose just one item. I decided to prepare two: Caesar salad (upon which I added sliced almonds and craisins) and a crab salad sandwich served in a multi grain pita. 

I already had the pita, almonds, craisins, and salad, most of which were courtesy of couponing. I was only missing crab meat which coupons also resolved. 

Quick, easy, affordable, filling, and delicious. Major win for our house!

Carabba's

I love food. 

Food tastes better when I don't cook it. If money were no object, I'd have a cook, especially after a long day or long week. 

Instead, eating out or take out is an ideal option even though our budget would disagree. Fortunately, I can be creative in order to satisfy both dining and budget needs. 

This past Christmas season, in the hustle of choosing gifts, we purchased a gift card to Carrabba's and received in return a gift card of smaller value.  

One such Friday, we decided to use this gift card and make it stretch farther. Rather than the usual table for 2, we decided to place an online order for take out with the intention of rounding out the dinner at home. My husband and I decided to divide and conquer: one would cook the pasta at home, the other would pick up the order. 

We placed an order for 1 salmon entrée topped with tomato, cucumber, and dill with a lemon white wine sauce. The entrée comes with a side along with soup or salad. We chose the garlic mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, and their signature olive oil and herbs for the bread. We made our own pasta to add to the dinner. 

 Dividing the ordered entrée between us and the home made pasta, there was more than enough. 

The total for one entrée was $21.39, less a $10 gift card, we paid $11.39.

We enjoyed a gourmet meal and lack of effort without paying for the atmosphere. It was the perfect solution for a fatigued week, lack of desire to cook, and the need to be budget conscious. 

Homecoming

When my husband was coming from Togo, Western Africa to the US, I wanted to make sure he felt at home. Well, as much as one can leaving home and family behind for an unknown land. 

I thought for a long time about how to make his homecoming special and welcoming. It wasn't easy. 

After awhile, I thought of having a clock of his hometown, Lomé, on the wall always on local time. I decided to add my own hometown to the wall. 

Once inspired, I went to Ikea to buy clocks for $1.99 each. I hung them on the wall and printed then laminated signs of our hometowns. 

The day my husband arrived, he came bearing gifts of his African country for our home. He offered a clock with the shape of Togo (like minds). 

He brought with him wooden keychains. I chose the one in the shape of Togo. 

In addition to all of this, he brought paintings on canvas to decorate our home. Being a smart man, he brought jewelry and purses for me. 

Such lovely additions to our home that I enjoy. I think, in a way, they provide the comforts of home in a foreign land. 

Ceiling Fans and the Dust That Loves Them

Cleaning ceiling fan blades seems to be a chore often neglected. It's not until the blades start looking like something fuzzy that anyone notices. 

Take the ceiling fan in our bedroom, for instance. The ceiling is white, the fan is white, the dust is grayish-brownish and stands out against the white. It still does not garner anyone's attention. 

To attend to a dusty ceiling fan poses problems, though. What about the bed linen beneath the fan? Now, we're going to create more messes because of the dusty fan. Sigh. 

Since I have research skills, I took, once again, to the interwebs to find a solution. One particular method seemed to ward off additional mess while tending to the ceiling fan. Two words: pillow case. 

Here are the steps to follow: 

1. Flip a pillow case inside out, to start. 
2. Next, dampen it with water or spray (Pledge for example). 
3. Flip it back to being right side out and slide over the blade to envelope it. 
4. With one hand on top and one on the bottom, slide the dampened pillow case slowly off the blade. 
5. Take the dusty pillow case outside and flip it inside out once more. 
6. Shake or beat the pillow case against a hard surface to separate the dust. 

Simple as that! 

Now my fan blades are gleaming! Probably not to be noticed again for quite some time.

Space Saving: Clothes Closet

I have an average size closet in my bedroom that seemed to fit most of my clothes. I put dresses and gowns in another closet to ensure I had enough room in my primary clothing closet. 

And then...my husband moved in when we got married. So much for enough room for my own clothing. This is where my inner 3 year old comes out and does not want to share. 

Instead of complaining, I decided to find a solution that would satisfy this issue. I took to the interwebs to find feasible solutions.

Some solutions I found were for closets with wood or particle board made closets. Some solutions were for walk in closets that would rival the size of my kitchen. Other solutions were very costly while other solutions were very involved and could potentially require a carpenter.

Finally, I found a simple solution that was easy and budget-friendly. WIN-WIN!

I went to Home Depot to explore the options. I purchased 4 carabiners: 2 blue for my husband and 2 red for myself. I also purchased 6 feet of chain (in 2 strands).

• 4 carabiners @98¢ each 
• 6 feet of white coated chain @ 98¢ per foot (a little more refined for a closet I thought)

To assemble, open the carabiner latch and slide the first chain link. Stagger clothes hangers according to preference or ease of use. 

Next, latch the caribener to the hanging rod in the closet.

$10 later I had a simple, reusable, and easy solution to save space in my closet. While the clothes are beneath the rod line, the carabiner stands out on the rod.

I'm all for home projects that do not require special tools and equipment!

German Chocolate Cake

Yum!!!

Living in Florida, we are regularly in contact with people that have coconut trees, avocado trees, and mango trees. One of my coworkers brought in shopping bags full of coconuts. I took one and took it home. This is always a nice addition to our home because my husband ate them regularly growing up in Africa. 

The tricky part about coconut is getting through the thick green shell and then the rock hard brown shell. Not having a power saw or machete in the house, I asked my husband to crack the mysterious code of opening this coconut without spilling the milk. 

He was able to drain the milk and then open the coconut completely. I set the milk aside and started grating the coconut with a hand grater. 

What can I do with this grated coconut? GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE FROSTING!!! This frosting is so good, I could eat it alone. Goes along nicely with the Christmas / New Years season of decadence. 

I happened to have these Duncan Hines Perfect Size cakes I purchased at Publix. They are reasonable sized cakes if you don't want a lot of sweets laying around after serving. Ideal for 2-6 people depending on how it is sliced. 

The price is $3.19 but they were BOGO. I had a $1 off 2 MQ. I, then, added 2 ($1 off 1 box) Publix coupon. That makes the total price 60¢ each!

The cake calls for eggs and also contains a chocolate frosting packet. I needed to substitute the eggs for my husband. I was looking to make German chocolate cake so I set the frosting packet aside for future use. Since coconut was involved in the recipe, I used coconut oil instead of eggs. 

It was difficult to find a frosting recipe without eggs. I took to researching and found a vegan recipe that does not use eggs.  I found this blog with great recipes including the German chocolate frosting using soy milk and coconut milk. I substituted the soy milk for almond milk. 

 The difficult thing about this recipe was that the frosting did not stick well on the sides of the cakes. 

I decided to not fight it falling and offer a non-traditional cake with loads of frosting on top and in between layers. Not a bad concession prize!

Maybe next time, I'll use evaporated milk instead of almond milk; canned coconut milk instead of fresh coconut milk; and less coconut oil. 

Christmas Cheer: Christmas Card from Kids

It is said that Christmas time is for children. There is a lot of truth to that considering the amount of activities with Santa, lights, crafts, and songs that are geared towards children. Let's not take our eyes off the birth of Christ which gives us hope and cause to celebrate. His birth gives us hope for the future generations as well as the past and present. 

Parents and grandparents alike will tell you that it is giving their children and grandchildren gifts that make Christmas so special. Seeing the faces of their loved ones opening gifts greatly desired is one of the precious moments that can be had. 

Not being a parent yet, I enjoy the delight of my sister and her husband's daughter, my 3 year old niece. She's loving, caring, creative, beautiful, and smart. 

This year I received a Christmas card from my sister's family with an artwork from my niece. Once I opened it and saw her drawing, the rest of the card's importance faded in comparison. This was my little girl sending me and my husband a piece of her darling little heart. 

Life doesn't get any better than this!

Christmas Cheer: Handmade Cards

My mom always makes Christmas so special. One of the many ways she makes the holiday special is by making her own Christmas cards.

She has a different design each year which outdoes the previous year.

This year's special delivery is...

...DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

Christmas Cheer: Homemade Gifts Received

I was delighted to be gifted with a creative and yet edible gift this week at our small group. The artist is a single guy who is relatively new to our small group. He brings snacks and good insight to our small group. 

The gift? A sleigh made from candy. 

The materials are 2 candy canes, 1 Kit Kat, 10 Hershey's miniatures, and hot glue. 

View from the side and the front.