I decided to go for another 'Works for me Wednesday' post.
I have a trick that has kept my children doing laundry for ...oh about 20 years. I drop a bit of loose change in the washer occasionally and whoever moves the laundry gets to keep it. I know they have no idea that it is planted. The deal is loose change is keepable but bills are not. If you find paper money you try to find the owner or it goes in the family fun dish.
Another 'works for me Wednesday' is a sandwich I just decided I like that is low fat. Tuna mixed with non-fat cottage cheese, add some celery and pickle if you like and it tastes good and helps me stay on this low-fat diet my gall bladder has put me on.
Showing posts with label WFMW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WFMW. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
wrapping 'paper'
Over at Rocks in my Dryer there is a Works for Me Wednesday that I participate in occasionally.
Here's my last minute wrapping idea...it's not so last minute since I've been working at it for years. 20 years or so ago I bought my first piece of Christmas fabric for a Christmas quilt. 7? quilts later I have a bit of Christmas fabric in my stash. I usually buy it when it is really cheap and I don't cut it for a fabric bag, but I might fold it in half. I can wrap some really big gifts this way. I use a basting stitch, so it's easy to rip out if I ever decide to put it in a quilt, fold in half right sides together, fold the top down and press (for the 'hem') stitch on 2 sides, turn, insert gift, close with curling ribbon or pipe cleaner. After Christmas fold and put back with other fabric so if you NEED it for a quilt you can find it. (Sorry there is no picture but we are traveling; there is a poor shot of three here, if you enlarge the picture you can see a holly one in the foreground and a blue one in the background and on the floor a patchwork looking one.) Well it works for me!
Here's my last minute wrapping idea...it's not so last minute since I've been working at it for years. 20 years or so ago I bought my first piece of Christmas fabric for a Christmas quilt. 7? quilts later I have a bit of Christmas fabric in my stash. I usually buy it when it is really cheap and I don't cut it for a fabric bag, but I might fold it in half. I can wrap some really big gifts this way. I use a basting stitch, so it's easy to rip out if I ever decide to put it in a quilt, fold in half right sides together, fold the top down and press (for the 'hem') stitch on 2 sides, turn, insert gift, close with curling ribbon or pipe cleaner. After Christmas fold and put back with other fabric so if you NEED it for a quilt you can find it. (Sorry there is no picture but we are traveling; there is a poor shot of three here, if you enlarge the picture you can see a holly one in the foreground and a blue one in the background and on the floor a patchwork looking one.) Well it works for me!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
fast meals
I haven't been keeping up with rocks in my dryer so when I went over there today I was surprised with her theme for Works for me Wednesday, but I'm so Talented ;) I have a few fast meals up my sleeve!
My Mother and Dad were here in November and we discussed 'fast meals'. She reminded me (actually I still don't remember) that my friend, Becky and I had a long standing argument about what was fastest for Sunday dinner. Her vote was for a roast that was put in before church and was done when you got home. My vote was for fish that you could put in the oven when getting home and by the time the table and a salad was fixed the fish was done. I know that my Mother fixed fish on Sunday a lot and I assume her Mother fixed a roast.
My vote for the fastest supper is;
1. Fish, I keep 4 different kinds in the freezer; Tilapia, Flounder, Cod, and Salmon. Defrosting is very easy just put the frozen fish in water, still in their bags, while you chop a couple cloves of garlic and heat a little oil in a fry pan. Add the fish and the garlic and open a can of green beans or blast some broccoli. (Put broccoli florets on a cookie sheet and put it under the broiler for about 8 minutes) Get the bag of salad out of the fridgeorder ask a child to set the table, turn over the fish. 2 minutes later dinner is ready. This week I took 2 minutes longer and put the fish on a plate in a warm oven while I made a lemon garlic sauce; 1 1/2 T flour stirred into and cooked a bit with the pan oil and juices, some lemon juice and a bit of chicken broth a dash of Tabasco, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. I loved it; the boys not so much,but it was easy to give them fish with no sauce. (The same thing works with chicken but a chicken breast takes longer to cook. 8-)
2. Black beans with green chilies and bulgar. Really, my boys will eat this and think it's good. (I open a can of black beans, drain and rinse them; put them in a sauce pan and pour in a can of chicken broth.) The bulgar (quick cooking cracked wheat) gives the black beans it's missing ??? to make the dish a complete protein. The can of chopped green chilies gives it a dose of vitamin C. If I have frozen corn bread it's even better. (When I make cornbread I make a double batch and freeze the leftovers.) If you need a vegetable there are always baby carrots in the fridge.
3. I use Brown rice almost exclusively now but when I cook it I cook a lot! I put it in a bag in the freezer so it is handy to pour out just enough for my 2 kids since they love rice (cooked in chicken broth) and Dad is not eating much these days. So adding rice to the above fish dinner, or any dinner, is EASY.
4. Sausage. I love kielbasa sliced in the bottom of the fry pan, 1/2 cup water with wedges of cabbage sprinkled with pepper, covered and steamed. Then a can of green beans-can you tell the boys love green beans and broccoli. Those are the main vegetables around here.
Since I had 6 kids I still tend to cook for 8, even though there are only 4 of us now. The freezer is my friend. When I roast a chicken I line up 3 chickens in my turkey roasting pan, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and bake them at 400 for about 1.5-2 hours. Then I have dinner basically cooked for 3-4 days with leftovers for my husband's lunches and chicken for the freezer and carcasses to boil for chicken broth. I used to cook a brisket (lay brisket in roaster pour tomato sauce, dried onions, salt and pepper; cover with foil roast at 250 for about 8 hours-all day or over night) about every 2 weeks but since we are cutting out cholesterol that is out. But a cooked brisket with leftovers in the freezer makes fabulous enchiladas, beef soup, burritos, bean dip; you name it every thing is better with brisket in it (if it calls for ground meat try brisket instead..yummy).
Well that's what works for me.
Just remembered another! A can of pop open biscuits, cut in quarters, tossed with about a cup+ of salsa and a bag of brisket from the freezer (actually the original recipe had no meat) sprinkle with cheese, bake at 350...how long? probably 30 minutes...until the biscuits are done.
I've learned that salsa is a fast source for onions/tomatoes and often will throw in salsa when I'm to lazy to chop onions.
My Mother and Dad were here in November and we discussed 'fast meals'. She reminded me (actually I still don't remember) that my friend, Becky and I had a long standing argument about what was fastest for Sunday dinner. Her vote was for a roast that was put in before church and was done when you got home. My vote was for fish that you could put in the oven when getting home and by the time the table and a salad was fixed the fish was done. I know that my Mother fixed fish on Sunday a lot and I assume her Mother fixed a roast.
My vote for the fastest supper is;
1. Fish, I keep 4 different kinds in the freezer; Tilapia, Flounder, Cod, and Salmon. Defrosting is very easy just put the frozen fish in water, still in their bags, while you chop a couple cloves of garlic and heat a little oil in a fry pan. Add the fish and the garlic and open a can of green beans or blast some broccoli. (Put broccoli florets on a cookie sheet and put it under the broiler for about 8 minutes) Get the bag of salad out of the fridge
2. Black beans with green chilies and bulgar. Really, my boys will eat this and think it's good. (I open a can of black beans, drain and rinse them; put them in a sauce pan and pour in a can of chicken broth.) The bulgar (quick cooking cracked wheat) gives the black beans it's missing ??? to make the dish a complete protein. The can of chopped green chilies gives it a dose of vitamin C. If I have frozen corn bread it's even better. (When I make cornbread I make a double batch and freeze the leftovers.) If you need a vegetable there are always baby carrots in the fridge.
3. I use Brown rice almost exclusively now but when I cook it I cook a lot! I put it in a bag in the freezer so it is handy to pour out just enough for my 2 kids since they love rice (cooked in chicken broth) and Dad is not eating much these days. So adding rice to the above fish dinner, or any dinner, is EASY.
4. Sausage. I love kielbasa sliced in the bottom of the fry pan, 1/2 cup water with wedges of cabbage sprinkled with pepper, covered and steamed. Then a can of green beans-can you tell the boys love green beans and broccoli. Those are the main vegetables around here.
Since I had 6 kids I still tend to cook for 8, even though there are only 4 of us now. The freezer is my friend. When I roast a chicken I line up 3 chickens in my turkey roasting pan, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and bake them at 400 for about 1.5-2 hours. Then I have dinner basically cooked for 3-4 days with leftovers for my husband's lunches and chicken for the freezer and carcasses to boil for chicken broth. I used to cook a brisket (lay brisket in roaster pour tomato sauce, dried onions, salt and pepper; cover with foil roast at 250 for about 8 hours-all day or over night) about every 2 weeks but since we are cutting out cholesterol that is out. But a cooked brisket with leftovers in the freezer makes fabulous enchiladas, beef soup, burritos, bean dip; you name it every thing is better with brisket in it (if it calls for ground meat try brisket instead..yummy).
Well that's what works for me.
Just remembered another! A can of pop open biscuits, cut in quarters, tossed with about a cup+ of salsa and a bag of brisket from the freezer (actually the original recipe had no meat) sprinkle with cheese, bake at 350...how long? probably 30 minutes...until the biscuits are done.
I've learned that salsa is a fast source for onions/tomatoes and often will throw in salsa when I'm to lazy to chop onions.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
WFMW
My sons are struggling to learn cursive writing. So I got myself a little notebook and declared a 'write to mom day'. The rules were simple; if you wanted anything of mother you had to write them down in cursive, and she answered in cursive AND it had to be in 2 sentences. For example, 'Mom, I'm bored. May I please have a popsicle?' I tried to answer in the affirmative ridiculous, for example, 'I love to have you write to me my most noble son. Certainly you may have a grape juice popsicle.' (It required a well stocked pantry /freezer also.) I would correct any letters they had trouble with but didn't insist they copy it over, I figured the next time they wanted a cookie or lunch or such it would be in front of them to copy. We had fun with it and although it never lasted a whole day they got some practise in reading and writing cursive.Be sure and look at Rocks in my Dryer blog for more Works for me Wednesday.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
insomniac
Do you ever go through a time that you forget how wonderful sleep is? Last night I had one of my periodic can't sleep nights. I was cold. It was not cold. I was soo tired that I tried spooning and covering with the down comforter but could never get to sleep. I know I dozed a few times but no real rest. Finally at 4 a.m. I gave in and got in a HOT tub. Once I stopped shivering, I got warm and was able to sleep... for a whole 2 hours! Those 2 hours felt great. A deep restful sleep. Unfortunately that didn't enable me to stay awake during church or even during a phone call later from our son.
I periodically can't sleep for a multitude of reason; cold, hot, heartburn, cough, itchy feet and hands, and finally; brain too active. I just told you my solution to cold, although an electric blanket on high for a short time also works. Hot is easy, tepid bath and turn the a.c. down. Heartburn is taken care of by prevacid, a prescription I take every day. Cough; I have a chronic cough, usually an antihistamine helps although sometimes laying on my side helps, or sleeping in the recliner. The itchy feet is a strange one and my Dr. looked at me funny and had no suggestions. I googled it and discovered that other people do have this even when it is not a fungus problem. I always put lotion on my feet, night and morning, and then if they do start itching an antihistamine is the best tool I've found. The brain too active is an old one (often appears after quilt festival or a quilt guild meeting) that I have struggled with for years. My sister also has the problem and she told me that she concentrates on opening a book, in her brain, and reading a very boring book. The book only has one word repeated over and over i.e. the the the the the the the the the...see it works you're all ready going to sleep. I changed the method to my favorite activity; quilting. I only allow myself to quilt with black thread on black fabric in straight boring lines (in my head not real life). Sometimes I just concentrate on getting the needles threaded so that I can start the quilting, I can usually get to sleep this way, but not always and then I actually get up and go sew for a while.
Now you have it, altogether more information than you needed about my sleep. I am grateful that I'll sleep very well tonight!
I periodically can't sleep for a multitude of reason; cold, hot, heartburn, cough, itchy feet and hands, and finally; brain too active. I just told you my solution to cold, although an electric blanket on high for a short time also works. Hot is easy, tepid bath and turn the a.c. down. Heartburn is taken care of by prevacid, a prescription I take every day. Cough; I have a chronic cough, usually an antihistamine helps although sometimes laying on my side helps, or sleeping in the recliner. The itchy feet is a strange one and my Dr. looked at me funny and had no suggestions. I googled it and discovered that other people do have this even when it is not a fungus problem. I always put lotion on my feet, night and morning, and then if they do start itching an antihistamine is the best tool I've found. The brain too active is an old one (often appears after quilt festival or a quilt guild meeting) that I have struggled with for years. My sister also has the problem and she told me that she concentrates on opening a book, in her brain, and reading a very boring book. The book only has one word repeated over and over i.e. the the the the the the the the the...see it works you're all ready going to sleep. I changed the method to my favorite activity; quilting. I only allow myself to quilt with black thread on black fabric in straight boring lines (in my head not real life). Sometimes I just concentrate on getting the needles threaded so that I can start the quilting, I can usually get to sleep this way, but not always and then I actually get up and go sew for a while.
Now you have it, altogether more information than you needed about my sleep. I am grateful that I'll sleep very well tonight!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
halloween pajamas
In my previous life (as a young mother instead of an old mother) I LOVED making costumes for my 4 young children. But because money was tight I justified spending m
oney onthose costumes by making them do double duty as pajamas all winter. Some of those pajamas got a real work out. The first time I made 2 little clown costumes out of red and white striped and polka dotted flannel. Those pajamas are practically worn out. The cutest was the white quilted fabric I made an astronaut's overalls out of. Brian wore them until his torso got too long, then his younger sister wore them, then a young cousin wore them... (the pumpkin was never pajamas-the fabric was a gift, and not all costumes ended up being p.j.'s).
Now as an old mother my last 2 have the advantage of a couple boxes of costumes but have the disadvantage of having a mother who really doesn't want to make any more costumes. Occasionally I break down; this year I made some brown 'boots' for Andrew so he could be Link with the green sweats he purchased. A couple years age he wanted to be a spider and I made that costume (as a costume, not pajamas-I DID NOT want to kiss a spider good-night every night for months!) This year Jeffrey (12) will be the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera wearing his band uniform tuxedo pants, shirt, cummerbund, and the cape I made in 1989 for his brother to be a magician.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
gambling
This is not Wednesday but I was too late to do this last Wednesday and so I'm just anticipating being busy next week and I haven't learned how to adjust my date and time to blog ahead. I think this WFMW is a really great idea so here's my contribution:
I am not promoting real gambling... but I read a book a couple of years ago about Teaching Children Music. (Actually I don't think I read the book I read the chapter pertaining to practising.) I took what I read and adapted it a bit and it worked! It is 'the gambling' method of getting your kids to work.
We've been employing the same method to get the boy's to keep their room clean and it has been 14 days with a clean room!
So, are you dying to know what I'm doing? I took 42 (21 @--and my last 42 envelopes) envelopes and distributed coupons (worth money and/or candy) in the envelopes 1-4 in each. EVERY evening we go over what they have done and if they have fulfilled the criteria they can choose an envelope. For some reason not knowing what the reward is is a bigger incentive than knowing that they will get x number of rewards per job. Potentially they can get 3 envelopes each night. 1 for their room being clean and bed made ALL day (no making it and then getting in it-Mom gets to enjoy the made beds all day). 1 for getting all their assignments from school turned in. Then finally 1 for leaving the bathroom clean after use. Ds10. is doing very well. Ds12 is struggling with it, but the room is staying clean. After 2 weeks it is still working. Ds10 has used some of his coupons to buy an extra treat from me. The rest were turned into cash; .12 each and they do the multiplying and refilling the envelopes, there are 40 coupons for each child. Ds12 elected to keep the coupons until the next payday (I think he didn't want his younger brother to know how few he had, this week he's working harder.) They helped design the coupons; The last set said 'good job' but this set says 'something' with a place for their name. This way they can open their envelope and say, 'I got something!' It was their idea, I would have said HOT DOG! or 'Sweet!' or 'Way to go!
We've been employing the same method to get the boy's to keep their room clean and it has been 14 days with a clean room!
So, are you dying to know what I'm doing? I took 42 (21 @--and my last 42 envelopes) envelopes and distributed coupons (worth money and/or candy) in the envelopes 1-4 in each. EVERY evening we go over what they have done and if they have fulfilled the criteria they can choose an envelope. For some reason not knowing what the reward is is a bigger incentive than knowing that they will get x number of rewards per job. Potentially they can get 3 envelopes each night. 1 for their room being clean and bed made ALL day (no making it and then getting in it-Mom gets to enjoy the made beds all day). 1 for getting all their assignments from school turned in. Then finally 1 for leaving the bathroom clean after use. Ds10. is doing very well. Ds12 is struggling with it, but the room is staying clean. After 2 weeks it is still working. Ds10 has used some of his coupons to buy an extra treat from me. The rest were turned into cash; .12 each and they do the multiplying and refilling the envelopes, there are 40 coupons for each child. Ds12 elected to keep the coupons until the next payday (I think he didn't want his younger brother to know how few he had, this week he's working harder.) They helped design the coupons; The last set said 'good job' but this set says 'something' with a place for their name. This way they can open their envelope and say, 'I got something!' It was their idea, I would have said HOT DOG! or 'Sweet!' or 'Way to go!
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