Easy, Healthy, Inexpensive AND Delicious!

When you are raising two boys who are under the age of two, you quickly find out that your needs are put last. Please don't misread that as me complaining, I went through some rough times getting to motherhood, and I wouldn't change a thing! My boys come first, whatever they need,  (as long as it's reasonable, of course!) My living situation goes like this; I stay at home with the boys, and Chris is the one who brings home the bacon ;) (He once worked at a hog plant, I always got a kick out of that phrase..)

As a stay at home mom, I have to make a shout out to all the stay at home parents! (We work our butts off 24/7!) One in particular would be to my mommy. She is great! Becoming a mother I now see her in a whole new light. Staying at home keeping a clean house for your family, while keeping their taste buds happy is a lot of work! (I live with three boys, I am DREADING the teenage years! hahah) I have to take my hat off to my mom, she's always been there and always kept our home a loving one. She has not only shown but inspired  me to make a loving home for my family, and for that I am thankful. I love her to the moon and back!

Time management is very important to me, so when it come to cooking I prefer meal preparations to be fairly minimal. For special occasions I love spending time in the kitchen and perfecting, but on a day to day basis I like it quick, but with quality. I threw this together in less than 5 minutes! Here are the four simple things you will need;

• Whole Wheat Tortilla 
• Thin Sliced Meat ( I used Schneiders Turkey Breast lunch meat )
• Mustard.
• Lettuce OR Snow Peas ( I had no lettuce in the house and resorted to Snow Peas, SO GOOD)
  
  Toddler friendly too!! I hope you enjoy this simple lunch! 

Watermelon Smoothie

Seriously SO good, and SUPER easy.


There are two, count em, 1, 2 ingredients for this delicious refreshing drink.
I know most people consider watermelon as a Summer fruit, but I grabbed one when I was last at the grocery store, maybe by drinking a Summer inspired beverage, I can put an end to this nasty weather... Probably not, but anywaaaay, I was putting away dishes when I saw my blender just sitting on the bottom shelf, minding it's own business. I already had the watermelon out, for Damians' bedtime snack. My mind quickly linked the two together, I cut the watermelon placed in my blender, added some ice, and now I am sipping on such goodness, thought I would share! :)

Chicken Potato Heaven! SLOW COOKER

Oh my goodness, I was so excited to share this recipe with you that I stopped half way through writing a post, to write and  post this one! I am currently eating this amazing combination, and with this crappy weather, it's some pretty good comfort food!

This recipe wasn't supposed to happen, I had plans on some slow-cooked chicken and potatoes, which is what I had originally put in my slow cooker, I kept adding things and hoping for the best. Well it turned out pretty great! Here is a list of what you will need!

• 4 Chicken Breast Skinless Boneless.
• 8 Large Potatoes. 
• 6 Carrots.
• 1 Can Cream Corn
• Small Brick Of Cheese.
• 1 Large Onion.
• 6 Slices Bread
• Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• 2 Table Spoons Sage
• Olive Oil
• 2 Table Spoons Butter/Margarine

In a slow cooker place chicken, chopped potatoes, chopped onions and carrots. Add in can of cream corn.
I put mine on high for 4-5 hours. I let mine over cook slightly so it was a nice mush ( that is what we want! )

When your "mush" has finished cooking, or is close to it, move onto the next step.

Rip up your six slices of bread into a large bowl, there is no need to make them even, or worry about how they look, just be sure to make them into small chunks! Add in 1 package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix, and Sage. Using your hands mix everything.  Melt butter/margarine and pour over the bread mixture, and again using your hands, mix well! Oil your pan with olive oil, and line the pan with the bread mixture.

Top with the chicken potato mixture. Shred cheese over top, pop in the oven to melt the cheese and enjoy! 

Breakfast Burrito

• Whole Wheat Tortillas 
• 8 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• Bacon
• Mushrooms
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese

Scramble your eggs ( 8 eggs, 1/2 cup milk whisk or beat. I beat mine because the more air you add the fluffier the eggs are! ) and cook your bacon first! 

Once you have them done, lay out tortillas and sprinkle cheese. 

Add mushrooms, bacon and eggs! 

I placed mine in the oven for 5-10 minutes to warm everything up! 

Pizza Crescents!

"my awesome beautiful girlfriend Kimberly Anne made the best food ever tonight."

That was my boyfriends Facebook status last night! (Thank you baby!) I personally think that it's not my BEST (Bacon Wrapped Apple Sweet and Sour Chicken takes the title for best food I have ever made) but, dinner in my home last night was clearly a huge success! I am always looking for new family favourites,  I had found a recipe minutes before going to the grocery store, quickly wrote a list and rushed out the door. My list sat at home, on the counter. I was so bummed when I realised I had forgotten it, but I was pretty sure I could remember the few ingredients. 

• Brick of Cheese
• Ricotta Cheese
• Mushrooms
• Peperoni (I grabbed a bag)
  
  The final ingredient was the one I made a mistake with, I was supposed to grab Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits, instead I grabbed the Crescent rolls, and in all honesty at this point was so happy I left my list at home!
  
• 2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls.

*PREHEAT OVEN TO 375*

I did all my prep work first, chopped mushrooms, sliced cheese, opened the pepperonis. Use whatever pizza related toppings you want! I added Ricotta cheese to mine! 
With the Crescents, there are 8 in each tube. I opened a tube at a time! I basically set up an assembly line for this. 

 While these bad boys were baking in the oven, I put together melted butter, fresh garlic chopped, and Italian seasoning.  I brushed over my crescents when they came out of the oven for added yumminess! 

                                                  

Pizza Sauce For Dipping! 

ICED HERBAL TEA

This is a great alternative for sugary juices!

When I was pregnant, I was told that Raspberry Herbal Tea would help bring on my labour.

The last few weeks of pregnancy for me were hard. I wanted to meet my precious boy soooooo desperately , my body no longer felt like it belonged to me, and  I was  simply tired of waiting. I turned to wives tales on how to bring on some very anticipated labour. I sent Chris to Shoppers Drug Mart,  we were going to try the Raspberry Herbal Tea.We were both so anxious to meet our son, that we would have tried almost anything to make his appearance happen sooner.

Unfortunately, Shoppers didn't carry this specific type of tea, and Chris knew never to come home empty handed to my psycho pregnant self.( I was not very pleasant near the end) He chose cranberry tea, and pomegranate blue berry! Although they didn't help bring on my labour, as Adrian was a week late, and I had to be induced, they still were put to use! 

Chances are you will have most of what's needed on hand.

1. Water Pitcher/Juice Jug.
2. Ice.
3. Herbal Tea. (I chose pomegranate blue berry.)
4. Lemon Sliced OR Lemon Juice.

I filled the jug with KETTLE BOILED WATER! 

Add 5 teabags, lemon slices/juice.

Stir and FREEZE overnight! 

Let thaw in the fridge enough to break the ice and make it almost like slush. 

When I poured myself a glass, I added an extra teabag, for added flavour, of course! 

I didn't add any sugars, or sweeteners, but go for it! 

I hope you tea drinkers enjoy my iced version! I am curious to know what kind of tea bag you use! Please feel free to post pictures, flavours, experience! Thanks for taking the time to read my stuff! 

DIY Under $5.00

This is something I made for our first apartment, it has moved with us from Dashwood, to Mitchell, and still sits in our home in London! I went to my local dollar store, saw the supplies, visually placed them together and knew I had come up with something brilliant! 

The great thing about this project aside from it's price ($5.00 is pretty great) but what is so great, is how creative you can be! I used three simple items, a vase, store bought rocks, and some fake grass type plant! You can always substitute the rocks for sand, and  the grass for flowers! 

Please feel free to give me some feedback, I would love to know/see how yours turned out! 

Classy KD!

That's right! This is my version of Kraft Dinner with CLASS. I came up with this odd combination in the kitchen, and it  surprisingly was a huge hit in my home. 

 I am the type of person who enjoys trying new things in my kitchen. Most things turn out okay, some things go straight to the dog dish, and then there are those rare occasions, where even I am shocked at what I've created! If you like Kraft Dinner, try this spin on it! 

What you will need!

• 1 Box Jumbo Pasta Shells.
• 1 Box KD. (If you're ambitious you can add home made mac and cheese)
• 1 Jar Pasta Sauce
• 1 Can Of Beans
• Baby Spinach 
• Brown Sugar
• Olive Oil
  
  *PREHEAT OVEN TO 400*
  
  First cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the box, at the same time cook your KD noodles.
  
  While you wait for them to cook, rip up half a bag of baby spinach into small pieces, they don't have to look pretty, as they are hardly seen! I used my hands for this step, but you could chop too!
  
  In a large bowl; Mix together your jar of pasta sauce, with a can of beans. Add in 3 table spoons of brown sugar. Toss in your ripped spinach and mix well. This mixture will be used to stuff the jumbo pasta shells. Along with the KD!
  
  Drain both the jumbo shells, and the KD. Rinse your jumbo shells with cool water.
  
  Use some olive oil to grease a cake pan.
  
  Mix KD following box directions, and add to your bean, sauce, brown sugar, spinach mix.
  
  With a teaspoon, scoop your mixture, and fill into your jumbo shells.
  
  Once you have filled all your shells, pour whatever remaining sauce you have left over your shells. Place in the oven for roughly 30 minutes, or until bubbling.
  
  Enjoy! :)
  
  In my home I cook for two boys! My boyfriend Chris, (who luckily for me, will try almost anything,) and his son Damian. Damian is twenty two months of age, and takes after his daddy when it comes to food, he has been a GREAT eater for us! One of his favourites is Kraft Dinner, Damian is very independent, and KD isn't exactly easy for him to eat on his own. (He doesn't want my help, he wants to be a big boy!) This was a great way for him to eat on his own, as you can easily pick up the shells! He was very pleased with the turn out, as you can see!
  

Let me know if you try this in your home! I would love to know what your family thinks!

Mason Jar Picture Frame DIY! 

This project is so simple to do.
I have my mason jars on display in my living room, they have received lots of wonderful feedback! I chose pictures of my boys Adrian and Damian! 







The supplies used for this are few;

• Mason Jar.
• Pictures.


• Rocks. 
• Acrylic Paint & Paint Brush.
  
  
  I personally enjoy doing projects that I can add my own twist to. With these mason jar picture frames, the options are endless. I went ahead and did a funky animal print design when painting my lids, but you can do whatever colour or pattern you want! You could possibly get away with not painting the lids at all! 
  
  If you have a shelf that is lacking, this simple project will be sure to add a finished touch. 
  To start, make sure you have clean dry jars to work with! Paint your lids and finally choose the photos that you like the most (I used 4X6), fill your jar with however many rocks suits your need! Place the photo within the rocks! If needed remove rocks that are blocking the view! I used two vertical pictures, but would love to see how horizontal turn out! 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Personable Canvas DIY

Well what would a DIY blog be, without any DIY projects?

I have decided to do an original, seeing as this is the first project I will be posting.
*I am sure there are plenty of posts out there related to what I have created, however I used no websites for my inspiration.*

In my bedroom, my walls have been staring at me.
They are bare, and boring! Chris (my supportive boyfriend) and I are both far from boring, so I decided it was time to add some personality into our bedroom!

This is a VERY SIMPLE DIY project, that I had put together in two hours time. If two hours seems like a lot of time spent on a project, take comfort in knowing a lot of that time was drying time! 

What you will need; 
- Four Blank Canvass. I purchased at the dollar store, they weren't even blank!
- Paint. I used black acrylic paint, use whatever best suits your decor! 
- Cosmetic Wedges. 
- Modge Podge. I made my own! 
- Four Pictures. I used four 4X6 prints from Shutterfly! 
I gathered all my supplies from the dollar store, minus the photos! 

Step One: Paint your canvas(X4) I used the cosmetic wedges for this step, it was quick and easy, plus it covered well with minimal effort.

Step Two: Once your paint has dried fully, modge podge the back sides of your four chosen photos, place on the canvas. *Note make sure you lay the photo exactly where you want it, as the modge podge will mark the painted canvas.* 

Step Three: Smooth the photos and allow to dry.

Step Four: Once dry, take a FRESH cosmetic wedge and cover the canvas, photo included with modge podge.

Step Five: Let this dry, hang your beautiful work in your home and enjoy!

Whats hanging on YOUR bedroom walls?

Feel free to ask any questions, and to post any attempts!

Thanks so much! 

This is where it begins.

Hello and welcome to my personal blog. 

I hope to share some great, easy DIY projects, I will be sharing my attempts, successes and of course my failures with my own DIY projects.

As a stay at home mom (AKA super woman) I am constantly on the lookout for creative, inexpensive ways to improve my everyday life, may that be in the food I cook, the decorations on my walls, or simply a great technique on how to get that juice stain out of my carpet!