Multitasking at it's Best!

This DEAL ends tomorrow May 20th! Check it out HERE!

Multi-tasking - Some times I wish there wasn't such a word!

Any-who, I seem to be pretty decent at it but it can also be exhausting. I decided last night I would see what I could get done while I was grilling dinner because I had to be up and off the couch anyways.

I decided I would clean the top rack of the grill in the same amount of time it took me to grill chicken and steam some rice.

Gross I know! This probably 3 years worth of burnt on stuff! I mean we scrub it every time with that brush doohickie thing but that only does so MUCH!

A little close up of all the grossness!

I decided to use my Basic H2 Organic NON-TOXIC Degreaser Cleaner and Get Clean Scour Off

What I love about both of these products is there are no harmful chemicals or fumes and they do a great job!

Work in progress

Still working while the chicken is grilling

See - told ya I was cooking while I was cleaning the grill rack

So this is what it looks like in the amount of time it took me to grill the chicken.

I will be honest there was a bit of elbow grease involved but the Basic H2 and Get Clean Scour Off worked great!  I sprayed the rack first with the degreaser and then added the Scour Off to my scrub brush and went to town. I would periodically spray the rack with the degreaser to help break up the greasy stuck on stuff.

The top part of the grill is what I cleaned while I was cooking - it was THAT FAST!  Now there were parts of the grill that I couldn't get shiny and I realized it wasn't because it was still dirty but the heat seemed to change the metal like it was scorched.

Multi-tasking at its finest! Knocked out 2 much needed tasks (dinner and this nasty grill top). 

You only have till tomorrow May 20th to take advantage of the awesome deal with Shaklee to get a free membership with your first $30.00 purchase! No minimums ever! This stuff is great!

My Fall Back Meal

Doesn't everyone have a fall back meal? You know one you can make super easy, without thinking, and it still tastes great!

Well one of mine is spaghetti!

I know what you are thinking... what makes this so special? Read on and find out my special ingredient - I learned it from my dad - yummo!

\

Start off with a good meat! It really makes a difference and the price difference isn't that much and this is so much better for you!

Brown it up good!

OK - can you see that white stuff? See it there on the meat? All sparkly? Do you know what that is?

SUGAR!!! Yes it is! I know seems weird huh? I normally put about 1/4 to 1/2 cup if I am only making a pound of meat with the sauce. I add it in after I have browned the meat and drained off any grease. Give it a try I promise it is so good!

Add in a little jar Ragu..

Trying to do my part to be "green" and recycle!

A good tasting, good for you pasta!

Who has pasta without some yummy rolls?

Here it is! YUMMO!



Easy Dinner Idea

Want an easy dinner? I am always about using my crockpot the most I can. I love to put something in the morning and letting it cook all day while I am at work. How about some Pulled Pork BBQ sandwiches? Yummo!

I took a Pork Roast and Washed it off

Love my Crock pot! When I am going to be cooking overnight or all day while at work I will cook on low. But if I need to get something done quicker I will set it on high. This day I cooked the roast on low for about 7 hours.

I always think the roast looks gross like this. I will drain the fat and juices off (unless I am making a beef roast and want to make homemade stew later). When I put the roast in I add garlic, seasoning salt, and pepper!

After cooking the roast - I will pull it apart with tongs. When cooked thoroughly the roast just pulls apart.

Now, I will add in some BBQ sauce (doesn't really matter which kind but I do really like Famous Daves). I will put just a little bit in and mix thoroughly then when they make their sandwiches if they want more they can add to taste. See super easy! The crockpot did all the work while I was away at work.

Yummo - something fresh!

Add some fresh pineapple to your plate.

A  little pasta salad (that I showed you how to make the other day)

AND BINGO a great meal! Sorry I didn't get a pic of the final result of everything on the plates! Everyone ran off with their food!

You all know that I LOVE Organic Basic H2 Cleaner but sometimes I want something that makes sure there are NO Germs! When I am working with Chicken or Pork I want to make sure I have got all those little suckers gone! So I used my Germ Off Wipes. 

Love these!

Let me know if you get to make this easy dinner and how you like it!

Quick and Easy

As I struggle try to make healthy changes in our house, finding a snack food that is healthy, easy, and enjoyable can be tough from time to time

However, Haley and my hubby man love pasta salad! I tried to make this snack (mini meal) as healthy as possible.

I chose to go with vegetable pasta. This Garden Delight pasta has a full serving of vegetables in a 4 oz. serving. Then I picked up an Italian dressing when I was at Trader Joes today.  I couldn’t fathom understand why people would really wanted to shop at Trader Joes but as I try to turn a new leaf I understand how important it is to live a more healthy lifestyle.

Haley tried the sundried tomatoes in her pasta salad at Trader Joes and loved it so I figured I would go ahead and splurge to add these to the recipe. Michael loves feta cheese and this was already seasoned – he said it is fabulous!

So here it is – the final product. One box of Garden Delight Pasta, One bottle of Tucson Italian Dressing from Trader Joes, One cut up cucumber, One bag of Sun Dried Tomatoes, and half a container of crumbled Feta Cheese from Trader Joes. Cook the pasta, drain, cool, and throw all the stuff in and shake it up!

It is THAT easy! And I have heard it is great! (You know I would never eat it! I am the pickiest eater ever and I can’t stand for my stuff to be mixed!

Teaching Tweens Responsibility

I have had some people ask me how I get my kids to help out so much around the house. Well i did start them out early!

I guess when you are 4 vacuuming seems fun!

Even Haley got into it and she was only 2 1/2! Funny how things they thought were fun are a struggle now.

I mean it is so much fun they used to fight over who got to clean NOW they fight over who has to do it!

We trying really hard to not have "boy" responsibilities and "girl" responsibilities. Cody still loves to cook!

Haley used to love to mow! Well now we don't have any grass because we live in AZ so she is lucky but neither one of them are too thrilled about pulling weeds. But they do.

See we still have them cleaning!

Haley even did a fabulous job cleaning the microwave!

So gross (no judging me!) BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER - way to go!

AFTER

We have tried many different techniques with the kids from lists, pick your own responsibility, incentives, grab a chore from the jar, all sorts of things. What I have found that worked for our family is that we did have them start early helping out. We are a family, a team, a unit! We all have to work together to be successful.

Now from time to time I feel a little guilty about making them do some things, while I am tanning outback with my fruity drink with my cute little umbrella. Oh wait that is my dream not the truth! We always work as a team.

However, I am a parent first. My job as a parent is to teach my kids how to be successful in life. My job is to teach them skills so when they grow up they can take care of themselves. I often joke if I died tomorrow (I know morbid) I know the kids would be OK. Cody cooks great! Haley can cook some but she is awesome at cleaning bathrooms and they both know how to load/unload the dishes. They both understand coupon shopping and they both can wash, dry, fold, and put up laundry. That's my ultimate job right? To teach and grow them as individuals.

That has always been our philosophy. I am not treating them bad I am teaching them. In life you have to take responsibility for yourself.  I am bound and determined to not have a kid going off to college that doesn't know how to do their laundry!

When my kids were really little like 2 or 3 they like to think they were helping there momma! They were good at putting up silverware (minus the knives), vacuum a little, give them a rag to dust, give them toilet paper to stock up the bathrooms.

As they got older (6-8) they were able to actually vacuum, sweep, put up laundry, sort laundry, match socks, wipe down counters, take out trash.

Now they are able to do it all. Being a perfectionist I had to learn to let a few things go. Just because the dishwasher wasn't loaded exactly the way I like it, well it's OK because guess what I didn't have to do it.

It isn't that we had any special way to get the kids to do the responsibilities we just expected it.  We are a family, a team, a unit. We live together, work together, and play together. We always say that to do the fun stuff we have to get the responsibilities done and the more we all work together the quicker it gets done.

So nothing special, no secret, just the truth, we are all responsible.

Switching Teams

I have been working hard to cook healthier and easier. I bought a Foster Farms Whole Chicken because it was a great price and I thought I could cook it in the crock pot, which you can.

I had NO idea that the stuff you pull out of the middle of the chicken isn't it a cute little neat bag like it's Turkey counterpart!  I thought I might have to be a vegetarian after this experience.

Venture with me through my journey!

So nice and neat

Umm this is ok but still not my favorite but I did get the gloves out

I am not sure what I just pulled out and I was hoping I was done but nope lots more to go!

My FAVORITE friend! I used this so many times

More! I tried to get Haley to do it - told her it would be fun - hope she took pics.

Don't ask because I don't know what that is

Normally I have a fairly strong stomach but I really thought I wasn't going to get through this. Maybe because I haven't been feeling so well who knows but it was gross!

In to the crock pot finally!

Add some simple seasoning

Cooked overnight and Cody tried this morning and love it!

I told Cody that since he loves it if he wants me to ever cook it again he was have to de-gut? de-remove the really gross stuff inside? I mean come on people I am not a crappy mother the boy goes hunting with his dad and they enjoy that kind of stuff.... I hope.

Lesson Learned: Turkey - nice and neat little bag goes into the trash. Chicken - NOT SO MUCH!