Miso Soup Recipe

Well I just finished my morning cup of Miso and decided to blog the recipe. So here it is. Be daring and try it. It is a family favorite in my house-well except for Neal of course! LOL

The first thing that you will have to do is prepare some dashi soup stock.

Recipe for Dashi stock

*1 tsp of bonito fish pellets--I call them pellets because they look like little pellets. You could buy fish flakes but then you would have to strain the soggy flakes out of the stock. If you buy pellets then it's like using chicken bullion, if you buy the flakes then it's like boiling a whole chicken. It just seems easier to me to get the pellets.

*3 cups of water

Put the water into a pot and heat it up on medium heat. Right before the water boils, add the bonito fish flakes or pellets. Bring to a boil and skim any foam off the top. Stop the heat. You will have to strain the stock if you used the fish flakes .

Now for the Miso Soup.

*3 cups of dashi stock

*1 block of tofu -cubed (I use firm)

*3-4 TBS of Miso Paste (I use 4 TBS and red paste)

*chopped green onion (as much as you like!)

Put dashi stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Add cubed tofu and let it simmer for a few minutes on low heat. Scoop out about 3/4 cup of stock and add miso paste to dissolve. Slowly add the mixture back into the pot of dashi and tofu. Gently stir the soup. Turn off heat and add chopped green onion.Sometimes I add noodles to the soup.

All of these ingredients are in Asian markets. You could buy some of it at a local grocery store but I have found that you pay a lot more at the grocery store than the market.

You can find miso paste in the refrigerated section and the fish pellets or flakes in the "ingredients" section, maybe where you would find the kelp and fish sauce.

The Money I SAVED with Coupons at Harris Teeter

I have decided that paying $300 to $400 a month on groceries cannot happen on a regular basis in our family anymore. Therefore, I am taking a stand.

I have started a trading group through Wilmington Yard Sales, so I have been clipping all coupons that I see. That way I can trade with other people and get more of the coupons that I need. Also, I shop at Harris Teeter because they have DOUBLE COUPONS up to .99 cents everyday, TRIPLE COUPONS about every 6 weeks, and SUPER COUPONS (double coupons up to $1.98) every now and then. I clip all coupons because I can score free items like Playtex gloves (I rarely buy cleaning gloves or disposable gloves) or Danon yogurt 6 packs for .50 cents, Danimals yogurt for a quarter, hefty Ziploc freezer bags for a quarter, 2 large jars of Smuckers Jelly for .66 cents (normally these cost $2.50 cents a piece) and Success rice boil in a bag for .45 cents. This helps me to stock up in our food storage and not pay a lot for it. Or donate it to a local charity.

I have a couple of rules, though,

Rule #1-

If I have a coupon for something that I normally would not buy, the item has to be less than $1 or preferably .50 cents.

These things are our TREATS. Like the Raisinets that I got for $1. I would never buy packages of Raisinets, but my grocery bill is only $40 so far, so why not get a treat for the family.

Rule #2-

If I have a coupon for a name brand cereal and the off brand is cheaper than the name brand WITH the coupon, then I buy the off brand. The same rule applies to other food items.

I normally save the name brand cereal coupons when cereal is buy one get one free or buy 2 cereals for $5.

Since I can't buy meat with coupons I only buy meats that are on sale. It has to be dirt cheap for me to get it.

I hope this inspires you to lower your grocery bill and use the money you saved for other things like, paying off a car, paying down your mortgage, or going on a vacation.

COUPONS

I like to visit redplum.com to get lots of coupons. I was visiting today and came across Red Plum Sweetfinds. My favorite was 365 Free Songs: Free MP3 Per Day From Rhapsody. I do not like to pay for music. I always try to find it for free and now I have. Yay for a sweet find.

Hot Coupon World

I guess maybe I am just behind on learning all of the awesome places to save money. But just in case you may be behind (like myself...it's okay..I still love you) I found this wonderful site through a fellow blogger http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/ . Just follow this link to Hot Coupon World and begin saving and getting updates on places to save that MULA! Get to gettin' people. Go on.

God Bless Recycling-

I thought I would write about RECYCLING. I am really into saving the planet. I have this guilty feeling when things are thrown away instead of being recycled. I can't stand going to a park or a public place and seeing TRASH cans everywhere and NO RECYCLING cans!!!


When we moved to Leland I stopped recycling because I wasn't sure of where a recycling center was. Then I found one a few years later, less than 1/2 a mile down the road from my house!!! I was very happy to find this jewel. I was, however, disappointed to see that this recycling center only accepted plastics numbered 1 & 2. I don't understand!!! I see recycling signs on a lot of the plastics used in my home numbered 1-7!!! So 3-7 is going in the dump at my house. For years I had this guilt of not recycling to my fullest potential!!! Then we moved, yet again, and guess what, PEOPLE.... there is a cooler, better, recycling center right up the road from my house!!! WOO HOO. And the most awesome thing, you may ask... They accept numbers 1-6 in plastic!!! My dream is now a reality. When I discovered that they accept plastics 1-6 I went home trying to find plastics 3-6. A weight has been lifted ya'll.

TerraCycle

Have you heard of Capri Sun? Well kids love these juices and they are cheap, so parents on a budget love them. I don't normally buy them but I do get them for birthday parties. These drink pouches can't be recycled by traditional ways so unfortunately they end up in landfills. I have read that every year BILLIONS of drink pouches end up in dumpsters and landfills across America. So thankfully, this company has developed an awesome way to upcycle them. A company called TerraCycle turns this trash into cash (for our school) and fashion for everyone else. It's a win win situation; saving the earth, giving money to schools (or any other Bigade), and cool gear!!! Our school gets .02 cents for each Capri Sun drink pouch they collect. That is a lot of money.

Potty training

I was reflecting on potty training my 2 children. I have one girl who was potty trained after she turned 2. And I have a little boy who was potty trained at the young age of 15 MONTHS!!! That's right people, I said 15 months. My son has hydronephrosis (Hydronephrosis is distention and dilation of the renal pelvasis and calyces, usually caused by obstruction of the free flow of urine from the kidney, leading to progressive atrophy of the kidney.)So we are in close contact with a wonderful Urologist.

On the day of his renal ultrasound the doc talked to us about potty training. I thought and said "but he is a boy, it takes them longer!" NOPE that is a myth. Not true at all. The doc went to Sweden ( where they do everything bigger, better, and more beautiful than Americans) They start potty training their children before a year of age.

Here is the method that our doc taught us. Every 30 minutes take your child to the potty. Sit there until something happens. Not 5 minutes, not 10 minutes, a LONG TIME! Bring books, crayons, toys. You will be there for a while. You may say to yourself ( as did I) "This is insane! We are on the toilet all day long!" But trust me my friend, it will pay off in a few months, maybe even sooner. I was stressed a lot. But it was so nice to not have to pay for diapers.

Consistency is the KEY. Children learn by repetition. When I would go to the grocery store, I would take my son potty before we left the house, then when we got to the grocery store, and then after we checked out. NO pullups allowed. A child will say"Hey I have on a diaper, I can just go here." When they don't have on a diaper, they get upset and ask to go potty. You may ask "But didn't he sometimes have embarrassing and inconvenient accidents?" Of course he did!!! He is learning something new. We can't expect them to be perfect. So bring 2-3 changes of shorts, shirts, socks, underwear and maybe a change of shoes. Don't forget a change of clothes for you. Just keep it all in the trunk. Bring some type of sanitizer and towels and maybe even a plastic trash bag, for the carseat, if an accident happens in the car.

My mother always talked about how a child should be potty trained by 2. She also, talked about how messy and yucky it was to change an older child's diaper. I am not kidding, that is something I can't stand doing. If a child can lay down by themselves and tell you to change their diaper... Enough said. The time would be 6 months before that! LOL

My point is, we underestimate our children's abilities and intelligence. We underestimate ourselves as parents. That's exactly what I did when my daughter was potty training. I started her at a year old. She would actually go on the potty and do the deed. A close and older friend of mine told me that my daughter was too young to potty train. So my young & naive self stopped. IDIOT!!! (I am speaking for myself) I can't believe I listened to someone else about what I should have done with my daughter. Now I trust my instincts. I am more confident in my abilities as a parent and judging my children's abilities. I am here with them 24 hours a day! I should know what is best for them. Not someone who sees them maybe once a month.

Both of my children stopped wearing diapers to bed around the age of 2 & a half or 3. Thank God!

So if someone is reading this that is interested in potty training at an early age- I say go for it. You don't have anything to lose but everything to gain. No diapers and plenty of one on one time with your sweet little angel. And if it doesn't happen, don't give up. Be consistent. Good luck!!!

My Tribute to Gordon B. Hinkley

I was sitting here with my daughter thinking about strong, powerful, and amazing people. One man came to mind-Gordon B. Hinkley. I truly think he was a very special man. A very nice man. A very caring man. A man who not only dedicated so much of himself to the people in the church he presided over but to the people all over the world.

When I looked at Gordon B. Hinkley, I got a feeling a comfort and I had a great amount of respect for him.

Neal and I had the greatest privilege of seeing President Hinkley when he visited SC (I think it was Greenville, not sure). I went because I new it was going to be a once in a life time chance to see him. And I loved him so much, I just had to go. I remember seeing him and his wife and they just looked so sweet and kind. Gordon B. Hinkley was a true to character individual. What he said, he lived by. He was not a judgemental man. I can't imagine one ugly, mean, or hurtful word ever coming out of his mouth. He truly lived, as best as he could, humble in the image of Christ. What a wonderful man and example he was and still is to me. There will always be one special place saved in my heart just for him.

Best Homemade Baby Wipes

I started reading Family Hack. You all should visit their site. They have really good tips on everything family. http://www.familyhack.com/



The mommy wrote:
I started making these wipes with my first baby...they are so gentle - she never had diaper rash! Directions are as follows:Ingredients:1 tbsp. baby wash1 tbsp. baby oil1/2 roll of strong paper towels (cut the roll, including the cardboard tube, in half).1 3/4 - 2 cups of water. Add all liquid ingredients to a tupperware container (about 6 or 7 inches in diameter, and about 6 inches high). put in the cut roll of paper towels, place top of the container on and turn the container upside down until the liquid absorbs. Remove the cardboard center, and pull wipes from the center.

Upside Down Deep Dish Pizza

OMG people this is so freaking delicious. And it is great if you have children that don't eat veggies. My Trevor only likes carrots, spinach, & corn. So, when he ate this pizza with this broccoli in it, I just had to share it.

1lb of ground beef or fake meat by morning star
1 jar Ragu old world sweet tomato basil smooth pasta sauce
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed & squeezed dry (I used fresh broccoli out of my garden)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (you may think that using this much cheese is against the law but trust me it is totally legal & yummy)
1 can (11 oz) of refrigerated pizza dough

1. Brown ground beef in skillet & drain. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Ragu & bring to a boil. Turn into 2 quart backing dish.
2. Top with broccoli, then cheese. Press dough over dish, sealing edges.
3. BAke at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until crust is golden. Let stand 10 minutes.

Discovering Twitter

I have heard all about this twittering. And those who tweet. I am now one of those tweeting twitterers. LOL. So follow me on twitter.

Sunday dress

This is a dress that I just completed. I will be posting it on my etsy shop. ladylillian. It is made from recycled wool and lined with a satin polyester. It buttons at the top with some black vintage buttons that I inherited from my czech grandmother. The pink button on the front is a newbie. It knows nothing of vintage but maybe one day, someone will pass this dress on to their daughter, and down the line it will go until the pink button can become vintage and the black buttons antiques.

Of course, this dress is made to be worn in fall or winter with a peter pan collared dress shirt or a turtleneck. I made it for a one year old sized child but I think it could fit up to the age 2 or 3.

Bible In a Minute

This is funny. Look at their little Mormon tags. So cute.

Another recipe

This is one HOT recipe

Stuffed Jalapenos

25 Jalapenos cut in half & gutted. (wear latex gloves when doing this b/c the oils will set your fingers on fire! And the oils don't wash off so easily, so if you get an itchy eye later that day, your eye will be on fire, too!!!! Been there, done that, not fun.)

Preheat oven to 385 degrees.

1 bag of Mexican blend shredded cheese

2 boxes of cream cheese, softened

1 bottle or bag of bacon bits

1 can of plain bread crumbs

Mix together first 3 ingredients. Line jalapenos on a lightly oiled non-stick pan. Fill each half jalapeno w/ mixture, just to the top & roll in bread crumbs. Bake until top is lightly brown, 15-20 minutes. The longer you bake them, the HOTTER the pepper gets.

Recipe--

Zesty Itallian Casserole

Layer 1
1 lb of ground beef
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg spaghetti sauce mix
Brown beef, drain, mix sauce & mix into beef. Put in greased casserole dish.

Layer 2
8 oz shredded mozarella cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Mix together & put over meat

Layer 3
1 can of crescent rolls
Roll over casserole uncut. Melt 1/2 stick of margarine & mix with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Spread over crescents. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Alopecia tattoo---awesome video

Vitamin Fortified????

So I was reading a health/fitness magazine about vitamins and soymilk. The magazine wrote about how consumers should always look for soymilks that are vitamin fortified. Now listen to me people, I always look on every single label of food that I buy to make sure that vitamins are in there. On top of that, I check the fat, sugar, & whether or not there is hydrogentated oils in the food. I have always made sure that our soymilk has as much, if not more, vitamin D and calcium as cows milk (MOOOOOOOO). However, I didn't understand anything about fortified or enriched or "blank". Now I think I get the idea. I looked some info up on the all knowing and all powerful internet. Here is what I have learned. Vitamin enriched foods are foods that have vitamins and minerals added to them because the vitamins and minerals were lost in the refining process. Vitamin fortified foods are foods that have vitamins and minerals added to the food. So the vitamin fortified foods will have more vitamins in them after refining than they had them in before the food was refined. Also, since vitamins have been added, the cartons of milk say to "shake well". Consumers should shake the milk to get equal amount of vitamins every time you get a glass. All of the vitamins settle at the bottom.
There is one thing that we should all be aware of as parents and as health conscious people. When companies label their products as "vitamin fortified" or "addedd vitamins &/or minerals", we should still check the nutrtion label. The companies are trying to get consumers to buy their high in fat and sugary foods, so they add these vitamins to their products.
I hope that this bit of nutritional information will help you on your next trip to the grocery store.