Keep it Fresh

Here are 10 tips for keeping your salads green and delicious. Special thanks to Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford in their book “Bride and Groom, Forever Cookbook” for some of these ideas.

1. Wash your greens! Dunk them in cold water, lift them out, give them a good shake and put them in a salad spinner to dry. No one likes dirty salad or unwanted guests (bugs) so keep them clean!

2. Fresh and crisp greens make the best salads, especially if they are dry. Place greens in a Ziploc bag with a paper towel to absorb the moisture, and refrigerate in the crisper drawer for optimum dryness.

3. Each ingredient of a salad should be delicious on its own…lightly seasoning your greens or toppings before placing them in the salad.

4. Don’t overdose your salad! Keep Ingredients to a minimum amount, such as 3-4 toppings, so that each flavor can pop! (See “Salad Combos Post” for ideas!)

5. Add fresh herbs! If you don’t have a garden, you can grow them in pots to keep by your kitchen windowsill, or just buy them fresh!

6. Vinaigrette dressings are often acidic if tasted straight from the bottle, however once added to the salad, the potency will be diluted with the ingrediants.

7. Salads taste better if the dressing is fresh and chilled just a few minutes prior to being served. If you have dressing that is left over, this can be used for marinating meats or toss on grilled veggies later.

8. Know the ratio for dressing! Adding too much makes it soggy, and too little leaves it bland. 1 tablespoon to 2 cups of greens works pretty well.

9. Think outside of the box. Try a different salad each time, as variety will help you keep your interest in salads, especially if you are not a “green-eater’. Colorful ingredients also keep interest, and are super nutritious for you!

10. Use oils, seasonings or essential oils instead of dressings to mix up the variety, and to be fitted to each salad. Variety helps keep your interest and ingredients in your dressing can also mean lower fat content.

Happy Salad Eating!

50 Meal Ideas

As posted on my cleaning blog, here are 50 meal ideas that you can use when planning dinners. Yes, some of these ideas are breakfast/lunch meals that can also serve as a dinner meal. You can use your own recipes for these items or leave a comment below if you need a specific recipe.  Add 10 of your favorites to this list and you will have enough meals planned for two months! Enjoy! 

MEAL IDEAS: 

1. BLT Sandwiches
   – Carrot Raisin Salad
  – Roasted Corn on Cob
Dessert: Jello 

2. Jills Spicy Chicken
  – Asparagus
 – Rice
Desert: Fruit and Yogurt 

3. Chicken Salad Sandwiches
  — avacado  
 – tomato/cuc/feta toss
– Summer Drink (lemon/cuc water) 

4. Baked Potato
– cheese/ bacon bits /chives/ sour cream
– asparagus 
–  roasted corn 

5. Chili 
– Corn Bread
– Cheese and Crackers  

6. Ravoli w/ Pesto and Sausage
– Salad 

7. Periogies
– Grilled peppers and Onions
– Keilbasa Sausage 

8. Roasted Rosemary/Basil Potatoes
– Kielbasa Sausage 
– Salad 

9. Stuffed Peppers
– Salad

10. Talipia 
– Rice Stuffing
– Satueed Zucchini and Squash 

11. Cabbage Soup
– Italian Bread

12. Stuffed Cabbage 
– Salad

13 . Yellow Rice and Beans
– Onions / Peppers
– Pineapple 

14. Haystacks (Taco Salad) 

15. Italian Crust Pizza (choose: Pineapple/Chicken/Ham, Olives/Tomato/Spinach, BLT/Ranch, Chicken/Alfredo, Sausage/Peppers/Onions) 
– Salad 

16. Flaming Turtle Soup (Spicy Soup w/Avocado) 
– Popeye Pockets (Spinach Stuffed Croissants) 

17. Baked Squash
– Waldruff Salad w/ Sweet Fall Dressing 

18. Squash Quiche 
– Mixed Veggies 

19. Tuna Fish Sandwich
– Stuffed Celery 
– Potato Chips 
– Apples

20. Spaghetti Squash- Pizza Style (Sausage, Cheese, Olives, Tomato Sauce) 

21. Quinoa Wraps 
– Fruit Salad 

22. Enchiladas (Double Stuffed- Chi-MEE- Chunga!) 
– Yellow Rice
– Salad

23. Barley with leeks, Onions, Nuts 
– Baked Acorn Squash

24. Zucchini Fritters over Fresh Spinach 
– Pinenuts
– Almonds
– Feta 

25. Eggplant Parmesan 
– Salad 

26. Lumpia and Panseet 
– Asian Salad

27. Bean Burgers w/ Tomato and Spinach 
– Cauliflower Potatoes
– Sliced Peppers
– Avocado

28. Baked Chicken
– Homemade Crusted Mac’n’Cheese
– Salad OR Corn on the Cob 

29. Spagehetti with Meatballs
– Italian Bread
– Salad

30. Shwarmas 
– Couscous
– Toubilie/ Falafel

31. Falafel Wraps 
– Yogurt

32. Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles
– Baked Apples
– Green Drink Smoothie

33. Salsa Chicken
– Yellow Rice
– Green Beans OR Salad 

34. Lasagna
– Italian Bread
– Salad 

35. Curry Chicken
– Brown Rice
– Pita Chips and Hummus 

36. Open Face Tomato- Cheese Sandwiches
– Tomato Soup 

37. Scrambled Eggs
– Pancakes
– Fruit

38. Egg and Cheese Sandwiches
– Fruit 

39. – Homemade Bread with Almond Butter
– Apples, Raisins and Walnut Salad 

40. Breakfast Burritos
– Mango Smoothies

41. Boiled Eggs over spinach 
– Fruit and Nuts

42. Roasted Turkey
– Pumpkin Muffin Stuffing
– Cranberries

43. Squash Soup
– Raisin Bread and Homemade Butter

44. Grilled Chicken
– Collard Greens
– Sweet potato fries

45. Sweet Potatoes
– Sauteed Veggies
– Salad

46. Totellini/Alfredo
– Italian Bread
– Salad 

47.  Meatball Subs
– Salad

48. Subs! 
– Chips
– Fruit 

49.  Brown Rice and Pineapple Chicken
– Salad

– Green Beans with Almonds 

50. Best Ever Chicken Casserole 

Its In the Wash- Time (and Money) Saving Tips for the Laundry!

Here are 16 quick ways to save time and money on laundry:

1. Re-wear your jeans, at least 2x.

2. Re-wear and re-purpose. Pj’s worn two nights in a row can be exercise clothes in the morning.

3. If you have only wore it for a few hours, hang it up!

4. Make your own laundry soap. Laundry soap recipes can be found for a dime-a-dozen on the internet for both regular machines and H.E. machines. Homemade laundry soap lasts longer and is much cheaper.

5. Use cold water, it is just as effective as warm/hot.

6. Use a clothes line (indoor or outdoor) to wasting energy by running the dryer. If you do need to run the dryer, run it during cold/winter days and keep your laundry closet/room open. You can warm part of the house and possibly not have to have the heat on.

7.  Have a laundry schedule and stick to it!

8. Put clothes away, RIGHT away, to avoid ironing, or hang it up right away at least!

9.  De-clutter and de-clothes your closet! Less clothes makes for less laundry! Limit kids to 10 outfits each.

11. Dry a wrinkled garment with a wet cloth for  or hang in the bathroom while showering with hot water to avoid ironing.

12. Begin laundry at night, and throw into the dryer in the morning.

13. Make sure your clothes always go into your laundry basket and NEVER on the floor!

14. Keep laundry in closets or laundry room and out of immediate sight.

15. Teach and train children how to sort clothes, transfer to washer and then to dryer, fold and them away. They will be better about taking care of their clothes when they realize how much work it can be to get them washed.

16. Immediately spray or soak a stained garment. After washing hang the garment to dry, rather than putting it through the dryer where stains can be baked on permentantly.

50 Meal Ideas

   Here are 50 meal ideas that you can use when planning dinners. Yes, some of these ideas are breakfast/lunch meals that can also serve as a dinner meal. You can use your own recipes for these items or leave a comment below if you need a specific recipe.  Add 10 of your favorites to this list and you will have enough meals planned for two months! Enjoy! 

MEAL IDEAS: 

1. BLT Sandwiches
   – Carrot Raisin Salad
  – Roasted Corn on Cob
Dessert: Jello 

2. Jills Spicy Chicken
  – Asparagus
 – Rice
Desert: Fruit and Yogurt 

3. Chicken Salad Sandwiches
  — Avacado  
 – Tomato/Cucumber/Feta toss
– Summer Drink (Lemon/Cucumber Water) 

4. Baked Potato
– Cheese/ Bacon Bits /Chives/ Sour Cream
– Asparagus 
–  Roasted Corn 

5. Chili 
– Corn Bread
– Cheese and Crackers  

6. Ravoli w/ Pesto and Sausage
– Salad 

7. Periogies
– Grilled peppers and Onions
– Keilbasa Sausage 

8. Roasted Rosemary/Basil Potatoes
– Kielbasa Sausage 
– Salad 

9. Stuffed Peppers
– Salad

10. Talipia 
– Rice Stuffing
– Satueed Zucchini and Squash 

11. Cabbage Soup
– Italian Bread

12. Stuffed Cabbage 
– Salad

13 . Yellow Rice and Beans
– Onions / Peppers
– Pineapple 

14. Haystacks (Taco Salad) 

15. Italian Crust Pizza (choose: Pineapple/Chicken/Ham, Olives/Tomato/Spinach, BLT/Ranch, Chicken/Alfredo, Sausage/Peppers/Onions) 
– Salad 

16. Flaming Turtle Soup (Spicy Soup w/Avocado) 
– Popeye Pockets (Spinach Stuffed Croissants) 

17. Baked Squash
– Waldruff Salad w/ Sweet Fall Dressing 

18. Squash Quiche 
– Mixed Veggies 

19. Tuna Fish Sandwich
– Stuffed Celery 
– Potato Chips 
– Apples

20. Spaghetti Squash- Pizza Style (Sausage, Cheese, Olives, Tomato Sauce) 

21. Quinoa Wraps 
– Fruit Salad 

22. Enchiladas (Double Stuffed- Chi-MEE- Chunga!) 
– Yellow Rice
– Salad

23. Barley with Leeks, Onions, Nuts 
– Baked Acorn Squash

24. Zucchini Fritters over Fresh Spinach 
– Pinenuts
– Almonds
– Feta 

25. Eggplant Parmesan 
– Salad 

26. Lumpia and Pansit  
– Asian Salad

27. Bean Burgers w/ Tomato and Spinach 
– Cauliflower Potatoes
– Sliced Peppers
– Avocado

28. Baked Chicken
– Homemade Crusted Mac’n’Cheese
– Salad OR Corn on the Cob 

29. Spagehetti with Meatballs
– Italian Bread
– Salad

30. Shwarmas 
– Couscous
– Toubilie/ Falafel

31. Falafel Wraps 
– Yogurt

32. Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles
– Baked Apples
– Green Drink Smoothie

33. Salsa Chicken
– Yellow Rice
– Green Beans OR Salad 

34. Lasagna
– Italian Bread
– Salad 

35. Curry Chicken
– Brown Rice
– Pita Chips and Hummus 

36. Open Face Tomato- Cheese Sandwiches
– Tomato Soup 

37. Scrambled Eggs
– Pancakes
– Fruit

38. Egg and Cheese Sandwiches
– Fruit 

39. – Homemade Bread with Almond Butter
– Apples, Raisins and Walnut Salad 

40. Breakfast Burritos
– Mango Smoothies

41. Boiled Eggs over spinach 
– Fruit and Nuts

42. Roasted Turkey
– Pumpkin Muffin Stuffing
– Cranberries

43. Squash Soup
– Raisin Bread and Homemade Butter

44. Grilled Chicken
– Collard Greens
– Sweet potato fries

45. Sweet Potatoes
– Sauteed Veggies
– Salad

46. Totellini/Alfredo
– Italian Bread
– Salad 

47.  Meatball Subs
– Salad

48. Subs! 
– Chips
– Fruit 

49.  Brown Rice and Pineapple Chicken
– Salad

– Green Beans with Almonds 

50. Best Ever Chicken Casserole