Closet Makeover: Free Paint

Painting the room or closet is something I really want to do. Are you interested in getting paint for something in your house? FREE? Uh, yes, me too :)

Remember the gorgeous pinterest closet inspiration from this post?

If so, head over to this post at Kellys Korner and comment to be included in the drawing for $100 from the great Sherwin Williams!

If you're a blogger and link up to the sweepstakes you will receive, as I will for this post, an additional entry if you blog about it and link up at her site. So, what are you waiting for, hop on over to Kelly's and leave a comment to get started winning.

Greek chicken for two

This is a recipe we made up on the fly and OMG, is it yummy!

2 boneless chicken breasts (4-5 oz each)
3 cups spinach
2 tbl roasted red peppers
1 large tomato, diced
4 olives, diced
2 tbl feta cheese
olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tbl minced garlic

Bake the chicken on foil in the toaster oven for 30 minutes. Fry spinach in olive oil with garlic and onion mixed in for flavor until its cooked throughout. Add tomato, olives and diced chicken to the mix in the final minute of cooking. Sprinkle with feta and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

These muffins are based on a recipe from low-carb maven Sugar Free Sheila.

29 oz can Libby's pumpkin (not the pie filling, actual pumpkin)

8 oz cream cheese, softened 30 seconds in the microwave

1/4 cup sugarfree vanilla syrup (I use Monin)

Use the whisk to mix together pumpkin, cream cheese, and syrup. Preheat the oven to 350. Prep 24 muffins with cupcake liners (easier and more fun to eat this way!). Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes. 

Perfection with a glass of almond milk. Enjoy :)

Closet Makeover: Her Wardrobe

Changing seasons is a natural time to switch clothes over.

This weekend I filled an entire tote with clothes to giveaway.

Pants that won't go over my hips, no matter how much I suck in.

Skirts that are too short for this season of my life... because they're 10 years old.

Half outfits- skirts or pants that are great but don't go with anything else in my closet.

Ripped, stained, or broken pieces that I don't need to fix.

The 4th or 5th of something (pajama sets, black pants, tshirts (ok, the 10th or 11th of these) and shorts) which is just plain excessive.

I'm pleased with how much I've got ridden of and shocked at how much is left in my closet.

I'm feeling good about decluttering our closet this month.

Now for the homestretch...

Closet Makeover: His Wardrobe

Today we worked through his closet and sorted through his wardrobe.

We put away his winter sweaters and long johns until next fall. He refused to fold his tshirts and told me not to waste time doing it because he didn't want them to stay folded. This irritated me... I just want it to be pretty in there :(

On the bright side, he got rid of 10 things. 

Normally I intervene and tell him what I think he should discard. Or I stop him from getting rid of clothes I think he will need in the future. But today I just let him do his thing. And I didn't insist on cleaning up or sorting through the tshirts strewn about the shelf.

Should I relocate his tshirts to a hamper in the closet to keep it looking organized? 

Next task: sorting through my winter and summer wardrobes

Wartime Wardrobe Challenge: April Update

This month I was given 2 new tops for work. Technically they're used but since we've been counting anything we get from the second hand stores I thought I'd count those as well.

2 tops= 10 coupons

This week we are headed out to exchange a pair of shoes that are well worn (after just 6 months) for replacements at LL Bean. While DH is technically getting a new pair of shoes he is really just exchanging another pair so I'm not counting these.

Total coupons used in the challenge: 78/132

We're doing well!

skeeters pie recipes

Skeeter printed a poem by an unknown author, ‘A Little Town,’ on the back of every menu. It described this restaurateur’s love of his hometown, where lives are interwoven and where people know and care for one another.

No longer will you hear the familiar chopping of the barbecue or the ringing of the bell when orders were up; but chances are you’ll never forget the sound, the taste, or the good times of days gone by at Skeeter’s.

Skeeter and Eva served thousands of plates of food over the years, but they served up something that few restaurants offer these days. They served the essence of that little poem and it came from their hearts.

If you want a taste of what used to be, try one of Miss Eva’s most beloved recipes.

And like she says, “Oh honey, I hope that you’ll enjoy them as much as we did. I love you and I miss you.”

Skeeter's Caramel Pie

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 heaping T. cornstarch

2 cups milk

1/2 stick margarine

1/2 t. vanilla

26 Kraft® caramels

Melt caramels and butter on very low heat until mixture gets a little darker than the color of caramels. Beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup of milk until foamy. Add sugar and corn starch, beat well. Next add 3/4 cup milk and the caramel mixture, beat all of this until smooth. Add remaining milk and vanilla.

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thick and creamy. Cool and place in baked pie shell. Top with meringue.

Skeeter's Chocolate Ice Box Pie

3/4 cup sugar

2 T. corn starch

2 T. cocoa

1/2 t. vanilla

2 egg yolks

2 cups milk

1/2 stick butter

Mix first 4 ingredients. Beat egg yolks and milk. Add to first 4 ingredients mixture with 1/2 stick butter, cook until thick, stirring constantly. Cool. Pour in graham cracker crust. Top with whip cream.