overnight oats

here's how i recently made overnight oats.  pour in some rolled oats.  mix with maple yogurt.  refrigerate overnight.  i didn't really worry about the ratio.  just make sure all the oats are coated in yogurt.  

other recipes i've seen say you can use almond milk or regular milk instead of yogurt.  

when ready to eat, i put shredded coconut and sunflower seeds.  

it's hearty and keeps you full for a long time.  plus no cooking!

thrift store tips

st. vincent de paul:  

lots of furniture--tables, dining sets, etc.  

no changing room

no refunds

tri-valley volunteers:

small selection of children's shoes

only 2-3 straight racks of children's clothes

clothes are $1

hope station:

clothes are pretty expensive--$4.98 for a shirt

lots of plates and kitchen-y things

filet mignon tips

turn on george foreman grill and heat for 5 minutes.

salt and pepper filet mignon.

cook for 6 minutes.

eat

draeger's tip

draeger's turkey pot pie in the buffet is really really good.  

soup tip

for chicken noodle soup, pulverize a whole onion and stick it in the crockpot with the soup.  the floating onion grounds thicken up the soup.  

rolling pin tip

here are two tips i learned about rolling pins.  if you don't have a rolling pin, use a bottle with a large cylindrical surface such as a wine bottle.  the other tip is if you're rolling out cookie dough, sandwich the dough between parchment paper, then roll.  that way you don't have to worry about adding flour to the rolling pin or surface.

answering the phone tip

When people answer the phone and speak really quickly, it makes them sound really rude.

chutes and ladders tip

play chutes and ladders with two dice.  it helps teach simple addition and it makes game play move faster.

fridge tip

say like you have a big bowl of rice and a small bowl of rice in the refrigerator.  you should eat the small bowl of rice first because that'll free up space faster.  

if you start eating the big bowl of rice first it'll be a while before you can finish it and free up some space.

yogurt tip

fage + nutella = yum

it's almost like chocolate pudding with the consistency of the yogurt.  very tasty indeed.

dairy queen tip

don't bother with a sundae, it's all about the blizzard.  i got a pecan mudslide and they put a bunch of caramel and hot fudge on the bottom but by the time you get to it, all the ice cream is gone already.

lamb loin chop

yesterday i made lamb loin chop 2 ways.  first i took the lamb out for 30 minutes to get to room temperature.  salt on both sides of lamb

method 1:

-rub oil on big piece of foil.  fold up lamb inside making sure there's space between each piece.  

-turn on george foreman grill and wait 10 minutes

-cook for 9 minutes

method 2:

-heat 2 tablespoons butter in skillet on high until melted.  turn heat to medium.

-cook lamb 4 minutes per side.  sear edges.

both ways tasted good because lamb is delicious but i liked how method 2 tasted better.  cooking on the stove you get beautiful caramelization.  however, it's more clean-up.  with the george foreman you just have to crumple and toss the foil.

i was reading online how lamb is meant to be eaten on the rarer side.  since that's not my preference, i cooked it a couple minutes more than the minimum amount of time.

it was my first time cooking lamb loin chop.  glad it turned out :o)

one pot spaghetti tip

1.  brown 1 lb ground beef

2.  add 3 cups water and 1 jar spaghetti sauce.  boil.

3.  add 1 lb spaghetti but break noodles in half.  boil and cook for 15-20 minutes.  

4.  i also added shredded cheese and a cup of sour cream when cooking was done.

pork shoulder tip

boil pork shoulder for 35 minutes in water.  add bbq sauce and broil for 15 minutes.  sweet baby ray's is the best bbq sauce.

corn on the cob tip

hm, i thought i'd added this tip but couldn't find it.  

how to steam corn on the cob.

-husk corn

-boil some water and put a steam tray in the pot.  water doesn't have to be enough to cover corn, but it has to be enough so that it doesn't all boil out and evaporate

-when water boils, put corn in and steam for 15 minutes with lid on

-you can break corn in half to make it fit the pot

vacuum cleaner tip

to get hair out of the sides of a vacuum cleaner's roller brushes, use a seam ripper.  it works so much better than scissors or a letter opener!

cheap wall decor tips

got a 500 piece puzzle at the thrift store for 69 cents.  framed it with a new frame from target for around $30.  i've been looking at framed pictures at thrift stores but the frames are ALWAYS knicked or scratched up.  and i'm not into the banged up vintage look.  

hook tip

i bought some mini command hooks but they were too big to hang my calendar.  i strung a thin ring of ribbon through the calendar holes and doubled it over before hanging it on the hook.  it works great!  

popcorn on stovetop tip

-heat 3 tablespoon oil 

-put 4 kernels (to test)

-cover @ medium heat

-when all 4 kernals pop, remove from heat

-add 1/3 cup kernals

-cover pot and wait 30 seconds

-return to heat

-when kernels start popping shake pan with lid slightly ajar

-add salt and butter

tilapia fillet

got some tilapia fillets from trader joe's.  it's really convenient.  you don't have to worry about taking out bones or descaling the fish.  i poached it in some chicken broth for a light flavor.  put fish in the liquid, boil then lower heat and cover--cook for 8 minutes.  super easy!