THRIFTY THURSDAY

Morning Everyone

I love where I live we have such great neighbours... Our neigbour Gary has a snowblower and he was so kind to remove the snow from the driveway..It was great cause I have not been able to help Grumpy with the snow removal and when he got home from work today he did not have to finish shoveling the driveway...With this sore back I just feel useless ...When Grumpy got home he thought I had gone and done that and he was not very happy but I had to fesh up tell him that it was Gary... The least we could do was give him a bottle of wine so hoping he and his wife Montie enjoyed the "goof"....

Stuffing Crusted

Creamy Chicken

Casserole

1 (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken, divided
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen stir-fry vegetables, thawed, well drained
1 can (7 oz.) corn, drained
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Ranch Dressing
1-1/2 cups hot water
Make It
HEAT oven to 400°F. Sprinkle 1/2 cup dry stuffing mix onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with chicken, garlic powder and stir-fry vegetables. Mix corn and dressing; spoon over vegetable layer in dish; set aside.
ADD hot water to remaining stuffing mix; stir just until moistened. Spoon over corn mixture.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done (165°F)

Substitute your favorite frozen vegetables for the stir-fry vegetables.

Todays organizing challenge will be a refreshing one... The primary purpose is to purge what you no longer need, making space for the "new, trendy you". Once the challenge is done, go to your favorite clothes shopping store and pick yourself out a cute new outfit! You deserve it after all you have been through.
You get to go through all of you clothes, weeding out the ones that you no longer wear, ones that don't flatter you, if you bought them when you were in high school, aka... "out of style pieces" or any that just doesn't fit anymore. Those will go in your donation box. ONLY KEEP WHAT FITS YOU NOW! I hope we can inspire each other to get our clothing neatly in order!

My Organizing challenge for you today is your DRESSERS

1. Open up all those drawers
2. Now, empty it all onto your bed.
3. Get your 3 boxes (keep, toss, donate) and start separating. Try them on if you have to.
4. Okay, now neatly fold all of the clothes and put them back in an organized fashion.
5. While you are at it, you can clear the clutter on the top of your dresser too... in the same fashion as the clothing sort. Remove everything, give it a good cleaning, and toss what you don't need on there.
5. Easy,peasy... Your done!

It was a simple challenge, but gives a great feeling of satisfaction that it was done! I have enclosed two videos on a great way to fold shirts..I have used this now for quite a few years and it really keeps them neat and tidy

Dress Shirts

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-fold-fitted-shirts-2

T-shirts

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-fold-a-t-shirt-in-2-seconds-explained

I am going to combine my 3C's craft today with the Thrifty Thursday..We have all had a lot of snow so I thought I would give you a video on how to make birdseed ornaments for our little birdies out there...I know the kids would love to make these as well , they are a great gift for your little ones to give the neighbours especially if they are seniors.

http://www.saltwater-kids.com/2010/12/thrifty-gifts-bird-seed-ornaments-for.html

Enjoy

Cheers

Granny

CROCKPOT WEDNESDAY

Morning Everyone.

Well it did snow .....We got 14" up where we were ..Grumpy did the driveway twice last night and then again this morning at 5:00..He took the SUV to work just incase he needed it on the Malahat but I was looking at the Highway Web Cam and it looked pretty good this morning..Took at look last night before we went to bed and it was covered and no traffic which is good it lets the plow get out and do its work...Thank You plow drivers you do a great job and especially up here on the mountain they are great at salting and plowing and we appreciate it very much..

Feeling way better today been using the Robaxin and wow does it work well at least make it comfortable. Have a small job to do today so should be able to manage that now that I am drugged up as they say..

I know that it is Crockpot Wednesday and I forgot to do a Crockpot recipe on my Menu Monday so today you get a break and the recipe is:

BRUSHETTA CHICKEN SKILLET

2 Tbsp. Kraft Calorie-Wise Sun-Dried Tomato & Oregano Dressing
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 red peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (19 fl oz/540 mL) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 large tomatoes, chopped, divided
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
1/2 cup Kraft Part Skim Mozzarella Shredded Cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Make It:
HEAT dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, peppers and garlic; cover. Cook 10 min. or until chicken is done (170ºF), stirring peppers occasionally and turning chicken after 5 min. Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm.
ADD canned tomatoes, 1 cup of the chopped fresh tomatoes and water to skillet. Stir in rice; bring to boil. Simmer on low 10 min. Meanwhile, combine cheese, remaining chopped tomatoes and basil.
RETURN chicken to skillet; top with cheese mixture. Cover; cook 5 min. or until chicken is heated through and cheese is melted.

This recipe says to cover to keep warm I just put them on a dinner plate and then cover with my dome cover that I use for when I microwave .They are great to have saves cleaning the microwave after every use for sure.

Organizing Challenge for today is LINEN CLOSET

1. Give yourself an hour to do this

2. Yank EVERYTHING out of there... I mean everything.
3. Now, sweep or vaccuum the floor & wipe down the shelving.
4. Get all of your boxes (keep, toss, donate) & start sorting.
5. If you have baskets and bins, this is a great place to use them. Place your bins/baskets on the shelving and start organizing. What I also do is take one of the pillowcases and use that as my container and put the sheets inside if you do not have room for bins.

6. Categorize everything. ie. Twin, full, queen, king, pillowcases, handtowels, washcloths, etc... Remember to only keep what you USE! If you find something that you say "Oh I forgot I had that set", then you do not really like it anyway or you would not of forgot that you had it
7. Is your donation box getting full yet?? At the end of this week you will take all donations to goodwill or store them for a spring garage sale.
8. Now look at that pretty linen closet. You are finished!!!!!

I hope you have been enjoying these challenges , cause it has been a challenge for me to think of something each day for you to organize but it has been rewarding cause I know you are all doing them ....Right????

Enjoy

Cheers

Granny

TIPSY TUESDAY

Afternoon Everyone

Sorry I am late posting today , I have the sorest back ...Not sure what I have done but I can not sit, or lay down for very long so it has been quite frustrating that is for sure.. I want to thank Kimberly for coming up this morning on her day off and helping with a job that I have to get out by Friday...You are the best... This better be gone by tomorrow cause if I have another night like I did last night I am going to be a Zombie..

EASY SCALLOPED CASSEROLE

LAYER chopped broccoli and slices of potatoes and squash in a medium casserole dish.
COMBINE 1 cup Kraft French Dressing, a few handfuls of Kraft 3 Cheese Blend Shredded and a few dashes of nutmeg and pour over vegetables.
BAKE at 400°F for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

This can be served with what every meat you want to cook tonight..You could even go and pick up a rotiserrie chicken at a local grocery store..

Tipsy Tuesday

I used to watch my mom do this when she baked so I thought I would pass this on to you today..A sprinkling of salt on the countertop keeps eggs from rolling off when you are baking or making omelletes...

Here is your challenge for organizing we are going to do is UNDER THE SINK

First of all, I've been thinking to myself... WHY must they make it so ugly down there under the sink?! Seriously. Couldn't they have made like a little cute cabinet inside the cabinet to house all of the ugly stuff... And let's not even start on those obnoxious pipes! That is so hard to try and work around..Now, on to the transformation..
Try and find a container that has a lid with a handle on top! I can now store all of my everyday cleaners and rags in it and carry it around the house with me while I clean. If you have your garbage under the sink you should really try and fit it in your budget to get one that pulls out with a lid ..just makes sure it will fit.. One of my pet peaves in my home is that we can not find one that fits and so Grumpy attached one to the door. Since he is left handed it went on the right hand door and unfortunately when the door is opened to scrap off the plates you are not able to put the door down to the dishwasher so it is a real pain... One day I will change it to the other door for sure.....

Enjoy

Cheers

Granny

MENU MONDAY

Morning Everyone.
Getting a bit busier with work which is a good thing but I am sure that it will cut into my blogging.. Wanted to put out a "Proud Proud Proud" to my daughter Andrea and her friends for going to Vancouver to spend the day yesterday with a sick friend and co-worker..It makes my heart sing...
Today my challenge for you is to organize your Tupperware cabinets. This may be a cabinet where you hold your mixing bowls, leftover containers, baking dishes, and everything in between (not just tupperware). You do NOT have to organize more than one cabinet today (unless you want to).
1. Empty it out (onto the floor or counter). Grab your favorite cleaner and wipe out the dust and grime.
2. Stand back and look at all you have accumulated and kiss A LOT of it goodbye, because...
3. YOU DON'T USE HALF OF IT! So, start purging into the donation station or trash.
4.. Once you have gone through and separated, now you can start categorizing... like items with like items.
5. Organizing bins or baskets are a great tool in this cabinet to keep the chaos under control. Keep that in mind, so go find some.
6. Now you can put everything back. I'm so proud of you! Look how "neat" it looks.
7. Your finished . Now how great does that look...

Monday.. Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuesday.. Easy Scalloped Casserole

Wednesday.. Brushetta Chicken Skillet

Thursday.. Stuffing Crusted Creamy Chicken Casserole

Friday.. Taco Salad

Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

What You Need
3 cups frozen vegetable blend (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)
1 pkg. (225 g) Kraft Dinner Macaroni and Cheese
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup Kraft Calorie-Wise Zesty Italian Dressing
2 cans (170 g each) chunk white tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 cup Kraft Double Cheddar Shredded Cheese Light, divided
Make It
HEAT oven to 375°F.
PLACE vegetables in colander in sink. Cook Macaroni as directed on package; pour over vegetables to drain macaroni and quickly thaw vegetables. Return to saucepan.
STIR in Cheese Sauce Mix, milk and dressing. Add tuna and 1/2 cup shredded cheese; mix well. Spoon into 2.3-L casserole; cover.
BAKE 35 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese; bake 3 to 4 min. or until melted.

Great way to spice up Macaroni and Cheese...Remember take some pictures of your tupperware drawer and I have one sock monkey left on my Pay it Forward 2011..

Enjoy

Cheers

Granny

SIT DOWN SUNDAY

Evening Everyone
Had a great day today,headed to Victoria to have breakfast with some friends then off to Costco before we headed over to give Deklan his birthday present. got some good deals at Coatco on meat..they sure sell on large quantities but I separated it all into individual freezer bags now I have lots of pork , chicken and roasts for awhile..We also bought large square cast iron grilling pan so was excited about that...
Went to watch the salmon kings play hockey last night and ran into some friends so that always makes the evening even better...Next week the recipes are going to be cooking with salad dressings which is always good to add flavor to a meal..
I hope Livi got some sleep last night after she was on the circuit message board...Can be addicting just like blogging..LOL
Deklan got a new big boy bike and of course it is red but he was so proud to show us his new bike... Easton was all smiles even when he he headed off for his nap...We gave Deklan a big boys watch , it was a roots hockey watch and he was not quite sure about it at first but when he realized that everyone else had one on he was a bit better.. We told him when his nap time was and he keep checking his watch for the time and then all of a sudden he was off for his nap..love spending a few hours with the boys they are so cute...

The 3C's for today is for little girls... When I was at the hockey game last night I noticed that Courtenay had on a cute headband so I thought I would attach this tutorial so that Courtenay could make her own along with her moms supervision... What a great way to use old buttons..I am sure that your grammas all have tin cans with old buttons..
Cheers
Judy
http://littlemissmomma.blogspot.com/2010/07/sew-button-headband-tutorial.html

SHOPPING SATURDAY

MORNING EVERYONE
Well not much happening today. Grumpy is sleeping in so I am posting away. Did not feel well yesterday so had a bit of a sluggish day hope today is better. Grumpy is awake and he says we are off to Victoria to bring the hotrod down to Al's.
THRIFTYS
I am not going to list everything cause they have dollar days this week and that is a good place to be buying your canned goods and pastas
SAFEWAY
Cheese Whiz $4.99
Tostitos 3 for $6.00
12 pack of campbells soup $5.99
Lemon or key lime pie $3.99
WALMART
3 pack of steaks $10.00
Tide laundry detergent $5.77
Lettuce $.88
Chicken thighs or legs $5.00 a pack
Pork loin chops $5.00
Oliveri pasta $3.97 a pack
1 1/2 pound tomatoes $1.97
Kraft single cheese slices $3.97
Green giant frozen vegetables $2.00
Cascade dishwasher soap $9.97
COUNTRY GROCERS
Striploin steaks buy1 get 1 free
Activia $3.97
Broccoli $.97
Actually they have some good vegetables on sale might be better priced then Walmart so you could check it out

I wanted to mention to you as well that Canadian Tire has all the Omni brand storage containers on sale 1/2 off. Walmart has a good deal on some of their containers as well. do not forget this is cleaning and organizing month.
Today is your desk top..I do not have pictures to post cause I have a laptop and IPad so no desk for me...You only need to do the top today, clean it right off and give it a good wash down as well as vacuum the keys on your keyboard and then put back only what you use back on top and voila you can see your desk top again..Those of you who do not have a desk how about your crafting table that will work.

Well off to get ready to head down to the big city..I am excited cause is not raining....
Enjoy
Cheers
Granny

FAST FOOD FRIDAY

Morning Everyone

My first order of business today is to wish my grandson Deklan a Happy Third Birthday....Well today is the first day of your organization..The first task is your Junk Drawer and I know that everyone has one so lets get at it...I am posting the before and after of mine..I like to have stuff close at hand cause we live on a three level home so the less I have to do the stairs the better. In my junk drawer I have lots of different screws and nails, tools, stationary stuff, batteries, a calendar and my address book. It took me 2o minutes to do this. I put everything on the counter grabbed a couple of little basket dividers and then a trash bag to put the stuff in that I knew I would never ever use and deep sixed it..You can pick up little baskets up at your $1.00 store. Make sure you measure the heighth of your drawer to make sure that you do not get them to tall

Before After

Here is your fast food Friday recipe today.. Just a salad but I wanted to make sure that you had the 20 minutes to do your Junk Drawer....

Southwest Salad

1/2 cup Picante Sauce
1/4 cup prepared Italian salad dressing
6 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 medium tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
2/3 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
2 cups corn chips
2 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Stir the picante sauce and dressing in a large bowl.
Add the lettuce, tomatoes, olives and chips and toss to coat. Top with the cheese and bacon. Serve immediately.
Well not much happening this weekend might take the hotrod down to Victoria if the weather is good . Grumpy is getting some work done on it before we head down to California in June....
Enjoy
Cheers
Granny