27 September 2012

The best spaghetti sauce of your life

This delicious recipe is another one of my favorite freezer foods, enough so that we had 2 nights in a row. I'm not going to tell you it is delicious, filling, AND healthy. Cause its only 2 of those things…and I will let you decide which two at the end of this recipe. (Cough cough)

 My spaghetti sauce is like heaven on a fork. Pretty much any meat in your slow cooker is going to create a freaking delicious sauce, but this one is so good I practically lick it out of the bowl. 



You will need:
Some beef (I prefer stew beef in the fresh meat aisle)
2 cans of whole tomatoes (I like their flavor best)
Basil
Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper
 1 small onion (finely diced)
2 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
Cream cheese
Parmesan cheese (optional)

You know the drill by now. Everything but parm and cream cheese goes into your freezer bag. (Or your crock pot if you’re making this fresh) Slow cook low 8 hours. Problem with slow cooking is, it really tends to mellow out spices. So its really important to go back and taste it after its cooked. I almost ALWAYS add a substantial amount of salt and pepper after, cause its always in need of it. After its been cooking so long, the tomatoes will be VERY broken down. (Like my 1995 Mitsubishi Diamante i.e. my first car) I go through with a fork and just sort of break everything up (Like Angelina did to poor poor Jen Anniston...whore) Now put in a couple tablespoons of your cream cheese to make it creamy and ladle over your favorite pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and you are good to go!

 This is the last of my comforting foods that make me feel oh so good in fall. Now its time to spend the weekend in the gym. (HA like that’s going to happen)

Next week I promise Ill bring some lighter dishes to the table…I just thought I’d bring my caloric A game for the first few weeks of fall ;)

Check out the rest of my fatty favorites here:



Yum!





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24 September 2012

Halloween Bunting!


  Hello you spooky readers you.

  I’ve got another fun Halloween craft for you today. I was SO EXCITED about how it turned out, because let me tell you…I’m no Martha Stewart. (Besides the fact that I was arrested for conspiracy too) (just kidding…I wasn’t). I know you see these ALL OVER pinterest. But I actually didn’t find a good tutorial, so I decided to help my favorite bloggies out. If you don’t already know how to make it yourself that is!


  I present to you… Happy Halloween Bunting!







It was actually super fun to make, and super easy…and with a few things from the craft store as well as my 40 percent off Hobby Lobby coupon…the entire craft came in under 5 dollars. WHICH MEANS I saved myself 35 dollars, cause they had the EXACT SAME thing at one of the resale boutiques here for FOURTY BUCKS! Pshh I bet some ol’ shmuck bought it too. HA!


You will need:

Some burlap (I bought 2 yards at Hobby lobby on sale for 3 dollars/yd but I used my coupon. This is WAY more than you’ll need though. 2 feet would be plenty)
Acrylic paint (on sale for $1 chica chica yeah!  Fake id fake id!)
A paint brush (already in my craft room!)
Festive Ribbon (I got 5 yards for 2 dollars…and didn’t even use a quarter of it)
Hot glue/hot glue gun (Already in my craft room!)
Patience
A computer


First I laid out my burlap and created a triangle template out of cardboard. This is optional, obviously, if you majored in triangle drawing in College. But I didn’t…so I cut one out.



Then trace your triangles onto your burlap. I needed 14 for H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N.
Get to snippin.



I just love my sweet little triangles!


Now comes the fun part. Except its not the fun part. If you have a fancy machine or stencil, this will come easy for you. I do not…so I did it the ghetto-fabulous way.
I picked a font I liked on word (Bakersfield old face) typed the letter, found a nice size, and held my burlap to the screen. The light from the monitor reflected perfectly and I was able to trace each letter with a black sharpee marker.

 It wasn’t as hard as it sounds, I promise! It took literally 5 minutes. Then I took my traced triangle pieces of love and sat out on the deck while I painted. It was beautiful out so I sat down and enjoyed the breezy sunshine. If it is raining or 1000 degrees out, I suggest painting inside. (But that’s just me)  I took black acrylic paint and just filled in the traced letters.

Now is the hardest part…wait until your letters are dry. I didn’t, and I got black paint on my walls, and carpet. That’s what you get for being an impatient crafter, Kylie!

  After your triangles are dry, lay em out in order, and cut your festive ribbon to size. Hot glue the triangles to the backside of your ribbon, and your good to go!

See! Easy! And it looks amazing and I LOVE IT! I will totally be doing another one for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. You get the idea. We like the Holidays in my home.



  I hung mine above the TV because I had some blank space, and we don’t have a fireplace WAHH! I can’t wait till we finally build our home and I have a mantel to decorate!

 Please try this easy craft, you will not be disappointed.


Kylie

(Check out my Chromed out pumpkins HERE!!)


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23 September 2012

Dollar store Chrome pumpkins

  MUAAHAHAHAHAHA! Its Halloween week here at Absolutely Arkansas!!

  It's no joke that my favorite time of the year is the "er" time. (SeptembER OctobER NovembER DecembER). I love to get my decorations up, and weather wise it is just so lovely out. I feel comfy in these months. And I love to be comfy :)

  This week I hope to give you some super fun ideas to start your Halloween crafting, if you haven't already! I know we are still a week out from October, but if you're like me you're either counting down the days till October 1st...or your Fall mantle has been up since September.

  Now, I am not one of those people that lumps "fall/Halloween" together. They are 2 very special events, that get 2 very different months for decorations. Poor Thanksgiving gets lost in the mix of Holidays...and I am pretty sure he likes being the middle child as much as the kid from Home alone. (was he the middle child? I am pretty sure...if he wasn't just feel on free to correct me). November 1st I will be happy to put all of my thankful decor...but for now we are focused on HALLOWEEEEEEENNN!


  This craft is simple as pie. You will need some dollar store pumpkins...a can of Chrome spray paint...and some candle sticks. Boom. Done.



 Chrome spray paint (seriously..this stuff is the BOMB.COM. I want to go around spray everything in my house to give it a glammy steele look. SO in love.


Old dollar store pumps' with holes in them. They just need a little lovin', thats all!

and BAM! Magic is made folks.





I just LOVE the way they turned out. You could totally get all different sizes too..and have yourself a ball looking at all of the pimped out pumpkins you've got in your crib. Yeah...I said it.

The other cool thing about these pumpkins is, they look great for my Halloween decor...but once its time for the glittery "haunted" to come down...the pumps can stay. Cause they work just fine with a sparkly "be thankful" sign as well. Don't ya love multi functional holiday decor?! THIS GIRL DOES!


  I am serious when I say...try this out. I think I may make a dollar store run for some more stuff to chrome out later this week. I will let you know what happens...:)


Stay tuned this week for some Halloween bunting, a Halloween-tree, some fun pictures, and an awesome 31. You are in for some crafty treats this week!





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20 September 2012

Tomato Soup...in 5 minutes (sort of)

  Long since the days of disgusting campbells condensed watered down ketchup. Sorry folks, but I was never the kid that fell for that constituting as a meal. And don't try to make it more appealing with gold fish crackers either...noooo THANKS.

 I grew up believing I hated tomato soup, and never really gave it a chance. But now...I.LOVE.IT. No I haven't come around to the idea of drinking ketchup, but the thick, creamy, delicious kind from panera bread makes my mouth water. (I actually have a bit of a cold and Jake brought me home some tonight..what a sweet boy).

 So when I began freezer cooking because I am lazy and don't want to cook a meal when I get home wanted to save money and be healthier, I knew I had to freeze a couple batches of this stuff for these cool fall nights.

 As a disclaimer, Jake HATES tomatoes..and you wouldn't catch him dead eating tomato soup...and he had 3 servings, and took it to lunch the next day...SUCCESS!


 Here is what you will need:

(remember this is for 2 freezer bags! 4 adult servings and 2 lunch servings per bag)

1 large can of WHOLE tomatoes (I think they have better flavor)
1 small can of WHOLE tomatoes
4 cups of chicken broth
2 stalks of celery
5 carrots
1 onion
cayenne pepper
pepper
salt
dried basil
bay leaf
parmesan cheese
and low fat cream cheese.
Butter
Flour


Drain your cans of tomatoes. Between your two bags, divide everything except the parm and cream cheese. It doesn't really matter if you cut your veggies to the same size because it will all be pureed anyway.

  Now you freeze until your ready to throw it in your crock! Toss one of your freezer bags in, and cook on low 8 hours, or high 5-6.  When you come home, your soup will look like this:


Appetizing right? I know..it doesn't look so hot yet. 
 Now you need to puree...



I used my emersion blender, you can put it in a food processor, or even a blender..just be careful...its hotter than a naked hillbilly running down the highway in July. Oh wait, that doesn't happen where you live? Must be an Arkansas thing.

 After you blend it (your crock can be on "warm" at this point) you need to make a roux. Ya know, thickener...melt half a stick of butter...dump in an 1/8th of a cup of flour cook for 30 seconds..add 1 cup hot soup. It will thicken immediately. Pour your roux back in the pureed soup and your good to go!

 I add some paremesan cheese, and about a 1/2 cup of cream cheese too..to give it that thick rich delicious taste. 

Don't forget to season with S&P! Crock cookin' mellows a lot of flavors, so you need to taste as you go for seasoning.



 I'm not kidding, people. It is SO.GOOD. Try it. You'll be impressed with yourself. And it will put you in the mood to light your pumpkin spice candle and have the in laws over for thanks giving dinner. (Oh...okay maybe not thaaaat far) ;)

(just kidding...I ADORE my in-laws.)






P.s. if you liked this freezer meal, be sure to check out my others:

sausage and potato chowder
swedish meatballs
freezer cookin basics

you can also view my recipe page click here!




Skip to my Lou/Keeping It Simple Crafts/DIY Showoff/
Home Stories A to Z / Uncommon Designs /Sugar and Dots / The Winthrop Chronicles
The Girl Creative / House of Hepworths / The Shabby Creek Cottage
Liz Marie Blog / Tater Tots & Jello / Shabby Nest / Whipper Berry /Funky Junk Interiors / Serenity Now /Classy Clutter / Someday Crafts
Reasons to Skip the Housework / Six Sisters Stuff / Be Different Act Normal/ Life with the Crust cut off/ The Turquoise HomeGinger Snap Crafts


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19 September 2012

What I wore Wednesday:

  Todays outfit is another simple little thing that can go from one occasion to another in a snap. I had to work this last Sunday, and therefor had to go to work directly from church. In which case, I needed an outfit that was professional, but still church-cute-appropriate-Sunday besty. You know? It all started with these babies :

 The best 20 dollar pair of shoes I have ever purchased. Remember...from here. Aren't they ADORABLE? I think so. You can buy them at {pink basis}. They also have this awesome little piece of elastic on the heel to keep it from rubbing and giving you blisters. That is a WIN for woman kind!!

Here is my Sunday Best/work outfit:




I die over these little bows!!


I got it at:
Tee: VS pink (of course)
Cardi: Wet seal (on sale for 4 dollars)
Belt: Bodyc.com (5.99)
Skirt: Hand-me-down so I have no idea. (What you can't tell is, its 2 sizes too big so I have it safety pinned to stay up!


  Remember how I said in last weeks "what I wore Wednesday" that I was making an effort to wear more jewelry? Well I failed I didn't even make it two WIWW's. How pathetic! Do belts sort-of count as jewelry? They are accessories, I feel it should count for something!!

  Also, do you remember how AMPED I was on life yesterday? Well, today was one of those rainy days where you sit in your car and cry for a little. No reason in particular, just a bunch piling up. So pray for me! I need it! I am homesick and needing a little of Gods guidance right now, so your prayers are appreciated!

Also! Pray for my Great-grandma. She is 90 years old (and the fiestiest ol' thing you ever did see) but she had an accident in which she fractured her vertebrae, and is currently having a brain bleed. At her age, she may not recover from this, so say your prayers people! I do appreciate it.

 Stay tuned for some yummies tomorrow.





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18 September 2012

What I wore Wednesday: stripes for days

  Hi friends!

  I am so LOVING the weather in Arkansas right now. But fo' real...its da bizzness right now. (hahahahahahhahahaha over the way I just typed that). Today the sun was out and the sky was blue but it was 68 all day. LOVE! Perfect time to start breaking out sweaters don't ya think? I know this California girl is in for a serious shock when Its ACTUALLY winter out, cause I have been freezing the past couple days and its only been in the 60s...what am I going to do when there is SNOW ON THE GROUND! ah. No clue really. Guess its an excuse to buy some new clothes?  Doesn't sound so bad now ;)


  Anyways this entire outfit is from f21....except my belt...which means its pretty darn affordable, and what girl doesn't love Luke Bryan? What ? um...I mean affordable outfits.




Obviously I have a thing right now for long maxi skirts. Mostly because I get sick of wearing dress pants all week, and my piggies are way too cold for pencil skirts without leggings!  And I obviously didn't iron my sweater either...(fail).

Anyways
sweater: f21, its old but I believe it was in the ball park of 15 dollars
skirt (actually dress) : f21, this is sort of medium pricey for forevs...I believe it was $45.00, BUT its actually a long formal dress, that I just threw a sweater on top of.
copper belt: J crew...on sale obviously who would buy a 60 belt. I'll give you a hint, she doesn't have 2 thumbs and a collection of all 6 bring it on movies....(that would be me...which means I wouldnt spend 60 dollars on a belt...ya know..cause I sort of butchered that joke)


Anyways,  I hope you find inspiration in my prison stripes today, I can't wait to share a few more comforty fall recipes this week with you :)





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16 September 2012

Potato and smoked sausage chowder

  Hello readers!

  Hope you had a fantastic weekend. Ours was pretty eventful. Poor baby Kaedyn went to the ER today because he cut his foot open, and it was pretty nasty. Luckily it wasn't as bad as we thought and he got it sterilized, wrapped up, and sent home. PHEW! I am surprised we haven't had multiple trips there already that  kid is so rough!

  Anyways, as I shared last week, I really love to freezer cook. You can read about it here. It saves us tons, and is a great way to ensure a healthy tasty dinner at the end of the day.

 Oh speaking of healthy, I know potato and smoked sausage chowder doesn't sound it, but it really isn't too bad (Its no salad people). It was raining and in the 60's all weekend, so it was a PERFECT way to dig in. Here is what you will need:

**side note** All of these freezer recipes make TWO freezer bags of meals for us. Each bag makes 4 adult dinner servings, and 2 lunch servings.  You can adjust however fits best for your family :)

5 potatoes
1 large onion
4 cups of chicken stock
4 links smoked chicken sausage
2 bay leaf
S&P
1/2 cup low fat cream cheese (per batch)
1/2 fat free sour cream (per batch)
cheddar cheese (mmm!)


  So basically this is the easy part. Cut open your chicken sausages to let the meat out of the casings and put 2 per bag. Now chop all of your potatoes, (I chop em pretty large since it slow cooks ALL DAY)  and split them between the 2 freezer bags. Chop your onion and split it up. Next you will need 2 cups of stock per bag, and a bay leaf. Thats it for prep!

  Whenever you are ready to eat, dump your ingredients into the slow cooker. I cooked on low 8 hours, but you could do high for 5 also. Right before serving, dump in your sour cream and cream cheese, and mix it thoroughly. Make sure you SEASON with salt and pepper after it has cooked, until you think its right:)

  I topped it with a dollop of sour cream and some cheddar cheese, and it was DIVINE! I hope you enjoy!



mmmm I want some leftovers.









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11 September 2012

Swedish meatballs...kind of

  Hey guys!

  In case you missed it, earlier I posted about food prepping. check it out here!, and the benefits it has to your health, and wallet! I will tell you what is on the agenda for the next 2 weeks in the Rose household.


1) Swedish meatballs
2) Italian beef and pasta
3)Sausage and potato casserole
4) Tomato soup and grilled cheese
5) Buffalo chicken sandwiches
6) Chicken chili

and repeat.

  I make 2 freezer bags of each meal so that we can make it for 2 weeks. I find most ingredients come in bigger packs, so it is easier for me to buy them and use them for 2 meals versus 1. 1 bag of dinner usually makes dinner for the 2 of us (with seconds!) and lunch the next day.

 Tonight was Swedish meatballs. And I call them kind-of because I am pretty sure they are about as Swedish as Barack Obama. (Romney Ryan 2012!) I made this recipe up, they taste good to me, and Jake practically slurps the gravy up...so thats a win in my book.

You will need:
2 pounds of ground beef
(or pre-made meat balls from the freezer section in your market)
1 egg
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

thats about as far as I go with the meat balls, roll em together, and pan fry in olive oil until they have a firm, crispy outside.

for the gravy:
2 cup beef broth
1 medium onion
1/2 cup sour cream (per meal)

Easy peasy right?!
 I toss 1 pound of meatballs per gallon freezer bag, half of the onion, a cup of broth, and some additional spices (bay leaf, pepper) and mix together. Seal, and then the night before your ready to cook, take out of the freezer to defrost. Before work, toss the contents of your bag into a slow cooker for 8 hours on low.

 When you come home, mix in a 1/2 cup of sour cream,  and spoon over some egg noodles. Delicious!


Slow cooking meatballs is a very, very good idea. They practically melt in your mouth. (no innuendos please...but don't worry, I was sure to ask Jake how he liked the "balls in his mouth") hahahaha maturity of an 8 year old.






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Food freezin'

  Hi readers!

  How the heck are ya? Fantastic I hope!

  Before anything else, i'd like to take a minute to really thank our troops, and remember all those who lost their lives after the heartless acts that happened 11 years ago. I am so proud to be an American, and I know all of you are as well, so it goes without saying but, we will never forget!

  Now back to the blog world.

  I have been "food prepping and freezing" for awhile now, and its one of the best ways to save money on groceries. Which are expensive as hell! Granted, I feed 2 people, and many of you have tiny human mouths to feed, which would make your lives even MORE expensive! I do not look forward to the day I have hungry teenagers to feed, no siree.

  Here is how you can save save save in 3 easy steps:

1) Meal Planning. I know, I know, this is stupid and annoying and everyone says you should do this, but there is a reason. It works! I usually jot down 6 meals per week (1 leftover fridge clean out day) and do shopping accordingly.(Use coupons if you can!)

2) Make a DETAILED list, and STICK.TO.IT. DO NOT buy something because it "looks good" at the store. That is the #1 way to overspend at the market!

3) I PREP! I take 2 hours on that Sunday to prep all of the food we bought. I take pantry foods out of their containers and into clear ones, I wash all of our produce in water/vinegar solution (TRY IT! Everything will last 2 weeks longer I promise) and I make every.single.meal. for the next 2 weeks. Then it goes into the freezer/fridge and we are good to go!



No, its not really that fancy, and I don't have some super high tech system, but it works, and let me tell you why.

 First off, we eat everything we buy. By putting it right in front of our faces, washed and ready to eat, nothing goes bad because when we go to the fridge, something is always there to eat. We are also getting much healthier options from our snacking because its so easy to just grab and go.

 Second, I hate cooking when I get home from work. And I am sure all you working parents despise it as well. You want to put your feet up, spend time with your kids (or hubby!) and relax. The last thing you want is to get your iron chef on. (I love you Bobby Flay!) So by making all of our meals in advanced, I am making sure we have something for dinner (thus reducing "eating out" and saving money, and calories!) and its SO WORTH IT!

 We typically spend about 100 dollars on a grocery trip twice a month. This is PLENTY breakfast/lunch/dinner for the 2 of us. So for 200 dollars a month we have 31 dinners breakfasts lunches desserts and snacks, and I really think it is all from food prepping.


  SO there is that! I hope you will consider prepping and freezing your groceries from now on, to live a healthier, cheaper, more delicious life ;)

(P.s. stay tuned for one of my favvv. freezer recipes, "Swedish meatballs, kind-of")





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03 September 2012

Beachy Waves (even if your nowhere near a beach)

  Hi readers!

  I am so sorry I have been MIA for a week. Its just, ya know, I sat down to write something , and every time it sucked. And since I don't want you to read a whole bunch of suck-words, I took another week off to acquire some good blog material that didn't have anything to do with real estate.

  So instead of instagram Monday, I will give you a tutorial on my favorite hairstyle that I do practically daily.  You see, I have a mane. My hair is l-o-n-g and it chokes me in the middle of the night, and unless I do something with it, its a gigantic mess-hole. SO I will share with you how I create beachy easy waves, and it truly takes me under 5 minutes. Which I love, since I wake up at 6 am and have to leave the house by 7.

So here we go.

Start with bed head. (no you don't get a picture of my bed head!)


Spray some heat spray all over your hair. (No matter what length/type hair you have, you gotta protect it!)


Use your flat iron to curl the  frizziest parts of your hair. I don't do all of my hair, because that would take all day, and I've only got 5 minutes, but some parts of my bed head are so bad that it needs a little hot-assistance, therefore it gets the flat iron treatmement. *Make sure you curl the pieces AWAY from your face.


You will get something like this. (Oh I have to pin my bangs back too cause they are too long and crazy with the bed head, but of course, this step is optional.). This style would be fine as is, but it won't hold well with my mane, and I like something a little beach-i-er. You know, I just got out of the ocean and my hair is blowing in the wind. Like that.



Next, I take a pea-size amount of anti-frizz smoothing cream, and hair gel and rub them together in my hands like lotion almost. (Your fingers will be sticky and gross feeling, and it will feel like their isn't enough to do anything to your hair, not to worry, the next step will help!)

 Now turn your sink on very low, and dip your hands underneath, creating a wet, sticky, mess, that you can now scrunch your hair with! 

  Dip your hands under the water and scrunch your hair all over until your hair is officially beachy enough for your liking. Then hair spray all over and VOILA!




Ta-Da! You have tamed the mane for at least one day, and it was pretty simple if I do say so myself!




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