Kitchen Hack

That feeling when you are making mozzarella and realize that your kitchen thermometer broke (over a year ago) and the candy thermometer doesn't measure anything below 140°. Mozzarella needs to be heated to 95° and 105°. What to do?!? What to do? 

Wait, those are around a normal human temperature... People thermometer to the rescue!! The batteries on my other thermometers have died. So, my Kinsa, attached to my phone had to do.  

I think it should have been more concerned with my high temperature. 

Rainy Day Fun

I covered the boys' lamp with some fun ikea fabric. 

In used to look like this. It had a bunch of yellow stains on it. I am not sure where they came from. 

We collected all the trash, which you can see in that photo sitting by the back door waiting to go outside. 

I made grape jelly out of some purple grape juice that I had bought, but realized it was a terrible idea to let the boys drink. It leaks everywhere and stains everything. We only drink juice when we are sick (and I usually make their cups 2/3rds water). Recently, after they found out that Jared eats pb&js, they both have decided it is their favorite food. So, hopefully this jelly sets and I can use it for there lunches.  

Mozzarella

I made Mozzarella again. 

It was definitely easier the second time. 

Kindle Cover

Anna and Andrew gave me a Kindle for my birthday. They are always super generous and the most wonderful host and hostess!!! They take amazing pictures and adore Martin. I would say they are my favorite siblings, but I have four other amazing siblings (when you count their spouses) and they are each perfectly wonderful in their own way. I love them all. 

 I studied e-ink technology and flexible electronics in graduate school and I find e-readers fascinating. Besides the science part of loving the Kindle, I love being able to borrow books from the library without even going (although, my library card is expired...how did that happen?). I need to fix that before this new baby arrives.  

I am looking forward to reading a bunch of books while I nurse this little boy. Martin was distracted by the noise of pages turning, but I won't have that issue with the Kindle. :) 

I wasn't sure if I would like reading off a Kindle because I love holding and smelling a real book (which is why I have never bought one). However, I have read two books now on the Kindle and I do like it. I can't say it is better than a book. I love leafing through the pages of a favorite book and clicking in the screen doesn't have the same feel. Also, I don't like how distracting the features are. I don't want to skip to other parts of the book with the same character or look up a word. But I do like how convenient it is. And the library borrowing is a definite plus. Welcome to my life, little Kindle. 

I followed a few tutorials online to make this and fudged a bit on the size. I choose a bunch of my favorite fabrics that I have been saving. 

Oh, and I made homemade English muffins. They are so easy and delicious. 

I will stock my freezer with these before the baby arrives. I love them toasted with homemade jam or butter and honey. So delicious. I forget if I have posted the recipe, if I have not, I will post it later. They are super easy and you cook them in the stove. 

Photos and a Project

This post was supposed to upload Thursday. The blogger app fails to post sometime. Since it didn't load, I will give you an update on the csa foods. We had chicken fajita salads two night, I sautéed the turnips in brown butter and brown sugar, and have made two spinach smoothies so far. I haven't used the kale or the escarole. I am probably going to trying baking them in a casserole topped with bread crumbs and cheese. :)

Wednesday is CSA day (or Thursday could be if we were busy on Wednesday). It looks like we will be eating a lot of lettuce, kale, and spinach (not included in picture). 

I tried to grill my turnips last week, but I burnt them. We will see what happens this week. 

We went over to my parents house for dinner on Wednesday and for homemade strawberry ice cream. I made strawberry pretzel salad with double the strawberries. I will type the recipe in later. But I posted a picture of the recipe. 

 As you can see, I don't follow recipes perfectly. I make lots of modifications. I cut down the water because when you pour hot water on strawberries it causes them to release juice and then the jello doesn't set properly. I also like less sugar and butter and more pretzels in the crust. 

Homemade strawberry ice cream in homemade waffle comes. I don't like hot weather, but if it brings fresh fruit and homemade ice cream, it is bearable. 

And I made a tote bag to carry produce in for my friend that is splitting my csa box with me. It is color blocked pink and blue. 

And has a reversible lining for the fall (since our csa runs through December). 

I thought the bag looked a little boring. So I screenprinted her name on it. 

BUT I made a juvenile error and forgot to put cardboard in the middle and the ink bleed through the bag. Agr. So, I gave it to her anyway, but I was so mad at myself for doing something so silly. Oh well. It can still hold produce. 

Have you been working on anything lately? I have been working on two maternity shirts. I will post pictures if I ever get them to a stage I like. I think at least one of them will make it into my closet. 

Raspberry Lemon Bars and Sewing Projects

I finished a sheep, bib, and burp cloth for a shower I am going to this weekend.  I made the burp cloth girlish on one side and boyish on the other side because they aren't finding out what the baby is. :)   The bib is from some of my favorite fabric. I bought three or four yards when I was pregnant with Martin.  I made his curtains out of some of it. 

I also made raspberry, lemon strudel bars for the shower. They are in the oven right now.  I will post the recipe if it is delicious.  

Martin played happily while I baked because I made him eggs and waffles for second breakfast at 9:00.  He woke up at 5:30 this morning.  That extra half hour has made the day seem so much longer.  

Homemade chicken stock

I am a big fan of homemade chicken stock (because it tastes better, is easy to make, and is free - free stuff always makes me happy). I started buying the bone in chicken breasts and thighs. If I need them boneless for a recipe, I debone them myself and throw the bones and skin in a pot to make stock. Most of the time though I simply boil my chicken and then pull the meat off.  

Stock recipe: Just throw in some onion, celery, pepper, salt, garlic, and carrots (or some combination of those - I throw in the tops of my celery bunch and onion skins that I have saved sometimes).  Boil all of that for one to three hours depending on how much chicken you are cooking. Sometimes I throw a whole chicken in the pot. Pour the stock into containers (I use mason jars) and refrigerate. Once they have cooled completely the fat will gather at the top. You can scrape this off and throw it away or use it for dumplings or biscuits or chicken pot pie crust. Yum!! 

I included a picture of some homemade stock, yogurt, and granola that I made last week. Mr. B. loves yogurt. It costs less than half the price to make your own yogurt. Homemade granola is also less than half the cost of store bought granola and so much healthier without the extra oils and sugar and additives.  

So there are some frugal tips for the week. :) Do you have any simple ways you cut costs in your grocery bill? Does anyone use vinegar and baking soda to clean? I am thinking about starting and would love some tips. 

P.s. Happy birthday to my mother!! We love you and are so blessed to have you as a mom and grandma. Thanks for loving us so much.