by kathilipp | Aug 26, 2013 | Home |
***Give Away Alert! I will be giving away four copies of my freezer cooking cookbooks The What’s for Dinner Solution A winner everyday Tuesday through Friday. PLUS – a Freezer Cooking Prize Pack including The What’s for Dinner Solution and $25 Amazon Gift Card to buy all the Ziploc bags and 8×8 pans you need to get started! Just leave a comment on the blog sometime this week and I will pick four book winners and one grand prize winner – the more comments, the more chances to win! (One comment per person, per day, please!) ***
Over the next four days, I will be giving you step by step instructions on how to have great, tasty meals for you and your family, every night. To make sure you don’t miss a post, subscribe to the blog!
I want your kitchen to go from empty to bountiful.
Everyone I know is looking for solutions to making dinner easier and cheaper and this is the plan that works for me. I feed five adult-sized people seven nights a week and winging it is so not an option.
Especially since my freezer looked like this. (Ben and Jerry’s wasn’t even mine. No fair!)
I just want to warn you right now – I am a Freezer-Stuffing Master. I am super advanced when it comes to meal prep. I did 51 plus meals this week. Do not try this at home. Start small with a dozen or so after reading through this week’s posts.
Bulk cooking to get yourself ahead a few nights a week is a great idea. Tripling recipes that you already love will help you get ahead and take some stress out of your evenings.
After you have success with your first attempt at freezing and get comfortable with the procedure, then you can pull out multiple recipes stock your freezer for a month or more.
Day 1 – Pick Your Recipe
Today all you need to do is pick your recipe!!
The absolute easiest type of dinner to prepare ahead is a marinade. We do several chicken and pork marinades each time we freezer cook –they are super-easy and everyone in my house will eat them – a double bonus.
So go through your recipes and find the one that your family will love and will be easy to prepare. When you find it – please share it here. I will read through them all and let you know if they will freeze well – I am here to serve.
Tomorrow – I will share the shopping strategy.
Let me get you started with a Lipp family favorite:
Pesto Chicken
1/2 cup Prepared pesto sauce
6 Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
6 slices Mozzarella cheese
1. Prepare: Pour pesto over chicken breasts in a one-gallon bag.
2. Freeze: Double bag the chicken. Place the Mozzarella cheese in a separate freezer bag and attach to the chicken bag. Freeze lying flat.
3. Serve: Thaw chicken overnight in the refrigerator. Drain marinade. Place chicken breasts in a pan sprayed with light cooking oil. Place one slice of Mozzarella cheese on each chicken breast. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.
And here are a couple of recent blog posts about great marinades for chicken and pork.
Tell me below – what i
s your favorite marinade recipe? You could win a copy of The What’s for Dinner Solution or the grand prize of The What’s for Dinner Solution and a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
Want more freezer recipes? Did you know you can get a free ecopy of Six Chicks Freeze and Fix: How to Start a Freezer Meal Co-op just by liking my Facebook Page. Once you hit “Like” just go to the tabs and download the booklet. It’s that easy. Over 20 great family-pleasing recipes!
We’ll have a free freezer download every day this week. Stay tuned!
by kathilipp | Jul 31, 2013 | Home |
Need Some Organization Inspiration?
Today and Friday on Focus on the Family – The Get Yourself Organized Project
This is one of my favorite broadcasts on Focus. We talk about all aspects of organizing your home – and what happens when the President of Focus on the Family throws away his wife’s Bed Bath and Beyond coupons…
Listen to the broadcast online at: Today’s Broadcast
Too Much Paper?
Download Your Free Copy of the Life Organization File
Everyone is drowning in paper. If you spend more time moving piles off your kitchen counter than you do preparing food on it, go on and download your free copy of how to create your own Life Organization File.
Head over to my website to get your free copy: THE LIFE ORGANIZATION FILE
by kathilipp | Jul 21, 2013 | Home |
Reader’s Favorite Chicken Marinades
Reader’s Favorite Chicken Marinades
Most of us eat chicken and it is probably the animal protein we eat more than others. So it is no surprise that it can get to be a dull and boring dinner dish and before you know it we are cooking the same chicken dishes over and over again. Over 40 of you responded with great recipes when I asked what your favorite chicken marinades are. Bev Galema got busy and blessed us with 4 great recipes. I have posted her and a few others below. This should help you with the menu planning for the next week and you have the answer for “What’s for Dinner?” Bon Appétit
Teriyaki Dump Chicken
Suggested by: Bev Galema
1 clove garlic crushed
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 T cider vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1/2 T minced ginger
1 1/2 lb’s chicken pieces (5-6 boneless skinless breasts)
Directions:
Place all ingredients into a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and gently shake to blend. Label and lay flat in freezer.
To make dinner from the freezer meal: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. To cook in Crockpot, pour contents of freezer bag into Crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours or until done.
To bake in oven: bake at 350 degrees in baking dish 30-45 minutes or until done.
These would be great on the grill as well!
Caribbean Dump Chicken
Suggested by: Bev Galema
8 oz. can pineapple chunks with juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
Optional: 1/2 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (5-6 boneless skinless breasts)
Directions: Place all ingredients into a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and gently shake to blend. Freeze laying flat.
To make dinner from the freezer meal: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Place all ingredients in Crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours or until done.
To bake: Bake in oven in baking dish 350 degrees 30-45 minutes or until done.
Chicken in Mushroom Sauce
Suggested by: Bev Galema
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine soup and sour cream; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle with bacon. Yield: 4 servings
BBQ Chicken
Suggested by: Bev Galema
4-6 Chicken Breasts
12 oz bottle of BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/8 t of cayenne pepper
1 t garlic powder
Once the chicken is cleaned, I like to rub it with the Cayenne Pepper. But, if you’re in a hurry you can just add the Chicken to a freezer gallon Ziploc bag and then add the rest of the ingredients. Once bag is closed, use your hands to mash all the ingredients together! To cook: Take the freezer meal out of the freezer and hour before starting OR run it under some room temperature water for about 30 seconds. Dump meal in a Crockpot and cook on Low for 4-6 hours!
Sweetened Wine Chicken
Suggested by Jennifer Huffman
1 bottle Marsala cooking wine (small bottle, usually with the vinegars in the salad dressing aisle)
1/2 cup honey
4 cloves grated or crushed garlic
Whisk ingredients, together and coat chicken pieces thoroughly. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours. Cook in skillet or grill over medium heat.
Herb Chicken
Suggested by Liliana Toler
Put your chicken pieces on a Ziploc bag add
2 T of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced,
1 t of 4 of each of your favorite Italian herbs fresh is best , but dry can be use as well
1 T of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper mix the ingredients and put to oven to oven 350 for 20 min or so or best grill or skillet is delicious and you will enjoy it!
Blackened Chicken
Suggested by Kristen Williams Reichert
My father in law owned his own chicken restaurant for years and his secret is the brine. For every 2 pounds of chicken use
1 T of salt
1 t of garlic powder
Place in a bowl of water left overnight in the fridge. Then add whatever spices you like before cooking. I like balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey and rosemary.
Blackened Spice Mix for Chicken
Suggested by Susie Neiger
I keep a spice-mix in a jar, and sprinkle it on boneless chicken when sautéing…
Here’s the spice mix:
Blackened Chicken Spices (enough for 5-10 lbs of chicken … use sparingly unless you want it really spicy!)
4 T paprika
2 T onion powder (or dried minced onion)
2 T garlic powder
2 T pepper
1 T salt
1 T oregano
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Mix and store in a jar. Use a little or a lot, (depending on how spicy you want it) – sprinkle on boneless chicken when sautéing in a little oil in a skillet.
by kathilipp | Jul 2, 2013 | Home |
How to Make Homemade Blue Ice
My hubby Roger has been having some foot trouble lately. I think it is from an over abundance of Disney walking. So while Roger wants to have happier feet, he is not willing to give up our Disney trip in November. He is launching a full footal assault (sorry, couldn’t help it…) to restore himself to full podiatric health.
One of the recommendations by his doctor was to use blue ice on his foot several times a day. Our doctor gave him the recipe to make blue ice at home:
Homemade Blue Ice
1 part water
1 part rubbing alcohol
a little blue food coloring… just so people know it’s not drinkable water
Mix in an empty bottle or double bagged Ziplocs (be sure you leave a little “squish room” in the baggies.). It will not freeze solid. That’s the point of the rubbing alcohol. It will get crazy cold. But it won’t burst the bottle.
Warning: Science Stuff… The alcohol lowers the freezing point of the water so it won’t freeze. You can also use 2/3 water to 1/3 alcohol to save money. The mixture will freeze a little bit and expand, so fill the bottle a little less full.
We found out about this just in time for all our summer chilling needs. Great for those long trips in the car while packing a cooler, in a lunch thermal bag, or keeping drinks cool when you go to the park.
You can also wrap the lid of the water bottle with colored duct tape in order to make them “toddler-proof”.
Do you have any great summer ideas? If so, tell me about them in the comments below. If we post one on the blog, you can choose any one of my books to be sent to you!
by kathilipp | May 14, 2013 | Clutter Free, Home |
Every year, on May 15th, I like to remind women all over the world to clean out your purse, bag, backpack or computer bag. I’m passionate about this for several reasons:
- I’ve spent the better portion of my free time looking for car keys.
- I’ve also spent a large portion of my disposable (and not so disposable) income on chiropractors.
So I have a little passion around the topic.
So, I want you to take 5 minutes (truly) and clean out all the stuff that is physically and mentally weighing your down.
Follow our super-simple steps below, and then enter to win a set of the E-Bags Packing Cubes (that, if you read my blog or listen to my podcast, you know that I’m obsessed with…)
How to Clean Out Your Purse – 3 Simple Steps
I knew I had issues when I casually mentioned to Roger, “I wish they had purses with wheels on them.” His reply, “They do. They’re called suitcases – and you have a problem.”
I would love for you to have the feeling that wherever you go, you are not weighed down by “stuff”. (See my post Why Your Bag is a Reflection of Your Spiritual Life.)
Here’s my super-speedy way of cleaning out my bag.
Step 1 to Clean Out Your Purse: Sort It Out
I simply take my purse and dump it out into a plastic grocery bag. I sort the dump into Put Away, Put Back, and (in this case) Throw Away.
Put Away
Anything I want to keep that doesn’t belong in my purse gets put away. This is also when I go through receipts I’ve carefully placed in my wallet (or, more likely, the ones I’ve quickly thrown into my purse…) and random notes or other pieces of paper. If you’re away from home while you’re sorting, just put these items into another bag to put away when you get home. And when you get home, put them away in the right spot.
Put Back
If it belongs in your purse, go ahead and put it back into your purse.
Throw Away
Anything that’s left over in your plastic grocery bag (food wrappers, cash receipts you don’t care about, and so on,) is now garbage that gets recycled or thrown away.
The beauty of the grocery-bag organizing system is that you can do it anywhere, anytime. Just grab a grocery bag and start sorting while you’re waiting for your kids to get out of band practice or while you’re on the phone with your mom.
Step 2 to Clean Out Your Purse: Clean it Up
Give your purse a good shake and get out any stray bits, crumbs etc. I’ve even used a hand held vacuum to really get the bag clean.
Step 3 to Clean Out Your Purse: Label it and Put it Away
Assign a spot for everything that belongs in your purse, bag, or backpack. I use three zippered pouches. Everything goes into one of those three pouches or into your wallet (or in rare cases, onto your key chain). The fewer items you place in your purse, the easier it is to know what’s in there.
Wallet. I recommend you keep in your wallet only cash, receipts, checkbook, and credit, debit, and gift cards.
Pouch 1: Makeup bag
- Lipstick and gloss
- Eyeliner
- Powder
- Sunscreen stick
- Blush and brush
- Eyeglass cleaner wipes
- Hand sanitizer
Pouch 2: Emergency kit
- Fashion tape
- $20
- Needle and thread
- Nail glue
- Advil
- Couple of adhesive bandages
Pouch 3: Change Etc.
Other Things to Keep in Your Bag
- Sunglasses case
- Cell phone
- Keys
Keep It Up
Clean out your purse once a week and it really is easy to stay on top of it. It takes only a couple of minutes to keep it up, keep you organized, and keep you away from the chiropractor.
Do you have to do it exactly like this? No. I just want you to have a clean purse that is functional and doesn’t give you a hernia. So tell me here in the comments that you cleaned out your purse by May 18th (and I’d love to hear what the strangest thing you found in there was!), and here is what you could win:
The Grand Prize winner will receive this set of the E-Bags Packing Cubes.
And five runners up will receive a copy of The Get Yourself Organized Project (for you or a friend.)
Just comment below and you’ll be entered to win!!!
(US residents only.)
by kathilipp | Feb 20, 2013 | Home |
KarenEhman.com
Funny, smart and real Karen is the deal. She’s with Proverbs 31 (so you know she’s good!) And can I tell you, I could spend hours on her amazing site, but let me give you a little cheat sheet:
If you are struggling with piles of papers, check out Karen’s Brain in a Binder (LOVE THIS…)
More of Karen’s Freebies Be sure to check out her Twenty 30 Minute Clutter Busting Ideas
askannamoseley.com
This is one of those sites that you come across when you’re googling questions like “How do I clean out my washing machine?” and “How do I get rid of a urine smell?” (If you’ve never googled this question, you’ve obviously never raised boys.) There is a lot of cleaning advice, a lot of organizing advice, and some good old fashioned genius advice. One of my favorite things is her Cleaning Checklist Printables (go ahead… go get them, I’ll wait…)
Something I LOVE: Anna is the daughter of a friend of mine, but I stumbled upon her one day when I was googling “How to clean between the glass on your oven door?” And this post popped up. Genius.
OrganizingPro.com
Marcia has been in the organizing game for a while and knows all the tricks – and she shares them with you – the organizing mentor you never had but desperately needed. One of my very favorite things about her site is all her great, funny and informative videos (warning, you could spend so much time watching her videos, you may just forget to cook dinner, as just a random example…)
Some of Marcia’s Great Downloads
And two more…
One Good Thing by Jilleee Great resource for all things homemade.
Becoming Minimalist Not really an organizing site, but when you have less stuff, you have less need to organize it all. LOVE this inspirational blog.
Tell me your best organizing tip (and feel free to steal from one of these sites and share it with us!) and you will be entered to win today’s prize pack of three books:
The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized by Karen Ehman
Simplify Your Life: Get Organized and Stay Organized by Marcia Ramsland
and my book The Get Yourself Organized Solution.
Enter by Friday, Midnight – US shipping only.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!
