A Drinker

How to categorize this post? Honey, Happy Husbands, or Full Tummies? Mommy tummies that is! A drinker is a bottle of wine that you never feel guilty opening it up and enjoying it because it's so economical. To be frank, that's my entire wine collection these days. Ha! Some people may have very expensive wine that is too sacred to enjoy, a concept far outside of my realm of understanding, and others may have expensive wine they get to drink because they have no wine "budget" per say.


For the rest of us, it's important to find "drinkers". My Dad always said that any guy can find a good bottle of wine for $40 but HE could find a GREAT bottle for under $20. Now that's what I am talkin about! My latest and greatest find is one I was a little embarrassed to admit I had purchased because it is a large producing label. A little small vineyard snobbery there. Once I opened it however, I was hooked! And the best part is, even at regular price it's under $15!! If you live in Texas, Tom Thumb has the best price on this bottle hands down. If you buy 6 bottles and receive their 10% off AND it's on sale, it costs about $9.50ish. If you buy 6 bottles and receive their 10% off and it's not on sale, it's right under $11.


Drum roll please!!!!
KENDALL JACKSON VINTNER'S RESERVE SUMMATION RED

Buy it, drink it, share it; LOVE it. Cheers!

Ivan & Mary

If you haven't been on Etsy.com you are missing out! Very unique and wonderful treasures await! One particular shop on Etsy is IVAN & MARY.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/IvanandMary?ref=pr_shop

This proprietor makes the most darling belts for children and is very reasonable. We purchased a golf belt for a little friend's 2nd birthday present who is obsessed with golf. Not only was it unique, affordable, and darling, it arrived so quickly and Mindy, the owner, was a pleasure to work with! So, if you are searching for different ideas from the usual Target trip for birthdays, visit IVAN & MARY on Etsy.com. You won't be disappointed Honey!

Bits and Bites

During this lovely Pantry Challenge time, I thought it pertinent to pass on to you new and easy discoveries for your own kitchen. Especially if you live here in Texas where the last time we say under 100 degrees or rain was when God was a boy. Seriously.

It's important to be flexible during Pantry time and it's important to have fun easy things to throw together for friends and family. Today, I have two random additions, I hope you like!!

Pantry Chicken (*Namely because I'm that creative to call it this during my new endeavor)

• Chicken of any kind, I used three of those GIANT frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts that come 50 to a pack at Costco or the like. You could use any piece of chicken you like but maybe frozen will work better in the crock pot?



• Large jar of your favorite salsa, I used a garlic type.



• 1-2 cans of Black Beans, drained.

Combine chicken, salsa, and black beans in crockpot. Cook on low all day. Voila! Dinner! Combine with rice and wrap in some tortillas, throw over salad mix for taco salad night, or stand in the kitchen and eat it plain with a fork since it's too dang hot to do anything else!!

And now for a sweet treat easy to make and the kind that makes your dieting friends feel like they can participate... a little. *Wink wink.

Shortcake Bites

• Pound cake. I made my own but for the sake of easy, let's say you grab a Sarah Lee's pound cake from your grocer. I mean that girl never overcooks her pound cake.



• Fresh Strawberries



• Fresh Whipped Cream (*This is crucial, it's just so much better)

Slice pound cake into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes (no measuring please). Slice strawberries into quarters. Prepare whipped cream with whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar in your stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Dip strawberry quarters in sugar. Place dollop of whipped cream on pound cake, top with strawberry. There you go! Shortcake Bites!

Just a couple of ideas, inexpensive, yummy, and none that keep you over a hot stove for very long, if at all!

Pantry Challenge

I try to be budget minded. I try not to be wasteful. But, without fail, I am always buying more, spending more, and throwing more away! Especially when it comes to groceries. We try very hard in Casa G to eat through leftovers and hodge podge pantry items one week a month. Today I am upping the ante. And here's the reasons why.

1. I cleaned out my pantry today so I could reorganize and see what was actually in there. Honey, it was not good. Nothing alive or dead in there thank goodness, but oh the food we have. Now you can see it, the pretty maids all in a row!

2. A friend of mine (CY), quite the entrepreneurial philanthropist, has been organizing a sack lunch drive every week this summer to give out to kids who probably wouldn't get lunch, since the schools which feed them are closed during the summer. The food pantry she works with for distribution is having to close a couple days of week due to overwhelming need and under-whelming supplies and money.

3. Money. While saying my affirmation "Money flows freely and abundantly to me", I am, like many of you, looking for ways to save and stretch my family's dollar.

In summary, a surplus of food, a reality of our own abundance and blessed life, and desire to save more has given fuel to a new kind of Housewife fire. THE PANTRY CHALLENGE. I am committing to you, my readers, followers, supporters (even if it's just one of you out there) to not grocery shop for anything but milk (trust me, nobody wants to see my Max without milk) for the next three weeks. Between my pantry, current fridge items, and freezer, my goal is to wade through all of the food we already have before buying more. It may not be pretty, it may not have a delightful theme the Barefoot Contessa would be proud of, but it will serve the purposes mentioned earlier.

So I say to you lovelies, are YOU up to the Pantry Challenge...

The A Team

Keep it simple, keep it consistent. Just like I tell my oldest son, if you keep practicing it will eventually become habit. Same goes for us as adults. Maybe you feel like your house will always be in disarray. Maybe the cleanest your house ever is is the day before the "keepers" come. Thanks WW! I tell my housewife friends, one thing at a time.

And one "thing" in my book of secrets, is a core group of A Team cleaning supplies. A list of items I always have on hand, which are tried and true in keeping my world shiny. Now your list should be personalized to you and your needs; if you don't like the product what are the chances you're going to use it?! So, here's my list...

• METHOD All Purpose Spray: Kitchen use mainly, highchair, granite, stainless steel, you name it! The bottle says if the surface can be cleaned with water, this spray is safe! Gentle!


• CLOROX Wipes: Bathrooms, doorknobs, light switches, etc. I've talked about my love affair with these babies before but seriously. Everyone needs these. Wipe down a bathroom in less than ten minutes and don't forget those scary-germy door handles and light switches!


• METHOD Le Scrub: Bathrooms. So safe and non-toxic, I just take this fabulous-spa-smelling scrub in the shower with me and clean after I shower. A warm shower/tub area is the key to speedy and effective cleaning. You can throw a little on counter tops too but I wouldn't use it on granite or marble.


• WINDEX: Mirrors, etc. Pretty self explanatory friends. Nobody wants to look at their own gorgeousness with somebody else's toothpaste spit spots on the mirror.


• ORECK Vacuum: It weighs 8lbs people! Come on! Why don't you own one? If they use it at the Four Seasons then it's good enough for me. I vacuum all floors, no matter the type. If you don't have the time to mop or steam the hard surface floors, run your vacuum it's fast. I vacuum every other day at least.

Like I mentioned, your A Team is your A Team. Not mine. But find things that make your routine easier. You'll do it more. Try to clean one thing every day this week. Even if you only wipe down one toilet to start for your first day. You'll be amazed at how it becomes simple to keep it up. Cheers!

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

I do not believe all cooking is easy. Or needs to be for that matter. But, I do believe when you find something that's easy, versatile, and tasty, it is nice to have it in your repertoire for entertaining or family dinner. That's what I love about the Barefoot Contessa. Her ingredient lists are not overwhelming and most importantly, 9 times out of 10, your food turns out like the picture in her cookbook!! Heck yes!

I like to stock my pantry with items I use frequently with many recipes and keep a few items in the freezer that are company and family friendly. Pork loin is inexpensive and so versatile. The classic mistake with pork loin is that it typically is overcooked and comes out dry and bland. Um, not good. This is an easy recipe sure to please little people, big people, and everyone in between.

Herb-marinated Loin of Pork
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

• grated zest of 1 lemon


• 1/4 c fresh lemon juice (4-6 lemons) *In a pinch last week I used 3 limes and 4 clementines and it was great!


• 1/2 c olive oil


• 2 T minced garlic (6 cloves)


• 1 1/2 T minced fresh rosemary leaves


• 1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves


• 2 t Dijon mustard


• salt


• 3 1 lb pork tenderloins (I just buy one package with two in it)


• pepper

Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2t salt in a gallon zip loc bag. Double it up with two! Add the pork and cover in marinade. Seal bag and place in refrigerator over night or at least first thing in the morning on the day you are going to grill it.

When you are ready to grill, preheat grill, and remove meat from marinade. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill tenderloin over medium to medium-low heat turning a few times for 15-25 minutes until the meat registers 137 degrees at the thickest part. Remove from grill and place on platter, cover tightly with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in diagonal slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be pink which is fine and the thinnest part will be well done. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is a great recipe and can be mixed with anything depending on what you have in your fridge or what the season is! We had it for dinner as a family last week and I served it with julienned red bell peppers (so crunchy and good!) and brown rice. Tonight I will make it for our dinner club and with friends bringing a side and salad, and I bought crunchy sourdough to go with it as well. It's healthy, inexpensive, and delish! So grab those grill tongs and let's get grillin'!

Housewife-ery

Hello one and all!

I am excited to announce that I am moving forward with a little venture I call:

HOUSEWIFE-ERY!

What does this mean to you and yours? Well, you lucky girl, it means I am offering my housewife help to the public! So anyone you know who is in need of the following, please send them my way!

- Organization (closets, kitchens, playrooms... life!)
- Meal planning
- Time management

Anything and everything you can think of that brings more honey into your home, I am here to help! Please contact me with any questions or to book an appointment!