Disney Diva @ Home

I have been making an effort to get my ducks in a row, so to speak, this fall. I want to get my house in order and try to be a little more up to date on my household chores. Now before I go any further let me say that the condition of my house, for good or bad, has very little to do with having friends over. I will always welcome my friends into my house, if they are willing, because people are more important than things. Honestly, if you are really my friend then you won't care that I have drips on my kitchen floor and there are more toys out than there is space to walk.

That being said, I am trying to make my house a little more organized and stay up to date on the cleaning so that my husband and I can enjoy a more peaceful and comfortable home. I took some inspiration from All Thing For Mom and made a list of daily and weekly chores. I printed it out and then had it laminated. It is hanging on my fridge and I use a wipe off marker to cross off the items I did that day and also write on additional things I need to do/remember that week. Lets be honest. The best part of any task is the satisfaction of crossing it off.

This has sort of been like learning to juggle. I went through the first week and did a little of each thing, even skipped some, but did a fantastic deep clean on others. The ones I did the deep clean on I have to maintain while I move on to another area the next week. Each area that has been deep cleaned is now a ball that I am trying to juggle as I maintain that area and tackle new ones.

I would say I am successfully juggling a few balls now and I'm motivated to continue. It is really nice to tackle a few tasks each day and not let them build up to one monumental task. I feel I can enjoy my relaxation time, if I get any, because I did all I had to do. Even though there is more to do, I know I will get to it on its scheduled day. 

So after 9 years of marriage and 3 children, I think I am finally learning to take care of my house. Lets hope I can keep it up...

This weekend the kids had a lot of fun with Daddy. It is hard on them when he works a lot and they were so excited to see him this weekend. Of course Daddy has all the best ideas and he decided to do a camp-out in the family room. He talked to me about it and I thought it was a great idea. I guess I didn't know what he meant...

I come into the room to see him setting up our outdoor camping tent. I thought he was going to make something out of cushions and blankets, not this Dad. He had the full tent set up with an air mattress and sleeping bags. The kids were really going to get a camp-in.

My kids know a bit about camping. We have gone camping most summers and actually went twice this summer. They were so excited. They brought all their special things into the tent and were ready for their adventure.

Unlike our regular camping trips they all laid in the tent and watched a movie. They had ice cream and some quality time together. Daddy and Ethan fell asleep before the movie was over though.

Sunday morning I came down to find them all in the tent coloring and having fun. I brought my husband a nice cup of tea (also different than camping trips) and the kids hung out until it was time to get ready for church. Finally, Sunday evening the tent had to come down. The kids were sad but we promised them we would have a camp-in again soon.

What fun activities have you brought in? Share your ideas so we can have ways to beat the boredom when cabin fever sets in.

Nicholas Sparks has got to be one of my favorite authors. I know many of his books have been made into movies like; Message in a Bottle, Nights in Rodanthe, The Last Song, and others. I have seen some of the movies but I prefer to just read his books. I just saw on Amazon.com that he has a new book called Safe Haven


I just got it on my kindle and I'm off to start reading it. I'm sure it will be as good as the rest. Check it out!



 

I just pulled this recipe out of the box. I haven't made it since last year and forgot how good it was. I at the whole thing myself over a few days...ok it was only 2. This is a great recipe for both zucchini lovers and haters. A great vegetarian dish too!

3 Tbs butter
1/2 large sweet onion sliced
2 zucchini 1/4" slices
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs flour
1/2 c hot milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup munster cheese

Melt 2 Tbs butter and cook the onions about 15 min until tender but not brown. Add zucchini and cook covered 10 min. Add salt and flour and cook about a minute to get the raw flour flavor out. Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Cook until it starts to thicken, a few minutes. Pour into a small baking dish (6x8). Mix bread crumbs and cheese and sprinkle over dish. Dot with 1 Tbs of butter. Bake about 25 minutes (until hot, bubbly, and golden) at 400 degrees.

I think you could make this gluten free by just using corn starch to thicken and omit the bread crumbs. If you use the corn starch I would mix it into the milk instead of putting it directly in the pan. I'm sure it would still be good.

I made this again with chopped broccoli and it was just as good. I did share some with my husband this time.

I just read a very interesting article that I had to share. So I told you in my eating healthy post that I have tried to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from our food, especially our "healthy" food. In fact I sent a message to Yoplait to let them know that I don't buy their yogurt now because it contains HFCS. I was not happy with their response. They basically blew me off.

Now I just read an article that said that the Corn Refiners Association just applied to the Federal Government to change the name of HFCS to corn sugar on labels. Very sneaky in my opinion because we are looking for HFCS on the label and we may not see it but will be eating it anyway. For more information on this you can read the article.

What do you think about this? Do you have concerns about HFCS too? Do you think its the same as sugar or that the body processes the fructose differently then the sucrose and therefore is not healthy for the body? Do you think they should be allowed to change the name on labels? Do you agree this is sneaky or do you think its smart? Leave a comment and let me know what you think. I am very interested in other people opinions on this.
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One of my favorite things when I'm cooking is my immersion blender. I used it again today to make my broccoli cheddar soup.  It is so nice to be able to puree your soup without having to dirty the blender or another container. My blender has different attachments that it came with including a little food processor. I used that to make my own bread crumbs from my homemade bread. If you make a lot of soup or do a lot of blending you should check out immersion blenders. They are awesome and one of my favorite things.

This is not the exact one I have but it is similar. Check it out.

This is a little different than your typical pot roast since it has a tangy red sauce. This is a family recipe that has been passed down through several generations. Enjoy!

3-4 pound piece of meat (I prefer chuck roast but you can also use rump or bottom round)
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
4 Tbs ketchup
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 (29 -oz) can crushed tomatoes
1-2 Tbs cornstarch

First brown the meat on all sides in olive oil. After meat is browned on all sides cover meat 1/4 way with water. Add the remaining ingredients (except for cornstarch). Cook for 3 hours , turning every half hour. When its finished remove the meat and thicken the sauce with water and 1-2 Tbs cornstarch.

Tip:
You can also make this in the crock-pot. Brown the meat and then add it to the crock-pot with remaining ingredients and cook on high for 6 hours or until tender.

This is a delicious recipe my kids love. A great way to enjoy veggies too!

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Yukon gold potatoes, pealed and diced in 1/2 inch pieces
2 small broccoli crowns, chopped (about 3 or 4 cups)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Saute onions in olive oil until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add potatoes, broccoli, and stock. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Puree the mixture in a blender or use an immersion blender and do it right in the pot.  Stir in the cheese.

Tips:
If the soup is thick you can thin it out a little with chicken stock, vegetable stock, or milk/cream
Use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.

I don't know about you but I am tired of hot weather. It was such a wonderful surprise to wake up to cooler temperatures this morning. I couldn't help myself. I had to start cooking. We made trail mix cookies, broccoli cheddar soup, and pot roast.

The trail mix cookies came out awesome and I'm definitely going to make them again. You can check out the recipe at All Things For Mom. The kids liked them too so that is always a plus.

The broccoli cheddar soup came out good too. Here is the recipe. My youngest was eating it up. What a great way to get veggies in.

The pot roast isn't done yet but it smells delicious. It is a little different than your typical pot roast since it has a red sauce. It is so good though and a family recipe.

Hurray for cooler weather. I can't wait to make more warm comfort food. Try out these recipes and let me know what you think.

So today was our first day of kindergarten....almost. My daughter is sick and can't go. She is so disappointed. I feel sad too. I did go out and meet the bus driver and let her know we were not coming so she did not wait for us. I almost cried watching the bus drive away without my daughter. I feel like she is missing out on something big. I know she will have her first day soon but it is just so anti-climactic.

I'm sure I will cry when she gets on the bus for real too but today was good practice for me.

How did your first day of school go?

Today my oldest child starts kindergarten. She is riding the bus all by herself and off for a new adventure with out me. I am happy for her but I can't believe how fast these first 5 years have flown past. She has half day afternoon kindergarten and for this I am grateful. It works out great for our schedule and will be a good transition for us. She is excited, confident, and ready. I am so proud!

Do you have a child starting kindergarten this year? Half or full day? Bus or driving? What do you think, are you ready for this? Are they?