(Six) Vintage Soda Crate Magazine Holder

Awesome idea for easy to find vintage soda crates? Magazine holder!

Recently my mother-in-law gave me a vintage Coca-Cola crate she had stashed in her shed.

 The same crate was featured in a summer 2017 American Farmhouse Style magazine as part of a coffee table display. I liked the look of what had been done, but decided to ponder for a while and find another use. I considered attaching it to the wall and using the compartments to hold small tchotchkes... Eh. I kind of liked it, but I don't have many knickknacks, so I kept pondering.

My husband's mom also passed on a bunch of magazines recently. Some of them were vintage Country Living magazines and 2 of them were the same mustard color as the crate!

Bam! There's the solution for displaying these awesome magazines and great crate ;-)

(FIVE) Truth- Fact or Fiction?

For many years it was simple. If our teachers, doctors, or government made a statement, it was true. We didn't spend time researching these truths; there was no need. Try to think back. Is there something that now has no merit but once was the truth? I'm certain that you can come up with many examples.

I was born to Midwestern middle class parents  who wanted the best for their family. They were hard-working people trying to do better than the generation before. They did not question conventional "wisdom". Why should they have? After all, it was the truth. Did my parents realize the veggies we ate at our family dinners were full of chemicals? Did they know that the convenient grab and go cereal bars or toaster pastries we ate for breakfast were full of disease causing additives and ladden with sugar? No. There was never an expose on the nightly news. Toaster pastries and cereal bars were part of a nutritious breakfast; that's what the commercials said, so why would they question the truth?

When my husband and I started school, the world was beggining to transition. In kindergarten our schools had computer labs where we simulated pioneer life and learned to use a mouse. By middle school we cited websites in our bibliographies, no longer encyclopedias or works of non-fiction. Information was now at our fingertips. Many of our conversations began with "ASL?" (Is that a thing anymore?!) and ended with a click of the x. We quickly realized how connected the world had become. Communicating with someone from Madrid or London without a gigantic telephone bill was once unfathomable. All at once, every place on the earth was within reach. People began exchanging ideas and raising concerns. Journalism changed.

There is now a platform for all. Every opinion on every subject is presented online; a quick click away. People comment on how easy we have it compared to previous generations, but do we really? Wasn't it nice to be ignorant? We weren't bad people. We were still doing what was best for our families. We didn't know any better, and damn, wasn't simplicity freeing?

Having this plethora of information is overwhelming. There are two sides to every issue and also numerous variations to delve into. Sure, all the information is within reach, but how much time should we spend combing through? If you don't research enough you can find yourself accepting the opinion of a small group or single person as fact. Too much and you're stumbling through life powered only by Joe or Monster. I've found myself staring into the face of a 3:00 a.m. clock many times consumed with finding the truth, but I've had an epiphany... There is no truth. No black, no white; only gray. Truth no longer exists. We've reached the point where the overwhelming amount of information makes objective conclusions impossible. There is NOTHING all will agree upon.

There are no two people exactly alike. If I agree with someone on an issue it does not make us twinsies. There will be other situations where we will disagree. Uniqueness should not be looked down on; it needs to be embraced. Banter is healthy, but fighting is not. Respect the opinions of others and please don't take it to extremes when ideas differ. Have an open mind, be kind, be thoughtful, and listen.

(FOUR) Flourless Banana Pancakes

I've been seeing these Flourless Banana Pancake posts on Facebook the last few days and decided to try to make them! The posts say to use 2 eggs and 1 banana, but commenters were using a 1 to 1 ratio instead. They also mentioned to keep the heat low and make them small.

I am NOT a great pancake maker, so lets keep that in mind, shall we? I also don't have any non-stick cookware, which probably would have helped!

I started by mashing 1 banana with 2 eggs, but the mixture was very thin, so I added another banana. The consistency was closer to pancake batter, so I decided to give it a try. I melted a pat of butter and started by pouring 2 small pancakes into the pan. They started to stick, so I tried to loosen them and I'm not sure what exactly happened.

Attempt One

Best Pancake

So... then I tried again. Added a little butter, and burnt them. Burnt burnt them! I have no picture to show of those, but I kept trying and got a couple good ones.

Honestly for me, it was a lot of work. The flavor was really good, but I'm not the kind of person who's going to spend 45 minutes making breakfast every morning. I was pretty much done trying to perfect the pancakes, but I had half the batter I started with. I didn't want to waste it, so I started thinking about another way to use it. Sometimes when I'm in a time crunch I make myself an omelet in the microwave, so I decided to give the remaining batter a zap in the microwave until it was set. In my small microwave it was 90 seconds. It looks kinda creepy, but it was really good and more importantly EASY. After I topped it with the small pieces from attempt number one it even looked edible!

Let me know what you think if you try making these and be on the lookout for more posts!

(THREE) A Sweet and A Savory Cream Cheese Dip

Cream Cheese. Many of us lay it on thick with our bagels, but today we're using it in easy dip recipes. You can often find Cream Cheese on sale, so take advantage of the discount and pick up a couple bricks. I usually have 2-3 bricks on hand and never pay full price!

 

Pretzel Dip
 

One of my favorite snacks is pretzels, so it's only natural that I'd have access to an awesome recipe to go along with them! My Aunt Teri's Pretzel Dip is great with pretzels, but also works well with potato chips and corn chips. Make sure you use ruffle/wavy chips, because plain potato chips don't hold up well with the thick texture of this dip. I've also used this as a vegi dip with cucumber, bell peppers, and carrots.

 

2 8oz Bricks of Cream Cheese
4 tbsp Finely Diced Onion
2 cubes Beef Bouillon
1/4 c- 3/8 c Water

 

Softened Cream Cheese and Onions

Let Cream Cheese soften and microwave 2 Beef Bouillon cubes in 1/4 c water and stir until dissolved. Set aside and cool to room temperature. Finely dice the Onion and place softened Cream Cheese in a mixing bowl. Add Onion; Use about 2 tbsp per Brick, but go by taste since the strength of onions can vary so much. Then add cooled Beef Bouillon mixture. If you need more water to incorporate everything together, add a little to the mixture; Don't use over 3/8 c total liquid. I use a spatula to mix, but you can also use a hand mixer. Don't worry if the dip looks thin at this point because next you're going to let it set up in the fridge. Feel free to place in serving dish before its journey there.

Ingredients Mixed Together; Not Set

 

There's a variation to this dip I've done recently by replacing 1 Brick of Cream Cheese with 1 8oz container Sour Cream; Everything else stays the same. Making the variation gives you a softer, almost whipped texture. This one works better with vegetables and thinner chips.


 

Dip with Wavy Potato Chips and Pretzels

 

Don't have a chip and dip platter? Use a small ramekin or glass bowl in the middle of your favorite platter!

 

 

 

 

Apple Dip

 

This Cream Cheese dip is great with most fruit. I've used it with Apples, Grapes, Strawberries, and Pineapple. I know this recipe came from my Mom's side of the family, but am not quite sure who to credit with this one! I use 1/2 c- 2/3 c Light/Dark Brown Sugar, but I enjoy desserts less sweet than most. Adding more sugar will no change anything else in this recipe.

 

2 8oz Bricks Cream Cheese

1/2 c- 1 c Light/Dark Brown Sugar

2 tsps. Pure Vanilla Extract

 

Let Cream Cheese soften. Place Cream Cheese, Sugar, and Vanilla together in mixing bowl. Use either a spatula or hand mixer to bring ingredients together.

The next time I make this Apple Dip I will update this post with some pictures!

 

 I hope you enjoy these recipes. Let me know what you think!

 

(TWO) Habanero Lime Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Last night we had Habanero Lime Crockpot Chicken Fajitas. It was the first time I made this meal, and they were awesome! A little kick, so my husband liked them, but not too crazy to scare me away!

Habanero Lime Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

 

1.5 Lbs Habanero Lime Chicken Breasts

8 oz Package Baby Bellas

2 Large Bell Peppers Any Color

14 oz Can of Tomatoes

1 Medium Onion

1 Packet Fajita/Taco Seasoning

 

I will use Habanero Lime Marinade from lifesambrosia.com (Follow steps 1-4) in the future. I had Habanero Lime Chicken Breasts in the freezer from my local grocery store, Festival, so that is what I used. Because they were in my crisper and pantry, I used 2 Green Bell Peppers, 1/2 of a 28 oz can Whole Peeled Tomatoes, and a Packet of Taco Seasoning.

 I used a damp paper towel to clean the Baby Bellas, took the stems off (tough texture) and sliced. When prepping Bell Peppers try cutting around the seeds and placenta (Yes! That is truly what the white part is called!) instead of cutting off the top and removing. (There's a picture of what's left over)


Bell Pepper Seeds and Placenta

Then slice them in long strips. Slice the onion and open the can of tomatoes. If you're using whole tomatoes crush them with your hand. Cut the chicken into strips and place in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Next put in the mushroom, pepper, and onions.


Chicken, Mushrooms, and Peppers
 

Chicken, Mushrooms, Peppers,
Tomatoes, and Taco Seasoning

 I forgot the onions, so my layers look different... There's nothing wrong with almost perfect! Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, sprinkle on the taco seasoning, and stir with the tomatoes.

Cook the fajitas on Low for 6-7 hours. I cooked mine for 6 in a large crockpot and they turned out great! Make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly by testing a larger piece. I shredded the chicken with two forks because I think it goes further that way, but you could leave it in strips if you'd like!

After Shredding the Chicken

Is your mouth watering?!

 I used flour tortillas and topped the fajitas with lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese, and a little raw onion. I use about 2 tablespoons of the fajita mixture in each tortilla, so this recipe yields 13-15 fajitas for my family.

 

Enjoy!

(ONE) All About

Here's a little background, so we can get on the same page...(Pun intended). I LOVE saving money, getting a good deal, and enjoy couponing, but leave the extreme for others. I like DIY projects, but always seem to procrastinate and complete... hmm 1 out of 6?! I'm a new Stay at Home Mom to an energetic and loving son, Anderson; My hunky and hilarious husband, OP and I have been married for 5 years; I have a background in retail and finance; And I am honest, sometimes painfully so.



Sam and Op

Here's some info about my family's relationship with food. My son has had mostly organic food since he was born because I believe preservatives and chemicals in conventional food can lead to illness. I will never look down on anyone doing differently for their children and am open to exchanging ideas on the subject. My husband and I are on a seesaw. Money is always an excuse I use as to why we're not ingesting an organic diet, but the truth is we don't try enough. I'm going to be honest here, I LOVE preservative laden snacks and sweets. Don't get me wrong there are many options for organic treats, but they are pricey and it's difficult to get a great deal on them with coupons! If you're skipping the chips, cookies, and candy bars it isn't out of the realm of possibility to eat mostly organic. At the moment we are eating healthy meals, but mostly using non-organic ingredients.