Kathi Lipp's Blog, page 125

My Recipe for Chicken Cacciatore (and my free Freezer Meal E-Cookbook!)

 In my Focus on the Family interview for THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION apparently I mentioned My Reciepe for Chicken Cacciatore three or four time. So sue me – I love it! So here it is in all it’s tomatoe-y glory:

My Recipe for Chicken Cacciatore

 

1 pound          Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 T                   Vegetable Oil

1 ¼ cup          Onion

2 cups             Mushrooms

1 t                    Minced garlic

1 28 oz can    Crushed tomatoes in puree

2T                    Parsley

¼ t                   Pepper

2t                     Italian Seasoning

1t                     Basil

Parmesan Cheese

 

Preparation:  Cut chicken breast into cubes.  Slice onions and mushrooms. Chop garlic.

 

Cooking:       

In a large skillet, saute chicken in vegetable oil until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from skillet and saute onions, mushrooms and garlic until the onions are transparent. Add chicken and remaining ingredients except for Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve over penne pasta or garlic mashed potatoes.

In Addition to the My Recipe for Chicken Cacciatori – Here are some free goodies!

If you want the freezer instructions for this (and nineteen of my other favorite freezer recipes,) check out my Facebook Page and download the free ebook: Six Chicks Freeze and Fix – How to Start a Freezer Meal Co-op (look at the “Tabs” at the top of the page.)

And wait – there’s more!

Sign up for my monthly newsletter (filled with great tips about keeping your life in order!) and you will receive my free ebook THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MAN FOOD filled with great recipes to keep that man in your life extra happy.

My Recipe for Chicken Cacciatore (and my free Freezer Meal E-Cookbook!)

Are You Up for The LOVE YOU Challenge

Are you willing to take The LOVE YOU Challenge?

You will be required to:

Encourage Your Husband
Get a Little Creative
Show Off Your Mad Money Saving Skills

If so, I would love for you to take the Love You Challenge.

All you have to do is do something, anything to let your husband know you love him, however, it needs to 100%, completely free.

That’s right. No money may exchange hands in the loving of your husband.

Here are a few, totally debt-free things you could do to love your man:

Make him a cup of coffee and bring it to him when he gets out of the shower.
Leave a post-it in his boxers with a racy message.
Text him something flirty.
Take him out to dinner with that gift card that has been in your wallet since 2009.
Do a chore that he normally does.
Bake him cookies.
Brag on him on Facebook.
Call his mom.
Give him a massage.
Spell out “Love You” with Scrabble tiles.

Tell me what you did (or will do!) for your man here in the comments on the blog, and you will be entered to win one of my six books (I will give away  one a day over the next six days.) I’ll be picking one winner each day from August 23-28th.

I’m off to make some No=Pudge Brownies for my man.

 

Are You Up for The LOVE YOU Challenge

Are You Satisfied?

Are You Satisfied?

Are you satisfied?

We are a family who loves broken animals. Zorro, the black and white cat I brought into our marriage, is what you might call “Socially Maladjusted”. In other words, he lives to beat up other cats. Ashley, the kitten we found out behind our neighborhood church, had to be nursed back to health with an eye dropper. She is now about eight weeks old and is still on medication, twice a day, because her breathing sounds like someone is letting the air out of a bicycle tire.

And then there’s Jake. And Jake? He’s got issues.

Jake is our six year old rescue puggle (pug/beagle mix) and we may have some clues as to why he was dropped off at the shelter.

He can’t stand any man with a hat or jingling keys. He can’t be in a room by himself. (I’m just like all those MOPS moms who haven’t been to the bathroom by myself in YEARS…)  He won’t go into our back patio unaccompanied. But the weirdest thing is his food. He will only eat his wet food downstairs, and his dry food upstairs.

I told you it was weird.

But there is something else he does with food that is really strange. We feed all the animals at the same time, and Jake, even with food that has been served to him, that is sitting right in front of him, will be way more interested in what we are serving the cats.

He can’t take his eyes off of the cat food. He whines and complains that they are getting food, even though his food is sitting right in front of him. He is way more interested in what someone else has, than what he has.

And when I think about it, it’s not so weird after all. ‘Cause I do the exact same thing (not with cat food, of course.)

I see what other women are getting to do, (go on missions trips, write best-sellers, travel the world,wear a size eight,) and I can spend so much time focusing on what they have, that I miss the great stuff that is sitting right in front of me.

Usually the dissatisfaction starts subtlety. Maybe it’s a magazine pic of a kitchen that I would love to have, or my neighbor gets a new car and parks it near my 13 year-old beater. There are so many little things can trigger that dissatisfaction.

God has blessed me with a life that, when I really look at it, is pretty awesome. I have a relationship with God that is filled with grace, every single day. I have four kids that I love. They are not perfect kids, but they were raised by a not-so-perfect mom and dad, so that’s to be expected. I have a ministry that while not huge, is what I love and is a huge blessing to me (and some other people and their marriages.) I’m married to a great man, who I adore and who loves me back. All in all, not a bad life.

But it is so easy to get into that place of not being satisfied when I start to look at my sister’s plate.

Practicing Gratitude

One of the projects I’m working on this week is a Gratitude Board. Pictures of the things in my life I’m grateful for. It sounds simple and I’ve done the reverse (a Dream Board), but I really want to have a visual reminder of all that God has trusted me with and done for me.

I went to a site called www.photovisi.com that can help you create a photo collage. I’ve just taken picture off of my computer of gifts – my kids, Roger and I on trips, my mom recovering in the hospital after her cancer surgery – and have put them on one board. When I’m reminded of what God has given me, it’s a lot easier to not sit in that place of discontentment.

Putting My Heart in the Right Place

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

When I’m feeling unsatisfied, I can usually trace it back to busyness. When I’m busy, and not spending time with God, my focus is on my world, instead of God’s plan for my world.

It usually takes a couple of days, but when I realize that I’m in that stinking place, I know I need to be back in the God place and put my heart squarely where He is.

Q4U – When do you feel that discontentment rise? Is there something that you do to not look at your neighbor, but sit in your own place of godly satisfaction?

 

Are You Satisfied?

The World’s Easiest (and best!) Whole Roasted Chicken

The World’s Easiest (and best!) Whole Roasted Chicken

I just got home from the MOPS International Convention in Dallas Texas. I shared this recipe with the audience and since then I’ve had a bunch of requests for the recipe. Well here is the deconstructed recipe for the the best Whole Roasted Chicken I’ve ever eaten that is so easy I now have it memorized and make it at least once a week.

My family loves it, and the leftover chicken makes a great topping for salads, or is wonderful in some tacos.

The only secret is to use a meat thermometer to get the internal chicken temp to 165 degrees – enough to be cooked, moist enough to eat right off the bone.

The World’s Easiest (and best!) Whole Roasted Chicken

1 Whole chicken – giblets removed, rinsed and patted dry

6 garlic cloves cut in half

½ stick of butter

Garlic salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425

Put the chicken in a roasting pan breast side up

Salt and pepper cavity, put garlic in cavity

Chop up butter into pats and place all over the top of the chicken

Sprinkle the top with garlic salt and pepper

Roast until chicken’s internal temperature is 165

Let set 20 minutes and enjoy

The World’s Easiest (and best!) Whole Roasted Chicken

Exactly why I wrote The Get Yourself Organized Project…

Exactly why I wrote The Get Yourself Organized Project…

Meal Planning: What’s for Dinner Next Week and Two No-Oven Recipes

For the longest time, I was asking you for your Meal Planning on Mondays for the week.

OK that’s just crazy.

On Monday, it’s just too late. The damage is done and the pizza has been ordered. I thought – why not do it on Friday for next week? So I’m here to share my meal plan, as well as ask for yours (and one of you will win THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION just for submitting your plan!)

This way, not only will you have the chance to come up with your menu, but the time to shop for your ingredients!

Since I will be traveling all next week, I thought I would share what we did this week for meals. I’d love for you to tell me what your dinner plan is for next week (Monday through Sunday,)  and give me one great tip that we can all use to make meals easier.

Here is my menu from last week:

Monday Pizza (Our favorite place does 50% on Mondays. An extra large pizza for $9? And I get my busiest day of work off from cooking. Sign me up…

Tuesday Salsa Chicken (Freezer to Slow Cooker) , Spanish Rice, Vegetarian Re-fried Beans, and Roger’s Homemade Guacamole

Wednesday Chicken Cacciatore (Freezer to Stove Top), Microwave Baked Potatoes, Salad

Thursday Brown Rice and Chicken Casserole with leftover chicken

Friday Leftover Brown Rice and Chicken Casserole (made from leftovers…) 

Saturday On the Road

Sunday On the Road

I know – no fair – I get almost a week off of cooking… But if it makes you feel better, I’m going to Missouri where everyday it’s 93 degrees for our entire trip. (And my Texas friends give me no sympathy…)

But to make up for it – if you tell me what you’re having for dinner next week (Monday through Sunday!) I will enter you to win THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER PROJECT. But you really win by not being in a panic every night for dinner next week.

And now – two recipes that are no-oven required

Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

4          boneless, skinless chicken breasts

32 oz.  salsa (2- 16 oz. jars)

1 can    corn, drained

1 can    black beans, drained

condiments:

flour tortillas

sour cream

guacamole

lettuce

tomato

cheese

salsa

Directions:

Place all ingredients in your slow cooker.

Cook on low 6-8 hours.

30-60 minutes prior to serving, remove chicken, shred and return to crock pot

Serve over Mexican rice or let everyone prepare their own tortillas using the chicken mixture as filling inside tortillas.

Add desired condiments.

 

Chicken Cacciatore

1 pound           Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 T                   Vegetable Oil

1 ¼ cup           Onion

2 cups              Mushrooms

1 t                    Minced garlic

1 28 oz can      Crushed tomatoes in puree

2T                    Parsley

¼ t                   Pepper

2t                     Italian Seasoning

1t                     Basil

Parmesan Cheese

 

Preparation:  Cut chicken breast into cubes.  Slice onions and mushrooms. Chop garlic.

 

Cooking:        In a large skillet, sauté chicken in vegetable oil until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from skillet and sauté onions, mushrooms and garlic until the onions are transparent. Add chicken and remaining ingredients except for parmesan cheese. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve over penne pasta or garlic mashed potatoes.

Meal Planning: What’s for Dinner Next Week and Two No-Oven Recipes

21 Ways to Save On Your Grocery Bill

Take an Inventory Figure out what you already have, and then build your menu for the week around that.  Every time veggies expires, Paula Deen dies a little inside.
Go Online Before I make a meal plan or list, I see what I have, and then I see what’s on sale to decide what we’re going to eat.
Make a Meal Plan If you go into the shopping trip knowing what you need for the week – and not guessing – you’re going to save a ton of money.
Make a List Again – don’t guess. If  you don’t make a list, you will forget things you need, and buy stuff you don’t.
Buy in Bulk – But Only When It’s Really Cheap Just because it’s bulk, doesn’t mean it’s cheaper, However, each week I put aside a part of our budget to stock up on cheap bulk items. Eventually, this will reduce your overall bill because your shopping in your pantry and freezer and not in the grocery store.
Shop Two Stores – or Three  I check the weeklies (or websites) of a couple of different stores each week. Some people would think it’s a waste of time to go to two different stores, but most of us are doing it anyway, and different things are on sale at different stores.
Do a Seasonal Stock Up The only time I can get canned pumpkin on sale is October and November. So I stock up for the year (I use it as a substitute to oil in muffins.)
Sing up for the Store’s Loyalty Card
 Beware of Prepared Food Don’t buy those little packages of pre-cooked chicken – It’s much cheaper to throw a few frozen chicken breasts into the over and make your own.
Try One Store Brand a Week  
Plan for Leftovers – and then Eat Them
Use Your Food Processor I use it to grate cheese, and slice up veggies as soon as we get home from the store. Don’t ever, ever, buy precut veggies at the store.
Double Your Batch When you find a sale on chicken breasts, double the recipe of whatever you’re cooking and freeze the second dinner for another night.
Plan a YOYO Dinner Once a week, have a You’re On Your Own night where everyone  can eat up leftovers.
Buy Cleaners in Concentrate Mixing your won will save you tons. Just purchase (or repurpose) a spray bottle and label it properly.
Make Stew Stew is a great way of stretching your ground beef or turkey into a satisfying meal.
Make Your Own Salad Wash your greens in a salad spinner and store them in a Ziploc with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
Challenge Yourself to reduce your food bill by 5% a month for six months. Just by paying attention, you could be spending 30% on my bill in less than half a year.
Learn to Make Marinades They are super easy, and when you find meat on sale, stock up and throw it into a Ziploc with the marinade and you have a meal in minutes.
Make Your Own Croutons Chop up leftover/dry bread into crouton sized pieces, and then toss about four cupfuls with ¼ cup melted butter, and some grated Parmesan cheese and bake for 12 minutes at 350.
Plan One Meatless Meal a Week

What’s your favorite way to be a savvy shopper?

21 Ways to Save On Your Grocery Bill

Do You Really Want to Get Organized? Three Truths to to Deal with.

I know it seems like a weird question, but hear me out.

There are a lot of stories I’ve told myself about being organized:

Other women come by it so easily.
My family actively works against me when it comes to getting organized.
I could get so much more done if I could just get organized.

And to some extent, those are all true.

So let’s break them down. Today I want to tackle the first one.

Other women come by it so easily. Yes- I would say that most women are naturally more organized than I am.  Their natural response is when they pull something out, they put it away. Not me. My natural response is to leave it out in case I need it later.

But just because something comes more easily for someone else doesn’t mean  that I should give up on it – that it’s any less important for me to achieve it. When I use the excuse “It just comes easily for her.” what I’m saying is that the things in my life are not as important to accomplish as the stuff in her life.

You do a lot of things that don’t come naturally: I get being a mom didn’t come naturally at first. Or cooking dinner. Or figuring out Facebook. But you stuck with it – and now you can.

It was the same for me. Putting things away. Not natural – but now I do it. Keeping my living room picked up. Not natural, but I’ve set myself up that I do it for 15 minutes a day, and it stays mostly picked up.

Is there someone in your life that you compare yourself to when it comes to organization? What do you tell yourself about why you are not as organized as you want to be? I want to deal with the issues that keep us from being all that God wants us to be.

Do You Really Want to Get Organized? Three Truths to to Deal with.

Quick Clean Your Living Room 15 Minutes: Here’s How

Quick Clean Your Living Room 15 Minutes

I said that I was going to help you get organized every Monday, and my intentions were good. But then this happened:

Looks harmless enough, doesn’t she.

This is Ash. And Ash is 9 oz. of cute high maintenance.

I will be doing a full blog post on Ash in the near future, but let’s just say she did not come to us looking like that. She was a hot mess and we’ve spent the last week nursing her back to health. And last Saturday, when I was supposed to write the blog post, was a day of having her on me for about 20 out of 24 hours.

But now I’m back. And we are going to get your Living Room organized.

Get Ready

Get Your 3 Boxes and 2 Bags together (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, go read this post all about it.)

Get Set

Figure out what area of your living room you’re going to quick clean. Now is not the time start alphabetizing your DVDs. I just want you to put 15 minutes on the clock and pull out only what you can put back in that amount of time. Maybe you need 15 minutes to clean off/out your coffee table. Maybe 15 minutes to attack underneath the stairs. Awesome. Pick an area and work on it for 15 minutes.

Go

Spend 15 minutes a day for the rest of the week cleaning and putting stuff away in your living room. You will make a huge improvement in the next six days (yes, you get Sunday off!)

Win

Every day this week that you clean your living room for 15 minutes, lave a comment on this post and I will enter you to win my book THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION. (I will do anything to help you have more sanity in your life – including bribery…)

Quick Clean Your Living Room 15 Minutes: Here’s How

Take 15 Minutes to to Get Yourself Organized: 3 Boxes and 2 Bags

With the response of my book The Get Yourself Organized Project being so amazing (BTW – thank you!!!) I have heard from a load of you that you are just overwhelmed when it comes to getting things put  away. It’s much easier to go lay down and watch an episode of Hoarders. (“At least I’m not as bad as her…”) So for the foreseeable future, I will be spending Mondays helping you get your stuff put away, one room at a time. And below, are the basics of the system: 3 Boxes and 2 Bags.

Gather up these materials and then go to a room that is causing you stress and pick one tiny area: maybe it’s a drawer, a shelf, or some small contained area that you can make a dent in.Or, if you want to just quick clean a room, this is a great system for a quick pick-it-up. This week, it’s pick your own room. Next week, we will all be working on our living rooms.

Do this at least once this week, but I warn you – it’s addictive. Once you see how clean one area will be, you’ll want to do it all over your house. RESIST THE URGE. Just do 15 minutes at least once a week – or up to once a day. You’ll love the feeling you’ll get!!!

This is a system you will be using in almost every room in your house as we work week to week, so I want you to gather up everything that you’ll need right now:

1.Set up three boxes, a garbage bag and a recycle bag, your iPod, and a timer. (You can use the one on your cell phone or your oven.)

2.Mark one box as “Other Rooms” one as “Give Away” and one as “Put Back”.

3.Give yourself 15 minutes on your timer and pick a spot to clean out. (No more than you can pull out and put back in 15 minutes.)

4.Go through the area and use the three boxes to sort the contents.

 

Other Rooms Anything that doesn’t belong in the area you’re cleaning gets put in the “Other Rooms” box. This would include toys in the kitchen, dog brushes in the living room, report cards in the bathroom or dishes in the bedroom.

 

Give Away Outgrown kids clothes? Check. Videos your family will never watch again. Check.  There is huge freedom in giving stuff away.

Here is a great set of criteria for keeping or giving away an item:

•Is it something you are currently using or wearing?

•Is it something that makes me happy when they see it?

•Is it something I will definitely use in the next six months?

If you can answer “Yes” to one or more, find a home for the item. If not, away it goes.

And a friendly reminder: don’t donate garbage. It costs charities time and money to get rid of stuff that you don’t want. Only donate those things that are in decent condition and are worthy of reselling. Don’t be that person.

 

Put Back This is the box that you put things that go in that area, but need to be put back into the right place. Clean clothes on the floor of your bedroom that you’re organizing. Shoes under your bed. Scarves hanging over a bedroom chair. These all go in the PUT BACK box so once you’ve got your bedroom in order, you just put those items back where they belong.

 

Garbage Bag Anything that you don’t want, isn’t worthy of being donated, and can’t be recycled goes in here.

 

Recycle Bag Recycling regulations vary from city to city, so check with your local municipality if you have any question as to what should be recycled and what shouldn’t.

Once you have cleaned out your area, take the OTHER ROOMS box around the house and put away all the stuff in the box. Take the GIVE AWAY box to where you gather stuff to take to donate, (or, directly to your car to be donated the next time you run errands.) And now, since your area is clean and organized, put back anything in the PUT BACK box into the spot it’s supposed to go.

Doesn’t that feel better? For accountability sake, tell me what area your going to quick clean. If you tell me in the comments, I promise you that you are at least three times more likely to actually do it. (Peer pressure rocks!)

Just a warning: Make sure you take care of your boxes quickly and then put them away. Otherwise, a husband, disgruntled over some fresh claw marks in his new chair, might get some bright ideas about what needs to  be donated.

To Get Yourself Organized in any area of your life, check out my book in my store.

 

 

Take 15 Minutes to to Get Yourself Organized: 3 Boxes and 2 Bags