C.D. Loken's Blog, page 35

Quick and Easy Breakfast Wrap

Experts say that the most important meal of the day is breakfast.  I agree.  The truth is- I can't even function in the morning, if I don't get something in my tummy! (Along with a couple of 'must have' cups of coffee-of course!)
The problem was- I'd married one of 'those' people.  You know-the one's that don't eat breakfast!

Crazy right?  How can anyone pass up a thick stack of pancakes drowned in butter, and drizzled with sweet maple syrup?  Or what about a rich, buttery omelet, with sausage and a crispy hash browns?  Blasphemy I say, plain and simple!

Unfortunately, these culinary delights did nothing to convince hubby that breakfast really is for champions.

'I'm not hungry,'- was his usual comment as he raced out the door for work.  Or,  'I don't have time.'

Sadly, it took hubby a bout with diverticulitis, and doctor's orders, before he finally agreed to make breakfast the first meal of his day.

He started slow-grabbing an apple or banana on the way out the door.  Soon after-he started getting up a few minutes earlier to actually sit down with a steaming bowl of oatmeal, or fruit filled yogurt.

Today, I can happily say that hubby has turned a major corner.  He not only eats a hearty, healthy breakfast, he actually enjoys it.

In celebration of hubby's love of breakfast, I thought I would share one of his favorites.

This recipe is not only quick and easy-it is also healthy!

The ingredients: 


To save time, I cut up the ham, red onion, tomatoes, and spinach the night before.


                                        


Heat skillet with 1 TBLS. of olive oil.  Add onion, ham, tomatoes and spinach in the skillet and cook until the spinach begins to wilt and the ham is heated through. Place 8 inch tortilla between two paper towels and microwave for 20 sec.  Beat egg with a tbls of skim milk and add to mixture, stirring constantly.  Add cheese.  When cheese has melted, remove from heat and place in center of warmed tortilla.  Wrap and serve with salsa.                                               
                                          
Viola!  A Breakfast for a Champion!

Oven Roasted Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes

I love Pinterest!  I know- who doesn't?  But, I really, really love it.  I can find ABSOLUTELY everything on that site-including what is for dinner tonight.  I've had a package of sausage sitting in the fridge for a couple of weeks now, and I figured it was time to use it up.  So, I did a quick search on Pinterest, and guess what I found?  You got it-a simple, yet delicious meal!


It involves 4 major ingredients(how simple is that) and the best part is- I had all of them!

1 yellow bell pepper
1 yellow onion
5 medium potatoes (you can use whatever you like-I used Red)
1 pkg (1lb) sausage- (again, you can use any brand or kind you like)



Preheat oven to 400.  Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.  Dice potatoes into 1/2" chunks.  Slice sausage into 1/5" chunks (recipe called for 'bias cut'-I didn't have a clue what that was, so I just cut them somewhat thin).  Cut onion and pepper into strips. Place all ingredients onto baking sheet and pour 3 TBLS of olive oil over top.  Mix with fingers until well coated.  Add 1 tsp salt.  1 tsp ground pepper. (I also added 1 tsp garlic powder, because my husband loves the taste of garlic-and the meat wasn't flavored.)


Bake for 30-35 minutes-or until potatoes are tender.


                                                     The final product- Num!

 My thanks to lilasapron for the amazing recipe. I will be checking out your site for more quick and easy recipes!

Homemade Laundry Detergent.

First of all- I need to apologize for slacking the last couple of days on posting for my blog. This isn't an excuse, but I was busy Friday working on the book and by the time I completed my daily goal, I was to exhausted to write even one more sentence.

Saturday found me catching up on cleaning the house and doing a ton of laundry.  (I'll never understand how two people can dirty so many clothes in a week.)

Speaking of laundry-this old Tide girl is using something different now to wash her clothes.  Homemade laundry detergent, to be specific. It was my daughter Mel's contribution to our 'homemade Christmas'.

Isn't this a creative idea?  I swear my mouth dropped to the floor when I saw this sitting under her tree!
 

 Here is Mel's recipe:

1 box of Borax
1 4lb. box of Baking Soda
1 4lb. box of  Super Washing Soda (different molecular make-up than baking soda)
1 container of Oxy Clean Free
4 bars of vegetable soap (grated) Mel used lemon and it smells amazing, but you can use whatever scent you like.
Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Pour into a tightly sealed container.  Mel purchased this beautiful glass jar at Amazon.  (She actually used a 4 gallon jar-but I couldn't find one on line.)


The total cost for all products (excluding the glass container) was about $30, and it should last a year. (Probably not in my house)   Mel also included the scoop that came with the Oxy Clean Free, and I use one of those scoops per load. 

 I've been using the detergent since we returned from Christmas vacation and I absolutely love it.  Our clothes come out so much cleaner and fresher, and I'm saving a ton of money not having to buy detergent anymore.

Mel also gave me a tip for replacing the boxes and boxes of fabric softener sheets that I was using.  She uses Molly Suds wool balls.  I found them at Amazon, and they last for up to three years or 1,000 loads!!!

Now that's what I call saving a 'load' of money! (Sorry-bad joke)
I hope you enjoy-and if you have any money saving ideas- I'd love to hear from you!

Saving money with Mel's Homemade Laundry Detergent.

First off all- I need to apologize for slacking the last couple of days on posting for my blog. This isn't an excuse, but I was busy Friday working on the book and by the time I completed my daily goal, I was to exhausted to write even one more sentence.

Saturday found me catching up on cleaning the house and doing a ton of laundry.  (I'll never understand how two people can dirty so many clothes in a week.)

Speaking of laundry-this old Tide girl is using something different now to wash her clothes.  Homemade laundry detergent, to be specific. It was my daughter Mel's contribution to our 'homemade Christmas'.

Isn't this a creative idea?  I swear my mouth dropped to the floor when I saw this sitting under her tree!
 

 Here is Mel's recipe:

1 box of Borax
1 4lb. box of Baking Soda
1 4lb. box of  Super Washing Soda (different molecular make-up than baking soda)
1 container of Oxy Clean Free
4 bars of vegetable soap (grated) Mel used lemon and it smells amazing, but you can use whatever scent you like.
Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Pour into a tightly sealed container.  Mel purchased this beautiful glass jar at Amazon.  (She actually used a 4 gallon jar-but I couldn't find one on line.)


The total cost for all products (excluding the glass container) was about $30, and it should last a year. (Probably not in my house)   Mel also included the scoop that came with the Oxy Clean Free, and I use one of those scoops per load. 

 I've been using the detergent since we returned from Christmas vacation and I absolutely love it.  Our clothes come out so much cleaner and fresher, and I'm saving a ton of money not having to buy detergent anymore.

Mel also gave me a tip for replacing the boxes and boxes of fabric softener sheets that I was using.  She uses Molly Suds wool balls.  I found them at Amazon, and they last for up to three years or 1,000 loads!!!

Now that's what I call saving a 'load' of money! (Sorry-bad joke)
I hope you enjoy-and if you have any money saving ideas- I'd love to hear from you!

Reclaiming a bit of History

 I can't tell you how proud I was- when my daughter called me a few months ago and said she wanted to put the commercialism of the Holidays aside, and make homemade gifts.  She had just found a homemade laundry detergent on Pinterest(she will be posting about this soon) and wanted to share it with all of us.

 When I called my mom she was a little disappointed, but agreed that she would make some of our favorite baked goods.  My niece is a true-blue farm girl who cans everything from her garden, so she had no issue with sharing her stash with the rest of us.

Now it was my turn.  I had to come up with something fabulous!  So I did what anyone would do- I Googled.  I searched and searched and searched, to the point I was so overwhelmed I thought I would literally go crazy.  It seemed hopeless until my daughter mentioned the laundry soap again.  She said she was so inspired that she and her husband had decided to redecorate their laundry space.  BINGO!

After a phone call to my mother, hubby and I were in the truck, heading towards the home farm.  Once there, we trudged down to the barnyard and there it was.  An old corn crib. 

Here is the door of the corn crib. It took hubby a few tugs with a crow bar, but thankfully it came off without any damage.










And here is one of the signs we made from one of the pieces of the door.  This one went to my niece, because it is her favorite saying and the color's matched her cute, country kitchen.


My daughter on the hand-had a specific location she would need to fill, so I made a call to her hubby.  The planks from the corn crib door were not thick enough, so we searched around inside the crib and found several larger pieces.

This is the completed version.




The how to on these projects were pretty simple.  Even though the wood was aged (awesome) it was not rotted or damaged.  A light sanding to remove any impurities that would show after painting was done with a medium grit sandpaper.  Than it was time to put the base coat on.  We went to Hobby Lobby (one of my favorite stores) and purchased several bottles of Patio Paint.  I can't tell you how amazing this paint is for covering and drying quickly.  Once dry-we used stencils( that we also purchased at Hobby Lobby), and let dry.
That's it!  There was no need to add a coat of poly, because these signs would be out of the elements.  But, if you are making signs for outside, I would recommend doing so.

So-there you have it.  I succeeded at making a homemade gift!  It was simple, made with love, and best of all, now each member of our family has a part of our family heritage hanging in their homes.

Guest Bedroom Redo

 When you live in a one hundred year old home like my husband and I do, there's always projects to do.  Unfortunately, whether it's maintenance or remodeling, we can always count on the cost and completion time being twice what we initially planned.  The funny thing is-I consider projects gone wrong like having a baby.  For some reason I always forget the bad parts when I look at the amazing results.

That's exactly what happened  two years ago, when I decided to take on my stepson's bedroom.  There had been so many projects to complete in the house that I hadn't gotten around to updating his room. Though he didn't seem to mind the flowered wall paper and pastel blue wall color, I figured it was time to give him the room of his dreams.  After hours of discussion over design, I finally gave in and agreed to his choices.  (Hey, it was my idea after all, and I figured I could always shut the door if I didn't like it.)

So, after going to the store to pick up three gallons of paint, (yes three-you'll see why in a bit), I began the process of removing the ghastly wallpaper. Now I know most people find this chore a bit overwhelming, but it's really not that difficult when you have the right tools.  I did, but in the end, they didn't do a hill of beans.  You see the wallpaper was pasted to paneling, which to my horror, was glued to the plaster walls.  One tug and the entire wall began to crumble. (No, I am not exaggerating)  I'm talking pounds of dust and plaster coating the entire room in seconds.  It wasn't pretty.

I suppose I should have stopped right there.  I could have waited for good old hubby to get home and he could have worked his magic and patched it up.  But no-you guessed it-I couldn't do that.  I had to push forward.  I had to complete my mission.  Two hours later, I was peeking through the slats in the wall looking for treasures, when hubby came in the room.

I truly wish I had taken a picture of his expression.  His choice of words weren't so priceless-but...well, let's just fast forward to the walls being dry-walled and primed.

Time to paint!  Yippee!  Okay -not so exciting, but three coats later-the results must have been exactly what my step son had pictured, because he was smiling from ear to ear.

Did I say that my stepson was into Motocross that year and it was hosted by Monster energy drink?  (Ergo-the three gallons of paint!)



Well, a year later he graduated and moved out-and guess who was stuck with this eyesore?

That's right....ME!  But it's okay.  This time I didn't have to contend with crumbly plaster and thick dust.  All I needed was a couple of coats of paint and.....Magic happened!


Finally- an updated,calm, relaxing oasis for our guests to enjoy when they come to visit!
As for my relaxation?  Well, there is the foyer....

Mom's Creamy Potato & Ham Soup

 Did I tell you that I live in the Midwest? Well, just so we are clear, I do.  So, it is times like these- (when the temperature gauge says -22 below), that a hot bowl of soup sounds amazing!   Mom has been making this yummy soup for years, and after enduring the sub-zero temps today, it is just the kind of 'comfort' food I need.

Recipe

1 small onion (diced small)
2 medium carrots (peeled-sliced thinly)
2 medium potatoes (peeled-chopped in small chunks)
2 cups fresh broccoli (can use frozen)
2 cups fresh cauliflower (can use frozen)
1 celery stalk (diced small)
1 10 3/4 can of cream of potato soup
1 can of water
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups diced ham

In a medium saucepan-combine carrots, potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and let simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender.
In a separate (large) saucepan-combine cream of potato soup, water, milk, celery,onion and ham.  Simmer on low (stirring frequently) until other vegetables are done.  Add (drained) vegetables.  Add cheese and stir until melted.

Mmmm!  Now that is what I call yummy goodness!  Thanks Mom!

Keeping it simple

It seems like a lifetime ago that I self-published my first two novels.  Needless to say, they were not best seller's (not by any stretch of the imagination), but I haven't given up yet.  I'm currently working on a trilogy (a bit spicier) and I'll be sharing more about that in a later post.

My post today is- to welcome everyone to my 'newly revised' blog format.

Now, for those in the book world who have remained loyal followers, do not fear.  I will still be posting informative info about my experiences on the journey to becoming a best-selling author. I'll also have updates on up and coming books, as well as, links to purchase them.

But, I've decided to mix it up a bit and share some of the 'other' loves of my life.

Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking.  'Not another one of those blogs! Isn't there a plethora of those already?'

Why yes, yes there is.

So what makes mine different?

Well, let's start with what isn't.

 Like those 'other' blogs, I'll have delicious recipes, helpful tips, and fun diy projects. I'll also offer tutorials on some of the hard stuff (because if you're like me-you have to 'see' what you're doing, before doing it.)

Now, for the different part.  I'm keeping things simple.  What I mean by that is-I'm not an expert. (Trust me-I can't even cut a straight line-even when I've drawn it out with a ruler.) But I'm 'good' at some things, and even 'great' at others.  So we'll learn together.
But.... the best part is-I won't be doing this alone.  That's right!  There are three generations of 'country girls' in my family and they are all going to have a chance to share their expertise.

Cheers to a New Year and keeping it simple!

The number of words- matters

I can't believe how amazing it feels to finally have the words moving from my head- to my fingers and in record time-I've been setting my goal for at least 2600 words a day, but before Thursday, I'd been sorely lacking. I'm in the groove now- and I'm praying it doesn't stop.  Time isn't on my side. I need to get the last book's revisions finished-and I need to do it soon.  The pressure is on-and that doesn't make for a inspirational environment, but it's my own fault.  I should have done what I've been doing, from the beginning-and that is, putting trust in my own ability.  Writing from the heart-not the head-and not being afraid to put myself outside the box.  I've always dreamed of having the chance I've just been given. Now, if things work out-I will have a publisher who believes in my work-and my talent.
Hoping everyone has a great weekend.  Mine will be spent sitting right where I am-in front of my computer-putting my dreams into action!

Revised book- and cover!

I am so excited!  I have not only made huge changes to the interior/writing- of the series- but also the covers- my fellow bloggers are the first to see it!