Have You Missed Me?

I know that some of you have. I have received e-mails, phone calls, and text messages all asking me where I have been. Well, where do I start? My kids have been in school for three weeks now, and we are all making the adjustment to beginning another year in school. Two of my kids have started music lessons which takes us out of the house for several hours one night a week. And, I have started working again part time. It has been a flurry of activity at my house lately, so I apologize for my absence.

I am happy to report to you though that I have been using my “new” bread maker at least twice a week. It has been a fabulous time saver and my kids are so pleased to have homemade bread again. I have also been streamlining my lunch system to save time and money. One of the things that I have done is to purchase more containers for the school lunches. Having more containers has kept me from having to hand wash the containers every day to make sure that there are plenty for the next day. And finally, my youngest takes vanilla yogurt every day to school. So, now that I have enough containers, I am able to fill them only once a week instead of daily. This has helped me to save time too.

Although our transition to a new school year has not been seamless, it is shaping up to be a good year for us. How are you handling the new school year?

Friends, Books, and a Kitchen Solution

A few days ago I told you about our visit with family and friends in New England. We spent an entire weekend with a dear couple that we have known for almost 15 years. D was with me when my oldest was born and was a great help to me as a new mom. Above, D is reading to my children. On her lap is a book called Andrew Henry's Meadow written and illustrated by Doris Burn. D says that it was her older son's favorite book as a child. 

 

 

When we got home last week, we made a trip to the thrift store and saw the very same book for sale for only 25 cents. The cover is worn and stained and looks exactly like D's copy. Needless to say, we brought it home!

 

 

D enjoys being in her kitchen just like I do. And, as a matter of fact, I have told you about D once before when I shared my recipe for Caramel in a Can. During our visit, I noticed that each time D needed to grease a baking pan or a skillet she pulled out a room temperature stick of butter that she kept in a glass container and used a silicone basting brush to coat her pan. What a great idea! Much simpler than filling the kitchen spritzer that I had been using (which was constantly clogging). So, as soon as I got home I threw away that old spritzer, put some butter into a half pint canning jar and began using it to grease my pans. Love it! Thanks D for such an easy kitchen solution. 

Canning Jar Solutions

Canning jars come in handy for so many things. They are perfect not only for jams and jellies, but also for things like yogurt, dried fruit, and cereals. Recently I have learned a couple of new solutions that I have found so helpful in my kitchen that I decided I needed to share them with you !

 

This storage idea is so simple and it keeps my baking drawer from becoming cluttered and messy. These are paper mini muffin liners in a half pint canning jar. I also have full size muffin liners in a larger jar. Storing the liners in a clear jar makes them easy to see and keeps them from getting crumpled and lost in the back of my drawer. Plus, they look so pretty! 

 

reCAP Mason Jar Pour Caps

 

This second canning jar solution is so practical for storing liquids. I saw these lids originally at Owlhaven and I knew that I had to have them right away for my cinnamon syrup and coffee creamer. But, they would also be perfect for salad dressing, chicken broth, and chocolate syrup. I purchased a set of four with two wide mouth lids and two regular lids.

Do you have any unique canning jar storage or organization tips? If so, please share your ideas in the comments below!