Reading Report

Not a lot of reading has happened around here lately. I’ve had a nasty sore throat and have fallen into bed much earlier than usual every night for almost a week. I have continued to read to my kids every day after school, but not for very long because of the sore throat. We are reading an especially long book that we have been working on for three weeks. Hopefully, we will finish it next week some time, but I can’t promise that. The one book that I have to tell you about is exceptional though, so maybe quality will make up for the lack of quantity.

Living into Focus: Choosing What Matters in an Age of Distractions written by Arthur Boers

Most people live busy and hectic lives, running from one commitment to the next longing for more time, energy, and personal connection. This type of living has become the norm in our culture. However, Arthur Boers describes a different type of lifestyle that allows people to focus more effort into what really matters most. This focused living is an effort to slow down thus reducing stress and allowing for more time for our family, friends, faith, and hobbies.

This book describes the type of lifestyle that our family has slowly gravitated toward over the last few years. I can testify that the reduction of our activities, screen time, social media, consumerism, and waste has granted us more time for our family, health, entertaining, ministry, and hobbies. And, we are happier for it. This book is the perfect follow up to the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess that I read a couple of weeks ago.

To learn more about this weekly reading report, click here. Or, to see a list of books already completed this year, click on the Reading Report tab above.

Dried Fruit

This week I visited with my friend Terri and her sister-in-law, Kathy. The purpose of our visit was for Terri to show us how she dries fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs for later use. I have made Apple Chips before and have been very pleased with the results, so I thought that this would be a great chance to learn more about drying other foods.

To start out our day together, Terri showed off some of her previous efforts. Pictured above are dried bananas, apples, mangos, and oranges. We taste tested all of these along with some dried blueberries. She also showed us some onions, green peppers, and basil that she had previously dried. Terri uses an inexpensive food dehydrator to dry her fresh produce and she shared with us lots of information on the different types of dehydrators available. There are pros and cons to each type and Terri has done her research. And, she gladly answered all of our questions. I really enjoyed our time together learning about something new. Thank you Terri for being such a patient teacher!

I haven’t decided yet if I am going to start scouring the thrift stores for the perfect food dehydrator (I see them often). But, before I do, I will probably do some research on drying fruits and veggies in the oven. So, if you have any experience with either using a food dehydrator, or with drying your produce in the oven, please share your knowledge in the comments below or join in the discussion on the You Can Make That Facebook Page. I would love see what you have to say.

This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday.

Cole Slaw

Last week, at my Investment Cooking Class, I served this Cole Slaw with our lunch. Then, one of the ladies that attended the class invited me to join her for lunch this week. She requested that I bring along the Cole Slaw that we tasted at Investment Cooking. So, after making it twice within the last week, I thought maybe my You Can Make That readers would enjoy the recipe too.

It is so simple that it has become my go to salad when I am tired or in a rush. I mix it up before I start preparing the rest of my dinner and it is ready by the time we sit down to eat. And, if you purchase the bagged cabbage mix, there is no need to shred or grate the veggies. My favorite way to eat this is on Jerk Chicken Tacos.

Cole Slaw

7-8 cups shredded cabbage (or 16oz. pkg. bagged cole slaw mix)

1 carrot, grated (optional)

½ cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. raw sugar

2 Tbsp. white vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

¼ cup milk

In a large bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Stir and serve.

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

On Saturday, I went to the grocery store to pick up some lettuce for our dinner. But, as you know, it is almost impossible to go into the grocery store and walk out with only one item. I made it out with three. We were planning to have taco salad for dinner, but when I saw freshly made tortillas, I had to buy some. They were still warm in the package and very tasty!

But, what do you do with just a couple of leftover tortillas? They can be frozen, but since I am on a mission to clean out my freezer, I decided to make Cinnamon Tortilla Chips instead. We ate them yesterday sitting on the front porch after school.  

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

4 flour tortillas

Olive oil spray

Cinnamon/sugar

Cut tortillas into triangles. I like to stack them and then cut them into six pieces with a pizza cutter.  Arrange on a cookie sheet, being sure not to overlap. Spray with olive oil spray (I use a refillable kitchen spritzer). Then sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 425˚ for 10-12 or until browned and crispy. These can burn quickly, so watch them carefully. Remove from cookie sheet, and serve immediately.  Store the leftover chips in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Frugal Tip: Don't let leftover flour tortillas go to waste. Try these Cinnamon Tortilla Chips for a simple after school snack.

This post has been linked to Frugal Tuesday Tip.

Fascinating Finds - Oatmeal Cookie Mix

Recently, I told you about a set of recipes for homemade cookie mixes that I learned about on a blog called Fake-It-Frugal. I had great success with the Sugar Cookie version, so I decided to try out the Oatmeal Cookie version. I mixed it up according to the recipe, but the dough was too dry. The recipe said to refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before scooping out onto a cookie sheet; but, even after refrigeration, the dough was still too crumbly to scoop.  Knowing that I truly needed to bring these cookies to my kids Sunday night Bible program at church, I had to come up with a solution. So, I added an extra egg and the dough was exactly like cookie dough should be.

The cookies turned out great! The kids enjoyed them, they were simple to make, and I had all of the ingredients on hand. This recipe is a keeper. And, having a couple of mixes made up in advance is a nice solution to purchased pre-packaged mixes. (Yield: 18 cookies)

Heather, at Fake-It-Frugal, has all kinds of frugal recipe ideas and household solutions that will save you time and money. So, be sure to check out her blog below:

Website Link: Fake-It-Frugal

Recipe Link: Fake Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes

Reading Report

By now, you have realized that I primarily read nonfiction. But this week, I indulged in a novel, strictly for pleasure. I picked this one up because it was recommended to me as a lover of Fannie Flagg  (author of Fried Green Tomatoes). And, I was not disappointed. Susan Gregg Gilmore definitely writes in a similar manner and made me want to jump into the pages to participate in a simpler time and way of life.

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen written By Susan Gregg Gilmore

Catherine Grace Cline is a girl who has lost her mother. She is raised by her father, who is a small town minister, along with her younger sister, Martha Ann.  Her hope and dream is to one day escape from her small town and make her way to the big city. But what she discovers along the way is that those she loves most, are not what they seem. This changes her heart and offers her the salvation that she has longed for all of her life.

This story has it all: love and laughter, tragedy and sorrow, pain and forgiveness. It captures rural, small town life at its best and its worst, with a little bit of the unexpected in between. So, if you are looking for a good read that will put a smile on your face and make you wish that it wouldn’t end, this is the book for you.

To learn more about this weekly reading report, click here.

Jerk Seasoning

We eat Jerk Chicken on a regular basis. Everyone likes it, and it is easy to prepare. However, I have always purchased the seasoning. So, I decided that I would try making it myself for You Can Make That! This recipe took less than five minutes to mix up and I already had all of the herbs and spices in my pantry. I am glad to say that it was a great success! 

If you have not tried Jerk Seasoning before, it is mildly spicy and has a “sweetness” that comes from the allspice and cinnamon. It you prefer something a little spicier, you could double the seasoning. However, for my kids one tablespoon of seasoning per one pound of meat is the perfect ratio. And, Jerk Seasoning pairs perfectly with both chicken and pork, grilled or pan seared.

To prepare my Jerk Chicken, I typically cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Then, toss the chicken with the seasoning and olive oil, and brown in a skillet. Sometimes we eat it on its own, but we also like to serve it on a main dish salad with ranch dressing. However, my favorite way to eat it is on a tortilla with coleslaw.

Jerk Seasoning

2 tablespoons dried minced onion

2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir together all ingredients. Store seasoning in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Yield: ¼ cup, enough for 4 pounds of meat

To Use: Stir together 1 Tbs. seasoning with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Rub or spread mixture onto 1 pound of chicken or pork. Grill or pan sear meat until thoroughly cooked.

Note: Next time I mix up this seasoning, I may add ½ tsp. of nutmeg.

This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday!