Busy as a Bzzz-Bee Broth and my Local Grocery

Hi friends!

Sorry - I've been away too long!  There's really no excuse for leaving you hanging for so long; I won't try to make one.

In the weeks since I last posted, we've been *quite* busy at the Colbert Nest.  We started a few interior projects - like painting and assembling a new computer desk for the Mister, re-organizing our bathroom, and adding a new couch to our home!  Ps - I *love* the couch.  It really was a steal - $40 at Goodwill and the previous owner said it cost him $1200!  I believe it - the leather is really well-cared for, and it's a convertible futon on a solid wood frame.  Very classy for two young adults on a not-so-fancy budget.  :)

I will definitely update you on some of the design updates to our home in a post later this week - promise!

For now, I'd like to share what's cooking in my kitchen today!

I'm meal-prepping for the whole week - and let me tell you, it is *such* a time saver.  I've got a jam-packed schedule this week, and I really don't know how anyone gets by without making the whole week's lunches and dinners ahead of time.  Honestly, if you do - you're a saint.  A magician and a saint.


On the menu:
Steamed sweet potatoes  (4 servings)
Fresh carrots, celery, and cucumbers (8 servings)
Side salads for each day (5 servings)
Healthy Chicken Salad (4 big servings, or 6 sides)
Smoothies for breakfast! (5)
Dahl with Basmati Rice (3 servings)
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (12 muffins, I usually do one per meal)


So, that's like....a lot of food, yo.

AND I'm making my favorite lazy-day frugal food - Homemade Chicken Broth!!!

Or, as I like to call it - busy broth.  Because I make this broth in my crockpot, I can buzz around the house or run errands while it simmers.  Multi-tasking for the win!

I'm sure you know that a lot of the foods we eat these days are processed beyond belief!  I know it - I still eat it.  No guilt-shaming here, friends!  Still, I notice a serious difference in my body - my mood and energy levels, especially - when I eat whole, natural foods.

And my wallet notices, too!

Here's why:

First, I gotta give it up for my local
grocery store.  They stock a huge selection of produce at really great prices (with *amazing* specials).  Plus, the manager is maybe the friendliest dude ever.

Because I am blessed with just enough "free" time to prepare my veggies, I buy them whole.  That means:  no baby carrots, no pre-sliced whatever, almost nothing from a bag.  I buy whole heads of lettuce (this week: kale and leaf lettuce, and a bag of curly spinach), unpeeled carrots and whole celery (.79 and .59 special respectively), a red pepper (.42/lb special), sweet potatoes (1.95), 3 pounds of yellow onions (.69), cucumbers (.59 each), and a bag of Cuties (1.49).  I could go on - but I think you get the point.

Even better:  when produce is nearing expiration, my store bundles them into discount packs.  Five small zucchini for .59, three ears of corn for .89, shallots for .59.  I buy these up when I am making broth to supplement my mix.

Nothing - and I mean NOTHING - goes to waste from these veggies.  My carrot and potato peels, my celery scraps, my onion skins - they all go into my busy broth!

There's really no exact recipe to follow, so I'll just give you the rundown of what's in my crockpot today.

Busy Broth

Leftover green pepper
Fresh Corn
Shallots
Carrots (and peels from my meal prep)
Celery (and scraps from my meal prep)
Sweet potato peels
Purple kale ribs
Bones and cartilage from two whole chickens
Water to fill

Sometimes, I buy a rotisserie chicken to put into my soups or salads.  Other times, I buy a whole chicken raw and roast it or cook it in my crockpot.  Either way, I *always* save and freeze the bones/cartilage/skin.
This way, nothing goes to waste.  I basically get to make about 64 ounces of broth for free!  One man's trash, as they say.

What tricks do you have for saving at the grocery store?  Any resourceful recipes you use to stretch your budget?  I'd love to hear from you!

Nom Nom for Now,
Amanda

First Time for Everything

Hi friend!

So I've decided to start this blogging thing because (let's face it) Facebook can't handle my verbosity.  I needed to take a break from intense social media.  It's not you, Facebook.  It's me.

But more on that later.  :)

We're feeling blessed at the end of Christmas season.  We got to spend time with our families, give (and receive) some really great gifts, and make one killer meal with the help of Ju, my brother-in-law's girlfriend.  Of course, spending time with family in other states can become overwhelming.  Some weekends we felt like we were living out of our car and surviving on water and Red Bull!  I'd do just about anything to spend the holidays with my loved ones, so it's really just a joyful sacrifice.

At the end of the day, we were able to bless our loved ones with some really cool gifts - including homemade vodka infusions!  (Maybe a future blog post there?  That lightbulb just went on...)  And we received some really thoughtful gifts, as well, for which we are super grateful!  Hand-painted wine glasses, heated scarves, cool robes and sweaters, a tagine, and so much more!

Really, though, the greatest gift of all is the Peace of Jesus.  We've been feeling the craving for an answer that this earth cannot hold, something that will soothe the aches that burden all of us throughout life.  And God provides in His own timing, at the moment where we are most open to see His doing.  I don't claim to be a theologian, or even really a "mature" Christian (I still giggle at videos of cats farting) - but I have been blessed to grow in my faith over the last year.  2015 is going to be a big year for my heart, and for Stephen's; and, we pray, for yours as well!

A (sort-of) quick recap of 2014:

Jaunary: Stephen was hired from his contracted position, so Hospira became his official employer!  I started my current position at George Street Photo and Video.

February: I celebrated my 26th birthday, and we celebrated our first Valentine's day as a married couple.  *Swoon* 

March: I'm sure that we celebrated St. Patty's day (and our friend Maddy's birthday!) but I honestly can't remember how or where we were....whoops! ;) We must have had a really good time!

April:  Spring sprung, the ground got muddy again, and I think, for the most part, we had a pretty uneventful month.  In a good way!

May: I started walking to the train (about 4 miles) on days when I worked late - so much fun!  Naperville has a great trail system that connects our former home (thank you to the Colberts!) to the Metra.

June: We started discussing moving into the city, or a different 'burb toward the fall.  Any time we had together, we spent with friends who were in town for the summer, outdoors, or seeing some great summer Blockbusters.  ***Lots of friends, too many to name, graduated and/or were accepted into Master's or PhD programs.  Congrats, all! 

July: We spent the 4th of July avoiding the crowds and seeing a movie.  We do that a lot in the summers!  The month flew by, so forgive me if I'm forgetting a huge event of great importance!  I just remember the summer being very relaxed, mild, and well-spent.

August: Our dear friend "S" found an amazing little place on the far north side of the city.  We viewed it, and signed the lease within a few days.  Two weeks later, we moved into our first home - it's just perfect for the two of us.  Blessed doesn't even begin to describe our feelings about this sweet little apartment.  Thanks, S!  Stephen turned 26 shortly after we moved in and we got to celebrate by discovering an *amazing* sushi joint.  If you visit and you're game, we'll totally take you!

September: We celebrated our first anniversary, and Stephen's parents celebrated their 30th!  Our anniversaries are on the same day, so its doubly-joyous!  We were so blessed to spend some quality time with our friends "M' and "Z" when they visited Chicago.  Also, I tried my hand at couponing - and it wasn't a total failure!  I'll fill you in during a later blog post, promise!  ***Our friends "J" and "L" got engaged on the 7th!  We celebrated at Hofbrauhaus, and they set the date for next Memorial Day weekend!  

October: Fall is our favorite season, and we enjoyed one or two brisk walks on the shore.  It was a fairly warm fall this year, so we were able to delay sweater-weather by a few weeks.  I bought a few bags of candy for Trick-or-Treaters and none showed!  We still have some Starbursts laying around - you want some? ***Our friends "K" and "G" got engaged!  They set the date for June 2015, and we'll be traveling to the great state of Colorado for this happy event!  ***Our friends "A" and "B" got married, and threw one heck of a party! 

November: This was the month of the most epic road-trip!  15 hours from Chicago to Dallas, and we did it non-stop there and back!  We spent Thanksgiving in Fort Worth, TX with some friends, "J" and "J".  They got married the Saturday after the holiday, and Stephen was honored to serve as J's best man.  On our way out of town, we stopped in Dallas to catch up with our friends "E" and "J".  We had some amazing bbq at Pecan Lodge, and I got to explore Daley Plaza for the first time!  I really enjoy delving into history when we travel, so we kind of got a little bonus! ***Our friends "B" and "Z" become homeowners!  Their home is so perfect and we are so happy for them as they begin this new chapter in their life together!  

December: Isn't December always the busiest month?  We had such a wonderful time seeing our families, and catching up with our friends.  And the weather was so pleasant, driving from place to place was super easy!  I got to meet my friend "G"'s baby "I'.  He's a pretty special little guy, with some health issues that made me really appreciate the chance to hold him - even if just for a moment!  Maybe, if G gives her blessing, I'll blog about him later on.  You'll fall in love with him just like I did.  :)  We said adieu to 2014 with a low-key evening at our place with our friends, J and L.  Doesn't it seem that you never get enough time with the people you love?  That's how it feels to me, at least.  ***Our friend Joseph got accepted into his Master's program for Music Composition!  Congrats, Joseph!  We're so proud of you and so excited for all you will accomplish!  ***Our friends "V" and "K" welcomed their son, "M" into this world with loads of love and excitement!  

And that brings us to today - January 1st, 2015.  It's amazing how quickly a year flies by, and yet with such fullness and so many precious moments.  Our favorite moments, of course, are those filled with love!

Happy New Year from The Colberts to you, friend!

Ps - As you might have noticed, I've decided to use initials/nicknames instead of full names when discussing friends and family.  That's because I want to respect the privacy of my loved ones.  If you don't mind me using your first name, let me know!  I'd be happy to update this (and any future) post as desired.  Sorry if it gets tricky or hard to follow, but I think this is the best compromise for my purposes.