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

Honey-Do-a-Whole-Lot

Sorry it's been so long!  We've been busy - in a good way!

With my work schedule, it's rare to get two consecutive days free from my job.  When that happens, we feel very blessed and usually try to squeeze in a lot of productivity - and a bit of relaxation! :)

Last Sunday, we made the afternoon all about fixing up our cozy little home.  I've been itching to rearrange our bedroom and put the bed on lifts for a while now.  Isn't it funny how you just can't stop re-organizing once you start?

This is what we finished last week:

Re-arranged our bedroom
Put bed on lifts
Moved nightstand to living room (really, it's a small round table that's perfect for my little reading chair!)
Moved shelving unit stacked on dresser to closet for shoe storage
Adding toilet paper storage to bathroom
Organized cabinet under kitchen sink
Hung aluminum foil and saran wrap in cabinet
Built storage box for ziploc bags in cabinet
Organized cabinets and coffee storage above kitchen sink
Temporarily relocated filing cabinet - future project in store!

We also ordered bar stools on Amazon (thanks to our Christmas Amazon gift cards, you guys ROCK!)  They just got delivered today, and I'm technically still at work (eating my dinner) so I haven't seen them yet.  I can't wait!!! We have a built-in bar on our countertop, and haven't been able to properly use it yet!

Moving the filing cabinet (and eventually tossing it!) freed up a little nook in our apartment - about 30 inches deep and 40 inches long, facing the living room.  Stephen has wanted a dedicated desk space to set up his computer, and we're almost ready to build our own desk into the wall!

Speaking of upcoming projects, here's a few on our to-do list:

Polish wood floor (this is that one that I keep telling myself I'll do....eventually....)
Build a standing workstation in our crazy nook
Adding spare towel storage to bathroom
Organizing under bathroom sink
Re-organizing kitchen storage - there has *got* to be a smarter way to store lids!!!
Adding shelves above self-built workstation
Adding mail/bills storage to walls near workstation
Eliminating file cabinet by transferring to boxes in closet.\
Re-organizing pantry
Creating spice storage with magnetic jars on the fridge
Creating a magnetic strip for utensil storage in the kitchen

Whew!  We have got a big to-do list but I'm really excited to knock out these projects ASAP!

What home improvement or organizational projects are you working on?  Any tips or hints to share?

Best Wishes,
Amanda

Kitchen Adventures: Tortillas and Tacos

Are you feeling the chill today?  I know I certainly am!  We're past the winter solstice, the days are getting longer - but the real winter temperatures just now decided to show up!

We live less than one block from the Lake (Michigan), so when the wind blows off that frigid water, we definitely feel the bite of winter.  In weather like this, nothing warms me up better than some great spicy food - and my favorite Bears blanket, of course!

Today, I'm making a taco bar for me and the hubs.  I don't think I've made tacos yet in this kitchen, so I'm finally going to satisfy that craving!  It's been a while since I've cooked with beef, especially ground beef.  I'm usually making all sorts of chicken and veggies dishes these days.  Luckily, our grocer has an awesome meat and deli department.  All the fixings are only a short walk from my front door!

I discovered how much joy I get out of making bread last year while we were living with Stephen's parents.  There are few things more heart-warming than the smell of yeast and few sights more pleasing than a perfectly browned crust.  But bread-baking doesn't end there!  I've made pitas, tortillas, pull-apart loaves, no-knead Pyrex loaves, and more.

Tacos aren't really possible without tortillas.  I guess I could buy a pack from the store, but a lazy Saturday kind of begs for me to do some from-stratch cooking.  Check out my favorite recipe below!  (Credit to Chris Scheuer from http://thecafesucrefarine.com/)

Homemade Tortillas (Quick Rise Version)

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used melted vegetable shortening)
1 cup warm water

*Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook.  If you don't have stand mixer, prepare your arm muscles. :)
*Slowly add oil and water while continuing to mix (medium speed).  Mix for one minute, stopping several times to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  After the mixture comes together to form a ball, decrease speed to low.  Continue mixing for one minute until dough is smooth.  By hand:  Mix with wooden spoon until dough comes together in a ball.  Knead for 3-5 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.
*Transfer dough to a well-floured surface.  Divide dough in half, and then halve again, and so on until you have 16 pieces.  Form each bit into a ball and flatten as much as possible with palms.  If dough is sticky, sprinkle a weensy bit of flour on the balls.
*Cover flattened dough with a tea towel for 15 minutes and let rise.
*After rest period, heat a skillet on medium-high heat.  Roll each piece of dough into a circle 6-7 inches in diameter, making sure to keep the rolling pin and surface floured.  Don't stack the rolled dough on each other or they will get soggy! :( (Tortillas should feel fairly thin, be gentle to avoid tearing!)
*When pan is hot, place one tortilla in the pan for about one minute - watch it carefully!  A few brown spots are ok as it cooks, but if it gets black or starts to burn, your heat is too high.  If it takes longer than a minute for the first side to cook, heat is too low.  Adjust accordingly.
*When bubbles begin to form and edges of tortilla start to firm and cook, flip tortilla over and cook for about 20-30 seconds more.
*Remove from pan, place in a container covered by a towel, or a ziploc bag to maintain temp and softness.

Tortillas can be frozen easily - just separate with parchment/wax paper before freezing in a heavy-duty bag.

I only had three left when I remembered to take a picture....oops!

These homemade tortillas are definitely a favorite - Stephen usually gobbles one (or two!) before I even finish baking the batch!  Start to finish, they take about 35-40 minutes to make - which is just enough time for my sous chef (read: husband) to cut veggies and brown the taco meat!

Stay warm out there, friends!  What comfort foods do you crave in the winter season?  I'm open to new recipes! :)

Nom nom for now,
Amanda