Back to Reality

 

Today is the first “official” day of school (with the kiddos)…

 

after today, only 179 more days until summer!   Wish me luck!

 

P.S. - I’ll be back tomorrow with an awesome (or at least I think so) Fashionable Friday so stay tuned!

Ramped Up Rice

 

Howdy! Happy Hump Day everybody!  Today’s post is all about ramping up the everyday, regular-schmegular and otherwise ordinary ingredient of white rice.  My solution? 

Homemade fried rice.

 

 

I have made tried to make fried rice before and I got mixed reviews.  It was “okay” but not great and definitely not as good as some versions you can get at restaurants. 

Well, after finding a recipe on Pinterest (of course) that came from a blog called Life as a Lofthouse (they do a Menu Monday, too!), I thought I would give it another go.  It passed all of my recipe tests (inexpensive ingredients, simple instructions, quick cooking time) so it made it on the menu, and boy am I glad!

It was better (in my opinion) than any restaurant version I have ever had and I loved that I could control the ingredients and amount of sodium that went in.  The flavors melded perfectly and I love the extra kick that the garlic added.

 

 

Fried rice, although it looks fancy (or fancier than just plain white rice), is as easy as 1,2,3; and well worth the few extra steps.  Trust me, your belly will love it – I know Mike’s did.

Here’s how:

Fried Rice

Print this recipe!

3 cups cooked white rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)

3 T sesame oil (olive oil works also)

1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)

1 small onion, chopped

2 t minced garlic

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

 

     

On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender.

 

 

Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled.

 

 

 

Now add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated. Voila! 

**You could really play around with this rice too! Try adding an assortment of other fillers:  green and red peppers, ham, green onion, corn, etc.

 

 

 

Want to know what is better than fried rice? 

Fried rice topped with Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken – this dish literally tasted like we were eating at a 5 star restaurant, maybe even better.

D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.

 

Dollar Days

 

As school starts this week, I feel compelled to share my love of a certain store with you all.  Teachers know it well, since most of what goes into our classroom has been purchased with our personal money (hug a teacher today). 

We are always trying to figure out ways to recreate things that we see in catalogues and on Pinterest in the most frugal way possible.  Dollar Tree has helped me do that not only in my classroom, but at home as well, saving lots of green along the way.

 

 

I know many people turn their nose up at stores like this and think that the items  available in them aren’t worth the little money spent, but I am here to tell you differently.

Of all the dollar type stores, Dollar Tree is my favorite (EVERYTHING IS $1 or LESS) and in my opinion has the best quality.  Not everything in there is worth the money, but below are my top ten money saving items that have saved me lots recently. 

If you have a Dollar Tree near by, check it out; you won’t be sorry.

Be smart, be frugal!

 

 

1.  Disposable bake ware/plastic food containers

SUCH A DEAL!  The disposable bake ware is my favorite thing to buy at Dollar Tree.  After starting my food delivery portion of Grocery Lane, I quickly found out that disposable bake ware and storage was quite expensive in regular grocery stores.

After perusing Dollar Tree one day I felt like I hit the jackpot.  They had all different sizes and shapes and most of them even come with lids/toppers.  My mom even picked up quite a few to take to her church dinners and throw away after. 

The plastic food storage containers are very reliable as well, and some are even name brands. 

2.  Storage baskets/trash cans

Since I love to reorganize my organization I am constantly in need of baskets, bins, and other storage bins of different sizes.  Not only does Dollar Tree offer different sizes, they offer bright and vibrant colors to go along with it – perfect for organizing closets, laundry rooms, kids rooms, classrooms, etc.). 

3.  Office Supplies

Not only does Dollar Tree offer sturdy mesh desk trinkets (pencil cups, containers, business card holders) they also offer a great array of pens, pencils, markers (Sharpies), highlighters, etc.  I have used them all and they work great! 

4.  Foil Balloons

A vast array of shiny foiled helium balloons are available and blown up on the spot as needed for $1 each.  Perfect for parties!

5.  Gift Giving Supplies/Party Supplies

Speaking of parties (#4), Dollar Tree has an excellent selection of gift bags, tissue paper, wrapping paper and fillers – all of which can add up very quickly at other stores.

They also have an excellent selection of colored plates, napkins, plastic cutlery and tablecloths for parties as well as themed decorations for most occasions.

6.  Air Fresheners

Spray air fresheners (name brands) are readily available and are great to have on hand.  There are even some stand alone fresheners available, although I haven’t seen many of the scented oils.

7.  Candy

There is a great selection of candy, perfect for Easter Baskets or Stocking Stuffers.  They are usually the “movie theater” size but delicious none the less.  They even have bags of my favorite – Wether’s Original!  Sugar free options are also available.

8.  Greeting Cards

Many times the greeting cards are actually 2 for $1 and are not as generic as you would think – some are quite funny!

9.  Toothbrushes/Toothpaste

Most of these items are name brands with a large selection to choose from.  Perfect for everyday use, or great to have on hand for travel.

10.  Kids Items (Educational)

Examples:  Coloring books, educational games, crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles

 

Honorable Mention:  Mike and I have also found many, many great items for Halloween costumes and themed parties at Dollar Tree. The kids section has lots of great things to choose from!

Menu Monday

 

Well, it’s officially that time again…back to work this morning!  I can say that I have mixed emotions.  I’m always happy to get back into somewhat of a normal routine and fill out my new planner (dork, I know), but at the same time will definitely miss the freedom and relaxation that this past summer added to my daily life.

 

6am breakfast…oh how I’ve missed you (sarcasm).

 

In honor of a new school year, I always like to set a few goals in order to try to be more productive each and every day.  Last year it was as simple as eating breakfast and  putting on my make up at home (instead of in the car; dangerous I know).  This meant getting up about 15 minutes earlier and worked out wonderfully.  I was less stressed and felt ready to tackle the day once I got to work.

This year, here are some of my goals:

• Coffee:  Drinking my one cup of (decaf) coffee at home before leaving for work and not putting it into a travel mug to take with me.  This way I’m drinking fewer cups (travel mugs generally hold about 2 cups) and I don’t have to worry about forgetting the stinky coffee mugs at work or cleaning them when I get home.  Once I get to work, it’s water the rest of the day.
• Blogging the night before:  Last year, I often found myself blogging the morning of (which I am actually doing right now, but this is the last time – promise) and feeling rushed to get out of the door on time.  So, from now on it’s, dinner, blog, sleep…we’ll see if I can pull it off!
• More crock pot meals!  I say this all to often, that I need to use my crock pot more; and by golly, I am going to follow through!  I have a new crock pot soup recipe on the menu for later this week and I even made an oatmeal breakfast recipe overnight for this morning.  It smells delish!
• Using timers:  Setting the coffee pot the night before.  This doesn’t seem like it saves a bunch of time, but it actually does (for me at least!).  By getting everything ready in my coffee pot the night before and setting the timer; it’s always waiting on me, and makes the house smell delicious as well – think Folgers commercial.  I love getting out of the shower and smelling yummy coffee!
• Grocery shopping on Sundays (when possible):  My usual shopping day is Monday, but that is also when Mike has soccer.  I often found myself rushing from work, to the grocery store, home to fix dinner and then leaving for soccer.  Not the ideal way to start off a week.  So, when I can, shopping on Sundays is my goal.  We went last night and are all ready for the week ahead!

 

As for our menu this week – here’s what we’re eating:

M:  Shepherd’s Pie w/ Roasted Carrots

T:  Sweet and Sour Chicken w/ Fried Rice

W:  Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

Th:  Pulled Pork Baked Potatoes w/ Green Beans

F:  Taco Salad

Sa:  Creamy Veggie Pasta

Su:  Blue Cheese Burgers w/ Sweet Potato Fries

 

Have a great week!