Sandra Lee and her Semi-Homemade Philosophy

I really enjoy watching Sandra Lee's show on Food Network - Semi-Homemade Cooking and I recently got to know more about her by watching a Food Network Special about her life. She is a very ambitious woman who really knows what it means to succeed in following your dreams and the value of hard work.

"An internationally-acclaimed home and food expert, Sandra has revolutionized the way people think about traditional, time-consuming, “from-scratch” methods. With her trademark 70/30 philosophy, which combines 70% ready-made products with 30% fresh touches, Sandra creates aspirational meals and breathtaking living environments that are affordable and attainable, making her the foremost recognized advocate to every over-extended person. Sandra’s philosophy was born out of necessity and the challenges she faced throughout her childhood. The oldest of five children, Sandra was responsible for caring for her four younger siblings and managing the household. Forced to live on welfare and food stamps, Sandra quickly learned how to turn budget-friendly foods into delicious and special meals for her family while stretching every dollar and every minute."

http://www.semihomemade.com/sandra-lee/biography.htm

I have been inspired by here life and her "can do" attitude. I just adore her Semi-Homemade website; there are so many great homemaker tips and snidbits. I have especially enjoyed looking through her page on all things organization - http://www.semihomemade.com/organizing/ She has wonderful things to say regarding the decor and layout of your bathroom... Look under Organizing - Suds Appeal.

I have always wanted to make my guests feel comfortable when they stay with me. I never want them to have to come to me and embarrassingly ask if I have a tampon they can have! So, to ovoid such a scenario I purchased a pretty woven basket a the Dollar Store for a buck and filled it with all the comforts of home that you may have left at home...a toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, feminine hygiene products, a bar of soap, & an extra candle just in case the one in the bathroom runs out. It's a simple but great idea.

When a guest arrives and I am giving them the tour I am sure to tell them that under the sink there is a basket and they should feel free to use anything they wish from it.

Happy Homemaking everyone!

We have all had it!

I think the Psychotic Housewife and I are on the same wave length! I just read here post in which she was saying that she was going to war with her cluttered spice cabinet. Well, she is not alone! Mine looked very similar yesterday afternoon.
The cabinet that I was using was very narrow and was creating problems for me when it came to organization. Every spice rack display that I had found was too wide to fit the cabinet...frustrating! So I decided to just get the spices outta the cabinet and proudly display them.


I found this counter top spice rack at the wonderful Wally World for $10. And it spins! What a great feature! :) Can I just say that...I LOVE ORGANIZATION!

Weekly Menu

I have decided to begin posting my weekly menu for your viewing pleasure. :) If you see something you like and want to make, just click on it and the link will take you to the recipe. However, if the recipe was not found online and you would like it then simply leave me a comment and I will then comment back to you with the recipe. I hope that made sense!

So here it is folks...

MONDAY - Tipalia with Purple Potato Crust and Chive Rosemary Oil
TUESDAY - Leftovers
WEDNESDAY - Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken

THURSDAY - Tilapia Corn Chowder

FRIDAY - Southwestern Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

SATURDAY - Brisket with Carrots and Onions
SUNDAY - Chicken and Rice Casserole

Happy Birthday to Jason!

Today is Jason's birthday and even though he is crazy busy with Maymester and work I had to do something for him. Since he only had 1 1/2 hrs. for lunch I decided on a nice lunch, a "brownie" cake, and a gift.

Here is the birthday table. I set out the cards he had received. The poor thing had to open a pink gift bag with flowers to get to his gift...it's all I had.

I made Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken.

The birthday boy...Rock Chalk Jayhawks! :D

He loves the Underworld series, I think part of his love has to do with Kate Beckinsale ;), so I got him the new movie that just came out. He hasn't seen it yet so this weekend we get to snuggle up and watch it!

These are his birthday brownies. I asked him if he wanted cake, but he's a die hard brownie lover so that's what he requested. To make them more birthday worthy I used icing to write "Happy B'day" (Not very well I might add.) on them and put candles in them.

Just to clarify, he did not feed his 3 1/2 month old daughter brownie...he just was acting like it! You silly. :)

So "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" to my wonderful husband whom love with all my heart! I love you sweetie.

I'm Hating.

Okay, I'm gonna hate on my hubby for a minute. After all he is my husband and I can if I want to!

Let me start with...I DON'T LIKE DOING LAUNDRY. My hate is mainly due to the fact that in our apartment complex the laundry room is on the other side of the grounds and I always have to make at least two trips to get everything down I need. Also, me no likey matching up socks!

So to get to the point this is why I'm hating. Shelby is a baby and as baby's do she spits up frequently. She does not have the best aim and often misses the burp cloth and spews all over you.
This may seem gross, but I wipe up my shirt and continue on with my day. After a while you can't even smell it and well, it dries right? Some times by the end of the day my right shoulder looks all crusty...EHWW! Jason is the OPPOSITE. If she even so much as dribbles a little spit up on his NEWLY WASHED, DRIED, AND HUNG, shirt it goes straight into the laundry basket. Here is a picture of a shirt that he put in the laundry today. Look closely...closer...see it...there near the bottom...there's a little dribble. He claims he could smell it and he would get sick if he had to continue wearing it.

Well, what can I say. After all he does provide the money for me to wash clothes. So I guess I can walk my hiney down to the laundry room and wash his spit up shirts.