My crafty side

Hi everyone, you know that I love to cook. The other thing I love to do is be crafty. I guess you could say that I inherited it. My mom is an artist, I am not so much. But I love to do a project here and there.

At our wedding, we hung two walls of ribbon to dance in the wind. It was truely beautiful, but I had a huge bag of ribbons left afterwards. I knew someday it would come to me, and day before yesterday, it did. I have made a wreath for our front door, next is garland for our fireplace.
Here is the wreath, I will share the garland later.

Birminghammomonline

I have entered my first giveaway. I am excited so far. The super sweet ladies at www.Birminghammomonline.com are having three weeks of giveaways. WOW, I am lucky enough to be #2. I put a "basket" in the giveaway. It includes an appetizer, entree, bread, dessert and a gift card for the ingredients. I've included a photo above.

All of the Homemade Gourmet products are easy and delicious. I cannot rave enough of these products!! I started selling them simply out of a whim, however, they have made my life so much easier. I love all the products, and they help me to put a wonderful, homemade meal on our table within thirty minutes in most cases. I was listing for my mother-in-law yesterday all the items that we have personally tried, and there wasn't one that we have eaten that wasn't good. In fact, many of them I would serve to a guest in a heartbeat.

Joyful Home

What makes for a joyful home?

This is one of those questions that is personal to each home. But I believe that our home is joyful because it is full of love! As newlyweds, we are learning how to make it more joyful each day.

For our one month anniversary, I wrote our Mission Statement for our home. I would like to share it:
We want our home to be filled with love, warmth and God. Our desire is that our home is a refuge in times plesant and difficult.
We want our home to be a place, clutter free, orderly and inviting for all our family and friends no matter what the occassion.
As we go about our lives we will come together over nourishing meals for our body and soul, prepared with love and served graciously. Prioritizing our life to further our marriage and support our individual and common goals.

Whew!!!!

Since I am having surgery this coming Wednesday, I decided to take on a challenge. Something that Jen at http://beautyandbedlam.com/ does this... Monthly Cooking!!!!!!!!! What you say? Yes, cook once for the month!



So, I took the trip to the store, bought TONS of groceries 199.04 for the month (do you think that is good or bad?) and I took to the kitchen! I made 10 meals, either from start to finish or readied them for my dear husband to put in the crockpot :)
1. Pot Roast
2. Beef Stroganoff
3. Garlic Lemon Chicken Wings
4. Asian Pork Tenderloin
5. Chili
6. Italian Chicken
7. Spaghetti
8. Hawaiian Chicken
9. Taco Meat
10. 15 Bean Soup

Whew! This was crazy! However, SO worth it! Now I know that feeling of accomplishment and am hooked.

If you are interested but 10 sounds like too much, come to a Make N Take with me, we will do four meals at a time. Four meals (with leftovers) will feed your family for 8 dinners. Imagine the time that you would free up to prepare meals and just have to pull them out a put them in the oven or crockpot.....

Look for my calendar to start Make N Takes again in December!

Key Lime Cheesecake Ball Mix

This is a product review of the Homemade Gourmet product Key Lime Cheesecake Ball Mix.

In one word: Delicious!

Customer comments "One of the best things I have put in my mouth."
"YUMMMMM"
"Oh, I could eat that all day long"

This mix is a simple dessert fit for family night or a party. If you haven't had it before, and you like key lime, this is something you have to try. The recipe is simple, simply mix the ingredients with 1/2 stick of butter and 8 oz of cream cheese, chill for one hour and you have yourself a dessert dip! Yes, it is that simple ANYONE can do it!

Ask me how to order it today!

Easy Tip

When you place leftovers in the fridge, put a piece of scotch tape on the with the name and/0r date, there will never be a question of "is that any good?"

Challenge for this week:
Organize your "junk" drawer.
We all have them, they take up space that could be better used, right? There couldn't be a better time for clean up than now... I will update with a picture of my new and improved junk drawer on Monday, what about you?

Faithful Friday

Today's verses are the first from Proverbs 16.

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.

People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.

The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished.

Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.

Good to Know - How long items stay fresh

Through various blogs and frugal living articles, I have come to find some interesting lists. This list is helpful for all who cook. Just remember to put the date on what you open or freeze. Time Items can stay in Fridge/Freezer

Refrigerator (40F)

Butter - 2 months

Cheese, hard - 6 months

Cheese, soft and opened - 10 days

Cheese, soft and unopened - 3 weeks

Eggs, hard-boiled - 1 week

Eggs, uncooked in shell - 1 month

Fish, fresh - 1 day

Greens - 2 days

Meat, cooked - 3 days

Meat, raw - 3 days

Poultry, cooked - 3 days

Poultry, fresh - 2 days

Vegetables - 3 days

White wine, recorked - 2 days

White wine, vacuum-stopped - 10 days

Freezer (0F)

Bread - 3 months

Butter - 9 months

Fish, fatty - 3 months

Fish, lean - 6 months

Fruit - 9 months

Fruit juices - 10 months

Hamburger, fresh - 4 months

Ice cream/sorbet - 2 months

Poultry, cooked - 5 months

Poultry, uncooked - 9 months

Steaks, uncooked - 9 months

Vegetables - 6 months

Weekly Servings

This weeks meals:
Monday: Garlic Basil Chicken
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: Season and Steam Beef with Broccoli
Thursday: White Bean Chicken Chili
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: Date Night
Sunday: Meatloaf and Smashed Potatoes

Doesn't this week sound like a comfort food feast?! Yummy!!

Open House

October 12, 7pm until 8:30

Samples will include:
BLT Dip
Taco Soup
Garlic Basil Chicken
Key Lime Cheesecake

Win Prizes

Oportunity to make a $5 JAM meal.

RSVP here or by email: courtneyshomemade@gmail.com

JAM Meals

JAM meals are meals that you Just Add Meat too. We at Homemade Gourmet believe in the power of a good meal.

At my open house, if you RSVP and would like to make a JAM meal, just let me know and I will prepare them, with the exception of letting you see how simple and easy meal planning and put together can be.

Wonderful Wednesday

Hi everyone....

Thought I would share wonderful words on this beautiful Wednesday. Galatians 5:13-14 says "For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

This is interesting to me, we just moved to a new area, new house and have (obviously) new neighbors. I have met a few of them, but my goal is to meet them all. I have always had a vision of living in a neighborhood that everyone enjoys their neighbors, have block parties and all the kids play together. I want to serve my neighbors, so this weekend, my goal is to make a small treat and share with as many as I can.

That brings me to my question, what can you do to serve your neighbor?

Weekly Servings

This will be my weekly post of what I plan to cook for my family. Important when you plan to grocery shop with coupons and savings you have to plan. My mom laughs that she has no clue where I got so organized, but as I look at other blogs, I don't see myself as quite the organized one. I suppose it is all realtive. I do try to keep my kitchen and living room organized.

The real issue: DINNER
Monday: Lasagna (sweet friend making us a lasagna since I am under the weather)
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: Crockpot pork chops and apples
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: Buffalo Chicken Chili
Saturday: night out
Sunday: Fiesta Chicken Casserole

Hi everyone! This is my first post here at Courtney's Homemade. I look forward to updating this site every week. I am happy to be becoming a Consultant for Homemade Gourmet. They have quite a few amazing products, and answers for the dinner rut we all find ourselves in.

Stay tuned, and we will work on our weekly dinner plan together!

Court