Healthy & Easy Way to Wash Produce
A sink full of fresh produceOur family eats a lot of fruits and vegetables so I love it when I find a great deal on produce. We have one large drawer full of vegetables, another one full of fruit, and we have a fresh fruit basket on the counter. One problem I had with produce in the past was it spoiling too fast. Also, the produce needs to be washed to remove any germs, sprays, mold, or other spores that that tend to spoil or contaminate the produce more quickly.
I have found the best way to rinse and clean the produce is to put everything in a clean sink, fill the sink with cold water, add approximately a half of cup of white vinegar, and let the produce soak for about 10 to 20 minutes. After the produce has soaked drain the water and rinse thoroughly before putting it away. You will be amazed at how much stuff comes off the produce (the sink is usually covered with a film, dirt, and little particles after I drain the water). Some of the items in the sink for this rinse – pineapple, mango, strawberries, kiwi, red delicious apples, granny smith apples, golden delicious apples, grapefruit, blackberries, oranges, clementines, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, and a few other items.
One other way we have found that prolongs the life of our fruits and vegetables is the BluApple. The BluApple absorbs the ethylene gas is given off naturally by fruits and vegetables as a signaling mechanism in order to coordinate uniform ripening. We stick one BluApple in the vegetable drawer and another in the fruit drawer to prevent the produce from ripening as quickly. Between rinsing the produce with vinegar water and using the BluApples the life of the produce is extended 2 to 7 times the normal shelf life (at least for our family). A container of strawberries will last 2 to 4 weeks (if they last that long and are not eaten before that time) in our fridge. We have been doing this way for over a year now and it has worked very well for our family, hope these tips are a huge blessing to you too!
The clean sink starting to fill up with water (and three tomatoes).
Draining the dirty water
Up close picture of all the “stuff” floating in the water after washing the produce! Yikes!
After draining the water there is always a film around the sink with bits and pieces of produce, dirt, and other particles stuck to it. If you look closely you can even see the water line.
Lunch Box – Special Snack
Every once in awhile I will pack a special surprise snack in the girls lunch bags. Since they have the last lunch of the day their teachers allow them to have a snack mid-morning. I love hearing their comments after school about their surprise snack. Most of the time I am able to “sneak” the treat into their lunches so it is a surprise when they open up their bag at snack time! I picked up these goodie bags on clearance and filled them with homemade trail mix. Some of the items in the trail mix were cheerios, pretzels, dried bananas, cranberries, raisins, and nuts. They loved the beautiful bags and the delicious snack.
Quick Tip – Recipe on the Bowl
Recipe written on a bowl with a dry erase marker!
The other day while Jake was making a meal he prepped another meal for the following day. Since he prepped the meal and I was the one who was going to make the meal the following day he wrote the directions with a dry erase marker on the outside of the stainless steel bowl holding some of the ingredients. When I opened the fridge the next day I saw the bowl with all the directions on it. It was awesome pulling out the bowl, following the directions, and enjoying a delicious meal with the family. After dinner all I had to do was wash the bowl and all the dry erase marker came right off. Thankful for a husband who is thoughtful, creative, and willing to help around the house. It was a great meal too! Thanks Babe!
Hero of the Year History Project
Karlie’s Time Magazine Hero of the Year Project – Thomas Sumter
The girls did a Social Studies project at school recently about various people in the American Revolution. They made their own Time magazine “Hero of the Year” cover page and article. They each picked one person and they did more research about the life of that particular person. Karlie choose to research Thomas Sumter who was nicknames “The Fighting Gamecock”. Brina did her research on George Washington who was nicknamed “The Father of His Country”. Both men were instrumental and influential during the early years of our country specifically during the time of the American Revolution.
Brina’s Time Magazine Hero of the Year Project – George Washington
On the back of each of the girls Time Magazine cover page was the details about the hero and his life. It was a fun Social Studies project and the girls got to learn a lot of other details about the American Revolution during their time of research. It is neat to see them get excited over fun school projects. Both of them really enjoy learning about history!
Seeing Astronaut Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin with a picture of his team in the background – Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins, and Buzz Aldrin. The amazing team that first walked on the moon!
Earlier this month we got the privilege of hearing astronaut Buzz Aldrin speak at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina!!! The girls were thrilled. Karlie especially was quite literally – “Over the moon excited” to be able to see and hear one of her astronaut heroes in person! It was really neat to hear him speak and listen to some of his amazing stories. He had a good sense of humor and held the audiences attention well. It was an awesome time and I am thankfully for my friend Jennifer who shared the information about this special event with us so we could go. We got there an hour early and they opened the doors early. Within the first 10 minutes of opening the doors the auditorium was full and people were sitting in classrooms around campus. After hearing Buzz Aldrin speak that night Karlie was even more excited and now she wants to be one of the astronauts that go to Mars! You never really know what the future holds……
We arrived early and while the girls were very excited they also were very patient waiting for the event to start. This was after an hour of waiting, they still have smiles! So thankful we got to go to this event! They loved it!!!
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin speaking! The picture is of a flight he took with his Dad.
Buzz Aldrin speaking at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. Thankful for an opportunity to hear him speak. He had great stories and a fun sense of humor too!
Such a cool picture! Great stories too about his mission with Neil Armstrong and Mike Collins!
A picture of the plaque that was welded to the lunar module and left on the moon! “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon.” July 1969 “We came in peace for all mankind” with the signatures of President Richard Nixon, Mike Collins, Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin
Creativity & Honey Pot Awards
Brina’s was picked by her teacher for the Creativity award!
Brina recently earned the “creativity” character trait award at school. One of the perks of winning the award is she got to go on a trip to Fatz Cafe during the school lunch and celebrate. She was so excited!
Brina’s honey pot prize!
Every week kids will be entered into the honey pot drawing for doing great things and getting noticed by school faculty. At the end of the week they draw one name from each grade and recently Brina was the lucky winner. Each winner gets a cup full of goodies.
Brina also got a coupon for a free Kid’s Meal from Fatz for winning the “creativity” award!
Peace Center – “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory”
Play at the Peace Center – “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory”
The girls went to a play at the Peace Center with their class called “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory”. I was able to go along with them as a chaperone with Brina’s class. The play was about various songs and activities from both the North and South during the time of the Civil War. The girls are currently studying about the Civil War so this was good timing. The kids enjoyed hearing the stories behind the songs as well. Thankful for an opportunity to go with the girls on this trip and see this play.
Brina was my school bus buddy! I went with her class as a chaperone, but her class was on the bus with Karlie’s class too so I got to see both kiddos.
Karlie having fun chatting on the bus ride to the Peace Center
Family Recipe: Mom’s Delicious Dirt
My Mom used to make this amazing “Dirt” recipe when we were kids. This recipe uses gummy worms, oreos, lime jello, and cool whip. I have had a variety of different dirt recipes over the years, but this is the one I grew up on. The combination of these ingredients always taste delicious and gummy worms are super fun to eat no matter what! The other day I was trying to figure out what to make for dessert for our Community Group meeting when the girls insisted that I make “Grandma Penny’s Dirt” since we had leftover gummy worms from another event!
Mom’s Delicious Dirt Recipe:
- 1 package of Oreos
- 2 (6 oz) large boxes of Lime Jello
- 1 container Cool Whip
- Gummy Worms
Put the oreos in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin or another item to crush the whole oreos into small pieces. Take about 1/2 of the crushed oreos and press them into the bottom of a 9×13 dish. Make the lime jello according to the directions on the box. Once it is made pour half of it over top of the layer of oreos and put in the refrigerator to set. Leave the other half of the lime jello in the bowl and put it in the fridge to set. Once the jello is firm mix the container of cool whip into the bowl of jello. Add the cool whip and jello mixture on top of the jello layer in the 9×13 dish. Place the remaining amount of crushed oreos on top of the cool whip and jello layer and add your gummy worms. (If you’re not planning on serving it within the next few hours wait until an hour or two before to place the oreos and gummy worms on top).
The layers of oreos blend really well together and make this a fun treat for kids of all ages! I did take the pictures of the dessert before going to Community Group, however, in our rush to get home and the kids into bed before it was too late I did not get an individual piece shot of the dessert. I am sure before too long the girls will think of another event I will need to make it for and hopefully I can get a snap shot of it at that time.
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
As I was looking at our calendar this week I realized that most of the evenings this week we will be spending away from home for the evening so our dinner menu is a little off from our normal one. Jake will be traveling this week and the rest of us have a lot of fun events on the calendar. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green Beans, Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Special Event – (Spending time with friends)
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Special Event – Pizza, Salad, Strawberries (Dropping off a meal for my cousin who just had a little baby)
- Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Special Event – Family STEM Night at school (meal included)
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Having A Splashin Good Time!
Karlie going for a ride under the water! Hang on!
Brina going for a ride under the water. She didn’t relax as much because she was more concerned that Jake could hold his breath longer and wouldn’t come up for air in time. He did!
This one makes me laugh! The girls were standing in line behind us chit – chatting. I am not sure what they were talking about it, but Brina thought it was hilarious! Love it when the two of them make each other giggle. Hope they remain great friends their entire lives!
Getting up on the lily pad took some extra energy – it was slick! Towards the end of the second day Brina was getting tired and chilly so we put a life jacket on her for the last hour. She didn’t want to stop playing in the water so this was a good compromise! Resting on the lily pad for a little bit and talking about their day.
Trying to hold on as the lily pad was spinning in circles! Not sure how they still had the energy and all those giggles left in them, but they were having a grand time!
As we were getting ready to wrap up for the day Brina had to do one more run before we left Great Wolf Lodge.
Karlie trying to smile through the tears! “I just don’t want to go home Mom, I’ve had so much fun!” She wanted me to walk around and take a bunch of pictures the last 5 minutes they were open and kept asking me “Mom, are you sure you got enough pictures? I don’t ever want to forget our time here together!”
Karlie with a big smile as she finally crashed on the trip home.
It didn’t take long before Brina was asleep too.We had a wonderful time together at Great Wolf Lodge. On the way home Jake and I figured out that we spent about 20 hours actually in the water playing! Considering we were only there for a day and a half we packed a lot of fun into that time. The girls had a great time and we had fun too. All of us were exhausted! Despite Karlie’s fear of not getting enough pictures I think we have plenty to look back on and remember this wonderful trip together.
