Save money with Flat Iron Steaks

We just tried our first Flat Iron Steak (aka Top Blade Steak).  We received a steak sampler as a Christmas gift, so we were anxious to try this new cut of steak that we had never heard of before.

It was delicious!  It is the second-most tender piece of steak; only the tenderloin is more tender.  It is supposed to be a very inexpensive cut of meat, but not very common since there are only 2 flat iron steaks per cow. 

I read online that this cut should be cooked medium or it will taste like shoe leather.  We marinated ours in Worcestershire sauce, a little garlic and some Canadian Steak Seasoning for about an hour before we grilled it.  We grilled it over high heat for 5 minutes on one side and 4 on the other, and it came out perfect!

If you see one in the grocery store, give it a try.

They live here, too!

If there is anything I have learned through observation, it is that happy kids live in homes that are theirs, too.  A home is important, and I have noticed that happy families spend a lot of time at home.  30 years from now, my kids won’t care if my house was spotless or that it looked like model home.  They will care that they had a happy place to live, where they felt wanted and important and able to play.

Don’t get me wrong, my house is generally clean and sanitary, but there are toys in every room.  A 5’ Little Tikes slide sits in our family room, along with the train set that is set up to go around the furniture.  There is a kid-sized rack on the wall in the foyer for their coats (right beside the wall covered with pretty princess stickers).  Our kitchen table is covered with a tacky plastic tablecloth, and is considered to be pretty by my kids’ standards.  There is a huge world map hanging on the breakfast nook wall, and I am proud to say that my 2-year-old can pick out places all over the world and can show you where a variety of animals live.  Our refrigerator is covered in artwork and magnetic letters. Dora’s friend Boots is on the wall above the stove, watching as we cook together.  The windows have seasonal window clings on them – even the ones in view from the street - HORRORS! 

One daughter’s room looks like a truckload of Pepto-Bismol exploded in it (the walls, bed, curtains, and linens are all pink), and it has about 30 of the wall-cling Dora stickers placed where she wanted them. Her artwork is hanging on the walls, and Dora cutouts are hanging from the ceiling.  It’s definitely her room.  She picked out the colors and the décor.   After all, a room should belong to the person who sleeps in it, right?  

Christmas has been the best season with regard to our home decor.  Our tree looks silly with all of the ornaments near the top or placed with five on a single branch.   Homemade ornaments add to the character.  The kids enjoy hanging each Christmas card as it is received on the line in the foyer with clothespins, a line that also includes their collection of fall leaves.  The kitchen is full of Christmas towels and pot holders, which look tacky to me, but beautiful to the children.  

Our home is comfortable, and our kids are comfortable in it.  It’s home for the whole family, and they know the things they enjoy are just as important as our things.  You can definitely tell kids live here from the moment you walk in the door.  Toys aren't restricted to a couple of areas of the house.  If people don’t like it, they don’t have to visit.  I wouldn’t trade this house for any of the lovely houses in Better Homes and Gardens.

Miracle every parent should purchase!

Yesterday I discovered IKEA's Kladd Prickar bibs.  They cost $3.99 for a set of 2, and worth every penny!

THESE THINGS ARE A NECESSITY.  Seriously - every parent should own at least one pack.  This will be one of my must-give baby shower gifts from now on (along with those tiny plastic bags for dirty diapers or wet clothes). 

The one-size-fits-all bibs fit a lot of sizes and they are in unisex colors.  My daughter in the photograph wears 9 months or 12 months clothes, and it works just fine for her. My other daughter wears a 3T and it fits her, too. 

These things are perfect for eating spaghetti, painting or any other activity where they may get messy. 


link to product: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70179754?filterBean=se.ikea.ms.search.beans.IrwSearchFilterBean%4039243a26&SEARCH_FILTER_0=eNqVU8Fu00AQHQwtoAahhooKcaNSLyBbQr3llKYqCgpQ1T0lp40zpFtsr9ldJw0HxI07Ehc%252BAC5wQOLMIf4xxrt2Gie0UdeS48x783Zn3uz0Z%252FYL1pSEpwpd%252Fg6ZGylXIZPBqdtHFiu3Lce%252B%252BX%252FIQ41yn4LZJ3o%252BnzWnX6a%252Fsx8OPO7C5luDNgPNR9gSoZBdqM%252FHXuMYlV4gHkkeYBe2qzExSAN9MkkIeWCRA65YP8RBIbxVjZbSC%252BRC%252FNFidE5%252B21ZaYs2%252BSHWbmtCFh1VkP1U8RqWWgJaPcmT22aoChyzi4YQOVQ23B8hIpV6NvhT9ZWkqSx0LES0BRQmqB%252BtB3hClwet1FHq5f16kPEv3jH%252FezL92HKO0JjY6cM%252B2pXXKEvrR4F5XYKMQyE%252Bgod45YyPmhSweer6WPB4SpWYp1p%252F38BFuztKMOUVoswzNnCmAYoB8DDHQduMCKSbGp61pqyM25DHTXMRVRT%252Ftt5jGoZCTHHAIGEqRJracY1RpqDXsra78xWJWXpw0X6ol0phU7tsGpJqH3iuWNM4TKNcNemil0tq04prNd3l3PP0zzv4Opt8%252BOABWku7qs%252BuIiOz7YGcv%252B7pTc8Dpwjozt6wDayMWprbTJKwB8s%252BNS18qf9%252B1JDrC85VHWOpZ2Q0HbvWgFtHg5LaSaTS%252Fu%252F%252BbX9PLC9rJm0aed4AJkzrCWF%252BZd0EzebcjuqicxhCeXJpiGYZ%252BJ%252FInSmN0Nd9QiH%252BemPUP7lHWmw%253D%253D

I've got the blues

This has been one of the coldest Decembers on record.  This is my first year as a Stay At Home Mom, so I haven't had to get up and get dressed every morning and somehow manage to get everything done in the limited time I had away from work.  I need to lose 30 pounds of baby weight (from 15 months ago), but it is too cold to go outside and my kids are too young to understand the dangers of being around the treadmill when I'm on it.  Being an introvert, I'm not as social as some people.

It isn't a matter of boredom.  It's lack of motivation. The house is a wreck.  The bathrooms are rotten.  The kitchen counters are buried under a ton of stuff.  Yet I can't find the motivation to actually get started.  I think the wintertime blues have hit me hard. I just have no motivation to do anything - I can't clean, cook, or get dressed.  It's bad.  At least I recognize that I have a problem...

The husband is home for the next four days.  I am just going to have to MAKE myself get dressed, clean house and get groceries, as difficult as it is. 

So I'm going to get off the couch RIGHT NOW.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

Free books!

Since I became a mother, my reading time has been very limited.  It is impossible to carry a book to doctor's appointments, and the only time I have to read is after the lights go out at night or when I'm rocking a baby to sleep - books can't be read in the dark.

Recently, I have fallen in love with the Kindle app on my Samsung Fascinate.  If you have a smartphone, you should check out the Kindle and Nook apps. 

Why do I love the Kindle app so much?

• Tons of Free books!  Most of them are classics.
• I can read in darkness (unlike the actual Kindle) after Jerry goes to sleep or while rocking my baby.
• I already have a smartphone, so it costs me nothing.  A very basic Kindle costs $139.
• I don't have to lug around books.  The phone goes everywhere I go, so it's super convenient.
• There is no worry about my toddlers removing my bookmark and losing my place in the book - the app automatically saves my location.
• When I get 5 minutes to read, I can just read.  I don't have to find my book and get comfortable again.

My current book is Sense and Sensibility, and I plan to read Sisters and The Man Who Would Be King next.  I haven't been this excited about reading in years!

The World's Best Cookies

My Grandma used to make the best cookies, appropriately called "The World's Best Cookies".  If you are looking for something light-tasting to make with the kids this holiday season, give these a try!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup oil
1 cup oats
1 cup crushed Corn Flakes
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix. Add oil and mix.  Add oats, cornflakes, coconut, Corn Flakes, coconut, nuts and brown sugar and mix well.  Then add flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla and mix well. 

Form balls about the size of walnuts. Put on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten using a fork dipped in water. Bake 12 minutes.

I forgot to use the brown sugar and they were still delicious. 

Out of Self-Rising Flour?  If you have All-Purpose Flour, use it and for every cup of flour, add a teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. 

Freebies!

If you haven't checked out the Freebie sites at Walmart and Target, it's worth it! 

Target: http://samples.target.com/
Walmart: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx

I check every couple of days for free samples.  They are usually shipped to your home within a couple of weeks and they cost you nothing but time to enter your address.  For the past couple of years, I haven't bought lotion.  I get a lot of samples of toilet paper, laundry detergent, garbage bags, etc.  The samples often come with coupons as well. It's definitely worth your time!

My favorite deal blog is www.Swaggrabber.com - thanks to that blog, I have gotten some very good deals and free samples.  Check it out!