Make a Photo Album Every January

This is one thing I'm so happy I've been doing for years. Every January I go through all the photos I took the previous year and I put them in an album. My deadline is always January 31st (it's nice that January is a long month!). This way I don't have years worth of digital photos on my computer that never get looked at. And I have a manageable amount of photos to work with. It also means I have a better chance of remembering people and places because I haven't waited 5 or 10 years to put the information with the photos. And I haven't given my computer as long to crash or get a virus or the house to burn down and I loose all my precious photos!

It is important to review the blessings and challenges of the year before. Take the time to do this at the beginning of the year. It may influence the decisions you make for the coming year. If you have a family, this book helps tell your "family narrative." I heard that phrase during a speech once and was intrigued by it. I think this means we show what our family is about, what is important to us, what traditions we have as part of our own "family narrative." A family album certainly does that. Do it! You won't regret it!

Great sites that make this an easy task are:

-mypublisher.com

I like the lay flat pages. Be aware they do have a 100 page maximum per book.

-iPhoto

If you have a mac and iPhoto you can make a book right there. I like their templates.  They are simple and don't distract me with a bunch of options for background colors or embellishments. They are high quality. They also have a 100 page maximum.

-mixbook.com

Mixbook is currently my favorite choice. You can have up to 399 pages in one book.  This is helpful when you have an entire year you want to fit in! I like the flexibility of the options. You can add decals, change size, rotate, do all kinds of things to make the book yours. These are high quality books. There are many size options to choose from too. I find their book making program very easy to use.

-blurb.com

If you need to make a smaller book for many people, say for gifts, this is a great option. They have some of the best pricing around for that. A color 5x8 softcover book starts at $6.99 (as of this writing). I was able to make a cute little book for all my relay friends from a race we ran together. It wasn't too fancy, but it was quick, easy, inexpensive and they all loved it! They also have regular sized books and you can add up to 400+ pages.

Of course there are others like shutterfly.com, picaboo.com (picaboo has great options for high end books like wedding albums) and picture.com. You just have to find which one suits your needs the best.

And one last tip-keep these simple. The point is to get them done! The pictures are the most important part. So if you get them all in your book and you still have a week or two left in January, add decorations all you want! But get it done!

All information here is current as of this writing. Check back with your favorite album makers for new features and options. Also, with instagram there are apps, like chatbooks, that help you put all the pictures and captures you've already posted into a book. That's another great route to go with.

Save Your Clothes-Use an Apron!

I used to cook without wearing an apron. That was a terrible idea! After ruining several shirts I decided an apron would be a good idea! I bought this apron from the 4RetroSisters shop on Etsy. It is well made, super cute and has saved my clothes from all my messy cooking! Buying an apron is cheaper than buying new clothes! 

A Better Pantry

When we moved into our new house I knew I would have to maximize every inch of my pantry. On the left you'll see what the pantry looked like when it was semi-organized by category like cereal, baking supplies, etc. It was a mess! And not a good use of space.  

I started searching for a better plan and was inspired by pictures on this blog:  http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2013/03/kitchen-organization-stackable-canned-food-organizers.html

If you scroll down to "The 411" section you can read great tips this creative lady used to get her pantry more functional. I used the idea to put a piece of wood at the back of the shelf to raise up containers making them easier to see. I bought storage containers from Target for all the cereal and buckets to sort like items together. I love the idea of taking things out of the various sized boxes and containers they are sold in. It may take an extra minute initially but then you can see what you have left and when it's time to restock. It's also been easy to keep the pantry looking this way because everything has a home. When we take it out it's easy to put it back.  

I also loved the idea of the chalkboard stickers. Labeling the containers for snacks and cereal makes them look great and makes it easier to see what goes where. These labels are sold at stores like Hobby Lobby.

Another one of my favorite items is the spices holder. Again, spices come in different sizes that take up a lot of room. When I went through my spices I realized I had about six bottles of paprika! By putting them together in this container I save myself the hassle of searching through all my spices when I'm cooking. Plus it's easy to see when I need more (I don't need paprika for a while!). I purchased this Prodyne A-845 Acrylic 20 Bottle Spice Rack from Amazon.com for about $35. It's worth every penny!  

Running Skirts

If you don't already know, I LOVE TO RUN! Running is my happy time. It's my mental health time and social time. The ladies I run with are the best and I'm unbelievably thankful for them! I'm also thankful for my running skirts. When I go places people comment on them often so I thought I'd share them with you. Above are three of the skirts I bought from runningskirts.com. The two on the left are technically their golf skirts. They have pockets on the side which are really convenient for your phone when you have to make a stop at the store on the way home. And you feel comfortable walking in to a store because you are wearing something appropriate! I like the longer length of these. The skirt on the right is their athletic length skirt. It is also a good length; longer than your average running skirt. They all have compression type shorts under the skirt. The material is lightweight, soft and holds up to wash after wash. The only drawback-they are expensive. Watch for their sales and get yourself something cute.  Then hit the road!  You're mind and body will thank you!

Better Than Headlights!

A problem I ran into with workout shirts is sometimes my nipples would show. You may have heard people refer to that as seeing the headlights!  I didn't like that! I tried sports bras with built in padding to prevent this problem but my favorite sports bras (Moving Comfort's Fiona bra) doesn't have padding. So I resorted to shirts that had a lot of pattern. But that limited my shirt options. Then I found these Bezi Bra Discs! Hooray! An easy, inexpensive option that allows me to wear my favorite bra and any shirt I want to wear! These discs are slim. You don't see them through your shirt. I don't even notice I'm wearing them. They are reusable and easy to wash with a little warm water and soap.  I've had one pair for two years so I know they last! And at about $17 on amazon right now you can't go wrong! Get rid of the headlight problem forever!

Better Days Tips

Helping people feed themselves and their families more easily is the goal of this blog.  That will remain the main focus.  But since there is more to life than food I'm making a new section of the blog with tips for helping you in every day things.  Hope this helps make your life a little, or a lot, better!

Baked Zucchini Fries

from ourbestbites.com

About 1 lb. zucchini
1/2 c. Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (the crumbly stuff, not shreds)
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Whisk 2 eggs together in a shallow pie plate and set aside.

Cut the ends off the zucchini and then cut the zucchini in half so you have two short, stubby pieces. Set one piece on its end and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut that half in half, making 2 planks. Repeat with the remaining halves (so you’ll get 16 planks per zucchini).

Stack 2 planks on top of each other and cut into strips. Thicker strips will yield “meatier” fries with more zucchini flavor while thin strips will be crispy and taste virtually nothing like zucchini. When all the fries are cut, blot the pieces with a paper towel.

Working with a small handful at a time, dip the zucchini sticks in the egg, shake them to remove any excess, and then roll them in about 2-3 tablespoons of bread crumbs at a time, adding more as needed; you just don’t want to work with all the bread crumbs at once because they’ll soak up moisture from the egg and won’t stick to the zucchini. Place the coated strips on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the zucchini strips have been coated.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in the prepared oven then remove from oven, flip the fries, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the zucchini is not soggy and the coating is crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately with ranch or your favorite pizza sauce.  

Ourbestbites has many pictures on their site if you want a visual on how to cut the zucchini. 

I give this recipe a thumbs up!  We had it with fresh berries and a smoked pork sandwich.  Costco has a package of smoked pulled pork that is really good.  When you heat that up with Trader Joe's Carolina Gold BBQ sauce and top it with coleslaw you have an easy, TASTY meal!  

Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by Robin Seidel

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.
2.	Add olive oil to a nonstick skillet. Cook pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from skillet, cover and keep warm.
3.	In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops. Garnish with sprigs of thyme.

My only tip is to let the sauce cool and thicken a little before spooning it over the pork chops.  I did it right away so it's not as thick in the picture.  I'm always looking for a sauce to go with my meat and I like this one.  Plus, it's easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Sunshine Punch

from the Friend magazine

12 oz frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

12 oz frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

2 cups pineapple juice

1/2 gallon water or ginger ale

Mix and serve with ice.

This was a big hit!  Boys say two thumbs way up!

Camo Archery Cake

Our family has been involved in Cub Scouts for many years.  Every year each group, or pack, has a Blue and Gold Dinner where it is tradition for the boys to provide desserts with a cub scout theme.  One belt loop the boys earn is an archery belt loop.  They always love this one!  

Ryan, and friends, decorated this cake to look like a target and we even stuck an arrow in to it!  I found the cake mix at the store.  The camo idea gave it that extra touch and was really easy to do.  Then we frosted it and let the boys try to put more m&m's on the cake than they ate!  We took a knife to make lines in the frosting to help them visualize where each color should go.  It was a fun project and a great pack meeting!

Italian Breaded Pork Chops

from allrecipes.com, submitted by ELISAW

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs, lightly beaten 3 tablespoons milk 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons dried parsley 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 4 pork chops

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
2.	In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. In a separate small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
3.	Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until lightly browned. Remove garlic, reserving for other uses.
4.	Dip each pork chop into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly. Place coated pork chops in the skillet, and brown abut 5 minutes on each side.
5.	Place the skillet and pork chops in the preheated oven, and cook 25 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

This pork with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli is really an inexpensive meal.

Husband rating:  3.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Roasted Pork Loin

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by Kathleen Burton

INGREDIENTS:

3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon dried rosemary salt and pepper to taste

2 pounds boneless pork loin roast 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup white wine

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Crush garlic with rosemary, salt and pepper, making a paste. Pierce meat with a sharp knife in several places and press the garlic paste into the openings. Rub the meat with the remaining garlic mixture and olive oil. Place pork on pan. Add 1/2 c wine to pan.
3.	Place pork loin into oven, turning and basting with pan liquids. Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

This is a tasty, easy way to cook pork.  We had this with mashed potatoes and a green salad.

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Zucchini Meatball Soup

16 frozen cooked meatballs

1 32 oz carton beef broth

1 c small shell pasta

1 can stewed tomatoes with oregano and basil (chopped briefly in blender)

1 medium zucchini cut into julienne strips

Place frozen meatballs and broth in pot, heat to boiling. Stir in pasta; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and zucchini. Cook about 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Shrimp Stir-Fry

1 package medium frozen shrimp

1-2 packages (depending on what size you can find) fresh veggie mix

1 small can water chestnuts, drained

1 package crunchy asian noodles

1 bottle of your favorite teriyaki or sweet and sour sauce

1.  Heat skillet with a little olive oil.  Cook shrimp, stirring frequently, for a few minutes.  Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

2.  Add 1/4-1/2 cup water to pan (depending on how many veggies you have).  Add veggies and cook under almost tender.  Add water chestnuts.  Add shrimp and stir-fry sauce.  Heat until everything is warm.

3.  Serve over rice topped with asian noodles.

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Sausage Pasta

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by Tammy

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound pasta 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 - 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.
2.	In a large skillet, heat oil and sausage; cook through until no longer pink. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add onion and garlic to skillet. Add broth, basil and tomatoes with liquid.
3.	Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to slightly reduce. Add pasta to skillet and mix together. Add chopped spinach; cover skillet and let sit for about 5 minutes until spinach is tender.
4.	Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

Husband rating:  3.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up