Creative Cooking: Big Kahuna Pasta

*Friendly PSA, there will be no photos of any kind, featuring the actual recipe.

I am not that kind of cook, & this is not that kind of recipe*

**NOT suitable for brunches with prospective Mothers-in-law, or visiting dignitaries, try harder**

If, you are trying to get tasty food into hungry tummies, with minimal $, time & fuss, this is a winner, every time.

It's fairly safe to say that we have all been there, done that at one time or another.

Those times when the bank & the pantry have more cob-webs, than actual things you would like.

What I do like, is Pineapple, & that is always in stock!

Canned pineapple is an easy keeper & go to.

Quick, Cheap & Easy, just the way we like it around here.

I, seriously love the stuff, & am slightly obsessed with it......

When we go thrift-storing, the kids always know to look out for 

Kitschy Pineapple Chachkies 

They say it's a porcupine, but in this world, it's an armadillo

But, enough about that- 

The goal of this recipe, was to make wise use of the available resources, 

this will not win any awards for nutrition, necessarily,

but you can tweak it, as needed.

Remember: CREATIVE COOKING

Recipe

8-12 oz pasta 

1 1/2 c diced ham 

1 T bacon bits, per person

2 T shredded cheese, per person 

Crushed pineapple, drained (Save the juice for an after dinner cocktail!)

6 oz tomato paste

Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Onion & Garlic Powder, to taste 

As available, add in diced onion, bell pepper, or real garden tomatoes

Let's chat before we get on with the how-to's

Notice, the ingredients are pretty vague, & are really just suggestions.

Pasta- use up the odds & ends from those summer BBQ pasta salads, find it on sale to stock up, buy it cheap, buy it whole grain, whatever floats your boat.

The Ham- there are all kinds of ham available,  we use the turkey ham, & yes, I understand it is really just a big chunk of processed lunch meat. This most recent one I bought, was 2.25 LBS for $5.48, which for a single item is pretty expensive, but it is going to stretch for 4 meals ($1.37/meal avg).

So, yes we are going to be eating ham this week, plan ahead!

Bacon bits- if you have real bacon, fry it up (save the grease) & use it. Otherwise, these are a pantry staple. A little goes a long way, & can perk anything up.

Splurge on the good kind, it's worth it.

Shredded cheese- I know block cheese is a better buy, in the long run, but I cannot keep it in the house, which doesn't make it worth it to me. I buy a couple of packages of shredded cheese each pay day, & toss them in the freezer to use as needed.

Once again, a little goes a long, long way.

How To

cook your pasta in salted, please don't forget to salt, water, per package directions, drain

While that is going, dice your ham & any vegetables

open your cans, & drain the pineapple (save the juice!)

Toss your ham into a pan, with a smidgen of water (no oil needed), over medium-ish heat, til fragrant & maybe a little brown.

Add any veg, cooking until softer.

Pour in Tomato paste, & drained pineapple

Combine, & simmer until warmed through

Add sauce to drained pasta, & toss gently 

Serve into bowls, top with a pinch of cheese, & a sprinkle of magical-happiness (bacon bits)

This ray-of-sunshine is totally doable under, or right at $5

for a family of 5

Really, 2 parents, + a seriously growing boy+ a smaller boy + a girl, who picked out the pineapple

This will feed the masses, for sure

Julep in a Box, I'm a Maven

Be Fierce

In keeping with our get pretty summer theme, I received a great coupon to try a 

Julep 'Maven' beauty box for free.

(I do love a coupon)

You can:

a) buy single items from their store

b) become a monthly subscriber for $24.99, charged monthly

c) become a a pre-paid subscriber for 3 months, at $19.99  ($59.97) <------ the best deal

d) buy a subscription & share a gift with a friend

The great thing about Julep, 

at the beginning, you take a personal style survey,

based on your answers, they can make a pretty good guess 

what colors are a fit for you-

though, if you disagree, you can pick your own.

I stuck with my survey colors, & it was a nice surprise to see how well they turned out, though I had my doubts!

The box arrived fairly quickly, less than 7 business days, & kudos, again for environmentally friendly  packaging. What you see is what you get. 

In the beginning I wasn't really sure how I felt about the colors they had sent me.

The brown was brown & the coral was orange, & the pink, pink.

But, these make-up people know their stuff, 

based on my survey answers about what I liked, 

this is what I got.

I say this, as I run around my house, collecting the pieces to 

write about....

The nail polish bottle, if you can remember back to 7th grade geometry, is a rectangular prism.

A unique change from a traditional, round-y, bottle that takes up a lot of room on a shelf.

Julep Polish is also vegan......

not necessarily something that I would have thought of myself, or even considered as a selling point-

but, can see as a bonus for those trying to live a sustainable life.

 The consistency of the polish, seemed a little watery at first,

but dried evenly, quickly, & for the most part only one coat was needed.

Julep prides themselves on providing a polish that nourishes the nails, & won't dry them out.

The lipstick is light, & long-lasting, without being tacky or sticky.

I'm not really a lipstick girl.......

I thought the tube it's self was pretty cool, 

stop me if this is common, 

the tube is magnetized!   

No more schmear in the purse!!

That lid isn't getting jostled off.

What I liked-

the packaging was great, they fluffed the tissue

They are a cruelty free company 

The colors were actually spot-on

they are quality products, that I am really having fun with

I had to contact Julep about my account, they were fast & efficient answering my questions.

What I didn't-

Lipstick & nail polish aren't really my thing

Nail polish seems to be their thing

If lipstick & polish are your thing, I think the pre-paid subscription is a good way to go

*Please buy responsibly*

If, you would like to try it, 

Julep is offering 50% off your first box now!

YOUR INVITATION.

DO ANYTHING. TRY EVERYTHING.

Try our cult-favorite Plush Pout Lip Crayons for full-coverage color wrapped around a moisturizing treatment core.

Your first Julep Beauty Box includes two lip crayons plus two on-trend nail colors so you can play with your fall look.

Get 50% OFF your first box!

$12.49 (reg. $24.99)

JOIN NOW

Use code WOW

I also have a 50% off coupon to share!

Leave a comment about why you are beautiful

A winner will be chosen in a drawing on 8/31/15

Because there is no Almost Widows Club

*Firstly, I would like to say, that I am going to try to say this with all the respect possible, for everyone involved*

It sounds like a bad joke, so please stop me if you have heard this one before:

There was this girl, she loved 3 boys

She married one of them, & the other 2 died.

Seriously.

Boy#1-  actually after after boy #2, but passed away in 2010, at the age of 30, massive heart attack. in an interesting turn of events, boy #1 & #2 graduated from the same high school, 2 years apart. In another interesting twist, boy #1 & boy #3 shared the same profession.

Fallout: He didn't like dogs, or vinegar based condiments, but he wanted to marry me & have babies.

Boy #3- Most of you know, 'ya know. When they say you should marry your best friend, they were correct. I think that is what has gotten us this far, & will hopefully carry us farther. It takes a special person to handle my brand of crazy, & still think I am the greatest part of his life.

A Love Song

With that being said....

I feel like they need to come up with a better word, for the person you love, but are not married to, who you more or less live with, & not only do you exchange house keys, but also vehicle keys, & you wash your underwear in the same load, & you call to say that you are stopping at the store, is there anything they need, because ex-boyfriend/girlfriend just doesn't cover it.

&that is the grey area.....

 Boy #2-  He died, too. & I am sad. Stupid Cancer.

It feels like home to me, Where I belong

We were young, & crazy in love. When we didn't end up married, I'm pretty sure the only one who wasn't surprised, was him. But, he didn't want to get married until he was 30, & he didn't. 
I wanted babies, & I didn't want to wait. 
The women in my family seem to have sketchy pregnancy luck- I don't know how I ended up with 3, for the most part healthy pregnancies & babies. Mom had to wait years, YEARS to get my older sister. There have been miscarriages, complications, nicu stays, infant loss.
Would it have ended differently, would it have been worth the wait? Would he still be dead?

One of our biggest fights, had been about predestination. I was sure, just sure, because the Bible tells me so, that our lives are already written, that someone, somewhere knows exactly how we will live our lives. He was convinced that we had control over how our story reads. We had been in his truck talking about this, driving home from somewhere, & I was so heated over this, that I told him to pull over, so I could just walk back to the house.
Could we have written a different ending? Would the story have changed?

 For the animal lover that he was, & he was, he hated that I named all his cows, because I did. If he hadn't expressly forbid me from doing it, I would have let all 200+  sleep in the bed, with us.

Alabama said it best......

I was not a good farmer. It turns out that I allergic to brome grass (hay), & cattle saliva & dander. Even if I had wanted to, I couldn't. But if I could, would it have mattered?

When we broke up, he got the  friends, & really the entire state. Now, he is dead, & this is a sticky wicket.

There is no one for me to reminisce with, that knew him, about our time together. He made a life with someone, & so have I. I wasn't there. It wasn't me.

 So, what do you do about that? Without stepping on toes?

Have I gone round the bend on this one? Do I have any right to be as sad as I am ? He was an important character in my story.......

The Dance

Now the part, where I am the worst human being ever:  Truthfully, I was a little relieved that it wasn't me, both times. Wow, really dodged that bullet...... 

When boy #1 died, I was 26. I had 3 babies. What if I had married him? I would have been a 26 year-old widow, with 3 babies. It's possible.
When I found out that boy #2 had cancer, after I got over the shock of it, I realized, that if I had waited, we would be newly-ish weds, we could either be expecting baby #1, or baby #1 would have been a new-ish born. How do you have a new baby & a dying husband? Is that even possible?

But, here I sit, in my nice home, with a living & breathing Husband, who I like a lot, with 3 mostly healthy babies. Eating pizza with Ranch dressing.

Hello Sunshine! a Target Beauty Box Review

So, I have recently starting following a few bloggers who like to share

 some really great deals they find. 

& Sometimes I both need it & want it & actually have the $ for it, & it's worth it.

We roll quick, cheap & easy, around here.

I have been a stalker of the box subscription crowd for a while- but they are darn expensive, 

& really, to get the best deal, 

you need to throw down for a 6-12 month subscription.

'Aint nobody got the time for that one.

(Sorry, Glossy Box! I will continue to ogle you from afar)

So, for the folks somewhere between Saks & Walmart;

Let us take a minute to raise it up for 

Target 

(however you like to pronounce it)

& Their beauty box

The epitome of quick, cheap & easy.

*This is not a subscription service*

*This is a click-quick, before everyone else/limited quantities sell out*

I had trouble finding any sort of concrete evidence about the Target beauty box, and how often it was available- so, on that I cannot comment.

 But, I get the feeling  that it is fairly often & regular. They even offered a Father's Day box for the mens.

The price of the box ranges from $5-$7, before tax & shipping. 

(Mine was $7.95 + free shipping)

This was a super deal, but in the future, paying shipping would make it less of a value.

The boxes contain a small selection of fun & new beauty products, in a mix of full sized items & sample sizes.

*Friendly reminder----> it is not a super deal if you end up with products you won't use. Save your $, and wait until next time *

I cannot  remember when I ordered this box, but I feel like it was the beginning of the week, & it came this morning (Friday). That was a nice surprise. 

Another plus- minimal packaging waste. The box came shrink wrapped, with attached shipping label. I could see instantly what it was, and fit nicely into our tiny, vintage mailbox.

I, of course, instantly ripped it open, while avoiding husbands side eye for having ordered something, again.

It smelled delicious! I suddenly felt like I was walking through the make-up/perfume area at the mall, a place this Mama has not been for a long while. 

I really enjoyed the way the box was packed, with this lovely greeting on top. 

Some of my Mary-Kay stuff has come packed in sassy boxes like this, & I think it's a really nice touch. 

Sort of an instantaneous reminder that I/We rock & are special.

When you flip over your-new-best-friend card, you find a list of exactly what you got, to include what it does, & how to use it, & to make it even better, a $3 off coupon for a purchase of $15 of beauty products--->

so, if you really liked something, they make it worthwhile to schlep into the store, or it even includes an on-line code, for those home shoppers.

(I wonder if you could be put towards your next beauty box purchase? Off-set the shipping??)

This box also included a 20% off coupon for DermStore.com

(I have no idea who they are, & don't need a hairdryer...)

Here is my one gripe with this---->

are you ready?

They didn't fluff the tissue.

I don't know why this bothers me, but seriously, the tissue placement is sub-par.

The picture doesn't show it, but the color is really bright & happy 

the texture is quality.

This is my one complaint.

the end

(except, keep reading)

The thing that really convinced me I needed this box, was the mascara. I have always been a mascara girl, & I'm pretty sure I will always be.

When a woman is young she should wear mascara, and when she is older, she should wear more.

This box included a full size CoverGirl mascara, a $5.99 in-store value.

Even if you are bad at math, you must now realize that means everything else was about $2.

Even with sample sizes, that's something

The other full-size product is a nourishing, paraben & mineral oil free hair mask from Clairol, with apricot honey. retail value $11.99

A summer must have to revitalize tired, chlorine hair.

In keeping with the sun theme, they call it a sample, but it's a hefty sample:

Fekkai pre-sun hair mist, with sunflower seed oil.

This is what smells so good.

Apparently, it is meant to protect your hair from sun damage, but we will never know because the print on the back of the bottle is teeny-tiny, & I can't see how oil would protect your hair.....

Gosh, it's a good thing they included that revival mask for your fried ends.....

But, it smells good, and should be very moisturizing.

Olay sent along a daily Botanicals cleansing/ moisturizing set of toner & moisturizer.

They have a light, very clean, floral scent, 

which is apparently from Snow Mushroom, for glowing skin

(but does your skin actually glow, or do you just think it does)

( I have been warned about strange mushrooms..... just say NO)

It will interesting to see how these products hold up to mid-western summer humidity.

Finally- a set of Crest 1 hour express strips

I don't bleach my teeth with chemicals

So I am just whelmed with this one.

Overall?

I would rate the Target Beauty Box a million sequins.

A solid Quick, Cheap & Easy (&FUN!) buy

Purim Pumpkin Pie

It's Purim! 

That Joyous time when we remember Queen Esther, the meany-pants Haman, & the Jews fighting for their existence!
PAR-TAY!

Much like every other holiday, their is a key food, this one being Oznei Haman (Haman's Ears), or if you are less violent Hamantaschen  (Haman's Pockets (filled with the King's gold)).

I have become obsessed with making these darn cookies- just ask my Family, who for the most part have lived on failed cookie attempts this last week.

Typically Oznei Haman are made with a dairy free, sugar cookie & are filled with a pie filling.

Attempt #1- Banana Cream Pie Oznei Haman 

I confess, I cannot make cookie dough to save my skin. I just cannot.

Thank you Jell-o for making such pudding mixes. I am very good at making pudding from a mix.

They tasted delish, but looked like puddles of delish cookies.....

So, I got to thinking- cookie dough spreads. What was something less likely to oooooozzzzzzee everywhere? PIE CRUST!

Attempt #2 Apricot Oznei Haman with pie crust 

I love, love apricot cookies! Given the choice, I will make an apricot cookie, always.

These, while significantly less puddle-y, &looking great, tasted like flour.

After much thought & deliberation about this, I bring you Attempt #3:

Pumpkin Pie Oznei Haman, in a sweetened, folded crust

Triumph!

The secret? Sugar & Vanilla in the dough + a very technical folding technique

(something about pinched Oznei Haman reminds me of an anatomical science chart, & really defeats the purpose of ear eating)

1. Do not over fill! Just a dollop, or you will have a drippy mess, literally on your hands & all over your kitchen.

2. Fold the first edge just to the dollop. Do not get industrious. The dollop will end up framed by the folded edges.

3. you will end up with some geometric shape that I am sure I knew the name of  1 time in the 7th grade.......

4. Following the 'closing the cardboard box theory' fold up the 3rd side, tucking the last corner under.

Squash in to the desired shape, and coat liberally with an egg white wash.

I simply remember my favorite things, then I don't feel so bad

I am fairly certain the entire world knows that we bought a house, but just in case you didn't- we did.

A house.

It promises one day to be a lovely, cozy home.

We're working on it.

But, not so much just yet.

The goings on of the house buying & the moving & the fixing all the things that seem to not stop breaking,

seem to have left me feeling very overwhelmed & sad.

I am reassured by a smart friend, who knows these things, that once your body feels sad, it is hard to feel un-sad.

So, I am trying to make a point of feeling un-sad, because I don't have time for that.

I cannot fix the toilet, or tinker with the leaking plumbing like Husband can, but as a female of the species, I can shop.

The house we moved from was owned by a Christian organization, located at a Christian facility. They were lovely, but when you look out your window and see a 6 foot high cross, things can be a little weird. It felt out of place to make that a Jewish home.

There is a Mitzvah that commands us to make our Jewish home accents (Judaica) as pretty as possible.

There is also, probably, a Mitzvah that commands us not to be prideful about our possessions.

I think this falls more under the category of sharing happiness, & less under the heading, 'look at my stuff'.

Because, looking at my stuff makes me happy.

Our front door Mezuzah


This Mezuzah, from www.eichlers.com , is in fact a car Mezuzah, so it is pretty tiny,& they refused to sell it to me until I reassured them that I understood that it was tiny and would not fit a standard size scroll.
The stand-off lasted 2 days.
They have really lovely stuff, & a Shabbat blackout on their website to keep some of us (me) from breaking the Sabbath.

 

These lovely bits are from Mickie Capsi.

I asked Husband if he, too, felt like he was having a warm hug every time he walked through a doorway...

All of our Mezuzah scrolls are from Rabbi Jamie Korngold, an author & one of my personal heroes.

The scroll can be found on the  Adventure Rabbi page.

They aren't Kosher, but you can download them, and print them as tiny as you want, to fit in your tiny Mezuzahs. 

This, Two-fer, is probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen. A must for every home. The Shabbat candlesticks, flip over for the Havdalah candle & the spice box.

 
Husband& I were only slightly worried the house would burn down, or the Kiddush cup would would catch on fire.
Thanks, Mom&Dad, for the kitchen fire extinguisher.
Also, please note the Elderberry Manischewitz, in hopes of kicking this cold.

This, was a close 2nd choice. If anyone thought I needed a pick me up......- nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

I am, That I am

Free to be you & me 

Who doesn't like warm hugs?

It's a start

May your past be the sound Of your feet upon the ground- Carry on

Yesterday marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. 

Today, as a family, we attended a funeral for a member of our small congregation.

We have had three funerals this last year, which may not be many, 

but when our numbers are so few, another seems like a lot.

&, to each one, I have brought my children.

Maybe, some say, a child's place is not in with the mourners.

That death and grief are too much.

They do not dress in black.

They wear happy, clean, bright clothes,

& shine with the hope of a complete faith 

that everything will be all right.

We might be one less today,

or

many million less, 70 years ago,

but the 3 shinning faces in the back row

bring comfort in the promise of things yet to come.

So long as there is still 1 soul to carry on,

We can never be extinguished.

*Title provided by Writer(s): Nathaniel Joseph Ruess, Jeff Bhasker, Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost, Nate Ruess