Oatmeal and Peanut Butter

DIY, Craft, Sew, Cook, Garden

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LB’s Bedroom

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Isn’t is fun to make a special space for a little boy to grow up? I struggled with his room for a few years since he had so many legos and other building toys…it just always seemed [Read more…]

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Perfect Roasted Red Tomato Sauce

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This sauce is PERFECT for baked ziti, spaghetti, lasagna, or any dish calling for red sauce. I’ve tweaked this sauce to perfection, and I’ve had good luck using it fresh, freezing it, and canning it.  Let me tell you how to make it!

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Perfect Roasted Red Tomato Sauce
Author: Ruth
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Large Onion
  • 3-5 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 2 Celery Stems, chopped small
  • 6-8 Quarts Tomatoes, halved, roasted, and peeled
  • 1/2 Cup Red wine, Chianti or Cooking wine
  • 5-10 Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped fine
  • 1-2 6 oz. Can(s) of Tomato Paste optional
Italian Seasonings
  • 1 Tbsp Dehydrated Onion
  • 1 Tbsp Dehydrated Garlic
  • 1 Tbsp Oregano
  • 1 Tsp Dried Basil
  • 1 Tsp Dried Parsley
  • 1 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Lemon zest
  • 2 Bay Leaves (whole)
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to roast at 400 degrees.

  2. Wash tomatoes, then cut in half. Place skin-side up on baking sheet.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until skin just browns.  Remove from oven. Pull skins off immediately. 

  3. In large pot, heat olive oil over low-medium heat. Cook chopped onion and celery until almost clear, about 4-5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more, until fragrant. 

  4. Add de-skinned, roasted tomatoes to the pot. Stir to combine.

  5. Stir in wine, tomato paste (if desired) and fresh basil.

  6. Add seasonings and stir. 

  7. Bring to just below a boil, then reduce heat to low-med. Cook uncovered until desired consistency is reached (sauce will continue to thicken the longer you cook), approximately 45 minutes-1 hour (longer for thicker sauce). 

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Sun-dried Tomatoes (in the oven)

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“Sun-dried” tomatoes are simple to make in the oven.  I use smallish tomatoes from my garden, and then freeze them for use throughout the year.

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Sun-dried Tomatoes (in the oven)
Author: Ruth
Ingredients
  • Small tomatoes, halved
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
Instructions

  1. Set oven to bake at 200 degrees. Prepare baking sheets by spraying with a non-stick cooking spray.

  2. Cut tomatoes in half, and lay skin side down on baking sheets. Sprinkle with olive oil and lightly salt.

  3. Put in oven, for 2-4 hours (depends on size of tomato). Check periodically. When tomatoes have lost most of their water content, but before they brown, they are done. 

  4. Let cool, then store in airtight container in fridge (up to 4 days for optimal freshness), or freeze on the tray. Once frozen, store in freezer bags for up to a year. 

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Easy Basil Pesto

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Pesto is so versatile and delicious! Today I’m going to share a simple recipe my mother-in-law taught me, before I knew how to grow my own basil. She always had a wonderful crop and made this pesto. You can leave out the cheese for a Paleo version.

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Easy Basil Pesto

This version has Parmesan cheese, but you can easily leave out the cheese for a Paleo/Whole 30 version. 

Author: Ruth
Ingredients
  • 4 Cups Fresh, packed basil leaves
  • 1 Cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Cup Chopped, unsalted walnuts or pine nuts I like the flavor of pine nuts, but walnuts are so much less expensive
  • 2-3 Cloves of fresh garlic
  • 1 Tsp Lemon juice
  • Pinch Salt
  • Pinch Pepper
  • 1-1.5 Cups Olive Oil
Instructions

  1. Pluck off the basil leaves, discarding the stems and leaves. If any leaves have browned, discard. Rinse, and pat dry, allowing to fully dry for 20 minutes or so.  Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.  Shred the Parmesan with a grater (don’t use Parmesan from a shaker), and peel and chop the garlic (although you can put in the whole cloves if desired). When basil is dry, add 4 packed cups to the food processor.  Pulse just a few times.  Add in the other ingredients, except for the oil.  Pulse a few times just to combine.  With processor running, add in the oil from the top pour spout, pausing occasionally to scrape the sides.  Add oil and blend until desired consistency is reached.  Freeze, or keep fresh in fridge for up to 3 days. 

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Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Pesto (Paleo/Whole 30 version)

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I love pesto of any variety. It is easy to make, freezes well, and is so versatile! Today’s version uses sun-dried tomatoes (also homemade, but you can buy them too), basil, walnuts, and fresh garlic, tomatoes, and walnuts.  You can add parmesan cheese to this recipe if you are not eliminating dairy from your diet. IMG_7241 [Read more…]

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Kitchen Deep-Cleaning

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After a full school year of lunches, dinners, and breakfasts, not to mention the homework and projects that took place in this kitchen, it needed a good de-cluttering and deep cleaning.  It took me 3 full days to complete this deep-cleaning project, but worth it in the end.  I love getting rid of all the broken and unused items, so I can actually see the things we do use.  Here’s the end result! IMG_6467

Looking at this makes me so happy.  [Read more…]

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Re-caulking Kitchen Sink and Counters

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Look at that beautiful caulked line!  Fixing moldy or peeling caulk and grout is not that hard, but it is putzy!  I’m going to share few tricks to make it easier and to make it look really professional. For this project, I decided to do 3 big kitchen jobs at once since it involved still managing feeding the children in this kitchen, so I wanted to get it all done.  They basically ate leftovers and cereal for a few days 🙂 IMG_6419IMG_6461

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Real-Life Pantry Organization

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I have seen those beautiful pictures of pantries that look like a department store, and I have never seen one like that in the home of an actual family.  Just ain’t possible. Frankly, I’m just really happy to have this closet pantry that I can dedicate solely to foods.  It will never look like a department store, but if I can find everything when I need it, and it is neat, I am happy!  At the end of the school year, it had gotten a little out of control, so here is how I took charge of this beast and added a few fun elements with glass storage and chalk board stickers. Before and after photos are below.

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Sunflower Table

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Don’t you love it when your DIY turns out the way you imagined it, the FIRST time??? This was the case for this awesome antique table that has been in Hubs’ family.  I used four different stains to create this flower, and it was SOOOO easy! Really.  And didn’t take long at all.  Probably 2 hours total, start to finish. IMG_0081 [Read more…]