February's Menu

We talked about revisiting goals for the year earlier this week.  Well if you have a goal of losing weight, not eating out as much, saving money or being more organized...you are in luck!  This post is for you.  February's menu, like all my menus, are about eating cleaner, non-processed, healthier foods.  And, we aren't going to eat out several times a week because we don't know what is for dinner and we are too tired to care. Are we?  (no Kim, we aren't!)

Most of you know the drill.  I take a weekend day at the end or beginning of the month and make all these meals for the month (with the help of some friends!) and freeze them.  Here's my gang I had this past Saturday!

One thing I love about freezer meal making is the camaraderie we have.  It makes me think of what quilting bees must have been like.  There's a lot of "Oh I have extra, take some of mine" kind of thing going on.  You get to visit and meet people and work hard and then...it's done!  Many hands make light work. Doesn't mean our feet still don't hurt at the end of our 5 hours!

Fear not, you don't have to do this.  You can freeze in smaller batches (like one week's worth) or, you don't have to freeze at all.  Any of these recipes can be made the night before and thrown in the crockpot in the morning.  So you can just plan for a week at a time, which I realize is a little more manageable for some.  Put you do need to plan.  That's clutch.

Most of the meals I freeze are for the crockpot.  One of the things I love about cooking in the crockpot is since I am not putting all this energy into dinner (I mean, how hard is it to throw a bag in?), I have energy left to make a good side when I get home.  That is one thing I felt like I needed to work on last year and I attacked it with a vengeance.  (Many of you won't believe this, but I would just have a can of corn or green beans for a side!)  I have found tons of delicious sides and they are listed on my calendar as well.  Many of them are really quick and easy, I promise! You too can step away from canned corn and that San Francisco treat. You know the one I mean.

I'm not gonna lie, I am super psyched about this month's menu!

February Menu

And here is the full grocery list!  People often ask how much I spend on groceries.  This month I spent $200.  However, I do split some of the ingredients with the other gals so I am not buying everything myself.  My friend said she spent about $220.  So she figured it out, because she is totally awesome, and the meals were working out to $2.89 each.  Which is pretty darn good, I say.  But again, we are splitting some ingredients with 4 or 5 others.  That helps.

Master Grocery List

Please take time on your weekend to prepare for your weekly meals.  I promise it will help you out SO much with your grocery bill, eating out, and even losing weight!  Think about how many bad decisions we make when we are hungry!  Just sayin'!

Enjoy some deliciousness this month!
K

One Down, Eleven To Go...

I hate to be Captain Obvious here, but we are already finished with our first month of 2016. Geez, how did that happen?

The end of the month is a great time to reflect back on how things are going. How are you doing on those goals you set this year?  Don't groan.  It is far better to look now than wait until the end of the year.  Don't be afraid to look at them.  That's why we wrote them down, remember?  So again, I ask you, how are you doing on those goals?

I have to admit I am pretty pleased with my progress.  I have made some steps to do things that I really wanted (and in some cases needed) to do. They didn't take a terribly long time.  I just had to focus on doing it.  Have I done everything perfectly?  HaHa, don't make me laugh.  But that's ok.  It's all about the progress.

Let me tell you a story.  Last year, my big goal was to actually start this blog.  And I did!  (yeah!) And this year, my goal was to blog more consistently (3 times a week to be exact) and I knew that was going to be an adjustment for me.  This is about to be my 11th post for the month, which is way more than I did any month last year.  I stuck to my schedule (Tues, Thurs and Sun posts) every day except for this past Tues.  It was the only day I missed the whole month.  And do you know what I did?  I started to beat myself up mentally for not doing it.  Isn't that terrible? Reviewing your goals at the end of the month is not meant to be the movie Fight Club.  It's meant to be Steel Magnolias.

Here's what you have to do.  Make yourself a cup of tea.  Get comfy.  Sit down with your goal list for the year.  Review it.  Be realistic.  Talk to yourself the way you would talk to a friend. Here's what I said later..."Wait just a minute here.  Last year, I had just started this blog.  One year later and I will have done 12 posts in one month.  That is incredible."  But hear how my story started out.  I didn't start out thinking that.  I started out at being mad at myself for missing one day in the month.  Shame on me.

I think that is why a lot of us hate thinking or talking about our goals.  Because we hear ourselves saying "I need to be better".  "I need to do this."   "I should have done that."  And I tell ya'll, I used to be the Queen of beating myself up over things.  I think I am still in the royal court, but I have definitely made improvements.  Here is what I am believing this year.  And I have to remind myself this ALL.  THE.  TIME.  I am believing the promises that God has made to me.  And I know I can do all things THROUGH Christ.  Not through Kim Holmes.  I am excited about the things I want to do this year.  And I don't have time to beat myself up for my shortcomings.  Because I am just Kim Holmes.  I will never do it all and certainly not perfectly.  But that is ok.  Because Christ is in me.  What I can't do, He certainly can.  And this gives me an overabundant supply of hope for myself and my life this year.

Tonight I was listening to Joyce Meyer and she said you need to make a decision.  Make a decision to enjoy your journey.  WOW.  How powerful is that?  I am not trying to drive myself insane by reaching all these goals.  I am trying to change myself.  To challenge myself.  I am asking God to continue to help me change and grow.  I want to be better. And I want, no, I need, to enjoy myself while God is changing me.

One of my dear friends gave me this mug.  Be true.  To yourself.  In the movie, The Incredibles, the young Syndrome says to Mr. Incredible, "You always say be true to yourself but you never say what part to be true to." I say all of it, my friend.  Every bit.

All those goals you wrote down for this year, you can do it.  Every bit.

Be True~
K

How to Make A Snowtini

Here in Richmond, we just got pummeled with 12+ inches of snow. What's a girl to do?  Make snowtinis of course!

I looked up lots of snow martini recipes on Pinterest and didn't see anything that floated my boat (or my sled, as the case may be).  Time for Team Holmes to start pulling things out and create our own!

Here's some of what we were working with:


A lot of "White drink" recipes use 1/2 and 1/2 but I really find that to be too rich for me.  I just don't care for it.  Call me crazy, but what I like to use instead is...vanilla ice cream.  My hubs made me a drink years ago with vanilla ice cream and I really didn't think I'd like it.  You know how you go out to a restaurant and get a drink like that and then end up feeling like you are drinking an expensive milkshake?  Not cool.  However, my husband managed to make an ice cream drink with a serious kick.  So vanilla ice cream has won my heart as an unlikely mixer.

We made a couple different versions (all for me to report to you guys, of course!).  They were all delicious!  So...you'll just have to try for yourself and see.

White Chocolate Snowtini
1 oz Whipped Vodka
1/2 oz Creme de Cacoa
1/2 oz Godiva White Liqueur
3 scoops vanilla ice cream

Butterscotch Snowtini
1 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
1 oz Godiva regular liqueur
3 scoops vanilla ice cream
(this one was strong but delish!)

White Out Snowtini
1 oz Vanilla Vodka
1/2 oz Godiva regular liqueur
1 oz 1/2 & 1/2
3 scoops vanilla ice cream
   (See how he secretly slipped some 1/2 and 1/2 in on me!)

You can make these in a blender, or simply whisk until ice cream is soft.  If I had more than a 2 tini limit, I could have tried more for ya'll.  As you see, the possibilities are endless.

Now, a word about rim trim, which I think makes a martini.  I am a serious rim trim junkie and while hubs comes up with the drinks, I'm in charge of decorating the glass.  Of course.  Because he certainly could care less.

You can make rim trim out of all kinds of things.  For my snowtinis, I used some sugar sprinkles, which I always have a ton of.  These particular kind are super pretty.

For the first drink shown, I used the gold sprinkles.  For the drink below, I used the silver and mixed in some regular blue sprinkles as well.

My friend used coconut to trim her glass and it really is gorgeous!

Rim trim won't always stick to your glass so take a very small amount of honey on your finger and run it along the rim of your glass.  Then, put whatever you want to use for rim trim in a bowl that the glass will fit in.  Set the glass in the bowl upside down and spin around.  Then your glass is ready to be filled!

For those of us who are going to be surrounded by the white stuff for awhile, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Let It Snow!
K

Update on: "I Like Coffee with my Cream"....

Back in November (11/9/15), I brought you a blog post all about one of my favorite subjects.  No, not martinis (that was a darn good guess though)! My other favorite subject.  Coffee.  Recently, a friend of mine was interested in making her own creamers and I was just going on and on about the yummy new creamers I have tried from the blog post.  She asked me how the cheesecloth thing had worked out.  And...I had to say, "Oh yeah, I kind of forgot about that."

For awhile, I had really looked for cheesecloth to test out this straining method and couldn't find it anywhere.  And then, after she asked me, I was in Target and voila!  There was cheesecloth.  So begins cheesecloth experimentation.

For those of you who have not tried a homemade creamer with spices, your last sip will look like this:

I read all kinds of tips on straining that out and really was not having success with anything.  Enter the cheesecloth.

Put the cheesecloth over a strainer.  I kept mine doubled. 

I tried straining the creamer through the cheesecloth and thought it was working because it looked like this:

I even strained it three times.  But in the end, the creamer still looked like this on the bottom:

So, I'm gonna have to go with one of two options.  Either a) don't shake that bottle of creamer before you pour it or b) don't drink that last sip of coffee.  I don't notice it (aka, I don't get a mouth full of cinnamon) while I am drinking it.

On a side note, there were many creamer recipes I listed that did not involve spices at all, so you can just avoid the issue altogether.  Just in case you are a "good to the last drop" kinda girl.

Enjoy a homemade creamer!  They're delicious, regardless of whether you get that last sip or not!

K

I Feel Pretty - Stitch Fix

One of my main focuses this year is on...well...myself. I feel like I should be ashamed to tell ya'll that, but I'm telling you anyway. Too often we need something around here and I go without. I spend my allowance on stuff for my daughters, I go without getting my hair cut so we can have more play money in the summer...does any of this sound familiar to you mommas out there? 

 
A really funny thing happened to me this past summer. I noticed my self-esteem started to take a nose dive. I was jealous, when normally I am not. I was not happy with myself.  I really started to feel some kind of way and that way, well, it just wasn't me. I blamed it on a couple of things, but I think it was just from taking a backseat.  I know one thing for sure, I deserve time and attention just like everyone else does.  And so do you. Some of the the things I want to do this year are: 

1. Have more girls nights. I do lots of double dates. I do lots of "Team Holmes" and your family. Me and just a girlfriend? Not so much.
2. Get my nails done. Consistently.
3. Get my hair done. Consistently (usually it is summer time when I just lose it on this one).
4. And the biggest one of all...buy more things for myself. And by 'things for myself', I don't mean things for my house. I mean clothes. Shoes. Accessories. 

I wanted to get my closet purge in before this post so I could show you what my closet will look like when I am done....pitiful. Most of the things in my closet are either a) school t-shirts or b) don't fit anymore (but I keep thinking maybe they will again soon). When I purge it and only leave the things I love, and get rid of everything that is worn out or doesn't fit, I will be very surprised if I have more than 10 things (not including shoes). Sigh...

That's alright. It's a new year. Time for some changes.  One of the problems with getting your nails done, and your hair done, and buying clothes for yourself, is that you have to take TIME to do that. Excuse me, MAKE time. And therein lies my biggest problem.

It just so happened that before Christmas break one of my teacher friends told me about Stitch Fix. Ever heard of it? I hadn't (of course)! Stitch Fix is a personal stylist who picks out clothes and sends them to you. You start by filling out a small style profile questionnaire. You select how often you want a fix: every 2-3 weeks, every month, every other month, every 3 months, or not automatic at all. You can also link a specific Pinterest Board, Twitter or Linkedin account of yours, to let your stylist see what types of things you like! Schedule your first fix and sit back and wait.

Now, here's how it works:  When your box ships, a $20 stylist fee comes out of your account. If you buy anything from the box, that $20 is applied to your purchase. So you are really only paying a stylist fee if you don't buy anything.

Your box arrives! Ta-da! I was so excited, it was like Christmas. They send you 5 items. I got 2 shirts, 1 pair of pants, 1 scarf and 1 coat. You can specifically ask for certain things, such as "I am going to a wedding and am looking for a cocktail dress" or "I really need some jeans to love", etc. or just leave it open, which I did (what do I say, "I need it all!"?) 

They really walk you through the whole process...

And then, you get the fun of seeing the goodies!! 

They give you a list of what each item is and how much it costs, and a style card to give you ideas of what to wear with the items they sent you.  I mean, is this fun ya'll or what? 

Do you want to see what I got? Oh geez, I thought you'd never ask! First of all, let me apologize for the pictures and picture quality. Hubs had gone to work and I had to send my items back (you have 3 days to look them over, and yes, they send you a postage paid envelope to return everything in, just drop it in the mail!) So, my photographer was a 12 year old who really wanted to get back to her, whatever it was she was doing. Plus, I have never really taken a picture of just me modeling clothes so I felt like a big dork.

Item #1 - Andrew Marc - Sidi Toggle Wool Coat - $178

When I first saw this, I thought "Meh". Didn't think it was my style or color. But when I tried it on, it was super cute!

 

And warm. And it fit great. Alas, I couldn't keep a $178 coat at this time. Believe me, I wish I had kept it today. It was like, 3 degrees here.
Verdict: Returned

Item#2 - 41 Hawthorn - Beatrice Exposed Zipper Dolman Top - $58

I knew I was going to love this before I even put it on. It was very soft, and I just loved the gold zipper in the back! 

 

Trust me, it looked way cuter than this picture looks (see aforementioned comment about hormonal photographer and dorky model!)! I wore it Sat night to my hubs' birthday party and got so many compliments!

Verdict: Kept. Guess you figured that when I said I wore it to my husband's birthday party, huh?

Item #3 - RD Style - Wilkes Colorblocked Raglan Sweater - $58 

(picture below)

The sweater was cute but just not a great color for me.  It fit great and was really soft.  

Verdict:  Returned

Items #4 - Liverpool - Collen Straight Leg Jean - $78

Now I saw the price and said "I would never pay $78 for a pair of jeans."  Then I put them on.  5 minutes later I said, "I would pay $78 for these jeans."  Not only did they fit great, they felt like butter.  I loved the fade on them and according to my photographer, they made my butt look good.

Vedict:  Sadly, returned

 

Item #5 - Look by M - Della Tartan Plaid Infinity Scarf - $34
Another one I saw in the box and thought "Meh, not really me".  Put it on and it was really cute (and again, with the softness!).

So I guess my stylist knew what she was doing afterall.  This would be a good time to tell you that if you do buy your whole box, you get a 25% discount, along with your styling fee off.  So I could have gotten all these items for $284.50, which is a pretty good deal.  Now, this would also be a good time to tell you that I am pretty much a cheapskate when it comes to clothes.  The prices on these items, I needed a minute.  BUT...I had 2 epiphanies.  #1.  I have been having an issue lately with things I have recently bought having holes or tears in them.  Cheap clothes.  Am I saving money in the long run? (And apparently nice clothes are really soft.)  #2.  If we go out to dinner, which isn't often, but it DOES happen, we will easily spend $30.  And I am talking about Sonic here, not even a real restaurant.  I will spend $30 on food that, well, let's just say that's not gonna last (except on my thighs), but balk at spending $58 on a blouse that made me feel amazing and will hopefully last for a long time, at least longer than dinner, that's for sure.  Sometimes we have mindsets about things that we need to analyze.  When I thought about it that way, it seemed totally worth it.  I am totally worth it.  You are too.

If you would like to check out Stitch Fix, please use my referral code:

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/6481899

I get a credit for anyone who does get a shipment.  Which would be great.  Remember the 10 things in my closet.  Well, 11 now because I kept that one black blouse.  A referral might get me up to item #12.

You might think I was disappointed because I only kept one thing, but I wasn't.  I had a ball!  One of the things that I indicated to my stylist was that I wanted to try new things.  She picked 2 things for me that I would have never tried on and I thought they were both cute on me.  And that's part of what I want this year.  To branch out a little, try some new things and become an even better me.  And yeah, what girl doesn't want to feel pretty?

Try Something New!

K

Some Cheese (and Bacon!) to Go with your Wine

In my last post, I shared some ideas with you for throwing a wine tasting party.  Here's a great recipe to serve with your wine, whether it's a legit party or just the two of you sharing a bottle of vino.

This recipe is amazing.  I know because I made it for our wine tasting party this weekend.  They were so good, the birthday boy didn't even get to try one!  Which is a shame, because the bacon was just for him.  They really went fast. (Although one person admitted to eating about 14 of them himself!)
                                   Cheddar Bacon Crackers

If you have a food processor, this recipe is super easy!  The hardest part is cooking the bacon, folks. Really.  

Mmmm.....

Enjoy some soon!

K

Start Wine-ing!

Do you want to entertain more this year?  Here's a really simple idea for you.  Have a wine tasting party!  Oh no, it's not as complicated or as expensive as you think.

Of course there are many different ways that you can have a wine tasting party but we like to keep it simple.  Have all your friends bring a bottle of their favorite white or red, or a bottle of a wine that they want to try.  Ask that guests also bring an appetizer to share with your group (you can always bring a nice cheese, for those non-cooking folks!).  You will also provide a bottle and an appetizer as well.  If you have one near you, Trader Joe's has a fabulous selection of inexpensive wines (and they have some good cheeses as well)!

Depending on how many people you invite, you can set up all the food and wine on one table, or set up the white and some food in one room and the red and some food in another.

Do you ever go to wineries?  Well finally there is a use for all those glasses!  I keep mine in boxes in the attic and pull it out just for the occasion.

Here's an easy trick!  Grab a few Sharpies (in wine colors, of course) and folks can write their names on the base of their glass, to help them remember which one is theirs!


Decorations can be really simple.  Save up some empty wine bottles and just set them around, along with wine corks.  Throw in some plastic grapes and vines and you are all set!  There are lots of cute wine related napkins and signs (I got the one above at Christmas Tree Shops) available at many stores.

One year, we bought some star stickers and had everyone put a sticker on their favorite white and red and whoever brought the winning bottle got a prize.  But mostly, I found my guests just liked sampling different wines and weren't really worried about rating them or anything of the sort.  I guess we are not intellectual drinkers.

We have had as many 40 people at our house for a wine tasting, but this party also works with just a few as well.  We have one annually for my hubs birthday, but no excuse is necessary for having folks over.  It's always wine o'clock!

Wine a little sometime soon!
K

Hot Chocolate...The Real Deal

Things just got cold around these parts again so I've got warm drinks on the brain!  Last week I gave you Hot Buttered Rum for the grown-ups. This week, here's one for the whole family.  What's better than homemade hot chocolate?  Not much, I tell you.  Do you know how easy it is to make? Pretty easy and way better than that Swiss chick whose name I won't mention here.


Homemade Hot Chocolate
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cocoa
dash salt
1/3 c hot water
4 c milk
3/4 t vanilla

Stir together sugar, cocoa & salt in medium saucepan; stir in water.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil and stir 2 minutes.  Add milk, stirring constantly and heat to serving temperature (do not boil).  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla and serve.

Now, that is an awesome recipe on it's own.  But it's easy to jazz up hot chocolate!  Other than the obvious (just add whipped cream or marshmallows!), here are some variations to try:

Peppermint Hot Chocolate (our fav at Christmastime!)
Add 1/2 t peppermint extract when adding vanilla

Spiced Hot Chocolate
Add 1/8 t cinnamon and nutmeg with salt.  Serve with cinnamon stick.

Citrus Hot Chocolate
Add 1/2 t orange extract when adding vanilla

Canadian Cocoa
Add 1/2 t maple extract when adding vanilla

And, my grown-up friends, there are lots of additives for your cup (you didn't think I would forget you guys, did you?).  Might I suggest:
         Baileys                                   Kahlua
        Godiva liquer                         Amaretto
        Frangelico                              Grand Marnier

Just make sure the kids don't grab your cup!  Anyway you sip it, it's gonna be delicious!

Yodelayheehoo!
K

Confessions of a Bookworm

Have you seen those grown up coloring books that are so popular now? People are desperate for some down time.  And while I am a firm believer in coloring as a relaxing pastime (I love to color with my kids!), my favorite way to relax is to find a comfy spot and pick up a book!

I guess in the age of Nooks and Kindles, there is not as much of a need to go to the library or bookstore, but I'm just an old fashioned girl.  There is just something about having a book in hand that I will never give up.  I have a Nook and I do love it.  But I still love going to the library and just getting lost in the wandering around and looking for something good to read.  I swear my blood pressure goes down just being there.

Last year I wanted to read 20 books.  I honestly never knew how many books I read in a year. I wasn't really sure what kind of goal this was! (I read 24 and really felt like I could have done better!)  There are also lots of reading challenges online to make picking books more fun too!  I found a great one this weekend at my library.  This one is not too long and overwhelming and my girls felt like they could do it too.

I do love wandering around aimlessly at the library but I also like getting recommendations of things I think I will like.

That's where Goodreads comes in.  Are you familiar with the site www.goodreads.com?  I seriously love it!  You can put in books you have read and rate them.  Based on what you have read and liked, it will recommend other books to you.  No more, "I don't know what to read!"  Ever get to the library or bookstore and think, "Now what was that book I read about that I wanted to read?"  If you hear about a book that sounds good, you can look up that book on Goodreads and mark "want to read".  Then next time you are looking for a book, you can pull out your phone and see what it was.  You can even see what your friends are reading or have read and how they liked it.

Here are some books I loved last year!

   

My favorite new author is definitely Sarah Addison Allen.  She always has just a little bit of fantasy in her books, just enough to have you believing it could actually happen in real life.  I could not get enough of her stories!

   

I'll be honest, most of the time I read, it's not "heavy" super intellectual books.  This is my down time so I like to read things to entertain me.  But I am always looking for something I can get lost in.

Want to read more?  Turn off that TV and grab a good book.  And don't forget to set a reading goal for 2016!

Read more...it does a body good!
K

Cold Weather - Hot Drink

I've shared plenty of freezer meals with you.  Tonight I want to share a freezer drink with you (in case you want to skip the meal!).  Now that the weather around here has FINALLY gotten cold, it's the perfect time for a little warm something something at night.  And that something something you want is a Hot Buttered Rum.

My sister in law gave me this recipe years ago and I love it for a couple of reasons.  It is delicious and you make a large batch of it and keep it in the freezer. Whenever you want one, pull it out like ice cream, add a couple ingredients and bam!  Instant drink!

Here's how you do it:
Hot Buttered Rum
   2 c butter, softened
   16 oz pkg light brown sugar
   16 oz pkg powdered sugar
    2 t cinnamon
    2 t nutmeg
    1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
    

Combine first 5 ingredients, beat well at medium speed of a mixer.  Add ice cream, stirring until blended.  Spoon mixture into a 2 quart freezer container and freeze.

Now, anytime you want one, here's what you do:

To make, get out a regular sized coffee mug, an oversized mug, your HBR mixture and some rum.

Scoop out 2 ice cream scoops of buttered rum mixture into an oversize mug.  

Boil 8 oz of water in a regular coffee mug.  Dump it into your oversized mug with the mixture in it.  Stir well.  

Add 1 jigger of rum.  Now, a word on the rum.  You can use any kind that your little heart desires.  My personal favorite for a Hot Buttered Rum is this:

Mmmm.  It takes about 2 minutes to throw this together.  Great on snowy nights, nights in front of the fireplace, nights when you need to relax, weeknights, weekend nights....just sayin'.

Keep Warm!

K