Saturday, August 17, 2013

Dinner, Pepperoni Cheese Stick Roll Ups

So I decided to try This recipe last night for dinner. As I said, I am a mom on a budget though, so when I went to the store I decided to try a little of a modification to the ingredients. I used ham instead of pepperoni, and I used shredded mozzarella instead of string cheese.


My ingredient listing
Meijer brand crescent rolls - $2.50
Honey Ham sliced - $2.50 (still have some left for sandwiches)
Shredded Mozzarella - $2.00 for the bag ( still have over half a bag left)
Some Ranch and Spaghetti sauce for dipping (had in the house)
Total dinner expense about $6.00

I spread ham on the uncooked crescent roll, then topped with the cheese.

Kai decided he wanted to make a jumbo one

I rolled them up. I figured out that they stay together better when I folded the outside corners over to the center. I pre heated the oven to 350 degrees.

Topped with a butter and garlic sauce and cooked for about 13 minutes

This is how they looked when they came out. We paired it with spaghetti sauce and ranch.



We also had some corn that we got from a family members garden with dinner


The verdict - Recipe creation was a success. It was easy and fun for Kai to help with.
Taste verdict - Ezzy and I thought it was too buttery. Too sweet tasting even with the sauces, but edible, just not a favorite
Kai loved it! Total win.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Attempt at easy cleaning for gas stove tops (Success)

So I just moved into a rental trailer. Not everything got noticed before we moved in. One of which was that the stove top grates for the gas stove were filthy! You know how it goes, you cook on them and they get covered in the grease and grime over time. Even in past places it seemed I had to scrub as hard as I could and I could never get it all off no matter what I used. So when I saw This on Pinterest I wondered if it could be that easy.

So here is the before picture

Its kinda hard to see, but they look totally black with the grime

I kinda did what it said. I am not much of one for measuring. I put them each in a separate gallon size bag and poured in some (about the 3 tablespoons) clear ammonia.  


I set them in a glass baking dish in case they leaked and left them overnight. I only did 2 at a time because I don't have a microwave right now and not having a stove top was not a option.

They say to leave for 12 hours, but I had to work the next day, so I left them for more like 20 hours. 
After taking them out of the bag, setting them in plain hot water and washing for less then 2 minutes this is the result that I got.

I found out they actually aren't black. They are silver. 

So much easier than scrubbing!!!! 
Verdict: Success!
Welcome! 

So I am new to this whole blogging thing, so bear with me as I learn and I am sure make mistakes along the way!

A little about me. My name is Nicole and I am a 35 year old mom who has a crazy life right now. I'm going through a divorce, blending a family with my boyfriend who also happened to be my best friend since middle school, and work full time. I love art and would love to be an artist when I grow up.

We have his and hers kids here, my daughter is 13, and his son is 8. We are going through the growing pains of just moving in together, and the kids acquiring a new sibling. Both the kids love art and projects, so they will be involved in testing some of these ideas I love out too.

Though this blog is going to be primarily for how my testing of Pinterest ideas go, my life is crazy, I am sure it will all filter in here somehow too, so follow along on my crazy journey.

And a Crazy Journey it is. The picture below is from some fun that my daughter and I are having with GISHWHES