February Wrap-Up and Recap

As my first month with Creative Mama, Messy House comes to a close, I look back on what I have done this month, and look ahead to what I hope to accomplish. March is looking promising, you can expect more recipes, new crafts to celebrate St. Patrick's day, and more gardening. All my children have March birthdays, so there is that, as well!

 

I started writing CMMH during our first good rain storm of the year, spending an afternoon baking with my son. 

 

I started to organize my kitchen, starting with the message station. In March, I hope to reveal more!

 

I tried my hand with creating an inspiring printable.

 

We celebrated Valentine's Day. I crafted conversation hearts out of paper, and created a few activities to go with them.

Valentine's Day 2014

 

I got my garden off to a good start, adding spring vegetables and herbs, and drafting plans for more raised beds.

 

I started my 5 Tips, 20 Minutes series

Solve Dinner Dilemmas

Build a Better Burger

The recipes I share this month

Nut and Raisin Bread

Pork Stew with Kale and Fresh Herbs

Citrus Chipotle Braised Beef

The more I blog and learn from this experience, the more I improve and the better my blog will be. I appreciate any comments or feedback you might have for me. I love seeing your creativity, as well, find me on Instagram (@CreativeMamaMessyHouse), Twitter (@CreativeMama_RC), or Pinterest.





Marble Painting in a Cookie Tin

This week's storm was the perfect way to say goodbye to February and "Hello March!". I'm really hoping March will be significantly wetter than February was, California desperately needs the rain. Since we were indoors because of the rain, I wanted our art activity to get us to move a little, while keeping the mess to a minimum. Looking for supplies and inspiration, I found a leftover cookie tin that my youngest was using as a drum/Frisbee, and though I could put it to good use. I remember doing marble painting from my early school years and how fun it was. Since the cookie tin had a lid, it was perfect for crafting with my toddler, since he could shake it in all directions without paint getting everywhere. It rattled and rolled, we shook and wiggled and giggled, all while making art! I chose green and gold paint for this, as I plan on using this artwork in a St. Patrick's day-inspired craft.

  

My Supplies:

1 leftover cookie tin

Cream-colored paper

Marbles

Green tempera paint

Metallic gold acrylic paint

 

When working with small objects (like marbles) and toddlers, be mindful that these are choking hazards. Please supervise very closely!

 

 

 

I cut my paper to fit inside the cookie tin. The easiest way to do this is to simple trace the tin, and then cut inside your line a bit. That way, it sits nicely inside the tin without being bunched up.

I added 3-4 drops of each paint to the paper. I found that less is more in this activity. Too much paint and the effect was muddled. S watched and I counted aloud as the paint was being dripped.
I added the marbles (again, a good way to teach counting), put on the lid, and let S get to shaking!











All done! Let's open the lid...

Shake, Shake, Wiggle

 

The finished product! These are just few of the ones we did. Since it is such an easy art project, you can do a bunch in a short amount of time. I love how each one looks different, depending on how much or little we shook the tin, what direction the tin got shaken in, and how hard or soft the marbles rolled.

Citrus Chipotle Braised Beef in the Crockpot

Rich, fall-apart-in-your-mouth beef with a sauce that has notes of citrus and spice is not your everyday slow-cooker meal. It is a beauty, with a rust-red sauce that asks to be paired with a vessel, whether that be a corn tortilla or a bun. Move over pulled pork! Try this to fill your next batch of enchiladas, or add it as an option to your next taco bar, and you will have a true winner. It's so easy, you can put the ingredients in the Crockpot in the morning, and have a fabulous meal waiting at dinnertime. This recipe makes enough for a family of four to have leftovers, because you're going to want them!

Notes:

• This dish is as delicious with a chuck roast as it is with more decadent cuts of beef such as brisket or short ribs-making it budget-friendly for everyone.
• Chipotle in adobo are smoked jalapeno peppers in a vinegar-based sauce and can be found canned in the Hispanic foods section of most grocery stores. I use 2 peppers plus about a teaspoon of the adobo sauce in my recipe, then freeze the rest of the peppers and sauce in small zip-top bags. I can typically get 4-5 uses out of one can. If you can't find chipotle in adobo, you can substitute smoked chipotle powder or dried chilies.

Ingredients:

3 pounds beef suitable for braising (see notes)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
Juice and zest of 1 orange, plus juice of a second orange
1-2 chipotle chilies in adobo (3 if you like it super spicy), plus a teaspoon of adobo sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
Kosher salt, to taste

Method:
Season beef with kosher salt, on all sides. Sear on all sides over medium-high heat, deep brown is what you are going for. Add to Crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients to Crockpot, set for 10-12 hours on low, or 6-8 hours on high. Check and stir halfway through. Before serving, shred the beef slightly and add the juice of the second orange.

Click here for a printable recipe.

I hope you try this recipe soon!

Five Tips to Make Gourmet Burgers at Home in Under 20 Minutes

1. Start with good ground meat

Usually I use an 80:20 ground beef from the supermarket. If I'm cooking for my mom, I will use a 90:10 ground sirloin. If you have an option to buy ground beef from the butcher's counter, do it. Or you can be really fancy and grind your own (if only I had the grinder attachment for my KitchenAid, sigh...). Don't think you have to be limited to beef either. You can mix ground sausage with your beef, or use lamb, pork, turkey, or even chicken, depending on the flavor profile you are looking for.

2. Add interesting mix-ins

Salt, pepper, and Worcester sauce are my seasonings when making my basic burger patties, but why stop there? Try adding minced garlic, herbs, bacon, or cheese directly into the meat. Or add some zing by adding salsa or diced chili peppers.

3. Give your patties dimples, then don't overcook

Nobody wants a hamburger ball on a bun. When you form your patties, indent the centers a bit. This will prevent them from getting rounded when they cook. I like to cook my patties in a dry (no oil) cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. It gives them nice color on the outside while keeping the center juicy.

4. Add interesting toppings

Just because your having burgers doesn't mean your toppings need to be standard. Experiment with flavor profiles. Try caramellized onions with balsamic vinegar, salsa or pico de gallo, spinach, horseradish mayonnaise or fancy mustards. This is true for cheeses, too. How about using goat cheese, Gouda, or smoked Mozzarella? The combinations are endless.

5. Toast your buns, and then waterproof

Nothing ruins a good burger than a soggy bun. Pop the buns in the oven or under the broiler for a minute. I put my spread and lettuce (or other greens) on the bottom bun to prevent the meat juices from dripping into my bun, making it soggy.

What is your favorite way to eat a burger at home? I'd love to read your comments, and if you have an important tip I missed I would love to here it!

Replanting Marjoram with my little helper

It feels good to get my hands dirty two days in a row. 

I have a habit of killing plants in pots if they are outdoors. I think I just don't water them enough. So far my marjoram plant has been doing great, but I wanted to transfer it to my raised garden bed. Since I actually had two plants in one pot, I decided to put the smaller one indoors, and plant the larger one outdoors.

Meanwhile, S-bug found a ladybug

 To pot the marjoram indoors, I used this navy blue terra cotta pot. I used a glossy spray paint on some extra terra cotta pots I had, and painted the saucer as well. Using a few coats thin of the spray paint and sanding any drips away between coats, I finished painting them over a day and a half. It's such an easy way to customize your pots. The larger pot is also one that I spray painted. It was a salmon-colored plastic pot before I decided to use a metallic sage color on it to better match my color palette. 

Using a potting soil blend, I transplanted the smaller bunch of marjoram into the blue pot, and watered well. I had a second blue pot, so I put some chives in it. I picked up a 4 inch pot of chives on sale at the garden center when I bought the beets and snap peas. I was going to plant them in my garden bed, but changed my mind. I potted the chives in the center of the pot, and then planted chive seeds around the seedings. I'm hoping that when they start growing in, it will give the pot a fuller look. 



 

 

I transplanted the larger bunch of marjoram directly into my garden bed. I'm hoping it will thrive there. My garden bed will eventually be used for just herbs and leafy greens, so I have been filling it up with perennial herbs. So far, I have rosemary, thyme, oregano, and tarragon. Afterward, I brought the hose around to water everything, when S decided that he wanted to do the watering. He's getting into the stage where he wants to do things himself, so I let him hold the hose.
 

 

 

Early Spring Planting and Plans for More Raised Beds

I love my garden bed that we built 3 years ago. My husband built it out of redwood and it has held up nicely. We found the plans for it from Sunset Magazine. We omitted the PVC parts in ours. So far I have not had to cover it in winter. Built with 2x6s and 4x4 posts, it stands about a foot high and is 8 feet by 4 ft. Last year, I had tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, peas, beans, basil, parsley, and other herbs growing.

After the summer harvest, I converted it to my winter garden, adding broccoli, Tuscan kale, fennel, and onions. My parsley plants survived though our mild winter (although every resource tells me these are annuals). My oregano and tarragon and starting to show new growth, and my rosemary and thyme are hearty as ever. My volunteer arugula from last year's seed are filling in patches. Yesterday I added sugar snap peas and two types of beets to fill out the box. I have a little bit of room left, that I will fill in with herbs. I will move my marjoram out of its container, plus I want to add some chives. I have more arugula seeds that I can add as well, plus I have red chard seed that I need to use up. It is amazing when you think of how much food can grow in such a small space.

 

 

I took the time to draft up a plan for building 4 new raised garden beds around my existing box. Good thing too, because my existing garden bed will be full before March! I'm going to need to put my tomatoes somewhere, and don't forget the basil. I wanted to add something that would look nice, so I didn't just want to put more rectangular boxes up. The two larger side beds will be 10 feet by 4 feet, with a cut out to accommodate a two foot pathway between beds. The square beds will be 4 feet by 4 feet, and two feet high. I plan on using these for my vining plants, like my cucumbers and squash.

 

 

The total cost of the 4 boxes should be about $350 if using lumber from the hardware store. I'm hoping to find a cheaper place to pick up the wood to reduce our cost. 

Stay tuned for updates!

I want to know what your gardening plans are for the year, or what you have already planted. You can share your stories below or on Instagram (creativemamamessyhouse) with #CMMHgreenthumb. I'd love to hear from you or see your pictures.

 

Five Tips to Get Dinner from Refrigerator to Table in Under 20 Minutes

There are days when I am wrapped up in an activity and before I know it, it's 6:40 and my family is hungry. I try to have dinner on the table by 7, when my husband gets home from work. Here are my 5 tips for getting dinner from the fridge to the table in less than twenty minutes.

1. Have a plan, and then have an alternate plan

I try to grocery shop twice a week, usually Tuesdays and Fridays. On Tuesday, I get to the farmers market in the morning, and then to the grocery store. On Fridays, I shop for the weekend meals. Since my husband and kids eat breakfast and lunch at work/school on the weekdays, I cook a few more meals on Saturday and Sunday. By looking at the weekly ads and through my store coupons, I figure out a meal plan for the periods between store visits. I always plan some meals that are quick to put together and maybe one or two that might take a bit longer. If need to, I can rearrange the days if my schedule gets impacted and need to have dinner on the table in 15 minutes.

 

2. Have a well-stocked refrigerator and pantry

Again, I accomplish this by shopping twice a week. We usually drink through two gallons of milk in about 4 days, so I use that as an indicator for how often I need to shop. I pick up a flat of eggs every other week at the farmer's market ($7 for 30 organic brown eggs). Keep your fridge organized, using first-in, first-out methods. Place older ingredients in front of new ingredients, and keep perishable foods in sight, so you remember to use them.
I keep fruit and salad ingredients in one produce bin and keep the longer keeping vegetables in the other, so that I can quickly assess what I have and what needs to be used first. I make sure to keep a few lemons or limes in my fruit bowl to add a citrus pop to dishes. I also stock my spice rack with the essentials plus I make some rubs and spice blends from scratch.

 

3. Know your knives

Start with quality: Quality knives are an worthwhile investment, especially if you plan to cook 6-7 times a week. Find knives that are comfortable in your hand, and you are comfortable using. They should be versatile enough so that you only need four, maybe five knives to do all your cutting tasks. I have a chef's knife, a paring knife, a carving knife and fork, a serrated bread knife, and pair of kitchen shears.

Keep your knives sharpened: Take care of your investment. I only cut on wood or poly boards. My knives never run through the dishwasher, I only hand wash them. I don't soak my knives in the sink (for safety reasons). I visit my local knife sharpener at my farmer's market at least once a season. Some specialty shops also offer knife-sharpening services.

Practice your cutting techniques. A sharp knife can be your best friend when cutting fast and accurately. You won't have to use as much pressure when cutting, reducing the risk of cutting yourself. Go at a pace comfortable to you, and try for even cuts when slicing and dicing. Practicing will allow you be able to cut quicker and with more confidence and your cuts will also be more uniform, leading to more even cooking times.

 

4. Don't be afraid to cook on a higher heat

Thin cuts of chicken or pork can benefit from higher cooking temperatures to brown both sides without overcooking. A high heat is also essential when searing off steaks or meat before roasting. Caramelization in vegetables lends great flavor, adding to the sweetness and nuttiness. Try roasting broccoli or carrots instead of steaming, they will have a totally different flavor profile.

 

5. Forgo the rice and potatoes.

So many people are trying to cut carbs out of their diet. I am not one of those people, and I do like to eat them. But these tend to take the longest to cook when you are trying to go from fridge to table in under 20 minutes. Rice takes at least 20 minutes on the stove, and potatoes need at least that much time if you are not using the microwave. If I'm in a hurry to get dinner on the table, I often look to salads and vegetables to round out the meal. If serve a green salad plus one or two more vegetable sides with a protein, I don't miss not having a starchy side. It's also a great way to get your family to get to their 5-7 serving of fruit and veggies daily.

What are your top tips for feeding your family quickly? I'd love to hear your comments!