Try It Out Tuesday - Orange Marmalade (IS apparently harder than it looks!)

I decided on trying my hand at orange marmalade this week to use up a gigantic bag of oranges we had in the fridge (which apparently no one was going to eat).

Click here for the original pin on my Food/Recipes board.

Follow me on Pinterest.

*Don't forget to click over to Kelly's blog, My Purple Brick Road, for a tasty review of Nutella S'mores!

I chose this recipe simply because it looked easy, fool-proof and didn't use pectin (I don't keep that on hand and didn't want to buy any).  This particular site gave wonderful step by step directions and photos.  The original recipe it links to is here.

I peeled the oranges, slivered the peel, cut up the oranges and plopped them all into my trusty stock pot.

I added water and sugar in the amounts called for and set it to boiling. I am damn sure think this is where I went wrong.

When I looked back over the recipe (I read it a dozen times before I started, one would think I'd get it right!)...it says to boil the oranges and peel for at least an hour until soft...THEN add the sugar.  It should only take about an hour to hour and a half to obtain marmalade-y texture and consistency.

Yeah, right. 

I boiled and boiled and boiled my mixture. 

And boiled some more.

When it hit the three hour mark with no signs of the slightest inclination of jelling...I called it a draw. 


I now have a stock pot full of orange vanilla sludge.  It smells wonderful, it even tastes pretty good.  However, it is no where NEAR marmalade.

Modifications: I added about a tsp of vanilla. It smelled delicious and gave it an interesting flavor.

Fail Factors: The entire project was a total and utter fail. But I believe that is all my fault as I didn't wait to add the sugar.

For The Win: The recipe really is simple. (And successful if done right, I assume).

Will I attempt this recipe again? Yes, simply because I will NOT BE DEFEATED!!! LOL

Have you made homemade jams or jellies?  With or without pectin? How have yours turned out? Any tips for the novice?

*"Try It Out Tuesday" is a blog hop (or blog party) created by 3 friends, and is inspired by Pinterest. We choose one, sometimes two "pins" (if you want to be labeled an overachiever, just sayin') per week, try them out, and review them on our blogs. Anyone can join in, just leave the link to your Try It Out Tuesday post in the comments and we'll add you to the list! C'mon, Try It Out!

Try It Out Tuesday - Shower Caddy

Linking up with Kelly for Try It Out Tuesday!  She has an awesome post about DIY makeup remover AND homemade, reusable makeup remover pads.  


Today's TIOT is so quick and easy I'm almost embarrassed to post it.  It's one of those ideas that when you see it, you want to smack yourself in the head and say "Now, why didn't I think of that???"


You can find the pin on my Organizational Ideas board on Pinterest.  You can also follow me by clicking this link.  


The Idea: To move your hang-over-the-shower head caddy (if you have one) to the opposite wall of the shower so it doesn't interfere with the shower head (especially if you, like me, have a detachable sprayer shower head...that dumb hose catches that caddy every time!), and to keep the caddy and the items in it from getting so wet and mildewy.  The original pin called for a large coat hook mounted to the bathroom wall, and to hang the caddy from that.  Well...our bathroom has a shower surround thingie that sticks out too far for me to to that.  See: 

(that's not dirt...it's paint spatter)

Also, we rent this place, so I don't want to have to remove a coat hook and patch the hole when we move.  And, honestly, since I'm flat-ass-broke on a bit of a budget being that we only have one income...I didn't want to spend any money if I didn't really HAVE to.  


I then remembered that I had some 3M Command Hooks in the kitchen junk drawer!  

Ta-DAAAA!

All that was left was to hang the caddy from said command hook.  

VIOLA!!!  

Modifications:  Command hook stuck to the shower surround wall instead of a coat hook screwed into the bathroom wall.

Fail Factors:  None that I can think of.  It's pretty idiot proof.  Unless the adhesive strip fails and the caddy goes crashing to the floor of the tub in the middle of the night, thereby scaring the living daylights out of me.  I then may need to change my sheets.  :)

For The Win: This particular project didn't cost me anything.  Not one single red cent.  Except for the cost of the command hook, but since I already had it, I'm not counting that cost.
                     This project literally took five minutes to accomplish.  You can't get any more "winning" than that!


*"Try It Out Tuesday" is a blog hop (or blog party) created by 3 friends, and is inspired by Pinterest. We choose one, sometimes two "pins" (if you want to be labeled an overachiever, just sayin') per week, try them out, and review them on our blogs. Anyone can join in, just leave the link to your Try It Out Tuesday post in the comments and we'll add you to the list! C'mon, Try It Out!

Try It Out Tuesday - "Our Life, Organized" Binder

Linking up with Kelly from My Purple Brick Road for our weekly Try It Out Tuesday post.

Follow me on Pinterest!

Today's post is about my "Our Life Binder".  The pin I chose is HERE, and the website it links to is HERE.

You might have heard of this before.  Most people call it a "home management binder", and they're all the rage with "mommy blogger" sites.  I had a hard time finding descriptions and instructions to make a home management binder that would work with our life, i.e: I work outside the home, we have no children (living in our home full time), I don't home-school, I am the primary bread-winner (for now!), and I work crazy hours.  But, I still really wanted a way to simplify our lives, have all of our important information together in one place, and develop a system for mundane tasks like paying the bills and grocery shopping.  I haven't been the best about putting our system into practice, and the next few months I will be challenging myself to stick to using the binder on a daily basis and developing more of a routine around our home.  

What?  You HAVEN'T heard of a home  management binder??? All you need to start your own is a few easy to find items.  

Materials: 

~3-ring binder, folder, or notebook

~Page dividers

~Paper to print out your binder information sheets

This is my personal binder cover-to-cover.  All of the products I used were purchased from Wal-Mart, and cost a total of around $20.  I took a bright cheery pink 1" binder, clear sheet protectors (simply because I'm weird about liking things in sheet protectors!), and plastic tabbed dividers with pockets as the section dividers, and I bought some Sharpies and dry erase markers.  I designed most of the printed sheets from compiling information from many of the organizational/management binders I found online.  I customized the entire book to fit OUR LIFE...and you can do the same for yours! 

Cover

Labeled dividers

"at a glance" weekly calendar so we
all know who is doing what and when

Personal information, one page for each adult

Child information sheet
Customize to your specific child's needs and activities

Medical information
One for each member of the family

Medical info continued

Example of the pocket dividers for each section.
This one is the "finances" section.
Unpaid bills go in the pocket, stamps are kept handy,
and payments are logged on the "bills paid" ledger
(ledger not pictured due to personal financial information on it)

Vehicle information with make/model
license info, and insurance carrier information.

Address book

Shopping list of our usual purchases
(this one is for food, I also have one for household items/
paper products/soap/etc.

Weekly menu-at-a-glance

I also have a few pages that I didn't show, such as a section for take-out and delivery menus (which we don't use much since we're both eating healthier and losing weight), and I have sheets printed out with our lease information, individual bill/payment information along with utility account numbers and customer service phone numbers for easier reference.

There you have it.

Our Life...Organized!

(A great resource for the printable sheets for your binder is Life Your Way.  I used a few of theirs as-is and used others as templates for my own binder.)


Modifications: Heavily modified to fit our current life status.  But, that's the beauty of it, it can grow and change with your family as it and your circumstances change!

For The Win!:  Almost any and every piece of information we could possibly need regarding ourselves, our family, our finances, and our life habits are compiled in one easy to find, easy to use binder.


Fail Factors:  ~Can be time consuming to set up initially.
                     ~Does take daily use and maintenance to achieve the full benefit of the organizational system.
                     ~Almost any and every piece of information we could possibly need regarding ourselves, our family, our finances, and our life habits are compiled in one easy to find, easy to use binder.  Hmmm...    

*"Try It Out Tuesday" is a blog hop (or blog party) created by 3 friends, and is inspired by Pinterest. We choose one, sometimes two "pins" (if you want to be labeled an overachiever, just sayin') per week, try them out, and review them on our blogs. Anyone can join in, just leave the link to your Try It Out Tuesday post in the comments and we'll add you to the list! C'mon, let's Try It Out!

Oops!

Sorry if you came looking for a new Try It Out Tuesday post...

I worked all weekend and didn't make time to try a new pin this week.  I'll make up for it next week, I promise!

Back to your regularly scheduled blogging!

Try It Out Tuesday - Motivation-In-A-Jar

Well, I'm a little late posting my TioT today, but I have good reason. I had my sleep study last night (more on that later) and I've been at work the rest of the day. But, it's still technically Tuesday, so I'm good!

I decided to break from what has come to be my modus operandi as of late and NOT post a recipe or something food related! I know. Big surprise.

Today's TioT IS weight-loss related, since that is kind of in the forefront of my mind and life right now.

I don't have a great track record with "stick-to-it-ive-ness" on the weight loss front. I start off great. I'm all gung-ho, stocking the fridge and pantry with healthy food, tracking my meals and water consumption, faithfully exercising (to the extent that I can anyway)...for about two weeks. Then something happens, I stumble and slide, then the wheels fall off my wagon completely and before I know it I'm a hot mess again.

I promised myself this time, that this would be THE time.  I lose motivation so quickly though.  Part of the problem is, I have such a large amount of weight to lose, it seems overwhelming and an insurmountable task.  I know, I know, don't look at the big picture, don't focus on how far I have to go look at how far I've come, break it down into manageable goals...yes, I know.  And I do that.  But, there are times when I sit back and look at the number on the scale and just want to cry because there is SO. FAR. TO. GO.  It takes a long time for me to tell a difference in my body or how my clothes fit because I'm so large that even 15 pounds doesn't really change me physically that much.  15 pounds on a 130 pound person, you can see a definite difference.  Not so much on me.  I've been looking for some kind of a visual reminder that I AM succeeding.  That I AM losing weight.  That this is NOT all for naught.  Charts and graphs are ok...but don't really motivate me personally.

So.  I came across a few pins on Pinterest that were "Pounds to Lose" and "Pounds Lost" jars.  Most of them were all cutely decorated, some were very plain.  When I saw it, I thought it would be a perfect tool to help keep me motivated when I got caught in the maelstrom of self-sabotaging chatter in my head.

You can find one of the original pins HERE.  I call mine...

Motivation-In-A-Jar

Materials needed:    2 jars, bottles, vases, containers of any sort (works best if see through!)

                              Glass beads, marbles, rocks, pennies, buttons...anything you want to use as counters.

                               Labels for jars

Optional:  Fancy fabrics/ribbons/stickers for decorating

You really can make these as simple or elaborate as you like.  

Mine are re-purposed jelly jars with glass beads (re-purposed from my Etsy shop bracelet making stash!), labeled with a plain white sticker and Sharpie.  No one said this had to be fancy!  

To use, simply count out how many beads to match how many pounds you have/want to lose.  Put those in the "Pounds to Lose" jar.  (um, duh.)  When you weigh in, you get to transfer the number of pounds lost/beads to the "Pounds Lost" jar.  However...it also works the other way too.  If you gain, you have to put them back in the "Pounds to Lose" jar.  When you get discouraged, glance at your jars and see how far you've come!  

Simple jelly jars and glass beads

Nothing fancy here! Just FIFTEEN beads already in the "LOST" jar!!!

And there you have it.  Motivation in a jar.  Neat, huh?

Don't forget to go check out Kelly's Try It Out Tuesday post...on Banana "Ice Cream"!

Try It Out Tuesday - Weight Loss Edition

Don't forget to check out our other TioT bloggers too!

 Kelly @ My Purple Brick Road

 Mary @ Oh My Little Soul

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I am kind of taking the lazy way out for TioT this week.  I worked all weekend, and yesterday was not feeling well at all, and I just didn't feel up to trying a new recipe/craft/project from Pinterest.  

However, I am going to put a little spin on it this week so I don't feel like a COMPLETE failure and post something that has helped me stay on track the last week with my diet.  That way, my readers can still Try It Out...if they want.  

The first tool that has helped me stay on track and lose 13 pounds so far is SparkPeople.com .  Their informative website, mobile food/activity/weight tracker app, and support forums have been invaluable to me!  Check 'em out!

The second is a little concoction I came up with (and yes, I know it's by no stretch of the imagination original) for breakfast.  Especially when I work, I have a hard time finding good breakfasts (good as in tasty and good as in good for me) that will actually fill me up and keep me going.  As I was standing in front of the fridge the other day, I thought hmmmm.  Really, I did.  Hmmmm.  What am I going to take for breakfast?  (I work 6am to 6pm when I'm on dayshift, so getting up any earlier than I already do just to eat breakfast is not an option...I laugh at the thought!)  It was nearing payday, so the cupboards were getting a little lean, if you know what I mean!  I had eggs.  Cheese.  Frozen sausage patties.  And frozen Ore-Ida Potatoes OBrien.  Sounds like a meal to me!  Throw 'em all in a bowl you say?  Why yes!  

Easy-Peasy Breakfast Bowl

1 frozen sausage patty (I use the Wal-Mart brand)

3/4 cup frozen cubed hash brown potatoes

1 egg

1 slice American cheese

I put the sausage in the bottom, then hash browns.  I kept the egg and cheese separate until I cooked it...otherwise the sausage and potatoes won't be done and the egg will be rubber!  I microwaved the sausage and potatoes for about 1 min 30 sec, then tore up the cheese in small pieces and cracked the egg over the whole shebang.  Cook for however long it takes to get the egg done and the cheese nice and melty.  You can use whatever you prefer or whatever you have on hand to customize your bowl.  And yes, I know this is not an original idea AT. ALL.  But, it works.  =)

There you have it.  My miracle breakfast.  And honestly, it's not all that many calories when you consider it in the grand scheme of the entire day's allowance of calories.  I think this one was around 400 calories?  And tons of filling protein.  I could have made it a little lower in fat if I used turkey sausage, but I had pork sausage patties in the freezer and will continue to use them until they're gone. 

And, before I forget...one of my favorite bloggers has an awesome guest post at Ann Voskamp's blog today.  Head over to her place to read a beautiful post about feeling inadequate from Jennifer @ Getting Down With Jesus!  

And two questions of the day:

What's your go-to breakfast when you're on the go or trying to cut calories?

How often do you feel inadequate, not enough, less than?  How do you get through those times?

Try It Out Tuesday - Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Welcome, again, to a brand new episode of Try It Out Tuesday!

Don't forget to check out these other bloggers and their TioT adventures!

     Kelly @ My Purple Brick Road - Salad in a Jar

     Mary @ Oh My Little Soul - Margarita Jello Shots and Keepsakes in a canning jar


This past weekend while my hubby was away for the weekend (in Jefferson City for clinicals), I decided to try out a pin I'd been eyeing up.  And since I had both ingredients in my pantry, it was the perfect experiment for Try it Out Tuesday.

Weight Watchers Pineapple Angel Food Cake

This recipe is ridiculously easy.  One box of "just add water" angel food cake mix.  One large (15oz) can of crushed pineapple with the juice.  Dump both in a bowl.  Mix.  Pour into ungreased pan.  Bake.  Viola!

The Good:  It's easy.  And quick.  A nice flavor.  The pineapple makes for a very summery light taste, and it would be good with a dollop of cool-whip on top.  It's low in calories and fat.  4 Weight Watchers points per serving.  

The Not So Good:  I don't know if I did something wrong, but mine turned out gummy, with a very weird texture.  It didn't rise much at all, so I was left with a very dense, rubbery, gummy (but yummy) cake-like substance.  

Would I try it again?  Oddly enough, I probably would.  I might try it again using a regular angel food cake pan and perhaps tweaking the recipe a bit.

The Final Verdict:  Overall for me, a fail.  However, if I decide to make it again and it turns out better, I will come back and modify my vote.  

What new Pins have you tried lately?

Try It Out Tuesday: Homemade Cleaners

Welcome to the first installment of "Try It Out Tuesday"!

What is that?

Well...Try It Out Tuesday came about during a knit night with two of my best gals.  We were chatting about Pinterest...ah yes, the evil time sucking bandit that is Pinterest!  We all agreed that Pinterest is certainly fun, definitely addicting, but also a little intimidating.  I lamented that I loved to pin all these wonderful ideas, crafts, recipes, et al...but wondered when I would ever get the time to try them.

We put our cute little heads together (I think it was more their idea...I just jumped on the bandwagon!) and came up with our own little blog hop we're calling "Try It Out Tuesday"!

Every week we will choose at least one "pin" that we've been wanting to try and, well, TRY IT!  (Hence TRY it ou...well, you know.)  Keep notes and take pictures to document your experiment, then on Tuesday morning, blog about your experience.  Seems pretty simple, huh?  We'll eventually have a linky tool if we get enough people interested in participating, but for now Kelly, Mary and I are linking to each other.  If anyone else reading this is interested in joining us, please feel free!  Snag the graphic I made and TRY IT OUT!!! :)

Go see what my other gals are up to:
Mary: Book Review, "Being George Washington"
and
Kelly: DIY Suncatchers

Now, without further ado, my first "Try It Out Tuesday":

HOMEMADE CLEANERS

I've been wanting to try homemade cleaning products for some time now, as it seems to be "all the rage".  Actually I'm just sick of cleaning with foul smelling chemicals and spending a fortune on them!  Lots of people I know are into making homemade laundry soap and fabric softener, dishwasher soap, etc.  I'm not that far into it yet (although I did just order some organic soapnuts to use in lieu of commercial laundry soap. That'll be another post.).  

I came across a few different pins that were recipes for homemade cleaners.  I started with All-Purpose Cleaner (my recipe is one I tweaked from several different places). 

All Purpose Cleaner

1 Cup white vinegar

2 Cups hot water

2 tsp dish detergent (for added grease cutting power)

2 tsp lemon juice (to cut the vinegar smell, most recipes call for using essential oils to fragrance and boost antibacterial/disinfecting properties, but I just worked with what I had on hand)

A "splash" of rubbing alcohol (for that streak-free shine!)

I mixed it all together and got to cleaning.  However...I neglected to take pictures!  DOH!  It works wonderful on all my kitchen AND bathroom surfaces.  I even sprayed a light mist on my laminate flooring in the living room and gave it a quick damp mop and it worked great.  

My second experiment this week was using baking soda to clean.  

I have a glass top stove in the apartment we just moved into.  The previous owners were obviously as fastidious as I am about things being clean, and there were several spots on the cooktop that wouldn't come off no matter how much I scrubbed.  I read about baking soda being a great scrubbing cleanser without being too abrasive, so I decided to try it.  I dampened the cook top, dumped a bit of baking soda on the grungy part and scrubbed my little heart out with a damp sponge.  It took some doing, but I think the results speak for themselves.  Before: 

See the uckiness?  And after:

Not perfect, but much better!

I've also started using baking soda in the bathroom as toilet cleaner.  I know, I was skeptical too.  Come to find out, if you sprinkle a generous amount on your not so fresh toilet and let it sit for about 15 minutes, then spray it with homemade all purpose cleaner and scrub as usual, it will be sparkly clean and fresh as a daisy.  Seriously.  See?

Before:

And after:

Oh yeah, that IS a disposable coffee cup, repurposed as a baking soda shaker for the bathroom!!!  

So...there you have my "Try It Out Tuesday"...all about homemade cleaners!

Do you use homemade cleansers or have a tried and true DIY home tip?  Post it in the comments for us all to try!