Freshly Simple

Pet Safety

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Freshly Simple

Remember that as we are entering the holidays,our pets must be kept safe. Already we’ve kept Halloween “Horrors” at bay by keeping decorations and candy out of the reach of our beloved pets.Now there will be the inevitable flow of well meaning family and friends that want to “treat” your pets with table scraps. There will be bones that splinter and choke,dishes with spices that upset pet’s tummies,etc. Please be sure that all visitors are aware that it’s a house rule that your pets only eat what their diet allows. Hopefully that will take at least one stressor out of your holidays!

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For The Love Of Bassett Hounds

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Freshly Simple

My “Little Puppy Girl”, Chica is a Bassett/Beagle mix,rescue dog. She has no idea she’s a dog…it would be devastating to tell her!:) Chica has been a member of our family for three years now, since October 17th, 2009. From day one we have pampered and spoiled our beautiful little creature and she knows she’s loved. Do you have a special “furry” member of your family? Or…maybe not so furry but your adorable pet?

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Apples

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Freshly Simple

Apples are versatile and are in my home all throughout the Fall season. Whether it’s baked apples,applesauce,sliced apples with peanut butter,apple butter or other, we enjoy apples in our home. Close your eyes and imagine the aroma of a freshly baked apple pie…..mmmmm,takes you back to Mom’s kitchen or Grandma’s, what a special memory!

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Hello world!

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Freshly Simple

Freshly Simple is rising out of the ashes once again! This has been a work in progress. No matter the pitfalls and attempts to keep us down, we will survive! Please stay with us to see all of the great things to come. Thank you for your loyalty and support, we truly appreciate you!

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Like Us

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Freshly Simple

Want more Freshly Simple? LIKE us on Facebook, To keep up with posts, giveaways, etc… http://www.facebook.com/FreshlySimple

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Puree For The Baby

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Freshly Simple

Pear & Carrot Purée

This week I’ve made pears and carrots for the baby. Making a homemade puree for the baby is so easy. This is the first time I’ve joined two ingredients into a single purée for him. I know he’s going to love it. I’ve also made a supply of fresh peas. The bright green vibrant color is magnificent. I actually compared my homemade peas to store-bought peas and there is a major difference. The other stuff doesn’t even taste like food.

I’ve been cooking bananas on the stove and blending with formula to mix in with his oatmeal for breakfast. My little man is eating good and it shows. He is up to about 19 lbs and he’s almost 6 months.

A great book to check out if you haven’t already is The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet. It’s full of so many tasty recipes for baby.

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Chicken Noodle Soup with Peas

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Freshly Simple

This soup is a big hit in our house and it’s something we have at least once a week. This winter we will eat a lot of it for sure. We’ve all been sick and honestly nothing makes us feel better than a nice bowl or in this case a nice cup of homemade chicken noodle soup with peas. This recipe will warm your heart and put a smile of your face. Know someone who is sick? Make them a pot and run it over to them. There is nothing better than being delivered a nice pot of chicken noodle soup when under the weather.

This is a very easy make ahead recipe. There is so much you can do with this basic recipe. In my home my husband likes things spicy so I normally add soy sauce, chili paste and some cayenne pepper to his portion. Sometimes I even use half water and half chicken stock if I have it on hand. If I do use chicken stock for the base of the soup I cut back on the number of bouillon cubes I use.

What’s your favorite thing to eat when you’re sick?

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Posted in Recipes | Tagged recipes | 18 Comments

Cheese Tortellini With Prosciutto and Peas

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Freshly Simple

Last night I made Cheese Tortellini With Prosciutto and Peas again for my family and it was definitely a major success. I think they key to making this dish successfully is to not over cook the tortellini. I think next time I will step it up a notch and try to make fresh homemade tortellini.

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Posted in Recipes | Tagged recipes | 8 Comments

Finger Paint

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Freshly Simple

This is a super simple recipe for making finger paints at home. I wanted to stretch the last bit of finger paint my daughter had left in the supply cabinet. There was about a squeeze of each color left and she really didn’t have enough to do anything with but I didn’t want to just toss it in the waste basket. I went with this corn syrup recipe because I had a huge unopened bottle of it in my pantry. There are many variations you can use though and I’m testing them all before sharing with you. I have seen homemade finger paints made of corn starch and powdered milk also.

For each color you want mix

3 tablespoons Corn Syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons dish soap
coloring (whatever you have on hand)

For the coloring I tried a few different things. I first squeezed the last bit of finger paint from Jas’s paint tubes into each jar. It was a very tiny amount. I had a little yellow food coloring left so that’s what I used for yellow. For red and blue I used Wiltons icing tint.

I enjoyed this mix the best because it didn’t dye my daughter’s hands different colors. It’s not as sticky has it sounds either thanks to the soap. I’m working a few more variations and I’ll post those soon so stay tuned.

If you have a toddler who loves to put everything in his or her mouth then try this recipe instead.

Heat 2 cups water in a saucepan and add 1/2 cup corn starch, 1/2 tsp salt and 3 tbsp sugar. Stir till mixture thickens. Allow to cool. Pour into jars and tint with desired dye. You might want to start with less corn starch. I made this and found it a little too goopy. I thinned it with some extra water.

Posted in D-I-Y | Tagged D-I-Y, finger, paint | 7 Comments

My Weekly Cleaning Schedule

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Freshly Simple

Check out my weekly cleaning schedule redo. I hate cleaning during the weekend so I came up with this weekly cleaning schedule. I know, cleaning schedule you say?! Doesn’t sound very exciting. If you’re anything like me then you often find yourself scatter brained and actually doing more work then you need to. Ever since having baby number 2 I feel like I’m constantly doing laundry, sweeping, scrubbing toilets, running errands and what have you. Now that I’ve stuck to this schedule I know what to expect day-to-day and I get everything done in a timely manner. No more mopping at 10 pm or folding laundry every day of the week.

Monday: Day 1 — Basic Chores

Dust
Sweep
Mop and or vacuum
Wipe coffee tables/end tables
Spray fabric refresher on curtains/rugs/sofas

These basic chores I like to get done at the beginning of the week. It takes me about two hours every Monday morning to get these basic chores complete. I go through the entire house with my feather duster in hand. While I’m walking from room to room dusting I’m also picking up anything I can and putting it where it belongs. I try to never leave a room empty-handed.

Tuesday: Day 2 — Toilets & Pets

Clean toilets
Scrub tubs and showers
Take care of any pets, litter boxes, clean small critter cages, freshen water and food bowls

Get some cute gloves, a pretty toilet brush and go to town. If I have to clean I am going to look cute while doing it. A cute apron helps too. I enjoy putting music on when I’m cleaning. Sometimes I even wear heels to either help break them in or to exercise my legs, it helps, believe me.

Wednesday: Day 3 — Countertops & Errands

Clean kitchen countertops
Clean bathroom countertops
Grocery shop
Visit the Bank
Any other errands

Don’t get me wrong, I wipe my countertops daily but once a week I move small appliances and scrub grout lines. I use coarse sea salt and fresh lemon juice to clean my kitchen countertops. I have grout grooves that need to always be cleaned.

Thursday: Day 4 — Freshen Up

Put out fresh towels
Freshen soap dispensers
Spray air freshener
Put out something fresh, like flowers or some fresh fruit
Clean all mirrors

Fresh flowers make a world of difference. It’s so nice going into a room and seeing fresh flowers out. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that bring the most joy. A pretty lemon center piece in the kitchen would be fantastic.

Friday: Day 5 — Laundry

Fridays are for getting all the laundry done and put away. I start early Friday morning and I run loads all day long. I force myself to fold each load immediately after it’s dried. I enjoy going to bed at night knowing every piece of laundry in my home is clean and put away. It’s always nice on Friday evening when my husband comes home. He gets to help with the last couple of loads. I make sure to leave the socks for him.

Every two weeks or so:

wash all the sheets & blankets
wash bath mats and rugs

Once a month:

clean outside & indoor windows
move furniture to sweep & dust under it
clean oven
clean the refrigerator
dust ceiling fans & light fixtures

This list will definitely change as our family grows. For now this works and soon I’ll join some small tasks for my 4-year old to complete.

This is my schedule and I’m sticking to it.

Posted in D-I-Y | Tagged D-I-Y | 29 Comments