Fun with Spaghetti Squash...

So I've been cooking with spaghetti squash lately. I don't ever remember eating it as a child, but I have really found to like it! So I have used it in two recipes so far. It's really easy to work with and it can be used in recipes that call for pasta, or just used as squash. I have tried two recipes so far and they are below!

The first one that I have used a few times is from Better Homes and Gardens, via pinterest (Oh how I love pinterest!) I first found this because it is South Beach Phase One-friendly! (For my husband). It is spaghetti squash with chili. 

You will need the following:  

1 spaghetti squash (about 2lbs)
8 oz lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (though I tend to use more)
1 14 oz can corn
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (I normally just use the tomatoes without chiles because I have a young daughter, but whichever works fine)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce, with no salt added
2 tbsp tomato paste, with no salt added
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano


1. First thing you want to do is preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Then cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Then take the halves, cut sides down, on a banking sheet. Bake 45-50 minutes or until tender. Once it is finished and cooled a little, take a fork and shred and separate the squash into strands. 

2. Now, onto the chili! Take a medium saucepan. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook this until the meet is brown and onion is tender. Drain the fat.

3. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, corn, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and dried oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

4. Serve the meat with the spaghetti sauce and you have yourself a meal!

The next recipe is Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin. This one was bomb!!! It tasted just like potatoes au gratin but so much better. I love potatoes au gratin..I never knew it could be better. But it really is!!! I got this recipe from Dandy Dishes. 

You will need the following:


1 spaghetti squash
2 tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (i used a colby jack blend and way more of that. If you are a cheese fan, like me, then you might need more like 1- 1 1/2 cups)


1. First things first. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. This recipe calls to microwave the squash. Doing that or oven baking it like the above recipe work just fine. Cut the squash and remove the seeds and membranes. Place in a covered dish with 1/4 inch of water and microwave 10-12 minutes. 

2. While this is happening, take a medium pan and add the butter, onions, red pepper, thyme, and cook until onions are slightly brown in color. You can add whatever other spices you want (I did some garlic).

3. Once the squash is done, take a fork and scrape out the insides. Transfer them to a bowl. Combine the squash, onions, sour cream, and half the cheese together and mix well. Put the mixture to a greased baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. 

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

Enjoy! Both of these dishes were so good! I'm excited to continue using spaghetti squash and see what else I can do with it :)

stay classy :)

Chicken and Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes

Now I love me some tomatoes...I also love pasta....but I have never been a fan of chicken salad. But this recipe was awesome and I have been thinking about it all week! I even made enough to last me throughout this week's lunches so that came in handy. 

I got this recipe from Poor Girl Eats Well. If you haven't checked out her blog, you should. She has a ton of money-saving recipes that are healthy at the same time!

So here goes...

You will need the following:

3-4 medium to large tomatoes (We used beefsteak tomatoes and they were plenty big)
1 cup cooked orzo
1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
1/4 cup herbs of your choice (we used cilantro and basil)
1/4 cup scallions (we used red onion instead)

For Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper

1. Make the vinaigrette. That way the flavors can marinate while everything else is getting ready.
2. If you haven't already, cook the orzo and the chicken. Feel free to put some of those great herbs in with the chicken!
3. In a separate bowl, once cooked, combine the orzo, chicken, herbs, and onion/scallion and mix well. Toss with vinaigrette until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. You want to make sure the flavors get well mixed!
4. While that's happening, slice off the top of each tomato and carefully scoop out the flesh, seeds, and juice. Once the orzo mix is done sitting, take it out and scoop it into the tomatoes. 

And you're done! You can also buy grape tomatoes and just mix it with the salad if you can't find big enough tomatoes to put the salad inside. 

The Joys of Baking Soda :)

Hey there-

I haven't done much DIY stuff this week but I thought I would pass along some beauty tips using baking soda that I heard from friends and family! Here goes :)

Every month, my aunt Carol washes her hair and then puts 1/4 cup of baking soda on her hair. She then rinses it and conditions it. She told me that it strips your hair of the residue from shampoo and styling products! It also doesn't affect color (Not sure about perms though). 

My friend, Andi also mentioned that she mixes baking soda with some cold water. She then rubs that on her face instead of using face wash. She has seen great results! 

I have also found some great tips here and here. It's great because baking soda is so inexpensive! I use it in a ton of other things (Febreze, laundry detergent, and fabric softener). It's about time I started using it in my beauty products!

Stay classy :)

DIY Fabric Softener!

It's been a little while...I was in a wedding this past weekend so it's been nuts around here! I hope everyone has had a great few weeks! I decided this week to make homemade fabric softener. It was super easy and it cost me maybe 4 bucks to make! It was enough to fill a huge container of regular fabric softener. 

I got this recipe from Frugal Girls. This is also a place where I get coupons and other deals. The recipe is as follows:

6 cups HOT water (it needs to be hot to dissolve the conditioner. I just kept my faucet on for a bit and it was hot enough)

3 cups white vinegar

2 cups Suave conditioner (I used the green apple one)

Take the conditioner and put it in the hot water. Mix together until it is completely dissolved. Add the vinegar and mix together. And you're done! I saved an old fabric softener container and put the softener in there. So much cheaper than the other stuff and it works just as well!!

Stay classy :)

DIY Wipes!!

So I'm so happy that you have been going with me on my DIY adventure. I have saved so much money so far and the best part is that I know EXACTLY what is going into the products that I'm exposing my daughter to. It's awesome :)

So this leads me to my next adventure...making my own baby wipes. I found this on Live Well Network but there are a ton of ways to do this. This site also has recipes for glass cleaner wipes, disinfecting wipes, etc. I'm going to try these eventually but figured I would use this week's blog for the baby wipes since we were out of them and I needed more in a pinch! This is a great idea if you want to make your own for good, or if you run out and want to make them instead of running out and getting more. I guarantee you have everything you need already if you have a baby. 

So here's what you will need.

1 roll of paper towel (I used the Viva paper towel because it feels like cloth and I figured it would be softer. 
A sealable container that will hold half a roll of paper towel.
2 1/4 cups water
2tbsp baby wash 
1 tbsp baby oil

 

(I'm trying to use more photos :))

First thing you will do (and my opinion the most difficult part of this whole thing) is cut the roll of paper towel in half. I'll admit, this is a pain in the butt. I found that a bread knife that is serrated works best. 

Next, you are going to mix your ingredients together. You will then put half of the roll in your sealable container and pour the mix over it. 

Finally, you will remove the cardboard roll from the middle. It's much easier to remove once the roll is wet. 

And you're done! Pull out the wipes from the center and you have your own baby wipes! I really like mine. Ava seems to like them better than the store bought ones as well. Plus, you now have another half a roll that you can either use for a different kind of wipes or just wait until you need more and whip up another batch real quick. Nice and easy!

Stay classy :)

DIY Peacock Costume!

So I embarked on a pretty big adventure. I wanted Ava to be a peacock for halloween...but I just wasn't satisfied with the costumes that I saw at the store and online. Then, my lovely sister, Chelsea suggested that I just make it. I found a few DIY ones on Pinterest and, since I've made tutus before, decided to give it a shot. Here's how I did it!

I bought three different colors of tule and used one color tule from her tutu that I made for her first birthday (carrying it on..aww :) ) I got one yard of each color green and two yards of the blue. I wound up having a ton left so I get to make more..Jodie and Cori look out for tutus! I also bought the peacock feathers (8 total). I had the flower clip on hand but bought the headband. I went to SAS fabrics because they are relatively cheaper than JoAnns, but if you don't live in Phoenix or have a wholesale fabric store of awesome-ness, then Jo Anns or Hobby Lobby will do :). I also used two crochet headbands from when Ava was younger (She doesn't wear them in her head for more than 20 seconds anymore).

I started by cutting out the tule. I wanted it to be a longer tutu so I measured the tule about 20 inches. Keep in mind that this will be folded in half for the tutu. 

Next, I took the two crochet headbands and sewed them together. I did this by hand, which wasn't very difficult:

After I had done this (and had to use my knee/leg because I tried it with a coat hanger and wound up sewing both sides together and had to start over), I then started tying the tule onto the headband. There are two ways to tie the knots. I used the first way, but either way is fine.

So I used two layers of tule. I doubled the blue with each piece of green alternating on the bottom and then alternated the two types of light green on the top. 

After I had finished the tule, then came the peacock feathers! I took the feathers and cut the stems down pretty short. I then sewed them into the crochet headband. Afterwards, I bent the stems down so that they wouldn't scratch Ava's skin. 

Afterwards, I sewed a few onto the front, and onto a flower clip so that I can clip it into her hair if she doesn't keep on the headband. The finished product is below:

I spent about $28 total for the costume. Score! The majority of the ones I saw were way more and I didn't like them so I am very happy that I tried it and succeeded :)

Stay classy :) and Happy Halloween!!

DIY Spice Mixes!!

Recently, my husband was told that he had to cut down on his sodium intake. Now this might not sound like a huge deal, but it kind of is. Sodium is in everything, especially spice mixes. He isn't able to have any of that anymore. So I have had to make spice mixes instead of buying them. Now, I have found in the past few weeks that this isn't as hard as it seems. Plus, the taco seasoning that I created tastes better than the one you buy at the store, and it's with spices I already have, and no salt! Woohoo!!

So here are recipes for taco seasoning and italian seasoning...

Taco Seasoning (Adapted from All Recipes)

This recipe makes 1 ounce of Taco Seasoning.

1tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin (or cumino that my lovely friend Misty calls it :)
1tsp sea salt (but I didn't include this)
1tsp black pepper

Mix and use in place of the packets :)

Italian Seasoning Mix (adapted from All Recipes as well)

2tbsp dried basil
2tbsp dried oregano
2tbsp dried rosemary
2tbsp dried marjoram
2tbsp dried cilantro 
2tbsp dried thyme
2tbsp dried savory (we didn't have this on hand so I didn't use it and it tasted just fine)
2tbsp red pepper flakes

Mix away! It tasted great :)

Stay classy :)

Using conditioner in place of shaving cream...

Now I don't know about anyone else, but I dislike shaving cream. I don't feel like my legs are moisturized afterwards and It's just a waste of money. Earlier in the year, I came across an article on things that can make life easier and save money. You can find it on Aimless Direction, and I saw it when I was perusing Pinterest awhile ago. So I put it to the test. Does conditioner work better than shaving cream? I think so! I have found that my legs are way more moisturized when I get out of the shower...Ladies I don't know if you have the same experience, but my legs are super dry. I have to put lotion on first thing when I get out of the shower, especially after I shave. Otherwise I am so itchy on my legs that I go nuts. So, with conditioner instead of shaving cream, I can get my contacts in before I have to put on lotion, which is a huge accomplishment! It also saves money because I have to buy conditioner anyways, and I don't really find that I have to buy it that much more often. I can get a big container of conditioner (I use Tresemme) and I no longer have to spend an extra 6 bucks on Nivea shaving cream or any other shaving cream for that matter. Now only if I could get my husband to convert....

Stay classy :)

The Secret to Using a Garbage Bag Instead of a Diaper Genie Refill...

So this one I have been struggling with for awhile. I've tried a few things before to try to not spend money on Diaper Genie refills and it has always left Ava's room smelling like a latrine from girl scout camp (no joke..totally brought me back)... Until I used a little gem that everyone has in their house: BAKING SODA!! It removed any smell from it and her room smells just as nice as it did when we used the diaper genie! So here's what I did...

Take the Diaper genie refill band (The blue thingie that is left after the plastic bag runs out). Put a garbage bag in there instead of the blue plastic refill. Make sure it is over the sides and out of the actual diaper genie. Then, put baking soda at the bottom of the bag and also on the part that is above the claw that you shove the diapers through. It seriously works! Now we don't have to spend money on refills anymore!!

Stay Classy :)

Creamy Avocado Pasta

I honestly didn't know what to expect from this dish...I mean avocado as a sauce? Really? But it actually worked! I really liked it (though I put a little more garlic in mine and now I can ward off any vampire within the Phoenix city limits) and it wasn't that difficult to make!

The recipe is as follows:

(Adapted from Flourishing Foodie)

1 box grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 box spaghetti noodles
2 ripe avocados, seed and skin removed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup pine nuts
grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and half the tomatoes. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 45 minutes in the oven.

About 10-15 minutes before the tomatoes are finished, boil the spaghetti in a pot of water. Cook until al dente and drain. 

While the pasta is still boiling, add the remaining olive oil, avocados, garlic, pine nuts, and lemon juice into a food processor. mix until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. 

Combine pasta with sauce and stir. Add tomatoes. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and serve! We used it as a side with some steak but add chicken or shrimp and it will be just as nice!

Stay classy :)

Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

Soo....I made this on Tuesday but I have been super busy this week and haven't gotten around to blogging until today! My husband is a choir teacher and this was concert week...anyone who has ever been a fine arts teacher or is married to one, knows exactly what I'm talking about :)

Anyways...I adapted this recipe from In the Long Kitchen and chose to make it with spaghetti instead of the shells. It turned out really good! (so good that there wasn't any left for lunch the next day). The recipe is below:


Chicken Pasta Bake

1 box Spaghetti
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, seasoned with pepper and garlic
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Sauce:

1 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick unsalted butter (8tbsp)
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2tsp black pepper
2tsp basil
2tsp oregano
2tsp cilantro

Preheat broiler- mine was set to 500 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through (8-9 minutes per side). Cool and then chop into small pieces.

Warm cream and garlic in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. Whisk in butter until melted. Add 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, pepper, basil, oregano, and cilantro. Increase to medium-high heat and simmer until reduced to 1 cup (about 10 minutes). Stir in chicken and remove from heat.

Pour spaghetti into a 9x13 pan. Then pour chicken and sauce over pasta. Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. 

Broil until cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve immediately. 

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

Stay classy :)

Make Your Own Febreze!

Now I didn't think that this would work as well as it does...but my husband actually likes it better than the original! Here is the recipe...


Homemade Febreze

1/8 cup fabric softener (I use the one free of dyes and perfumes)
2tbsp baking soda
Enough hot water to fill the container to the top

Put the fabric softener and baking soda in the febreze container. Then fill the rest up with hot water and shake to mix. All done! Super easy :)

I have some food recipes that have been hits that I'm in the process of doing photo ops and posting :) 

Stay tuned and classy!

Laundry, and Dishes, and Grime, Oh My!

So....I made some laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, and household cleaner. Laundry detergent and household cleaner work really well. Dishwasher detergent, however is another story... I guess I can add dishwasher detergent to my "epic fail" list (it may be the first but won't certainly be the last). I found the recipes on Pinterest and One Good Thing by Jillee and each of them are as follows:

Laundry Detergent (says it will last a family of four for a year on 30 bucks a batch!)

I made some alterations to it since I couldn't find the Purex fabric softener crystals in a dye/perfume free format. So I just decided to continue using our fabric softener instead.

3 bars Fels Naptha, grated (I just threw it in the food processor and it worked really well)
1 box Borax
1 box Washing Soda
2 cups baking soda
2 containers of dollar tree OxyClean (I used the Fry's brand)
1-2 containers of Purex Fabric Softener Crystals (Again I didn't add these)

You can find all of the ingredients in the laundry section at the grocery store. I just grated the Fels Naptha and mixed everything in a trash bag. It helped to get it all mixed together that way. All you need is 2 tablespoons PER LOAD!! And it really works! I mean I have to put some stain remover on the really tough stains (but I had to do that before).

Dishwasher Detergent was a major fail. I made it with the best of intentions, put vinegar in the rinse aid section in my dishwasher, and everything came out extremely dusty, with a nasty film on everything. I read that it's due to not having phosphate in my homemade stuff. However, I have been doing some more research and think I found a solution. So stay tuned for further discussion on dishwasher detergent...

Household Cleaner

Take a cleaning bottle (Windex, or something like that). Fill it halfway with hot water and halfway with vinegar. Then put in a few squirts of dish soap (I used the fry's brand of Dawn). Voila! you have household cleaner that works REALLY WELL!! Never buying cleaner again!

Stay Classy :)

Websites that I love (And make my life so much easier)

I was thinking about where to start with this..and I figured I would start with websites that I love and go to often to help with my DIY adventure...So here goes :)

There are two that I go to for money-saving tips, couponing, freebies, etc. They are Hip2Save and Frugal Girls. I love both of them! I go there often to get anything online, in-store, and other freebies and coupons. They are also not into stockpiles or extreme couponing, which I like because..well..I'm not an extreme couponer. I don't have a stockpile or anything close. I just want to save money in the hour or so that I have to grocery shop every week. They rock for that!

The next one that I have been going to for awhile for DIY stuff is One Good Thing By Jillee. I have found all kinds of DIY cleaning and health care products through her. Plus the majority of them can be adapted for peeps with sensitive skin, like myself and my girl.

Finally, as always, there is Pinterest. I find pretty much everything on there. It actually led me to Jillee and other sites like the blog that I'm creating. It's just a bunch of people wanting to save money and try new stuff, like myself! I admit, there have been failures, which I will point out on here from time to time, but there have also been a lot of successes!

Stay classy :)

The Start of My New Adventure!

Who knew that it would be so easy to start a blog?! Had I known this, I would have done it a long time ago! I wanted to start this because I have been going through a little transformation...well a lot of transformations actually.

First, I have gone from being a married woman, to a mom. I have a beautiful, awesome daughter who is my world. I have found out over the past 18 months that not only is she a lot of work (the most rewarding work ever) but she is very sensitive to perfumes, dyes, and a lot of other additives that are in detergents, cleaners, etc. I have also found that she is hella expensive! So saving money anywhere that I can is awesome.

Next, I made the transition from teacher to therapist! This has been an amazing transformation. I have finally found my dream job and it is so rewarding and much less stressful than before.

My husband and I have also transformed into at-home eaters! Though I'm working full time and need quick and easy meals to get us through when my husband and I don't feel like cooking. We have really made a transformation from eating out all the time and grabbing a quick meal here and there, to making dinner almost every night and making our lunches the next day. It's actually refreshing to know where our money is going and realize that we are saving a ton of money on making dinner and lunches.

Since the invention of Pinterest, I have really brought out the "Martha Stewart" in myself. I've been making meals, cleaning products, menu planning, and doing everything I can to save money. After a lot of thought, I figured, there's more to sharing this stuff than the occasional facebook status. So I thought I would start this, so that I can put all of my thoughts, recipes, DIY stuff, as well as reviews of products that I've tried, and things that I've made. I tell you, there are a lot of things on Pinterest that I've tried and they have been amazing. However, there are a lot of things that I've tried that have sucked..royally. And there isn't a way to re-pin them to say that they are horrible, or atleast I haven't found it. So here goes...

I'm going to try and update this every few days. My goal is every day, but we will see how that goes!

Stay classy :)