Organized medicine cabinet

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While emptying out my kitchen cabinets and cleaning them in preparation for painting, I decided that I'd had enough! Enough of having bottles of meds falling into my dishwater, when I was moving them around to find something. Enough of having my vitamins pushed to the back and taking 5 minutes every day to go find them. Enough of having to get a chair so that I could see to the back of the cabinet! So this is what I did.

There are 4 baskets, each labeled with it's contents: Mom's vitamins, colds, flus, and fevers, and Tummy problems. the fourth box is for thermometers and misc. Now when I need to take my vitamins, there's no more hunting. I just take down the basket, and put it back when I'm done.
The tutorial for making the baskets is found on Attempting Aloha here.

The labels are inside little plastic bags so that when I have wet hands, I wont mess them up.

I made this light fixture!

Posted by: Paulette
While out shipping with Dave at hobby Lobby, I was looking in the garden section and fell in love with the metal hanging baskets used for plants.I turned one over on top of the other and thought, this would make a cute light fixture.
Then when looking in my Ballard designs catalog, I fell in love with this:

Ballard Designs

I remembered that shopping trip, and when I was at Goodwill I scored! I got two of the hanging baskets for $10. I know that my fixture doesn't look exactly the same. But I am happy with it.

 

I removed the chains from the baskets and used the individual links to attach the baskets to one another. Then I used the existing light socket and cord from the grandma style pink and white Tiffany lamp for this fixture. I painted the cord black, and used some of the chain and the hook to hang the fixture. It looks so much better in real life. I love the little bit of rust on it. It gives it a great patina. 

I'm not looking forward to changing the light bulb. I'll have to take off half of the links to open the cage. It's a good thing the CFLs last so long.

And since I was able to customize how low it would hang, Dave doesn't hit his head on it anymore!

Mango Thai Restaurant

Posted by: Paulette
Have you ever noticed how some of the best restaurants happen to be hidden? That's the case with this place, Mango Thai.
First let me tell you why I love Thai food. I grew up eating Chinese food. I didn't discover other "ethnic foods until I was in my twenties. Then I was introduced to Indian food. I instantly loved all of the spices and heat of the food. As I got older Chinese take out started to taste like trash to me. My palate had begun to develop. Indian food was a great alternative, but I was greedy and had to order 6 dishes, most of which was taken home and consumed later. But oh! At what a price! The calories were through the roof, and our bill was over $60! Then I discovered Thai food. Lighter on the calories, and cheaper for the wallet. The Thai people use the 4 different tastes in their dishes; spicy hot, sweet, sour, salty. This combination pf flavors is like a party in your mouth! The dishes are aromatic and flavorful. And they don't use ghee (clarified butter) in their dishes.
 Since I am allergic to wheat, I rely upon Thai and Mexican restaurants when we go out, because I know I can find something gluten free on the menu.

So why am I telling you all of this? Because Dave and I went on our date last night to Mango Thai. It's a new small restaurant located in Mesa, AZ, and every time we walk in, the place is empty! And it's not because of the food or service. The people who run it are friendly and attentive. Your glass is never empty. And the decor is charming as well. Why are they always empty? Because they are located in a corner of a shopping plaza/office park that mostly closes down at sunset. They don't get enough traffic or exposure. So I am going to do my best to give them some exposure.

We started off with an appetizer, Fresh Spring Rolls. Think Salad rolls wrapped in a huge rice noodle, and then dipped in sweet and sour sauce. It's like a salad roll. Very refreshing.

Then we followed that up with Larb with Chicken. the Thai people really know how to do salads. This particular salad was chopped marinated chicken with a lime, chili sauce over veges.

Then we had a curry. I've not had this particular curry before. But my philosophy is if it's Thai curry, it's going to be delicious! So I have no fear in choosing what ever sounds good at the time. We tried the Mango Curry. I was not disappointed. A blend of spices with cocoanut milk and fresh veges cooked  to perfection! Just the right amount of sweetness to bring out the flavors of the spices.

And our bill came to $25. 

While waiting for our food to arrive, I had a look at their take-out menu and had a good laugh over some of the names:
Drunken Noodle: Stir-fried flat noodles with mixed vegetables, basil leaves, and peppers in a homemade chili sauce
Samurai Pad Thai: A creative blend of the well known stir fried Thai noodle with eggs, bean sprouts, green onion, ground peanut, and topped with golden brown Japanese prawn tempura dipping sauce.
Duck A La Funk: Duck deep-fried to golden brown, then stir-fried with hot and sour sauce, bell pepper, chopped onion, and topped with a spicy curry sauce.

It appears that the Thai people have a great sense of humor!
I hope you give Thai food a try. And if you happen to be near Mesa AZ, check out Mango Thai. they're located behind the Burger King on the west side of Country Club and Hampton.

I was not paid for this endorsement. It's just something I'm passionate about. And I think I'll have my 50th wedding anniversary catered by them, if they're still around by then. LOL!

Mango Thai Restaurant
1440 S Country Club #10

Mesa AZ, 85210
480-964-3944 

On the Menu petering out

I know this post is a day late. We had so many leftovers last night that I scrapped the idea of cooking a Greek dinner and we all had a smorgasbord. That's pick what ever you want to eat that's in the fridge for those of you who've never heard the term before. Fancy for Mom is fed up and tired and doesn't want to cook tonight.
I did make dinner Wednesday night, and the theme was Spanish. Here's those recipe, and some really bad pictures. I was running out the door and asked hubby to take some.

Wednesday Night: Spanish

Chicken and Sweet Pepper Paella
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lb Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1 Yellow sweet bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 Red sweet bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large yellow onion, dices
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
2 cups brown rice
4 cups chicken broth, or water
sea salt 
fresh ground black pepper

In a large pan saute onion and garlic in olive oil, on medium high heat, until transparent. Add chicken  and brown on both sides. Add both peppers, rice and water and cover and cook on medium low heat for about 40 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.


Spanish Gazpacho
1/4 large onion diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs tomatoes, skins removed and diced
*1 cup homemade tomato paste 
1 sweet red bell pepper, diced
1 sweet yellow pepper, diced
2 Cucumbers
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 cups chilled water 
sea salt to taste


Place onion, garlic, tomato paste , 1 chopped cucumber, and olive oil into blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a pot and add peppers, and second cucumber with water. Add sea salt to taste.
This soup is meant to be served chilled and actually gets better the longer you let it chill. traditionally it is served with bread or croutons. I served mine with a cheese focaccia. 


* To make home made tomato sauce, cook down 4 cups of chopped tomatoes, uncovered, on low heat for about 3 hours. A crust will develop on the side of the pot. When most of the liquid has cooked off, cover and turn off heat. Let the crust soften up, and mix into the tomatoes. It will give them a richer flavor.  I keep this on hand in the fridge to use in recipes through out the week.


This is the first time I've ever tasted this soup. When I heard of a chilled soup, I thought, "how strange!" But, I really loved it! It was almost like a liquid salad. And was very refreshing! It was even better on the second day.


  

On the Menu continued...

Tuesday Night: French

Broccoli Salmon Quiche servings: 12
1-14 oz can salmon deboned
8 large eggs
2 cans skim evaporated milk
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups broccoli
1/2 lb Swiss cheese
1 tsp herb de Provence
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
non-stick cooking spray


In a large pot, steam chopped broccoli, covered, with about 1 cup of water.
In a large pan, caramelize the onions in 2 Tbsp olive oil on medium high heat. When onions are brownish, but not crisp, add garlic, and saute until fragrant. Drain broccoli and add to pan.
In a large bowl combine, Eggs, herb de Provence, salt, pepper, evaporated milk, pepper, and nutmeg. Beat until eggs are mixed in.
Spray a 8"x13" pan with non-stick spray. Add egg mixture. Slice cheese and spread out evenly, add salmon, and broccoli mixture. Bake uncovered in a 400 degree F. oven for about 45 minutes.

White Wine Honeyed Fruit Salad servings: 6

I got this recipe off the internet. Since it had fruit in it that I did not have on hand, I made substitutions. I'm giving the recipe as I made it.

1/2 cup white wine
4 Tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 packet Truvia sweetener
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Lb strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 Gala or Pink Lady Apples, peeled cored and sliced
2 peaches, peeled pitted and sliced
2 small oranges, peeled seeded and quartered



Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl with a whisk, and set aside in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Prepare fruit in a large bowl. toss the fruit with the desired amount of dressing before serving. (I used about half.)

Check back tomorrow for recipes from SPAIN!

Wire baskets with canvas liners

Posted by: Paulette

When I saw this post at Attempting Aloha, I knew I'd found a solution to one of my problems. I have been looking for cheap baskets (quality at a very inexpensive price) to fill out this cute bakers rack my aunt gave me for months. They were just not to be found. I did manage to find 1, but I was never going to find matches for it. When I did find something that might work, they had handles on them, which made them too tall. 

These baskets are made to order! I could make them whatever size I wanted. A roll of the wire mesh (found in the garden center of your home improvement store with the fencing supplies) was only $7. And I've already made three baskets and still have more leftover. The canvas is part of a drop cloth that I bought to slipcover my couch. Another great idea by the way. Buy Canvas drop cloths for the fabric. It's a lot cheaper than buying the fabric off the bolt. I almost bought 2 yards of off white duck cloth at Wal-mart yesterday. It was $7. But then I recovered my misplaced brain, and bought the canvas drop cloth at Ace Hardware instead!

I am now able to store those ugly kid's lunch bags out of sight. My aprons are in another basket. I love that the liners can be pulled off and washed!
A must have when you are putting them in a kitchen.

Charlie at Attempting Aloha has some great ideas and tutorials. Check her out sometime!

On the Menu

Posted by: Paulette
This week we are doing a tour of Europe dinner menu.  I thought I'd share these recipes with you. Wherever possible, I try to substitute healthier ingredients for the traditional ones, so these dishes may not be true to their country of origin.

Sunday Night: Italian

Turkey Meatballs with homemade marinara and quinoa noodles

Turkey Meatballs
1 Pound 85/15 lean Ground Turkey 
3 large eggs
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 Cup oats

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 2 cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Mix all ingredients together, and form into golf ball size balls. Place on cookie sheet with about 1 inch spacing in between. Bake for 20 minutes.

Marinara Sauce

5 lbs tomatoes
1 TBSP olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
4 packets Truvia sweetener
a good hand full of fresh basil chopped, or 1 TBSP dried

Start about 5 hours before you want to serve. The tomatoes take about 3 hours to cook down into a paste. You can do this part the day before, and put the paste in the fridge and pull it out just before making the sauce.
Cut tomatoes into quarters and cook on low in a large pot without a lid, for several hours, only stirring occasionally. You want a slight crust on the bottom of the pot. When the tomatoes have cooked down to about 1/3 of their original volume and are very dry, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let sit until the bottom crust has softened up and you can stir it into the tomatoes.
Crush and chop the garlic and saute in olive oil until fragrant, not brown. Add tomatoes and basil and simmer for a few minutes, stirring to incorporate. Add Truvia and salt.

Strawberry Spinach Salad
1/2 lb strawberries washed, cored and sliced
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/4 medium onion, thinly sliced
About 4 cups raw baby spinach  

Strawberry Spinach salad with lemon dressing

Lemon Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
Lemon zest and juice of 1 medium size lemon
1/2 tsp ground mustard                                                   
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 packets Truvia sweetener

Add all ingredients in a jar and shake. Serve over salad.



Monday Night: German

Geschnetzelte Chicken
1 Lb Boneless skinless chicken breasts (About 4 breasts)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (I had cilantro so that's what I used)

Geschnetzelte Chicken

Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch slices. Heat a large pan on medium high heat. Pour olive oil and butter into pan. Salt and pepper chicken. Place into pan when butter has melted. Brown one side, and then turn over, and reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle chicken with parsley and then cover and cook a few minutes more until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan, and set aside, covered with a piece of foil.


Mustard Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable, or chicken broth, or water with 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup evaporated skim milk
1 Tablespoon honey mustard
1 Tablespoon deli mustard
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon orange zest
Optional 1 Tablespoon corn starch for thickening
(Since I used skim milk instead of cream, I used the corn starch to thicken the sauce a bit.)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish ( I used cilantro)


Place all ingredients into a small sauce pan, over medium heat until butter is melted, stirring constantly. Add cornstarch and heat until thickened to desired consistency.
Pour over chicken and then sprinkle with chopped parsley.


German Potato Salad
3 large red potatoes cut into quarters
4 slices bacon
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion,diced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 packets Truvia Sweetener
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I used cilantro)


Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with enough water to cover. Boil until a knife can be inserted into the potatoes. (They will not be fully cooked. Just softer than raw.)
On 4 paper towels, and covered with another paper towel, cook bacon in the microwave for about 6 minutes. Remove and use paper towels to take most of the grease off of the bacon. Set aside. 
Place olive oil and chopped onion into a large pan and cook on medium high until onion is browned and crisp. 
In a small bowl, mix vinegar, water, sweetener, salt,  and pepper together. Add to onions. Chop bacon and add to mixture in pan. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool a little. Cut potatoes into 2 inch pieces. Add to pan and toss with other ingredients. Cover and cook until potatoes and cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.


Warm Cabbage Salad

The original recipe calls for red cabbage. I had green cabbage and so used that. They taste the same.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 Cups cabbage, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 crisp, sweet apple, cut into matchsticks
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons diced onion
1/2 tablespoon red cooking wine (original recipe calls for 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar)
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (see above note)
 1/2 teaspoon deli mustard
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Optional 2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add cabbage, apple, caraway seeds, and salt. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally until cabbage is wilted, but not cooked through. About 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. 
In a small bowl, mix together garlic, onion, vinegar and wine, mustard, and pepper. Pour over cabbage and toss. If you are using the walnuts, sprinkle over salad.

Tonight I will be making quiche with a honey and wine dressed fruit salad. Check in later this week for the recipes.