"The Crispiest You Can Get Without Frying Them" Sweet Potato Wedges

I loooooove sweet potato fries and wedges! Like a lot! Trader Joe's fries are by far my favorite. But sometimes I want to make some wedges at home. Every Christmas my mom's cousin gives us a big 10 pound box of sweet potatoes. It's a lot. I use about 3/4 for baby food (post coming on that soon!) and the rest go towards wedges! I seriously have tried so many ways to get a good crispy wedge without frying. I hate frying food in my house. I hate with a fiery passion! (Pun intended....cause ya know, grease fires! hardy har har!) So yeah, my goal over the last couple years has been experimenting different ways to get a good non-greasy crisp and I think I found it!

So what you'll need -

Sweet Potatoes, I only use one for the two of us and it's plenty
Salt and Pepper
Coconut or Olive oil
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
Chili powder
Paprika
Tin cookie sheet
Cooling rack

Wash the sweet potato and slice into the thinnest wedges you can get without nicking a finger tip.

The thinner the better.

Next line your cookie sheet with foil and set the cooling rack on top.

Seriously, why did I use an orange bowl for this?? lol! Awful pictures! Any ways, just pour on the oil. I oddly like the hint of coconut oil so that's my go to. Add just enough to give a good coating. 

Here are the seasonings I use. Add what you want, skip what you want. The flavor is customizable! I like mine a little spicy so I tend to go heavier on the chili powder and cayenne. Also the owls are salt and pepper. Cause they cute! 

So shake in all that seasoned goodness! Mix together, just go ahead and use your hands. It's easier and that's one less thing to wash with the dishes. 

After tossing the wedges in that spicy goodness you'll take your cookie sheet, line with foil (if you wanna, I'm lazy at times and it makes clean up a cinch) 

Next line your potatoes up on your pan, stick them in the oven for about 25-30 minutes (keep an eye on them cause they can get a little burnt quickly). Once they are done cooking let them cool then dig in!

My FAVORITE thing to dip them in is Gwen's Nest Ranch! Seriously this ranch is off the chain and will ruin you for store bought ranch! 

Raspberry Chipotle Pot Roast

When my husband and I got married he told me about a meal his mom would make. It sounded amazing! A pork tenderloin with a raspberry chipotle sauce on it. He couldn't remember what sauce (or kind of sauce) she used. So I ventured out and found that Sweet Baby Ray's had a raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce so I gave it a whirl! Of course we later found out it was a glaze from Costco (which we don't have around). Either way this mild mix-up led to a one of our favorite meals being created! Behold, raspberry chipotle pot roast!!!

(Blurry picture 😱😱 sorry!) 

So you'll need...

- Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce

- Half an onion  

- A can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 

- A roast of your choice (we use Aldi's half butt. Price, quality and amount this one make most sense for a family of two. We get multiple meals from it.) 

I usually use a Dutch oven but today I'm going crockpot. Gots to run dem errands! 

Cut half the onion into wedges. I'm sure there is a real word for how these should be cut, but I'm a simple cool 😉

Put the pot on low (350 if you Dutch oven it)

Place the roast in the pot of drop the onions in. 

Now add the chipotle peppers. I use about half the can. Adjust this to the amount of spice you want. I like our's pretty kicking so I use half the can. Then pour about 2/3 of the BBQ sauce over everything. Put the lid on and let it cook for 6 hours. I usually rotate the meat about half way through. You don't half to I just do it....no reason 😜 I usually put it in the pot at noon and we are ready to roll by 6. Dinner on the table at 6:30. Pretty sweet! Plus we have left overs so a win win. 

So after six hours lift the lid off the crockpot of wonders! Look at all that flavorful goodness! Yum! Now at this stage I just start small cause it can be tedious. I pull out a chunk at a time (avoid the fat too!) and start shredding. If the meag is tender enough it literally falls apart. 

Before you know it this 👆🏻 turns into 

this 👇🏻

I like to shred a few of the chipotle peppers in the pork and leave in a few of tbe onion slices. 

Next take some of the juices and add them to a bowl with the rest of the bbq sauce. 

Whisk it together well and pour over the meat. 

Now this step is optional but I think it really make everything just that much better. Put the whole pan into a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. It kinda melts everything together in perfect, smoky, sweet, meaty harmony. 

Once it's all done plate it up! In my opinion it goes best with okra, squash and a tall glass of sweet tea. Freeze whats left or hold on to it for left overs. 

Here are a few left over ideas -

BBQ nachos

Quesadillas 

Flatbread pizzas

Sandwiches 

Or just ravenously eat it with your bare hands....ya know, whatever floats your boat! 

Enjoy!!

Simple Ways to Go Green

So going "green" has many different interpretations to different people. For me it's simply the three R's, reduce, reuse and recycle. Here are a few ways I do those three things around our home. Simple tips I've found to save money, resources and reduce waste. Now we still use toilet paper and buy things, so we aren't hardcore green people. But we do like no having to take the trash out every day cause it's over flowing with waste and it's mildly rewarding when we are able to fill up a recycling bucket. Baby steps are the easiest, simple tricks that before long you don't even notice you've changed your routine. 

Laundry Tips - 

     One thing I started early on in our marriage (mostly to save money!) is to cut dryer sheets in half. You literally get double the loads out of one box. It takes maybe 2 minutes and I have never noticed a difference in how my laundry comes out. Works just fine and it reduces the amount of waste. And again, IT SAVES MONEY!!! Woohooo! Now I don't use them every load anymore, I've just fazed out to linens like sheets and towels (since they sit in a closet and aren't always used everyday it helps lengthen the fresh). So now I can stretch out a box even longer and when a box cost $5 a pop I like to milk it out. Just a side note too, I have tried to make my own dryer sheets with sponges and diluted fabric softener and it was a hot mess. After a while I noticed grease stains on most of my clothes and considering I'm an adult who can eat without spilling food everywhere I traced it back to those nasty sponges. 

Another thing I do (which if you've read any other blog post you know this is my specialty!) I make our own laundry detergent. Cuts down on expenses and waste. You don't have a bunch of old laundry detergent bottles that just get chucked into the trash and it does save money. Like a LOT! Here are my other post on detergent, the original liquid, all natural liquid and the concentrate version. Check them out and start saving the moola!  

Also an HE washer and dryer will save water and electricity. 

Kitchen Tips - 

One thing I did as soon as we got married (back in fall 2013) was buy a large pack of plain white wash cloths. I had this hair brained idea that I would use wash clothes instead of paper towels. I figured if I hated it I'd only be out $4 (how much the pack costed at walmart). Well guess what?? I didn't hate it! In fact I LOVE it!! And they payed for themselves pretty much right off the bat. I've been using the same pack our whole marriage too and I've had to toss maybe 4-5. But I have saved so much money on paper towels and I have saved a lot of paper from the trash too. I also feel like I get a better clean cause it's more scrubby. 

Another way to cut back on paper waste is make cloth napkins. Super easy! (I may make a tutorial one....may not....who knows!) Just cut out a 12" by 12" piece of cotton fabric (I use old scraps so I don't have to buy new cloth) and a 12" by 12" piece of flannel. Then sew them together, flip right side out and seam along the edges. Again, super easy and will save you loads of money and waste!  

Buy less prepackaged stuff. More packagings means more waste. And recycle or reuse the packages you have. Trust me, once you start recycling it's second nature. In fact I cringe when I'm out and about throw away a recyclable. 

PLEASE! Ditch the pastic water bottle habit! Soooo much wasted money and plastic. We bought a filter pitched and keep it in the fridge and hardly ever use bottles now. Hubby and I both have Nalgene bottles (those bad boys hold a butt load of water!) We just wash and refill. Simple right? Plus you skirt around that nasty plastic bottle taste with the filters. Buy off brand filters will also cut back on the money. 

Other Kitchen tips -
Instead if zipper bags use storage containers. Wash em and use em again! Saves money and stops waste

Don't use cleaner wipes (like clorox clean up wipes) Just use rags and cleaner

You can make your own cleaners out if Apple Cider Vinegar. I've yet to venture into that but most likely will once I'm done with this bottle of biodegradable cleaner. That way I can reuse the spray bottle. See? Baby steps! 

Use a steam mop with a washable head. No cleaners, no wasteful mop cloths.


Baby Tips -
Go cloth! Cloth diapers AND wipes are great ways to save money and reduce waste. And cloth diapers don't have to break the bank. We bought most of our's used and bought the rest from www.alvababy.com. They have a pocket diaper that adjust from 6 lbs to 33 lbs so you can essentially use these diapers the whole time your baby is in diapers. I have yet to use them (since baby isn't even born yet) but my sister has used their diapers and I have heard from plenty of local mama's that they are the best bang for your buck ($5-$7 for 1 diaper and 1 insert). Plus they are so cute! I needed out and got a couple of Harry Potter prints! (Ps, not being paid to mention Alva, just passing on what I know) So for our whole stash we probably spent right around $125. Sooooooo much cheaper to by used and a plus side is that we have several brands so if we don't like one we aren't stuck with 20 of their brand.



Cloth wipes will also cut down on waste and save money too. I seriously just used the simple plain baby wash cloths. You can make a solution for them of your own or buy a pre-made solution to moisten them. Here are a couple DIY solutions you can use for cloth wipes,

- solid 
- liquid

Also here is my Pinterest board for cloth diapers. Lots of good articles if ya wanna research more :)



Other simple ideas -

Buy used everything you can! Used clothes, carseats, used play things (swings, bouncers, Johnny jumpers, etc) The more you buy used the more you can keep it green. Plus ya save money....again, who doesn't like that?!

Tips for a Naturally Fresh House

So when I did all sorts of research on how environmental factors can affect a womans fertility I found out there were a lot. Like seriously, it felt like any thing can zap your eggs! Anything from food, to plastics and the big on was chemicals that alter your hormonal balance. It was crazy! And I was too lazy to figure out what exactly may be an "unsafe" chemical (cause honestly what isn't??). So I just decided to cut as much crap aa I can. Hence the soap making business ;) (Shameless plug, here is my store link to all natural homemade soaps https://www.etsy.com/shop/MySweetHomeCarolina) So yeah, during my journey to chemical free bliss I came across some handy dandy house cleaning and freshening goodies and tips that I want to share with you today! Who doesn't love a fresh clean home am I right?

Disclaimer, I still use a few cleaners around the house but I try to stick to biodegradable natural options. Like Seventh Generation cleaners. I like their antibacterial kitchen spray and I use that on a daily basis. I tried the vinegar cleaning route but I just don't like my kitchen smelling like a pickle. I also like their shower cleaner, call me crazy but I don't like to be thrown into a coughing fit when I clean the tub! 

So...let's get down to business!

My main go to for a fresh smelling home is my oh so beloved oil diffuser! 

Hubby got this for me Christmas before last and I gotta say he did his research! The brand is QUOOZ and the model is Lull. It's an ultrasonic diffuser and there is a difference with ultrasonic and non in the way they diffuse the essential oils. It has a big enough tank it runs 8-10 hrs. I rotate the diffuser around the house to which ever part needs it most. After a few minutes on any sad stale smells are gone with the wind. I usually run the whole tank and that takes care of any stank (rhyme intended!) And not that my house is fitlhy, but we've got two pups and apparently like to rent houses with old stubborn smells. So sometimes I need a little extra help!

My favorite oil blends to diffuse for freshness are :

- Rosemary and Grapefruit (trust me, it's amazing!)

- Peppermint and Grapefruit 

- Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint

- Lavender and Lemon

- Lemon, Orange and Grapefruit 

Teally I just like to use a citrus and something else, citrus always smells clean. Mints are also great for fresh, hence breath mints ;)

My next little trick is this lovely lamp! It's a Himalayan pink salt lamp. Best lamp ever!

Reasons I love my salt lamp :

1) it's gorgeous! I mean it looks like a freaking basket of embers just chilling there and it puts off the best glow ever! 

2) tons of benefits besides eye candy (I'll list a few in a moment)

3) it has a dimmer so you can crank it up full blast or keep it at a soft glow for a kick butt night light.

4) IT LEGIT FRESHENS THE AIR!!

I found a good article on salt lamps here (http://www.naturallivingideas.com/himalayan-pink-salt-lamp-benefits/) I'll sum up what it says but go check it out for yourself and research on other sites as well.

One main benefit is that it cleanses the air and deodorizes it as well. It attracts molecules because salt attracts water. It then "zaps" said molecules bu trapping the dust, allergens, pollen ect to the salt and evaporating the water. Make sense? Again, read up on other articles to get a more rounded idea of how they work. 

Now it also helps promote good sleep and recharges negative ions but that's not quite relevant to what this post is about. 

So after seeing my mother in law's lamp and hearing how much it helped them sleep I decided to get one myself. I got mine off amazon but some Walmarts now carry them. At least my local one does....maybe cause I live in hippieville though? So I really liked my lamp and I could tell a difference with how well I slept (warmed it up before bedtime) it helped with allergies too. But the big test was when we moved into our new home. The second bathroom smelled like it was the "smoke under the vent" room and I could not get the smell of old cigarettes out. Now it wasn't a strong fresh smoker smell, just a little old and stale. So after a few days of different experiments I finally thought to put my salt lamp in there and guess what?? After just one night of it being left on the smell was almost unnoticeable! After the second day it was gone! Blew my socks off! So I rotated it from room to room for a couple of days and it really freshened up the old stale smell of the house (1980s trailer...so yeah....smelled a little less than new!) 

Thirdly my favorite floor cleaning routine! 

During my late teen years at home we discovered the steam mop! My childhood home was a fixer upper when we moved in and some smells never went completely away. So like clock work anytime the weather got warm the floors would get this odd smelly smell. And cleaners only seemed to cover it till it came back worse. So we tried just plain old steam and were very impressed! Not only did the floors feel truly clean (I hate the sticky leftovers of cleaners!) the smell was finally held at bay! So when I moved out and got married a steam mop was at the top of my list. Our first house had hardwood floors and tile, the middle houses where carpeted and our current it laminate wood. I am soooo glad to be back with wood! And that joy comes from getting to steam mop!! It's amazing how clean you can get something without cleaner. No residue, no perfumed fakeness and NO CHEMICALS!!! Wooo! It's also eco friendly cause unlike disposable mop cloths these boys are rewashable. With a big dog, little dog and the love to not wear shoes our laminate usually needs to be vacuumed every other day and steamed maybe 2x a week. It's perfect to keep my home fresh and naturally clean. 

A little hack of mine for tile (don't use on laminate. Unless you want to. Free country. But it left a few odd streaks and felt a little slick for my liking) is to drop a little EO on the mop head before use. 

Thieves is a wonderful disinfecting essential oil! I'm a tightwad who can't bring myself to spend 30-40 bucks on a bottle of oil (nothing agains the big brand...I just know there are other safe brands out there) So I use my knock off Thieves to put on the mop head before I steam my bathroom. Really about 2 drops will do, then just mop like usual. It cleans well and leave a nice light scent. So really any essential oil or blend would work good. I just like Thieves for cleaning with. 

So yeah, my main tips for a fresh, clean and natural home. Who doesn't love the freedom to trot around barefoot and know you're not sticking to the floor? And everyone loves a clean smelling room! And not just a scent masked one at that ;) 

Happy Cleaning <3 

Katie 

Aztec Chicken - Food from the Grizz House

So my husband's college buddies rented a house near their campus. It was affectionately named The Grizz House. And from this house emerged a beautiful recipe for an easy, yummy chicken dinner.

Aztec chicken was one of the first recipes my sweetie suggested (besides Poppyseed Chicken! That is an other post that desperately needs to be written!) So naturally I was excited to make it for him. It's all pretty simple ingredients : 

- Two jars of salsa (your choice...we like spicy!)

- Two blocks of Neufchatel cheese (no one said this would be healthy!)

- One can if corn

- One can of black beans

- Diced Jalapeño (totally your choice...i usually keep a couple chopped ones in the freezer. 

- Two to three chicken breast 

(This makes enough food for us to eat off this 2-3 times)

So you can make this recipe in the crock pot or dutch oven. I'm usually never prepared enough for a crock pot meal....but hey we still eat dinner so no bigs. 

So clean up your chicken breast and toss them in the dutch oven.  Add pepper. I skip the salt since there is a lot of canned stuff. If you have time by all means use frozen corn and soak the beans yourself. It won't ruin the dish. It's pretty fool proof!

Next I open the cans of beans and corn and rinse them off. 

Then crack open those jars of salsa and just pour them over the chicken breast. 

Toss on the corn and beans. 

I usually wait and pour the 2nd jar of salsa last. Add those jalapeños if you wanna. 

Cover the pot and stick it in a 350 degree oven. 

Let it cook for about 1.5-2 hours. 

Once the chicken is fully cooked shred the chicken and cube the cream cheese. 

If you have a stand mixer pull out the chicken and shred it in with the beater attachment. Talk about an awesome cheater step! 

Put the chicken back in the pot, cube the cheese, recover and put the pot back in the oven for about 15 more minutes. This allows the cheese to melt. 

After the cheese melts it will all mix together nicely. Goodness my mouth is watering right now adding these pictures! 

Serve over rice and/or corn chips! Enjoy :) compliments to college dude cooks! 

All Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent

So I am a fan of homemade laundry detergent! I'm sure that's obvious by the two other post I have made on laundry detergent (Original recipe here and then we have the Concentrate recipe) 

But this laundry recipe it's all natural, so no colorants or artificial fragrances. Plenty of wholesome clean goodness and so easy to make!

What you are gonna need is 6 oz of grated pure coconut oil soap (that you can buy here https://www.etsy.com/listing/234868161/made-to-order-100-coconut-oil-soap) 

Washing Soda 

Borax 

Essential Oils if you want 

So first off put the grated soap into the pot and add four cups of water.

Turn your heat on medium. 

Just patiently wait for all the chunks to melt down.

Can we get a woohoo for natural goodness?! 

Ok, back to bussiness! 

Measure out one cup of washing soda and one cup of borax. 

I always have clumps in my powdered stuff so I like to break them down.

Slowly pour the soda and borax into the melted soap mixture. Mix well and make sure that it all dissolves. No clumps or grits allowed! Just kidding, but if they aren't gone it'll mess it up....so yeah ;) No grit allowed! 

Once everything is smoothly melted (add you essential oils now if you want them. I used lemon and lavender) then go ahead and slowly pour you mixture into a five gallon bucket.

Add warm-ish water to the bucket till it's about half way full. You'll want to try and keep the bubbles on the low. 

Some bubbles will happen so I just break them down gently while mixing the whole batch really well.

Cover and let is settle un-disturbed for about 12-ish hours.

After is gels mix up with you hands and smooth out the lumpy-ness. I always wear my wedding and engagement rings while doing it cause they come out super shiny and clean! So a win win!

Pour your mixture into your bottles and then you are good to go! Separation is going to happen, it inevitable. So just give your bottle a good shake up before you use it in your laundry. I usually use about 1/4-1/3 of a cup per load. And I use it in my HE washer. Never had a problem with it in my washer either.  

Hope you enjoy your day! I'm wrapping up mind watching a little New Girl on Netflix and folding some freshing washed laundry ;D