How to Make a 2-Step Pound Cake

There is not better cake in the universe to me than pound cake.  It has always been my favorite cake and I love it so much that our wedding cake was pound cake. Pound cake is an annual family tradition as a dessert in our family. We serve it with Peppermint Stick Ice cream and I have to say it is the highlight of the holiday season! If you have never tried the combination you MUST. It can also be served with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I prefer homemade whipped cream.  Of course I don’t advise you to eat too much of this rich dessert.  I have always been told that pound cake got the name from the list of original ingredients…a pound of butter is used in this recipe so it should be eaten in moderation.

I want to share with you this easy two-step pound cake recipe.

Two Step Pound Cake

4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 pound butter (real butter)
6 eggs
3/4 cups milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Add into a bowl in this order.  A helpful tip: Place a kitchen towel around your mixer to prevent any spattering for the first few seconds, start on low until mixed.  Beat with electric mixer for 5 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Invert on cake plate and cool.

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by Expert Mommy, Melissa Jennings

How To Make an Alligator Puppet

This is an easy and fun way to make a homemade alligator hand puppet.  The things you will need to make this simple project are: 2 empty macaroni and cheese boxes, tape, glue, scissors, and construction paper (2 green, 1 red, and 1 white). Read more

How to pick the best closet organizing system

Picture with me now the typical closet in a home. A hanging bar with a shelf above or the wire shelving with the section for hanging items that is segmented so the hanging clothes only slide so far. I don’t know exactly who these types of closets were designed for, neither adults nor kids. What do you do with a closet that is not useful for what you need but it needs to be practical and grow with your kids.  Oh yeah and we need something affordable too don’t we? Here are a couple things for you to think about and some places to look. Read more

How to Live Frugally, Part 2

Last week, Dina-Marie shared 20 tips on how to live frugally. She has 22 more….

1. Do not window shop in front of the refrigerator – Determine what you want to remove ahead of time to avoid unnecessary time spent with the fridge door open.
2. Wash your clothes when they are dirty – This may be after one wearing, but then again, maybe not until several wearings.
3. Hang your clothes out to dry – Save energy and get that fresh, line-dry smell in the summer.  In the winter, use a drying rack inside to help humidify your house, which is healthier and feels warmer!
4. Make your own laundry detergent – Homemade laundry detergent is easy and economical.
5. Use cloth diapers instead of disposable – They are both economical and “green.” Read more

How To Live Frugally

Since our family’s move from the “secure” life in Alabama (job with a monthly paycheck) to the “exciting” life in west Texas to start a vineyard (no paycheck at all !), I have learned even more ways to be frugal.

I have always tended toward frugality, but watching our savings dwindle as we have payed for land, vines, trellising and other vineyard related items, and the rest going quickly for living expenses, I have had to take a crash course in frugality. Each of these actions individually may seem insignificant, but their cumulative effect over time has added up to big savings. Read more

How to Make the Most Out of Errand-Running Time

How many times have you gone to the grocery store and bought everything except for what you really went there for? How about that list of errands and forgetting the videos to return or the dry cleaning for drop off? How do I know all of this? Because I have done it myself more times than I care to admit. We are only human you know, and suffer from “Mommy brain” as well. That is best excuse I can come up with and a rightful one at that.  It is frustrating especially when you have kids that errand time is down to the wire and the window is small. How can we make the most out of errand running time? What can be done so you can get the bang for the buck so to speak? Here are a few ideas that will help you even have time for coffee.

1. Always, always make a list of where you need to go. Start with the furthest distance stop and work you way back to home base. Keep your “to do” lists in the same note book and that way you can go back and see what there wasn’t time for or things that need to be remembered for next time.
2. Begin gathering when the thought of running errands enters your mind. If you start thinking the night before “I got to get out the door early to get all this done before the morning nap or lunch.” Start grabbing those library books, videos, and dry cleaning as you think of them. Even snacks for the car. Don’t wait until later because you never know when “Mommy brain” is going to sneak up on you.
3. Create an errand running drop zone by the door you leave out of.  A basket or open container is great to stick in your front seat so you can visually see all that needs to be done. If it doesn’t get accomplished that time, leave it in the bin for your next run.

That’s it! It’s as simple as 1 2 3. Errand running can be daunting, but with a few tasks ahead of time it can go smoothly until Jr throws up or Katie gets gum stuck in her hair. It happens to the best of us, we keep moving forward because that’s what Moms do.

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Expert Mommy, Julie Verleger

How to Make a Savory Pot Roast

Savory Pot Roast- This recipe was passed to me from my Mom.  There is nothing better than a delicious tender pot roast on a cold winter day!

3 1/2 to 4 lb beef round or chuck pot roast

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 pouch Dry Onion Soup Mix

1 1/4 cup hot water

6 medium carrots cut into 2 inch pieces or 1 small bag of baby carrots

6 medium potatoes peeled and quartered

2 TBSP flour

2 TBSP Olive Oil

In 6 quart dutch oven or 8 quart pot with lid add 2 TBSP oil and heat on medium/high heat.  Add roast and brown on all sides. Remove fat.

Stir in cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix and 1 cup of hot water.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook 2 hours stirring often.

Add vegetables, cover and cook for 45 minutes or until roast and vegetables are fork tender.

Remove Roast and vegetables.  Stir together 2 TBSP flour and remaining 1/4 cup water until smooth.  Gradually stir into soup mixture.  Cook until mixture boils and thickens.  Stir constantly.

Add vegetables and beef back to sauce.

I like to serve with peas and cornbread!

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by Expert Mommy, Melissa Jennings

How to get your son excited about cooking (and eating) healthy

Did you know that children who learn to eat healthy early in life are more likely to continue good eating habits as they get older?

I’ve had friends who didn’t bother to try and feed their child anything beyond standard kid-fare because to them it was a losing battle they didn’t have the energy to fight. If this is you, you’re not alone.

One way to get your son excited about eating healthy is to involve him in the cooking process. Even at a young age, there are plenty of opportunities to help without making more of work than help for mom. Read more

How to organize your families winter coats and boots

I have to admit a while back, I didn’t think we would have snow by the Holidays. Two weeks before Christmas I was still going out with just a light coat and shoes that are not snow friendly. Today is a different story, not just with me but also with my kids. All of a sudden they have to wear snow pants, boots, mittens, hats and winter coats to school! Fortunately I have those things for them by now but what about a place to put all the outerwear when the kiddies come home from school or in from playing in the yard? When we first moved into our house the door from the outside entered directly into my kitchen right by the refrigerator. I have to tell you it drove me nuts. There was a trail of hats, mittens, coats, snow pants and boots all through my small galley kitchen. There had to be a better solution that would work for everyone. Not to mention the baby carrier, my purse and all my things, where do I put them? After some grief and lots of thinking I arrived at a couple solutions and I think you can implement them into your own home too.

Solution 1.

If you have an entry like I did there is not any wall space to hang coats and such. I created a “drop zone just outside the door in my garage. Affixed with a boot mat and hooks in the wall for coats and snow pants. Yes, it is cold out there, but when I had a chance I would bring the items in and throw wet things in the dryer and set the boots to dry in our front entry. When the items were dry I hung them on hooks I screwed into the inside of the closet door. Three on the top part and 3 on the bottom so everyone could reach.

Solution 2.

If you have a small entry with either no closet or a small closet, hooks are your best friends. I like the hooks mounted 2 ways. One, hang in 2 parallel rows a high row and a low row. Second, one lower row can work well for all members of the family.  With these ways any child can reach the hooks to hang their own coat. A smaller child can use a step stool so you don’t have to hang the hooks to low and change often. Family hats and mittens can be stored underneath in individual bins, boot can be set next to them or on a boot tray in the hall way.

Solution 3.

This solution is for those of you that have a large hall closet or mudroom.  I am a firm believer in organizing systems. Check out Rubbermaid, Container Store and Ikea there are many organizing systems to choose from for every budget. These systems make the best use of space with many different solutions. You might want different cubbies for all the family members or a row of hooks with a shelf above and below. Whatever you choose examples of these configurations can usually be seen on the company’s individual websites.

Do you see, there is a light at the end of the tunnel with all the shoes and coats. All you need is a little direction and creativity. You are a smart cookie and any of these solutions will add a bit more peace to your everyday routine. Remember if the pile always ends up in one spot think about what you can implement to alleviate the pile and make life simpler for you, the busy, busy Mom. Cheers!

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Expert Mommy, Julie Verleger

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