It's Sandwich... Sandwich Time!!!

So lately, I've been addicted to sandwiches. And they've been with spinach. I love spinach but I bought too much, so I've had to add it to EVERYTHING to use it up. Go figure, try to be healthy, end up eating like a rabbit...
I eat a lot of turkey - this happens to be smoked turkey.
With spinach. (Big surprise, right?)
Now, I don't eat mayo. Really, I don't. I ask about every-single-food-item-in-a-restaurant to make sure it doesn't have mayo (seriously, it's so goopy... it's like eye boogers, only worse!). So what does one do that doesn't eat mayo? Mustard. I put mustard on all of my sandwiches.
Along with 1 slice of swiss cheese and 1 slice of provolone.

Voila! The perfect lunch... with some Cheez-its...

It's Quiz Time...

Not that I actually want to know how progressive people are... but I find politics interesting. There's even a map of progressives in the nation too. The questions are totally straightforward, most of them you'll have a stronger opinion either way.

It's funny - my score is 301/400. I'm obviously a liberal!

Take the quiz HERE -

Discounted Home Renovation Magazines

House Beautiful (1-year)

This Old House (1-year)

Renovation Style (1-year)

Ready Made (2-year)

Do it Yourself (1-year)

Now that we're kinda sorta house hunting, I've rediscovered my love for renovation magazines. There's some fabulous prices above if you're looking to renovate (or just dream like me right now) that won't break the bank for a year.

I'm definitely a do-it-yourselfer, and I don't mind learning how to tile, working with a nail gun (though it scares the crap outta me!) or getting dirty. I guess, I'm ready for the adventure!

For My Fellow Eco-Friendly Peeps

The latest Seventh Generation newsletter!

Happy Hump Day!

To Make. Eventually.

I'm such a bad planner sometimes. I bought way too much spinach, so here's a few ideas that I have. Anyone else have any favorite spinach recipes?

Creamy Spinach Mushroom Skillet Enchiladas

Orzo with Spinach and Feta

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Tomatoes

And of course - a wrap with spinach, feta, turkey and provolone cheese for lunches this week.

Hmm... I really like quiche too, but Bimmer Man isn't so fond...

Amazon 40% Off Grocery Sale

Amazon Sale

You know you wanna shop. Do it - most items have the free super save shipping too. Don't worry, I'm watching out for deals.

Even though I end up purchasing much more than food...

I Want This... And It's On Sale

I need the 8 x 10 size - $199 from West Elm. Hurry! It's on sale!

Do You Dip?

Super easy. Olive oil and herbs, salt & pepper and voila! A great addition to any meal or just a snack that's loaded with carbs.

I kinda pulled a variety of herbs from my pantry but I didn't use all of them. I just wanted to smell them.

A short, fat dish works well - the bread sucks up the oil but you need to catch the herbs & seasonings.

Use about 1/4 cup olive oil, but have another 1/4 cup on reserve to add to the dish. I used garlic powder, thyme, basil, oregano and a smidge of marjoram with salt and pepper.

Just break the bread in pieces and dip and enjoy!

McTatty

Do You Ever Watch TLC or HGTV?

Home Made Simple is a show on one of those networks. And I enjoy it. Sometimes it's super cheesy, but hey, whatever makes you more organized, right? If you click here, this is the archived list of articles which I'm slowly but surely reading.

I need organizing help. And I'm so not afraid to admit it. Only because our house is so small and I don't really have much time to go through everything. Laundry is piled up, dishes are left undone and there's clumps of dog fur on the floor. I'm being brutally honest. And we're leaving for the weekend. Can you believe it? At least I'll wash the dishes....

So this is a great place to start getting some ideas, along with Real Simple. They've changed their website so it's much easier to look at (thank goodness because previous loading times were HORRENDOUS!)

Another good place is flylady.com. 15 minutes a day will take your breath away! (sorry, it's so dang cheesy...).

I'm slowly getting the hang of organizing my clothes after they've been dried in the dryer but hey, I'm just too excited to have a washing machine in the house!

Eh, another day, right? I took Monday off so that I can actually get a hold of my cleaning and cooking! Woo hoo!

Amish White Bread

Bread. Sliced bread was a fabulous invention. But fresh bread. That's even better! I found a recipe on Daily Deliciousness for Amish White Bread. I've seen it around on blogs before and I figured it'd be fairly easy.

And it is. Sugar, warm water, yeast.

Dissolve the sugar in the water.

Add the yeast and let proof until creamy.

See - it still needs another minute or two.

Bimmer Man was kind of excited for fresh bread. This is his favorite bread.

Ah, there. This is the creaminess that you want.

Add the oil.

Monster has a tendency to stay in the kitchen with me when I cook. He enjoys the smells, I think more than actually cooking. And he's curious.

Add the flour, one cup at a time.

Incorporate well.

Keep adding the flour. It'll get stiff and sticky - that's what you want.

Knead until smooth. It'll take about 10 minutes to get to the bread consistency that you want.

Coat a bowl with oil or cooking spray.

Plop the dough in. Turn it to coat with oil.

Mmm.. silky smooth.

Cover with damp cloth and put in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Here's my secret - our house is so cold. I turn the oven on to 150 degrees and let the warmth from the oven help rise the dough.

Shape into two loaves and bake. The easiest it to flatten the dough and then roll up like a jelly roll.

Mmm... it's so good fresh out of the oven. This is great for sandwiches, a huge chunk with a bowl of soup AND grilled cheese...

Amish White Bread

Recipe courtesy of Mommy's Kitchen (which I saw on Daily Deliciousness)

Ingredients
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45degrees C)
1/3 - 2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast.
Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast.
Mix in flour one cup at a time.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat.
Cover with a damp cloth.
Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down.
Knead for a few minutes and divide in half.
Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans.
Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!