Tuesday, January 3, 2012
#BlockPartyHopWednesday
I'm hoping to lower my Alexa rating, so I'm participating in this awesome blog hop hosted by Frugal Plus Stop by and tell her hi!
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
I'm FINALLY seeing it! It's been 2 years of hard work (as well as those times I get to frustrated to continue for a week) but I'm almost finished with my medical transcription course! Well, I say "almost finished." I still have a ways to go. I'm currently sitting at 61.1% completion. That leaves 38.9% still to do, but I'm confident I can get this done by May 24th. Maybe sooner!
The hardest thing about working on transcription while Fuss is awake is that I have a foot pedal to control the speed/stop/start of my audio files. Right now, my main computer is dismantled due to remodeling. I'm on my laptop. This leaves my foot pedal exposed. Fuss LOVES to come and step on it, on my foot, or just stand on the pedal in general. Quite irritating whilst trying to listen to an audio file. Seriously, had I known online schooling was going to be this difficult, I would have gone for the brick-and-mortar school. I'm not unhappy with my decision overall, though. My only disappointment is that I don't feel like many people have taken me seriously with it.
Now, we have 2 goals: 1. Finish most of our remodel and put the office area and desk back together so I can have my desktop back and be able to place the foot pedal out of harm's way.
2. Finish this schooling once and for all! As soon as I get done, I'm going to get a job. I really hope it's one that will allow me to work from home. Hubby and I just don't want to put Fuss in daycare if we don't have to.
It's nice to finally be able to say I'm on the downward part of this journey though! And I sincerely hope you all will stay with me through the rest of this crazy journey.
The hardest thing about working on transcription while Fuss is awake is that I have a foot pedal to control the speed/stop/start of my audio files. Right now, my main computer is dismantled due to remodeling. I'm on my laptop. This leaves my foot pedal exposed. Fuss LOVES to come and step on it, on my foot, or just stand on the pedal in general. Quite irritating whilst trying to listen to an audio file. Seriously, had I known online schooling was going to be this difficult, I would have gone for the brick-and-mortar school. I'm not unhappy with my decision overall, though. My only disappointment is that I don't feel like many people have taken me seriously with it.
Now, we have 2 goals: 1. Finish most of our remodel and put the office area and desk back together so I can have my desktop back and be able to place the foot pedal out of harm's way.
2. Finish this schooling once and for all! As soon as I get done, I'm going to get a job. I really hope it's one that will allow me to work from home. Hubby and I just don't want to put Fuss in daycare if we don't have to.
It's nice to finally be able to say I'm on the downward part of this journey though! And I sincerely hope you all will stay with me through the rest of this crazy journey.
Monday, January 2, 2012
A Little Prep Goes a Long Way
So, I have been trying to cook at home more over the last year and that meant trying to have everything on hand that I would need and easily accessible. (I'm the first to admit that I tend to be lazy...I like it all to be convenient and quick.) This led us to freezing items. The most common things we use that can be frozen for later use are chicken and ground beef. In order to make this as cost effective as possible, we buy in bulk. Each packet of chicken we buy has around 10 boneless, skinless breasts and the ground beef is bought in a 10-pound tube. Unfortunately, a 10-pound tube of beef just doesn't fit anywhere conveniently. It also isn't very convenient to measure out 1 or 2 pounds of meat each time you want to make something.
My solution is to vacuum seal it! Of course, thanks to my dear hubby, I do it a little differently than some might. I first make a few "Food Saver" bags that are the correct size. This took some figuring out when we first started sealing things. Then, I take the tube of beef and portion out 1-pound portions using my food scale. I then take a permanent marker and put the date of freezing and the weight on each package (post-vacuuming, of course).
Hubby's idea was to mash them flat and make little "meat wafers" to place in the freezer. Here I am making the ground beef flat using a rolling pin. Hubby likes to just use his hands.
I make sure to get the corners and edges nice and even. Then, I toss them in the freezer.
In this final photo, I have the stack of ground beef packets in my refrigerator freezer. After they are frozen, you can stand them on edge side-by-side! When I need a pound of ground beef for Manwiches or burgers, I just pull out a packet and defrost it! Easy as 1-2-3!
I do usually have a little left over at the end because it's not usually exactly 10 pounds in each tube, so I just save the last packet and put whatever amount is left in that one. So, I'll have 9 packets of 1 pound each and 1 of 1 pound and "x" ounces. Sometimes it ends up being only 14 ounces in the last one. It just depends on each tube of ground beef.
My solution is to vacuum seal it! Of course, thanks to my dear hubby, I do it a little differently than some might. I first make a few "Food Saver" bags that are the correct size. This took some figuring out when we first started sealing things. Then, I take the tube of beef and portion out 1-pound portions using my food scale. I then take a permanent marker and put the date of freezing and the weight on each package (post-vacuuming, of course).
Here is what the meat looks like immediately after vacuum sealing. This doesn't freeze quickly. It also doesn't thaw quickly or evenly. Not good.
I do usually have a little left over at the end because it's not usually exactly 10 pounds in each tube, so I just save the last packet and put whatever amount is left in that one. So, I'll have 9 packets of 1 pound each and 1 of 1 pound and "x" ounces. Sometimes it ends up being only 14 ounces in the last one. It just depends on each tube of ground beef.
Military Monday
Welcome to the Military Monday Blog Hop!
We invite all of you,
military or not, to join in this great blog hop. Would you like to be
connected to other blogs? Would you like to increase your number of
blog followers via Google Friend Connect? Then this hop is for you. No,
you don't have to be affiliated with the Military, you just have to have
a blog! Please don't leave links to your Facebook, Twitter, or other
blog hops. Those links will be deleted.
The guidelines are quite simple here!
Grab the Military Monday Blog Hop button and post it as a new blog post or on your blog's sidebar!
Follow the hosts below publicly (I hope you also follow me!) And don't forget to leave a comment telling me your blog so we can give you a follow back!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Whatever You Do on New Year's Day
You continue to do the rest of the year. At least that's what I've always heard. Today, I have succeeded in cleaning up messes from Fuss, cooking, cleaning the house, and doing school work. Aside from the school work, that sounds pretty accurate! Fuss is continuing to work on potty training and even pooped on the potty without me reminding her yesterday after her bath and today while playing! I am honestly more impressed with her stopping her game to go potty than with being naked post-bath and going, but that doesn't make it any less exciting for her!
My "resolutions" for the year are pretty simple. I intend on finishing my transcription course by June and getting a job that I can work from home. Second, I want to blog more frequently and gain more fans. Third, I hope to eat healthier and be more adventurous in my cooking...this last one is easier said than done for sure!
Do you have any resolutions? What are they? And according to the old wives' tale, what will you be doing the rest of the year based on today's activities?
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy New Year!
I hope you all have a great night tonight with friends and family at your New Year's Eve parties. Please remember to be safe and designate a driver or call a cab! We will be enjoying time with some dear friends and their family, so I hope your night is filled with love and laughter as well.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Keepsake Baby Plate
My only hang-up about this purchase would be that there is no option to get a different mode of display. It comes with an attractive but very cheaply-made plastic stand. This wouldn't be a problem if you didn't have a CHILD in your home! I would prefer to see something more substantial, preferably a hanger, for use as a display. In all honesty, I have a 16-month-old who thinks she is a monkey! If I had this on a stand or table anywhere NEAR her, she would climb up and grab it (then proceed to fling it to the floor, enjoying the shattering sound as it hits). I understand the company's desire to save money. However, it would be nice to at least have an OPTION available to change the type of display stand you want: Plastic (no cost), Metal (maybe $1-2 more), and Hanging ($2 or so more).
I have considered ordering one for my Fuss (and any subsequent child, to be fair), but I don't have a place out of reach enough to put the plate on display to justify the $40 price tag at this time. I think the plate is adorable!! It just isn't very practical.
**Originally posted by me 8/14/11 at Bunny Berry Blog**
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