A Force to be Reckoned With

A Force to be Reckoned With

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

Alright, guys… I fell for a Facebook ad.  Ok, so it’s not the first time, but hey, it’s worked out well every time I’ve fallen for one, so that’s a good thing, right (just nod your head in agreement… it will make me feel better)?  Maybe I’m a good skeptic and only fall for the ones I know will work out in my favor or maybe I’m just lucky, but back to the original reason I fell for the Force of Nature ad.

No, I’m not talking about a hurricane, tornado, or any other natural disaster: it’s a cleaning product.  One you make AT HOME.  Weird, right?  Now, if you know me well at all you know I hate bleach.  So much so I don’t even know if we currently have a bottle of bleach in our house right now <gasp!>.  But seriously, guys… bleach has been proven to be more harmful than beneficial (don’t just take my word for it… do your own research. No, really.  Do it… you’ll thank me later) and there are other cleaning products out there that disinfect as well or better than bleach.  This ad claimed that the cleaning product is proven to be more effective at disinfecting than bleach, is completely safe around infants and pets (yes, Rem the chiweenie… it’s safe for you, too, buddy), doesn’t stain or discolor fabrics, deodorizes, is cheaper to produce, does your laundry, and cooks breakfast for you.  You can’t just blow up my Facebook feed with these claims and not pique my interest, sneaky marketing people.

Since they had such a “great deal” with a Facebook discount code I decided what’s the harm in just trying it?  I mean, I’m getting a good deal!  Yeah… just let me believe that, k?  So… after it arrived, here’s what happened…

I. Love. It.  No joke-this stuff is amazing!  I’ve been using it for years now and I have to tell you… it’s my go-to for cleaning almost anything.  Here’s why I love it:

  • Safe around kids and pets
  • Disinfects BETTER than bleach (yes, you read that correctly…)
  • Doesn’t stain my fabrics
  • Deodorizes (hey… I know you have stinky shoes, too… don’t act like you don’t)
  • Cost effective
  • Refills may be ordered on Amazon… AMAZON, YOU GUYS.  If that doesn’t sell you on this product, I don’t know what will…

How it Works

Force of Nature uses only salt, vinegar, and water that uses electricity to create electrolyzed water making a product that disinfects and deodorizes in a safe, non-toxic way.  A starter kit includes a spray bottle, a mixing bottle, a 5-pack of salt and vinegar mix refills, and the device that electrifies the salt, vinegar, and water to create the Force of Nature cleaner.

The Verdict

The Good…

So far, so good.  I’ve had great luck with it as a cleaner and deodorizer and it is far cheaper than purchasing multiple products.  My favorite part is that it is so safe I sometimes spray down my child’s pacifiers, rinse, and they’re good to go!  It is now my everything cleaner from counter tops, sinks, bathroom counters, stinky shoes, wet dog smell (looking at you, Rem), and any general messes  I come across.  I’ll have to confess I always forget to try it out on carpet stains.  We generally don’t have massive stains in our carpet, but what I do come across I find myself grabbing the Resolve and forgetting all about my handy-dandy cure all on my counter top.

It’s really simple to make the cleaner and even easier to order refills.  I purchase mine on Amazon, because, well… Amazon.

The Bad…

There aren’t many negatives that I have to complain about. The only inconvenience I see is that the chemicals break down after 14 days, so new cleaner must be made every 2 weeks. To me, I’ll accept this minor inconvenience when it’s easy to use, safe, and most of all, extremely effective at cleaning.

But What Do I REALLY Think?

Totally worth replacing many other cleaners!  My selling points: easy to make, safe, cleans effectively, competitive price.  I found myself cleaning A LOT of things in my house with vinegar.  While that’s fairly effective, vinegar isn’t necessarily safe on many surfaces and stinks.  Like, smells horrible for days. Overall, I can’t say enough good things about Force of Nature as a safe, effective cleaner.  You’ll see it on my counter top ready to kill germs and squash the stench for a long time to come!

Deleted my FB App. Not Sad About It.

Deleted my FB App. Not Sad About It.

by Engineered Mama ♥ 2 Comments

Yep.  I’ve done it before and I did it again and I could care less.  What do I miss about the little blue square “f” in my “Social” iPhone folder? Not much, to be brutally honest.  Here is what is missing from my life now that I can’t simply tap my app: nothing.  Not one dang thing, y’all.

After opening Facebook and seeing suicide articles posted in my feed for seemingly days it was a fairly easy decision.  I started thinking about what my life was like before that little blue “f” on my phone existed.  Better.  That’s what it was like.  I talked to people.  I didn’t have a button that let me see EVERYTHING.  Guess what?  I don’t want to see everything.  I need to not see everything.  What I need to see is my work when I’m at work, my family when I’m at home, my friends when we’re having dinner, shopping, or going to a movie.  I need to do things I love: cooking dinner for my family, playing with my kids, watching my child hitting his first baseball off a tee then chasing the ball instead of running like mad to first base (true story… feel free to chuckle at that mental image), binge watching ridiculous things like old seasons of Survivor (thanks a lot grad school Roomie) and NOT compare it to someone else’s version.

When suicide becomes almost commonplace it’s time to reevaluate.  Reevaluate technology usage and what media you surround yourself with.  No, I did not delete my Facebook account.  Why?  Because I do think when used in the right way it is a useful tool to share your experiences with your close friends and connect with those that aren’t close enough or are too busy to connect with regularly.  Hear me, though: no one’s life is what their Facebook displays.  Life is not filtered to show your perfect.  There is no filter for struggling to find time to pull your weeds in your overgrown flowerbeds, prepare healthy meals, and always have laundered and neatly folded clothes when you work, are rearing two adorable little men, trying to be a supportive, caring wife, and are workin’ on your fitness (holla, Fergie!  Yes… I know no one says “holla” anymore, but I still do…).  What you are viewing is fake.  As fake as Tyra Banks’s weave on America’s Got Talent every week (don’t lie and say you haven’t seen it… I’m sure you’re reading this on Facebook, ironically, so I’m sure you’ve seen America’s Got Talent clips this week).  Social media is a constant comparison game that will leave you feeling less than a perfect human being, which is what social media portrays.  Delete it?  No, but not having an app that I can simply press mindlessly at any time?  Absolutely.

Thanks for a useful tool, Mark Zuckerberg, but desensitized, comparative, filtered view of reality fell to its death as your little “f” icon app shook in fear as it was deleted.

Mama’s Back with New Favorites to Love

Mama’s Back with New Favorites to Love

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Well, nearly a year has passed since my last entry on this little blog of mine and man has our little family become busier than ever!  A new member joined our house of crazy in January which added even more fun and chaos than before.  Tiny man is attempting to roll his way through the house, is as vocal and as happy as can be, and is the easiest and most relaxed baby I’ve ever seen.  Big brother finished his first year of preschool, his second season of soccer, is starting his first season of tee-ball (if you’ve never witnessed 3- and 4-year-olds attempt to play tee-ball for the first time you need to make it a point to watch it sometime… you’ll laugh until you pee your pants), and is now mastering riding a “big boy bike” WITHOUT training wheels-look out, world!

With all of the crazy changes in our lives I’ve picked up a few new products, recipes, and general life “stuff” to share. So keep an eye out… good stuff is coming soon!

Instant Pot Deal!

Instant Pot Deal!

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I have wanted an Instant Pot for so long, but haven’t been willing to shell out the money for one. If you’re like me, there’s a Kohl’s deal that may convince you otherwise!

Photo Credit: Kohl’s

Kohl’s currently has a 6-qt Instant Pot (normally $129.99) for $99. Pretty good deal… but wait! There’s more! If you have a Kohl’s charge, here are some awesome promo codes to make it even better:

  • 30% off with Kohl’s charge (BBQ30)
  • $10 off Home purchase (HOME10)
  • Free Shipping (FREE4JULY)

With all of these deals you’ll walk away with (or have it shipped if you’re like me 😉) a $130 Instant Pot for around $63 before tax. If you have Kohl’s cash they may just end up giving it to you for free… but really, awesome deal!

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls (Spring Rolls)

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls (Spring Rolls)

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment
Vietnamese-Rice-Paper-Rolls-7-landscape
Photo Credit: RecipeTin Eats

Adding another somewhat time-consuming recipe this week, but it’s also a delicious one.  I love Vietnamese spring rolls, especially with a good pho (recipe for pho to come!).  This recipe isn’t terribly difficult, but takes a little prep and has ingredients that I don’t normally keep on hand, so it takes a little more grocery planning.  If you enjoy this recipe, take a look at other great recipes at RecipeTin Eats!

 

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls (Spring Rolls)

Ingredients

  • 7 – 14 sheets of 22cm/8.5″ round rice paper
  • 11 small cooked prawns/shrimp (about 12cm/5″ in length, unpeeled including the head)
  • 50g / 1.5 oz dried vermicelli noodles
  • 7 lettuce leaves – use a lettuce with soft leaves, like Oak or Butter Lettuce
  • 14 mint leaves
  • 1 cup bean sprouts

Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce

  • 1 tbsp peanut butter, preferably smooth (crunchy is ok too)
  • 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar (or lime juice)
  • 1/3 cup milk (any fat %) (or water)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 tsp crushed chilli, samba oelak or other chilli paste, adjust to taste (optional)

Directions

  1. Combine the Peanut Dipping Sauce ingredients. Mix briefly (it won’t come together), then microwave for 30 seconds. Mix again until smooth. Set aside to cool. Adjust sour with vinegar, salt with salt and spiciness to taste.  Thickness can be adjusted with milk or water once cooled.

  2. Place vermicelli noodles in a bowl and cover with warm water for 2 minutes, then drain (or follow packet instructions).

  3. Peel the prawns, slice in half lengthwise and devein.

  4. Remove the crunchy core of the lettuce leaves.

  5. Tip – LETTUCE BUNDLE: Place some vermicelli noodles and bean sprouts in a lettuce leaf, then roll it up, finishing seam side down. Repeat.

  6. Fill a large bowl with warm water. The bowl doesn’t need to be large enough to fit the whole rice paper in one go.

  7. Place two rice papers together (if using 2). Note which side is the smooth side – this is supposed to be the outside of the spring roll. Submerge the rice papers into the water (both of them at the same time, together) for 2 seconds. If your bowl isn’t large enough to fit the whole rice paper in one go, that’s fine, just rotate it and count 2 seconds for each section you submerge into the water.

  8. Place both the rice papers (one on top of the other, they will stick together) on a board or the counter with the smooth side down.

  9. On the top part of the rice paper, place 3 prawns with a mint leaf in between, as per the photo.
  10. Place the lettuce bundle with the seam side down onto the middle of the rice paper.

  11. Fold the left and right edges of the rice paper in, then starting from the bottom, roll up to cover the lettuce bundle. Then keep rolling firmly. The rice paper is sticky, it will seal itself.

  12. If you placed the ingredients on the rice paper as per the photo below, your rice paper rolls should look pretty with the prawn and mint leaves on the smooth side of the roll and the seam on the side or underside of the roll.
  13. Serve immediately with the peanut dipping sauce.

Recipe Review

I love these spring rolls!  They’re packed with flavor and the peanut dipping sauce is delicious-it adds a great lightly sweet flavor to the spring rolls.  These take a little while to make, but rolling them (use 2 sheets of rice paper… it will make your life SO much easier!) is easy to master after just a few rolls.  They stick together very well after rolled, so if you’ve ever attempted sushi… don’t let this intimidate you.  It is MUCH, MUCH easier.

I have found a few shortcuts that make my life so much easier with this recipe.  The first is to purchase frozen salad shrimp.  There is already a lot of chopping, measuring, mixing, going on in this recipe, so this cuts some of the prep time down.  Just thaw a few of these little shrimp and they’re the perfect size for the spring rolls.  The second is the lettuce-it’s hit or miss what type of lettuce I can find in store or what’s on sale.  I usually use the ends of Romain lettuce, but don’t include any overly bulky stalks.  This usually adds a bit of a crunch without being too tough to bite through.

A great crock pot pho recipe that pairs well with these spring rolls will be coming soon, so be on the lookout!

Greek Turkey Burgers with Greek Salad and Tzatziki Sauce

Greek Turkey Burgers with Greek Salad and Tzatziki Sauce

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment
GreekTurkeyBurger
Photo Credit: Fit Mom Angela D

These turkey burgers are a great, lean, flavorful dinner.  The only problem with this one is it takes A LOT of prep, so I only make it when I have a lot of time to prepare for all of the chopping, shredding, and mixing.  If you like this one, check out other healthy options at Fit Mom Angela D!

Tasty Greek Burgers

Burger Ingredients

3/4 cup grated zucchini, squeezed

1 1/2 lbs 93% lean ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red onion, minced

1 T oregano

3/4 tsp sea salt

3/4 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Greek Salad Ingredients

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup cucumber, grated and peeled

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dill

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Tzatziki Ingredients

1 cucumber, peeled & diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/4 red onion, sliced (or diced depending on how you like it!)

1/3 cup Kalamata olives

1 tsp oregano

Sea salt to taste

1 T Feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Burger Directions

  1. After grating the zucchini, squeeze the moisture out with paper towels
  2. In large bowl, combine all of the Turkey Burger ingredients and mix well.
  3. Divide into 6 equal patties.
  4. Cook burgers on medium heat, about 5 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle.

Greek Salad Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tzatziki Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
  2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  3. Serve over a bed of Greek salad and top with Tzatziki.

Recipe Review

I’m always a fan of anything “Greek”… pasta, pizza, if it has feta or olives, I’m in!  File this recipe under “only-make-if-you-have-a-lot-of time”, but absolutely delicious!  It’s light, but filling, and has a great mix of healthy vegetables and dairy with the addition of feta.  The Tzatziki sauce is delicious and can be paired with a lot of other options.  This one is a winner for me!

What a Difference a Day Makes Craft

What a Difference a Day Makes Craft

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

IMG_4034I always see pins on Pinterest about the “What a Difference a Day Makes” DIY.  After much delay, I actually attempted my own version.  I figured there HAD to be a template somewhere, right?  I mean, as much as I see this darn thing repinned someone had to post their template, but alas… no template was found.  I did however find a template for a Microsoft Project, um… project (yeah, that sounds odd to me as well…), but the normal, average, person doesn’t have Project (or maybe that’s just me).  I took matters into my own hands and decided I would make my own template in PowerPoint.  After about 15 minutes (yeah, a miracle happened… FIFTEEN MINUTES), I was able to make a template I was pretty proud of.

I’ll describe my process in a few steps:

  • Create a new, blank PowerPoint slide (without text boxes)
  • Change the size of the PowerPoint document to 8×10
    • Go to Design Tab and click on the “Slide Size” drop-down menu in the “Customize” section.  Choose “Custom Slide Size…”
    • Change size to 8″ width and 10″ height.  When you choose this size and apply it will ask if you’d like to maximize or scale the document (this is if you’re operating in Windows 10 with a newer version of Office).  Choose to maximize the document.
  • Create new text boxes that will serve as the field for the dates, names, and “What a difference a day makes” saying at the bottom.  I played with text box sizes for the date until I was happy with the amount of space the text box occupied and lined them all up in the center of the document.  I did the same with the names underneath the date.

PPT Template

  •  After the template was set, I chose fonts and font sizes that worked well together.

What a difference a day makes

  • Print it!
  • Frame it!
  • Voila… meaningful decorating on the cheap!

WADADM Large View

 

Salmon Patties

Salmon Patties

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Salmon-Patties-Croquettes-Recipe-Salmon-Cakes-Dinner-Idea-for-Lent-by-Five-Heart-Home_700pxCollage
Photo Credit: FIVEheartHOME
Growing up my grandmother and mother made salmon patties and they were always a favorite of mine (yes… my grandmother was from the south… where the best food comes from!).  Every time I ask my mom for the recipe I get “Oh!  It’s easy… you use breadcrumbs, salt…” and about there I tune out because I know I’ll never, ever remember all of that.  It always amazed me that my mother and grandmother hardly ever used recipes.  They just instinctively knew how to cook.  Since I doubt I’ll ever get my mother to write me an ACTUAL recipe, I searched the interwebs for what I thought to be a “decent-looking” recipe, so here it is!  I had success with it (meaning my husband loved it and even our toddler ate more than a bite, which I would call a win), even though they were a little crumbly.  If you like this one, take a look at a few more recipes at FIVEheartHOME.

Salmon Patties

Ingredients

  • 2 (7.5 oz) cans canned salmon (Alaskan wild-caught and boneless/skinless), drained
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs, divided
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 tsp. garlic salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • a few dashes hot pepper sauce (such as Tobasco)
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. butter

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together drained salmon, eggs, 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, garlic salt, pepper (to taste), and hot pepper sauce (to taste).
  2. Divide the mixture into four equal balls and form into 3/4-inch thick patties.  Place patties on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. Place remaining 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and press both sides of each salmon patty into breadcrumbs.
  4. Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-high heat.  Add olive oil and butter to pan; once melted, swirl pan to coat.  Add the salmon patties and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and serve warm with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Recipe Review

This is a great upgrade to a normal salmon patty recipe and it has a lot of flavor.  I never use hot sauce in my recipe because I feel there is already enough flavor and hot sauce would ruin an otherwise good thing this recipe already has going on.

The only drawback I can see to this recipe is… it’s so good there isn’t enough of it to go around!  It makes four decent-sized patties, but I always cook to feed a small army because, well, I’m a fan of leftovers.  If you’re cooking for several people I would definitely double the recipe.  To me, this isn’t a drawback, it’s a sign that this recipe is SO good that you always need more!

Crustless Mini Quiche (Freezable!)

Crustless Mini Quiche (Freezable!)

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

img_9297Alright, everyone… it’s here!  The first installment of Recipe of the Week.  The format of these posts will follow the same format: recipe first (because who wants to hear me ramble on and on about a recipe that you have to scroll to the bottom to find… not me!), then comments on what I liked about the recipe, what I didn’t like, how easy (or not) it was to make, and just general comments.  This week’s was great because you can freeze them and they still taste like the day you baked them!   If you like the recipe, stop by Will Cook for Friends to find more great recipes.

Ingredients

Base:

  • 12 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tsp dried parsley (optional)
  • 1 tsp dried basil (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

Vegetables:

  • 1 cup vegetables of choice (see below for some options!)
    • spinach
    • bell pepper
    • broccoli (diced very small)
    • avocado
    • jalapeno
  • 1/4-1/2 cup onion, diced fine

Add-Ins (optional):

  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar, gruyere, mozzarella, parmesan, feta, or other cheese, divided
  • 1 lb bacon, sausage, or other meat, fully cooked

Directions

  1. If using meat (bacon, sausage, etc.), cook fully first.  Set aside to cool, then cut into small pieces.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and thoroughly grease (butter, coconut oil, or non-stick spray) a muffin tin.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.img_9295
  4. Dice all vegetables. Set aside.
  5. Add all vegetables to the bowl with the egg mixture and stir to combine.  Stir in half of the cheese and all of the meat, if using.
  6. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.  Fill to about 1/4 inch from the top, then sprinkle a small amount of reserved cheese over each.  Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the egg mixture is fully set and the cheese starts to turn golden brown on top.
  7. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before running a butterknife around each muffin and gently removing from the pan.img_9296

Reheating, Freezing, and Thawing

Once cooled, the quiches should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or frozen.  If heating from refrigerator, heat in the microwave for several seconds.  If reheating from frozen, heat in the microwave 30 seconds.

If Freezing:

Place each mini quiche in a small baggy.  Place all bagged mini quiches in a gallon size Ziploc freezer bag and place in the freezer.

Recipe Review and Suggestions

This is probably one of my favorite recipes to date.  It’s easy, filling, and convenient.  The recipe makes several servings, so I like to freeze them and grab them on my way out the door for work in the morning.  This recipe is also great because all of your favorite ingredients can be added.  My favorites are bacon or diced ham and asparagus.  I know it sounds strange, but the asparagus adds great flavor!  Here are some other great options I’ve tried:

  • Avocado, bacon, and cheddar
  • Ham, dill, and feta
  • Spinach, bacon or ham, feta, and shredded parmesan for topping
  • Bell pepper, ham, and parmesan