Easy Baked Chicken Thighs

Easy Baked Chicken Thighs

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

These chicken thighs are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and have just enough flavor to be delicious, but not overpowering.  They’re great for a busy weeknight because you season them, throw them in the oven, make a few simple sides to go with them and you have a simple, delicious dinner.  I found this particular recipe from allrecipes-check out more on their website if you like this one!

Ingredients

  • 8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin
  • olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/4 tsp onion salt
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground thyme
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Arrange chicken thighs on prepared baking sheet and coat with olive oil.
  3. Combine garlic salt, onion salt, oregano, thyme, paprika, and pepper together in a small container with a lid.  Close the lid and shake container until spices are thoroughly mixed.  Sprinkle spice mixture liberally over chicken thighs.
  4. Bake chicken in the preheated oven until skin is crispy, thighs are no longer pink at the bone, and the juices run clear, about 1 hour.  An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F.

This has to be one of the easiest things to make on a busy weeknight.  There is hardly any prep time whatsoever and they taste great.  The good thing is, these are on sale frequently and you can purchase a large family pack that usually has anywhere from 8 – 10 thighs in a package.  You know what that means… LEFTOVERS FOR LUNCH ALL WEEK!  Maybe I’m the only one excited about that, but to me, that means no figuring out lunches for a few days.  I usually make a simple side like whole grain brown rice or my personal favorite… shells and cheese.  Make a simple vegetable and you’re good to go.

Most people don’t care for any bone-in meat or meat with skin, but the skin gives it so much more flavor.  Try it and see what you think!

Coming Soon…

Coming Soon…

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Keep an eye out for some new developments! Soon a recipe of the week section will be added with my full review. With it? Not worth it? Best recipe ever? They’ll be coming soon!

In addition to new recipes, everyone needs a good laugh every now and then. I will be adding a section entitled “Toddler-ese”. This is my take on “Kids Say the Darndest Things”. I’ve had some doozies, so I figured why nor document them all!

Potty Training 101

Potty Training 101

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Photo Credit: childrensmd.org

Here is just a little advice I’d like to pass along to the mothers of toddlers or those of babies who will soon be toddlers. This list is a culmination of advice given to me, advice read, or advice from, well, me. Please be sure to follow every single one of my suggestions, because these suggestions are the only correct ones. No, I’m serious. If you don’t follow these guidelines you’re a horrible parent. Really.

  • They should be potty trained before the age of 2. If they aren’t, you are not disciplining them enough and they will be intellectually stunted the remainder of their life.
  • They should not be potty trained before the age of 3. It will psychologically damage them for life and they will have constant urinary tract infections for the rest of their life if potty trained before this point (yes, I really read this…).
  • Don’t use pull-ups.
  • Use pull-ups.
  • Let them go naked even when they’re not ready to be potty trained and let them ruin your carpet and stain every surface in your house.
  • Don’t use a potty chair, then they won’t go in a public place.
  • Only use a potty chair, a normal toilet will scare them.
  • Don’t potty train until they are out of a crib and into a normal bed.
  • If you are potty training, don’t let them wear a pull-up or diaper at night.
  • If you are using a potty seat, only keep it in the bathroom.
  • If you are using a potty seat, move it to a central location in the house.
  • Give them rewards when they use the potty, but don’t reward with food because they will reward themselves with food the rest of their lives and it will be your fault if they become binge eaters.
  • Don’t give them rewards when they use the potty, they will expect them every time and will regress if not rewarded.
  • Scold them when they know they should have used the potty, but didn’t.
  • Don’t scold them, it will frighten them enough to not want to use the potty at all.
  • Sit them on the potty every 30 minutes (wait… are we potty training or parent training?).
  • Don’t let them watch TV while trying to use the potty. They shouldn’t be watching TV anyway. At least until they’re 20.
  • Praise them and make a big deal out of going in the potty when they actually go.
  • Don’t make a big deal out of going in the potty, they want to feel like everyone else.
  • Don’t tell them big kids use the potty-it will make them feel inferior if they aren’t ready yet.
  • Don’t use bribes or incentives.

Now that you have obtained a wealth of knowledge, go forth and potty train, parents! It will be a cinch!

How I Work Full Time AND Manage to Cook Dinner Nearly Every Night

How I Work Full Time AND Manage to Cook Dinner Nearly Every Night

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This has taken some time to master (and I use the word master loosely), but I have finally been able to regularly make home cooked meals for my family, even as a working mom.  Is it easy?  No, but I’ve found some things that have made my life a little easier.  I also keep an open mind to the possibility of my plans being completely derailed by a toddler who wants to sit and my lap and read (um, yes, please… we can order pizza in that case!) or getting home too late to even begin to cook the chicken breasts I thawed in the fridge.

All of the ideas I provide are just what works for me-find a way that works for you and makes your life easier so you can spend more time with you family!

Download a Recipe App

The Recipe Box App EmblemNo, really… do it. You have no idea how much decision-making time this will cut out of your life.  Who has time to make food decisions?  Not me… or I, or… whatever.  My favorite recipe app is The Recipe Box.  It allows you to import from the web or add your own.  At $3.99 the price is right and I have two copies-on my iPad and iPhone and you can sync them to one another.

If you’re just not a fan of using apps and you prefer good old paper recipes, browse yours instead of an app!

Meal Planning

Once all of your recipes are in one convenient location, it’s simpler to browse your options.  Choose a few that don’t require fresh ingredients. There’s nothing worse than planning a week full of meals, then having to throw away half of the ingredients because you don’t actually get to make a few meals.  If a few meals are planned that require several fresh ingredients and a few are planned that use mainly jarred or canned ingredients, then you’re more likely to succeed at wasting as few ingredients as possible.  I also try to plan very few meals that require me to chop a million vegetables-ain’t nobody got time for that!  Usually I select at least one or two crock pot meals.  Chop the veggies or brown the meat the night before and the next morning throw it all in.

Start small-plan for 2 or 3 fully prepared meals that week, then work your way to a full week if that’s your goal!

I also keep a small chalkboard in my kitchen to remind my family (ok, ok… so I use it to remind myself) what we’ll be having every evening.

Make Your Shopping List

Keep a running list on your fridge. When you run low on something, add it to the list. Add all of the ingredients you don’t currently have for the meals you planned for the week as well.

Browse Grocery Ads

Choose ONE store you will go to this week. It becomes overwhelming to try to make it to every sale. Choose one store and see what might be on sale that you would normally use or may need to stock up on. Add these to your current list.

Shop ‘Til You Drop or My Personal Favorite… Order Pickup

Yep-spend the money on an order pickup. If time is a problem for you, it’s money well spent. This also allows me to see what might be on sale, but didn’t make it to the sale ad.  If an item on my list isn’t on sale and I can do without it another week, I leave it on the list for the following week.  If you prefer to pick up your own groceries and have the time, even better!

New Skincare Faves

New Skincare Faves

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So, you know how your skincare regimen works for a hot second and you think, “Wow!  I finally have this skincare thing under control…”, then, BOOM: you breakout worse than you ever did in your teens.  Well, here are my new revised suggestions… until they stop working.

African Black Soap

 

african black soapIt’s as simple as its name: a bar of soap that happens to be a lovely shade of… well, black.  It’s simple: wash your face with it twice a day.  Yes.  You heard me-wash your face.  Simple, right?  This stuff is so great at removing dirt and oil that I use it for my makeup brushes and even the dreaded cleansing of the beauty blender.  GUYS-it cleans the beauty blender.  No need to say anything more.  Oh, one more thing-it’s CHEAP!

Shea Moisture also makes a great scrub for acne prone skin.  I use this twice a week (sometimes more in the winter) to remove dead skin and keep my skin feeling soft.

Moisturizer with Collagen

collagen moisturizer

St. Ives makes a great moisturizer containing both Collagen and Elastin.  I’m hesitant to admit that I need it, but… it definitely does the job when it comes to fine lines and *gulp* wrinkles.  It’s very affordable and a little bit goes a long way.

 

The Dos and Don’ts of Online Shopping

The Dos and Don’ts of Online Shopping

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 I. Love. Shopping.  I don’t like how much time it takes now that I’m a working mom.  I have become a GREAT online shopper.  Great deals and even greater products in a fraction of the time.

The key to a great online experience is to find what works for you.  Once you nail down what you’re really looking for don’t get distracted by a “great deal”.  I’ve been there… so that funky shirt was only $5.  Doesn’t really matter when you don’t wear it!  $5 down the drain.  Here are some tips to help you avoid the pitfalls of online shopping.

Clothes. Clothes.  More Clothes.

Where to Go

What type of clothes are your favorite?  Chances are you have that go-to store that you absolutely love.  You know how all of their clothes fit and can pretty much pull an item off of the rack and know immediately if it will look good on you.  Well, there are online stores that have the same safe and familiar feel.Two of my favorites happen to be Gap and Old Navy.  I know how their clothes fit, what cuts flatter my body type, and I know the price range I have to work with.

Once you have your go-to sites, keep your cart full at all times-you never know when there may be a pop-up sale… you’ll be ready!  The clothes aren’t going anywhere, so it’s time to have a spending strategy…

Price Tag

I usually have an idea of how much I want to pay for certain items in my mind.  I never pay much for clothes because I tend to favor trendy pieces over traditional lately because I can find great deals.  When I start to feel like I’m starting to be not-so-trendy, I ditch them for some new trends at minimal cost.

Always look for promo codes.  Always.  There are usually great promo codes out there and I rarely settle for anything less than a 30% promo code in addition to items being on sale.  This is when having your cart full comes in handy-once you see a sale and have promo codes, you can decide what items are worth purchasing and which items are still a little too pricey and you can purchase them later.

Shipping

There are very few sites I will pay for shipping.  Most of the time if you purchase $50 or more in merchandise or have their credit card (Gap/Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret, Target).  Sometimes being able to have items shipped directly to your door outweighs the cost of taking the time to drive to the store to purchase items.

Cosmetics/Beauty Products

Promo codes. Promo codes. Promo codes.  There are frequently promo codes or free item promotions for cosmetics from Ulta and Sephora.  Target also frequently has gift card promotions for purchasing a dollar amount of beauty products.  I normally don’t purchase beauty products online unless there is a large giveaway in addition to a coupon.

Although some higher priced products such as Too Faced or Benefit at Ulta are excluded in coupons, they frequently have free item promotions for those product lines.

Amazon

Amazon is one of my favorite go-to online shopping options.  However, I have found that sometimes deals aren’t so great for some items.  Always do a quick Google search on the item you’re considering to make sure there isn’t a high markup.  You never know… another site just may beat Amazon’s prices.

Credit Cards

I’m normally not an advocate of store/company credit cards, HOWEVER, they can be extremely beneficial for online shoppers.  Here are some of the perks they provide:

  • Free shipping
  • Cardholder exclusive sales, promotions, and coupons
  • Loyalty rewards

I never carry a balance on any of my credit cards, so these benefits really help me out when finding the best online deals.  Here are some of the cards that have great benefits to online shoppers:

  • Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic
    • Free shipping
    • Bonus promotions/sales
    • Loyalty rewards
  • Amazon
    • Free Shipping (with Amazon Prime)
    • Credit applied after application
    • Rewards points on purchases on Amazon.com and anywhere Visa is accepted
  • Kohl’s
    • Bonus promotions/sales
  • Victoria’s Secret
    • Cardholder promotions/sales
    • Rewards for purchases
Up Canvas Craft

Up Canvas Craft

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  I felt pretty crafty a few weeks ago and needed something that didn’t take much time (hey, I’m a mom… all I have time for is something that “doesn’t take a lot of time”).  I came across this cute little project on Pinterest and decided it was something I could tackle in stages, so if I was tied up and couldn’t get back to it in a while I could still complete it later.  I was pretty pleased by the way it turned out!

I made a few modifications to the ones I found on Pinterest, so I was happy to put my own twist on the cute examples I found.

What You’ll Need:

  • canvas, board, or card stock
  • buttons
  • glue gun
  • paint or paint markers
  • black Sharpie

You’ll use the canvas, board or card stock as the background for your Up house and balloons.  I glued the buttons for balloons on first, so I could get a sense of how big I should make the house.  After gluing all of the buttons on, I drew the Up house with a pencil.  Next, I painted the house.  After the paint dried, I added a black Sharpie outline to the house and drew strings for the button balloons.  Voila!  An Up house.*

*Adorable baby dressed as Carl not included.

Homemade Spray Disinfectant

Homemade Spray Disinfectant

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SONY DSCI know what you’re thinking… seriously?  I’m not making my own cleaner.  I don’t have the time and I would rather just go pick some up at the store.  Normally, I would wholeheartedly agree, but this time I have found a cleaner that is mild, easy to make, and easy to use.

What You’ll Need:

  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/4 tsp tea tree oil (approximately 10 drops)

Mix all of the ingredients in a large spray bottle, or if you’re like me and don’t want to take up space with an ugly, large, industrial spray bottle, mix the contents in a storage container and fill a smaller spray bottle when it runs low.

Easy peasy!  Check out more detailed instructions from the Detoxinista.