Garlic and Herb Potatoes

I'm so excited that grilling season is here! This is my simple, side dish recipe for whatever you are grilling as the main course. I usually make these on the grill but I had to make them in the microwave last night because my husband someone forgot to buy propane for the grill. The basic preparation is the same whether you're cooking inside or outside.
8 -10 small potatoes - I use baby blondes or small Yukon gold
1-2 T olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp thyme
a light sprinkling of Kosher or sea salt
I cut my potatoes in half and stir all of the ingredients together to coat the potatoes. If you're cooking them in the microwave, it takes about 4 minutes, I use a glass bowl or microwave safe dish will work. If you are cooking on the grill, just wrap everything in foil, a grill basket works too but I like to keep the olive oil smothering the potatoes while they are cooking on the grill. They usually take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the heat setting of your grill and the size of your potatoes, we usually use medium heat for the grill. You can check the potatoes by inserting a fork in them, if it goes in easily they are done. If you are using more potatoes, you may need to adjust your cooking time for a few more minutes. So yummy-licious!



Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Replacement for Cream Soups

Since we started our adventure to buy less packaged foods and simplify our lives, we have found some really interesting recipes, most of them we share...some are better not passed along!  I am not a fan of the "cream soups" but some recipes call for them.  I found a recipe for a replacement and so far it has worked for the recipes I have used it in.  These ingredients are equal to 8 cans of cream soup.  I store mine in a quart glass Ball jar.
Here's what you need:

• 2 c nonfat dry milk
• 2 Tablespoons dried onion
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/4 c instant chicken bouillon
• 3/4 c cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp thyme

To make an amount equal to 1 can of cream soup, mix

• 1/4 c dry milk
• 3/4 t dried onion
• 1/8 t basil
• 1/2 T instant bouillon 
• 1 1/2 T cornstarch
• 1/8 t thyme
• dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Stir or shake well before using. When you are ready to use it in a recipe, combine 1/3 c of the dry mix with 1 1/4 c cold water. Stir over low heat until thickened.

For microwave, use glass measuring cup and heat on high 4-5 minutes, stirring several times until thickened.

This is a great nonfat substitute for condensed cream soups.  You can also use it as a soup and add veggies or meat.
 ~Simply Angie

Centerpiece Decorations

I am working on the graduation party centerpieces for the tables today. Since the theme is Shya's favorite things we are displaying pictures of her at different ages in white frames at each table. She loves clouds, funky shapes, light and fluffy stuff so we decided to use fluffy pillow batting under each centerpiece.
I re-purposed a couple of glass cream bottles and some Starbucks frappuccino bottles for vases and added a key charm with ribbon to each bottle for some extra bling! I used 5 charms; family, believe, love, hope, and faith. So each of the guest tables had it's own "life theme". Since we are having many sugary treats at her party, I wanted to decorate the bottles for the centerpieces with something that looked sugary, guess what looks like sugar? Epsom salts...so here is the DIY project. We are using fresh flowers in each vase, but you could display pictures in the vase, a card with a saying on it or one of the graduation invitations. Whatever you want to use will work perfectly!
Here are the steps for the simply glamorous vases:
Glass bottles
Spray paint - I used white, fast drying enamel because that's what I had
Spray adhesive glue
Epsom salts
I used a key charm and ribbon for decoration

I would recommend working on this project outside. Spray paint and spray glue are not our indoor friends - haha!! I would also recommend no wind or your over spray may end up on your patio table, the railings of your deck, and in your hair, I'm not saying this happened to me but does anyone know how to remove over spray? These are some of the reasons that my sister and I don't do videos, just sayin'.....so anyway, I painted the bottles with white spray paint, it took about 30 minutes for them to dry. I emptied the Epsom salts into a parchment lined 9x13 cake pan. I sprayed the glue onto each bottle then rolled it in the Epsom salts. I let it dry about 30 minutes outside in the wind. 
And there you have your glamorous vases and your beautiful centerpieces!
 
 Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Simply Organizing Office Supplies

I recently reorganized a cupboard we have over a desk in the kitchen.  I decided that I liked the look of my open cupboard for my dishes so much that I also removed the doors from the desk cupboard too.  Then I realized I needed better ways to store the colored pencils, markers, etc. so they can be found when my kids are doing projects, but still look neat and organized.  I had them stored in labeled boxes, but it never fails that the box you want is the one on the bottom of  the stack! So I moved them into jars, now they are easily accessible and no one gets a box dropped on their head! (yes... this has happened to me). I also used photo boxes to keep receipts, and baskets for camera's, cords etc. The basket on the first shelf is for the things that need to be dealt with, school papers, things to mail, appointments to make etc.

Shop your house, use what you have and be creative!

~Simply Angie