Kitchen Pantry Tour

May 31, 2017May 30, 2017 RefreshHer6 Comments

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My pantry is a corner closet in my kitchen. It holds all my cooking items, so that would mean ~

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Canned Goods
Baking ingredients
Dry Goods
- Pastas
- Rice
- Flours
- Grits
- Oatmeal
- Sugars
- Dried Fruits
- Nuts
Teas
Pudding/Jell-O
Cereal
Jams, Jellies, Honey

It also holds some paper products

Paper plates
Plastic cups
Plastic silverware
Straws
Holiday napkins and plates
Holiday bags
Extra Ziploc Bags

Some seldom used items are stored there.

Pressure Cooker
Pasta Pot
Thermos
Small Insulated cooler

So, as you can see, that pantry has lots in it AND I go in and out of there all day long. I tell you all that so you’ll understand why this “Before” picture looks so messy! It had just gotten out of hand, even though I had a “system” I thought was working.

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I took a day and half last week and got it under control!

Let me give you a tour of the “After.” It still has LOTS in it, but it’s labeled better and spread out in a way that doesn’t overwhelm me when I walk inside.

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I’ll show you each shelf:

Up above ~

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I added a little decor inside the pantry. I hung my “Denise’s Kitchen” sign and my Rooster picture above the shelves.

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I hung my two dust pans on a wall in here. The small one is only for sweeping crumbs off the tablecloth. The large one is for the floor. I was constantly going to the coat closet down the hall to sweep around the trash can and counters. This makes life easier!

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All the holiday paper napkins are in Ziploc bags and labeled.

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A little vignette on the floor!

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While my pantry might not be the most beautiful with glass jars and empty shelves, it works for me and I enjoy stepping inside now. My items are accessible and it makes me smile to open the door! Mission accomplished!

If you didn’t see this post, you can see how I used vinyl chalkboard to cover the door of my pantry!

Do you have an area in your house that makes you grimace? I hope this inspires you to do something to that space so you’ll smile instead!

Refresh those spaces!

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Cooking · Dinner · Home making · main dish · Main entree · Side dish

(L)Oven Monday – “Grilled” Chicken Tenders that Taste Like Cracker Barrel’s

May 29, 2017May 29, 2017 RefreshHerLeave a comment

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I love it when a restaurant has healthy food that’s so good you don’t feel like you’re missing out when you choose to order wisely! That’s how I feel about Cracker Barrel’s Grilled Chicken Tenders! They’re so juicy and flavorful that every bite is like an indulgence. Recently I found This Copycat recipe on Southern Plate that reminds me so much of that delicious entree! They’re not really grilled, but they have the taste of it! Let me show you how simple this recipe is!

“Grilled” Chicken Tenderloins

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips.
1 cup zesty Italian dressing
2 teaspoons lime juice
3 teaspoons honey

Instructions:

Place chicken in gallon ziplock bag. Combine all other ingredients and pour over. Seal and marinate for at least an hour. Doing this step the night before would make supper a breeze!
Pour all ingredients into a large skillet and cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates and remaining marinade becomes thick and caramelized. This can take from 30-40 minutes.
Coat each piece of chicken in marinade by rubbing it around on the bottom of the pan before removing it.

Here’s what it looked like about half way through the cooking process:

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I cooked my chicken in my electric skillet and it took about 30 minutes, so just keep an eye on the your pan to tell when it’s done. This is so delicious! I used the leftovers later in the week for wraps for our lunch and it was delicious cold! This would be a great staple to keep in the freezer!

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If you need a super-simple and fast side to go with a meal, here’s something we love:

Canned Potatoes with Rosemary and Tomatoes

Canned potatoes, drained
1 Tbl. Butter
Grape Tomatoes, halved
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper

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Melt butter in small skillet. Cube the potatoes and add them to the skillet. Let them get brown and a little “crispy.” Add herbs and Grape tomatoes. Let cook until tomatoes are warm.

This is a super-easy and yummy meal! I hope you’ll put it on your menu and then let me know how you like it!

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Do you have a favorite Copycat recipe you make?

With love from my country kitchen,

Denise Signature 150 px

accessories · home · Home decor · Home making

Creating Vignettes in Your Home

May 24, 2017May 23, 2017 RefreshHer2 Comments

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Last weekend when my daughter was here visiting, she took a picture of a vignette in my kitchen and posted it on Instagram. As I looked at that photo, I realized that those little areas are really some of my favorite places in my home. Vignettes are cozy little groupings that help tell my story, as I mentioned here.

Today I thought I’d walk you through my home and share some of those vignettes with you and then tell you how I go about creating those “visual stories.”

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Using an odd number of items in a grouping is suggested by the experts (of which I am NOT!). I just play with it until I like the way it looks. Often that means doing and re-doing it! You should also use items that are similar. In this grouping, they are all items that are kitchen related – apples, tea pot, platter.

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Different textures should be present – shiny candle holder, rough wood, silk leaves.

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Pictures of family are part of my story that I like to include in my groupings. When you look at the vignette above, you realize that without the fabric inside the tray, it would be all the same texture. The cloth napkin softens it, as does the greenery.

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Each part of my mantle has little vignettes that all work together. They should be the same “theme” so they flow.

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This is a shelf over the guest bed. The setting for a grouping doesn’t just have to be a tabletop. The top of the fridge, a bookshelf, or even a window ledge are all places where you can create a grouping. Vary the height of the objects you use, as well as the depth. Lining up everything in a row on that shelf wouldn’t have the same affect.

I love to change those vignettes all year long, but I try to keep in mind those key elements:

Use an odd number
Carry the theme
Vary texture
Vary Height and depth
Tell my story

I hope that inspires you to create some little areas in your home that create homeyness and tell your story!

Denise Signature 150 px

freezer · Home making · How-to Video

(L)Oven Monday – Pictorial Guide to Strawberry Freezer Jam

May 22, 2017May 22, 2017 RefreshHer8 Comments

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One of our favorite summer treats is Strawberry Freezer Jam. I’ve made it for years and we smear it on toast, PB&J sandwiches, biscuits, and muffins (especially these). I also love taking a jar as a hostess gift. I make up several “runs” of the recipe each May, and we try to ration it out to make it last until the next fresh/local strawberry season. It could be called a domestic crisis if we run out!

The freezer jam is quicker to make than the cooked jam, and it’s a really simple process. Another great thing is that once you get a stash of jars stocked up your only cost is the ingredients for the jam. This recent batch cost me $20 and I made 18 jars! That’s a great value!

But spite the fantastic taste and the value, sometimes people are afraid to try making it for fear that it won’t set up, and then they’ll have wasted all the ingredients and money involved. But If you’re one of those people who are afraid to try it on your own, I thought I’d walk you through each of the steps, using my pictorial guide below.

Note: I make my Strawberry Freezer Jam using the recipe on the Sure-Jell box.

Sterilize your jars and lids in the dishwasher, or in very hot, soapy water.
Wash the strawberries before hulling.
Cut off the stems. Slice berries.
Using a potato masher, mash the berries – don’t make them soup. Leave it a little chunky See next photo.
There should be some chunks
Add sugar. Be sure to measure it exactly as recipes states. Level off cups.
Let set for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
Put Sure-Jell and 3/4 Cup water in a small sauce pan.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and boil 1 minute —–

10. Stir cooked pectin into strawberry/sugar mixture. Stir for three minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. wp-1495050654139

11. Ladle into jars, leaving 1/2 inch at the top. Wipe rims and screw on lids. wp-1495051677817

12. If you like, do a little test with a small amount of jam, just to see if it has set up —–

12. Leave on counter for 24 hours, then either refrigerate for immediate use, or freeze up to a year.

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Enjoy the fruit of your labor!

Have you made jam? If not, what is keeping you from trying? Will this pictorial guide encourage you to try?

Refresh your family and your freezer with some Strawberry Jam!

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Family life · home · Home making · Motherhood

Diligence At Home Brings Blessing

March 23, 2017March 22, 2017 RefreshHer1 Comment

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A woman who is a homemaker can feel overwhelmed with the length of her tasks which might include:

Laundry
Errands
Meal prep
Laundry
Dishes to wash
Rooms to clean
Laundry
Groceries to buy
Calls to make
Preparations for things upcoming
Laundry

Those tasks are on repeat. They come each day and have to be repeated again and again. It’s easy to feel unimportant and overlooked. A woman can also feel overwhelmed with all that is on her shoulders.

So what’s a woman to do? A guiding biblical principle is obey right now what you know you to do. Being obedient will bring blessing from the Lord (Prov 8:34, 35). Stopping to read God’s Word might seem to others to be counter-intuitive, but the Lord will use His Word to direct you, give you guidance and peace.

Just this week on a very busy day, I had the churning feeling of wondering how it would all get done. God directed me to Proverbs 22:29

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean (obscure) men.

It was a reminder to me of a man like Joseph, in the book of Genesis, who worked so diligently that he was promoted more than once! He was noticed and appreciated. He was a real testimony to unbelievers, simply by his work ethic! Though we have no kings to stand before, it’s a reminder that our work is a testimony to our God. Who is the One who does the promoting, the noticing? It is our Heavenly Father.

If our business takes us to a job, that’s fine and good and we must give it our best. But it’s no less a calling to have your “business” at home as a wife and/or mom. That is a high and lofty calling. Do your business to your best ability! Don’t whittle away time doing useless, time-wasting things. Sometimes when a person feels overwhelmed, they just give up before they ever get started. Use your day carefully, going from one task to the next.

The blessing of being faithful may come from those you serve in your home, and it might not, but it will come ultimately from the One who gave you that place in which to serve. He sees you, even as He saw Joseph down in the prison cell. He notices. He promotes. Today you may just be the Queen of the Laundry, but be diligent in your business as you do it to the King of Kings. Your “Well Done!” from Him will make it worth it all!

Lovingly,

Denise Signature 150 px