Make This Monday: Beer Braised Beef With Italian Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde:

1 cup chopped mint
2/3 cup chopped dill
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup minced shallot
3 tbl olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Beef:

1 lb beef stew meat
2 tbl. olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup beef broth
12 oz guiness

Combine salsa ingredients and chill one hour. Season beef with salt and pepper and brown in 1 tbl. olive oil.Remove beef from pan and saute onion in 1 tbl olive oil.
Add beef back to pan, along with broth and beer. Bring to a boil.Reduce heat to low and simmer 90 minutes or until tender. Shred with a fork.

Works For Me Wednesday - Oil Burner

I love to have a candle going during the day to scent the house and make a nice atmosphere. However, I'm usually disappointed that the candle does not scent the house thoroughly enough. I recently bought an oil burner ($8 at target) and a couple of oils. This works much better! The scent fills the house quickly and lasts throughout the day. Works for me!

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Works for Me Wednesday - Buying in Advance

As we anticipate the birth of our second daughter this June, I am trying to anticipate everything we may need to have on hand in the month following the birth. I know that I will be having a c-section, which will mean I am basically out of commission for a few weeks. In addition to stocking the freezer with meals, I have begun buying extras of our commonly used household items and some other things you may not think of buying in advance. Here's a little list for anyone who may want to try this as well.

- toiletries. Next time you buy shampoo, toothpaste, etc grab an extra bottle or two to set aside.

- Snacks and other non-perishable foods. In addition to stocking the freezer with cooked meals, I'm stocking the pantry too. I will be pre-portioning snacks for my toddler so that she can grab them herself when I am busy with baby.

- Birthday or other holiday gifts. We have several birthdays in our extended family that fall near the birth of the baby, so I have gone ahead and bought cards for those people and will have them addressed and ready to be mailed. This way I can ensure no one is forgotten and I won't have to stress about this at the last minute. Also, my daughter's 3rd birthday is about 6 weeks after the baby is due, so I am plannng and preparing for her party as well. I already have the invitations, and will be buying the remaining supplies soon. All we'll need to do at the last minute is the food.

If you have any other suggestions for things to be stocked up on please let me know!

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Works for Me Wednesday - Skin Cleanser

As a teeneager, I started having trouble with eczema, which has been most troublesome on my legs. My eczema now remains mostly under control without any medication, as long as I avoid aspartame (one day I'll post about how I figured out the connection). Long ago, when my eczema started my dermatologist suggested I use Cetaphil cleanser to shave my legs with, and this has helped tremendously. But have you seen the price of that stuff? Over the years I have tried various shaving creams, but within a week or two my legs would break out again, even with the sensitive varieties. Looked like I was due to shell out the big bucks for Cetaphil forever...

Until I discovered Safeway Gentle Skin Cleanser. Basically a generic form of Cetaphil. It works just the same, and costs much less. My legs thank me and it doesn't bust my budget. If you have similar skin issues you may want to give it a try.

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Make This Monday: Apple Puff Pastry Dessert

This was a little something I came up with when my parents were coming for dinner one night. It got rave reviews from everyone!Please keep in mind my measurements are guesstimates.

One sheet puff pastry, thawed
4 oz cream cheese
3 Tbl. sugar
3 Tbl. melted butter
2 apples, peeled and chopped
2 Tbl. cinnamon and sugar mixture

Brush puff pastry with 1 Tbl. butter. Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Spread on pastry. Toss apples with remaining butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Spread over cream cheese and fold pastry in half. Seal edges and brush butter on outside, sprinkling with more cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Tastes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Giveaway!

The Farm Chicks are having a giveaway! Visit their blog to enter!