Festive Cranberry Orange Salsa

Certain flavors just seem to scream seasonal joyousness and walk us down memory lane!!! In summertime it's all about that BBQ (no trouble lol), fruity umbrella drinks, a nice crisp salad, watermelon, corn on the cob, and just that laid-back, light, island vibe kind of food. Fall takes us back to the comfort food zone with apple cinnamon and pumpkin flavored everything, chili, noodleee cassaroles, chicken soups, stuffing, mounds of mashed potatoes, and pretty much all the hardy, fatty good stuff that we will worry about eating after the New Year (lol). Ahhh, and Christmas.... the time for pies and cookies galore, peppermint everything, cranberries, oranges, little pasteries, danishes and more. Christmas truly embodies sugar, spice, and everything nice sorta like my Cranberry Orange Salsa! :) It's sweet (but not cavity sweet) and would mesh well with just about anything, yet it's a tad bit naughty, spicey, and packing a little heat, which is a great alternative to the common sugary Christmas flavors! I oringinally served this up with wet turkey burritos (YUMS), but it's great with just a good bag of nacho chips and cheddar cheese too. This recipe will make enough to please a large crowd, (I got about 7pint sized jars worth), it's also super easy to make, quick, tasty, and it won't break the bank! #Winner)

My peppers were WAY hotter than anticipated, so I cut out a pepper and added another orange ;)

  Whatcha' Need:

3 Medium-Large Tomatoes (I used vine tomatoes, but roma, cherry, grape , plum or the sweeter varieties of tomatoes would be great in this salsa, adjust accordingly; if you use a smaller mato add more than three.)

4 Navel Oranges

2 cups whole fresh cranberries

2-3 Medium Jalapenos with seeds (for a milder salsa, discard seeds or use green bell peppers instead) 

1 Large White or Yellow Onion

1 cup pineapple orange juice (or just orange juice, pineapple juice, or even a cranberry blend juice would be tasty as well)

2 tsps lime juice

2 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic or 2 cloves minced

1 tsp chili powder

1tsp red pepper flakes

Start by rinsing off all the produce. Next, place the cranberries into a blender, food processer, or similar fine chopping device if you have one. You could also chop them all by hand as well, but that is a bit time consuming for my liking, so I recomend just pulsing them in the blender on low. Next, coarsely chop the jalapenos and toss them and all the spicey seeds in the blender with the crushed cranberries. Pulse on low until well blended, between pulsing stir the mixture w/ a spoon a few times just to ensure no massive chunks of peppers or seeds are sneaking around the blades that will possibly kick you or your loved ones in the throat later (a little kick is good, but you don't want that heat to feel like a roundhouse kick to the throat from Chuck Norris type of unpleasant heat ;)

Next peel the oranges. Then cut them in half and slice them going against the grain of the orange into bite sized pieces. You want the oranges and all its yummy counterparts to fit comfortably on a tortilla chip. Small enough to get all the yummy stuff in one bite, but not super fine either to where you can't tell what's what.

Orange peels can be used for a variety of neat things so save them peels.

 Next peel and chop the onion and combine all the ingredients into a large sauce pan OR mix all ingredients in a large bowl, cover, chill, and serve as is, like a refreshing pico de gallo. 

For salsa~  combine all ingredients and cook on meduim/low for about 20-30 minutes just to slighlty cook down and soften the fruits and veggies a bit and to allow the flavors to really mingle. Stir frequently throughout heating and season to desired taste. 

I canned some of my salsa because it made way more than I had originally anticipated lol, but if you are making this for a large gathering or potluck, pour the salsa into a large festive dish, cover it with plastic wrap or fitted lid, and allow it to chill for about 2hours before serving. It goes great with cheddar cheese and tortilla chips, but it would also be great with a good cheesy cracker or some cream cheese and triscuits (OR almost ANYTHING/EVERYTHING really lol). I hope you enjoy this fun and easy twist on two classic holiday flavors. Next winter gathering you attend or throw, serve up this spunky salsa and pleasantly surprise guests with a yummy & festive, but refreshing appetizer, that's so simple to make and far from boring! <3 Happy Holidays Lovlies <3  

Turkey & Tuna Dog Cookies

Not to sound super cliché, but my pets are like my family, my friends, my confidants; they truly are very dear to my heart! So on major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, I try to do at least something special for them since they are so special to me. Most of the year my furry buds eat canned meat labeled bacon cheeseburger, stew, or chicken and rice that most likely tastes nothing like any of those things from the smells of it (yikes!!!) along with some dry kibble that most likely tastes like a box soaked in beef bullion (poor dears). For their undying devotion, pure love, and admirable loyalty (among other lovely qualities) dogs deserve something special at Christmas. Why not whip up a batch of these cheap, easy dog cookies that are HONESTLY good enough for people to enjoy? Not even joking... I had a bite and they're yummy, my dogs absolutely loved them too :) You could even bust out a cute cookie cutter and make them into Holiday themed treats (though my dogs didn't seem to care much about their shape or lack thereof lol)




Whatcha' Need:

2 cups of old fashioned rolled oats
~1 cup precooked leftover shredded poultry (I saved a bit of my Thanksgiving Turkey skin and wing meat in the freezer for them) OPTIONAL
1/3 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup water
1 can of tuna in water
2 eggs


Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F) and line a baking sheet with wax paper or spray w/nonstick cooking spray.

While the oven heats, combine all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl until well coated.



Spoon mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart in the desired size and shape for your dogs. (for smaller dogs make smaller treats, for crispier treats make smaller and bake longer, and so forth)




Bake for about 35- 45 minutes (or even longer if you want a crunchier cookie). It's okay if they are a bit crunchy or even super crispy!! Most dogs love that sort of crunchy factor and they will love these however you dish them up! Just be sure to allow them to cool a bit before handing them out to your eager buddies. (Don't you wish pleasing some people was as easy as pleasing pets lol?!)



These cookies will probably be one of THEE EASIEST, MOST FORGIVING COOKIES you'll ever bake, but your dog will act like it just got served a perfectly cooked prime rib! SERIOUSLY, my bulldog's drool.... was abnormally out of control while begging for another one of these REAL MEATY treats! The only other time he drools like that is when he hears popcorn popping in my microwave, so you know that's a win (well for him anyways lol) :) 

Prissy is pumped and dancing for cookies :)

Happy Holidays to you and your furry fam!

ThriftyTreeHuggary: DIY Upcycled Kitty Cubicle

ThriftyTreeHuggary: DIY Upcycled Kitty Cubicle:   I just turned the big 3..0.. on Wednesday (YIKES huh) No, but seriously I had a really nice Birthday and my future hubby got me some r...

ThriftyTreeHuggary: Unstuffed Cabbage Roll and Pepper Soup

ThriftyTreeHuggary: Unstuffed Cabbage Roll and Pepper Soup: Two of my all-time favorite dishes  EVER  are cabbage rolls and stuffed bell peppers. Both have a yummy seasoned rice and ground beef m...

Easy DIY Pet Presents

I absolutely adore Christmas!!! Honestly.... I'm like an overgrown child on Christmas morning. At 5 in the morn, I've been ready to Rock n'Roll for hours (probably didn't even sleep a solid wink, super stoked, not even joking :) eager to see what little treasures await me under the sparkly Christmas tree. Even more so than the anticipation of what I may have been given, I'm super eager and excited to see the looks on the faces of those that I have gifts to give. Half the time, I tend to be so pumped to give these heartfelt gifts that I'm unable to make it to Christmas Day before giving the ones I hold dearest the gifts that I've gotten for them. Their' excitement makes me extremely excited! However, this tendency can get rather costly at times because than I feel I need to get them at least something else to open on that actual day lol (vicious cycle). Though I'm a thrifty gal, I'm also a giving gal, and this season is ALL ABOUT GIVING gifts from the heart (at least in my book). Not just material items wrapped in shiny paper, but charitable contributions, recognition of the disadvantaged populations in society that are overlooked much of the year, warm embraces, giving or donating to those less fortunate, showing our furry friends extra love, or even just simple kind gestures like smiling at someone who might look a bit blue and lending a hand to a stranger in need.

(photo courtesy of photobucket.com)

One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE HOLIDAY FLICKS is "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," by thee AHHHMAZING, Dr. Seuss. Among the many great lessons to be gathered from this seemingly simple children's story, is one of my absolute favorite Christmas quotes. After the Grinch has raided Whoville, stealing all the presents, trees, and other such material reflections of what Christmas represents, he still hears the Who's singing their little, cheerful Christmas tune from his cave while happily holding hands and dancing around the town tree. How could they still be happy, he had "stolen Christmas?!!" Finally, "Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, what if it doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?!" That quote has always resonated deeply with me. Though it is a seemingly simple statement, it is beautifully profound to me! Reminding us all that Christmas can't ever truly be "stolen," nor bought because Christmas isn't some super flashy, overly costly materialistic present to be had. It isn't a thing of fiscal value at all. It is an intangible spirit; an essence of peace, prosperity, heartfelt giving and goodwill on Earth that lives ONLY in our souls, no matter what size our bank accounts or budgets may be or how big our Christmas tree.

(via photobucket.com)

(pic courtesy of photobucket.com)

AnyWHO ;)    I've decided this year to take a different approach to the Holidays and give in a more environmentally-friendly way, trying my hand at some up-cycled gifts (or recycled materials given a new purpose). The way I see it, this ahhhmazing planet and it's majestic lands & creatures are a priceless gift in itself to be admired,valued and cherished, not only at Christmas, but all year long!  So instead of buying some cheap gift from a big box store that probably underpays and mistreats its' employees and most likely practices environmentally unfriendly affairs, I'm going to make some presents from my heart out of materials I have handy, from nature, or that would otherwise be considered trash! Plus, I recently heard that a certain CEO of one of these major box stores (not going name names ;) made $11,000 per hour, but didn't want to pay it's employees' $8.00, absurd huh!? I can't support that one bit and neither do my pets. These aren't super complicated fancy gadgets,  BUT MY PETS LOVE EM' ALL THE SAME!!! &&& I can almost assure 100% satisfaction on these handmade critter gift ideas, (no sweatshops or underpaid folks either) that will cost only moments of your time and mere pennies (if anything) to recreate (eat that big box stores, you'd spend more time in a checkout line than making these lol)! After extensive research (or experimentally teasing my furry family with their soon to be Christmas gifts) ;) Both my dogs and my 3 cats approve AND CANT WAIT TO GET THEM BACK (hehe)

this drives the cats bonkers (hehehe)

For my Feline Family Members, I made these rustic feather teasers out of a nice, fairly straight, sturdy stick from my yard (about 2ft long), some durable string (2ft worth), various beads (and a seashell with a hole) given to me Christmases ago, old broken costume jewelry, fake feathers (that cost like $2. for hundreds of them), and a dab of hot glittery glue:

(buttons, beads, seashells, old broken costume jewelry can all make for cute options to craft with)

The materials for one of the cat toys I made that I intend to gift to a fellow animal lover... if I can keep it away from my cats grubby paws, they've stolen it 3 times off my counter now lol

I simply tied a knot on the end of my hemp/string, then strung a few beads onto it. Once I had the pattern I liked, I triple knotted the other end of the string onto the stick as tightly as possible and further secured it with a dab of glue. I dabbed a bit of hot glue on the pointy tip of the feather and tucked into one of the smaller holed beads to secure it. 

by adding different types of materials like the seashell and silver star pendant, it creates a subtle noise factor (kinda like wind chimes when they clank into one another) when batted by the cat this drives them even more batty :) 

(the toy with the red feather uses a large red button w/ four holes, I chose to put 2 feathers in the holes and secure it w/hot sparkly glue, and I added an up-cycled bell from a funky old cat collar that was junk)

Psych and Jazzy approve (my pug Priscilla does not, however, like all the cat hype lol)

& For my Canine Crew, I made tug o' war toys out of an old towel and torn sheet.  My bulldog is particularly fond of tug o' war toys and he usually beats me lol (any old fabric would do such as knotted socks tied together or whatever, but consider the strength of your individual furry pal! My bulldog has fairly fierce jaws so a pretty t-shirt, lace or super flimsy material wouldn't hang long AT ALL! Though lovely until he slobbers it up, it wouldn't be practical lol),

Look at the mug/jaws on this dude :)

old towel + sheet braided and knotted = whala Eco-friendly tug o' war toy

 I simply cut the materials on the very end about 2 inches thick and pulled with moderate force to make strips of fabric. Then, I made a massive tight knot and braided the materials (3 strands at a time) to the desired thickness and length and secured the braid again with another massive, basic knot.
 

Hercules is happy with the tester toy made of an old funky fleece shirt

Don't mind the hubby's toes, he's not a sandals fella lol ;)

Well, I hope you avoid the big box stores this season as much as possible and try out one of these easy, environmentally friendly, DIY presents for your pet family member! If nothing else, I hope you are inspired to consider alternative routes to gift giving. I promise my Cat's and Bulldog's happy reactions to these homemade gifts were equal to, if not better than the overpriced gifts I have bought form stores in the past! Happy Holidays, I hope you find these DIY gift ideas helpful or inspiring :)

Unstuffed Cabbage Roll and Pepper Soup

Two of my all-time favorite dishes EVER are cabbage rolls and stuffed bell peppers. Both have a yummy seasoned rice and ground beef mixture loaded into a lovely vegetable vessel. However, they are both a tad bit time consuming, and if you have picky eaters around (ahem' anti-veggie Males &or Children lol) it might not seem worth all that effort. I could deep fry, bread, and stuff a pepper full of steak, cheese, bacon, potatoes, peanut butter, chocolate, and all sorts of glorious unhealthy goodness, but my future hubby would just eat the filling and waste the entire pepper! THUS resulting in a mega waste of my time, effort, and money stuffing something he's not even going to eat or that might just go to waste (ain't nobody got time for that lol). However, I could cleverly and easily combine both of these glorious, rather similar concoctions into a simple soup that he will eat and LOVE because all the veggies are bite sized (mwuahaha, bless his overgrown man-child heart lol).

 I have so0oo been craving cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers something fierce lately!!! SO instead of giving up on my foodie dreams/cravings because of his utter disgust of stuffed veggies (or healthier foods in general lol), I ever so sneakily combined all these yummy elements into one delicious, harmonious, hearty soup! Relationships are all about compromise right ;) Even better yet... this soup almost looks like Christmas in a bowl with all the bright red tomatoes, hearty white rice, and pops of green peppers! It's a real dinner winner peeps, no joke. I got my cabbage roll and stuffed pepper fix and he got his meat and rice filling without having to scrap it out of a green vessel (he also got tons of subtle, healthy, and "tolerable" veggies too, hehehe).

Whatcha' need:

• 1.25 cups of white rice uncooked
• 2 medium sized Green Bell Peppers (chopped)
• 1/2 bag prepackaged raw veggie coleslaw mix, which is just carrots and cabbage already finely sliced (it was on sale at my grocery for .99 cents and was Way easier to sneak into the already loaded veggie soup :) I don't even think he knows it's in there yet, he will when he reads this tho LOL) or use one small head of cabbage thinly sliced 
• 2 regular sized cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) undrained (with green chilies, opt)
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 TBSP sugar (helps reduce acidity aka heartburn associated with tomato heavy soups and sauces, a  little neat trick I learned when I cooked for the elderly at a nursing home where heartburn is WAY common)
• 1.5 lbs ground beef 
• 6 cans water ^

Additional seasoning to personal taste: 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp lemon pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 2 tsp Italian blend seasoning

 In a large stockpot combine ground beef, chopped onion, chopped green peppers, and half of all the suggested seasonings above. Cook on medium\low heat until meat is brown and veggies are tender and translucent. Drain off excess grease.

Next, add to the meat mixture: tomatoes, sauce, ketchup, sugar, water, remaining desired spices, and shredded cabbage in the same large stockpot. Cook on medium/low until slightly boiling or bubbling (not a raging boil). Stir regularly.

 Once the mixture has come to a slight boil, add in the uncooked rice, reduce heat, and cover. Stir every few minutes. It should take about 15-20 minutes for the rice to fluff up and absorb some of the juices. (Test a piece of the rice to see if done, and see if seasoning is to your liking and adjust if need be) Once the rice is fully cooked and soft, turn that gorgeous soup off.
  

Now grab a bowl and go enjoy all those same scrumptious flavors of stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls made hassle free into one glorious, delish dish! Cheers to us for being crafty, thrifty, witty, and willing to compromise (hehehe) ;)

Creamy Kickin' Chicken Goulash

It's chilly here in the Midwest. I'm not complaining at all tho, because at the moment, NOT A BIT OF SNOW is covering the ground! For December.... that's pretty freakin' rare 'round here. Nonetheless, it's def not sandals weather (though occasionally, with weather in the 40's range, you will spot Midwest peeps attempting to rock them lol). Back to the subject, when it's cold out I reach for warm, hardy comfort foods. Soups, stews, casseroles, CHILLY, cookies, pastas, and GOULASH are just a few of my CHILLY time favorites! I especially, love spicy food in the winter. I'm a firm believer that spicy foods are healing foods (for serious). Next time you feel a cold coming on and have a stuffy nose, eat something spicy (not your Grandma's version of spicy tho) and BAM, no more nasal congestion, I promise! Just stating the facts here peoples.  :)

You know you want some :)

 Growing up, to me, goulash was like the fancy, legit version of the boxed family favorite Hamburger Helper. Not that I haven't eaten my fair share of ALL the varieties of Hamburger Helper, but nothing really compares to a homemade goulash, not even Hamburger Helper. Even better, goulash is quick, super easy and might be considered a kitchen sink type of dish (at least in my mind, hardcore Hungarians might disagree). A decent goulash really just depends on what you have in your cooking arsenal or cupboards, pantry, and fridge! Meat, noodles, veggies, spices, and a sauce of some sort all cooked in one big pot and you have what I call the fixin's of a nice goulash. For this concoction, I decided to combine 2 of my all time favorite foodie things into one delicious and harmonious dish, hence spicy, Creamy Kickin' Chicken Goulash was born!

Whatcha Need :

~1.5-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders cut into bite sized chunks
~ 2 decent sized jalapeno peppers diced (seeds and all if you want it Kickin') or 15-20 jarred jalapeno slices, diced (if your not into super spicy you could use a green bell pepper as well)
~ 14 oz can of beans, not drained (I used white kidney or Cannellini beans, but red kidney beans would be yummy too)
~ 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, not drained
~ 1 can of water
~ 2 TBSP Butter or Margarine
~ 1 Medium Sized Yellow or White Onion, chopped
~ 1-1.5 cup small or med. pasta noodles uncooked (like rotini, elbow macaroni (which I used), or bowtie noodles)
~ Additional Spices~ 2-3 tsp Chili Powder, 1 tsp Lemon Pepper, 2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, And 1 tsp Garlic Powder (for less spicy use more garlic and less peppers and chili powder)

In a large sauce pan combine diced peppers, chopped onion, bite sized chicken chunks, butter, and spices. Cook on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stirring occasionally to prevent possible burnt bird.

Once the chicken is done, pour directly into the same pot the UNDRAINED canned tomatoes, beans, and one can of water and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a low slow boil on medium heat, which takes about 15-20 minutes. (If you wanted to speed up the process you could turn up the heat, but then you will need to stir the mixture more frequently and keep a much closer eye on it.) I like to do it a little slower to let the flavors really develop and mingle together, but if your crunched for time or your starving by all means crank it up.

Once the mixture starts to bubble and boil dump in the uncooked noodles and stir. Continue boiling and frequently stirring for about 10-15 minutes depending on the pasta you use or until noodles are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Turn off the heat and fold in the sour cream. The sour cream helps mute some of the heat and adds a nice creamy layer of goodness to this goulash. If you don't do sour cream, you could use a plain yogurt or some low fat cream cheese too. 

 

Garnish with green onions, chopped cilantro, and or crushed tortilla chips and ENJOY! Either way it is delicious, easy, ingredient flexible, warm and hardy, and it all happens in one large pot so you won't have a sink full of dishes to worry about afterwards! Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner. Hope you enjoy!