Christmas Gift Idea

Melissa Hatch in the ward has this great power jumperstarter that we have had to utilize multiple times! Carl and I are buying these for our parents. These portable jumpstarters are meant to jump your car battery without needing a second car, plus they include an air compressor, light, and many have ac/dc outlets so they can be used as a portable generator for emergency or just camping convenience! Costco has one in the store that is $70, but you can get them on ebay for anywhere between 30 and 70. If you search under Ebay motors, there are some there that no one is bidding on since ebay motors isn't widely used and doesn't come up under the basic search. There are also some Xantrex brand ones that have pretty good ratings. Anyway, I hope that this helps you guys out with an idea!

Items for Sale

I am clearing out some things that we don't use anymore. Since we live in an apartment we can't do a yard sale. So I thought I would offer them here before I craigslist them.

Double Jogging Stroller - a little dusty - $20 OBO


Oster Breadmaker - $10 OBO



Double Stroller - almost new - navy blue/white check - can turn the seats so they face each other or are in tandem - $50 OBO


Disney Collectibles - $10 OBO

Call me if your interested.
Kristen

Thanksgiving Leftover Shepherds Pie

Need something new to do with those Thanksgiving leftovers? This shepherds pie is super easy and super good. Make it as big or as small as you want!

Combine in casserole dish:

Leftover turkey, shredded

Leftover stuffing
Leftover veggies (or frozen mixed, heated)
Leftover gravy

Top with:
Leftover mashed potatoes

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until heated through. If desired, put it under the broiler for 30 seconds to give the cheese a brown, crispy crust. Serve with salad and/or leftover cranberry sauce.

Barley, Black Bean and Corn Burritos

This is a nice easy crock-pot recipe. We love it because it tastes good and it's a healthy meal in one.

Place all of the following in the crock pot:
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 c uncooked pearl barley
2 c vegetable broth (Better Than Bullion is my favorite!)
3/4 c frozen corn-kernel corn
1/4 c chopped green onions
1 T fresh lime juice
1 T ground chili powder (I have never added this because I'm not a spice lover)
1/2 t ground red pepper (this either:))
1 garlic clove (But I make up for it with this! I love garlic!)
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro (add this last)

Cook on low for 4-5 hours

Put a 1/4 c or so of the above mixture in each tortilla and add the following:
flour or wheat tortillas
cheddar cheese
lettuce
sour cream

Yummy stir-fry sauce

Prepare whatever veggies and meat you want, saute them in oil then add this sauce to them when they are done:

1 cup pineapple juice (I usually just add whatever juice in left over from the big can of pineapple- I think it's 1 lb. 4 oz and then I use the pineapple in the stir fry)
3 T brown sugar
3/4 c tamari or soy sauce (be sure to use low sodium!)
1/8 t ginger
1 clove garlic-crushed/minced (add this very last)
2 T cornstarch in 1/4 c water (be sure to add the cornstarch to the water before adding the mixture to above of else you will have to start over!)

Heat over med/low until thick.

Roasted Vegetables

Mix any and all of the following:
beats (which I usually add extra)
sweet potatoes
zucchini
red pepper
red onion
yellow pepper
carrots
mushrooms
anise

After chopping vegetables (potatoes and carrots smaller than others), mix all together with olive oil. Bake uncovered at 425 for 30-45 minutes.

I usually make a lot of vegetables so that I can eat them for lunch for the next week. They are good even reheated in the microwave.

Christmas Idea

My mother-in-law unknowingly gave us a great idea for Christmas gifts. And then two days later I was talking to my dad and he mentioned, completely unaware of my mother-in-laws comment, that he had to get prepared for emergency.

For Christmas we are making emergency preparedness kits for two of our sets of parents. I've been looking for a long time as I have created our own family preparedness kit. The other day, I came across a great site. It has really good prices and a lot of variety. I figured out that if I order what I want from their loose stuff and assemble my kit on my own, I could get a lot more stuff for the price of their prepared emergency kits.

And we got all of our siblings involved to make it a group gift which kept the cost down. And our siblings loved that they didn't have to come up with something on their own.

Anyway, I just thought it was an unconventional but practical gift for loved ones.

The site that I like is www.preparednessproducts.net.