another good egg

So i have an announcement.... Baby Watts #4 is on the way! The due date is February 14th and everything is going well - thank you Jesus.  I took a little break from blogging while i went into a state of slightly nauseous hibernation for several weeks, but now i'm feeling much better.

With this pregnancy, I've had all kinds of food aversions and cravings. One minute i want Chinese, then Mexican, then 3lbs of granny smith apples. In an effort to eat as healthfully and economically as possible, i've created some interesting dishes to satisfy the hunger beast. One healthy recipe i go to when i want mexican food is huevos rancheros. The kids love it and it's packed with protein, calcium and vitamin C from all the peppers, tomatillos, and tomatoes. Slightly spicy and super easy to make, this recipe for Mexican eggs is really cheap b/c it doesn't contain any meat! I don't think this is the traditional way to make this, but it has all of the Latin flavors i like.

You'll need*:

6-8 eggs

2 cloves of garlic

1 onion

4-5 tomatillos

1 can or 2 large fresh diced tomatoes

1 green pepper

1/2 c chopped cilantro

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 c cheese

salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

*this is a great way to use up left over chili too! Use the chili to crack the eggs into and top with cheese and cilantro.

Saute garlic, onion, pepper and tomatillos in a drizzle of oil until soft.

Then add tomatoes, cilantro (reserve a sprinkle of cilantro to garnish at the end), and spices. Stir together on medium heat.

Make "holes" in the mixture with the back of a spoon and crack eggs into the holes. Top with cheese and cover with a lid to trap the steam.

Cook on low for about 10-15 minutes. I like my eggs cooked through with hard yokes....i can't handle a runny egg yolk. If you like a runny yoke, cook for about 8 minutes. Top with a few dashes of hot sauce, a squirt of lime, and the remaining cilantro. You can serve this with black beans, rice, tortillas or refried beans.

Our local farmers market has a discount buggy where they bag large amounts of slightly over ripe fruit and veggies. Each bag is only 99 cents! During the summer months, it's full of tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos. I can make this dish for less than a couple dollars if i use discount veggies.

I've heard it said that fresh food is so much more expensive than "junk" food. It can be ...depending on how you shop. However, if you shop seasonally for produce, stock up when things are on sale, and don't eat meat at every meal i guarantee you can eat healthful and fresh food on a tight budget. Granted, i don't do the whole organic thing - we just eat very little processed and convenience foods. I hope you enjoy this recipe:)

wooden crates

I really like the the texture of an old wooden crate. Rough, humble, nostalgic. I found two crates at an antique mall in hogansville a few months ago. They are full of history and purpose. They performed some useful task for many years - containing and transporting vegetables, fabric, tools, machine parts -  and now they have retired in my living room as sofa end tables. 

I also discovered FREE used food crates at our local farmer's market. They put them out front each morning, free for the taking.  It's really hard for me to resist anything labeled free. It always creates a problem that i love to solve: how can i make this free/discarded thing purposeful and beautiful? They aren't sturdy enough to function as a table, stool, or trusty carrying container so i spent some time finding a use for my thrifty find. 

The two best ideas so far:

-plant stands for my small herb garden on the patio.

-"sentimental paper clutter" boards

We all have special notes from friends, holiday cards, kid's artwork, and other sentimental paper clutter we don't want to throw out. However, this kind of stuff can often float from counter to draw without a designated area. This wooden crate board is a nice solution. I simply used binder clips to attach my special papers.

I untwisted the wire holding the crate together and unfolded the crate so it was a long flat piece, removing the side pieces. Super quick and easy. Then i just added a coat of paint. I have one in my living room and one over the guest bed.

Go pick up some of these free crates and see what ideas you can come up with - enjoy!

Bathtub Paint Soap

Rainy days mean fun in the bathtub around here. The kid's tub is equipped with measuring cups, foam letters, bathtub books, and most recently bathtub paint soap. It's ironic....they can be creative with paint while getting clean! Hannah Grace really enjoys erasing the bathtub art with her bath poof. It's part of the fun. I've seen tub paint in the stores from $5 to $20. I'm going to teach you how to make it on the cheap. This recipe is just a proportional way to measure your ingredients. You can make as much as you want.

Bath paint soap:

- 1 part water

- 4 parts liquid soap (i use baby shampoo)

- 1 part tempera paint 

Put the tub paint in a little cup, give your kids a paint brush, and go get yourself a cup of coffee! It keeps my kids busy for at least a half hour. It will clean up with water...so no mess either! Enjoy and pass this recipe on to any mom who needs a breather:)