Homemade Potato Chips

A couple days ago I attempted to make my own potato chips, based on a few results from a Google search.

First I peeled and thinly sliced 3 russet potatoes. I am terrible at uniformly cutting the slices, but I tried. I put those in a big bowl and covered them with water and let them soak for about 15 minutes. Apparently that helps take out some of the starchiness and gets them crispier.

Then I sprayed a cookie sheet lightly with oil, put a single layer of slices on, and sprayed the tops with oil as well. Into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes they went. Since I didn't have uniform slices, I had to take some of the thinner ones out a bit earlier, and some of the fatter ones took a bit longer.

I laid them out to cool on a paper towel (not necessary, as most of the oil cooks in or evaporates), and sprinkled them with seasoned salt.
The 3 potatoes didn't make very many chips, but that's okay. They were really tasty and crispy right away. Some were left over until the next day, and they were really rubbery and chewy. I'm not sure if that was because they needed to be in the oven a bit longer, or if that's just how they work. Regardless, I think if I make them again, I'll probably do a single serve batch still.

Definitely a keeper of an idea, though! It was easy, and I imagine you could do all sorts of spice combinations for some really yummy chips!

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfasts:

• Cereal/Oatmeal x4
• Eggs/Toast x3

Lunches:

Monday: Muffin Tin Lunch
Tuesday: PB&J Sandwiches
Wednesday: Macaroni & Cheese
Thursday: Egg Salad Sandwiches
Friday: English Muffin Pizzas
Saturday: English Muffin Pizzas
Sunday: PB&J Sandwiches

Dinners:

Monday: Leftover Veggie Stir Fry
Tuesday/Wednesday: Jamaican Red Bean Stew
Thursday/Friday: White Bean Enchiladas with White Sauce
Saturday/Sunday: Veggie Pot Pie

Snacks:

• Homemade Breakfast Bars
• Yogurt
• Green and Red Apples
• Bananas
• Canned Pears and Peaches
• Homemade Smoothie Packets
• Leftover Christmas Goodies
• Popcorn

What I'm Reading...

Get Organized in January With These Quick Uncluttering and Organizing Tips and Seven Routines and Guidelines to Live as an Unclutterer - No Superpowers Necessary. I've been on an organizing and uncluttering kick this past week. (Unclutterer)

Take Little Steps, Not Big Ones. A good reminder that the little steps add up. Slow and steady wins the race. (The Simple Dollar)

Avoiding Lifestyle Inflation. I know that as our income has increased, we've sometimes fallen into spending more, just because we can. (The Simple Dollar)

5 Simple Ways to Organize Without Spending Big Bucks. My favorite is #5: Recycle. Use containers/boxes that you already have around the house. Also, check out the rest of the "5 Simple Ways" posts linked in this article. (I'm An Organizing Junkie)
Iron Craft 2012 has startedI'm actually going to try to participate this time, since the challenges are every other week. (Just Crafty Enough)

A Few Things I've Been Up To...

I've been busy the past few days, working on finishing some things that have been on my to-do list for awhile.

One of my favorite organizing tips is to look at something that is bothering you, or does not work, and figure out a way to make it work. For instance, we scan statements and important papers and file them digitally, but I was falling behind because things get stacked on our printer/scanner, and I don't move them to quick scan things as they come in. So, I found this tray to keep chargers, headphones, and the camera, among other things, so I can quick move it all, scan something, and put it back. Now the system works!


Another area that had been bothering me was our entryway. We rent, so we can't put huge holes in the wall, which means no fancy coatrack/shelf contraption like I eventually want. Our only large closet is currently our storage area, and it's kind of difficult to get to the part to hang coats. As a result, they kept ending up in a pile on the floor. Someone suggested 3M Command Hooks, so I went out and spent a little over $8, and I am so happy with the result! Since they are 3lb. hooks, Jesse's coat was too big, but his ends up on a dining room chair most days, so it's okay.


I found this Play Doh set for Jonah for Christmas on sale at Kohl's (and got it for free using a $10/$10 coupon I had gotten in the mail!), and he loves it! He especially likes when I come play too, so I have been spending some creative time sculpting lately.


I took the Christmas tree down, but put up more Christmas cards. They are now across both windows, as well as on the air conditioner cover. We have more, but I ran out of little clothespins, and I don't have a good spot for more, so this will be it for this year. A little bit of festive Christmas cheer to last into winter.

I've also:

• Spent time updating the baby books (Jonah's is done, unless we go on his first boat or train ride)
• Switched out the pictures in the frames around the house so they include Matthew (only took me 9 months!)
• Caught up on the scanning I talked about above
• Made homemade smoothie packets
• Switched Matthew's clothes to 12-18 monthers
• Gotten rid of my expired 2011 coupons

Maybe this isn't the most exciting stuff for you, but for me, it means my home is becoming more organized, my to-do list is much shorter, and I feel accomplished! What have you gotten done in the past few days/weeks?

No More Crafty Link-Up

While I enjoy looking at other peoples' link-up blog posts, the crafty link-ups are getting to be more of a chore for me than a fun thing, so I'm going to be done with those, for now at least. I might throw one in every now and then, but nothing scheduled like it has been.

If you want to see past link-ups, just go here.

Hopefully getting rid of this weekly post means more time for projects! :)

Menu Plan Monday

Happy New Year! We are planning on eating mostly vegetarian this year, but there will be exceptions. Like this week's menu. We had planned on using up all of our meat before this week, but sickness and vacation happened, so we have a bit left. And once the Dollar Dinners start up on Thursdays, we will have whatever is served, which will almost always include meat.

Breakfasts:

• Cereal/Oatmeal x4
  
• Eggs/Toast x2
  
• Sweet Potato Muffins from the freezer

Lunches:

Monday: Macaroni and Cheese
Tuesday: Egg Salad Sandwiches
Wednesday: Veggie Noodle Soup
Thursday: PB&J Sandwiches
Friday: Leftover Baked Potatoes
Saturday: Tortillas, Beans, Cheese
Sunday: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Dinners:

Monday/Tuesday: Crockpot White Bean and Sausage Soup
Wednesday: Sausage Mushroom Quiche
Thursday: Loaded Baked Potatoes
Friday: Black Bean Taco Bowls
Saturday/Sunday: Veggie Fried Rice

Snacks:

• Homemade Breakfast Bars
• Yogurt
• Green and Red Apples
• Bananas
• Canned Pears and Peaches
• Homemade Smoothie Packets
• Leftover Christmas Goodies
• Popcorn
• Homemade Potato Chips (if I get ambitious and find a recipe)
• Extra Sweet Potato Muffins

If we have lots of snack options in the house, we tend to do better with our eating as a whole, so that's what I'm going for. We'll see how it works out...

What I'm Reading...

2012 Coupon Insert Schedule Available. I like to know which weekends will be coupon heavy. These occasionally change, but are usually pretty accurate. (Deal Seeking Mom)

What Baby Poop Has Taught Me About Being a Parent. Besides the fact that talking about poop is now a frequent occurrence... (Offbeat Mama)

6 Free Resources to Help You Get Organized in 2012. I don't know if I'll use any of these specifically, but I like the idea of a personalized weekly cleaning checklist. (Money Saving Mom)