One of my favorite beauty products

I think over the years, I have tried virtually every beauty product you could get from a drugstore. One thing I use every night is a makeup removing wipe. I have tried so many brands but I go back to the same one every time. Oddly enough, the Walmart brand called Equate beauty has been the best one by far.

I love how soft and gentle the towelettes feel and they are generously sized. They have just the right amount of cleanser in them that really do the trick of getting my eye makeup off with ease. Since I use them primarily for eye makeup removal, I don't have to use a whole wipe. I tear a wipe in two or three and maximize my uses from one pack. My daughters do the same thing and they last a long time. We purchase it in a 2-pack for around $6. Not bad at all! I don't buy them because they are inexpensive. I buy them because they actually work!

What do you use to remove makeup?

How I maximize my coffee budget and still have the perfect cup each day

I love a really good, rich cup of coffee. I only require one cup a day and I get tired of the same old brand sometimes. I am a coffee snob and stay away from the low-end bargain brands. They lack the strength and flavor I require.  The whole 'use a tablespoon per 6 ounces of water' is a joke. I am more of a use 1/2 cup per 6 ounces (no lie!) As much as I love the premium brands, I can't always justify the cost. I finally found a way to get around that and not sacrifice the quality or taste. Lately I have been shopping for premium, traditional ground coffee that is on sale and try to match it up with coupons. I also purchase an espresso ground coffee that I always find on sale at Publix. They tend to always have a brand for under $3. I usually buy Cafe Bustelo, Pilon or La Llave.

What I do is mix both varieties in my regular drip coffee maker. The fact that The espresso grind is more concentrated and rich, makes me have to use less of my more expensive premium coffee.

The result is a dark, strong and rich cup of coffee every time. I have been doing this for months and even my husband noticed how good our coffee is. We are so spoiled that we have to bring coffee from home when we travel. I totally recommend this method of coffee making for those who crave the richness of Starbucks but have Walmart pockets.

The Poor Man's Keurig

For 3 years now I have bugged  nicely asked my husband for a Keurig coffee brewer. Being the frugal man he is, he reminds me of my old school Black & Decker Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker. He's like why spend $80-$100 when you already have the original version? You know what? He is so right. I bought this gadget about 12 years ago for about $15 at Walmart. I have even purchased additional ones as gifts.

Strangely enough it has hung in there after numerous uses, and even traveling on road trips, being used in the office at work and of course at home. It still makes a steaming hot cup of strong coffee. I can use any ground coffee I want and don't have to purchase the little pods and I can brew to my desired strength. I don't think one little K-cup would work for a gal like me. I am used to drinking coffee as strong as motor oil!  I guess it really makes sense after all to stick with my old school machine. I haven't seen these brewers around in some time but if I do, I might need to purchase it as back-up! 

My latest Pinterest find

I love Pinterest. I can sit on the computer all day and Pin all sorts of things. A lot of times I Pin "wish list" items. On occasion I find things that I actually make or try. My favorite one recently was this recycled watering can. I was just nagging... informing my husband last week that I really needed a watering can for all of my plants I have on my deck and inside the house. I was thrilled to find this DIY idea that took no thought and cost nothing!

There are my office houseplants. Now watering them is so much easier.

I took a milk jug and rinsed it out thoroughly. I pierced holes in the cap with a corn holder. Since they have 2 sharp points, it made the process fast and easy. The result is a FREE watering can that may not be pretty but is environmentally friendly and does the trick. I have one in a half gallon size for my indoor plants and one in a gallon size for the outdoor plants.

What things have you found on Pinterest lately that you have tried or plan to try?

Sweet & Spicy chicken and cabbage {recipe}

I posted a photo of this dish on Facebook and got several requests to post the recipe. I will start by saying that I am not a recipe person unless we are talking baking. I am a 'throw in a little of this and dash in a pinch of that' kind of home cook. I will do my best to average the amount of ingredients you would need and of course you can alter it to your taste.

Sweet & Spicy chicken and cabbage

What you will need:

~1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced thinly into strips (I recommend slicing while still a bit frozen for precise strips)
~1 small head of green cabbage sliced into strips (not thin like coleslaw)
~1 tbsp of very finely minced fresh ginger
~sesame oil
~canola oil
~1/8 tsp of Chinese 5-spice powder (omit if you don't have it)
~Mediterranean sea salt
~freshly cracked pepper
~any type of blended seasoning (I use Badia Complete Seasoning)
~few dashes Worcestershire sauce
~about 1/2 cup or a scooch more of Frank's Red Hot Sweet Chili sauce
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All you do is take your sliced up chicken and lightly season with your dry seasonings being VERY careful with the salt. I don't think I used any on the chicken since the other seasonings had some salt in it. I then heated about 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp of canola oil in a pan. I threw in 1/2 of my ginger (don't brown it) and then my cabbage. I seasoned cabbage with a little of the dry seasonings and the few dashes Worcestershire sauce. If you freak out because it is too dry then add a few tablespoons of water. I topped it up and let it cook on medium heat. I heated a non-stick frying pan on high heat with 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp canola oil. I threw in my seasoned chicken breast strips and let it cook until it was very brown. I turned the heat down to medium low and added my Frank's Red Hot Sweet Chili sauce and a few tablespoons of water. Be VERY careful because when that sauce gets hot it pitches out at you and burns! I tossed it around for no more than a minute and added the chicken to the cabbage. I tossed it up and tasted for seasoning. Serve with rice (I prefer Jasmine).

Please let me know if you try this! Enjoy :)

I want noooodles!

I don't know about you but when Dwayne and I were first starting out, Ramen noodles were a staple in our kitchen. Money was so tight that I used to find ways to make our packaged noodles into a gourmet meal. I have added everything from chicken wings, shrimp, scallions, cilantro and whatever we had available. We have always kept a few noodle packs on hand for those days when the fridge and pantry are looking bare. Now William has discovered "noooodles" and loves them. It is not unusual for him to request them for breakfast.

Every day right around lunch time William comes up to me with that sweet little face and says "Mommy cook the nooodles?" then he says "pleeeeeeeeease" Of course I say yes and he runs straight to the pantry to grab a pack. He gets so excited, it's the funniest thing. I guess I can't complain. He loves something that is super cheap and we always have it on hand. I still eat them occasionally to remind me how lucky we are to have all that we do. Ramen noodles will remain a pantry staple in the Ismail family kitchen :)

Preschool at home

I take my stay-at-home mom gig quite seriously so I do my best to stay on top of teaching William all I can. I recently started having him sort beans by color and size and then counting them. You would not believe how much enjoyment he gets out of it. He yells out each color and then places it in the correct group. Then he pretends to be me and says "Now count the beans".

Of course I would never leave him unattended for long with the beans~ Not that he would put them in his mouth but he would probably try to throw them all over the place or even at the dog. I think I am going to make a chart of each type of bean by gluing them in groups to help avoid a lot of mess. Of course I am sure he will figure out how to peel them off :)

Give someone the tools they need this holiday

Home Depot is offering many hand tools by the Husky Tools brand under $20 this season with prices starting as low as $4.88. Not a bad option for dad's stocking stuffer. You can never go wrong with a useful and practical gift (not to mention low cost). You can check out the line of Husky Tools holiday deals here. Be sure to "like" them on Facebook to get updates.