Homemade Butter, Extremely Easy

My grandmothers always talked about the best butter in the world ,and how much they missed it. They talked about churning butter and tasting the sweet cream when finished. I got curious as to how simple it could be with modern equipment, and WOW was I surprised! It is incredibly easy. Just take a look....

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions

1. Pour cream into a food processor or blender. Process for 10 minutes, or until the butter separates. Strain off the liquid. Season to taste with salt if you like. Press butter into a small bowl with the back of a spoon to further remove liquid.

From: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/homemade-butter-2/detail.aspx

Homemade Root Beer, Ummmmm Yummy..My Favorite

I wish I knew how to do this, but I don't. So, I am taking this gentleman's word for it. He certainly sounds like he has brewed a many pot of root beer and other items as well. Check this link out for step by step directions. I am not even going to attempt to repost here, but check out his diy on root beer. It sounds fantastic! Sounds like something fun to do with the kids, too!

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/do-it-yourself/2011/07/how-to-make-root-beer/

Halloween and Candy, Candy at Home

Do you love Tootsie Rolls? Do you need a Halloween treat for a party? Well, here is a blogger who has given a diy recipe for Tootsie Rolls.  Enjoy!

The ingredients are basic:

6 T Baking cocoa

1 tsp. Vanilla

3/4 c. Powdered Milk

2 T Butter

3 cups Powdered Sugar (divided)

1/2 c. Corn Syrup

Cooking Spray

 In a sauce pan (on med) heat butter, cocoa, and corn syrup until smooth and melted.

 Stir in the powdered milk and the vanilla extract.

Remove from heat.

Add a cup of the powdered sugar and stir until it is incorporated. Once that sugar is mixed in, add a second cup of powdered sugar and stir to mix. At this point the dough will start getting stiff and it might be difficult to stir more powdered sugar into the candy.

 Dust your work surface with powdered sugar (using the remaining cup of powdered sugar. 1/2 cup at a time), and knead the candy until it is smooth. If it is still very soft, knead in more powdered sugar until it is firm but not dry or crumbly.

The dough might be a little sticky, but it dries as you work with it so I just sprayed my hands with a little cooking spray to keep the dough from sticking and I didn't have any issues.

Once the Tootsie Roll candy is smooth and a perfect firm, break off a small piece and roll it into a long, thin rope. Using a sharp knife, cut it into small pieces and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat until you have formed all of the Tootsie Roll dough into small pieces. We ended up with over 75 pieces.

Refrigerate the tray of Tootsie Rolls until they firm up, for about 1 hour. Wrap Tootsie Rolls in waxed paper to keep them from sticking to each other. They will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I like them cold, but you can bring them to room temperature before serving.

 

Need pictures or see these directions with pictures go to her blog at: http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/2011/10/homemade-tootsie-rolls.html

Plant a Tree or Two, Fruit Trees.

I love fruit trees! I also think that what better tree to plant than one that gives back to you and your family, right? We have two apple trees and one pear tree planted. They are still very young trees, but I can't wait to pick apples and pears with my little ones. I remember how fun this use to be, and I want to share this with them.

It is the time of year to plant trees, fall time. So, get out there and go find a nursery and buy a couple fruit trees.

Now, if you want to save even more and not buy the trees. Plant an apple seed in a pot indoors and let it start to sprout over the winter and plant it early spring. The only trick to planting in spring and having to endure the summer is, that you must water the tree properly and keep critters away from the roots. Squirrels will dig up seedlings and eat the nut part, so be on guard :)

Do the environment a favor and plant a tree, do your family a favor... make it a fruit tree, and enjoy the family time of gathering and cooking with the fruit from your tree.

Enjoy!

Sorry for the delay....

We have had a lot going on the past several days, but Doing More At Home is rocking again. Stay tuned!

Skeptical of Deodorant?

Ok I have to admit, I am skeptical of deodorant, and all the things in it. I do believe that our bodies are meant to sweat, but I definitely do not want to stink! lol

There are all sorts of homemade deodorants out there, but I believe I have the most simple one of all.. simple baking soda straight out of the box.

I take a powder brush and just drop it in the top of a box of baking soda, bang it against the sides of the box to get the excess off, and then I powder it on under my armpits. It definitely doesn't allow me to smell :) Now, if there is an event or a day planned that requires me to not sweat, then I will use a deodorant stick :)

Tip....lesson learned rather, don't look at your armpit while dusting the baking soda on, you might get it in your eyes.

I hope this helps, and as always....Enjoy!

Scented Pine Cones, Oh So Yummy Smelling.

I took the 6 year old out picking up pine cones while the younger one napped. She had so much fun finding and gathering the pine cones from the yard. She knew we were doing a craft, but she didn't care she was having fun. These will be some Christmas gifts this year for some of our neighbors and friends. These are perfect for putting in a decorative bowl or throw one or two in the fireplace while it is burning to release a nice cinnamon scent. Are you ready?

I brought them in, washed them off, and laid them out onto a baking/cookie sheet covered in foil ( make sure to put a layer of foil down prior to using baking/cookie sheet because of sap). I then preheated the oven to 200 degrees and popped the cookie sheet in with the pine cones laid out flat. Heat the pine cones until they pop open. The heating also ensures that any insects are killed and any sap is heated off. Once the pine cones have popped open feel free to remove one by one from the oven if others have not opened up. Allow the pine cones to cool down. Then, grab a plastic baggy and put the cool pine cones in it. Then add several drops of cinnamon essential oil and shake around and allow pine cones to sit 7 days in the plastic baggy to absorb the essential oil. If you are doing lots of pine cones you will probably have several plastic bags filled with pine cones.

Put these pine cones in a decorative bag with a pretty tag for gifts. If you can find some mesh bags they would be the ideal bag, but very hard to find. I put a paper bag through the printer and print on it. Then I fill the bag with the pine cones to give away.

There you have it! Enjoy!

Homemade Potato Chips, All Flavors

Homemade potato chips are the best, no denying! and it is sooooo easy. I am going to give just one way to make these, the way I make these, but there are so many other methods. Feel free to search for the perfect method or recipe you choose.

Ingredients:

Potatoes (I use plain ole Idaho potatoes)
coconut oil (other oils are ok, I choose coconut for its health benefits- make sure if you use another oil you put the fryer to the appropriate temperature so that you don't start to burn the oil)
sea salt

Directions:

Heat up your Fry Daddy or any deep fryer with your coconut oil. Put the temp just below 350 degrees (if you do not have a fryer then use a deep pot and a candy thermometer to achieve the same thing)
Slice your potatoes thin (I slice mine through a mandolin-it gives the exact slice I need).
Make sure you do not put your potatoes in water! Once you slice them, and the oil is at the temperature, drop them into the fryer, but don't drop too many. You want them to have room to move around and not stick to each other.
Cook approximately 3 minutes or until golden brown.
Pull out of fryer and lay on several layers of paper towel and sprinkle sea salt on chips.
Allow to cool.

Now for different flavors use any of these ideas:

Popcorn sprinkles (nacho cheese, jalapeno, etc)
Ranch dressing (the dry mix packets)
Cracked pepper
French Onion (the dry mix packet)

The sky is the limit!

Enjoy!

Indoor Garden Tip and Idea

I saw a tip for a indoor garden idea that I really thought was great. If you use green onions in salads, meals, served with Thanksgiving dinner, and so on ....you will really want to check this out.

The details on how to do this weren't there so I will be typing what I read through the lines :) Take a box of some sort, I am thinking like a shoe box or something even more shallow and line it with a barrier such as plastic shopping bag. I suppose I will be double or tripling up my bags just to be safe from any leaks. Then fill the box with some good soil, not all the way to the top but maybe half way or a tad more. Then buy some onions at the grocery store like you normally would, cut the end off that has the roots and lightly plant the root end and cover with dirt. Do not bury deep maybe just enough to barely cover the top of the cut end with dirt. Make sure you plant root down :)

Now! Here is what is so cool! Each time you pull some fully grown out to use in a recipe, you cut the end off and replant it! It is an endless supply of green onions replenishing itself. Awesome huh? I will try to post some pictures of mine once I get it started.

Enjoy!

Homemade Apple Cider, YUM!

I was in the grocery store and noticed one of my favorite things making its way to the shelves. I love this time of year for all my little favorite things. I couldn't help but notice that there weren't many refrigerated ones, which I think taste the best, and only ones out on a shelf. Something about the ones that are kept preserved/warm on a shelf, seem to taste so carbonated to me. So, here I went to find a recipe to....what?...yes, do at home :) 

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 8 -10 apples ( I used gala for a less tart or intense taste)
• 1/2-1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cinnamon ( or 4 cinnamon sticks)
• 4 tablespoons allspice

Directions

1. Quarter your apples (no need to remove peel or seeds).
2. In a large stock pot add your apples and fill with water--just enough to cover the apples.
3. Add your sugar.
4. Wrap your cinnamon and allspice in a doubled up cheese cloth and tie, and add this to the apples and water.
5. Boil on high for one hour (uncovered) checking on it frequently.
6. Turn down heat and let simmer for two hours (covered).
7. Take off the heat after two hours of simmering and let cool.
8. Remove spices and mash up the apples to a pulp like consistency (a potato masher works well for this).
9. Once cool pour into a strainer over a large bowl. When most of the juice has drained away, put the remainder of the pulp into a doubled up cheese cloth and squeeze over the bowl until no more juice comes out.
10. (At this point you can either restrain the juice to get out the little bits of pulp that remain with a cheese cloth draped inside the strainer to catch them or just leave it like I do).
11. You can store in an air tight container in your refrigerator for up to a week or you can freeze it for later use if you like.

http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=253224

Eye Makeup Remover

Ok, I have heard this, but never tried it....not sure why, silly huh? Here is a super easy eye makeup remover you can do at home.

Mix together:

1 Cup of water
1 1/2 TBSP of Tear free baby shampoo
1/8 tsp of olive oil (if you are worried about oil around the eyes, consult a physician or feel free to eliminate this ingredient)

Store in sterile container.

Super easy and extremely cost effective! Gotta love it!

Enjoy!

Clementines Are Not Just For Eating...

Clementines are becoming a rather popular item in store bought skin care items. In Whole Living, November 2011, issue they have published a clementine face and body mask.  The citric acid will act like a chemical peel and sluff off the old layer of skin to reveal a healthier skin. They also note that it is an anti-inflammatory and a blemish fighter....SCORE!

So, instead of paying for these store bought brands, Mor Neroli or Skinnyskinny, make your own on the cheap :)

Ingredients:

1 Clementine
1/2 cup Ground rolled oats
3 Tbsp. of raw honey
2 tsp. of Jojoba oil

Instructions:

Peel the clementine and dispose of peel. Puree the fruit of the clementine. Put the clementine puree into a bowl and add the ground rolled oats, honey and oil. Mix together thoroughly (if you prefer a thinner variety you can add a little water) and apply to face and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry with towel. You can use this mask once a week. Any unused portion can be stored in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Doing More At Home Moment..

Recently I needed to switch out the children's closets and get the outgrown items out and new in. I had a mess in each child's room and was quickly becoming overwhelmed. So, I decided to help the child see her numbers, recognize the number, and follow directions (what kid doesn't need help with that lol). I placed the numbers from a number placement puzzle on the floor in a line. I then would tell her the size of the piece of clothing and have her pile it behind the appropriate number. I also had a pile for donations pile, box up items pile, and pass along pile. I just gave those piles other numbers such as 0 or the even numbers which children's clothes don't use. She had fun, and it helped me out a ton! She even volunteered to help me with her little brothers closet which was fantastic.

So, I suppose the moral to this DMAH moment is to incorporate your kids in helping you clean. They will be with you, they have pride in helping, incorporate learning where you can, and the time to converse with your child.

Leftover Magazines...And So Many Of Them.

There are so many things you can do with leftover magazines, so I thought I would give a couple good uses.

1.) Deliver them to a retirement community, nursing home, or an elderly neighbor.
2.) Cut letters out (alphabet) and Modge Podge onto pieces of square wood and place a magnet on the back to use as your fridge learning center.
3.) Use the pretty backgrounds for pages for photo albums or memory books.
4.) Recycle them, please don't throw them away :)
5.) Cut groups of things out to make a learning book, such as a farm animal book, alphabet book, numbers book, things around the house(phones, doors, chairs, tv, etc), foods, and so much more.
6.) You can make cut out dolls with cut out clothes options for little girls.
7.) Use objects from magazines to allow kids to glue images on paper to make a picture of a scene or collage of things they like.

As you can see the options are endless, and you can really get creative with this.

Feel free to add comments below of ideas you can think of or have done. We would love to see other activities out there with old magazines.

DIY Storm Shelters

This is a very ambitious DIY project, but I feel it to be necessary to share. With the storms from this past year and the devastating effects of them, I felt it necessary to share the FEMA site that gives you the option to build a storm shelter yourself.

If anything, print these building plans out for different types of places for a safe room. I hope that you can utilize this site and hopefully it will save a life.

Enjoy!

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/saferoom/shplans/

Easy Breezy Week of Planned Meals

I read an organizational tip that I believe to be a WONDERFUL idea since the inevitable question gets asked and answered the exact same way...."What do y'all want to eat tonight," and the answer, "I don't know."

The idea was to get  7 baskets and label them Sunday through Saturday. Take the ingredients and recipe/book and put it in the basket. Do all 7 of them at the beginning of your week and you won't have to ask the redundant question that yields the same useless answer. Also, this helps you to keep your grocery list trimmed and you will not waste any food since you are using it all during that week. If you are running late to cook, the family (if willing) can easily get the recipe and follow the directions to get the meal started for you.

I found some clear Steralite containers at Target for $1 and just put note cards in them with the day written on them. Stack them in your pantry and voila....hassle free food planning the night of.

Enjoy!

DIY Pumpkin Puree

This will be a copy and paste from The Daily Green....

"There are a few different ways to prepare pumpkin puree at home. It's great to make this pumpkin puree recipe ahead and freeze so that you’ll have plenty on hand to add to root vegetable puree side dishes or your venerable heirloom pumpkin pie.
You can use the pumpkin puree in any recipe that calls for canned puree too. As a general rule, 3 pounds of fresh pumpkin will yield about 3 cups of mashed and cooked pumpkin.
Bake:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Rinse the pumpkin under cool water to rid the skin of any residual dirt and dry well with a clean towel.
3. Cut the pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds and stringy fibers with a metal spoon or ice cream scoop. Save the seeds for toasting, if you like, and discard the innards.
4. Rub the cut surfaces with oil. Place them, cut side down, in a roasting pan and add 1 cup of water to the pan.
5. Bake in the oven until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife. This takes approximately 90 minutes.
6. When tender, remove the pumpkin halves from the oven and place on a flat surface to cool.
7. Once cool enough to handle, but not cold, scoop out the pumpkin flesh.
8. Puree the pumpkin in a food processor, in a food mill, with a hand held blender or by hand.
9. Pumpkin flesh holds a lot of moisture. Line a sieve or fine mesh colander with paper towel or a coffee filter and set over a deep bowl. Let drain for about 2 hours and stir occasionally.
Boil:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
2. In the meantime, rinse the pumpkin under cool water to rid the skin of any residual dirt and dry well with a clean towel.
3. Cut the pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds and stringy fibers with a metal spoon or ice cream scoop. Save the seeds for toasting, if you like, and discard the innards.
4. Cut the pumpkin into evenly-sized smaller pieces and peel.
5. Add to the boiling water and cook for about 25 minutes or until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife.
6. Puree the pumpkin in a food processor, in a food mill, with a hand held blender or by hand.
Steam:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil that will hold a vegetable steamer or colander.
2. In the meantime, rinse the pumpkin under cool water to rid the skin of any residual dirt and dry well with a clean towel.
3. Cut the pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds and stringy fibers with a metal spoon or ice cream scoop. Save the seeds for toasting, if you like, and discard the innards.
4. Cut the pumpkin into evenly sized smaller pieces and peel.
5. Place the pumpkin pieces in a steamer or metal colander and over the boiling water. Cover and let steam for about 50 minutes or until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife.
6. Puree the pumpkin in a food processor, in a food mill, with a hand held blender or by hand.
To Freeze:
Once the puree has cooled entirely, place in freezer containers or ice cube trays. Leave room at the top (headspace) of the containers or individual ice cube compartments. Label, date and freeze the puree for future use."

Do It Yourself Vanilla Extract

So many recipes at this time of year call for vanilla extract, and it can be expensive if you don't get imitation. To lessen the costs, here is a do-at-home vanilla extract.

Ingredients and Materials:

4 oz. Mason jars (use how every many you need for use at home or gifts)
3 vanilla beans per jar
Vodka (buy a good variety to use with this, no cheap ones)

Directions:

Slice the beans down the center, but not in two. You just want them slit down the middle to release their flavor to the vodka. Place the beans in your jar and then fill with Vodka. Do not fill to the top, leave plenty of room in the mouth of the jar (typical canning style). Seal with lid and store in a dark, cool place. Once a week give the jars a turn to mix thoroughly again. Extract will be ready to use in approximately 8 weeks.

Note: If you plan to do any of these for Christmas gifts you better get to making it :) 8 weeks will put you into December.

Enjoy!

Fall Time Brings Ooodles of Great Flavors

One of my most favorite things about fall is the flavors of foods and items that come out in the stores. My favorite, of course, is pumpkin spice creamer....YUM!

I happened to turn the bottle around to look at it and saw lots of things I couldn't even pronounce lol. I suppose these days I am trying to keep our diets as chemical free as I possibly can. So many reports keep surfacing about certain additives, preservatives, colors, etc that are not proving to be so healthy for us. I love my family so very much and I want to do what I can to keep them safe and healthy.

Now that I have looked at protecting my family as much as I can, I realize so much of the time I don't do the same for myself. Why is this? The mother curse, I have been told, that makes you put your family first and it puts yours needs last. So, I have found one to replace as a healthy thing for me since I have my coffee every morning, who doesn't right?  :)

Ok so here it is, Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer, to store this in I use an old creamer bottle.

Ingredients:

1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 cup of whole milk (or if you choose to lessen the fat content of milk use 2%)
3 tablespoons of pumpkin puree (you can use canned but look to find a more organic option)
1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (I will post a do it yourself vanilla extract after this post)
4 tablespoons of maple syrup

Directions:

Whisk together the cream, milk, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium to medium low heat. Continue to stir to prevent any sticking to pan. Remove from heat when mixture begins to steam. At this point add the vanilla extract and continue to stir until thoroughly mixed together. You will want to strain your mixture through a strainer prior to placing in your creamer container. Once, all liquid is in container, refrigerate.

NOW..... on the outside of the creamer bottle put the date that comes first from your milk or creamer. This will be when you need to throw out the creamer. Tip... buy organic milk and creamer as they seem to be stocked up more at the stores and have a expiration date that is much further out than regular milk.

Enjoy the weather and your warm cup of coffee.

modified recipe from deliciously organic

Have you heard of Crock Pot Apple Sauce?

Such a very healthy snack, cooking additive, desert starter, muffin stuffer, and so much more..... I saw a crock pot recipe for Apple Sauce and thought what a saver of money for the kiddos lunches. Either pack a little for the kids or store it for recipes and more.

We have an apple orchard here locally that is family owned. It would be a great time to take the kids and allow them to pick the apples to bring home. For kids old enough, allow them to help you pour in the ingredients into the crock pot. They will feel they contributed to their snack that they will be eating at school and home. A great way to start kids learning about doing more things at home :)

Ingredients:

4 lbs tart apples, cored and sliced thin

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup water 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Put apples into crock pot and pour ingredients over the apples and stir. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.

DIY Oxyclean Clothes Cleaner

Ok, several years ago I quit using Oxyclean type cleaners, because for me they just didn't seem to do what I expected for the price. I started looking for substitutes to whiten the whites and I came up with this :)

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup baking soda
1 cup peroxide
2 cups of warm water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large enough bowl or container that you will be soaking your clothes in. Let it sit at least 20-30 minutes. I put mine in the washer and let it sit overnight on the soak cycle. Then, I wash the items as I normally would.

Hope this helps out folks and Enjoy!

DIY Dish Soap

I use so much dish soap, it is scarey! I am constantly washing baby and kid items so much so it seems that one side of my sink is always full of water, lol.

I have had a recipe for this for quite sometime and it is a great dish soap for when you revert back to the old days of hand washing ;)

Materials:

1 empty dish soap container, or any type of sealing squeeze bottle
2 cups castille soap
1/2 cup  warm water
5 drops lemon essential oil (or your favorite scent essential oils)

Instructions:

Mix the castille soap with the warm water and make sure mixed well. If you choose to add a scent then stir in the essential oils. Once you have thoroughly mixed the items, pour into empty dish soap squeeze bottle.

Enjoy!

I Have Looked and Looked and FINALLY!

My toddler is successfully eating soft cereal bars, which are expensive! I have looked repeatedly at all the recipe websites to no avail. Finally, I did an extensive search, and I found a blogger who has a great recipe on her website.

These will cost pennies to make.... Enjoy!

Almost Nutri-Grain Bars

I have been looking for a recipe for a homemade breakfast bar that had ingredients that I have available at home on a regular basis. I generally find recipes that have ingredients that I have either have never heard of or can only be find in health food stores. Check out this recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup apple juice
10 ounces jam (apricot, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, or apple butter)
1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Add the oil, egg, vanilla, and apple juice, and mix with a spoon or a mixer.
3. Press 2/3 of the mix evenly into a greased 8x12 pan.
4. Mix the jam with the water, and spread evenly over the mix.
5. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top, and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Before cutting, cool completely.

Credit: carriescooking.com/2008/09/almost-nutri-grain-bars.html

Clever, Clever, Clever......

Well, I am an Aldi shopper and need shopping bags all the time not to mention trash bags for all the kiddos trash in the car :) Also, this is such a clever way to store the bags under the sink instead of the puffed up mess I have now...This is am certainly doing...maybe not so decorated, but will be doing it! Click their link below to find out how to roll the bags so they will connect and pull out one by one flawlessly ;)

http://tatertotsandjello.com/2011/07/summer-social-guest-project-make_21.html

A "Doing More At Home" Moment

Are you a family that has gravitated away from the dinner table? If you are, you are certainly not alone. I have a challenge to offer you.....

Just add one night at the dinner table to start out...Then maybe next week add one more night for a total of two if you completely gravitated away from the table, and so on...

No TV, no cell phones, no interruptions....that's the name of the game :) I remember when we were growing up, the table was sacred family time. You didn't get up from the table to answer the phone, you didn't get out of your chair, and you surely didn't watch TV at the dinner table.

There was a game that I heard about on TV, The Chew, to do at the dinner table while eating, and I think it will be awesome in communicating with your kids and finding out what has gone on during their day. She called it the High and Low game. Ask your child the "high" point of their day and then once they answered ask them the "low" point of their day and then move on. This opens up a moment to discuss each item with your child and moments to tell stories of your similar moments or a time to offer some solid advice. Before you know it, your dinner will be done and everyone communicated during the dinner.

DIY Beautiful Lip Gloss

I have been making my own tinted lip gloss for a little over a year now and must say, I love it. It is so incredibly easy, and you will cringe at all the money you have wasted buying gloss at the store.

Materials:

Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline)
Cocoa powder or Dig out old lipstick that is too low to use  (cocoa for brown and natural tints)
Package of small paint containers like this:


Instructions:

Take the petroleum jelly and put in a microwave safe bowl (I use a glass condiment bowl)
Put the bowl containing the petroleum jelly into the microwave and heat in 30 second intervals and stir after each heating (always use caution when heating items in the microwave, refer to use and care instructions provided to you by your manufacturer or can be found online through your manufacturer's website)
Once you have achieved total liquidation of the jelly, carefully remove from the microwave with hot pads to protect your hands from burning.
Add small amounts of your cocoa/lipstick while stirring until you achieve the color intensity you prefer
While still in liquid form, pour into clean/sterile containers and allow to cool then top.

To give your gloss a more healing property, feel free to add Aloe to the mixture (straight from plant or store bought)

Enjoy!

Uggggg! Fruit Fly Pandamonium...Yuck!

My family eats a lot of fruit, and I always have to deal with the fruit fly at some point. So.... I have combined two well known tricks to trapping them to give to you that work.

Materials:

1 Large glass Ball/Mason jar or something similar
1 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper (recycle something you were going to throw away or did throw away)
scotch tape
apple cider vinegar
dish soap ex. Dawn

Instructions:

Take the sheet of paper and slide it to where it looks like a horn and tape it to hold on the outside.
Take a Tablespoon or two of the apple cider vinegar and pour into the bottom of the jar (just a small amount to cover the bottom)
Then add to the cider one small drop of the dish soap
Then place the horn, small side down inside of the jar and scotch tape around the mouth of the jar to the paper horn so that it seals the jar

I found a picture of what this should look like and here you go...


courtesy of fresh.curbly.com

and Voila! Enjoy!

Do Your Carpets Need A Little Refreshing?

There are two types of carpet refreshing that I will have here for you :)

I recently decided that our carpets needed a deep cleaning and headed out to our local Lowes to rent a Bissell Steam Cleaner. I have used several types and grades of steam cleaners and am impressed with the job that Bissell does. This more commercial grade cleaner does a much better job than a store bought home steam cleaner, if you are asking me. So, being the coupon queen that I am, I found a $10 off coupon and a rental here was $29. My total rental for a 24 hour period was $19 instead of hiring a professional which usually costs me well over $400 to do my entire house. Now, that is a savings! I have the coupon here for you,
http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=yjfefee56778219&bt=vi&o=83237&c=bi&p=yw2xiwjl

( it is a manufacturer coupon and just says available at Lowes, which doesn't mean you have to use it at Lowes...a manufacturer coupon is a manufacturer coupon)
Now, if your carpets need just a "itti bit " of refreshing here is what I have for you.....

Materials:

1 Gallon sized Ziploc bag
1 large box of baking soda *size of a Cascade box (I suggest getting an off brand since you won't be cooking with it)
Optional: 15 drops of your favorite scent of essential oil (no more cause you don't want it to be too oily on your carpets

Instructions:

Empty 1/4 of box into bag and add 1/4 of the total drops of your optional essential oil  and shake to mix it up real good.
Repeat until all the baking soda and oil is in the Ziploc bag.
Sprinkle on your carpets (if yours is clumpy you can go around with a hand flour sifter to sprinkle on your carpets...your hand might get tired of squeezing the handle to sift, but push through the pain and remember how much money you are saving yourself :) *Do Not put on wet carpets.
Let sit for a couple of hours and make sure you do not walk upon after sprinkling.
Then vacuum up and you are done.

As always, consult your informaiton on your carpet and vacuum to insure that use and care is being followed.

Dryer Sheets, for you Dess :)

Got an email from a friend of mine asking me about dryer sheets. Well, here you go....

Materials:

1 Washcloth
1/4 cup of homemade fabric softener (recipe in previous post)

Directions:

Soak the washcloth in the homemade fabric softener and wring it out. Throw the washcloth in the dryer time after time, one soaking will work dozens of times in the dryer without re-soaking.

Enjoy!

WOW! I am loving all the support, Thank You!

Thanks for all the wonderful emails of support! Please spread the word and website....from the bottom of my heart, Thank you!

Do You Have an Aldi Store????

Folks there is no doubt..no doubt!...that Aldi food stores have the best prices on everything! not to mention their brand foods are just as good if not better than brand name items. If non-namebrand items are not your style, just remember this...their eggs, milk, produce, meat, and breads are so much cheaper than major grocery store chains.

I think to prove it I will start taking a recipe and totalling up the amount spent at Aldi to make it for my family.

If you have one, take a quarter, your grocery bags (plastic, paper, or fabric ones), and cash or debit card. They do have bags to purchase if needed, they do not take credit cards, and you insert a quarter to get a shopping cart but you get it back when you return it to its spot outside GENIUS! It keeps the prices down of all their goods.

Just to compare.....

My husband loves Kettle Chips, they are $1.59 at our store versus $4
Bread is under a dollar, hotdog buns and hamburger buns $.79
Cinnamon bread much, much cheaper at Aldi
Milk is $2.59 at our store
Eggs are sometimes $.20 YES you read it right
cheese is cheaper, all sorts of everyday stuff!

Go check it out for yourself, you will be pleased. Try substituting one of their items each time you go and see for yourself how well you like it. I bet you will!

Dishwasher Soap That Doesn't Fail You with Streaks, Promise!

I have ventured out and tried several dishwasher soaps and was consistantly let down with dishes coming out foggy or streaky (is that even a word lol).

I found this recipe and have been using it for around a month now and am pleasantly pleased on how it works.

Materials:

1 box Borax
1 box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
24 packets of unsweetened lemonade (Kool-aid type, but I buy Wal-Mart brand) or Citric Acid
3 cups of Epson Salt
1 container of granular Lemi-Shine (Wal-Mart sells it next to the dishwasher rinse aids)
1 Large storage container(I have an extra large one but I believe a Gallon container would hold it all.

Instructions:

Mix all of these ingredients together well and store in an air tight container. Now, I have found that if it is not an air tight container you may need to 2-4 saltine crackers in the top to absorb the moisture from the container. If you don't, the mixture will become solid and hard to spoon out.

To use:

Sprinkle a little Lemi Shine in the pre-wash and wash areas of the dishwasher and add one tablespoon of mixture to the wash bin. If it is a extra dirty load add the same amount to the pre-wash bin.

Enjoy!

I believe this came from a website that was referenced on pinterest lately, even though I have had it longer than I have been addicted, yes addicted, to Pinterest  :)

Probably not a new idea to you, but just in case....

I don't buy foam hand soap anymore from my favorite body shop. I started buying cheap body wash and filling my existing foam dispensers with 1/3 wash and rest water. Gave it a good shake to mix it and voila! Now, I will admit I try to buy scents close to and the color of the one on the dispenser originally.

Tip.... I have found that a lot of the mens body washes have crisp, clean scents for those scents that are not standard ex. lemon, grapefruit, coconut, etc. I use the mens body wash for ocean scents, linen scents, etc.

The BEST Hands Down Windex Recipe, Been using for 3 years.

I must say I use Windex for more than its intended purpose of just taking care of windows. I clean my windows with it, my counter tops, stainless with it, granite, mirrors, and more. At one point in time I decided I was always buying it at the store, more often than I thought I should. I started searching online 3 years ago to find a recipe that would work just as good or better than the store bought. I had tried the basic recipe of just alcohol and ammonia and it streaked. So, off I went searching. I found a recipe from a girl, sorry I can't give credit to her been too long and I just remember the recipe, who was passed down the recipe from her father. I watched the comments on her recipe and everyone was praising the recipe. So, I sent the recipe to my mom and we both made it and tried it. I was so pleased and so happy it worked, and worked very well. To this day Mom and I still make this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Materials:

1 cup of ammonia (they sell lemon scented ammonia as well if you want to try it or just plain ammonia)
2cups of rubbing alcohol (I buy the higher percentage rubbing alcohol)
1 Tablespoon of dish soap (I use a non-scented one and that is clear)
1 gallon distilled water
A 1 gallon milk jug (make sure it is thoroughly washed out)
optional: one drop of blue food coloring

Instructions:

Put the ammonia in the milk jug.
Then add the alcohol.
Add the dish soap (do not add more than stated, it will cause streaking if you do)
and top off with distilled water (pour slowly to avoid suds)
optional: add one drop of blue food coloring (just to look legit)

When it's time to fill one of my existing Windex bottles, I give the gallon jug a turn or two to mix up the ingredients again and then fill my spray bottle. I keep the recipe on the milk jug so I can quickly make it when needed.

One quick tip folks, make sure the hand towels you use to dust are not towels treated with a fabric softener :) It is the culprit to most glass cleaners streaking.

Enjoy!

Need a winter garden of summer veggies?

I am a person who is sort of new, but not new to gardening ;) I am bummed that our summer of growing great tomatos and herbs is coming to an end. I use mint, parsley, basil, thyme, and so much more throughout the summer. I have decided I am not gonna give them up lol. That's just like me to not take no for an answer LOL

So, I have some large Ball jars that I am going to be filling with some good soil and take sprigs of some of my herbs and veggies and plant them in the jars. I won't be hanging them on the wall like some have in some of the DIY websites, but I will be placing them on top of my refrig. It is a warm place and next to a door with sun.

I will be planting my mint, parsley, basil, thyme, a grape tomato plant, lettuce(planting indoors and out), green onions (I will be planting these outside since they endure the cold), radishes (outside), jalapenos in a jar, and a bell pepper plant.

I believe that will take care of me pretty well throughout the winter.

If you have any tips or ideas please post a comment below for everyone to read.

Enjoy!

Kids Anti-Skid Socks, a DIY BIG Money Saver

With my little one just learning to walk, the anti-skid socks are so important now. My only problem with them was the price, the quantity for the money, and the selection. So, with that said I headed off to Wal-Mart and got two packs of white socks (packs of ten) some ankle length and some calf height. Then I went and purchased a $.99  bottle of puffy paint (white). If memory served me the two packs of socks were approximately $9.50 total. I have just over $10 dollars in the 20 pairs of anti-skid socks.....now that's a huge bargain.

Here is how to do it:

Lay the socks out with the bottom of the sock facing up.
Then start to put whatever designs you so choose to put on the socks.
I put the same design on each pair of socks so I could match them or feel free to put the same on all.
Allow them to dry overnight to insure they are completely dry.
Then wash the socks as you normally would.
Now they are ready for baby/toddler/kid to wear.

Now, I am going to add a side note...folks if you have wood floors and especially wood steps in your house, go ahead and do them on the adult socks as well. Better safe than sorry cause that is one spill you don't want to take.  :)

Enjoy!

Teeth Whitening, DIY....my grandmother was right...I should've listened

Ok, so I have extremely sensetive teeth and wish I could use a teeth whitener, BUT I can now! Yippeee. I found and have used a DIY teeth whitener. I have used it a couple times and am very impressed already with the result, so I am gonna say it's a keeper :)

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Peroxide

Directions:

Put ingredients in a smal bowl and stir. You may have to add some more baking soda until it is a thick paste. I don't mix more than a one-time-use amount at a time. I brushed my teeth and then did a cheese type smile in the mirror and just caked it on continuously with my toothbrush. I tried brushing my teeth with it and it tasted salty so I decided to just paste it on :)

Enjoy!

Cream of _______ Soup

Have you heard all the news about toxins in canned goods lately? Personally I don't care if the FDA is saying something is of a tollerable level, I don't want it in my body! period.

So, when you have a recipe that calls for Cream of ______ Soup , use this recipe for the substitute. I add the something thats missing into the recipe usually. Like the chicken, celery, mushroom, etc you get the point. So I add this recipe and the missing item, ex. mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 cup non-fat dried milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup bouillon cubes
4 Tablespoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

one can of condensed cream of _____ soup = 1/3 cup dry mix + 1 1/4 cup of water

credit: I found this online but can't find who to give credit to, but it is on pinterest.com where I got it

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ok, so here comes a small/short story. When I was pregnant, an easy meal was the one that was gonna get cooked lol....BUT my problem with easy was sodium content was out of control on almost everything easy. My doctor put me on low sodium due to some complications, and I found this almost impossible! My friends who cooked and delivered low sodium meals to me (I haven't forgotten, you wonderful people who I call my dearest friends) can probably testify to this as well. Bless their darlin' hearts for loving me that much.

So here comes my end to my story, Tacos are easy, a hit for the hubby and the child, so I researched the ingredients in the seasoning and found an excellent recipe from allrecipes.com  I have been mixing this now for almost two years, it lasts for a long time, and man of man is it CHEAP!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
(I add one more ingredient) 1 Tablespoon minced onion (even though the onion powder is in it)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. I use a small Ziploc container and put ingredients on the container so I have easy access to recipe at any given moment.

I use 1 Tablespoon per pound of ground meat.

Homemade Furniture Polish aka "Pledge"

I have used it, use it still, and I love it!

Materials:

1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
1/4 cup of lemon juice (you can use vinegar but I use lemon juice..smells good)

Directions:

Mix the two ingredients together in a bowl ( you can use straight from the bowl by dipping the dusting cloth in the bowl, but I went ahead and put mine in a spray bottle to make it easier to carry around, less chance of spills, and easy to swirl around and mix up again )

Enjoy!

Saving Money on Finger Paints

I loved finger painting as a child, thought it was the best! I remember the last day of school in elementary school the teacher would allow up to smear finger paints on top of our desks. It is a fond memory that will always make me smile (easy to entertain...yes I know lol).

So, I figured I would check out finger paints and their costs at the craft store....and I came home with NO finger paints ;)

I came home looking for a DIY recipe online and found one that is AWESOME! Now my children can finger paint til their hearts are content.

Enjoy!

Materials:

old baby food jars or ziploc small containers (I use six)
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup of corn starch
2 cups of water
food coloring

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan on low heat.
Warm the mixture until it thickens
Let the mixture cool
After the mixture has cooled you can then pour equal amounts into the containers
Add the food coloring to each jar
Put lids on paint as they will dry out fairly fast.

credit: easie peasie

Place Setting Template

As a child, it never failed I always put the fork on the right side of the plate because I was right handed, lol. My mother and grandmother always tried to remind me on how to set a table. Well, since then I have found a way to remind me, not that I need it anymore, on the appropriate way to set a table. Here is my tip....I put a printout as the first page in my everyday cookbook that I use. It is easy to access if the kids are not sure of their recent help of setting the table. I have found it to be extremely helpful and will always be page number one of my cookbook notebook :)

Print this out and Enjoy!



credit: image from lifehacker.com

Homemade Fabric Softener

I have tried several different recipes of fabric softener and by far this is my favorite and I will continue to make and use this. Love it!

Materials: 

6 cups hot water
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups Suave Refreshing Waterfall (hair)conditioner ( I like this scent but if you prefer another one of Suaves scents by all means use it)

Directions:

Mix conditioner and hot water until all of the conditioner is dissolved completely
Add the vinegar and continue to mix until all is blended well
Store in a container that is air tight (ex. I use an old fabric softener bottle/bleach bottle washed out well, etc)
Pour the same amount as you would if it was your name brand variety.

Enjoy!

credit given to http://www.thefrugalgirls.com/

Homemade Laundry Detergent, always my favorite!

My Aunt Suzie passed me a recipe from a good friend of hers that was fed up with paying so much money for laundry detergent. I honestly must say, my first reaction was there is no way any homemade detergent would do as good as a store bought one. Well, I have been using this for over two years now, and I don't see myself going back. It cleans so good!

A common question with homemade detergent is, "Can I use it in a high efficiency machine?" The answer is yes. Here is my lesson learned on using it in a He washer...I put my detergent directly into the drum and not in the detergent shoot/door on top. Sometimes the texture is a little thick and it could possibly clog up your detergent shoot. Also, I suggest that you use half as much as you normally would (I use approx. 1/4 cup per load).

Materials:

3-5 gallon bucket with lid
1 bar of Zote soap or Fels Naptha (I prefer the Zote it melts faster and smells better)
1 1/4 cup of Borax
1 1/4 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA)
2 gallons and 10 cups of water

Directions:

Put 6 cups of water in a large sauce pan. Grate bar of soap and add grated soap to water in large sauce pot. Turn on heat to mixture to medium low heat. Stir until FULLY dissolved. This should take approximately 30 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. When the bar soap is fully dissolved add the Borax and Washing Soda to the mixture. Stir until fully dissolved. Get your 3-5 gallon bucket and add 4 cups of hot water to it. Bring heated mixture over to bucket and pour in. Then add 2 gallons of tap water to the bucket and let it set up. It will immediately start to thicken (texture of Jello). Put lid on bucket and store away in your laundry room. Voila!