Don't Cry

Here's a fancy trick that will make you cry! 

Next time you buy a bag of onions, go ahead and dice them all up at once.  I like to use my food chopper it's quicker in the long run.  After all onions are diced, I bag them in 1 cup measurements.

Label and date the bag with a permanent marker and store in your freezer.

It took me about 15 minutes to do 8 onions.  I now have 6+ cups of diced and frozen onions, ready for me the next time I need to cook.

Frozen onions can be placed directly in a hot pan, no need to defrost first.

Fun facts about Apples

Since it's now Fall, apple picking is upon us!
Here are some fun and interesting facts about apples!

• There are over 7,000 varieties of apples all over the world.
  
  
• When choosing an apple, select firm and bright colored ones with smooth and shiny skin.
  
  
• Avoid bruised, soft or shriveled fruit, and it should have a fresh scent.
  
  
• If you like your Granny Smith apples extra tart, choose the ones with pale speckles and red patches.
  
  
• Tough apple skins means a harder winter
  
  
• A bushel of apples will make slightly more than 3 gallons of cider.

Applesauce

4 Servings

8 apples (Gravenstein are a good choice) peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1/2 cup water
Sugar, to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

COMBINE APPLES AND WATER in a deep pan or pot.
Place over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally. When apples begin to get tender, add sugar to taste but be sparing until apples mash easily--that's when you can tell just how sweet you want the applesauce.
Add lemon juice and cook until applesauce is ready to be mashed with fork.
Remove from heat and add lemon peel.
Mash with a fork, leaving some coarse texture.
Serve warm, over ice cream!!!

Rich Baked Apples

12 Servings

12 whole peeled cored apples
1-cup chopped walnuts
1-cup sugar
1/4 cup seedless raisins
1 to 2 slightly beaten egg whites
1-cup finely ground dry breadcrumbs
1/3-cup light brown sugar
1-teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup melted unsalted butter

Combine walnuts, sugar, raisins, and egg whites-mix well spoon into the cavities of the apples. Combine breadcrumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a shallow bowl-mix well.
Moisten apples with melted butter.
Coat evenly with the breadcrumb mixture.
Place into individual buttered ramekins or custard cups bake @ 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot, topped with whipped cream or with cream!!

Source: TJ Hill - Appetites Catered

allaboutapples.com
Oldfashionliving.com

Vinegar and a sunburn

When you get a sunburn the products out there to help soothe and prevent blistering or peeling can be quite costly. Believe it or not, a natural and cheaper remedy lies just in your pantry.....it's vinegar! I'm not kidding. I've actually used this and it works.

"To soothe a sunburn spray white distilled vinegar on skin, repeating as often as you like. Let it dry naturally, do not rub off. Ice-cold white distilled vinegar will feel even better, and may prevent blistering and peeling." Courtesy of Vinegar Tips

Thanks to a friend of mine who teaches science I learned that vinegar is made of water and acetic acid, so it will moisturize and soothe your sunburn. Acetic acid is called an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug), which helps reduce the swelling of the damaged tissue and relieves the pain.

You can also pour a complete small size bottle of white vinegar in a bath of luke warm water and soak in it for about 15 minutes or longer if desired, it will relieve the pain of sunburn immediately and the redness that comes the sunburn and helps prevent peeling. You can also apply vinegar before going out in the sun and you will lessen the chances of getting sunburn! Courtesy of The Vinegar book.

Here are a few other helpful tips for sunburns
Clean and Simple Sunburn Remedies
eHow: How to Treat a Sunburn with Vinegar

Make-It-From-Scratch-Mondays - Chai Tea

Chai Tea is something we either like or don't like, the taste is unique! For all you Chai lovers out there here's a delicious recipe that I know you'll enjoy. Sip it over ice to cool you down!

Chai Tea Mix

Courtesy of 2passthetorch.com

*1/2 cup instant tea
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup dry milk
* ½ cup dry creamer

Spices:

* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger

* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (careful, careful!)

Spoon a couple of heaping teaspoons into a mug of hot water, stir, and Voila. Or pour this over a glass of ice and enjoy it cold!

Frugal Reminder:

It's always cheaper to make
rather than buy!

Homemade Fingerpaint

My son loves to paint and just the other day we ran out of paint. I didn't really want to go back to Target and spend another $8 on paint, so I went a-searching online for ways to make my own paint and low and behold I found a few good recipes!!

Kool-Aid Finger Paint

3 cups boiling water
2 cups flour
2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid
1/2 cup salt
3 tablespoons oil

• Mix the Kool-Aid, flour and salt into a glass bowl. Add oil.
• Slowly add the boiling water, stirring while you pour.
• Once cool you can use as fingerpaint.

Homemade Finger paint Recipe

1 cup Flour
1 cup Water
1 cup Sunlight dish soap
2 TBS Food Coloring

Directions:

• Mix all items until there are no lumps and paint is smooth. Keep sealed in an airtight container and refrigerate.
• You can divide the batch up into smaller amounts and use a different color of food coloring for each batch.
  
  

Easy Finger Paint

• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/3 Cup of cornstarch
• 2 Cups water
• 1/4 Cup dishwashing soap
• food coloring

Put the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and then slowly mix in cold water. Then cook the mixture over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until you have a smooth gel. Let cool and then add dishwashing soap. Divide into as many containers as you would like colors and then mix in food coloring drops until you have you desired color. If you have colored dishwashing soap that can influence all the colors you try to create, which isn't always a bad thing.

Tip: Use baby food jars to divide and store the paint! They are a perfect size for kids to dip their fingers or brushes into and they can be sealed easily if you have leftover paint.

Make-It-From-Scratch-Mondays - homemade remedy

Well I know for many of us Spring/Summer can bring up a lot of congestion due to allergies. So let's go to your spice rack to make a very natural remedy to help with congestion brought on by allergies or colds or flu.

We're going to make some tea using the spice Anise!

Steep 1 tsp of anise seeds in a 1 cup of hot water, after about 3 minutes, strain and enjoy!

Anise seed tea can also help with an upset stomach due to gas; and chewing the seeds can also hep bad breath.

A little History on the Seed:

Anise is in the parsley family, It is related to caraway, dill, cumin, and fennel, which is why Anise smell and taste like licorice. It is cultivated for its seedlike fruits as well as the oil obtained from them.




These seeds and oil can be used to flavor foods, teas liqueurs, and candies. Anise originates in the Middle East and has been used as a medicine since prehistoric times. Ancient Romans used Anise to aid digestion and ward off epileptic attacks.



For more info on this powerful herb, go here. Buying cold/flu or Allergy medicine can be costly to our wallets, it's better if we can find remedies with things in our own home! Not only is it better for our wallets, but our bodies will enjoy the natural aids as well!

Make-It-From-Scratch-Mondays: Produce Wash

Buying Organic fruits and vegetables can become expensive;
so here's a spray you can make that will do an excellent job of washing away the pesticides on your food, making them better for you and your family!

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 TBS baking soda
• 2 TBS lemon juice

Directions: In a deep container, mix ingredients and pour into a spray bottle. Spray fresh vegetables & fruit generously.
Let stand for 5 minutes then rinse well.



Washing Produce Tips:

• When washing leeks or spinach, I fill my sink with about two inches of cold water and toss in them in. Leeks I'll generally cut up first and then separate in the water, then I swish the veggies around for a few seconds. Take out and pat or spin dry. The dirt falls to the bottom of your sink and your veggies are clean!!
  
  
• Before you cut into a melon, be sure to wash the outside of it first. If you don’t, the knife can drag the pesticides, dirt or bacteria from the outside rind into the fruit as you cut. The outside of melons can be very dirty.
  
  
• Before cutting celery or mushrooms, dampen the corner of a clean kitchen towel and just wipe the produce clean.

In the mood for Granola?

JoEllyn's Favorite Granola

• 6 cups regular rolled oats -- Bake alone on a baking sheet for
  10 minutes @ 350 degrees
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup nuts (pecans are good in this recipe)
  
• 1/2 cup raw wheat germ
• 1/2 cup dry milk powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon

MIX DRY INGREDIENTS TOGETHER

Combine the following and mix with dry ingredients

• 2/3 cup honey
• 2/3 cup oil ( I've cut down on the oil to 1/3 cup, but try to see what you like)
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Spray pans with cooking spray and bake @ 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring twice.

It will look undercooked but gets crunchy as it cools.

Variation:

• use almonds/walnuts/sesame seeds -- instead of pecans and coconut
• use 2 scoops protein powder -- instead of dried milk
• nutmeg -- instead of cinnamon, but you may want to use less as nutmeg can be a stronger flavor than cinnamon

Make-It-From-Scratch-Mondays: Kids' Placemats

Make Placemats Out of Old Holiday Cards

This is a great craft to do with kids this summer! Click on the link above for pictures and step by step directions.

I love to save cards that the kids get from Christmas or their birthdays, but to be honest, they just get stored and we never see them.

What better way to relive memories and read what Great-Grandma wrote than having it on placemats!

Homemade Playdough

I love play dough almost as much as my toddler does! It's so easy to make from scratch, and the best thing about homemade play dough is that it can be all one color if you prefer.

Here are two recipes I just tried, I like the first one better, it uses Cream of Tarter and I like the consistency of it. The second one I tried because I ran out of Cream of Tarter, plus I wanted to compare the two. Both work great and my kids are going to have fun, but the first recipe feels more like store-bought, I hope you get a chance to try it, your kids will love you!


Nature's Playdough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 pkg of Kool-Aid (any flavor)
Food coloring

Mix flour, salt, tartar, Kool-Aid and oil, and slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the playdough with your hands until of proper consistency. Use as is, or divide into balls and add a few drops of food coloring.


Salt Playdough

Materials

* 1 cup salt
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup flour plus additional flour
* Kool-Aid (any flavor) and food coloring

Directions

1. Mix salt, water, Kool-Aid and flour in saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Add a few drops of food coloring.
3. Remove from heat when mixture is thick and rubbery.
4. As the mixture cools, knead in enough flour to make the dough workable.

Make-It-From-Scratch-Mondays: Strawberry Jam

Strawberries are on sale right now so STOCK UP!!!!

The best thing to do with them is make Strawberry Jam, and no it's not that hard. I buy Pectin freezer jam, you can find it on the baking isle. There are many brands out there and I've found the Freezer Jam Pectin to be the best -
So easy!


First you wash and cut your strawberries. Then you cut them up, I use my food chopper and just place the strawberries in the bowl and chop away! I like to have a few chunks in my jam so mash them up to your desired consistency!


Squeeze some lemon on the strawberries and add your sugar.
(Exact directions are in the box of Pecitn).

Boil Pectin and water for 3 minutes.


Add dissolved pectin to mashed strawberries and stir.

Spoon into Jelly Jars. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or
Freeze your Jam up to a year!

I'm going to the store to buy more strawberries, they make the best presents for birthdays, get well gifts, thank you presents, ect. and since they can stay frozen up to a year I may have some Christmas gifts already taken care of....that is if I have any left, homemade jam is amazing!!!

Make-It-From-Scratch-Mondays: Oatmeal Pancakes

Here's my version of oatmeal pancakes, if you've never made these I suggest you try them! The oatmeal makes the pancakes thick, fluffy and hearty! Enjoy these with some homemade syrup and you'll have yourself a delicious frugal breakfast!

1 TBS oil
1 TBS honey
1 TBS sour cream
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C oatmeal
1 C flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C brown sugar

Mix oil and honey
Add the egg and sour cream
Mix the dry ingredients and beat until smooth
Heat pan on medium heat
Drop spoonfuls onto pan, cook approx. 1 1/2 min. each side
It's important to leave the heat on medium, any higher and the pancakes will get very dark on the outside but remain undercooked on the inside. The oatmeal makes the pancakes thick, so remember to cook them low and slow!

Serve warm with butter and homemade syrup!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

A wonderful friend from many years ago sent me this, it's her own version of Taco Seasoning and I can't wait to try it. Thanks again Danelle!

Here's her e-mail:


My family eats tacos probably once a week, so I usually measure out 4 or 5 "packets" of this all at once and keep it in my spice cupboard so it's all ready to go. I really like it because it's not as salty as the packet from the store, but tastes so fresh!

The following measurements are for 2 lbs of meat (I've used it with beef and turkey and chicken...all good!) Just divide in half for 1 lb. of meat.

2 tsp dried minced onion
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp each oregano leaves & paprika
1/2 tsp ea. dried rosemary, ground cumin & black pepper
1 clove minced garlic
3 Tbs taco sauce (I've used leftover packets from Taco Bell before, too)
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I've used steak sauce in a pinch)

Brown meat along with all seasonings and garlic. After meat is cooked through, drain off any fat and return to low heat, add taco sauce and Worcestershire sauce, cook until hot. Ready to go!

Pillowcase Tote

Last week I had this crazy idea to make reusable grocery bags out of pillowcases; it was a wild thought that I didn't know what to do with.

Then today, Tipnut.com shares a Sewing Tutorial for a Pillowcase Tote! Crazy right?! I'm so excited and can't wait to break out my sewing machine! Here's the sites; I'll probably going to head over to Salvation Army for some cheap pillowcases. :)

tipnut.com

creativekismet.com

Homemade Pancake Syrup

Pancake Syrup is actually very easy to make and most likely you have all the ingredients in your pantry. I just about finished our bottle of Mrs. Buttersworth and instead of buying more, I'm going to make a few batches on my own and pour it in the bottle! Voila - new Pancake Syrup and I paid $0!


2 cups of packed brown sugar (white sugar will work too)
1/2 cup of water
1/2 tsp. of vanilla flavoring

1. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a pan, stirring occasionally. If boiled too long it will be too thick. Water can be added to obtain the right consistency.
   
   
2. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or longer to obtain desired thickness.
   
   
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla flavoring.
   
   
4. Serve warm. Store unused portion in the refrigerator.

This recipe only makes 2 cups, so I'm going to make 2 batches to fill my empty Syrup bottle!


Original Recipe found here

Homemade Granola Bars

So I've been wanting granola bars lately and they are seriously so expensive, and I remember reading a recipe by Rachael Ray for no bake Granola Bars. I found the recipe and thought I'd share it with you - so easy, and so cheap. I made 2 batches, wrapped them individually in foil and froze the rest. What a perfect breakfast on the go or a healthy afternoon snack for me and the kids, you have to try these!


No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars
Courtesy of Rachael Ray


4 TBS unsalted butter
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1/4 C honey
2 C granola
1 C rice cereal
1/2 C raisin (although any dried fruit would work!)
1/2 C thin pretzel sticks
1/2 C chocolate chips (I used leftover Valentine's Day chocolate that I froze and chopped into small chunks)


In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the honey and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from the heat.


Add the granola, rice cereal, raisins and pretzels to the saucepan and fold the ingredients to evenly coat the sauce. Transfer the granola mixture to a 9-by-13-inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly to evenly fill. Gently press the chocolate chips onto the top of the granola. Let the mixture set in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into 2 1/4-by-3-inch bars.

Makes approx. 16 bars :)

Here's a link to the actual recipe with the picture I used above, No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

Baking Soda Power

So as some of you know, vinegar and I are tight! She's my girl, I have vinegar solutions all around my house and I use her on just about everything.

Well she works even better with her friend, Baking Soda! He's also one of a kind, and if you aren't familiar with his power, just read on!!!

I first bought a giant bag of Baking Soda (BkSd) from Smart & Final and was literally carrying it around from bathroom to bathroom cleaning. It was a pain. So I had this bright idea to pour him into a smaller container (duh!). I was just at the end of our Santa Maria Seasoning (it's a large plastic container, much like Parmesan Cheese Containers). So I poured the remaining seasoning in a zip lock bag then filled it up with BkSd. Now I have my vinegar solution and my BkSd sprinkler in a small easy tote as I clean.

Other containers to pour Baking Soda in:

Lowry's Season Salt

Garlic Salt

Bacon Bits

Baking Powder Can (small and round!)

Old containers from your Spice rack (might be small, but easy to store throughout your house!)

Parmesan Cheese

***Be creative, and use what you have at home, no need to buy a separate container!***

Here's the best way I look at Baking Soda, whatever I used to pour Comet or Bleach on when cleaning, I now use Baking Soda. Completely odorless and non-toxic and virtually harmless!

To give you an idea, here are some places I use Baking Soda!

Kitchen
Sink
Stove
Oven
Refrigerator
Counters
Faucets
Floors
Dishwasher
Grout
Trash Can
Disposal
Microwave

Bathroom
Sink
Counter
Faucet
Toilets
Grout
Floor
Tub
Shower
Drains
Trash Cans

Swiffer Socks

I have a Swiffer Mop and I love it, it makes cleaning my floors so easy, but the the Mopping Refills can be pretty expensive. My alternative: an old sock!! It actually works really well; And I know we all have spare socks laying around, why not put them to good use!

I later found these helpful hints off Tipnut.com, it's better than paying for something you're just going to throw away!

I then mix up some vinegar and water and enjoy an eco-friendly cleaning, when I'm done I toss it in the washer. Give it a try!

Homemade Cleaners

So I had coffee with a new friend last night and we were talking about au natural cleaners and I realized when I went home that I've never posted much on the topic. so I thought I'd post a few of the recipes I use around the house!

This is the list of natural ingredients I use to clean, all of them can be found in your regular grocery store. Although for some reason, Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer) I usually find at Albertsons, but the rest I buy in bulk at Smart & Final.

1. White Vinegar
2. Baking Soda
3. Lemon Juice
4. Borax
5. Washing Soda
6. Rubbing Alcohol
7. Cornstarch
8. Mineral Oil
   
9. Coarse Salt - Sea Salt is great
   
10. Toothpaste

If I have a good response to this post, I'll add more recipes and tips!
I'll also post some pics if there's an interest!

Quick General Clean Ups: half vinegar and half water solution
Keep a spray bottle in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room.

Disinfectant: 1/2 cup of borax dissolved in one gallon of hot water.
The important part here (that I have had to learn the hard way), is to let it cool completely, and then strain it, before pouring it into a plastic spray bottle (otherwise it clumps).

Floor, Counter, Toilet Cleaner: 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.
You can also polish linoleum floors with club soda :) The big question here is, "will my house smell like vinegar, and the answer is no." It may temporarily smell like vinegar while you're cleaning, but your house will not smell. Adding lemon juice to vinegar when cleaning can help neutralize the vinegar smell.

Window Cleaner: One cup cold strong black tea with 3 TBS of vinegar
Pour in spray bottle

Stove and oven cleaner: 2 TBS of baking soda and hot water or you can sprinkle the soda on a damp sponge and wipe.
The issue here that I've had to learn the hard way, is that if you just sprinkle Baking Soda on your stove and start wiping, it takes numerous times to wipe completely smooth and clean and not be filmy; so if you sprinkle directly on the stove top - use very little. Otherwise first put on a damp sponge and scrub! It really works!

Carpet Deodorizer: Mix two parts cornmeal with one part borax.
Sprinkle generously over carpet, wait one hour then vacuum

Deodorize & Clean Garbage Disposal: Freeze Distilled Vinegar into ice cubes
Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water.

Microwave Cleaning Method: 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water
Pour into a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Then you just wipe clean - love it!!

Bleaching Clothes: Lemon Juice
Lemon juice can act as a natural bleaching agent. Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto white linens and/or clothing, then allow them to dry in the sun. Stains will be bleached away, wash as usual!

Some of my recipes come from Tipnut.com, vinegartips.com and Arm & Hammer

Homemade Banana Bread!

I know there are many banana bread recipes out there but this is one of my favorites that I've spiced up, enjoy!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter/margarine
5 TBS milk
3 smashed very riped bananas
1 semi-ripe banana sliced up
2 TBS sour cream
1 TBS/ea of sugar and cinnamon (for sprinkling on top)

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt.

In a large bowl, cream sugar, sour cream and butter. Beat the egg slightly and mix into the creamed mixture with the very ripe smashed bananas.

Mix in sifted ingredients until just combined. Stir in the milk and the semi ripe banana slices.

Spread batter into one greased and flowered 9x5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mix.

Bake at 350 until top is golden brown and there are crack along the top (1 hour 10 min.)