Rocky Road Popsicles

As I've posted before, making Popsicles from scratch is not only fun but frugal. You can save a lot of money by making them yourself, plus you know exactly what's going in them; and bonus, if you have kids, it quickly becomes a fun time of math/home ec/creativity!




5 hours later, they were frozen and ready! The kids played outside with dad when he came home from work and so a frozen treat was a perfect way to cool off.

1/3 c. peanuts, opt.
2 1/2 c. milk
1 pkg. instant or regular chocolate pudding mix
3/4 c. tiny marshmallows
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Crush peanuts inside a plastic bag. Add milk to pudding mix and stir. Put in microwave for 3 minutes on high; stir. Then cook for 2-3 more minutes on high until slightly thickened. Stir again.

Stir marshmallows, chocolate chips and crushed peanuts into the pudding. Pour about 1/3 cup of mixture into each 3-ounce paper cup (you'll need 12 cups). Put filled cups on a baking sheet and chill in freezer for 15 minutes.

Put a wooden stick in center of each cup. Chill 5 hours or more. To serve, peel off paper cup. Serves 12. Courtesy of cooks.com

A new scrambled egg

The other day I stood with my refrigerator door open wondering what I could make without having to go to the store. It's a fun-sort-of challenge to use up what I have before we go shopping again. Sometimes the meals turn out amazing and go on our list of regulars; other times it's not quite a success, but that's the beauty of the trial and error journey.

So back to my open refrigerator, as I looked inside I noticed we had eggs, tofu, some veggies and other misc. items; not exactly the best combo for an omelet which is what I was craving. So being the learner I am I decided to google the foods I had to see what would come up. And low and behold I found Scrambled Egg with Tofu.

Now wait before you knock it you must try it....or at least read the ingredients.

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• Dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons crumbled tofu (silken or regular)

Directions

Blend egg, tarragon, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a small bowl with a fork. Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring, until warmed through, 20 to 30 seconds. Add egg mixture and stir until the egg is set, but still creamy, 20 to 30 seconds. Serve immediately. Recipe courtesy of KitchenDaily.

It was definitely an above average meal even for the hubs, who is an all-cheese man. For this egg dish to be above average and NOT have cheese was a big deal folks! I did however add some leftover bacon pieces we had saved, which added a nice salty crunch to it.

The tofu created a creamy texture but didn't muddle the taste. I trippled the recipe because it's actually a single serving recipe; also, I used Louisianna hot sauce, which is my absolute favorite for any egg dish.

And from watching too much Food Network, I know that if you don't have dried tarragon, you can substitute dried rosemary and dried basil. So the next time you're out of cheese or milk but have eggs and tofu I suggest you give this recipe a try. ;)

Popsicles: healthy for you AND your wallet

How to Make Healthy Popsicles | eHow.com

Why spend money this summer buying box after box after box of Popsicles, when you can buy the molds and reuse them over and over.

Molds can go from $1.99 - $9.99 depending on the quality, shape and quantity you desire. Check your local 99 Cent store, Target or Bed Bath & Beyond.

Once you have your molds, bring the kids in the kitchen with you and try out some new recipes to see what they like.

Anything from Fudge Pops, Watermelon Pops or try a Rocky Road Pop, ummm. It'll be a "cool" way to get an extra dose of fruit in their growing bodies!!!


I like these Popsicle molds from Bed, Bath and Beyond, fun!

My good friend over at Tipnut.com has 50+ Homemade Popsicle Recipes!

Another great site!

Home Ec 101

This is a great site for tips and info
on everything pertaining to homemaking!

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

Easiest Egg Drop Soup

Egg drop soup is so easy, here's one recipe that I use.

2 cups of Chicken broth
1 egg
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped spinach

Heat the chicken broth in a small pot. Stir the eggs, basil, parsley and s/p in a separate bowl.

When the broth is hot, slowly add the egg mixture into the broth stirring gently with a fork. After about a minute, turn heat off and add chopped spinach.

Serve immediately!

Homemade Baby Wipes

Homemade Baby Wipes

Baby wipes can be expensive. Here’s a little trick on how to make your own:

• 1 package strong paper towels
  
• 1/4 cup baby oil
  
• 1/4 cup baby shampoo
  
• 2 cups water
  

Cut paper towels in half (cut through the whole roll so there are two smaller rolls) and remove the cardboard center. Put 1/2 of the roll in an old baby wipe container (standing so the center hole of the roll is facing up).

Mix together the oil, shampoo and water, and pour 1/2 of the solution over the paper towels. You may wish to turn it over to let the roll soak up the mixture.

Wipes should easily dispense from the center of the roll. This makes two containers.

Don't throw mushy fruit away!

I bought these peaches and didn't eat them all before they grew very soggy and mushy; you really would not want to bite into them.
But being frugal minded I knew I could do something with them
instead of just throwing them out.

So I turned this mushy fruit into.....

this!!!

Don't forget you can save money and be creative when it comes to old fruit: jams and jellies, sauces and salsas, smoothies and pies
can all benefit from old very ripe fruit!

Peach and Berry Crumble

Homemade Laundry Soap

I recently made a new batch of laundry soap, but this time it's all powder and I LOVE it! Here's some pics; it's a very simple and basic recipe -
the "hardest" part was grating up the two bars of soap.

12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated) This came out to two bars of soap, I use Ivory.

• Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
• Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.

To read my original post, go here.

Super Easy Laundry Powder Recipe

I've been out of laundry soap this week and wanted to find a different recipe. My original Laundry Soap Recipe wasn't too complicated, but I found it to be clumpy (very normal by the way).

So I thought this time around I'd try a powder and boy do I love this! Most of the ingredients can be purchased at Smart & Final, all except the Washing Soda.

Washing Soda by Arm & Hammer is a highly alkaline chemical compound which can be used to remove stubborn stains from laundry. It is NOT to be confused with Baking Soda.

Many stores carry Washing Soda, typically with other laundry products. I find mine at Albertson's (or Kroger if you're not in CA). You can also call 1-800-524-1328 and give them the UPC code 33200-03020. The service will ask for your zip code and then tell you places in your area that sell Washing Soda.

Anyways, on to the recipe. It's very simple, the hardest part is grating up the bar of soap - but even that's not really that hard!

Powder Laundry Soap
(courtesy of tipnut.com)
12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated) This came out to two bars of soap, I use Ivory.

• Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
• Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.

Believe me, this recipe is so easy and it makes a TON! I hope you have the chance to make it. I took some pics while making it, I can post them tonight!

Friendly Frugal Reminder:
Make time to save money.
It's worth it!

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!

Who needs Starbucks?!

Cappuccino Cream
Courtesy of Kraft.com

A very frugal thing to do is to make things from scratch - the more you make from scratch, the more money you save. I found this recipe off kraft.com and it is to die for!!!

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup brewed strong MAXWELL HOUSE Coffee, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

Make It!

BEAT cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add coffee and milk, beating until well blended. Add dry pudding mix and cinnamon. Beat on low speed 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes or until thickened. Gently stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping.

SPOON into serving bowl or 10 dessert glasses.

REFRIGERATE several hours or until ready to serve. Top with remaining whipped topping just before serving.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Substitute Prepare as directed, using PHILADELPHIA Cheese and COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping.

Substitute 2 tsp. MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee, dissolved in 1 cup hot water, for freshly brewed coffee

Leftover Rice

Whenever I make rice I seem to always have leftovers and I hate to throw it out. The other day I was watching Robin Miller on the Food Network and she likes to morph one meal into the next using leftovers, and this is her cure for the extra, cold, clumpy rice we all have after a delicious night of Chinese food!

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup dried blueberries, plus more for garnish

Directions

In a medium saucepan, stir together all ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently until the pudding is thick and creamy. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish, as desired, with additional blueberries or a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Andie's alternative:

Omit cardamom and use 1/8 tsp of nutmeg; or omit cardamom altogether.

Use dried cranberries, they're usually cheaper, but taste just as great!

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 - Air Freshner

Cinnamon Vanilla Air Freshener Spray

1 cup water
1 cup household vinegar
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick

Directions

• Bring all ingredients to a boil then simmer over medium heat for two minutes.
  
• Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 5 min.
  
• Take out cinnamon stick and pour liquid into spray bottle, shake and use as needed.
  
  

Alternatives:

• Vanilla & Cloves: Keep above recipe, but replace cinnamon stick with 1 tsp cloves
  
  
• Raspberry Lavender: Use 2 TBS dried lavender buds and 2 cups red vinegar; follow directions above

Recipes courtesy of tipnut.com

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!

Cool Summer Snacks

Since the Summer is just about here I'm reminded of a summer snack that is healthy and cheap for me and the kids!


I buy small individual yogurt cups (gogurts are fine too), take the lids off and put a Popsicle stick in center and freeze them for about an hour. When frozen remove them from the cup and you have a frozen healthy treat that's perfect to cool you down!

If freezing gogurts, I don't freeze them completely, about 30 min. or so. They are then really cold and partly icy; cut the tops off and enjoy or squeeze into a bowl and eat it the way you would ice cream!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I also came across this easy and fun snack from Kraft, Nilla Yogurt Freeze!

2 Reduced Fat NILLA Wafers

2 Tbsp. thawed COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping

2 Tbsp. strawberry low-fat yogurt

PLACE 1 of the wafers on bottom of one paper-lined medium muffin cup; top with combined whipped topping and yogurt.

COVER with remaining wafer.

FREEZE 1 hour or until firm.

5 minute cake - no lie!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
I received this recipe from my husband's Grandma, super easy!

• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 large microwavable mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil, and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips and vanilla, then mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high (1,000 watts)

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, so don't be alarmed!

Slightly cool and tip out onto a plate if desired. Serve warm with ice cream!

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

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