Baking Powder

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon corn starch (optional) put in if not going to use right away will prevent from caking and going bad.

Combine and store in air tight container.

Times by 6

2 Tbsp Baking Soda

4 Tbsp Cream of Tartar

2 Tbsp Corn Starch

Christmas Crafts- Wrapping

I got crafty!  Okay, I found the idea on the internet and copied it, thank you all you creative crafty people who share.
Here's the wrapping.  I even made what went inside of it, but I will post those pictures after Christmas since it was a gift.

Take a square paper.  Roll it, tape inside to secure. Tape the outside edge.  Tuck top into cone and secure closed.  I finished it off by tying a cute ribbon around it.  It looked much better than the picture, but hey, you get the idea and I'm sure you can improve the wrapping.

I also wrapped a box.  To make a reusable gift box cut a large piece of wrapping paper, enough for all edges of your box and some overlapping.  Glue wrapping paper to box- stick glue works best.  Cut wrapping paper at an angle for corners.  Make sure you keep the lid separate so you can open and close the box without ruining the wrapping.

Toasted S'mores

Indoor Toasted S'mores

Graham Crackers
Mini Marshmallows
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
A toaster oven.


Make s'mores to your liking.  Broil until the tops of marshmallows are a golden brown.  Fold together and enjoy your indoor s'mores.

Thrift Stores

When looking for seasonal clothes for growing children, secondhand stores can save you a lot of money.

My growing toddler needed a coat- since she outgrew last years.  I went to the store to find one on sale- $30! At fifty percent off.  No way, not for a coat that she was going to wear for only one season before outgrowing it by next winter.

To the local thrift store.  Coat, Jacket, and shoes- for a total of $2.40.  A little washing and a lot of saving!

Welcome!

Welcome to the new sight.  Not only will recipes continue to be posted, (Cheap meal ideas coming in January) but other everyday tips to help you save money and live more simply.

Enjoy the blog and expect more blog updates in the near future.  Thanks for stopping by.

Pot and Pan Drums

Lay out various sizes of pots and pans, and a few of the lids too, hand you toddler a couple of wooden spoons and let them have fun experimenting with the different sounds each item makes.

I did different sizes of spoons too as that changes the sound.  Fun activity that your kids are sure to love.

Gratitude

Recently I have been so full of gratitude.  Yes, I'm sure a certain holiday this month has helped bring blessings to my mind.  We have been given so much.

My husband is finishing his last semester in school.  Finances have been stretched, and I have learned so much by learning to stretch along with it.

One day I was frustrated by feeling like we has so little.  God sure opened my eyes. I realized that though this semester, by finding cheaper ways to do/make things than just run to the store, I have learned things that will save our family thousands of dollars in the future.  They are not that difficult of things either.

 I  also began to look around at all of the blessings and things we did have. Technically, because of our student income we are considered "poor".  We have everything we need and a lot of our wants too. We are so blessed, we have plenty of food, housing, clothes (a lot of them), transportation, entertainment, and no debt. None of the things we own or do are particularly fancy, but it works and we are happy to have them.  Poverty?  This is not.  A one room shack with three families living in it, with no oven or running water, that's poverty.  Access to only two or three types of food and never enough to fill your belly. That's called poor. And I hear when people travel to impoverished countries they find people who are happier than us with all our stuff.

Sometimes we live such inflated lifestyles, needed all the latest gadgets the day they arrive on the store's shelves, stuffing ourselves at all-you-can-eats, buying new clothes every season,  and entertaining ourselves with things that suck away our paychecks.

I am grateful for the many blessings we do have.

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody.

Powdered Sugar

With the Holidays sugar is one thing we consume a lot of.  Here is how to make powdered sugar.

1 cup white sugar
1 TBSP cornstarch

Blend in blender about 1 to 2 minutes until fine.  If it is too grainy keep blending.

Yields 1 cup


It probably won't get as fine as store bought.  Also, only blend one cup at a time.  More than that makes it hard to get as powdery as you need.

Food Sensory Activities

I already posted about salt and sugar as a great sensory activity for toddlers.  The food exploration continues.

• Flour
• Corn Meal
• Rice and Beans container- Huge success by the way
• Water table- Be prepared for splashing

To enrich the experience I have added

• forks or spoons
• toy cars
• cookie cutters
• funnels
• straws
• small toys that can't be swallowed

If you are okay with messy, finger painting with yogurt, pudding, or the leftover baby food they refused to eat provides great entertainment for an extended period of time.

Have Fun Exploring!

Fine Motor With Empty Containers

I had an empty and washed out parmesan cheese container and was wondering what to do with it, when I thought it would be make a great fine motor activity.  I was right, my toddler loves it.  Okay, not so much the container, but what she puts in it.  The smallest holes are just right for putting golf pegs through. Don't have golf pegs?  Well, you're still in luck, the lids from baby food jars are the perfect size for pushing through the large end of the container!*

*Some containers may have different size of holes, I used a Western Family 100% grated Parmesan Cheese.

Spending is Not Saving

Just a small soap box moment.  I went to a seminar on "How to Save on Groceries" last Wednesday.  Coupons- which I rarely use.  Guess I can try them and see if they can lower my already low grocery bill- can't beat homemade.

Anyway, soap box- The presenter made the comment, "The more you spend the more you save."  NO!  The more you spend the more you spend!  With the "spend so you can save" philosophy you can "save" yourself right into a whole lot of debt if you're not careful.  Let's define some money terms: Getting paid to do work is called Earning, keeping your money is called Saving, giving it away- even for a "great deal"- is called Spending.  We do all three, but one is not to be confused as another.  That is all.

Stringing "Beads"

Most toddlers don't have the dexterity to string beads.  Here's a modified version, that I saw on this website: whatwedoallday.com

I made a second using stiffer sting which seems to work better for those just learning.

For more awesome activity ideas check out this blog:
http://www.thestay-at-home-momsurvivalguide.com/p/toddler-activities.html
or this site
handsonaswegrow.com

Yeah, I wasn't the first to think of these ingenious ideas.

Homemade Mounds

I think I like candy too much. Time to give candy its own label.  There are lots of ways to make this, I go for simple, cheap, and maybe slightly healthier...maybe.  It makes a lot so have fun sharing with friends.

Mounds

3/4 cup Hot Mashed Potatoes
1 lb Coconut (unsweetened)
1 lb Powdered Sugar
1 tsp vanilla (if desired)

Mix it all together and pour into a baking 9 x 11 baking dish (larger or smaller based on how thick you want it.

Melt package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or almond bark) and pour over the top.  Refrigerate till firm.

Ready for variations?

• You can melt half milk chocolate half semi sweet, or use almond bark for a more mound like flavor.
• Or use all milk chocolate and place almonds in it to make Almond Joys.
• Or you can roll the coconut mixture into balls and roll that in the melted chocolate and let it set up on parchment paper so it looks even more like the candy bar. 

Laundry Flops

I  heard two or three dry towel in the dryer would cut drying time on half.  I tried it out and did not notice a difference.  My clothes took just as long to to try- or the difference was not enough to worry about extra towels in the dryer every time.


I heard two or three safety pins in the clothes would prevent static cling.  I pinned socks with their match and tested it out.  The results were STATIC.

 I also read rolling two pieces of aluminum up into balls and putting them in the dryer works.  I was nervous to try this, but in the name of science in they went.  The results-on low heat this time- was STATIC!

FAIL!

So here is my very best solution to static in the laundry- the very thing I used to do.  Go buy dryer sheets and cut them in half.  Now you have no static and save money.  Tada!

For the cheap kind you can cut them in half and still have them work on a full load of laundry.  If you buy Bounce, you can actually cut (or tear) them into thirds and they will still take the static out of your laundry.  So with that, Bounce, on sale, may save even more money than the generic brands.

Homemade Butterfingers

Leftover Candy Corn?  Make these!

Butter Fingers
Package of candy corn (16 oz)
Jar of Peanut Butter (16 oz)
Melted milk chocolate (baking or chocolate chips work)

Melt the candy corn in the microwave.  Cook for 1 minute, stir.  Cook for 1 more minute stirring every fifteen seconds until melted.  Mix in peanut butter.  Stir well and pour into a greased baking pan.  Refrigerate for fifteen minutes to firm it up.

Here's where you can cut them into squares and dip them in chocolate to make them look like the candy bar or you can go the easy way and just spread the melted chocolate on top.  Refrigerate again until firm.  Enjoy your homemade butterfingers! Taste just like them!

The Lion, the Witch and the...Pac Man?

Pumpkins!  This is about as artistic as I get.  Yes, they were all stenciled...and my husband did the hard parts.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Carving Pumpkins means seeds!  They normally are not my favorite, however I found a way to make them that passed the test of everyone in my family.

Yummy Pumpkins Seeds

Wash your seeds so there is no goop left on them.  Boil the seeds with salt for about ten minutes, drain.  Lay them out on a pan and sprinkle with season salt.

Bake at 325 degrees for about ten minutes.  They will be crunchy outside with a softer inside.  Sprinkle more salt on them if you'd like, and enjoy the whole seed, no need to shell.

Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Peanut Butter Cups

1/3 lb graham crackers (1 wrapped pkg)

1 lb powdered sugar (3 ¾ C)

2 C peanut butter 

2 cubes margarine, melted

6-8 oz chocolate chips (I use more)

Blend graham crackers in a blender 2-3 at a time, mix in with powder sugar in a bowl.  Add melted margarine.  Mix.  Mix in Peanut butter.  Spread in a 13x7 inch cake pan.  Frost with melted chocolate.  Put in refrigerator for 10-20 mins only, until set.

Meal in a Pumpkin

A family favorite Halloween tradition.  Every Halloween as a kid we would have this meal.  Of course often we were so excited about getting candy we didn't want to eat dinner.  My mom became wiser and started making it the day before.  Best of both worlds.  And a tradition I plan to continue.

Meal in a Pumpkin

1 medium pumpkin, cut off top, clean out, can draw face on pumpkin with permanent marker if you want

1 medium onion chopped

2 T oil if needed

2 lbs hamburger

2 T brown sugar

4 oz can sliced mushrooms

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 ½ cups cooked rice

8 oz can sliced water chestnuts

2 T soy sauce

Brown meat, sauté onion, add oil if needed, add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms and soup. Simmer 10 minutes. Add rice and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into the pumpkin shell. Place pumpkin on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until tender.

Cooking Spray

So, I heard there was a great way to save money by making your own cooking spray.

The first recipe I tried was this:  
1 Part oil
4- 5 parts water

Mix in spray bottle or brush on

I baked banana bread and while both loaves came out easily, I was left with this.

Left was homemade spray

I added more oil to 50/50 put it in a spray bottle instead of brushing it on and baked cupcakes.
I got this:

Can you guess what row had the homemade?  This recipe is all over the internet, or versions of it.  Not sure what I am doing wrong.  For now I'm back to the expensive can of junk. Sad.

Soap Scum Be Gone!

This was the recipe I was given:

Tub Cleaner - vinegar and dish soap, no scrubbing! Heat 1/2C white vinegar in m'wave for 90 sec, pour into spray bottle. Add 1/2 Cup BLUE Dawn dish soap. Shake gently to mix. Spray on surface, let it sit 1-2 hours. Just wipe it away then rinse with water. Should also take soap scum off shower doors!


And it works:
The Craft Patch: Pinterest Tested: Tub Cleaner:


I used a different dish soap, heated the vinegar half as long and poured it on instead of using a spray bottle.  And it works.   I then took the leftovers to clean the nasty soup holder in the bathroom.  I did not let it sit for long (less than five minutes) before I started scrubbing.  It came clean easily and I got to see how old and disgusting it was naturally.

   

Since my first experiment, I decided to use a cheap Walmart brand of soap, and test if that would work as well. I am not sure the reason the recipe specifically says "Blue Dawn"  I used orange Great Value and it did the same thing.  Yeah for saving even more while still getting a clean bathroom! Now onto that gross tile.

Honey Popcorn

After a long weekend of eating way too many treats, I decided to cut back on my sugar... for a few days. I enjoy sugary treats, a lot, notice how desserts dominate this blog.  So, I gave myself two "cheat" foods: honey and homemade raspberry jam.  Unlike chocolate these are food I won't eat by the pound.

With a fresh batch of salsa I was doing pretty well not craving sugar until last night.  I really wanted caramel popcorn.  Thank you internet for the following idea, I never would have thought of it on my own.

Honey Popcorn
Lots of popcorn
equal amounts honey and butter melted and mixed (I did about 1 TBSP each, but would probably do less next time.)

Pour the honey mixture over the popped popcorn and mix well.  A little salt makes it taste similar to kettle corn.  Enjoy your sweet-and not too unhealthy- treat.

Sorry no picture, I ate it all before thinking about taking one, just imagine popcorn with a light honey glaze...Mmm, yummy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

15 oz can pumpkin
1 box spice cake
1/2-1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix pumpkin and spice cake in a bowl.  Keep stirring until it is very well mixed.  You know, like until your arm feels like it might fall off.  Then add the chocolate chips (I don't do the whole package) and mix some more.

Place mixture in 12 muffin tins (they only raise a little so fill them mostly full) and bake at 350 until done.  About 20-25 mins.

YUM!

Salt and Sugar Sensory Table

Especially with weather getting cooler, more activities need to be done inside.  Here is a fun simple idea for little ones with busy hands.

Place salt or sugar in a container and allow them to explore.  You can add toys such as a straw, spoon, or small toy.


I placed a little of both in separate containers.  After tasting both of them (as little ones will) my toddler dumped them together and enjoyed the fun.

The salt/sugar can also be stored for another day of fun later on.

Paper Pumpkin

I am not a crafty person. By the end of any craft I have more of a mess than anything to show for it. That being said, I found a craft that even I, lacking all crafty skills, could do.  I found it in a children's magazine and was actually excited to try it.  It's a paper pumpkin.  For some reason pumpkins are the only thing that motivate my artistic side.  (Pumpkin carvings coming this month!)

I made a craft!

My husband had the camera so I don't have the step by step process.  Fortunately, the magazine I got it from is completely free online!  The page (with a pumpkin recipe) can be found here The Friend.

Enjoy the simple craft!

Fabric Sofener

I have heard

1/4-1/2 cup vinegar in your washer when doing a load will soften clothes. (Rinse Cycle)  You can throw in some baking soda to help the job along as well.

*Have not tested it yet.

Laundry Detergent

I based my recipe off of one found at diynatural.com
Their recipie
1 C Borax
1 C Washing Soda
1 Bar (4.5 oz) of shaved soap.  (Ivory and Fels-Naptha is what I used)

I added 1/4 C baking soda as well and added  about 1/3 cup vinegar to the washer as a fabric softener.

I made a large batch so it looked something like this

5 C Borax
5 C Washing Soda
5 Bars grated soap
2 1/2-3 Cups Baking soda

Mix in bucket.  Use 1-2 Tbsp per load.


 Grate your soap!  I tried using a food processor at first and ended up with a clumpy mess.  The Ivory soap comes out as fine shavings (When using a fine grater) that fall apart as you mix.  The Fels-Naptha grates into a powder just as fine as the rest of your ingredients.  This was my prefered.  The grating does take awhile, especially with five bars of soap, but this makes enough for A LOT of loads of laundry.  So if you think it only takes 30 minutes or less for months and months and months of soap it's not all that bad.

To test this recipe I used my dirty towels and rags.

Washing the Hair

Experimenting with different ways to wash my hair, was something I have done in the past.  See oatmeal shampoo.

It's not my favorite thing to do, but sometimes the opportunity presents itself:

So I ran out of my favorite conditioner earlier in the week and did not want to run to the store- I avoid that place.

Anyway, the other conditioner left my hair feeling gross, plus I realized there are probably a lot of hard water and soap build up on my hair.  Time to experiment!

I mixed baking soda with my shampoo until I had a paste. Washing your hair with this supposedly takes out the junk.  I then did a vinegar rinse.  About 1-2 Tbsps apple cider vinegar mixed in about a cup of warm water.  One site said not to wash this out, but I didn't want to leave it.  Even though people say it doesn't smell after it has dried.  Couldn't do it.

The results-

My hair soft, even without conditioner, but incredibly frizzy.  (Perhaps because I washed the vinegar out, perhaps because of weather.)

Conclusion-

Fun experiment, nice to get the junk out, now where's the conditioner bottle thank you.



No Shampoo-
There is all sorts of things floating around the internet about washing you hair without shampoo (baking soda and vinegar are big, so is just conditioner.)  I tried just conditioner for a while and, yes, it gets your hair clean, but I was using twice as much to do it.  Back to the old shampoo and conditioner routine.

Unless anyone has anything better?

Oatmeal Playdough

For little ones who stick everything in their mouth...

Playdough!

1/2 water
1/2 flour
1 C oats

Mix flour and water well and add 1 C oats.  Mix until it is mush.  Add food coloring to the flour mixture if you would like.

If it is too sticky add more flour, to hard, more water.  I ended up adding about 1/4 cup more flour to ours.




I had more fun playing with this than my toddler did.  She was content to play in the flour I spread on the table while mixing the sticky dough.

Which gave me the idea to start posting fun activities you can do with little ones as well.  Look for these to come...

Saving Money by Staying Home

This isn't one of my normal post days- which are Tuesdays and Thursdays- but I had this topic on my mind.

I know staying at home saves money, yes having no income may even save more money than what your lost income brought in.  I understand not everyone has the luxury of staying home, but for two parent families this may be something to consider.

Here is a great article of how much one family saves by a parent staying home- $29,000 dollars in savings. Written in 2007 so figures may be even higher now.

The Simple Dollar- The Real Value of Stay at Home

• When I had our little one I chose to stay home, our food bill dropped by about $50 dollars too. (And keeps getting lower as I have time to learn to make the scratch.) 
• We did not go the cloth diaper route, but even being home with disposable saves money.  Many Day Care centers are required to change a diaper every two hours whether the kid needs it or not.
• Speaking of day care, the cost has gone up, in my state the average spent for in home care was $5040- and it was higher for a day care.  The low end is $2-4 dollars an hour, out of your paycheck to have someone else raise your child.
• Our gas bill dropped too, probably by $75 a month, instead of increasing for the extra travel time it would take to get our child to a day care.  Plus, as the article mentions, it saves on wear and tear on the car.
• Staying at home also allowed me to breastfeed.  A low estimate for how much it takes to formula feed a child for one year (all other food excluded) was $1138.50.  If you don't have time to make baby food it's not cheap either.
• Plus you have the benefit of being the one to raise your child, knowing what happened in their day. Watching them learn and do things for the first time (huge in the first year).

People can live on less than they think they can.

Zucchini Bread

My mom's recipe for all those too big zucchini's  (Or the ones your neighbors leave on your doorstep.)

Zucchini Bread

Beat

3 eggs

2 c sugar

1 c oil

Add

2 c grated zucchini

3 tsp vanilla

3 ½ c flour

¼ tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Bake at 350 in greased bread pans for 50 mins. Makes 2 loaves

Sweet Peach Salsa

I enjoy salsa.  When I was pregnant it seemed I could not get enough of it.  If only I would have known how easy it was to make mine own.

I must admit, I don't follow a recipe, I just throw things in until I like the taste of it.  If I did have a recipie it might look something like this.

Peach Salsa
(All of these only need to be coarsely chopped so they fit in your food processor)
3-5  Roma tomatoes chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
1/2 medium onion chopped
2 tsp lime juice
2 TBSP Cilantro or more
1/2 TBSP Sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
2-3 small peaches (pitted and chopped)

You can add green peppers if you want instead of peaches for a spicier salsa. I'd omit the sugar for that too.

Place ingredients in a food processor.  Pulse until desired consistency and enjoy.  Refrigerating brings out the flavors if you can wait to eat your salsa.

Marshmallow Popcorn

YUMMY!
Found this recipe:

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 bag mini marshmallows


Why so many halves, just double it.

1. Pop popcorn
2. Heat other stuff on the stove over medium heat until marshmallows are melted
3. Pour delicious goodness over popcorn, stir with spoon.
4. Happy Eating!

*It will be sticky and hot, avoid touching with hands while mixing.  The longer it sits the less sticky it becomes.

Very good!

Vinegar Wash

Baking Soda and Vinegar never cease to amaze me.  I love them!

You know those expensive fruit and vegetable washes you see in the store?  Don't buy them!

Mix 1 part vinegar with 2 part water and you have your own fruit and vegetable wash solution.  Spray on or soak your soft fruits in the vinegar solution.  Gets rid of bugs and unwanted junk on your produce.

I have also heard mix 1/2 and 1/2.  If you want a stronger solution go for it.



My mom, who did not spray her peach trees, did this vinegar soak and said the bug came squirming out as fast as they could, and she was able to wash them down the drain.  No bugs to worry about while cutting up your fruit.  I like that idea. (Even if you may have bug eaten parts to pick through still.)

Unicorn Popcorn by Deirdra Eden

Her Eden: Unicorn Popcorn by Deirdra Eden:

My sister made up some yummy looking popcorn.  It is posted on her blog.  Used butter, sugar, corn syrup, marshmallows, sweetened condensed milk- I know, healthy right?  Looks good though!

Chicken Gravy

I was pleased with this recipe from Creatingnaturally.com

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth

That's all
I added salt, pepper, a little garlic, onion, and oregano to mine.

Food Processor

Before I was married, I had a food processor that I never used.
When I got married, we receive FOUR more from good hearted people who did not look at our wedding registry.  After returning some to the stores, giving some as gift and probably acquiring another one as a gift somewhere along the line, we ended up storing two. (Of course I kept to just in case one mysteriously broke...while sitting untouched on the top shelf.)  Years passed by and they remained in there boxes until today.  That is right, in one morning I have used both food processors.  One experience was awesome, the other disappointing.

The first was used to make salsa.  It was amazing!!!  Since I tossed stuff in I don't have the recipe.  I will experiment again and get back to you all.  An easy homemade salsa is coming!

The second was homemade laundry detergent.  Untested so no post on it yet either.  Someone suggested using a food processor to chop the soap. No!  Grating would have better, faster, and much less messy.  Lesson learned.  Although the food processor didn't work out, I hope the detergent does, I made enough to last for a very, very long time.

Well, experimenting with new equipment was fun and now that I now how it works, I might begin using it more often. New equipment and new concoctions waiting for perfecting; a day well used.

 Science is what happens when you allow your kitchen to become a laboratory.

All purpose baking mix

1 c flour,
1½ tsp baking powder,
½ tsp salt,
1 tbsp oil or melted butter or shortening

I times the first three ingredients by like six.

6 c flour
3 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp Salt ( I actually used less)

And store in container.  For each cup  your using use 1 tbsp your choice of fat. 

Peach Cobbler Cream Cheese Dessert

A Peach Cheesecake/ Cobbler combo.  So Delicious!

Peaches 'N Cream Cheesecake Pie

¾ C flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

3 ¼ oz vanilla pudding (not instant)

3 Tbsp butter softened

1 egg

½ C milk

15-20 oz peaches drained (save juice)

1 pgk cream cheese

½ C sugar

3 Tbsp peach juice

1 Tbsp sugar

½ Tbsp cinnamon

Combine flour, baking powder, salk, pudding, butter, eggs, and milk in large bowl. Beat 2 mins at medium speed. Pour into greased 9 inch deep dish or 10 inch pie pan. Placed drained fruit over batter. IN small bowl combine cream cheese, ½ c sugar, and 3 Tbsp juice. Beat 2 minutes. Spoon miture to within 1 inch of edge. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top. Bake 350 for 30-35 mintutes. Filling will appear soft. Store in refrigerator.

Old Fasion Doughnuts (Sour Cream)

This recipe came from The Messy Baker

• 2 1/4 cups cake / soft-wheat flour, plus more for rolling and cutting
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon iodized salt
• 3/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons shortening / vegetable lard, trans-fat-free preferred
• 2 large egg yolks (I used the whole egg)
• 2/3 cups sour cream
• canola oil for frying

Mix it all together well (should be kind of sticky) and refrigerate for 30 mins.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface cut doughnuts and fry in oil at about 325 degrees F. Makes about a dozen or so.

After cooled, glaze doughnuts, wait for it to harden and enjoy.  I made these at night and thought they tasted best the next morning.  They didn't make it to lunch. 

Just fried

Powdered Doughnut Holes

Glazed, yum!

Cornstarch Sidewalk Paint

A site said this would make chalk.  No it doesn't, it makes cornstarch dust.  But it works great as paint.

1 part cold water
1 part cornstarch

Mix

Place in bowls (muffin tin works great) and add a few drops of food coloring.  Create as many colors as you like.  It may stain clothes and hands so watch out.

Season Salt

Found this on Top Secret Recipes

2 Tbsp Salt
2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp corn starch

I added about an 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper as well.

Mix and store in a container with lid (A washed out spice container works best.)

Doughnuts (Wheat)

Best Doughnuts Ever (or so they say)

1 qt milk, scaled and slightly cooled

10 Tbsp Sugar

8 Tbsp Oil

1 Tbsp Salt

½ tsp nutmeg

7 Tbsp yeast

4 C flour

4 C wheat flour

Mix milk, sugar, oil, salt, and nutmeg. Add yeast. Add flours and knead until well blended. Place on flour board and knead again. Roll out to ½ inch thick. Cut and allow to rise for 5 mins.

Deep fry in oil at 375. Drain on paper towel. Add topping of your choice.

Maple Frosting

2 C powder sugar

4 Tbsp Hot milk

¼ C margarine softened

1 tsp maple flavoring

Combine thoroughly.

Frosting can be left as glaze without adding maple flavoring or maple can be exchanged for 1 tbsp of cocoa to make chocolate frosting or 1 tsp of vanilla to make vanilla icing.

Sugar Glaze

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 Tb Melted butter
1 Tb Corn Syrup
2 Tb Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1-2 C powder sugar

Mix together.  Slowly add more milk until you get the desired consistency.  A little liquid goes a long way.  Add very little at a time.

To make it chocolate glaze add 1-2 Tbsp of Cocoa. (This is my favorite)
To make it a maple glaze add 1 tsp maple flavoring

Great on doughnuts!

Kid Friendly Chocolate Peanut Butter Treat

My sister's favorite simple treat


A spoonful of peanut butter
A small handful of chocolate chips

Melt in microwave for about 30 seconds- Stir.

Enjoy the creamy treat with a spoon or at a little vanilla ans stir until it becomes more fudge like.

You can put in in the refrigerator to make it edible without utensils.

Enjoys the chocolate peanut butter goodness.

Cornstarch Goo

Take about a cup of water and slowly add cold water until you get a very thick liquid.

This is fun because as you play with it, it become solid. Once you stop working it, it becomes a liquid again.

Soft Caramel Popcorn

 Soft Caramel Popcorn

Pop about a cup of popcorn and separate out the kernels. You will end up with about 10 cups of popped popcorn.

Mixture
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 C corn syrup
1/2 c Margarine
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
Dash of Salt

In a saucepan, heat over medium/high heat until the soft ball stage. 235-245 degrees.  If you don't have a candy thermometer, fill a bowl with ice water, drop some caramel in the water. It should be soft and pliable, not runny though.  This takes about 5 minutes or so.

Add rest of sweetened condensed milk. Stir.
Add 1/2 tsp Vanilla.

Pour over popcorn and mix well.

Truffles

Saturday before Mother's Day and I realize I haven't gotten Mom anything.  How thoughtless!  Okay time to head to the kitchen to make something that appears to be gourmet.

Easiest Truffles Ever

about 1/2 cup bitter chocolate chips
about 1 Tbsp margarine
about 1 1/2- 2 Tbsp milk

Microwave for 30 seconds
Stir until smooth- about a minute

Refrigerate for 10 mins, stir, refrigerate about 20 more.  Until cool enough to form 1 inch round balls.  Roll in cocoa or powder sugar, place on parchment and refrigerate until served.

I like mine a little warmer, they melt in your mouth better, so I let mine sit out for 20 mins or so before eating.

So good, so easy, enjoy!

Bug Bite Paste

For those itchy mosquitoes bites.

Mix a tsp of baking soda with a little bit of water (just a little) until it makes a paste.  Add more baking soda if needed.

Rub it on the bite and allow to dry.

Fry Sauce

Where I come from, we eat fry sauce.  It's a sauce. You eat it with fries and anything else you want.

Fry Sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
2/3 cup mayo or miracle whip (based on preference)
1/2 tsp of season salt
Dash of chili powder or cayenne pepper (optional for spice)

Sweetened Condensed Milk

This one comes from my mother-in-law.  Love it.  I use it in my caramel popcorn.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 C Hot Water
1 C plus 2 Tbsp Dry milk (Not instant)
3/4 C Sugar

Mix sugar and milk. Gradually add hot water while beating mixture with beater (fork works too) until well blended.

Makes 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk.

Baked Fries and Sweet Potato Fries

Fries

3-4 Potatoes sliced thin.
Coat in Olive oil
Bake at 450 for 15 mins
Flip and bake another 15 mins

For extra crisp broil for 2-3 mins at the end
Season with season salt

For sweet potato fries do the same thing, but make sure they are not touching each other.  Super easy, super good, beat McDonald's any day!

Scones or Fry Bread

Where I come from Fry Bread is called Scones.  On this post, they can be used interchangeably.

Quick and Easy Scones

4 C Flour
8 tsp Baking powder (I use a lot less)
1 tsp Salt
1 C Dry milk
2 C Hot water

Mix ingredients.  Knead well. Let stand 10 mins.  Fry pieces in hot oil.

A Good Fry Bread Recipe
4 C flour
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp powdered milk
1 1/2 C warm water

Mix ingredients.  Knead for about 10 mins. Rise for 30 mins.  Form scones and fry in hot oil.


Fry Bread my Grandma claims is "the best one"

2 1/2 C warm milk
4 C flour
2 heaping Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 C potato flakes

In large bowl add potatoes to warm milk.  Add the rest of the stuff.  Knead dough till soft and elastic.  Cover and rise for 30 mins.  Form scones and fry in hot oil.


Toppings!
Honey, butter, and Jam
Chili, Cheese, and Sour Cream



Recipes come from Blue Mountain Home Cook'n

Windows and Mirrors

I have a friend who once owned a window washing business. He laughed at the thought of buying expensive cleaning products.

The thing that got windows (and mirrors) the cleanest... soap and water.  Yup, that's it.  A little soapy water and dry with a microfiber cloth (or a paper towel).

Now that's a cleaning product I can afford.

Hand and Face Wipes

Hand and Face Wipes

Moisten strong paper towels with water.  Store in an air tight container.  Safe and gets the remains of lunch off a little one's face.

Oatmeal Facial

I have never had a facial, but I knew you could do them at home and wanted to try. I experimented with different facials and face scrubs.  For blackhead I bought a scrub and did not like it. I tried a baking soda mixture, but it stung; perhaps I rubbed to hard. I even tried the elementary trick of drying glue on your face.  Gross!  It smells and is ineffective.  It may even be bad for your skin, I know inhaling it is bad for you and it takes forever to dry.  Anyway, I tried a honey one.  I guess it was nice, but very, very messy.  And then there was the day I washed my hair...

I have also been looking into homemade or alternatives to shampoo and conditioner.  Oatmeal was one of them.  Some sites suggested putting baking soda in it. I love baking soda, but did not want it on my head. Instead I used finely ground oatmeal with a dab of honey.  The mixture was fairly runny.  As I poured it over my head I thought, "Did I really just pour breakfast on my hair?"  The results as I began working it through my hair were frightening.  Knowing unless some magic happened when my hair dried that I would never try this mixture again, I decided to go all out. Scrapping the last remains out of the bowl, I began to rub the oatmeal on my face and what I experienced was amazing!

It was soft, it didn't sting, I wasn't afraid of getting it in my eyes, and it made my skin feel great.  Unintentionally, I have discovered the best facial mixture.  My skin was less dry after my shower too, and the desperate need for moisturizer was gone, so perhaps it moisturized as well.

The Best Facial
Finely ground oatmeal and a dab of honey.  
Mix with warm water until desired consistency. 
Rub over moistened face.  
Wash off.  
Pat dry.



Let me know how it works for you.

Mouth Rinse

While talking with acquaintances from Japan, the topic of mouthwash came up.  (You'd be surprise at how many random topics can creep into a conversation.)

My friends thought mouthwash was a strange concept.  When another friend asked what they use, they simply replied, "Salt."

It made me think of all the money I spent on mouthwash and how a simple solution of salt could be doing perhaps better than many of the mouthwashes out there.


Salt Mouth Rinse
1/2- 1 tsp Salt
1 C water

Store in a bottle with lid for future use.

If you prefer mouthwash ACT fluoride is a good alcohol free choice.  Once again I'd buy the generic version.

Food Posioning

"I don't do fish!" as a wedding planner once said.

Yes, I have cooked fish on rare occasions. No, I will never post a recipe.


I believe fish was the culprit for a horrible bout of food poisoning I had.  Either that or the Chinese Buffet   Either way, it was fish or something like it, that made my insides turn.

Refrigerate leftovers within an hour and don't keep leftovers longer than 3-4 days.

Here is a link discussing leftovers
mayo clinic- How long can you safely keep left overs


And another discussing storage times
Food Safety


I have, however, kept other foods for up to a week, and just reheated till they were hot (over 160 degrees) before serving.  This kills any bacteria that may be growing.

Update:
Ha!  Turns out it was the 24 hour flu my husband (who ate neither) got it the next day and my extended family (who watched my daughter) got it the following day after him.

Germ Killer

Vinegar is great for disinfecting things, but if your really want a germ free zone a mixture of bleach is the way to go.  And it's virtually free.

Fill a 16 oz spray bottle with a cap full (about 1/2-1 TBSP) of bleach and water.  Use it to get a really clean hard surfaces.

WATCH OUT: This will ruin clothing and other fabric.  For hard surfaces only!  Keep away from children!

Every new day you want to use it make a new mixture as bleach does tend to break down in the water.

Update:  I have learned even bleach sitting in its container breaks down once exposed to air.  I have also learn hydrogen peroxide is an effective cleaner.

Someone suggested spraying a surface with vinegar and the the peroxide for a super powerhouse clean.  Haven't tried it, but might be worth it.

Two Power House Cleaners

If I could only use two items to clean my house for the rest of my life I would chose baking soda and vinegar  (And not just because they are great in cooking too)  That being said, please use different baking soda and vinegar for your cooking and cleaning.   The thought of cleaning up messes and then making something good to eat is kinda gross to me. 

These two power houses do wonders on their own
baking soda cuts through grim and grease and freshens as it goes,
vinegar disinfects and freshens too.

And more, but when combined they become a super power.  It's like the Power Rangers. On their own they are tough, but when they combined their robotic animals they became invincible and could beat any foe.  (Did I really just compare cleaning to Power Rangers?)  Turtles are better, but they don't have a super robot....Back to the topic.

Besides really cool volcanoes, vinegar and baking soda are and acid and a base.  (Which is the reason for the volcanic reaction)  That reaction is also great for wiping away grime.




All purpose cleaner

1/2 C Vinegar (White)
1/4 C Baking Soda
1/2 Gallon Water


A great site for homemade cleaners is:
http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm


I will be posting more later.

Strawberry Dip

Delicious Strawberry Dip

Mix sour cream with brown sugar.  So good!  I like mine more sugary so I mix about 1 Tbsp of each (a little less on the sugar, sometimes half the amount.)
You can mix it completely or just sprinkle sugar over the cream.  Happy eating!

Mixed is more kid friendly while I think unmixed looks better.