Brown Sugar- The Sweetness that began the blog.

For those that read the beginning of the blog, you will know it was my ignorance of not knowing how to make brown sugar that sent me on the journey to discover what else I could make from scratch. Since this was the recipe that prompted this blog, I thought it appropriate to make it the 100th post- and honestly I haven't made it until now.  I was a little sad to learn that it is not necessarily cheaper than buying brown sugar on sale unless you buy the ingredients in bulk. Ironic, I know.

The cheapest I have ever seen brown sugar was $.25 a pound.  That's right a quarter.  They didn't stay on the shelves for long. A sale like that is very rare.

If you want the satisfaction of making your own (and maybe save a few pennies) here it is:

Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Molasses (We like 1/2 Tbsp instead)
1 Cup Sugar

Blend with beaters or fork.  If you use egg beaters it will go faster but you will still need to use a fork to get the last bit of molasses mixed in.
In our family we have found we like even less molasses as this has a stronger flavor than store bought.  So halving the molasses cuts the cost down considerably.

Look how beautiful!!! I made that!

As excited as I was to make this, I have a confession, I don't normally blend my brown sugar when I do go the homemade route. Unless we are going to use it for something like cinnamon rolls or oatmeal, I just put a cup of sugar and 1/2 Tbsp into whatever I am cooking (such as Cookies!).

Evaporated Milk

I was making homemade cinnamon rolls when I realized we did not have any evaporated milk- which makes them so soft- so I decided to make my own.

Evaporated Milk
3/4 Cup warm water
1/2 Cup powdered milk
1 Tbsp butter

Mix milk and water in a saucepan, add butter and heat until melted.  You may be able to do this in a microwave, I don't know, I haven't tried.

If not using the milk right away store in the refrigerator.

Life Hack-Peanut butter and Mason Jars

It was one of those mornings, the ones where you are half asleep at breakfast.
I placed a good spoonful of peanut butter on my pancake and went to replace the lid, only I put it on the peaches instead and thought nothing of it until I wanted some peaches.  Why, in my half asleep state, did placing the lid on a mason jar not phase me...because it fits!

I became excited and awake after that.  I thought of several things I could put in the jar that needed a lid, but not necessarily a tight seal. (Or a two piece lid)

Yay for life hacks!

Guess I should figure out how to flip the pic, just turn your head, it does about the same thing...

Scorched the Pan!!!

I was making potato soup when I didn't stir it enough and by the end of our meal I was left with this!

When I began the whole bottom was black- that is baking soda in there when dish soap alone was not taking it off.

Okay, it was worse than that, that was after I had already tried to scrub it clean.  There had to be an easier way.  Yes!

Vinegar! And a little baking soda.  I boiled about half vinegar, half water for just a few minutes, then I wiped (yes wiped, not scrubbed with all my might) wiped it out.

Tada!  

Fleece Blanket Flannel board

We had a lovely fleece baby blanket that came from the dollar store.  We taped it up on our wall (use painters tape to avoid ruining the paint.) My mother had these cute flannel animals for my toddler to play with.  Of course, you can also glue flannel to the back of pictures and use those as well.  A fun simple toy, that can be taken down and stored in a small space. 

Simple Flannel Story Board

Non Stick Spray (Brush On)

After my failed attempts to make non stick spray, one of my sister in laws told me of a recipe.
Not sure if it is cheaper than the aerosol spray can stuff, but it works great.

1 part vegetable oil
1 part flour
1 part shortening

Mix together and brush on pan.  Store in the refrigerator.

No bread stuck to pan!

Two Meals at a Time

Okay, I feel I kind of cheated you with the burritos.  Almost too easy and certainly too boring (although still popular at our house).

Here is two cheap meals to make one after the other to save some time. This idea came from Apreparedhome.com


Two Pasta Meals

On the first night cook Spaghetti (or another pasta dish).  Make lots of noodles, you will want extra.  Some of our favorite sides with Spaghetti are green beans and homemade garlic bread.

On the second night use the leftover noodles to make stir fry.  Fry noodles in a frying pan with a little oil.  Add thawed stir-fry vegetables and a whole lot of soy sauce. Cook until heated through. Quick, easy, and yummy.

Bean and Cheese Burritos

Burritos are simple and cheap.

On a tortilla shell put a large spoon full of refried beans and half a handful of cheese.  Microwave or fry until cheese is melted (and crisp if frying).

How easy was that!

Spice it up with salsa, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, or whatever else you'd like.

Pay Yourself- Splurging Can Be Okay

Pay Yourself                 

I'm not talking about saving 10% of your income, which is great advice and should be a money moment in an of itself, I'm talking about giving yourself some play money.

Splurging in small increments actually helps you budget your money better- it takes away the feeling of scarcity or the "burden" of saving. Saving without play can lead to a "budget burst" or an unplanned shopping spree that you may regret later.  However, allowing yourself to spend a little fun money each month is not only good for your budget it is good for your mental health.  In studies psychologists have found that small, frequent, splurges actually make people happier than infrequent large purchases. (Journal of Consumer Psychology: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Then You Probably Aren't Spending It Right, by Dunn, Gilbert and Wilson)

I am a budget fanatic, I calculate everything we spend from the dollar movie we rented to the groceries or gas in the car. But, every month my husband and I budget what we call Personal Money, or fun money; just a small amount of money that we can do whatever we want with. This is one area we use cash for. It works like this, if you have the cash, you can buy what you want, if you don't spend all your personal money, more for next month. Lucky you.  Having fun money set aside makes going out to eat or buying a new toy recreation instead of a budget strain.  Fun money keeps the rest of the budget in check.  So pay yourself, even if it is just a little.

Water Storage

February is Water Storage Month at our house.

Your water can become unusable at anytime. For 300,000 people in West Virginia a chemical spill made all tap water undrinkable. How fortunate were those with water storage.

The minimal amount you should be storing is a 3 day supply of a gallon per a person per a day- 3 gallons per a person and per a pet.  It is recommended if you can store more to do so.  Ideally you would want 2 gallons per a person per a day for a 2 week period of time.  This would included drinking, cooking, and washing.

Our apartment is small so we decided to store 2 gallons per a person for 3 day, or 18 gallons of water.  We used old juice bottles.  We also put a gallon in our car for emergencies (car overheats, you overheat) and a case of bottled water that gets used on trips and camping and what not.  Water is one thing I always want to have.

Make sure you rotate your water storage with fresh water every six months.