The Frugal Female

Tips for Cleaning

2012-02-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

This month, a friend gave me a recipe for a homemade soap. Being the frugal person that I am and looking for yet another way to stretch a dollar, I decided to give it a whirl! I’d love to share this very easy recipe with you!

1 ½ Cups Dawn dish soap
1 ½ Cups Vinegar

Heat the vinegar till hot but not boiling. While it is still hot, mix the vinegar and dish soap together and pour into a spray bottle. (I poured both into the spray bottle and shook it to mix.) Spray soap mixture on shower, etc… and wait 30 min. Spray off with water.

I bought a 9 oz bottle of Dawn dish soap for about $2 and used 9 oz of vinegar with it. Both my friend and I had good results getting soap scum off. I have lots of hard water stains and those did not come off. I also left mine on a little too long so it took more water to get it off.

My friend found that it produced too many suds so she is going to try adding a little less soap next time. On my next attempt, I’d like to see how my regular cleaner does in place of the Dawn.

I also have found that using a micro fiber cloth to dust with is a great way to dust without using sprays, etc… I had been using a mixture of water, vinegar and grapefruit seed extract to spray the surface before wiping with a cloth. I will still use this solution but maybe not as often as the micro fiber cloth is quick, easy, and effective.

Remember the old adage…. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”

Happy Cleaning!

Recycling Containers

2012-01-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

In our house, we recycle a lot. Mostly, we send what is “recyclable” to the “recycling man” and he takes it in his truck and we see it no more. However, there are some things we keep and re-use over and over again to save money. Here are a ideas for recycling that may come in handy for this new year:

Even though it is often a few cents more, I will buy Musselmans vinegar, just so I can have the container. Their vinegar containers are made of a heavy plastic and are great for storing water or for taking drinks to picnics or potlucks. An added benefit is that if it gets forgotten or misplaced, I am not worrying about finding a prized water jug!

I know a young mother who uses a baby wipes containers to store her grocery bags in. I use them to store the wet baby washcloths that I use along with my cloth diapers.

I also like to re-use yogurt and other small containers from the store to keep leftovers in or send food to school with the girls. They are cheaper than Tupperware and if they get ruined or lost, I don’t mind!

Shoeboxes are a wonderful way to store lots of things like all those crayons, colored pencils and other writing utensils in my girls’ desk. I use them to store extra zippers, bias tape and other sewing notions. They have also come in handy for storing all those small trinkets that children want to keep.

Plastic grocery bags from the store are great garbage can liners instead of purchasing brand new bags for that purpose. Something seems not quite right to purchase garbage bags…..just to throw them away again!

Contractor garbage bags are big and made of a heavy plastic. I use them to store clothes in for the girls. I put their name on each bag and switch out the clothes in them, in the spring and fall. If treated well, those bags will last for several years.

Gift bags that are in good shape and don’t have anyone’s name on them are kept and re-used for someone else. I will do the same for well-kept tissue paper. I have found that storing matching tissue paper in the folded up gift bag is a great way to eliminate the search for matching tissue paper later.

Bread bags from the grocery store are re-used for homemade bread too.

In this throw away society that we live in, a conscientious homemaker can save a lot of money by just finding ways to re-use a few simple containers once relegated to the trash barrel!

Don’t be afraid to be a recycler!

Buying in Bulk

2011-11-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Buying things in bulk is a great way to save money in the family budget. With a growing family, I have found that bulk buying not only saves money but also saves time, by having things on hand for a longer period of time. There are a lot of places to buy in bulk also. Sam's Club is one such place.

You must be choosy when buying in bulk there though. The place I prefer to buy in bulk and also get healthier foods is the Buying Club, better known as Azure. Azure Standard is a natural foods, bulk buying, food coop out of Oregon.

One of the things I like to buy in bulk is oatmeal. A 25lb. bag of oatmeal (not organic) from Azure (the buying club) is currently running around $11.00. A can of Quaker Old Fashioned Oats at the grocery store costs $3.20 for 18 oz. If I did the math right, that means you would be spending about $71.00 for 25 lbs. at that rate. (They are selling twenty-four 18oz. containers of oats on Amazon.com for $74.84.)

Storage is the next problem for some. I have found that a plastic tote with a tight fitting lid or a garbage can (new and clean of course), would work also. Oatmeal is one of the easier things to store because you don't have to have it frozen. Some ladies do keep it in the freezer if space allows. If you plan to store flour for a long time, you should use your freezer. The longer it has been since the flour was ground, the fewer the nutrients it has in it. Storing in the freezer will save on nutrients and keep your flour from getting "buggy".

When buying food in bulk this way, it is comforting to know that I am feeding my family
healthy food and saving money at the same time! If you are interested in becoming part of our Buying Club family, feel free to call me. You may also visit Azure Standard online at: http://www.azurestandard.com/

Reusable Canning Lids

2011-10-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

This month I would like to introduce to you some reusable canning lids! A friend of mine found them and told me about them. A company called Tattler makes them. They are about $20 for 3 dozen regular lids and $24 for 3 dozen wide mouth lids. I purchased 3 dozen of each and have been using them for about the last month.

They are different than your regular “Ball” canning lids. They are made of a white plastic with a rubber ring that fits underneath of them. They do not flex on the top when you push down to check for a seal. In order to make sure they are sealed, you must remove the ring. They do use your regular “Ball” canning rings to keep the lids on.

It is important to keep them hot before you put them on the jar. I had to re-batch several jars of jam when I was called away from the stove and they were allowed to cool before I was able to get them put on the jars. I also found that the lids worked just fine for canned bread.

When you have opened a jar and want to re-use the lid and ring, you just flip the ring over so that the side that hasn’t been sealed is down. I also found that it was easier to put the ring on the upside down lid in the hot water bath for ease of picking up the rings out of the water.

The best part of choosing to buy these lids is that you may now have many happy canning seasons and save some money doing it!

Saving Money By Using Time

2011-09-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes we have more time than money. Then there are those times when we don’t seem to have either -and we find it hard to determine which…exactly do we have the MOST of?

For me, I have found that my time can equate to money savings most days.

There are many ways to save money in your family’s budget, just by using your time wisely instead. In some cases, you could probably earn some extra money as an entrepreneur, by using your time.

Here are some ideas I have found for saving money, by using your time instead:

Learn how to give your family haircuts! Most hair cuts costs anywhere between $8 and $15. A good haircutting set costs between $30 and $40. It may take some practice but it can be a learned skill. There are many who can offer you helpful hints and you could save the cost of a salon haircut in just 3-5 haircuts at home! Our pastor’s wife has cut her husband’s hair for over 38 years! Add to that the haircuts she gave her own boys for over 18 years and you can see how much money she was able to save in their family budget! It does add up and the money saved, provided music lessons for their children!

Learn how to make homemade presents – Make your own gifts to give to others for special occasions. Not only is the gift more special, but you could save a lot of money in the process. There are many creative ways to give a gift to a friend or loved one. I have used my learned skill of soap making to supply gifts for my children’s teachers and other friends. It only cost me…my time.

Learn how to do mending of clothes – There are many little things you can mend on clothes, that will make them last longer. If the elastic is unraveling, cut the unraveled part off and put a dot of fray check on it and the garment will last longer. Putting patches inside boys pants, in the knees when they are new, could help them last longer. Replace buttons instead of getting something new. If a seam is coming apart, the faster you repair it by hand or machine, the less damage it will do and the more money you could save by just taking care of the clothes you already own.

Learn to “Handy-man” it yourself – There are many books out there to help you in this area. I am thankful for a very handy husband, but if I have to, I can unclog a drain and a few other basic handy-man type jobs that could save me from having to call a repairman.

Learn to be your own home decorator – If you are an artist, you could hang your own pictures on the walls. If you can sew, you may be able to put up your own window treatments. There are many arts and crafts type things that you can make to hang on your own walls and decorate with. Just learning simple little tricks to beautify or enhance what you already have, is good design. Check out “Building the Nest” on this blog for many good decorating ideas!

Walking instead of driving – If you have time, you could walk and save some gas. My brother’s philosophy is “everywhere is in walking distance if you have the time.” In our modern, “must have it now” society, these ideas may seem old-fashioned or out of date. If you have the money to blow on non-needs…disregard these simple ideas. I choose to be a good steward of the money my husband works hard to earn for our family, for in the end…it came from the Lord anyway.

I hope some of these suggestions help in your effort to save some money in your family’s budget too. Have fun saving!

Grain Mills

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a grain mill for my home and I would like to share some of the basics of grain mills with you. If you are a do-it-yourself, domestic engineer, then this is just the tool for you!

First of all there are many different kinds of mills that you can choose from all in varying prices. If you were to purchase one, you would need to consider the purpose for your purchase. If you only want it for short emergencies, a small cheaper one may do the trick. If you want one for near daily use, you may want to consider an electric model or a larger hand powered one. I have one friend who really enjoys her Whisper Mill, but that mill has been discontinued.

The Whisper Mill has been replaced by the Nutrimill. I have another friend who enjoys her Golden Grain Mill. These are just a few of the mills available for the enterprising homemaker. The buying club sells at least 3 different models.

I chose to buy the Grainmaker Mill. There were several reasons I chose this mill. First I would be able to use this mill whether there was electricity or not. I can even attach it to an exercise bike if I can get my handyman husband to arrange it for me! I also chose the Grainmaker because the “power bar” and large grain auger came with it as opposed to buying them separately with the Country Living Grain Mill – another mill I was seriously looking at. I can grind just about any grain you can think of including beans, corn and coffee with my Grainmaker. I can even make peanut butter if I so choose! It also helped that the Grainmaker has a lay-away program as I had saved some money but not quite enough to pay for it outright. It also has a lifetime warranty on everything but the paint. However, the price has gone up considerably since I bought my mill.

At this time, the buying club is selling 25 lbs of hard red wheat berries (the kind best for making bread) for around $10.50. They are selling the flour for about $12.95 for a 25 lb bag. A cup of wheat berries makes approximately a cup and a half of flour.

Another thing to take into consideration is that the longer flour is stored, the less nutrition it contains. You can help the nutritional value to remain somewhat higher by freezing your flour but it will still loose some. One never knows how long flour has been stored in the store.

I would be glad to try to answer any questions you might have about grain mills! Feel free to contact me through ‘The Frugal Female’ and Beautiful for Thee (beautifulforthee@gmail.com). Have a great day!

Make Your Own Microwave Popcorn

2011-07-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

A friend told me how she made her own microwave popcorn for a fraction of the price. So, I thought I would share with it with you! I love finding new ways to save a few pennies!

You will need the following:

1 paper bag – lunch bag size

½ C of your favorite popcorn

A microwave

Your favorite butter and seasonings

Directions:

Place the popcorn in the paper bag and fold closed. Do not staple it closed! Use tape if necessary. Place the popcorn in the microwave and cook for approximately 3 minutes or until the popcorn stops popping. Remove from microwave. Add your butter and seasonings. Enjoy!

A quick search online shows that Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater Butter popcorn runs about $1.80 per packet of popcorn. To make your own runs about $.88 per packet depending on what seasonings you use. You are also in control of which seasonings are on your popcorn if you choose to season it yourself.

Have fun experimenting with this and have a poppin good day!

Pizza Pockets

2011-06-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

After heating lunches at school this past year, I have seen a lot of those little Hot Pocket brand pizza pockets come through. They smell really good and they look yummy and I’m sure my children have wanted them a time or two. But…I am not willing to spend the money to buy them so I decided one day to take a treat to my girls at lunch. I decided to try my hand at making them myself. They turned out really good. They are a little
bigger than the store-bought ones and I got no complaints from my girls over them!

I thought you might like to know how I made mine:

First, I used a basic bread recipe and made my dough.

4 Cups flour
¼ C sugar
3 T butter
2 tsp or 1 pkg yeast
1 ¼ Cup warm water

I mixed the above ingredients until they were well mixed and then kneaded the dough until it was smooth. I did not allow the dough to rise as I was in a hurry. I then divided the dough into 6 equal balls. (One for each of us.) I rolled each ball out until it was about 6 – 8 inches around.

I then filled each with as much tomato sauce, Italian seasonings, pepperoni and cheese as I desired – and about as much as I thought the dough could hold.

Next, I wrapped them up by folding the sides over the tomato sauce, etc… and then folding up the ends. I did place a little pressure on each pocket to get the inside ingredients to be evenly displaced throughout the pocket. Lastly, I placed them on a cookie sheet and baked them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until brown on top.

We all enjoyed them very much! As near as I can tell, I spent about 70 cents per pocket compared to approximately $1.30 per pocket that they sell for at Super One Grocery store in Grand Forks.

After some thought, you may be able to make them ahead of time without baking them. You would have to freeze them quickly so the dough would not rise. You could bake them in an oven but I am not sure about a microwave since you wouldn’t have the little sleeve they come in to put the Hot Pockets in.

I find it great fun to experiment on my own to save money on things that everyone enjoys but costs much more. Give it this a try for your family! It will mostly take your time…but your family is worth it!

Little Girl’s Dress

2011-05-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a new dress is needed for our little girls. Sometimes, life’s time constraints demand that my sewing job be really simple and easy to make.

A while back, one of my little girls needed some new clothes. She needed at least one play dress in the mix. I needed it to be cheap and quick. So, the next time I went to the store, I checked out the clearance rack for some t-shirts. You can often buy little shirts, for $2-$3. It does take some skill to sew that kind of fabric without puckers and the like. I also found that I had some material on hand that someone had given me. I bought two shirts and here is how they became dresses:

1. Cut two lengths of skirt material for as long as you would like the skirt to be on the child and then as wide as you would like. The wider the material, the more full it will be. I tried to make both of mine 1 ½ to 2 times the length of the bottom of the t-shirt to allow for lots of running room.

2. Sew the two lengths of material together at the side seams – right sides together.

3. Baste stitch the top of the skirt so that it can be gathered. I usually do this twice so that if one thread breaks, there is a back up. It also makes the gather more uniform.

4. Gather the skirt to match the length of the bottom of the t-shirt.
5. Pin the skirt to the t-shirt. Most of the time when you sew, you sew right sides together. This time you will sew the right side of the skirt to the wrong side of the t-shirt.

6. Sew the skirt to the t-shirt. I chose thread that matched the t-shirt thread and then sewed over the t-shirt thread so that it didn’t look like there were more seams. Be careful to remove the pins as you go. Remove any of the basting stitches that show under the t- shirt.

7. Sew in the hem. I usually iron the hem where I want it to be so it has a nice fold at the bottom and then sew it in. If you have a sewing machine, you will need to fold the fabric over twice to hide the raw edge. If you have a serger or interlock machine, you can “serge” the bottom and then fold it up once and sew.

And there you have it! A cute little dress for a fraction of the price and one that comes together very quickly! Your child is ready to play in the yard in no time at all!

You have lots of options too! You could choose a long-sleeve shirt instead or a short sleeved one or you could add pockets or other embellishments, such as iron-on transfers, beads or even buttons! Use your imagination and have fun!

Simple $hopping Tips

2011-04-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

This month I wanted to share a few of my personal shopping tips to help you get the most for your hard earned money. Perhaps you will find a few of these tips beneficial when you go shopping.

I am not a person who loves to shop around. I like to go somewhere, get what I need and get out. So, here are some tips that I use:

A good rule of thumb when shopping for anything is to look for high quality and not necessarily quantity. If you buy something that is low quality, you will eventually have to buy more or replace it sooner and in the long run, you lose money. I usually end up compromising if the price is way too high. Check the care tag before you buy. There are some beautiful dresses out there for little girls but they are dry clean only. In my experience, dry clean only and children -don’t go together!

Before buying clothing, try the rule of three. The clothing article must go with three different outfits, you must have three places to wear it and three ways to accessorize it.

Shop high-end stores when there is a sale. ALWAYS check their clearance rack first! You never know what bargain may be hidden there and just waiting for you to find it! You may be able to pick up some well-made clothes for less.

Thrift stores are great places to find deals if you have the time and are willing to go through a lot of clothes to find that good deal. You must also be willing to even go home with nothing. Consignment stores have higher quality used clothing for less.

Extend the life of your clothes by reinforcing stitching, checking the stitching on buttons and fasteners and using iron-on patches on the inside of knees and elbows.

Line-dry your clothes. All that lint in the lint trap is your clothes coming apart a little at a time.

Transform old clothes into new. An example would be turning a worn out full slip into a half slip. All it takes is a little elastic and your time at the sewing machine. You can also embellish t-shirts, hats, purses,
etc… yourself.

Try re-dying worn out clothing or if you need it to be a certain color, buy white and dye it.

Now days, there are various blogs and web sites where you can find great coupons that save you money. Take a look online before you buy! Saving money is not as difficult as it may first seem. Life is time…and money. Invest wisely.

Happy shopping!

Homemade Remedies

2011-03-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes things happen and you can’t make it to the store for your favorite remedy for whatever it might be that ails you. I’d like to share a few homemade remedies that just might do the trick and will save you money.

*Please remember that these remedies are not to be substituted for a doctor’s advice.

-For a tummy ache, try drinking mint tea.

-Bananas also contain natural antacids.

- If diarrhea is a problem, try a tea made from dried raspberry or blackberry leaves.

-To suppress a cough, try a tea made from sage. You can also try hot lemon water and honey to sooth your throat.

- Clogged sinuses? Make a solution of 1 cup water and ¼ tsp salt. Using a bulb syringe, flush your nasal passages two to three times per day.

-Something got you scratching? Try making a paste of baking soda and ice water. Spread over the itchy area. Repeat as necessary.

-An Aloe Vera plant comes in handy for minor burns. Take a leaf off the plant, scoop out the clear gel and apply to the burned area. Lavender essential oil applied to the burn also can provide relief.

-To prevent a cold sore, apply 1 drop of lavender essential oil to the area where you feel the sore forming. Then hold an ice cube on it for 10 minutes. Repeat several times throughout the day. A drop of oil of cloves on a cotton swab dipped in water and applied to affected area, can bring relief to toothache. You may also try putting 1 ½ tsp whole cloves into 1 C boiling water, straining it into a glass and rinsing your mouth with the “tea.”

-Hydrogen Peroxide is a good mouthwash and can help get rid of sores in the mouth. If used as a gargle, it can help clear up a sore throat. Just don’t swallow!

-If you need a cold pack, a package of peas or chopped carrots works well and is easy to maneuver.

-For motion sickness, try chewing on a piece of candied ginger.

-3 Tablespoons of plain mustard dissolved in a pan of warm water can help with sore feet. Soak for at least 15 minutes.

Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Drink plenty of water and wash your hands often! Have a happy healthy month!

Bringing A Bit of Mexico into Your Kitchen!

2011-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

(Making Your Own Tortillas)

Have you ever consideredmaking your own tortillas? There are not a lot of ingredients necessary and they are pretty easy to make – and delicious too!

Making corn tortillas is probably the easiest if you have a press. I purchased a press a couple years ago on Target.com thinking you could use it to make flour tortillas, but it didn’t work so well for that. It was actually humorous how the dough would come out when pressed, but shrink right back up as soon as you opened the press! I thought about returning the press but then figured I might try corn tortillas instead. I’m glad I did! They turned out really good!

To make corn tortillas the traditional way, you need a special corn flour called Masa Harina. It is a very fine “corn meal.” I purchased mine through the buying club (Azure Standard.com) for about $2.60 for 24 oz. The recipe is as follows:
2 Cups Masa Harina Corn Flour
½ tsp sea salt
1 ½ - 2 Cups hot water

Mix the salt into the flour. Slowly pour the water into the dough to get a good consistency. The dough should be firm and springy when touched, not dry or sticky. (Traditionally, the way to mix the dough is with your hands.) Let the dough rest for an hour, covered.

Preheat a griddle or flat surface. (I found that cast iron cookware works best as it can take a lot of heat!)

Divide dough into 2 inch balls. Press dough between two pieces of wax paper or according to your tortilla press directions.

Place flattened dough on a hot griddle or flat surface and cook until the top of the tortilla starts to look cooked, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and heat for a few seconds. Makes about 12 – 6 inch tortillas. (I found that the first tortilla is the hardest to make. After you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy.)

To make flour tortillas you will need:
3 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4-6 T shortening or lard (I used organic coconut oil)
Approx. 1 ¼ C warm water

Mix dry ingredients together. Add shortening with a pastry cutter or hands. Add water a little at a time until dough is soft and not sticky. Knead well. Pull pieces off, form into balls and roll out with a rolling pin. Lay tortilla on a hot skillet until browned. (I found cast iron works well here too.) To me, these tortillas tasted just like the ones I buy at the store.

Top tortillas with your favorite toppings such as refried beans, hamburgar with taco seasonings, lettuce, tomato, salsa or sour cream. For dessert, try tortillas fried in coconut oil topped with cinnamon and sugar.

May you have fabuloso Mexican eats! Tienen un gran día

Canned Bread

2011-01-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of Canned Bread? I had never heard of it till a couple months ago. I was reading a book called “Just in Case” and in the recipe section was this recipe for canned bread! So, I thought I would try it and share it with you. It is quite simple to do in fact!

Canned Bread

Ingredients:

2 2/3 Cup sugar (I only used 2 C)
2/3 Cup butter
4 eggs
2/3 Cup water
2 Cups shredded carrot (or chopped apple or mashed banana)
3 ½ Cups flour
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt (I omitted)
1 Cup raisins
½ Cup walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Cream together sugar and butter until very fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add water and beat well. Add carrots or fruit. Mix together dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Add raisins and nuts and mix only until blended. Set mixture aside.

Grease the insides of six wide-mouthed pint canning jars, taking care not to grease the rims. Fill each jar with 1 cup of batter. Do not overfill. Place jars on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Carefully remove from oven, one at a time. Wipe the rims and top each jar with a two piece canning lid. The jars will seal.

I have made a batch of apple/nut/raisin bread as well as banana/choc. Chip bread. The bread is moist and tasty. My husband has made muffins and cake out of a box also. We are contemplating making a cake and putting a dollop of frosting on top before sealing – maybe you will beat us to the punch in trying that!

Make sure you use only wide-mouthed pint canning jars as all others have a shoulder to them and you would be unable to remove the bread in one piece. The author of the recipe book, nor myself, know how long this bread will last. So far it has lasted at least 3 months at my house. I am guessing that it will last up to a year. A good rule of thumb is to use anything you can within one year.

The author of the book bakes a double batch of this bread whenever a winter storm is forecasted, just in case of a power outage. We baked some of this unique bread and decorated the jars as gifts for our neighbors at Christmas time. This recipe is worth trying.

I love finding frugal ways to feed my family and even share a bit with others!

A Handmade Christmas

2010-12-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

Once again Christmas is upon us. The stores are all decked out and stocked with wondrous looking things but they all seem to cost so much money! Why not give out handmade, from the heart Christmas gifts.

Things like cookie, soup or hot drink mixes in a jar. My aunt gave us one of each of these this last year for Christmas. I loved the gingerbread cookie mix and I had never tried French Market Soup before. We are still using the hot cider mixes in a jar.

Baking cookies or candies for those who are near you might also be an option for some. I have relatives who have sent me fudge, soaps, lotions, and other handcrafted beauty items that they have made. If you own a sewing machine and know how to use it, the ideas are limitless… from making a dress, to quilting for someone special.

I have made my husband suit vests in the past. The pattern is easy and quick! If you wanted to, you could try making a doll or a hat. For the price of some fleece, you could give someone the gift of warmth with a no-sew fleece blanket. Just cut and tie the edges. One of my aunts did that for my girls one year. They love those blankets and use them every night!

If you know how to work with wood, you might try making benches, tables or jewelry boxes for your loved ones. One of my cousins makes old fashioned wooden toys!

You are only limited by your imagination!

If you are a writer, try writing a children's story for those young ones on your list. Many children (and adults) love a good story – how much more meaningful would it be if they know the author!

Try making handmade cards to send to those you love. They might just be a little more cost effective than buying pre-made ones and you can say anything you'd like! If you would like to send photos, it often costs less to buy just the prints than to make a photo card.

If you have any other craft you may be good at, use the gift that God has given you to give to others. A stroll through JoAnn Fabrics or Michaels might give you several ideas worth trying! I have heard of families who pick names for gift giving and the gift must be made by the giver! What a personal and memorable idea!

A handmade gift that you have spent time on says so much more to the receiver!

Take the time this year to contemplate handmade gifts for your family and friends. It will only take your time and much less of your money.

May you have a very Merry Handmade Christmas!

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2010-11-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

The time of the year that we celebrate Thanksgiving is fast approaching, so I thought I would share a few things I’ve found that may help as you get ready for that big day!

With my breadcrumbs already dried out and ready to go, I only needed to prepare my spices to go with it. In my planning, I came upon the perfect recipe from Taste of Home! I really thought this was a pretty cool idea indeed! I discovered a bread recipe that has all the spices already baked into the bread!

I share it now with you!

Stuffing Bread

3 ½ to 4 Cups flour
2 T yeast
2 T sugar
1 T rubbed sage
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground mustard
½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed
½ tsp paprika
1 ½ Cups warm water
2 T vegetable oil
1 egg

STUFFING:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ Cup butter, melted
3 to 4 Cups chicken broth or water

In a mixing bowl, combine 2 Cups flour, yeast, sugar and seasonings. Add water and oil; beat until just moistened. Add egg and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn on to a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 1 hr). Punch dough down, shape into a large round loaf. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise till doubled (about 45 min). Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool.

To make the stuffing, cut cooled bread into 1 inch slices, then cubes. Let stand 24 hours to dry. In a large bowl combine bread cubes, eggs, butter and enough broth to achieve desired moistness. Stir to blend.
Transfer to a greased 2 qt baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 60 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes or until browned.

Here is a great idea for using home grown pumpkin!

Begin by cutting the pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds. Bake at 350 until a fork can be poked through it easily. Let the pumpkin cool and remove the rind. Place the flesh of the pumpkin in a blender or food processor and puree. Use this puree for your pie. Any leftovers can be stored in a freezer bag in the freezer to be used at another time.

Here is a great turkey tip that will save time on Thanksgiving day.

Try baking your turkey a day ahead of time. Allow it to cool and then cut it up. Place all the meat in a crock-pot, include all the juice and refrigerate.
The next day, heat up the turkey in the crock-pot and it will all be nice and juicy.
This may not work if it is a tradition at your house to have someone cut the turkey at your Thanksgiving table.

My aunt has a tradition that my children enjoy every Thanksgiving that we have spent at her house.

She makes small rice crispy balls and then, using frosting, she sticks half of an Oreo cookie to the bottom of the ball and half the cookie to the back of the ball. She then sticks a piece of candy corn with the pointed side down on the front, to make little turkeys. Sometimes 3 candy corns sticking up in the back take the place of the half Oreo for the tail. She then places one turkey next to every plate.

Hope these few little tips give you fresh ideas and may you all have a wonderful, warm, and thankful Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for you!

$aving$ In The Kitchen

2010-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Let’s talk about some tips on saving money in the kitchen. This is by no means all inclusive! Just a few ideas to save a few of your husband’s hard earned bucks! He will love you for it!

When making a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin, keep the seeds. Clean them off and let them sit overnight in salt water. Spread them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 200 F until they are dry and crispy. They make a great snack!

Consider buying whole chickens when you need chicken for a recipe. Put the Chicken in a crock pot to cook and add a little bit of water. When it is done, take the meat off the bone and store in containers. Depending on the size of the chicken and the number in your family, will determine how many meals you can get out of it. I usually use half a chicken for a meal for seven. This makes for quicker meal preparation and it is usually cheaper to buy one whole chicken than two or three packages of chicken breasts. It is also healthier to consume the liquid off your chicken, so be sure to save it and use it in soup!

When your chicken is done cooking, you may want to think about making your own bouillon cubes. Cook the liquid down to two cups. It will be thick and intense in flavor and color. Let it cool and then pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. When they are frozen, remove the cubes and place in a freezer bag and label the bag’s contents. One cube for one cup of soup! What a money saving idea!

You can also make your own Bisquick mix. There are lots of recipes out there for “quick mixes” that you can choose from. Here is the one I like to use:
9 C flour
1/3 C Baking Powder
1 C + 2 T. powdered milk
4 tsp salt (I usually omit)
1 ¼ C shortening

Mix ingredients together. Use as called for in Bisquick recipes. You must add sugar as needed.

Also, I like to substitute butter for shortening, so instead of adding it to the mix, I add it as I go.

For a gluten-free alternative, substitute the following ingredients for the flour in the above recipe:

4 C rice flour
1 ½ C Potato Starch flour
2/3 C tapioca starch
(all three ingredients are available from Azure Standard.)

A great way to use up stale bread is to make it into croutons! Cut the bread into small cubes. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil. Add the bread crumbs and sauté until the crumbs are well coated, golden and crisp. Allow them to drain on paper towels. Store in airtight containers and use accordingly! To add more flavor, add garlic slices and/or herbs to the oil. Remove the flavorings before adding the bread crumbs.
Or, you could use up your bread crumbs and heals by making them into stuffing! This works really well if you have made your own bread and it didn’t turn out quite right.

Does your garbage disposal stink? Freeze some vinegar in ice cube trays. Once a week run 2 or 3 cubes through your disposal. You can also run orange peels through your disposal too, but do this in limited amounts or you could plug a pipe.

Can or freeze your own food, either from your garden or by buying in bulk and process or freeze it yourself.

Instead of buying individually packaged containers of ground beef, try buying a bulk pack of say, ten pounds and then cut up the package when you get home and freeze in freezer bags individually.

These are just a few ways you could save money in the kitchen. I hope you were able to get a few good ideas!

Tips for a Child Friendly Bathroom

2010-09-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Cleaning your bathroom can be intimidating at times. Especially if you have small children who can't seem to keep anything clean for any length of time. I for one, like having a clean, fresh smelling bathroom but spending as little time and money on bathroom maintenance as possible!

Here are a few things I have found that can help out in the care and upkeep of your bathroom:

Instead of buying a shower curtain every time the old one gets moldy or orange, just take the time to wash it ! If you buy the heavy duty shower curtains, you can wash them 4 or 5 times before they start to get holes in them. Put them in the washer with a couple of towels to help agitate the load. Use your regular laundry soap, wash and then hang it back up to dry. (Using open sided shower curtain rings (C-rings) helps in getting the curtain on and off easily.) You may also buy a cloth shower curtain. You can then wash it multiple times! Be careful not to point the shower head directly toward the curtain or you might end up with a puddle on the floor!

I have found that washing the sink and toilet while monitoring children in the tub works great. I then get to do two things at once which saves me time later. Obviously this won't apply to everyone but if you don't have children, try cleaning the sink and toilet right after you are done in the morning.

Another thing I have found that saves me a few steps is buying a bottle of cleaner for both bathrooms and keeping them in the respective bathroom. Then I don't have to go downstairs or upstairs for the cleaner when I need to accomplish my cleaning task. Borax and baking soda work really well as non-toxic mild abrasives.

If you have children, have them mop the bathroom floor. I have found that pouring plain white vinegar on key spots on the bathroom floor and then giving one or two of my children a cleaning cloth or washing rag that I can have the bathroom floor cleaned in no time at all! (Depending on the age of the child doing the work, will depend on how "well" the job gets done! Practice does makes perfect and moms need to start somewhere in teaching our children how to clean up after themselves.

Because there are so many of us in our family, we run into a.. space-for-towels problem. I finally asked my husband to make a shelf with hooks under it, to hang towels. He put up 6 hooks so we can hang 6 towels or pajamas in a 2 ½ - 3 foot space. The shelf above holds each child's cup and toothbrush, (when they remember to put them there) as well as jewelry or any other small things to be removed before a bath. The shelf is hung at child-level so each child can reach it. Not to mention… mom likes to use it too!

Hope these few, inexpensive tips make maintaining a bathroom filled with children—easier for you too!

Have a great day!

Less Is More

2010-08-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Many of us think that the more we have, the better off we will be, when in actuality, the less we have the more it frees us up to do more. We won’t be spending extra time doing unnecessary things and we could potentially have more time to read our Bible or do those things that God would have us to.

Some people never want to throw things away because they never know when they will need it, so they become hoarders.

Then there is the “keep up with the Jones” mentality where you just gotta have it! The Bible says we are to be content with food and raiment but we are rarely content with that. As a result our houses are full of “stuff.” We don’t necessarily need all of it nor do we use it all, but it’s there… and somehow- that’s comforting to us.

Actually, in the long run, it is giving us more work to do. If you pack a room full of “stuff”, when you need space to do something, you will have to move it. You will have to take care of all that “stuff” sometime or someone else will have to do it for you when you are gone. Don’t get me wrong. I like a well decorated room and I think it makes a lovely home. I don’t believe we need to live in a barren home with no furniture but there must be a balance between barren and empty and a room full of clutter.

So, here are a few pointers to help “less”… be more!

Look closely at your furniture and knick-knacks. The more you have, the more you have to do in dusting and upkeep. When buying furniture or other things to decorate your home, take the dust test. Ask yourself, “Is it worth dusting this every week?” The less you have to dust the less you have to dust!

Ask yourself the hard questions. Do you really need this or is it a want and you justify having it? What if you have to move? Is it worth it? Also, keep in mind that if there is a flat surface near a door or entrance to a room, it’s going to be the catchall spot. How much space do you want for people to lay their stuff on? The less space you have to “catch stuff”, the less stuff you have to find space for later. A spacious, well decorated room can look lovely.

Also, when considering hutches to display your knick-knacks, consider glass enclosed hutches to keep the dust out.

Another area where less is more, is in the clothing department. I have learned this with my children. The first child had enough clothing plus a little extra. The 2^nd had even more- and because there are twins behind her I don’t want to throw anything out. But the twins still have more than they can ever possibly wear! I tried to “downsize” after the twins and still found that the baby has way more than she can wear! And where do all these extra clothes go? They are either taking up space in storage or in the closet. A good rule of thumb is this: If you haven’t worn it at least once in the last year, you don’t need it! A basic wardrobe with things you can mix and match might be easier. It would be better to have one or two pair of serviceable shoes than four that you hardly wear.

I also decided to limit how many outfits were available to my children. I switch their clothes out twice a year for summer and winter but I only allow seven basic outfits for play/casual wear and four or five dress outfits. With so many children I didn’t have the closet/drawer space for all their clothes but when I limit the amount of clothes they have, they fit with plenty of room to spare.

Finally, there is the paperwork area. To comply with the IRS, you should keep your tax records and copies of your check register for 5 to 7 years. You should also keep the statement from your bills for one month, so you have proof that you paid the bill the month before. There is no need to keep statements for years and years. Now days you can keep your statements online and not even worry about paper copies at all!

Remember that keeping extra papers or collections of paper will take time if you properly file/sort them. Is it worth it?

The moral of the story is, the less stuff you own, the more time you will have for the things you really want to do!

Quick Solutions for Substitutions

2010-07-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes substituting things can save you money and even your health. When I first started making my own bread, I tried substituting as much whole wheat flour for white flour as I could and still have the bread turn out. I learned I needed to add gluten flour, to make my bread rise like I wanted it to while using regular yeast.
Now, using sour dough, I can use 100% whole wheat.

Some of my substitutions are standard at my house now. For example, I have substituted Tapioca starch for corn starch in everything I make that requires corn starch.
Substitutions can also be from non-organic to organic or more natural.

Another substitution at my house is either organic sugar cane sugar or turbinado sugar for white sugar. turbinado sugar is brown and looks like little square cubes. It has a different texture that can change some things you make, but we have gotten used to it and I have never heard any complaints.

Then there are the substitutions that you use in a pinch – when you’ve run out of what you really need and there is no other choice. Here is a handy list of substitutions that you might like to try sometime. It is always good to have a Plan B ready:

If you run out of:

1. 1 tsp Baking Powder - Try ¼ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar

2. Heavy cream (not whipping)- try ¾ C milk + 1/3 C melted butter

3. Light cream- try ¾ C milk + ¼ C melted butter

4. Half-n-Half- try 7/8 C milk + 1 ½ C melted butter

5. Tomato sauce- try ¾ C tomato paste + 1 C water (blend well)

6. Sour Milk or buttermilk- try 2 C milk + 2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice

7. 1 C Sour Cream- try 7/8 C yogurt

8. 1 C tomato juice- try ½ C tomato sauce + ½ C water

9. 1 C self-rising flour- try 1 C all-purpose flour + 1 ½ tsp baking powder + ½ tsp salt

10. 1 sq. unsweetened chocolate- try 3 T cocoa + 3 T shortening

11. 1 C sugar- try 1 1/3 C brown sugar or 1 ½ C powdered sugar

12. 1 C milk- try ½ C evaporated milk + ½ C water

Give these quick substitutions a try. They will work in a pinch!

Modest Swimwear for Girls

2010-06-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Being frugal means watching where you spend your money (or your husband’s money), which also includes taking care of what you already have.

Sometimes it means buying things on sale to get the most for your money. Sometimes it means paying more money for something that will last longer than the cheaper version of the same thing. This can happen a lot if you take care of your health, because good vitamins and organic foods cost more than the often times not-as-good versions that are cheaper.

Always remember…when it comes to your health, cheaper is not always the best route to go.

Sometimes being frugal means making what you want or need if you can save money and/or time.

About a year ago, someone pointed me in the direction of a web site that sold modest swim wear. I liked it. I liked it a lot – but I did not like the price. So, I sat on it and waited to make a decision.

Several months ago, the idea was mentioned again and so I went looking for the site. It has since been changed into another site. They sold suits as well as patterns and they had lots of testimonials about the product. So, I decided then to make some for my girls.

We had been using boys swim shorts and t-shirts but I didn’t really like them. The t-shirts were heavy and often came up in the water – not to mention those annoying air bubbles they often created.

The new suits were little dresses with knee length stretchy pants underneath. The pants were not attached to the dress so there would be ease of using the bathroom. They had short sleeves too and you can’t find sleeves on bathing suits now-a-days!

I searched the internet for the kind of swimsuit material I needed because I thought $18/yard on their site was a little spendy. I found “Spandex World” had every kind of spandex you can think of and for $4-$8 cheaper! On top of that, they had a clearance section for around $6-$8/yard! I bought the material I needed ($40 total).

Then it came to buying the pattern… It was $20 for the pattern plus $13 shipping (it came from Canada.) I thought that was way too much for a pattern! So, I looked through the patterns that people have given me over the years and found a leotard pattern! I was so excited! I used the leotard pattern but instead of following the pattern in the crotch area, I just made a skirt by following the line of the hips to the length of the skirt I needed. To come up with the shorts, I took a pajama pants pattern and made it smaller/tighter based on the measurements of my children and drew it out on freezer paper. It worked out great! (I spent a couple dollars for freezer paper and if I had bought the patterns right out- probably an extra $10.)

My children have been swimming once in their new suits so far. They are much more modest! They don’t come up like the t-shirts. They are lighter and not full of water in the pool therefore making it easier to move. My kids love their new swimsuits! You don’t have to ask them twice to put them on!

If you are a seamstress, this might be the project for you! If not, you can buy these swim suits at www.simply-modest.com. I’d be glad to help you in any way I can!

Being a frugal mom is great fun! Try it!

Inexpensive Kid Fun!

2010-05-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever found yourself looking for ways to entertain your children or grandchildren, but you don’t want to spend money? The truth is…children enjoy things that don’t cost a lot. Like picnics in the park, camping (even in the backyard), biking, spending time visiting a farm or even taking a walk.

Children also love doing thing with their hands. There is no need to spend a lot of money on expensive art supplies when you can be creative and make a few do-it-yourself art projects.

Here are some cheap ideas to help you save money as you provide good, creative times for your children. An added benefit is that you will know exactly what ingredients are in the supplies your children are using.

Homemade Glue
1 cup cornstarch, divided
2 cups water, divided
4 Tab. Light corn syrup
2 tsp. white vinegar

Mix and cook ½ cup cornstarch and 1 ½ cups water and remaining ingredients over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ½ cup cornstarch and ½ cup water. Blend into heated mixture. Store in a sealed container in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Play dough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1tsp Cream of Tartar or Alum
2 Tab oil
2 cups water
1 tsp. food coloring

Mix ingredients in a sauce pan on low heat, stirring constantly until dough comes off the sides of the pan. Knead when cooled. Store in a zip-lock bag or other airtight container.

Finger Paints
4 Tab. Sugar
½ cup cornstarch
2 cups cold water
Food coloring

Stir sugar and cornstarch together. Add water and heat over medium heat until mixture is thick (it will further thicken as it cools). Divide into containers and add food coloring as desired.

Chalk
Cardboard toilet-tissue tubes
Masking tape
Wax paper
1 ½ cups plaster of Paris
¾ cup water
Disposable milk or ice cream carton
Paint stir stick
3 Tab. Powdered tempera paint color

Cover one end of the toilet tissue tube with masking tape to prevent leaks. Line molds with wax paper so that the chalk will release easily.

In a disposable container, stir plaster of Paris and water together with stir stick. Divide the solution into two or three containers if you are making more than one color of chalk.

Add paint powder and stir evenly. Set wax-paper lined molds upright on flat surface, fill with chalk mix. Tap sides to release air bubbles. Allow chalk to dry for 3 days before un-molding.

Stickers
Choose some images from wrapping paper or magazines and cut out outlines or punch shapes.
Once backed with glue and allowed to dry, they can be remoistened later ands stuck on notebooks, coloring books, lunch bags or anything else you can think of!

To back with glue, mix together an equal amount of Elmers white glue and white vinegar until it is thin and milky. Using a paint brush or pastry brush, smear the back of the paper sparingly with the glue mixture. Allow to dry. Apply a second coat and allow to dry again. You may want to use a damp cloth or sponge to moisten the back of the stickers before sticking them somewhere, as they don’t taste very good.

Don’t be afraid to try these simple and simplistic recipes for entertaining children! Have fun!!!

Home Grown Sprouting

2010-04-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy eating sprouts? They make wonderful additions to salads and sandwiches and are loaded with many health benefits too!

Here is another easy way to save money at the grocery.

Instead of buying your bean sprouts or alfalfa sprouts at the store, have you ever thought of growing them yourself? They are a lot cheaper and oh so good for you! You can grow your own wheat grass for juicing, sprout seeds for your pet (yes, people really do that), and try a variety of different kinds of sprouts. The buying club (Azure Standard), sells many different kinds of seeds and you can also find lots of seeds in seed catalogs and online too. Just be certain that the seeds you are buying are made to be sprouted.

Some seeds that are made to be planted, are treated with chemicals that you don’t want to eat.
Let me share an inexpensive way to do your sprouting. It’s as simple as can be.

If you happen to have a Mason jar with a lid, ring, nail and a hammer, here is what you do:

Using the nail and the hammer, make a number of holes in the lid of the Mason jar.

The lid serves two purposes: to allow air movement and to function as a strainer. You can also buy pre-made jar lids thru the buying club.

Place about 1/8 cup of your choice of seeds in the bottom of the jar.

Add enough cool water to cover the seeds. Let the seeds sit at room temperature for 12 hours.
Drain the water from the seeds and rinse them thoroughly with cool clean water, being careful to drain all of the water out of the jar. The seeds should be wet but not sitting in water. You will need to rinse your seeds twice a day so keep them where you won’t forget them! I keep mine next to the kitchen sink.

When the seeds have sprouted ¼ inch – 1 inch depending on the kind of seed, you may start using them! Place them in salads, sandwiches, tortillas, lumpia and anything else you would enjoy sprouts in. To preserve them for a longer period of time once they have reached their desired length, place them in the refrigerator. You may find that your sprouts last longer than the sprouts you buy at the store. I’ve found the sprouts I buy at the store must be used in one to two days after purchasing them. I can use the sprouts in my jar for a week to a week and a half but they are freshly made.

Another quick idea for sprouting is to use a small square piece of netting and screw a jar lid over the netting. You have a quick easy way to drain your sprouts and keep the air flow going as well.

Take the time to try making your own sprouts. You’ll find it quite rewarding!

May you have a sprouting-ly delicious day!

Gardening 101

2010-03-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

Looking out the window, you may think that Spring will never get here, but it will be here before you know it! Let's start thinking those "Spring-y" thoughts and that may lead you to a garden…

Operating a summer garden can save you a lot of money at the grocery store! It also brings a sense of accomplishment and gives your kids something helpful to do!

If you are a first time gardener, now is the time to start buying seeds. The earlier you can procure your seeds, the less chance of finding that they have run out of what you want.

The recession has created more of a demand for seeds.

You will also want to take time to plan your garden. You never want to plant the same kind of plant in the same spot year after year. This is called crop rotation and you need to rotate your crops yearly. This can help keep your crops from getting certain diseases and bugs. Keeping a garden plan will help you to remember where you planted what last year.

A good pair of gardening gloves will help you in your endeavor. They don't have to be fancy or expensive. I like the ones that have a rubber coating on the inside of the hand to help with grip and keeping prickly things out. You may want to have a shovel and a small planting scoop on hand.

Consider using raised garden beds. I've done gardening both ways and I really like my raised beds. You can space them far enough apart to allow for the lawn mower to go in between.

They are easier to care for, with less bending.

I like these raised beds in my yard because they form their own imaginary fence. (I still have to wrap a fence around the peas to keep the dog from eating them though…)

There are also numerous non-toxic fertilizers and pesticides available to use. I like using Garden's Alive products. A lot of seed catalogs will offer a discount for using their products too. You can also make some of your own fertilizers and pesticides. You might even consider making your own manure tea. Sounds yummy doesn't it? It works! This consists of taking a cloth bag with manure in it and letting it "steep" in water for a week or so. Thin the "tea" to the color of weak tea and feed your plants with the water. Keep the "tea" bag for your next batch.

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a good pesticide for hard bodied bugs. Be sure to wear gloves when handling it as it will zap all moisture out of your hands.

If you have limited space, you might consider doing upside-down tomato plants or strawberry, blueberry, and herb plants in containers on your porch. I've also seen plans for vertical gardens.

This is where someone took mailbox type boxes, that were angled down inside, and with the boxes not quite touching the back of the box, so that water could flow between the boxes when watered from above, they filled them with dirt and planted seeds in each box. Then they were hung on a fence or in their yard.

They even manicured the plants to look like smiley faces, etc…

If you haven't already considered a garden, I hope you will this year!

"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands." Prov. 31:13

Happy gardening!

Money Talks!

2010-02-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

Being a good watch dog for your family's health…

Hello Ladies!

Did you know…that when you spend money at a store, that you are casting a vote at the same time?vIt's true! Your money spent in any particular store, tells that store what you want to buy. You vote with your money and it carries more weight than you may first realize!   Most people vote for the President of the United States, but the part we don't always think about is that we are also voting for those he will appoint into certain offices of his administration.

The same is true in the grocery store. If enough people vote (buy or refuse to buy) the same item, the store will eventually carry or drop carrying a product….depending on how the people vote! For instance, the folks who run your local grocery store may not actually approve of every product they carry. They may know that the food item is not healthy or good for public consumption, but because enough people have asked for a certain product…they carry it. This can also work in reverse too. If enough people have not bought a certain food item, then they will discontinue carrying that item because it's not making them any money.

So…now is a good time to ask. What are you voting for? If you buy a product and don't read the label, are you an informed voter (shopper)? Let's look at some of those ingredients that we need to be informed about.

Have you become aware of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in your food? Don't know what a GMO is? In a nutshell, to make a GMO, they take the DNA of a virus or bacteria or some other plant/animal, and insert it into seeds, in order to "make a better plant".    This is how they make "Round-up Ready Soybeans" and other similar foods. They have inserted DNA into the seed to make it able to withstand an herbicide in quantities that would kill a normal plant. An herbicide is a chemical that is put on plants to kill them and a pesticide is a chemical they put on plants to kill the bugs, that eat them. They even have GMOs that produce their own pesticide!

So what's the big deal??

The problem with all this is that you and I are eating these foods and the effects on our health are either largely unknown or still unpublished. If you buy a GMO product, you may be getting a lot more pesticides or herbicide residue than the same product grown normally, because the GMO plant has been developed to withstand heavy doses of pesticides and herbicides which are all cancer producing.

Here is where your vote comes in. Did you know that in Europe in 1999, within a single week, virtually every GMO product was taken off the shelves? Why? Because the European people "voted" those products out! The biggest GMO products are: soy, corn, canola,
cotton, and sugar beets.

How can we avoid them? Buy organic! Organic foods, by definition cannot contain any GMO. You can also look for "Non-GMO" labels and avoid all products with at-risk ingredients.   I believe that most people would not "vote" for GMOs, pesticides or herbicides to be in their food at all, if they were more knowledgeable about what they were getting.

If you would like more information on this subject, you can order two booklets, free of charge from Azure Standard at www.azurestandard.com. One is called the "Non-GM Shopping Guide".

Let's have a healthier New Year!

What’s for dinner?

2010-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

When my husband and I were first married, I worked outside the home and had no particular plan for providing dinner each evening. As a result, we often ate out or ate a lot of boxed meals, which is very unhealthy on both counts.

When children came along, I was home all day and we also found ourselves lacking the funds for continual eating away from home. Made-from-scratch meals were how I grew up and since I found myself with the time and it was cheaper, I began cooking from scratch.

But these changes also posed a new problem:

What would I cook for dinner?

At first I would spend half my day trying to figure out what to eat or what I could throw together with what I had available for dinner. Half the time I would forget until it was time to start dinner and then I would spend the first 30 minutes trying to figure out what I could make that was quick.

Finally, my uncle came for a visit and it was just him and I for dinner one evening. I began to search the cupboards until I found something--- anything, to eat! The next day I mentioned to him that I was going to have to figure out what to make for dinner and he looked at me and said, “We’re going to do that again?” So, we decided to go out for pizza! This was my first clue that there was a problem with my ability to come up with a meal.

The solution to this dilemma? I now sit down for about 30 minutes before I go to the grocery store. I have 4 items that accompany me: a pen, a recipe book, and 2 notepads. One pad is for my menu (and I only write down the main dish that I plan to make, unless the side dish is something I don’t usually do).

The second pad is the grocery list. I will go through my recipe book and write down the main dish that I want on one pad and add whatever ingredients I don’t have on hand-- to the grocery list. The end result? I don’t spend much on impulse buying, I have all the ingredients I need for whatever recipe I decide on, and I don’t need to run to the store all the time to get what I don’t have.
Also, not buying boxed and frozen meals cuts down on food costs also.

Throughout the two weeks of planned menus that I have, I choose a meal that works for me on that specific evening. If it is Wednesday, I usually need something that is quick, so I’ll pick a faster recipe. On nights I have more time, a longer recipe fits the bill. I also take into consideration whether my husband will be able to be there for dinner and what his likes and preferences are.
I tend to try to serve things he doesn’t care for as much, when he is not there for that mealtime.

By planning ahead, I have saved time on a daily basis, as well as money, by buying only what I need. I have also saved by eliminating the groceries that go bad before I get to them. It makes for a smoother day when you are not constantly trying to figure out what you are going to make for a meal.

If you prefer to shop more often, you could make a menu for one week as opposed to two. You can also add “company” meals to your list or new recipes that you would like to try and not have to worry about not having enough ingredients or substituting on a moment’s notice.

Planning ahead always makes meal times better…for you and your family! Give this way of organizing meal times, a try!

Bon appétit!

Beauty Tips

2009-12-01T03:44:00.001-08:00

“For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Sam 16:7

Man does look on the outward appearance and to be a good testimony of our great God, we need to take care of ourselves so as not to appear frumpy or uncared for, because God does care for us! This month I’d like to try to help you save some money in the beauty aids department.

I do have to make a disclaimer before we begin. As you know, I don’t wear a lot of make-up and with five children, I don’t have a lot of extra time to indulge in time consuming health and beauty products. I have “normal” skin, so several of the following items I have found unnecessary for me to use, but I did want to include some tips for everybody!

For a great, healthy, cheap hair conditioner, try apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar. It will take out the “build-up” on your hair but it can also be drying to your hair. A solution of 1 Tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup of water should be sufficient for everyday use. Rinse with plain water. This application is also very helpful if you ever find yourself or your children overtaken with head lice. Vinegar is a wonderful weapon against lice!

Apple cider vinegar with “the mother” in it, is great for detoxifying your skin. Try putting some in the tub when you take a bath. It is very cleansing and softening to the skin.

One of the best things you can do to help take care of your skin, is to drink enough water- not juice, coffee, or soft drinks- just plain old H2O.

A clean face can be as cheap as a mild, unscented bar of soap and a washcloth. You can even make your own cleansing cloths if you like. Cut up some old T-shirts and put them in a plastic storage container and use them with your soap. Wash the cloths in a net washing bag so as not to loose them in the washer. Cotton gauze pads will work as a disposable option.

Baby oil or mineral oil can be just as good for softening your skin or removing make-up as any high priced item. I found an oil from Secrets of Eden called “Nothing But the Oils”. It says it’s guaranteed to repair damaged skin and hair. I use it on both.

A wide brimmed hat in the summer will keep the sun off your skin and save you lots of money in sunscreen.

Make-up is meant to enhance your own beauty, not advertise your brand of make-up. God made you just the way you are! Use as little as possible and make sure you change out your eye make-up every 3 to 6 months so bacteria doesn’t grow in it.

To help clear up acne, try a paste of baking soda and water applied at bedtime, to help dry up and draw out pimples at night. Also, dabbing it with witch hazel before bed may also help.

Try adding water to your shampoo to help stretch it out, especially if you wash your hair everyday, as shampoo tends to be highly concentrated.

Cornstarch and Tapioca starch work well for drying up diaper rash. It’s best to apply it when the area starts to get pink rather than after a full-blown rash appears. The starches also work as substitutes for talcum powder.

A tablespoon of Organic Coconut Oil, in a warm tub of water, after you have soaked for 5 to 10 minutes, will allow your skin to hydrate with the oil creating a barrier to hold in the moisture. It even has a pleasant smell!

To relieve itchy, dry skin, try dissolving 1 cup of salt in your bathwater.

To save money on deodorants, try patting a little baking soda on freshly washed and dried skin. If the soda isn’t soft enough, try adding a little cornstarch. You may also pat equal parts vinegar and water under your arms and let dry. A drop or two of chlorophyll will work also. But remember, none of these control perspiration.

Take care of your body and get some exercise! You don’t have to go to the gym to get it either. Take a walk around the block- or around the mall in the winter. Find a child to chase (they’ll think it’s great),ride a bike or find a sport you like to play.

Make your own masks: For inflammation or irritation try a compress of skim milk for 10 minutes, rinse and apply a thin coating of face cream. For deep cleansing, try milk of magnesia for 10 minutes, rinse and apply a moisturizer. There are many recipes for masks you can try!

Remember, “Pretty is as pretty does.” So put on a smile and do something nice for someone! They will think you’re absolutely beautiful!

Saving Money on Herbs and Spices

2009-11-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

This month I’d like to show you how you can save some money, on the herbs and spices you use, to cook with. I realize that this information may have been put to use better a little earlier in the season, but perhaps you can plan ahead and be prepared for this coming spring!

The first way to save money is to grow them yourself. There are many places to find seeds to do this. You can grow them in your house if you have the right conditions, in your garden, or plant some in pots outside your door, if you have limited space. Some of the herbs that I have kept are basil, mint, parsley and chives.

When your seedlings have grown into mature plants, you may then begin to harvest. Pick individual leaves or you can cut whole “branches” of them at a time. I like to cut whole “branches” of my mint and parsley.

There are two ways to dry them at this point. You can either bundle your “branches” together at the bottom and hang them upside down in a dry place with a light towel or something around them to keep any dust off, or you can use a dehydrator.

Hanging them, takes longer but you will get the same results as using a dehydrator.

Next, you will want to remove the leaves and either crumble them by hand or use an herb mill.

Store your herbs in the same little plastic herb jars that you originally bought your spices in, or put them in Ziploc freezer bags and preserve in your freezer for longer storage. All you need to do after that is to refill your small containers from the stored herbs in your freezer.

The second way you can save money on your herbs and spices is to buy them in bulk. The buying club (Azure Standard) sells just about all the herbs and spices you can think of in bulk packages of 4 oz or 1 lb bags. To give you an example of how you can save, McCormick sells a 1.87 oz. jar of ground cinnamon for about $3.75. Azure Standard sells 4 oz. of cinnamon for $2.20 or 1 lb for $3.35. You can buy organic and spend a little more. The McCormick brand comes to about $2.00/oz, while the 4 oz. bag from Azure, comes to about $.55/oz. The 1 lb bag comes to about $.21/oz. That 4 oz. bag of cinnamon is enough to re-fill the cinnamon container in your cupboard 2 or 3 times, and for less money as well!

I keep my bags of spices in the freezer to preserve freshness until one of my jars runs out of a particular spice and then I refill my jars over and over again. I like Azure’s spices because they seem to be fresher and they have a stronger taste than the kind that I often buy from the grocery store.
Saving money on your herbs and spices may seem like a small thing but “a penny saved is a penny earned.”

Once you start storing spices this way, you will also see what a convenience it is and how seldom you will run out. There is nothing more aggravating than running out of your favorite spice….just when you need it most!

So save money and hassle and take those herbs a bit more seriously. You’ll be so glad you did!

Making Your Own Cheese

2009-10-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Most people think that the best cheese to be found is in the dairy aisle at the grocery store and that it’s the only place to get good cheese. But, have you ever considered making your own cheese, sour cream or cream cheese? You really don’t have to buy your cheese products from a grocery store!

Cheese making can be fun and interesting! I actually found cutting the curd, really cool! (This may be an idea for one of you teenagers who have to do a science project. There are books and web sites out there to help you and once you do this, you too will know what goes into making cheese!)

You can make a pound of cheese for what it costs you to get a gallon of milk, plus a few extra ingredients. For making hard cheese you will need a cheese press. Or, you can make your own press if you want to! I found Leeners to have the cheapest press so far, but it is also the simplest and you must have weight to apply to it.

Mrs. Ski and I made mozzarella and cheddar recently. The mozzarella turned out great! It tasted better than store bought and was whiter too! I’ve been practicing making it quite a lot lately. When making cheddar cheese, we found that it is really easy to introduce bacteria, so you must be extremely careful and persnickety about cleanliness. Next time, I plan to pasteurize the milk so the cheese can be eaten almost right away. I don’t have a really good spot to ripen cheeses without introducing unwanted bacteria.

Supplies, recipes and ideas can be found at Leeners. Also, a very helpful book to have on hand is “Home Cheese Making” by Ricki Caroll. I’ve found her book to be most helpful in learning how to make cheese and also in answering my questions. She gives recipes for just about every cheese you can think of and perhaps some you haven’t thought of. Making cheese isn’t really difficult but it does take time and patience. You simply can’t hurry the process!

Here is one of the simpler recipes from Ricki Caroll’s book:

30 Minute Mozzarella

1½ tsp citric acid dissolved in ½ cup cool water
1 gallon pasteurized whole milk
1/8 - 1/4 tsp lipase powder dissolved in ¼ cup cool water and allowed to sit for 20 minutes for a stronger flavor (optional)
¼ tsp liquid rennet (or ¼ rennet tablet) diluted in ¼ cup cool, unclorinated water
1 tsp cheese salt (optional)

1) While stirring add the citric acid solution to the milk at 55 degree F and mix thoroughly. (If using lipase, add it now.)

Note: You may use skim milk, but the yield will be lower and the cheese will be drier. If you add lipase to this cheese, you may have to add a bit more rennet, as lipase makes the cheese softer. Try the recipe without it first and experiment later.

2) Heat the milk to 90 degrees F over medium/low heat. (the milk will start to curdle.)

3) Gently stir in the diluted rennet with an up and down motion, while heating the milk to between 100-105 degrees F. Turn off the heat. The curds should be pulling away from the sides of the pot; they are ready to scoop out (approx. 3-5 minutes for this).
4) The curds will look like thick yogurt and have a bit of shine to them, and the whey will be clear. If the whey is still milky white, wait a few more minutes.

5) Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put into a 2 quart microwavable bowl. Press the curds gently with your hands, pouring off as much whey as possible. Reserve the whey.

6) Microwave the curds on high for 1 minutes (see tips at bottom). Drain off all excess whey. Gently fold the cheese over and over (as in kneading dough) with your hand or spoon. This distributes the heat evenly throughout the cheese, which will not stretch until it is too hot to touch (145 degree inside the curd).

7) Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each; add salt to taste after the second time (optional). After each heating, knead again to distribute heat.

8) Knead quickly until it is smooth and elastic. When the cheese stretches like taffy, it is done. If the curds break instead of stretch, they are too cool and need to be reheated.

9) When the cheese is smooth and shiny, roll it into small balls and eat while warm. Or place them in a bowl of ice water for ½ hour to bring the inside temperature down rapidly; this will produce a consistent smooth texture throughout the cheese. Although it’s best eaten fresh, if you must wait, cover and store in the refrigerator.

Tips: Make sure you do not use ultra-pasteurized milk as it damages the protein in the milk and it will not curd properly. If your cheese turns into ricotta cheese, change the brand of milk. It may have been heated to high.
If you don’t have a microwave, you may want to put on heavy rubber gloves at this point. Heat the reserved whey to at least 175 F. Add ¼ cup of cheese salt to the whey. Shape curd into one or more balls, put them in a ladle or strainer and dip them into the hot whey for several seconds. Knead the curd with spoons between each dip and repeat this process several times until the curd is smooth and pliable.

The process of cheese making may seem at first, to be time consuming and involved. But I encourage you serious “keepers of the home”, to give it a try! With a little practice, you will get it down to a fine science and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

With this new knowledge, you can make your own mozzarella if you find yourself in a pinch with no cheese but plenty of milk on hand!

Have fun!

Home Canning

2009-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Since harvest time is beginning here in North Dakota, I thought a short tutorial on canning may help someone who has never tried it and might like to. Canning food is a way to preserve the food for later use. The benefits of canning are that you can use home-grown fruits and veggies that you have picked yourself and enjoy them all winter long. Often times these kinds of foods are healthier and cheaper. You can also control how much and what kind of sugar and other ingredients that are used in your canned vegetables. Canning boxed fruits that come into the local grocery store in the fall, are cheaper then, than they are during the rest of the year. Canning does not require refrigeration until you open the jar, so it can help save freezer space.

The drawbacks of canning are that you end up killing all the bacteria- good and bad and all the enzymes, thus reducing the nutritional value. Also, if something is not canned correctly, you can make yourself very sick. Generally you should eat what you have canned within a year.

There are two methods of canning. One is to pressure can and the other is to do a hot-water bath. Pressure canning requires a pressure canner or cooker and that requires a financial investment. Using a hot water bath requires a pot of water deep enough to cover your jars with water. Pressure canning is required for low-acidic foods such as squash, meats, beans, carrots, etc… You can pressure can high-acidic foods, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. The alternative is to use the hot water bath method. You can use this method with most fruits, jams, jellies, tomatoes & salsa and it is the easier of the two methods.

A canning book or access to the internet is helpful in getting recipes and instructions on how long the jars need to be in the water. In the case of pressure canning, they can tell you how to do the process of bringing your pressure cooker to the right pressure for canning and how long it must be kept at that pressure.

There are some handy little tools that makes this project much easier. Having a jar lifter (big tongs with rounded ends made for lifting jars), is handy for getting jars out of the hot water. You can buy pectin for jams and jellies and lids and rings as well as jars at your local grocery store. If you are looking to can and need jars, ask around, oftentimes people have many canning jars that they are looking to get rid of.

So, lets take an example: Lets say you are tired of buying grape jelly from the store (It’s actually full of high fructose corn syrup and other sugars and not that good for you anyway). You think you can make it for less and make it healthier too. What do you
do?

First, you need to gather your supplies. You will need a can of frozen concentrate grape juice (or about 5 lbs of fresh grapes), pectin, sugar, jars, lids, rings, funnel, measuring cup, a 2 qt pot, a large pot for hot water bath, a small pot to heat lids & rings, a jar lifter, a pair of tongs or a lid lifter, a clean dish cloth, and a towel. (A lid lifter is basically a stick with a magnet on the end.)

You will need to sterilize your jars. This can be done by washing them by hand and rinsing them in boiling water. Be careful to place them on a clean towel when they are done or you can run them through the dishwasher.

Next, you will need to make your grape juice from the concentrate (or prepare your grapes by washing them, chopping or mashing them, heating them and straining them thru a jelly strainer). If using the concentrate, be careful to follow the directions. Do not dilute the grape juice. Place the grape juice in the 2 qt. pot and begin to heat the juice on med heat. While your juice is heating, you will need to mix your pectin and your sugar together. There should be an insert that came with your pectin to tell you how much sugar and how much pectin to use.

(A note on pectin here: There is a kind of pectin you can get thru the buying club (Azure Standard) called Pomonas Pectin. It does not require sugar and the package can make 2-3 batches of jelly or whatever you want to use it for. However you may want to add a small amount of sugar to it to keep the pectin from clumping. You can also use honey or stevia instead, if you wish. I use about ½ cup of honey or sugar to mix the pectin in.)

You will also want to start heating the water in your hot water bath pot and place your jars and lids in the small pot with water and begin heating on low.

When your grape juice is boiling, slowly stir in your pectin/sugar mix. Stir it well to mix the pectin in. Allow the juice to come back to a boil. Now you are ready to fill your jars. Using a ladle and a funnel, begin filling your jars to about 1 inch from the top. When you are done, take a clean dishcloth and wet it with hot water. Wipe the tops of the jars to ensure that no food residue is on top to interfere with the jars sealing. Also, make sure there are no chips in the glass as this will also interfere with the jar’s ability to seal. Place the heated lids and rings on the jars. The rings should be screwed on tightly.

Using your jar lifter, begin placing the jars in the hot water bath making sure that the water goes above the lids by at least a half inch. Allow the water to come to a boil and then set your timer. Usually the recipe calls for about 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, remove the jars to either a cooling rack or a towel placed on the counter. Let the jars cool. As they cool, you will probably hear popping noises. This is good, it means the jars are sealing. AFTER the jars are completely cooled, check the seals by pressing down on the lids. If the lid pops up and down at all, it’s not sealed and can’t be stored. If a jar doesn’t seal, you can re-can it using a different lid taking care to make sure there are no chips in the glass. You can also label your jars at this time. This recipe makes about 2 quarts of jelly.

You are free to enjoy your harvest now… and later!

Baking with Sourdough

2009-08-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about how people made bread before the little packets of yeast appeared on the grocer’s shelves? How did people do it before there was brewer’s yeast? The answer- sourdough!

As I read a little history on sourdough and I found out some interesting tidbits. Back in the day, bakeries used to have a night shift. The night shift’s job was to watch the sourdough and get it prepared for the next morning. With the introduction of brewer’s yeast, the bakeries didn’t need the night shift anymore. And now they can make a loaf of bread from start to finish in about 40 minutes rather than the 3 hours that it once took.

A lot of cookbooks still treat the new yeast like sourdough culture. You actually do not have to allow your bread to rise twice with the yeast bought from the store! But, are all these changes for our benefit? Sourdough is another one of those fermented foods; A food where a certain kind of bacteria is grown to help pre-digest the food for you.

According to an article I read from the International Medical Veritas Association, wheat gluten is only healthy for human consumption after it has been properly fermented. By using sourdough, more of the vitamins and minerals are made available to your body. In fact, because the inside of a loaf of sourdough bread still contains some of its bacteria after baking, the nutritional value of the baked bread rises for the first few days after baking, instead of diminishing with time, as regular yeast bread does.

Sourdough also has a much lower glycemic index than regular bread. Meaning, its carbohydrate affects on blood sugar is a lot less. I also found the following study very interesting: “The nutritional importance of using fresh stone-ground grains for bread-making was revealed in the results of feeding studies in Germany (Bernasek, 1970). Rats were fed diets consisting of 50% flour or bread. Group 1 consumed fresh stone-ground flour. Group 2 was fed bread made with this flour. Group 3 consumed the same flour as group 1, but after 15 days of storage. Group 4 was fed bread made with the flour fed to group 3. A fifth group consumed white flour.

After four generations, only the rats fed fresh stone-ground flour and those fed the bread made with it, maintained their fertility. The rats in groups 3 to 5 had become infertile. Four generations for rats is believed to be equivalent to one hundred years in humans.”

Interesting information isn’t it?

So, how does one go about making sourdough bread? First you need to get a starter. There are 3 ways to do this. #1 Buy one. You can get them at Leeners. #2 Get some from someone else’s healthy starter. Or #3 Catch one by leaving some flour and potato water out for a few days in the summer or by growing some commercial yeast in flour and water.

Once you have a starter, you will need to feed it regularly. It essentially becomes your “pet” but with sweet rewards for your labor. You can leave the starter out on the counter and feed it daily or you can put it in the refrigerator and feed it weekly. It can also be frozen if necessary.

When you want to make bread, you will need to take out a certain amount of the starter, feed it and let it sit. If it has been in the refrigerator, it will need to come to room temperature before you can use it in a recipe. Remember, the longer you let it sit, the more sour the bread will be.

You will also need to “replenish the pot” which means you will need to feed the starter too. This is also a good time to either put the starter into a new, clean container or to take it out and wash the old container. I keep my starter in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

Don’t be lazy or apprehensive about delving into this process of baking bread. It is actually very rewarding. Keep in mind the attributes of the virtuous woman…that should spur you on!

Here are some tips for success:
#1 Avoid using metal utensils or bowls.

#2 Make sure everything you use is clean to avoid contamination.

#3 Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature.

#4 Use containers and bowls large enough to contain the sourdough when it expands.

#5 Incubate your starter and raise your bread in a draft-free area at around 80 degrees. Stay out of the cold air flow of a window air conditioner.

#6 A starter that stands too long can loose its leavening if it isn’t fed enough.

#7 Remember that sourdough is not as exact as regular bread is and it takes much more time for the bread to rise and the weather can influence your success.

You can adapt standard recipes to sourdough also. For yeast recipes calling for 6 cups or less of flour, you will need about ¼ cup of starter. For recipes calling for more than 6 cups of flour, use about ½ cup of starter. Mix the starter with some of the flour and liquid from the basic recipe you want to convert. Figure that ¼ cup starter has replaced about ¼ cup flour and slightly less than ¼ cup liquid in the recipe.

In baking powder recipes, figure the same way, but use as much as a cup of starter even in recipes calling for only 2 or 3 cups of flour. Allow the mixture of starter, flour and liquid to stand and bubble for 4 to 24 hours, depending on how sour you want it. With quick breads you can shorten the time so the mixture only stands until it is obviously active, as little as an hour, if you don’t want the sour taste. Go thru the usual kneading, rising and shaping steps for yeast breads. For quick breads, pour the batter into the pan and allow to stand until it begins to rise. Then bake as usual.

There are all kinds of different recipes for using sourdough from rye bread to banana bread to chocolate cake. Some recipes call for using yeast or baking soda with the sourdough starter. The reason for this is either they want to quicken the process or they want to ensure the end result. You do not have to use yeast or baking soda if you so choose.

The sourdough starter will leaven the bread but it will take longer than using yeast or baking soda. Making a loaf of bread will basically cost you for your flour and a few other ingredients minus the cost of the yeast packets and you can make it as healthy as you like!

And just remember, if you think this is too hard for you… a bunch of single, male, gold miners (some of them were in Alaska) managed to do this for years without any of our many modern conveniences!

How Sweet It Is!

2009-07-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

For most Americans, the only sugars they know of are the white sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar on the shelf of the local grocery store. Actually, there are a lot more options than those and it seems there are more and more all the time.

Part of being frugal means taking extra care to take care of your health. Preventative care is cheaper in the long run. As Mrs. Silcox says, “You either pay now or you pay later in the nursing home.”

This month I would like to introduce you to some of the other available sweeteners. Most are not necessarily cheaper than regular white sugar, but some may be easier on the body. Some of my information is taken from Azure Standards Extra Info book.

Agave Syrup – Extracted from the Blue Agave plant, this sweetener is 25% sweeter than sugar. Contains some minerals and a high percentage of fructose depending on the manufacturing process and the vendor.
Coconut Sugar Crystals – This sweetener has a low glycemic index and contains many minerals. It has a 1:1 ratio with sugar.

Date Sugar – Date sugar is made from quality dates that are dehydrated and ground. Because this “sugar” doesn’t dissolve much, it is best used in apple crisp or cookies that do not require the sugar to dissolve.

Fructose – Fructose is a natural fruit sugar derived from corn. It looks and acts the most like regular refined white sugar in baking and cooking. It is 1-½ times sweeter than table sugar in non-cooking applications.

For cold use, 2/3 cup of fructose is equal to 1 cup of sugar. Use equal amounts in hot applications.

There is controversy over the use of this “sugar.” It is in a lot of our food and drinks now in the form of high fructose corn syrup. It does not require insulin to enter the cell and therefore, does not cause a rise in insulin levels. However, this benefit may be outweighed by the disadvantages. It may promote insulin resistance by other means and may promote the production of fat and can lead to other serious disorders. I encourage you to study it out for yourself.
Honey – Raw honey in it’s natural state, varies in color and flavor with each batch. The color and flavor of the honey is directly related to the kinds of flowers the bees have been visiting. Clover honey is very light colored and very mild. The Wildflower Berry honey can be anywhere from medium dark to very dark and has a stronger flavor than clover honey. Buckwheat causes honey to be very dark and stronger flavored. Raw honey is kept below 120 degrees F. When honey is heated above 140 degrees, the enzymes are killed and the nutritional value is lessened.

Most honeys sold in the store are pasteurized or flash-pasteurized to keep them from crystallizing or sugaring. What do you do if your honey is crystallized? Bee happy! Now you know that your honey is in its natural raw state. To liquefy it, set the container of honey in warm water – 120 degrees or less. Do not microwave it as it has a tendency to get too hot. Using raw honey from your local area will help if you have allergies also.

A tip from Azure’s Andrea, is that she replaces a cup of sugar with ½ cup of honey in recipes where texture in not a concern. In other recipes she uses ¼ cup of honey and ½ cup of dry barley malt to replace 1 cup of sugar. If you use straight honey, you’ll need to add a lot more flour.

Malt Sweetener – Barley malt is made from the evaporated concentrate of barley malt. Contains vitamins and minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamins B-1 and B-2. Try it in malted milk and milk shakes, baked goods, icings and fillings, and biscuits. You can replace up to half of the sweetener in a recipe with dry barley malt, depending on your preferences.

Maple Syrup – The original all natural American sweetener has been produced in North America for over 200 years. Evaporating more water from pure maple syrup and controlling the crystallization process during cooling make maple sugar and chunks. Maple sugar is 100% natural and made solely from the sap of a sugar maple tree. Nothing is ever added and it is not stripped of its nutrients in production. Maple chunks can be eaten right out of the bag or baked with. When baked into cookies in place of chocolate chips, they deliver an explosion of crunchy maple flavor.

Molasses – Blackstrap Molasses has had more of the sugar extracted from it, which makes it less sweet but contains a higher amount of iron. Barbados Old-Fashioned Molasses on the other hand, hasn’t had so much of the sugar removed so it is sweeter, but doesn’t have the higher concentration of iron.

Rice Syrup – Organic brown rice syrup is gluten-free. It offers a distinctive sweetener that is wonderfully moderate and won’t overpower foods and ingredients with which it is used. Use it in place of honey, molasses, or other syrups. It is made from a ground rice meal that is processed with a small amount of fungal enzymes (less than 1%.) This converts the starches to natural sugars called maltose. This is strained and cooked until it thickens.

Sorghum – Sorghum is made from 100% pure, natural juice extracted from sorghum cane. The juice is cleansed of impurities and concentrated by evaporation in open pans into clear, amber colored, mild-flavored syrup. The syrup retains all of its natural sugars and other nutrients. When America was being settled, sorghum was the “principal sweetening” used by the colonists.

Stevia – Native to Paraguay, it is a small green plant bearing leaves that have a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar. Processed forms of pure stevia can be 70-400 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is also used as a nutritional supplement and in skin care. In all of its current forms, Stevia has a taste unique to itself. Along with its sweetness there is also a bitter component. Unlike artificial sweeteners, the sweet glycosides do not break down in heat, so that makes stevia an excellent sweetener for cooking and baking. Since ¼ to 1/3 teaspoon replaces a full cup of sugar, a bulking agent is required. Stevia is also non-fermenting so it will not cause yeast to rise in baking.

Sucanat – Sucanat (Sugar Cane Natural) is made by simply evaporating the water from the cane juice and then granulating the remaining cane crystals. The result is a pure, delicious natural sweetener with all the nutrients of the sugar cane. It is rich in minerals and vitamins.

Turbinado Sugar – Unrefined large crystal sugar, made from the first pressing of the sugar cane. Minimal processing gives it a mild molasses flavor and is pale brown in color.

I hope this helps you to chose the best sweetener for you and your family!

BEE sweet…naturally!

Cloth Diapers

2009-06-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

I have found a place to save lots of money on your new little bundle of joy! Parents can do it and grandparents can help! That place is diapers!

Diapers have come a long way since my parent’s generation. My generation, and those following, have used mostly disposable diapers. They are well advertised, easy, less messy, quick and all around convenient. On the negative side they are filling up landfills, made of who-knows-what and pricey in the long run!

If you bought the cheapest brand ($6.00) and are lucky enough to only go through only a package a week on one child for three years, you would spend approximately $934.00. That does not include wipes, and other diapering accessories.

On the other hand, there are cloth diapers, which are mostly used for burp rags and buffing the car to a beautiful shine these days. But there are many other options for these cloths that I would like to alert you to. In general, the positive side of cloth diapers is that they are cheaper in the long run, better for your child’s skin and getting easier to use all the time. On the negative side, you still have to deal with some mess. So here are some options to consider:

First, there is the “old-fashioned” way. You will need to buy diapers, pins and plastic pants. They now offer pre-folded diapers that take some of the work out of the process for you. This is probably the cheapest way to go for cloth diapers.

I personally could never get diapers to fold right. I also didn’t like working with diaper pins after being spoiled by disposable diaper hook & loop tape!

Second, is a diaper that is made to look like a disposable diaper, but it still leaks so you must get plastic pants to go with them. Some are snap fastened and some use hook & loop tape. Someone gave me six of this kind of diaper. They are so nice because they are made so you can fold down the front of the diaper and secure it with snaps to make a smaller diaper for a smaller child.

Third, are the All-In-One (AIO) Diapers. These diapers are pretty cool! They are made just like a disposable diaper, only it’s cloth inside and you wash them. They come with a waterproof liner either somewhere on the inside of the diaper, or on the outside. Some use snaps and some use hook & loop tape to fasten them.

I made myself approximately six of these, but unfortunately I didn’t get the right kind of fabric to make them waterproof, so they still leak. Now I must put plastic pants over them. You can buy these pre-made too.

Fourth, are diaper covers. They are made to look like the outside of a disposable diaper and they are waterproof, but they lack the inside part to soak anything up. You can basically take a regular cloth diaper, fold it so that it fits in the cover, and fasten it to the baby. These also come with snaps or hook and loop tape fasteners. I just bought 2 of these and I put my home-made, leaky, AIO diaper on the baby and then put the diaper cloth over the top. It’s like diapering the child twice but you don’t have to struggle to get the plastic pants off without making a mess or taking their clothes off. These come in some really cool colors! I picked a white one and a frog printed whisper wrap from Bummis.
So, where do you find all these diapers at? Well, if you are looking to make your own cloth diapers or AIOs, you can check out Very Baby for patterns and supplies. (Or you could make your own pattern…) You can get regular cloth diapers for about $10 for a package of twelve, at Wal-mart or on Amazon.

The covers that I got were $11.00 each at Amazon also. You can also buy packages of AIOs for around $50 for 3-5 diapers, depending on the brand. These are pricey! Bummis carries a kit with 36 diapers, 6 wraps, a roll of flushable liners and instructions.

This brings us to the accessories to make this even more convenient! You can buy liners for your diapers that you can either throw away after getting rid of the waste in the toilet or the flushable kind. By using a liner, this is an easy and cheaper way to use regular cloth diapers. You can also buy waterproof bags to take with you for on the go diaper changes. They have pail liners that you can take out of the diaper pail and wash with all the diapers still inside! They also sell flannel wipes that you can wet and use. A small wash cloth would work too!

In order to save money and still consider the physical health and wellbeing of your baby, try cloth diapers for home and then supplement with disposables for church, shopping or traveling. You will still save a ton of money!

Also, if you are mother-to-be and plan on making your own diapers, I suggest doing so before the baby arrives. I always had the best intentions until the baby arrived and then…. I had no time!

Happy, Healthy Diapering!

Schedule Solutions

2009-05-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

As a woman desiring to be frugal, time is one of many things that can be spent wisely or wasted.

Often what we do with our time is based on good or bad habits that have been cultivated over the years. You may not have as much money as someone else but you do have the same amount of time! How will you spend it?

Up until about a year after my husband and I were married, my schedule had been dictated for me by parents or school or work. There wasn’t much time for me to blow on myself! My husband encouraged me to stop working when I was about 4 months along with our first born child. Now, I was faced with a new concept. I enjoyed sleeping in and being able to get those chores done that I hadn’t been able to do while I was still gainfully employed. But I found that I now had a lot of time to myself.

Was I ever in for a shock once the baby finally came! The baby took up so much time and I still wanted to do the things that I had been doing before she came, like sleeping in and go places whenever I wanted to. After a while I came to the realization that all this just wasn’t working. I was wasting too much time and some things that should have been done, were not getting done. So, I made a schedule for myself, and made myself stick to it. I found out that some things on my schedule didn’t work very well, so I would revise it until it did work. I also had to take into consideration the times when appointments or the unexpected happened.

Now I have a semi-lenient schedule. There are things in my day that are always the same and
there are things that change depending on the day.

Here are some tips that I have learned in ordering my life around a workable schedule:

• I found that doing my devotions as early in the day as possible made them much more likely to happen. I generally have my time with the Lord, right after the older kids leave for school in the morning.

• Having a morning routine helped to ensure that things got done and not forgotten; such as taking vitamins, getting lunches made, and making breakfast.

• Doing housework in the morning left my afternoons open for projects and appointments. You can certainly waste a lot of time in the forenoon by procrastinating on the start time of daily chores that must be done.

• Having set days to do a particular household chore, also ensured that it got done at least once a week. For example: Mondays, for me, are laundry days.

• Starting dinner by 4 pm was a MUST for getting to bed earlier. If I started it by 4:00 pm, I’d usually have it on the table by 5 to 5:30 pm.

• Making a chore list for the children and requiring that it had to be done by a certain time was another important aspect to my schedule. For example, if bedtime is at 8 pm then all chores must be done by 7:30 pm in order to accommodate family devotion time and hugs and kisses.

• If something happens one day to knock you off your schedule, start right back in on it the next day. I fall off my schedule sometimes too! Don’t give up!

• As life changes, your schedule might change. Be flexible enough to start again. If you have small children at home, when they start to go to school, your schedule will have to change accordingly.

• An example in flexibility is, that Monday is normally my laundry day, but when uniforms were introduced to the school, I had to do some laundry on Saturdays too.

In order to be a frugal female who makes good use of the time God has given her, she needs to not be a time waster! Learn to plan ahead. Think ahead. That is the job of a keeper of the home. Teach your children to do the same thing. You will find when you do this, that your children will accomplish more at home and at school.
Learning to use our time wisely produces better students.

Cooking with Grains Or the Incomplete Grain Dictionary

2009-04-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

Cooking with different kinds of grains can be overwhelming and almost unknown in a culture that uses almost strictly white wheat flour and oats. Many people are becoming gluten intolerant due to the over use of bleached white wheat flour. As a frugal female, we need to learn how to use the different kinds of grains God has given us so that we might be able to save on the doctor bill later. This month I would like to share with you some of the different kinds of grains and what their personalities are. I have noticed in the Azure buying club catalog that a lot of other flours and grains are actually cheaper than unbleached white wheat flour. I have by no means been able to use all of these flours/grains myself but I have been experimenting with some of them. I am getting my information from the Azure Standard Extra Info Book, if you would like a copy of the whole article. Basic cooking instructions for most of them are included in the original article. This information may be useful if you intend to start making your own bread or grinding your own flour.

As a side note, it is important to try to buy organic grains and flours. It is best to avoid Genetically Modified foods. Organic foods tend to have more nutrients available in the food because they must use natural fertilizers to grow their crops. There are also no pesticides/herbicides in organic foods.

Amaranth – Amaranth is a very ancient grain used by the Aztecs and Incas. Grinding it makes a light and tasty flour. It makes a highly nutritious hot cereal and can be cooked and used like any other grain, but becomes sticky when cooked. Can be mixed with corn, onions and pinto beans. You can try popping it like popcorn too!

Barley – Hulled Barley has had only the outer hull removed but the coarse outer bran layer, which makes it higher in soluble fiber than pearled barley, is still intact. It can be baked in casseroles, used as stuffing, or pureed for cereal or pudding with maple syrup, cinnamon and dates. Pearled Barley has had both the hull and the bran removed. Pearled barley, once cooked, can be used in salads, to thicken soups, broths or stews, or for stuffing.

Buckwheat – Buckwheat (which is not part of the wheat family) is actually a grass that produces a seed that is 3-D triangular in shape and has a black hull. Hulled means that the black hull has been removed and the buckwheat is now a greenish yellow color. It can then be ground into flour or cooked whole. Whole buckwheat, which still has the hull intact and cannot be cooked, is therefore mostly used for sprouting. When ground into flour it’s hull is what gives buckwheat four it’s unique flavor.

Corn Products – Polenta is basically the same as yellow corn grits.

Kamut Products – Whole Kamut (pronounced Ka-Moot) is a non-hybridized hard wheat. It is an ancient relative of modern durum (semolina) wheat that develops a huge kernel.

Millet - Often used as baby food, this mild, digestible grain is often used by people on wheat free diets. It is creamy in color, round and about one third the size of a peppercorn. It is a complete protein, plus it’s rich in lecithin and calcium and high in fiber. It can be eaten as a hot cereal, baked into bread or mixed with vegetables and baked in a casserole like rice. I like cooking millet like rice and adding a little bit of butter, honey and milk for breakfast.

Oat Products – Oat groats are whole oats with only the outer husk removed. Oat groats may be cooked whole or ground into flour. Oatmeal is made by steaming and then rolling these whole groats. Rolled Oats are used to make oatmeal. Quick-Cook rolled oats are simply smaller oat pieces, while thick rolled oats are large flakes which take longer to cook (but can add delightful crunch to cookies.)

Quinoa – Pronounced “keen-wa”. Quinoa is a complete protein grain. Expands to four times it’s volume when cooked.

Rye Berries – A member of the wheat family. Can be used whole, as flour or rolled as oats are.

Spelt Products – Spelt is a nutritious and flavorful alternative to common wheat. An ancient form of wheat, it is unusual because it retains nearly all of its nutritional value in the kernel, therefore, even after processing, it contains high levels of proteins and carbohydrates. A good source of dietary fiber, thiamin, niacin, iron and potassium. Easy to digest.

Triticale – Triticale (pronounced trit-i-kay-lee) is a high protein cross between wheat and rye. Can be ground into flour or rolled and cooked like oatmeal.

Wheat Products – Bulgar is actually cracked wheat that has been hulled and parboiled. This makes it more quick-cooking. Farina is similar to “Cream of Wheat.” Hard Red wheat berries can be cooked whole. Couscous is made from precooked durum wheat so it has all the natural bran layers intact. Cooks in 3-5 minutes. Use as a side dish, hot cereal, salad or dessert. Durum Wheat is a hard emmer wheat. Durum wheat is mainly used in making pastas. Semolina flour is the purified middlings of durum flour.

For those interested in the differences between wheat berries, here is some more wheat information. A wheat berry is the whole grain wheat kernel, completely intact. They can be ground into flour, cracked for cereal or even sprouted. Soft white wheat flour is mainly used for pastries, cookies, waffles, pancakes, biscuits and such. It is lower in protein than the hard wheats and therefore it is heavier if used to make bread.

The hard wheats, either hard red or hard white, are best for making a whole wheat bread. They are high in protein, thus they have a high gluten content to raise the bread nicely. The hard white wheat makes a bread that is more similar in color to white bread.

Gluten flour is added to other flours in bread recipes to give the dough extra elasticity and protein, resulting in a finer quality bread. One Tablespoon or less per cup of other flour should be sufficient. Gluten flour can also be used to make “gluten steaks,” a meat alternative.

Whole-wheat pastry flour is used for pastries. It is made of soft white wheat and therefore has less protein. I have used this flour for cookies and other baking applications using ½ whole-wheat pastry flour and ½ white flour. It works fine for cookies but I still have to add gluten for bread.

Introducing...

2009-03-11T11:53:00.001-07:00

Would you like to save money on your family’s grocery budget? We would like to introduce you to “Money Saving Tips for the Keeper At Home”.

For money saving tips and coupons click here

Cleaning….Naturally

2009-03-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

Using natural cleaners is something we need to think more about in this ever increasing world of chemicals. When you clean with a chemical substance, some of it will soak into your hands. Did you know that your skin is your largest body organ ? Unless you use gloves, some of the chemicals used, will be absorbed through your skin and will find their way into your blood stream. What is left on the surface that you just cleaned, will be picked up later, as you use that surface.

Using old fashion, household ingredients, helps cut down on your cleaning bill. For example, Clorox bleach costs about $1.42 for 60 oz. Vinegar costs about $1.99 for a gallon.

So, here are some alternative cleaning ideas that work just as well as their more expensive prototypes. Another hint--- just because it doesn’t bubble, doesn’t mean it won’t work!

· For sparkling clean floors, use 1 cup of vinegar in one pail of water. I’ve heard that cold water is best, but I still use hot water.

· For dusting/oiling furniture, try 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice (or a few drops of your favorite essential oil) with a few drops of olive oil mixed in a bowl. Dip your rag in the mix and dust. Smells great!

· A natural fabric softener: Either baking soda, vinegar or borax added to the wash cycle. (I haven’t used fabric softener or dryer sheets in years. I usually use borax.) *Please note this doesn’t help with static.

· A clean bowl? Toilet bowl that is-- Allow a cup of borax to sit overnight in your toilet bowl. (Borax can be found in the laundry aisle of the grocery store for approximately $2.80 for 4 lbs.) Scrub as usual the next morning.

· For clean windows and mirrors, try 1/8 cup white vinegar in 1 cup of water or 3 tablespoons cornstarch in ½ cup of water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and away you go! Don’t clean windows while the sun is shining on them or they will streak. NO STREAKING GIRLS!

· Baking soda absorbs odors and also works as a mild abrasive. Works well for cleaning showers and sinks that need a mild abrasive. It is also good for deodorizing carpets. (Azure, the bulk buying club, sells 5 lb bags for $3.25. You can’t be that!)

· Borax disinfects and deodorizes. It is good at getting rid of molds. (Also works well for cleaning showers and sinks and floors.) Borax also kills fleas and can be used to deodorize carpets.

· For an air freshener substitute, try boiling a citrus fruit in a pot. (lemon, lime or orange) Also, try adding a few drops of an essential oil to your vacuum bag or light bulbs.

· My favorite disinfectant/dusting agent/vegetable spray is a mixture of water and vinegar with about 30 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) in a spray bottle. I have one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen and I don’t have to worry if my kids decide they want to try to taste it or bathe in it. (It won’t take long for them to figure out it doesn’t taste too great with its high concentration of grapefruit seed juice in it!)

With these few changes, you will save money and enjoy a “naturally” cleaned home.

How to Make Yogurt

2009-02-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

Eating yogurt is a great way to maintain and replenish your intestinal flora (the stuff that helps you digest your food). There are many healthier minded countries that eat a diet full of “cultured” milk. Eating a lot of yogurt and/or kefir after a round of antibiotics, is a very good idea in order to replenish the intestinal flora that was killed by the antibiotics.

An electric “yogurt maker” is not necessary in order to make yogurt. It is a nice convenience, but yogurt can be made well without one. A cooler, with warm water in it, will work to incubate the yogurt and a few canning jars with lids, will work to contain it. You can also make a lot of yogurt, for around the price of the milk. It’s approximately $2.08 for 32 oz of yogurt and around $4.00 for a gallon of milk. (That’s .07 cents/oz for yogurt and .03 cents/oz for milk… for those who are calculator dependent like me.)

The only tool you have to have is a thermometer. You do not need to buy a yogurt starter either. A cup or so of untouched yogurt will work. (I think Dannon brand works best for the first batch. Your own yogurt culture should last for about 2 batches after that.)

I have a yogurt maker that was given to me, however, in the following instructions, I will guide you through the process of making yogurt, as though you do not have a yogurt maker. The pictures included here, show my incubator though.

When making yogurt, you are trying to grow a certain bacteria. To start off with, you will need to have your utensils sterilized. (Washed in the dishwasher will do.) If you have no dishwasher, a pot of boiling water at the back of the stove will work fine. You will need to sterilize a 2 cup measuring cup, a ladle, a spoon for removing the yogurt from its original container, and the jars or whatever you will be storing your yogurt in. I generally start my milk heating and then sterilize my tools as the milk is cooling.

You will need to “sterilize” your milk also. This is called pasteurization. When I started looking at recipes on how to make yogurt, I found several that had you do it different ways. My first couple of batches were not so great because I contaminated it somewhere along the line. This is bacteria that you do NOT want to grow. As a result, the way I like to pasteurize the milk is by heating the milk on medium heat until it reaches 185 degrees. After it reaches about 100 degrees you will need to continually stir it or it will scald to the bottom of the pan. The milk should not be boiling!

After the milk has been heated, it is too hot to add to your culture, so you must cool it. You can just let it sit out for awhile, but I like to hurry it along, so I will pour it into the sterilized container that I will store it in and set that container back in the pot with cold water in it. You will need to cool it to about 125 degrees. At this point you will add your culture or already made yogurt.

To add the culture, ladle out about ¾ cup of warm milk into your sterilized measuring cup. Add your culture or about ½ - ¾ cup of yogurt to the warm milk in the measuring cup. Stir really well until all the big pieces of yogurt are mixed in and it makes a thick liquid. Slowly stir the mixture back into the rest of the warm milk and stir well. If you have not already done so, pour the milk into your sterilized jars or whatever container you choose to use. Now-- it’s incubation time!

If you do not have an incubator, fill your cooler with 110-112 degree water. Place your jars in the water with their lids on and cover the cooler. You will have to check it about every hour to make sure the water maintains the 110-112 degree temperature. (You could also use your oven if you can maintain the temperature.)

When I first started looking for yogurt recipes, it seemed they all had different amounts of time to incubate. So, I took the long road the first couple of times, only to find that the yogurt was very bitter. I have found that 3 to 4 hours of incubation and then putting it in the fridge overnight without peeking at it, worked the best for me.
You can add sweetener at the point when you add the culture to the milk or you can add the sweetener and/or fruit to your bowl when serving it. I like it best plain with a little bit of stevia (natural sweetener) in it.

So there you have it! Start a new culture and enjoy “cultured” milk! It’s sooo good for you! Don’t be afraid to experiment till you get good at this process. Strengthen yourself for the task and don’t give up!

School Lunches & Snacks

2009-01-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

Daily creativity, that is also healthy for our children, is no small feat for moms who must provide an appetizing school lunch for Johnny. Our children’s health is in our hands. Our country is having troubles with obesity and all kinds of medical conditions, most of which could be prevented by some healthier eating habits. It is true….You are what you eat! We need to pay attention to the foods we provide on a daily basis for our children and ourselves . We need to stop consuming so much sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and white flour. Here are some healthier ideas for those school lunches and snacks.

Give yourself a month to faithfully and consistently try some new ways of preparing school lunches and snacks and watch for the visible results. If your children are used to junk food, sugary foods and nutritionally dead foods, it may take a while to retrain their pallet. Don’t give up to quickly! Let’s try some new and healthier alternatives.

Some new ideas:

- Organic dried fruit (organic because you won’t have an extra dose of pesticides, etc..). Dried fruit is a great alternative for candy bars. You can get an energy boost without the sugar.

- Fresh fruits and veggies. Of course these are very nutritious. An apple is a ready made snack- just grab and go. When the garden was still producing, I sent small tomatoes, green beans, and peas to school for snacks. If you plant a garden, your kids will love to eat what they can grow!

- Applesauce is easy to eat, sweet and better for you than candy. Try to stay away from applesauce with added sweetener. Home made is great!

- Celery sticks with organic peanut butter. Munch a bunch!

- A soft drink alternative – Water with flavored stevia in it. The buying club offers a whole line of different flavors of stevia including root-beer, grape, English Toffee, and Choco-Raspberry to name a few. Just add about one drop of flavored stevia per ounce of water.

- Yogurt – tasty with all the pro-biotics to help you digest your food.
Be sure to read your labels so you are not picking up high fructose corn syrup in your yogurt. Buy the plain and add your own fruit and
sweetner. It’s the best! You can make your own at home and add whatever you like best to it. I like to add homemade granola to the top of mine to give it a little crunch.

- E-7 bars – (and my personal favorite) It’s like a vitamin packed brownie! Tastes great and there is no worry about what you are eating! I like them for snacks because you can make them ahead of time and throw them in a baggie and off they go! Here is my recipe:

Chocolate E-7 bars
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped almonds
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup warm coconut milk or cream (or about a T. of powdered with ½ C warm water added)
3 scoops Chocolate E-7
a pinch of stevia

Place coconut, almonds, E-7, and stevia in a bowl and mix. Add warmed coconut oil and warmed coconut milk. Stir well and press into a 9x9 pan. Refrigerate until set. Cut and serve.

A few tips - warm the coconut oil up by putting the jar in a pot of water on the stove that has been boiled but the heat has been turned off. It will take a few minutes to melt. You can use the remaining hot water to reconstitute powdered coconut milk if needed.

Get to know the bean again!

2008-12-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

Until about a year ago, I had never cooked with dry beans except for an occasional dish here and there. I don't remember dry beans being a part of my diet during my formative years and only occasionally, during my teen years. When I started reading about how great beans were for you and then trying a few, it was a little overwhelming for me and my taste buds at first. I would even put sugar on my pinto beans (my husband’s favorite) to make them more palatable for me. Perhaps through this article, I can make them a little more palatable for you too.

My information is coming from an article in the Extra Info book from Azure Standard, written by Rita Bingham. You may check this out for yourself, if you would like your own copy of the whole article.

First of all, beans are a good buy for the frugal female. You can get quite a few and not spend much money. A pound of beans when cooked, will yield approximately 9 servings per pound, compared to 4 servings per pound of meat, poultry or fish. They are one of the best sources for dietary fiber and protein and it all comes with no cholesterol and very little fat. When buying beans, be sure they are quality beans. They should be clean, bright, and uniform in size with no visible damage.

Cracked or chipped beans don’t store very well. You can store beans indefinitely below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Older beans do not sprout or cook as quickly as fresh beans. When they are too old or stored improperly, they have a bitter taste and should be discarded.

The number one complaint about beans as far as I know, is the gas they can produce in the intestinal track!! To help eliminate the problem, discard your soaking or quick soak water. A few nutrients will be lost but not as many in comparison to the loss that occurs from intestinal upsets. It is also important to build up a tolerance to beans. One should start slowly with about a tablespoon or so per serving. Try using beans at least one meal every day or two so that your body can build the intestinal flora that is needed to digest them properly. Your body will do this naturally.

How to cook beans: Wash and sort beans. Soak overnight in about 6 cups of water, per pound of beans. Discard soak water and rinse well. For quick soaking, bring beans and water to a boil and cook for 2 minutes then drain the water and rinse. Add fresh water and cook slowly over low heat to prevent broken or floating skins. A crock pot works great and saves on the electricity or gas from your stove! If adding lemon juice, vinegar or tomatoes wait until the beans are almost done as acid slows the softening process. An interesting side note- lentils do not need to be presoaked.

You can also coarsely crack beans to shorten cooking time to 30-45 minutes with a mill or hand grain grinder.

You can freeze cooked beans for quick meals. They will keep 3-6 months.

Beans can be added to soups, stews, casseroles, loaves and breads, or salads and dips. It is possible to can your own beans too. Store cooked beans for 3-5 days in the refrigerator but be careful not to keep them longer as they can spoil easily and quickly.

Which bean do I use? Well, the most common beans are: Navy, pinto, kidney, lima, black, garbanzo, red and pink beans. Legumes that cause the least amount of gas are: Mung, Peas, Lentils and Lima beans. Most often any type of bean can be substituted for another. So start taste testing! So far I prefer black or red beans but my husband still prefers pinto beans.

How to add beans to your daily menu: The easiest way is to add them to soups, casseroles, salads, and sandwich fillings. They are great meat extenders. Sprouted peas and lentils are great in fresh salads and on sandwiches. The SNEAKIEST way to add beans to your daily menu is by using BEAN FLOURS. They can be added to almost any recipe. White beans and red lentil flours are Rita’s favorite for thickening soups, sauces and gravies. I have added bean flour to bread recipes. It adds extra flavor and fiber to the bread.

If you are blessed to have your own grain mill, you can make your own bean flour. Freeze your flour for best results. Bean flours can last at room temperature for about 6 months. After that they can start to get a bitter aftertaste. For those of us without a grain mill, Azure Standard carries a wide variety of bean flours as well as canned and plain old dried beans. Each bag of bean flour or beans from Azure comes with a recipe on it to try with that product.

You can save money once again by sprouting your own beans. You will need a bowl, cheesecloth, water, and a few days. Pour your beans into the bowl and cover with about an inch of tepid water above the beans. Secure the cheesecloth over the top of the bowl with a rubber band (or you could use a canning jar and ring.) Your beans need to breath in order to sprout.
Let them sit in the water overnight and then pour off the water and rinse them. Place in a dark place like a kitchen cupboard. Rinse twice a day by adding and pouring out new water through the cheesecloth. You want your beans to be wet but not sitting in water. It should take approximately 3 days for your beans to sprout. If you can’t use them right away, they will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Make Your Own Soap

2008-11-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

Most people think that you have to buy your soap from the store. Most people think that liquid is best and that you can’t get an anti-bacterial bar soap. They also think that if there aren’t bubbles, it isn’t clean. Well it’s not true. You can make your own soap- liquid, bar, or laundry.

You can even make your own lotion but I haven’t gotten a recipe for that yet. You can have an anti-bacterial bar soap by adding Grapefruit Seed Extract to your soap recipe. It will make it anti-bacterial naturally. As for bubbles… well, they’re not really necessary. You can have a bubbly bar soap by adding coconut oil or olive oil but it does not make it "clean" better. (Those oils are good for your skin though.) Before people had access to so much, bar soap was made out of plain old lard and it didn’t bubble but it got the job done.

Making your own soap can be a fun, rewarding and an interesting way to save a little bit of money. You may be able to make some money, if you can sell your homemade soap. The bars of soap I make take less than a dollar per bar in ingredients (not including time). You also have all kinds of options for fragrances or exfoliating properties, etc…. And best of all, you know what is in it! If you are looking for a glycerin soap, a homemade bar of soap still has all the glycerin in it even though it is not see-through. A great site to go to for a fun and easy way to understand soap making is www.canis-art.com/soaping.htm.

To get started you will need to come up with a recipe of your own. This isn’t hard! There are as many soap recipes as there are soap-makers! To help you, there is a lye to fat ratio table at http://standayo.com/News_Files/Soap/Soapmaking.html. So, how strong do you want your soap to be? If you are using it to wash your face, you will probably want it pretty mild. Use the blue end of the table. If you want to make laundry soap- you’ll want more lye. Go closer to the red end of the table. Using a scale and PH paper, you can be more exact with your soap. If you don’t have a scale or ph paper, I recommend staying close to the blue end. Then depending on how much fat you have, you can use the lye to fat ratio table to figure out how much lye and water you’ll need and start filling in the blanks:

Water: __________ (Depends on how much fat you have)

Lye: ___________ (Depends on how much fat and how strong you want it)

Fat: __________ (Can be oils, lard, tallow, almost any fat except chicken!)

EO/FO: __________ (EOs are natural FOs are man made)

Oatmeal: ________ (This is optional)

Other: __________ (This could include Grapefruit Seed Extract or Borax)

Color: ___________ (You can use coloring but I prefer not)

Directions and Cautions: Use only plastic or stainless steal utensils or bowls. Wooden is fine if you never intend to use it for cooking again. No Aluminum! Put COLD water in a small bowl. (I add borax at this point to help soften the water when I use the soap.) Add your lye to the water!!

This is important. NEVER add water to lye!! Wear gloves when handling lye and if you get some on you, rinse with water and vinegar. Lye is an ultra base solution and can burn you just like an acid can! Stand back away from the fumes that will be created and be careful stirring. The lye will boil the water!

In a larger bowl, put your fat(s). Coconut oil gives big fluffy bubbles and Olive oil gives fine bubbles. Not adding either of these will give no bubbles but the soap will still clean. Add your water/lye mixture to the fat and stir.

Once the soap "traces" you can add your color if you choose (I like to use spices instead). You can also add some finely ground oatmeal and your Essential Oils (E.O.) or Fragrance Oils (F.O.) and your GSE (grapefruit seed extract) if you so choose.

Trace means that if you take the spoon out of the mixture after it has thickened a bit and let some fall back in and it leaves a "path" that you can see or trace- it’s traced! After adding your color, etc… you can pour your soap into molds. You can use just about anything as a mold- shoe box lids coated with plastic wrap, cupcake pans, candy molds, whatever you can think of- as long as it’s not aluminum. Let it sit for 24 hrs and then you can cut it if you need to.

Let sit for another 24 hrs and you can take it out of the molds. Let it dry for a day or two out in the air and then you can store it. Let at least 2 weeks pass before you use it so it will cure and you won’t get burned by the lye.

Another idea is to put your soap in a blender. This is supposed to make floating soap. I have not tried it yet but maybe you will get to it first! If you are making laundry soap, consider grating it. You can also put a whole bar in the wash and retrieve it for the rinse cycle. I have found that the laundry soap works best in warm or hot water. You can still use it in cold water but not as much soap will dissolve off the bar.

Have fun making your soap and be creative! Your soap doesn’t have to be like anybody else’s! Enjoy!

Alyssa

2008-10-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

With the rising cost of living, our family pocket books are needing help in stretching the family budget a little farther. There are ways that we as moms can help. We can also teach our children to help conserve and save money too! In the not too distant past, all parents taught their children frugality. It was a natural part of character training.

In this day of excess, throwing away uneaten food after dinner, leaving lights on when no one is in the room, and buying food prepackaged and ready to eat, has become an everyday occurrence. This is slowly and surely coming to an end in our present day economy. We need to know how to conserve and be good stewards of what God has abundantly blessed us with.

Here are a few, easy ways that can save noticeable money on electricity. With just a little effort, you can put more money into your pocket.

Saving Electricity

1. Stop using your electric dryer, or at the very least, limit your use of it. Invest in an outdoor clothesline or an indoor drying rack. It will take a bit of physical energy to load a basket, carry it outside and hang up the clothes on a line. There are many fabrics that should never go into the dryer anyway. They are to be line dried or air dried on a hanger. Towels, sheets and underwear dry well on an outside clothes line. Your effort is cheaper than paying for the electricity
to run the dryer.

In our northern climate, we have a portion of the year that outdoor drying is impossible. If you have a basement, you could string a clothesline or set up drying racks and let the house heat dry your clothes. It just takes a little effort
for the "keeper of the home". Perhaps that is the real problem. We have raised a generation of lazy women who have not strengthened their arms for the tasks that God gave to us. If you need to come up with some extra money and can't find anywhere to come up with it, try this simple way of saving your money. Your husband will love you for it!

2. Another simple thing to do is to shut off lights when leaving a room. Teaching our children to be aware of when lighting is necessary and when it is not, can save money over the long haul. When you enter a room and it has big windows that allow the sunshine in, it probably is not necessary to turn a light switch on. Any other time that lighting is necessary, teach your children how to shut the light off as they are leaving the room. We have tried to instill this in our students at the Christian School. There is no reason for a light or bathroom fan to remain on when there is no one else in the bathroom. Simple things like this....save money.

3. Another area to save money is to turn off the air conditioning. We are fortunate here in North Dakota to not need air conditioning all summer long. Reserve your use of the air conditioner for the extremely hot and humid days. For all other days, try using a box fan, blowing out one window, to pull air into and through your house during the evening and night hours. This pulls out hot air and brings in the cool. You will be surprised as to how well your home can hold that cool air during the day. Closing out the heat of day and opening up the house for the night time cool down is very efficient use of God's thermostat. Air conditioning is very expensive and draws a lot of current. If you are really serious about saving money on your electric bill, you might consider a windmill or solar panels. Both have come a long way in recent years. There are plans available now where creating your own energy through wind energy, can allow you to sell the extra electricity you generate, back to the electric company. It is a lot like "banking" or "storing" electric power. It's money in your pocket.

Whatever plan you determine to use, saving money for your family will bring joy and personal satisfaction.

Alyssa

Buying in Bulk

2008-09-04T20:17:00.001-07:00

Hello Ladies,

Buying things in bulk is a great way to save money in the family budget. With a growing family, I have found that bulk buying not only saves money but also saves time, by having things on hand for a longer period of time. There are a lot of places to buy in bulk also. Sam's Club is one such place.

You must be choosy when buying in bulk there though. The place I prefer to buy in bulk and also get healthier foods is the Buying Club, better known as Azure. Azure Standard is a natural foods, bulk buying, food coop out of Oregon.

One of the things I like to buy in bulk is oatmeal. A 25lb. bag of oatmeal (not organic) from Azure (the buying club) is currently running around $11.00. A can of Quaker Old Fashioned Oats at the grocery store costs $3.20 for 18 oz. If I did the math right, that means you would be spending about $71.00 for 25 lbs. at that rate. (They are selling twenty-four 18oz. containers of oats on Amazon.com for $74.84.)

Storage is the next problem for some. I have found that a plastic tote with a tight fitting lid or a garbage can (new and clean of course), would work also. Oatmeal is one of the easier things to store because you don't have to have it frozen. Some ladies do keep it in the freezer if space allows. If you plan to store flour for a long time, you should use your freezer. The longer it has been since the flour was ground, the fewer the nutrients it has in it. Storing in the freezer will save on nutrients and keep your flour from getting "buggy".

When buying food in bulk this way, it is comforting to know that I am feeding my family
healthy food and saving money at the same time! If you are interested in becoming part of our Buying Club family, feel free to call me. You may also visit Azure Standard online at: http://www.azurestandard.com/

Alyssa Mathis