Hillbilly Housewife

How To Freeze Apricots

Apricots I love apricot and right now you can find them in produce sections of grocery stores, fruit stands and even farmers markets across the country.

Unfortunately these delicious little fruits don’t last very long on the counter. If you end up with more than you can consume in just a few days, I suggest you freezer your apricots and use them throughout the rest of the year. Here’s how to freeze them.

Start by cleaning them thoroughly. Set aside any apricots that are damaged, overripe or have bruises. Be sure to eat those right away or turn them into apricot preserves. Pat the apricots completely dry. Cut them in half, remove the pit and then slice them like you would peaches.

Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Dip the peach slices in the boiling water for about 30 second. This will keep the skins from getting too tough during the freezing and thawing process. Put the apricot slices in a strainer and run cold water on them to keep them from cooking any further.

There are several different ways to freeze them. I’ll list each method below. The most important part is to be sure to include ascorbic acid to keep the apricots from turning brown.

Apricots Frozen in Syrup

Start by making a simple syrup. Add one cup of water and one cup of sugar to a sturdy pot. Heat and stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool completely.You can easily multiply this recipe as needed. You will need about 1/2 cup of syrup for each pint container you are planning on filling with frozen apricots. Add 1/8 tsp ascorbic acid per cup of syrup.

Pour 1/2 cup of the cooled syrup in a pint sized freezable container. Layer in the apricot slices being sure to leave half an inch of space at the top since the liquid will expand during the freezing process. Close the lid on the container, label it and freeze.

Sugared Frozen Apricots

In a large bowl combine 1 quart of apricot slices with 2/3 cups of sugar and mix until combined. Next, dissolve 1/4 tsp of ascorbic acid in 1/4 cup of cool water and pour it over your fruit and sugar mixture. Stir to combine well, then pour the fruit mix into freezer bags being sure to leave some space to allow for expansion. Label and freeze.

Apricots Frozen in Water

Start by combining 1 quart of cold water with 1 tsp of ascorbic acid. Pour your sliced apricots into freezer bags or containers, then pour enough of the water mixture in to cover the fruit. Be sure to leave some air space for expansion. Close your container, label and freeze.

Frozen Apricots will keep for 18 months in the freezer.

By the way … if you would like to learn more about freezer cooking, I invite you to order my Freezer Cooking Made Simple ebook.

Filed Under: Cooking, Frugal Living Tagged With: apricots, freeze, freezer cooking, freezing, freezing apricots, how to freeze, how to save apricots

How To Freeze Blueberries

One of the members of the Hillbilly Housewife Club mentioned on the forum in the club that she was given a huge box of blueberries…much more than she and her family would be able to eat at one time. She was asking about how to freeze those blueberries.

Since my in-laws have several huge blueberry bushes in their yard, we’ve had the same problem almost every year. And it is a good problem to have. The easiest way to preserve all those juicy berries is indeed to freeze them and it is very simple.

Start by sorting your blueberries. Discard any berries that have gone bad and put any overripe ones in a separate bowl to be eaten right away. Wash the remaining blueberries and then gently pat them dry. I use paper towels for this since the juice from the berries will stain any cloth permanently.

Pour the berries on a baking sheet and stick them in the freezer. After about an hour or so, they should be pretty frozen and you can pour them into a freezer bag. Be sure to label the bag with the name of the fruit and a date so you know how old your berries are down the road.

Patting the berries dry and freezing them on a cookie sheet first keeps them from clumping and freezing together. This will make using them throughout the year much easier.

By the way … if you would like to learn more about freezer cooking, I invite you to order my Freezer Cooking Made Simple ebook.

Now that you have a few bags of yummy frozen blueberries, what do you do with them? You can thaw them in the fridge overnight and use in any of your favorite blueberry recipes. You can also add the frozen blueberries to your favorite muffin, pancake and waffle recipe. By the time they are done baking, the blueberries will be completely thawed.

My personal favorite is to use them in yogurt smoothies. Just add a handful of the frozen berries to your blender along with some yogurt and a splash of milk. You can also add some other fruit along with the blueberries. Try half a banana in there, some other berries or even some frozen sliced peaches or frozen mango…yum!

What’s your favorite blueberry recipe? Share your favorites as a comment below.

Filed Under: Cooking, Frugal Living Tagged With: blueberries, blueberry, freezer cooking, how to feeze, how to freeze blueberries

Present Moment Happiness, Be Proactive, Baked Onions – HBHW Newsletter

May 26th, 2010

Editorial

It seems like last week just went zipping by! I was happily busy with new projects as well as enjoying my family. I’m taking my own advice and trying to enjoy each and every moment we spend together. Time is fleeting, as we all know.

The rhubarb has gone to seed, which is fine. We’ve certainly had our fill. When we get hungry for rhubarb pie again, I’ll just reach in the freezer. It’s like anything we eat – when we have a bumper crop, we enjoy it for a while, then we have to freeze it and walk away. But, we’ll be happy to get a taste of rhubarb once again, a few months down the road. We’re on to blueberries now!

Our inspirational quote and story are about appreciation for the present. Each moment we live should be our happiest moment. Please take a moment to read and reflect on both the quote and the story and see if you can gain perspective about the most important times in your life.

The featured article this week is somewhat on the same topic as our inspirational quote and story. It’s hard to live each moment happily enjoying our family and friends when we keep having to bob-and-weave while life throws us punches. Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to “react” to every stress thrown our way? What if we were in charge of our situation because we were “proactive” instead? Please take a few minutes to read the article and see if this makes sense in your life.

Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com

Warm Regards,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Inspirational Quote

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.
~Buddha~

Sponsor

First Virtual Parenting Retreat

Yesterday I had a chance to talk at Ellen Braun’s First Virtual Parenting Retreat. I talked for about an hour about time savers in the kitchen. It was a fun and exciting call with lots of great questions and feedback.

You can still register to listen in to some of the other presenters today and tomorrow free of charge. If you would like access to all recordings and bonuses you can do so as well… if you decide to upgrade your free membership to a VIP one that gives you recordings etc, use coupon code savetendollars to save $10.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/parenting-retreat

Just by registering for the free account, you also get the chance to win some fun door prizes.

To learn more about the Parenting Retreat and to find out how you can listen to the remaining sessions and get access to all recordings and bonuses, please visit:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/parenting-retreat

News From The HBHW Club

What? You haven’t heard about the Hillbilly Housewife Club? It’s a members only forum packed full of great information, resources, and friendly chit chat about the things we are all interested in – fun, frugal living. Come Join Us And See What All The Chatter Is About!

FREE RESOURCE – STARTING A CRAFT BLOG FOR FUN AND PROFIT.

As I mentioned last week, one of our Club members has successfully started her own crafting blog. In less than one week’s time, she created a beautiful little blog and has already been seeing results!

Victoria has been crafting adorable soft-sculpted baby dolls for many years and selling her creations on Etsy. Now, with the input from many of our friends at the Club, Victoria has been encouraged to create a whole line of clothes to go with her dolls (think Barbie), as well as quilts and doll furniture (courtesy of her handy husband).

If you want to take a look at Victoria’s new blog and check out her adorable baby dolls, click on the link to her site here: OoooohBabyDolls

Can you picture yourself working from home, making money doing something you like to do – like crafting?

If so, you’ll want to join us at the HBHW Club and check out this valuable resource, STARTING A CRAFT BLOG FOR FUN AND PROFIT.

Written by successful stay-at-home entrepreneur and author, Nicole Dean, this informative resource sells as an ebook for around $15, but as a Club member, you get it FREE with your membership. That’s right! Your membership in the Club has already paid for itself when you open this FREE resource and put it to work for you! Talk about a return-on-investment!

Even if you don’t know the first thing about a blog, this resource will give you the information and tools you need to get your Crafting Blog up and running – and making money!

At the Club, you’ll not only get this FREE resource valued at around $15, you’ll also have a sounding board to help you brainstorm ideas about your new Crafting Blog.

Along with this valuable resource, STARTING A CRAFT BLOG FOR FUN AND PROFIT, Club members also receive two audios plus a bonus resource from Nicole about time management, which will be very valuable when you start your Craft Blog!

This resource is available to all my readers as an ebook by clicking on the link here. For around $15 you can get the information and tools you need to start your own Craft Blog For Fun And Profit.

Or… Join the HBHW Club now and the resource is FREE with your membership! This valuable resource will be yours, PLUS the benefits of having a forum for sharing ideas about everything from making money at home to getting out of debt to frugal tips, and much, much more.

This is a tremendous opportunity to finally start making money at home doing something you like… crafting and talking about crafting! Join the Club, get the resource for FREE, and start making money at home.

Not sure about joining the Club right now? You can still take advantage of Nicole Dean’s expertise in the field of money making at home. If you have a love for crafting, and talking about crafting, you’ll want to explore creating your own Craft Blog For Fun And Profit .

You don’t want to miss this or any of our informative and valuable resources. Join the HBHW Club and grab your FREE resource today!

As a special to you, the HBHW newsletter subscriber, you can join for only $10 per month. Click on this link for all the details: http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Still not sure about joining the HBHW Club? How about if I make it real easy. I’ll let you try it out for just a dollar for the first 7 days.

How will you benefit from joining the HBHW Club with this offer? As an example, for just that one dollar you’ll have 7 days of access to over 400 great frugal recipes that are tried and true, with a new recipe every day. You’ll also have 7 days to ask your most puzzling frugal homemaking questions – and even get answers!

Join us now and enjoy 7 days of frugal fun. Click on the link here and come aboard! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Now, let’s just take a peek at what’s been going on at the HBHW Club Forum.

A Bumper Crop Of Blueberries And Apricots had one of our friends at the Club jumping for joy, but scrambling for ideas! We chimed in with methods for freezing the fruit as well as some ideas for tasty treats. When you’ve got around 50 pounds of fruit to deal with, it’s nice to have a few suggestions of how to use it all up. There’s nothing worse than wasting such a bounty!

Medicinal Uses For Herbs came up in our discussion about planting an herb garden. One of our friends at the Club listed 15 herbs and their uses in healing what ails us. Did you know that you can brew tea using catnip? Yes, catnip is not just for those silly kitty toys! Make a tea using catnip to relieve colds or fevers, and to help relieve headaches and upset stomachs. It also has a mild sedative effect which can be used to soothe stress before bedtime. Who knew? Grow a little pot of catnip and see if your kitty will be willing to share it with you.

My Walking Challenge has gotten more challenging. We’ve been sick in our house and it seems many of our friends at the Club have had their share of reasons (excuses?) to not go out on their walk. Well, hot weather and rain really are reasons not to walk. But, we all know we have to get back in the habit of walking every day, right? Although, we are doing other things for exercise when we can’t walk – like floor exercises – so we’re not totally ignoring our challenge. With the gentle nudge of our friends, we get back on track, eventually!

Healthy Diets Often Involve Adding Foods as well as eliminating food. Many of our friends at the Club have found that adding certain foods, like oatmeal and nuts, can actually help you lose weight. Good nutrition isn’t all about cutting out the bad food, it’s about a well balanced diet. We can eliminate the cookies, cake, chips and soft drinks, but until we add the healthy foods into our diet, we aren’t really eating a healthy diet.

Along with healthy and well fed families, we are discussing topics that include frugal tips for cleaning and cooking. Homesteading and gardening are popular topics, as well. If something has to do with keeping our homes and families happy, we’ll discuss it!

How would you like to join the conversation? As a Club member, you’ll be able to share your opinions, frugal tips, and ideas on topics most important to your life.

Why don’t you join us so you can get in on the conversation. I look forward to chatting with you in the member area.

Click the following link and try The HBHW Club for only $1. We’d love to have you come join us! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

When you join us at the HBHW Club, you’ll want to be sure to take a stroll through the resources available free to Club members only. Popular resources include:

Frugal Gardening
Simple Summer Cooking
Frugal Family Summer Fun
Pantry Cooking
Freezer/Pantry Challenge & Meal Planning
Cleaning With Vinegar And Baking Soda
Setting Up A Family Budget
Getting Out Of Debt For Good
Utility Bill Savings
Meal Planning Guide – Simple Step-by-Step Method

Let me know what you think of the resources and if there are any topics we should explore further. As a Club member, your opinion is highly valued because it’s YOUR Club!

Join The Hillbilly Housewife Club for Just a Dollar

I’d like to share one of the recipes that was posted on the HBHW Club this past week.

Stuffed Baked Onions

4 large Vidalia onions (or other sweet variety)

1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup stuffing style bread crumbs
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.

Take skins off onions and place in large pot. Cover onions with water and add 1 teaspoon salt to water. Put pot over medium high heat until water just reaches boiling, then turn down and simmer slowly for 20 minutes.

Remove onions to cutting board and carefully scoop out the middle of the onion, (retaining onion you remove), being sure you leave a good solid outer layer. The onion should stand on its own and be solid, like a bowl. Set these onion “bowls” into a shallow baking dish.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the cut out portions of the onion, chopping into small pieces. Saute until onion is tender. Add the bread crumbs, Worcestershire, and Parmesan, cooking over low heat until bread crumbs are moistened and Parmesan cheese melts.

Spoon this mixture into onion “bowls” and top evenly with the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and put in preheated 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until filling starts to brown.

Listed here is a sampling of recent recipes added, making a total of more than 400 recipes currently available to our Club members.

Busy Day Rice Onion Bake
Tallerini
Deluxe Broccoli Onion Bake
Curried Rice Onion Skillet

We welcome recipe submissions from our friends at the Club and are always happy to see what’s cooking in your kitchen. Our aim is to have six recipes posted each week. That’s a lot of recipes!

Featured Articles

We all have days, weeks, even months where we just keep spinning our wheels trying to catch up with all the things that are thrown at us during each busy day. We feel as if we just keep reacting by ducking and dodging out of the way.

What would happen if we quit “reacting” and started being “proactive” instead?

Click the link below to see if you can change how you deal with all the stresses of everyday life:

Live A Proactive Life

Healthy Hillbilly Housewife

Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com

[RSSImport display="5" feedurl="http://healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Frugal Tips

[RSSImport display="3" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/frugal-tips/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.

Recipes

Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!

[RSSImport display="5" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/recipes/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.

I’m Looking For:

This section is all about you. If you are looking for a particular recipe or a tip on how to do something, submit it here and I will post it in an upcoming newsletter. I’ll give you my input and other readers of the newsletter will have the opportunity to share their recipes and tips as well. So take a moment to post your questions and of course if you have a tip or idea for any question posted in this section feel free to leave a comment under the appropriate post.

I’m Looking For Requests
[RSSImport display="20" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/newsletter/recipe-requests/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

I’m Looking For Responses
Below you will find some of the recent responses to the “I’m Looking For” Requests. You may also want to go directly to this section and browse through all the recent submissions and replies. To do so, click on “I’m Looking for” here, and start looking through them.
[RSSImport display="20" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/comments/feed?cat=recipe-requests&withcomments=1" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Inspirational Story

The Best Time Of My Life
~Author Unknown~

It was June 15, and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.

My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape. As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day, he noticed I wasn’t full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas’s age, so I asked him, “What was the best time of your life?”

Without hesitation, Nicholas replied, “Well, Joe, this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question:

“When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents, that was the best time of my life.

“When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that was the best time of my life.

“When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts, that was the best time of my life.

“When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.

“The Second World War came, and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America, that was the best time of my life.

“When we came to Canada and started a family, that was the best time of my life.

“When I was a young father, watching my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.

“And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health, I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life.”

Final Thought

That’s it for this edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful. And by all means feel free to forward the newsletter to family and friends or even better, encourage them to subscribe to it.

Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.

Warm Wishes,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Filed Under: Newsletters

Simple BBQ Beef Brisket

Ingredients:

1 trimmed beef brisket (about 5 pounds)
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 cups picante sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Worcester sauce
10 white sandwich buns

Directions:

Season the beef with the black pepper and garlic powder and place into a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Stir the picante sauce, brown sugar and Worcester in a small bowl. Spread the picante sauce mixture over the beef. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.

Bake, covered, at 300°F. for 4 1/2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender. Slice or shred the beef. Divide the beef and sauce among the rolls.

Filed Under: Beef, Pork, Ham and Lamb Recipes, Recipes

Make The Most Of Each Day – Learn To Live A Proactive Life

I love it when I find smart people talking about the lessons they keep learning. Even the most “together” people have bad days. It’s what we learn from those days that is important.

We’re all trying to live a good, wholesome lifestyle; one that’s full of fun and time for our family and friends. When we get off track, have a bad day, we lose the time we spent spinning our wheels being angry, frustrated, late, or whatever happens to us during those bad times.

Learning how to be “proactive” rather than “reactive” during life’s stressful moments can make all the difference in the world to you, your family, your whole life.

Please take a moment to read this article written by Joy Chudacoff and learn how you can stop “reacting” to daily stresses and become “proactive” instead.

Smart Women Live A Proactive Life
Written by Joy Chudacoff

Yesterday, as I was on my way to pick up my kids from school, it occurred to me that I was feeling exhausted—I mean really tired. As I made a mental scan of my day, I realized that I had been in a “reactive” mode most of the day rather than a “proactive” mode. We do need to react to situations that occur in our lives as best we can at that moment, however, Smart Women know that living a “proactive” life where you plan, prepare, and practice conscious living is clearly more rewarding.

Living a “reactive” life can be exhausting and frustrating. There are a lot of quick stops and fast starts–most of them unplanned. The best way for me to describe my day was it felt like I was in a ship without a rudder. No direction, just floating out in a big sea of confusion. No real direction, just reacting to each wave. There was no planned course or clear navigation. I was just trying to keep this rudderless boat afloat and get back to shore.

In contrast, when you are living a “proactive” life, your days are on course with clear navigation, doing things that will lead you to your Big Ideas, Dreams, and Goals. Being “proactive” about your life is being conscious and thoughtful about how you spend your days. You are queen of your ship, with a well thought out map on where you’re going, what you’re going to do, and with whom you will do it.

As I reflected on yesterday, I felt a calling to share it with you. Many women are living a “reactive” life day after day, without a clear plan of action to take them where they want to go. Most of my days are quite “proactive”, with a plan in place to keep moving me toward my goals. As I reflect on my day yesterday, if I was living in this “reactive” mode most of the time, I would be a very unhappy, restless, tired and exhausted woman! How can you get more “proactive” and get out of “reactive” mode?

Here are a few tips and solutions:

1. Change “Yes” to “No” – Women are nurturers by nature. We like to be helpful and supportive. It’s a challenge for us to say “No.” The next time someone asks you to do something, I invite you to pause for a moment and ask yourself if this request is one that calls you to action. If someone’s in a real bind, that’s one thing. But if it’s to take on a role that really doesn’t serve you or there may be someone else better suited for the role, maybe you should consider a “No” response. In my Women’s Success Circles, I share with women that there are actually four answers to a Yes or No question!

2. Plan for Downtime – When you see that you have a busy day, plan for some breaks in-between meetings or events. Even 10 minutes can recharge your battery before moving on to the next big task. Make sure you take time to eat lunch in the middle of the day, take a few moments to breathe, get re-focused, and refreshed for the afternoon.

3. Get some support – Find ways to automate, delegate, or delete more of the “to do” items on your list. This is essential for women who are committed to living a life that is passionate and on-purpose with meaning. You can do it all, but you can’t do it all by yourself. It was a tough lesson for me to learn but one that I clearly embrace in my life today. I just brought another person onto my team, as there is no way that I could achieve my “Proactive” life without more help from others.

What I just shared with you is what I left out of my life yesterday. Making too many commitments to others, not giving myself enough downtime in between appointments, and not taking full advantage of the support I have in my life. The above solutions are simple to put into place and they will help you to navigate a clear, well thought out plan for your day and your life. Will there be unavoidable storms on the horizon? You bet. But as I share with the women in my Success Circles; if you can navigate a “proactive” life 85% of the time, you will be sailing into the high seas with plenty of blue sky filled with energy, passion, purpose, and meaning.

“How we spend our days, is of course, how we spend our lives.”
~Annie Dillard~

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at CreatingTheSpark.com .

Filed Under: Articles, Living Well Tagged With: living well, proactive life

Bread Flour

do you have a recipe for making your own bread flour

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Crock Pot Turkey

I have several turkeys in the freezer that I bought on sale at Thanksgiving. Does anyone have a recipe for cooking one in a crock pot? I don’t want to leave it in the oven while I am at work.

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Borax & Boric Acid – The Same?

I saw online recently a post about borax and boric acid being the same.

Does anyone know if this is true or not?

Thanks.

Brenda

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

My Thick, Old Fabric softener

I have a VERY large, VERY old jug of fabric softener. It is so old and thick, It’s not easy to get it out of the jug. It is the type of jug that you set on it’s side and press the dispenser button/knob down.(and the jug is almost full)

Q: Is the softener revive-able? I would hate myself if I thought there is no life left in it and had to just throw it away. The jug is just SOOO full! I am afraid to mix water into it. I don’t know if the water will even mix with this thick pastey stuff. Please, someone tell me they know what to do.

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Need Help With Ants

Just recently, our house has been invaded by ants. Not the big “I’m here to eat your house down” type but the small, itsy bitsy ones my Mom called sugar ants. The cats just stare at them; they must know that the little squiggly things are horrible to taste. Does anyone know of a non-poisonous solution that I can use to rid our house of these unwanted visitors? Something that is safe for small animals?

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Dry Homemade Soap

i’ve lost recipe for homemade soap- the pwd method

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

One Little Step Can Make A Big Difference, Crafting Blog For Fun & Profit, Use Up Your Rhubarb – HBHW Newsletter

May 19th, 2010

Editorial

Another week has come and gone and there has been a lot going on in my busy family, and I’m sure in yours.

I’ve been talking to quite a few gardeners who are desperately trying to use up all their rhubarb before it goes to seed. If you find yourself in the same situation, please be sure to check out our feature article. You’ll also want to take a look at the recipe we’re sharing this week from the HBHW Club.

Our inspirational quote and story follow a similar theme about small steps. You can look at this in several ways. Perhaps you’re thinking about a long journey beginning with a single step if you are in the midst of trying to tackle a large project.

Or, maybe you’ve been contemplating volunteering for a good cause but feel your contributions won’t account for much because the problem is so big. Give the quote and story a bit of thought and see if either one, or both, relate to your life.

Last week I mentioned that I’ve been invited to speak at an online parenting retreat later this month. I finally have all the details and the best part – you can listen free (or get all the recordings, bonuses etc. if you buy a VIP pass). To get all the details, see what I’m speaking about and what this unique online parenting retreat is all about go to:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/parenting-retreat

Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com

Warm Regards,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Inspirational Quote

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.~

Sponsor

Creating Hours – Time Management For Busy Parents

Today I thought I’d share a wonderful time management resource with you that my friend Ellen C. Brown has put together.

Could you use an extra hour a day? How about more than one?

Ellen has written an excellent 75 page ebook on helping you become more efficient and effective. Just imagine what you could do with an extra hour a day!

I can highly recommend this guide for any busy parent. You can order it right here for $19.95

To learn more about the Creating Hours ebook and to find out how to order, please visit:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/creatinghours

News From The HBHW Club

NEW RESOURCE – STARTING A CRAFT BLOG FOR FUN AND PROFIT.

Well, it happened. One of our Club members has successfully started her own crafting blog! In less than one week’s time, she has a beautiful little blog set up and has been writing feverishly every since. She’ll say it’s only a start – but what a start!

Our friend Victoria has been crafting adorable soft-sculpted baby dolls for many years. She has been selling her dolls on Etsy, but wanted to take her crafting to a new level – making real money. With the help of our new resource, Victoria is well on the way creating a new and expanded market for herself which will translate into more money. Congratulations, Victoria!

If you want to take a look at Victoria’s new blog, click on the link to her site here: OoooohBabyDolls

Victoria’s got a good start creating a very real income at home. How about you? Can you see yourself working from home, blogging about something you like to do – like crafting?

If so, you’ll want to join us at the HBHW Club and check out this valuable resource, STARTING A CRAFT BLOG FOR FUN AND PROFIT.

Even if you don’t know the first thing about a blog, this resource will give you the information and tools you need to get your Crafting Blog up and running – and making money!

At the Club, you’ll not only get this FREE resource valued at $15, you’ll also have a sounding board to help you brainstorm ideas about your new Crafting Blog.

This is a tremendous opportunity to finally start making money at home doing something you like… crafting, and talking about crafting! Join the Club, get the resource for FREE, and start making money at home. Sound good? It is good!

Not sure about joining the Club right now? I hope you’ll still take advantage of Nicole’s expertise in the field of money making at home. If you have a love for crafting, and talking about crafting, you’ll want to explore the real possibilities of creating your own Craft Blog For Fun And Profit .

You don’t want to miss this or any of our informative and valuable resources. Join the HBHW Club and grab your FREE resource today!

As a special to you, the HBHW newsletter subscriber, you can join for only $10 per month. Click on this link for all the details: http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Still not sure about joining the HBHW Club? How about if I make it real easy. I’ll let you try it out for just a dollar for the first 7 days.

How will you benefit from joining the HBHW Club with this offer? As an example, for just that one dollar you’ll have 7 days of access to over 390 great frugal recipes that are tried and true, with a new recipe every day. You’ll also have 7 days to ask your most puzzling frugal homemaking questions – and even get answers!

Join us now and enjoy 7 days of frugal fun. Click on the link here and come aboard! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Now, let’s just take a peek at what’s been going on at the HBHW Club Forum.

New Uses For Old Things is always an interesting topic. Before you toss that thing in the garbage or recycling, how many ideas can you come up with for other ways to use it? One of our Club members brought back a previous topic for discussion which was nice because I’d forgotten about this neat frugal kitchen gadget made out of an object about ready for the recycling bin. One warning – remember to label your reinvented gadgets with their new contents!

My Walking Challenge has been successful in many ways. It’s gotten many of us to think seriously about our daily exercise. This I attribute to accountability. When you take a minute to log in and talk about your goals and what you’ve done to achieve them, it’s a powerful motivator. Even if we have a few bad days due to weather or illness, we get back on track with the gentle nudge of our friends.

Frugal Car Washing Solutions have also been discussed. There are those of us who wash our vehicles routinely when the weather warms up. Purchasing expensive car washing mixtures is hard to justify when the family budget is squeezed tight. Finding good homemade solutions that work well on a vehicle is another topic we’ve been discussing.

Our Club members have come up with more ideas for using vinegar; one for our cat lovers. It seems if there’s a topic about homemaking, living a more frugal life, living a happier life, or even pet care, we’ll be discussing it.

How would you like to join the conversation? As a Club member, you’ll be able to share your opinions, frugal tips, and ideas on topics most important to your life.

Why don’t you join us so you can get in on the conversation. I look forward to chatting with you in the member area.

Click the following link and try The HBHW Club for only $1. We’d love to have you come join us! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

When you join us at the HBHW Club, you’ll want to be sure to take a stroll through the resources available free to Club members only. Popular resources include:

Frugal Gardening
Simple Summer Cooking
Frugal Family Summer Fun
Pantry Cooking
Freezer/Pantry Challenge & Meal Planning
Cleaning With Vinegar And Baking Soda
Setting Up A Family Budget
Getting Out Of Debt For Good
Utility Bill Savings
Meal Planning Guide – Simple Step-by-Step Method

Let me know what you think of the resources and if there are any topics we should explore further. As a Club member, your opinion is highly valued because it’s YOUR Club!

Join The Hillbilly Housewife Club for Just a Dollar

I’d like to share one of the recipes that was submitted to the HBHW Club this past week.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tblsps flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt

3 cups rhubarb, cut into small pieces
1 Tblsp melted butter

2 pie crusts, unbaked – one in 9 inch pie pan, and one cut into strips for lattice top

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Beat the eggs. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the eggs and beat with mixer until this is nice and smooth and frothy. Mix the butter into the rhubarb, then add rhubarb to mixture and stir.

Spoon the mixture into the unbaked pie crust in pie pan. Lace the strips of pie crust to form a lattice top, pinching around the edges to secure.

Put in preheated 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rhubarb mixture gets thick and bubbles up through the lattice.

If the edges of the crust start to get too brown, take strips of tin foil and loosely lay on top all around the edges.

Listed here is a sampling of recent recipes added, making a total of more than 400 recipes currently available to our Club members.

Rhubarb Betty Bake
Easy Rhubarb Pudding
Fancy Rhubarb Pineapple Cake
Rhubarb Shortcake Squares

We welcome recipe submissions from our friends at the Club and are always happy to see what’s cooking in your kitchen. Our aim is to have six recipes posted each week. That’s a lot of recipes!

Featured Articles

If rhubarb is plentiful in your garden, you may want to take a look at this week’s featured article. You’ll find complete instructions for canning a delicious strawberry-rhubarb jam plus a link to a very informative website filled with canning tips and techniques you’ll be able to use all season long.

Click the link below to get this recipe and all sorts of other information to put your home canner to good use:

Rhubarb Harvest – Wonderful Homemade Jam

Healthy Hillbilly Housewife

Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com

[RSSImport display="5" feedurl="http://healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Frugal Tips

[RSSImport display="3" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/frugal-tips/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.

Recipes

Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!

[RSSImport display="5" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/recipes/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.

I’m Looking For:

I’m Looking For Requests
[RSSImport display="20" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/newsletter/recipe-requests/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Inspirational Story

Starfish

A small boy was walking along a beach at low tide, where countless starfish, having been washed up on the beach, were stranded and doomed to perish. A man watched as the boy picked up individual starfish and took them back into the water.

“I can see you’re being very kind,” said the watching man, “But there must be thousands of them; it can’t possibly make any difference.”

Returning from the water’s edge, the boy said, “It will for that one.”

~author unknown~

Final Thought

Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.

Warm Wishes,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Filed Under: Newsletters

Grilling-Gluten Free

As I sit here writing this, it is hard to believe that here in the United States, it is only two short weeks until Memorial Day.

It seems that for those of us in the U.S., Memorial Day is the official start to summer.

Summer has always been my favorite season. I love the warm weather, the sunny days, the swimming, playing and cooking outside. Unless it’s raining, you’ll find me outside, (and sometimes even if it’s raining. I have a black lab pup that doesn’t care about the rain).

Now if you’re talking about cooking outside, 9 times out of 10, you’re talking about grilling. I love to grill and in fact at my house I’m the grill master.

Now being a celiac, there are a few things I need to watch out for when I’m grilling or going over to a barbecue at a friend’s house.

One thing to watch out for is cross contamination. Cross contamination can occur when glutenous foods are cooked on the grill and then gluten free food is cooked without the grill being cleaned inbetween.

It can also happen when drippings from a marinade containing gluten, drips on your gluten free food, or on the grill before you place your food on the grill. At my house, I just don’t use marinades with gluten in them. There are just so many marinades out there that are gluten free that taste spectacular, that I don’t see the reason for risking it.

However, it’s very easy to avoid cross contamination while grilling by taking just a few precautions:

Clean a section of the grill where only gluten free food will be cooked. To clean the grill, it’s just a matter of using a stiff wire brush to scrape the surface of the grill while the grill is hot, to remove any residual glutenous food particles.

If you are a guest at a barbecue and are concerned about cross contamination, ask your host if you can have your food cooked first, have a small section of the grill kept just for your gluten free food, or if you just don’t feel comfortable with those options, wrap your food in foil before you place it on the grill.

Happy Grilling.

Mary Blackburn has been gluten free since 1988 and is the owner of http://www.easyglutenfreeliving.com. She invites you to visit her site for more gluten free living tips and recipes. While you’re there, take a moment to sign up for The Gluten Free Gazette, her bi-weekly newsletter filled with articles and answers to your questions about gluten, gluten free living and celiac disease.

Filed Under: Gluten Free Living

Egg Recipes Needed

I am about to be overrun with even more than the 4 dozen eggs a week I get now – I need new ways to use them up! Everyone around here has gotten backyard hens, in order to beat this economy, so there’s no one left to sell them to.
By August, I’ll have another dozen hens laying, and I don’t want these eggs to go to waste!
Any new recipes to use them up would be appreciated.
(The brownie recipe I got off this site is an all-time favorite – it uses 4 eggs!)

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Early Garden Harvest Project – Canning Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Many conversations among gardeners this time of year start with the phrase “What am I going to do with all this rhubarb?!”

It seems this prolific vegetable (which answers the other question “Is rhubarb a vegetable or a fruit?”) takes over many spring gardens even before the real earnest planting begins.

My friend Tracy Falbe of Canning Local gave me a delicious solution to the “problem” of having rhubarb taking over the garden. I thought I’d share her recipe right here for you to use when your rhubarb starts piling up. Enjoy!

In spring when gardens are still only promising seedlings and fruits trees are just setting their fruit, strawberries and rhubarb are ready to harvest. The flavor combination of strawberries and rhubarb has been appreciated for a long time, and with home canning you can capture that first crop of spring and enjoy it for a whole year…or until you eat it all.

Learning how to can jams and jellies is an ideal way to develop home canning skills. Only a big kettle for creating a boiling water bath is needed along with a few canning jars. The jam is simple to cook and only uses a few ingredients, so actually making the jam will not distract you from focusing on the canning process. Jams are also very safe projects for beginners.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Canning Recipe

2 cups crushed fresh strawberries
2 cups finely chopped rhubarb
1/4 cup lemon juice
5-1/2 cups sugar
1 package fruit pectin (approximately 2 ounces)

You will need 6 to 8 half pint canning jars for this recipe. You can use old jars as long as they are free of chips and cracks, but always use new lids so you get a proper seal. The screw-on bands do not need to be new. They are just to hold the lids in place during processing. Sterilize your jars and lids by submerging them completely in water that is a minimum of 180 degrees Fahrenheit, but less than boiling (212 degrees). Some directions say to boil the jars and lids, which is probably fine, but the jars I buy say on the package to make sure the lids do not actually boil, so always consult your manufacturer’s directions for sterilization.

I sterilize the jars in the boiling water bath kettle. After letting them simmer a few minutes, I shut off the heat and leave the jars and lids in the kettle while I cook the jam. You can take them out and fill the jars with hot water if you prefer. The point is to keep them hot and clean while you are preparing the food.

Wash and hull the strawberries and crush them. A potato masher works well to smash up the berries. Then wash and chop the rhubarb. Put the fruit in a large stock pot and add the lemon juice. Slowly stir in the fruit pectin and bring the jam to a hard rolling boil that still bubbles when you stir. Foaming will occur and this can be alleviated by adding a teaspoonful of butter. Once the jam is boiling hard, keep stirring and add all the sugar. The sugar will gradually dissolve. While stirring constantly bring the jam back up to a hard boil for 1 minute. When the cooking is done, turn off the heat. You can skim off the frothy foam from the top.

Pour the hot jam into your sterilized jars. A ladle works nicely and if you have a canning jar funnel it will make the job a little neater. Do not fill the jars all the way to the rim. Leave 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of the jar. Wipe the mouths of the jars very clean and place the lids on the jars. Secure the lids with the bands. You only need to screw them on hand tight. If you have some jam leftover that will not fill up a jar, just put it in the refrigerator and eat it up within the next few days (or minutes).

With your boiling water bath at a boil, lower the jars into the water with a jar lifter. Make sure a rack is in the bottom of the kettle so that the jars do not rest directly on the bottom. Also do not let the jars touch each other. Boil the jars for 10 minutes and then immediately remove the jars. Set them on a towel in a draft-free location and do not disturb them for at least 12 hours. Touching them while they are cooling could disrupt sealing. You will likely hear the jars pop within a few minutes of removing from the boiling water but resist the temptation to touch.

The next day, you can test the seals of the lids by pushing on their tops. There should be no movement or buckling of the lid. It should be rigid and firmly attached to the jar. Then remove the bands, wipe the jars clean, put on clean bands, label with the date, and store in a cool dark place for up to one year. You will love your homemade jam and it makes a nice gift as well.

I recommend picking up a reference book about home canning to have in your kitchen as well as a visit to my website Canning Local – Putting Your Produce Into Production where you can read about all the basics for using a boiling water bath and pressure canner.

Filed Under: Articles, Cooking, Gardening

Need Microwave Meals – Ideas And Recipes

I’m collecting recipes for my brother who is about to head off to college and live in the dorms. I’m looking for things that can be cooked in a microwave, that are healthy, relatively cheap, and that make only 1-2 servings.

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

No Waste Fresh Apple Cider

I discovered this purely by accident. I was simmering down some apples in my crock pot to make apple pie filling. I put them on low and left.

When I came back I noticed that I had put way too much water on them so I just caught the apples in a slotted spoon and fished them out for my filling. I noticed however the excess water smelled very strongly of apples.

I added some sugar and cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamum, ginger and about a teaspoon of lemon juice to make it tangy, stirred it all up and gave it a taste. Miraculously my unappreciated apple water had become delicious spicy cider.

I chilled it causing all of the little bits of apple pulp to go to the bottom and all that was left to pour was delicious, clear, juice. Nothing bought, nothing wasted.

I came out with almost half a gallon of cider but with a whole cup of sugar it was too sweet. I would recommend half a cup of sugar per half gallon of juice. Ii also don’t see why other fruits would not work just as well like plums, cherries, peaches or pears.

Highly Recommended – Penny Pinching Mama

Find out how Jill Cooper lived on $500 per month. This e-book is filled with over 500 practical, everyday ideas to help anyone stretch a small income.

Get your copy today at:
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/penny

Filed Under: Frugal Tips, Fruit

Gluten Free Need Help Again

I have a earlier request here about gluten free and got a lot of help. The problem is I just found out I am allergic to xanthan gum and was told not to use guar gum either. Does anyone know what I can use to replace these to ingredients with when I bake gluten free. Thank you, CharlieAnn

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Gummy Tee Shirt

I’ve tried to remove gum from a favourite tee shirt using the ice cube method and scraping with a flat knife that wouldn’t cut fabric. I only succeeding in spreading the gum. Any tips on whether I can save this shirt?

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

New Puppy – Feeding Trouble

We have an 8 week old lab puppy. He’s cute as a bug and very smart, but oh, so naughty (as all pups are). For the most part, he’s on a long cable outside, but my husband wants him to come in to eat. He isn’t in long before he goes on the carpet, and he doesn’t like to eat more than a few bites at a time before he runs off… provided you’re not standing over him. Then he’ll eat. I have waited till nearly 11:00 to feed him, and he still does this. I’m sure he’s hungry, but man, what do you do with him? He’s SO social it’s almost annoying. I don’t like to continually scold him and I do NOT want to stand there waiting for a dog to eat. LOL

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Squirrel-Proof My Garden

Every year I plant a garden but never get to enjoy much of it. Our neighborhood is infested with squirrels. Does anyone know any tricks that work to keep them from eating my food?
Thanks!!

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Frugal Pet Stain Remover

I am the mother of 2 small dogs. I love them to death but my carpets have suffered many an over-excited puppy mess. I tried a couple of the expensive store-bought remedies and they worked some but the stain and some of the odor stayed and attracted the dogs back to the same area.

Not wanting to drop another $12 on yet another “guaranteed” pet stain remover I went online and found one that works much better than any I paid for and costs about 30 cents per 12 ounce portion. Best of all everything is stuff we already have around the house.

In a plastic bowl (no metal can be used with this as it is reactive) mix

12 ounces of regular hydrogen peroxide,
1/2 a teaspoon of dish soap and
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda.

Stir it up and put it in a plastic bottle. I like trigger bottles since you can force the mixture into the carpet a bit faster than just pouring it on and letting gravity do the work.

Test this on a hidden piece of carpet first. I have both light and dark carpet and niether bled so it is relatively safe. Completely saturate the stain then block it off to keep pets and kids out of it and let it dry on its own.

Note: it bubbles up a lot as it disolves the stain also releasing the smell into the air so this is best done on a day when you wont be in that room for a couple hours. I find it works best if you make a day of it. Open all the windows. Mix up a couple batches of spot remover. Use a black light to find all of your stains and treat them all at once then go grocery shopping.

For smaller emergencies I found up-ending a laundry basket over the stain and weighting down with a phone book to be an effective way to keep people and pets off of that section of floor.

It was also mentioned in the article that it can be used in a steam cleaning machine. I would not want to try it though since My machine makes the water very hot and might foam up to much and damage the seals on the tank.

Hope this helps someone.

Further Reading – Keeping It Clean

This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.

Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry

Filed Under: Frugal Tips

Shogun Salad Dressing Recipe Needed

My daughter loves the salad dressing from Shogun Japanese Steakhouse, and will barely eat a salad without it. You can buy it from them, but it’s very expensive. All the recipes I found online do not come out anywhere close. Has anyone figured out how to make this salad dressing?

The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends: Secret Restaurant Recipes

Don’t spend a fortune going out to eat. Instead enjoy some of your favorite restaurant fare at home for a fraction of the cost.

These recipes are also perfect for dinner parties or a fun and special family dinner.

Get your copy today at:

www.CookRestaurantRecipes.com

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Does Anyone Keep A Household Book?

Hi all I hope I am posting this in the correct place I was wondering if anyone keeps a household book? If so what =do you put into yours? I am thinking about starting one but not sure where to start and am looking for tips

Thank You

Missy

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Kid Friendly Meals – Carb Free For Type 1 Diabetes

My daughter Emilly,6 years old, was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (or juvenile diabetes). And because of this we are carb counting for meals. Its a pain. But I’m running out of ideas for meals. And snack times are worse. So please can you help me get meal ideas that are kid friendly and snacks ideas that are carb free? thank you

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Frugal Citrus Fabric Softener

I hate the heaviness of plain fabric softener so I make my own. I use one whole jug of vinegar and I peel the rind off of two huge oranges. I love that smell of citrus. You cut into strips to tuck in jug and then I set it aside for two weeks. This is fantastic stuff. I use it straight in my front loader. Nice and fresh. If you like grapefruit better give it a try. Then eat the oranges as a snack. No waste..

Further Reading – Keeping It Clean

This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.

Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry

Filed Under: Frugal Tips

We All Need A Push Sometimes, Working From Home & Onion Mushroom Soup- HBHW Newsletter

May 12th, 2010

Editorial

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother’s Day on Sunday and I hope you got a chance to read the items I emailed to you on Saturday. If there was anything in the article, Christine’s guide, or the old newsletter that inspired you to do something different this year to celebrate Mother’s Day, I’m glad. And if you found a last minute frugal gift idea, all the better!

I found the following video to be especially meaningful in the days following Mother’s Day. After the cards, flowers, and gifts, it’s nice to sit quietly and reflect on the most difficult part of the job of being a Mother – pushing your children when you know it can be painful or frightening. Won’t you take a look at this video with me?

Our inspirational quote and story are also about taking that leap of faith – being unfettered from the things that are holding you back from achieving your goals, success, or happiness. It may be quite comfortable in that nest of yours, but someday you’re going to have to get pushed out!

The featured article this week was written by my good friend Nicole Dean. Nicole has been making money at home for many years now. So I thought, since we all want to make extra money, this would be an appropriate article to feature this week. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read Nicole’s article. You may even find it to be the little “push” you needed to start making money at home!

Also, please take a moment to check out my friend Ellen’s Time Management guide. Even though I’ve only been able to implement a few of her strategies, I’ve already noticed a difference in my day. I’ve recently carved out a little more “me time” and have been able to take walks, knit, catch up on my reading, and sit outside and listen to the birds.

Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com

Warm Regards,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Inspirational Quote

Spread Your Wings

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.
~Hodding Carter, Jr.~

Sponsor

Creating Hours – Time Management For Busy Parents

Today I thought I’d share a wonderful time management resource with you that my friend Ellen C. Brown has put together.

Could you use an extra hour a day? How about more than one?

Ellen has written an excellent 75 page ebook on helping you become more efficient and effective. Just imagine what you could do with an extra hour a day!

I can highly recommend this guide for any busy parent. You can order it right here for $19.95

To learn more about the Creating Hours ebook and to find out how to order, please visit:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/creatinghours

News From The HBHW Club

NEW RESOURCE - STARTING A CRAFT BLOG FOR FUN AND PROFIT.

I’m very excited about our new resource. Why? Because this is the resource our friends at the Club have been asking for!

And talk about valuable! STARTING A CRAFT BLOG FOR FUN AND PROFIT is, in fact, an ebook written by successful stay-at-home entrepreneur and author, Nicole Dean.

Nicole’s ebook sells for around $15, but as a Club member, you get it FREE with your membership. That’s right! Your membership in the Club has already paid for itself when you open this FREE resource and put it to work for you! Talk about a return-on-investment!

Now you’re saying, that’s great, but I don’t know the first thing about a blog. That’s alright. This resource will give you the information and tools you need to get your Crafting Blog up and running - and making money!

At the Club, you’ll not only get this FREE resource valued at $15, you’ll also have a sounding board to help you brainstorm ideas about your new Crafting Blog.

You don’t want to miss this or any of our informative and valuable resources. Join the HBHW Club and grab your FREE resource today!

As a special to you, the HBHW newsletter subscriber, you can join for only $10 per month. Click on this link for all the details: http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Still not sure about joining the HBHW Club? How about if I make it real easy. I’ll let you try it out for just a dollar for the first 7 days.

Join us now and enjoy 7 days of frugal fun. Click on the link here and come aboard! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Now, let’s just take a peek at what’s been going on at the HBHW Club Forum.

The “Three Icemen” legend is well known in the northern climates when planning to plant your garden. One of our friends at the Club was anxious, like all gardeners, to get her hands on the warm soil of her garden, only to find her new onions and radishes buried under three inches of snow on Saturday! An early spring can make any gardener put aside her fears about frost and snow and just get those vegetables planted. Just a few more weeks and our northern friend will be ready to plant again. Good luck!

My Walking Challenge has been a great motivator to a lot of our friends at the Club. An even better motivator seems to be a dog. When you have a dog, you have a walking commitment. We’ve had a lot of fun reading about one of our friend’s adventures walking, or being walked by, several of her dogs. For our friends without dogs, we sure need each other to motivate us. I firmly believe that, like most goals, accountability is the key. It would be great if you joined us with your fitness plan.

We’ve discussed topics this week from how to remove impossibly stuck labels from metal water bottles to how to make cheap mop cloths to replace the prepackaged kinds. If there’s a topic about homemaking, living a more frugal life, or living a happier life, we’ll be discussing it.

How would you like to join the conversation? As a Club member, you’ll be able to share your opinions, frugal tips, and ideas on topics most important to your life. Are you ready to join us at the HBHW Club?

Click the following link and try The HBHW Club for only $1. We’d love to have you come join us! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Now that you’ve joined us at the HBHW Club, you’ll want to be sure to take a stroll through the resources available free to Club members only. Popular resources include:

Frugal Gardening
Pantry Cooking
Freezer/Pantry Challenge & Meal Planning
Setting Up A Family Budget
Simple Summer Cooking
Getting Out Of Debt For Good
Utility Bill Savings
Meal Planning Guide – Simple Step-by-Step Method
Frugal Family Summer Fun

Let me know what you think of the resources and if there are any topics we should explore further. As a Club member, your opinion is highly valued because it’s YOUR Club!

Join The Hillbilly Housewife Club for Just a Dollar

I’d like to share one of the recipes that was submitted to the HBHW Club this past week.

Sweet Onion Mushroom Soup

4 large sweet Vidalia onions, sliced into thin rings, then cut in half
3 Tblsp. butter or margarine
1 1/2 Tblsp. good cooking oil

8 oz. fresh button mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

for serving:

shredded Parmesan cheese
crusty bread

In a large soup pot, saute the onion in the oil and butter over medium heat, stirring often, until the onions get transparent. Add the mushrooms and continue stirring until the mushrooms have softened. Add the garlic, stirring to combine, and cook for 1 minute, stirring a few more times.

Add the stock and water. Stir and taste, adding salt and pepper. Cover loosely and let this soup simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until flavors are blended well and liquid has reduced a little.

Serve this soup with shredded Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of each bowl and crusty bread alongside.

And here are a few more recipes that have recently been added to the member area.

Red Wine Braised Sweet Onions
Cream Style Cole Slaw
Creamy Onion Soup
Classic French Onion Soup

All in all, we have over 393 new recipes in the member area already.

One of my favorite parts of the HBHW Club is the Member Forum. Here are just a few of the more recent posts.

Member Forum Posts

Why don’t you join us so you can get in on the conversation. I look forward to chatting with you in the member area.

http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Featured Articles

We’ve been discussing making money at home by creating a crafting blog. But what if you’re not a crafter? You may have other talents. Perhaps you like to discuss your latest “finds” with your friends, or you spend hours on the computer looking for the greatest sales, books, or fashions.

If you have a talent for searching out great buys and spreading the word about them, you could make money at home!

Click the link below to find out how your gift for finding great buys could make some very real money right at home:

Stay-At-Home Moms (And Dads) Can Make Real Money At Home

Healthy Hillbilly Housewife

Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com

[RSSImport display="5" feedurl="http://healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Frugal Tips

[RSSImport display="3" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/frugal-tips/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.

Recipes

Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!

[RSSImport display="5" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/recipes/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.

I’m Looking For:

I’m Looking For Requests
[RSSImport display="20" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/newsletter/recipe-requests/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Inspirational Story

You’ll Only Soar When You Set Yourself Free

Set yourself free from anything that might hinder you in becoming the person you want to be. Free yourself from the uncertainties about your abilities or the worth of your dreams, from the fears that you may not be able to achieve them or that they won’t be what you wanted.

Set yourself free from the past. The good things from yesterday are still yours in memory; the things you want to forget you will, for tomorrow is only a sunrise away. Free yourself from regret or guilt, and promise to live this day as fully as you can.

Set yourself free from the expectations of others, and never feel guilty or embarrassed if you do not live up to their standards. You are most important to yourself; live by what you feel is best and right for you. Others will come to respect your integrity and honesty.

Set yourself free to simply be yourself, and you will soar higher than you’ve ever dreamed.

~Edmund O’Neill~

Final Thought

Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.

Warm Wishes,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Filed Under: Newsletters

Freezing Rhubarb Pie

I have a friend who wants me to provide rhubarb pies for a late summer gathering (Post fresh rhubarb season). I know from past experience that frozen rhubarb is great for cakes and muffins, but does not make good pies. I have never frozen a rhubarb pie (or any pie) before. I’m afraid if I freeze it uncooked, it will be the same as freezing rhubarb (gets all watery). Can I freeze it after I bake it, or would the crust get soggy? Has anyone actually done this? I’d really like to hear from someone’s actual experience, not an “I’d think…” Thanks for the advice

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Stay-At-Home Moms (And Dads) Can Make Real Money At Home

My good friend, Nicole Dean, has been making money working at home for many years now. So, when she wrote this article, I knew I should share it with you.

Many of my readers have real concerns about how they are going to pay the bills, let alone put money away for an emergency, college, or retirement. Some of you are currently staying at home, raising your family and running a busy household. Wouldn’t it be great if you could stay at home AND make money at the same time?

The decision to stay at home shouldn’t limit your possibilities to earn an income – and it doesn’t! There are many ways that a stay-at-home Mom or Dad can put their talents to work for them making money.

Nicole has provided us with one way to put your talents to work for you in the following article. Please take a minute to read what she has to say and give it some thought.

Stay-at-Home Moms: You Can Make Money Just By Doing What You Are Already Doing

Written by Nicole Dean

Are you hanging out on forums?
Sending emails to family and friends with jokes or the latest news about your family?
Do you tell friends and family about the great new products or services you find?
Do you have a personal blog?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you can make money by doing exactly what you are already doing – and it’s totally legit.

You see, there are websites that will pay you to bring them sales. And, no, I’m not talking about Direct Sales or MLM. These are companies that need a sales force, but there’s no recruiting involved. You get paid when you send someone to their website – if that person makes a purchase. So, what you do is sign up as an affiliate for that company (which means you promote their website) and, whenever someone makes a purchase through your special link, you get a percentage of that sale.

Confusing? Not really. Just think of Real Estate agents. They make a commission on the sale of each house they sell. It’s the same thing with affiliates. You refer a customer and you get a percentage of that sale as a reward.

Once you find a few programs that you like, you’ll go to their websites. From there, find the link that says “Affiliates” or “Referral program” and sign up. Once you do, they’ll provide you with links that you can use in your emails and on forums.

Here’s a quick disclaimer: Not all programs allow email or forum posting. So, read the rules and follow the guidelines and you’ll be set.

No, you likely won’t get rich as this is not a get-rich-quick scheme. However, affiliate marketing is a quick way to get started making some money online without high pressure sales. If you choose to learn more and make a full-time income – that’s a whole ‘nother article.

Article by:
Nicole Dean wants to help you find these golden opportunities. Just go to MomAffiliateNetwork.com and have a look around at the affiliate programs that will pay you for spreading the word about their programs. One program you won’t want to miss is DineWithoutWhine.com (a menu planning service for moms).

Filed Under: Articles, Making Money At Home Tagged With: earn money working at home, make money at home, stay at home moms, work at home

Sourdough For Bread Machine

looking for a bread machine recipe using 2C. flour

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Cheap Fabric Softener

3 C. Vinegar
2 C. Cheap hair conditioner (smell you like)
6 C. water

Mix together in an old fabric softener jug and use as you would in your washer. If you like you can use it to make your own dryer sheets. Cut up an old Tshirt and pour the softener onto the rag and toss in the dryer with wet clothes.

This works better than any store bought softener, by far!

Further Reading – Keeping It Clean

This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.

Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry

Filed Under: Frugal Tips, Laundry and Cleaning Recipes, Recipes

Affordable Greenhouses

Does anyone know any affordable greenhouse in the backyard? I need 28.5 length and 8′ wide. Checked them on the internet and they are very expensive. I am not good at assembling from nothing. Any suggestions?

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

“Blueberry Frozen Yogurt” is as creamy as ice cream thanks to thick Greek yogurt, but if blueberries aren’t your thing, you can easily substitute with an equal amount of peaches, strawberries or raspberries. If you do, be sure to adjust the flavoring (vanilla, Crème de Cassis, Grand Marnier) to agree with whatever fruit you’ve used.

You have two options; you can strain the blended yogurt base to remove the blueberry seeds for a smooth and creamy frozen yogurt or you can go a little more rustic and leave them intact. Either way, it’s delicious. If you have a one-quart ice cream maker, you can easily halve this recipe.
“Blueberry Frozen Yogurt”
3 c. Greek yogurt (whole or 2 percent)

1&½ c. sugar

6 c. frozen or fresh blueberries

1 T. Crème de Cassis, Grand Marnier or pure vanilla extract
Add yogurt, sugar and blueberries to your blender and blend until smooth. If you’re using frozen berries, it may take a little coaxing to get them all blended. If it doesn’t “want” to blend, shut off the blender and move the contents around a little with a wooden spoon or spatula. Remove the spoon, replace the lid and blend again.

If a smooth product is desired, pour and force the yogurt base through a stainless steel, fine mesh strainer. It will take a while, so be prepared! If you like a more rustic yogurt with bits of blueberry and seeds throughout, skip the straining. Either way, you need to refrigerate the base for 2-4 hours prior to freezing.

Pour the yogurt base into your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. (In my Cuisinart ice cream maker, it took 25 minutes and was ready to serve immediately.) Transfer to a freezer-safe container with a lid. This makes about two quarts.

If you have any yogurt left over, store it tightly packed in the freezer with a piece of plastic wrap laid directly on the surface of the frozen yogurt.

To serve as we did, lay a warm crepe (recipe below) on a plate. Add a scoop of blueberry frozen yogurt to the bottom left corner of the crepe. Fold the right half of the crepe left over the scoop of yogurt. Fold the top quarter down over the scoop. Top with a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar or a dollop of blueberry compote or blueberry sauce.

Crepes are culinary chameleons; they can be desserts, entrees, side dishes, sweet or savory. They can be plain or jazzed up with herbs or chocolate. If you are going to use your crepes for dessert, you can add a touch of sugar — about a tablespoon — when mixing your batter.

Using room temperature eggs and milk enables the batter to blend up perfectly smooth. You can accomplish this by leaving the milk and eggs out of the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but up to an hour before use.
Crepes
1 c. all-purpose flour

A pinch of salt

1&¼ c. whole milk (you can use a lower fat milk, but I think whole milk crepes are more supple), at room temperature

2 large eggs at room temperature

2 T. melted (but not hot) coconut oil, or melted and cooled to room temperature butter or canola oil

Additional canola oil or butter for cooking.
Add flour, salt and milk to the blender. Blend just until smooth but do not walk away while it’s blending. If you over-blend, you’ll end up with tough crepes. (Alternately, you can whisk this all together in a bowl.) Now add the eggs and oil and pulse (or whisk) just until combined. Place blender carafe (or bowl) in the refrigerator and chill for 1-2 hours before cooking.

Remove from the refrigerator and pulse four times (or whisk through thoroughly).

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is very hot (a drop of water flung on the surface will dance across the pan before disappearing) brush the pan lightly with melted butter or canola oil. Add about 1 tablespoon or a little less of crepe batter to the center of the pan and quickly swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. If you have too much batter in the pan, the crepe will not set up. Pour out excess if necessary and add less on the next crepe.

In a little under a minute, when the top of the crepe looks dry, flip it carefully (I find that heat-safe chopsticks or a flexible spatula work well here) and cook the second side for about 15- 30 seconds. You do not want the crepe to become crispy, so don’t overcook it. Transfer the crepe to a plate and repeat with the remaining crepe batter. Stack each crepe as it is cooked in a neat pile on a plate. Makes about 15 crepes.

Leftovers can be stored with a layer of waxed paper in between each crepe in a zip-top freezer bag.

Filed Under: Desserts & Sweets, Recipes

Kindness and Forgiveness, Easy Fix To Reduce Fat In Ground Beef, The Dynamic Duo of Cleaning, Sneak Peek Into Money Making At Home Resource – HBHW Newsletter

May 5th, 2010

Editorial

Have you ever heard the expression that goes something like this: “Holding onto anger is like taking poison every day in hopes that the other person will die.”

Kind of a twisted way of looking at grudges, anger, but oh so true. The inspirational story today illustrates how holding onto anger can backfire in some very real ways. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our own sake is to resolve the problem the best way possible and move on, allowing forgiveness to win over anger and grudges.

If you will, look at the times you have argued and held grudges and examine how a little kindness may have softened those difficult moments.

On a more positive note, I’ve enjoyed working my way through Ellen’s Time Management guide. So far I’ve only been able to implement two of her strategies but am already noticing a difference in my day. I am actually able to carve out a little “me time” to knit, read or just sit outside and listen to the birds.

Today’s article is an all-time favorite that’s been on the site for years. It’s about reducing the fat content of ground beef. Since I’m trying to lose a few pounds before summer break starts, I thought I’d mention it again in today’s edition. I also can’t stress enough how helpful it is to have some accountability partners when it comes to weightloss and exercise. The walking challenge in the HBHW Club is quite popular and has definitely helped keep me moving and accountable.

Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com

Warm Regards,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Inspirational Quote

Soften Anger

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
~Plato~

Sponsor

Creating Hours – Time Management For Busy Parents

Today I thought I’d share a wonderful time management resource with you that my friend Ellen C. Brown has put together.

Could you use an extra hour a day? How about more than one? Ellen has written an excellent 75 page ebook on helping you become more efficient and effective. Just imagine what you could do with an extra hour a day!

I can highly recommend this guide for any busy parent. You can order it right here for $19.95

To learn more about the Creating Hours ebook and find out how to order visit:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/creatinghours

News From The HBHW Club

We have many valuable free resources available to our Club members that you won’t want to miss.

What is your favorite use for vinegar and baking soda? Our Club members have been discussing uses ranging from freshening up garbage disposals to killing weeds.

In my Bonus Resource – Cleaning With Vinegar and Baking Soda, we tackle even more uses for this cleaning dynamic duo. It’s amazing what you can find out when a lot of busy people put their heads together. I hope you’ll take the opportunity to join us and find out new ways to use these two very old products to clean and shine so many things.

I’m very excited about our upcoming resource all about Making Money At Home With A Crafting Blog. This is a resource that has been much needed by many of our friends at the Club as it seems we all want, or need, to make extra money, and what better way to make money at home than doing something you already love to do.

This FREE resource will be available very soon to our Club members. Even if you don’t know the first thing about how to start a blog, this resource will give you the information and tools you need to get your Crafting Blog up and running - and making money!

Since so many Club members have an interest in making money at home, and so many Club members are great crafters, this resource just made sense.

Along with this valuable resource, just having a sounding board at the Club, cheering each other on and bouncing ideas off each other, is a great benefit, especially when you decide to start your own Crafting Blog to make money at home.

This Crafting Blog Resource is valued at much more than the cost of a month’s membership in the Club. Why? The fact is, this resource alone could be turned into real income working right from your home. This is what you might call a ‘return on investment’ in action.

There is saving money, and then there is making money. Most people I speak with are getting pretty savvy about saving money; they just haven’t gotten the knack of making more money. This is the resource my readers have asked for. I hope you’ll join us and take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to finally, and truly, make money at home.

Our Frugal Gardening resource with my friend and gardening expert Tawra Kellam of LivingOnADime.com is still getting a lot of attention. Many of my friends have printed off this resource and stuck it in their gardening notebook for this year. Because of its neighborly “over the fence” chat format, it’s easy to follow and fun to hear. I hope you’ll join us and print yourself a copy for your gardening diary this year.

You don’t want to miss any of these informative resources. Join the HBHW Club and grab your FREE resource today!

As a special to you, the HBHW newsletter subscriber, you can join for only $10 per month. Click on this link for all the details: http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Still not sure about joining the HBHW Club? How about if I make it real easy. I’ll let you try it out for just a dollar for the first 7 days.

How will you benefit from joining the HBHW Club with this offer? As an example, for just that one dollar you’ll have 7 days of access to over 370 great frugal recipes that are tried and true, with a new recipe every day. You’ll also have 7 days to ask your most puzzling frugal homemaking questions – and even get answers!

Join us now and enjoy 7 days of frugal fun. Click on the link here and come aboard! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Let’s just take a peek at what’s been going on at the HBHW Club Forum.

My Walking Challenge has attracted many people who are committed to get fit and stay fit. Accountability is the key, and many friends at the Club have decided that they will take me up on my challenge and join me. Logging into the Club daily or weekly is a great way to get support for our personal fitness program. If we stick to our goal, we cheer each other on; if we slip a day or two, we still support each other and urge each other to get out there and try again. The Club has been a great motivator to me, and many other members, to keep up a fitness program.

Our friends at the Club have discussed topics as varied as herb gardening to dog behavior. Anything that affects the welfare of a household – emotionally, financially, materially – it all gets thrown into the “discussion pot” and boiled until we come up with a solution, or at least some shared smiles.

How would you like to join the conversation? As a Club member, you’ll be able to share your opinions, frugal tips, and ideas on everything from making vegetable stock to making money at home. Are you ready to join us at the HBHW Club?

Click the following link and try The HBHW Club for only $1. We’d love to have you come join us! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Now that you’ve joined us at the HBHW Club, you’ll want to be sure to take a stroll through the resources available free to Club members only. Popular resources include:

Pantry Cooking
Freezer/Pantry Challenge & Meal Planning
Setting Up A Family Budget
Simple Summer Cooking
Getting Out Of Debt For Good
Utility Bill Savings
Meal Planning Guide – Simple Step-by-Step Method
Frugal Family Summer Fun

Let me know what you think of the resources and if there are any topics we should explore further. As a Club member, your opinion is highly valued because it’s YOUR Club!

Join The Hillbilly Housewife Club for Just a Dollar

I’d like to share one of the recipes that was submitted to the HBHW Club this past week.

Batter Fried Vidalia Onion Rings

3 medium Vidalia onions cut into rings

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup evaporated milk (or heavy cream)
1 1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
1 egg

Mix the batter ingredients together in a large bowl. Use a whisk or fork to blend well. Separate the onions into individual rings.

Pour about 1 inch of good frying oil (peanut oil is good) in large cast iron skillet. Bring heat up to hot so it sizzles when a drop of hot water is splashed in it.

Dip (one at a time) onion rings into batter, let extra batter drip off for a second, then lay in hot oil. Continue with each ring, one at a time, laying in hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the skillet or stack the rings, otherwise the oil will get cold and stop frying.

Continue this method, turning rings over as they brown, then removing from skillet to drain on paper towels placed over a cooling rack (like for cookies). Salt immediately as you remove them to the paper towel, while they’re still hot.

And here are a few more recipes that have recently been added to the member area.

Sweet Pepper Onion Relish
Real Scalloped Potato Onion Bake
Vidalia Onion Cheese Strata
Vidalia Onion Bake

All in all, we have over 387 new recipes in the member area already.

One of my favorite parts of the HBHW Club is the Member Forum. Here are just a few of the more recent posts.

Member Forum Posts

Why don’t you join us so you can get in on the conversation. I look forward to chatting with you in the member area.

http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Featured Articles

Lowering The Fat Content In Ground Beef

The difference in cost between good old regular hamburger and lean ground beef (or ground chuck) can be astounding. So, when you’re mixing up a casserole, chili, or spaghetti sauce you want to use the least expensive ground beef available. Choosing the least expensive ground beef makes sense financially, but oh that fat content!

How can you save money while at the same time not ingesting all that fat? There is a way to reduce the fat when cooking with less expensive ground beef. Follow the simple methods found in our feature article and you’ll save both your money and your diet!

Click the link below and learn just how easy it is to save both fat content and money on your next ground beef dish:

Lowering The Fat Of Regular Ground Beef

Healthy Hillbilly Housewife

Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com

[RSSImport display="5" feedurl="http://healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Frugal Tips

[RSSImport display="3" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/frugal-tips/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.

Recipes

Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!

[RSSImport display="5" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/recipes/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.

I’m Looking For:

I’m Looking For Requests
[RSSImport display="20" feedurl="http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/newsletter/recipe-requests/feed" displaydescriptions=true end_item="

" start_item=""]

Inspirational Story

The Bedtime Story

A man and his wife had been arguing all night, and as bedtime approached neither was speaking to the other. It was not unusual for the pair to continue this war of silence for two or three days.

However, on this occasion the man was concerned; he needed to be awake at 4:30am the next morning to catch an important flight, and being a very heavy sleeper he normally relied on his wife to wake him.

Cleverly, so he thought, while his wife was in the bathroom, he wrote on a piece of paper: ‘Please wake me at 4:30am – I have an important flight to catch’.

He put the note on his wife’s pillow, then turned over and went to sleep.

The man awoke the next morning and looked at the clock. It was 8:00am. Enraged that he’d missed his flight, he was about to go in search of his errant wife to give her a piece of his mind, when he spotted a hand-written note on his bedside cabinet.

The note said: ‘It’s 4:30am – get up.’

~author unknown~

Final Thought

Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.

Warm Wishes,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Filed Under: Newsletters

Bill’s Homemade BBQ Sauce

BBQ’ing makes any day a holiday! While many can make some darn good Q… makin your own BBQ sauce will give you the edge when comparisons are made: anyone can buy it, few can make.

Here’s a BBQ sauce recipe that’ll have your family & friends lickin their fingers when they’re done:

16 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbs molasses (Whole Foods organic is best)
2 tbs brown sugar (Whole Foods Dark Organic is best. Use more if desired.)
2 tbs onion powder
1 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs black pepper
1 tbs Paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 – 2 tsp chili powder (adjust for required heat. Go light, you can always add more.)
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
1 tsp salt
2 tbs corn starch

Cooking instructions:

Using a low heat, bring slowly to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook 5-15 minutes more if thicker sauce is what you prefer. Take off and allow to cool. Bottle and refrigerate – overnight is best. Keep refrigerated. Will last for weeks, if you have any left, that is.

Now, I’ll often make 3 batches of this at once, and tweak 2 of them with differing levels of heat (extra chili powder or habenero sauce), extra sweetness, or extra spices. A 1/2 cup of whiskey can also add some bite.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Convenience Foods, Holiday Recipes, Recipes, Savory Sauces, Gravy and Condiments

Homemade Carpet Cleaner Solution

Looking for a way to make homemade carpet cleaner to spot clean and that could be used in my steam cleaner. Anyone that could help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks!!

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Using Up Powdered Milk

I bought a box of powdered milk for a recipe and now I have bunch left over. I don’t drink milk, so what can I do with the rest of it? I want to use it before it hardens in the package and goes bad. Thanks.

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

How To Grow A Garden That The Deer Won’t Eat

We have tried to have a vegetable garden for several years. We have had no luck with it because the deer eat the plants. There is a heavy presence of deer in our area and they are not picky eaters. They eat everything except marigolds and evergreens. Since we live in a subdivision, we are not allowed to have barbed wire or electric fences. Does anyone have suggestions on how to grow a deer-proof garden?

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Need Recipe For Liquid Dish Soap (Not Dishwasher) And Recipe For Household Disinfectant Please

Hi, looking for an easy and inexpensive way to make dish soap (not dishwasher detergent) and also need a recipe for a good household cleaning disinfectant.
Thank you!

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

I Need A Fruit Leather Recipe

I am looking for a fruit leather recipe. I have a dehydrator, but I don’t have the insert for fruit leather. I am willing to use the oven.

Filed Under: I'm Looking For Requests

Search This Site

Categories