Homemade Hot Wing Sauces
With the Superbowl right around the corner, I am sure that many of you will be making some sort of hot wings for appetizers during game day. I know in my home, we have tons of food on this day and it can get pretty expensive purchasing store bought wing sauces. Why not try making your own this year? Homemade hot wing sauces not only taste better than store bought, but you are able to control the ingredients which makes them also healthier.
Here are just a few of my favorite all time sauces that I am sure you will love just as much as I do! Those Superbowl fans of yours will be rooting for more of your homemade goodies just as well as rooting for their team!
Best Buffalo Wing Sauce:
- 8 tbsp hot sauce (Texas Pete’s workswell)
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
- 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt to taste
Place all ingredients in an saucepan
and cook on low heat bringing it to a simmer. Pour over wings. Store any unused sauce in the refrigerator.
Barbecue Sauce:
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 4 ozs tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp salt
- 3/4 tbsp steak sauce
- 3/4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tbsp hot sauce
Place all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.Stir occasionally. Pour over
chicken wings.
For extra yummy wings, marinate in the sauce overnight and continue to baste
them while they are cooking.
Wing Sauce For Diabetics:
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup sugar free cola (Dt. Pepsi or Dt Coke)
- 1 tbsp dry onion flakes
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes on low heat. Pour over chicken wings.
This recipe is not completely sugar free. However, it is much better than sauce from the grocery store.
If you want to add some extra tang to your sauce, you can add 1 tsp of mustard.
Make even more convenience foods right at home! You’ll save money, control ingredients, and avoid expensive “fast foods” when you start making your own favorite convenience foods. Click on here to find out about our informative resource Homemade Convenience Foods – and dig into over 200 recipes for handy convenience foods you can make at home.
Eliminate those prepackaged foods from your pantry, eat healthier and cheaper while still cooking fast. Order your copy today!
Making and Keeping New Year’s Resolutions
Today I’d like to share a report with you that I originally put together for the Hillbilly Housewife Club. It’s about making and more importantly keeping your New Year’s resolutions. It’s a quick read (about 20 pages) and some of the things you’ll discover are:
- How to set realistic goals no matter what your resolution this year.
- Mapping out a solid strategy to help you reach those goals, starting with some simple baby steps you can take this week.
- How to stay motivated and continue to work towards your goals when the first enthusiasm wears off.
- How to look at the big picture and then break it into small short-term goals for a sense of accomplishment.
- How to apply these strategies and tips no matter what your goals are.
You can download the report here:
It’s Resolution Time – Making and Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions Throughout The Year (PDF)
Set aside a few minutes today to read through it and start making a plan of your own to make 2012 the year you’re keeping your New Year’s resolutions (no matter what they are). [Read more...]
10 Ways to Use Up Leftover Ham
If you have tons of leftover ham floating around, there are many ways that you can transform the ham into something new and delicious. Here are 10 ways to use up leftover ham.
Best And Cheapest Way To Clean Old Silver
I inherited some very old silverware and, up until now, just had it stuck in the back of a drawer. The last time I looked at it was a long, long time ago. But, that’s all changed.
This Thanksgiving I realized I was short a regular fork when I set the table. That got me thinking I should maybe buy a whole new set.
Instead, I was reminded of the old silver and dug it out, unrolled the cloth bundle and voila! I had forgotten how pretty it was.
Although it was pretty it was also quite tarnished, even black in places. This is a normal development when you pack silver away and ignore it for years.
I knew if I wanted to use it I had to polish it, but I didn’t want to buy or use any of that abrasive commercial stuff because;
1) I didn’t want to spend the money, and
2) I don’t think that ancient stuff would stand up to losing much more of its silver with the customary polishing.
Instead I searched and got the directions for a scientific approach, maybe from chemistry class? Anyway, it’s a method I had a vague memory of from years ago…
Aluminum Foil and Baking Soda
The method is very simple. You need:
- baking pan
- aluminum foil
- boiling water
- baking soda
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil, and lay silver on top, making sure each piece is on the foil, not overlapping or piled up.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Set the pot of hot water in the sink and add baking soda (It will foam up so be careful.)
Pour the water into the baking pan over the silver. (You’ll quickly see the tarnish start to turn silver again.)
Please Note: The process produces some smelly odors so do in a well ventilated kitchen or outside. Hold your breath if you’re going to watch it.
For the full description and pictures, be sure to click on the link in the “submitted by” area.
It worked beautifully! My silver is restored to a usable condition. It’s not perfect, because it’s old and very used. But it’s shiny and lovely and now when I set the table I can remember Thanksgivings and Christmases at Gramma’s house.
And, I didn’t have to go buy new stuff!
Holiday Leftover Magic – Free Report
The holidays are coming up and that of course means lots and lots of leftovers (my husband’s favorite). And with super low prices on family favorites like turkey and ham it’s easy to make extra and live frugally for the coming days.
What are you to do with all that extra ham and turkey? Here are some yummy ideas for you.
Holiday Leftover Magic (pdf)
You can download this short report to your computer by right-clicking on the link above and choosing “Save as” or “save target as” from the drop-down menu.
As always, you’re welcome to share this report with family and friends. I’d also appreciate some tweets, mentions on facebook etc.
One last tip – if you find a really good deal on turkey or ham, buy and freeze an extra one. Cook it up in a couple of weeks and use it in all sorts of soups, stews and of course my favorite – casseroles.
Laundry Tips To Save You Time and Money
Laundry makes up a fair portion of our weekly chores. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t have at least one load of laundry to do. That’s why I’m always looking for tips and ideas that help make things easier. I’ve put together a few of my favorite tips in this short report.
Here’s what you’ll find inside the Laundry Tips Report
- 10 Reasons Why You Should Use Vinegar in Your Laundry
- Easy Homemade Laundry Detergent
- Frugal Tips for Stretching Your Fabric Softener
- How to Make Your Own Dryer Ball
- How to Properly Iron Clothes
Laundry Tips (PDF)
To download the report to your computer, right click on the link above and choose “Save As” or “Save Target As”.
As always you are welcome to share this report with family and friends. Tweet about it, post it on Facebook, mention it on your blog … anyway you can help me get the word out about these laundry tips is much appreciated.
Recommended – Keeping It Clean
On Sale This Week – Half Price
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
Tips From 8 Frugal Experts – Free Report
I have another free report for you today. A few weeks ago I got together with 7 friends who also blog and share frugal advice. We each contributed a chapter to the report you can download below.
- Christine Steendahl shared some menu planning tips.
- Crystal Collins explains how you can eat organic on a budget.
- Tawra Kellam has some cleaning tips that save you time and money.
- Tracy Roberts keeps you organized.
- Debba Haupert gives Girlfriend advice on frugal ways to spend time with friends.
- Andrea Deckard has 5 ways to save money with coupons.
- Lain Ehmann talks about getting over being overwhelmed.
- And I wrote about one of my favorite topics – saving time and money with your crockpot.
Saving Money And Time Without Losing Your Mind (pdf)
“8 Easy Expert Solutions For A Frugal Family”
Please note – this is a rather large file (64 MB). It will take a moment to download. I recommend right-clicking on the download link above and choosing “Save File As” or “Save Target As” to save the report to your computer.
Enjoy!
Roasting a Pumpkin
Roasting a pumpkin can save you money on your grocery bill. It also makes your recipes taste fresher and is much better for you! My friend Jill stopped by to share with us today how to roast a pumpkin and some delicious recipes to boot!
Peter Piper Picked a Profoundly Plump Pumpkin — Now what does he do with it?
How to Roast a Pumpkin
Using Up Those Apples
My apple tree finished up this past weekend. The fruit that I got from that tree will be used to make the most delicious recipes ever! My friends Jill and Tawra stopped by to share some information about apples.
I’ve always dreamed of having an apple tree in my backyard. You know the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for?” Now that I actually have my own apple tree, I stand in my yard watching the apples piling up around me thinking, “Oh no — What do I do with this mess now?”
Feeding a Family on a Tight Budget
If you have a large family and you are looking for a more frugal way to feed them, then my friends Tawra and Jill from Living on a Dime have some great tips for you! Tawra feeds her whole family of 6 for only $400 a month! That price even has my interest peaked!
Tawra Kellam, editor of LivingOnADime.com , does something that most people think they can’t do today. She feeds her family of 6 for $400 a month. Most people say that’s an impossible feat but what’s even more impressive is that she does it without using coupons.
How does she do it?
How Much Should I Charge For Yard Sale Items
Having a yard sale is a great way to make some quick cash and de-clutter your home in the process. But the age old question still remains; how much should I charge for yard sale items? In this article, I have a few tips to share with you that should give you more bang for the buck.
Properly pricing your items can mean the difference between making a good amount of money or having tons of leftover stuff that you either have to haul away to a thrift store, or repackage back up and store away for another time. By pricing your items for a fair price, you keep the repeat yard sale gurus coming back for more deals later on when you choose to have another yard sale later in the season. Hard core shoppers remember addresses where the best deals were found, so always try to make a good first impression with your pricing.
Yard Sale Price Guide
You have decided to have a yard sale. You’ve been through all the rooms in your home, collected your items, placed them in piles for pricing, so now all you have to do is start tagging them. How much should you charge? In this article, I have put together a yard sale price guide to help you charge a fair amount for your items. By pricing them strategically, you will be assuring to have repeat customers in the future!
Let’s take a look at some of the most common items:
[Read more...]
Yard Sale Tips
Yard sales are a quick and easy way to earn some extra money and get rid of some clutter from your home in the process. I have put together some great yard sale tips from my experience as the seller.
The best time to hold a yard sale are the first and third weekends of the month. Most families get paid on the 1st and 15th of every month and that is when they tend to do most of their shopping. Never hold a yard sale on a holiday weekend (unless that is part of a tradition of a holiday weekend). Your customers will be few and far between.
[Read more...]
How To Hold An Online Yard Sale
Last year, I discovered how to hold an online yard sale. The weather was not cooperating with me for two solid weeks and I had already placed two separate ads in the local newspaper—only to turn around and have to cancel them because of the rain. I began to think, there has to be something I can do to sell my stuff without having to go through this again. It was then that someone turned me on to Craiglist.
Did you know that you can have an online yard sale and still make an armload of cash? I’ve put together some of my strategies and ideas for making the most of an online sale while using Craiglist as the main catalyst for selling my items. So how do I do it you ask? Well the good thing about Craiglist is that it is absolutely free to use! No hidden fees or charges for loading pictures. No added fees. It is totally and one hundred percent free!
[Read more...]
Staying Cool This Summer – Free Report
It’s getting hot down in my neck of the woods as we approach the 4th of July weekend. With that in mind, I sat down this morning and put together a short report for you about staying cool this summer. In it you will find ideas for various drinks, foods and snacks that will help you through the coming weeks without feeling like you’re melting in the sun.
Staying Cool This Summer (pdf)
Enjoy!
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
How To Organize Magazines and Magazine Clippings
I enjoy reading magazines. I subscribe to some on occasion, but also get them from the library and my mother-in-law. Keeping them from cluttering up my house has always been a bit of an issue which is why I enjoyed reading this article about how to organize magazines and magazine clippings.
Enjoy – Susanne, The Hillbilly Housewife
How To Organize and Use Magazines
by Jill Cooper
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm
[Read more...]
Getting Motivated To Clean House – A Homemaker’s Story
Jill and Tawra from Living ON A Dime just sent me a great story to share with you. It’s called “When Queens Ride By” and was written in 1926.
The story is about the big difference an organized and clean home can make in our life. It’s so easy to let decluttering, straightening up and cleaning go undone when there are so many other “more important” things to do. Read this beautiful story and find out why that may not be a good idea.
Jill wrote a very inspiring introduction to the story that shows how the lessons learned still hold true today. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I have.
You are welcome to share this free ebook with family and friends. Email it to anyone who could use a little inspiration during tough times.
Enjoy
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
Raising Money For Tornado Victims In The Southern US
My good friend Patti from Remarkable Wrinklies emailed me yesterday with an idea to raise some funds for the tornado victims in the Southern US. It’s a wonderful idea and I’m excited to be able to support her. From now through May 15th all proceeds from sales of the Homemade Convenience Food ebook will be donated to the Red Cross to help families affected by these devastating storms and floods. To order the ebook and find out more about what Patti is doing, take a look at this blog post by her:
Donating To The Red Cross – Helping Our Southern US Neighbors
Please help us spread the word about this “fundraiser” by telling family and friends about, blogging about it or sharing the link on facebook and twitter. We appreciate your help.
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
Frugal Gourmet Food Gifts
This is a guest post by Mel, the Gift Girl – Enjoy!
With the cost of food rising, even the old idea of giving food for Christmas has made some of us think twice! But there are still plenty of yummy treats that can be made inexpensively and still seem elegant for the holidays. Here are my favorite frugal foods to make and give:
Anything looks gourmet when it is dipped in chocolate! Look around for what you already have – pretzels, animal crackers, small wafer like cookies, marshmallows, coffee beans, nuts – and dip them in chocolate. One bag of chocolate chips (or leftover candy from Halloween) goes a long way.
Wait for the pumpkins to go on sale at the end of fall and then make Pumpkin Butter, a spicy and delicious treat. Once you peel the pumpkin, your work is nearly done. Just put everything in the crockpot and let it cook until done.
There are dozens of ways to flavor popcorn – sweet, salty, savory and more. We have tried Taco Popcorn, Caramel, Honey, Cinnamon Crunch, BBQ, Maple, Parmesan and many more and everyone loves the flavors. You can give
popcorn in paper bags, jars or even make popcorn balls on sticks.
Make homemade coffee or tea syrups like the ones you see in gourmet coffee shops. All you do is combine equal parts sugar and water and boil until it thickens a little. Then add whatever flavorings you want such as vanilla, almond, cherry, cinnamon, etc.
Biscotti is easy to make and there are many variations. This is another food gift that is easy to mix and match with whatever you have around – dried fruit, nuts, candy bits, melted chocolate, etc. It is great to make and freeze. You can decorate wax coated paper bags to give it in or put it in glass jars.
Mel, the Gift Girl shares many more homemade, store bought and experience gift ideas at her website – www.uniqueholidaygiftideas.com
Inexpensive Home Furniture
We badly need some new living room couches. The old ones we’ve had since we were first married (and who have made it through several moves) are starting to fall apart. Because I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on new couches, I’ve been doing some research into inexpensive home furniture and came across the article below. It as some great tips and I figured you would enjoy it as well.
Buying Frugal Furniture
Buying furniture can take a big bite out of your wallet. Even with careful thought and wise shopping, it is a major expense. Sometimes it is worth paying a little more money to get a piece that will last for years, rather than a very inexpensive item that will fall apart or become hopelessly outdated in a short time. On the other hand, some people pay outrageous sums of money for their furniture. Most of us neither want to do that, or have the financial means to do so.
There are some basic rules you can follow to keep the cost of buying furniture down, while selecting items that will serve you best for years to come. There are also factors to take into consideration so that your furniture stays in good condition, is comfortable for you, and well used.
Here are some guidelines:
- Remember the design element of scale. Some sofas are oversized, and others are small and seem to hug the ground. IKEA is a discount store that sells a lot of very low furniture. If you have a big room, you will want larger pieces. Smaller sized furniture looks better in small rooms and apartments. IKEA manufactures their furniture in Scandinavia, where dwellings are typically smaller than American sized spaces. Another benefit of their furniture is that it is fire resistant. You can only find that at two retailers in the US.
- Another thing to consider when buying sofas is the height of your family members. You will not be comfortable sitting in a sofa when your feet do not reach the ground. On the other hand, if your knees are in your face, the sofa is too small for you. This is why couples should always shop together for furniture.
- Buy the best quality furniture that you can afford, preferable used. You can find bargains in the chipped and dented section of many department stores, as well as in the classifieds. If you have children, your furniture is not going to remain pristine anyway, and a few scratches are nothing to get concerned about if the quality is good.
- Keep your large upholstered pieces in a neutral color and in a classic style. Visit Goodwill to visualize what happens to trendy pieces. Very few people are comfortable with a lime green or burnt orange sofa in their living room. Colors return, but they are in different shades. The hottest bright green now is a kiwi color. I personally like that color, and have a futon cover in that shade. When it becomes hopelessly outdated, I hope to just replace the cover. When your furniture is in a solid color, it is very easy to drape an afghan, quilt, or blanket over it to hide worn spots. You can make it last a lot longer that way.
- When buying wood furniture, as a general rule, the darker the wood, the more formal it is. Again, if you shop at IKEA, you will notice all their furniture is casual, and almost all of it is stained in a light color, like pine or birch. Wood grain with a lot of red in it, like mahogany, is difficult to blend with lighter colors. For the most versatility, buy your wood stained in medium to light shades.
- When you look at the upholstery fabric on your furniture, remember that it is only as strong as its weakest fiber. When I was taking my Interior Design classes in college, we tested the fibers in fabric. We pulled them apart, and ran tests on them for several things, including strength and durability. Fabric that is made from several different kinds of fibers will probably not be as durable as a closely woven fabric made with one material. These are usually fabrics with a very smooth texture and tight weave. Pieces that can be used in several ways, and in different rooms of your home, will serve you for years. Buy real wood when possible, and you have many options to stain and paint over the years as needed.
- Buy furniture you know you will use. Think about the function of each piece. Be sure you are spending money on something you really need.
- Use multi-purpose pieces whenever possible. If you are short on space, placing a television on a bookcase is more practical than placing it on a stand. Use small bookcases for tables, trunks for coffee tables, and bed units with drawers in the frame for children. You can also hide a lot of stuff under fabric-covered tables. You can buy simple cardboard stands, meant to be covered, or make one yourself by cutting a circle out of plywood and putting it on a sturdy base.
- Finally, remember that mixing and matching is now in full fashion. You want your room to look like it has evolved over a period of time. This gives it the character and warmth you do not find in a furniture showroom.
Make good use of furniture that comes to you from all sources. Reupholstering chairs is not hard, and stripping wood and refinishing or painting it is a do-it-yourself project. Careful shopping, including buying interesting used pieces, will give character and personality to your home. It is also fun to be surrounded by items that have a history or story associated with them, rather than a trip to the local furniture store.
About the Author: Nikki Willhite has been writing and publishing articles on the Internet on the topic of Frugal Living for over a decade. Visit her at http://www.frugalhappyfamilies.com, where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal Happy Families- more than just money! Article first published at http://www.allthingsfrugal.com
Homemade Halloween Costumes – Ask Who, When, And How Much Before You Begin
What makes Halloween such a fun holiday? Is it creating the Jack O’Lanterns, the neighborhood raids for candy, the decorations, the parties, or is it something else? For many kids and grownups alike, the thing that makes Halloween the most fun is the costumes!
Many folks want to make their own costumes at home in order to create lasting memories with their children. However, this is not the only reason. More and more families are trying to watch their budget. Making their own fun costumes for Halloween is an easy and fun way to save money, as well as making memories.
When you decide to make Halloween costumes at home, you need to ask yourself a few questions, like, will the costume be suitable for my child’s age; will it work for the games planned at the party; how much time do I have to make the costume; and of course, how much money can I spend on a costume. Let’s attempt to answer some of these questions here:
Who? – The appropriateness of a costume for a 10 year old is totally different than for a 2 year old. Complicated closures and busy embellishments can pose some safety issues for a little one and cause frustration, too. If the costume is mainly used for Trick-or-Treat night you’ll want something that is warm enough for a cold climate and light colored for safety sake. Of course there should never be a mask worn by a child who is old enough to walk from door to door, as the child needs to have unrestricted vision to watch out for traffic.
Time? – Say you receive an invitation to a special party weeks in advance of Halloween. You can go to the fabric store and have fun buying just the right stuff to create great costumes for your family. That’s definitely family fun! But, if you find out about a party just days or hours beforehand, can you still have fun creating costumes? Of course you can. If you accept your time constraints and get creative, you can still laugh with your family and have a good time making those last-minute costumes.
Money? – Even if you have all the time in the world to create Halloween costumes for your family, it won’t do you any good if you ruin your budget in the process. Over-spending on costumes will certainly not create a very happy memory. Instead of robbing your grocery money for the week to pay for your little one’s lavish costume, look for fabulously bejeweled cast-offs either in your closet or at the local thrift store. That’s what all those old bridesmaids dresses are made for!
What Next? – Once you’ve answered those three questions, you’re ready for some basic costume construction ideas. You’ll need a few elements to help you create something that’s fun, frugal, and fast. With a little cardboard or posterboard, you can build a classic sandwich board style costume and create any number of costumes, like a playing card or box of cereal. Cut a couple wing shapes out, spray them with different paint colors, and you’ve got yourself a butterfly. With a cardboard box and some paint you can turn your child into a car or a Christmas present.
There’s also the costume creation method called “rummaging through Mom and Dad’s closet.” This is perfect for very short time notice and very limited funds. If possible, Grandma and Grandpa’s closet will yield even greater finds for your little ones. Grandma’s long flannel nightgown and some curlers in a hair-net will have your neighborhood laughing hysterically as your family goes out on Trick-or-Treating night. One of Dad’s shirts, a tie, hat, and a briefcase turns your little fresh-faced toddler into a busy executive. Keep an open mind and you are bound to find lots of stuff to create all sorts of fun!
Have you asked yourself those three questions:
- Who is this costume for?
- How much time do I have?
- What’s my budget?
If so, then you have the basics to start looking for ideas to create your own special Halloween costumes for your family. It’s time now to get ready for that all important question that we hear our children ask every year – “What should I be for Halloween?”
p.s. If these simple Halloween costumes appeal to you, perhaps you’d appreciate even more ideas! Click on to order your very own copy of Homemade Halloween Costumes Made Simple.
Save money and have fun creating one-of-a-kind costumes for your little ones.
You get everything you need in this comprehensive ebook, including Over 90 Homemade Costume Ideas and the Supplies list for each costume, along with a Description on how to make each costume. You’ll also find ideas for Fun accessories for most costumes, Ideas for siblings costumes, and Last Minute Costume Ideas.
Along with all that, you’ll get these bonuses absolutely free:
- Fun Halloween Foods For Kids valued at $9.95
- Face Painting for Halloween valued at $9.95
Order today and start having fun making your own Halloween costumes!
Halloween Costumes For Kids – Create Simple Frugal Costumes
I love Halloween, but I don’t love the expensive “designer” costumes that I see in all the stores. Even the discount stores have racks filled with expensive character costumes that kids know and want.
I’m appalled at the prices of these much sought after costumes and can’t bring myself to fork-over my hard earned money to purchase them. If I purchase even one of these costumes, it means I don’t put gas in my car this week, I can’t buy a present for a birthday party, we eat beans for two weeks, and the dog doesn’t get his vaccinations. Life will go on without a “designer” costume.
It’s time to get creative and skip the whole designer costume idea. Here are a few wonderfully fun ideas for simple Halloween costumes for all ages:
Pile of Leaves
Take a big, old, dark brown T-Shirt that hangs down to your little one’s knees. Then take fabric glue and a sack of fall color leaves (you can buy at a craft store), and just glue the leaves all over the shirt. Then, take an old bandana scarf or hat and glue more leaves all over it and tie it on her head. Dress your child in a turtleneck shirt and tights and you’ll have the cutest little pile of leaves you’ve ever raked!
Hello My Name Is
Take a big rectangular piece of poster board, poster paint, and an “Hello My Name Is” name tag, and proceed to copy the design of the name tag onto the poster board. Then write her name or even a favorite rock star’s name, or business tycoon’s name on the line. Punch two holes in the top of the name tag and use big safety pins to pin the tag on the shoulders of a big bright colored sweat shirt. Dress your child underneath in a dark turtleneck and black tights or pants and the look is complete. The name tag is certainly an icon that’s recognizable, and humorous.
Climbing Rose Trellis
When looking around the house and garden, you may discover a lot of stuff piling up just waiting to be used for costumes. An old wooden rose trellis that isn’t being used can be cleaned up and put to work. With a few bits of miscellaneous silk flowers left over from crafts, you can string together a bunch of flowers and attach them to the trellis as if they were climbing. Then take a paper bag, cut it in the shape of a clay pot, and staple it to the bottom of the trellis. Attach the trellis to your youngster’s body with a couple lengths of big elastic and tie each length over the top of the trellis, making a loop to slip the arms through. To complete the look, pin some of the flowers on the top of a baseball cap.
Telling children “No” isn’t easy. You want them to have everything their little hearts desire. But, part of the fun of Halloween is being creative. Buying designer costumes off a rack isn’t very creative, but putting your mind to work on these fun costumes is. Let your imagination run wild!
p.s. If these simple Halloween costumes appeal to you, perhaps you’d appreciate even more ideas! Click on to order your very own copy of Homemade Halloween Costumes Made Simple.
Save money and have fun creating one-of-a-kind costumes for your little ones.
You get everything you need in this comprehensive ebook, including Over 90 Homemade Costume Ideas and the Supplies list for each costume, along with a Description on how to make each costume. You’ll also find ideas for Fun accessories for most costumes, Ideas for siblings costumes, and Last Minute Costume Ideas.
Along with all that, you’ll get these bonuses absolutely free:
- Fun Halloween Foods For Kids valued at $9.95
- Face Painting for Halloween valued at $9.95
Order today and start having fun making your own Halloween costumes!
Homemade Silver Cleaner
Here’s a quick and easy way to clean any and all silver items (silverware, jewelry etc. )
Homemade Silver Cleaner
Get out a pan and line it with aluminum foil. I usually use my 9×13 cake pan for this. Make sure the shiny side of the foil is up. Now arrange your silver items on top of the foil
Pour plenty of boiling water over the silverware making sure everything is submerged.
Get your baking soda out and sprinkle it all over the pan. Then just walk away for 15 -20 minutes.
Use some tongs to remove the silver pieces and drop them in some soapy water. Give them a quick wash and then lay them out to dry. You can polish them a bit with a soft cloth.
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
Fruit Fly Trap – Homemade
One of the things I like best about summer is all the fresh fruit available. One of the things I like least is those pesky fruit flies that inevitably find their way into my kitchen.
Over the years I have tried quite a few fruit fly traps (homemade as well as store-bought) and here’s what’s been working best for me. As it turns out, this is also the most frugal version.
Fruit Fly Trap (Homemade)
You’ll Need:
- small, clean jar
baby food jars work really well for this - piece of plastic wrap
- small piece of fruit (banana or melon work well)
Here’s How To Make Your Homemade Fruit Fly Trap:
Make sure the jar is very clean. You don’t want any other odor to compete with the fruit you will put in there. Once the jar is clean and dry, put a small piece of fruit in it. A slice of banana or a small piece of melon seems to work well, but just about any fresh fruit will do.
Cover the jar opening with plastic wrap. Poke a few small holes in the wrap and then set the covered jar on the counter. The fruit flies will fly in and won’t be able to fly back out.
Empty the jar every few days, clean it well and then add another piece of fruit. You’ll quickly get rid of all those pesky little bugs with this homemade fruit fly trap.
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4th Of July Dessert Recipes
Flag Cake
• 1 package cake mix (white or yellow) *
• 8 oz whipped topping (thawed)
• 1 pint blueberries rinsed and drained
• 2 pints strawberries rinsed and sliced
Prepare cake according to package directions and bake in a 9×13 inch pan. Cool completely.
Frost cake with whipped topping. Place blueberries in a square in the top left corner, and arrange sliced strawberries as stripes to make an American flag. Chill until serving.
* using a store bought cake mix is a great time saver, but when I can, I just make up a batch of this yellow cake recipe. It doesn’t take much longer to make and tastes better.
A fun healthy snack or dessert is these simple fruit kabobs. They look very pretty as well.
4th of July Fruit Kabobs
• Bananas
• Strawberries
• Large Fresh Blueberries
• Kabob Skewers
Slice bananas into large chunks. Alternate fruit on skewers. Serve immediately.
Last but not least here is a fun dessert that also doubles as a simple activity for the kids. I recommend you either do this outside and have the kids work with the sprinkles over paper plates for easy cleanup.
Pretzel Sparklers
• Long rod pretzels
• White chocolate, melted or white chocolate frosting if you have younger kids doing this.
• Sprinkles (red, white and blue) or star cake decorations
Melt the white chocolate. Dip the pretzel rod halfway into the melted chocolate then sprinkle the sprinkles over the wet chocolate. Lay on waxed paper or place in a cup to dry.
Control Journal – Keep Your Household Organized With One Of These
I’ve gotten quite a few questions about control journals or household organizers lately. I’ve kept one for years and couldn’t imagine living without it at this point. It’s the one piece of organization in a midst of chaos. Inside I have everything I need to remind me of what needs cleaned and changed when, emergency numbers, doctors appointments etc. I also keep my meal and cleaning plan in there.
This morning I came across an article about setting up a control journal. It has given me a few new ideas for my own journal and hope it will help you as well.
Getting Your Household Under Control
Several years ago I came across the idea of a household control journal on a website somewhere out there in cyber space. It could have been any number of websites as I have always been a nut for something that could help me stay organized and often did searches for such things.
The idea behind a household control journal is to have one place where you keep the important papers and lists that help you to run your home. This can be a wide-variety of things but typically includes a chores list, your grocery list, your menu planning list, emergency numbers, medical info, financial info, and your child(ren)’s school info.
These are the basic areas I cover in my control journal and though there are some areas, I use more than others they are all ones I would suggest doing. For me, having everything in one place is the best part of using the control journal.
I divided the different categories with a bright colored piece of card stock and labeled each area. The area I use the most or daily is the weekly chores list and the daily routines list. These keep me on track daily with my household tasks.
The other very useful section that I use on a weekly basis is the menu planning and grocery list section. I am a menu planner and therefore this section keeps all my meal ideas in one place. Many people make a master meals or menu list here to go by so that they do not have to think up new meals every week. I also keep my grocery list here to add things to as the week goes on and as I create my menu list on Wednesdays as I shop on Thursdays. Having this information all in one place is quite helpful.
I also use the finances area, but more on a monthly schedule. Each month I create a budget, a bill paying schedule and a savings schedule, because we do sinking funds and deposit the money in a money market account. This area helps me to keep track of all of these things and get the bills paid on time.
The other areas mentioned such as medical info and child(ren)’s school info are mostly used for reference at random times, but at least I know where to find the information when I need it rather than having to dig through piles of papers or search through files.
Using a household control journal has proved to be such a positive experience for me that I recently created a business control journal as well. Plus, it allows me to use one of my favorite organizing items, a binder.
When you create your household control journal, just remember there really is no wrong or right way to do them; the most important thing is that it works for you!
Alyssa Dees Avant is a Christian author, blogger, podcaster, speaker, and business owner, when she is not speaking to audiences of young girls and their mothers, she is writing as a freelance and ghostwriter. Whether she is sharing her passion with girls on the topics of beauty, modesty, and etiquette or with their moms on time management and organizing Alyssa has a true passion for helping others. Visit her on the web at http://beautybydesignonline.com or http://organizedlifebydesign.com
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Frugal Fun Activities For Kids To Do At Home
You knew it was coming. The kids are home all summer. You have your own work and chores to take care of and you can’t spend all your time running around from one activity to the other. You need ideas for quick and easy things to do around the house that won’t require a big investment in time and money, but will keep the kids happy and entertained. Let’s explore a few options here:
Cooking
Now is the time to get your kids involved in the kitchen. Why? Because summer cooking is usually so simple and easy. We are normally pretty happy to eat on the run and snack on easy to prepare treats. Take “Ants on a Log” for instance. With just some celery, peanut butter, and raisins your kids can create their very own feast.
How about something as simple as PB&J? To keep this favorite sandwich interesting, give your kids cookie cutters so they can create fancy hors d’ oerves. Pull out the pretty frilly dresses and have a whole dress-up luncheon on the patio.
In order to make putting a meal together easier for your kids, you may want to cook up a couple batches of fun pasta and rice and keep it in the refrigerator. Have on hand a variety of ingredients like cut up vegetables, fruit, cheese, nuts, or whatever your kids like so they can throw together their very own casserole with little effort. A cold pasta “casserole” with a little ranch style dressing, chunks of cheese, a handful of frozen peas, and maybe even some peanuts is a dish that’s guaranteed to be kid-friendly when your kids are the ones who put it together.
Depending on the age of your children, put them in charge of as much of the preparation as possible. When your kids make a meal, they not only learn about food preparation, but kids who help cook their own food often are more inclined to try new foods. Get out the ingredients and stand back and watch their creativity and curiosity grow.
Gardening
A great way to have your kids spend time outdoors at home in a busy, and productive way, is gardening. Start with a couple cherry or patio tomato plants. They’re easy to grow in containers and produce fun food pretty fast. If your kids don’t like tomatoes, try planting sweet peas or lettuce. Both are fast growing and will do just fine in a container. You can also have your kids plant easy flower gardens in containers or a small patch of earth near the house. When the flowers bloom, be sure to encourage your child to pick them for table arrangements, or as gifts. The more “activities” you can get out of your garden the better.
Start by choosing a sturdy outdoor-style planter. Make sure it’s washed clean, then have your child fill the pot with clean potting soil that’s suitable for what you’re planting. Be sure your child has gloves, watering cans, and any tools that would be handy to use. This not only is useful but it lets the child know their “hobby” is important.
With a little instruction your child will be able to plant a nice garden that will yield hours of enjoyment immediately and when it comes time to pick their produce or flowers. The first blossoms are a thrill, then watching those blossoms open and become the fruit, vegetable, or flower pictured on the packet of seeds very exciting.
You can teach your child about “organic gardening” by planting a naturally pest-free mini-garden. It’s quite entertaining and easy to do. Choose a larger container and plant a combination of plants that like each other and that fight bugs. For instance, one classic arrangement would be a tomato plant surrounded by green onions and marigolds. These three plants work well together fending off bugs while providing food and beauty.
With just a few reminders to weed and water their little garden, your child will enjoy an entire summer of surprises watching his or her garden grow.
Useful Creations
Kids like to sit down and paint, tape, draw, staple, and glue stuff together just for the fun of it. However, these projects take on more importance when they end up being something useful.
When children work on a craft item that they know will be displayed and cherished, they will pay more attention to detail and take pride in the completion of the project. For instance, do you have a box full of pictures waiting to get put into albums or frames? If your child knew that you would put a collection of pictures in a album they created, they would take special care to create one for you, especially if you were to pick a place on the bookcase to display it.
Start simply by handing your child a picture you’d like framed. Then, with your child, measure the picture and set out to help your child find a frame to decorate. Garage sales and thrift shops are great places to find discarded frames cheaply. Help your child to envision what he or she could do to decorate the frame. Talk about painting it a different color or gluing on interesting items to make the frame more personal and fun. Look for fun embellishments like buttons, old puzzle pieces, yarn, ribbon, pictures out of magazines, playing cards, or anything that you can think of that is fun.
Once you have a variety of frames and all your fun embellishments, get your crafting items together. Be sure to have glue, scissors, paint brushes, and anything your child may need to complete the project. Then sit back and let your child show off his or her creative genius! This is a great project for picture albums, too. You can purchase inexpensive photo albums and have your child embellish them, or you can build your own out of cardboard.
What other items can you think of that would be useful around the house? How about a bulletin board, a box for your reading glasses, placemats, napkins, remote control corral, or coasters for the coffee table? These are just a few ideas for things that could be useful; things that your child would take pride in creating and in seeing you use. When your child is making something that will be used, he or she has a special interest in making sure it turns out well. Kids will spend more time making an object that will be on display than on an object that will wind up in a keepsake box.
You don’t have to go much beyond your own backyard to find ideas to keep your kids busy this summer. Just in your day-to-day life you can find things to do with your kids, things you may do anyway, to keep your kids entertained and happy. Create lasting memories with simple homespun activities you can do with your kids all summer long.
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Where Can I Get Emergency Money?
We’ve all been in tough financial spots throughout the years and sometimes we need to raise some emergency money really fast to make sure we can make our house payment, pay rent or even just get food on the table. If you are asking yourself “Where can I get emergency money fast?” this article is for you. It won’t be easy, it won’t be fun, but the aggressive strategies outlines below will help you “find” the extra cash until you can get back on your feet.
Big Money Problems
By Terry Rigg
Are you scared, worried, unsure of what to do, frustrated, embarrassed and humiliated because you can’t pay your bills and put food on the table?
What happened? Did you lose your job? Maybe you are sick or hurt and can’t work. Did an unexpected expense rip your finances to shreds? Maybe you just used those credit cards too much or bought a house that was more than you could really afford.
Whatever the reason you are experiencing Big Money Problems you have to know that for each and every problem there is a solution. Notice I didn’t say an Easy Solution.
If you have hit on hard times you are going to work very hard to find and implement that solution. You are going to do things that you don’t want to do and give up things you want to keep. Your pride is going to suffer in the process.
But you have to do something to solve the problem. And, quite frankly, most people never think it can happen to them so they aren’t prepared. When Big Money Problems hit they don’t have a clue where to start.
There are many actions that you need to take if you find you can’t pay all of your bills. Below is a list of the most important:
Sit down and evaluate your current situation. Determine how much money you are going to have and what your bills and expenses are. If you have more bills than you have money coming in you need to take action fast.
Take a hard look at all of your expenses to see where you can cut back. You may have to be brutal and cut out things you would like to keep, but this is necessary to provide the basic needs of your family. The most obvious and the ones that can produce immediate savings are:
- Utilities
- Phone (cell and land line)
- Cable or satellite
- Groceries
- Canceling subscriptions to magazines
- Obtaining free or reduced lunches for your school age children
- Increase your insurance deductibles and remove any unnecessary coverage
- Internet charges
- Transportation
- Quit dining out
- Entertainment
Your next action would be to determine if there is anything that you could sell or cash in that may bring in some needed income. Here is a list of some of these actions:
- Borrow from your 401k
- Sell a second car or boat
- Cash in life insurance policies
- Collect unpaid debts owed to you by friends and family
- Cash in any CDs, investments, etc.
- Sell jewelry and other valuables
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Now that you have cut your expenses and sold or cashed in what you can it’s time to make a monthly payment plan. If you don’t have enough money to cover everything it is very important that you set your priorities to make sure the most important expenses are covered. Using the below priority list is mandatory if you want to make sure you financial problems don’t escalate:
Priority 1 – Food. Make sure you have enough food for your family. If you lost all of your income you will have to apply for Food Stamps or a similar program through your states Department of Social Services. This will include any necessary prescriptions and other health items. It may be necessary to apply for Food Stamps to make sure you have enough food to sustain your family.
Priority 2 – Shelter. After food, you need to make sure your family has a place to live. If you have only enough income to cover food and shelter, use it for that alone. If you lost all of your income, apply for government assistance to help or consider moving into less expensive housing. After you cover your house payment or rent, pay your utilities.
Priority 3 – Other Necessities. You may need your car to look for employment so consider making your car payment and put back money for gas. You may also need your phone so keep at least the basic service.
Priority 4 – Important Loans. If you have any money remaining after the items listed in the first three priorities, you should pay any other bills that may be necessary to allow you to accomplish what needs to be done to keep you going.
Distribute any money you may have after covering the above priorities between you other bills such as credit cards, phone bills, etc.
If you see that you are going to be late on any of your payments call the creditor immediately. Don’t wait for them to call you. Many companies have programs established that can help you by delaying payments or adding them to the end of your contract. Check to see if you have taken out the insurance that covers loss of income. Make sure to do exactly what you agreed to do with your creditors or let them know why you can’t.
Of course, the most important action is to start looking for a regular income. If you need a job then understand that you may have to take one that you really don’t like. If you can’t pay your bills then you can’t be picky.
When you are late on your payments you are going to start receiving phone calls from your creditors. Work with them but don’t let them take advantage of you or threaten you. Under federal law you have rights as a consumer. Please read my article “Your Consumer Rights” to learn your rights: http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/articles/consumerrights.html
It’s also important that you learn from this experience so that when you are back on your feet you know what you have to do to keep it from happening again.
If you find yourself experiencing Big Money Problems get organized, don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment, do what you say you are going to do and be willing to do what it takes to solve the problem. The odds are good that there will be better days ahead.
Terry Rigg is the editor of the Budget Stretcher web site. To Subscribe to The FREE Budget Stretcher Newsletter just visit his home page at http://www.homemoneyhelp.com or get the Budget Organizer full download version complete with calculating forms and more at http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/BBOdownloadSusanne.html
Summer Vacation Time Is Here – Are You Making Plans?
Kids are out of school in most areas by now and parents are looking at each other wondering “now what?” If you haven’t already made vacation plans for the family, you may be wondering what you can do to make a vacation possible.
There are several ideas about budgeting and scheduling a family vacation that our friends at OurFamilyBudget.com have come up with that I’d like to share with you here. After reading this article, you may change your mind about planning a typical summer vacation. Read on if you will and see what you think.
The yearly vacation is a special event that the entire family should enjoy. Get the most out of it by developing a family vacation budget. It will help give you the means to enjoy this special family time each year.
After working for months the idea of a family vacation can seem like the ideal reward. A week or two in a sunny climate in the middle of a cold and snowy winter is the icing on their yearly cake. Vacations are usually costly though and if your job is set a family budget, you’ll want to get the most out of each dollar you’ve allocated to the vacation fund.
There are many important factors to consider if you’ve decided to set up a financial plan that includes money for vacations. It isn’t enough to just take a percentage of each paycheck and put it in a separate bank account that you’ll turn to at the end of the year. With the proper planning techniques in place when you set a family budget you’ll be able to execute a trip that will be unforgettable.
One important consideration is timing. Most people want to venture out on a holiday at the same time each year. The travel industry refers to these times as peak periods and they generally fall in December, March and again during the summer months. The reason for this is because more people are tempted to take off on a trip when their children aren’t in school. The travel industry knows this and prices are considerably higher during these times.
Although school work is most important, planning a trip during a non-peak time and preparing beforehand might be the most economical answer. Research is fundamental when planning any trip. There is an abundance of information on the internet that can give you an idea of the total cost you will be facing for your trip.
If you do decide to travel during a non-peak time and you have children enrolled in school, there are steps you can take to assist them with their studies. Talk to their teachers and have them assign homework for the trip. This is a wonderful method of not only keeping the children up to par in class but it gives them something to focus on during the car or airplane ride. Children can become agitated easily when expected to sit still for prolonged periods of time, but if they are engrossed in studies, the time moves along much more quickly.
Another consideration when you set a family budget that includes a vacation fund is to consider traveling to a destination that offers all-inclusive vacation packages. This includes not only your airfare and accommodations but can also include meals and beverages. The savings with this type of vacation plan can be considerable. It also offers up the benefit of pre-planning all related costs. You’ll know how much you need to save each month to reach your vacation goal.
One of the things that people often overlook when considering vacation expenses as they set a family budget is the benefit of visiting relatives. A destination that involves family members can result in a considerable savings in accommodation costs. Most people welcome the company of relatives for a few days and if you buy them dinner or surprise them with a thank-you gift they’ll invite you back time and time again.
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How To Freeze 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.
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.
Frugal Living is Team Work
A couple of days ago my daughter’s school sent home their monthly newsletter. It always has some interesting facts and ideas in it and in this particular edition, it had a little article about team work. It included the T.E.A.M acronym. I have seen this before, but thought I’d share it with you today and talk a little bit about how frugal living is team work as well.
Let’s start with what T.E.A.M stands for…
T – Together
E – Everyone
A – Accomplishes
M – More
There are several teams you’ll be working with throughout your frugal live. Your first stop should always be your own family, but your core family (parents and their children) as well as your extended family. How so?
The Frugal Family
Your first “frugal team” as I mentioned will be your family. You don’t live alone and your spending decisions will directly affect your immediate family. Your spouse and kids will be a lot more cooperative as you are starting to make changes to become more frugal if they are involved as well.
Start by telling them what you are planning to do and also explaining why being more frugal is important right now. Then as you start to become accustomed to a frugal lifestyle, keep pointing out what you can do because you are frugal most of the year. This could mean a bigger house, a vacation once a year and even the peace of mind that having no consumer debt and an emergency fund gives you.
Don’t forget to involve your family actively as well. Ask for their input on things you could do without or have them find coupons, deals or just save up for anything extra they want. My family has always enjoyed the challenge of finding the best deal for just about anything.
Not only will your children be less likely to complain about your frugal lifestyle, you are also teaching them valuable life skills about financial responsibility and managing money and other resources wisely.
You may also be interested in this article I wrote a while back – Frugal Living Is A Family Affair.
Let’s move on to our next frugal team. This will be a network of friends who share your views and values.
A Local Network Of Frugal Friends
Having some friends and acquaintances who are frugal as well is beneficial on so many different levels. You can share ideas, tips and places where great deals can be found. I also trade toys and clothes with other frugal friends who have children who are older or younger than mine. You can trade books, go in on larger purchases (my dad has been sharing a lawn mower with a friend who is also a neighbor for years), or just share coupons etc. that the other families do not need.
Another big advantage of having a network of frugal friends is the support they can provide. Living frugally isn’t always easy and there are times where you just don’t feel like saving or finding the best deal. It’s good to have some friends you can talk to that share your values.
With that said, let’s move to the next team – the online frugal community.
A Frugal Online Community
Last but not least, don’t forget about frugal online communities. They are a wealth of information and participants there (both men and women) are always ready to help and be there for encouragement and support.
You will find both free and paid frugal communities online and both of them certainly have their own pros and cons. The biggest pro with a free community is that you have access to a whole bunch of like-minded folks. At the same time, the information you can in free forums isn’t always the most accurate and you will often be presented with many contradicting ideas. You also need to be aware that since signup is free, many people there aren’t very dedicated to living frugally. My best advice is to take all advice you receive in free online forums and communities with a grain of salt.
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Frugal Living Without A Big Pantry
A Hillbilly Housewife newsletter reader asked me a few days ago how to live frugally and save on groceries without a big pantry or freezer. That’s a great question.
I know I’ve been talking a lot lately about having a big pantry, taking advantage of sales and buying in bulk. While those are good strategies they simply don’t work for everyone.
If you are living in a small apartment, are traveling the country in an RV or simply don’t have the room for a big pantry, there are still a lot of things you can do to live frugally.
I sat down this morning and wrote a short little report for you with various ideas on living frugally without a big pantry or freezer. You can download the report below. My gift to you.
You are also welcome to share the report with family and friends.
Frugal Living Without A Big Pantry (PDF)
To save the report to your computer right click on the link and choose “save link as” or “save target as” from the menu that appears. Choose where you want to save the file and click on save or ok.
Please Note: You will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the book. Most newer computers have this program installed by default.
If you do not have a copy you can download it for FREE from
http://www.adobe.com
If you have a MAC computer, simply click on the download buttons and save to your desktop or hard drive
What Kind Of Tree Is That? Enjoy Some Frugal Fun And Learn Something In The Process
Springtime, with all the flora and fauna waking up, is the perfect opportunity to get outside and enjoy the countryside. Everyone has gotten a little tired of the long winter here, so we are always looking for something to do outdoors once the weather starts to be a bit more welcoming.
Granted, things may still be a little snowy in places, but generally speaking, there is life out there!
The trees are starting to bud in our neck-of-the-woods. Mind you, they’re just beginning, but once the sun gets a little warmer, those buds will quickly leaf out. And that is the perfect chance I’m looking for to give our family a little something to do in the great outdoors.
One of the projects I like to do with our kids is to identify trees. This is a good exercise for younger children who aren’t quite sure yet which tree is which. There are several ways to make this outdoor adventure an educational experience that’s still lots of fun for all ages.
You’ll want to bring along a digital camera if you have one. That way, you or an older child can take a picture of the general shape of the tree to use as a reference when you do your homework. Then, younger children may want to pick a leaf or a cone off the ground to help identify the tree.
Once you’ve had time to walk around, enjoying nature, taking pictures and gathering what you can, it’s time to do your investigation. Get your tree “clues” together, the leaves, cones, and photos, and you’ll be ready to identify the trees or bushes that you’ve seen during your walk in the country.
There are many interesting picture books for children that can help in the identification, but one resource I’ve found particularly helpful is a website called BackyardNature.net. What’s nice about this resource is that it covers a wide range of species so you are bound to find your own area’s trees.
This is a great project that gets the whole family outdoors enjoying the fresh air and sunlight, then gets everyone involved again identifying what they found that day. I know that after a long winter inside with the family, cooking and cleaning, you’ll want to enjoy the first signs of spring in the great outdoors.
I hope you’ll be able to enjoy this frugal little homespun activity with your family soon!
Beat The Winter Chill With Some Good Home Cooking
Down here in the deep south, we’ve had one of the coldest winters in recent years – and it’s early February. There are quite a few more cold weeks ahead of us. For me there is nothing better to warm up and beat the winter chill than with some good home cooking.
One of my personal favorites is a hot bowl of chicken and dumplings and some scratch biscuits on the side. It just doesn’t get much better than that.
My husband’s favorites are pot of beef and vegetable soup or homemade chili with a side of cornbread, while my daughter will go for chicken noodle soup or broccoli cheese soup any winter day.
What is it about these comfort foods that instantly makes us feel better? Not only do they warm us up, these soups and stews also do a great job at helping us fight the winter blues.
Let’s start with the obvious… all these dishes are piping hot when you bring them to the table. Even the breads are still warm from the oven. Enjoying warm foods like this after spending some time outside in the winter, is a great way to help us warm back up.
These winter dishes also contain quite a few carbs. That’s easy sugar that our body can quickly burn as fuel to keep generating body heat. Eating carbs will also release hormones like serotonin that make us feel happy, making them the perfect foods to beat winter blues and cabin fever.
Here’s another great reason to cook and bake in the wintertime. It will keep your kitchen nice and toasty warm. I had a big pot of beef stew cooking on the stove all day and then made some homemade cornbread. We all ended up hanging out in the kitchen because it was much warmer than the rest of the house. It was wonderful. I had some company while I was cooking and after dinner we all worked on dishes together before settling around the kitchen table to play some games.
I shared a few of my favorite home cooked meals for the winter months. How about you? What are your own favorites. Please share them (with recipe if you can) as a comment below.
Financial Peace of Mind – Do You Have It?
There used to be a time in my life, where I would wake up at least once every single night, worrying about how to make the next rent check or pay the gas bill. And that was after tossing and turning for hours worrying about money. It’s not a good place to be and I am glad those days are behind me. That’s why when I read the article below, I knew I had to share it with you. Financial peace of mind – or not having to worry about money constantly – is such a great feeling. Read on to find out how you can get it as well.
Financial Peace – How to Get it and Keep It
You might have heard people say that “money doesn’t buy happiness” and that “the best things in life are free”. But have you ever been so broke or in debt that all you did was consistently worry and stress over money? Did you know that the majority of people in North America who get divorced say that money fights were one of the main issues? While money may not buy happiness, one thing is certain: if you don’t have peace in your financial life and control of your personal finances, it will taint every other area of your life and absolutely drain you of your happiness and security.
So what can you do to get control over your money, eliminate the financial stress and gain the financial peace which will enrich every other area of your life? Let’s start with some things that most people never even consider about money…
First, ask yourself if there is anything that you can begin to do today which you know will make your financial life easier in the future. Maybe it’s to start saving money, even if only a few dollars a week. Maybe it’s to start paying a little extra on the principle of your car loan or your mortgage. Maybe it’s simply to start saying no to at least one impulse purchase per week.
No matter what the first step in your debt elimination might be, if you are like most people you are not yet using all of the knowledge that you already have when it comes to managing your finances and getting out of debt.
This is the same reason that anyone doesn’t do something they “know” they need to: their conditioned behaviors are telling them not to. Sure, this may not make logical sense…that’s the point. Conditioned behavior is not rationally driven, it’s emotionally driven.
Your emotions are the motivating force behind your behaviors; rational thinking is normally only used to defend or to support your emotional conditioning.
Just think about the habit of saving. Why don’t people develop this habit and feed it until it becomes second nature? Sure, the rationalization might be: “I don’t have enough to save because I’m just getting by as it is!” or “I’ll start saving once I get _______.”
However, these are all rooted in fear, which can be overcome by acknowledging the thing which gives fear its power: uncertainty. The best way to erase this uncertainty is to start taking control by planning ahead and by managing your money on purpose. While this may not bring you more money or less bills right away, it will give you a much greater feeling of certainty while will eliminate the majority of fear.
Think about it, how much easier is it to deal with something bad if you are certain that it is going to occur? It’s much easier because it puts you in a position where you are forced to take action and deal with it.
Do this: take a twenty dollar bill and give it to someone who you really trust to hold it for you. Make sure that you don’t ask for it back….no matter how bad things get. Just pretend that you don’t have it and that you must get by without it. This will make you certain of what you are up against and you’ll be amazed at how much more resourceful you’ll become. As you build your savings and slowly increase the amount, you’ll gain more confidence, more certainty and more momentum. Against these three, fear doesn’t stand a chance.
Then start keeping track of everything that you spend and everything that you make. Even if the picture is ugly, writing things down will give you a greater sense of certainty. This alone will shut down the majority of the anxiety and worry about money. Now instead of playing the “income vs. outgo will I have enough” tape over and over, you can park those thoughts and focus on a plan of action.
These two steps alone will begin to change your conditioning and habits regarding money management. It won’t happen overnight, but then again bad money habits are never formed overnight either. Get started right now on improving your financial literacy, while you are still thinking about it and you’ll have taken the first step on the road to financial peace.
So now you have a plan and a reason to get started.
John and Linda Ballis from http://wheeloflifebook.com are the authors of the practical step by step guide to life balance “The Wheel of Life’s 8 Keys to Success”.
If you feel that you could use some help in balancing your life so that you are happier and more contented, you have more wealth, and better health and relationships visit our website and purchase our book and download our many free resources including a free, instantly downloadable relaxation MP3.
For more articles you can also visit our blog at http://wheeloflifeblog.com.
Coping With Holiday Stress – Tips To Enjoy This Special Season
It’s so easy to get sidetracked by all the various to-do lists and worries this time of the year. No wonder you feel stressed out. Here are some simple tips for coping with holiday stress that will help you focus on what’s really important – Enjoying this special season with family and friends.
Trade Your Holiday Stressings For Christmas Blessings
When I talk with other moms about their December plans, they’re usually all about Christmas. They have cookies to bake, decorations to set up, meals to plan, a house to clean, presents to buy, expectations they will never be able to meet. Sometimes these moms even tell me, “I can’t wait for this all to be over so I can relax!”
These activities may be part of a meaningful Christmas, but if that’s all Christmas has become for you, it may be time to reconsider your reasons for celebrating.
Where is the joy of the season when you’re too exhausted to experience it?
Where is the pleasure in spending time with your family and loved ones when you’re too busy to sit and talk with them?
How can their be delight in giving your gifts when you know you spent more than you can afford on something
This year, instead of stressing about the holiday season and its accompanying expectations, I invite you to focus on the blessings of Christmas.
Whatever Christmas means in your home,make that the one focal point of all your planning and celebrations. It’s easy to be distracted by unrealistic expectations, the high costs of Christmas, and those things we do every year, even though we’re not really sure why. This year, celebrate intentionally and with purpose.
For instance, in my family, Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth. If I can keep that one thought at the forefront of my plans, everything else fits into place. I remain focused throughout the season and our Christmas becomes focused, meaningful, relaxing, and satisfying.
This year, instead of getting caught up in the holiday stressings, take a deep break and let yourself enjoy your Christmas blessings.
How Do I Organize A Cookie Exchange?
We recently had a virtual cookie exchange here at the Hillbilly Housewife website, which was a huge success, but I’ve also participated in and hosted my share of actual cookie exchanges. They are a lot of fun and a great way to add variety to your Christmas Cookie Collection. Here are some tips on how to organize a cookie exchange of your own.
Invite 5 to 10 of your friends and ask each of them to make a big batch of their favorite cookie. I like to limit each person to one type of cookie to make things simply.
You may ask each person to let you know ahead of time what cookie they are planning on bringing. This will allow you to suggest something different if you end up with 4 different sugar cookies. Have them bring their cookies on a platter, ready to serve.
I also like to ask each person to prepare a recipe card for each person attending the cookie exchange.
On the day of the cookie exchange, make sure you have plenty of bags to take cookies home in available, some plates, napkins and a big pot of coffee. I also keep some small index cards around. I fold them in half, write the name of the cookie and the person who made it on it and place it in front of the cookie platter.
Now comes the fun part. Just sit down, relax and have a nice chat with your friends as you enjoy a good cup of coffee and of course sample all the cookies. Before it’s time to leave, divide the leftover cookies up and put them in bags for each woman to take home to her family, along with a stack of recipe cards.
Happy Holidays!
Inexpensive Easy To Make Christmas Gift Ideas – Gifts In A Jar
One of my favorite gifts to give is a jar of a baking, soup or drink mix. They are always well received. They make the perfect inexpensive and easy to make Christmas gifts.
Love to make gingerbread cookies? Why not put the ingredients in a jar; write the recipe on red construction paper; cut the construction paper to the circumference of the jar; and wrap the construction paper around the front of the jar with white ribbon. Place a green bow on top of the lid of the jar.
Brownies are a wonderful gift anytime of year, but especially during Christmas. Find your favorite brownie recipe and put the ingredients into a jar. Type up the recipe, roll it up, and place the rolled recipe into jar along with the ingredients. Wrap the jar in color cellophane, and tie the cellophane with red ribbon.
Have you seen those spice green and red candies? There are sold in most supermarkets. This would make a perfect Christmas gift in a jar.
Jelly beans in a jar are another traditional Christmas gift. Easy, fun, delicious, and low in calories as well.
M&M’s in a jar is another wonderful Christmas treat. Buy a bag of red and green M&M’s, either plain or with nuts, and fill up a jar as a Christmas gift which anyone would love to receive.
A traditional Christmas gift in a jar is the colorful hard candies, such as peppermint sticks; Christmas hard candies with filling; red and white mint swirl candies.
For chocolate lovers, why not put chocolate pretzels in a jar. Chocolate pretzels come in packages, and are available in your local supermarket. What a sweet treat this gift would make.
How about theme gifts in a jar? Examples are: Chocolate golf balls; chocolate baseballs; chocolate footballs; chocolate soccer balls. Any of these fun theme gifts would be a hit with anyone who enjoys these sports.
Some of my favorite jar gifts are mixes for fancy beverages including cafe late mix, bavarian mint coffee mix and of course rich hot cocoa mix.
No matter what you choose; traditional; off-beat; baked or bought, making easy Christmas gifts in a jar is fun and allows you to be as creative as you want to be. Gifts in a jar can be an inexpensive treat to give to your colleagues at work; your friends, and even your family members.
The best part is you can go to your supermarket or shopping club and stock up on your favorite candies and chocolates, to make as many jars of treats as you need.
Frugal Christmas Entertainment Ideas
I came across this Christmas article by Pippa Wright today and with her permission am publishing it here for you. Pippa is from England (just outside London) and I just love to read about some of the different Christmas traditions she grew up with. It’s also nice to see that so many things we do to enjoy the holiday season are the same. I hope you will enjoy reading this as well and create some new frugal holiday traditions.
Here’s the article…
Frugal Christmas Entertainment
I don’t know about you but when I was younger I always felt a little out of my friends conversations around Christmas time. It seemed to me that my friends parents spent hundreds of pounds more on my friends Christmas entertainment than my parents did on mine, they went to Pantos, to Lapland and other things that must of cost a fortune.
I often felt that my friends were being short changed however, because even though they had the most desirable places to go to I was always given what I wanted or needed I was given my parents time. I will have to ask my Mum, because looking back everything is slightly rose tinted and I know that it wasn’t all Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows, but it certainly felt that way!
We did a lot of things over the Christmas period that cost next to nothing and to me is part of a frugal Christmas. So if you are time rich and money poor, I hope some of my ideas and traditions for Frugal Christmas Entertainment may become yours!
When I was little we use to go for Christmas Drives, hunting down the Rotary Club Santa. It was always printed in the paper, which area he would be in on which night, but my Sister and I didn’t know that. As far as we knew we really were hunting for Santa. Top Ender has done this over the last few years and she adores looking for him, catching a glimpse and having to try to find him again. It is a good way to spend some time together, as long as you don’t mind spending some petrol money or as long as you can all walk fast!
Starting in the first week of December we go on Christmas light hunts. We know of three or four areas, where the decorations outside the homes in the area are fantastic and so we love to drive around them and hunt for new ones!
Then of course there is our annual trip to see the Christmas Lights in London. We are lucky that we now have a Picasso with a giant sun roof, so that we can just look up and see the beautiful displays. This also works for us in our local town, as I think every town puts up some form of Holiday lighting these days!
For the last three years, Top Ender and I have gone to see the lights being turned on the Christmas tree in our local town square. It is really lovely and we enjoy the countdown before the lights are turned on. Our town council has made an effort to make it more enjoyable, with a small funfair and a light parade first.
Something we love to do is to turn the main lights off in our living room once our decorations are up, and either to just have the Christmas lights on or to light a few candles. Top Ender, Daddy and I have snuggled on the sofa just watching the twinkling lights for ages, Baby Boy tended to fall asleep, but then he was only seven months old!
Watching films is something that Top Ender and I do every week, we have a huge range to chose from and often watch one that I have recorded in the week on one of the kids TV Channels. Doing this with popcorn or some Christmas snacks (and with the lights off and just the Christmas lights on!) will just add the Christmas excitement!
Learning Christmas Carols as a family is great. Top Ender got the giggles a few years back when ever we sang “In the Bleak Mid-Winter”. It took us ages to find out that she thought the line “Snow had fallen snow on snow” was the funniest thing she had heard! Even now when we sing it she will give us a knowing look at that line!
Christmas stories are plentiful and they might be classics (“Twas the Night before Christmas” anyone?) or new but they always bring a smile to someones face… especially if you are like Daddy and me and still think that Randy the Reindeer is a life choice rather than a name!
And of course you can always use the Great Robinson’s website as reviewed by Top Ender here and put on a Panto!
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How about you? What do you do with your family for to inexpensively enjoy this special time of the year? Share your ideas as a comment below.
Easy Homemade Gift Ideas And Other Frugal Gifts
Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, we’re all getting serious about Christmas gifts. In the HBHW Club, we’ve been talking about easy homemade gift ideas as well as some other frugal presents for the past few weeks.
I’ve compiled our best ideas into a free report for you called the ABCs of Christmas Gift Giving. You’ll be able to download the report below and of course you are welcome to share it with family and friends.
I would also like to invite you to join the Hillbilly Housewife Club at www.Hillbillyhousewifeclub.com
Here’s the frugal gift idea report – you’ll find plenty of ideas for every letter of the alphabet (even x and y). Enjoy!
ABCs Of Christmas Gift Giving (pdf)
Warmly,
Susanne Myers – The Hillbilly Housewife
Frugal Gift Ideas For Frugal Housewifes
It’s getting closer to Christmas and I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to seriously look for gifts for loved ones. Most of the women in my family, as well as my close girl friends are frugal (just like me) and I like to give them gifts they will appreciate. When I came across the article below, I knew I had to share it with ya’ll. I love the gift ideas she has come up with. And I feels sure we can come up with quite a few of our own.
Frugal Gifts for Frugal Gals
By Cheryl Johnson
A frugal gift is measured first by it’s usefulness. Speaking from my own experience, I would say that my most appreciated gifts are those that I not only find useful, but that I would have had to purchase myself at some point. With that in mind, the frugal mind that is, the gift actually serves two practical purposes; It is useful and saves me money.
If you are a frugal gal, this task will be much easier for you. If great minds think alike, the same is true of frugal minds. Simply look within yourself. The frugal gal can get excited about the most ordinary of items. For the rest of you, here’s a little help.
Although you may question some items on the list, remember, the frugal gal enjoys frugal things! She looks to get the best value for her money and this IS what makes her happy! It just makes sense that providing a practical frugal gift that may also save money, will make her happy. Isn’t that what great gifts should do? So here’s to happiness and the pursuit of the frugal lifestyle! Happy holidays, happy birthdays, happy Mother’s day, etc. etc. etc….
FRUGAL GIFT BASKET IDEAS
Some of these unique gift baskets might seem odd or unusual to the average person. If you’re a frugal gal, you’ll completely understand. The rest of you will just have to trust me.
This is the gal who has a laundry basket held together with duct tape, tied together with string or rope, or repaired several times with other various ingenious methods.
Probability is, she may not even have a laundry basket. I have several produce boxes (they are extremely strong, especially banana boxes) that make wonderful laundry carriers! And, they are free.
Fill a sturdy laundry basket with one or two boxes each:
- Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
- 20 Mule Team Borax
- A few bars of Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap
I say “sturdy” basket because it will inevitably be put to the test by a frugal gal! If your frugal gal doesn’t need a new laundry basket, you can give these gifts in an appropriate size traditional gift basket or just gift bag ‘em.
This is a great gift for anyone who doesn’t mind saving money. And, I don’t know anyone who minds! I would mix up one batch and put in a tightly sealed container. (You can make a decorative container yourself i.e. – a quart mason jar and some decorative fabric banded over the top. Tie with pretty ribbon.) Place with the laundry detergent ingredients to get them to try it and started down the right path. Include the following Laundry Detergent Recipe with the Laundry Basket Gift.
Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 Cup Grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
For light load, use 1 tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 tablespoons.
Options:
1. If budget allows, throw in some cloth napkins, utility towels, bath towels, hand towels, or washcloths.
2. Make a little book with a variety of laundry tips, tricks, and homemade recipes. This is great for a new bride.
Top with a personalized cleaning shirt or apron or any other little cleaning gadgets you think your frugal gal might find handy. Throw in a coupon for a coffee break date, with you, at your home, her home, or a local coffee shop! Your treat of course.
1. Baker’s Basket: Fill a large mixing bowl or basket [she'll probably get more use out of the bowl 
] with baking tools and/or supplies as much as will suit your budget. i.e. – Wire whisks of various sizes, wooden spoons, measuring spoons and cups, a sifter, cookie cutters, rubber spatulas (you know, those things you use to scrape every last bit of batter out of the bowl. My husband and I still argue about what these are called), a bag of bulk yeast, can of baking powder, various spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, etc.), vanilla extract, or anything else you know your frugal gal or cook will use or needs.
Top it all off with a personalized apron. Make or buy an apron and write the person’s name or a personal message, poem, or saying on it, using a fabric paint pen or paints. Other contents might include a cookbook, some of your own favorite recipes printed neatly on a recipe card or made into a mini cookbook, a recipe file, cookbook stand, well I could go on and on.
2. Cook’s Basket: Fill a large stock pot or basket with a variety of cooking utensils or supplies. i.e. – Most of the above items could be considered as well as, ladles, cutlery, small strainer/s, tongs, special seasonings, cooking spices (Italian seasoning, cumin, onion powder, garlic, oregano, thyme, etc) and again, top it off with a pretty apron! Throw in a cookbook if your budget allows and/or toss in some homemade recipes for taco seasoning, chicken bake coating, stuffing, whatever you can find to replace higher priced store bought mixes.
A good idea might be to actually make the mixes and give them already mixed in a tightly sealed container or jar along with the recipe. How to save money on groceries tips or book.
2. Treat Gift Basket: Now this one is great to give the frugal gal food items that her budget, or frugal mind, just won’t allow. Even frugal gals have favorite gourmet items that they love but rarely treat themselves to. For instance, I love Macadamia nuts. But they are very expensive, making them cost prohibitive for my financial goals right now.
If you don’t already know, ask a spouse or close relative what items the recipient enjoys. Fill a basket or other creative container with those foods and other various specialty foods, snacks, nuts, and/or cheeses. Remember to take into consideration any diet restrictions and select your contents accordingly.
3. Coffee or Tea Gift Basket: I’m a true coffee lover. But, as a frugal gal, I know that a common brand will get me through the day just as well as a gourmet brand. That doesn’t change the fact that I enjoy a good cup of gourmet or specialty coffee once in a while. But, with my current financial goals, the treat comes few and far between.
The coffee basket will definitely be appreciated by the frugal gal who loves a good cup of joe! Pack that basket with several different brands of gourmet or specialty coffee or a lot of the one brand you know she loves. Include a permanent coffee filter to fit the brand of coffeemaker she uses to show you haven’t forgotten her practical side! You can easily adapt the contents to fit the tea lover instead. Top it off with a nice coffee cup.
Now don’t worry frugal gals, I’ve got your back! I wouldn’t want your friends and family to think you will be offended if they give you a non-frugal gift. So here’s my last thought……
Although the frugal gal will love and appreciate the practical, useful, gift like no one else can, she is indeed a woman. So, if the notion strikes, you may certainly reward her with a luxury gift. The frugal gal will enjoy a luxurious treat that she would not normally consider for herself. For example, a trip to the salon for a professional manicure, pedicure, or hair style.
If you know your frugal gal has had her eye on an outfit, or other item, that she’s convinced she doesn’t need but secretly admires and wants, of course (if your budget allows) Get It For Her! Odds are she won’t buy it for herself and she will surely be happy to receive it as a gift. She’ll get to have something she wants but doesn’t actually need, and still remain faithful to her lifestyle or financial commitments.
I hope these ideas help you create beautiful gifts for anyone in your life. Choosing a basket theme to suit the recipients interests or needs is always a winning gift. Personalized gifts are more appreciated and keep on giving. Each time the recipient uses the item/s they are reminded of the thoughtfulness of the giver.
Cheryl Johnson is a mother of four helping herself and others become and remain debt free. Publisher of Simple Debt Free Living at http://www.simpledebtfreeliving.com – a self-help plan, ideas, and resources for a simple proven debt elimination strategy, household budget planning, frugal living, and practical home business ideas . Money saving tips for monthly bills, home decorating, gifts, weddings, groceries, clothing and much more save money every day.
Got some great gift ideas? I’m sure you’ve put some wonderful gifts together for your frugal friends. Share them as a comment below.
Frugal Cleaning Tips – Being Frugal With Your Cleaning Supplies
You can spend a fortune on all types of specialized cleaners for your home, but there is no need. You already have almost everything you need in your home. Just use these frugal cleaning tips and start saving this week. My favorite frugal cleaners are vinegar and baking soda. Angie Meza has a few more ideas up her sleeve and shares them below.
Frugal Cleaning Tips Cut Time and Money
These days it is very “hip” to be frugal. Even though we have been through recessions before, this one is causing us all to stop and think and look to cut down as much as we possibly can. Long-term, this is probably going to be a significant change for us all and will not likely alter when the recession goes away. So many people are looking for frugal cleaning tips online to help them with not only their budget but their time as well.
You don’t need to rely on harsh chemical compounds and toxic solutions when you can tune into everyday natural products to help you on a daily basis. A shopping list full of frugal cleaning tips would include baking soda, lemon juice, Borax, white vinegar and cornstarch. All of these are easy to find and cost effective and you will not need to visit that chemical aisle again.
When you take a good look at your carpet you may realize that it is now a different shade as compared to the one that you installed! Sometimes you move an item of furniture and definitely notice this. Turn to your frugal cleaning tips article and this will tell you to use a natural soap product. Just mix the mild cleaner with water and you have an answer. Rinse with water and vinegar. If you needed to deodorize anytime you can use a simple sprinkling of baking soda.
If you find that the sink in your bathroom is stopped up, don’t automatically reach for those drain cleaners as they are very highly toxic. Your frugal cleaning tips advisor will tell you to go and get the baking soda instead. Pour down the drain, follow with vinegar and put the sink stopper in. After 15 minutes simply flush with boiling water. You will not have released chemicals into the drains and will have saved a lot of money.
On a weekly basis it is amazing to see how much laundry detergent you use, especially if you have a large family and how much this costs as part of your budget. Frugal cleaning tips suggest you change your buying habits and look for washing soda and baking soda. Either is inexpensive and when mixed appropriately can do the job adequately. You can also use borax.
Have you noticed how difficult it is to clean that food residue which seems to set like a rock within your microwave? A very handy frugal tip is to get a microwavable bowl and put a cup of vinegar within. Run this for one minute and you will then be able to wipe the residue out with a little bit of soapy water.
Don’t believe all those commercials on television about how effective window cleaning solutions are. You can turn to some great frugal cleaning tips instead. Mix half a cup of vinegar with a gallon of warm water and use an old newspaper to apply. You will be amazed at the results.
Right at the top of the list of frugal cleaning tips is the need to prevent rather than cure. There are so many places where stubborn stains could occur, causing you to use harsh chemicals to clean up, so you should be prepared. Put absorbent mats in place as these are highly effective and cost-efficient and will retain any potential oil or chemical spills.
Recommended: – 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
Find detailed information about frugal cleaning tips. Be sure to sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.cleanupstuff.com and get our free report. A toll free number is available on our site to answer any questions.
How about you? What types of frugal cleaners do you use? What works best for you? Leave a comment and share your own favorite frugal cleaning tips.
Frugal Definition – What Does It Mean To Live Frugally
What does it mean to be frugal?
Here’s a definition by Merriam Webster Online:
Frugal – characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources
(…from Latin frugalis virtuous…)
For me being frugal and living frugally is all about the choices I make. It isn’t just saving as much as I can on every little item and never spending money on anything I want.
It’s spending smartly and saving where I can so I then have plenty of cash leftover for the things that are important to me.
Anyone can save money by not spending it. Misers and scrooges pinch their pennies and have a perfectly miserable life to show for it. The frugal life, however, is not just about saving money. It is about making choices to enhance your life.
There are always ways to spend your money – no matter how much you have. You can buy your lunch at work or you can buy groceries to make your lunch to take to work. The frugal person will make her lunch and then save the rest of the money for something else (a vacation, paying off the mortgage early, a spa day as a treat, or a new pre-owned car).
Income tax checks are a great chance to be frugal. You could use the money to put a down payment on a new car or to buy that surround sound system you always wanted. A frugal person will save a portion, pay off any outstanding debts with a portion, and use the rest for a treat that they have desired for a while (maybe a professional hairstylist or a new outfit for business meetings). The money will be used or spent, but it will go towards things that have lasting value. Splurges are allowed, but they are controlled.
Being frugal is about spending money the best way it can be spent. You learn to compare items and opportunities and decide which one is the best choice for you. It requires a willingness to do some research, a boldness to ask questions, and the ability to walk away until another day (or for good).
It takes a special mindset to live a frugal life. You have to understand the bigger picture and be willing to sacrifice a little now in order to gain a lot tomorrow. The trick is that you may not be able to see the gain for some time. It’s a walk of faith that in the end it will be better.
A great way to start on the frugal path is to meet some truly frugal people. They will be the happy people who have no hefty bills weighing them down because they have paid them off. Talk to them about their walk and see if they will help you along your own journey.
Learning to be frugal will help you to save money, but it is not just about the money. A frugal person learns to make the best choice in financial situations so that he can enjoy his life to the fullest.
Small Frugal Tips That Add Up
A lot of small frugal things we do around here don’t seem to make a lot of difference at first. I often hear (and read) people comment “So What… you saved 10 cents, big deal”. But you know what, when you implement all these various small frugal tips and make them habits that you stick to week in and week out, they really add up.
Let’s say you start cooking your own beans instead of buying canned ones. And let’s low ball it and say you save on average 20 cents per can that you don’t buy on sale and use your own cooked beans instead. Let’s also assume that you use 3 cans of beans a week. That’s a $0.60 saving a week or $31.20 per year. Still not a huge amount of money, right?
But then you start to implement some more frugal living tips (I’ll share some of my favorites below). Some will save you a dollar a week, others like changing the type of meat you cook or replacing some meat dishes with things like beans and rice will easily translate into savings of a dollar a day.
Here’s a little made up example, just to show you how quickly all these little savings can add up.
Frugal Habit 1 – Saves $0.10 per day
Frugal Habit 2 – Saves $1.00 per day
Frugal Habit 3 – Saves $0.50 per day
Frugal Habit 4 – Saves $0.05 per day
Frugal Habit 5 – Saves $0.25 per day
Frugal Habit 6 – Saves $0.10 per day
Total Savings Per Day = $2.00
Total Savings Per Year = $730
Now things are really starting to add up and these are just minor things. Let’s look at a few frugal tips you can start implementing right away.
Tip # 1 – Skip The Convenience Foods
This one made a huge difference in our food budget. Once I got it and started cooking more from scratch instead of relying on pre-made and frozen meals, mixes and such, our grocery budget shrank by about $60 per week. That’s a $2 per day saving right there.
If you are working outside your home and usually go out for lunch, this can add up to some pretty big savings. I’m doing the math for you in that post. Take a look.
Here’s one of those tips that won’t add up to a lot of savings, but it’s so simple to implement, I encourage you to do it anyway. Plus as a bonus you’ll find some more simple little common-sense tips at the beginning of that post. They are always a great reminder for me.
These tips were originally part of the Frugal Challenge Monday I post on my blog every week. I would like to encourage you to stop by the blog each week to read the challenge and start implementing as many of them as you can into your own frugal lifestyle.
Frugal Living Is A Family Affair
I receive emails quite frequently from readers that ask me what they can do to get the rest of their family to eat more frugally and spend less money on anything from groceries to other household items, cars, entertainment etc. Last week a reader asked me what I recommended she do. She would like to cook more frugally and include plenty of beans and rice in her cooking, but her husband won’t eat it and ends up grabbing fast food instead. I’ve been pondering the issue for the past week or so, trying to figure out what to tell everyone that approaches me with a question along those lines.
Sure, I could come up with some tips to make homemade inexpensive meals more palatable, but those would only work occasionally, and probably not for long. Instead, I decided to approach the issue from a more general angle. What it really boils down to is the simple fact that you can’t force your family members to embrace a frugal lifestyle. Instead it should be a decision that is made by and includes the entire family.
First, I recommend you sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and write down exactly why you want to live more frugally. And don’t just write down “to save money”. If that’s your first thought, think about what you want to save the money for. Come up with all the reasons why living more frugally is good for your family and what it will do for you. For example, you may want to live more frugally so you can get out of credit card debt which would eventually allow you to worry less and even have some money for fun things like toys, new bikes or a vacation.
Another reason may be that money has gotten very tight because of a job loss or the likes and living more frugally will allow you to keep your home and put food on the table. Another great reason may be to simplify live and spent more quality time together as a family.
Take the time to get very clear about your WHY. Then it’s time to start talking to the rest of your family. I recommend you start with your spouse and then when the two of you are on the same page start discussing it with the kids.
A good starting point for the discussion with your spouse is to how much money you have coming in each month and how much is going out. Track your income and expenses for a month and write them down in a notebook or a spreadsheet. I like to group my expenses in related categories (i.e. all utility bills etc.).
Next go over the budget with your significant other and see where you can save, or what expenses you can cut out altogether. Don’t forget to talk about what you will use the “extra money’ you are saving for.
Be willing to compromise on certain issues. That high-speed internet package may not be worth the money to you, but it may be to your spouse. Allow for some give and take, but keep your goal of living more frugally in mind.
Once you and your spouse have a good grasp on how you want to change your lifestyle, it’s time to bring the kids on board as well. Find some little ways they can help make the change and find a way to compensate for anything you are “taking away” from them. Cutting out the cable bill might be a tough one for kids that are used to coming back from school to watch their favorite cartoons. Plan to spend some extra time with them instead, read some books or allow them to have a friend over to play.
If you are cutting “Eating Out” from your budget, have some fun with dinner and throw a pizza party one night a week, or set up a taco bar. Just have fun with it and come up with some fun alternatives.
When it comes to food, work with your family and try various different frugal dishes. There is an abundance of them out there. A good start is the frugal recipe section right here. Try new things, get the kids to help you cook and then have everyone rate the new dishes. Before you know it, you’ll have quite a few new family favorites and some other recipes that your loved ones can live with.
If there is a particular dish that you used to have at a restaurant or bought at the store, search for it by name with “copycat” or just “recipe” in your favorite search engine. You can often find some great recipes that will allow you to make the same or a very similar item at home for a fraction of what you used to pay for it.
Just keep in mind that frugal living is a family affair. Get everyone involved, listen to their ideas and don’t forget to remind them (and yourself), why you are making the change to this simpler, less expensive life and before you know it, it you and your entire family will have adjusted to this new lifestyle.
Frugal Homemade Remedies
Got the sniffles or your head is hurting? No need to head to one of the mega drug stores and pay a fortune in over-the-counter medications. Many of the ailments that plague us and our kids on a regular basis can be treated with some frugal homemade remedies.
Disclaimer - I am not a health care professional, just a regular person sharing some old-fashioned tips. Use at your own risk. When in doubt, please see your doctor or other health care professional with any questions or concerns.
Headache
As soon as you start to feel a headache coming on, drink a big glass of cool water. Headaches are often a sign of dehydration in which case the liquid will help better than an aspirin.
If you don’t catch it in time, or the water didn’t help, try wetting a cloth and adding a few drops of mint oil to it. Lay the cool, wet cloth over your forehead, close your eyes and relax for a few minutes.
Cough
Heat some milk and stir a spoon full of honey in it and sip slowly. Right before bed, when coughing usually gets worse, you may want to take a spoon full of honey. It will coat the throat and stop the cough – Don’t give raw honey to children under the age of 2 though.
Get some Vicks (generic works fine) Rub, rub it on the bottom of your feet and put on a pair of socks. Then hop in the bed. The coughing should stop within about 15 minutes.
Get a cold, wet washcloth and put it on over your throat, then cover it with a dry towel.
Cold
Good old fashioned chicken soup is always my first choice. Be sure to breath in the steam from the hot soup… it’ll help open up your sinuses.
Another excellent remedy is to take the juice of a lemon and mix it with a cup of hot water and honey to taste. The honey will sooth a sore throat, the steam coming out of the cup will make your sinuses feel better and the vitamin C in the lemon helps your immune system.
Other than that plenty of fluids and rest should get you better in no time.
Sore Throat
Gargle with either garlic tea (press up to 6 cloves of garlic into some very warm water), or sage tea (steep sage leaves in boiling water for a few minutes… take the sage out and allow the tea to cool a bit.
Keep your throat covered with a cloth or scarf.
Drink some hot milk with honey to sooth the throat.
Ear Ache
Chop up a piece of onion, wrap it in some cheese cloth or a thin kitchen towel and place it on the ear. This works best if you’re laying on your side with the hurt ear up and then lay the onion on it.
Insect Bite
Get a solid deodorant stick and rub it on the insect bite.
Chew some parsley and put it on the bite. Takes the sting out within a few seconds.
Poison Ivy / Oak Rash
Take the rind of a watermelon and rub it on the rash.
Nausea
Drink some warm peppermint tea, eat some licorice or eat some ginger. Gingersnaps and candied ginger work well.
Fever
Get in a slightly cool bath. The cool water will help get your body temperature down. Alternatively you can make cool towel compresses. Dip a hand towel in cool water, wring it out and wrap it around your calves. Cover it with a larger dry towel. Repeat for the other leg. Rewet the towels with cool water as needed.
Make some linden flower tea and sip about 4 cups a day to get your fever down.
I’m sure there are plenty more homemade remedies out there that our mothers and grandmothers have relied on for years and years. Feel free to share the ones you know of as a comment below.
About Repurposing
Since I opened the doors to the Hillbilly Housewife Club, we’ve been talking a lot about repurposing in the forum there. I never really thought about it all that much until then, it was just something I did automatically. But let’s back up here for a second. What exactly is repurposing?
According to dictonary.com repurpose means “to use or convert for use in another format or product.”
People used to repurpose all the time to turn old dresses into quilts, or turning an old pillow case into a sun dress for toddler. If you’ve come across the homemade sanitary napkin article, you’ve seen that old flanel shirts can be turned into reusable feminine pads.
Here are a few other things we repurposed lately at our house.
1) My old t-shirts become nightgowns for my daughter. When they are getting too thin or torn for that, they are used as dusting and cleaning rugs, eventually making their way into the car washing and outdoor use pile.
2) Large cylindrical oatmeal containers hold various flours, mixes and homemade granola.
3) CDs and DVDs are turned into coasters. We’ve also made some cute wind chimes and mobiles with them.
4) Yogurt cups of all sizes with lids on them become new storage containers. I use the larger ones for leftover soups and stews. The smaller ones become new yogurt or pudding containers for lunch boxes.
5) CD spindles are perfect for organizing cables and such.
6) Plastic bags from the grocery store are cut and turned into “Plarn” (plastic yarn). I’ve been crocheting mats and bags out of the plarn.
7) Old socks that lost their mates are turned into puppets.
The blanks from our old outdoor steps have recently been giving new life as a play house for our daughter.
9) Old baby blankets are cut up into wash clothes (I stitch around them in a zig-zag stitch to keep them from fraying).
10) Old baby clothes (soft material) are now polishing rags for my husband. He uses them on the car.
11) We keep all jars (from pickles and jelly for example) and use them to hold various small items from buttons to coins. Some of them also become temporary residences for various bugs and small creatures for our daughter.
12) We use egg cartons as seed starters, to separate buttons, or small office supplies (like staples, paper clips etc.) We also use them for quite a few kids art projects.
13) Magazine pages make great wrapping paper, and they are great for crafting. We’ve made magazine beeds, or use them to cut out things for collages.
14) A pair of old speakers that no longer worked become a new coffee table. You could also turn an old door into a table this way.
15) Since my husband is a pretty good carpenter, he reused most parts of an old wodden swing set and thurned them into a garden bench.
16) I’ve torn old towels into strips and then used the strips to knit a new bath rug.
Now it’s your turn. What do you repurpose?
Frugal Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
We all want to celebrate and honor our moms on Mother’s Day, but you may be stumped for frugal Mother’s Day gift ideas this year. Giving Mother’s Day gifts doesn’t have to break your budget if you use one of these ideas.
Many restaurants offer discounts for mothers on Mother’s Day; some even allow moms to eat for free. You can check your local newspaper to see if there are any local restaurants offering this type of deal.
If you can’t find a restaurant that allows mom to eat for free or a reduced price, that doesn’t mean you can’t take mom out for the day. You may be able to find a museum or concert that has a Mother’s Day special. Check local colleges or universities, the newspaper, or online to find a venue offering a special for Mother’s Day.
You can also plan a picnic for you to share. It’ll give you time to enjoy each other’s company, can be healthier than restaurants, and will be much cheaper.
How long has it been since your family had a family portrait done? If it’s been a long time, you may want to find a relatively recent photo with everyone in it. Take the photo or negative to have it enlarged. You can also find a nice frame for the enlargement and it doesn’t have to drain your pocketbook.
Think about the things that your mom likes but rarely splurges on. Maybe she has a favorite magazine she used to read but hasn’t lately. She may enjoy good quality chocolate but feels it’s an indulgence she can’t afford. Splurge a little and buy that thing for her for her special day. You may find that she appreciates this gift more than any other you’ve given because it shows that you listened to her, recognized her self-denial, and then gave her what she wanted.
Cut flowers can be expensive and they die within a week or so of receiving them. You can find a nice flowering perennial that can be planted in her yard and enjoyed for years to come. Why not make a certificate offering to plant the perennial at a time that suits her?
Consider finding old family photos and putting them into a memory scrapbook for her. Yes, it’ll take some time to complete this task, but she’ll love having access to family photos she hasn’t seen in years.
Remember, you don’t need an expensive gift for it to be meaningful. It’s reallythe thought that counts much more than the amount of money you spent for the day.
Let’s move on to the kids. Here are a few ideas for things they can make and give mom or grandma.
* Set the table for dinner
* Give her a red rose and place it in her favorite vase
* Make her a special breakfast
* Take her to the park for a picnic lunch
* Bake her a cake and sing Happy Mother’s Day To You
* Take her to a movie
* Buy her favorite scented candles
* Burn her favorite CD
* Offer to do a specific chore for a week such as washing the dishes
* Make a huge Happy Mother’s Day Sign
* Give her a picture of you in a specially decorated frame
* Make a bag of potpourri using dried flowers from the garden
* Put together a scrapbook with her favorite recipes
* Make a jewelry box for her using spring ornaments
* Buy packs of herbs or flower seeds your mom could plant in the garden
* Clear out the flower bed for mom to prepare for spring planting
* Rake the leaves and make a compost pile
* Make mom a bracelet using beads from a craft store
* Make a sign for a t-shire that says “I love my mom” with an arrow pointing to the right or left
* Wash the car
* Clean your room
There are so many inexpensive ideas for Mother’s Day gifts, all of which will be appreciated no matter how small. The fact that you took the time to make a present or buy something really special says it all. So whatever you decide to do, know that it will be a keepsake mom will treasure forever.
Emergency Preparedness – Are You Ready For A Pandemic or Other Disaster?
I am writing this article while we are waiting to see if a few cases of swine flu will develop into a full-blown pandemic, but the topic certainly applies to any type of other emergency (whether it’s some sort of natural disaster like a hurricane, another medical / epidemic outbreak or anything else that might confine you to your home for a certain period).
I’ve been following the news closely and my first reaction was one of helplessness… after all, what can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones from a potential flu pandemic. We can’t close the borders, suspend school or quarantine the sick. The more I got to thinking, the more I realized there was quite a bit I could do and taking action made me less fearful. In this article I want to share some of the steps my family and I are taking to make sure we are prepared.
Some of the information I’m going to share with yo came from the CDC (Center of Disease Control). They have an entire section of their website dedicated to swine flu which is worth checking out.
Back to being prepared…
The first part is something your mom has been saying all along (and you probably heard it on the news the past few days as well): Wash your hands frequently. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and stay home when you’re sick.
In addition to washing our hands, I also picked up a couple of travel size hand sanitizers (as well as a large container to refill the small bottles). We are using those whenever washing our hands isn’t an option. I am using the sanitizer while grocery shopping for example if we are at the park.
I looked into making homemade hand sanitizer to see if it would be a less expensive option. While I found a few recipes online, I also came across some information that apparently these homemade sanitizers aren’t as effective since they do not have as much alcohol in them as their store-bought counterparts. The cost of the ingredients for the homemade kind also wasn’t all that far off from what I was able to get at the store. My decision was to buy the hand sanitizer at the store just to be safe.
Let’s talk about what else you should keep in your pantry. I am starting with what the CDC recommends and then add a few items to it.
Foods and Non-Perishables:
CDC recommendation:
- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and soups
- Protein or fruit bars
- Dry cereal or granola
- Peanut butter or nuts
- Dried fruit
- Crackers
- Canned juices
- Bottled water
- Canned or jarred baby food and formula
- Pet food
My Add-ons to this list
- Flour, yeast and whatever else you may need for your favorite homemade bread recipe
- Quick Cooking Oats for oatmeal
- Beans
- Bullion to season soups and beans
- Canned Meat and Fish
- Homemade Freezer meals *
- Lemons, Oranges, apples and other fruit that will keep for a while.
- Lemon Juice and frozen orange juice concentrate for (both fruit and juices are for extra boosts of vitamin c)
- Tea and Coffee
- Plenty of powdered milk (to drink, and cook with … you can make yogurt with it)
* You don’t want to rely stricktly on freezer meals since there is also the potential for losing power with many emergencies, but with a health related one like this potential pandemic outbreak they will come in very handy.
Medical, Health and Emergency Supplies (recommended by the CDC)
- Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood-pressure monitoring equipment
- Soap and water, or alcohol-based (60-95%) hand wash
- Medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
- Thermometer
- Anti-diarrheal medication
- Vitamins
- Fluids with electrolytes
- Cleansing agent/soap
- Flashlight
- Batteries
I don’t really have anything to add to this other than speak to your health care professional about anything else you should keep on hand. If you have kids, give your prediatrician a call. He can advise you on what over the counter medications you should keep on hand for your child.
Home Heating This Winter
One of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your heating bill down this winter is to turn down the thermostat. This means cooler temperatures in the house but there are several things you can do to help keep your family cozy and warm while saving money at the same time.
Be proactive – Plug drafts with caulking and weather stripping, replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed, make sure baseboard and floor air registers are unobstructed and clean, and close off unneeded rooms to trap heat where you need it. If you have any bubble wrap lying around from packages and shipments you received you can place it inside windows and it acts as an insulator. Put clear plastic dome covers over basement window wells to trap debris, keep cold air out, and allow light in.
Blankets – Now is a great time to dig out all those extra blankets. Use a couple underneath on top of your mattresses and underneath your fitted sheets to make a soft and warm pillow top for the bed. Heavy blankets and quilts can be hung inside window frames with adjustable shower rods to insulate and stop drafts. Thin blankets and even baby blankets can be rolled up lengthwise and then placed in front of doors and windows to act as homemade draft protectors. Blankets can also be draped over leather couches and chairs to keep to keep them warm and toasty. Hang some decorative quilts on walls to provide extra insulation.
Sweaters – Take a trip to the local thrift store and pick up some cheap, 100% wool sweaters. Wool is great for helping you regulate body temperature. You can wear the sweater if they are the appropriate size but you can convert them into MANY other useful products. You can sew up quick and easy wool pants for babies and toddlers using the sleeves as legs. Diaper covers can be made the same way just cut the legs short. Wool works wonderfully for diaper covers because it is naturally waterproof. You can also use the wool to make pillowcases or even doing a patch job to make blankets and sheets. Wool is also naturally flame retardant so it is a great bedding alternative. Slippers, socks, do-rags, and scarves can also be fashioned from old wool sweaters.
Get Knitting – Speaking of home crafting why not use the winter lull to learn how to knit or crochet. Then you can make scarves, hats, and gloves that will keep you warm in winter and give you something enjoyable to do. Handknit items are also great as gifts! Take a class with a friend if you can and you won’t be sorry you did.
Rugs – Buy several rugs at second hand or discount stores and place them on cold floors so that no one gets a chill walking on them. You can make handmade rag rugs from worn sheets and old t-shirts too. A big rug on the tile floor in the bathroom can make a BIG difference.
Just get creative and you can find many ways to warm things up and save money.
Affordable Herbs – Dry Them Yourself
Herbs are a great way to flavor almost any food dish, but buying them at the store can be expensive. A more cost effective option that adds money to your pocket and flavor to your meals is to grow and dry your own herbs. It can also be tons of fun, especially if you have children who can help.
Fresh herbs have a benefit over the dried ones you buy in the store. If you have a sunny spot and some good soil, you can grow your own herbs at home. Choose the ones that you use most to season food and grow them in small planters.
When growing herbs, treat them like any other plant. Pruning and cutting back the leaves brings even more leaves. As you cut and use fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme, they will continue to grow. In fact, the herbs may grow faster than you can use them, so share some with friends and neighbors.
Another alternative to letting the extra go to waste is to dry your fresh herbs. Dried fresh herbs lose their moisture, but still retain the entire flavor of a fresh plant. You’ll now have herbs to last for months to come and you can pass them on to others once they are dried as well.
Begin with your equipment. You’ll need a place to dry them. You can use wooden or wire racks. That cooling rack you use in the kitchen for cookies and cakes would be perfect for drying herbs. Gather together a colander, some cheesecloth, paper towels, and some string.
All herbs to be dried should be washed and rinsed in cold water. A colander is perfect because the water can drain out the bottom. Use paper towels to pat each leaf and stalk until dry of any visible moisture.
Herbs can be dried in many ways. If you only want the leaves, remove the stalk and lay the leaves on a drying rack. Depending on the size of the leaves, you may need a wire rack for them as opposed to a cooling rack from the kitchen.
Herbs can also be dried in bunches. Tie them with string at the stalks and hang them upside down on a nail to air dry. This can be accomplished outside or indoors, but should be done in an area that is ventilated with no humidity. Humidity will help your herbs to retain their moisture and prevent drying. Use cheesecloth to cover herbs on a cooling rack if you plan on letting them dry outside.
Use the oven for faster drying. The temperature should remain low (around 120 degrees). Gently touch the leaves every half hour to test for dryness. The microwave oven is an alternative, but you will have to be careful not to shrivel them up.
Dried herbs will keep for a six months. After that, the flavor begins to wane. Herbs should be stored in Mason jars or plastic containers, just be sure to label them so you know which herb is which. In order to keep the herbs dry and avoid molding during storage, seal the containers air tight.
Herbs season food in many unique and yummy ways. Drying herbs allows you to savor the flavor while saving money and having fun all at once.
Homemade Sanitary Pads
I learned about homemade cloth menstrual pads on a Christian Ladies’ message board in 2002. I had just been diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS. Some of my symptoms were heavy, irregular and painful menses which left me feeling very much like the Woman in the New Testament with the issue of blood who touched Jesus’s garment to be healed. I even joked that I had periods of biblical proportions. Financially, we were in a tough spot at the time. Making decisions between groceries or sanitary pads is not a pleasant place to be so I was tickled when another mom shared a link to homemade pads. I ran some simple ones up on my sewing machine that day and have pretty much been a convert ever since.
Before the 20th Century, most women used cloth pads or “rags” during their menstruation. Disposable pads didn’t become common in America until after WW II. Among rural and low-income women they didn’t catch on until the 1960′s. As with diapers, there have always been people who prefer cloth to disposable. Disposable pads do not biodegrade very quickly. Plastic diapers and sanitary napkins are likely to be two of the most common artifacts that future archaeologists will find when excavating landfills from the 20 and 21 Centuries. I wonder what kind of commentary this will be on our present lifestyles? Only time will tell.
Outer Pad with Wings
Cut 2 with flap extended & 1 on fold with flap closed
Inner Pad
Cut 2 of flannel and 1 or 2 of filling or more flannel
Printing Instructions: Set Margins to 0.25 or 1/4 inch each.
To make your own sanitary napkins you need the following supplies: 
- A sewing machine with a zigzag stitch.
- Flannel: Old flannel shirts & baby blankets work beautifully but new flannel works fine too. Be sure to wash it in hot water before using to prevent shrinkage.
- Thread
- Snaps or Safety Pins
- Scissors
The Outer Pad
Begin by printing both of the patterns and cutting them out. The Inner Pad is a large oval. The Outer Pad is actually 2 patterns in 1. With the long straight side extended, it is the topside. You will need to cut 2 of these. With the long straight side folded in, it is the bottom side. Place the straight edge on a fold of fabric and cut 1 of these. Look at the pictures for examples. 
Make 1/2-inch hem down the long straight side of each of the 2 top pieces. Straight stitch or zigzag stitch this hem, as you prefer. Now arrange the 2 upper layers of the outer pad over the lower layer. The front hems should overlap slightly, or by about 1/2-inch.
Zigzag stitch around the outside twice. If desired you may straight stitch down the dotted lines shown on the picture to the right. This allows the inner pad to fit more securely inside the outer pad and also makes folding the wings a bit handier.
Some women apply a snap or button to the wings at this time. Place them at points “A” in the illustration. Velcro is not advisable because it has a tendency to chafe. Personally, I don’t <
like
to go through all the work of applying snaps or buttons so I use a safety pin instead. Large diaper safety pins work beautifully for pinning the wings together. To the right you will see a picture of the pad pinned closed. The wings fit around your underwear just like disposable pads with wings. Some women wear the pad with the pocket seam facing down, next to their underwear. Other women prefer the pad placed with the seam-side next to their skin. Try it both ways to see which you prefer.
The Inner Pad
The inner pad is the absorbent part of the sanitary napkin. It slips inside the pocket of the pad. The beauty of this is that you can use as many inner pads as necessary for the rate of your flow. During heavy times, or overnight, use 3 or 4 Inner pads. For a lighter flow use only 1 Inner pad. For a panty liner, use the outer pad without an inner pad. The reason you use several layers instead of 1 very thick layer is because several thinner layers are easier to wash and have a shorter drying time. Additionally, the many exterior surfaces of the pad layers makes them more absorbent than a single thick pad would be. 
For the inner pad you want to cut at least 3 layers, maybe 4, depending on the thickness of your fabric. Use the same pattern for all of the layers. 
Use flannel for the 2 exterior layers of the inner pad. Use 1 or 2 layers of flannel or terry cloth, cotton quilt batting or another absorbent material for the interior layers of the inner pad. I used old flannel shirts, a flannel baby blanket and an old towel for my fabric. The towel was ripped and had a few holes. I used it as the interior layer of my inner pads. The flannel baby blanket was the exterior of the inner pads, and the flannel shirt was the outer pad, the part with wings.
After cutting out your layers for the inner pad stack them neatly. Zigzag stitch around the edges twice. Trim the edges if desired. I used dark thread in the picture so you could see it against the light flannel. Make 2 of these inner pads for each outer pad. They are very easy to cut and stitch, so you may want to make a few extras for heavy days.
After completing each part of the pad, slip the inner pad inside the pocket of the outer pad. Pin it in place and see how it feels. You will be surprised at how comfortable it is.
Washing and Maintenance
When you make your own pads you have to wash them instead of tossing them into the garbage. Keep a small bucket of water with a lid in the bathroom, preferably out of the reach of children and pets. Add a spoonful of vinegar if desired. Remove the inner pad from the outer pad. Soak the used pads in the bucket of water. Drain the water into the toilet before washing the pads. The water can also be used to water house plants because they like all the extra vitamins and minerals. Make sure you use cold water so that the stains will come out. I wash every morning. Some women stash all of the used pads in a pillowcase or plastic bag and wash them all at once when their period is over. I don’t do this because I have a washer in the house and I find it more sanitary to wash them every day. They can drip dry or machine dry.
If you do not have a washing machine, then they may be washed by hand. Run cold water over them in the bathtub to remove most of the blood. Place the pads in a medium bucket or tub. Add a little soap and cold water. Using a clean plunger, plunge the pads until they are as clean as you can get them. Plunge for a good 10 minutes for the best results. Rinse the pads well and squeeze them dry. Hang each pad by it’s own clothespin and they should dry pretty fast, even in the winter.
If you like, you can iron the pads, but do not use starch on them. Be careful not to use fabric softener either because it will make them less absorbent.
A No-Sew Alternative
If your sewing skills are lacking, or you simply do not want to go through the trouble of sewing your own pads you can try this instead. Purchase absorbent terry-cloth dishtowels. Wash them before using. Fold them into rectangles about 3 or 4-inches by 10 or 12 inches. Use safety pins to pin them into your underwear at both narrow ends (the front and the back). These are a bit bulkier than home-sewn pads. They are quite comfortable though, and are a legitimate alternative. They may be washed the same as home-sewn pads. I’ve also seen washcloths recommended. Fold them into thirds, or quarters (long ways) and fit them into your underwear. Apparently they stay in place without pinning because of the friction between the terry-cloth and underwear. For heavier flows fold together 2 or more wash cloths.
About Fabrics
When I made these, I used fabrics I already had in the house. You may purchase new fabric instead if you like. Use a sturdy double-napped flannel if you go this route. It will last the longest and give you the best results. Cotton quilt batting is very nice filler, but you can also use additional flannel, which is less expensive. Wash everything before cutting or sewing. Flannel will shrink. After sewing, wash the pads again before using. This helps them hold their shape better. Men’s flannel shirts and flannel baby blankets make excellent flannel for your own menstrual pads. They can sometimes be found for 25¢ or 50¢ a piece at yard sales, which makes pads very cheap to sew at home. Brightly colored fabric is less likely to show stains than solid colored or light fabric is. I prefer to use patterns and dark colors for this reason.
About the Pattern
I created this pattern free hand after measuring commercially available, disposable pads. My pattern is a little bit wider and longer than some patterns available on the Internet. This is to accommodate the average woman, who is a size 14 or larger. Standard pads and liners are created for a size-6 woman. Pads made from this pattern are less likely to leak because they are large enough to fit properly. If you are a smaller woman, or prefer slightly smaller pads, there are several other patterns available online. You will find them linked below.
Note: Some of the sites may refer to ideas you do not agree with. Please overlook anything you find offensive and focus on the useful information instead.
|
Natural Choices |
Cloth Menstrual Pads |
Instructions for Cloth Menstrual Pads |
|
Frugal Baby Pattern |
Museum of Menstruation or MUM |
Okay, But EEEwww . . .
I’ll admit, many people have this reaction the first time they consider homemade pads. It is weird. We never see anything about it on television so that’s the first sign that it’s NOT socially acceptable. Sewing and using homemade pads seems like something that only weird-os and freaks do, probably off in the woods somewhere, or maybe a nice cave in the wilderness where they can commune with nature and get in touch with the moon. Nice women would never use homemade pads. After all, your hands get wet and you have to touch your own body fluids which is kinda gross. Plus you have that icky bucket in the bathroom so everyone knows that you’re up to something sneaky. The whole idea is enough to make some women vomit and make some men run for cover in a sweaty, testosterone filled locker room.
Believe me, I sympathize. I had to get used to the idea before I became a convert. For some women the conversion process happens overnight. For others of us, it takes time. We have to go slow, talk it over with other women, learn a lot more about it, and try it secretly to see if it really does work (it does). If we have always hated pads, then homemade ones may seem like an even more uncomfortable way of dealing with a monthly necessity. Everyone may say cloth pads are more comfortable, but just because it works for them, doesn’t mean it will be the same for us. Besides, the bucket in the bathroom is just tooooo gross. And what if the husband sees them and laughs at them or thinks that we’ve lost our minds. What if the mother in law visits and sees the bucket and we have to explain it to her, or a visiting preacher’s wife, or worse yet, the Preacher?!!! Gee whiz, it all becomes such a statement, and honestly, this is not the type of statement that most of us want to make to the world.
Relax. Take a deep breath. It is less weird than it seems at first glance. Think about women from the past. Our hearty ancestors who pioneered this country; while they rode their covered wagons west, what did they use every month? What did Native American women use back when they owned the continent? What about Eve and her daughters? What did Sarah use? Well, Sarah was barren, so maybe she didn’t need them. But what about other women in the bible? Give it some deep thought. Queens and peasants, Pilgrims and Puritans, they all have one thing in common. They had to use something to catch their monthly flow. If you visit the Museum of Menstruation, you’ll discover all types of articles that inventive women have used over the years. Absorbent sea sponges and baby socks have been used as tampons. Animal fur, dried plant fibers, and various types of cloth have been used for pads.
The truth of the matter is that cloth pads are not weird. Disposable ones are. Disposable pads and tampons have been commonplace for less than 50 years. This means that pretty much all of the women who are currently menstruating have only been exposed to disposable choices for their monthlies. Pads or tampons seem to be the only option. This is very much a comment on our current society. We use everything once and then toss it away. Disposable feminine hygiene products are a big scam perpetrated by manufacturers who want to keep us on a leash so we have to keep buying their products. They are making as much as TEN to TWENTY Thousand dollars per woman over her lifetime. If you think of the millions of women in the USA alone, the profits are staggering!
At heart, I am a rebel. One of my goals in life is to be dependent upon as few manufactured products as possible. My life and my money are more valuable than that. My freedom is more valuable than that. I will not give myself over to disposable pads if there is a free or cheap alternative that gives ME control over my budget and my body. Modern consumerism is a crock. It is an illusion that makes us feel like we have a semblance of power over our lives, but really it’s just newspeak for letting commercialism and it’s attending obsessions consume us. Extricating ourselves from consumerism is frightfully difficult. The strings and layers it encompasses are sneaky little buggers that are hidden in all aspects of our lives. One of the ways that we can achieve more personal freedom and attain genuine control over our circumstances is to snip those strings every time we find a self-sufficient alternative. For me, this means turning to cloth pads exclusively.
I would rather get my hands wet than give Corporate America one more ounce of control over my budget or even more importantly, my body. There are so many things I have to buy that when I find something I can make for myself, it is reason for rejoicing.
Which brings us back to that bucket. An ice cream bucket with a lid works great. I keep mine under the bathroom sink so it’s not a topic of conversation. Most women keep their disposable products in the bathroom, and the bucket is the same thing. Stash it in a private place and don’t give it a second thought. When I drain the bucket in the mornings, I do it in the bathroom while I’m already in there and no one is the wiser. As I start the first load of laundry for the day, I dump the rinsed pads in there and they wash up with whatever else is in the laundry. The wet pads cannot contaminate the other clothes in the washer. Dirty clothes are dirty clothes. Mud, dust, grime, dishcloths that have been used on bloody noses, rags used to wipe up the floor, it all comes out in the wash. The clothes in the washer are getting clean and one type of dirt will not give cooties to another type of dirt. After the washer has run it’s cycle, all the laundry is clean and ready to start its life anew, sort of a fabric version of baptism.
I live in a house with boys. They are blissfully unconscious of what the bucket is for. They don’t even ask. When they help fold the laundry, they just put the clean pads in the “Mommy Pile” and assume it is part of the world of women that they don’t want to know about. When the boys were younger, and I had to wash my pads by hand with a clean plunger, I did it in the bathroom as part of normal, daily chores. They had no idea and no care what I was doing in there. I could have been cleaning the tub or the sink or the toilet as far as they were concerned. It was all the same thing to them. Now that they are older, and one is a teenager, they have chosen blissful ignorance about my pads. Sometimes I have dried them by hanging them individually on a string strung up in the shower. I close the shower curtain and the boys ignore them completely, the same way they ignore my bras and frillies when I hang them up to dry. Fred doesn’t even notice the pads anymore, or if he does, they are just a normal part of married life. He is married to a woman, and therefore there are feminine details he must get used to and accommodate.
When I must travel a lot during my period, I bring a few plastic zipper bags to store any used ones until I get a chance to wash them. In hotels they are easily washed by hand and dried by laying them over the tub, or for the more adventurous, by laying them over the heater in the room. Fresh pads can be stored in zipper bags and used as needed. Once we grow accustomed to the idea of using cloth pads, it seems like such a normal part of life, that the details become irrelevant. The details of brushing our teeth or washing our hair are mundane. No one is interested in them and we do them without a second thought. Cloth pads are the same way. Once we get into the cloth pad zone, it becomes abundantly clear that they are the best solution available. Our first thought may be “Ewww!” but our final thought is “Aaahhh!”
The Story Of The Woman With The Issue Of Blood
Mark 5:25-34
(25) And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
(26) And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
(27) When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
(28) For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
(29) And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
(30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
(31) And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
(32) And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
(33) But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
(34) And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
This article may be copied or linked to as desired. Please include a link back to hillbillyhousewife.com. The patterns I made are placed firmly in the public domain. They are not copyrighted and can be used however you see fit, even to sew and sell in your own home business.
Free e-Books from the Government
As near as I can tell it is legal for me to offer these downloads here. If you see anything that shouldn’t be here, then contact me and I will remove it asap. Thank-you. These e-Books are all in PDF or Adobe Acrobat format. Right Click then choose Save Target As to download to your computer.
Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals
Preparing Nutritious Meals at Minimal Cost
The following e-books are from the National Heart Lung & Blood Institute
Heart-Healthy Latino Recipes, Bilingual
Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style
Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes
The DASH Eating Plan (to reduced hypertension)
Reconstituting Powdered Milk
The key to reconstituting powdered milk is to use the right amount of water for the amount of powder. Below is a handy little table that will show you exactly what you need to mix to make a certain amount of milk from powder. You can then use it to cook or bake with or of course to drink it and use it in cereal.
| To equal this amount of liquid milk | Use this much Fresh Water |
And this much Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder |
| 1/4 cup | 1/4 cup | 1-1/2 tablespoons |
| 1/3 cup | 1/3 cup | 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon |
| 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup | 3 tablespoons |
| 1 cup | 1 cup | 1/3 cup |
| 1 quart | 3-3/4 cup | 1-1/3 cups |
| 2 quarts | 7-2/3 cups | 2 -2/3 cups |
| 1 gallon | 15-1/2 cups | 5-1/3 cups |
The table above will help you work out the amount of powdered milk you will need to prepare a specific measurement of liquid milk. Here are some tips to help the milk turn out as fresh tasting as possible:
- Use cool water when possible. The powder tends to dissolve more readily in cool water.
- Stir the milk a lot, to dissolve the milk powder. Then let the milk sit for a little while and stir again. The protein in the milk powder blends most easily if it gets a chance to stand after mixing.
- Chill the milk whenever possible. Use a refrigerator if you have one. If you don’t, then wrap the milk in a wet towel. As the water evaporates, the milk will cool. If you have a root cellar or basement, you may want to keep the milk there, or even outside in the fall and winter.
- If you store the milk outside be sure that it is protected from critters who may be thirsty. A box with a large rock on top is sufficient to keep out most animals.
- If you do not have refrigeration, then only prepare enough milk to last the day. I prepare it the night before, so it has a chance to blend and chill overnight. About 2 quarts will be enough to last a family of 4 for most of the day. If you continually find you have some left over, then prepare less the next day. If you find yourself running out, then prepare more.
- Some people add a drop or two of vanilla to their milk to improve the flavor. Other people add a spoonful or two of sugar for the same purpose. I don’t use either of these ideas, because we are accustomed to reconstituted milk, and prefer it plain.
- If you have fresh milk available, then it may be mixed half and half with reconstituted milk to improve the flavor. If you use half whole milk and half reconstituted milk, you will end up with a very good tasting milk that is equivalent to 2%.
Powdered Milk
With the price of milk soaring through the roof lots of folks are reconsidering powdered milk for it’s economy. The dairy price hike hasn’t affected dry milk much yet, making it the best dairy bargain currently available. Through an informal investigation I’ve discovered that fresh milk costs between $3.50 and $4.50 a gallon in most places. Dairy towns still have it available for between $2 and $3 a gallon, but the rest of us are paying considerably more. Fresh milk is a delicious, versatile staple when it can be purchased inexpensively. Until the price drops off to a more moderate cost however, my family will be making do with powdered milk.
Instant nonfat powdered milk is to the urban dweller what the family cow is to the homesteader. True, powdered milk doesn’t taste as good as fresh milk from the cow, but it is a darned site more convenient to procure, and much easier to store. Additionally, it is a readily available source of protein and vitamin D. It’s also high in calcium which is good to know if you are pregnant, nursing or have osteoporosis in your family history. Since powdered milk has no fat, it’s low in calories (about 80 per cup of liquid milk) and completely cholesterol free.
Powdered Milk is available in two common forms: Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder and Regular Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder. Regular dry milk is sometimes referred to as “Non-Instant”. It doesn’t dissolve as readily as instant milk powder and is a bit more troublesome to locate. Dry whole milk powder is available too. It doesn’t last as long as non-fat dry milk because the fat in it can go rancid over time. When it is fresh however, it has a very pleasing flavor. Dry whole milk can be difficult to find. I buy it in small tins in the ethnic section of a large grocery store. It costs a little more than instant non-fat dry milk, but it’s good to have on hand, for young children especially. All of the recipes and ideas that follow are made using Instant Nonfat Dry Milk. It is the cheapest and generally the easiest to find. Read the box label to be sure this is the kind you are buying.
Once reconstituted, powdered milk tastes a lot better than it used to. If you haven’t tried it in the past few years, it’s worth another taste. When mixed correctly and chilled overnight, it has a pleasant, sweet flavor that tastes especially good with homemade cookies. Reconstituted milk doesn’t taste the same as fresh whole milk. If you are already used to skim milk though, you won’t notice much difference in the flavor of reconstituted milk. In cooking, powdered milk performs flawlessly. It can be substituted for fresh milk in almost any recipe with excellent results. Many budget conscious women cook with powdered milk exclusively. This is smart use of resources because the results are so good.
Drinking powdered milk is another kettle of fish. Some folks find the flavor objectionable even after chilling it because they are accustomed to fresh whole milk. You cannot fool anyone into thinking that reconstituted dry milk is the same as fresh milk when used as a beverage. There are things you can do to make powdered milk taste better. Mixing it with fresh whole milk for body and flavor is a good alternative.
To get good tasting powdered milk make sure you start with fresh dry milk. If your box of dry milk is a year old, then buy a new one and use the old one for cooking exclusively. Mix up the milk following the package directions. If your box doesn’t have directions then you can use the ones below.
Large 4-pound boxes of powdered milk are available in most markets. A box this size will make 20 quarts or 5 gallons of liquid milk. At an average cost of $8 to $9 per box, this is the equivalent of less than $2 per gallon, making it fully half the price of fresh milk at this time.
Reconstituting Powdered Milk
|
To equal this amount of liquid milk |
Use this much |
And this much Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder |
| 1/4 cup | 1/4 cup | 1-1/2 tablespoons |
| 1/3 cup | 1/3 cup | 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon |
| 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup | 3 tablespoons |
| 1 cup | 1 cup | 1/3 cup |
| 1 quart | 3-3/4 cup | 1-1/3 cups |
| 2 quarts | 7-2/3 cups | 2 -2/3 cups |
| 1 gallon | 15-1/2 cups | 5-1/3 cups |
The table above will help you work out the amount of powdered milk you will need to prepare a specific measurement of liquid milk. Here are some tips to help the milk turn out as fresh tasting as possible:
- Fill your pitcher or container with half the amount of water you will be using. Measure in the appropriate amount of dry milk powder. Stir to dissolve. Fill the pitcher with the balance of the water called for above. Stir again and chill.
- Use cool water when possible. The powder tends to dissolve more readily in cool water.
- Stir the milk a lot, to dissolve the milk powder. Then let the milk sit for a little while and stir again. The protein in the milk powder blends most easily if it gets a chance to stand after mixing.
- Powdered milk may be used immediately after mixing if desired. For the best flavor chill the milk for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Store the milk in a refrigerator if you have one. If you don’t, then wrap the milk in a wet towel. As the water evaporates, the milk will cool. If you have a root cellar or basement, you may want to keep the milk there, or even outside in the fall and winter.
- If you store the milk outside be sure that it is protected from critters who may be thirsty. A box with a large rock on top is sufficient to keep out most animals.
- If you do not have refrigeration, then only prepare enough milk to last the day. I prepare it the night before, so it has a chance to blend and chill overnight. About 2 quarts will be enough to last a family of 4 for most of the day. If you continually find you have some left over, then prepare less the next day. If you find yourself running out, then prepare more.
- Some people add a drop or two of vanilla to their milk to improve the flavor. Other people add a spoonful or two of sugar for the same purpose. I don’t use either of these ideas, because we are accustomed to reconstituted milk, and prefer it plain.
- Pitchers and wide-mouthed jars are the easiest to use for mixing and storing reconstituted milk. I used to try to use apple juice jars, but they are difficult to keep clean and awkward to pour the milk powder into. If you must use a narrow mouthed jar to mix your milk, then use a funnel. A chop stick or spoon handle is handy for poking down though the funnel tip when things get clogged up.
Products to Make with Powdered Milk
Sweet Vanilla Milk: Run a little hot water into a 2-quart pitcher. Add 1/4-cup each powdered coffee creamer and sugar. Stir well to dissolve. Add 1/2-teaspoon vanilla. Fill the pitcher half full with cold tap water. Add 2-2/3 cups of instant nonfat dry milk powder. Stir well. Fill the pitcher the rest of the way full. Stir again. Chill and serve. This milk is more palatable to some folks than straight reconstituted milk. The powdered coffee creamer gives the milk a rich fullness, while the sugar and vanilla make it taste sweet and almost dessert-like. If you must switch to powdered milk, and are having trouble with the flavor, this recipe can make the transition easier. For a gallon of milk use: 1/2-cup each powdered coffee cream & sugar and 1-teaspoon of vanilla flavoring. Add a dash of salt too if desired. Be sure to dissolve the creamer and sugar in hot tap water first. They do not dissolve readily in cold water.
A Very Rich Gallon of Milk: Measure 3-1/2 quarts (14 cups) of water into a gallon size pitcher. Add 5-cups of dry milk powder and a 12-ounce can of undiluted evaporated whole milk. Mix all together. Chill and serve. This makes about a gallon. It is richer than plain reconstituted milk. If you must use powdered milk, but prefer a richer product, this is the recipe for you. Children will sometimes tolerate it better than straight reconstituted milk, especially if they are already used to fresh 1% or 2%.
To Mix with Whole Milk: Powdered milk is easily mixed half-and-half with whole milk. When combined and well chilled, it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between fresh milk and mixed milk. To do this, use an extra, clean milk jug and two 2-quart sized pitchers. First reconstitute 2 quarts of milk in each of the pitchers, using the chart above. Then, using a funnel, pour half of the whole milk into the clean empty milk jug. Using the same funnel, pour the reconstituted milk from one pitcher into each jug, making a gallon of mixed milk in each jug. Both empty pitchers then have to be washed, but they are pretty easy to keep clean. I used to try to reconstitute the powdered milk in the milk jug, with the whole milk, but it never worked as well as I’d hoped. Now I find it much easier to reconstitute the powdered milk in the pitcher first, and then pour the liquid milk into the jug with the whole milk. Like regular powdered milk, mixed milk tastes best if well chilled.
Sour Milk: To sour reconstituted milk, just add a little vinegar to it and stir it up. For instance, if a recipe calls for 1-cup of sour milk or buttermilk, then measure a tablespoon of vinegar into a measuring cup. Add reconstituted milk to reach the 1-cup mark. Stir the milk gently. In a moment or two, it will sour. This can replace soured milk or buttermilk in baking recipes.
Overnight Buttermilk: To make your own buttermilk, you have to start off with 1/2-cup of fresh, store-bought buttermilk and a quart (4-cups) of reconstituted milk. Combine the fresh buttermilk and reconstituted milk in a pitcher or jar. Mix it really well. Allow it to stand at room temperature overnight, or for about 8 hours. The milk will have thickened up and cultured into regular buttermilk. Refrigerate or chill and use anywhere fresh buttermilk is called for.
Easy Evaporated Milk: To make this you only need dry milk powder and water. Measure 1-1/3 cups water into a jar or bowl. Add 1 cup of instant dry milk powder. Stir or shake to combine. This is the equivalent of a 12-ounce can of evaporated skim milk. To make evaporated whole milk, you will need to add some fat to replace the milk fat in whole milk. Do this by preparing evaporated skim milk and then adding 2-tablespoons of vegetable oil to the milk. Stir it up vigorously to emulsify the fat with the milk. It will separate on standing, so mix it really well right before using it. This is best used in cooking and baking. A spritz of nonstick spray will help the emulsification process.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: On the stove, bring to a boil 1/2-cup of water, 1-cup of sugar and 3-tablespoons of margarine or shortening. Add a dash of salt. Stir the mixture every now and then. When it comes to a full rolling boil, remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool slightly. Add a cup of instant dry milk powder. Use a whisk to stir it smooth. A fork or a spoon will not work out all the lumps. You really need a whisk, or egg beaters. There, you are done. This is the equivalent of a can of sweetened condensed milk. This will keep unrefrigerated for a day or two because of the sugar. I have never kept it longer than that without refrigeration. In the fridge it will keep for 2 weeks. For longer storage than that, I freeze it.
Quick Whipped Topping: This recipe is best made if you have electricity. Put 1/2-cup of water into a large bowl and place it in your freezer. Whenice crystals form around the edges remove it from the freezer. Add 1/2-cup instant dry milk powder. Whip the mixture with electric beaters until it is light and fluffy. This will take a couple of minutes. Add 2-tablespoons sugar, 1-teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1/2-teaspoon of vanilla. Beat until thick enough to spoon like whipped topping. Use immediately.
Molasses Milk: High in iron, with a caramel-toffee flavor this hot beverage is quite delicious. Heat 3/4-cup of reconstituted milk in a cup in the microwave. Stir in a spoonful of molasses. Serve hot. My kids love this stuff.
Chocolate Milk: Fill a cup with reconstituted milk. Squeeze in a couple spoonfuls of homemade Chocolate Syrup. Stir to combine. Serve to thirsty children who object to plain reconstituted powdered milk. Cold chocolate milk can be heated in the microwave for hot chocolate. This is also great in lunch boxes. If you want to be really nice to the kids then make up a whole gallon of reconstituted chocolate milk at a time. They will brag to their friends and your reputation will become legendary.
Homemade Yogurt: Reconstitute a quart of milk in a very clean container like a wide mouthed canning jar. Add another 1/2-cup of milk powder for body. Whisk in 1/4-cup of commercial yogurt with active cultures. Read the label to be sure the yogurt has active cultures. Stash the milk in a warm spot, between 80° and 110°. Allow it to sit undisturbed for 6 to 8 hours. It should be thick and creamy, like commercially available yogurt. Chill your yogurt and use anywhere you would regular yogurt. It makes a great substitute for sour cream. Or mix it half and half with prepared mayonnaise for your own homemade low-fat mayo.
Yogurt Cheese: Line a colander with a clean, damp piece of cloth. Pour prepared yogurt into the cloth. Allow the yogurt to drain overnight. In the morning the remaining solids will be yogurt cheese. They can be used anywhere you would use cream cheese or thick sour cream.
Curds & Whey: In a large pot combine 6-cups of fresh water and 3-cups of dry milk powder. Stir to dissolve. Heat the milk over a medium flame until it is very warm, about 120°. This is hot to the touch, but not scalding. Stir in 1/2-cup of plain white vinegar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. There should be a large mass of curds in an amber pool of whey. If the liquid is still milky, add another 1/4-cup of vinegar. Stir and stand again for 10 minutes. Line a strainer with a clean cloth and drain off the whey. It can be used as the liquid in bread or muffins or biscuits. Rinse the curds under cool water and store in the fridge. This recipe makes about 1-1/2 to 2-cups of curds.
Ricotta or Cottage Cheese: The dry cheese curds from the above recipe will work for ricotta cheese in most recipes. To turn it into cottage cheese add a little evaporated milk or yogurt to “cream” it and stir to combine. You can divide the mixture in half and make some of each if you want to give them both a try.
Bread Machine Basics
What to do when your manual is missing.
The Missing Manual
People often ask me what to do with a bread machine that doesn’t have its own manual. It can be very frustrating, especially when you have never used a bread machine before. Some folks find used bread makers at yard sales. Other folks may receive their mother-in-law’s old bread maker when she buys a new, sportier model. These previously owned bread machines seldom have their manual included. Other people, myself included, have set their bread machine aside for a year or two. Time and neglect create a gulf of separation between a bread maker and its manual that mere mortals are seldom able to bridge. The result of all these scenarios is that the manual is missing and the bread machine is inactive as a result. Never fear, with the help of the following information, you should have your machine up and running within the hour.
The Machine and Its Parts
Bread Machines have three main parts. The machine itself is Part # 1. Set the machine on the kitchen counter and take a look at it. No matter what brand you have you should notice two things right away. There is a hinged lid which can be lifted and shut. There may be a window in it, and probably a small vent too. Next to the lid you should see a control panel with a few buttons and maybe a light or two if you have a fancy version. Don’t worry about the control panel and all its bells and whistles yet. We’ll get to it in a little bit.
Right now we are going to concentrate on the lid, and what you find when you lift it. Inside the bread machine there is a bread pan or bucket. This is Part # 2. It will be square-ish or rectangular-ish shaped. There should be a handle on it, which is probably folded down so the lid will close completely. The bread bucket works as both the mixing bowl and the baking pan. In the center of the bread bucket will be a little bread paddle or kneading blade. This is Part #3. It is responsible for kneading and mixing the dough. When the dough bakes, it bakes around the kneading blade. You must remove the blade from the bottom of the loaf after the bread is baked. I’ll explain that in a little while.
You must have all three parts in order to make bread. The machine itself, the bread bucket, and the kneading blade. If any one of these parts is missing you must replace it. The kneading blade is the smallest part and the one most likely to be missing. It is also the least expensive to replace. If you need replacement parts then do an Internet search to find the manufacturer of your machine. Go to their website and email them about what you need. They will be happy to help you. When you have all of the parts you can go to the next step.
The bread bucket and kneading blade are removable. To take the bread bucket out of my machine I lift up the handle and give it a good, hard yank. Your machine may require you to pull harder or softer, depending on how it snaps in. Look it over, grab the handle, and pull. Don’t worry. You aren’t breaking it. After you get the bread pan out, examine it. If you turn it upside down the kneading blade will fall out. There will be a little spinning gear underneath the bread bucket. This is what turns the kneading blade. Don’t worry about it much.
There will be a peg inside the bread pan that the kneading blade fits over. Place the kneading blade on its little peg and then take it off again to familiarize yourself with it. It should go on and off with little trouble. Set the kneading paddle aside in a safe place so it won’t get lost while you do the next part.
Now practice putting the bread bucket into the machine and snapping it into place. For my machine I have to shove down really hard. Don’t worry, you aren’t breaking it. Take the bread pan out and put it back in several times until you feel pretty secure about the process. Yours may go in very easily or you may have to turn the gear under the bread bucket just slightly to get it to fit into the machine the right way. Keep trying until you are satisfied with your skills in this regard.
What is Your Bread Bucket Capacity?
Next take the bread bucket out set it next to the sink. Get a measuring cup and fill it with water. Pour the water into the bread bucket. Do it again and again and again, until the bucket is full. Count how many cups of water you are adding to the bucket, until you get a total. This part is important, so measure carefully. If your bread bucket holds 10 cups of water then you can make 1-1/2 pound loaves of bread. If your bread bucket holds 12 cups or more then you can make 2 pound loaves of bread. If your bucket holds less than 10 cups then you can make 1 pound loaves of bread. I have heard tell of larger buckets that hold 2-1/2 pounds of bread, but I have never actually seen one myself. I suspect they would hold 14 cups or more. When you choose a recipe it is important that you match it up to the size of the bread bucket you have. You would not want to make a 2 lb recipe in a 1 lb machine. It would result in a big mess. Here is a chart for handy reference.
|
Bread Bucket Capacity |
Size of loaves you can make |
|
Less than 10 cups |
1 pound |
|
10 cups |
1 & 1-1/2 pounds |
|
12 cups |
1, 1-1/2, & 2 pounds |
|
14 cups or more |
1, 1-1/2, 2 & 2-1/2 pounds |
Finally, place the bread bucket into the machine, and place the kneading paddle on its little peg. Fold the handle down, and close the lid. You are now ready to move to the control panel.
Control Panel & Settings
Have a good look at the buttons and display screen on the control panel. You will probably find a Select button, a Stop/Start button, Crust Color and Timer or Arrow buttons. Don’t worry about the crust color or timer yet. The Select button and Stop/Start button are the most important ones.
Unplug your machine. Plug it back in. The machine will be on its Basic (or default) setting now. Place the bread pan and the kneading blade in position. Close the lid. Press Start. Watch what happens. It should make mechanical sounds and the kneading blade should begin to swish around at a steady pace. It goes slowly at first and then goes faster after about 10 minutes. Watch it as long as you like. There isn’t any dough in it yet so you can see everything that the machine is up to. You can lift the lid and watch if you like. Place it back down when you are done. Lifting the lid while the machine is running doesn’t hurt it. When you are ready, press the Stop/Start button to stop it. You might need to press it twice. Everything should come to a stop and the machine should reset itself to the Basic setting again.
When you have mastered the Stop/Start button, it is time to look at the Select button. Close to the select button you will see several choices. The most common ones are White or Basic; Whole Wheat; French; Sweet; Rapid, & Dough. To set the machine to a particular cycle you have to keep pressing the Select button until it gets to the cycle you want. Sometimes each cycle is identified by a number. For instance, White or Basic is usually 1. Whole Wheat is 2. French is 3; and so on; you get the idea. Each cycle takes a different amount of time to mix and cook the bread. On my machine the White Bread or Basic Cycle takes 3 hours. Whole Wheat bread takes 3 hours and 40 minutes. French bread takes 3 hours and 50 minutes. Sweet bread takes 2 hours and 50 minutes. Rapid Mix takes 1 hour and 20 minutes. Not all machines take the same amount of time for each setting. My dad’s machine takes 3 hours and 40 minutes for its Basic Cycle. Its Rapid Cycle is 3 hours. This is because each machine has its own way of doing things, the same way that each cook has her own way of doing things.
Practice pushing the Select button and then pushing Start and then Stop until you are confident in your ability to select a specific setting. Remember, you cannot break the machine by pressing the buttons. If you are worried you have broken it then unplug it and plug it back in. It will automatically reset itself to the Basic setting. When you have mastered cycle selection you can go on to the next step.
Crust Settings
The crust setting is not available on all machines. If your machine doesn’t have one then don’t worry about it. I almost never use my crust setting. I don’t find that it makes that much difference in the finished loaf of bread. If you do see a button labeled Crust then it will have 3 settings available: Light, Medium & Dark. The default setting is medium. When you unplug the machine and then plug it back in, it will automatically set itself to the medium setting. If you prefer a light or dark crust instead then you press the Crust button to change the setting. Usually the Crust button will not work until after you select the dough cycle and before you press Start. The order works like this.
1. Select your bread cycle (Basic, or Whole Wheat, or whatever)
2. Select your Crust Setting. You may have to press it several times, to get the setting you prefer.
3. Press the Stop/Start button.
Follow this order with your empty bread machine using different cycles and different crust settings until you feel confident about the process. The crust button probably won’t work with the Dough Cycle. This is because the Dough Cycle doesn’t actually bake any bread, so the color of the crust doesn’t come into play. Usually the Rapid Cycle doesn’t allow you to choose a crust color either, but this may not be true of all machines.
Using the Timer or Delay Cycle
This part is challenging at first, but it has great benefits, so I urge you to learn how to use it. Start with an empty bread machine. Use the Select button to choose a setting like Basic or Whole Wheat. If you look at the control panel it will have the number of hours and minutes until the bread will be done. For this example I am going to use the Basic Cycle on my machine, which takes 3 hours; yours may take more time. The control panel will look similar to this: [ 3:00 ]. The bread will take 3 hours to mix, rise and bake. If you start the machine at noon, then the loaf will be done at 3 p.m., 3 hours later.
There should be 2 buttons on your machine with arrows on them. One arrow will point up, to increase the time on the display screen. One arrow will point down to decrease the time on the display screen. These are the buttons you will use to adjust the time on the delay cycle. You can press them right now if you like, to see what they do. When you are done pressing them unplug the machine and plug it back in to reset everything to its default mode.
Example #1: Let’s say its 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, and you have a bunch of yard-sailing to do today. The crock pot is cooking a nice roast with some carrots and potatoes or some yummy lentil chili. Wouldn’t a fresh loaf of hot bread be just the right thing to serve alongside your meal? How can you get the bread machine to delay its cooking action so that the bread will be fresh cooked at 2 p.m. when you plan to eat dinner?
First, choose your bread cycle. We are using a 3 hour Basic Cycle for our example. Yours may be different, that is all right. The display screen will look similar to this: [ 3:00 ]. In 3 hours it will be 9 o’clock. You don’t want to eat your bread at 9 a.m. though, you want to eat it several hours later at 2 p.m. You need to increase the time on the display screen so that the machine will finish baking the bread at 2 p.m., not 9 a.m.
To do this you will need to do a little math. How many hours are between the time you are starting (6 a.m.) and the time you want the bread to be finished baking (2 p.m.)? In this example, there are 8 hours difference. The display area looks like this [ 3:00 ], you want it to look like this [ 8:00 ]. You want the bread to be finished baking, hot and ready to eat in 8 hours, or at 2 o’clock.
Next, use the arrow buttons to increase the 3 on your display screen to an 8. Each time you press the Up-Arrow button, it will increase the time by 10 minutes. Pressing the Down-Arrow button will decrease the time by 10 minutes. Give it a try. Press the Up-Arrow once. The display screen will look like this [ 3:10 ]. The bread cycle is now delayed by 10 minutes. After a ten minute delay, the machine will start its regular business of kneading, rising and baking. Press the down-arrow button next. The screen will change and go back to this [ 3:00 ]. Pretty easy huh? The Up-Arrow increases the time, the Down-Arrow decreases the time. Press the Up-Arrow now, and hold it. The time should increase really fast. Keep holding it down until the display screen says [ 8:00 ]. If you go over, then use the Down-Arrow to adjust it.
Lastly, make sure your bread pan and ingredients are in the machine, close the lid and press Start. In 8 hours you will have a perfect loaf. This may seem complicated, so let’s walk through another example using a few basic steps, for easy reference.
1. Put your ingredients in the bread pan and snap the bread pan into place.
2. Select the cycle you prefer (Basic or Whole Wheat or French or whatever).
3. Using math, figure out how much time before you want the loaf to be finished baking (8 hours in the above example, 4-1/2 hours in the example below).
4. Use the arrow buttons to adjust the time on the display screen to match the number of hours your figured out above.
5. Close everything up and press Start. Walk away now, and let it do its magic.
Example #2: Its 1 o’clock in the afternoon, and you want a nice loaf of whole wheat bread for supper at 5:30. Your whole wheat cycle lasts 3 hours and 40 minutes. Put the ingredients into the bread bucket and snap the bucket into the machine. Select the Whole Wheat Cycle. The display screen will look similar to this [ 3:40 ]. Yours may be longer or shorter, depending on how long your Whole Wheat Cycle lasts.
If its noon now, then the bread will be done at about a quarter to 5. (1 p.m. plus 3 hours and 40 minutes is 4:40, or about a quarter to 5). You want it to be fresh, hot, and finished cooking at 5:30, which is 4-1/2 hours away. Use the arrow buttons to increase the time from [ 3:40 ] to 4 hours and 30 minutes. The display screen will look like this [ 4:30 ]. Now press the Start/Stop button, and let the machine do its job. In 4 hours and 30 minutes, it will be 5:30, and the bread will be finished baking.
A quick note about using the Timer or Delay Cycle, make sure you use a recipe that you have already tested and that you trust. I wouldn’t make a recipe for the first time on the Delay Cycle. Also, make sure that you place the ingredients into the bread bucket in the correct order (see below). This means the liquid ingredients first, then the dry ones, and finally the yeast. If the yeast comes in contact with any liquids during the delay cycle, it will over work and you will have a nasty mess to clean out of the machine, trust me on this one.
Using the Delay Cycle isn’t difficult. It is a lot simpler than using a pressure cooker. When you get the hang of the Delay Cycle you can pair it with your crock pot and serve up some pretty spectacular homemade dinners that cook while you are away. Even if it seems a little bit intimidating it is still worth trying. One thing you might want to try is to set the Delay Cycle without any ingredients in the pan, and see if it works the way you think it will. Personally I would stop the machine before it got to the bake cycle, because I wouldn’t want it to heat up without any dough in it. It would be a good way to try a starter run though, especially if you are afraid of trying it with ingredients the first time.
About The Ingredients
There are a few basic ingredients you need to make bread in a bread machine. They are yeast, flour, salt, sugar, liquids and fats.
Yeast used in a bread machine should always be labeled “Active Dry” on the label. Sometimes you can buy yeast in a jar that says it is specifically for bread machines. If that is the kind that is most available to you, then it is fine to use. Packets of yeast, available in the baking aisle of the grocery store, usually hold 2-1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast. You may use one packet of yeast to replace 2 teaspoons of yeast in most bread machine recipes. The extra 1/4 teaspoon of yeast won’t make that much difference.
The cheapest place I know to buy yeast is at my local Warehouse Store (Sam’s). A 2 lb package costs less than $4. This is even cheaper than my local health food store, which charges over $3 a pound. I had been paying over $14 a pound for yeast, when I was buying it in 7 oz jars from the grocery store. I find that when I bake all of our bread myself, I go through about 4 pounds of yeast a year. This savings of $52 more than pays for the Warehouse Store’s yearly membership fee. If you bake a lot of bread, you owe it to yourself to find a good source of yeast.
A quick note, I don’t use rapid rise yeast. I don’t think it’s worth the extra cost, and the time savings is negligible once you get the hand of making bread.
Bread Flour makes better bread. I know you don’t want to hear that but it is true. Bread flour is made from hard wheat so it has more gluten, or wheat protein, in it than regular all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour is a blend of hard and soft wheat. This makes it serviceable for biscuits, cakes and quick breads, which prefer soft wheat flour; and also serviceable for yeast bread, which prefers hard wheat flour. It is called all-purpose flour because it is designed to be used for all baking purposes.
Bread flour is made for yeast bread. If you don’t have bread flour then you may use all purpose flour for most bread recipes. Your results will not be exactly the same as if you had used bread flour, but you will still have good results, and you will still get good bread. Sometimes you will need to add a tiny bit more flour to your dough if you use all-purpose flour. This isn’t always true but it is sometimes.
Different brands of bread flour produce different textured breads. I use the cheapest bread flour I can find and have always been very pleased with the results. Bread flour costs a little bit more than all-purpose flour. I consider it worth the extra cost.
Salt is a necessary ingredient in machine made bread. It regulates the rising process so that the bread dough doesn’t spill over the bread bucket into the machine. I have read that it takes at least 1/4-teaspoon of salt per pound of bread to regulate it properly. I don’t know if this is true or not. If it is though then it means that you can reduce the amount of salt in a 2 lb recipe to a minimum of 1/2-teaspoon. Salt also adds flavor to the bread. Bread made completely without salt doesn’t taste as good as bread made with some salt.
Sugar, honey and other sweeteners soften the texture of the dough and the finished loaf. They also contribute to the browning of the bread and the crispness of the crust. The main role they play though is as easy-to-use-food for the yeast. Yeast can use the starch in flour for its food but it is much happier if it gets an easy to use food like sugar or honey. Most bread machine recipes call for at least a small amount of sugar. A very few may not, like machine made French bread, or occasionally pizza crust. If desired you may add between a teaspoon and a tablespoon of sugar to recipes that don’t call for any sweeteners of their own but you don’t really have to.
Bread machine breads do best if they don’t have too much sugar added to them. When making sweet dough from scratch it isn’t unusual to add a full cup of sugar to the dough. When making sweet dough in the machine though it is better to use 1/4 to 1/2-cup of sugar or honey at the very most. This is because the dough rises faster and higher in a bread machine than it does when prepared by hand. Too much sugar is too much food for the yeast and it gets over-excited. This can result in a machine made mess that is unpleasant to clean up.
Liquids used in a bread machine should be room temperature or a little bit warmer. You should never use hot liquids in a bread machine. Liquids that are too hot will kill the yeast. Room temperature liquids make the yeast happy. If you are using tap water then warm tap water is fine. If you are using yogurt or buttermilk you may want to take it out of the fridge to warm up a bit before you use it in the bread machine. This isn’t strictly necessary, especially for breads baked on the Basic Cycle or longer. If you are using the Rapid Cycle though it is imperative that the liquids be warm or at least at room temperature.
Milk, buttermilk, and yogurt make the finished loaf of bread softer and give it a finer crumb. With milk or buttermilk, I usually use warm tap water and add powdered milk or dry buttermilk with my dry ingredients. If you have any whey leftover from making cheese it makes a very finely crumbed bread. It tastes really good too, better than you would think. Also runny yogurt that didn’t set up quite right is great in breads.
If you are making bread with water and you want to try something fun for a change, add a spoonful of vinegar along with the liquid ingredients. You will not taste the vinegar in the finished bread but the acid in it will keep the bread fresh for a little while longer after it is baked. This is an old-fashioned trick that still works well today.
Fats make the finished loaf richer, softer, and also keep the dough from sticking to the non-stick surface of the bread pan (weird, huh?). Usually between 1 and 4-tablespoons of fat are used in a 2 lb loaf of bread machine dough. You can use most fats interchangeably in a bread machine. Margarine, oil, shortening, lard, chicken fat, bacon grease or butter will all give you pretty much the same results. Some of the fats will add a different flavor, and the texture of the bread will change very slightly, depending on which type of fat you use. The changes however, are minor so you can pretty much use whichever type of fat you prefer. Most often I use margarine or oil.
Solid fats do not have to be melted before adding them to the bread machine. It helps if they are at room temperature, but this isn’t always practical. I have added a couple of tablespoons of cold margarine to warm tap water before, and the bread has turned out fine. If you are using the Rapid Cycle the temperature of the fat becomes more important than for the Basic Cycle or longer cycles.
The Order In Which Ingredients Should Be Added to the Bread Machine
There is a big mystique about the order in which ingredients should be added to a bread machine. The truth is, if you are going to mix and bake the dough right away then it really doesn’t matter which order you add the ingredients. The machine will mix them all up regardless of the order they were added to the bread bucket. If you want to program the machine with the Delay Cycle to start while you are away, then the order becomes very important. The ingredients must be added in a way that will keep them inert until the machine begins its mixing. Therefore it is a good idea to get in the habit of adding the ingredients in this way from the beginning.
Most machines like it best if you put the liquid ingredients in first. This would include water, eggs, milk, honey, buttermilk, fats and extracts. Put the liquids into the machine first. Next add the flour. As you are adding the flour, urge it out overtop of the water so that that it sort of seals the water in. Then you can add the other dry ingredients like salt, sugar, dry milk powder and seasonings. The last thing you should add is the yeast. Most recipes suggest that you make a shallow indentation or well in the center of the flour and sprinkle the yeast into it. This is important because it prevents the yeast from coming into contact with the liquid until the machine begins mixing. If the yeast and liquid get together before the machine is scheduled to begin, then the yeast will become active and likely make a big mess out of the machine. I have never seen this happen, but my imagination is pretty vivid, and I try to avoid it. For quick reference, here is the order in which the ingredients should be added:
1. Liquid ingredients (water, eggs, milk, fat, honey)
2. Flour, to “seal” in the liquid
3. Other dry ingredients (dry milk, salt, sugar, seasonings)
4. Add the yeast last.
To sum it up, if you are going to mix and bake your bread right away, then add the ingredients in any order you please. If you are going to use the delay cycle to program the bread machine to work while you are away, then add them in the order given above.
© Hillbilly Housewife 2003-2009
Permission is granted to print, copy and download this article for home, school, church, and personal use. You may not sell it, you may not charge money for it, not even shipping and handling if you send it to a friend. It can only be given away for free with love and kindness. Thanks –Susanne 
Apron Evangelism
One day not too long ago I was struggling with the boys over some minor details which come up when a lot of people live in a small shack in the woods. Details like the value of picking one’s dirty clothes up off of the living room floor when company has been spotted driving up the mountain. The boys were unusually stubborn that particular day. Rather than fight with them over their household responsibilities I picked up the dirty clothes myself and crammed them into the washing machine. I ran some soapy water in the sink to get a start on the dishes before the company arrived.
Now usually I am not one to hold a grudge over small disagreements like laundry on the living room floor. This one settled in my brain though, and I felt compelled to mull over it for several days. It was the outright insubordination which offended me the most. After I figured that out I went in search of solutions.
About the same time I was in the process of Spring Cleaning. I was having a great deal of trouble motivating myself to wash the walls in the kitchen and mop the back porch where the cats live (blessedly with a doggie door so they don’t need litter boxes).
Well, the more I worried about these twin dilemmas the more I felt the need to discuss them with the queen of solutions, my momma Darthulia. As I suspected she had the perfect solution. Darthulia told me I needed a uniform or costume which would reassure myself and others of my intention and status in the home. She claimed it would remind me of my duties, inspire me to greater levels of cleanliness (which as a hillbilly I sorely need), and reaffirm my authority in the home.
Darthulia then went on to describe the homemaker’s uniform to me in detail. “Imagine the modern archetype of the housewife.” She began. “Think Donna Reed, or Beaver Cleaver’s mom. They wore full skirts, and stockings, and heels when they vacuumed. But you knew they were doing housework because they had their aprons on. A string of beads graced the necks of their classic shirtwaist dresses, and a lacy bibbed apron proclaimed their role as matriarch in charge of household management.”
I only have a fleeting memory of Donna Reed. I sort of wish she came on television regularly so I could take notes but she doesn’t in my area so I am stuck looking for other heroines-of-the-home to model myself after. Most of what momma said made sense to me though. That very day, I put on a full skirt, stockings, sensibly low high heeled shoes, and a string of pearly white beads. Then I sat down at my sewing machine and ran up a couple of bibbed aprons, decorated with lace and ribbons.
I made up the pattern as I went along using a small rectangle for the first bib and a heart shape for the second bib. Then I stitched lace around the edges of the bib and attatched it to a simple tie with a full apron skirt gathered to the waist. I made them short waisted so they would fit my maternal figure a bit better, and voila, I was set. I put the first apron on, a creamy white or ecru, and looked in the mirror to admire my handiwork. I expected to see myself staring back at me, probably looking a little silly in this frilly piece of confection designed to protect my clothing.
Boy howdy, was I in for a surprise. In the mirror I saw a vision of the homemaker I have always strived to become staring back at me. Her cheery face glistened in the sunshine. Her hair tied up neatly in bun looked authoritative, and compassionate all at the same time. The apron covered several figure flaws and accentuated the fertile curves of the woman I saw in the mirror. This woman had purpose. She had status. She had clout. I stood there, contemplating the wonder of the homemaker that shone through my image in the mirror. “This is who I want to be” I told myself. “This is the Keeper of the home, with a capital ‘K’. ”
I wear my aprons every day now. I have made more, in different colors and configurations so as to be pleasing to my senses. I have come to believe they are a like lacy bits of lingerie, only worn on the outside, and a quite a bit more respectable. When I put on my aprons the children mind me better, wandering visitors immediately know my role as a stay at home mom. Door to door religious missionaries assume I am a virtuous woman and cheerfully move on to the next house. Fred thinks I look cute as a button, and neighbor children hug me more often.
I like my aprons. They have changed my life, raising my standards, inspiring me to greater feats of home making skill, and making me more effective as a parent. Whoever thought that a dollars worth of fabric and lace could effect so many changes on one woman and one family? Since my success with aprons I have become a true believer. I am now called to spread the word among my fellow housewives. Join the crusade by sharing your love of aprons with friends, family and internet buddies around the world. Together we will change the face of the House Wife, the world over.
Blessings,
–Maggie (The original Hillbilly Housewife)
Suggestions For School Lunches
An empty lunch box can be an intimidating thing at 6 am when you are wiping the sleep from you eyes and wishing you had taken the time to prepare and program the coffee maker the night before. To help you out of this predicament, I offer the following suggestions. You can mix and match them as you see fit, creating a good combination for your crew. All the suggestions are cheap and nutritious. Some require work the day before, but many can be made quickly, even in a bleary morning fog. Some women will print this page out and keep it on their refrigerator for ideas. Other women will have their kids look it over and check or circle all of the ideas they like. Be sure to add your own ideas too.
Sandwiches are the backbone of box lunches. They are easy and quick to prepare in the morning, or can be prepared and packaged the night before. Variety abounds, making monotony something only to be endured by choice. Tommy is going through a stage where he only wants grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. I fry them in the morning, wrap them in foil, and pack them in one of the side pockets of his insulated lunch bag. They seem to be a little warm at lunch, and he is satisfied with them. Sometimes there are so many variables in a child’s day that it is nice to know that lunch is predictable. I allow my children to indulge in monotony until they tire of it. Then I encourage them to explore the complex joys of variety. The following sandwich fillings include proven favorites and new adventures.
- Tuna Salad with Celery
- Egg Salad with Pickles
- Chicken Salad with Raisins
- Turkey Salad with Curry Powder
- Baloney & Cheese & Mustard & Mayo
- Turkey and Cranberry sauce
- Fried Spam & Cheese
- Fried Canned Corned Beef & Sauerkraut
- Meatballs in a hotdog bun with tomato sauce
- Meat Loaf with Tomato Slices
- Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato
- Bacon and Fried Eggs
- Fried Baloney or Spam & Fried Eggs
- Sloppy Joes
- Turkey & Bacon and bean sprouts
- Sliced Cucumbers & Butter
- Sliced Cucumbers & Cream Cheese
- Cream Cheese & Jelly
- Peanut Butter & Jelly
- Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Fluff
- Peanut Butter & Raisins
- Sausage & Egg Biscuit
- Egg & Cheese Sandwich
- Pork Roast & BBQ Sauce & coleslaw
- Sliced Beef Roast & horseradish
- Sliced Beef and Swiss Cheese
- Sliced Beef & Cream Cheese
- Sliced Beef & fried onions or mushrooms
- Loose fried hamburger & onions & cheese
- Burritos with beef or beans & cheese
- Tacos
- Quesadilla (fried cheese tortillas)
- Baloney, mayonnaise & Pineapple Rings
- Cream Cheese & minced peppers
- Baked beans with pickle relish
- Hamburgers with fixings
- Corn Dogs
- Hot Dogs with Chili
- Hot Dogs with Cheese
- Hot Dogs with Coleslaw
- Chopped Chicken & BBQ Sauce
- Ham Salad with Pickles
- Fajitas with Beef or Chicken
- Baloney, Mustard & Sprouts, wrapped in a tortilla
Sandwiches may be the mainstay of packed lunches, but other main dishes lend variety and interest to the same old thing. The following main dishes are packed cold in the lunch box. They taste good, and are usually favorites among the lunch box crowd. Some of these items will fit in flip top sandwich bags, others will need to be packed into plasitc resealable container. Remember to send a spoon or fork if the dish requires it.
- Fried Chicken
- Leftover Pizza
- Chef Salad
- Pasta & Meat Salad
- Individual Meat Loaves
- BBQ Chicken or Ribs
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Boiled Eggs
If you have a thermos at your disposal, there is no end to the variety you can send along. Many casseroles, soups and skillet meals pack nicely, making a very interesting lunch for the lucky eater. Give a few of the following a whirl when sandwiches seem boring or old. Remember to pre-heat the thermos with hot tap water. Also make certain the food is well heated before spooning it into the thermos. I heat up soupy things on the stove, and more solid things I heat in the microwave. Be sure to get everything very hot before packing it.
- Baked Beans & Sliced Hotdogs
- 1/2 cup Hot Rice with 1/2 cup Beef & Broccoli overtop
- Mashed potatoes with creamed chicken or turkey & gravy
- Tuna Casserole
- Chicken & Rice Casserole
- Beef & Tomato Casserole
- Canned Soups
- Chowders
- Creamed Soups
- Hot Pinto Beans & Salt Pork or Bacon
- Chili with beans
- Spaghetti and Sauce
- Chopped up Lasagna
- Scalloped Potatoes or Potatoes Au Gratin
- Macaroni & Cheese
- Lentils & Rice
- Beef Stew
- Hamburger Gravy to spoon over bread
- Sausage Gravy to spoon over biscuits
- Creamed Ham to spoon over biscuits
- Mashed Potatoes with Cheese
- Ramen Noodles & Veggies
If you have a cold-pack thermos that holds 1/2-cup or 4 ounces or so, then even more options open up for you. If you don’t have a cold-pack thermos, then you can pack a blue freezer-pack along with the lunch, and rest assured that everything will remain cold until lunch time. This is the method I prefer. I use small 4oz and 8oz resealable containers put out by Glad and Zip-Lock. Rubbermaid also makes some nice ones. They are just the right size to hold a serving of pudding or yogurt or fruit. They come home every day to be washed. Try filling them with the following:
- Deviled Eggs
- Custard style Yogurt
- Vanilla Yogurt
- Yogurt with fruit
- Yogurt with Jam
- Cottage Cheese & cut up or Canned Fruit
- Cottage Cheese & minced veggies
- Plain Cottage Cheese
- Instant Pudding
- Homemade Pudding
- Rice Pudding
- Bread Pudding
- Fruit Flavored Gelatin
- Gelatin with Fruit
- Gelatin with Veggies
- Carrot Raisin Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Coleslaw
- Potato Salad
- Waldorf Salad
- Dip or Dressing for
Vegetable Sticks - Fruit Cobbler or Crisps
- Fruit or Cream Pies
- Pea & Cheese Salad
- Canned Pineapple
- Canned Peaches
- Canned Pears
- Canned Fruit Cocktail
- Applesauce
- Prunes cooked in Orange Juice
- Green Salad, with dressing in a separate small container
- Frozen Strawberries
Other items can be packaged in flip top baggies and sent along for crunching. Children usually like a variety of extra nibbles throughout the week. If you send fresh fruit, it will more likely be eaten if it is cut into easy to eat wedges, than if it is left whole. Also, small fruit like bananas or apples will result in fewer leftovers than large fruit. If I only have large fruit, I will give each child half of it, which is more in keeping with their appetite.
- Apple Wedges
- Orange Smiles
- Cluster of Grapes
- Small Banana
- Carrot Sticks
- Celery Sticks
- Broccoli Trees
- Turnip Sticks
- Radishes
- Boiled Eggs
- Green Pepper Strips
- Cucumber Slices
- Cheese Cubes
- Peanut Butter Crackers
- Crackers & Baloney Triangles
- Crackers & Cheese Slices
- Crackers & Cream Cheese
- Pretzels
- Popcorn
- Caramel Corn
- Raisins
- Dry Apricots
- Prunes
- Banana Chips
- Peanuts
- Sunflower Seeds
- Cheese Crackers
- Celery stuffed with Peanut Butter
- Celery stuffed with Cream Cheese
- Granola
- Gorp
- Homemade Cereal Snack Mix (like chex mix)
Next in line is something sweet to nibble on when the rest of the food is eaten. At my house this usually means a baked good. All of the following items can be made at home the day before, or on Baking Day. They pack easily in flip-top baggies and provide the extra nourishment that makes sure everyone gets enough to eat.
- Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
- Brownies
- Chocolate Cake
- Vanilla Cake
- Spice Cake
- Gingerbread
- Banana Cake
- Oatmeal Cake
- Blondies
- Granola Bars
- Blueberry Muffins
- Banana Muffins
- Oatmeal Muffins
- Cheese Muffins
- Corn Muffins
- Whole Wheat Muffins
- Bran Muffins
- Zucchini Bread
- Banana Bread
- Peanut Butter Bread
- Raisin Bread
- Orange Juice Muffins
- Coffee Cake
- Cinnamon Raisin Biscuit
- Cinnamon Toast
We end this litany of choices with beverages. A thermos will make toting these items easy and healthful. If you don’t have a thermos, then be sure to pack a blue freezer-pack along with the lunch, to keep everything cold and bacteria-free. If this isn’t an option then choose Kool-Aid, Tea, Water or Lemonade, because these items can withstand temperature change the easiest. My kids prefer pint (16oz) containers of beverage, so they can rehydrate easily during lunch.
- Reconstituted Milk
- Chocolate Milk
- Hot Chocolate
- Hot Coffee or Tea
- Kool-Aid
- Iced Tea
- Ice Water
- Fruit Smoothies
- Orange Juice
- Apple Juice
- Grape Juice
- Lemonade
Frugal Kitchen Staples
Ever wonder how our ancestors always seemed to have food on the table even in lean times? When we are visiting the grocery store every week to the tune of hundreds of dollars, we long to know their secret. In fact it isn’t a secret at all. It is actually good planning and preparation on their part. Once we realize this and begin doing as they did, we too will see our dollar stretch further.
The items that we have on hand are what determine how far our food will go. Filling your cabinets or pantry with a few useful staples can be the difference between a trip to the grocery store each and every week versus once or twice a month. Stocking just a few choice items is all you need to create wonderful meals.
1. Flour. Flour is a starter item for many recipes. You can add it to some water and make gravy in the pan for many meat dishes. Flour is used to make bread (biscuits, rolls, loaves) and to coat chicken. It can also be used to coat a round or square cake pan to prevent the cake from sticking. Of course, one of the favorite uses for flour is in cookie recipes that make scrumptious desserts.
2. Rice. My husband loves rice so much that we once bought a fifty pound bag from a grocery store in his hometown. Fifty pounds! Rice is a side dish, but it doesn’t have to be plain. It can be jazzed up with veggies to accompany dinner. My mother uses leftover rice for a dessert called sweet rice. Just add evaporated milk and some sugar to a bowl of rice and warm it in the microwave. It is a tasty treat for after dinner. Another popular dessert is rice pudding. Rice can also be mixed with leftover meat and a cream soup to form a casserole. Rice has many uses and your sure to find a few that your family will love.
3. Pasta. There are many different pasta choices and all have great uses. Manicotti can be stuffed with tomato sauce and cheeses. Macaroni can be used to make a creamy salad and also is great combined with cheese or spaghetti sauce. Spiral pasta is used in many different pasta salads. Spaghetti can be used in a casserole topped with cheese or in the traditional way with tomato sauce and meat.
4. Spices. There are other ways to season food besides salt and pepper. In fact, many spices taste better than salt. Even diehard salt-a-holics won’t miss the salt in foods if other seasonings are used. Cayenne pepper, chili powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, oregano, and garlic powder are all useful tools in your flavor arsenal to give foods a fresh new taste.
5. Beans. There go those beans again. Beans can top your salad (edamame), make an awesome dip (black beans), and go well with grilled foods (baked beans). They provide a good source of protein with very little fat. Beans are good in soups, stews, and over rice for a simple yet filling meal.
Do you have these staples in your kitchen? You can probably think of several more that will enhance your pantry and save money. Start with these and grow your own list of basic kitchen staples that are versatile and economical.