Recycled Popsicles

When I was a young bride, there were a lot of useful things I threw away.  I didn’t realize they were useful.  I drained my canned vegetables and fruit right down the sink!  When we decided to get out of debt and tighten our belt, I looked at everything in a new way.  I save the vegetable broth as a base for soups, gravy, and for cooking rice and quinoa in.  And the fruit juice (or light syrup) I saved for ……

It’s interesting to see my old kitchen in this video!  It doesn’t seem so bad now that I’ve lived without anything for so many months, lol.  But you can sort of see the hole around and under the stove top which is one of the reasons we decided to gut the place and start over.  We just heard that our cabinets are in and we are making arrangements to pick them up Monday.  I’m still a little bewildered how Darren and I are going to assemble and install them ourselves.  But I have a drill and I’m willing to work—just tell me what to do!

It feels like it’s going to be a long time before everything is finished.  I’d like to use Ikea countertops because I love the look and the price!  But the nearest Ikea is 600 miles away and then I will still need to stain and waterproof them.  Plus cut a hole for the sink and install them.  At this point, I’m not sure how to do any of that, but not knowing how hasn’t stopped me from trying before :).

Fishing For Phonograms

Where does the time go?  I shot this video more than a year ago and now it’s time to play these games with my next youngest child. 

I love the Spell to Write and Read program for teaching phonics and spelling.  It’s very teacher intensive, but I haven’t found another program that captures the English language and spelling rules as well as this program has.  If you are using SWR or Writing Road to Reading, you will enjoy using this game to help reinforce the basic phonogram sounds.  Watch the video to see how it’s played and download the printable templates to make your own game here:  Fishing for Phonograms

Easy Home Grown Sprouts!

Update:  I’ve had several people ask about where to buy a hemp bag.  My daughter, Heidi, planned to make them and sell them on Etsy, but it’s just too much for her with school.  We bought our hemp fabric at fabric.com but ready made bags are available at Amazon.  They can be pricey!  And if that’s just too much for you, or if you aren’t sure you are a sprouting fan.  You can just line your colander with a cotton dishtowel and sprout that way.  Cover the seeds with the damp towel between rinsing.  (Note:  this will tea dye your towel in spots, so don’t use a favorite!)

It’s been more than a year since I posted a video.  I was waiting for everything to be perfect so I can film.   I finally decided doing it imperfectly was better than not doing it at all since it’s never perfect around here.  My children ran the camera, helped with the demo, and screamed in the background.  It was a family affair :). 

I love sprouts!  They are crunchy, sweet, nutty, full of viatmins and cheap!  It’s so easy to do in just a few minutes.  I don’t even have a kitchen sink and managed to do it.  With a hemp sprouting bag, you can grow sprouts as you travel.  They take up very little space and need very little care.  I made mine from 100% hemp fabric from fabric.com.  It’s pricey but I had a coupon and for one yard could make several bags for the cost of one ready made bag?  Don’t want to sew a bag?  You can buy them ready made from Amazon: Sproutman Hemp Sprout Bag  Or if you are doing a lot of sprouts, line a colander with a cotton tea towel and use it instead of a sprouting bag.  It will stain your towel permanently (like tea dyeing) but it works great.  I once did a lot of wheat seed this way that I dehydrated and milled for sprouted wheat flour.

This method works with any kind of sprout.  Watch the video to see how easy it is.  Or watch to see my kitchen in construction.  Or to see me without makeup :).  In the last scene, I had been lying in bed when I gasped–“my sprouts!”   I threw a shirt over my pjs, pulled my oldest daughter out of bed and filmed the last segment.  Now you’ll know why I look like that–bwa ha ha.  But they sure did taste good.  I wish I had gotten a photo of the salad.  It was simple:  Romaine lettuce from Costco, sprouts, dried cranberries, and shredded carrots.  I ate it with my fingers because I was too impatient to find a plate and dressing, yum!

Gluten Free Pizza

I know a lot of you out there are gluten free, either for yourself, or for a loved one in the home.  One of the most common questions asked is whether the Grocery Shrink method will work if you are gluten free.  The answer is yes.  The method will save you money no matter what your diet needs are because it is the WAY to shop, not a prescription for what to buy and cook.  And it will teach you how to take what you buy and use it up with no waste. 

Here’s what one gluten free buyer had to say:  “Angela – started to read the ebook and LOVE it!  Common sense stuff that I really need to follow.  It can all be adapted to GF [gluten free].  I may not save as much but it is something! And your idea about almond flour – BRILLIANT!  Yes, I will need to join that group. Thank you, Wendi”

Oats are naturally Gluten Free I haven’t tried living gluten free on $50 per person per month.  Many grains are gluten free:  rice, soy, millet, flax, quinoa, corn,  oats.  But if they haven’t been processed or packaged in a gluten free facility they aren’t safe for a true Celiac.  While I can find a carton of plain rolled oats very inexpensively, to buy one that is certified gluten free will cost 5 xs as much!  And something as innocent as a piece of hard candy is often coated in flour (containing gluten) to keep it from sticking to the wrapper.  So while using the Grocery Shrink method for any dietary needs will save money, a gluten free house might not reach the $50 per person per month level.

http://pccuisine.com/wild-rice-pilaf.html

http://pccuisine.com/wild-rice-pilaf.html

The best way to save money on a gluten free diet is to make your own bread mixes from bulk ingredients.  And to not try to replace all familiar bread foods in the diet with gluten free counterparts.  Instead focus your diet on fresh/frozen veggies, simply prepared meats, fruit, and gluten free grains such as corn, rice and quinoa.  Use some gluten free baked goods to keep you from feeling deprived, but don’t make them the staple of your diet.

I’m doing research for inexpensive ways to buy gluten free ingredients in bulk.  And I’ve been having a lot of trouble (hence the no post yesterday–sorry)  I smell a business opportunity.  I found lots of sites that advertised bulk ingredients and they turned out to be a lot of prepackaged foods and mixes.   I’m still looking though and I’ll let you know when I find THE source.  Any tips?  Leave your sources in a comment.

I have a fun link to share wtih you today while I continue my research.  There are a lot of mothers learning how to cook gluten free from scratch and I’m thankful they are posting the journey online.  But first. For those new to the gluten free idea here are some fun facts.

1.  Gluten is a protein that is very good for you, unless you have a condition that makes it impossible to digest.

2.  Gluten gives structure and loft to breads.  This quality can be mimicked with xanthan gum (made by fermenting sugar with the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium) or guar gum (made from the guar bean.)  Both of these ingredients are carbohydrates.

3.  There are at least 3 conditions that require a gluten free lifestyle:  Celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or gluten allergy.  Someone with gluten intolerance won’t get violently ill if they ingest a small amount of gluten but someone with Celiac’s will notice even a microscopic amount.

4.  Gluten senstitivites is usually tested by an elimination diet.  If all gluten is removed and the symptoms improve, then the person is assumed to be gluten intolerant.  A more definitive way to test is with a saliva test.

5.  You can help build structure in your bread by adding high protein flours such as soy flour to your gluten free flour blend.

Image source: GlutenFreeMommy.com

This fantastic gluten free pizza was made by Natalie at Glutenfreemommy.com without a mix!  You can get the recipe here.  And while you’re there, poke around.  She has a lot of wisdom to share.

How do I want to be remembered?

I went to a funeral a few years back for a distant cousin, a young husband and father, that I didn’t know well. Towards the end of the service the microphone was opened up to anyone who would like to share a memory and I was interested to know more about this man whose life was cut short in a tragic accident. Person after person stood at the mike to tell that he was a devoted Chief’s Fan. There were no stories about tender parent-child moments, a time of helping a friend in need, or a devoted faith in God….just recollections of his football activites. It made me stop and think about how I wanted to be remembered.

I went to a memorial service this morning for a good friend of mine. She was 54 years young and died after a long battle with lupus. Through all she suffered she never complained, lost cheerfulness, or a faith in Christ. He healed her of many other afflictions throughout her life, but Lupus was to be her test. Her final testimony of cheerul, faithful enduring to the end.

Deborah was a mother of 3 and grandmother to 4. She homeschooled her children and poured her life into theirs. She didn’t have an ambition that didn’t involve the well-being of her family and it showed in the quality of their lives.  She loved music, pink, nature, cleaning, organizing, decorating, cooking, sewing, and being with children.  She was always a ready and welcoming hostess.  If she could do anything to relieve suffering, she did it.  Her smile was contagious and healing.

While she breathed her last breath with her daughter by her side, her young grandson was coloring a portrait of her in the kitchen.   When his mother came to him, he wanted to give his picture to grandma.  She explained that Mamay had gone to heaven.  He asked, “To be with Jesus?”

“Yes, to be with Jesus.”

“Oh,  then I’ll see her again when she comes back with Jesus in Glory for the resurrection.  And I’ll give it to her then.”

Dear readers, that child is barely old enough for school and yet he understands so much.  And that kind of thing just doesn’t happen.  It shows you the kind of parents he has.  And he has those kind of parents because of the kind of mother Deborah was.

I didn’t see Deborah often.  Mostly when I visited her church to sing a special number.  And she smiled huge and closed her eyes and just Enjoyed.  It made such an impression on me and was a great comfort in my nervousness.  I sing for God, because when I sing, I feel his pleasure.  But when Deborah’s there, I sing for her too.  That’s the kind of person she was.

She was a dear friend and her life has changed mine forever.  She will forever be an inspiration to be a better mother, a better wife, a better friend.  I know her suffering has passed and her joy is full, but I can’t help but to fall into a pile of tears at unexpected moments when I think of how long it might be before I see her again.  And yet I know my grief must be a minute fraction of what her family is feeling.  So I ask you to join me as I pray peace and healing for them.

I made myself something

Simplicity 3867
It all started when I spent 4th of July weekend at the farm and visited my friend, Kelly. Every time I saw her she had on the cutest summer top. All weekend I wore a t-shirt, same cut, many colors. I thought to myself, how hard would it be to wear a cute top instead? So I asked her, “Where do you shop? All your clothes are so cute!” She replied sweetly, “I made them myself.”

It was a duh moment for me. Kelly is a mom with 2 children, one a young baby. She runs 2 home-based businesses and was preparing to direct a Jr. High summer camp and still found time to stitch up a summer wardrobe. I was letting my excuses stop me from taking action!

It reminded me that just a few minutes a day on a project can make it happen.  I took 30 minutes one day to prepare my pattern, and cut out the fabric.  This went quickly because when I buy new fabric, I pre-wash it immediately before storing.  The next day I stitched to the point of zipper insertion.  The 3rd day I put in the zipper, stitched down the lining and hemmed it. 

I sewed for 30-45 minutes a day tops.  And in 3 days, 2 hours actual sewing time, I had a beautiful new top that fits perfectly.  It was sewn from stash–no new $ spent.  I couldn’t have shopped for a blouse in that amount of time and it was much less stressful to sew at home with children then to drag them to the store to look for mama clothes.  The stash items used cost about $4.50.

And the money it saved!  To start with, time is money.  In this case sewing was less time consuming than shopping and I saved a bunch of gas too.  I buy my sewing materials the same way I shop for food.  I buy them when they are at all time low prices and store them in my sewing pantry until I need them.  I buy patterns at $.25 (thrift store or garage sale) -$1.00 (Fabric store sales.)  Fabric I buy off the clearance rack for $1-$3 a yard.  The $3 fabric has to be VERY nice–like a high quality knit, courderoy or denim.  I am very careful when I buy fabric.  I have to LOVE it and have a purpose in mind when I buy it:  pajamas, a church outfit, swimsuit etc.  I buy my zippers from Home Sew in their grab bag packs.  You get a variety of colors and sizes and it’s 20 zippers for just $3!  (I buy rick-rac and bias tape this way too.)   Needles, thread and other sundry notions I grab when they are 50% off which happens nearly every holiday.

Then we come to sewing quality.  I used vintage dotted swiss for this blouse and to keep with the vintage theme, I finished all the seams without a serger.  I changed the construction process from the pattern instructions to allow the inside to be completely sealed with the lining.  And used French seams for all the exposed seams.  I substituted an invisible zipper for traditional which is faster and easier to sew in, and looks so much nicer when finished.  It’s hard to buy details like these.

To reduce bulk in the lining I used a tuck to fold out the fullness, instead of gathers as on the outside of the blouse.

I didn’t take any fancy classes to learn to sew.  I just used one pattern at a time.  Each thing I stitched up, I learned something new.  My years of sewing experience didn’t stop me from making a mistake on this one.  I sewed one of the shoulder straps in twisted, sigh.  It took an extra 10 minutes to fix, but I loved that my daughter’s were at my side.  They saw that everyone makes mistakes and it’s okay to grab a seam ripper and keep going.

For Carrie :).

Just a few minutes a day is all it takes!  I squeezed in another project this week in just a few minutes a day that saved us hundreds of $.  Here’s a sneak peak and when it’s all finished, I’ll have a video for you too.

Ready for a Treat?

How about some homemade raisin bread? (If you are gluten free, keep checking back. I’ve got some great stuff planned for you :).)

Whole grain raisin bread is a healthy and inexpensive breakfast or snack.

The Fresh Loaf, has the perfect post! It is complete with step by step pictures and directions.  I tested this recipe for you with 100% whole grain hard white wheat flour and it was great. (I weighed everything and used the same weight, not necessarily the same per cup.) The recipe calls for an unusually long second rise and I jumped the gun and baked it too early. It didn’t rise much after I put it in the oven. So my advice is to follow the directions exactly :).  One thing:  I had a hard time kneading in the raisins at the end.  They were flying out everywhere.  I wonder if it’s possible to add them when the dough is more wet?  I’ll try it next time.

Photo credit:  The Fresh Loaf (click the photo to go to the recipe.)

The Most Expensive Habit

Were you thinking smoking?  Nope.  That one’s expensive, but this one is even more so.  It’s being disorganized. 

When you are disorganized you might have to pay a late fee for a bill you didn’t see.  Eating out is tempting when you can’t find the kitchen sink.  Family game night doesn’t sound much fun when the dining table is covered with a craft project.  And when you can’t find something, you might  buy it again.  I know because I’ve done it…all of it.

I’ve decided to make a change, one day at a time.  I’ve made a big mess over here, tearing up the entire main floor of the house at once for a remodel.  What was I thinking?  It’s been months, and I’ve lost traction.  I can’t fix it overnight but I can do one thing each day.   I’ve taken some inspiration from the Fly Lady.  I don’t have a sink to shine, so I shined my kitchen floor instead.  Beautiful! 

I love her saying:  “Housework done imperfectly still blesses my family.”

In addition to one one-time project I’m going to do some daily maintenance.

Photo Credit:  BHG.com

1.  Squirt cheap great smelling shampoo in the toilet and swish every morning.

2.  Squeegee down the shower and wipe out the tub after my shower.  (When I am consistent with this I only have to deep clean every other month or so.)

3.  Wipe down the mirror.

4.  Fix dinner before breakfast :).  I love my slow cooker.

5.  Spot clean my kitchen floor.  My favorite way to clean is to dilute my cleaner (right now I’m using Murphy’s Oil Soap on our new hardwood floor) in a 32 oz spray bottle and just squirt and wipe.  It gets cleaner than with a mop and bucket because I’m not spreading dirty water around.  It’s also a lot easier and a lot less expensive.

Part of my projects list include finding a place for everything or getting rid of it.  Right now we are having a problem with towels, mail, coupons, and craft projects!  Also several of my bathrooms lack toilet paper or toilet wipe holders and have magazines on the floor most of the time.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  I’ve got some ideas and I’m hoping to surprise DH with the transformation.  (A good surprise.  Not like the, “I tore up your house and there’s no hard wood”, surprise.)

One last thing.  The thing that will be hardest for me….I’m giving myself office hours.  I love checking my email and answering questions and responding to blog comments.  I pop in and out all day doing it, just a few minutes at a time.  But DH pointed out how it wasn’t efficient and that I could do so many other things I loved if I would squeeze those activities together and limit my time.  So I will be reading and writing and shipping packages between 2 and 4 pm each day.  Now instead of checking my mail when I roll out of bed I will open the Good Book and then pull on my sneakers for a little workout.  So here’s to a new house and a new me!

Zucchini Casserole: A lesson in Substitutions

This tasty dish is perfect for using your garden bounty. I love the nutty flavor from long grain brown rice and that I don’t have to precook the rice to use it in this recipe.

Here’s the original recipe from my Mother in Love:
3 lbs fresh zucchini, sliced
1 lb ground beef, browned
1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or homemade equivalent)
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup grated cheddar or colby cheese

I had everything on hand except for cottage cheese. I did a quick search online and found that it would take 15 hours give or take to make cottage cheese from scratch (a future post to be sure.) I stopped to think… What was the purpose of the cottage cheese? A creamy layer, moisture for the rice, salty flavor.

I decided to substitute 1 cup of mozzarella cheese with 1 cup of plain yogurt stirred in. I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the yogurt to help mimic the cottage cheese flavor. It worked beautifully, saved me a trip to the store, and a little $ too.

1. Layer half the zucchini in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish
2. In a bowl, mix ground beef, rice, oregano, salt, garlic, and cream of mushroom soup. Spread over zucchini layer.
3. Top the ground beef layer with the 2 cups of cottage cheese (or some other substitute–grin.)
4. Place the rest of the zucchini slices over the cottage cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours.
6. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar or colby cheese. Return to oven just until cheese is melted.

Note: I have teasted this recipe with good results in my slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours.

The lesson here is in the substitution.  You don’t have to have all the right ingredients on hand to make a dish work.  Think about the purpose for each ingredient and find something you have on hand that will do something similar.  It doesn’t have to be perfect to be fantastic!

Apricot Mint Tea

To save costs on groceries and to improve health, I recommend drinking water.  Sometimes when we have guests or on a specially hot day, we crave something with more flavor.  This tea is very inexpensive, has healthful benefits from the mint, is calorie free,  and sweetened naturally with stevia.

2 Pure Peppermint Tea Bags

1 gallon of water, divided

80 drops Stevia Clear Liquid Apricot 2 Ounces

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil ina stainless steel pan.  Remove from heat and add 2 tea bags.  Cover with a lid and leave overnight.  In the morning, discard the tea bags and pour liquid into a gallon pitcher.   Add enough cool water to make a gallon and 80 apricot stevia drops.  Stir well and keep in the refrigerator.  16- 1 cup servings. 

There are about $.30 worth of mint and $.90 worth of stevia in this recipe–for $1.20 a gallon or 7 cents a serving