WOW this homemade liquid dishwasher soap lasts a LONG time!

 SIX months ago I made up this $3 batch of homemade liquid dishwasher soap..... I am just now finishing it up!  That means that it cost me a grand total of 50 cents a month!  I run the dishwasher at least once and a few times a week I run it twice a day.  I have been using this recipe for several years, but I never kept track of how long a batch lasted till now.  I am officially pleased by not only how well it works but how long it lasts.  

A penny saved is a penny earned! 
Have you tried this recipe, yet?
Hope it woks well for you!


Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Choosing Simplicity..... Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Soap

I just whipped up another batch of  dishwasher soap this week and it got me thinking about the fact that my second all time most  read post here on this blog is about the homemade liquid dishwasher soap I use.  Isn't it funny what posts become the most popular??  I never would have thought dishwasher soap!  LOL!

I started using homemade liquid dishwasher soap back in 2009 and I enjoy being both frugal and environmentally kind.  I had used a homemade powder dishwasher soap for a long time before that.  I prefer the liquid kind.  We have "hard" well water and I must use a rinse aid (either vinegar or purchased kind) and I have to hand wash our drinking glasses every now and them because no matter what kind of dishwasher soap I use (home made or purchased) a film develops.  This recipe is a keeper in my book, so thought I would post about it again (since it has been a while).

This batch that I made this week will last me about 4 months.  Note that I marked the jug with the date... I like to keep track of usage data... it is the nerd in me!   I run my dishwasher at least once a day and a few days a week it gets ran twice a day.  For a cost of $3 I would say that this is very cost effective!

Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Soap
(This makes 1 gallon. It costs me approximately $3 to make. I store it in 2 1/2 gallon jugs.)

Ingredients:
16 cups of water, divided
1 1/2 cups WASHING soda (this is NOT baking soda)
1 cup borax
1/2 cup Dr. Brenner's Pure Liquid Castile Soap (fragrance of your choice)

Directions:
1) Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in washing soda, borax and liquid castile soap until dissolved.
2) Stir in remaining 8 cups water and allow to cool.
3) Pour cooled dishwasher soap into containers of your choice. It will "gell" up over next 24 hours.

To use:
give dishwasher soap a good shake to make sure everything is mixed well and to make it easy to pour out. I only put a small amount ( approx 1 rounded TBL) in the closed soap dispenser. Experiment with the amount you will need... I have found that it takes very little of this soap.  This batch will last a long time!

 I hope you like it... Let me know if you try it. I enjoy making as many of our cleaning products as possible... I especially like this homemade multipurpose cleaner.  My 7 year old son is the chief bathroom cleaner and he sprays down the sink with this cleaner every day.... love that I don't have to worry about my child cleaning with harsh and dangerous chemicals!  Safe and effective and of course money saving!  :)


****Update*****  This batch I made in January lasted me SIX whole months!!  I run the dishwasher at least once a day and several times a week twice.  I posted about how frugal and happy I am with this Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Soap here.   *****

Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

I am living a RICH life!!

I CHOOSE to live RICH! "Poor" is a mindset. There is a HUGE difference between 'poor' and 'broke'. There is a HUGE difference between 'wealthy' and 'rich'. We are living RICH, we are living life with a heart of gratitude, focusing on the blessings in life. Wealthy is a matter of money, RICH is a matter of the heart.

We are living RICH by living life to the fullest enjoying all the wonderful blessings God gives. Life is 'rich' when you choose to open your heart to all of the little things that make life so sweet. Cherishing simple things like breathing in fresh air, receiving flowers from a child, relaxing in a warm bath, sinking in to a freshly fluffed pillow, driving a paid for vehicle, soaking up a beautiful sun set, eating a meal fresh from the garden.... Experiencing and reflecting on special times spent with family and friends. Mary, the mother of Jesus, 'stored up these things in her heart' (she stored the experiences of Chirst's early life in her heart to reflect on later). Life's greatest treasures are not things purchased at the mall (or even at Target... gasp....), the greatest treasures are the every day blessings of life.

Choosing to be RICH means slowing down, FOCUSING on the positives, SPEAKING gratitude and slaying the "gimmies" (children are not the only ones that get these). Choosing to be rich requires a heart of contentment. Thankful for all we have, not restless for things we want, realizing that having more will never satisfy the deep longings of the heart. The heart longs for things that really matter, trying to fulfill these longings with stuff only deepens the need.

I AM rich! I CHOOSE to focus on the little blessings in life that add up filling my life to the brim with true treasures!!!! Count your blessings and name them one by one!

 Think about the longings of your heart. Can they really be filled by that next purchase?? You are not poor because your budget does not allow you to spend freely on all you want. CHOOSE to be rich by living a RICH life... a life lived enjoying the simple things! Challenge yourself to LOOK for the many wonderful simple things that make your life RICH!! Dwell on these, not on any lack.

(I originally wrote this back in march of 2009, however this has been on my mind quite a bit lately so I thought I would post it again.  Hope ya don't mind!)

Have a BLESSED day,
BE a BLESSING!
Heather

I've been cleaning with this recipe now for FOUR years!

My love affair with this home made cleaner just keeps going!! I keep a spray bottle with this cleaner in each of our two bathrooms and in the kitchen. It is used daily. It costs so much less to make than buying commercial cleaners and it is environmentally friendly.

Home Made All-Purpose Cleaner (it is also a great glass cleaner... we have used it to clean every window in our house in addition to lots of other places)

• 1 spray bottle (I just use the bottle I had from the last time I purchased a windex)
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2-2/3 cup scented rubbing alcohol (I use up to 2/3 cup if I am going to use it all for windows)  *** or just use plain rubbing alcohol and add in several drops of your favorite essential oil.  I am using lavender right now, but if my husband could handle the smell of tea tree oil I would use that for the natural antibacterial properties it has.
• Fill the rest of the bottle up with water.

The rubbing alcohol comes in wintergreen and citrus... you will find it with the other rubbing alcohol in the pharmacy section of your favorite store. Our dollar store sells it. The alcohol really speeds up dry time... no more streaks! It also completely covers the vinegar smell and leaves a wonderful mint or citrus fragrance. (I am NOT a fan of the vinegar smell... it is what prevented me from using other home made recipes.) I use this to wipe down my bathroom EVERYDAY! I also use it anywhere I would use windex and on my kitchen counters (I alternate days with bleach water).
Anyway, save a ton and help the environment!

Do you have a favorite home made cleaner you would want to share with me??

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather
What is for supper?? Eliminate this daily stress from your life! http://www.simplefamilysupper.com

Thrift stores are a part of our life...

I donate to them, I shop them..... They are FUN (you never know what you will find)! They save us a ton of cash.

This past weekend we realized that Ethan (our 7 year old) doesn't have any insulated underwear (long jons) that fit him. Chris has been taking Ethan deer hunting quit a bit and this weekend it got pretty cold. I let Ethan borrow some of mine (they did the trick, but weren't too comfortable for him scrunching up about 12 inches of extra length). To get him his own pair I hit the thrift store first. I was able to find him TWO pairs, a pair of fleece pants for Nate and a wonderful heavy gray fleece sweatshirt for Wes (ok.. he is hard to keep in clothes! since school started in August he has grown another inch bringing my 13 1/2 year old up to 6'2"!!!). I was able to snag all four of those things for $7.99 (including tax) for a break down of $2 per item. Yeah for second hand! After that while I was at walmart I checked the price on new insulated underwear. Cost?? $9 for a shirt and pants set. I love it!! We didn't need the shirt but to get him two pants I would have had to spend $18!

The only thing that beats a thrift store is a good yard sale... but since that is a summer time thing I will just have to enjoy my local thrift shops!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Update on my homemade liquid dishwasher soap

I posted way back in the fist week of January about my homemade liquid dishwasher soap. (You will find the recipe at that post) I appreciate when other bloggers post updates on their homemade/frugal attempts... did it really work?? This time it really worked!!

I used this batch all of January, February and finished it up yesterday. Almost three entire months running the dishwasher at least once a day and many times a week it gets ran twice a day. Not bad for $3!!!! It cleans the dishes extremely well and with all that savings I am completely happy! One thing I did find was how LITTLE of this I actually need to use for the dishes to come out sparkling clean!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Update time....Pantry Challenge

TWENTY TWO days into this months challenge... How are things going?? Well...... Eating from the pantry challenge has proved to be very insightful.

What is working:
First of all I have been able to stick to the budget I set for us ($168 for the entire month). I have $23 remaining for next week's milk and produce.
Second, we had PLENTY of food in the pantry and freezer to eat well balanced meals and we have lots left. This is wonderful and it has shown me that stocking up when things are on sale really, really works. It is a built in savings account... when money is tight we won't go hungry!
Third, it has been a fun family project and helped us to save a bundle of money that we are using to go on our first family vacation in FOUR years!! The Indiana state park system offers a stay one night get the second night free offer in the winter.... we reserved a family cabin (completely modern) that includes passes to the indoor water park!! The kids are SO excited!!! They haven't complained once about running out of cold cereal! We leave this Sunday and return on Tuesday evening.
Fourth, I have enjoyed baking more!! I actually LOVE to bake so this has been fun for me!

What isn't working:
First, I have to admit that my budget didn't go as far as I wanted it to or expected it to. I am always optimistic about how far I can stretch a buck! I realized that there was no way my budget could include non food items.... Yikes! Ok, I am learning exactly how to divide our household budget....

Second I have learned exactly how much JUNK FOOD my family loves! Actually, this has been a source of great frustration to me.... why can't my husband enjoy my home made goodies as much as his dear little Debbie??!!! And don't get me started on chips and soda. To be completely fair I can't pick on my husband without being honest about myself... I NEED my coffee creamer!!!!!! The kids have been frustrated with not having some of their favorites, but their wants are healthier (string cheese, chunk cheese, tortillas, nacho cheese sauce... hmm.... I am seeing a pattern... CHEESE)! So, a bigger portion of my food budget goes to JUNK food than I would like. How much of an issue do I make of this??? If we HAD to live without these processed foods we could... and my husband would adjust. However, do I need to make a big deal about it right now?? WISDOM is key here!! I am praying.....

Third, soup really does help stretch the food budget and my family has been open to eating more soup this month.... however I know they are looking forward to less soup in the near future! Seriously we have only had soup 1-2 times a week, but for some reason my family is just not big soup fans..... My husband likes MEAT! We have learned that there are a lot of meals we could eat if we really had to STRETCH the food budget.... we can eat SOUP!

One more week of the challenge..... I am packing food for our vacation (cabin has a fully stocked kitchen). I did purchase some additional food for our trip.... used the "vacation fund" from our grocery savings. I didn't have to purchase much and I am able to take most of our food from the pantry. One great thing about this challenge is that it really has been a family project. My husband has NEVER been this involved in our food! The children have been overall very positive and we have LEARNED that we really could eat differently (more soups and beans) to survive if we had to. I will keep praying about the junk food issue.....

How is it going for you?? I would love to hear!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Rerun: "Stretchy" Food???

****I originally posted this last January, but this one is worth a rerun... I am always working on our food budget trying to keep it DOWN without making my family eat boring food! Since we are participating in the "Eat from the pantry" challenge we will be specializing in S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G our food to the max without sacrificing nutrition or flavor!***

Huh?? What?? "Stretchy" Food???
Yes, S-T-R-E-T-C-H-Y food.... stretching the food budget!!
Healthy food that stretches the food dollar is one fantastic way to bless not only the physical health of your family, but the financial health as well. Stretchy food does not have to be boring, bland, or weird! Here is a list of our favorite stretchy food (snacks, sides, main dishes, deserts and beverages):

• Popcorn (I have a whrily pop as in the picture. It makes GREAT popcorn with as little as 1 tsp of oil. It is also made in a town near me.... AMERICAN made!)
• Carrots (I buy the 5 lb bags at Sams. We eat them in soups, as a side and as a crunchy snack dipped in ranch dressing)
• Salad
• Cereal (when it is on sale with coupons I stock up. We have two kinds of cereal in our house: Breakfast (healthy) and Snack (not as healthy).
• Home made Popsicles (you can freeze all kinds of things into Popsicles kids will love) My kids especially love these fudge pops.
• Peanut butter (everything from sandwiches, as a dip, on a spoon, etc)
• Fresh, in-season fruit (home grown in the garden is the best also I freeze fresh fruit to enjoy when it isn't in season.)
• Venison (My hubby is a deer hunter and keeps our freezer stocked)
• Home made breads: quick or yeast (Quick (no knead) oatmeal bread)
  
• Brown rice (I have a rice cooker and it is totally WORTH the $18 I paid for it 3 years ago.... perfect rice every time!)
• Beans, but you already knew that.... (I am SNEAKY with beans... run them through the blender and you can add them to all kinds of thing without the family knowing it!)
• Soups (Many different soups can really stretch the food budget and warm up the body in the winter. They are comfort food!)
• Potatoes (when you can find them on sale)
• Pasta (so many things you can do with pasta)
• Homemade noodles (what a filling and frugal special meal)
• Eggs (So many ways you can prepare them. We have a weekly "breakfast" for supper.)
• Rice Crispy treats (the store brand products work just fine)
• Spice Cake (my favorite recipe from the Depression Era)
• Fudge (This wonderful recipe is frugal and makes a BIG pan... a perfect chocolate fix!)
  
• Home made yogurt (I have a saltan yogurt maker that has more than paid for itself many times. We love smoothies made with our home made yogurt... especially in the summer when fresh fruit is abundant.)
• Tomato sauce (I buy it by the gallon at sams and make spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, and chili with it.)
• Home made muffins and biscuits
  
• Pancakes and waffles
• Tuna
• Oatmeal (traditional, granola, in baked goods, granola bars)
• Tea
• Coffee
• WATER
• ICE
• Kool aid (in the summer it is a nice treat)
• Home canned or frozen food from fresh produce from your own garden or from a local source.
  

These are some of our favorites... What are some of your favorite "stretchy" foods. I would love to give them a try!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Snowy days are good baking days!!

"oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful!" I am extremely thankful for our wood stove that has continually radiated warmth all day. Add to that the wonderful aromas coming from the oven in the kitchen and it truly has been a GOOD day!! The kids were sent home on early dismissal at 1pm so we have had an extra long evening at home with the kids!!

Since we are participating in the "Eat from the pantry" challenge I wanted to bake things that we would not only enjoy but would not be wasteful of ingredients in the 'pantry'. My husband will be taking more homemade goodies in his lunches and the kids are packing more, too. This afternoon I baked three things and was able to freeze the banana poppy seed muffins to use next week in lunches. My husband is admittedly spoiled with my homemade treats but for some reason still prefers good old Little Debbi in his lunch box!! Maybe this month of being "FORCED" to eat my home baked goodies will break him away from his Debbi!

FRUGAL and YUMMY recipes that I made today.....
EASY banana poppy seed muffins
Depression Era Chocolate Cake
Banana Oatmeal muffins (yes, I have a bunch of bananas in the freezer)

Are you staying warm? I know that everyone seems to be under a major cold snap. In fact it has been SO cold I lost two of my chickens this week.... such a sad day... poor things died right under the heat lamp! :( Sorry, didn't mean to end my post on such a sad note.... just this darn cold!!! I am a SUMMER gal... trying to ENJOY winter by BAKING!!! Wonder how I am ever going to loose this 15 pounds!!!!

Anyway, stay warm, bake something and ENJOY the day even if it is BLASTED cold!!!! (Whenever I begin to complain and hate winter I just remember Tammi up in Canada and count my blessings that I live in balmy Indiana! Do you know that they don't cancel school there until the ACTUAL temperature is less than -50F!! That is INSANE! My family is so sick of my saying... "at least we don't have to live with winter for 6 months of the year like Tammi and her family do".... :) )

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Homemade liquid dishwasher soap

In my quest to be frugal and more environmentally responsible I have tried several recipes for homemade laundry soap... without results that pass my criteria. The last batch I made was with borax, washing soda and Dr. Breener's liquid castile soap...... it didn't pass the test, either. What to do with all this liquid laundry soap?? I HATED to see it go to waste. I read the castile soap bottle and it said it can be used with dishes!! I have been using homemade powdered dishwasher soap (with washing soda and borax) for the past 4 years so when my batch ran out I used the liquid "laundry soap" I had made. Results?? LOVE it!!!! It might not meet the mark for laundry, but it does an excellent job in my dishwasher.

Since then I have made 3 more batches with equal success. I don't know if it will work for everyone (our water is VERY hard... we use a softener... and is extremely high on the ph scale) but I am very happy with this recipe. I thought that I would pass along my recipe in case anyone wants to try it. You could easily make a smaller batch to give it a shot the first go round. Dr. Brenner's Castile soap is extremely versatile... can be used in so many ways!

Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Soap
(This makes 1 gallon. It costs me approximately $3 to make. I store it in 2 1/2 gallon jugs.)

Ingredients:
16 cups of water, divided
1 1/2 cups WASHING soda (this is NOT baking soda)
1 cup borax
1/2 cup Dr. Brenner's Pure Liquid Castile Soap (fragrance of your choice)

Directions:
1) Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in washing soda, borax and liquid castile soap until dissolved.
2) Stir in remaining 8 cups water and allow to cool.
3) Pour cooled dishwasher soap into containers of your choice. It will "gell" up over next 24 hours.

To use:
give dishwasher soap a good shake to make sure everything is mixed well and to make it easy to pour out. I put it in both of my dispensers. Experiment with the amount you will need... I don't completely fill up my dispensers.

I hope you like it... Let me know if you try it. I enjoy making as many of our cleaning products as possible... I especially like this homemade multipurpose cleaner. I am very bummed that I haven't found a laundry soap that works for us.... If you know of any recipes I am willing to try them.

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Eat from the PANTRY month!

Four days into the month... How are things going?? GREAT! I am very excited that Money Saving Mom and Life as Mom are doing this challenge. I was going to do it on my own and when I read that they were hosting this I knew it would be more fun to do as a group.

My goal is to eat out of the freezers and pantry for the next month only buying fresh milk, produce and lunch supplies for my husband. (I am blessed that my husband packs his lunch saving us mega bucks each year.) My normal monthly budget for our groceries and basic household supplies (dish soap, tp, shampoo, etc) is $3 per day per person or no more than $125 per week(family of six including our oldest son that eats like a man). That is $500 per month. This month I am aiming to spend no more than $1/day/person or $42 per week for no more than $168 for the month. I will have saved 2/3 of our normal budget!

After this month of eating from the pantry I will re-stock our surplus the same way I built it up in the first place: watching the sales and buying items at their lowest cost point. Over the next few months it will be built back up to where I like to keep it. I especially value a full pantry since my husband is self employed. It is a priority of mine to keep enough food on hand that we can go a few weeks without a trip to the store.

So what will we be eating for supper this week:

• Turkey Veggie and rice soup, home made bread
• Carolina Pork Chops (in the crock pot), baked potatoes
• Home Made Pizza, salad
• Roasted Venison and gravey, mashed potatoes, veggies
• Baked subs, salad, apples
• Chili, cornbread
• Breakfast for supper: scrambled eggs and pancakes
  

For lunches:

• Chris packs his lunch (sandwich, chips, cracker packs, goodie, rasin box, pop, water and coffee) He sticks to the basic same lunch everyday... makes life simple for me and he claims that it keeps him 'regular'! :)
  
• The oldest three kids normally eat the school's hot lunch 3 times a week (at $1.60/day), but this month we will reduce that down to 1 time a week and pack the rest. They will pack pb&j, fresh veggies, fruit, string cheese, crackers, pretzles, homemade goodies and buy the school milk or take a bottle of water.
• Nate (our youngest still at home) and I will eat our customary left overs or PB&J's.

Breakfast:

• Cold Cereal (till it runs out)
• Pancakes and waffles from the freezer (I always make BIG batches and freeze the rest for quick and easy breakfast)
• Hot Oatmeal
• Homemade Granola
• Toast and Peanut Butter
• Bagels and cream cheese
• Cold Pizza (if we have any left after homemade pizza night)
• Homemade Muffins

Beverages:

• Water
• Coffee (Chris drinks regular and I drink decaf)
• Tea (hot and iced)
• Hot chocolate
• Koolaid
• Juice (till it runs out)
• Milk (supper time for everyone except Robyn and Nate... lactose issues)
  

Are you participating in this challenge?? If you are will you please leave a comment so I can come and read about your adventure!!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

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A penny saved is a penny earned!!

This is the picture I chose to use on our Christmas cards. I ordered 100 cards using the totally FREE deals that Money Saving Mom posted. 100 cards TOTALLY free!!!! What a blessing!

Speaking of blessings, this week I went in to Goodwill and found a much needed pair of LANDS END winter boots (in brand new condition) for my daughter for only $3.99!! I looked them up when I got home and found out that right now they are on sale at Lands End for $44... LOVE that $40 savings! God is GOOD!!

If you have a need today PRAY about it! Ask God to open up doors and watch for the ways he meets your needs. It is so much fun to see how God chooses to provide... he always does. The key is knowing the difference between a want and a need.... sometimes I perceive things as needs and they really aren't! God is FAITHFUL!!!! Sometimes God meets a need by giving us a fresh dose of creativity. Using your skills, abilities and resources is one way that God meets our needs. Sometimes making and re-purposing things our self is how God provides.... just some thoughts!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Simple Family Supper

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No "POO" experiement update

Here I am... Day 2 and all is well in the land of hair! I rarely wash my hair every day so this was a 'normal' non washing day. Still feels soft and is not any frizzier than usual (with my curly hair).
I just read a post from Simple Mom that shares her ditching of the shampoo. Good read. Also, 'Chocolate in my Cranium" told me about this excellent post. I HIGHLY recommend reading this post if you are at all interested in going 'no poo'!

Day 3... washed my hair with the baking soda water (2 tbl baking soda dissolved into 2 cups of water). It takes very little of this rinse.... I will be able to get many washes with this batch. I used apple cider/water rinse for conditioner. This time I used a SMALL amount of coconut oil (rubbed in to my hair after towel drying) but NO other hair products. Result: My hair was VERY soft, but frizzier than I am used to and my curls were not as tight.

Day 4.... I washed my hair again (same as day 3) only used my normal hair styling products as usual. (I would normally not wash my hair on this day, but I just HAD to use styling products to eliminate the frizz... I probably could have just wet my hair down)!! My hair was GREAT today... very soft and managable, not frizzy. I am going to try to wean my hair off as many hair products as possible. I currently use a smoothing cream, curl gel all over, a spray gell on the top and hair spray..... YIKES that is a lot of product. My smoothing cream is almost gone so I am going to replace that with the coconut oil. I will see where this leads.

Tomorrow I will not be washing it...... I have always skipped a day so this will not be unusual. I am going to try skipping 2 days of hair washing this time (in case you are wondering... I will still shower!!)

So far I haven't had any major change in oilyness or dryness.... just trying to figure out how to deal with the curly hair part... I HATE frizz!!!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Burning the Wood Stove and eating Pumkin Pie Bars

Well, denial is over.
The inside temperature hit 58 degrees on Sunday so we started a fire in the wood stove. It is such a dandy of a wood stove, well worth the $50 we paid for it 6 years ago! In no time flat the house was nice and toasty!

Starting up the wood stove proves to be what it takes for me to usher in the 'fall' season. I CLING to summer with every thing I have before I finally succumb to the season's change. Now I know that many of you love fall and I do enjoy the beauty of it, but it just means that winter is on its way!! I find winter to be SO long and so confining! Long days in the house and so many hours of darkness...... Maybe I am just a summer gal since my birthday happens to fall on summer's official first day?

Since it is fall it is time for PUMPKIN PIE bars.... all the yumminess of pumpkin pie, but in an easy to prepare and easy to eat bar. My daughter, Robyn, and I went out for a 'girl's night' on Saturday and stopped at Aldis... hey, we can have fun and get the grocery shopping done! Aldis has the best price on pumkin, but they only have it in the fall. I bought 2 cases (24 cans) that will hopefully last us until next fall. Now we are ready to enjoy some of these delicious bars! I found the recipe last fall and since then it has become a standby treat for both our family and my sister's.

ENJOY these frugal and yummy treats!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
(I'm sure you could just use 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 Grease a 12x8 pan OR a pie pan (I used the pie pan because I don't have a 12x8 pan)
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs.
Stir in sugar, oil and pumpkin mix well.
Stir in flour and spices.
Bake for 20-25 minutes (until set in the middle)
Cool (or eat warm like we did).
They will hold their shape very well and are easy to eat! We ate them with cool whip on top! YUMMY!!


Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

No "poo" experiment, Day 1

Over the past couple of years I have used baking soda and apple cider vinegar in replace of my regular shampoo to 'deep clean' my hair and remove hair styling products and hard water build up. However, after reading more and more about using it full time I decided to take the plunge! Last week when I spoke at the Battle Ground Ladies fall retreat one of the other speakers also shared about her going 'no poo'. Hey, maybe it isn't so weird after all!! One of my fellow Bible study gals is also giving up traditional shampoo by using an all natrual shampoo followed by an apple cider vinegar rinse. She says that her hair has never been softer....

Today is Day 1... I washed my hair with baking soda (baking soda mixed with water to make a paste) and gave it a conditioning rinse of 2 tbl apple cider vinegar mixed into 1.5 cups of water. It will take me a while for this to feel 'right'. I am so used to the sudsing bubbles created by commercial shampoo. I have heard that it takes a while for hair to balance out and find the non-poo normal. Everything I have read says that there is often a period of wackiness followed by wonderful hair.

My hair today: I did use my normal hair styling products after my 'no poo' hair wash. I have THICK and CURLEY hair that gets FRIZZY very easily. Today my hair has been VERY soft, but a bit more frizzy. My hair seems clean and does not smell like apple cider vinegar. I have never washed my hair every day.... it just isn't oily enough to need it. I have been concerned about not using conditioner... my hair gets dry. However, I am going to try using a LITTLE bit of coconut oil on the ends if I find it getting dry.

I will keep posting updates... I am going to give this experiement a month and then re-evaluate.

Anyone else 'no poo'??

Some do this to save money, others to avoid chemicals... Me?? I just love the idea of being FREE from another commercially produced product. Ok, I do BUY baking soda and the Apple cider vinegar, but I just love being able to make this at home... using BASIC ingredients!!


Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

My real life 'Pioneer' style day!!! Plus fresh SAUSAGE recipes

I have always thought I was born in the wrong century. Thank God he gave me a sister and husband that feel the same way.... we can be 'pioneers' together. So, how did I spend my weekend?? Saturday was spent in a modern way.... going to yard sales... hundreds of them around town. Saturday was our local town festival and half of the town had a yard sale! FUN time scoring deals! My sister, Melissa, and her two kids spent the night Saturday and my sister and I got things organized for our big PIONEER day Sunday.

Pioneer day: BUTCHERING 2 pigs!! We started first thing in the morning and processed 2 pigs and had everything packaged and cleaned up by 2pm... not bad! We had an extra set of hands this go round and it made a huge difference. I had a GREAT time yesterday with my husband, sister, brother in law and his friend butchering these pigs. We chat, we laugh, we have a good time.... makes me think this must have been what it was like in the old days when neighbors helped each other. Many hands does make light work!

We made 60 pounds of sausage! We first grind the meat, then add the seasonings (in batches of 10 pounds of meat) and finish it with a second grinding. We package some as patties and the rest in 2 pound packages. No sausage I have ever had from the store tastes as good as home made and we do not add anything artificial or any nitrates. Making sausage is something you can do even if you don't do the 'pioneer' thing like us.... :) just have your local grocery meat department grind up a sale pork roast to get fresh ground pork... mix in the seasonings (recipe below) and enjoy!! It does taste best after it has had time to season... it will taste better after it has been in the freezer for at least a week. Warning... the 'spicy' sausage gets spicier with time!

Indiana Farm Sausage (Spicy)
Ingredients:
10 lbs lean fresh ground pork (or turkey)
1 TBL onion powder
1 TBL salt
3 TBL dried sage
2 tsp dried marjoram
1 TBL red pepper (could use less to reduce spice)
1 TBL black pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl combine all the seasonings. (we mix up batches of seasonings ahead of time to make the process faster on butchering days)

Mix the seasonings in with the meat (I just use my gloved hands to mix and mix)
We then grind the meat a second time (but you can skip this step if you are using store ground meat). We make some into patties and freeze the rest in packages.

Breakfast Sausage (mild)
Ingredients:
10 pounds fresh ground lean pork (or turkey)
3 1/2 TBL dried sage
1 TBL salt
1 TBL ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
5 pinches ground cloves

Directions:
In a small bowl combine all the seasonings. (we mix up batches of seasonings ahead of time to make the process faster on butchering days)

Mix the seasonings in with the meat (I just use my gloved hands to mix and mix)
We then grind the meat a second time (but you can skip this step if you are using store ground meat). We make some into patties and freeze the rest in packages.


Well, I need to get off this computer... more 'poineer' life is calling... grape jam and tomatoes need to be processed! I do love my MODERN dishwasher and washing machine... both of which need unloaded! Oh, and I am very thankful for our electric meat grinder... that would have been a lot of hand cranking!!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Depression Era Chocolate Cake

I'm needing a chocolate fix and want to make something sweet for my hard working husband. Problem: No eggs! Brownie mix is therefore out of the question.... Oh, yeah!! The Depression Era Chocolate Cake doesn't take eggs (or milk or butter for that matter)!!! Bingo!! It is a frugal recipe that women could make during the great depression without using precious eggs, milk and butter.... it does use sugar, but rations were saved for a special treat like this. For me it comes in handy when I am out of eggs!

Here is the recipe... I have made it MANY times and it is always a hit... no frosting needed it is moist and yummy just by itself. Just double the recipe for a 9x13 pan.

Moist "depression era" chocolate cake:

Makes a 9x9 cake.

Sift Together

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add

1 cup cold water,

1/3 cup oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

(you won't taste the vinegar... it reacts with the soda to make it rise)

1 teaspoon vanilla.

Mix till smooth and pour into an 8" or 9" square pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 325* to 350 degrees F.

ENJOY!!!!!!!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

One more BIG step!!

We are working our way to 100% DEBT FREE!!!!
Today we completed refinancing our house.... we now have replaced our 30 year mortgage ( with 23.5 years remaining) with a 15 year one. We saved 8.5 years and 1.32% interest!!!! All in all this shaves of something like $50,000 in interest over the life of the loan!! YEAH!!!! We are hoping to pay it off even sooner, but just knowing that we have already shaved off 8.5 years is a WONDERFUL feeling!!!!


Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Another reason I enjoy growing FLOWERS!

Fresh flowers on the table..... Simple... BEAUTIFUL!
God sure did a wonderful job creating fantastic beauty for us to enjoy. It has been my goal to create flower beds that give me fresh flowers for the table from Spring to Fall. The Holly bush gives me pretty foliage in the winter.

All the hard work in the flower beds are worth it! Nothing is better than God's creations!!!! Cultivating flowers (and veggies) makes me feel close to God. I pray more in the garden than anywhere else. Passing by the table and seeing the flowers is a constant reminder to me of Gods love!

What is your favorite flower?? Does gardening also cultivate your relationship with God?? Do you have a flower to recommend for me to grow??

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather

Home made flavored iced coffee!

Enjoying the fun things in life without going broke! I LOVE coffee.... and ICED coffee on a HOT summer day just calls my name. The coffee shop prices are just out of this world and even the McDonalds prices are too much for me. However, I have perfected my home made version and can make it for a fraction of the price. The best part is that I can make them with DECAF coffee.... better for me. Look at Sams, Costco or Gorden's for flavored syrup. It doesn't take that much... an man.... yummy!!!!!

Home Made Iced Coffee:
All you need is four ingredients:
Freshly brewed coffee... double strength
Ice
half and half or milk
your choice of flavored syrup ( they come unsweetened, sweetened and sugar free)

Directions:
1) Brew your coffee in your coffee pot, just use double the grounds.
2) Pour your fresh coffee over ice to cool
3) Place some ice in a cup (I use an insulated mug) and pour in the cooled coffee. Add to it the half and half or milk (use as much or as little as you like). Add in the flavored syrup. (I started off with a TBL of syrup and went up from there... find the level of flavor that you love... I use 1/8 cup for a LARGE cup) Stir and savor!!!

ENJOY!!!!! Good simple things in life without going broke!!! YEAH!!!

For more frugal tips visit Lifeasmom.com