Ok y’all…  this was my VERY FIRST recipe ever posted to the Mrs!  I am approaching my 3rd blog-anniversary, so I thought it would be fun to share re-post it for you… just try to look past my not so awesome photography skills.  Hey, we all have to start somewhere!

I STILL make this jelly to this day, and I make several batches of these once the fresh blueberries start rolling in.  This is our favorite jelly by far!  It’s soooo good!  It’s super easy too!  No pectin needed!

For this recipe, you won’t need many ingredients.  Just 6 cups of fresh blueberries, 3 cups of sugar, & 2 (3oz) packets of lemon jello.  (Or Wal-Mart jello if you are cheap…I mean frugal…like me!)  Throw 2 cups of the blueberries into a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.  Put your 2 cups of blueberry puree & remaining 4 cups of whole blueberries into a large pan or saucepan.

Stir in 3 cups of sugar & bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Remove from the heat & mix in 2 (3oz) boxes of lemon gelatin (jello).

Make sure it is combined well so that the gelatin dissolves properly.  Now, transfer to clean sterile canning jars – leaving 1 inch of head space at the top, & seal in a 2 inch water bath!

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The post Lemon Blueberry Jelly – No Pectin Required! appeared first on Mrs Happy Homemaker.

Ok, ever since I made the Cookies & Cream Fudgy Brownies - I have been craving more.  I went to the grocery store to get the ingredients to make another batch – and when I got to the cookie aisle, I saw these….

Birthday Cake Oreos!

I had an epiphany… right there in the cookie aisle.  Birthday Cake Fudgy Brownies. Oh. Yeah.

Obviously, I needed another ‘birthday cake’ element to complete these brownies.  In the original recipe, it called for cookies & cream ice cream to be mixed into the brownie batter.  So, I decided to switch that out with birthday cake ice cream.

The combination of all the ingredients made a decadent, fudgy, birthday cake-y (you know you like my made up words), colorful brownie.  Oh. my. gosh.  They are SO good.  Instant addiction.

This is SO easy to make.

Check it out…

You are going to love how simple this is.

First off, mix up the brownie mix according to directions, omitting the water.  Into the brownie batter, stir in 3/4 cup softened birthday cake ice cream & 1/3 cup hot fudge topping.

Pour half of the batter into a 8×8 square baking dish.  (You could also easily double this recipe to make a 9×13 pan)  Layer the birthday cake Oreos on top.

Cover the Oreos with the other half of brownie batter.

Now, time to make them all pretty – SPRINKLES!

Bake according to the back of the brownie mix box.

Let cool on a wire rack once cooked for 15 minutes before slicing.  That is, if you can wait that long.

Once you slice into them & take you a bite, you will surely see why I have now become addicted to this recipe.

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I want to share something with you all that I made several years ago, back before I even had a blog.

I’m sure most of you are familiar with the thin mattresses that come inside of Pack n Plays.  After 3 children, I surely am!  Right after I had my son, I kept one inside of my living room to put him down for naps at.  I didn’t like how thin the mattresses were, so I went out and purchased a thicker mattress for it.  But, I felt awful wasteful to just throw away the thin one that came with it.  So, I had an idea…

I decided to transform it into a foldable playmat!  Now, since I made this years ago – sadly, I don’t have step by step pictures.  But really y’all… It’s not hard to figure out at all!  I simply purchased some acrylic paint (you could also use fabric paint) and painted little roads free handed.  Then, I went back in and made some scenery – a few houses, trees, lakes, etc.  I even let my daughters help me with that!

It barely took any time at all, and after it dried – my kids immediately started having a blast with it!  It’s been over 3 years now since I first painted it, and it is STILL being used – and has definitely stood up to the test of time!

Another great thing about this is that you can fold it up flat for easy storage!

If you don’t already have a Pack n Play mattress, and this is something you want to make – I see them cheap all the time at thrift stores, yard sales, & Craigslist.

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The post From Pack n Play Mattress to Foldable Play Mat! appeared first on Mrs Happy Homemaker.

 I scream.

You scream.

We all scream for ice cream.

I hope I’ve succeeded in getting that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day.  (mental note: next song to include in a blog post.. It’s a small world after all)

I hope I’ve also succeeded in getting the ice cream cravings started by the picture at the top of the post.  Delicious, irresistible Snickers Ice Cream Pops. I’m craving them again, and I just ate two one.

I made these the day after I made my Oreo Birthday Cake Ice Cream Pops because surely I could think of other combinations when the process is that easy!  It starts off with good quality store bought ice cream…. how easy can you get?  Check out the ingredients you need.

Yep… that’s all of it.  Let’s get started.

First, chop up 4-6 Snickers bars into small pieces.  I like 6… I got to keep my girlish figure somehow after all.

Mix the chopped up Snickers bars with half of the container of good quality vanilla ice cream.

Now, pour in half the jar of caramel ice cream topping.

Give it a light stir with a spatula or large spoon.  You don’t want to mix it up completely – just swirl it.

Now, here’s an optional step.  Ok, it’s not optional if you like caramel like I do.  Pour just a splash of the caramel topping into the bottom of 6 dixie cups.  Then divide your ice cream mixture between the 6 dixie cups, and pack it in with the bottom of a small spoon.  Stick a popsicle stick into each one, and place them in the freezer until firm – about 2 hours.

Once you’re ready to eat one, slide a butter knife alongside the inner edges of the dixie cup to loosen the ice cream pop.  Pull it out, and enjoy you some yummy ice cream goodness!

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The post Snickers Ice Cream Pops – 3 Ingredients! appeared first on Mrs Happy Homemaker.

I like to consider myself a chocolate connoisseur.  And, my children seem to be following in my footsteps.  Sadly, chocolate isn’t in the same food group as broccoli and carrots.  Boo.

So, when I first started seeing the commercials for TruMoo on the tv, of course I was intrigued.  Chocolate milk that’s nutritious?  Do tell!  Not only that, but it contains 35% less sugar than the leading chocolate milk brand – and no high fructose corn syrup.  It is sweetened with just enough sugar to supplement the naturally occurring sugar in milk . It’s also packed with calcium & Vitamins A & D,, which our kids’ growing bodies need.

TruMoo is not just for kids… adults can feel better about consuming fewer calories than the leading brands of chocolate milk out there.  That sounds good for my waist line… with fewer calories in the chocolate milk, that means I can eat more bacon, right?  Err, I mean broccoli.  Yep, that’s what I meant.

I decided to test this out not just on my kids, but one of my friends’ kids too.  What better than a sleepover?  So, I pulled an ol’ switcheroo on them.  No complaints over here, they loved it!  Can ya tell?

The two tallest are my kiddos <3

They also have a 5 point purity checklist because the folks over there want to be sure you get the freshest & purest milk possible.  They even ensure that the milk is growth hormone free, which is a big thing for my family.

You know what’s really cool?

TruMoo wants YOU to try their milk too!  So, they’ve agreed to host a giveaway here on the Mrs… A giveaway for a $25 WalMart Giftcard!  That gives you enough moo-lah (get it? haha) to buy some TruMoo and even grab a few groceries too.

To enter, follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below.

The winner is Katie Elliss – congrats!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with a $25 giftcard from TruMoo to purchase & review this product.  All opinions stated are my own.

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The post Chocolate Milk, Less Guilt with TruMoo – Plus WIN a $25 WalMart Gift Certificate appeared first on Mrs Happy Homemaker.

Ok, I’ll admit it.

Cleaning is not my favorite thing to do.  I’m just not one of those people who find relaxation in cleaning.  My relaxation comes more from things like eating bacon & watching Dirty Dancing in my jammies.

So, when something that involves cleaning gets me excited, you know it has to be something special.  My friend Danielle just recently got me hooked on the cleaning products from Shaklee, so I had to share it with you guys.  I’m not going to lie and say that Shaklee makes cleaning more fun for me – because that’s just not the case. However, it will be saving me lots of money… and that money saved will in turn be able to provide more awesome things for me & my family to enjoy.  Like bacon.

How will it be saving me money, you ask?  Because you only need an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini bit to make a 16 ounce bottle.  So, that means that one normal size bottle of the concentrate may just outlive me.  Ok, maybe not outlive me… but dang, it’s gonna last a while!

You need the same Basic H2 mix to make the degreaser, window cleaner, & all purpose cleaner – just different measurements for each one, ranging from a couple of drops to 1.5 teaspoons.  Check it out.

So, with just a couple of tablespoons of the concentrate, you get 3 full sized bottles of cleaner.  Pretty awesome if you ask me. I’m telling you – the basic H2 is going to last a lonnnggg time.

Not only is it easy on the wallet – but it’s a natural alternative to the chemical ridden store-bought counterparts.  So – no burning eyes with this product!

They have another product that is pretty high on my love list right now, which is their scour off cleaning paste.  This stuff means business!  I just used it on the inside of my oven door, which hasn’t been cleaned since before dinosaurs were extinct.  My oven door was probably suffocating in it’s own grease.  Nice, right?  Well – maybe not.  But… after cleaning it with the Shaklee Scour Off Paste – it’s almost like it had cosmetic surgery.

You can get everything I’ve talked about, plus more – in their Get Clean Household Mini Kit - which is their very best value if you ask me!  Like I said before, the Shaklee products last f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

Now, for the best part of all.  You have a chance to win a sample vial of the Shaklee Basic H2!

“Each little vial holds enough Basic H2 to make two bottles of powerful cleaner when diluted in 16 ounces of water. Great for introducing new prospects to the cleaning power of Basic H2.”

And, what’s even better is there isn’t going to be just one winner, but FIVE WINNERS!

The winners are:

1. Sherri H. Brooks

2. Carol Sorenson

3. Carla-Jo M. Rutledge

4. Odessa Updike

5. Shannon Owens Bainbridge

Be looking for an email for me, or email me directly at Crystal (at) MrsHappyHomemaker.com with your mailing address!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The post Get Clean Naturally with Shaklee – PLUS a GIVEAWAY! 5 WINNERS! appeared first on Mrs Happy Homemaker.

The warmer months are approaching rapidly, so you know what that means…. ice cream weather!  How about a treat that your kids can help you make.  This one is so easy that your kids may even be able to make it entirely themselves.

Here’s what you need to make 12 pops:

• 1 container birthday cake ice cream
• half a package of birthday cake Oreos
• colorful sprinkles
• dixie cups
• popsicle sticks

To check out the full recipe & step by step instructions, head over to my guest post on my friend Amee’s blog - Madame Deals!

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Oatmeal is a standard breakfast for so many households, including my own.  I wonder how many of you have instant oatmeal packets in your pantry right now! That was me for many years! That is, until – I realized you can make your own! After doing some google searches, I found some great tips for the ‘perfect’ homemade instant oatmeal packets, and I think ya’ll are going to L-O-V-E this as much as I do.

Before I give you the how-to, let me first give you the cost breakdown.  From my calculations on prices at my local Walmart, the store-bought instant oatmeal packets break down to $0.35 each!  These homemade versions cost just $.08 a pack! That’s a whole lot of savings when you multiply that according to how many you purchase throughtout the year (or even a lifetime!)

So, here’s what you need to get started.

Pretty basic, right?

First, start off with 10 cups of quick oats.  Place 7 of those cups in a large bowl. Pour the remaining 3 cups into a blender or food processor & blend til smooth. That’s the secret to getting that same consistency in the store-bought counterparts!

Add the pureed oatmeal into the large bowl where the 7 cups of the un-pureed oatmeal is sitting, and give it a quick stir.

Now, stir in 2 cups of brown sugar & 1 cup of non-dairy coffee creamer.  You could use powdered milk, but please note that it has a tendency to mold over time since it is a dairy product – so only use the powdered milk if you plan on consuming the batch within a month’s time!

That’s it – your instant oatmeal mix is DONE!

Now, all is left is deciding how you want to package it.  You can use resealable plastic bags -OR- you can place it all in an airtight container.  For the plastic bag method, place 1/2 cup of the instant oatmeal mix into each resealable bag.

For the container method, just pour the whole mix into a large airtight container. Then, whenever you want a serving of oatmeal, just scoop 1/2 cup in a bowl, add your water, & microwave..

No matter which way you package it or store it, obviously the preparation method is the same.

Microwave 1/2 cup of instant oatmeal mix with 3/4 cup of water for 1-2 minutes (depending on your microwave).  Serve as is, or fix it up however you like it.  I personally like a little pat of butter & a splash of maple syrup in mine.

I hope you enjoy these little instant oatmeal packets as much as my family does – and most of all, enjoy all that extra money you’ll be saving!

Watch me make these live on Fox8 news below!

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Even though I homeschool my children, mornings can still be pretty hectic around here.  There are always things that need to be done, and sometimes I find myself secretly wishing that I was born with 8 arms, like an octopus.  But, I wouldn’t call myself octomom for understandable reasons.  Maybe I’d be Mrs. Happy Octohomemaker….

For those crazy mornings where I find myself wishing I had extra appendages – pop tarts are a great solution for me.  But, I find myself straying further & further away from foods like that – and am on a quest to make them myself instead.  I mean, have you ever looked at the ingredient list of a box of pop tarts?  If not, let me help you out there… here is the ingredient list for the chocolate fudge variety of PopTarts.

Say huh?  I don’t even know what most of that stuff is.  And, I guarantee I don’t have any niacinamide or sodium stearoyl lactylate in my pantry.

Making your own pop tarts is SO easy.  I bet you have heard of all the ingredients inside of it.  First, let’s start off with some monocalcium phospate… JOKING!  Let’s start off with a pie crust dough instead.  You can make your own or use one already made if you wish.

Start by rolling out your pie crust into a squarish shape.

Then, using a pizza cutter – cut your pie crust into small rectangles – about the size of a storebought poptart.  If you are using storebought pie dough, you should be able to get 6 rectangles from each pie crust. Add one tablespoon of your favorite jam or jelly to the middle of half of the pie crust rectangles.

Top with the other half of pie crust rectangles.

Seal the edges – I usually press them with my fingers, then again with the edge of a fork.  Make sure you seal them completely so that your filling doesn’t come out in the oven.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes.  Watch them closely!

Once cooled, you can top them with a simple glaze if you desire.  Just add a little milk to some powdered sugar & stir.  Drizzle it on top of the pop tarts.

I like to make a couple of batches on Sunday evenings for easy grab & go breakfasts in the week.  You can also make them in large batches (without the icing) & freeze them.  Then simply pop in the toaster oven when you’re ready to eat them – and glaze if desired once warmed.

My favorite thing about this ‘recipe’ is it’s not really a recipe – more of a how-to!  Use this tutorial to make as many or as little as you wish.

Check out the video below to watch me make these live on Fox8 news, along with homemade toaster strudels.

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I love gardening.

Well, not actually the work behind the gardening so much – it’s the harvesting that I really look forward to.  There is nothing like fresh veggies from your own personal garden! I actually just planted a bunch of things in my vegetable garden, and may have gone a little plant happy at the feed & seed store. Oops.

Obviously, we all know about the normal ways to grow plants – from seeds.  But, did you know that there are a ton of plants that you can grow from scraps?  Plants, that will in turn, produce more food.

Let’s count them out – from 1 to 15…

1, 2, 3, & 4.  Spring Onions, Leeks, Scallions, & Fennel

These are the ones I regrow the very most, I always have a mason jar of green onions regrowing above my kitchen sink. The technique is quite simple.  Once you are done with them (any of the above four), simply place the root end in a jar of water & it will begin to regrow within just a few days.  Just make sure to replace the water with fresh as need be.

5. Lemongrass

You can regrow lemongrass the same way you regrow the green onions.  Simply place the root ends in a glass of water, refreshing the water as needed. You will want to wait to harvest your lemongrass until it is about 12 inches tall.

6.  Ginger

Plant a small chunk off of your piece of ginger in potting soil with the newest buds facing up. Ginger enjoys non-direct sunlight in a warm moist environment. Before long, it will begin to regrow shoots and roots. Once the plant is established and you’re ready to harvest, pull up the whole plant, including the roots. Remove a piece of the ginger, and re-plant it to repeat the growing process.

7. Potatoes 

Pick a potato that has a lot of good formed eyes, and cut it into 2-3 inch pieces, taking care to be sure that each piece has at least 1-2 eyes on it. Leave the cut pieces to sit at room temperature for a day or two, which allows the cut areas to dry. Potato plants thrive on a high-nutrient environment, so it is best to flip compost into your soil before you plant. Plant your potato pieces about 8 inches deep with the eye facing up.  Cover it with 4 inches of soil, leaving the other 4 inches empty. As your plant begins to grow and more roots appear, add more soil.

8. Sweet Potatoes

You will need sweet potatoes with good formed eyes, just as you would want with a regular potato. You can bury the entire potato or use pieces under a thin layer of topsoil in a moist place with plenty of sun. When the shoots begin to reach a height of four inches you will need to replant the sweet potatoes, allowing them about 12 inches between each another. It takes about 4-6 months to grow sweet potatoes this way.

9, 10, 11, & 12.  Romaine Lettuce, Celery, Bok Choy, & Cabbage

These all are regrown by placing the roots in a dish of water. Cut the leaves or stalks off to about an inch above the roots.  Place the root end in a dish of water.  Make sure that the roots are inside of the water, but do not submerge the rest of the plant.  Place in a sunny window & spray with water 1-2 times a week to keep the top of the plant moist.

13.  Onions

Onions are one of the easiest vegetables to regrow from scraps. Just cut off the root end of your onion, leaving a 1’2  inch of onion on the roots. Place it in a sunny location in your garden and cover the top with soil. Make sure to keep the soil moist by watering when needed. As you use your home-grown regenerated onions, keep replanting the root ends you cut off, and you’ll never have to purchase onions at the store again.

14.  Garlic

You can re-grow a plant from a single clove.  Simply plant it with the root-end down. Sit the plant in a sunny window.  Once established, cut back the shoots and the plant will put all it’s forces into producing a nice garlic bulb – full of flavor & capable of repelling sparkly vampires.  You can repeat this process with a clove from the new bulb you have just grown.

15. Pineapple

To re-grow pineapples, you will need to remove the green leafy part at the top and take care that no fruit remains attached. Either hold the crown firmly by the leaves and twist the stalk out, or you can cut the top off the pineapple and remove the remaining fruit flesh with a knife. If you do not remove all the fruit parts, it will rot after planting and will likely kill your plant. Carefully slice small, horizontal sections from the bottom of the crown until you see root buds (the small circles on the flat base of the stalk). Remove the bottom few layers of leaves leaving about an inch worth of them at the bottom of the stalk.  Plant your pineapple crown in a warm and well drained environment. Water your plant regularly at first. Once the plant is established, you can cut down to about once a week. You will see growth in the first few months but it will take about 2-3 years before you are able to harvest.

You can watch me give a live demo on this blog post on Fox8 News by clicking here.

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The post 15 Foods That Can Be Regrown From Scraps appeared first on Mrs Happy Homemaker.

I shared this muffin recipe (and egg container idea) last year on Life Around Home for Earth Day, but never posted the recipe card here on the Mrs.  I figured it was perfect timing to add it here as well.

Not only are these banana oat mini muffins really good for you, but serving them in an empty egg container is a great ‘green’ idea for Earth Day!

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The post Healthy Banana Oat Mini Muffins – Recipe Card! appeared first on Mrs Happy Homemaker.

One of my all-time favorite cakes is my red velvet cheesecake.  It’s so decadent & delicious.  That cake is where the idea for this cake came from.

I love the confetti cake mix.  Maybe I shouldn’t because it’s a mix & all.  But I do… I really do.  Adding a layer of cheesecake to it just made my affection grow… maybe border lining into the stalker status. 

I used the exact same cheesecake recipe that I used in my red velvet cheesecake, and simply stuffed it between 2 round layers of confetti cake – with ample icing of course.  You can use any frosting you wish – store bought or homemade.  Let me just tell you though – this marshmallow buttercream is divine on this cake/cheesecake.

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