Naturally Frugal Homemaker

How To Make Homemade Laundry Soap - An Easy Recipe

2012-06-29T11:30:00.000-04:00

Making homemade laundry soap is very easy to do, costs pennies per load and you control the ingredients. I've always had good results with my recipes. I use the liquid because I always wash in cold water. The powder works great too and is less trouble to make. Either way I think you will be pleased with the results.

Ingredients are:

Bar Soap - you can use , Ivory or Zote. Fels-Naphta can be found at Ace Hardware and Walmart in the laundry section. Ivory soap is widely available. I've heard Zote can be found at Family Dollar, 99¢ stores and Big Lots.

Washing Soda - is found in the laundry section

Borax - is found in the laundry section

Baking Soda (optional)

Liquid Recipe:

1 bar of soap, grated -I use a hand-held cheese grater

1 cup Washing Soda

1 cup Borax

1/2 cup Baking Soda

water

In a medium pan add 3 cups water and grated soap. Stir over medium heat until soap is melted. Add Washing Soda, Borax and baking soda, stir until dissolved. Pour mixture into a 2 gallon container. Add enough water to fill the container. Stir well. Cover and let the mixture sit over night. Stir before each use. Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup per load. The mixture will be a watery gel like consistency.

Powder Recipe:

2 bars soap - for powder recipe I would suggest grating the soap and then using a blender to get a fine powder.

2 cups Borax

2 cups Washing Soda

Mix the ingredients well and store in an air tight container. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per load.

Making Your Own Vegetable Stock In 3 Easy Steps - And It's Practically Free!

2012-06-28T05:00:00.000-04:00

Don't you love getting things for free? Making your own vegetable stock is very easy and it's almost free too!

Anyone who cooks knows that there are always vegetable scraps left- potato peels, tops of squash, greens from celery, part of an onion (even the skin), carrot tops and peels, tomato cores and pieces, green pepper (not the seeds), tough asparagus stems etc. With all of these (that would normally be trash or composted) and more, you can have a wonderful vegetable stock with very little effort.

Here is how:

Whenever you are peeling vegetables, collect the trimmings and place them in a container in the refrigerator. Just be sure to dry them thoroughly before storing. You can keep adding to the container for up to 4 days.

After 4 days of collecting veggie scraps (you'll need about 1/2 gallon baggie full), place all the veggies in your crock pot, fill with enough water to cover and cook for 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 12 hours on low.

Cool down, strain and refrigerate (or freeze in 1 cup portions)

You can refrigerate the stock up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Don't have enough vegetables to make a stock after 4 days? See what's lurking in the refrigerator. You'll probably find a lonely carrot, lifeless celery or nearly expired tomato you can add to the mix. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage or cauliflower are not good for stocks. Each batch of stock will vary in flavor because you'll always have different amounts/assortment of vegetables. Use vegetable stock to cook rice instead of water, in rice pilaf, as a base for soups, to cook lentils or beans... just to name a few ideas.

What are some ways you use scrap veggies? Do you have any recipes that use vegetable stock? I would love it if you share these.....

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Kidney Bean and Vegetable Salad - An Almost No Cook Easy Vegetarian Recipe

2012-06-27T05:00:00.000-04:00

It's getting hot here in the South. When the temperature rises, I feel less and less inclined to turn on my stove. And now my air conditioner is on the fritz. By dinner time the house is muggy and hot. So, until my handy-dandy air repair man gets here, I'll be making dinner ahead during the cool morning hours. This recipe is versatile and easily doubled. It can be used as a main dish or side dish. Great for a BBQ, church get-together, picnic or for the lunch box. Here is my version of an almost no cook vegetarian bean salad....

Kidney Bean and Vegetable Salad

Kidney Bean and Vegetable Salad Printable - the link is working now. Sorry to everyone who couldn't get the link to work. Thank you!

Serves 4

Dressing:

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional-I didn’t have any this time and it still taste great)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (spicy brown will work too)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a medium size bowl and set aside for the flavors to blend while making the salad.

Salad:

1 (15.5 oz) can or 2 ¾ cup cooked of kidney beans- rinsed and drained (or white beans such as cannellini work great too)

1 small chopped yellow squash

1 small chopped tomato

¼ cup chopped cucumber

1 small red onion chopped (about ½ cup or to taste)

2 cups cooked wild rice – I cook mine with ½ of the required liquid being a stock (veggie, chicken or beef) 1/2 and water.

*optional- although it’s not needed, you can add meat, like chicken, to this recipe. Only use 1 cup of cooked rice and add 1 cup cooked chicken or omit the rice and add 2 cups cooked chicken.

Add all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl and stir gently until combine. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently. You can serve immediately but it’s best to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

The Cash Envelope System - Free Printable Cash Envelope

2012-06-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

Did you know that you can print your own cash envelopes? The cash envelope system is becoming very popular. I have used the system in the past, but it doesn't work for me personally. So what prompted me to make templates? I had a customer where I work ask for some cash envelopes that were pre-printed. Our store doesn't carry any and we are taught as associates to 'think outside the box' in order to help our customers. I was brainstorming with the customer on ways she could make the envelopes. She had no idea how to even begin to make a template. So, I gave her other options she was more comfortable with. She went home happy but not having exactly what she wanted. That's when I knew there must be a need for templates like this. Here are mine and I would like to share with you.....

My templates use a number 6 3/4 envelope found at most stores. I bought mine at Staples. A package of 50 was only $1.99. Follow these steps to print your cash envelopes

go to my Free Printable Page

click on the envelope of your choice

a new window will open

save that as a pdf to your computer

open the saved pdf from your computer

click print, under your printers 'properties' section- set paper size as 3.6" wide and 6.5" as the height (also check your page scaling selections it should be set to none)

place envelope in the tray used for printing envelopes on your printer (this is printer specific, each model is different) and click print.

Bargain Meal of the Week - Monster Chicken Wings and Grilled Corn

2012-06-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

Most grocery stores are gearing up for July 4 cookouts. This means great bargains on ribs, chicken, hamburger and hot dogs. Now is a good time to stock up and save some money. Over at $5 Dinners, I contribute to the Bargain Meal of the Week. Based on this weeks ad I suggest....

Monster Chicken Wings with Carolina Red BBQ Sauce

Serve with:

Grilled Corn on the Cob or Mac & Cheese

Green Salad

Watermelon

Ingles currently has chicken drumsticks and thighs for only 98¢ a pound. This is an amazing bargain. I would buy extra packs and cook like I suggested in this post. Use some of the drumsticks and make Monster Chicken Wings.

To make Monster Chicken Wings, just bake the drumsticks for 15 minutes on 350°. Add bbq sauce and/or hot sauce and grill for 5 to 10 minutes or until done. I like using my Carolina Red BBQ Sauce and add a few dashes of hot sauce for extra heat. If you like, you can remove the skins before adding sauce and grilling.

Ingles also has corn on the cob at a great bargain. 12 ears for $4. I would buy extra, grill enough for dinner, blanch the rest and freeze.

To grill corn on the cob, soak corn with husk on in cold water for at least 15 mins. Shake off excess water. Grill (with husk on) on medium heat for 15 mins, turning occasionally. Remove husks and add toppings.

Herb Garlic Butter

4 tablespoons butter softened, 1 minced garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoon dry or 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh herb of your choice

thyme

dill

marjoram

Italian

parsley

cilantro

Mix and store any unused butter in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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Carolina Red BBQ Sauce - Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe

2012-06-25T03:19:00.000-04:00

Even though BBQ sauce can be cheap to purchase, I like making my own. I can add some heat with red pepper flakes, make it sweet with honey or smoky with liquid smoke. The flavor is completely up to me and my mood. Here is my version of a Carolina Red BBQ Sauce...

Carolina Red BBQ Sauce Printable

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey (optional)

1/2 cup red wine or apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons reduced soy sauce

Juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons liquid smoke (found in the same section as Worcestershire/BBQ sauce)

1/2 teaspoon of each -

black pepper

Dijon mustard

onion powder

dried oregano

basil

red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

In a medium sauce pan mix all ingredients and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes to blend flavors. Remove from heat and cool. Store in an air tight container. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

How to save money while doing the laundry

2012-06-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] 6 smiling women under tenement clothesline; caption reads: "Do we look cheerful? Washing clothes is pretty hard work generally, but if you use Kirkman's Borax Soap according to directions, it's really wonderful how it lightens labor and...makes clothes sweet as a rose and white as snow". (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Let's face it, clothes are expensive. Taking care of those clothes can also put a big hole in your budget. By the time you buy all the products 'needed', wash and dry your laundry, you've taken a huge hit. I budget very little for laundry. In fact, only a very small potion of our food/household budget is used for cleaning and supplies. Here are a few ways I cut back on my laundry expenses.

I own very few clothes. How does that help? There isn't as much laundry to pile up before we get around to wash it.

We wear our clothes more than once

I use hand towels instead of a regular size towel when drying off from a shower. We use our towels more than once. These alone cuts my laundry down tremendously! *please see notes for a tip

Make your own laundry detergent - I will be adding my laundry soap recipe

Make your own softener- 1/2 cup of white vinegar added to the rinse works great as a softener. Your clothes will not smell like vinegar. Vinegar cuts leftover soap and will leave your clothes softer.

Make your own bleach

Wash in cold water- I do all of my loads on cold. I've never seen the need to use heated water to wash my clothes. Proper spot treatment will help a cold water wash work better.

Have a full load before washing

Use the correct measurements- this goes for water and products. Don't assume the lid on the detergent, softener etc, needs to be full in order to get your clothes clean. Manufacturers want you to use more than necessary. They sell more that way.

Hang your clothes to dry- either on a line outside on racks inside. I will admit I have some things (like my uniform for work) that does not air dry well. So I use my dryer.

Take clothes out of the dryer (if you use it) and hang immediately. This eliminates the need to use more energy by turning the dryer back on to re-fluff.

*Notes: Hang your towels up with pants hangers, this allows them to dry after each use. Use different color towels for each person.

My Weekly Household Planner Page With A Free Printable

2012-06-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] English: Kanazawa Station (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

As I have explained in a previous post about planning , I have a busy schedule. I think we all have busy schedules in one way or another. One way I keep track of everything is my Household Planner. It keeps me on task, on time and my house running smoothly.

I know most people now have phones with apps that will do what my planner will. But...

I have a basic phone, by choice.

I feel so much better about what I've accomplished when I can take a marker and cross it off my list.

Call me old school, but I like writing things down. I remember them better. I think that's because I am a visual person.

I thought I would share with you my main page in my household planner. Ink is expensive so I combat this by put mine in a sheet protector and use a dry erase marker. Dry erase markers + sheet protectors = Awesome! This way you only have to print it once. You can either click the link below or the picture to open a pdf for printing. I usually fill mine out on Sundays.

Weekly Household Planner Page

Daily To Do's- I use this space for daily task like what zone I am in with Flylady. I use a modified version of Flylady.

Weekly To Do's- Mopping, Dusting, Menu Planning etc all go here

Monthly To Do's- Changing the heat pump air filter, or giving the pets their fleas meds are good examples of what I put here (changing the oil in the car could be scheduled here)

Errands- Sometimes I'll put a post it here, add to it as needed, take it with me to work and stick it on my steering wheel (yes, I am that forgetful). That way I cut down on trips around town.

Who To Call- Self explanatory, but it's a reminder for me of people to contact on my days off. Most things are closed when I get home from work. I try to schedule calls. Examples are scheduling repairs or doctor visits etc.

Appointments- I have them here and on the calendar on my phone. Here it is a visual reminder, easier for me to remember.

This Week's Menu- I have a full menu printed and hanging on the fridge. This one is just dinners. I can think ahead, maybe this is Monday and Tuesdays chicken is still in the freezer. I can see what I am having at a glance and get it ready for later.

Laundry- I do laundry 5 days a week. Each day a different load. Example Monday around here is sheets day. Click here for my post about how I get things done in the morning.

Exercise- I exercise at home. It saves money and I have everything I need here. A place to walk outside (cardio) and a few weights for strength training. To get a balance of both I do cardio a few days a week then strength train certain areas other days.

Drink Your Water- A reminder of how many glasses of water I drink a day. I take a glass bottle (I don't care for plastic) and refill it during the day at work. It's free, better for me and much better for my waistline. I only drink 1 cup of coffee in the morning and 1 glass of diet soda or tea with dinner (yes I said soda ha ha).

I am always looking to improve my planner... Do you have a household planner? Have any tips for mine?

The 10 things I do before breakfast to keep me sane

2012-06-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

[caption id="attachment_1068" align="aligncenter" width="230"] I'm not crazy... right?[/caption]

I have my morning routine down pat. I do the whole routine start to finish on cruise control. No matter what time I have to get up and be at work (there are days I'm up by 4 am) I do my best to get these 10 things done. If I do them, my day goes much smoother, I feel more in control of my day and my afternoons are easier. Drum roll please....

I get up 1 1/2 to 2 hours early. If I have to be at work by 7 am I am up at 5 am. I am crazy huh? Not really. It gives me enough time to get loads of things done and no rushing out the door (well most mornings lol) Plus, I'm a morning person. I am more productive during the morning hours.

I head straight to the kitchen, take care of the cats and dog (funny how they get breakfast first), let the dog out for her morning constitution, give them any needed medications, clean the litter box. Such a wonderful way to start the day at 'itstooearlyforthis' am, but I have a saying "Just Rip It". You know how it hurts less when you pull a band-aid off quickly? Well, I like to get unpleasant things over with first. Or I'll keep putting them off till somehow I forget to do them???

I start a load of laundry. Since I get up so so so early, I try to gather laundry the night before and have it ready to go. I do laundry Monday-Friday, 1 to 2 loads per day. The same load each day of the week. Example Monday = Sheets, Tuesday = Lights, Wednesday = Darks, Thursday = Towels Friday = Jeans. This keeps me on track and rarely ever behind on laundry. There are odds and ends loads I will do while zoning my house, but the M-F loads take care of the bulk of laundry.

I start breakfast. If its Amish Baked Oatmeal all I have to do is put it in the oven. If it's meat and eggs, I will cook the meat (such as bacon or breakfast sausage) on low while doing other things (like number 5,6,7 you get the idea)

I unload the dishwasher. I know it's one of the most expensive appliance to run. But that darn thing helps keep me sane. So I use it. Normally we only have to run it every other day.

I think about dinner and what we will have (if I didn't do this the night before, which is preferable) Finish making breakfast and clean up.

I check my Household Planner to see what's up for the day. I also look ahead at the week- are there any appointments coming up? Errands to run after work? Finally I leave the kitchen.....

Get dressed - Everyday, head to toe, ready to go. This includes days off. Except for one day a month, PJ Day.

I clean for 15 minutes. Most everyone is still sleeping, so this is limited to a few rooms and activities (no vacuuming of course ha ha) I do clean the bathroom every morning.

I sit down and enjoy my breakfast. During breakfast I like to do my bible study. The house is still quiet and I can concentrate.

Then I am either out the door or on to other tasks for the day. Now if only I could get my afternoon routine fixed.... ah but that's for another post.

What do your mornings look like? Do you have a routine that you follow?

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Easy Potato Recipe - Potato Pancakes

2012-06-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

[caption id="attachment_1045" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Potato Pancakes with squash and zucchini[/caption]

I love to make potato pancakes. These crispy, slightly oniony pancakes are a savory addition to any meal, even breakfast {similar to hash-browns}. It's a good way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. Potato pancakes are a versatile base for many ingredients. You can add shredded veggies, garlic, chives, cheese... your imagination is the limit.

Basic Potato Pancake Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups cold mashed potatoes

1 cup self rising flour {you may need a little more/less depending on the thickness of your potatoes, mixture should be stiff when all ingredients are combine}

1/4 cup chopped onion *tip see notes

Oil for cooking

Optional add ins:

1 clove chopped garlic

1 shredded yellow squash

1 shredded zucchini

1/4 cup cheese

1 diced jalapeno

chopped green pepper

chopped bacon

chopped ham..... just to name a few

Directions:

In a pan add enough oil to cover the bottom and heat to medium low. Combine all ingredients well. Drop by tablespoonfuls in heated pan. Spread mixture to form a patty. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. These are delicate until they are browned on one side, so be careful checking them.

In the above picture I added 1 small yellow squash and 1 zucchini. Shredded each with a grater, then added them to my mixture.

Enjoy!

*Notes: Have leftover onion and you're afraid it is going to go bad before you use it? Why not do what I do, chop it all, use what you need for the recipe and freeze the rest. This way I always have chopped onion on hand. Frozen onions can only be used for cooking. They are not suitable for recipes that need fresh onion. This is also a good tip for green pepper.

Chicken Recipe - How to stretch 1 chicken into 8 meals in 7 easy steps

2012-06-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

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Yesterday I lucked up on an unbelievable sale! An 8 lb Perdue Whole Roaster Chicken was on sale for $1.08 a pound! This is a vegetarian fed, cage free, antibiotic and hormone free bird. So of course I grabbed one. Instead of oven roasting it, eating what we could hold and freeze the rest, I decided to do this:

I put the chicken in my largest crock pot along with the organs, neck etc and added 3 carrots {no need to peel} 1 large onion and 4 stalks of celery {I used the tougher outer ribs for this} then add water to cover chicken. The more water you can use, the more broth you will have later. Let this cook on low for 10 hours or 5 hours on high. I recommend cooking it on low.

When the bird is finished cooking, let everything cool down enough to handle. Remove veggies and set aside. Remove broth {I used a ladle} and put in a container- mason jar, bowl with lid etc. After I removed the broth, I put the bird in the fridge till the next day. It makes it easier to handle. Place veggies and broth in the fridge as well.

Now its time to get down and dirty {or is that greasy?} The chicken will be very tender. I took mine out in pieces- legs, wings, breast. I tried to keep the breast together as much as possible. Then I sliced half of the breast. This is dinner #1. The other half of breast I added to the shredded chicken.

Remove as much of the rest of chicken and shred it as you go. Place the shredded chicken on a plate. Put your cast offs- skin, organ meats etc on another plate. I feed that to my animals. *Please note- do not feed animals chicken bones. I had an outside doggie who got into someones leftover chicken bones and almost died. The bones splinter and are hard for doggies to pass. Keep all bones and put these back into your crockpot {except for tiny bones such as neck and backbones, discard these}

I use only gallon freezer bags. In order for my shredded chicken to be measured into 1 cup amounts, I take a cup measuring 1 cup, pack the shredded chicken into it, add it to the gallon freezer bag and shape it like a patty. I can get 4 {1 cup} patties in a gallon freezer bag without them touching. Most recipes call for 1 cup shredded chicken, so this step makes it easier later. Freeze shredded chicken. Mine yielded 7 cups of shredded chicken.

Time to work on that homemade broth. When you take the broth out of the fridge it will have all the fat on top. Remove and discard. I frozen my chicken broth in one cup portions. Again making it easier later to use. Broth will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. I ended up with 6 cups of broth.

The leftover bones in the crock pot {remember no tiny ones} are used to make bone broth. Add 5 cups of water, 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery and 1 small onion. Cook for another 5 to 10 hours. The bone should become soft. After time is up, remove and discard bones, cool down broth and package to freeze. Bone broth is very good for you. You can do this with any leftover bones.

Now you have enough chicken for 8 meals. Remember use meats more like a side item. Most Americans eat too much protein already. The body doesn't know what to do with all that protein and it could turn to fat.

With mine I will be making:

Sliced chicken breast with dressing and sautéed garden veggies

Chicken Pies In A Pocket

Spinach and Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Modern Chicken Croquette Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Honey Ginger Stir Fry

Added to Chef Salad

Cure-All Chicken Soup- where I'll use up some of those leftover veggies

Would you like to win this awesome drying rack? Weekend Giveaway! Ya can't beat free!

2012-06-15T01:00:00.000-04:00

This contest has ended. Thank you to everyone who participated.

I can't think of a more frugal way to dry clothes than outside on a clothes line. But sometimes you can't hang your clothes outside- rain, snow, not allowed in your neighborhood etc. So what's the next best thing? An indoor drying rack of course! I have three indoor drying racks and I love them!

[caption id="attachment_1032" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Honey-Can-Do Commercial Chrome Drying Rack[/caption]

To enter, just follow this link to Naturally Frugal Homemaker on facebook...... Good Luck!

Disclaimer-I am not affiliated with this product. This contest is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older.

Product description:

A sleek and handsome version of a tried-and-true design, this commercial-grade drying rack from Honey-Can-Do treats delicate better than the dryer does while reducing electricity consumption. Crafted from durable steel with a gleaming, rust-resistant chrome finish, the piece has an accordion construction that drops and locks into place. Hang-to-dry clothing, sweaters, lingerie, and household items can be draped on the horizontal rods, laid flat across the top, or hooked on the end supports. Overall, the piece offers 24 linear feet of drying space, while folding flat to a mere 3 inches for easy storage under a bed, in a closet, or next to the washing machine. Standing 42 inches high, the rack measures 30 by 15 inches. Other sizes and finishes are also available, and Honey-Can-Do provides a limited lifetime warranty on all its products

What Is Chamomile - Home Remedies With Herbs

2012-06-14T05:14:00.000-04:00

This is one tea I think every household should keep on hand. The uses for chamomile are endless. It makes a mild flavored tea and is easily combine with other herbal teas for home remedies.

Chamomile is an herb and a member of the daisy family. Some active ingredients in the flower are flavonoids, apigenin, luteolin and quercertin. These ingredients contribute to chamomile's anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and smooth-muscle relax action, especially in the gastrointestinal tract.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] English: Chamomile Flowers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Chamomile can be used as a tea to drink or used topically. Studies have shown that topical applications of chamomile can help with eczema.

Chamomile is gentle enough for children. Teething, whining, colic and restlessness can be a nightmare for any parent and the poor little ones who suffer from it. A chamomile tea can help with all of these.

To relieve teething - You can make a chamomile tea, soak a cloth in the tea and freeze. After it is frozen, let them chew on the cloth.

For pink eye relief - Make a strong tea, soak a cotton ball in the tea and use on the eye for relief of symptoms.

For relief of tired eyes - Just like the pink eye relief, use a cotton ball soaked in strong tea.

For sore muscle relief - Add a strong tea to a warm bath or use a cloth soaked in tea for a more local application.

Sip on chamomile tea to relieve nervousness

Chamomile tea promotes relaxation - drink before bed for a more restful sleep or if you are having a difficult time falling asleep.

By relaxing the gastrointestinal tract, chamomile tea can aid in digestion.

I recommend Twinings brand. Twinings is 100% pure chamomile blossoms. I can buy it at my local grocer for less than $4 a box of 20 tea bags.

To make chamomile tea is easy.

Hot Tea- Pour freshly boiled water over tea bag, cover and allow to brew for 5 minutes. Add honey and/or lemon to taste

Iced Tea- To make 1 quart, use 4 tea bags and brew as suggested for hot tea using 4 cups of water. Add honey {or your choice of sweetener} Allow to cool, then serve over ice.

Chamomile Popsicle - 3 cups chamomile tea, 2 cups plain yogurt, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 Tbsp honey or sugar to taste. Mix, pour into molds and freeze. These will keep about 2 weeks in freezer.

Why You Should Never Eat Boxed Mac & Cheese - Easy Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

2012-06-13T08:58:00.000-04:00

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Got home late from work and need to get dinner done in a hurry? That's me most days. I am always looking for quick ways to get dinner on the table. It's so easy to run to the cabinet and grab that box of macaroni and cheese as a side dish. Homemade takes too much time right? No. In fact, it takes the same amount of time to make my macaroni and cheese recipe as the 'blue box' kind.

Boxed macaroni and cheese contains lots of ingredients such as dyes (to make it that nice orange color), loads of sodium and milk by products to name a few. The 'blue box' kind has almost 20 ingredients. 20? Really? Mine has 4.

Milk

Pasta

Butter

Cheese

That's it, just 4. I use one sauce pan. No making the sauce separately with a roux either. Nope this is one super simple recipe.

Ingredients:

12 oz box of pasta (we love Barilla Tri Color Pasta)

4 Tablespoons or 1/2 stick butter (sliced for easier melting)

1/2 cup of milk

1 to 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice (we use medium cheddar) if you like it really cheesy add the extra 1/2 cup

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, if a little water remains in the pasta that's ok. The starch in the pasta water helps thicken the sauce. Pour the pasta back into the sauce pan used for cooking. Return to the burner set on low or simmer. Add milk and butter. Stir gently to melt butter. Add cheese. Stir only once or twice. Do not stir again until the cheese starts to melt. It will only take a moment to start melting. For some reason if you stir the cheese too much before it has melted, it makes a gooey, sticky mess. After the cheese starts to melt, stir until all the ingredients are combine. That's it. Easy Peasy.

Enjoy!

Happy National Peanut Butter Cookie Day!

2012-06-12T03:23:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to share some peanut butter cookies with your loved ones today =) And while your at it... Don't forget to send me your most awesome peanut butter cookie recipe!

I'm Teaming Up With Erin Chase at $5 Dollar Dinners

2012-06-11T13:39:00.000-04:00

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

I am very excited to be linking up with the famous Erin Chase at $5 Dollar Dinners to bring you The Bargain Meal of the Week for Ingles sales ads. Each week I will create a meal based on the Ingles current sales ad. Planning your menus around the sales ads saves loads of money and time. I've been doing my menus this way for years. When items, such as meats, are at rock bottom prices- stock up, freeze it and save money.

I currently shop 2 different grocery stores, Aldi's and Ingles. I plan next weeks menu on this weeks sales ads. I normally shop closer to the end of the week. I stock up on enough loss leaders (items at rock bottom prices) to last a month. For example, last week Ingles had a whole boneless pork loin on sale for $2.18 per pound. I bought one that cost $18.00. *Ask your butcher to cut and pack these for you. The meat department was closed by the time we got there so we cut our own. It only took a few minutes. We ended up with 5 freezer bags that contained 6 nice sized chops each and 1 bag with odds and end pieces that I'll use for stir fry. That's enough for 7 meals. The final cost per meal is $2.71. Now thats a bargain!

If you would like to see my match ups for this weeks sales ads for Ingles and Aldi's plus my menu click this link Menu for 6/10 Ads. You can edit and add ingredients to the list and print them to take with you. Easy peasy.

For this weeks Ingles ad I recommend stocking up on Tyson Chicken Tenders at $1.98 lb. They are very versatile and thaw quickly. I use them a lot in my recipes. I will be making Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders with mine along with mac & cheese and salad.

For this weeks Aldi's ad I recommend the Hormel Boneless Pork Roast at $1.59 lb. I'll be making BBQ Pulled Pork in the crock pot. Serve this with baked beans (on sale at Aldi's for $1.19 for a large can) and slaw. The roast will have enough for leftovers for lunches and enough to freeze for a meal later on. Again I'll post the recipe I use.

National Peanut Butter Cookie Day Is June 12 - A Simple 5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

2012-06-10T06:35:00.000-04:00

I'll be celebrating by making this recipe from Kraft:

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped cocktail peanuts

1 tsp. vanilla

*Optional add in 1/4 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips- yum!

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F

Beat egg in bowl until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and mix well

Shape into 1 inch and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Flatten in a criscross pattern with tines of fork

Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Cool on baking sheet for 1 min, move cookies to a wire rack and cool completely (if you can wait that long! )

Enjoy!

Cookies are one of my favorite sweets to eat. I love them all! This recipe is so simple there is no excuse for not making some. You can leave out the cocktail peanuts in this recipe and just use crunchy peanut butter or keep it smooth by using regular peanut butter. Either way this is a no fail recipe.

Are you planning on making some peanut butter cookies Tuesday? If so, I would love to know some of your favorite peanut butter recipes too! Please add links or comments below or join the conversation with Naturally Frugal Homemaker on facebook. Maybe your recipe will become my new favorite!

Kale and Tomato Pasta - A Simple 5 Ingredient Recipe

2012-06-09T13:16:00.000-04:00

Cooking the pasta and kale in the tomatoes with some added water saves time and is a clever short cut with this recipe. We like this dish as a light lunch or side item. With only 5 ingredients it is full of vitamins and it's cheap! This recipe should feed 4.

The kale gives this meal loads of vitamins. One cup of kale contains 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C and 1020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of many minerals such as iron. Move over spinach, kale is a wonderful substitute in many recipes!

The tomatoes are a good source of potassium as well as many vitamins such as A and C. Also, tomatoes are an inflammation fighting food. Inflammation causes many of our health problems.

Cheese is a good source of calcium.

(Click here for Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups tri color pasta

1 cup water

1 14.5 can of Italian-style tomatoes undrained

3 packed cups of kale

1 cup of cheese - mozzarella, Parmesan and cheddar are all good choices

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan add undrained tomatoes, pasta and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the pasta mixture is cooking prepare kale. Remove all leaves from the stems and place leaves in a large bowl filled with water to wash. Break kale leaves into smaller pieces (about the size of baby spinach leaves)

After the pasta mixture has cooked for 8 minutes add half of the kale, stir, cover and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the kale wilts. Then add remaining kale, stir, cover and cook until wilted.

Serve topped with your choice of cheese(s)

Enjoy!

Chicken Recipe - Honey Ginger Stir Fry

2012-06-07T13:47:00.000-04:00

This chicken stir fry is sweet yet savory. The veggies are the star of the recipe with a small amount of chicken added in for flavor. I use my cast iron pans because they are the only pans I have. If you have a wok, feel free it use it. I have limited cabinet space which equals-Limited kitchen gadgets I love this recipe because it ticks off all my favorite boxes -

Simple

Quick

Cheap

It should feed 4 with normal size potions. We (there were 2 of us) ate this for dinner, I had it for dinner the next night and took it to work for lunch the next day. Zero waste and it was just as yummy the third time around.

[slideshow]

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 chicken tenders cut into bite size pieces

1 zucchini sliced

7 or 8 baby carrots sliced

1 half crown of broccoli

2 or 3 green onions sliced

2 chopped garlic cloves

2 to 4 tablespoons of oil

Sauce:

1/2 tablespoon of minced ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar *optional

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons flour

Serve with 3 cups cooked rice

Directions:

Gather all your ingredients. Chop veggies, chicken etc. The secret to stir fry is to be prepared ahead of time. All of your chopping can be done in advance but no longer than one day.

Over medium heat add 2 tablespoons oil to a medium pan then add chicken. Stir fry until no longer pink inside (this should only take a few mins). Remove chicken to a plate or bowl.

Add remaining oil to pan if needed then add veggies. The key is not to overcook the veggies, stir fry for about 5 minutes (times will vary).

While the veggies are cooking place ginger, soy sauce, vinegar and honey in a 1 cup measure (I use a small coffee cup) Stir until honey is combine with other liquids. Then add enough water to make a full 1 cup measure.

After veggies are finished, add chicken.

Move the stir fry to the edges of the pan to make a well in the center. Pour in sauce mixture.

While heating sauce, put flour in the cup you used to make the sauce and add 4 tablespoons or so of heated sauce from your pan and stir till combined. This will help keep the flour from being lumping in your sauce.

Add flour mixture to the well of sauce in your pan and stir. Let the sauce thicken 1 to 2 minutes.

Combine all your ingredients together and Enjoy!

What I Did On My PJ Day

2012-05-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful day off on my PJ Day. I surfed the net without guilt or a timer. As an added bonus I didn't go anywhere, which qualifies as a "No Spend Day". I challenge myself to have "No Spend Day" often, or even better No Spend Day(s) which are tough to do. Having a No Spend Day is a way to save money and really look at your spending habits. How many days can you go without spending a dime?

I did get outside and take a picture tour around the yard.... I chased a bee... or did it chase me? The garden is growing.... what Southern yard is complete without a magnolia tree? A field of wild flowers... a cone of flowers that smell like honey.... the only thing I regret is not being able to share the sounds of buzzing insects, birds singing and me squealing as I run from a bee....

[slideshow]

I would love to hear some adventures you've been having lately.... Please comment or better yet leave a link.... I'm off to plan yet another PJ Day...... Yippie

My Favorite Ways To Save Money - A List Of Frugal Ideas For Food

2012-05-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] "USE LEFTOVERS - MARK OF A GOOD COOK - STUDY YOUR 'ARMY COOK' FOR RECIPES, IDEAS" - NARA - 515949 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Don't have enough money to go around? There are only 2 solutions to that problem. Make more money or spend less money. Or a combo of both. In this economy, it's tough to find one job, much less two. There are options for making money at home- selling on ebay, online surveys, babysitting to name a few. I've done all three (and more) of these to make extra money. Let's face it, they all take lots of time. Time is something that is a premium for me. So I choose the latter of the options. Living on less than what I make is the easiest solution for me. This is an ongoing list of my favorite ways to live on less and save more money. First we will start with food.

Food:

Eat most meals at home- a typical meal out cost us $30 or more for me to feed 3 people. I can make meals at home for less than $10 for 3 people.

Take your lunch - leftovers is a great choice, cook once eat twice. Reusable containers and lunch bag are a must.

Eat less meat - have more vegetarian meals, make meat the side dish instead of the main course, make chef salads with chopped meat and boiled eggs. Most Americans get more protein than we need. Too much protein has the possibility to turn into fat.

Toaster oven - I use a large toaster oven for all of my baking needs. It doesn't heat up the kitchen, uses less energy and easier to keep clean.

Don't buy groceries for one week out of the month - use what you have in your pantry and freezer. Get creative with menus. Take the money you would have spend and put it toward debt or savings.

Use your freezer - plan leftovers, cook double what you need for a meal and freeze half to for later. Got one or two servings of leftover in the fridge and tired of eating it? Freeze it and take it to lunch next week. Freeze leftover sides like corn, green beans, peas, carrots etc in a freezer bag for vegetable soup. Keep adding leftover veggies until you have a pot of 'free' soup.

Clean out your fridge on a weekly basis - I do mine on Wednesdays. A quick cleaning and inventory before I go to the grocery stores helps with not purchasing duplicate items, I can freeze any leftovers and keep mystery items from growing icky mold.

Menu plan - a simple menu plan will help create a stress free week of cooking and save money. No running to the store last minute for needed items or worse yet, stopping by the drive-through. Don't know where to start? Write down your favorite meals, ask the family what they would like to have, keep a list this week of what you cook and have it again two weeks from now.

Eat simple meals - Meals don't have to be complicated. Last night we had Chicken Pie Pockets and a salad. The pockets were prepared ahead of time, just needed to bake them and throw together a quick salad. This meal cost less than $5 for all of us, took minutes to make and was full of nutrition.

Eat the same thing for breakfast everyday for a week - boring? Maybe, but not for me. I can make Amish Baked Oatmeal and eat it every morning no problem. Or make different smoothies each day. Eating the same thing for breakfast everyday is less stressful, cost less and there is less of a chance of food 'going bad' because it didn't get eaten.

Purchase items in bulk - bulk bins is a great place to get your pantry staples. Example: I purchase almonds for my almond milk from my grocers bulk bins at $4.49 a pound. The same almonds on the shelf from a name brand company sells for $6.99 for half a pound. A bulk purchase of baking yeast from my local health food store is a much cheaper option than the little packets. Be willing to explore different options when purchasing foods.

Buy the brand on sale, no name brand or store brand - if you are brand loyal its hard to get the best deals. "My family will only eat brand X mayo." Try different kinds brands. You may be surprised. I love Aldi's. They offer a no risk guarantee if you purchase their name brand items. If you don't like it return it. Check your local store and see if they have a no risk guarantee if you purchase their brand.

Notice I don't include coupons. I've used them for years. I am a master of the sales ad and coupon match up. I'm simply burnt out on using them. The time investment of clipping, organizing and match-ups is not something I want to do right now. The more I used coupons and the extreme shopping trips, the more I noticed how much processed foods we ate. Most things I purchase now don't have coupons available. I would rather put that energy I used for couponing toward making more meals from scratch.

Check out my recipes and DIY tips for more money saving ideas

I would love to hear some of your favorite ways to save on food. Leave me a comment, I am always looking for great ideas, recipes and different points of view.

Easy Pastry Dough Recipe

2012-05-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

[caption id="attachment_740" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] divide dough, wrap and refrigerate[/caption]

This dough is versatile, easy to make and very forgiving. Versatile because it can be used in savory dishes as well as sweet treats. Easy to make because it has very few ingredients and can be done in a food processor. Forgiving because it rolls out easily even when rolled thin and doesn't tear like some dough. I use this dough to make Chicken Pie Pockets and Pizza Pockets. This recipe yields 10 pocket size disk or 2 crust.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter - soften to room temp

4 ozs of cream cheese - soften to room temp

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/4 cup milk or heavy cream

Directions:

Cream together butter, cream cheese and milk until blended. This can be done in a food processor, mixer or by hand. Add flour and salt and mix until combine. Divide dough in half. Place each half in a storage bag or plastic wrap. Flatten and form a disk shape. Refrigerate for 30 mins. Working with one disk at a time, roll dough on a floured surface until 12" diameter, thin but not transparent.

[caption id="attachment_738" align="alignleft" width="150"] cream cheese, butter and milk[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_741" align="alignleft" width="150"] add flour and salt to cream cheese mixture[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_740" align="alignleft" width="150"] divide dough, wrap and refrigerate[/caption]

Simple Chicken Recipe - Chicken Pies In A Pocket

2012-05-23T06:59:00.000-04:00

This recipe is easy to make and a great substitute for the prepacked 'pockets' you buy in stores. I will usually bake half of them for dinner and freeze the rest. These are a great idea for lunches because they are good at room temperature.

(printable recipe click here)

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup of cooked shredded chicken - I buy bulk bags of frozen chicken tenders, I normally can get 1 cup of cooked shredded chicken from 4 to 5 tenders.

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup diced celery or one stalk

1/3 cup diced carrots or one carrot

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons of sour cream

1 1/2 cup of poaching liquid used to cook chicken

Easy Pastry Dough

Instructions:

Place chicken in enough water to cover, about 3 cups, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook thoroughly. Remove chicken, season with a dash of salt and pepper and continue to cook liquid until reduced by half. You should end up with 1 1/2 cups of liquid. If you have precooked chicken you may use 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth instead.

[caption id="attachment_760" align="aligncenter" width="300"] onion carrots and celery[/caption]

To make filling- melt butter in a sauce pan and add chopped onion, celery and carrots. Saute for 2 minutes. Add flour and salt, stirring for 1 minute. Add Parmesan cheese and poaching liquid/broth. Stir until thickened. Add shredded chicken and sour cream. Remove from heat and refrigerate to cool

[caption id="attachment_763" align="aligncenter" width="300"] thickened filling[/caption]

Preheat oven to 375°. Butter or line a baking sheet.

[caption id="attachment_765" align="aligncenter" width="300"] roll out dough disk[/caption]

Working with one dough disk at a time, on a floured surface roll out until 12" round using a floured rolling pin. Cut out circles- I used a small bowl. Re-roll scraps of dough and cut remaining circles. Each disk of dough should give you 5 circles = 10 pies.

[caption id="attachment_766" align="aligncenter" width="225"] ready for the oven or freezer[/caption]

On each circle add 1/4 cup of cooled filling to one side, wet the edges of the circle with water, fold the dough over to form a half circle. Seal the edges with a fork. Cut a small slit on top of the pie to vent.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Be sure to check out my other recipes here

recipe was adapted from mad hungry

I'm Going To Let You In On One Of My Secrets .... Shhhhh

2012-05-22T05:32:00.000-04:00

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Tomorrow is my day off. I mean truly off. From Everything. Tomorrow is what I call PJ Day. My guilt free fun day! Shhhh it's a secret from everyone. I don't tell anyone who knows me I'm off from work that day. The day to day tasks, activities and obligations seem to wear me down after awhile. I get tired of being "On" all the time. "Gotta be productive!" "Gotta get it done" "Gotta be a responsible adult" I am here to stand up and say "No! Not on PJ Day!"

I take a PJ Day once a month. I love it, look forward to it and no I don't feel guilty about it. I plan it ahead of time so that all of my outside obligations are filled, errands are done and housework is complete (except for some, and I mean very few, daily tasks). I will cook my meals ahead of time or better yet we'll have frozen pizza (gasp). I may or may not change out of my PJ's all day. I probably will not be wearing make up. I will more than likely not leave my house - the no make up and wearing of pj's help with this ha ha.

So why do this? Everyday I wake up super early and have a busy schedule. I sleep no later than 5:30 am. I get up, do my morning routine (which includes cleaning, laundry, prep for dinner, bible study, getting dressed etc) My work schedule varies from day to day. Sometimes I have to be at work by 6 am, therefore its necessary to wake up at 4 am. When I get home from work there is my evening routine...more housework, extended family obligations, cooking and the list goes on. Even on days off from work I am full blast. My days off normally booked up and are filled with spending time outside my home, with family, errands etc ...whew... sound familiar?

Its not that I don't love my life. I do. I am very grateful and mindful of God's blessings. I have a home, family who love me, a car, a job, food to cook. This is my way of recharging. I think everyone needs to.

So, what do I do on my PJ Day? Anything I want.

I sometimes have a spa day. Detoxing in a tub with Peppermint Bath Salts while reading a book ahhh relaxation.

Or maybe a movie day

Craft day

Photography day- a day spent finding things in my yard to photograph, creepy crawlies, a fallen leaf to beautiful flowers

Surfing the net (without guilt ha ha )

Or my favorite - taking the day as it comes and doing what I feel like at the moment

No, I don't have small children at home. Therefore it is easier to focus on what 'I' want to do. I know this could prove to be challenging if you do. But why not plan a pj day with the kids. Kids now days have very full schedules too. I'm sure they wouldn't mind a day off. Have popcorn and a movie. Have craft day. Everyone takes turns with the camera exploring the yard. Ask them what to do, they still have that childlike mind-set and will surely come up with some great ideas.

Give yourself permission to take a day off, a real day off. You will find you are recharged and refueled for those busy 'gotta get it done' days.

I would love to hear some of the ways you recharge and reclaim freedom from day to day tasks... Leave me some ideas in the comment section because tomorrow is PJ Day

Yippie!

Inspiration - Silence

2012-05-21T05:57:00.000-04:00

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"We need to find God and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature- trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls."

~Mother Teresa

Thank you Mark at Minimalist Living for reminding me of this quote.