Prudent and Practical

Tuna Treats

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:52:30 +0000

I’ve done quite a bit of experimental baking lately. The animals, all five of them, have really enjoyed it as well. Mrs. Klutzo (that’s me) frequently drops stuff on the floor. I guess I get a little too enthusiastic To reward them for taste testing all of my creations, I made them some new treats . Now that I’m done being sarcastic, here’s a recipe for the cats, and yes, the dogs enjoy them too!

Ingredients:

1 – 6 ounce can of tuna
1/4 cup water drained from tuna
3 tablespoons cooked egg white, chopped
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
The original recipe says to add ingredients in steps, but I just dumped it all in a bowl at the same time and mixed it up
Knead into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch thick
Cut into cat-sized pieces
Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes

Note: The original recipe says that this will make 12, 1-inch cat cookies. Not only is 1/4 inch really big, especially for your cats mouth, how is he or she going to eat a 1″x1″ morsel? I rolled my dough thinner and made them 3/4″x3/4″ and no, they would not eat the treats because they were so big. Three cats, two of them will literally eat anything the dogs eat, none of them would eat them at this size. I ended up cutting the treats into quarters and that worked for them. These store well in an air-tight container in the fridge. Oh, and if you roll them out thinner and cut them smaller, this definitely makes a lot more than 12 treats!

Thanks for visiting! If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page or subscribe via RSS!

I’m also participating in the following link-ups today! You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

DIY Curb Appeal: 7 Simple Steps to Clean Up Your Exterior

Mon, 10 May 2010 13:52:24 +0000

DIY Curb Appeal: 7 Simple Steps to Clean Up Your Exterior

It doesn’t take a landscaper or designer to make your house look good on the outside. All it takes is a little organizing, arranging, cleaning and upkeep and you can achieve a gorgeous exterior. Here are a few simple and inexpensive tips for increasing your curb appeal this spring. Set aside a
Saturday for some shopping to pick up the items you need and execute your curb appeal plan on a Sunday.

Step 1: Sweep it Up
Get out your broom and start sweeping! Sweeping your porch can make it look much better. Whether your porch is brick or wood, sweeping removes dust, dirt and other fine particles from your porch. If you have the time, give it a quick rinse with a garden hose.

Step 2: Hang Flower Baskets
A flower basket or two can give your house a great boost. For under $20, you can add charm and life to the outside of your home. Select a flower color that will complement the color of your home. Avoid selecting flowers that are in full bloom. While they look great at the store, it’s a sign that
they’ve been there for a while. Instead, select a basket whose flowers are starting to bloom and bring them to life at home.

Step 3: Trim Shrubbery
Take a few hours to trim the bushes and shrubbery around your home. If you don’t have trimming equipment, ask a neighbor if you can borrow his. You don’t need to be skilled in shrubbery trimming to make your bushes look good. Simply even them out and it will make a huge difference. If minor landscaping is really not your thing, hire a landscaping maintenance service for a one-time spring cleanup. For about $100, you can get your shrubbery trimmed properly.

Step 4: Paint
A fresh coat of paint for your porch is one of the least expensive ways to increase your curb appeal. For a quick job, paint the posts and rails in an exciting new color to complement your brick or siding. Alternatively, paint the entire porch or siding. You’ll probably need to set aside an entire
weekend just for that.

Step 5: Clear Clutter
Homeowners often don’t realize how unsightly small items around the perimeter of the house can look. Remove garbage and recycling bins from the side of your home to the back. If you store bikes, tools, hoses or other items around your home, move them to the back. For under $50, you can
purchase a hose holder that can be affixed to the wall of your home. Your property will look more orderly and have a lot more appeal without a hose lying on the driveway or lawn. Don’t forget about porch clutter. Get a plastic container to store balls and other clutter you may have around your
porch.

Step 6: Lighting
Low-voltage outdoor lighting is a great way to add some light to the outside of your home, as curb appeal counts at night too. There are several different options, from a porch light to driveway lights or various landscape lighting. The least expensive option is a porch light. Visit a local home improvement or gardening store for a wide selection of different porch light styles.

Step 7: The Extras

. Mailbox – If yours is old and worn, replace it. There are some really great innovative and creative mailboxes on the market. See what you can find in your area to add some color and life to your porch or yard.
. Address sign – Make your own or get some fresh new numbers.
. Porch mat – Give yours a rinse or buy a new one on sale.

Marcy Tate is a blogger at Networx. She has been working with lawn care service providers for over a decade on ways to increase curb appeal.

More Pancakes!

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:00:18 +0000

I hate the word diet. There are multiple phrases that bother me. ”Are you on a diet?” What diet are you on?” “I need to go on a diet.” Someone asked me in January, “You look great! What diet are you on?” I froze because I wasn’t on a diet. I wasn’t trying to do anything special. So I said, “Um, just eating natural foods and fruits and veggies.” That’s not a diet, it’s a way of life. Since then, the coupon experiment has been in full swing and I’ve gained 10 pounds. I’ve been thumbing through Nourishing Traditions again and slowly putting changes back into my life. I’m ready to start eating well again!

With some things I go all out and jump right in, but food is a different story. I ease my way into any changes I make with what I eat. I also start with the fun stuff, aka dessert type foods and drinks. Ironic, right? I feel that if a more healthy or nutritious dessert or sweet recipe tastes good and makes me feel happy (and passes D’s approval), then I become brave enough to try the more interesting things. So I started with pancakes from Nourishing Traditions.

This recipe needs to be started the night before to allow for the soaking of flour.

Author of NT, Sally Fallon, explains that all grains contain phytic acid in their outer layer. The acid can combine with minerals in the intestinal tract and block their absorbtion, which can lead to mineral deficiencies and bone loss. Soaking for as little as seven hours allows enzymes to break down and neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors.

Pancakes

2 cups – ground spelt, kamut, or whole wheat flour. So far I’ve only tried this recipe with spelt.
2 cups – an acidic liquid like buttermilk, kefir, yogurt (or 2 cups filtered water plus 2 tablespoons whey, lemon juice, or vinegar)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons melted butter

Yield is 16-20. This recipe can successfully be halved.

Soak the flour in the acidic liquid in a warm place for 12-24 hours.

In the morning (or 12-24 hours later), stir in other ingredients and thin if needed with water

Cook on a hot, oiled pan

Easy and delicious! (My pretty pancakes ~ these turned out great, even though I have a tendency to burn things!)

The verdict:

These pancakes are fluffy and delicious. D and I prefer the taste and texture of these pancakes to the boxed powders. And although we both enjoy vegan pancakes, I think it’s safe to say we like these more! We both like strawberries on the side with them. D tops his with butter and maple syrup while I like mine with cashew butter and just a hint of syrup or honey. Yum! Even if the whole idea of soaking has you confused and it looks like a lot of work, it’s not. And it’s totally worth trying!

I’m also participating in the following link-ups today! You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

Ultimate Blog Party 2010!

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:13:58 +0000

I’m going to use this opportunity to say I’m back! For the past three months I’ve felt down in the dumps and unmotivated. One thing happened in January and it just kind of snowballed. I’m trying some amino acids from the health food store – I think it’s a combination of that and the beautiful weather that we’ve had lately here in southeast Iowa that’s helping. Things are looking up and I’m happy

If you’re a subscriber or frequent visitor, thank you for sticking around! I really appreciate it!

So to help with my “return,” I’m participating in 5 Minutes for Mom’s Ultimate Blog Party 2010! If you’re visiting from the UBP10, welcome! In short, I like to write about recipes, crafts, and home improvement and diy projects. Want to know more? Check out my about me page. If you’re interested in what I write about, subscribe via email or RSS feeder. Leave a comment and I’ll return the favor, I enjoy meeting new people and finding new blogs!

And to give some link love to the giveaway bloggers, these are the prizes I’m excited about!

It would be great to have a laptop that is quiet and that I can travel with, so I’d love 5 Minutes for Mom’s Toshiba laptop giveaway!
I enjoy essential oils and I’d like to try the Young Living Roll-On Stress Reliever from Oils for Wellness.
I buy a lot of books off of Amazon so, The Product Review Place’s $25 gift card would be helpful!
Other prizes I’m interested in include: US73, US74, US75, US87, US88, US112, USC8.

Anyway, go check out the blog party! Fun times!

Fun Party Punch

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 06:49:48 +0000

Spring party season is coming up and it’s time to start planning! This will make a tasty addition to all the baby showers, bridal showers, and graduations coming up. I got the following recipe for a fun party punch from my mom who got it from one of her coworkers. It’s super easy and tastes good.

This is one of those recipes that don’t have specific measurements – it’s pretty much up to the maker. There is a happy medium and you’ll find it!

The recipe calls for just three ingredients:

2 quarts prepared fruit drink (for example – KoolAid… I made mine raspberry flavored)
A container of sherbet/sorbet of coordinating flavor (I used raspberry sherbet)
2 liters 7-Up

Pour fruit drink so it fills about half of a punch bowl.

Next, little by little add in the 7-Up – this is where you taste test. The right amount will taste like fizzy KoolAid – not too little that it tastes like flat flavored pop and not too much that it tastes like 7-Up.

Add a few scoops of sherbet/sorbet…

(Sorry for the messy photo – this was New Year’s Eve and we had some friends over!)

It will melt….

And finally give a frothy look to the top of the punch while adding some more flavor! Fun, easy, delicious!

Thanks for visiting! If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page or subscribe via RSS!

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

Great-Grandma’s Date Cookies

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:15:59 +0000

My grandpa loves snacky foods, so that’s what we usually get him for Christmas, his birthday, and Father’s Day. My mom was flustered this Christmas because she didn’t have a chance to make grandpa’s favorite cookies. When I asked what recipe that was she told me that his mother used to make him date cookies and she has that recipe. Guess what he’s getting for his birthday today?

So, here’s the recipe for…

Great-Grandma’s Date Cookies

Cream:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I used butter)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix:

2-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Add this mixture to the above mix
It will now look like chocolate chip cookie dough without the chocolate chips!

Prepare dates:

Place 1 cup chopped dates in a bowl
Pour over 5 tablespoons boiling water
Let sit for a couple minutes
The dates will be much softer now
Drain off any excess water
Add to the above mix

Optional: Add in some nuts. Since my grandpa’s such a great guy and it’s his birthday, I added 1/2 cup chopped pecans. If I had it to do over again, I would have added 1 cup because they’re not very prominent in the finished cookies.

Bake:

350-degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown
These are a softer cookie – not crunchy.
I made mine a little big and it ended up yielding about 30 cookies

Note: I’ve had some blog issues the last few days and long story short, the photos will be posted as soon as I can figure out why they’re not posting! Got a few to post, but not all of them.

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more fantastic recipes here:

The Coupon Experiment

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:47:11 +0000

Something has been bothering me. I’m attracted to the real food movement and have been was making progress eating more real food. I try not to eat processed foods and have been limiting packaged powders. I was getting good at grocery shopping and finally staying either in or close to our budget. Then something happened. I’ve read quite a few blogger’s out there get their groceries for a little bit of nothing thanks to coupons and rebates and this intrigued me. I subscribed to the Sunday paper for $7 per month to get coupons. If it didn’t work out, I could easily cancel. Here’s how it went…

Week #1: Wow! I saved $10 on groceries! Crap – I just spent double our budget.

Week #2: Wow! I saved $13 on groceries! Crap – I just spent double our budget, again.

Week #3: Wow! I saved $16 on groceries! Crap – I just spent almost double our budget. The real food is disappearing from our cart

Week #4: Wow! I saved $30 on groceries and only went a little over budget! Cart filled with processed foods

At this point I feel like I fell into a trap. It’s winter in Iowa and there are no markets around here. The nearest grocer that sells a decent supply of locally grown meats and organic produce is one hour away. We need to save money and I actually ended up spending more, not just monetarily, but with our health as well. In the last month, even though we watched what we ate during the holidays, D and I have both gained weight. Our cabinets are getting more and more full, leading us to snack on, guess what, crap foods throughout the day. At this point, I feel stuffed and upset to my stomach. I blame the cereal and HFCS-laden white bread.

Week #5: Well, we’re stocked up on canned soups, fruits, and veggies. We also have plenty of powdered cake, pancake, and cupcake mixes as well as cereal. We did buy quite a bit more fresh produce than usual due to the store’s 80th anniversary sale. We ended up $5 under budget and saving 25% off of our total bill due to the coupons. Saving money makes D really happy.

I had worked out a system and kept a budget and was purchasing real food before all this couponing business. Now we’re so into clipping, we have a stockpile of “Q’s” that we can dig through and use without going over budget. I’m feeling much better this week and am thinking of a plan to get more good food back into the cupboards.

I have found that many whole food producers do actually have coupons! Many I can’t use around here, but my grocer does carry a few products. Some whole foods retailers give away copies of magazines that have coupons in them or even coupon books! I already have plans for a garden around our fire pit. I have some herbs, garlic, a grapevine, and rhubarb planted around the house – that was my first step last year ~ edible landscaping!. This year I’ll be adding some veggies and another grapevine.

See the next page to see how I’m going to save money on real food…

Sesame Turkey Recipe

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:07:14 +0000

Yep, this recipe is delicious sesame goodness, only with turkey instead of chicken. There is a distinct turkey taste, but it’s good and an excellent, non-traditional way to use up leftover turkey!

We like to serve these with my newest discovery, cheese puffs (aka crab rangoon without the crab). You can find wonton wraps in the refrigerated area in your grocery – at Hy-Vee, they are next to the salad mixes and tofu. And of course, these goodies aren’t complete without some homemade sweet and sour sauce!

The original sesame chicken recipe is from RecipeZaar.

Sesame Turkey Recipe Ingredients

Turkey – I use about 4 cups leftover turkey. But I you can adjust the amount.
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2-1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds – put sesame seeds in a hot pan and stir. They’re done when they’re light brown.

Sesame Turkey Recipe Instructions

Cut turkey into bite size pieces.
Heat a large non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with Pam, over medium-high heat.
Cook turkey until no longer pink. (Or just reheat turkey.)
Mix together honey, soy sauce, water, corn starch, ginger and red pepper flakes.
Whisk until no corn starch lumps appear.
Pour sauce mixture into skillet with turkey.
Cook until sauce thickens slightly.
You can add more water if sauce is too thick.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until turkey starts to soak up the sauce.

Cheese Puffs Recipe

Put a spoonful of cream cheese on a wonton wrap.
Rub water around the edge.
Pinch the edges toward the center.
Drop in hot oil until light golden brown.

Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

The following recipe tastes just like the packaged stuff but doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. Instead of a bright red color, it’s a translucent brown. This recipe is from About.com.

1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water

Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more recipes here:

5 Ways to Green Your Cleaning in 2010

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:39:13 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

The following is a guest post by Marcy Tate.

Greening your cleaning is not only good for the planet, it’s good for your pocket. It’s pretty simple to green your cleaning and you’ll notice the savings right away. Clean better and feel better in 2010 by following some of these eco-friendly cleaning tips:

1. Natural Cleaning Products –You can reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals found in chemical based cleaning products by using inexpensive, natural cleaning products found right in your pantry. Using vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice is not a new idea, however it is often overlooked. Make a separate area away from your pantry to store vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. It will remind you to go green when you clean.

Vinegar

Vinegar has many cleaning uses. Vinegar cleaning involves diluting vinegar with hot water in a bucket or in a spray bottle. Use it for washing hardwood floors, windows, toilets, tubs and more. Vinegar is great for removing hard water stains from glass shower doors. You can purchase vinegar in bulk from warehouse stores or buy it at your local grocery store for under $4 a gallon.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and stain remover. It is great for removing stains from clothes. Just add some baking soda to a hot-water load of clothes. Other great uses for baking soda include unclogging drains and removing odors from a garbage disposal. Some baking sodas contain aluminum. Check the ingredients of the baking soda you select to make sure it does not contain aluminum. Some studies suggest that aluminum exposure is linked to diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice has similar cleaning capabilities to vinegar. Also acidic, lemon juice can disinfect sinks and toilets.

Simple Combinations

Try these natural cleaning product combinations for quick, easy and eco-friendly cleaning:

Multi-purpose cleaner: Dilute baking soda, castile soap, water and a few drops of any essential oil.
Clog remover: Pour ½ C. to 1 C . of baking soda down the clogged drain. Then pour ½ C. to 1 C . of vinegar down the drain. Wait about 15 minutes and flush with very hot water.

2. Green Cleaning Products – Green cleaning products refer to products made from non-toxic, biodegradable and renewable resources. Green cleaning products are manufactured by companies that produce chemical-based cleaning products. Not all green cleaning products are as green as they claim to be. The EPA does not require manufacturers to list all ingredients in household cleaners. Check the labels of the products to be sure they are eco-friendly; mineral or plant-based ingredients are a sign that they are eco-friendly.

Choose refillable containers when purchasing green cleaning products to help you avoid the need to purchase a bottle each time. Tip: Don’t throw away your old cleaning products. It’s better to dispose of them at a toxins recycle center that accepts cleaning product waste.

3. Get Rid of Disposables – Disposable cleaning supplies are filling up landfills at alarming rates. All types of disposable cleaning products, such as dusting cloths, paper towels and cleaning wipes should be replaced with reusable rags and microfiber towel or cloths. An even greater cost-effective method is to cut up old T-shirts and undershirts and use them as rags. A great perk is that you can choose the size of the rag.

4. Water Conservation – Washing dishes with an open tap can use up to 20 gallons of water a day. Instead, fill the sink, dishpan or bowl with water. Closing the tap can save 10 gallons , which equates a few hundred dollars a year off your water bill. An additional way to green your dishwashing is to cut down on your dishwasher use by running the dishwasher only when it is completely full.

5. Hang Your Laundry – Hanging laundry is extremely eco-friendly. It can save you money by lowering your gas and electric bill. Hanging laundry reduces your gas and electricity usage. It also eliminates the need for dryer sheets, which cuts down on waste.

Marcy Tate is a blogger at Networx. She is also a featured author at Landscaping Networx.

Easy Bagel Dip Recipe

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:25:13 +0000

So, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know how much my family is into creamy dips and intriguing desserts during the holiday season. My mom has been making the following dip recipe for a few years now and it is so addictive and so easy to make! D loves dips too and specifically wanted this one for our New Year’s Eve get together last week. And out of all the junk food available, guess which one was gone first? That’s right, this one!

The base of mayo and sour cream is well, very creamy. The beef adds a saltiness along with the herby parsley and dill. This dip melts in your mouth!

Beef Bagel Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

16 ounce jar real mayo
16 ounce container real sour cream
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
2 packages dried beef (not corned!)
2 packages bagels (I’ve tried plain, honey wheat, and onion)

Instructions:

Chop beef – just pull it out of the package and slice it one way then slice it the other – voila! That’s good enough.

Dump everything except bagels in a bowl and mix well. This dip does not need to let the flavors blend in the fridge – it’s good from the get-go.

Slice each bagel into large bite sizes. This helps to scoop up ample dip I cut it like I’m cutting a pizza, only with a knife, then pull apart the pieces.

All in a new bowl my sister got me for Christmas!

If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page!

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more recipes here:

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