Hotsymama

Pumpkin Pancakes

2012-10-25T15:20:00.002-07:00

Oh, how I love fall!! It seriously has to be one of my most favorite times of year. Break out the Uggs and the cozy sweaters, watching the leaves change breathtaking colors, and of course last but definitely not least, the bliss of eating everything pumpkin!

I had a pretty cool regular pancake recipe that I warped this morning and added pumpkin to. Ahhh...can you say a little bit of heaven?? Ya!! It was on my table this morning, scrum-diddlee-um-shous!

2 C. Flour

3 Tbs. packed brown sugar

3 Tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

1 Egg

2 Cups Milk

1/2 C. Canned Pumpkin

2 Tbs. melted butter

In a small bowl mix all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk egg, milk, pumpkin, and melted butter. Stir into dry ingredients until moist.

Pou batter on greased hot griddle until bubbles form on top. Cook until golden brown on flipped side.

Top with lots and lots of whipped cream :0)

YUM!!! YUM!! YUM!!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

2012-10-23T13:59:00.004-07:00

In my opinion almost everything tastes better homemade. Note, how I said "almost". I say almost because, the first time I tried making homemade flour tortillas, you wouldn't have been able to figure out what the heck they were. There was no way to even get my kids to put something that looked that funky into their mouth.

I'm not kidding when I say that I may have come up with another way to make frisbees. :0)

Tortillas are one of those things, that once you try them homemade, you will have trouble going back to store bought. They are really that yummy!

Tortillas are usually made with lard, but I substituted the lard for canola oil for a little bit healthier version. I promise these are super easy and you can even make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. That's the longest I've left it in there, and they still turned out great!

Make about 12 Tortillas

I double the recipe for my bigger family.

Ingredients-

3 Cups Flour

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 Canola Oil

1 Cup Hot water

Mix the first three ingredients. Slowly mix in the canola oil using your hands to mix, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Using a spoon mix in he hot water and mix until the dough forms a ball.

Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

When the dough is ready, divide 12 balls and roll each one out on a lightly floured surface.

Over medium high heat, cook on a hot ungreased griddle until little brown blisters appear.

Stack and cover with a tea towel and serve warm.

Let me know how these turned out for you!

The secret that is making me sick...

2012-10-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Have any of you ever tried keeping a secret, and the longer you kept it the more sick you felt?

Well... my little secret may not be exactly what you all are thinking...
Oh, the endless possibilities whirling in your head, if I could only see them all. Boy wouldn't that be ever awesome?
Well this secret is definitely making me sick! Oh, and I mean that quite literally!

So, I thought in order for my readers to understand my lack of recent postings, they needed to know the truth of what's going on. (I hope that you will have a bit of grace with me in future postings as well)

Oh...the suspense! Are you leaning closer to the screen now to make sure you catch every detail I'm about to divulge?

Well, I've heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so without further a due...

(Let's see if you can hear what this picture is telling you)

Word is out!

This. is my little secret that's making me sick! (Very,Very Nauseous!)

Did I say very? I meant VERY!!!

So excited to finally share the news with you!

Baby Lien coming Spring 2013!

Psalms 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

I am one, VERY blessed mama :)

Organizing & Money Saving Tips

2012-07-24T07:02:00.001-07:00

There's nothing more frustrating for me than feeling like I'm wasting time. I'm proud to say that I have almost mastered multitasking... Talking on the home phone, while sending a text, while picking up stuff off the floor with my toes... Haha. Has anyone else ever done that??

I just wanted to share a few cool tricks we do around our house that make this busy life a little easier.

Organizing Tips:

Invest in clear containers for your dry goods like cereal, rice, beans, nuts, & noodles. These have been a life saver for us. No more messing with torn packages spilling everywhere. Now we know what we have and exactly how much of it.
Make labels for containers that contain unknown content. I just printed it from the computer and used clear tape to attach. Hey... it works right?
Store your sheet sets inside one of the pillow cases. This saves tons of space and keeps your set in one place.
This is one of my favorite tricks (I got this from my mama :) Place tin foil on the bottom of the oven for easy clean up. If something spills over, no mess to clean, just change the foil. This also works awesome with coil stove burners. Place foil under the burners in case anything spills over.
Line your refrigerator drawers with paper towels. Super easy clean up if something spoils or drips.
If you have a potty trainee in your home (like we seem to endlessly have), buy a cheap waterproof table cloth from the dollar store & place under the bed sheet. Better yet... we make the bed up twice. Example... a fitted sheet, followed by the table cloth and another fitted sheet on top. Makes getting up in the night a little less painful. All you have to do is tear off the top sheet and table cloth and wah- la, the bed is already made.
I have a love hate relationship with my pots and pans. I love when I create something with them, but oh, what a pain to store them and their lids! Yikes! Simple solution... just buy a plastic box that they all will fit in and put all the lids in it. As for the pots and pans, stack, stack, stack... until they are all wobbly and unstable (like you see in the cartoons) Just kidding :)

Here's my before & after mess.

Embarrassing....

After:

Amazing what a simple box can do!

Money Saving Tricks:

Cut Kitchen Sponges in half. We buy ours in bulk from Costco. We grab and toss a new one every week, or as needed.
Save sour cream and yogurt containers. These are awesome for freezing ice in when you are having a party. Save the lids so they are easy to stack in the freezer. You'll save on buying bags of ice & these fit perfectly into a punch bowl & take longer to melt.
Invest in foam soap dispensers. These are awesome and you can get them virtually anywhere now. Stretch your liquid refill soap by pouring about an inch of soap into your foam dispenser & the rest with water. Don't shake or you'll end up with a bubbly mess :) We have had the same liquid refill soap for over 6 months now using this method, and my boys use LOTS of soap!
Wash and spin all your lettuce at once. Again, we buy ours in bulk from Costco, so we do about half of it. Line a ziplock bag with paper towels & make sure the lettuce is pretty dry before placing in a ziplock bag. Your lettuce will stay fresh for about 2 weeks.
We only have the square kleenex dispensers in our home, but I find the box of square kleenex is way more pricey than the rectangular one. Why is that? My trick is buying the rectangular boxes, open the side flaps and bend the whole stack in half. So it looks like a rainbow, then slide the kleenex into the side of the square box.

Fun stuff :) I'd love to hear about any tricks or tips you may have. Leave me a comment & thanks for stopping by!!

Lentil Sprouts

2012-07-18T07:59:00.001-07:00

I wasn't always a fan of sprouts, until my boys and I decided to try to grow something this last winter as a little "watch it grow project." I thought we would just be doing it for fun. Never had I imagined that these crazy growing bean sprouts would become such a big part of our lives.

Sprouting is very easy and inexpensive!! Yaaaa!! That's the part I like :)

There are so many health reasons to eat sprouts. They are full of antioxidants, protein amino acids, vitamins and minerals. They are considered the most nutritious vegetable for humans.

This is how I made mine-

1. Rinse one cup lentils of your choice (red, yellow, green)
2. Set in a bowl of water & allow to plump up over night

3. Drain and place in a jar and cover lightly with a cheese cloth (I used a coffee filter)
4. Rinse and drain 2-3 times a day & watch them Sprout :)

It took about a week before we were able to eat these. But good things come for those that wait...

(I have to remind myself of that daily...I'm not a waiter...LOL)

San Francisco Sour Dough Bread

2012-07-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here it is folks!

Hope you were able to try some of the sour dough starter I posted a few weeks ago. How'd it turn out? Are you excited to finally make something with it??

Well here is a great San Francisco Sour dough recipe a friend shared with me.

There are a few steps to this, so read carefully before trying to make this. You will have to start the night before.

Enjoy!!! :)

Ingredients:

2 C. Warm Water
6 C. Flour (you can add more if your starter is too thin)
1 C. Sourdough starter
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:

STEP 1:
In a large bowl combine water, 4 C. Flour & Sourdough starter.
Mix well and cover in a warm place for 8 hours.
STEP 2:
After 8 hours, add the sugar, salt.
Add remaining flour a little at a time, until the dough becomes stiff.
Knead until the dough becomes smooth.
Cover the dough and allow it to rise for 2 hours.
STEP 3:
After 2 hours, divide the dough in half. You may want to deflate it a little :)
Form into two round loaves, and allow to rise for another hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
STEP 4:
Preheat oven to 400 Degrees
Mix cornstarch & water until warm (For basting)
Cut a giant X in the center of your loaf before placing in the oven.
Bake 15 minutes & then baste dough with the water and cornstarch mixture.
Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.
Loaves should be golden & hollow sounding if tapped from the bottom.
Allow to cool & then smother butter all over & enjoy! Haha

Becoming Minimalist

2012-07-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

I'm on a new adventure of de-cluttering my life. I've been feeling overwhelmed lately (can you really blame me, with 4 boys under the age of 6??) I feel like I am, #1 ALWAYS in the kitchen or #2, Picking up something someone else threw on the floor. I must admit, that I am a tad bit sentimental (but let's just keep that between us... :) I do feel that a HUGE part of that feeling has been the over abundance of stuff.

Like what?? Great question... just stuff. Actually, a bunch of ~~crap~~ really, haha ... you get the picture. It's funny because I'm not a big spender. I guess I just keep saying yes to everyone's give-aways.

Like the saying goes..."One mans junk, is another mans treasure." Gatta love that!!

It all kinda started one day, while I was doing laundry and putting clothes away. Yuck!! That's gatta be my least favorite chore. Only because I feel like the dresser drawers and closets are over flowing. I can barely close the door & I never know where to put stuff. Is anyone feeling me here???

I'm also tired of holding on to things that I think I need to have on hand for "Just in case." To be completely honest, those "just in case" moments rarely ever happen, so really what's the point? Have you seen that show "Hoarders?" I was starting to become one & I would often act out scenes in my head as if I were someone on the show.

GATCHA! TOTALLYYYYYY kidding!!

Not EVEN close to that. (Wish I knew what was going through your head at that point. Haha :)

Anyways, I decided to go room by room, so it wouldn't feel like such a crazy process. I separated everything in bins. One bin labeled "Give-away" another "Trash" and the last was "For Sale." It's actually quite amazing, how much we as North Americans actually have and don't need. If something was questionable and I didn't love it, it went in the give away bin. Next, on the list is the basement... Oh Lord, have mercy!!!

I lived out of a suitcase for a year while I traveled India & Nepal. I didn't realize how truly liberated I was while I was there, until I came back to North America. I try not to take for granted all of my blessings, especially since I had the privilege to live amongst the poorest of the poor. Yes, I said privilege. I went to those countries to make a difference, but in all honesty I think the people probably changed me most. In all my life, I have never met that kind of generosity and hospitality. This gift was given to me by villagers that struggled to find their next meal, women who wore the same piece of clothing everyday, and dirty shoeless children clawing their way through the crowd to see the crazy white chick. (Me.)

It will be forever etched in my heart the way they smiled... As if they owned the world, when in reality they had not a penny to their name.

Today, our family walked along the beautiful lake Ontario, where many a soul are gone and buried. Monuments were erected in historical Niagara on the Lake, honoring many fallen soldiers who gave their life in the war of 1812. We have walked the cemetery before, but strangely today I felt the sting of this temporal life.

It is interesting how material possessions somehow have taken precedence over the things that REALLY matter. In the end, what does it matter if we have the latest technology or the coolest clothes?

My challenge to you is this...

Take a moment and reflect on your life. Find whatever it is that's making you crazy and de-clutter it.

There is a freedom in the endlessness of cleaning & organizing things you really don't need.

“WHAT I DO TODAY IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I AM EXCHANGING A DAY OF MY LIFE FOR IT.” –HUGH MULLIGAN

I am just beginning my journey in my new found friend called minimalism, but I think this is somewhere I long to stay for a long long time. A place where I am blessed beyond description, where I simply live to live simply.

Sour Dough Starter

2012-07-02T07:37:00.001-07:00

Oh, for the love of carbs!! I don't know many who don't love them, well I guess I don't especially love them when I step on the scale... BUT, let's not talk about that right now :)

I'm in Carb Heaven knowing that I can make my own... are you ready for this?? Sourdough bread!!

Can I get a whoot, whoot!

I am no baker, by any means! Cooking YES! Baking... "Oh, please don't" (I hear resounding in the heavens.)

I used to be the chick that would ruin boxed cake... BUT, I like to see it as a fine art... not many can do that, but I am one of the lucky! I have gotten better, (a whole lot better) or at least I think so... (silence in the peanut gallery please...) Haha

Ok, so where am I going with this?? It's early, forgive me! :)

In order to make your own sourdough, you need sourdough starter. What????? I know, that's exactly what I said too. Please don't be discouraged by the process of this, I promise this will pay off with your undying patience. (Although, my impatience made me feel like I was dying...) HA!

This starter recipe is from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sourdough-starter. I also found a really cool site with tons and tons of info for all (or most) your sourdough needs. sourdoughhome.com. I would actually advise checking out this site, since I'm totally new at this whole thing. This site is the guru of all sourdough info. Thank you for that, sourdough home, dot, com :)))

Sourdough Starter:

1 (.25) Package of Active Dry Yeast
2 C. Warm Water
2 C. All Purpose Flour

Directions:

1. In a NON-METALLIC bowl hand mix all ingredients together. Cover loosely with a cloth and place in a warm dry place. I turned my oven on for about 2 minutes and placed mine in there where it was nice and warm.

2. Leave to ferment 4-8 days ( The longer, the better :) ) Your starter may have a brownish liquid on top, but that is totally ok, but if your starter has a foul odor (beyond a fermenting smell) and is discolored THROW AWAY & START OVER!!!

*** IMPORTANT***

3. You MUST feed your starter daily while fermenting. Add 1/3 C. Water & 1/3 C. Flour and mix lightly until bubbles form on the surface.

4. Once your starter is ready for use, you may place in the refrigerator and feed weekly. ALWAYS replace starter with the amount taken out. So if you use 1 C. starter for your sourdough bread recipe, make sure you add back 1/2 C. water & 1/2 C. flour.

I used a mason jar to store my starter in the fridge.

& after days of patience... we got this... :))

Stay tuned for my sourdough bread recipe. I figure it will take you a while before you need it anyways...

Remember, Patience is a virtue.

Does anyone know where I can get that?!?

Tee-hee

You could always share your starter with a friend :)

Let me know how it works out for you, or if you have any good recipes that call for starter.

DIY Water Colors

2012-06-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what to with old markers? This is easy and actually works well, if you have enough old markers. The kids loved doing this activity, because they could see the water change colors with every marker added. Just make sure you don't add too much water in the beginning or it will be really watery.

All you need are old markers and a few small bowls of water. Let the markers sit in the water until the desired color is reached. Simple, simple and lots of fun to paint with. Try it and see :)

Fathers Day Scavenger Hunt

2012-06-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

Father's Day this year was definitely one to remember. We started off the morning with a yummy waffle breakfast, followed by a little scavenger hunt for Daddy. (Not my Daddy, but our kids, just to clarify... haha.) I thought I'd share, just in case you need some future inspiration. This was fun, and totally set the mood for the whole day.

We started off with this...

Wishing you a Happy Father’s Day from all of us! You will have to figure out these riddles to find your hidden stuff...

CLUE#1-

There was an old woman who lived in _ _ _ _. She had so many kids she didn’t know what to do.

CLUE#2-

This is where our clothes go round and round, it’s not on the top floor but beneath that ground.

CLUE#3-

This is where there sits red wine, in the room we like to dine...

CLUE#4-

I lay my head here when I fall asleep, and pray my Lord my soul to keep.

CLUE#5-

It’s a treasure box filled with money, can you find where I am hiding honey?

CLUE#6-

Hidden somewhere where we love to play, it’s a place that we could stay all day...

The kids new wii

CLUE #7-

Here there dwells a mini water fall. A place to get clean, not for just one, but for all...

Our Shower Head

CLUE#8-

Now that you have looked high and low, this next clue is where you’ll have to go... Figure out what holds the key, to the happy home of you & me...

(This was hilarious to watch. He couldn't figure it out, even though the boys sat right in front of him with an awkward huge box on their lap.)

Our Boys (minus one thats sleeping)

This was actually a plastic bin I use to store all my gift bags. It was heavy so it gave him the illusion that it was a big gift. I hid it inside a gift bag in-between all the rest. Haha Sneaky girl!

And then...ta da..he found it...

I guess he was a little surprised... Only a little... what do you think??

BUT... the fun wasn't over just yet. Right when Daddy pulled his gift out, my oldest son (6), comes running to us, he lost his very first tooth. So, when I say lost, I mean LOST!! :(

Then we all went on a scavenger hunt looking for it, no luck!! But he (my son), proudly informs me not to worry, there will be many more teeth he will lose soon that I can have for keepsake...LOL!

What did you do this year for Fathers Day? Got anything you can maybe share for next year? I'd love to hear it!!

Lavender Infused Body Oil

2012-06-12T18:37:00.004-07:00

I know I've kinda jumped off the blogging band wagon there for a while, but I'm back! While I was away, I got to thinking if anyone ever really reads this stuff anyways?? But the thought of even inspiring just one person out there (in this great big world of blogging) encouraged me to keep on posting. Ok, I'm waiting for the St. Elmo's Fire theme song to play... Ha! Ya, that just totally dated me, didn't it?

Ok, ok, I'm moving on to what you got on here for, my lavender infused body oil. Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body? I'm a licensed Esthetician, so I am constantly reading all the crazy ingredients in all those yummy smell good lotions. But sorry to break the sad, sad news, most of the ingredients in some of your favorite lotions are full of harmful chemicals. Some even cause cancer. I went on a rampage the other day and just tossed a ton out. I had to look the other way, especially when throwing out my favorite baby smell...the lavender baby lotion. Now, that was gut wrenching! Haha

BUT...here's the good (GREAT) news, you can make your own! It's not lotion mind you, but it works even better, this I promise!! I have been using this for years now & I hope you will love it as much as I do.

My whole family uses this. From my hubby down to my baby. LOVE THIS STUFF!!

****WORD OF CAUTION****

This body oil works best if used after a warm shower & allowed time to absorb into your skin. It will stain your clothes if it's not completely absorbed.

Ingredients:

Oil of your choice-Extra Virgin Olive Oil or grape seed oil, almond oil, jojoba oil

Dried lavender OR Lavender Essential Oil (or both)

10 drops of Vitamin E

I let my oil infuse with dried lavender for a few hours before using & place in a container with a cap.

Homemade Brown Sugar

2012-05-02T14:40:00.003-07:00

There's nothing worse than having an itch to bake and be missing a vital ingredient. Today, I was running low (ok, empty) on brown sugar.

Grrrrrr- I already started mixing stuff together, so I was contemplating whether to just chuck it, or pack all four kids in the car and venture out to the store. Haha, don't let me fool you, we are quite blessed to have a pretty cool

store within walking distance. But, all I wanted to do was bake.

So, needless to say, my lack of enthusiasm for another outing got the very best of me. So what did I do, you are probably wondering??

I made my own brown sugar of course. I wish you could have seen the way I lit

up when Good ole' Martha Stewart came to my rescue!

So simple! I don't think I'll go back to the store bought brown sugar. I can just make it as needed and it will always be soft. Very cool!

For light brown sugar:

Combine 1 C. Granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses.

For dark brown sugar:

Combine 1 C. Granulated sugar with 1/4 C. Molasses.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

2012-04-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

I get such a thrill when I am able to make something in my own kitchen instead of buying it. Often times it ends up tasting better than the store bought stuff anyways. Oh, and by the way, have you read the ingredients on some of those store bought brands? Seriously, who knows what kind of stuff is in them. It's not that I'm unintelligent by any means... but, come on, when a word contains more than 3 x's in it, it's just plain hard to pronounce! You know, that's just not right! LOL

I've tried a few different recipes out there, but I didn't like the fact that most of them contained corn syrup. You are adding enough sugar as it is, at least that's my thought on it.

Here is the recipe I liked best. I always double the recipe since my family is so big :0)

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Cocoa powder

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

1/8 Tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Vanilla

Whisk the cocoa powder, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium high head until dissolved. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add salt & vanilla. Allow to cool before pouring into your containers. This recipe keeps for a few months in the refrigerator, but I assure you, it won't last that long!

I just up-cycled a chocolate syrup container that was empty to store our homemade concoction in, but you can use anything.

Well, I better go. I think some hot chocolate is calling my name...

:0)

Your Carbon Footprint

2012-04-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Definition of Carbon Footprint-A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.".-Wikipedia

Just thinking a bit today on how my kids really changed my life. In a good way of course :) Now that I am a mom I think about the craziest things.
Earth Day's just around the corner, and it got me thinking... I couldn't help but wonder what the earth will look like even 20 years from now. What have we done to this place called "home"? We have treated it harshly in years past and it seems like an impossibility to unravel, BUT if we all work together and do our part, we can make it a better place for not only our children but for future generations.

Here are a few ways you can make an impact today:

1. Compost
Did you know that kitchen & yard waste make up 30 % of trash? This is stuff like leaves, vegetable scraps, grass, coffee grinds etc. YOU can reduce this amount by composting. Composting is awesome!! With it you get the richest soil for your garden. Try it, its true!! :)

2. Recycle

3. Reuse
Reuse plastic bags, or better yet REFUSE them if you don't need them. Try using your own eco- friendly bags when shopping

4. Upcycle
We try to make something out of things we already have in our house. We often do crafts from the recycling bin, using newspaper & cans.

5. Plant a Tree
This would be cool to do with your kids- Teach them that trees store C02 essential for our livelihood. Teaching our kids to care for and the planet is important to insure the future of mankind.

6. Plant your own garden
There are so many benefits to planting your own garden. Last year I did one on a small scale, and it was a success! This year I plan to do a little larger one. I can't wait to start! If you need help planning your garden this is a great site smartgardener.com

Here are some reasons why you should plant your own garden this year-

1. It will improve your family's health, vitamin levels are highest when freshly picked.
2. Save money on groceries. A packet of seeds can cost less than $1. You can even save the seeds from the best producers, dry them and use them for next year. You can even feed your family after the harvest is over by learning to dry, can or preserve your harvest. This is very yummy too.
3. Back yard gardening helps the environment in many ways. By not using pesticides or herbicides you bare the earth the unnecessary burden of air & water pollution. It also saves fossil fuel you would need in order to purchase your produce from a local grocery store.
4. Reduces Food waste- North Americans throw away about $600 worth of food each year, sinful!!
I find it easier to throw away an item I purchased than something I waited a long time for.
5. You can eat your food worry free. You don't have to worry about contaminations because it was grown by you! :)
6. Having an outdoor garden allows you some fresh air & sunshine. Who's to argue with that???

This list can go on and on..but you get the picture :) Even if you don't have a big backyard, you can do container gardening. Just plant seeds or small plants in large pots and place on a sunny window sill or patio.

8. Turn the lights off

Easy enough...when you leave a room or house turn all the lights off. I must admit this has been the most challenging for me with kids. I am running up and down the stairs all day long turning off their little trail of lights. LOL

9. Conserve Water
Take shorter showers, fix any leaks you may have, don't water the lawn mid-day, only run the dishwasher when its full.

10. Donate
I know so many people that just throw things away, nice things too. I guess they think "outta sight, out of mind." But what they don't realize is that its going to take forever for the earth to break that item down once it's in a landfill. If you have stuff you are wanting to get rid of, there are various local charities willing to take your items. There is also a site I use where you can post items you are willing to give away for free. Freecycle.com

Another way we have decided to help the earth is by cloth diapering. We have 4 boys all under the age of 5, so diapering can definitely get pretty exspensive. Cloth diapers are great for the enviroment & for our pocketbooks. We have the benifit of using them on all our children. We also started switching to cloth wipes, but right now I use those strictly for the wet stuff...LOL

So, my question to you is this...

WHAT

KIND

CARBON

FOOTPRINT

ARE

YOU

LEAVING

BEHIND

???????

I'd love to hear your thoughts and what your family does to make a difference. Remember, every little bit counts a whole lot!!

Menu Board

2012-04-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this for a while now, but life around these parts has been busy to say the least.
I was always finding myself so frustrated on what I was going to make for dinner. Doing the last minute scramble, while looking at the clock and wondering where the day went. Sound familiar?
I decided to get organized and start planning ahead. One of my favorite things to do is read cook books. My husband laughs at me, but I constantly remind him that this is what adds creativity to our table.

By menu planning you avoid over shopping or stopping by those nasty, greasy, no good for you fast food fixes. Although I must admit that I give in to those darn no gooders at times. :)
Menu planning is good for your health as well as your pocket book. You get to be the grand chef of your home and make healthy decisions for your family.
Once you get the hang of it, you start to incorporate left overs into the next meal.

Here are some tips when creating your menu board. Leave a day open for left overs. (If that's something your family can swallow.) I try to make at least one meal a week that I can double up and freeze. This makes it super easy to plan ahead as well. I also have at least one day of a strictly vegetarian dish. Friday nights for us are easy as well. We have Friday night Family night with the kids where we all help make homemade pizza to our own liking.

Anyways, this whole procedure gets easier as you go along, I promise. It also gives you an opportunity to try those recipes you've been holding onto for ages, but still haven't tried.

What you need:
I bought a dry erase magnet board from Micahel's for $20. ( Look for their flyer 40%-50% off coupons, they rock!!)

Printer
Paper
Scissors
Glue Stick
Construction Paper
Mini Magnets

I just typed up meals that are common in our house hold as well as new recipes I plan to try soon, then printed it out.

Then pasted them to black construction paper

Then attached them to magnet board with a small magnet.

The cool thing with a dry erase/magnet board is you can always fill in the days with a dry erase marker if desired. Have fun with this and be inspired!! :)

Homemade Horchata

2012-03-27T14:07:00.001-07:00

For those of you who are foreign to this amazing drink, let me tell you a little bit about it...

It is a Mexican drink made from rice, originally brought over by the Spaniards. Pronounced (Or-Cha-tah). Today, you will see horchata at almost every taqueria in Mexico.

If you are lactose intolerant, this is definitely a drink for you! I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like it.

HORCHATA INGREDIENTS:

1 C. uncooked long grain rice

2 Quarts of warm water

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/4 C. milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Ice

Directions:

1. Mix the rice & warm water together in a bowl, let stand for 1 hour. Reserve the water, drain, and place the rice in a food processor. Add the cinnamon & process until a paste forms. Return the rice to the water and let stand for at least 2 hours. (The longer, the better.) Stir occasionally as the water turns milky white.

2. Strain the rice with a fine sieve or cheese cloth into a pitcher. Stir in the milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. Blend well. Refrigerate before serving & serve with ice.

Healthy Breakfast cookies

2012-03-23T12:10:00.001-07:00

If you are anything like me, I hate throwing food away. I'm always trying to figure out new recipes for things that I need to use. With that said... What to do with those bananas with black spots on my counter?? Hmmm...
These cookies are yummy and healthy. They have no oil or flour & if you want to go all out healthy, just omit the brown sugar and chocolate chips. *cringe* I'm not ready for that step just yet... :)

Ingredients:
3-4 very ripe mashed bananas
2 Cups quick oats
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C. Unsweetened apple sauce
1 Tbs. Cinnamon
Optional-A handful of chocolate chips
(cookies aren't cookies without just a little bit of chocolate ;) )

You can add raisins or dried cranberries or even blueberries if desired.

Here's how u do it:
1. Mash bananas
2. Mix in remaining ingredients
3. Place by the spoonful on a cookie sheet
4. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes
5. Watch in amazement as they quickly disappear :)

DIY: Welcome Spring Wreath

2012-03-21T05:58:00.001-07:00

It's finally spring!! Whoo hoo!! In our part of the world, we have been enjoying some pretty amazing weather. Definitely can't complain.
I can't believe that Easter is just around the corner...like literally!! That's crazy!
I got inspired to make a Spring/Easter wreath. It's oh, so pretty! You can do it too and for superrrrr cheap.

Materials:

Wreath (Michaels for $4.99)
Hot glue and glue gun
Whatever spring inspired stuff u wanna glue on it. I got all my decorations at the dollar store. I went with a nest theme, hence the little nest on the bottom. I also added some extra twigs I found outside to make it look fuller. I just tucked them in between the others. Have fun!! :)

DIY Metallic Picture Frames

2012-03-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

It's official!! I am totally addicted to metallic acrylic paint. You can virtually paint anything and it looks like you bought it for a lot of money. Haha. What a trickster I am. Lol. Picked up these black picture frames at Walmart for 300 pennies each. Yup! $3! Then I just lightly brushed metallic gold acrylic paint roughly over it. Seriously doesn't look any different than the frames I bought that way at the store. Try it, it's pretty cool :)

DIY Earring holder

2012-03-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days of trying to find the other pair of my earrings. Or, better yet, trying to untangle them from necklaces that have mysteriously knotted by themselves. How does that happen anyways?? One of the great mysteries of the unknown jewelry box world I guess...

Ok, so this is just an old picture frame that I had, that broke. I was going to toss it but when I removed the glass, I realized I could probably make something from it.

All you need is a picture frame and a thumbtack. Super Easy and super cute! All you do is puncture holes with the thumbtack through the back of the frame and insert your earrings. Make sure the holes are big enough so you don't warp your earrings like I did the first time...oops!

Orderica Enchiladas

2012-03-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

Coming from Spanish descent, Mexican food is a MUST have. Here is one of my all time family favorites. Chicken & Cheese enchiladas. Since I came from a family of seven my mom would often bypass the typical enchiladas that u have to roll. She came up with a brilliant way to make enchiladas a snap by making them into a casserole. Here's how...

Ingredients:

Corn tortillas
Enchilada Sauce (La Victoria is my fav)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chopped onion
Shredded chicken
Cilantro (optional)
Lawrys Garlic Salt (this is what makes it but if u can't find it, good ole' salt and pepper will do
Sour Cream
Salsa

1. Warm Enchilada sauce in a warm frying pan and place corn tortillas in sauce until well covered and a little soft.

2. Layer the bottom of a casserole dish with the dipped tortillas. You can even break the tortillas in half before placing them in the sauce if it helps layer the casserole dish.

3. Layer chicken, onion, cheese, cilantro and garlic salt.

4. Top with tortillas dipped in sauce.

5. Repeat until you reach almost to the of the casserole dish.

6. Top with cheese

7. Bake covered at 350• for about 45-60 minutes. Or until it's warm all the way through and the cheese has melted.

8. Top with sour cream and your favorite salsa.

*This dish freezes well, so might as well make two at the same time :)*

Homemade Jello Playdough

2012-02-28T07:54:00.004-08:00

There's just something about play dough that makes me wanna be a kid again. This recipe I got from playdoughrecipe.org and the making of it involves jello! Ohhh yum! I used peach jello, but you can use any flavor. I did have to refrain myself just a little to not taste it while I was making it. It smells so good. :) Peach play dough...ummm-

This is a fun activity to do with kids on indoor play days, it keeps them busy for hours. There is cooking involved so please use caution if you are allowing your children to be involved in the making.

It's easy, it's non-toxic & all the ingredients are edible, although as good as it smells, not so tasty!

Ingredients-

1 Cup white flour
2 Tbs. Salt
2 Tbs. Cream of tartar
1 3oz. Pkg of Jello
1 Cup warm water
2 Tbs. Cooking Oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well blended.

Add to saucepan and stir and stir... and stir, until your hand almost falls off...this is how I felt anyways :)

Stir until mixture starts to form a ball. Which, does eventually happen, although you may not believe me while you mix it...

Place on wax paper to cool & then knead with a little flour until you achieve the desired consistency

Separate into small balls and add food coloring.

***Word of warning***

You may want to use gloves... unless you want to look like a smurf like me... :)

Store in airtight containers. Play dough will keep for a few days.

Have Fun!!

DIY Boys Dresser Makeover

2012-02-27T07:54:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I realized that once you've got that redecorating itch, it's so very addictive!

I am originally from San Diego, California. Now living near Niagara Falls in Canada, so I wanted to have a little taste of home living here. My boys rooms are decorated with a surfer theme. This is the new project my hubby and I did this weekend. We were looking for cool dressers to put in their room and were blown away by the prices! Yikes!!

So in turn I went on a quest to find nifty looking dressers that we can make our own at a thrifty price. We scored and bought two dressers for $40. All you need is primer, sand paper, some cool paint colors a roller or a brush and a splash of creativity :)

Cha-Ching!!

BEFORE~

Sanded & Primed

AFTER~

(Grey & Turquoise)

DIY Coin Bank

2012-02-24T08:53:00.003-08:00

Have you ever wondered what to do with those cool looking cans that are part cardboard and part aluminum? Well here is one idea I thought some of you might enjoy. Especially if u have multiple kids like I do, who want their own coin bank.

We are trying to teach our children how to save their money so they can take care of us when we get old. Haha. Just kidding!!! :)

But it's never too early to teach these important concepts. It will "PAY" off in the end. LOL (no pun intended) ;)

Here's what u need:

A clean and empty container (Baby formula container, oatmeal, or nut containers work well)

Mod Podge or glue

Paint brush

Ruler or measuring tape

Scissors

Pen

& your favorite wrapping paper, or card stock

First measure the length and height of your container. Cut your decorative paper accordingly.

I cut my strip into three parts to make it easier to glue the paper onto the container. Make sure you apply enough glue around the edges of the paper so it doesn't come undone.

I also tucked the paper as far as possible under the rim. Next, draw the hole for the coins and cut carefully with scissors.

That's it! Now this mama can afford to get all my 4 little piggys their own piggy banks ;)

Paintings

2012-02-22T16:28:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you, but I get so frustrated trying to find nice things for my home. I always think #1, that's wayyy over priced and #2 why spend that kind of money when I most likely can do something similar? Ok, let me just forewarn you...I like being creative, but I'm not completely positive whether or not creativity likes me.
Never the less, I thought I'd share a painting I did today for virtually the cost of nothing. Super easy! Promise! I honestly can't even draw a stick man but here is my little master piece...and I'm so very proud :)

Materials:
Paint
Paint brushes
Canvas
Embossed card stock
Mod Podge

Just cut and glue desired card stock onto your canvas with Mod Podge & paint away. It's kinda like a cheaters guide to great painting, but soooo fun!