Teaching Kids About Money

Many of us are cleaning up our financial messes from our first years as adults. From the time of my first job babysitting at 13 the only thing I knew about money was how to spend it. I had no interest and no concept of budgeting, wise investing, or how much debt could tie me down for years and years. So because of my own experiences I knew that it was important to teach my kids all about money and debt in a fun, practical way.

Over the years we've read books, tried curriculum, used the save/give/spend jars, had allowances and just about everything else you can think of. But the best tool we've come across by far is a board game that the whole family plays together called Cashflow for Kids. The kids get a true concept of payday, bill paying, investing, passive income, debt reduction, and real life... all in a fun game that everyone from the littlest to the adults have fun playing. We were playing it again last night and even our 7 year old was realizing how the chains of debt were keeping him from paying his bills and was coming up with out-of-the-box ways to try and get rid of it. I love that!

So if you worry about your kids financial future there's no time like the present to teach them a healthy concept of money. Combine family time and financial security together and take a look at this great tool for parents.

GCC Recipe Swap

Good morning, here on the West coast it's still breakfast time so I'm pulling out my best waffle recipe before the kids start trickling downstairs with hungry tummies. These waffles are crispy on the outside and creamy soft on the inside. Absolutely perfect. Hope you like them.

Best Belgian Waffles Ever!

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup oil

2 cups milk

Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Separate the eggs. In small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Mix together the egg yolks, milk and oil and stir slightly. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in beaten egg whites and start cooking.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Homeschool Seminar

If you're in the Portland, Oregon Area on August 20 I highly recommend this seminar! For homeschoolers of any age and any experience level, this lady will give you some amazing information on ways to organize, record keep, keep yourself from burning out, and happily persevere to the end.

Homeschool Seminar by Barb Shelton in Portland, Oregon

Money Saving Links

I've got some good money saving places for you to visit today.

• Having a well sealed, insulated home can save you tons of money each year but it costs a lot to have a professional come out to your home to do an energy assessment. Go HERE to find a detailed instructions on how to do your own money saving energy assessment. Now's the perfect time to do before the cold days hit.

• Before you throw it away check out this page to see if you can re purpose it in some way. The page is full of great ideas.

• I am drooling over getting my very first kindle but since I'm not much of a book buyer (kinda frugal here) I'm worried about the cost of buying all those books. If anyone has any money saving ideas on how to get kindle books cheap (I already know that older books are free...I'm talking a SUPER DEAL) please let me know.
  

Homemade Mosquito Repellants

Let’s say you’re in your backyard this summer with the family. You’ve just finished cleaning off the grill after a great meal. It is dusk and the kids are using up their last bits of energy before they crash in their beds and you are enjoying the peaceful wind down of a relaxing summer day. Ouch! You look down on your arm and see a swelling mosquito bite and realize you’ve become something of a feast yourself. What can you do to protect yourself from this blood-sucking disease-carrying menace? Funny you should ask.

Mosquitoes can become a nuisance during the warmer months when we tend to be outside more often. Most of us think that our only option to fighting these little pests is a bottle of repellant spray containing a strong chemical called DEET. DEET was created by the U.S Army and was originally tested as a pesticide on farm fields. It became part of Jungle Warfare use in the 1940’s, later being used in the civilian arena in the 1950’s. It was originally thought to block the attractive smell of our bodies but come to find out mosquitoes just can’t stand the smell of the chemical itself. DEET has been known to have some risky toxicity issues and comes with plenty of warnings from the EPA on possible seizures as side effects and even more strict rules for its use.

I’m pretty turned off at the thought of spreading pesticides all over my kids’ skin and paying a hefty price to do it. And for that reason, I’m willing to test out some relatively harmless (and less expensive) alternatives to see if I can come up with something a little less toxic to use. So if you want to fend off the little pests this summer (the mosquitoes, not the kids) here are some formulas gathered from around the internet that you can try out at home to see what works best for your family.

Essential Oil Insect Repellant

www.skin-care-recipes-and-remedies.com

6 drops Peppermint oil
6 drops Tea Tree oil
9 drops Eucalyptus oil

Application:

Topical: mix with 8 ounces of water in a spray bottle, shake well and spray directly on exposed skin areas.

Mom’s Bug Repellant

www.food.com

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup Listerine cool mint mouthwash

Mix water and cool mint listerine in a spray bottle. Shake and spray on when you go outside to keep the bugs away.

Lavender Mosquito Repellent

www.gardenmandy.com

Ingredients: Fresh lavender (the flower)

Directions: Rub a lavender flower behind your ears, wrists and neck. Not only will you smell great but mosquitoes will leave you alone.

Garlic Mosquito Repellent (I wonder if this might repel people too)

Tipnut.com

Ingredients: Minced garlic, mineral oil, and lemon juice

Mince a few cloves of garlic then cover with mineral oil. Allow it to sit for at least 24 hours. Next you take a teaspoon of *just the oil* and mix it with 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Strain through a cheesecloth if you have any floaties then pour into a spray bottle. Shake before each use.

GCC Shopping Round Up

I shopped so late in the week last week that I really didn't need to get a whole lot for this week. I'm still working off the last layer of apples from the 40lb box I got a few weeks ago. Here's what I got.

Dollar Tree

TP $2.00
sandwich bags $1.00
bandages $1.00
conditioner $1.00
Lotion $2.00
polish remover $1.00

Win-co

hot dog buns $.96
bagels $3.16
12 yogurts $4.56
milk $2.36
cascade $4.54
bananas $1.37
turkey hot dogs $2.88
eggs $6.59
tomatoes $1.56
avacadoes $1.96
margarine $.74

Grand Total $38.68

Would you like to tell us about your shopping trip? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Monday

We had an extended family party this week with all kinds of great home cooking. My mother in law brought a huge ham and made sure to save the bone for me. So in my fridge sets a nice meaty ham bone just waiting to get used up. Here's what is cooking this week.

Breakfasts:

Choice of....pancakes or muffins from the freezer, fruit, oatmeal or smoothies.

Dinners:

Cheesy Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
Broccoli Quiche in Potato CrustPlantation Ham Pie
Grilled cheese and veggie tray
Apple Chicken Salad
Spaghetti
Leftover Buffet

GCC Recipe Swap

We have an extended family get-together tomorrow and I always get asked to bring this salad. I never have any left to bring home. Hope you like it.

Broccoli Salad

2 heads of fresh broccoli
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup raisins (or craisins)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup mayo
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 grated cups mozzarella

Chop up tops of broccoli (no stems) into bite size pieces. Mix broccoli, onions, bacon, mozzarella, raisins, and seeds. In a separate bowl mix mayo, sugar and vinegar. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Best made a day ahead so the flavors can combine.

Do you have a recipe to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

GCC Shopping Round Up

I finally made it to the grocery store yesterday after the braces were on and I had two kids in tow that had to stop at every reflective surface to see what their new metal smiles looked like. Here's what we got...

Win-co

4 loaves of bread $3.80
2 bags hamburger buns $.96
2 bags tater tots $2.68
brown sugar $1.42
mozzarella $5.04
2 bunches of kale $2.56
large ground beef $9.11
2 spaghetti sauce $1.96
sugar $2.29
bulk sunflower seeds $.41
bulk penne pasta $1.36
garlic $.48
red onion $.43
bulk tortellini $6.80
bulk raisins $.52
margarine $.74
bacon pieces $2.49
2 bags celery $2.11
dish soap $.88
2 mango $1.56
cottage cheese $1.48
6 lemons $2.28

Grand Total $51.36

Would you like to share your recent shopping trip? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Sneaking Off For Some Mom Time

It's Wednesday morning and I still haven't done my grocery shop for the week. I'll get there at some point. So if you're waiting for the Round-up, It's coming. I'm going to have to shop soon.

This week I have a little tip for you. I find that as a mom, I have a hard time getting away from all the work and the constant need-filling to have some time just to myself. I can never truly relax at home because I know that at any minute someone is going to come bounding through whatever closed door I'm behind to ask a question or need me to be the judge in some important dispute over who got to the use the computer last. A few weeks ago I realized I had already created a remedy for my severe lack of down time and hadn't even realized it.

Whenever I have an appointment like coffee with a friend, doctor visits, hair cuts, work stuff....I always make sure I arrive 15-30 minutes early with book in hand. Then I have that much time to sit in a quiet lobby and read without anyone bugging me. I completely relax, absorb myself in one of my favorite pastimes (reading) and sip a coffee or tea in a place that has been cleaned by someone else and I can guarantee has no dust bunnies or little toys shoved under the couch. It's something I gladly look forward to when booking an appointment and keeps me sane so I can go back and save the world at home.

For more great tips visit Works for me Wednesday.

Menu Monday

The teens mouths are a little less tender from their spacers so we are going to try some texture this week. . They are about to gag if they eat any more pudding. We're going to try some apple pie with super thin sliced apples so they will be nice and mushy. Braces go on Wednesday and I'm hoping we can jump right back into pastas before and after the braces go back on. The little kids come back from grandma-cation today and we tidied and organized their bedrooms, added some new wall art and left little presents waiting for them on their beds. The garden perked up this week. We had lots of rain but nice warm temperatures to go with it. I have a nice abundance of salad greens to use up this week. Here's what's cooking at our house...
Breakfasts:

Choice of yogurt, oatmeal, and smoothies (still soft stuff)
Dinners:

Apple Pie (they love their new braces diet)
Baked Ziti and garden salad
Crock pot Ginger Chicken with rice and stir fry veggies
Tortellini with creamy garlic sauce and garden salad
Sloppy Joes and tater tots
Potluck - Broccoli Salad
Leftover Buffet

GCC Recipe Swap

Remember that 40lb box of apples? Remember the kids getting their braces on? Enter...soft, unsweetened, no mess, EASY homemade applesauce. Enjoy.

EASY Homemade Applesauce

9 sweet apples (I used red delicious)
1/2 cup water or orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel, core and quarter your apples. Put it all in the crockpot and cook on low for 5 hours or until softened. Use potato masher to break up any whole pieces. Can eat immediately, refrigerate, or freeze.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Frugally Frozen Treats

When the hot summer days hit, my kids live on popsicles. It’s staggering how many of those things they can consume in one day. The only time they’ll eat real food is when the sun goes down and they finally come dragging into the house after a long day of running and playing. So I have to make sure that the frozen treats they are getting are not only chock full of some sort of nutrition but are easy on my budget.

Homemade summer treats are a breeze to make and require very little equipment. A few dollar store popsicle molds and some fresh fruit and you’re in business. You can be as creative as you want by layering colors to make striped treats or by mixing different fruits and juices together to create custom flavors. And the best part is that you know you’re giving your children healthy snacks where you can include the freshest ingredients and control the sugar content as well.

Here are a few ideas for some frugally frozen treats that are sure to please the kids and maybe a few adults too.

Peaches and Cream-sicles

• 1 (6 oz.) can peaches in light syrup or
• 2 fresh ripe peaches, sliced and pitted
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. sugar or honey (optional)

Whip cream in a blender for 30-45 seconds. Add peaches and honey. Whir until smooth. Pour into molds, and freeze.

Fresh Fruit Pops

These are fun and can be as creative as you want. Mix complementary flavors to come up with your own gourmet popsicles.

• 2 cups of fresh fruit chunks (watermelon, berries, pitted cherries, mango….etc.)
• 2 cups of juice (white grape, orange, pineapple, etc…)

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour into molds and freeze.

Strawberry Banana Yogurt Pops

• 24 ounce container Vanilla Yogurt
• 4 bananas sliced small
• 1 ½ cups strawberries sliced small
• 1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Stir all ingredients together and freeze in popsicle molds.

Frozen Chocolate Bananas on a Stick.

• 6 firm bananas
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• Shredded coconut, chopped nuts, sprinkles, etc.

Cut each unpeeled banana in half, and gently insert a popsicle stick into each one. Then peel bananas. Place bananas onto a baking sheet and freeze until frozen. In a double boiler melt chocolate chips. Dip frozen bananas into melted chocolate, then roll in coconut, chopped nuts, sprinkles, or leave plain. Freeze until chocolate hardens and they are ready to eat. Enjoy!

Frozen Fruit Cups

• 16 ounces strawberries
• 12 ounces pineapple-orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 (20 ounce) cans crushed pineapple, undrained
• 2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, undrained
• 6 bananas, diced
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 16 ounces blueberries

Combine all ingredients in a very large bowl. Freeze in 1-cup increments. Thaw to a slushy consistency before serving.

GCC Shopping Round Up

I bought strange (for me) things this week. With half of my kids gone on vacation with Grandma and the other half nursing sore mouths from the orthodontist...it's going to be a weird food week for us. I bought soft foods and lots of fruits and veggies so we could juice them and get some nutrition down the older kids. I went a little crazy and bought a 40lb box of apples this week. I figured I'd make applesauce (nice and soft) and then juice a whole bunch. Whatever is left over just might turn into a pie or two for the freezer. Here's what I got.

Win-co

12 single serve yogurts (SPLURGE) $7.20
Green enchilada sauce $1.78
Ranch dressing $1.49
Almond Milk $2.78
40 lb box of apples (not pictured) $35.28
Kale $1.28
2 vegetarian re fried beans $1.76
bulk fettuccine $2.26
Parmesan $1.67
cream cheese $1.33
6 instant puddings $5.64
Broccoli $3.98
2 bags celery $2.48
2 mango $1.56
8 lemons $3.04
mushrooms $1.78
10 lbs carrots $4.48
2 cucumbers $.96
tomatoes $1.37
bag lettuce $1.48

Grant Total $82.32

Would you like to share your shopping trip with us? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Monday

Over the years I've adapted to cooking for my 6 family members and their various appetite levels. I know just how much to make to insure full tummies and a bit of leftovers. But every year during the summer the kids spend a week at the beach with Grandma. This week the two littler kids are going which leaves me with only four mouths to feed. And no matter what I do, I can't seem to adjust backwards. We inevitably end up with leftovers coming out of our ears. I'm going to try to cook less, but we'll see whether or not I can actually do it.

Also, the teens are beginning their pre-braces appointments this week. Spacers go in on Thursday and we are expecting sore mouths. I'm leaving myself flexible towards the end of the week as I'm sure we'll be needing soft foods. I'm anticipating all kinds of pampering: pudding, mashed potatoes, bananas, smoothies, ice cream, yogurt. Maybe all those leftovers will get eaten by Chris and I while the teens are slurping down all their soft foods.

Here's what's cooking this week...

Breakfasts is a choice of: freezer muffins, pancakes, eggs and smoothies.

Dinners:

Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli
Green Vegetarian Burritos
Chinese Fried Rice
The rest of the week is flexible since the kids might not be ready to chew yet.

GCC Recipe Swap

Has anyone else been totally screwed up this week because 4th of July was on a Monday? I can't seem to quite figure out what day it is and what I'm supposed to be doing. Argh!

My daughter and I curled up in my bedroom recently and locked all the boys out while we re-watched Julie and Julia. How anybody can watch that show and NOT have crazy food cravings is beyond me. The thing that got us the most was the bruschetta that she made. So we quickly scoured through several recipes and came up with our own version. Enjoy!

Bruschetta

6 Roma tomatoes diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 slices Italian bread, cut about 1 inch thick
8 slices mozzarella

Whisk together chopped garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and basil. When combined slowly drizzle in oil. Add tomatoes and let sit for 20 minutes at room temp. Meanwhile fry the bread in olive oil on both sides until golden brown. When the bread is fried rub each piece, on one side, with the whole garlic pieces. Place the bread on a cookie sheet and top with tomato mixture. Lay the cheese across the top and broil till the cheese melts

Do you have recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge. Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Summer Cooking

Summer has finally shown up where I live. They days have been warm and sunny lately which tends to change our food choices. We lean more towards Popsicle, cold salads, whatever we can cook on the grill and iced tea. But sometimes eating like that can get old fast. We start to miss our normal meals but who wants to run the oven in the middle of the hottest part of the afternoon? The summer heat also makes me feel lazy and lethargic. I really just want to kick back with a good book, watch the kids splash in the slip-and-slide and relax. Isn't that what summer is all about?

So to make my afternoons and evenings seem as lazy and work-free as possible, I get all my cooking done in the morning. Right now I've got the windows open so the house can cool down and I'm cooking homemade mac and cheese, baked potatoes, and dessert. I wandered out to the garden and grabbed some baby spinach and threw together a green salad that is chilling in the fridge, the iced tea and lemonade are all mixed up, and the Popsicle molds are full of homemade frozen treats all by 10am. Do you know what that means? The rest of the day there will be no more, "Mom, I'm hungry!" where I'll have to stop what I'm doing and throw together some food. Everyone can feed themselves whenever they want. Just go to the fridge, grab what you want and I'm pretty much off duty until tomorrow morning.

So Mom's....give yourself a break. Get up early this summer, get the laundry loads going and the dishwasher running, cook up a bunch of food and then kick back and take the day off. Then the rest of the day just relax and enjoy the happy kids and warm days. We deserve a summer break too!

Menu Plan.....Tuesday?

I hope you all had a fun time celebrating our Independence yesterday! We had a long but fun day with family and friends and took in all the fun that our city has to offer during their amazing Go 4th celebration. And there was no way I was going to be inside on my laptop planning our meals this week. So today is Menu Plan Tuesday. Here's what's cooking at our house.

Breakfasts: The kids have all been taught to make their own or grab something from the homemade stash in the freezer which usually consists of muffins, french toast or pancakes.

Dinners:

Burgers on the grill
Crocked Rice on a Budget (we wrap it in tortillas)
Crockpot Falafel
Mac and Cheese
Nacho Potatoes
Leftover Buffet

GCC Recipe Swap

We like our bread at this house and one of our favorite ways to eat it is covered with cheese. So when you're needing a quick bread to go with your meal, look no further. This stuff is like heaven.

Cheese Garlic Bread Spread

1/2 cup butter softened
3 teaspoons of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Stir all ingredients together to make a spread. Spread over loaf bread, french bread, baguette, bagels or whatever you have. It works on any bread sliced about 1 inch thick. Place on baking sheet and bake at 450 for 10 minutes until top is golden brown.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.