GCC Recipe Swap: Homemade Gummy Bears

In the morning we start our Homeschool Co-op classes where I'll be teaching a class called Willy Wonka's Candy Factory. It's basically cooking, because that's what I know, but in a way that the kiddos will like....CANDY! Tonight we tried out a recipe for homemade Gummy Bears and it was voted a hands down success. I happened to have a friend with a pile of old candy molds that we used for our shapes....few of which were actually teddy bears but we had lots of fun making these goodies. Hope you like them as much as we did.

Homemade Gummy Bears (or whatever)

1- 3 oz box of jello
5 envelopes of plain gelatin
1/2 cup water (or fruit juice)

Mix all three ingredients together in a small pan. Heat on low just until everything is melted, thin and runny. Spoon into molds and freeze for 5 minutes. If your molds are deep it might take another minute or two. Then pop out and eat. If you don't have molds you can put it on a cookie sheet and after freezing, cut out shapes with cookie cutters or freestyle with a pizza cutter.

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.

Homemade Upholstery Cleaner

So I have this couch I don't need anymore. And what do you do with stuff like that if you have any frugality whatsoever? You try turn it into cash of course. I decided I would list it on Craigslist and wanted to get the best price I could. But lo and behold, some scabby boy of mine decided to crawl all over it's tan cushions and bleed. I thought it was doomed to be freecycled but what have I got to lose right? I'd give it one shot to see if I could get it cleaned off but a quick glance in my cupboard told me that there was NO upholstery cleaner anywhere. Here's what I came up with and it worked like a charm.

Homemade Upholstery Spot Cleaner (no more expensive aerosol cans)

2 1/4 cups hot tap water
1/4 cup liquid dish soap (preferably with a de-greaser in it)

Mix the soap and the water in a bowl and whip until you see suds. Using a clean cloth dip into the soap mixture, squeeze out the excess and rub onto the stain. Lightly scrub with a small toothbrush. Wipe away any suds with a clean damp cloth. Rinse cloth and repeat until suds are gone. Repeat the soap process if necessary until stain is gone. Dab moisture from upholstery with a clean dry cloth. Then set a fan to blow on the spot until it's dry.

Menu Monday

My Daddy passed away late Wednesday night. The past several days have been filled with details and processing the change in all of our lives. He left a legacy of a 50 year marriage, being a great Dad and Grandpa, and always being my protector and the big lap I could crawl up in for a good cry, even after I was an adult. He left us with great memories and he will be missed.

We have a busy week ahead of us. Our Homeschool co-op is kicking off, and the pages of my calendar are starting to look like they exploded. It's also the end of the month when money is tight and I'm trying to use up what's in our freezer, pantry and fridge to not only make the budget stretch but to give it a good clean before we fill it again in October. Here's what is cooking at our house this week.



Breakfast:

Freezer muffins, fruit smoothies or oatmeal

Dinners:

Chicken Salad Sandwiches with veggie and fruit tray
Poverty Meal
Bacon and Potato Chowder
Stir Fry over Steamed Rice
Ham and Bean soup (from freezer)
Caramel Apple Oven Pancake
Leftover Night

War on Germs Makes Cents

Summer is over, the doors and windows that usher in all that fresh air are shut and the whole family is closed in the house for the next several months. While I love all the coziness that the next seasons bring, it’s also a breeding ground for germs and winter illnesses. But there are some things you can do to make sure that the sick-fairy doesn’t visit your house. Along with vitamins and other immune builders you can kill all those germs that get carried in through dirty hands, shoes and sneezes with just a few cents and some homemade concoctions. So it’s time to build up your germ fighting arsenal and plan for a winter with fewer illnesses and much more cuddling around the fireplace. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

Homemade Disinfectant

2 teaspoons borax

4 tablespoons white vinegar

10 drops of essential oil (tea tree, pine, eucalyptus or thyme)

Hot water

In a clean spray bottle mix borax, vinegar and 3 cups hot water. Add 10 drops of essential oil and use on counter tops, door and cupboard knobs, and toilet handles. Make sure to label your bottle clearly.

Lavender Antibacterial Spray

1 cup water
20 drops pure essential oil of lavender

Pour the water into a spray bottle. Add the lavender essential oil and shake to blend. Spray on the surface and let set for at least 15 minutes, or don’t rinse at all. Great on cutting boards, bathroom surfaces and other places where bacteria might grow.

Homemade Air Freshener Ideas

A closed up house can get stuffy and stale. Try these ideas to freshen it up!

• Place a few drops of your favorite pure essential oil on the inside tube of a roll of toilet paper. Every time it is turned, it will let off the scent.
• Add 4-5 drops essential oil of choice to 1/2 cup water. Pour into spray bottle and mist area.
  
• In the kitchen bring a small pot of water to boil with some of your favorite spices in it.

GCC Shopping Round Up

Oh what a busy week! I just managed to squeak in a visit to the grocery store tonight while waiting to pick up one of the kids. (See how dark it is outside my windows?) Here's what I got.

Win-co

TP $6.68
milk $2.48
tortilla chips $2.16
hamburger buns $.88
salad dressing (my fav) $2.78
BBQ sauce $.98
Heath Toffee Bits $2.36
ranch dip mix $.42
pineapple juice $1.98
rotel $1.19
powdered sugar $.96
canned beans $.68
fels naptha (laundry soap) $.97
pinto beans $.66
taco seasoning mix $.44
cottage cheese $1.58
bulk pasta $1.39
green apples $1.74
red apples $2.25
margarine $.88
canned corn $.65
spaghetti sauce $.78
diced tomatoes $.61
cream cheese $1.28
mozzarella $3.28

Grand Total $40.06

Would you like to share 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

It's definitely fall around here. Our mornings are foggy and cool and the rain pelted us yesterday. But no one in this house is complaining. We love getting cozy, starting a fire in the fireplace and having belly warming dinners. We love doing school in our sweats or cozied up in blankets and having hot chocolate while we read together on the couch. Fall is a cuddly time with family so we say "bring it on" at our house. Here's what is cooking this week.

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal, pancakes or fruit and yogurt smoothies

Dinners:

Easy Skillet Chili Macaroni (carried over from last week)
BBQ Pork Sandwiches (leftovers from the freezer)
Grilled Cheese and veggies with dip
Taco Soup in the crockpot
Baked Ziti
Potluck - Toffee dip with apples
Leftover Buffet

GCC Recipe Swap - So Easy a Kid Can Do It!

First off let me just say I'm sorry I've been more absent than usual over the past few weeks. My Dad has been ill so I've pretty much scrapped everything else to be with him. Thank God I have kids that can cook in my absence otherwise I think my family would have survived on toast and bananas over the past few weeks.

So if you have kids that might need to fill in for you in the meal department or it's just time for them to start helping out, here's a simple little recipe that they can use to put them to work and help them build confidence in the kitchen. And you'll all be happy when you sit down to a delicious home cooked meal.

Delicious Pork and Noodles

• 1 -2 lb pork loin
• 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (16 ounce) bag egg noodles
• salt
• pepper
  

Sprinkle all sides of your pork loin liberally with salt and pepper. Spray inside of crockpot with spray cooking oil. Place pork in crockpot along with about 1/4 cup of water and cook on low all day or high for about 3-4 hours. It is done, when you can shred it with a fork. About 15-20 minutes before serving, bring the cans of broth to just the point of boiling and then add the bag of noodles and cook according to the directions on the package. When noodles are done, drain off any excess liquid. While the noodles are cooking, remove your pork loin from the crockpot and gently shred the pork into bite sized pieces. When the noodles are done, add the pork to the pot of noodles and stir so pork is distributed throughout. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve with green salad and rolls.

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.

GCC Shopping Round Up

After last weeks trip I really didn't need to get a whole lot for this week. We also are having two birthday meals out this week so I was trying to cook with what I already had to offset the splurge of eating out twice. This is what I got.

Franz

4 loaves of bread/1 bag mini bagels $5.00

Win-Co

Milk $2.48
Applesauce $2.24
Yogurt $1.68
5 lbs carrots $2.28
beef broth $.86
red wine $2.78
stew meat $8.39
bulk macaroni $1.35
tomato sauce $.48
bananas $1.52
mushrooms $1.98
grapes $4.25
apples $2.56
tomatoes $1.37

Grand Total $39.22

Would you like to share 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 have two birthdays this week. My oldest son will be 16 and my middle son will turn 11. Dance lessons start this week as well as our home school co-op. It's the annual fall madness as life seems to start speeding up right about now. Here's what is cooking at our house this week.

Breakfast:

Smoothies, oatmeal or PB toast

Dinners:

Mexican Vegetarian Casserole (carry over from last week)
Birthday Dinner Out
Skillet Cheesy Chili Macaroni
Boeuf Bourguignon in the Crock Pot
Egg Salad Sandwiches
Birthday Dinner Out
Leftover Buffet

GCC Recipe Swap - Easy Apple Butter

It's apple season here in Washington State so I'm going to give you one of my favorite and easiest apple recipes.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

5 1/2 lbs apples peeled and finely chopped
4 cups sugar
2 -3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon slat

Place apples in a large bowl. Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour over apples and mix well. Place in crock pot, cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Decrease heat to low; cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thickened and dark brown. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on low for 1 hour longer. If desired, whisk until smooth. Spoon into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Cover and freeze. We like to serve it spread on fresh biscuits, toast or stir into our oatmeal.

If 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.

GCC Shopping Round Up

My days are so messed up. Anyone else having problems remembering what day it is because of Labor Day Weekend? I finally hit the grocery store yesterday after the kids were done with their school work and they had bombarded me with, "MOM, there's nothing to eat in the house!". Seems they were right.

This is what we got.

Win-co

2 soy milk ($1.50 off coupon) $4.35
Canola oil $2.75
sweetened condensed milk $1.33
2 cans sliced olives $2.38
tortillas chips $1.83
hamburger buns $.98
cooking spray $1.43
brown sugar $1.63
yogurt $1.63
re fried beans $.53
cinnamon $.50
BBQ sauce $.93
canned corn $.50
canned black beans $.63
Tortillas $1.83
5 dozen eggs $6.59
milk $2.43
ground beef $9.07
pork carnitas $8.69
spinach $1.73
white sugar $5.82
unbleached flour $3.25
sour cream $1.33
basil $.93
Parmesan $1.83
rotel diced tomatoes $1.00
bulk sunflower seeds $1.65
pears $1.75
cheddar $4.93
bulk pasta rotini $1.29
5 avocados $4.90
tomatoes $1.71
nectarines $1.93
bulk cocoa powder $.57
cucumbers $.93
bananas $1.00

Grand Total $86.56

The first shopping week of the month always seems to go over budget but by the end it all balances out. Check back on Friday for the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap!

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

BlogHer Book Club: New Review Up

I've got a new review up over at BlogHer book club for a really good mystery. Head on over and check it out.

Menu Plan.....Tuesday

Hope you all had a wonderful labor day weekend! We stuck close to home and did some projects around the house. I organized my sewing room a bit so I'd be ready for the crafting season coming up, got all the kids school stuff organized for the upcoming year (which starts today) and rearranged my bedroom on the spur of the moment.

We have some unusually hot weather around here this week so I'm trying to keep oven use to a minimum or early in the morning. Here's what is cooking this week.

Breakfast:

Fruit and yogurt, smoothies, frozen muffins

Dinners:

Baked Potato Bar
Taco's
Tomato Basil Pasta Salad with rolls
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Mexican Vegetarian Casserole
Leftover Buffet

GCC Recipe Swap: Banana Oat Muffins

It's back to school time. If your mornings are crazy but you still want to get something nutritious in your kids before they are off to school, here's a great little recipe that will fill them up and if need be, can even be eaten in the car on the way. Store the extra in the freezer and reheat as needed. They will be just as moist and delicious as the day you made them.

Banana Oat Muffins

• 1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups ripe bananas mashed (4-6 bananas)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/3 cup melted butter

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Beat egg, banana and melted butter together in small bowl until smooth. Add banana mixture to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Stir in nuts, if desired. Fill greased muffin cups almost full. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched.

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.