Homemade

Homemade foods are more nutritious and cheaper than store bought, I think everyone knows this and most agree! So on that note here are a few of my favorite:


Taco Seasoning

• 1/4 C. plus 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 2 1/2 tsp. Paprika
• 2 Tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. Black Pepper (optional)

Mix all together and store in an airtight container. Use 2 Tbsp. per pound of ground beef. 

The optional black pepper is to increase the spiciness depending on your families preferences.

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Onion Soup Mix

• 2/3 cup minced dried onion
• 3 tsp. parsley flakes
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. 4 Tbsp. = 1 packet.

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Thousand Island Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup pickle relish
• 1 Tbsp. minced onion
• 1 hard boiled egg, chopped (optional)

Mix all together, cover and chill.

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Barbecue Sauce

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1 Tbsp. honey or sugar

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for a few minutes until flavors are blended.

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Ketchup

• 7 ounces tomato paste
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp.garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of all spice
• pinch of cloves
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 cup sugar

Whisk ingredients until well mixed and smooth.

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I keep all my homemade foods in canning jars. You can use what you like, I like these! 

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you found a recipe that sounds yummy to you and you try something new. Have a great day!

Tasty Tuesday

Welcome back! I know, I know it has been a few days, hey I warned you I was lazy! didn't I? Well I am and I am totally surprised I have even made it this far!!
Anyway on with it okay?! okay!

It is Tasty Tuesday here and I have a great new recipe for you to try!

Sausage and Vegetable Soup

(crock pot or not)

Recipe:

1 can(15oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can(14oz) diced tomatoes (do not drain) 

1 can(10.75oz) cream of mushroom soup

2 cups diced potatoes (canned or raw)

1 chopped onion

1 lb country style pork sausage 

4 tsp. horse radish sauce

4 tsp. honey

1 tsp. dried basil

4-6 cups of water or vegetable stock(depending on how soupy you want it)

First fry up sausage in skillet until done. Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours.

Serve with crackers or corn bread.

Or cook in a pot on the stove until heated or if potatoes are raw, cook until they are tender.

You can also omit the liquid and serve over rice.

This recipe is so versatile! You can change out the sausage for any type you prefer for example smoked sausage cut in bite size chunks.

I make mine in my crock pot so all the flavors can fuse together and well it is more convenient for me!

Here is my crock pot I think it is 6 1/2 or 7 quart.

I know it can be scary to try new recipes but this one is great! It is just a little spicy and just a little sweet:)

* Just a confession, I did not have horse radish sauce but I did have packets of Horsey Sauce from Arby's that I used and it tasted great!

Why didn't I Think of That Wednesday!

Another Wednesday has rolled around and I think I have found some great stuff for today!

First up is this nifty idea for your shampoo and conditioner, my daughter and I wear glasses/contacts and so sometimes we get in the shower blind! This has helped a lot!!!!

A BIG thank you to the person who thought of this!

Next up is this cooking tip.....when boiling something like pasta, rest a wooden spoon over the pot to prevent it from boiling over. It never fails that when I am cooking one of the kiddos needs me for a few seconds and my pot boils over while I step away...well never again!

Okay you may have already heard of doing this one but I hadn't and yes I live in a cave.....lol

 Take a piece of string, rope or wire and attach it across the top and bottom of that little nook inside your closet. Perfect place for wrapping paper!

Next up is this great idea because it is already HOT here and the kiddos are always wanting ice cream and I hate cleaning up sticky messes :)

And another one for the kiddos (or you). We all love apples here and take them along when a snack may be needed. I usually cut them up and put them in a zip lock baggie in a cooler, which I may still have to do for the ones who din't like the skins or choke on them but for the rest of us this may work!

Cut up the apple then secure back together with a rubber band!

Now for the last "Why didn't I think of That" for today, my daughter always wants to finger paint, but have seen the price of that  stuff and what is in it? Well here is a great way to make your own, kid-safe finger paint!

Thank you for stopping by today, hope you liked my blog and if so share it with your friends!

Have a great day!

Tidy up Tuesday

Well as you can see it is Tidy up Tuesday here and I like to use this day for small areas that I hate to clean or rarely get cleaned. 

Today's tidy up spot is under the kitchen sink!

This area is always a mess in my house and sometimes a scary place, I open the door grab what I need and shut it even faster!

So diving in, first thing to do is take everything out and throw away any outdated or yucky looking stuff.

Next we need to sweep out the bottom and wipe down with a wet soapy cloth and then rinse with a wet cloth.

If you have any contact paper or left over peel and stick tiles put some in the bottom, these will help in the clean up next time by giving you a smooth surface to wipe instead of the rough wood.

It makes it look nicer too.

Next we need to put stuff back in........

If you are lucky enough to have built in shelving under your sink, kudos to you! For the rest of us we have to find shelving of our own. Here is an idea I found.

I also use plastic basket and lazy susans to organize.

One thing I also do before putting anything back in is really think about the last time I used it??? How long has it been???? Maybe I don't really need it anymore???

I am a little OCD about this stuff and if I haven't used it for 3 months it is trash!  Unless it is something you only really need to use every three months, for example maybe dishwasher cleaner.

Below are a few pics I found around the web of ideas for under your kitchen sink.

 Above I really like the idea of adding an extension rod to hand things on.....neat idea!

So now that everything is back inside don't you feel great? Another tiny tidy spot in this messy world!

Let's go have some coffee.

Freaky Friday Finds

Freaky Friday Finds

So some of my favorite words are: Yard Sale, Auction and Flea Market

That being said these are some of my fabulous finds for Friday!!!

Some of you including myself would have once seen this table at a sale and said "junk".

But now I really look at these kinds of tables, because I learned of a new way you can reuse or recycle these great figurines. First pick out your favorite and then pick out your favorite color of paint and look what you can do.....

even a kid could do this! My oldest daughter loves owls and is always finding the most awful looking things(IMO) at sales and she wants them??????? So now I can tell her YES, pick out ALL the ones you want and we can paint them to match your room!

Easy Food

Wow...see I knew I was too lazy to be a blogger! I am not even going to go back and count how many days it has been since the last time I blogged cause I know it will surely make me cry :(

So enough of the sad face and on with some happy stuff......FOOD!

Here are some cute things to do with food(chocolate) and the kiddos this summer, they are gonna love this stuff and so will you! I guess I should warn you I am in a chocolate mood!

First up is S'mores on a stick

Here is how easy these are and so much tastier! Just put your marshmallow on a candy stick (sold in craft stores) dip in melted chocolate and roll in crushed graham crackers! These are great to make ahead of time  as an appetizer or desert for a cookout or any get together where there are chocolate lovers!

Next up is this Cookie Pizza

Here is the recipe:

1 pkg. (16-18oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough

12 assorted miniature candy bars

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter chips

6 cups (10 1/2oz) mini marshmallows

1/4 cup chocolate covered caramel candy (like a milk dud)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Press cookie dough evenly int a 11 inch circle on an un-greased

 cookie sheet or pizza pan. Bake 15-17 minutes until lightly browned.

Meanwhile break or cut the chocolate bars int 1/4 inch pieces.

Remove cookie from oven. Evenly sprinkle with the assorted chips, cover those with marshmallows and then add the chocolate covered caramel candies.

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffy and lightly browned. Cool. Cut into triangles using a wet knife. Will make about 12 slices.

And I think I have time for one more.....

Chocolate Iced Graham Crackers

I am still amazed at how many people I meet that have never heard of these super easy treats! Being that I am a super lazy mom they are perfect for when my little ones want dessert.  You can use what ever your favorite flavor of icing is......they have all been tried at my house and loved! But chocolate is by far the favorite by myself and my little ones!

Here are some made with vanilla frosting.

Well hope everyone has a great Thursday and I hope to be back tomorrow with what I think I will call  Freaky Friday Finds...............come back to see what kind of craziness I have in store!

Hakuna Matada!

More Household Tips

OOPS I think I missed a day! Oh well, here are some more household tips I love......

First is this neat idea if your bucket won't reach the faucet. That is right put your dust pan under the faucet and let it go down the handle into the bucket........Check it out!

Second is this great idea for a more permanent baby gate, this is when you know you will need a gate on those stairs for quite a few years! You  will probably need a lock on that thing too.....well at least with my little ones you would!

And lastly this one I can honestly say I always have good intentions to do but usually forget and just throw them away. The  tip is to wash those zip lock baggies with your towels, air dry then reuse!

So kinda lazy today hope you all had a great day and have a wonderful weekend......I think I will take the next two days off! 

"Why Didn't I Think of That Wednesday"

So today is "Why didn't I think of that~ Wednesday"

Here are just a few of my favorite tips and tricks that make life easier!

First the favorite pair of pants that won't stay zipped up~ well don't throw them out, do this: get a key ring a bit
bigger that a penny, attach it to the zipper pull, zip up those pants and loop the key ring around your button then button your pants~
                                                            

Second is those pesky sheets and pillowcases getting all messed up and you can't find the mates, well no more~ fold them all up together and then slide them into one of the pillow cases and stack in your linen closet, looks very nice compared to the jumbled mess it was!

Third  is so easy it is scary! Really why didn't I think of this a long time ago? Anyway save those bread tags for this next one! Self explanatory I think!?

Now I will never have to guess which one to unplug!

Last one, I use these shoe organizers everywhere! Laundry room, shower, pantry, craft room and even in the garage. 

Well that is all for today, thanks for stopping by!

Lazy Blogger

So here goes my first blog.....sit back, relax and enjoy!


Today I am talking about feeding picky kids: My 3 year old to be exact!
Here are a few things I have done to try and get her to eat more than cookies.
First anything shaped like dinosaurs; chicken nuggets, pasta, crackers, etc...or anything that comes in a cup or individual serving. Sometimes I trick her, I keep those little pudding cups(or whatever) and wash them out, then when she wants a snack I put it one of those cups....great for snack mix, granola, cheese cubes or whatever finger food is the snack for the day!


Here is one thing she likes too...

food you can make into something cute. The above is so simple, apple slices, raisins, carrot stick and pretzels but she loves it!
Below is another thing that gets her to eat, put food on a skewer! 

Don't ask me why this is so appealing, but to little ones it is. If you trust them you can fill little bowls with food and let them put the things on the skewer themselves, this is a huge hit! 

Some ideas for skewer foods are: fruits, marshmallows, cheese, precooked and cooled meats like ham or pepperoni.

And one more for today is these cream cheese and fruit crackers. These are yummy!

Again any fruit is good on these Ritz-like crackers, just use what you know your kiddos like. 

I have even used flavored cream cheeses...yum!~

Well thanks for stopping by today, keep checking back for more great, low cost, fun stuff to do with your family!