Frugal Mom-a

Make Your Own Laundry Soap - Revisit

2007-09-17T12:51:00.000-06:00

I made a post back in April with directions and a recipe and then my recipe for this. Here is a link to that original one. But I wanted to revisit it and show a video I made with step by step instructions as well.

Here is the video:

Also, go here to see it on metacafe and support me witha good ranking! Thanks!

Here is the bulk of the text from my original post also:
First here is the original recipe as I first saw it.

"Bucket of Boogers"

Or, my homemade laundry soap recipe. This makes enough for 64 loads and costs a little over a dollar to make, so about two cents per load. This is a really good detergent -- it cleans well, rinses completely out, and leaves clothes soft and smelling fresh instead of chemical-ish. It does not suds up much while washing. And it bears an unfortunate resemblance to a bucket full of boogers.

1 bar Octagon soap (found in the laundry aisle), grated
3/4 cup washing soda (Arm & Hammer is the most common brand)
3/4 cup borax (20 Mule Team is the most common brand)
1 medicine dropper of tea tree oil

Put the grated soap in a saucepan with 6 cups water and heat on medium-low, stirring occassionally, until it is melted. Add the soda and borax and stir until dissolved. Add the tea tree oil.

Pour 1 quart of hot water into a bucket. Add the dissolved soap and stir. Add 1.5 gallons of water and stir again. It can be used immediately, but it will gel up after about 24 hours.

Use 1/2 cup per load.

Most delis (grocery stores, Costco, etc.) get salads and stuff in small white buckets that are just right for this recipe. If you ask nicely, they'll probably give you one.

I modified it in 2 ways.
First, I used Ivory bar soap instead of the Octagon. I believe the Octagon must be green or something giving it a bucket of boogers appearance because mine is milky white. But we have Ivory around here since my husband uses it for daily washing.
Second, I left out the tea tree oil. I have tea tree oil, I use it for skin blemishes and other various things, but I did not want my clothes to smell like it. In fact I didn't want them to smell like anything!

And thanks to these minor adjustments, I can use this homemade brew on my cloth diapers. I literally take a spoon from the kitchen like a cereal spoon or soup spoon whatever and scoop out a bit of the watery part of the mixture and put it in the wash with the diapers. Works great and isn't clogging them at all.

To get started I needed to get the bucket to store the soap. I went ahead and bought a large 5 gallon Tupperware type tub with a lid from Walmart, cost less then $3 for the cheapest. And it fills the thing to the top when done!

I also got a second grater, not necessary but for some reason I didn't want to be grating my soap on the same grater I use to grate my cheese. I'm weird I guess. I mean, what's cleaner than soap!

Then the Borax, easy, on the laundry isle in any store really.

I already had the Ivory, but it seriously costs like 89 cents for 3 bars or something ridiculous like that.

The washing soda was another story. I couldn't find it at my regular Walmart so I decided to start calling stores. No one seemed to know what I was talking about but they were usually nice enough to check for me. I thought I'd be calling forever then I found about.com lists a phone number for Arm and Hammer (1-800-524-1328). You call and run through a menu that will tell you the name and address of stores near you that sold your product in the last few months. What a genius idea! I suggest you try it first before venturing out for the ingredients to make sure the store you plan on visiting will have it just to save yourself a trip.

I also cleaned out one each a one gallon and a half gallon milk jugs to measure my water with.

Once I had all these things I made the soap. I stuck my baby in his Exersaucer, which he loves. And I got going! Grated soap, melted it in pot (I also set aside the pot for use only on this) - this part takes the longest. So while it was working I got everything else measured out and set aside ready to go. My baby actually got tired of his Saucer before the soap finished melting so I held him for the last few pieces. Make sure it all melts completely or you may get some crazy lumps of soap that will throw off the balance of the batch. The whole thing took about an hour.

Please give this a try and modify it to suit your family. Let me know how it goes!

Chicken TRI-Recipe

2007-07-26T21:15:00.000-06:00

I call this a Tri-recipe because you can make it into 3 super easy and super cheap meals to feed a few or feed a crowd! I love that.

I'd like to aside here for a moment and say I am sorry for not updating in so long. I honestly have been so damn busy with this baby! He's teething, learning to walk, and eating more solids than ever! So I have a full plate. I think I will return to my focus of foods and recipes for a while. I find that the easiest to update at least once a month about. And I haven't even had time for much sewing so I can't post those projects just yet. But I do plan on listing some links I have been shown recently in an up coming post so stay tuned for that!

On with the Tri-recipe!

For this whole group of recipes you will need:
Bone in chicken - at least 2 pounds white or dark or both
Bell peppers - at least 2
Onions - at least 3
Garlic cloves - about 3, more if you like
Celery stalks - at least 2
Carrots - at least 2
28 ounce can diced tomatoes - at least one
Dried Italian herbs
Pastas - spaghetti and small style like bowtie - at least a half pound of each
Rotel style tomatoes - at least 2 cans
Chicken broth - at least one can up to a whole box
Can of refried beans - at least one small size
Tortilla chips - enough to have some for each serving - the bottom of the bag or stale ones will even work!
Cream of Chicken or mushroom soup - at least one of either
Cheese shredded - at least 3 cups (Optional additional cup for one recipe)
Frozen veggies - as much as you'd like or need - I like peas, peas and carrots or mixed veg mix
Optional extras:
Parmesan
Cilantro
Green onions
Sour cream
Avacado

The majority of these things I keep on hand with the exception of the chicken, tortilla chips and the extras. Everything else is pretty much working from the cupboard for me. I may have to double check to be sure I have things.
The ingredients listed above are listed with "at least" as a guideline. For each recipe I give ways to make them bigger and you will then need to then increase your ingredients list by however much you need to increase your recipe.

I wrote these under the assumption that you would freeze batches of the original for use in the later two, however, you could just put the two batches in the fridge and make up the follow up recipes right in a row. They all differ enough from one another that it isn't like having plain old chicken 3 nights in a row!

First you make:
Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
You'll need lots of chicken. Mine totaled over 2 pounds but there's only two of us eating it so for 3 meals that was plenty. You can make do with this amount of meat if you bulk up the other areas too. Bone in is best (and cheapest) for crock pots. I used all bone in skin on breasts. You could do this with a whole cut up chicken or just some thighs or legs. Legs may not be best because you'll want a lot of the meat for the other 2 recipes.

Start with your chicken. I pulled off the skin. I highly recommend this though it is optional. Than salt and pepper pretty liberally on the meat. Dredge in flour and brown outside in a olive oil in a very hot pan. Only a couple minutes. You aren't cooking the chicken just getting some good color and flavor. I only do this on the meaty side of my breasts.

While that's cooking in batches, put together in a large bowl, one 28 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes (or regular dice if you prefer), one chopped onion, 2 chopped bell peppers, a few cloves of garlic minced, and some dried Italian herbs, like basil and oregano. Here is where you bulk up if you need to use less meat but make more food. Use two cans of tomatoes, extra onion and pepper and throw in a celery or two for good measure.

Put meat in the bottom of the crock pot, one layer, spoon over some tomato mixture. Another layer of meat, top with tomato. I only had the two layers of meat, but you keep going until you are full up and topped with tomato mixture. It should be a it of a tight fit in a medium sized pot. But by the end of the day, it'll all cook down. Set to low, 6-8 hours.

The longer is cooks, the more the bones start to fall apart and become harder to get out so don't go too much over 9 hours if you can avoid it just for your own sake.

When it's ready, pull out the bones first, then shred the chicken making it into smaller chunks. Take and fill two 1 quart sized freezer bags with the mixture and set aside for later usage. The rest is for tonight's dinner! Serve over spaghetti with a side salad or even some bread. Top with Parmesan cheese if you like. Yummy.

Next meal:
Tortilla Soup
Take one of you bags from the freezer ahead of time and thaw.

In a large soup pot on the stove sauté some celery, carrots, and onions in olive oil. For 3 -4 people you need about 2 medium sized carrots and celery, but for more don't stop there. Use 4 carrots and celery and a whole onion or more. And don't stress about the chopping job here people. Its a soup. But if you have a family that isn't into the veggie thing and you are sneaking carrots in on them you may want to take the time to finely dice them! ;)

Theses need to sauté for about 10 minutes or close to over a medium heat to get nice and tender and fragrant. Then comes the goods.

Mix in you chicken mixture. We're talking about 3 cups of mixture here you know so there's not a whole lot of chicken going on. But in a soup it seems to be more than enough!

Then add as much or as little as you need of these next ingredients:
canned refried beans
canned Rotel style tomatoes
canned chicken broth

For 3-4 people one small can of refried beans is plenty. I wouldn't use more than maybe 3 small cans or one of those big cans though no matter how many you are feeding. You can bulk up more in other areas and I think it may just weigh down the soup with too much.

I used about a half quart of chicken broth for 4 people. Use up to 2 quarts or six cans easily for extra! It can be soupy, it's a soup! Plus you serve it with tortilla chips so broth is good to soak into the salty chips.

For the Rotel tomatoes I wouldn't skip it, it's a spicy soup, but I love spicy. If you and your family do not you could sub a can of diced tomatoes. You could also bulk up here by adding one can Rotel and one can diced tomatoes.

Once all the canned liquids are added, stir really well and let it come to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer for maybe 10 minutes or so. Let the smell fill the house and the kids and hubby will come running!

Put some broken stale old chips in the bottom of a bowl, spoon the steaming soup over it, top with a small amount of shredded cheese. For 3-4 people you need about 1 cup shredded cheese but of course you could use more or less. Or skip it all together, it isn't needed!

If you're feeling fancy top it with chopped fresh cilantro or green onions or a dollop of sour cream or even diced avocados if they're on sale!

Meal #3:
Cheesy Chicken Bake
This one is so fun and easy and you can make it about a billion ways depending on what you have on hand.

Take bag of leftover cacciatore out of the freezer and thaw.

Preheat the oven to 350.
Start your pasta water.

Then I like to chop an onion and celery and saute in a bit of butter or olive oil. Use a big pan for this! After a few minutes add the thawed chicken mixture and heat it through.

Salt the pasta water before adding the pasta and set your timer to about 4 minutes under the time the box says. You will be adding the frozen veggies in this to cook for a bit at the end. And the pasta needs to be a bit al dente with a bite to it because it has to bake and it will keep moving forward in the oven.

When the pasta is going and your chicken is heated add the canned soup and Rotel style tomatoes to the chicken.

To make this meal go really far, use a whole pound of pasta and both cans of cream soup (chicken and mushroom). To feed two with lots of leftovers, I use half a package of pasta and one can.

Once the soup and tomatoes are mixed in add the cheese in handfuls reserving a good size amount to top with before it goes in the oven. Honestly to keep my husband happy, I have to use 3 cups of shredded cheese, 2 mixed in and one on top. I have tried to use less and he noticed. I like it better with less but most people prefer more cheese. If you are making a bigger batch I would use more even than the 3 cups.

When you add your veggies to the pasta, reset the timer, making sure the total cooking time for the pasta comes to about one minute under what the box tells you. For example, the box says 10-11 minutes. Set the first timer for 5 minutes. Add the veggies and set timer for 4 minutes. Total pasta time comes to 9 minutes, one minute under.

Drain the pasta and veggies really well and stir them into the chicken and cheese mixture. Pour the whole thing into a baking dish or two if need be. Top with remaining cheese and cook at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. It should be bubbly and the top cheese will melt.

To make it fancy, top with diced green onions.

This is not very spicy with one can of Rotel but if that is too much, substitute a small can of diced tomatoes drained a bit.

You can add any fresh veggies you have on hand too in with the initial onion, or you can skip that step totally and just heat up your chicken mixture in a pan.

I hope you will try these 3 recipes for your family soon and let me know how they like them!

One More Electricity Saving Tip

2007-06-18T09:58:00.001-06:00

I forgot to include this one in the last post and it's is one I use every day!

Handwash some dishes.

You'd be surprised how much electricity your dishwasher uses. Well, maybe you wouldn't be!

Keeping it set to air dry instead of heated dry will help too.

I still have to run it almost every day because I cook most meals at home so we use a lot of dishes. But if I didn't handwash half of them we'd run it even more!

I handwash my pots and pans for another reason as well. It helps them last longer. Even those that are dishwasher safe are more likely to be damaged by the high heat and pressure of a dishwasher. And like hanging clothes to make them last longer I handwash to extend the life and reduce the wear and tear on my pots and pans.

Plus I live in an apartment and the dishwasher it came with is small and not to great. I feel like hand washing a lot of times gets things cleaner. I rarely handwash cups and silverware because those are difficult without a good dryer and we go through tons of them! Plates and bowls I wash occasionally. Mixing bowls, knives, pots, pans, coffee pot, and big plastic water cups are always hand washed. They take up a lot of room in the machine too.

I enjoy the handwashing. It takes a little longer, but I feel like I am really scrubbing things. It makes me feel good.

I am working with my sewing machine more and more lately. I plan to start posting some sewing projects soon. I am a complete noob about it too so even if you've never sewn it can be done, I am living proof! More on that soon....

Save on that Electric Bill!

2007-06-12T10:14:00.000-06:00

Been out of commission for a little while with summer activities. It seems like everything happens at summer time! And everyone spends more money so even more cautions are needed to keep your budget on track!

I am done with food for a while. Well, food entries that is! LOL I'll never be done with food! ;) I have about a gajillion and one more recipes to share so it will pop up occasionally again, I swear!

For today I want to talk a little about your electric bill. I know, I know, don't remind me! Summer time always equals more electricity! The kids are home, the air is on, they run in and out of the house, open and close the fridge. Jeesh. Our bill can jump by a whole third to a half and we don't even have kids, just the one baby! I can only imagine what will happen when he gets bigger!

Here are just a few things I do to try and keep the bill down.

Hang dry stuff.
Blankets go outside to dry. And I wash them a lot because of our cats and the fur. And the baby can leave messes too. It makes the blankets smell nice to dry in the sunshine and it keeps the dryer from running too much.
I also hang dry all denim (except baby clothes) and most nice and semi-nice shirts. It not only saves on dryer runnage, but it also preserves the integrity of the fabric making the clothes last even longer. And when you cannot afford to go buying new clothes every time something wears out, you need to get the longest life out of each piece as possible.

Use your ceiling fans or standing fans. They use less electricity than the AC and will help keep the air circulation so you can turn the AC down.

If there is a cool day or cool night, open the windows. It lets the home air out for health benefits as well as saving your AC run time.

Turn off your computer at night.
Maybe most people do this but for my family, we work from home and it is all online. Our computers are a central focus of our lives and run all day long. We often would forget to turn them off when we go to bed but when we do it saves a ton of electricity!

If you aren't using it or aren't in the room or aren't watching/listening to it, turn it off.
Do you ever find your TV on in the background and no one watching? Or the radio on and no one listening? Or the light on in the bathroom and no one in there? Go around the house and turn things off.

During the day, open the curtains and let in the natural light and turn off the lamps.

During naps, close all curtains and blinds to keep out the heat and let the whole place come down a few degrees.

If people in your house say they are hot, invite them to remove socks and shoes. Some may think that is strange I guess, but the way I see it, we all live on this planet together. Feet don't bother me. And if you are wearing shoes and socks you will be hotter. So instead of cranking the AC, take them off!

Turn your AC down at night and use fewer (or no) blankets. There is no need to have it running all night long unless you are uncomfortable.

Also, turn it down (or up as it were) when you leave. It may not be a blast of cold air when you come back home, but it will be cooler than it was outside and you can adjust it when you return. But there's no need to keep it running full blast when you aren't at home.

And yeah, our bills will still be higher even with all of these cautions. But maybe it won't be quite as much of a sticker shock each month if we just do a few extra steps to keep our electricity under control. Get your family on board with you. Have them check the house too!

Any other ideas or suggestions of things you and your family do to save on electricity? Share them in the comments!

Clean Your Fridge

2007-05-28T10:49:00.000-06:00

No I don't mean to just clean it once a week or whatever. And if you are a cleaner person than I, and that's highly likely, perhaps you are already on a fridge cleaning schedule.

I am referring to more grocery shopping advise here.

Clean your fridge the day before your big trip. It serves several purposes.

It gives you space for new food!

You can use up all the vegetables or fruits you have left from your last trip.

You can see for sure what you have and don't have to prevent repeats or forgotten items.

It is fun to go through the leftovers you may have forgotten about and heat them all up for you and your family to choose from. Everyone can eat what they like!

I really just like the timing on this. It makes your shopping trip the following day complete. And it is so nice to come home and fill your clean fridge up with new foods.

Take a gander at the freezer and pantry to round out the leftovers feast. Take this opportunity to do an inventory of your on-hand freezer and pantry items. Make sure you have enough of all the things you use a lot. Like for me, I check my pantry for: brown rice, instant taters, biscuit mix, corn bread mix, pastas, box of broths (beef and chicken), spices. And in the freezer: frozen veggies like, peas, corn, green beans, and spinach. I also like to always have a frozen pizza on hand for those I can't bring myself to cook nights!

Menu, Plan, Running List

2007-05-20T07:35:00.000-06:00

I feel a little redundant making this a post for advice on how to save money when it comes to your food. Any women's magazine will tell you the same things I am about to. But it is so true and really good habits to get into.

Do not go grocery shopping without a list! Even if you are just running in to grab a few things, have them written down and stick to it. Being realistic of course and remembering to stay in your budget, even if you stray from the list slightly.

I always keep certain staples on hand, like broths, onions and peppers, brown rice, instant taters, black olives, etc. They are a ton, I won't list them all, but they are things my family really likes and I can add to many recipes to make them family favorites. When I open my last can or use my last serving in the box/bag or whatever, I get down to the bottom of said item, I write it down on the running list I keep going on my fridge. This way I am not scrambling around the kitchen hunting through cabinets and pantries to see if I am out of anything before I go shopping. It also cuts down on the wandering through the store wondering if I am out of biscuit mix. And, it decreases the chances of coming home with a bottle of ketchup only to find there is an unopened bottle in the pantry.

Of course, I am still human and very forgiving of myself since I do still make mistakes. I in no way strive to be perfect, just better. :D

In fact, just last month I bought a huge bottle of white vinegar since I use it so much in the laundry as well as the kitchen. Then a week or so later I found a little bottle completely unopened in the pantry! It happens. When you make mistakes, and you will, don't get down on yourself and frustrated. Just keep on going.

The running list on the fridge is also a place for your family to write special requests. Now you aren't promising all requests will be filled, but it means they don't have to try and remember what they are craving on the day you are making out the list!

When you are getting low on dinner ingredients in your home you know it is time to shop. So who does one go about rounding out the running list?

Well, start with a menu. Be forgiving again. My mom always used to plan a menu for a full month, each day breakfast lunch and dinner. Then we'd do a month's worth of shopping at a time. I am no where near that organized! And my family (husband especially) is picky. He is moody about food and I need to have a few options of what I can fix for dinner for him. If I get too pigeon holed into a particular meal for each night, we will end up spending extra cash eating out because he is not in the mood for what I had planned. If I can plan a way to have options for dinner then we will not go out because I will find something I can fix that he will eat! I imagine this is what it is like cooking for young children. Kids' taste buds are just getting used to all this food business. It is important to introduce new and exciting foods, but if they won't eat it, it is nice to have a back up plan.

So I make my menus as more of a list of possible dinners I can create. I do about 2 weeks worth and then throw in some extra ingredients like that horseshoe sausage or hotdogs that I can fix up easy when I am not making a full planned menu item.

I really enjoy doing this step! I love food. I love cooking. So for me to sit and go through recipe books and pick out meals I can make is a good time. If it isn't your thing, I highly suggest you take the time to get a repertoire of things you like to make and family likes to eat. A large grouping of things you know how to fix well. That way you can just pull from your own list of meals. I will sit with several cook books and magazines and search out all kinds of things! Woohoo, it's a party! ;)

Then you make your list from your menu. You can either add it to the running list on the fridge or add the things on the running list to your menu list. Whatever works, I do both. I also try to really organize my list by the area of the store I'll be in for groups of items. This way I am not hunting all over my list for each thing for every isle and then still back tracking as I realize something that I missed. Though, believe me, it still happens!

I have more to suggest about your grocery shopping, but I am going to make that into another post. For now just remember these things:

- Keep a running list of items you run out of that you keep on hand all the time.

- Make a menu that works for you, either strict and specific or a list of possible dinners.

- Make your list from your menu and your running list and organize it by your store layout.

Then stick to the list with forgiveness. We are all human and it is OK to stray if you see the need at the time. I like being able to tell my husband to go ahead and pick something out he wants from a certain group, cereals, frozen dinners for lunches, canned fruits, whatever. These are things you can budget for. And it'll help keep your family involved in the foods you eat and not just being served by you. Unless that's what you want! And that's fine too.

Breakfast for Dinner

2007-05-16T09:15:00.000-06:00

Eggs are cheap. Breakfast meats often cost a lot less than other meats. Biscuit mixes, especially the store brand, are cheap. If you have WIC, the eggs and cheese are free! And breakfast for dinner is like a special treat. If you do it once a shopping period, you will save. (Shopping period is whatever amount of time you grocery shop for, one week, two weeks, longer...)

Biscuit mixes make pancakes or waffles if you have the iron. Add some eggs topped with cheese and a side of sausage or bacon and you have a meal. To make it healthier, scramble the eggs with some peppers and onions or spinach or broccoli.

Biscuit mix also makes... Biscuits! And they are super duper easy! Make a white gravy int he pan you cook the sausage in. 2 tablespoons butter, melt in pan with meat greases (pour some off but leave enough for flavoring), add 2 tablespoons flour to melted butter. Let the flour cook until bubbly then slowly stir in milk. (Milk is free if you have WIC!) I prefer to cook with whole milk but anything but skim will work. Add it slowly and stir in completely as you go. When you get it to a point that there is about one and a half cups of milk added let it come to a bubble and stir often while it reduces to a thick gravy. In the meantime make you eggs and biscuits. The biscuits don't have to be fancy rolled out and cut, just do the "drop biscuit" recipe on the box. Once the gravy is the consistency you want, you can add in the meat or leave it as is. Pour over everything!

Try making your own breakfast sandwiches with rolled out and cut biscuits. Just skip the gravy and make everything else. Build the egg, meat and cheese into a split biscuit. (Even refrigerated biscuits in a can are cheap if you get while on sale or the store brand)!

How about a breakfast casserole. There are about a million recipes out there. The one I like is:
Grease bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 casserole dish. (Can also be done in a 9x12 just double the amounts.)
Toast 2 (4) pieces of bread - tear/cut toast into wedges
Cook up some meat (sausage, bacon or ham) and cut into small pieces. (I never use a whole package for a small dish)
- To make meat go farther add onions and peppers or broccoli to it while it cooks
Scramble 6 eggs (dozen if doubling) in a bowl with about half a cup of milk (extra if doubling but not a whole cup).

Lay the toast wedges in bottom of dish. Cover with the meat mixture. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the whole thing as evenly as possible. Top with some cheese (however much you like) but reserve some cheese topping for later too.

Bake at 350 about 20-25 minutes or until egg is set.

Once it sets, top with more cheese and bake for less than but almost 5 more minutes.

Top with fresh parsley or diced green onions or chopped tomatoes before serving.

Slice and serve. YUM! And easy. And CHEAP!

Breakfast is my favorite meal. I love to have it for dinner because I rarely have time or energy int he morning for more than cereal and coffee! Plus it really is a cheap dinner to make.

Easy Mexican Skillet

2007-05-11T09:07:00.000-06:00

This is a great make a little or a lot recipe. I'll talk at the end of the post about things to add to make more.

You'll need:
ground beef, I use about a third of a pound for 2 people (or whatever ground meat you like, beef is cheapest)
tortilla chips (great way to use up the broken ones at the bottom of the bag no one wants to eat)
can of red sauce/enchilada sauce
can of cream of mushroom soup (I get low sodium)
can of diced green chilis (optional - adds spice)
shredded cheese
And veggies: (vary these to your taste preference)
onions
garlic
bell peppers
celery
tomato
green onions or cilantro

Brown ground beef. I add onions and garlic (and celery) here to cook with the meat.

Drain grease.

Reduce heat slightly.

Stir in cans, enchilada sauce, mushroom soup, and chilis if using. Add veggies you like.

Simmer a few minutes, then add tortilla chips.

Let them soak up as much sauce as you like depending on how saucy you want it.

Top whole thing with cheese and green onions or cilantro reserving some for individual servings.

Done!

Special note:
Remember that green onions add a lot more onion flavor than the onions cooked with the meat. If you used a lot of onion in the meat you may want to skip the green onions and go with cilantro or even parsley as some added green.

Add your diced celery to cook with the meat, this adds bulk without adding more meat and adds nutrients!

To extend this meal without adding more meat, (though you will need to use more than I use for 2 people if feeding four but not much!) add more veggies of course!
Start with the celery step, use 2 stalks instead of one. Or a whole onion instead of half.
Add 2 types of bell pepper, red and green.
Stir in tomatoes, fresh diced or from a can at the end with the tortilla chips. Use Rotel if you want it really spicy!
Use lots of tortilla chips. You can use half a bag if you want to make a ton. or even serve it with extra chip, like put a serving on a bed of broken chips. If you add a lot more chips though you may need to add some more sauce to be absorbed. An extra can of enchilada sauce is cheaper than more meat, but will add extra spice. Though a lot of that is canceled out by the chips.

Hope you and your family enjoys it as much as mine does!

Make That Meat Go Farther! And Sneak in Veggies!

2007-05-04T10:27:00.000-06:00

I am a firm believer in adding veggies to your meat dishes to get more extension from your meat. You can take a dish that feeds 3-4 and make it feed 6 if you just bulk it up with some simple vegetables. Vegetables, rice, pasta all cost less than even cheap hamburger meat.

I cook with a lot of ground beef. It is cheap and my husband likes it. It is also easy to add veggies to almost any hamburger meal. But these tricks work with chicken, pork, whatever!

When I post recipes I will post in them things to add or ways to extend the meal to feed a crowd, but I thought I'd make this one general post to discuss all the options I could think of all at once.

Onions go great with ground beef. I almost always cook my meat with onions. I usually use a half but if we are having guests I'll use a whole one. During this step if you need to make your meal go farther, add a celery stalk or two chopped about the same size or smaller than your onion. This is also a GREAT way to sneak some good veggies in to your kids! You can even sneak carrots in to things that have a tomato based sauce!

I have this recipe I'll post soon which is a Mexican style stove top dish and kids would love it. It's cheesy and has tortilla chips in it, it's mild. But if you add some celery it becomes healthier and they'll never know.

Also adding bell peppers. I add my bell peppers after the meat is cooked because I love bell peppers and like them to have some crunch. If you're hiding them in the dish, add them earlier.

For most of these dishes I am talking about a Hamburger Helper style deal but you use your own ingredients. Or any one dish thing you cook over a stove top. So if it calls for rice or pasta and whatever, you can add a bit extra of that and not have to add more meat.

If the recipe calls for squash or zucchini or anything like that, add more of that instead of more meats.

Add in black olives if it's Spanish style or Italian.

Throw in some frozen peas or corn.

Add a can of beans or diced tomatoes.

Make a side of rice or pasta if it isn't included in the main dish. Put tiny diced peppers or shredded cabbage into your rice and frozen vegetables into your pasta at the end of the cooking.

You can make one pound of hamburger or pork chops or chicken or whatever you have go for a mile by simply adding everything but the kitchen sink to your dishes.

I love having family over for dinner and with these tricks I don't have to buy extra food. I just use the veggies I already have on hand and make the same old thing I already make for me and my husband.

Share with me your favorite meal extenders!

Low Carb and Cheap Recipe

2007-05-02T09:46:00.000-06:00

I'll be talking about food in the next few entries. I love food. I am a bit of a foodie. I watch Food Network everyday and get tons of ideas from there and love to experiment with recipes. This is one I made up myself when trying to add a low carb meal to our cycle of dinners. It is one of my husband's favorites.

You can increase quantities of this recipe without adding a ton more meat, I'll go into how at the end of the recipe.

Bacon BBQ Cheeseburger Lettuce Wraps

You will need:
hamburger meat
bacon
onion
lettuce leaves whole (green leaf lettuce is the best for this but can be pricey so I usually end up with iceberg if it's cheaper)
cheese
BBQ sauce

You may also add:
diced tomato
ketchup
can of diced tomatoes
bell pepper
black olives
hot sauce

I make this recipe for 2 usually. I like to start with leftover bacon that has already been cooked. If you do not have leftover bacon then obviously you need to start by cooking that. For 2 people I find 4-5 strips works fine. For more people or a great love of bacon, add more.

I cook bacon in the oven. 325* for about 20 minutes. May need to flip and go few more minutes. You'll want it to be a little less than crispy done.

Take your bacon slices and cut them into small pieces. Put in a skillet and turn over low to medium heat to render out some more bacon fat.

Dice an onion, or half an onion whatever. Add it to the pan once the bacon starts to sizzle.

Remember the bacon is already cooked so don't cook it too long before adding onions.

Let the onions cook for a few minutes to get all good and baconey. You can salt and pepper here if you aren't serving young kids, go easy on the salt because there is a lot in bacon and the store bought sauce has some too. Then push everything to one side of the pan and turn heat to medium.

Add your ground beef to the other side in chunks and try to flatten it out as much as possible so there are lots of places touching the heat.

Now don't touch it for a good five minutes or so, let it really cook up on that side. Then flip it around and break it up with a wooden spoon or something. Mix up your bacon side as well so it doesn't burn.

Once the meat has cooked a bit more go ahead and stir the two sides together to finish cooking. You may salt and pepper again here if desired - mostly pepper! Drain off as much grease as you can when the meat is cooked.

Ready your lettuce leaves and shred your cheese. (I get cheese from WIC so it comes in blocks and must be shredded by hand).

BBQ sauce is cheap if you get Kraft. I spend less than a dollar on a bottle and use about half of the bottle for this recipe. My husband likes a sweet kind like brown sugar or honey flavored and they both work really well, but a mesquite or other smoky flavor would work well too.

Turn heat to low before adding the sauce.

When the meat is completely cooked and broken into small pieces, add the BBQ sauce. I add slowly stirring it in as I go so I can tell how much more I'll need. This is up to you. My husband likes it saucy so we use about half a bottle.

Let it simmer on low a couple of minutes to get the sauce flavor in the meat, chopping the meat smaller if you wish while it simmers.

Remove from heat for a couple of minutes or transfer to serving dish if you're fancy. We just serve ourselves in the kitchen and take our plates to the table, but we live in a small apartment. You'll want to let the heat come off of it a bit or it'll wilt your lettuce.

To serve, take a lettuce leaf, spoon some meat mixture in (go easy or it'll be hard to eat), top with cheese then add diced tomatoes, ketchup, black olives, hot sauce, whatever you want! It's modeled after a cheeseburger so put your favorite burger toppings on! Roll and eat.

I serve it with frozen green beans cooked in the microwave (I like frozen veggies better than canned) and carrot and celery sticks.

Now to add more bulk without adding more hamburger meat:
Add more bacon, not the best way!
Add a can of diced tomatoes (drained) before adding the BBQ sauce.
Add bell pepper when adding the onions.
Use more bell pepper and onions.

I am big on adding veggies to make meat go farther. This recipe unfortunately does not do that too well since it is mostly meat. If you are feeding 6 or more, you will probably need a pound and a half or 2 pounds. But hamburger meat is pretty cheap, which is why I use it all the dang time!

Don't Throw Out Those Old Tees!

2007-04-25T14:33:00.000-06:00

Besides turning them into washcloths, they can be made into fun little outfits for your baby!

And I don't mean your husband's giant T-shirts though you could use those if you wanted it would just take a bit more work. However, any small baby tees you have from before getting pregnant and no longer being able to wear them or any small tees of your husband's that he no longer wears either would work. Even if you have some T-shirts from your older children that are long enough. If you have some that are small enough around the midsection but a bit long, you can just cut some off of the bottom.

This tee I found never fit me very well, it was always a bit small. I'd even altered it before, cutting the neck hole and armpits to make it fit better. It was free when I worked retail. But now that I have an after baby body, it will never fit me even slightly again. Since I cannot give it away because I altered it, I thought it'd make a cute baby romper!

Sure it's a girl's shirt, but it's yellow so it looks kind of boyish and he doesn't care really. It's just for around the house!

Here is the shirt.

I lined it up from the top since most are not cut perfectly and pinned small pieces of Velcro to the bottom inside facing each other. I am very frugal with my Velcro because it is a bit pricey but it'll hold better if you use a bigger piece. Mine came undone when he wore certain diapers that fit bigger than others.

I used a zigzag stitch all the way around each piece and doubled back over each side. The pieces were small enough for each end to be triple stitched - forward, backward, then forward again. If you use bigger pieces just do that where you start and where you end. It can be hard to line up the zigzag perfectly to not let the edges pull up. If you don't cover the edges they will start to curl after washing so take the time to be a little extra cautious of that, or be prepared to restitch later.

Here's the finished product. I think he looks pretty cute in his mommy's clothes! I should sew back up the cut in the neck hole....

Just a fun little project you can do in some spare time - yeah cause I know all moms are drowning in spare time! ;)

Cloth Wipes

2007-04-21T15:51:00.000-06:00

This is the most brilliant thing since the all-in-one cloth diapers if you ask me.

I did not mention these during my cloth diapering week.
Ckeck this link here for back story.
And this link too.

The thing is, you don't have to go out and buy expensive or even cheap wash cloths to have cloth wipes. Although people do sell cloth wipes on ebay and this is an option for sure.

Otherwise, if you have old clothes, sheets, blankets, etc. that you are not using, you have cloth wipes!!

It's really easy to make your own cloth wipes too!
Step 1: Find some old fabric thing: clothing, sheet, blanket.
Step 2: Cut into whatever size or shape you like

DONE!

That easy.

Here is a link to some more specific and better instructions.

I like to use receiving blankets or old footie PJs that have that beaded or pilled up feel on them. Those do not usually require any extra stitching to keep from threads pulling. Cotton sheets or anything of a T-shirt like fabric or flannel will lose threads on the side that get everywhere or they roll right up, so they do need to be stitched. You can either do 2 together or just hem up the edges of each one. Or you can even use them a couple of times and throw them away after a wash or two when they start to fall apart. Then just make more!

I store mine in an old disposable wipe container with the lid off of. Keep them dry until ready to use. I then dip into a jar of water. Plain water.

I have experimented with several mixes and find plain water works best for me. You can put in a tiny bit of baby wash if you like but then it gets into the wipe. I wash my wipes with my diapers and this was adding extra soap to my wash cycle! And cloth diapers thrive best on the smallest amount of soap possible.

I also tried adding things like drops of tea tree oil or you could use lavender. I did not think it was necessary, but I am a fan of smell free things. If you have a large container for your water and do not go through it quickly, you may want to use the tea tree to keep it from getting yucky. (That's a technical term btw - yucky).

To transport your cloth wipes, simply use a resealable plastic storage bag and put a few in there flat, how ever many you think you'll need on your outing (plus extra just in case) and dampen them with your water/mixture. Done. I do not use any of the unused ones when I return, I simply put them in the bin of dirties since they sat in the moisture sealed up for a while. Bring an empty dry bag to bring the dirties back home with you, or take ones that you cannot use anymore anyway and throw them out.

Some folks are known to go as far as have family cloth for everyone in the household and never buy toilet paper. My husband vetoed that one before I even got the whole suggestion out of my mouth. But if yours would go for it and you don't mind the one extra load of wash, I say do it! To never have to shell out the bucks for paper that just gets thrown away immediately after use? Well, that sounds great to me.

If you are not using cloth diapers, you can still do this. It is easier and the load of laundry is smaller. If you are using cloth diapers, it only makes sense for you to also use cloth wipes!!

Stop Buying Cleaning Products

2007-04-19T09:55:00.000-06:00

Yikes people that stuff is expensive! I haven't bought a single cleaning product in over a year and my home is clean for sure.

You can use things you have around usually anyway to clean and it is WAY cheaper. And as a side benefit it is better for the environment so you can feel good about doing your part.

Vinegar.
I do my floors and counters with it. A half and half with water solution works and if the smell is too much for you (it isn't bad and I LOVE it personally) use a bit less vinegar, should still work.
I pour some in my sink with some water and mop with it.

Baking Soda.
Tubs and sinks and toilets. It works like an abrasive cleaner. Just pour it directly on what you plan tot scrub, wet your sponge or washcloth or torn up piece of old towel and scrub.
Except your toilet. Just pour it in and use your toilet brush and brush. Flush. And it sparkles!
There are also usually instructions on every box of baking soda - at least my store brand - that gives you more ideas of ways to use this wonderful product!

This site recommends using lemon as well. I have done that at a restaurant I worked in to clean our espresso machine and it worked wonders. Some hot water with lemon in it to soak and then a direct rubbing of lemon on the offensive area. Wipe it off and it is clean!

I didn't start using these things to save money. That was the by product. I started to do this because I was having a baby and didn't want harsh chemicals around.

If you are worried about complete sanitation, bleach is all you need. 10 to 1 water to bleach solution should kill even viruses.

*** Be sure you wear cleaning gloves for any cleaning especially if you have small kids to keep your hands safe in case you are needed. And if using bleach be super careful and don't wear clothes you wouldn't want ruined just in case it splashes. It may also de-color the cloth you use to clean with slightly. Just be wise and safe when cleaning and all will be well.

Make Your Own Baby Food

2007-04-17T09:53:00.000-06:00

Making your own food from scratch is not only healthier but also cheaper in the long run so it should stand to reason that making your baby's food would be the same way. And it is SO much easier than whipping up a marinara sauce, which isn't even that hard!

You basically pick your fruit or veggie, cook it then blend it with some expressed breastmilk or water until it is the consistency you want. And some food squish so well you don't even have to blend them or they work as great play with foods on the high chair tray. It is also easy to adjust the consistency for older babies since you do it yourself.

When making your own food, use clean utensils area and hands!

For recipes/directions I used this site. There are several out there but I like this one. I am feeding my son veggies first mixed with breastmilk for added sweetness and doing fruits after the first few veggies.

Remember when starting foods to give small amount early in the day to monitor for allergic reactions. Give only one food for a whole week to be sure if there is any reaction you know where it came from. After 2 foods are successfully introduced with no reaction you may try mixing them. Babies do not always need cereal and you should breastfeed for at least 6 full months before introducing solids.

The first food I made my son was squash. I picked a winter squash because they are sweeter, I went with acorn. It cost about a dollar. Here is how I did it.

First, cut in half and scoop out the seeds.

Place cut side down in less than an inch of water in a baking dish. Bake on 350 for about 45 minutes. I checked mine after 40 but it wasn't ready yet. You want it super soft.

When it is soft let it cool a bit so you can handle it then scoop out all the meat. I put mine off to the side on another plate to let it cool even longer before blending.

I suppose a food processor would work also, but I have never used one so I am not sure. If you do please let us know! I used a blender, it's actually the same blender my mm used to make my baby food! I had pumped out about 3 ounces of breast milk which I blended with it and still added a bit more water to get the consistency I wanted. Since it was his first I wanted it very thin. You can make it however you want it for your baby!

Because the squash is so soft and fun top play with I only blended a little over half and reserved the rest whole to put on his tray. He had great fun squishing it in his fingers and rubbing it in his hair and eyes!

When it was all done, I bagged up individual servings in freezer bags. I put about a tablespoon maybe a little more into a bag and then also the same amount of the unblended squash. I got about 6 servings out of it. If I had blended the whole thing I imagine I would have had twice as many. Adding more water or breastmilk should also garner some more mass to the final product which equals even more servings.

You're talking about a weeks worth (or more) of meals for $1! And a little elbow grease, which is what being frugal is all about. Do the extra work to save the extra cash!!

Just a little side note, my son did not seem to like the squash much. It was his first food so that may have been why. I found it sweet - I of course tasted it, I don't feed my baby something I haven't tested. But it did have a bit of a bite to it that may have stood out for him. Even after a whole week of eating it he still seemed to react with a grimace. Though he'd open for another bite!!

This week we are doing carrots. I peeled them, cut them into small discs and microwaved them for a total of about 8 minutes (checked doneness after 5) in a small amount of water (I don't have a steamer) then blended with breastmilk. There are no leftovers for squishing on his tray. 2 large carrots made about 5 servings. One pound of carrots cost me less than $1 at the Walmart. I did this while cooking dinner last night so there was no extra time in the kitchen. Just some extra running around!

New Favorite Cowgoddess

2007-04-11T16:01:00.000-06:00

My new favorite Hathor comic strip! It's from this week.

And of course CLICK HERE to see the newest strip

Make Your Own Breadcrumbs

2007-04-11T10:50:00.000-06:00

If you have read any of my posts you know I am all about the make your owns! And why not when it's super easy and saves a couple of bucks.

This one may not seem like it saves much. How much is a container of breadcrumbs at the store anyway? Two or three bucks? Still I'll take two or three bucks if someone hands them to me so why not do it this way!

Also around this house we have a tendency to throw out the last couple pieces of bread in the loaf. No one eats the heels and there's always that one piece next to the heel that is dry or too small. My husband won't eat French toast (another great way to use up old or dried out bread) so it was getting thrown out.

I HATE throwing things out, especially food! We're poor for Pete's sake! Beggars can't be choosers, right!

Once when we were at the Walmart doing our weekly grocery shopping, the baby started getting a bit crazy and the only thing left on the list was breadcrumbs. I had looked twice already and just couldn't take the time to look again, so I said forget it, I'll make my own. And I am so glad I did!

Now, when we are down to the last of a loaf, I set out the ends to dry. I'll lie them in a Tupperware-style container on the edge so they are getting air on the bottom and top. I keep them out of the way of what I am working on in the kitchen like on top of the microwave. It takes a few days here for them to dry completely but we have humidity in the air where I live. It could take you longer or not as long.

I flip the slices every so often as I check their dryness.

They are done when they are completely dried out. You do not want any moisture at all in the crumbs because that could get nasty. I store them in a plastic baggie and if there's water in there, it will mold the whole batch.

Doing 3-4 slices at once makes a relatively small amount, maybe a half cup, but it makes enough for most recipes.

After it is dry, put into a small plastic baggie that seals. Break into smaller pieces up by hand. Then roll them with something hard and round. If you have a rolling pin I suppose that would work best. I do not have one so I use a big coffee cup and it works perfectly.
Roll on one side till it looks like it's done, then shake and flip and roll some more.

This is a great way to get the texture of crumbs you want. If you like your crumbs chunky, stop before they all crumble. If you like it super fine, thin them out as best you can in the bag and roll them till your hands hurt!

Sometimes the baggie gets holes in it from the sharp edges of the bread, just transfer to a new baggie. I get my baggies at the dollar store for a buck for like 30 or so, so no big deal, I use them for everything!

Date the bag too. I have never had any last longer than a month or two but they do probably go bad eventually. Just keep a smell on it and if it smells funky, do not use it.

You can also season your own! My husband loves basil, so I'll add dried basil to a batch. Or you can add some Parmesan cheese, but be sure to refrigerate the bag if you add cheese.

We eat whole wheat bread in this house, so now thanks to this frugal practice, we are also eating whole wheat breadcrumbs and what can be healthier than that!

I use breadcrumbs in many things. I top baked mac and cheese with it and a few pinches on softened butter for a crispy brown crust. I make faux crab cakes with tuna fish and put breadcrumbs in and dust the outside of each patty. I use them in meatloaf, especially the Italian seasoned one! Yummy!

So many uses for breadcrumbs, try making your own and let me know what you use them in!

Last Week's Hathor

2007-04-07T10:16:00.000-06:00

Don't miss out on the CowGoddess comics from last week!!

Here's a preview!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE WHOLE STRIP!

Make Your Own Baby Legs

2007-04-06T20:25:00.000-06:00

AKA Recycle Your Old Socks and Your Husband's Old Socks!

Ever wonder what to do with those unmatched socks or socks with toe holes that always end up in the trash? Have you ever seen these cute little contraptions?

Here's an easy way to get yourself those cute little convenient baby leg covers without the high price AND do a little house cleaning in the process!

Start by going through your socks or your husband's depending on the size of your baby's thighs. Mine has big thighs so Daddy's work well and fortunately my washing machine eats socks and we had some spares.

Here are 5 unmatched socks. I picked 4 I would make into two different styles.

First I wanted to make a long pair so I put them on him whole to get an idea of where I needed to cut.

Then I cut them off and tried to get the bottoms straight and even - not perfect.

Here he is modeling his new pair. I like how they are long and look like a boot cut or bell bottom type pant at the bottoms!

This next pair are designer you can see. ;)

I cut these right where the elasticy part ends so they'd be tight fitting all the way down.

Modeling again. These are a bit tighter at the top but still fit.

Then I found a pair of my socks that I thought were kind of boyish and just totally sacrificed them. They didn't have holes or anything, I just thought they'd look cuter on him and I won't miss them.

I cut these right above the heel because of the two tone heel and it came out really straight.

And my sweet little model again. He likes these, he can pull them off and eat them!

There are a lot of advantages to using these baby legs as covers for your little person's legs. You get the warmth of pants without having to take pants off to change diapers!
They are a little more difficult to keep on the crawlers, which I have, but I just keep after him and pull them back up.
For the walkers, they are perfect. You can leave them barefooted to help their walking and still have warm coverings on the legs.
They are good even in the sun. Just use a lighter pair and it blocks the sun from their skin.

I think they are adorable and every sock that would have normally just been thrown out will now become a leg warmer for my baby!

Hope you try this yourself. Let me know if you do and how it goes!

Make Your Own Laundry Soap

2007-04-03T09:21:00.000-06:00

Not as hard as it sounds! It's actually quite easy. I got a recipe originally from a regular poster on the breastfeeding.com message boards. I then modified it by recommendation from another poster and necessity and laziness.

First here is the original recipe as I first saw it.

"Bucket of Boogers"

Or, my homemade laundry soap recipe. This makes enough for 64 loads and costs a little over a dollar to make, so about two cents per load. This is a really good detergent -- it cleans well, rinses completely out, and leaves clothes soft and smelling fresh instead of chemical-ish. It does not suds up much while washing. And it bears an unfortunate resemblance to a bucket full of boogers.

1 bar Octagon soap (found in the laundry aisle), grated
3/4 cup washing soda (Arm & Hammer is the most common brand)
3/4 cup borax (20 Mule Team is the most common brand)
1 medicine dropper of tea tree oil

Put the grated soap in a saucepan with 6 cups water and heat on medium-low, stirring occassionally, until it is melted. Add the soda and borax and stir until dissolved. Add the tea tree oil.

Pour 1 quart of hot water into a bucket. Add the dissolved soap and stir. Add 1.5 gallons of water and stir again. It can be used immediately, but it will gel up after about 24 hours.

Use 1/2 cup per load.

Most delis (grocery stores, Costco, etc.) get salads and stuff in small white buckets that are just right for this recipe. If you ask nicely, they'll probably give you one.

I modified it in 2 ways.
First, I used Ivory bar soap instead of the Octagon. I believe the Octagon must be green or something giving it a bucket of boogers appearance because mine is milky white. But we have Ivory around here since my husband uses it for daily washing.
Second, I left out the tea tree oil. I have tea tree oil, I use it for skin blemishes and other various things, but I did not want my clothes to smell like it. In fact I didn't want them to smell like anything!

And thanks to these minor adjustments, I can use this homemade brew on my cloth diapers. I literally take a spoon from the kitchen like a cereal spoon or soup spoon whatever and scoop out a bit of the watery part of the mixture and put it in the wash with the diapers. Works great and isn't clogging them at all.

To get started I needed to get the bucket to store the soap. I went ahead and bought a large 5 gallon Tupperware type tub with a lid from Walmart, cost less then $3 for the cheapest. And it fills the thing to the top when done!

I also got a second grater, not necessary but for some reason I didn't want to be grating my soap on the same grater I use to grate my cheese. I'm weird I guess. I mean, what's cleaner than soap!

Then the Borax, easy, on the laundry isle in any store really.

I already had the Ivory, but it seriously costs like 89 cents for 3 bars or something ridiculous like that.

The washing soda was another story. I couldn't find it at my regular Walmart so I decided to start calling stores. No one seemed to know what I was talking about but they were usually nice enough to check for me. I thought I'd be calling forever then I found this on about.com which lists a phone number for Arm and Hammer (1-800-524-1328). You call and run through a menu that will tell you the name and address of stores near you that sold your product in the last few months. What a genius idea! I suggest you try it first before venturing out for the ingredients to make sure the store you plan on visiting will have it just to save yourself a trip.

I also cleaned out one each a one gallon and a half gallon milk jugs to measure my water with.

Once I had all these things I made the soap. I stuck my baby in his Exersaucer, which he loves. And I got going! Grated soap, melted it in pot (I also set aside the pot for use only on this) - this part takes the longest. So while it was working I got everything else measured out and set aside ready to go. My baby actually got tired of his Saucer before the soap finished melting so I held him for the last few pieces. Make sure it all melts completely or you may get some crazy lumps of soap that will throw off the balance of the batch. The whole thing took about an hour.

Here is a pic of my bucket:

To use it, I keep it on the floor for now, right next to my washing machine, I scoop out a half a coffee cup per load (expect the diapers) and so far I am loving it. Everything gets perfectly cleaned and smells like nothing!

I also use a scent free fabric softener. I used to love the smell of fabric softener until I had a baby and started using free and clear soaps and things to make sure he didn't have breakouts and now I cannot stand the smell of laundry soap or softeners! If you like that kind of thing, use the original recipe with the oil and all. I DO NOT recommend you yo use it on your diapers! I don't think it would work. Or you could try it on a couple and see, that's how I started. If it does work, do let us know.

Cloth Diapering Wrap-up

2007-04-01T08:12:00.000-06:00

Hope you enjoyed my week of cloth diapering info! I am no expert and have only shared with you the tiny bit of knowledge I have gained from personal experience and reading on the net.

I also hope that you consider cloth diapering for several reasons. Cost of course being one of them! But also don't let the complication of it scare you, it is no longer the case. And the benefits to our environment and waste build up and chemical build up from the materials in plastic diapers, to me, far out weighs the extra load of laundry! And seriously I only do about 2 extra loads a week, sometimes but rarely, 3.

One thing I forgot to mention about the Chinese prefolds and covers is that you can still use the old "rubber pants" as my mother-in-law calls them, though they are vinyl now. They are by Gerber and can be found cheaply at almost any Walmart or grocery store in the baby isle. All you need are some pins. Do a fancy fold and pin it then slide on the vinyls. I do this when I have to. Sometimes, my little man will poop through all 4 of his covers in one day and we only have 4 all-in-ones. Well, I am not happy about washing a whole load with so many clean diapers still in the basket! So I will whip out the old school style. I admit this is very scary with an active baby such as mine and I don't like to do it. He kicks and flaps all crazy and I am scared of poking him or myself with a pin. To decrease the chances you can pin one side before putting it on your baby and just slide it up.

Remember soap is the enemy of your diapers! It clogs them and makes them lose their absorbency. Use as little as possible and sometimes if they are starting to get stinky, you need to wash soap free a few runs and hang them int he sun if you can!

As for storage, I used to be real particular and organized and fold all my prefolds into a basket in neat piles under my changing table. But many days they would all stay in the dryer! I didn't like that though because my dryer is no where near my changing table and I hated having to go get one out whenever I needed to change my baby. But I was just not finding the time to fold them all. So I found a low and wide wicker basket I'd received as a gift and just started putting them in there unfolded straight from the dryer. I keep it right next to my table and I can easily pick up the whole basket, take it to the dryer and fill it then bring it back. So much more low maintenance!

I confess also, we do have plastics in the house. My son wears them at night for now until I can make my own pockets and feel fully confident int heir absorbency. We also wear plastics when we go out for long periods so I don't have to carry around dirty diapers. I also will put him in plastics on wash day. I know it is terrible! ;) But we use so few of them really that one big package lasts a whole month. And also believe me when I tell you I see an immediate difference in his little baby bottom on those wash days. We have to keep the cream on it and it still gets a little rashy! I much prefer the cloths but still lean on plastics some. So you don't have to go all or nothing, but every little bit helps!

Here are the links to my last 4 posts about cloth diapers. They all contain links to other great information!

Chinese prefolds with covers.
All-in-ones and Pockets.
Fitted Diapers.
Introduction.

This is not the last you will hear from me about cloth diapers. I find them one of the biggest ways to save money as a mom and I will bring you along on my cloth diapering journey!

I do hope you try them and let me know how it goes!

Fitted Diapers

2007-03-30T12:57:00.000-06:00

OK, today's will be very brief. I have never used a fitted diaper nor had any desire to purchase one. I believe the prefolds worked just fine for me.

Best explanation for a fitted I found.

This is the most common brand of fitteds I have seen on ebay, Kissaluvs. I do recommend purchasing them from ebay whenever possible.

My understanding is they are like a prefold, but shaped with elastic leg opening and closures on the front. But they still require a cover. So to me, I think, why not just go the extra step and get the all-in-one or pocket? You however may like the idea of fitteds.

I believe they get their name from the snug fit they provide versus a prefold which is quite bulky. I mentioned needing to go up a size in clothes for your baby when wearing the prefolds and perhaps the fitteds don't require this as much. I know the all-in-ones don't.

Here is something I'd like to try one day with our chinese prefolds just to see. I will of course post it and the results.

I have my sewing machine and I am adventuring with it already so posts about sewing for beginners that worked for me will be forthcoming!

My big problem with fitteds is the cost. They still require covers so you are paying more than the price of a prefold for simply a snugger fit. Which if you are one to take your child out in clothies may be a good idea actually!

And again, as soon as I make my own I will try them out, but I am not willing or able to invest in them as a try out.

Let me know what you think of yours if you use them!

New Cow Goddess

2007-03-28T15:36:00.000-06:00

Our favorite attachment parent Cow Goddess has a new comic up! Actually there're two so be sure to scroll down to see the other one too!

Here's a taste of the first one:

CLICK HERE to see the rest plus scroll down for another good one!

All-in-ones & Pockets

2007-03-28T12:52:00.000-06:00

This will be brief because my experience here is still limited. Never fear my faithful readers (both of you) I will not stop the cloth diapering chatter after this week has ended! There is plenty more for me to still learn and you will be with me on my journey and I hope you will learn as well!

Now, what I know about All-In-One Diapers is they are so super-dee-duper easy it is ridiculous. Well, when it comes to putting them on and taking them off anyway. It works essentially like a plastic diaper because it is all the parts the cloth diaper needs in one article of clothing. There's a soft inside (sometimes in higher end ones, this fabric even wicks moisture away from baby's skin), a thicker absorbent padding in the mid section , and a waterproof outer cover.

They close with snaps or Velcro. Some are really high tech like this Bumgenius 2.0 AIO diaper that looks like it is truly genius, especially for dealing with the issue I am about to get into. However, they will run you almost $20 each brand new. OUCH! I have seen some of the originals on ebay for decent prices, but it takes some serious shopping time investments when you're stuck on a particular brand because the size availability is limited.

I found some great AIOs on ebay for less than $10 each and I got size medium and size large since my boy grows so fast - he's already outgrowing the mediums! And I love them for their cuteness with no top or just a tee and for their ease.

Just today I was putting a fancy prefold fold into my fleece cover and it was all ready to go and set aside for me to get him undone and cleaned. When I put the diaper under his bum, he decided there was something he needed on the wall next to him and he started to reach and roll and squirm and turn and I had to hold him down and refold the diaper which came undone when he moved and try and just stuff it all in there and quickly get it snapped before he rolled again. The AIOs do not have that issue. It's just like disposables, put them on it and close it up, while they try and roll around. No problem.

The problem that I have run into is in the washing. The absorbent pad in the dipes are quite absorbent but don't seem to know the difference between the baby pee and the washing machine water! They get completely filled on every washing! I have to wring them out and run them on a separate spin cycle or two to try and get a bit more water out of them before putting them in the dryer. Then the instructions say to dry low heat which then takes forever and runs my dryer all to heck. The weather is crazy around here right now so I cannot hang them outside yet. To me this is a big drawback!

I have decided to save the cost of even $10 each or more for the AIOs, I will be sewing my own soon. I am not a sewer so it may take me a while. I am getting my machine today. I am very fortunate to have a mother who supports my crunchiness and purchased me a machine from Sears on sale for an Easter gift. Otherwise it might have been another month before I could get one.
Anyway..
I found a pattern here and it looks easy enough for even a newbie to do. Of course I will be posting the results. But I have decided to modify it slightly which will also take some practice, to be more of a pocket diaper.

Best description of a pocket I have seen.

The advantage to a pocket is you get the convenience of the AIO by having the innards already in the diaper ready to go before changing, but you can take them out to wash and dry them separately which will cut down on the dryer run time!

I am not yet sure how I will modify the pattern from above, again I will be playing with it to find the best way, but I will let you know once I have it worked out!

I love my AIOs I really do, but they kill my dryer. Sad. I need their convenience on the changing table with some added convenience in the wash room.

Oh, one more thing about a pocket that I think will be awesome is they can be stuffed as much as you like! In other words I can put in extra soakers (which I also plan to make myself btw) and maybe, just maybe, we can do a cloth for overnights! Ah, what a dream come true that would be! I'd love to not have to use those nasty plastics at all except when traveling for longer than and hour which is rare. My baby's bottom would be ever so grateful! And so would my wallet!

So if you are not willing to invest the time in the prefolds and really want something super simple, look for some all-in-ones and/or pocket diapers on ebay. Be sure to use your Google bar to cross reference the brands you are looking at and the sizes they come in, I got burned once by not double checking the sizes on covers and couldn't use them for long because they were smaller than I expected.

You will need quite a few depending on your baby's pee and poo habits. Mine poopoos several times a day and is a heavy wetter so I could easily go through 8-10 in a day or as little as 6 depending. And you'll want more than one days worth eventually so you aren't doing laundry every single night, but at first to experiment and test them out maybe starting with only 6 will work for you. Ebay sellers often have lots so you can get several at a time anyway.

Tomorrow, fitteds! Pretty much an easy version of the prefolds - plus a bonus make your own that I too will attempt one day and share with you!

Chinese Prefolds with Covers

2007-03-27T09:02:00.000-06:00

Pretty easy.

Super CHEAP, relatively speaking. With a $100 investment I got 2 dozen prefolds and one really nice cover before my son was born. I have only added more covers to my collection and have not yet needed more prefolds.

I bought mine here.

Although I think ebay is wonderful, I do think I personally would rather buy my first batch of prefolds new, unless the seller online had hardly used them. Covers however I'll buy off ebay all day long! I've bought several different brands and styles which I could never have afforded to do new.

When you get your prefolds, new or used, wash them about 5 times on hot with 2 cold rinses and less than a tablespoon of detergent. If you bought them used, this would be a perfect time to sun dry them too to get rid of any possible staining that might be present. Never ever ever use fabric softener, it just ruins their ability to soak up and the baby mess.

My first cover was a snap enclosure fleece the first one in the list with the blue stripes actually and I love the way it looks. I also love that it is completely breathable and lets the air flow. I also love that it is a size small and still fits my 20 pound son! However, I do not love the fact that it isn't waterproof. When cloth diapering you are supposed to change them every hour to hour and a half. I like to push it like with most things in life. With this cover I cannot even push it past the hour far because my heavy wetter soaks through it!

But when I do change him I just hang it up by his table and grab another cover and prefold and let it dry then use it on the next change hanging up the other cover. I alternate like this throughout the day with two covers until one gets pooped on.

My favorite cover of all time and I got so lucky getting this on ebay for less than $10! It is I believe pictured below in the demo shots. The Bummis Super Whisper Wrap! What a miracle invention to cloth diapering this cover is! Water proof and so so super easy to get on. But a bit pricey new so again... EBAY!

I also ebayedBumkins covers. I got a few of these for $10 but the sizes ran smaller than my Bummis and he's already outgrown one and one wasn't waterproof so there's really only one I use regularly. But it is so darn cute he doesn't need pants with it! If it's warm enough.

There are wraps of all kinds out there, I say to you again my friends, do not underestimate the power of persistent and good comparative shopping using ebay!

Here is some good photo demos of some popular chinese prefold folds I found at Comfy Bummy Diapers site.

This first one is the basic fold it up in a square and lay it in the cover fold. I did not like this one because there is no way to catch the poopies. And breastmilk poopies are loose and all over so the cover would get, well, covered right away.

This is the one I use the most or I do the same thing with a smaller one without the fold up at the front. This one you can really get to make a catcher for the poop around the baby's bum. It still runs out of the dipe sometimes but I have never had one leak out of the cover when I out the cover on properly, unlike plastics which almost always blow out on my son. These photos show without the cover but you can essentially do the same thing in a cover and close it up.

This next fold is very similar just an alternate take on the order of folding and I use this also.

This one is super fancy and intended to be less bulky. I have never tried it. With a boy I don't know how it'd absorb much up front where I need it to.

This is something I was doing for a while especially in my fleece cover to absorb more. Only I would use a really cheap diaper I got at my shower intended to be a burp cloth. They were thinner and worked fine.

I have never tried an actual doubler. I do plan to sew some of my own real soon when I make my own diapers.

All of those can be put into a cover.
These folds have fancy names and all that but you are in no way limited to these. One advantage to this method is you can cater your folding to your baby's poop and peepee style, putting extra fabric where they need it most. I read one woman who has a poop catcher on the back of hers for her daughter's backwards pooping tenancies.

There are disadvantages though...
They do tend to get bulky. You usually have to dress your child in one size up, but it is worth it! To keep them a bit slimmer even inside a cover you could pin them or use these little snap enclosures. Never used them myself, but I have been known to pin, so I don't know how they work or if they are worth the investment. I usually just wrap my prefolds in the cover and call it a day. It is warm here most days so my baby rarely gets pants.

Another drawback to this method besides the extra bulk is as the baby gets older and more mobile it is harder and harder to get them to stay still while you do all your fancy folding. This is where I am at right now and why I began to experience with all-in-ones, which require no extra work but quite a bit of extra cost and other issues I'll get into tomorrow, but so so easy to use. Fitteds with covers are also simpler but still not as easy as all-in-ones and pricier than the prefolds.

I highly recommend for your first venture into clothing if you are clothing for a newborn or small infant you try your hand at some chinese prefolds with covers. I like an unbleached but the choice is yours. Start with a dozen and 2 covers to see if you like it, then add to your collection. You will go through all 12 in 2 days for sure and maybe sooner if your covers get pooped on, but it'll give you an idea with minimal investment. If your baby is 5 months or older and starting to roll and crawl, hold off until tomorrow's post because this method may not be so simple for you if your baby isn't holding still on the changing table.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's addition, the all-in-ones and pocket diapers....

Cloth Diapering Week

2007-03-26T11:51:00.000-06:00

Cloth diapering. Ah, the fear it strikes in the hearts of most of today's mothers as we recall the horror stories of our mothers and the pins and the folding and the rubber pants. Well, let me tell you sisters, cloth has come a long way baby and it ain't your momma's cloth diapers anymore!

In fact, it has come so far that it is even to the point of complicated! There're prefolds and covers and all-in-ones and fitteds and woolies and pockets and whoa whoa whoa, my head is spinning! This can all be a foreign language to the newbie trying to cloth for the first time. And if you aren't careful you can end up with quite the high initial investment.

It is a high initial investment if you are comparing it to the $15 average you drop for a box of plastics. But when you realize you are no longer dropping that $15 or so every week or several times a week even, it is quite worth it.

I am going to discuss cloth diapers every day this week. I will go into a little closer detail about the different cloth diapering options that are out there each day. The ones I use and have used and would like to use and what I have learned about them so far in less than 6 months of experimenting.

What about the extra laundry you say. Well, yeah, you gotta wash them. If you do not have a washer and dryer, you will be in for a bit of a hard time. There are diaper services available. This is only one way to locate one. But be careful and do the math because you can end up spending just as much for the service as you did on the disposables! And yeah sure the environment is being saved and all but really I am here to talk about saving cash! Still I'd like to think that if you are interested at all in going cloth and a service is your only option because of lack of washer and dryer, please take the benefits to the environment into consideration. It does feel good using cloth knowing that you are making less waste.

But if you do have a washer and dryer available to you you'd be surprised how little extra laundry you will be doing! I seriously do maybe 2 extra loads a week. And if you have a house or an availability to hang dry your dipes, you will even be saving the electricity and wear and tear on your dryer! I can't wait for the sun to come out here so I can hang dry. Not only does it save your dryer, the sun has this mystical ability to bleach out poopoo stains! I have used it to save several of my son's blowout clothes, which are all the result of times he was in a plastic btw!

I wash on hot and rinse cold twice. I do not soak, unless it has been several months and there is an odor, I do not recommend it. And then only soak in vinegar. I sometimes add vinegar to the first rinse cycle. I sometimes wash in only a sprinkle of baking soda or no soap at all. The thing that makes cloths less effective the fastest is a build up of soap, so washing in no soap occasionally is a good idea. When I do use soap, I use one I made at home and I use less than a tablespoon for my whole load. Even if you're buying the most expensive on the market, it'll take a long time to go through it all. And of course use only unscented, like a Free and Clear type or something.

When you do start to shop for your cloths and I will say this again and again, shop on ebay. Cloth diapers often last through several children and for people who aren't having anymore they try to recoup some of their money on ebay. I have gotten several covers and been able to experiment with different types for pretty cheap thanks to ebay!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A list of links to help get you started on some good clothing info! As the week progresses and I get into more specifics, I will link sites either again or new ones to buy or at least window shop and compare for the type I am covering.
This is The Diaperpin and it is a hub of places to learn about and purchase cloth diapers.
Katie's Kisses a great place to shop and get an idea about the prices and sizes of certain diapers before hitting ebay.
Another place like the last - Wildflower Diapers, I got my first batch here as a gift from my mom.
Here is a forum where clothing women can exchange and sell and buy diapers made by stay at home moms and it's also a good place to ask questions, Diaper Swappers.

New Hathor Comic

2007-03-23T13:28:00.000-06:00

My favorite Cowgoddess has up a new comic and it is awesome as usual!

Click here to see the rest of the strip and get a good giggle or two!

Click here to see my favorite comic of hers of all time... At least so far I should say!

Homemade Marinara

2007-03-22T15:29:00.000-06:00

Easier than you'd think and much cheaper than even the cheapest crappy cans of sauce on the bottom shelf of the grocery store! And with a ton less sodium and more vitamins and minerals.

Things I keep on hand include:
carrots
celery
dried bay leaves
dried basil
olive oil
garlic
onion
spaghetti (or whatever kind really) noodles

I have to buy special for the sauce:
2 32 ounce cans of tomatoes
You can really get whatever you like. I used to buy the whole ones and break them up with a fork but I got tired of the extra work. The original recipe which I got from a book by Giada Delaurentis on the Food Network and modified it slightly calls for 2 can of crushed tomatoes. I like more girth in my sauce so I get one can crushed and one can petite diced. I cannot find low sodium cans in that size at my Walmart Superstore but if you find it that way I recommend it because then you dictate salt content.

This takes some time so do it when you have some. It's mostly just cooking on the stove the whole time so you can do other things but don't expect to whip this together suddenly.

The best thing about this sauce is it freezes so well. I use it to top my homemade pizzas, in salad dressing sauces, for quick spaghetti, as a dipping sauce for things. I put it in freezer bags in approximately 2 cup portions, for the two of us that is all I need. If you have to feed an army, this recipe is easily doubled!

Start with your onions and garlic. I chop the onion first. One whole decent size, not too too big, you know. As for dice size, if you're feeding kiddos that HATE onions, keep the dice big enough to easily pick out but do NOT skip the onion, it is vital to the taste. Unless of course you really want to then by all means skip it.

Add a good amount almost 1/4 cup of olive oil to a big soup pot or dutch oven type thing if you are so blessed as to have one of those. Turn on a medium heat.

Finely as you can get it, chop up some garlic cloves. However much you like. The cloves on the outside of the whole bulb have less garlic potency than the insides so I use about 4 of those and about 2 if I'm to the inside of my bulb. I like a mild garlic flavor and this works for us.

When the oil is heated add the garlic alone first, give it a stir. I use a wooden spoon.

Start to dice your carrots, I use 2 but use 4 if doubling - do NOT skip carrots, they add so much health and vitamin A! I peel mine because I am never quite confident they are washed enough if I scrub (silly I know) but it is an unnecessary step. Then I get them as small as possible dicing, then I run my knife back over the pile and try to get them even smaller.

Do not let your garlic cook too long while you chop your carrots! Once you can smell the garlic cooking add the onions. Salt it. This helps the onions cook down.

While chopping your carrots remember to stir the onions too. Once they turn clear, add the carrots.

When the carrots are chopped, do 2 celery stalks (4 if doubling), all the way up to the leaves if there are any. And as finely diced as you can get it. Don't skip these either folks, celery is super good for you!

Once they are chopped up and the carrots are in, throw the celery in there too. Salt again.

Now you need to let the veggies cook down for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. This will smell divine!

Once the veggies are good and soft, pour your cans of tomatoes in - CAREFULLY. Throw in a bay leaf or two and about a palmful of dried basil. Salt. Stir it well, lower your heat way down to low and enjoy the fragrance for a full hour! Stir occasionally. Let the kids stir if they are old enough!

When I make the sauce I usually have spaghetti for supper that night too.

I cook some hamburger first and season it with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper (just a pinch) and some basil or dried Italian seasonings. Then I scoop out about 2 scoops, not too much, of the meat and set it aside. This I will bag and date and put it in the fridge for pizza night! No pepperoni needed on the pizza. Pepperoni can be expensive but if I can get it cheap it makes a special pizza, otherwise it's hamburger with veggies.

Sometimes I can find Italian sausage in the casings cheap or on sale. Those I bust out of the casings and cook for the spaghetti and also set a scoop or two aside for the pizza. Then when I next cook hamburger meat for something else I scoop out some of it then for the pizza and there's both meats!
This is a great way to stretch your hamburger and cut out some cooking time. Just add a bit of extra veggies or noodles or whatever to whatever thing you were cooking your hamburger meat for!

Anyway, back to the spaghetti. While the hamburger cooks boil the noodles to al dente.

Hamburger cooked, drained. Using a ladle I add sauce until it is a consistency we like around here. And we like it thick! We want to eat our sauce with a fork!

Then I stir in some diced bell pepper and sliced black olives, let it all heat up a minute and serve it over the noodles. Put some Parmesan on top or whatever you like. I like to throw on a bit of chopped parsley!

I'll do a separate entry for my homemade pizza - and don't worry the crust is purchased but still "made" by you!

Hope you and your family like it!!

WIC Visit Report

2007-03-21T15:01:00.000-06:00

WIC visit yesterday went really well and easy. I am eligible again because my son is on Medicaid and I am breastfeeding him. Because of this every month I get 3 pounds of cheese, 5.5 gallons of milk, pint of peanut butter, pound of pinto beans, 4 cans of tuna fish, 2 cans of carrots, 7 cans of juice (frozen or the big cans), 36 ounces of cereal from their choices, and 2 dozen eggs.

For this visit I had to meet with a nutritionalist. First I had to fill out a questionnaire that included a list of all the foods I'd eaten in the last 24 hours. And questions about caffeine, alcohol, herbs and meds intake, that sort of thing. The nutritionalist goes over each thing with me and asks about portion sizes and reviews what portions are appropriate and necessary of each food group. They have cute little cutouts to let you see how much peanut butter a tablespoon looks like and such. I also got weighed and my iron levels checked.

The whole time my husband and son got to play in their "classroom" where they hold their classes but also have a lot of cool toddler toys. My son is only 5 months old but likes to stand with help and really had a great time banging on all the toys!

After my meeting I got my vouchers for the next 2 months! That was it.

I know not everyone of you are eligible for this service, but please take the time to apply if you are a stay at home mom especially and have a few kiddos. Think about it, your husband's one check is responsible for all of you! WIC is here to help you with some basic necessities and to teach you how to eat along the way!

Of course they aren't completely up to date with their info like they recommend cereal at 4 months, but that's ok, I know better! ;)

Tomorrow I am going to the store they have set up right next to the office where it is just a counter you go up to and they only carry WIC foods and I just have to sign my vouchers and pick out my things and the ladies that work there bring it to me! No waiting for the cashiers to fill all the vouchers out!

Take the few minutes to apply for WIC today!

W.I.C.

2007-03-19T12:12:00.000-06:00

The wonderful WIC! Oh how I love it. I waited until I was 6 months pregnant to apply and I kick myself every time I think about it.

If you are pregnant or have children under the age of 5 and you stay at home and your husband makes less than $50K/year, please apply for WIC!

It is such an awesome program. not only do they supply you with food that you would buy anyway like milk and cheese and juice, but they provide education. It is required at least in my area to get a WIC class aver quarter or so. Everything from breastfeeding education to starting your infant on solids. My area even offers their courses online so you don't have to come in to the office if it is difficult for you to get there and you have internet access available - which who doesn't now with libraries - and a printer to print out the form to prove you did the online course.

They promote and encourage healthy families! They teach you the importance of teaching your kids how to eat from a young age!

If you do not think you are eligible, Check HERE! and even if it doesn't look like you are, apply anyway! Who does it hurt? No one.

And if you worked a day in your life, you paid taxes that went to support things like WIC so it is totally within your right to get this help. Hell, if your husband works, he pays taxes!! Just try it.

Anything out there that teaches this country how to eat healthier I am all for! Especially since they give me free cereal!

I go in tomorrow for a check up so I'll report back about how it goes and what they do exactly.

Water Down Your Dish Soap

2007-03-17T10:39:00.000-06:00

Seriously. It works the same I swear.
I buy Palmolive anti-bacterial and water it down. I have one small dish soap container I got in a gift basket, but I'd say it's worth the extra pennies to buy it so you have it to refill. Then I buy a big soap container from the dollar store (Dollar General usually) or if you have a Sam's Club or Cosco situation that'd probably be good too (don't be afraid to price compare and save a penny or two - they add up quickly!)
Then I fill my smaller container about 2/3's with soap and the rest of the way with water, shake and good to go!
I took a microbiology when I was in school for nursing a while back (Before Baby - BB) and my lab teacher actually had her antibacterial soap diluted so much it was almost clear! It still has antibacterial properties at that level.
Actually, we did an experiment about antibacterial things like soap and those instant hand sanitizers only to find the most efficient way to get germs off of your hands is to scrub!
So do not be afraid to water down your antibacterial dish soap. You will only make it last longer, not make it work less!

Sweet pork roast and rice - PLUS leftovers recipe

2007-03-17T08:33:00.000-06:00

There are several ingredients I keep on hand all the time to add color and flavor to my bland cheap food! Green onions and parsley are must haves in my book. They are both cheap and can easily dress up any meal.
The other things I keep on hand in these recipes are, chicken broth, instant mashed potatoes, brown sugar, flour, Balsamic/cider vinegar, brown rice, lemon, frozen veggies (assorted), onion, cheese
You'll need to purchase a ribeye pork roast, apple if you don't have it

I start with a cheap ribeye pork roast about 2 pounds. From Walmart superstore it runs right around $4 and to serve 2 people I can make 2 meals out of it. If you have a larger crowd to feed and want to make the leftovers recipe, obviously buy a larger roast or more than one. Still cheap!
Another thing I like about these roasts from the old Walmart is they have a pop up thing in them already that lets you know when it is done.
Start the roast with some salt and pepper. If you are feeding children use a cut in half piece of garlic clove and rub the meat with that instead. Or just go easy on the salt and pepper! Or hell do both if you are feeling fancy and motivated!
I place mine on a rack that came with my toaster oven in a 2 quart casserole dish. The rack is not needed and does not speed the cooking time. Spray whatever surface you are cooking it on with cooking spray or rub with a light coating of vegetable oil first.
I follow the cooking direction that come on the packaging. But you could also cook a 5 pounder on 325* for about 2.5 hours. The one I get says 350* for 20 minutes per pound, which for my two pounder is approximately 40 minutes. However, I make a glaze that I coat it with about halfway through and every 10 minutes afterwards so it takes closer to an hour because of all the oven opening. Another reason I really like the popup timer thingy it comes with!

So let your roast, roast, about half of its cooking time. For mine specifically that is 20 minutes.
When the 20 minutes is almost up make the glaze:
1 cup brown sugar
1 T flour
1 t Dijon mustard
1.5 T vinegar (cider or balsamic - I have used both with little difference, use what you have around and like)
Melt all these together in a sauce pan on the stove. Goes pretty quickly.
Then after the halfway point of cooking on the roast, using a spoon or if you are blessed enough to have a basting brush, top the roast with some of the glaze. Just put it on top, it will melt down the sides and you will be adding more.
Then every 10 minutes, add some more to the top! Try not to cover the popup timer thingy.

Once the sweet pork roast is in the oven make the sweet rice. I use brown rice and highly recommend it for its health benefits. I buy a bag of Mahattma's for like a buck or so. For 2 people I boil 1 cup plus a little of water or chicken broth if I have some then add a half cup of dry rice and cover. Adjust your quantities as needed.
The rice takes about 45 minutes to cook so start it right when you put the roast in. Make sure it is on low heat!
When it is almost done, about the 30-40 minute mark, add the goodies!
Finely diced green onions
Finely chopped apple - red or something sweet not sour
Squeeze of lemon - to help the apple not brown

The apple brings out the sweetness of the glaze over the roast. And apples and pork are a classic combo.
For 2 people I use 2 onions and about 1/3rd of an apple. Not much at all! It takes so little to add the color and flavor. Of course adjust to your serving size and tastes.
Once the roast is done, let it rest for at least 5 minutes then slice. Serve over the rice. Top with some fresh chopped parsley for color, flavor, and the health benefits that parsley adds - you'd be surprised!
I often accompany it with a can of carrots (which I get free from WIC for being a breastfeeding mother) or some frozen spinach or whatever veggies I have in the freezer. Or use a salad or veggie sticks or something else.

~~LEFTOVERS~~
There shouldn't be any leftover rice or you made too much! ;) Seriously, I never have any rice left, but if you do, serve it with another dinner as an extra side.
As for the leftover pork, now that is fun!
YOU WILL NEED:
the leftover pork
butter or oil
some onion
flour
chicken broth
some frozen vegetables
instant potatoes
Preheat over to 350*
Dice pork into bite sized chunks, set aside.
Sautee some diced onion in a skillet in butter about 2 tablespoons or veg oil if you prefer.
Once it is clear and fragrant, add about 2 T of flour to make a roux.
Let the flour cook for a minute or two - this is the trick - otherwise it tastes kind of like raw flour.
Then slowly add chicken broth, I use the low sodium Swanson's in a box.
Stir completely into the flour onion mixture with each addition of the broth. You can use a whisk but it isn't completely necessary, I can get it done with a spatula too.
Keep adding the broth until the mixture seems just a little too thin.
Bring it to a bubble and let it simmer over low heat for a little while.

Here's the tricky part...
In the meantime while doing all that - (I suggest while the onions are cooking down start with the veggies, while veggies cook do potatoes)
Cook a cup or two of frozen mixed veggies. You can use a mix bag or whatever you have really, corn and green beans and carrots or peas or whatever. Adjust the amount to however many you will be serving and for however much pork you have leftover. You can really extend the pork by adding more veggies!!
Cook them in the microwave in a microwave safe dish with a splash of water covered with wax paper for about 2 minutes less than the cooking directions say. Usually that's about 4-5 minutes.
Set aside.
While the veggies are cooking make your potatoes. I highly recommend the instant mashed potatoes. They really work the best on this and they are quick and easy.
First boil water, add milk then add potato powder and remove from heat. Done, super simple.
Remember to put a lid on your pan to make the water boil faster!
You'll need a casserole dish to put this all in, grease it if you want. Pick whatever size to accommodate your amount of food.
When the potatoes are done, the veggies are cooked and your bubbly sauce is looking thick and sticks pleasantly to the back of a spoon,
Add your meat and veggies to the sauce and stir them together.
Salt and pepper at this point.
Pour mixture into your casserole dish
Spoon the potatoes on to the top of the meat mixture - be careful to keep the potatoes on the top!
Sprinkle top with cheese, whatever you have around, yellow works best I think. I get cheese free from WIC but often use it all before the month is up and have to buy a small amount and I get whatever is less than $2!
Pop the dish in the oven and check it after about 20 minutes. It should be bubbling out the sides of the potatoes and cheese should be melted.
Top individual servings with either diced green onions or chopped fresh parsley!

It tastes like a pot pie (only better cause it has cheese and taters! oh and cause you MADE it!) and it one of my favorite dinners. I make the roast just to make the leftovers casserole!

Hope you try it all and hope you and your family like it all!

Breastfeeding - Step 1 in being CHEAP

2007-03-16T20:31:00.000-06:00

Seems so simple doesn't it! Of course the best way to start out being a frugal mom is to not have to PAY to feed your child!
Have you seen the prices on those buckets of formula? Um, no thank you. Even if you have WIC, which I do, they don't fulfill your entire monthly formula needs most often and you'll still have to buy some. Plus my WIC gives me extra food for nursing! I'll post about WIC soon.
And yes yes, breast milk is the best thing for the baby. And yes yes, it helps prevent cancers in the mom and releases happy hormones and all that. But come on, who are we kidding. It's FREE!!
And the best news is it is recomended by the AAP that babies not even get solids introduced until 6 months of age! That means 6 whole months of free food for your child! And seriously, there isn't really a need to introduce foods then unless your child is low in iron which is rare in breastfed babies.
**Get them checked if they were born early since they missed that great iron store building stage of pregnancy.**
Not to mention, (but I will!) that the majority of all nutrition for the whole first year needs to come from breast milk or formula. Uh, I pick the free one.
So foods are really more about experimenting and not about feeding. I mean you are feeding the baby but not for the sake of nutrition. Not that I mean go and give the little one unhealthy foods! Goodness gracious NO! I mean there is no need to even worry about foods for the whole first year.
When the time comes and I will post about it soon enough as I start to feed my baby something other than delicious and perfect mommy milk, make your own baby food. Not just because it is cheaper than buying little jars and tupperwares that must contain some type of preservatives to exist in those containers, but also for the sake of your childs health and taste development. Don't you want them to learn to eat foods that actually taste like those foods? I mean have you ever actually tried those baby purees in a jar? That is not what a carrot tastes like!

So the first step in frugality of motherhood is to utilize nature's gift of food for the baby and breastfeed. And not just breastfeed but exclusively breastfeed as long as possible and then continue to breastfeed for as long as possible. The WHO recommends at least 2 years and most babies self wean between the ages of 2 and 4.
I will be starting solids with my son before his first birthday but I am not looking forward to the change in his diapers! I am looking forward to the fun of it all. He will continue to nurse on demand for his entire first year and beyond because I know as long as he is getting that mommy milk for the first 2 years he is well covered nutritionally.
Did I mention it's FREE!