Low Carb Recipe: Paneer(Cheese) with Spinach

Ingredients

750g/1½lb baby spinach, washed
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, chopped
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into long julienne
1½ tbsp chopped garlic
1-2 green chillies, whole
2 tsp ground coriander
salt, to taste
250g/8¾oz ready-made paneer (available from some supermarkets and Asian grocers), cut into cubes, or make your own paneer
½-1 tsp garam masala
6 tbsp whole milk, or 4 tbsp double cream
1-2 tsp lemon juice, or to taste

Click here for the rest of this BBC Food recipe.

I plan to try this soon, and make my own paneer.

Update: This was very good, recommended! I did change the recipe by using dried spices, not fresh, and I didn't blend the spinach, making it a casserole baked dish instead. I topped it with parmesean cheese and wheat germ. I'll try it creamy next time, maybe over some chopped chicken and salad.

Almond Orange Cake & Cheese Scones Recipe

England's Mrs. Poogle makes the most wonderful tea cakes. This one is perfect for summer : Almond Orange Cake. I borrowed her picture as well. If you are dieting, don't look!

and some easy cheese scones.

We should all slow down our busy lives and stop for a little afternoon tea time. Don't you think? A daily afternoon nap would be nice too. ;)

Easy Blender Mayonnaise

I'm made this tonight:

1 egg
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup salad oil

See here for instructions.

This turned out really good and literally took minutes to make! I used cider vinegar, and substituted one tablespoon of the lemon juice for the vinegar. Next time I'll try balsamic vinegar.

I plan to use this mayonnaise with Herbed Chicken Salad.

The Grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony

From Mrs. Pogle's blog, on marriage:

"Christ dwells with them, gives them the strength to take up their crosses and so follow him, to rise again after they have fallen, to forgive one another, to bear one another’s burdens, to “be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ,”148 and to love one another with supernatural, tender, and fruitful love. In the joys of their love and family life he gives them here on earth a foretaste of the wedding feast of the Lamb." Sections 1642-48 Catechism of the Catholic Church

Homeschooling Tweens and Teens

This coming September I'll be homeschooling a tween, a sixth grader, and it already feels so new and strange to me. I find myself missing the innocence and cuteness of his elementary school curriculum. I'm not concerned about the years to come academically, that we can manage. I think our struggles will be to find him constructive things to do with his time.

I know everyone with tweens and teens struggles with this, even those who have children in school outside the home. We live in a highly transient area, so teen groups are not cohesive and there is little sense of community. It's a historic area with many museums, a botanical garden, and two zoos; there is lots to see and do, but we have done it already 100 times. Now I have to figure out what to do with a teen who dislikes sports, and doesn't feel the need for much organized socialization outside the home.

I'll be researching books on preparing teenagers for life and homeschooling teens in general. A few things I plan for him to do as he gets older is to find volunteer opportunities, and join the church teen group which unfortunately is not all that organized or cohesive either. He's in transition right now from boy to teen, so that means our homeschool is as well. The course of our lives is not all neat and tidy anymore. My son's interests have not defined themselves either, so there is no clear direction, unless you can make a living off watching and collecting all things related to super heroes. He recently found my husband's childhood collection of Garfield and Beetle Bailey comic books which produces gales of laughter for a good part of the afternoon after school work is done. At least he is never bored; he is always content. He is also fairly independent and responsible with his school work and chores, so this will serve him well.

As usual I am probably getting too far ahead of myself with my son's future. I have to remind myself to take it one step at a time, and have faith that God will work in my son's life just as it has in my own. For this reason, I've chosen to concentrate and focus on his spiritual growth, and not get all head up if we don't read every recommended classic piece of literature. Practical life skills are important as well. It was sink or swim during my early life. No one taught me in school(or at home) how to use a checking account, how to save and budget money, or anything about taxes. Not to mention how to cook, how to sew a button onto your clothes(or sew for that matter), how to have a mature relationship with the opposite sex, or how to deal with life's ups and downs in a healthy way. What I did learn though was how to learn, so for that I am grateful. What I learned, I learned from books and periodicals. And now we have the Internet; what a blessing this has been!

Feel free to share any Christian books or resources which you found useful for bringing up your teens. I'm interested.

Spiritual Warfare: Gluttony

I am down another pound, but it's been a difficult week. The temptation to bake banana bread and eat the entire loaf has crossed my mind! With prayer I've managed to make good eating choices, and stay on my diet. I've noticed that I do better when I get more sleep. I've stayed up too late a few nights, and the next day I could barely make it through the day without being grumpy. Whereas in the past, I may have fortified myself with extra carbs to get through a sleepy day, now I have to just get through.

So, earlier bedtimes are in order. Thanks to a few readers who have been picking up the slack on my posts. My brain is still a bit fuzzy, so I'm missing things. I give myself a "C" for the past week for sloppy thinking. LOL.

Philippians 4:5, "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand".

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's". HT to What Does the Bible Say About Gluttony.

Seven Deadly Sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride.
Seven Virtues: Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, and Humility.

Aquinas Ethicus, Of Gluttony.

Father I thank you that I am able to possess my vessel (body). I thank you that I have the will to lose unhealthy pounds and make better food choices. Thank you Lord that I have an appetite and a desire for foods that will nourish my body.

Father, because you are always with me, I know that I am not alone in this. I claim victory over obesity; over-weight; and unhealthy eating habits.

Father, give me the wisdom to make the right choices for my body. And let your light of success, shine in me, that others will see my good works, and glorify the Father in Heaven. In Jesus name-Amen. Source.

Feel free to add your own Bible passages and prayers in the comment section for all those that need lifting up in their weight loss struggle, a struggle to be free of gluttony.

Staying Cool with Bamboo Mats

Jimmie, who is homeschooling in China, shares a clever invention for staying cool through hot summer nights.

Aluminum Can Garden Markers

Click here for tutorial.

HT to Making Do with the Not So New

Update: a reader brought up a good point about these - they could be a hazard in the garden or in a pot because they are sharp. I'm not sure how you'd get around this - a metal file or Dremel perhaps? So maybe this is not the safest idea for recycling and reusing, but if you can find a way to dull the edges, a great idea!

This crafter makes punched tin butterflies and mentions that aluminum pie plates can be used, a much safer alternative. You can bend back or scrunch the edges of aluminum pie plates quite easily with some needle nose pliers.

Healthy Flaxseed Bran Muffin Recipe

This is the second time making these for the children. I had one delicious bite, but it's not on my diet plan. This was adapted from a Bob's Red Mill recipe. These muffins go fast.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour (I substitute 1/2 cup almond flour for wheat)
3/4 cup Flaxseed Meal
3/4 cup Oat Bran Cereal
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt or less
2 peeled and shredded Apples
1/2 cup brown bananas
1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 cup Milk(I used coconut milk)
2 beaten Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix the first seven ingredients well in one bowl, and the remaining in another. Combine wet and dry until dry is moistened, spoon into cupcake pans and bake for about 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. I accidentally cooked them at 425 degrees(forgot to change it) for 10 minutes, and they came out fine.

Note: These are very moist; a little chopped nuts would really round out the muffin - moist and crunchy. My children don't like nuts in their muffins, so I leave them out.

When It's too Hot...

work a puzzle with the family indoors. I found a beautiful puzzle today at Walmart by Kinuko Craft which reminded me of the Pre-Raphaelite painters. Kinuko Craft is a contemporary artist known for her illustrations of fairy tale and mythology books. I also noticed that the puzzles are "green", made of 90% recycled materials and use vegetables dyes for the ink. This one is pretty enough to frame.

One of Craft's children's books:

Cinderella

The Honest Scrap Award

Esther kindly awarded me with the Honest Scrap Award.
Here are the rules:

In accepting this award, I need to do the following:
1) Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award.
2) Share "ten honest things" about myself.
3) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
4) Tell those 7 people that they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving it.

1) I am not a morning person, and often wake up later than most people. When I worked outside the home it was tough. In fact, during my entire childhood waking up early to get to school was very unpleasant. My natural clock begins later.

2) I'm really a cat person, but we have a dog for my son. He is sweet, but in my heart I prefer the cat.

3) I sometimes leave the day's dirty dishes in the sink until the evening before loading them into the dishwasher. :0

4) I like to change things in the house or I get bored. Furniture arrangement and decor gets switched around every other year. It's actually fun(challenging) to try to use what I have and create new arrangements.

5) I like to travel quite a bit, in fact I wouldn't mind living on a boat.

6) I once traveled down the Orinoco River(Venezuela) for two weeks in the late 1970's.

7) My husband and I share similar difficult childhood experiences with our families, and yet we've both managed to grow in the right directions in spite of it - divine grace! What a wonderful gift .

8) I like new homemade organic soap - love the smell of new and unusual blends. I'd hoard soap if that wasn't wasteful.

9) I have conservative values, but I have an inner hippy.

10) Jesus is my best friend.

I pass this award onto the last seven commentors:

Latte Lady

Aussie Therese

Myrnie

Lola

Mrs. Darling

Anne

SAHMinIL

Make Your Own Platform Sofa

There were no directions with this image that I found online, but it looks very simple. The base is probably made from pine formed into boxes and stained. The cushions are foam wrapped with fabric. I've seen large foam pieces at sewing stores, and Walmart carries thick foam mattresses which can be customized. I just saw the decorative bamboo stalks in the corner at Target. A clever frugal furniture idea for a small place.

Here is another one with no instructions, but easy to make because of it's boxy design. This one is from HGTV and is actually a platform bed made to look like a sofa, or daybed. It can do double duty, and all you need is a standard mattress and cushions.

An interesting idea for the back of a sofa, a repurposed headboard. The least expensive way to make a platform would be to simply reuse the box spring on the floor without the rails(metal frame), and cover it with fabric, staple gunning it to the wood frame. If you take the original box spring fabric off, you may be able to stain the wood, and cover the rest with fabric. Two headboards drilled onto the long edge of a twin box spring could make an interesting sofa back. Add a mattress, cushions, and fitted sheets, and you've got a sofa. Image source.

Here's another design which can be altered by placing the headboard at the long side of the mattress for a sofa back. Simply construct a rectangular box which could be covered with foam padding, stapled to the wood, and then covered with a fabric. Little boxy arms be added in the same manner, all nailed to the platform. This could be free standing as well as a corner sofa. Image source(beam bed). Those legs are actually beams, and the headboard may be made from same.

This platform sofa uses over sized pillows.








Not a platform sofa, but I really liked the colors and style - good for inspiration.

Make a Sculpture from an Old Book

See easy tutorial here.

Easy Wrap Skirt Tutorial for Children and Adults

I keep seeing people wearing these now! I wore these in the 70's and early 80's, and I am so happy to see them back. These can be customized for children or adults. This particular wrap skirt does not have a hole along the waist band to pass through an extra long string. You can add this if you want the skirt to wrap around more(wider length) to ensure it doesn't flip open with the wind. I wear a slip with mine for modesty. If you do have it wrap around more(one time and 3/4), you need this hole to run the string through to ensure the skirt doesn't fall down along the waist. All mine wrap around this way - about one time and 3/4.

You can also make them reversible.

Click here.

Make Your Own Waterless Hand Sanitizer

This is really simple and uses easily found ingredients. Simply purchase a bottle of aloe vera and cut it with alcohol and a little glycerin. You can even scent it with essential oils. I eyeball the measurements for the hand sanitizer ingredients to get it to the right consistency, but *here is a more exacting recipe.

You'll end up with quite a bit. I funnel mine into a mini reusable travel size pump bottle from the dollar store. This fits nicely into my bag. If you don't have a funnel, the dollar stores usually carry these in sets of three.

*An alert reader noticed that the linked recipe was low on alcohol. In order for this sanitizer to be effective in killing most of those nasty germs, the solution must be at least 60% alcohol. So please take this into consideration when using the linked recipe. I make mine with about 50% alcohol. Use at your own discretion.

Weight Loss Progress

A few days ago I gained 2.5 pounds(overnight!), half of what I've lost. I thought I was sticking to the diet, but found out that Starbucks cafe lattes are high carb drinks(18 carbs). This solves the mystery; I treated myself to two of these recently. I also ate a small can of mixed nuts over a two day period which were carby as well(9 grams for ten). This week has been difficult. I seem to be much more low energy, and my brain is fuzzy.

I've lost all but a pound of the weight I gained. Hopefully I'll keep losing. Our library has some really helpful low carb diet books. One of them I picked up yesterday, and it has been very helpful with excellent recipes:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Low-Carb Meals

I've noticed that some low carb recipes call for heavy cream and butter. This just seems like heart attack on a plate to me. I've been substituting canola or olive oil, and butter substitute sprinkles(1 carb) for the butter, and avoided recipes with heavy cream.

Last night I had a zucchini spaghetti dish which was excellent. Zucchini spaghetti is simply thin strips of cooked zucchini as a spaghetti substitute. You cut them very thin and salt them to dry them up a bit. After they have set in the salt, you pat dry and cook them in a pan with a little oil, garlic, and seasonings. I layered mine with parmesan cheese and sliced yellow squash, cooked with the zucchini. Then I slid the pan into the oven for about a half hour. If you add spaghetti sauce, it tastes like a regular Italian spaghetti dish.

Save Money on Postage with Discounted Postage Stamps

I'm on the mailing list for Henry Gitner Philatelists, Inc. They sell stamps to collectors, but also sell stamps at discounted rates, older stamps which are mint and legal to use. These stamps have the original glue on the back and have never been used(canceled). Philatelists will often sell sheets of these collector stamps at clearance. Henry Gitner has some for 15% off or 85% face value. I used these discounted stamps for years, especially when I was mailing heavy packages while selling on ebay. Many of the stamps are lower values, but currently they are selling some high value stamps.

Because the package values contain a lot of low value stamps, these are most useful to people who plan to use them on larger packages. You'll need room to add a lot of stamps. In the past, I've filled up my package corners with all that would fit, and paid for the difference of the postage at the post office.

See sale and more information here. They do charge 3% if you use a credit card or Paypal; checks or money orders will save you that fee.

They will also buy older stamps, or you can try selling them yourself at places like Craigslist, Etsy, or Ebay. Here is their current buying list. This is a great way to make a little extra money as you clean out the attic. Older Baby boomers often stamp collected as a hobby, I know my father did, and my older sister.

Building a Basic Pantry and Ten Simple Meals

Practical helps for beginners:

Click here for basic pantry contents for a well-stocked pantry and ten easy meals.

Ten easy meals:

• Oven Ranch Chicken
• Egg Noodle Tuna Casserole
• Baked Ziti
• Chicken a la King
• Mexican Casserole
• Hamburger Stroganoff
• BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Homemade Chicken Alfredo
• Tuscan-Style Tuna Salad
• Onion Mushroom Meatloaf
• Three-Bean Turkey Chili
• Penne with Chicken and Pesto

Amazon June Sale: Save $10 on Tom's of Maine

Save $10 on Tom's of Maine

I missed out on this one! I already bought some last month.

From Amazon: Save $10 when you spend $29 or more on eligible Tom's of Maine products sold by Amazon.com. Use the following promotional code when you check out: JUNE9TOM. Offer valid through June 30, 2009. See rules and restrictions.

For an even greater value, take advantage of FREE Super Saver Shipping (restrictions apply).

Federal Program to Lower Student Loan Debt Begins 7/1/09

"If you have a student loan debt balance that is close to or exceeds your annual income, this is for you. Income-Based Repayment (IBR) is a new way to lower your federal student loan payments starting July 1, 2009. It caps monthly payments and forgives remaining debt and interest after 25 years. And if you’re a teacher or work in government, nonprofit, or other public service jobs, you could have your federal loans forgiven after just 10 years."

See Income-Based Repayment of Federal Student Loan Debt Starts July 1st.

Top Five Bargain Destinations for Summer 2009

Click here.

Father's Day: Make Your Own Men's Cologne

Click here for a variety of recipes.

Here's one I made for Father's Day with some scents that I had on hand:

Lemon Cedar Men's Aftershave

- 2 ounces Vodka(can also use witch hazel)
- 8 drops of lemon essential oil
- 8 drops cedar essential oil
- 4 drop bergamont essential oil

Lemon top note with a cedar finish. A few drops of lavender essential oil will give it a hint of sweet, rounding off the cedar. Lime would be nice as well. Interesting glass bottles can be found at places like Pier One, Etsy, or sometimes even the dollar stores. My husband isn't picky, so I used a mini travel spray bottle from Target.

For dry skin add a few drops of aloe vera or glycerin. This will give it more staying power as well.

I get my essential oils at either Vitacost(very inexpensive) or Mountain Rose Herbs(organic)

We didn't celebrate Father's Day this year as my husband had to work, but that's usually the way of it with his odd working hours.

I haven't tried this, but here is the recipe for Bay Rum Aftershave. I'd try to find and use mostly essential oils for this though. Mountain Rose Herbs has the bay essential oil, and a few of the other oils. The oils are less messy and have a stronger, longer lasting scent.

The Economics of Living Close to Family

"Our culture has become so transient and disconnected, that we have forgotten this obvious frugal strategy. " Click here. This is not an option for everyone due to the changing or poor economic climate in some areas, but something to consider.

Does My Car Qualify for Cash for Clunkers?

Click on title.

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Mary, Mother of God our witness to love, mercy and charity. Without Mary, no Jesus. "She cooperated through charity", as St. Augustine says, "in the work of our redemption". She heard and responded . A role model we can look to in age of confusion. Mary is always there to step in as our mother, we only need to ask.

"Father, you prepared the heart of the Virgin Mary to be a fitting home for your Holy Spirit. By her prayers may we become a more worthy temple of your glory. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." HT to Catholic Culture.

Be Grounded in Love...

Let Christ dwell in your hearts.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Eph 3:14-19)

The second most important commandment is to love your neighbor. We must be able to strive for this when we give our hearts to Jesus. We are all God's children.

A Catholic prayer for the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus(yesterday).

Prayer to the wounded heart of Jesus
O my Most Loving and Gentle Jesus, I desire with all the affections of my heart, that all beings created and uncreated, should praise Thee, honor Thee and glorify Thee eternally for that sacred wound wherewith Thy divine side was rent.
I deposit, enclose, conceal in that wound and in that opening in Thy Heart, my heart and all my feelings, thoughts, desires, intentions and all the faculties of my soul.
I entreat Thee, by the precious Blood and Water that flowed from Thy Most Loving Heart, to take entire possession of me, that Thou may guide me in all things.
Consume me in the burning fire of thy holy Love, so that I may be so absorbed and transformed into Thee that I may no longer be but one with Thee. Amen.

HT to Jimmi.

Sunflower Seed Spread

I plan to try this spread as a substitute for cream cheese on my celery sticks for an evening snack. The recipe calls for tahini, which I've made at home before - extremely easy.

Sunflower Seed Spread.

Stretching Pricey Safer Sunscreens

Natural sunscreens minus some of the controversial chemicals are expensive. California Baby SPF 30 is around $17.00. I've extended these sunscreens by emptying them into a pump bottle and adding just a little oil. I added almond oil with lemon grass essential oils, doubles as a insect repellent. I noticed that it spreads better, and did not leave a white film. Some of the safer natural sunscreens tend to leave a white film and do not spread well over the skin.

I don't know if this affects the SPF, but they are still working for us.

I might even try this with zinc oxide, and make my own sunscreen by mixing it with oil. Sesame seed oil and Shea butter reportedly have some natural sunscreen protection. That's a topic for another post...more projects, fun. :)

And here's an Etsy mechant who makes her own natural sunscreen with zinc oxide(pictured above). Not a bad deal for 8 ounces, only $12.00 with free shipping. This I'd be willing to try.

Easy Chinese Brown Sauce

I'm entering my Asian recipe phase. ;) I'm trying this sauce tonight with chicken and stir fry veggies:


Chinese Brown Sauce:

• 3/4 cup beef or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp of ginger
• 1/4 garlic
  

Healthier sugar substitutes: pure maple syrup, orange juice, or even pureed raisins.

Tomorrow I will try Sweet and Sour Fish

Make a Shower Curtain Play Mat

Click here. Image from link.

Weight Loss Progress

I've lost 2.5 pounds so far, and it's been less than a week. The Induction Phase of the Atkins Diet is like this - you lose fast initially, and then later at a more moderate pace. I'm using this low carb diet program because it worked for me last time I needed to lose baby weight in 2003/04. The Atkins Diet has been improved over the years to include more low fat proteins, however, I go low fat with almost all my ingredients. For me, this is a really easy weight loss diet because I don't get hungry, a little, but nothing close to starving.

The Atkins website has some sample recipes to give you an idea of what the first two weeks of the Induction Phase is like - very low carbs, but tasty meals. After this induction phase, you gradually add more carbs to your diet. You can adjust the amount of carbs to how your body responds. Everyone needs different amounts to lose or maintain their weight. You don't have to begin at induction, but it helps get you jump started if you have a lot of weight to lose.

Starting this diet means no starches such as breads(most), pastas, rice, or food with added sugar for me. I take it easy on the fruits and eat meat, beans, nuts, fish and vegetables. The induction phase includes no fruit, but I decided to continue to eat apples and bananas. In the long term, I know this diet works for me, so in order to keep the weight off, I'll have to give up flour and rice based starches(dramatic sigh). I still plan to treat myself with some sugary desserts from time to time, like cheese cake! I gained my weight back when I became pregnant with my daughter on 2005, and returned to carbs. I've been eating them ever since, for the past four year, and it shows! So, it's time for me to go back to what works, a daily diet of low carb foods.

Browse Atkins recipes by phase.

Tonight I had rosemary chicken and an Asian salad, yum. Last night, a rump roast with seasoned mixed vegetables. Tomorrow night, I'm planning a fish dish. I'll be researching and learning many vegetarian recipes for side dishes and main meals with this diet.

I Googled low carb recipes and found some great ideas for variety and taste. I saw a good number of low carb recipes for breads using soy flour which is new to me. I'll be experimenting with this wheat substitute in the future .

Progress:

I began at 174.6 pounds on Monday morning, and today I weighed in at 172.0. I weigh myself first thing every morning, and take into account the weight of clothing(if needed). I'm 5 6" inches tall and my target weight is 140-145 pounds which will place in a clothing size of size 10 or ladies medium/large . I'm comfortable at this weight...any thinner and I look sickly, and it would be too difficult to maintain at my age and fitness level. Maintaining a weight of 140-145 is doable for me, and this was my usual weight(pre-baby).

Homemade Asian Salad Dressing Recipe

This is a new dressing I tried tonight, and it was so delicious! I had some left over homemade tahini from my middle eastern recipe phase last month, so I added it to a Good Seasons dressing that I had made up with the Good Seasons All Natural Italian powder mix. I also added a little soy sauce and minced garlic.

Specifics:

Use a Good Seasons salad dressing bottle with a Good Seasons premixed powder salad dressing mix. I used an Italian mix. Fill bottle to the specified lines with water, canola oil, red wine vinegar, and the mix. Add a teaspoon of minced garlic, a tablespoon tahini, and a tablespoon of soy sauce. Shake well before serving, and store in the refrigerator.

I got my Good Seasons dressing bottle(cruet) at a thrift for about fifty cents. These cruets save you quite a bit of money on dressing, and they are quick, easy, and healthier. You can always add your own seasoning instead of purchasing the Good Seasons powder mixes. If you are not familiar with these bottles, they already have the lines on them for how high to pour the water, oil, and vinegar.

Good Seasons copy cat recipe. This includes the liquid measurements if you don't have the bottle.

Prayer for Discernment

All highest, glorious God,
cast your light
into the darkness of my heart.
Give me right faith,
firm hope,
perfect charity
and profound humility
with wisdom and perception, O Lord,
so that I may do what is truly Your holy will.
Amen

(St. Francis of Assisi)

Sharing this from Micki's blog.

Burt's Bees Online Special

Burt's Bees is offering a 25th Burt Day Celebration Grab Bag for $25.00(free ship) containing:

• 6 Regular-Sized Products:
• Lip Shimmer Merlot
• Lip Shimmer Toffee
• Replenishing Lip Balm
• Beeswax Lip Balm
• Spearmint & Lime Body Wash (4 oz)
• Nourishing Body Lotion (3 oz)
• 12 Mini-size:
• Baby Bee Buttermilk Bath
• All-in-One Wash
• Lip Gloss Red
• Lip Gloss Nude
• Natural Skin Care for Men Soap
• Peppermint Soap
• Citrus Spice Soap
• Baby Bee Buttermilk Soap
• Orange Essence Facial Cleanser
• Peppermint Foot Lotion
• Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar
• Therapeutic Bath Crystals
• 4 Special Gifts:
• Bamboo Poof
• Burt's Bees Gardener's Gloves
• Red Wristlet Bag
• Lip Balm Clip-On

"Shipping is free with code BURTDAY. If purchasing 2 grab bags, use coupon code JUNEHIVE for a free Natural Skin Care for Men Travel Kit. " Source: Slickdeals

A Few Summer Family Freebie Ideas

Kids Bowl Free

Free Admission to Museums

Free entry to U.S. National Parks: "Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the free weekends should help American families struggling with the recession afford a memorable vacation. All 147 Park Service sites that charge fees for entry will waive entrance fees from June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16."

FREE FAMILY FILM FESTIVAL and more free movies here.

AMC Movie Watcher freebies and deals.

AMC Theatres printable coupon (PDF) good for a FREE LARGE Popcorn when you buy a LARGE Fountain Drink (expires 11/05/09). One coupon per ticket purchase. Valid only at AMC Theatres. Not valid with any other offer. Source: Slickdeals

Free Summer Meals for Children(NYC - tourists and locals, anyone!) This is also offered in other locales across the country. Check your local area.

Operation Purple - free summer camp for children of deployed military.

Children's Freebies all year round(samples and more)

Chuck E. Cheese: 100 tokens $10, exp 7/9/09

There is a pool in our area which allows free admission after a certain time, and hour before closing. Check your community pools to see if they have lower rates in the evenings.

Community centers are a good places for free or low cost summer activities. Our local community center charges $15.00 a year for an indoor pool, rock wall and gym time. They also have very inexpensive group swim lessons. They offer classes all year round for other activities as well.

Barnes & Noble offers free story times during the week.

Check your tourist information centers in your local area for coupon booklets. I found a great coupon booklet from a welcome center that I had not seen before, and we saved at least $15.00 with it for local attractions. We like to play tourist in our area and discover new places near us.

Check you local library for free summer programs.

Churches and other places of worship often offer free summer programs. Christian churches offer Bible camps/school during the summer.

Recycling Pallets

Upcycling wood pallets

How to Make Bread Tutorial

Click here for a beginner's tutorial from an experienced bread maker. This is how I like to make bread, by hand, and it's easier than you think.

No Drill Quick Window Treatments

We tried this with an extra long tension rod, and rod pocket sheers behind our drapes with our double windows, but it works best if your window width is shorter. Ours sagged a little because of the long width.


Modular Drapes(Image from link)

Weee're Back!

Back, but not whole...I injured my neck before the vacation(ER visit the night before we left) and it still hurts! Light blogging while I rest my neck. We had a great time at the Jersey Shore, and after seeing some of the pictures I realized that I really need to start my diet now rather than later. Geez, how did I pack on all this weight?! I lost 20 pounds on a low carb diet a few years ago after a pregnancy. I kept it off until I had my daughter, and three years later, it's still here, all 30 pounds of it . A low carb diet should work again if I stick to it. Vanity aside, we had a great time getting to the beaches, the Cape May Zoo, Lucy the Elephant, and three different boardwalks. I forgot that June is still a bit chilly up in Jersey. Swimming was kept to the pool at the hotel, and we only waded into the ocean. That water was cold!

Free Movie Ticket: Two for One Movie Ticket Deal

Fandango.com is offering a two for one special if you purchase movie tickets using your Visa Signature card. Check here for special.

Honey - Do Lists and Frugal Vacations

My husband has a lot of leave this month, so we've been busy getting the house cleaned out and minor repairs done. Freecycle.com is my new best friend. I've been downsizing our stuff, and you can get large pieces picked up in 24 hours. We don't have a truck or large cars, so this has been so convenient! People are always willing to take away your junk for free, and it saves it from being dumped in the landfill. Craigslist.com is good as well, and I probably should have sold the stuff there, but it was hardly worth the effort for me ... low energy this year.

I can see more of the floor now, and I like it this way. I think I've entered my minimalist period. ;) It's much easier to clean without so much furniture. We got rid of our early 90's bulky style chest of drawers in our bedroom. Everything fit in the closet with organizers, so this was just a waste of space having it.

The living room has been cleared out with just a couch, side table, a large floor plant, and entertainment center. My preschool daughter has taken over this room, so it's more preschool friendly now. She can spread out with her toys, while my son has the den. It's so much easier to vacuum in there now! Less furniture and other stuff means less dusting as well.

Then there are the little details with the house like cleaning out gutters, carpet cleaning, mulching, repairing holes, cleaning windows, trimming shrubs, adding gutter extenders, etc, etc. Both cars needed repairs this month, so it was good my husband was home.

I also planned a last minute trip to the Jersey shore. We(I!!!) needed a little vacation, and the hotel rates are very low this year. I was able to find a decent hotel not far from the beach and boardwalk for about $59.00 a night(weekday) with a frig and microwave. I used Cheaptickets.com, found an inexpensive hotel, then compared the rates online. I was able to find a better rate via the hotel's website, $20.00 less expensive. Cheaptickets will match this rate, and they are running a special for 15% off with no booking fees. Click through to Cheapticket.com via Ebates.com(free sign up) to earn 1% cash back.

I'm also planning two trip next year to Disney and Amish country, Pennsylvania. Both places offer wonderful off-season deals. I am hoping Disney will still be offering the 2 nights free next year.

J.C. Penney $10.00 Savings Certificate Online Coupon

I got this in the mail recently:

Use GR8DAD at checkout and get $10.00 off when ordering via jcp.com, or via telephone 1 800-222-6161. Coupon good 6/7/09- 6/21/09.

Organic Insect Control for the Yard and Garden

We've been having a terrible problem with ticks, and despite all our preventative measures they still nested around the yard. There are some pretty strong chemicals at our larger home and gardens centers, and I didn't want to use these with our pets and children. So I took a trip to Ace Hardware and found Safer Bug Control made with pyrethrins(chrysanthemums). It kills over 40 different kind of bugs(including fleas), so it also knocked out our ant problem around the base of the house. Ace Hardware carries Ace brand pyrethrins for the garden, a bit less expensive.

So far so good, no more ticks! You do have to wait about 2 hours before letting pets or people onto the lawn, but as soon as it dries, it's safe.

Amazon and Walmart carry this brand, as well as some hardware and farm stores.

Stretching Pure Maple Syrup

We buy pure maple syrup to avoid the preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and empty calories of imitation maple syrup. The healthier pure maple syrup is a source of calcium and other minerals: potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron. There are also trace amounts of B2 (riboflavin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), PP (niacin), biotin, folic acid and amino acids. It is a bit expensive, and seems to go quickly around here. So I tried this recipe from Hillbilly Housewife for homemade pancake syrup, diluting a fourth of a bottle of pure maple syrup.

I'll use this syrup and let the children use the pure stuff. It's also a good back up for when we run out of real maple syrup. It tastes very good, and quite similar to commercial imitation syrup.

Actually, the molasses in this pancake recipe has many of the same nutritional properties as pure maple syrup. Although you only use two tablespoons of it, the molasses has high amounts of manganese, copper, iron, and calcium. Other minerals represented in molasses include potassium, magnesium, B-6, and selenium. I didn't try adding more to this recipe, but you might be able to get away with it. Molasses can taste bitter in larger ratios with sugar. I guess gingerbread cookies with all that molasses is good for you in the dead of winter!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

I ended up with quite a bit homemade ketchup last month, so I took a bottle and turned it into BBQ sauce by adding a little lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder, pepper, coriander, celery salt, powdered mustard, and cumin. I also added a bit more vinegar for more tang.

Here is the original recipe from Hillybilly Housewife for BBQ sauce. It's very easy, and you can add which ever spices you like to your own taste.

While at the library, I saw some interesting BBQ recipes in the most recent Martha Stewart magazine. I adapted some of the spice ingredients to my recipe.

Frugal 1000 Calorie Diet Recipes and Menus

Hillbilly Housewife has a good number of daily menus for healthy weight loss in a PDF download here. If you get bored with your diet, these provide a little variety.