Real Food- Freezer Cooking *Update*

Here is an update on my Real Food-Freezer Cooking! Only 1 more recipe to go!
Are you cooking for your freezer too?

• Cream of Celery soup
• Banana Chocolate Chip mini-muffins
• Waffles (with a few alterations)
• Individual baked oatmeal cups
• Refried Beans
• Cookies (with a few alterations) I decided to make almond butter chocolate chip cookies! Yummy! 

Individual Baked Oatmeals, mini banana muffins & almond butter cookies

Pinterest Projects- 45 Uses of Vinegar Part III

I tested these uses & wrote this post right as we were moving from IL to IN. It got put on the back burner until now. I have really been intrigued testing various ways to use vinegar! You need to give some of these a try!!!



I found a list of 45 uses of vinegar on Pinterest. I have tried several of the suggestions. You can read about the other uses I  have tested Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

I made Dryer Sheets using vinegar and I love how they turned out. This idea was NOT on this list "45 Uses of Vinegar"  I got the idea from my sister in law. Be sure to check out how I made them!

15. Put an end to itching. Dab a cotton ball soaked in white vinegar on mosquito bites and insect stings. It will stop them from itching and help disinfect the area so they heal faster. I tried this on Cora when she had a mosquito bite. It seemed to help! But since I didn't have one of my own it was hard to know for sure.

16. Whiten your teeth. Brush your teeth once a week with white distilled vinegar. Dip your toothbrush into the vinegar and brush thoroughly. It will help prevent bad breath, too. I haven't noticed a difference yet. Probably bc I drink too much coffee ;)

17. Make nail polish last longer. Before you apply nail polish, wipe your nails with a cotton ball soaked in white distilled vinegar. The clean surface will help your manicure last. Hmmm, I don't know about this one. I don't think it made my OPI last any longer than normal. But I'd say try it for yourself :)      

37. Sticky stickers. Don’t scratch at the residue left by stickers or price tags. Instead, apply vinegar to the gunk, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe the glue away. This worked great. Cora leaves stickers all over the house. These 2 have been on my floors for awhile now....But w a few squirts of vinegar they came right up!!!

Have you seen this picture floating around Facebook? Some reports don't support the claims on this picture. But I am going to try it! When I researched apple cider vinegar benefits I found several other claims too: heals sore throat which I currently have :( A shot in water, juice or a smoothie everyday for at least 30 days to see if I can tell a difference in any way. If I do notice any effects I'll be sure to post!
So *Cheers* to apple cider vinegar! ;)

"Real Food" Freezer cooking

 

 

Holidays are over & I need to replenish my freezer! Anyone want to do some FREEZER COOKING with me? Did you read my post about trying to feed my family real food? The recipes below will allow me to have convenient meals/snacks that are real food! (Although, some of these recipes will require altering to make them "real")

I plan to make each recipe by next Tuesday! 6 recipes in 7 days, that's doable, right? We'll see.....

• Banana Chocolate Chip mini-muffins
• Waffles (with a few alterations)
• Individual baked oatmeal cups

• Cream of Celery Soup
• Refried Beas

• Cookies (with a few alterations)

MIY: Dryer Sheets

Last week, I made dryer sheets. I have used them in several loads now & really like them! My laundry smells great, they are cheap & I know exactly what is in them. I looked up several different "recipes" online and this is what I came up with. Once I got the essential oil, which I got from Amazon for about $8, I had everything I needed. I used lavender but wouldn't lemon smell wonderful?!?!

Here is what you'll need:
Old shirt or rag
2 c. vinegar
20-30 drops of essential oil
Old jar or vessel to store

 

Cut the shirt or rag into approx. 6in squares. Add vinegar & oil to jar & swirl to mix. Add rags. When ready to use squeeze out some of the liquid {But do not wring it all out} After load is dry just throw the dried rag back into the jar! Easy as that!

Indiana Trip

I am back from my Indiana trip! Phew- I was busy! 2 years ago I posted here about an Indiana trip consisting of canning & preserving. I think I was even more busy this year....maybe the fussy 7 mo old had something to do with that?!?!?
The trip started off w a BANG at the Indiana State Fair! Ken's sister graciously offered us to stay at her house for 2 nights & we visited the fair all day Saturday, August 3rd. The kids had so much fun! The Indiana State fair has become a tradition for the Stoner family :)
Sunday Jackie, me & the girls loaded up in our van & headed to Valpo while Ken went back to Peoria for work.
Monday I took my friend, Jenna, to her first chemo treatment. She is fighting her battle against breast cancer like a warrior. (This is why there is a "Donate to Jenna" tab at the top right of the page)
Tuesday & Wednesday I processed 3 bushels (yes, 6 half bushels) of Peaches! Ah, my absolute favorite thing to preserve! Visit this post on how to freeze peaches. I froze a bunch, canned halves, canned peach salsa & peach butter. I also put up 20lbs of blueberries & approximately 20 qts of sweet corn.
Thursday my mom, sister-in-law, her girls & me & my girls spent the day in Shipshewana, IN aka Amish Country! I love going- we never  seem to have enough time though! We spent about 2 hours in a bulk food store. And honestly I could have stayed longer ;)
Friday & Saturday I prepared for a Pampered Chef show!
All & All it was a great week! Looking forward to next year!

 

In front of the beloved Dairy Barn

Cora's favorite, the carousel

So glad they had each other

Cora's 1st elephant ear! She loved it!

Watching the sheep show w Daddy

On the trolley that took us all around the fairgrounds

Evie had dinner at Grandma Stoner's aka Gma Evie :) This picture is priceless to me!

Beautiful peaches

Cora had a blast w all of her IN cousins. Maybe too much fun "cleaning" the brownie pan?!?!

Shipshewana. Rise N Roll bakery! YUM!

Ooops, sorry Evie, just now realizing I cut you out of this picture!

My E & S goodies!

MIY: Foaming Hand Soap

Over the weekend I made foaming hand soap~ Super duper simple! I love foaming soap for Cora b/c it doesn't pump as much out & it is easier for her to get it all off by herself. She helped me make it :)

You'll Need:
1 old foaming soap bottle, empty
2 tbsp. of any non-lotion, soap
water

Add 2 tbsp. of soap to the empty foaming bottle. Fill half way w/ water. Swirl the bottle around to mix. {Do not violently shake!} Add more water to fill the bottle. DONE!



Little hands testing out our new creation :)

Make It Yourself:: Brownie Mixes

I got the inspiration for this from Money Saving Mom. What a GOOD idea, homemade brownie mix. No more boxed brownies for this household. I love having these mixes premade in my pantry b/c the prep time is cut in half when I decide we need brownies for dessert!
Today, I made 3 mixes. Too many at once might mean they go bad before I use them, as they are recommended to be used w/i 3months.

Here is what you'll need for each dry mix:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. baking coco
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

On the bag write the wet ingredients needed for baking:
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
*Optional, add chocolate chips, white chips, nuts or raspberries just before baking

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

 

 

 

 

Pinterest Projects- 45 Uses for Vinegar Part 2

I recently found a site via Pinterest w/ 45 home uses for vinegar! LOVED it. Be sure to read my "Part 1" post here.

Vinegar Failures: Here are 3 uses of vinegar that DID NOT work for me. I thought it would be just as useful to see my failures. Let me know if these worked for you. Maybe I was doing something wrong?
6. Tidy up a toilet Pour a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar into the bowl. Let sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with a toilet brush and flush.
I'll spare you a picture of my toilet but trust me this did not work for mine. ;)
13. Banish weeds. Pour white distilled vinegar on the weeds growing in the cracks of your walkway and driveway. Saturate the plant so the vinegar reaches the roots. I saturated some dandelion weeds that were growing in my mulched area. It didn't seem to do much- just a little bit of burnt/dead area. But it didn't kill it completely so it was still had to pull it. So in my opinion it was just a waste of vinegar b/c I used a lot!!!
43. Unclog drains. For a natural, nontoxic way to clean clogged pipes, pour one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of white vinegar, down the drain. Let the products bubble and foam, then flush the pipes with a pot of boiling water.
My shower drain was clogged so I tried this method. I saw no improvement at all! So, I had to pull out the Drano- which did the trick. I want to try this on a different drain that may not be as clogged.


41. Restore showerhead pressure. If your showerhead gets clogged with mineral deposits, soak it for 15 minutes in a mixture of ½ cup vinegar and 1 quart water.

Before=Ewww

After= So much better!
 I did add some baking soda so the vinegar solution would fizz- that seemed to help.

4. Kill bathroom germs. Spray full-strength vinegar around the sink and tub. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.                                

When I was reading up on vinegar I learned that it is antibacterial! So I made a squirt bottle to keep in the bathroom for when a certain lil girl "misses" when going potty!

 

Pinterest Projects-45 Uses for Vinegar Part 1

I recently found this site  via Pinterest w/ 45 home uses for vinegar! LOVED it. I have since tried a few of the uses & plan to try more in the future:::

 38. Clean the dishwasher and coffee pot. Reduce soap buildup and food residue by pouring a cup of vinegar into your empty dishwasher or coffee pot once a month and letting it run a full cycle. My mother-in-law told me this years ago when my coffee pot stopped working. I tried it & it fixed the problem. I do not do it once a month and this reminded me it has been awhile. So I ran vinegar through my coffee pot!
    
23. Steam away a microwave mess. Fill a small bowl with equal parts hot water and vinegar, and place it in the microwave on high for 5 minutes. As the steam fills the microwave, it loosens the mess, making clean up a breeze.   


OMG- So embarrassed to show you this!  But Hey, let's just blame the newborn I have. She hasn't allowed me time to wipe out my microwave?

I used a Pyrex bowl w/ equal parts vinegar & water. Cooked it for 3 minutes & wiped out. All the gunk came off so easily! Looks great, Right?

9. Wipe off a dirty faucet. To get rid of lime buildup, make a paste of 1 teaspoon vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt. Apply to sink fixtures and rub with a cloth.

Embarrassed again :/ I admit I have tried & tried to get my sick clean. I wipe it down daily from hairs, tooth paste etc. But I can never get the brownish stain out. (My mom actually got it really clean when she was here w/ Commet. But I ran out & didn't want to buy more) I tried just Vinegar & Salt but that didn't seem to do the trick. So I then added baking soda & let it sit & bubble for about 5 minutes. I scrubbed really hard & rinsed w/ warm water.....



Another Before picture

Best part? Cora could help me! When I use chemicals to clean I don't even allow her in the bathroom. She loved helping me!

Turned out great!

Sparkling!!!!

       26. Rinse fruits and vegetables. Add 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar to one pint water. Use the mixture to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly. The solution kills more pesticide residue

Just so happened I got strawberries super cheap a few days ago & hadn't gotten them washed yet. So I tried this tip! Cora was again helping me & she was worried the strawberries would taste sour. (B/c she smelled the vinegar & saw me put it on the berries)

But they passed her taste test. "Not sour, Mommy!"



I didn't see this particular idea on the list. It came to me as I was reading up on vinegar. B/c I do not have a dishwasher it's hard to get Cora's sippy cups clean. I usually soak them in dish soap. But this time I tried hot water & vinegar. To no surprise- it worked awesome! :)

Halloween 2012



Halloween 2012 turned out to be a lot of fun- for Miss Cinderella Cora & her parents :) For several weeks I was debating what to do for Halloween.

Ya see, it's just not a "holiday" that I really get into. Think I'm crazy but I don't necessarily like planning costumes but especially paying the outrageous prices for them. I do not like the gross, gory costumes some people insist on wearing. I was originally thinking Cora was still too young to 'get it'. I didn't want to drag her around on a chilly night to get candy that I would end up eating.

 

But a few weeks ago we dressed up for my Mom's group (a friend let me borrow the Cinderella costume) & Cora had so much fun. So, I decided to give Halloween a try this year.

 

We went to a few of our neighbors' then headed to beautiful Grand View Dr....which was packed! All the fancy houses decorated so cute & passed out good candy :)

Cora was too shy to say "Trick or Treat" to the homeowners but once we walked away she said it over & over. She started to shiver but said she didn't want to go back home! (Ken was actually cold and complaining more than Cora. Haha) She had a blast besides saying she was scared a few times of creepy music and of a few grown men that passed out their candy in masks.

 

When we eventually got back home Cora ate a good dinner, a few pieces of candy & then slept great. The next morning she asked me "Mama, if I eat a good dinner can we go Trick or Treating again? Please." I thought that was so precious. It made me glad we put the energy into taking her. Next year, I'll have a better attitude to start with & be more prepared :)

 

I guess it really is about leting kids be kids after all....

 



 

Cinderella Cora

Climbed in stroller & ready to go!

Bundled up on Grand View Dr. Pretty place to T or T, huh?

Love that "I've got more candy than I know what to do with" expression!

Came in from a chilly night to eat this soup that I had made before we left & just left hot on the stove= Perfect!

Today's Grocery Trip

I need to kick it into high gear & get my stock pile full while I only have 1 child to drag to the store!Here is what I did today:::

 

CVS=

Dawn dish soap= .49 & .24

Head & Shoulders shampoo= 1.50

Herbal Essence Shampoo & Conditioner= 2.99

=Total was $5.21- ECB

===paid $3.25 {And I got $1 ECB to use next time}

 

 

Kroger=

Pineapple=.41 ea

Soup= .75 ea

Yogurt= .35 ea

=paid $5.82

Got all this for $9.07!!!!