Peppermint Hot Chocolate

For a new twist on hot chocolate, try this recipe!

6 semi-chocolate bakers squares

4 peppermint candy canes

8 cups of milk

pinch of salt

Use a large saucepot. Crush candy canes. Melt chocolate & peppermint in the pot over low heat until smooth. Once the chocolate & peppermint is melted, add milk. Stir well and serve in mugs. Enjoy!

Serves 8-10

$1000 Savings in 2012!

2 Quick & Easy Money Saving Tips! As a family of 8 I’m always searching for ways to reduce our budget without having to sacrifice quality.

1.) Using Vinegar to clean & disinfect! I love this idea. Since 2009 I have slowly introduced vinegar into my cleaning routine and today it’s what I use 99% of the time (well-meaning husband likes to by the commercial stuff when I’m not home). You can use it to clean toilets, soften clothes, odor eliminator, and much more! Click here for all-purpose cleaner recipe

Total cost:
i. $.20 per 2 month…(est. for the lemongrass from Mountain Rose Herb) for essential oil (optional) will last 111 months depending on the amount you use.
ii. 1 Gallon White Distilled Vinegar $4 per 2 month (price may vary, I was going with the higher-end cost)
iii. 1 Gallon of Tap Water- $.01 per 2 months

Overall total: $4.21/2= $2.11 per month.
Savings: Lysol 32 oz spray @$6 x 2= $12.00 (price may vary)
Total Savings per year: $118.68

2.) Homemade liquid laundry soap- Please note, that you may not see many, if any suds in the washer…this is normal. Recipe here
Total cost:
i. 1 Box Borax- 72oz @$9.99 (price may vary) will have 9 cups
ii. 1 box of Washing Soap 55oz @ $9.00 – will have 6.8 cups
iii. 1 bar of soap (I make mine @$2 a bar) per cup (Ivory is $4.99 for 10 or $0.49 each bar)
Overall Total for one batch: is $2.92-$4.43. One Batch is approx...2 gallons of detergent or 256oz at 4oz a load is about 64 loads per batch. My math is different that the math of the person who created the recipe. I don’t know how she calculated it and it wasn’t described.
Tide Original 32 loads (or 50fl oz) is $14.99 x 2= $29.99
I go through about 40 loads a week @ 52 weeks= 2080 loads a year/64 loads= 32.5 batches $94.90- $143.98 per year
Total Savings per year: $881.78- $832.70

If you put to use these two ideas in 2012, you can save over $1000! What can you do with $1000?

*Prices were taken from drugstore.com on December 11, 2011 only retail value was noted, not sale value.

Multi-Purpose Cleaning Recipe using Vinegar

I started to use white vinegar as a cleaning agent in 2009. Usually I would use Lysol concentrate with water, but never bleach. I didn’t like the smell of vinegar and didn’t know how to get essential oils in order to create a wonderful smelling spray. I finally found a site that I really like, Mountain Rose Herbs.
To make the cleaning solution you need water & white vinegar.
Place 2 cups of white vinegar & 2 cups of water and mix well in a spray bottle. Use your favorite essential oils for scent. Use 2-4 drops only. Essential oils are concentrated so you do not need to use a lot.

Suggested scents

• Orange
• Lemon
• Lavender
• Lavender & Rosemary
• Lemongrass
• Rosemary

Enjoy!

Homemade Mac & Cheese

My kids love Mac & Cheese so I decided to check out a recipe for homemade mac & cheese and this is a winner!! My recipe feeds my entire family with little to no leftovers, so I would say it has 8-10 servings. Here's the recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 box (16 oz) of elbow noodles

5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (I love cheese, most recipes called for only 2...clearly not enough!) Be sure to buy the thin shredded cheese, otherwise it won't melt properly.

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter melted

1 egg

2 cups evaporated milk

3 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pepper


Boil noodles as directed until done.

Meanwhile melt the butter and place in a large bowl with the egg and milk. Mix well. Add in 4 cups of cheese.

Add noodles to the bowl and mix well. Pour mixture into pans (I had to use a cake pan & a 9 in pie pan)

Add remaining shredded cheese over top and cover with foil.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until cheese on top is fully melted.

Enjoy!

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Apple Crisp Pie

So the kids wanted Apple Crisp and I wanted an Apple pie, so I decided to take my Apple Crisp recipe and modify it into a pie for a Thanksgiving dessert.

I used left over apples, so it was 2 different kinds of red apples.

4 apples
1/2 cup plain oatmeal (cooked but not overdone.)
1 egg
2tbs melted butter
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all-spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 pie crust (I didn't make mine)

Mix together dry ingredients (spices, flour, sugar, baking powder), add in the egg, butter, and vanilla. Add the oatmeal. Mix well. Add the apples and walnuts. Pour into a pie crust. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly and golden brown crust.

Top with Whip cream or ice cream!

Song for a Fifth Child

SONG FOR A FIFTH CHILD

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, 1958

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth

empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

hang out the washing and butter the bread,

sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

but I'm, playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Yellow Squash Casserole...just in time for the Holidays!

This is a recipe for Yellow Squash Casserole. It's a perfect dish to be served along side your Holiday dinners!

You'll need a 9x9 in pan or other dish of similar size.

3 Yellow Squash
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of mushroom soup
salt/pepper to taste
1-2 eggs (1 extra large or 2 medium)
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup of bread crumbs*
2 tbs of butter (melted)

Slice the squash and place in a large mixing bowl. In a medium bowl mix together the soup and milk. Add egg(s), salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients (except bread crumbs) in the large bowl. Mix well. Pour into a baking dish. Top with the breadcrumbs and cover with foil.
*For added flavor use French onions instead of breadcrumbs.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

*Image provided by iFood.com http://www.ifood.tv/blog/how-to-freeze-yellow-squash

From the kitchen of Rosemary E. King

Homemade Chili

This chili is perfect for those chilly nights when you want some yummy comfort food.

Ingredients:

1. 1-1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
2. 1/2 a yellow onion chopped
3. 1-2 garlic cloves
4. 1 bag kidney beans
5. 1/2 tsp garlic salt
6. 1 tsp crushed red pepper
7. 28 oz diced tomatoes (don't drain!)
8. 12oz tomato paste
9. 1 tbs corn starch (add to 1 tsp of cold water until dissolved)
   
10. 8 cups of water
11. 3 chicken bouillon cubes
    
12. 3-5 tsp chili powder
13. salt/pepper to taste
14. 2 tbs butter
    

Cook beans as directed. Drain and rinse.
Saute onions, garlic, and ground beef. While this is sauteing, boil the 8 cups of water with the chicken bouillon cubes. When the ground beef is cooked, add it to the water. Reduce heat to medium. Add cooked kidney beans. Add diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir well. Add spices and dissolved corn starch. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add 2 tbs of butter 5 minutes before your chili is done.

Serve with bread.

Makes 8-10 servings.

From the kitchen of Rosemary E. King

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