The Country Kitchen Table

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ

2011-08-24T08:28:00.003-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

I have another awesome recipe to share. Please remember, all my recipes are kids & picky husband approved :D

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ

3lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
1 18oz bottle BBQ Sauce, your choice but in original recipe
                                         1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
                                         1/4 cup brown sugar
                                         2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce

Directions:

Place chicken in the crock pot. In a bowl, mix bottle of BBQ sauce, 1/2 cup Italian dressing, 1/4 brown sugar, & 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce. Poor over chicken. Cover and cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low . ** I do recommend reducing cook time by about an hour or so if your crock pot is highly efficient like mine. ** Use 2 forks to shred meat & put it all back inside sauce. Serve on buns and enjoy!

I usually serve this with chips for an easy meal. However, you can serve this with coleslaw, ambrosia, and fries or chips for a complete meal.

Blessings from My home to Yours!

Jessie

The Quest For Character

2011-08-23T08:45:00.001-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

This is such an awesome read!! I read this about 4 weeks ago and just had to share it! My problem is I only have 1 copy, lol, and I must admit, I'm not giving it up any time soon. So, I have taken to my blog to share :D

This book is all about working to achieve a Godly Character. Its a very inspirational, teaching lots, and convictions a plenty! I got this book some time ago off the Internet, for free, from a christian site. However, I can not remember which site.

John MacArthur does have a site though at www.thomasnelson.com .

If you're looking for a book to help teach your kids, your spouse, or (like me) yourself, this is it! I most definitely plan on reading this book again and again. :D

Blessings from My home to Yours!

Jessie

Old Bay Shrimp Scampi

2011-08-23T08:29:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hello! I have and awesome recipe to share... Just as a reminder, all my recipes are kid & husband approved! I have 3 kids and 1 very picky husband... :D

I got this recipe from my local grocery store and it's the best shrimp scampi I've (and my family too) ever had.

Old Bay Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

1lb (26-30 ct. pkg.) of large shrimp (I wait till I find this on sale)
1 garlic bulb
1 Lemon
(1) 6 oz Old Bay Seasoning
1 16oz Angel Hair Pasta
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp Parsley Flakes

Directions:

(1) Heat oil in Large skillet on medium heat. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic: cook & stir 30 seconds (do not brown).
(2) Add peeled & deveined shrimp & 11/2 tsp Old Bay; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turns pink.
(3) Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice & 1 tsp parsley flakes.
(4) Serve over cooked pasta.

I usually serve this with a salad and some garlic bread. It serves about 4 respectively, but I always double it due to a large want in seconds :D

Blessings from My home to Yours!

Jessie

What Will Baby Be

2011-08-22T14:16:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

What Will Baby Be is the name of a song that I'm going to share with you. It was written by Dolly Parton, appeared on her album Slow Dancing With The Moon in 1993. I've had this album for many years and have recently re listened to it for the first time in a long time. I heard this song and remembered how much I loved it :) I then studied the lyrics and realized how very much this song/message applies in today's world. Probably more so then then. So, here's the lyrics:

I. A young couple marries, already fighting
   Along comes baby makin' them three
   Trouble's all he hears from the time
                he's in didies

II. Angry words and spiteful actions
    Baby's gonna cut his teeth on these
    If that's gonna be the main attraction
    What will baby be, what will baby be

III. Baby needs love and needs direction
      Baby's first school is the family
      For they are only a reflection
      Of the things they see, what will baby be

Chorus:
      What will baby be after baby is grown
      What will baby do if baby don't know what's
                    right or wrong
      Got to show them love, got to teach them truth
      Cause what baby is when baby grows up
     Well, that depends entirely on me and you
     Depends entirely on me and you

IV. Baby thinks God is just a curse word
      Never said a prayer 'cause he's never been taught
      They remember and repeat what they've heard
      So, I ask who's really at fault

V. So many questions, so few answers
     So many lessons we don't teach
     Stumbling through like clumsy dancers
     What will baby be, what will baby be

2nd Chorus:
     What will baby be after baby is grown
     What will baby do when baby is out there on his own
     Teach the children how to be all they should be
     'Cause what baby is when baby grows up
     Depends entirely on you and me
     Depends entirely on you and me
    What will baby be

I hope this is as powerful a song for you as it is for me.

Blessings from My home to Yours!

Jessie

Things to do....

2011-08-22T09:19:00.002-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

This week is gonna be a busy one! This is the week before my parents are up for the weekend, my youngest starts school, and my classes start. Whew! Makes me tired just thinking about it all. So much to do and so not enough time to do it all in, lol. Oh well.... tis life and I'm glad for it!

My list of things to do today:

Windows
Dust
Straighten my house
Dinner (We;re having Chili Baked potatoes)
Rearrange my Menu for the week & plan my new one
Finish up my laundry
Exercise (my daily bike ride or walk)
My homework & my kids... I belive they start getting homework today.
Attempt to go through all my "piles" in my house
Atttempt to rearrange my cook books

I do beileve that's enough, right?

Well, On this note I'd best sighn off & get started....

Blessings from My home to Yours!

Jessie

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

2011-08-20T22:27:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

I got this recipe from the back of a Hershey Cocoa Powder can. I have been making this frosting for a few years now and is always a hit in my house.

1 stick butter/margarine 3 c pwdr sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2/3 c cocoa pwdr 1/3 c milk

(1) Melt butter in a sauce pan & stir in the cocoa.

(2) Alternately add pwdr sugar & milk, beating on medium speed with a hand mixer to spreading consistency. Add more milk if needed. Then stir in Vanilla.

Makes about 2 cups of frosting.

**Use 1/2 'n' 1/2 for a richer frosting & fold in whipped topping to make a lighter frosting - reduce sugar by a cup in this method-**

I hope you all enjoy this as much as my family does!

Blessings from My home to Yours!

Jessie

Camping Trip

2011-08-20T21:57:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

I just wanted to share a few pics from our 3rd annual camping trip. :D This year we went to Kolob Reservoir in Southern Utah. Its so beautiful there! We had a good time too, until we were ran out by 4 wheelers/dirt bikes that ran till about 4 am. We then tried our favorite camp spot, but that was taken by a family reunion.... that we didn't mind at all :D So, we finished our camping adventure in our backyard :D The kids just loved as much as the real thing!

Yes, we camped in Bear Country! Lol, but we did not see a bear :D

Blessings from My home to Yours!

Jessie

Prayer Request!!!

2011-08-20T19:34:00.001-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair &amp; grab a cup of coffee ....

I have an Urgent Prayer Request!!! We need all the prayers we can get for Israel! Palestine is coming up for a vote before the UN on September 20th, this can not happen but looks as if it may! This is bad news for our country and Israel if it happens! Palestine wants to wipe Israel off the map! Please pray for God's will and/or Intervention on Israel's behalf, She can use all the help and prayers She can get right now!

Blessings from My home to Yours!

Jessie

Updates & News!

2011-08-20T19:12:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Wow! What a whirlwind last couple of weeks! We were busy at our house trying to get all 3 kiddos ready for the new school year. That was a total of $350 for all 3 kid's clothes and school supplies.... this includes undies, socks and the works.

My 2 girls are in school now, as of August 18th. My son starts Head Start (for the second year) on the 29th and I also start my classes again on the 29th also. I'm so excited! I'm continuing my classes to earn my certificates in Business Administration, Level II and Accounting.

No, I do not plan on going back to work. My husband and I are in the process of starting our own business though, and those certificates will sure come in handy for handling all the paper work and books. I do hope to finish this spring and maybe volunteer 1 or 2 days a week. I found I Love being a stay at home mother! But, I have to keep busy or I get in trouble. :D My youngest being 5 in September and my oldest turning 9 in just a week, well, I have much more time on my hands then before when they were small.

My parents come up in a week and I can't wait! I miss them lots and it seems to get more so each passing year. You'd think being only 3 hours away I'd see them more then 2 to 3 times a year, but al lass its not so. Oh well, life happens :D

If I thought this last month was a whirlwind, then its about to hit tornado stage come one week when school starts for me. No only do I have my homemaking responsibilities, my kids, and my school, but I have committee, several, responsibilities.

Oh, I may seem like I'm complaining, but never! I love being so busy! It seems to make the roses smell so much sweeter when I stop to admire them!

Well, there's my update. I hope to have some recipes to soon share! I still love cooking!

I'm also in the middle of turning a pair of my jeans into a skirt! I feel called to wear more skirts. I've always been very much a tomboy/cowgirl/country girl. So, jeans have always been my life. After much prayer to determine what God's telling me, I believe I'm to be more feminine. Not necessarily dress up per say, but small simple jewelry, way more skirts, and shapely clothes. Not to show my assets, but to be feminine. This may be explained in a later post if you all wish to more about my journey into showing my feminine side :D Just let me know!

Blessings from My home to Yours!

Jessie

2011-07-24T21:59:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

I received this from www.pennyrain.com and thought I'd share it with you all. She has a wonderful site...drop by and visit!

Blessings,

Jessie

2011-07-24T21:29:00.001-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

WOW! Has it been one to almost two years since my last blog? My how time has flown. So much has changed in my life since my last post? Where do I begin?

The adoption I was praying for happend in November 2010.

I've lost about 20lbs in weight and am slowly loosing mnore, very slowly.

I've gone back to school.....

Almost got a divorce, but am happy to report we're working on it :)

And so much more....... The question is, is anybody listening?

Blessings,

Jessie

Forgive my Political Ramblings

2010-01-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair and grab a cup of coffee ....

I normally try very Hard to leave my political views off my blog. However, after last nights great amount of hope, I just can't. I praise God for this turn of events I have been praying for. This is the provibial shot heard around the world. Our "revolution" for our constitution and this Great God given nation has begun. I can now only pray that Scott Brown says what he ment and means/does what he stated he'd do. I also pray this gives much needed hope and confidance to the rest of us conservatives to stand up and fight. I don't mean litterally with arms, yet. And I pray it never comes to that. But, even if the only way we can fight is by prayer, then so be it. Prayer is a very Powerful thing. It really does move mountains. I know this not just by other's testomonies, but by my own life.

I pray more and more of us get down on our knees and beg God's forgiveness for our turning away from Him as a nation. I truley believe the only way we'll make it out this mess is by turning back to our Christian ways as a nation. Last night is a good start. Let's all pray this continues. Let's pray more of us, as Americans, see the light.

Thank you all formy political soap box moment.

Blessings from my blog to yours!

Jessica
(Stay @ home mom & Patriot)

2 Awesome Recipes

2010-01-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair and grab a cup of coffee..

Hello and How are you all today? I'm doing all right. I'm glad to be back on a regular school schedual. =) I have a couple of really good recipes here for you guys today. The first is:

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

*I can't remember where I got this recipe, but I've had it for a while and just finally made it last week. It was good enough to share.*

# of Servings: 24

3/4 cups Powdered Milk
7/8 cups (1cup minus 2 Tablespoons) Corn Starch
11/2 cups Sugar
3/4 cups Coco Powder
1/4 tsp Salt, rounded

Combined all ingrediants and store in an air tight container. This does fit a glass quart size jar. *Please note, to combined I just put it all in my container and shook well.*

To Prepare:
Add 2/3 cups mix to a sauce pan. Add 2 cups milk and stir till blended. Bring this to a boil (though, mine has yet to boil before thickening), reduce heat, stir constanly till thickened. Cool and serve.

This is really good! My kids love this. However, if you have a picky eater (my hubby) then please allow this to cool till chilled before serving.

The second recipe is:

Cool-Kitchen Meatloaf

*I got this recipe from a Taste Of Home cook book. This is ment to be cooked on the grill, however, I have adapted this to be done in the oven as well.*

1 cup Soft Bread Crumbs (I use Italian Bread Crumbs)
1 medium onion, chopped (I do this pretty finely)
1/2 cup tomato sauce (You can use ketchup)
1 egg (medium to large only or use 2 small eggs)
11/2 tsp Salt (omit if you use sausage w/ your ground beef)
11/2 lbs Ground Beef (Or a combination there of of sausage & ground beef instead of just straight beef. It tends to give it a better flavor.)

Combine all ingrediants in a large bowl. (Please beat the egg before you add it to the bowl.) Shape into 2 loaves. I cook these on a rack in a cookie sheet rather then a bread pan to help cut the grease. However, if you grill it, besure to use a disposable pan.

Place rack in oven @ 350 Deagrees for 30 to 50 minutes. Times vary depending upon ovens & sizes of loaves. Cook till 160 temp or no longer pink.

Or, Grill over indirect heat covered with foil till 160 temp or no longer pink. It takes about 30 minutes on the grill.

Meanwhile, you need to make your sauce. I tend to serve this on the side in my family. The Kids and I like the sauce on the loaf but my Hubby doesn't, as do some guest that I serve this too. This is the only meatloaf my hubby will eat.

Sauce

1/2 cup Ketchup or the rest of the Tomato Suace if using an 8oz can.
3 Tbs Brown Sugar
3 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs Vinegar (I use apple cider for a better taste.)
2 Tbs Prepared (Bottled) Mustard

Combine in a sauce pan and heat to a boil. Turn off heat and cover till needed. Brush or spoon on just before serving.

The 2 small loaves (or 1 large loaf) feeds about 6 people. This is easily doubled. It also freezes pretty good. I tend to line a loaf pan with foil,pack in raw meat, cover and freeze. Then remove, lable and put back into the freezer with instructions for heating.

That's about it for today. I do hope to have time to start my sewing section soon. This with my first patterned project. I'm a self taught sewer and have done lots of projects off the top of my head, but never via patterns. So, here's to mine, and maybe even your journey in pattern sewing.

Blessings from my blog to yours!

Jessica

A wounderful Piece

2010-01-18T10:48:00.001-07:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair and grab a cup of coffee ....

I read this at Choosing Simplicity. I thought this was just beautiful. So, I asked and she said yes that I can share this with you on my blog. So here it is:

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,

but have not love, I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have not love, my children learn cleanliness, not godliness.

If I scream at my children for every infraction, and fault them for every mess they make, but have not love, my children become people-pleasers, not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present "mommy," the taxi-driver to every childhood event, the counselor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.

Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.

All the projections I had for my house and my children have faded away into insignificance, And what remain are the memories of my kids.

Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture, dishes with missing place settings, and bedroom walls full of stickers, posters and markings,

But the greatest of all is the Love that permeates my relationships with my children.

-Adapted by Jim Fowler

I hope this inspires you like it did me.
Blessing from my blog to yours!

Jessica

I Made Changes =)

2010-01-18T08:38:00.001-07:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair and grab a cup of coffee ....

I have refigured out how to change the size of my font. So, ~smile~ we can all now read my blog with out a magnafying glass. I do hope you all find these small changes helpful.
I would love to add a bible qoute "gadget" to my blog, however, the 2 that are offered here are not to my liking. So, If any of you guys have suggestions with the link to it I'd love to see/hear them.

Todays list of things to do:

~~Straighten House~~
~~Finish all laundry~~
Make bread (my hubby really likes the tupperware bread)
Make dinner (2-Step Chicken, Bro Rice, and Salad)

After the first 3, the day is mine to do what I wish to do with it. ~Smile~ Not sure what to do, work some more on my slippers? Start into the huge pile of magazines I have yet to read? Hmmm.... that's what my decision is today. Lol.... I'm so used to being so busy, this is kinda weird.

Well, That's about it for today. Blessings, from my blog to yours!

Jessica

My Journey

2010-01-15T10:36:00.001-07:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Like most people in the New Year, I too think about a "new me". I put this in the " " due to it's not a true new me. I do not try to reinvent my self each year. I do, however, keep on my journey to what God wants me to be. I admit I screw this up royally every year. So, I try, once again, to inbark on learning the stuff God wants me too that I have yet to learn. Which I might add is a lot =)

I have always tried to find Godly materials to read, so as to learn from. This would be in addtion to the Bible. And, to also help with a better understanding of the Bible. I'm usually lost on this aspect ,and can never find much of any material. However, this year is different. I ran accross the Grahm Family Ministries web site/blog last year. I must say I subscribe to her news letters & love them. I've gotten a great deal of information from her. Well, last year I won one of her ebooks: Baby Steps to Better Health. I down loaded it & have yet to read it, untill now. I'm starting this ebook today. I will journal about this book and the changes it inspires me to make as I go along. I invite you to follow my journy as it happens in hopes it inspires you too to take a look at your life and maybe make a "new you".

Blessings from my home to yours!

Jessica

Las Vegas Photos

2010-01-13T13:41:00.004-07:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee...

It's Photogallery time again!

The first 2 are from Bass Pro Shop's Salth Water Tank:

The next 3 are from Ethal M's Christmas Lights:

I hope you enjoyed!

Blessings from my home to yours!

Jessica

Tupperware Bread

2010-01-13T13:29:00.001-07:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Tupperware Bread

Great for hot pockets or rolls or loaves of bread!

*Put 9 cups unbleached all-purpose flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center.

*In a separate bowl beat 4 eggs, then add 1/2 cup sugar and 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast.

*In another bowl, scald 1 1/2 cups milk in microwave for 3 minutes. Then add 1 1/2 cups water. Add this mixture to the egg mixture. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt.

*Mix all ingredients well. Pour this mixture into well of flour in the large bowl. DO NOT STIR. Put lid on and let sit for 30 minutes.

*After 30 minutes is over, add 2 sticks of melted butter and mix well.

*Cover and let sit for another 30 minutes. Then you are ready to make hot pockets or bread =)

**To make bread: Divide up the dough into loaf-sized portions. Shape and place in greased bread pans. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30-40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

On a side note, you can make hot pockets. I have yet to try this but here are the instruction:

To make hot pockets:

1. Pull off a round of dough about the size of a baseball and flatten on counter

2. Place about 1/2 cup of mixture in the middle of the hot pocket.

3. Bring opposite sides together and pinch together. Then do the same with the other two sides.

4. Place with seam sides down onto greased cookie sheet.

5. Let rise for 30-40 minutes and then bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Mixture ideas:

Sloppy joe (hamburger, ketchup, BBQ sauce)
Pizza (hamburger, pepperoni, sausage, pizza sauce, cheese)
Breakfast (egg, ham, sausage, cheese, green pepper, onion, etc.)
Chicken (cubed cooked chicken, cooked mixed veggies, cream of chicken soup)

This recipe makes about 30-36 hot pockets.

**Tip: Once they are baked and cooled, you can freeze these! Simply warm them up in the microwave and serve with a green salad for a quick meal!**

Many Blessings from Home to Yours!

Jessica

Appoligies & Updates

2010-01-13T10:08:00.004-07:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

First, let me apologise for being so long in posting. I just had to take a break and live life. And so, a lot has happened since August.

First of course is the usual school & getting back to that school year routine.

Second is my DS, 3 yrs old, has started preschool for his speech. He is at or above normal (according to testing) expect in speech. He loves to talk, but even Mom has a hard time understanding him. He started in November and loves every minute of it. He gets to be a big boy & ride the bus to his school. We only have 2 preschools in the district; we live in between both.

Third, and the biggest change to happen is we took in our great niece in November. We received permanent guardianship of her (in other words we get her till she is 18 years old) in December just before Christmas. This was the best Christmas gift of all. =)

So, you can see we have been very busy lately in learning how to be a family of 5 overnight, literally =) I don't know why the Lord has blessed us so richly considering I surely don't deserve it. But, He has, and I'm grateful.

May your new year be as blessed as mine has thus far. =)

On other notes..... I received a recipe for Tupperware Bread for a website/blog I just love:

http://nourishinghome.blogspot.com/.

I tried this, and even took pictures, and this is so awesome! My husband, who's very picky, just loved this bread! This is as easy as a bread machine but you can make 4 loaves at a time rather then 1-2 loaves at a time! I will post this a little later in my recipes section. =)

I'm also working on a sewing project, slippers. I've never sewed by pattern before & this is my first project. I'm not exactly a novice sewer. I've made several quilts & aprons, etc. But all these projects have been "out of my head" so to speak. So, I'll post my progress as I go and we can all see how it turns out. =)

Well, that's it for now...

Blessings in Christ to your homes!

Jessica

Photo Gallery Set 1

2009-08-06T10:56:00.007-06:00

Enjoy!

Blessings!

Jessica

Photo Gallery Intoduction

2009-08-06T10:29:00.007-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hello & many Blessings to you & yours today!

I'm just goofing off & thought I'd share one of many photos I'd taken. I love to do photography. I most like outdoor scenes. I mean... what a better canvas then what The Lord has already provided?. I have always loved the mountains & streams, rivers, etc. that flow through them. So here is one of the many pictures I have taken. I thought you all might like this very calming picture. This photo was taken in a nearby mountain range just minutes from my home.

When I look at nature, I see beautiful works of art. I tend to see what God has made and think... wow! That would be a great photo... all of these I hang on my wall or will at least try too..~smile~ my DH only lets me hang so many.

I love to see what God has made and just gladly be amazed at what My Creator has created for us. His works of art are the end all of art works. The only thing I can do is hope to capture the fleeting moment before it's too late. If not with my camera then with my heart...

You see, you can go to the same place every month and take the same picture... the only thing is it will never quite be the same. That's the beauty in God's art.... its forever changing with His will. So much like us..... for we are His greatest work of art of all. Take that and ponder it in your heart today and see what it says to you.

Many Blessings to You all today,

Jessica

Please, Please....

2009-08-05T08:18:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

So, I've been thinking....hold on now, this is a dangerous thing for me~smile~. Anyhow, I see how many visiters I have had since starting this blog. 1st, let me thank all my visiters! 2nd, I love the fact you all are stopping in and taking a look around; however, I do have 1 small request..... can you all Please, Please leave a comment or two so that I can better serve what you all want to see/read more of? Also, can you let me know if you like/dislike what you are reading? I would so love to hear from you all. I love to chat and make friends. I would love to make a friend or two from the blog....

Oh, well.... there's my soapbox moment... =)

Thanks!

Many Blessings to you all,

Jessica

Copyright 2009, by Jessica Stewart

More Cleaners from Healthy Child...

2009-08-04T08:22:00.006-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Microwave Cleaner

Put 2-4 lemon slices in 8-10 oz of water in a microwave save bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let sit another 3 minutes more with out opening the door. Wipe clean.

Homemade Floor Cleaner

Combined 1/4 cup Castile Soap, 1/2 cup vinegar, & 2 gallons of hot water (preferably distilled). Use as you would conventional floor cleaner.

*Use Lin seed oil to polish floors.

Cool Savings

2009-08-03T21:46:00.003-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hey Y'all! How's it going? I'm doing really good here. I had a really good day! I went back to school shopping. =) I did the whole supply thing a few weeks ago. ($20 total spent, this includes my DD new backpack. She got tired of using the same one that she had for the last 3 years.~smile~Thought it about time to get her a new one.)

Any how, I went clothes shopping today! I only spent a grand total of $31.00 even. Now keep in mind this also includes DS's clothes he needed too. I also got my deal of the week today! My son needed snow boots this year. I can no longer put this off for another winter. So, I thought, wow... am I dreading this purchase. I don't really like (oh, who am I kidding... I really dislike ...) spending a lot of $$ for a one season ware. Let's face it, kids usually out grow the shoes, clothes, etc. before we really get our monies worth out of them. Some even out ware the clothes, etc. before their worth is in. However, I was very blessed with this purchase..... ready? I spent a grand total of $1 for my DS's snow boots. Can you believe it?!

I really have to say I have always & will always LOVE Thrift Stores! I was able to jam pack a reusable grocery bag full of clothes (and the incredible snow boots). I used a 99 cent Wal-Mart special reusable bag to give you a better picture of the bag. That's a LOT of clothes!

Well, thanks for listening to my great deals of today!

Jessica

Valcano Draino ~Healthy Child...

2009-08-02T08:45:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Homemade Valcano in The Drain
(homedade drain declogger)

Pour 1 cup Baking Soda down the drain; then 1 cup vinegar (you can add a drop or two of Ess. Oil). Once the bubbling & frothing begin (and squealing, for the kids will love this) cease, pour 1 pot of boiling water down the drain. Bottoms Up!

Jessica

Copyright 2009, by Jessica Stewart

Homemade Dish Liquid

2009-08-02T08:36:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Jess's Liquid Dish Soap

Combine 70% Castile Soap & 30% Distilled Water. Add about 15 to 20 drops of Tea Tree, Lemon, or Rosemerry Ess. Oils for antibactrial & fragrance properties. Also, add 2 to 4 Tbsp of Borax or Washing Soda for hard water softening & grease fighting properties.

Jessica

Copyright 2009, by Jessica Stewart

Cleaners from Healthy Child...

2009-08-02T08:22:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

All-Purpose Cleaner
(adapted from Annie B. Bond's Home Enlightenment)

1/2 Tsp Washing Soda (or 21/2 Tsp Borax)
1/2 Tsp Liquid Castile Soap (easily found at either your health food store or Smiths)
2 Cups Hot Water
1 (16 oz) Spray Bottle

Mix Ingrediants in spray bottle & shake gently. Use on counters, cupboards, or any surface. For tough dirt - Leave on for a few minutes before wiping off.

Basic Vinegar Rinse

Fill a Squirt/spraybottle with equal parts vinegar & distilled water. Add 15 to 20 drops of either Tea Tree Oil or Peppermint Oil (Essensial of course). Sake gently. This is great for floors, walls, windows (add a few Tbsps of rubbing acohol for a streak free shine), & for removing soap scum.

Blessings!

Jessica

Copyright 2009, by Jessica Stewart

Chapter 2 ~Clean Up Time~

2009-08-02T07:27:00.006-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Chptr 2 ~ Clean Up Time~

This chptr is all about keeping your home clean~the green way. I liked most of these ideas, but do have to admit that I had acutuall started this some time ago. I have been making my own cleaners on and off for some time now. The only reason I say on & off is that my DH works maintaniance for an apartment complex (he's done this for about 15 yrs now). He'll often bring home all the cleaners that are worth bringing home (to him) that people have left behind when moving out. So, I'll also have conventional cleaners in my house for free due to hubby.

National Posion Control Center's #: 1-800-222-1222
This is a number I thought we all could use on the just incase.

Step 1~Go minimalist~

This chapter makes a good point. One I'm doing or have done. When looking for a house and/or decorating it, less surface (ie: potshelves & knick-nacks) means less to clean. Also, look for as small a house as you can get away with. This too means less to clean. Besides, love grows best in little houses.

I know about the knick-nacks.... this is my biggest thing. However, I'm proud to admit that over this past year I've been trimming down on all of knic-knacks. The older I get the more I find myself still loving the "Country Clutter" but in a much more simplistic way. As of right now I'm pretty happy at my knick-nack levels. I found this year I spent way less time dusting everything, however, this has led to spending more time cleaning everything else ~smile~.

Step 2~Kixk the Chemical Habbit~

Slowly step down from using chemical laden commercial cleaners. I make many of my own cleaners. However, untill recently I've avoided Ammonia (due to me being asthmatic). I do believe I'm going to re-avoid it again and stay away. I'm begining to wonder, besides the humidity, if the ammonia is attributing to my having to use my innhaler more.

*The most caustic cleaners to avoid:

Oven Cleaners
Drain Cloggers
Toiletbowl Cleaners

Step 3~Mix Your Own~

Please see my Misc. Recipe section to see some of my homemade cleaner recipes. This link will also give some recipes found in the book as well.

Step 4~Join the Clean Plate Club~

*Make your own dish liquid. There are quite a few recipes out there for this very thing. I will post one I've come up with in my misc. recipe section on this also.

*Unless your dishwasher is an Energy Star rated machine by habd actually works better. It gets your dishes cleaner & saves water.
Fill each basin of your sink with hot/warm water. The wash half put in soap and the rinse half put in some vinegar (for spotless rinsing).

*If you don't wish to make your own then find & buy a biodrigradeable, chem free, &/ or phosphate free dishliquid &/or dishwasher detergent. There are quite a few on the market today. They are a bit more expensive but are worth it for the low to no chemicals.

Step 5~Banish Antibacterials~

*They really aren't worth the money. A bar of Ivory soap will do the samething for way less money=> $3.50 (or more) for the standard 3 bar pack of Dial vs $1 for the 3 pack of Ivory. Hence, a $2.50 savings on average. (Prices may vary store to store & region to region.)

*Antibacterials do not knock out the flu & cold viruses, yet, plain Jane soap (including homemade soaps) do. Go figure, huh?

*Note* 275 number of active ingredients in antibacterial products classify as pesticides (EPA-2007).

Step 6~Wipe Away Mildew & Mold~

*Act fast~stay high & dry; ventilate

*Tips & Others things for removing mildew & mold w/o bleach.

Stiff bristle brush or tooth brush; borax, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, or spray a solution of 1/2 cup vinegar to 1 cup water (preferably distilled water).

Step 7~Tread Lightly (and Cleanly)~

*Use a doormat; if possible make people take their shoes off at the door. Keep some slipper &/or socks at the door.

*Spot clean as you need to.

*Try to go for natural fiber Carpets (synthetic carpets are filled w/ chemicals from retardants, repellents, & the glue binder). Yuck =( I have to say, as soon as I read this I asked my hubby about this... his job lends him to know about this. He gladly informed me that are carpet leans towards the natural fiber carpet. Go hubby =)

*Do your best not use commercial carpet cleaners:

Spot clean via blotting
Use mineral water to blot out stains (this is an excellent floor cleaner)
Fruit * white wine: Blot w/ a towel & add cold water (hot water always sets most stains), continue to blot till out & fairly dry; Red Wine: use salt or club soda instead of mineral water.
Grease: Use boiling water (be careful if you have a synthetic carpet, it could melt it) followed by dry baking soda, vacuum when dried up.
Blood: Use cold water , (this is best) hydrogen peroxide, or try a paste of cornstarch and/or cornmeal w/ water. If using paste, allow to dry, brush to loosen & vacuum.
Rust: Saturate w/ lemon juice & rub w/ salt.

*Deodorize Naturally: Sprinkle baking soda on carpet (just like w/ those carpet powders) let sit for 15 to 30 minutes, then vacuum.

*Steam clean once to twice a year. Either find a natural market cleaner (to do this yourself) or just use 1/8 cup Castile Soap to 2 Gallons of Hot Water, repeat till water comes up clean. (If your carpets are really dirty then repeat this process once a week rather then after the other, this will help ensure that you don't accidentally create a mold problem by allowing the carpet to completely dry out in between sessions.) Remember: do not allow anyone onto the carpet until completely dry. *note* There are professional companies that do do a natural carpet clean... check in your area.

*Tip* If the room your cleaning is a damp room, then use a dehumidifier to help dry the carpet &/or keep it dry.

Look for part 2 coming soon....

Blessings!

Jessica

Poor Man's Cake

2009-08-01T14:03:00.003-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

I got this recipie out of Reminice magazine a few years ago. I have had nothing but rave reviews anytime I make. My husband (who's a picky eater) absolutley loves this cake. No frosting needed, the cake is so moist. Best of all, is that this cake requires very little ingrediants. From what I remember of the article accompining the cake, it's a recipie from the '30's when everything was rationed. Even if your on the poorest budget you can afford to make this cake every now & then. If your budget is a little better then you can have this on a bi monthly scale.

Makes a 9x9 cake.

Sift 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon soda & 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Add 1 cup cold water, 6 tablespoons butter/margrine, 1 tablespoon vinegar & 1 teaspoon imatation vanilla. Mix till smooth and pour into an 8" or 9" square pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 325* to 350*.

Please note temp & bake time vary according to altitude. I live at 6000 feet and it takes approximately 23 minutes at 325*. When I lived below sea leval it was a differant time & temp. Experiment according to your altitude. If you live at a high or higher alituted than I do you should not have to change any ingrediant ratio, nor should you at below sea leval. However, please make any adjustments needed for your area.

Enjoy!
Jessica

Rosemerry Chicken

2009-08-01T14:00:00.004-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Rosemerry Chicken

Needed:

*The amount of Chicken Breast to feed your family ( I use 4 B.S. Breast)
*Dried rosemerry ( I use a small -centered- palm full for 4 peices)
*Salt & pepper (to taste)
*Oil for frying mixed with butter/margrine

(I use olive oil for this only but I'm sure any oil will work)
*A Cast iron skillet

(this is the only pan I've used for this)

Proceedure:

Pour about 1 to 2 tbsp of oil into skillet & about 1 to 2 pats of butter. Heat till water dropplets sizzle in it. Season Chicken w/ Salt & Pepper. Just before placing chicken in pan, crush rosemerry in palm & heat in pan. When you can start to smell the herb, place chicken in pan and brown on both sides.

That's it! I serve this with egg noodles mixed with butter & herbs. For the veggie, greenbeans.

Enjoy! This is a family favorite! =)
Jessica

Chicken Shepards' Pie

2009-08-01T13:57:00.004-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

You'll need:

*One left over rotiserie checken (or some kind of left over chicken)
*1 bag (8 - 10 oz) of frozen mixed veggie
*1 can of cream of chicken soup (I prefer Campbles due to it good consistancy)
*Prepaired Mashed potatoes (I do this homemade due to hubby not liking any other kind of mashed potato, but you can use instant, just prepare them thicker then usual)
*Graded medium or sharp cheddar cheese

Pick your chicken clean, or throw your cubed chicken into a pan with raised sides. Put in the veggies and soup and heat through. You may add some water to this if sauce is too thick for your tatse. Then, once heated through, place mixture in a pie pan, mine are on the deep side so choose your dish to be some what deep.

Next, top with warmed mashed potatos. I spread it to look pretty & cover it. Finally, top with some cheddar cheese and place under the broiler (with rack in middle of the oven) to brown "crust".

Serve after resting 5 minutes. I usually don't serve anything alse with this. I considar it to be an all-in-one dish. However, you can serve it with a salad or some rolls.

Enjoy!
Jessica

Reusable Grocery Bags & Microfiber Clothes

2009-08-01T13:50:00.004-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

It’s time for another installment of Thrifty Tips. I have two tips for you today.

For my first tip: Use those nifty reusable grocery bags that are offered for 99* or less @ the grocery stores. I could go into the whole being “Green” thing, but I’m not. Look, I’m no “greenie”. I don’t pretend to be either. I like a lot of the “green” ideas. I Like them not because of the whole saving the Earth thing (that’s nice & all), but honestly, because most of them are cheap, reusable, and practical. That’s right! I like them because they’re practical. Now, where I live all the grocery stores sell the general reusable bags for 99* or less. (Albertsons up here sell for 88* a piece.) Also, Smith’s (at least when I bought them) has insulated bags for $2 a piece. I bought 2 of them; needless to say I only have 1 bag left due to lending mother one (who is out of state). These are practical for many reasons. First- they reduce the amount of waste in your house. Second- You can use these cheep bags for so much more then your groceries. I use them for quite a bit. For instance, I use my insulated bag for a quick cooler. Third- for those of you who haven’t used these bags before, they save space in your car & cart. That’s right, they save space! You use 2 to 4 bags per trip compared to 4 to 8+ plastic bags a trip. That’s it for this tip. I’m sure you’ll be able to find many more uses.

Tip two: Micro Fiber Clothes. I rave about this clothe any time I can. Initially they’re a little more expensive, but in the long run they’re Very Cheap. I have saved so much money by not buying near as many paper towels. I bought my micro fiber clothes @ Costco. So, this in itself has saved me money. I bought a huge package of these clothes for about $15. These clothes were intended for auto use. They were packaged for cleaning & drying cars. But, they are used for all kinds of things. I also bought ones specifically for washing dishes. These too, I bought at Costco. However, I use the auto micro fiber clothes for almost everything. I originally split the large auto clothes into 1/4s for dish clothes (before I bought the ones designed for dishes). But, I use the large auto ones for cleaning bathrooms, drying dishes (This is the best drying clothe I have found!) and for anything else you can use a paper towel for. Because of this, I spend ½ to 3/4s less on paper towels. This too creates less waste, which in turn for me means less cost in garbage bags. That translates to less $$ spent.

I look for any practical way of saving $$. Like many of you, I have a limited budget for groceries. I have a $400 a month for all my grocery needs. This includes food & non food items that are obtained at a grocery store. Such as diapers, wipes, cleaners, scripts, etc. I also have a $100 Costco budget a month. Costco is where I get my meat (the stuff I need in bulk) & other bulk needed items.

For now, Happy Saving!

(If you have a thrifty tip you’d like to share in my section, please send it in a message to me and I’d be happy to post it!)

Blessings,

Jessica
Copyright, 2009 by Jessica Stewart

Plastic Bags 'Jug' Holder

2009-08-01T13:45:00.004-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

I can not take credit for this idea. One of my husbands apartment residents showed us this idea. Some of you already may know about this, if not, read on.

Needed:

1 gallon, clean milk jug, plastic grocery bags, and sissors

Application:

Use the sissors to cut that raised circle out of the milk jug. Stuff your baggies inside and it becomes instant neat storage. Plus, you just reused two items. You can pull the bags out either through the top or side. ( I use the side.) It keeps it all neat and contained.

Have a Great Day!

Jessica

Copayright 2009 by Jessica Stewart

Frugal Family Fun

2009-08-01T13:42:00.002-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hello to all! My tip for today is to check with your community for free events for the family to enjoy. I’ve lived in my community for little over 4 years now and find out about more & more free entertainment each year. For example; we’re known for all of our “festivals”. We host Shakespearian Plays every year. The tickets for these plays are often sold out in advanced and can get very costly. However, they put on “green” plays. These are free to the public and are wonderful to watch. We also have music in the park every spring. We have plently of hiking, fishing, and other outdoor activies here too.

There always seems to be something in our local paper as to something to do. Most of the time it's free!

I advise you to call your city offices (they can usually direct you to the place to call for such things) and find out what’s going on in your community. This is great free/cheap family entertainment. Most communities have things such as car shows, and other festivals unique to your area.

Blessings!

Jessica

Clothing Tips

2009-08-01T13:37:00.003-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Here are a couple of tips to save on clothing, kids or your own. If you don't sew, see if you can trade services with someone who does.

A. Turn old jeans into shorts. Or if they're beyond hemming into shorts you could do a skirt (that idea is from Crystal, The family Homestead), a purse (which I've done when I was younger), or save them for quilt matrial (which I do now).

B. Turn ruined long sleeve shirts into short sleeves or sleevless shirts. My daughter ruined the sleeves of a few of her long sleeved shirts in school. Rather then throwing them away, I've truned them into sleeveless shirts for her this summer. You can also use them as rags and/or material for sewing.

C. Turn to short of dress into shirts. My daughter has this favorite blue dress, which is a bit to short now, but she still fits it otherwise. I've turned it into a shirt she now loves.

I hope these tips can be of some service to you all who are watching your pennies like me. And, now a days, who isn't? If you have any tips for me to add to my Simple and Frugal Life Section here, just let me know & I'll be happy to post them.

Blessings,
Jessica

Just to Gab

2009-08-01T13:11:00.003-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hello and how is everyone? It has been so busy here lately. Mainly because we seem to be at a doctor or hospital at every turn this week. Let's see....

My DS decided to fall off the kitchen chair & knock one front tooth behind the other. The good news is the dentist stated that he could not have done a better job. ~Smile~ If there was a correct way to knock teeth around this was it.

My DD dot another ear infection and may have possibley lost her tube in that ear. Lol... life is life w/ kids.... it's never boring. =)

My DH landed in the ER the other night thinking he was having another heart attach. ~Smile~ it turned out to only be pneumonia. This is good considering the alternatetive.

So, it's been hechtic here at my house... but God has blessed us w/ minor things in considering. Lol... may the blessings continue! =)

May your weeks be less eventful....

Blessings!

Jessica

Basic Body Body

2009-08-01T13:08:00.002-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

This is from the book: Healthy Child, Healthy World

Basic Body Body:

1/2 cup Coconut oil
1/4 cup Coco Butter
A few drops Essencial Oil (opt.)

Mix it all together, store it in an airtight container. It's probably best to store in the fridge if not going o be used in 60 days due to oils going rancid.

Also, I'm sure if coco butter/oil is not your thing it can be sub'd out for other oils/butters

Blessings!

Jessica

Copyright, 2009, by Jessica Stewart

Chapter 1 Healthy Child....

2009-08-01T12:51:00.005-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hello and welcome to the 1st of many instalments in my new area of book discussions.

This 1st chapter is all about being healthier while pregnant! I my self am no longer pregnant (and will not be due to health reasons). However, I feel this may offer some more ideas to those mothers that are/or will be in the future expecting. I also think some of these ideas can translate into our every day lives pregnant or not.

Chapter 1: Doing the Bump

(5 steps & ideas)

Step 1: Eat intllegently for 2; there are the usual do's & don'ts: No caffiene or alcohol. Eat a well balanced diet, take the prenatal vitemins, & of course no smoking.

Other not so common mentions: Avoiding pesticidle food when ever possible. (I'll be posting the Dirty Dozens & Cleanest Dozen in the next chptr, so stay tuned.) Also, try and eliminate as many artificial additives, colors, & preservities (along with other chemicals) as possible. Though, many like me on tight budgets, may find this hard to do. Stay tuned as I give tips & ideas twords this in later chapters.

Go organic: Going organic when ever possible is a wonderful idea. I know it can seem more expensive in the short run, however, it's well worth it as I've found out. Organic food is grown just like we garden in our personal lives, just on a grander scale. I, myself, have started garden again for the 1st time in a long, long while this year. On top of this, it's my 1st veggie garden ever. I have done some homework before hand and learned about GMOs (another blog topic all together~smile~). I also used as little pesticides as possible and used the greenest one possible to my budget while I have been researching homemade ones for next year. I pull my weeds via mannual laber, etc. I happend to love this, but will admit, not sure if I could handle this at the grand level organic farmers do. So, hence the higher price. Please also note that Small to mid-size farmers who grow organiclly do not get subzidies from the government.

Avoid Soy (or greatly reduce your intake) during pregnancy. They have been finding this not so good for the fetuses.

Additives to avoid when pregnant (along w/ not being pregnant):

MSG -> Monosodium glutamate

Articial Food Coloring: main ones to look for, Blue 1 & 2, Green 3, Red 3, & Yellow 6.

Artificial Sweeterns; expecially saccrine & aspertain (the most common).

Nitrites: mostly found in hotdogs (look for the all beef hotdogs. The brand I personally recomend is National Hebrew: Kosher)

Step 2: Get clean Water on Tap

A. Test your water for led (mainly if you live in an older house due to pipes)
B. Run your cold water in the AM for a few minutes ~to reduce led and/or other build up that may have built up over night.
C. Filter it ~wether it's the sink, a pitcher, oe ther whole house~ this greatly reduces the junk in your water.
D. Cut back on bottled water~It's less regulated then tap water and is very expensive. Plus, you have to worry about the type of plastic used for the bottle, look for the #7 on any plastic bottle (on the bottom and yes, this includes baby bottles too) and avoid them.

Step 3: Be Naturally Gorgeous

Use Little to no cosmetics. However, if you "have" to, look for organic and/or skin friendly make-up (ie: no dyes, perfumes, & harmful Chems.)

Top 3 cosmetics to avoid when pregnant: Nail Polish, Fragrances, & hair dyes.

Step 4:Breath of Clean Air

Habits to stay on top of during pragnancy:

*Banish smokers
*Clean Green ~ avoid: bleach, amonia, formaldahyde, & artificial fragrances.
*Besides the usual Baking soda, & vinegar~there's also cleaning with Castile Soap (and you just thought this was for your body~smile~)
*Avoid pumping your own gas (due to fumes). Get Hubby to do this ~smile~
*Freshen Air Naturally: open windows (when possible), use soy sented candles instead of the commercial ones (way to many carsenoens & chemicals); and finally grow indoor plants.

Step 5: Renovate Early & Effectively

*Avoid renovations from the last 2 months of prenancy~if you have to, prego's should be banned and/ or the area should be blocked off.
*Use Low or Non-VOC Paints (now widely avalibe) if you paint before baby comes. Please do a check (esecially if you own an older home) to see if you have led based paint. Useually house before built before 1978 (unless already reno'ed right) will have it. This is the date led paint was permenately banned. Call the pro's to remove it correctly.

Well, that's it for this 1st Chptr and do hope you enjoyed it! Sorry for it taking so long, kids, hubby, life...Lol... they tend to come 1st. Look out for chptr 2, coming soon! Also, check out my Misc. Recipes section to get the Basic Body Butter recipe the book gave. It looks Yummy!

Blessings,
Jessica

Copyright, 2009, by Jessica Stewart

Cool Music

2009-08-01T08:22:00.002-06:00

August Issue ~ Ecconobusters!!!!

2009-07-31T09:55:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Here is the link to the August Digest:

http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=166&products_id=11767

I'm blogging on this in hopes to win all past/present 5 issues, plus a really cool cookbook. I have always loved Molly @ Econobusters (see my HUGE link at the sidebar). However, I've never been able to afford to purchase her digest, but have REALLY WANTED TO! So, this is my hope I might be a lucky winner to win them! I devoure her newsletters & love roaming her Freebies!

This issue is ALL About Organization! So, I ask, who doesn't ever need some help/tips in this area? We all have our little to do's & how to's... so add some more kow how's to it . Here is a discripition from the Old School house of what this months issue includes..... They say to think value!!!! And, if it's anything like her blog/newsletter.... It really is Value!!! Who can't use value these days? I know I can always use value (and any and all tips that save me time & money).

(From the Old School House Store)

Check out the details and topics you'll find in Molly's August Digest and think value:

Begin with the Basics --Make-Ahead Mixes from Marmee: Is your family ready to get rid of the extra junk in your home? Find help for making mixes ahead of time and feed your family frugally while enjoying Cream Soup Mix, Oat Cookie Mix, Biscuit Mix, Fiesta Rice, even Blackened Chicken Spice Mix, along with others, including some variations!

On Sale This Month --Find out what sale items are hot in August!

Keeping it All Together --Organization of Bank Accounts: Have you ever wished you could safely set aside funds for specific bills in a separate account you won't be tempted to touch? Molly tells you how as she reveals a success story in gaining control of a household budget --it takes time, but it is possible! Learn how.

Feather Your Nest Frugally --Watch a beautiful cross collection you've had displayed for years become transformed to enhance a wall with fabulous decoupage framing using old hymnals. Sound intriguing? It is! You'll have to see the photos!

Pull up a Chair --August is a month of family fun, peaches, golf, and more!

Parenting that Pays --Jennifer shares how her family implemented a plan to renew some good, old-fashioned training in the forgotten art of organizing.

Something Old-Something New --Enjoy beautiful photos of a finished design that makes the verse Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,” come to life in a beautiful and very visual way.

Monthly Feature --Organization for Busy Families --Gain control of “the dirty dozen” working step-by-step through problem areas in an average home. Here are the 12:

Closets --How to Clean Out a Closet

Garage --Clearing the Clutter From a Garage can become a reality!

Recipes --Kudos to the Cook. Benefit from and follow a clear description of just how to categorize it all.

Kitchen --Come Into my Kitchen! And discover welcoming ways to store and better utilize all your kitchen gadgets and necessities!

Mail --The Mail Monster. Tame it with easy to implement changes in your home.

Photos --Organizing Photos. Digital or physical --it is time to do something!

Toys --The Trouble with Toys. Give yourself a little R&R by learning the acronym ROR.

Clothing --Organizing Clothing. Take into account your lifestyle, do a little planning, and follow through with some purging!

Finances --Organizing Finances. A few practical tips for you to stick to!

School papers --Papers, Papers Everywhere! Get them under control and keep them that way.

Bathrooms --Bathroom Organization. Tricks to quickly organize your bathroom and make daily tasks easier.

E-Books --E-Books Everywhere! Learn of the options for E-Book storage.

Goal Getter Spotlight --From revealing a need, to praying for an answer, and then finding victory as God shows the way, one family shares their success in gaining a more comfortable childen's bedroom.

Readers Write In --Enjoy practical advice for laundry day. You sort straight from the dryer --your children fold and put away and everyone wins!

So, Please visit & CHECK IT OUT!!!! This is really an excelent deal! Again, here's the link:

August Issue Molly's Digest

Stop over and purchase yours today while they're still in stock!

Blessings!

Jessica

Copyright, 2009 by Jessica Stewart

Healthy Child Healthy World Introduction

2009-07-27T11:34:00.003-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

I'm currently reading a nonfiction book. (I don't so this often, however, I do go through my kicks of this.) The book I'm reading is Healthy Child Healthy World by Christopher Gavigan. I picked up this book at my library (with manhy others ~smile~). When I picked this up I thought it was some greeny, tree hugger type book. I only thought, "Oh boy, a book I can quickly scan throught and maybe get a good homemade style recipe or two out of this." I honestly didn't think this book was going to be as helpful and chock full of usefull infrmation that it has turned out to be. I've actually learned quite a bit from this book. Some of the information in here I already knew about and just learned more information to go with it. Some I had heard about and now have a better understanding. And, still, there was some new information I now have to help me.

The thing I like most about this book is that they're more trying to educate you on things rather then trying to convince you to be an activist type tree hugger. I'm no enviromentilst by any means, however, I like to be informed on harmful things to me & my family. I also like to save money & do what vever I can myself. So, in a way, I guess this does kinda make me a greenie, but not for any other reason then selfish reasions (~smile~). Those reasons are as follows: my family, my health, and my bottom line.

So, I'm going to share with you all what I thought were the best tips, ideas, and need to knows out of this book. Each post I do will be about a single chapter in the book. Each chapter has 10 "steps"; I'll share those steps & the ideas, etc. that comes with them & my thoughts about each one. I do hope you find some of this info helpfull. Please tell me what you think as we go through this book about not only the book, ideas, etc. but also about this style posting.

Hello

2009-07-23T11:29:00.005-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hello and how are you all today? Not much going on here except day to day life. By the way, I'd like to thank my 8 visitors so far. When you're new to a blog site it does feel good someone came to visit you. Lol.... I know, I know.... I probably sound strange. That's me.

Today has been a lazy day for me. Lol... actually a very lazy morning. I now have the gumption to get going and hope to steam roll through my chores.

My To Do List:

Bible time
Exersice (30 minutes on bike @ Level 3~manual setting)
Striaghten House
Vaccuum Main part of house & Sweep Kitchen & Bathrooms
DD's Swim practice
Make bread dough
Weed front & Backyard
Make Dinner
Library
Work on my last little extras of Spring Cleaning

Tonights Dinner Menue:

Meatloaf Sammies, Left Over Cualiflower, & Pineapple Cottage Cheese

I have a question.... Does anyone know how to make Liquid soap from bars of soap? I have little bits of soap (the last of the bar soap that everyone seems to have) that I'd like to reuse to make a liquid soap. My husband much prefers liquid body wash & hand soap to bars. I'd love any help possible.

That's about it for today.

Blessings!

Jessica

Homemade Laundry Soap

2009-07-23T09:52:00.005-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Well, I have to say that I'm so impressed with both of my homade laundry soaps. The 1st one I made I followed a combination of Living on a Dime & Racheal Packston's (Creative Homemaking) directions. It was very easy & very and cheap to make.
The 2nd one I made I got the intial recipe from Living On a Dime's Blog, I did modify it somewhat. I will tell you that I do believe they clean better then my store bought soap. I didn't exactly use cheap soap either. I had used Costco's version of laundry soap.

Liquid Soap Basic Instructions:

1/2 c. grated Fels-Nathpa Soap
1/2 c. 20 Mule Borax
1/2 c. Arm'n'Hammer Washing Soada

Boil in 6 cups water, then simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into 3-5 gallon bucket. Add another 4 cups hot water. Then add 1 gallon PLUS 6 cups cold water. Stirring each time to mix. Put a lid on it and let sit 24 hours before use. Either leave in bucket (make sure lid is a sealable lid) or pur into smaller liquid detirgent bottles. Shake or stir before each use (as soap will separate) and add and additional bit of Borax for those of us who have hard water.

Regular washers use a 1/2 cup
High Effecency washers use 1/4 cup.

Please Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euao1mI03rI to the video by Living on a Dime.
This Video will show step by step in a "how to" in this recipe.

Dry Laundry Soap Instructions:

(I find this one to be my favorite.)

2 cups Baking Soda
2 cups Oxyclean (or some version of it. I use the Sun version, it's $1 @ Wal-Mart)
2 cups 20 Mule Team Borax
3 cups Arm 'n' Hammer Washing Soda
2 bars , finely grated, Fels Nathpa Laundry Soap

Mix it all together in a bucket of sorts. Make sure it's well incorperated. That's it!

2 Tbs for Small to Medium Loads or Loads that are Lightly Soiled.
3 Tbs for Medium to Large Lodas or Loads that are "medium" soiled.
1/4 cup for Large Loads or Loads that are heavily soiled.

This soap to can be used in HE Washers also due to praticlly no suds. Enjoy!

Blessings,
Jessica

Household Cleaning Tips

2009-07-23T09:12:00.007-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grabe a cup of coffee...

Hello to all and how are you doing today? We're fine here at the "homestead". I have a few cleaning tips I've learned over the years. Some by trial & error and some from other people. A lot of these many of you have probably already heard of or do, but most can bear repeating.

A. Go in the same order every time you clean house. It really does make the cleaning go faster. (This is so, I believe, because we already know what to expect. For most of us, does not a routine task go faster then a non routine task?)

B. Get all needed cleaners out & lined up on your kitchen counter for easier use & access. ( I prefer homeaide, but it's what ever you have on hand)

C. Make a list (Even if its routine cleaning I find lists so much help. Expecially for us moms with young children.( It can be so easy to forget something when you're being side tracked several times a day.)

D. Don't be super mom. Slpit the task among the whole week. ie: Vaccuum Mon., Wed., & Fri. Clean bathrooms on Tuesday, etc. (Mine is Mon: Dust & Windows, Tues: Vaccuum, Sweep, & Mop, Wed: Bathrooms, Thurs: Quick Vaccuum floors, Fri & Sat: Laundry.)

These are just a few tips that I hope will help you if you do not already follow them. As I figure out (actually think about how I clean) I'll give a few tips in the future. If you have any thing you would like me to post please email or send me a message. I'll be happy to post your ideas, tips, etc.
Blessings,
Jessica

Copyright, 2009 by Jessica Stewart

Homade Cleaers

2009-07-22T22:55:00.006-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

I have forgotten where I picked these homemade clenaers up at. I believe, but am not sure, I picked them up at Creative Homemaking (I highly suggest you go and visit Rachel's sight). Any how, just thought these might help some of you. I love homemade cleaners for the fact that you never seem to run out of them. Lol... I know, I know your asking how do you not run out? Well, I say it seems so because you always have all the stuff on hand to make these cleaners. So, any time you do run out, it doesn't take much, you just refill.

Tub Cleaner:

Bakingsoda & Dawn Dish soap.

Sprinkle soda on tub then the dish soap & scrub with a wet rag/spung. Or, you can make a paste of sorts & then scrub. (I have used this and it works well, however, I must confess I do use a strong store bought cleaner for my tubs due to having such hard water here at my house. When I find a better for hard water stains homade cleaner then I'll use that.)

Vinyl Floor Cleaner

1 Cup White Vinegar to a gallon of warm water, mix & use.

(I like this basic cleaner. I can even use this in my Bissel Steam Mop.)

All Purpose Cleaner

2 Tbs Vinegar
1 Tsp Borax
Hot Water

A few drops of a mild Dish Detergent
In a spray bottle (such as an old commercial spray bottle) put the vinegar, borax, and hot water. Swiss it around till all is diloved. Finish filling up to top, then add the drops of dish detergent. You can use right away

Disinfectant

2 to 3 drops of Bleach per cup of water.

(I use a messuring cup for this. I found for my spray bottles it takes 4 cups to fill the bottle. I also make this a gallon at time useually too. There are 17 cups to a gallon.)

Window Cleaner

1/2 Tsp Mild Dish Detergent
3 Tbs Vinegar
2 cups Hot Water

Make in the spray bottle and then fill the rest of the way with water. (On a side note: I found to not add the dish soap till after all other ingrediants, including water, have been added.)

I do hope you can use these cleaners and enjoy them as much as I have.
Thanks and come again!

Jessica

P.S. I also suggest you check out my other links such as the Family Homestead. Crystal Miller has a ton of tips & other goodies she is willing to share.

Copyright, 2009 by Jessica Stewart

Miss Maggie's Pancake Recipe

2009-07-22T20:09:00.006-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Homemade Pancakes

1 cup milk
1 medium/large egg
1 tbs oil
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbs vanilla (this I added for my family's taste)

Get a large mixing bowl out. Mix milk, egg, oil, and sugar in the bowl. Add salt, soda, and flour. Mix untill combined. ( I then add additional water till its thinned to were I want it. My family likes thinner pancakes rather then the thicker batter that this makes.) Cook these on a clean, non oiled, hot griddle. Or, a slightly oiled hot skillet (depending upon the type of skillet you use). When the top of the "batter" starts to bubble then it's time to flip. Enjoy!

Blessings,

Jessica

$$ My Grocery Budget Breakdown $$

2009-07-22T08:51:00.005-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hello all, How are you? I have been doing some reading/research on the net. I'm always looking for ways to reduce cost and/or get inspiration. Let's face it, we all need a little reminder that we're not alone in trying to be frugal and/or making life more simple. Any how, getting to the point for my post.... I ran across some info on how to cut the grocery budget in half.

The tips are awsome and full of common sence. (For more info on the site I visited please visit HillBillyHousewife; see link in my sidebar.) In this, I realized just how slimmed my budget is. I will tell you all that I do have WIC vouchers, however, it's only for 1 child. I did the math on this, and WIC saves me about $30 a month with groceries (Depending upon sales at the time; yes, I do look for sales even with WIC. I dislike having to sallow my pride and ask for help; pride is a fault of mine. So, I often try to get one or more items on the vouchers on sale to help all tax payers, including my husband.).

I spend on average (sometimes more, sometimes less) $50 to $70 dollars a week on groceries. So, if you add WIC in this means on average I sepend $80 to $100 dollars a week on groceries. However, I must point out that this includes all diapers, wipes, pearsonal hygine products for the family, some medical scripts, pet food, and my regular menu & some extras as needed. My grocery budget is an all encompassing budget that includes all, or at least most things you get at a grocery store. On a side note, going back to the med scripts, we do have a misc. portion in our monthly budget for such things. Though, it occasionally runs short due to copays, scripts, and a few other things from month to month.

I happend to record my prices spent for last months groceries in a little more detail then I normally do . I'd like to show you all in hopes it might give some inspiration that yes you can eat fairly well on a shoe string budget. I have a meat at most dinners. My husband is not in favor for most meatless dinners. I try to incorperate one or two from time to time. I found one so far that he likes. The meal is cheese enchiladas. I'll post the receipe in my receipe section a little later. (Please note, our household budget runs from the 25th to the 25th of each month.)

Grocery Budget for 4-26 to 5-25:

(This month runs 4 shopping trips, weekly basis.)

Total Monthly Amount: $400

Breakdown: minus $50 (I hide $50 for those "unexpected" needs in groceries.)

Now Total: $350

Minus $30 (reserved for petcare needs, ie: food, litter, ect.)

Now total: $320

Minus $10 (This was for my DD monthly lunch expences. We were on a reduced lunch program @ her school.)

Now Total: $310

$310 divided by 4 (or 5, if there is 5 shopping days in the month, thought my average is 4 weeks.)

Now Total: $77.50 a week for the month

Break Down in Daily Spending:

4-26: Smiths $16.81 & Dollar Tree $5.30

4-27: Township Pharm $20.75

4-28: Lunch money $3.00 (This month I subsidised DD Lunch money with some extra cash.)

Total to Date: $45.86

4-30: Weeklies: (As in my weekly grocery trip) $23.51, $11.61, $8.47, $12.79

Total to Date: $102.24

5-4: Wal-Mart $16.44

5-5: Wal-Mart $5.71

5-6: Weeklies: $1.80, $21.92, $28.21, $2.95

Total to Date: $179.27

5-8: Wal-Mart $19.06

5-9: Wal-Mart $15.67

Total to Date: $214.00

5-13: Weeklies: $11.11, $44.05, $36.22

5-14: Lins $18.20

Total to Date: $323.58

5-16: Wal-Mart $4.00

5-18: Wal-mart $15.

Total to Date: $343.51

$350.00-$343.51= $6.49+$50.00(hidden)= $56.49 (Budget Adjustments)

5-20: Weeklies: (Please note; DH added an extra $13 to my budget due to extras for a block
partyb that was a last minute thing planned for via neighbors.) Brings Total to: $69.49 for the week. $8.36, $42.38, $12.47, $5.64 = (total spent for week is) $68.85

So, making neccessary adjustments:

$320+$13 (extra given via DH) =$333

$333+$50 (hidden was spent too this month) =$383

$383+$30 (pet care money) =$410

$410+$3 (lunch money) =$413 for month.

Actual $$ spent this month is: $412.36.

I'm under budget via .64* this month. I do cut some coupons but am lucky if I use 1 or 2 a week. I tend to try to match my coupons with sales to maximise my savings. The coupons are worth scanning from time to time because you can find some freebies or large $$ off a product. I also belong to some store clubs (ie: Smiths Rewards, Albertsons, etc.) which doese help save some money and doese occasionally give freebies. So, do check them out to see if it is worth it for you
Also, I plan my dinners out a week at a time (via a menu), make a shopping list(to help me remember all things needed as to not over spend or buy things not neccassary), and "shop" sales adds plus sepparate possible coupons a head of time to save time (and yes, money).

**Please Note** This is my pearsonal grocery budget broken down for my fiscal period of April 25th throught May 25th. This is also based on my family of 4's (plus 1 cat & 1 dog) needs. I tend to not buy a whole lot of junk food or snacks. I also stay away from prepackaged foods as much as possible. (I do have a few I think are worth thier price & convience.) Please feel free to comment, question, or take away ideas from this budget breakdown. This post was purely intented to help/inspire anyone who may need help in cutting their grocery budget. I suspect many of you reading already have similar spending habits in place (adjusted to your family/pet size).

Hope this helps/Inspires someone today.

Blessings,

Jessica

Copyright, 2009 by Jessica Stewart

Hair & Body Care

2009-07-22T08:48:00.003-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hello and Welcome!

Well, I was doing some final research about a month ago. I adapted a hair wash from two differant suggestions and added two extra ingredtiants. (I used a simple baking soda paste a couple of nights ago to let my hair wash sit for 24 hrs.) I just used my own formula the other night. (So far I love it! ) I have not used any hair product (including hair spray, my favorite hair product) since June 4th.

I stopped shampooing my hair every day quite some time ago. I wash my hair & bathe every other day. I LOVE my showers/bathes. So, since I tend to take a LONG shower or bath, I started taking them every other day to help conserve on water & gas. (This is not about the enviroment. Thought, I'm sure it should be..Lol . It's just about my BILLS. ) I read some time ago, that we as Americans wash our hair way too much. We strip away all our hair's natural oils away in 2 ways.

1. We wash everyday. This is not good for our hair or us for that matter. (Mostly do to Chemicals in most soaps/shampoos.)

2. We use shampoo. I know, I know this sounds wierd. Even to me a little bit. We've all been brain washed (sorry for the pun), so to speak, in thinking we need to wash our hair everyday or it's dirty. It's not (unless of course you work in a dirty type job, ie: Maintaince like my husband). For most of us (expessially women) we don't get all that dirty in our day to day life. We think we do but we really don't. My husband is very forth right; therefore, he would immediately tell me if I ever stink. He never does. Any hoo... that's just my personal take on that.

3. I did some exploring of a wonderful website that explains some of the major ingrediants in shampoo (these also apply to most toothpaste, bodywashes, and other body care products). What I found out was scary. These are even in baby care products! So, I ditched the store bought shampoo. Here's the web page that had a wealth of info on it:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/go/index.php/389/why-you-should-go-no-poo/

So, I did some experimenting and ended up combining two differant methods in this no-poo thing and added two of my own things. So far, after washing with the paste & my own formula, I'm finding no trouble with my hair. I read some people do & some don't have trouble. I ended up going with a more liquid style solution, however, I added honey (for my fly away style hair) and I added oatmeal too. I also added some essiensal oils. (I'll give my receipe later.)

I also made & used Wanna Be a Steader's "tooth paste". She has made a good receipe! I give it up! I found that just after a couple of days use that I have dramatic improvement in my teeth. I found my teeth don't hurt anymore. They also feel way cleaner then with the other stuff.
Speaking of Wanna Be a Steader, check out her blog (http://www.homesteadblogger.com/wannabeone).

I modified her Body Wash receipe to suite my budget & taste. I'm finding I like it so far!
In closing, I'm switching over as I can to more homemade versions of haelth care due to budget, health, and the "I can do it better" attitude (as it comes to store bought ). My daughter got my husband family's skin (exzima) and that many of the products we use in every day life actually does way more harm then it ever does good. This was my soap box edition for the day (and hopefuly month ). Thanks for reading and maybe I've even been able to help you.

Blessings!

Jessica

Copyright, 2009 by Jessica Stewart

Penne & Smoked Sausage Casserole

2009-07-22T08:45:00.004-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

I got this recipe from my local grocery store... It was such a hit with my family! So, I thought I'd share it with you all.... Please note that instead of frying & baking this I grilled it all the way. Enjoy!

2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1lb smoked sausage or Keilbasa sausage
11/2 cups milk
1 can (10.75 oz) Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
11/2 cups French Fried Onions; divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; divided
1 cup frozen or fresh peas

Cook pasta to pakage directions. Brown (or grill sausage). If frying the sausage please slice into medalians before frying. In a large bowl combine; milk, soup, 1/2 cup french fried onions, 1/2 cup cheese, and peas. Stir to mix, then add meat & pasta. Place in a greased 10x13" baking pan (yes this can go on the grill), place remaining cheese on top and bake @ 375* for 20-25 minutes or grill untill warmed thru & cheese is melted. Once cheese is melted thru... place remaining french fried onions on top and bake/grill about 5 minutes more. Let the casserole sit about 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy! Hope your families enjoy this dish as much as we did. On a side note, we found it better to have a larger can of onions so as to place some fresh ones on for the left overs.

Jessica

Copyright, 2009 by Jessica Stewart

Soap Recipes

2009-07-22T08:38:00.004-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

So, as to my last entry here in Health, I was just starting to get out of shampooing and make my own soaps. Lol.... I have not quite, am loving life, and have found/made/embelished some soap recipes.

Jess's Beginner No-Poo "Shampoo"

This is what I used to get out of the shampoo habit & "cleanse" my hair of impurities.

1 part baking soda (about a couple of tbs for short hair & about a 1/3 of a cup for hair longer then shoulder length)
Enough water to make a thin paste
1 to 2 drops Lavender (or Sage for men) Essensail Oil
1 "pour" of raw honey

Mix & message onto dry (can be damp/wet hair). Let this sit for a minute or two then rinse in luke warm water. Follow this by a vinegar rinse (recipe to follow). Do the final hair rinse in as cool of water you can stand.
You may or may not experiance "yuckie" hair for about 2 weeks or so as your hair adjusts to no SLS or other harsh chemicals.

Vinegar Hair Rinse

2 cups water
1/4 cup apple cider or white viegar
1 drop Lavendar Ess. Oil
1 drop Rosemerry Ess. Oil
Combine in a "squeeze" bottle of sorts (this can be kepted in the shower) and use after "washing" your hair, let it sit for a few minutes then rinse in cool water.

Jess's Head 2 Toe Body Wash

This is for a Soft Soap Pump size bottle. You know, those ones we got to wash hands with.

About 3/4 ways up the pump set you fill line for liquide castile soap and fill. Add about 10 drops Tea Tree Oil and Lavander Oil. Then add 5 drops Rosemerry Oil & Sage Oil. Next add 1/4 cup raw honey. Fill the rest of the way with water. You'll need to shake this before each use. This can be adjusted for larger bottles.

I do hope you all get some use from these recipes and are able to enjoy them. I'll soon be posting a head to toe body bar.

P.S. An update to my DD exzema. Since switching to homemade soaps I have rarely used creams on her or corizone 10. Her skin is doing so wonderful! I have to say I'm sooo pleased .

Jessica

Jess's Semi-Homemade MIlk & Oatmeal~Head 2 Toe~ Bar Soap

2009-07-22T08:35:00.005-06:00

Hello! Welcome to my Kitchen Table! I have a semi-homemade soap recipe for you all today.

This is a great recipe I drived from anther recipe for semi-homemade soap. It's a great intro to soap making for begginers (like me ~smile~) and for those who have young kids around and do not want to mess with Lye because of those young kids (again like me ~smile~). This make a great hand made soap.

These are the ingrediants needed:

6 Bars shredded Ivory or other SLS Free White Bar soap

2 cups Distilled Water & 1/4 cup extra; reserved

10 Tbs Milk Powder

5 Tbs Powdered Sugar (This is the poor man's silk & lather agent)

1/2 cup of Olive Oil

18 Tbs Ground (w/ some texture) Oatmeal

60 Drops Tea Tree Oil

35 Drops Lavendar Oil

20 Drops Sage Oil

Pot Choice #1 for the melting process.

Pot Choice #2 for the melting process. Either of these pots will do just fine.

It's all about preferance. I started with my crockpot but plan on trying

my dutch oven next batch around.

Instructions:

Melt Soap in water (the 2 cups) untill fairly smooth (there may be some lumps). Then add milk powder, Pwdr Sugar, & oil. Mix this well and blend till smooth. Add remaining 1/4 cup (~give or take~) of water & oatmeal, again mix well. It may be some what lumpy. Once fully melted & incorperated~turn off heat and add Oils. Stir one last time and pour into molds (can be just about anything, however, they do sell soap molds at most craft stores). Cool Completely and unmold. Place soap onto wax paper in a cool place (ie: I put my soap in my basement) and cover this with a towel (I used a kitchen towel). Let this sit for about 2 weeks to "dry" out. Wrap the soaps in tissue paper to store & Enjoy!

This is the finished product. It looks yellow due to the lighting in my bathroom. However, it really is white, with some brown in it due to the oatmeal. I love this soap. Don't want the smell in your soap from the Essensial Oils? That's ok too. Just leave out the oils & your soap will just smell like "soap". I accidently left the oils out in my first batch and can attest that the soap is still really great. This soap is the soap I use on my kids & myself. I use it for my hair & body (I use a vinegar rinse as conditioner, and I use a detangler also due to my hair being so long. I find the loger your hair the more it'll tagle on you.

I do hope you all enjoy this soap as much as my family & I do. Enjoy!

Blessings,

Jessica

Hello & Welcome!

2009-07-22T07:08:00.005-06:00

Welcome! Pull up a chair & grab a cup of coffee ....

Hello & Welocome to my blog! I'd like to introduce myself here in my opening blog. My name is Jessica, I'm a wife of 10 years now and a mother of two wonderful children. I have a DD who's 6.5 years old and a DS who's 2.5 years old. My husband is a wonderful man of many talents. He has been doing maintenaince for commercial residents for about 15 years now. Although, he did do a stint a a highschool math teacher for about a year. (He found it was not for him.)
I have been a full time stay-at-home mom for about 3 years now. I have beem a stay-at-home mom on & off since my daughter was 3 years old. Before becomeing a mommy, I have had a few jobs/careers. However, none have compared to being a wife and mother.
I love to garden, bake, sew/quilt, read, and much, much more. I'm into homesteading. My homestead is very small and just getting started. I have my hopes and dreams for a "someday" homestead. We'll see what God has instore for me & my family.
I live in a small town/city. My town is a bit big to be called a "small" town and too small to be called a "city". So, I live in a tweeny.
I'm in my live & learn stage of life, so to speak. I'm doing my best to live right & live as much of my dreams as possible and am learning so much as I go. I have a great idea as to whom I'd like to become as a women, but, we'll see how much my ideas and God's will goes hand 'n' hand. Lol.... God's will will always win out.

Thanks for stopping by! God bless and come on back ya'll!

Jessica
Copyright, 2009 by Jessica Stewart