My Earring Tree!

I got r-e-a-l-l-y tired of digging through my jewelry box drawers every day to match a pair of dangle or snap close earrings so I finally decided to do something about it. I designed my own Earring Tree using craft sticks (aka popsicle sticks). It looks more like a display than a tree. Maybe call it an Earring Holder???Earring Butler??? What do you think???

Earrings are easy on and easy off! Now I have to create a holder for my post earrings...

Save A Little, But Spend Some!

We are all going to get old. It is inevitable. Just have fun while you're doing it. If you have a little disposable income, spend it. Tomorrow isn't a guarantee. It's an opportunity if you get the chance to see it. --Susan Crafts

Tell Someone You Appreciate Him or Her

"When you pay someone a compliment it makes them feel good inside. Words of recognition, taken by surprise. Your pure sincerity cast a glow upon their face, then a smile, making them proud of who they are."
-- Susan Crafts

Home Made Laundry Detergent

So many people interested in learning how to make their own laundry detergent, so I decided to re-post this recipe.

4 Cups Hot Tap Water
1 Fels-Naptha Soap Bar
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
A few drops Essential Oil  (I like to use Lemon or Lavender available at Health Food Stores and Vitamin Shops)

This is soooo much better for our environment.  It takes less time to mix up this batch of detergent than it would for you to get into your car and drive to the store and back.

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

I store the detergent in a 5 gallon bucket that used to hold the chlorine tablets for my pool. I refill my old detergent bottles with the home made detergent as needed using my pyrex glass measuring cup and a funnel.

 When it's time to do laundry, gently shake the bottle 2 or three times.  I tip it upside down and back three times and then pour it into the cup. Don't shake it hard because it will foam up.  It should be a little watery with lots of lumps.  Don't let this bother you!  That's how it's supposed to look. Detergent companies use lots of chemicals to get their products smooth.  But it isn't necessary. 

 If you prefer a powdered detergent, it's quite simple.  Grate the soap and mix it with the rest of the dry ingredients using a wire whisk.  Store in an airtight container.  Could it get any easier than this?

Go here if you would like more information about home made liquid and powdered detergents. http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows

I thought I would re-post my home made Hot Chocolate recipe now that the cold weather is upon us! Compare my recipe to your store bought brand. Their ingredients looks more like a chemistry experiment compared to mine. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups Senalac or 2 cups powdered milk (see Tip)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Mini marshmallows

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Take the bittersweet chocolate and roughly chop it up to give a chunky but consistent size. Mix well with a wooden spoon and
then store in an airtight container.

To make the hot chocolate, simply add 3/4 cup of water per 1/3 cup of hot cocoa mix. Heat in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring with a whisk. Heat until hot, but do not boil, about
6 to 7 minutes. Or heat water in microwaveable mug, add cocoa and stir. Serve with mini marshmallows.

Tip: Senelac powdered milk, found at Super Target, is superfine and dissolves fast. If using granular powdered milk, use 2 cups and run it through the food processor to make it superfine.

Note: I mostly use Splenda when I mix up a batch and you can't tell the difference between that and the one made with sugar.

3 Easy Ways To Kick Your Calories To The Curb!

1. Curb Your Sweet Tooth!

I love chocolate frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt has less calories than ice cream (about 140 calories per 1/2 cup), but the calories can really add up if it's eaten more than once a week. To save calories I pour myself a 4 oz glass of Unsweetened, Regular Almond Breeze (15 calories), and stir in some sugar-free chocolate syrup (2 Tablespoons,15 calories).

The creaminess and rich flavor of the almond milk mixed with the chocolate syrup is very satisfying and I didn't even miss my 1/2 cup serving of frozen yogurt. Slowly sip it through a straw and savor the rich chocolate flavor. Calories saved? 110! Even if you added a dollop of fat-free whipped cream (Reddi-Whip, 2 tblsp., 5 calories) you still haven't done any damage! If you doubled the amount of milk and chocolate you are still under half the calories of a dish of frozen yogurt!

2. Curb Your Carbs!

I am a self-confessed carbo-holic. I love carbohydrates. The pizza man would be bankrupt without my "almost weekly" consumption of pizza. The pasta man would have to move in with the pizza man if I stopped eating carbs. I love sandwiches, subs and any other carb that likes to hug the innards of my sandwiches. Wraps, pitas, flat breads, biscuits...you name it I love it. There are a couple of things I do to cut calories in all 3 of these meals: sandwiches, pizza and pasta.

I buy Sara Lee Light Multi-Grain Bread (only 45 calories, only 9 grams carbs per slice!) to make my sandwiches. I buy Arnold Multi-Grain Bread (110 calories and 20 grams carbs per slice) for my husband. He likes BIG bread, whereas I find the size of the Sara Lee Bread suits me just fine. When I used to eat the Arnold bread I felt "stuffed" after eating a sandwich. I prefer to feel satisfied, not lethargic after lunch. So try swapping your bread for Sarah Lee Light Multi-Grain Bread and save 130 calories per day! Well, you know how many sandwiches you eat every week. You do the math. Something tells me you're going like this!

Try making a lettuce wrap using a large, dark green Romaine leaf one day each week to totally eliminate carbs at lunchtime.

For the pizza, opt for a honey whole wheat or whole grain pizza crust. All that white flour isn't good for you. If you can't eat wheat, try making a gluten-free pizza dough.

To cut calories, roll the dough thin and load up on the veggies! No meat. My favorite pizza is mushrooms, peppers, black olives, onions and garlic. Use part-skim mozzarella instead of whole milk mozzarella. Lots of tomato sauces contain sugar. Try slicing tomatoes or coarsely chop them (dry them with a paper towel), then place them in a single layer on top of the pizza dough first, sprinkle with basil, oregano and parmesan cheese. Then top with your favorite veggies and cheese.

The key to keeping pasta healthy is to eat the whole grain versions and use the same principal as the pizza. Load up on the veggies and avoid sauces containing sugar. Read the back of the box and find out what qualifies as a serving. Is it 1/2 cup? 3/4 cup, 1 cup? Measure the pasta onto your plate. No seconds!

Curb Your Condiments!

Try making your own condiments. Most condiments contain lots of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, and a whole host of foreign ingredients we can neither pronounce or fathom what they are or where they came from. I have some great home made condiments posted here on my blog: ketchup, barbecue sauce, salad dressing and other home made toppings and concoctions. Go browse!
Don't limit yourself to buying what is on the store shelves. You can search the web to find a wide variety of home made condiments. You'll save calories because you can control how much sugar and what type of sugar you will be using. Sometimes I use Splenda, honey, brown sugar or even just plain old fashioned sugar. But I am controlling how much goes into it which is always much less than anything you can buy in a store. You will also be reducing your sodium intake because you will decide how much goes into your condiment. In most recipes you can eliminate the salt by substituting other spices.

I hope I've empowered and encouraged you to take these small, inexpensive, simple steps as a means of kicking your calories to the curb!

Kids Eat Free At On The Border Restaurant

Every Sunday in October and on Halloween kids 10 years of age and under eat for FREE! What a cool deal for your family!