Kelly's Kitchen and Home

Homemade Salad Dressings

2011-06-09T20:26:00.003-04:00

Oriental Dressing
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
3/4 t. ginger powder (I use fresh grated ginger, about 1 1/2 T)
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1/4-1/3 c. sugar (I use raw organic)
2 t. sesame seeds
2 T. soy sauce or tamari

Mix the dressing until it is smooth and mixed well.

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING
1/2 C Sour Cream 1/2 C Mayonnaise 1/4 C Ketchup 2 tbsp. sweet pickle relish 1 tbsp. minced fresh onion 1 tbsp. finely chopped celery 1 tsp. lemon juice 1/8 tsp. pepper Combine ingredients and stir well. Some recipes for this are bland. This one makes a great taco salad. Yield 1 1/2 cups.

Great Resources

2010-10-15T15:50:00.002-04:00

My favorite cloth diapers. They have a forum to buy used diapers and covers:
Cloth Diapers, Covers and Training Pants from Mother-ease

Tons of info and pictures that explain each type of diaper:
http://greenmountaindiapers.com/

Lot's of sales if you sign up for email:
http://www.kellyscloset.com/

Sign up for email and have have diaper seconds sales a few times a year:
Diapers | Cotton Fleece | Wipes | Diaper Spray & Concentrate | Doublers | Blanket and Burp Cloth

This is a giant forum for buying and selling used diapers and covers:
Cloth Diapers & Parenting Community - DiaperSwappers.com

My fav magazine with a giant forum for natural parenting:
mothering |

Breastfeeding help and answers:
kellymom :: Breastfeeding and Parenting

Giant forum to learn about babywearing and buying used:
TheBabyWearer.com

Local Gr Resources:
My forum where you can meet everyone in the area. Yes, some people are out of state and still talk on the forum: once you make 10 posts you can see the whole forum with lots more info.
http://www.michigannaturalparenting.com

GR natural parenting group:
Grand Rapids Natural Parenting Group

GR babywearing group with lending library:
Grand Rapids Babywearing

Upcycled Wool longies, soakers and other wool projects....

2010-02-25T21:35:00.001-05:00

I am going to post a bunch of different sites that have pictures, tutorials or patterns for different recycled wool items. Most of the items will be diaper covers (soakers and longies). I will update this list as I find more fun things. Please send me an email if you find a broken link. Thanks.

Here is a picture tutorial on making a longie.

Here is another longie.

Here is a written instructions for a longie plus instructions on how to felt the wool.

Here is a tutorial for a soaker using a sweater.

Here is another longie pictorial.

Here is a sweet post and instructions for a longie with some links.

Here is another pictorial for a longie.

Here is another resource for longies with pictures.

Here is a quilted throw made from wool sweaters.

Here is a longie and here is it's matching top pictorial.

Interviews with Amy Dacyczyn from The Tightwad Gazette

2009-12-19T14:18:00.018-05:00

I have always been a huge fan of the Tightwad Gazette. I am old enough to actually say that I was a 'scriber back in the day. LOL If you haven't read her books yet, start with the library to read them. Since they were taken from newsletters that ran from 1991 to 1996, some of the information is of course dated. Some items didn't relate to me even back then, but her general principles and ways of dealing with money are still gold today. I especially like the articles where she writes about dealing with her children and spending. Here are some written articles about Amy and even a short updated video. Enjoy! Here is a peek at her book from Amazon.

Here is an article from March 2009 where Amy talks about the current debt situation.

Here is an article from May 2008 from the Simple Dollar.

Here is an older article from 1990.

Here is a short video from November 2009.

Here is an old NPR audio recording from 1997.

Here is a short You Tube video taken from an 1992 interview.

Here is a recent short news clip.

Here is an older article from 1992.

Here is a review from slide share.

Blogging Break

2009-02-08T20:34:00.004-05:00

Sorry that I haven't posted anything in so long. I've been so busy with my family and their health issues. You can see updates on Rick here. You can see updates on Olivia here.

Everything you ever wanted to know about wool diaper covers and soakers...

2008-12-05T14:29:00.047-05:00

Ok, at least everything I can think of. I am not going to write a huge amount of information because there is so much out there, but I am going to add my input and tons of links for everyone. Hope you learn something new.

The first reason to buy wool is because they are just so darn cute! See the pictures of Kenton above?

One thing to add is my all time favorite website for wool and organic clothing Cambridge Baby- UK. You simply must shop there to see the prices. Use a currency converter to figure out the cost in US dollars and don't worry about shipping- it's cheap and your items arrive in less than a week. View it here.

Also my favorite Etsy knitter: Amy from True 2 Ewe.

First things first. Let's talk about why you would chose wool? It can hold up to 40% of extra fluid without feeling wet, it's natural and non-flammable, it rarely needs washing without smelling bad, it keeps your baby warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and it is the most breathable for babies bottoms of all the different fabrics.

Here are some good links explaining why to choose wool:
~eBay Guides - Wool Cloth Diaper Covers The Comprehensive Guide
~why wool's cool
~diaper pin-why use wool
~firefly- why choose wool
~Why Wool Diaper Covers? - Attachment Parenting
~ Real Diaper News Why Wool's Cool" by Heather Sanders
~danish woolen products- why wool
~Why Use Wool Diaper Covers?
~Why Wool? | Sunshine Diapers
~How to Use Wool Diaper Covers | eHow.com

All right, now that you know how wonderful wool is you probably want to know what products are out there, which brands are offered and what's different about them. This is my quick version of the different styles. Each site goes into more depth about their style of cover.

~Felted wool covers are made from wool that has been pre-treated and felted. They are thinner than knitted ones and most can even be machine washed. Check with your brand before machine washing though. They usually come in a wrap style that has a snap or velcro closure.

~ Knitted wool covers come in three basic styles with all sorts of interpretations in between.
1. Wool soakers for day and night. Some are single layer and some are at least double layer for night time.
2. Wool "shorties" which are a more like a pull-on wool diaper cover. They can be lanolinized to use a diaper cover or used as a decorative cover over a regular cover.
3. Wool "longies" are a pull-on wool pant. They can be lanolinized for use over a diaper/cover or used as pajama bottoms.
4. Variations of shorties are board shorts and variations of longies are skirties which is like a skirt over a pant but all-in-one, capri pants, and ruffle pants.

Here are some of the brands out there. Remember the websites are endless so I am just listing the ones that I am the most familiar with:
~Better for babies- Little Beetle
~Tiny Birds Organic Wool Diaper Covers
~Green Mountain Diapers: Wool Diaper Covers, Wool Diaper Wraps
~Thanks Mama wool covers
~Amazon.com: wool diaper cover: Apparel
~Vermont Diaper Company - wool covers
~kelly's closet wool covers
~Fuzbaby wool covers
~Babyworks: Product: 'Nikky Wool Diaper Cover'

There are so many more out there- too many to list. Just Google or Yahoo for "wool diaper covers" for more. There are two more sites to recommend which has multiple listings for WAHM made products. They are some great deals here and beautiful workmanship:
~Etsy :: Search Results
~Hyena Cart :: Search

Here are some sites that highlight the big names in knitting covers which are made by machine:
~Aristocrats Diaper Cover
~Disana wool
~LANAcare

How to wash and care for wool? You can hand wash or use the gentle cycle on your washing machine. First I will list sites that teach you all about caring for wool, then I will list products for caring for wool:
~natural family online- wool care
~Cotton Babies how to lanolinize
~How To Care for Wool - Cut of Cloth
~ehow to wash wool covers
~GMD video on how to wash and lanolinize
~info_on_sudzndudz.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Products for caring for wool:
~Eucalan | clean clothes , clean planet
~Imse Vimse USA: Laundry Accessories
~hugadubdub.com - Wool Care
~Amazon.com: liquid lanolin
~Northern Essence wool products
~Lansinoh
~Sonett wool wash
~Sudz 'n Dudz

Want to make your own wool covers? Here are some free patterns:
~ottobre diaper cover pattern
~soaker pattern

Some wool review sites:
~Wool Cover Reviews
~Diaper Pin - Cloth Diaper Reviews - List
~Safe mama wool reviews

Some WAHM made covers that I really like:
~Adorabubble Knits Online Shop
~green way wool covers
~Llamajamas, Llamajama wool diaper covers longies soakers

Here are some really neat wool products worth mentioning for baby:

~Ruscovilla wool
~recycle wraps
~MamaPoncho - Birdie's Room
~Baby Carrier Blanket

I hope you have enjoyed this post. I am not going to update all of these links unless you drop me a comment that something is wrong or missing. Thanks and enjoy!

Thrift Store Deals..

2008-11-28T21:48:00.016-05:00

Every once in a while I like to post about great deals that I find at thrift stores. Personally I think they have even better deals than shopping resale stores, but it takes more patience. One thing to remember is that you are probably not going to walk into a thrift store and pick everything that you need right off the rack that day like Target. Instead you have to focus on buying things that you need as you come across them and I even buy ahead for the next size up. I only buy things that are in great condition, never things that are stained, badly pilled or ripped. If you get home and find a small stain that you didn't see, it's OK because you didn't pay that much for it.

Today was black Friday and I only hit one retail store and the rest was thrift stores. Some of the stores had 25% off or buy one get one free type of sales. Right now we have to buy clothes for 5 children, soon to be 6. I don't have room in the budget to buy everything new, and besides, why would you when you can get so much nice stuff for so little? Plus it's very eco-friendly to "recycle" clothing buy using it again. Americans waste so much including clothing so don't think that it's all pilled and faded junk like it was years ago. You would be surprised how many items still have tags on them.

Everything that I purchased today came to $16.00 at one store and $22.00 at the second store for a total of $38.00 for five skirts, three pairs of pants, three boys shirts, one jogging suit and 7 girls shirts.

Shown here is two girl shirts, two boy shirts and one dress pants. The plaid shirt is Izod, the dress pants are Old Navy, the pink shirt is Kohl's brand and blue one is Old Navy.

Same clothes as above except showing a purple skirt and jeans from The Limited Too.

Same clothes as above except showing a pink Arizona brand suit for Savanna.

My children (at least for now) don't care about what brand something is, they only care about how it looks and the girls like "girly" clothes. I am highlighting brand names because I know that it's an issue for a lot of people. Notice above the shirts are from Candies (Kohl's), Tommy Hilfiger, Old Navy, The Children's Place and The Limited Too....

These four skirts are Gasoline, The Children's Place, Old Navy and Talbot's Kids...

Overview of some of the clothes.

Olivia's favorite is the jean skirt with the colored buttons and this pink shirt with lace.

Pep talk for SAHM's .....

2008-11-20T17:18:00.000-05:00

Here is part of a post with some wonderful wisdom:

If I identify myself as the culture does, as a “stay at home Mom”, one who has no intellectual contribution, gross-national product contribution or status symbol contribution, I become just that: a woman who sees herself as one who has grunted and groaned out another human being and now stays behind her four walls, in self-imposed seclusion. Not much of a vision there---it actually sounds strangely psychotic.

If I deem myself as a woman employed by the Creator of everything ever created, as on work assignment in a sacred domain for the sculpting of souls that will exist forever and forever without end, I have a burning passion of purpose. And a paycheck that is said to be beyond what eye or ear can even comprehend!

I thought this was a great boost for me as sometimes the work load gets overwhelming and, well boring. If you want to read the whole article go here:
http://aholyexperience.com/2005/05/strange-disappearance.html

New blog

2008-10-09T21:09:00.001-04:00

Make sure you check out my new blog just for Olivia dealing with her health and our search for a cure here.

September 2008 News and pictures...

2008-09-13T12:02:00.016-04:00

Logan versus the brownie...

First day of school and everyone wants to be in the picture.

First day of school 2008

Isaac's first day of second grade.

Olivia's first day of kindergarten.

After playing in the garden, Logan decides he can't wait to get into the bathtub.

How many shots does it take to get one where everyone is looking ahead and smiling? Here's a sample of what it takes to get one good shot. We are getting ready to go to a birthday party.

Who's the biggest HAM in our family? Well it's a tie between Logan and Savanna.

Ways to nourish your family on a budget....

2008-08-27T21:23:00.021-04:00

Since becoming a stay at home mom I have had to really tighten the budget. I would like to share some of the ways that I keep my grocery bill from getting out of hand. We have five children with one due in February of 2009 so it's not cheap to feed all the hungry troops.

Before beginning I just wanted to remind you that even though the prices of our groceries and gas are soaring right now, those of us who are lucky enough to live in the US should remember that the majority of the world pays a lot higher percentage of their income in order to feed their families. This link here shows you families and what they eat for a month, plus what it costs them to buy it.

I'm just going to list a few things that we do to keep costs down, because you can pick up any magazine and get the same money saving tips over and over. I'm going to list some great money saving links at the bottom.

1. Cooking from scratch is the single most thing that I do to cut costs. Besides the money saving aspects of it, my husband has heart trouble and one of our children is on a lot of meds due to epilepsy and cooking from scratch let's you eliminate all of the unnecessary chemicals and salt.

2. I use more of the "pantry principle" that the book "Tightwad Gazzette" suggests. If you don't own that book already it's the best investment you can make to be frugal- or get it from the library for free. In the book she talks about stocking your pantry with the items you use all the time and stocking it with the weekly sales in bulk. Rather than planning week to week solely based on what is on sale, you shop to get the cheapest prices and stock your pantry. I still try to plan a weekly menu because it keeps me on track, but it's loosely planned as things change.

3. Instead of paying for the Grocery Game or (in West MI) the Savings Angel, take advantage of all the websites out there that do the work for you for free, I'll list some later.

4.We plant a garden and I can and freeze as much as possible.

5. We buy 1/2 of a cow and 1/2 of a pig which not only tastes better, but is cheaper by the pound. You can buy what you can afford and split it.

6. A lot of the time I stick to Aldi's or Save A Lot and simply cook from what they carry- just stay away from the junk food. The selection is limited, but you can't beat the prices on their staples.

Here is a free PDF cookbook from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension which is called "Saving Money With Homemade Convenience Mixes.

This website shows you videos with step by step canning instructions plus a wealth of other info about canning.

Here is a link from the Hillbilly Housewife where she explains about the Angel Food Ministries and she even includes monthly menus based on what foods are available. You do not have to meet income guidelines to use this service.

This link from Budget 101 has a whole list of mixes to make from scratch.

Here are some of my favorite blogs and websites, some are for money saving and some are for homemaking or recipes:

Money Saving Mom

A Full Cup

Mommy Snacks

Moms Budget

The Nourishing Gourmet

Keeper Of The Home

Tammy's Recipes

Glimpse of Sonshine

The Centsible Sawyer

Heavenly Homemakers

Life as Mom

Blogging update

2008-08-11T17:07:00.002-04:00

Sorry that I haven't been blogging lately. I have had back problems with this pregnancy and now they suspect I may have a slipped disc which is causing sciatic pain down my right leg. I have been flat on my back for a week now. I am starting to get some relief from the chiropractor and physical therapy, but I cannot stand to be in a sitting position yet. It's going to be a long recovery.

Remember these: Monster Cookies??

2008-08-05T10:03:00.011-04:00

Monster Cookies

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic

During the summer break I like to give my kids a special treat. I have made some suggestions at the bottom for healthy substitutions, but to me a it's a once in a while treat. I remember making these with my mom as a child and we got to stir it with our hands just like my kids do. Hopefully they will have good memories of making them too.

Two of my "Cookie helpers"

Cookie Batter

Healthy Substitutions:
~Whole wheat flour instead of white flour
~Organic cane sugar (rapadura) in place of white sugar
~Sunspire Drops in place of M & M's
~Dried fruit or more raisins in place of some of the chips
~Carob chips in place of chocolate chips
~If you want a cookie that is not so dense, cut down on the oatmeal and add more flour in place.

Be sure to check out more great kitchen tips at Tammy's Recipes.

Savanna's 3rd Birthday.

2008-07-13T22:47:00.005-04:00

Savanna and her coconut cream cake.

Savanna wearing her Hawaiian dress.

Savanna's coconut cake with some of the decorations.

Savanna turned three today. We had a really nice party for her. We decided to do a Hawaiian theme. We had chicken and beef kabobs with rice pilaf. Fresh fruit salad with fruit dip. I also made homemade meatballs called "Waikiki meatballs". They were a hit. The sauce for them has pineapple tidbits and green pepper in it and it tastes similar to a teriyaki sauce. I made a homemade coconut cream cake for her that was really moist. We spent a little bit more on this party to get all of the fruit, but the biggest thing was how LONG it takes to assemble that many kabobs. Everything was really nice and most of the decorations came from the dollar store.

Gentle hand scrub & pregnancy home remedies....

2008-06-16T22:26:00.017-04:00

I love to use items that I already have on hand in my kitchen, plus they cost pennies to make.
I have made the salt type hand scrubs and sugar ones which are nice, but too rough for my hands. I have nurse's hands and mommy hands ie: always being washed or in water and they made my hands too dry. Try this one and if you don't like it you're only out about 5 cents.

Cornmeal Hand Scrub

1/4 cup cornmeal
3 Tbs. milk
1 drop almond oil or almond extract
* I thought this was a little bland smelling so I add a few drops of essential oils
depending on my mood- lavender at night and grapefruit for a pick-me-up*

~In a small saucepan, mix the cornmeal with the milk. Heat the mixture over a low flame on the stovetop until it forms a paste. Remove from heat and stir in almond oil or extra oils. Allow to cool.
~Spread mixture on hands and allow it to sit for up to 10 minutes. Gently scrub your hands then rinse off with warm water.

As you can probably tell by my new ticker on the right- I'm newly pregnant with pregnancy number 3 and child number six. I am too tired still to get pictures up right now, and please excuse all of grammar. Since pregnancy dominates my thoughts right now, thought I would post a few good pregnancy remedies. These are all safe, but use your own judgement please- only you know if you are high risk or not. I would strongly advise you not to use too much during the first trimester. The less chemicals the better, right?!

Soothing Footbath

1 Tbs. Sea Salt (or Kosher salt )
2 drops lavender essential oil
1 drop rosemary essential oil
1 to 3 drops of peppermint essential oil

~Dissolve salt in a basin of warm water and add essential oils. Mix them well . Soak your feet and enjoy.

Momma's Peppermint Foot Lotion

1 Tbs. almond oil
1 tsp. avocado oil
1 tsp. wheat germ oil
10 drops of peppermint essential oil

~Put all of the ingredients in a small, sterilized glass bottle with a tight-fitting stopper. Shake well to combine. Store in a cool dark place. Shake well before each use. Massage into tired legs, especially after a soak.
*Some people cannot tolerate peppermint oil. It will sometimes feel a little tingly. If you're worried about it; do a small patch test on your forearm or cut the amount of oil in half to start.

Ginger Morning Sickness Tea

1 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

~In a large cup, pour the boiling water over the ginger. Steep 10 minutes, strain into another container and refrigerate. Drink in the morning when you wake. You can drink cold or reheat. I have another tea recipe here.

Hemorrhoid Pads

1 ounce witch hazel
5 drops cypress essential oil
3 drops geranium essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
2 Tbs. aloe vera gel
Cotton cosmetic pads

~In an open-mouthed jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all of the ingredients. Saturate several pads in the liquid and place in the refrigerator. Use a pad on the affected area as needed. Especially great for the first few days post-partum. Will keep for about a week.

For more great tips and recipes head over to Tammy's Recipes.

Is this the kind of CHANGE that America wants??

2008-06-12T10:47:00.007-04:00

I don't usually get too political on my blog, but when it comes to LIFE I have to stand up. Do you think that Senator O'Bama is the change that America needs? Not if you don't believe in infanticide and murder! Read this post: here and here.

PJ Alert...

2008-06-10T23:38:00.004-04:00

Anyone who has little ones who need fall or light winter pajamas should check this out. Tonight I was browsing through Meijers and saw some pj's on clearance. I took a look at all the sizes, thought it was a good deal and bought three packages for each of my four older children. When I went through the check-out they rang up half the clearance price; so I went back and got one more package for each child. That's eight pairs of pj's for each kid because there are 2 per package. Here is the breakdown:

~original price was $12.99 for each pack of 2 pj's
~clearance price was $6.49 on each pack
~they rang up for $3.24 each.
~so I got 32 sets of pajamas for $51.84 plus tax of 6%= $54.95
that makes each pj cost $1.72 each with tax

The reason that I'm passing it on is that these were not just a few pj's on an end cap; they had TONS of them left. It was a whole wall of pj's so plenty left for everyone. One more thing, these jammies are like the two piece thermal underwear (long johns) style.

Close-up of tag. Sorry it's blurry- my camera has been acting up.

Old Fashioned Frugality

2008-06-09T21:51:00.011-04:00

1942 War Ration Book

Last week on Tammy's website she posted about her frustration with keeping her grocery budget low. A lot of people are struggling with the sub-prime lender problems, unemployment (I live in Michigan which has the highest unemployment rate in the country right now), rising gas costs and higher grocery bills. I had a conversation with my grandma who is my biggest mentor about how hard it is right now. She always has a gentle way of reminding me that things have been worse and that they will get better again. My grandma told me the story of growing up during the Great Depression and marrying in 1942 during the height of the war. She told me how tight her grocery budget was and some ideas of what her and my grandpa ate. It seemed to be a lot of humble and cheap meals, but they were homemade and she always found a way to save her rations for a special treat. I have a large cook book collection and my favorite ones are the really old ones. I also came across this war ration book at a garage sale. I do not know the person who originally owned them. I also have a few old fashioned "saving stamp" booklets. I remember my mom using S & H Green stamps growing up. The biggest lesson about them is delayed gratification. You had to SAVE UP your stamps to earn items that you wanted. You didn't just go and charge them. So my real "tip" for this week is to remind everyone that we all have different reasons for the things that we buy based on what is important to us; ie: allergies, food preferences, number of family members etc.. Just do your best and cook from scratch as much as possible. I have also included two frugal recipes. Even though my grocery budget is pretty tight, I'm grateful that I can go to the store and purchase anything that I like without restrictions. For more great tips check out Tammy's Recipes.

Inside the ration book- notice how they had dated each line to split it up through the month.

Back cover of ration book.

Ration book and stamp saving books.

Front cover of a war ration cookbook from 1941. I imagine it was given out for free or with a purchase of Swans Down flour or Calumet Baking powder.

Grandma DeKraker's Eggless Chocolate Cake

2 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups sifted flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening (during wartime they often used lard)
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine chocolate and milk in top of double boiler and cook over rapidly boiling water for 5 minutes, stirring occcasionally. Blend with rotary egg beater; cool.
Sift flour once, measure, add soda, salt and sugar, sift three more times. Cream shortening; add flour, vanilla, and chocolate mixture and stir until all flour is dampened. Then beat vigorously for one minute. Bake in two greased and lightly floured 8-inch layer pans for twenty minutes or until done.
My grandma states that she usually sprinkled the top with powdered sugar to make it pretty.

No-Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Mixture will be thick. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork. Bake at 300 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cookies stand briefly before removing to cooling rack. Yields 2 dozen.

Here is the cookbook open. Notice there is an eggless chocolate cake recipe there and other ones that have been modified to reduce rationed items.That recipe uses "soured milk" in it. My grandma states that chocolate cake recipes were the most popular because everyone still had birthdays and celebrations.

I WON!!

2008-06-09T21:32:00.004-04:00

My new cookbook.

Thanks to Stephanie at Keeper Of The Home for choosing my name for her blog giveaway. I just received my copy of Sue Gregg's cookbook "Whole Grain Baking" in the mail today. I never win anything so this was a special treat. I will write a longer post once I make a few things and tell you about my experience. Thanks again Stephanie!

Giveaways...

2008-06-03T15:51:00.003-04:00

Susan Godfrey @ Simply Susan is hosting not one; but TWO great giveaways. She has a great blog- well two actually and her ebooks are wonderful. I purchased the ebook with advice and recipes following the Nourishing Traditions style of cooking and was very pleased with it. You should get over there and enter to win for yourself here.

Say No To Kraft Dinner

2008-06-03T09:37:00.008-04:00

For a simple and quick dinner my family loves Tex Mex food. My little ones like to eat the meat without the tortilla, but some of them are coming around. We like to serve them with a rice and salsa. It tastes like it came from a restaurant and it does not include all of the salt and chemicals that a fajita mix includes.

Kelly's Fajita's

~For chicken: 4-5 small ckichen breasts
~For beef: One flank steak or sometimes called skirt steak

For the marinade:
~1/2 cup to 1 cup olive oil
~one medium onion sliced into thin rings
~1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
~1/2 cup to 3/4 cup soy sauce or Tamari
~3 cloves of garlic minced or 1 to 2 tsp. of garlic powder
~ 1 tsp. cumin powder
~juice of one or two limes plus slice one and put it in the marinade
~1/2 tsp. black pepper
~1 tsp. of salt (this is optional and I don't use it without any loss of flavor)

Put the meat into a container with a tight fitting lid or a Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. I usually marinade it over night. The lime juice can start to cook the meat so don't marinade over 8-12 hours. It will taste the best if you grill the meat, but you can cook it in a frying pan or on an oven pan. Let it rest before slicing and then squeeze lime juice over the top.
Tip: try not to put the cilantro or onion on the grill with the meat as it will burn.

We serve it with:
~slice onions and saute until soft
~slice red and green peppers and saute until soft
~mushrooms sliced and sauteed

~salsa

~sour cream
~cheese
~fresh onion and jalepeno slices
~tortillas or make your own with this recipe from Tammy.

Simple Cheesy Spanish Rice

~2 cups cooked brown rice or white rice
~1/2 stick butter or 1/4 cup olive oil- but it tastes different
~one small onion diced
~one small can of petite diced tomatoes (about 15oz.) *you can use the one with onions in it*
~1 tsp of garlic powder
~1 tsp. cumin powder
~ 1 can of diced green chiles or 1 fresh cut up
~1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese or more to taste

Cook the rice and set aside. Melt butter in medium sauce pan. Add onion and cook until slightly browned. Add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed. Cook until the cheese is melted. Serve right away. This will be sticky compared to Rice-a-Roni type.

For more great ideas check back to Stephanie's blog at Keeper of The Home.

Ziploc Baggie Alternatives....

2008-06-01T22:06:00.011-04:00

Happy-Sacks for snacks and goodies or anything!

My tip for this week is for cutting down on plastic bag use. I found these bags that were so cute.

My latest great find......I came across these adorable little bags at Green Island this weekend while shopping in Traverse City. We have a cottage near Big Rapids and I love to make the trip to Traverse which is a little more than an hour away. I have been searching for an alternative for baggies for a long time. Now granted, they don't actually "seal" so you can't use them for everything, but for sandwiches, snacks, popcorn, carrots etc. it's really a great thing. I love the way that the velcro is set low enough down so that it actually makes a fold to keep things inside better. I paid $8.50 and $6.50 for each of the two smallest sizes. I think if you do the math they are worth the investment because they can be used over and over. They can go in the washer/dryer or just wipe clean. They are organic on the outside cotton & bamboo and nylon on the inside. I think you could probably use them for transporting mama cloth as well. I'll let you know how that works in a later post. Visit the website here. For more great tips and recipes visit Tammy's Recipes here.

View of the bags open.

More resources for plastic bag alternatives here and here.

Homemade Remedies

2008-05-25T14:26:00.014-04:00

Kitchen tip Tuesday is hosted by Tammy at Tammy's Recipes. My kitchen tip this week is a few "recipes" for homemade remedies using ingredients from your kitchen. I have five kids and this past week they were all sick with either the stomach flu or a bad cold (or Both). Here are some cheap and safe remedies that work for us. My children hate the taste of pedialyte but will tolerate the homemade version. Why pay $5.00 for a bottle that's loaded with chemicals when you can make it for next to nothing?

You can make your own remedies with just a few ingredients.

~Homemade Pedialyte Type Drink

1 cup apple juice (I use grape juice or punch that's 100% juice to hide the salty taste better)
2 cups water
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt (I use light salt or fine sea salt; and only 1/2 tsp. for kids)
Juice from one lemon or lime

Combine all the ingredients in a pitcher and store in the refrigerator. Tastes best very cold. Please see the comments section for more info on using the lite salt.

~Stomach Soothing Tea (also good for morning sickness)

1 cup boiling water
1 tsp. dried peppermint
1 tsp. dried camomile
1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger * optional*

In a small pan, pour boiling water over all the ingredients. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Then strain into a teacup.

~Mustard Plaster (for chest congestion)

1 T. mustard powder
2 T. flour

In a small bowl, mix the powder with the flour. Add enough water to make a paste.
Spread the paste over half of a dish towel. Fold the towel in half over the paste then apply to the chest. Don't apply directly to skin without a towel. Check often to make sure there is no irritation to the skin.

~Fever Spray

1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1/4 cup witch hazel
3 drops peppermint essential oil
2-3 drops lavender essential oil

In a clean spray bottle, combine all the ingredients in the order listed. Shake to mix and then chill in the refrigerator.
Spray onto pulse points to reduce fever, avoid eyes and mouth.
This feels cool and soothing when you have a fever. It smells nice too.

~Chest Rub

12 drops eucalyptus essential oil
8 drops hyssop essential oil
4 drops peppermint essential oil
2 T. almond or olive oil

Mix essential oils into carrier oil in a small bowl. Rub onto chest. Cover chest with a cotton towel and place hot water bottle on top.

You should be able to find all of the ingredients at the grocery store and a health food store. If you cannot find some ingredients you can purchase online here, here and here.

As with all home remedies; please use caution and common sense while using them. If you or your child has health problems, you should check with your doctor first before trying them.

Some of My Favorite Resources

2008-05-18T22:01:00.022-04:00

This is my first time participating in Kitchen Tip Tuesdays which is hosted by Tammy @ Tammy's Recipes. My "tip" for this week is to share my sources for hard-to-find items. It has taken me a long time to find sources for different kitchen items as I have started to cook everything from scratch. I thought it might save someone else some time to see 25 great resources-ok 24 if you're coming here from Tammy's ;-) (in no particular order) all in one place. Hope you find something new.

1. Pleasant Hill Grain. Great resource for juicers, grain mills, dehydrators.

2. The Homestead Kitchen . Lot's of recipes, photos and links.

3. Juicers For Less. Juicers of course, yogurt making supplies, grain mills.

4. Something Better Natural Foods. Huge supply of organic food, herbs and products. I especially like the fact that they have pictures of each product and lots of recipes. They can ship nation wide.

5. The Vegetarian Express. A vegetarian and vegan food line. But don't over look them if you are not veg, they have bulk herbs, unique seasoning blends, unsweetened coconut which can be hard to find and other cool products like brown sesame seeds for cooking.

6. Azure Standard. The grand-daddy of organic bulk buying. Great prices on organic items, herbs, and groceries especially if you don't live close to a health food store. First time customers can request a free giant catalog. Monthly specials and they ship nation wide.

7. Lehmans. This is probably one of my favorite sites for all things for the home. They started in 1955 in Kindron, Ohio to sell products to the Amish. Today they have a retail store with a cafe in it. They still cater to Amish families so many of their products are old fashioned things that can be hard to find. Here are some highlights of things that they sell: tools, toys made in the USA for reasonable prices, kitchen gadgets, canning items, Zote and Fels-Naptha soaps for those of you who like to make your own laundry soap, recipe booklets for $2.00 that cover all kinds of topics including cheese, yogurt and butter making. They even sell wringer washers like I remember my grandma used to have and root beer making kits. They have a free print catalog for non-electric annual items with any order, and if you spend over $25.00 you can request their "visit us" packet that has local brochures and maps in it. You have to request both items as they don't come automatically.

8. Mountain Rose Herbs. Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking gave me this tip: organic coconut oil by the GALLON for $30.00 plus shipping. WOW I just paid $11.00 for 16 oz. at the health food store. Many other herbal products that are great deals as well.

9. Bulk Herb Store. Tammy at Tammy's Recipes gave me this tip on buying bulk herbal teas. You can get 1/2 pound of pregnancy tea mix for less than $8.00. Lot's of great recipes and herbal mixture instructions. Don't miss their new mama & baby kit. It contains teas, salves and herbs to make different baby products like a baby powder that contains lavender powder. I bet it smells great!

10. Essential Wholesale. Have you ever seen recipes for natural cleaners and soaps but wondered how they could be economical? I used to think that making a cleaner with lavender in it couldn't be very frugal when a 1 oz. bottle can be $7.00 to $11.00. I realize that you only need a few drops, but still.... this site sells everything from 1 oz. size to 55 gallon drums. Obviously it's geared towards people who want to make natural products to sell, but for example: you can get an 8 oz. bottle of lavender essential oil for $24.00. That should last a long time. You can also get soap making supplies and cosmetic products to make yourself like beeswax lip gloss.

11. Naturally Frugal Cleaning. Michelle has a great website with tons of "recipes" for making your own natural cleaners. Huge amount of great resources and tips.

12. The Herbwife's Kitchen. This is a really unique site with a mix of recipes that combine herb use for cooking and healing. Really fun to learn from and read.

13. Tammy's Recipes. Tammy has the most wonderful recipes that taste great, and her pictures & personal anecdotes about her family make for a fun and sweet blog.

14. Passionate Homemaking. Lindsay is a mom who has loads of great information about cooking healthy for your family and recipes. She has great info on soaking grains if you are following the Nourishing Traditions type of diet.

15. Pioneer Woman Cooks. Wow is all I can say! Her pictures are so yummy looking you want to try everything! A must read blog.

16. Bakerella. All things yummy from the oven. Esp. great cupcake recipes.

17. The Nourishing Gourmet. Great recipes and lots of info about nourishing food.

18. The Hillbilly Housewife. Tons of free information and research as well as recipes. I really love the section on making your own convenience foods.

19. Living on A Dime. I ordered Tawra's book and just love it. The ebooks are a great resource. Sign out for her newsletter for free with lots of great tips and recipes each time it arrives in your email.

20. Nourishing Indian Food. If you like the book Nourishing Traditions than you will like this site as it has Indian food with unique ingredients.

21.The Aldi Queen. If you shop at Aldi's then you will like this site with shopping lists and recipes.

22. Vermont Country Store. Looking for a product from yesterday and can't find it?? here's your source. Everything from food, vintage candy from your childhood, herbal salves, modest clothing, perfumes, tools and gadgets. I am going to give my grandma a gift certificate and catalog this year for her birthday as they carry all kinds of products that she has a hard time finding.

23. Sue Gregg. She is a wonderful teacher and her approach to whole foods is very down-to-earth and easy to do. I have my wish list going of all the books I want to purchase. I esp. like her Christian approach (for myself) as I don't care for the "new age" philosophy.

24. Urban Homemaker. Lots of kitchen gadgets as well as books and cookbooks.

25. The Real Food Revolution. Nice blog with recipes and info on "real food" on a budget, losing weight while eating healthy etc.

The Harp Pin

2008-05-17T16:08:00.007-04:00

Kelli at There Is No Place Like Home hosts Show & Tell Friday's. This is my first time participating. I would like to tell you about a pin that has been in our family for over 100 years. Everything we know about the pin comes from my grandma who is 85.

Here is a picture of the pin. We call it the "Harp Pin" because it's shaped like a harp. My grandma DeKraker is pinning it on me on my wedding day October 19, 2002. It is made out of yellow gold and rose gold. It has seven rubies in it. We don't know who crafted it, but it was probably made by hand since it was the 1800's.

Here is a picture of my great-great grandparents. This is Garrett and Katrina Telder on their wedding day in 1885. Grandma is wearing the harp pin that we think was a wedding present.

Here is a picture of my grandpa and grandma DeKraker. She is the grand daughter of Katrina Telder who was the original owner of the pin. They are pictured here and grandma is wearing the pin.

One last photo to share. This is my great-great grandma Katrina Telder and her daughter which is my great grandma Della Cnossen (Telder). As you can see she is a young baby and Katrina has on her wedding dress and the pin. We think she took this picture on their anniversary.
I hope you have enjoyed the story and pictures of our families treasure.

I'd Rather Be WEIRD!!!

2008-04-24T09:25:00.012-04:00

For those of you that are Dave Ramsey fanatics like we are you will probably recognize that saying already. For those of you who don't: Dave Ramsey has a famous saying that "NORMAL" in American is broke. If you don't want to be broke -than you must be WEIRD. I'd rather be weird. With five kids to clothe and our quest to be completely debt free I have started to shop more and more at resale stores. I know that garage sales tend to be cheaper overall than resale stores, but there are several reasons why I like resale so much.

1. With five kids to find clothes for it is easier to go to a store where the clothes are already divided in sizes.
2. Gas prices are sky high and it's so hit or miss with garage sales. You might hit a load of great bargains or you might drive all around town and find 3 items for your time and gas. Time is worth money too.
3. When you shop used you are saving a lot of clothes from the landfill and that is great for the environment as well as the wallet.

Years ago Goodwill and the Salvation Army carried goods that had that definite "old" look to them. Everything was worn out and pilled. With America's great love of spending, and dumping out perfectly good items, it's easy to get great deals. I challenge anyone to point out in my kids closets which items I bought new and which ones were purchased second-hand. After wearing an item for one time it looks exactly the same.

Each season all of the kids usually need new clothes in the next size up. This spring after seeing all of the kids down in the garden (in the mud) with their dad, I realized that we really needed "play clothes" along with regular ones. In the past the kids would just play outside in their regular clothes and I would just treat the stains. Now I realized that it would be great if they had clothes that they could just get into anything with and I wouldn't care. I was able to find a lot of items for each child for usually less than $1.00. It is definitely worth it.

All of the clothing pictured here cost me $14.24 at Goodwill and $36.02 at The Rustic Market. Grand total of $50.26. Not everything was pictured because they have already worn some of the items. Olivia got: 8 pairs of shorts/skorts, 10 shirts including 2 long sleeve for this fall. Isaac got: 6 pairs of shorts, 13 shirts total including 3 long sleeve for the fall. Savanna got one outfit, Justin got a spiderman t-shirt and Logan got a pair of dress shoes.

One last note: did you notice that there were some designer items in there? Isaac got Tommy Hilfiger jeans, an Izod shirt and U of M shirt. Olivia got a lot of Old Navy and Children's Place clothes. I could care less what brand something is as long as it looks good and is in good condition but a lot of people care about brand names. I come across a lot of Aeropostale, Gap and Old Navy clothes. It would be easy to stay in designer brand if that's something you worry about.

Making your home a haven Monday....

2008-04-14T22:42:00.008-04:00

Crystal at Biblical Womanhood is calling today Anti-Procrastination Day. It has inspired me to do some cleaning and organizing. Our house has gotten out of control since Olivia's stroke two weeks ago and we are just returning to normal. Olivia is doing really well and nearly back to her baseline so I thought I would start to get the house back in shape. We have a walk in closet in our master bedroom that has two doors with a drawer unit between. It seems to be a catchall for myself and my husband. I have included a picture from the left to right and then right looking left in the before and after. It feels really good to get this task done.

updates coming

2008-04-07T21:47:00.003-04:00

I'll be updating soon when things return to normal. Stay tuned. For those of you who didn't hear yet, our six year old daughter had a metabolic stroke last week. Things have been really crazy.

Easter Treats

2008-03-24T20:59:00.005-04:00

These are the baskets that my kids received for Easter. It's probably not what some people would consider dazzling, but my kids are happy just to get some candy. LOL Seriously though- Easter is for celebrating the Resurrection of Christ, not the Easter bunny. I bought everything from the dollar store and other discount stores. I spent $13.00 for everything. The girls and the baby got stuffed bunnies, the boys got nerf type footballs and a spinning top. They all got straws shaped like a bunny (a big hit with the kids), malted eggs, marshmallow bunny and jelly beans. Plus each of their "baskets" are actually a bucket to use in the yard this spring.

My Dove Deal... CVS

2008-03-21T23:41:00.009-04:00

Well here is my loot from CVS yesterday. I'm new to the whole thing but I did OK. I would have saved even more if I remembered my CVS coupon for $5.00 off $15.00. Novice mistake. ;)
I paid $0.78 cents for everything here out of pocket and got $5.00 towards my next purchase.
The conditioner was buy one get one free so that was $10.00. The deodorant's were $3.37 each and the soap was $2.50. I had three manufacturer coupons that took $4.50 off. I used $14.00 in Extra Care Bucks and paid 78 cents out-of-pocket. I got a gift card from the manager instead because my ECB's didn't print. He reviewed my purchases and said they should have printed.
I have some issues with the CVS thing because I have noticed that in my area the products that are so called "free after ECB's" are NEVER in stock. Not even one. I don't know when the best time to buy them are because I have been in the store on Sunday and they STILL weren't in stock. I have had staff offer "rain checks" but that is dumb because next month it won't generate ECB's. Frustrating. I have seen some of the deals that people do online and for me I think it's wrong to use two coupons for a product when one is free, even if no one catches it. I think those people are going to spoil it for the rest of us. I guess I will stay a casual user because I only want to buy things that I will use. For more information on saving at CVS click here: www.moneysavingmom.com www.Iheartcvs.com

Square Pizza???

2008-03-21T18:21:00.008-04:00

It's easy to cut a square pizza into strips for toddlers.

Why square pizza you ask? Well, number one it's tradition for our family. My Aunt Ruth started the tradition back in the 70's when we were kids. I always remember her homemade pizzas with her canned dill pickles. Yum. Number two is the fact that you can get more slices from square pizza and my five kids devour both pizzas that I make. Number three is the fact that it's really easy to cut the slices into strips for my toddlers. They seem to find it easier to pick up and eat.
Friday night is pizza night in our house. We like to order out of course, but have you ever added up the cost per month of take-out pizza? When you spend $15.00-$20.00 dollars you don't think of it as $60.00-$80.00 dollars a month. I can make two pizzas for about $4.00 depending on which toppings we use. Here is my recipe for pizza crust. I buy my sauce for now.

Kelly's Pizza Crust

1pkg. dry yeast (or if you use bulk yeast follow label for equivalent)
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup oil (I use olive)

Dissolve yeast in warm water, add sugar, salt, and oil, mix thoroughly. Add 1/2 of the flour and beat until no lumps. Gradually add remaining flour. Knead for 5 minutes. Cut in half and pat into 2 pizza pans. Brush tops with oil, add sauce, cheese and toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

I'm Addicted...Frappuccino Recipe

2008-03-19T12:23:00.009-04:00

I have to admit that I'm addicted to these little drinks. They are not as expensive as some of their other drinks, but the prices by me have gone up to as much as $1.99 each. I usually make this my treat when I go out to run errands. I realized that it was breaking my budget so I set out to make it myself. It tastes just like the real thing.

Here's my recipe:

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (can use double strength) *see note below
2 1/2 cups 2 % milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Dissolve sugar in hot coffee then cool it. Combine coffee mixture with milk. Stir or shake and serve really cold. Store in pitcher or covered container.

Notes: 1. To make "mocha" flavor add a pinch of cocoa powder (1/16 of tsp.) before combining.
2. To make mixture thicker like the real thing add 1 T. of dry pectin. It does not add any flavor and can usually be found near the canning products. I don't add it because it just adds expense.
3. If you really like a strong coffee flavor use 1/2 cup espresso instead of coffee.

This recipe makes 24 oz. each little bottle contains 9 1/2 oz. and can be made for less than a dollar depending on which coffee you use.

More birthday pics....

2008-03-16T22:29:00.008-04:00

The Flower Birthday Party

2008-03-16T21:42:00.005-04:00

Olivia is turning 6 this week and wanted a birthday party with "Flowers and butterflies". It was a nice break from Dora for a change. I first saw her plates and napkins at the dollar store and they set the stage for the theme. I made her cake for less than $5.00. The candies cost the most at $2.00. Her shirt was from Target for $2.50 on sale and the flower headband was $1.00. We served shredded beef that Rick cooked in the smoker. We served it with buns and Rick's
BBQ sauce. We also had oriental noodle salad, cheesey potatoes, coleslaw and chips. I spent $12.00 on plates, napkins, tablecloths and a mum plant for decorations. It was a lovely party for about twenty people for less than $40.00 dollars.

Deals of the week...

2008-03-09T17:52:00.004-04:00

We're just recovering from our second round of influenza. Everybody had it this time. I did however venture out to find these PJ's at Dollar General. I don't usually buy clothes there because even though they are affordable, I find that they don't wash well and pill easily. I try not to buy too many PJ's because they are so expensive and we usually wear light cotton pants or shorts and t-shirts to bed when it's warm enough. Blanket sleepers or sweats in the winter. I bought 8 pairs of PJ's for $24.37 including tax.

Perfect Is boring.......

2008-02-25T22:44:00.003-05:00

I love Martha Stewart. All of her products, magazines, books etc. are beautiful. Why do so many people think that life has to be all or nothing? Martha's ideas are meant to be a stepping stone for you and to teach you how to do things if you would like to learn. It's not meant to intimidate or guilt you into feeling bad because you can't make felt mice. LOL. Seriously though, I used to want everything to be perfect. I still do. It's just that now I actually HAVE children and they always throw a wrench in my perfect plans. So I have a new motto because perfect is really unobtainable. Now when I look at Martha's magazines I remember that it's staged and life isn't really like that. Mistakes make us human and remind us of what IS important. Perfect is BORING! Whenever you look at a newborn and see all the little lines on the bottom of their feet- that's when you remember that only God does perfect.

Why I love being home.....

2008-02-25T20:28:00.001-05:00

Here's the reason why I love being a stay at home mom: these beautiful children. Some days are harder than others, but I wouldn't change it. I have the most important job that God created for us. Raising his children to be happy, healthy, loving adults.