tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51641796306424864892024-03-19T00:46:59.821-04:00Saving Money 101Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.comBlogger667125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-38996509805456376132010-06-04T07:29:00.008-04:002010-06-04T07:44:07.026-04:00Just some picture updates<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxiImBeiTE4rWmh6cUc8hHcpLGhko240jXQ2FUkQGou9a-VKU-FzQY-STcGUJJqUmj4xrrU5E9Pl3moaoR9g6fu9b3LTOrIRxe6I05E-Mgen9TyJZ8gmo2-mnntA5YfMDIpUJixXJHtc/s1600/051.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxiImBeiTE4rWmh6cUc8hHcpLGhko240jXQ2FUkQGou9a-VKU-FzQY-STcGUJJqUmj4xrrU5E9Pl3moaoR9g6fu9b3LTOrIRxe6I05E-Mgen9TyJZ8gmo2-mnntA5YfMDIpUJixXJHtc/s320/051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478881985683844146" border="0" /></a><br />Been extra busy of late with my chickens, flowers, and messing with getting our pool up and running this year. Here are some pictures of the chickens and flower beds.<br /><br />The front area sam has worked so hard on this year<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIDzksewL7jZPemo556JNBq8k9K_-l6xnEzEzIkFopxi87jLF4s1XDD0k4Erg4sit9XTfSwxY_1a7CIzACe1MrI8ulf2bKS0F9cFIBKVg18zgfhl0-nQQJ8fY34dwrs7VtGaRdm48ua0/s1600/055.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIDzksewL7jZPemo556JNBq8k9K_-l6xnEzEzIkFopxi87jLF4s1XDD0k4Erg4sit9XTfSwxY_1a7CIzACe1MrI8ulf2bKS0F9cFIBKVg18zgfhl0-nQQJ8fY34dwrs7VtGaRdm48ua0/s320/055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478881669748149010" border="0" /></a>Isn't this picture of the yellow flowers pretty?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53nHE93goH88PT206QljnKM6rsMIv_7wrHNBQB5tKw_m8BqdCN0uX0jba-4QOLN8ETQNZp_lQ9ClssusirZXTkjWAmHssxVpZSTIH5P42kfUh7NyVe5afV0LRZgMQTrYkHg26y1e_j8k/s1600/049.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53nHE93goH88PT206QljnKM6rsMIv_7wrHNBQB5tKw_m8BqdCN0uX0jba-4QOLN8ETQNZp_lQ9ClssusirZXTkjWAmHssxVpZSTIH5P42kfUh7NyVe5afV0LRZgMQTrYkHg26y1e_j8k/s320/049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478881476821675346" border="0" /></a>my hanging plant is just gorgeous this year<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtgEC3Y1QMhHBbO4b8w6-90w032Zrl6hqgrhE0_YJIO317sEQyB3tFHxK0kOm0u4jOSJDLMpKcuu9eoam85bcD-snriBlq_94gTfHg4SO6DKIbd-RPcvPSTznV29lvLag4BpRZ3yFVj8/s1600/037.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtgEC3Y1QMhHBbO4b8w6-90w032Zrl6hqgrhE0_YJIO317sEQyB3tFHxK0kOm0u4jOSJDLMpKcuu9eoam85bcD-snriBlq_94gTfHg4SO6DKIbd-RPcvPSTznV29lvLag4BpRZ3yFVj8/s320/037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478881293002164914" border="0" /></a>The lasagna garden is doing well this year<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihygv9ZhrYDJjzr6wiyJeIEUFVCEb3vsU8Uk4t6-9qX1yj7WFHmRm7VPboW6c75tlvXmXb0uJkfGVRYkKGltzZSXfr3wmVyJZ4hv9pDhYHnyqzE3bPpiuqs20XMa0STgrOJn6-pJ0BKd4/s1600/042.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihygv9ZhrYDJjzr6wiyJeIEUFVCEb3vsU8Uk4t6-9qX1yj7WFHmRm7VPboW6c75tlvXmXb0uJkfGVRYkKGltzZSXfr3wmVyJZ4hv9pDhYHnyqzE3bPpiuqs20XMa0STgrOJn6-pJ0BKd4/s320/042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478881064385477394" border="0" /></a>My favorite chicken is rocky, she is a barred rock and greets me every day with a cluck and peck<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQe_6AJj_tNmW7CmY_Ds1NY_2zAIH9z-Elo6Dn6-VeaHxlBWTQbUlOgSo5B_nv0RfAPWi1SiFLlVoYCnPtD7TSDP8Y5849-46RGJKHbq7cZRHVB0xZNhpl5A9t5QJKbOK5sPinzsmVfks/s1600/033.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQe_6AJj_tNmW7CmY_Ds1NY_2zAIH9z-Elo6Dn6-VeaHxlBWTQbUlOgSo5B_nv0RfAPWi1SiFLlVoYCnPtD7TSDP8Y5849-46RGJKHbq7cZRHVB0xZNhpl5A9t5QJKbOK5sPinzsmVfks/s320/033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478880861092832626" border="0" /></a>The chickens new home minus the cover which hasn't come in yet. They have lots more flapping room now and they were so funny yesterday running around and acting crazy.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-88484460808352126982010-05-09T07:47:00.007-04:002010-05-09T08:17:39.262-04:00Signs of the timesOne theme running through the news lately has been the recession is ending but people are still in a recession frame of mind. Well some of us are still in the recession. My family still has many unemployed or not fully employed as before. My job as a social worker has been harder then ever with funding getting cut and people needing more help.I have read several articles lately about how pinching pennies has not stopped yet for the American family and how this could hurt the economy if they don't spend. But Americans are afraid to spend or still just don't have it. I say if you need it get it, if you don't then don't spend it. My motto is to become a little more self sufficient in what I do. This means in the way I spend, the things I eat, how I shop, bake and store food.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK3uJ4GsPqPJ-eEy1P90etEUipMI1EgWOtWw94l5LoyQRXoyhyphenhyphenw6VXY1_0qTHhGJSdXAHFhBTa5FvpWHONPRvLdBNlpog0nzwQhz2KEMyNn6rJVVys6WswgDnpQge-iCJ4ae3ascMI0c/s1600/lady.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK3uJ4GsPqPJ-eEy1P90etEUipMI1EgWOtWw94l5LoyQRXoyhyphenhyphenw6VXY1_0qTHhGJSdXAHFhBTa5FvpWHONPRvLdBNlpog0nzwQhz2KEMyNn6rJVVys6WswgDnpQge-iCJ4ae3ascMI0c/s320/lady.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469242054804247458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Yes we can all go crazy and plant huge amounts of food that will go to waste or we can learn to plant what we will eat this summer or to can a small amount of spaghetti sauce so we don't have to buy it this winter. Do the things that make sense, that are not overwhelming and work for your family. If canning is not going to work for storage in your house then don't plant to can regardless of the saving because the stress is going to get to you when you have to can and store jars where there is no storage.<br />If you can store a moderate amount of food, buy some things in bulk, freeze items, grow items, raise chickens, make your own baked goods or whatever makes your life more self sufficient then you are helping your family. If it is making your family crazy or stressing over your schedule then it is not worth it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EEQaVAEVEUQpj2UU9Mcaz0Uirf1_LzxBqe7HmBt2I7Q6FDKpRnyxGXnIdGoimKlnqNlD4mVu_Aame5S-BNzIDddpLJFfFVvh-xQMZ4i_GNEEzKeGriFlx0eQ6XjCCfyXR5CN6lMvaYg/s1600/tnbarrow_with_cock_crowing.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 85px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EEQaVAEVEUQpj2UU9Mcaz0Uirf1_LzxBqe7HmBt2I7Q6FDKpRnyxGXnIdGoimKlnqNlD4mVu_Aame5S-BNzIDddpLJFfFVvh-xQMZ4i_GNEEzKeGriFlx0eQ6XjCCfyXR5CN6lMvaYg/s320/tnbarrow_with_cock_crowing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469241494961187474" border="0" /></a><br />As for me, I am trying my hand at chickens for the eggs, planting a bigger garden to can this year then last year, I try to bake more organically and fresh then buying from the store. I have tried a lot of different things in the past year and some work and some don't so learn from your mistakes. Don't be afraid to try something you can always adjust or give up on it. I don't feel bad when I try and fail because I tried. So have some fun with becoming self sufficient. Learn to do things fun that don't cost money. Get the family to help out in the garden or buy hanging veggie plants and have the kids water them. Go to local parks and use the facilities it helps them and gives you places to play, swim, picnic, ride bikes, walk and get healthy with keeping extra bucks in your pocket.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7Up2-NFENlQHHvwqqicT2zI4Kiv0p8clZRb0B1CfYx8OpuVY2yAbugoSCXGBicjE3vKTdNBnR3PaavAGJGL3mXlrxCvnPNy6Ag6zhzxoDTVHbPkfYHHIw74Ld3NUheWefnmM3WsMyVM/s1600/bucket.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 90px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7Up2-NFENlQHHvwqqicT2zI4Kiv0p8clZRb0B1CfYx8OpuVY2yAbugoSCXGBicjE3vKTdNBnR3PaavAGJGL3mXlrxCvnPNy6Ag6zhzxoDTVHbPkfYHHIw74Ld3NUheWefnmM3WsMyVM/s320/bucket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469241744443216882" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcir5gPtT0kxQlZpH8H1wcbAgiQe_J2a_52eVH35K8pDTkyj-2IO2LmqaxLrBY4Ur4sZtiQzS2CYFIExVpwPp7KAZeOz7K-y20NRTvYpJ_6NzUWgok5dWpvJWgLJAhrdXyaUnCVauell4/s1600/planters.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcir5gPtT0kxQlZpH8H1wcbAgiQe_J2a_52eVH35K8pDTkyj-2IO2LmqaxLrBY4Ur4sZtiQzS2CYFIExVpwPp7KAZeOz7K-y20NRTvYpJ_6NzUWgok5dWpvJWgLJAhrdXyaUnCVauell4/s320/planters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469242296260514114" border="0" /></a>What are you doing to be self sufficient in your family? Also I have a friend who may not need to be self sufficient but does it for the health and wellness of her family. There are many reasons to take care of yourself and family more frugally.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-20657636005159578142010-05-05T19:13:00.001-04:002010-05-05T19:14:52.665-04:00Libby's free face book give away<a href="http://www.getbacktothetable.com/libbys-facebook-coupon-redeemer">Free can if Libby's fruit or veggies. </a>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-76502546618025396122010-05-04T20:45:00.000-04:002010-05-04T20:46:09.617-04:00More free food Face Book Friends<a href="http://www.facebook.com/kraftmacaroniandcheese?v=app_7146470109">Free box of kraft mac and cheese. </a>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-9197152527626223502010-05-04T16:30:00.004-04:002010-05-04T16:41:35.799-04:00Mandarin Orange CakeThis cake is so delightful. I can not tell you the amount of people who have asked for this recipe. I was just at a birthday party the other day and they had this cake. So good and refreshing.<br /><br />I got it from the book "101 things to do with a cake mix". To make the cake take:<br /><br />1 box yellow (I have used white as well) cake mix<br />1/3 cup oil<br />3 tablespoons water<br />3 large eggs<br />1 small can Mandarin orange slices with the juice<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the above together and place batter in the greased 9 x 13 pan or three round pans.<br /><br />Bake for 23-25 mins or until center comes out clean.<br /><br />While that is baking for the frosting:<br /><br />one large box (I am using a regular box)<br />12 oz cool whip topping<br />1 can crushed pineapple (I use the small can)<br /><br />Mix this together and spread on cool cake and keep in the fridge. It is so yummy. I use sugar free cool whip and pudding. You can not tell the difference. Today I am making it with the gluten free cake mix just to try it out. The cake is so moist from the fruit that you don't have to worry about pinching corners. Good luck it is awesome I tell you, awesome.<br /><br />Weight watchers points would be a 3. I figured it and it came out 2 pts but I forgot to figure the oil so it would be a 3 pt treat.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-7874466151398254612010-05-03T19:52:00.002-04:002010-05-03T19:55:04.836-04:00Kraft is giving away free food<a href="http://maysampling.young-america.com/Default.aspx?source=9800">Free food facebook users.</a>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-86153744216095089042010-05-01T19:43:00.009-04:002010-05-01T21:00:43.661-04:00Weight Watchers JourneyMy daughter and I joined weight watchers. I lost weight there before and I think it is a good thing for us all to be doing the same thing in the household. Here is a few recipes that I made tonight and yummo.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-jcxvzzWCGzZF8mqKuLWnhlh1bGGcVU69djSYIMNPaHBgb4MyYHezqmKau5yRa5XA0aXxmD5TFRx8aar_VgcMknHaeAPoKsPegnClYDKswhi9HwRb6b5PgC8l9fjYZUDKxXMoruniTM/s1600/DSCN0319.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-jcxvzzWCGzZF8mqKuLWnhlh1bGGcVU69djSYIMNPaHBgb4MyYHezqmKau5yRa5XA0aXxmD5TFRx8aar_VgcMknHaeAPoKsPegnClYDKswhi9HwRb6b5PgC8l9fjYZUDKxXMoruniTM/s400/DSCN0319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466467226706060418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;">Blueberry Bars.....so simple:</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;">1 can light blueberry pie filling (I couldn't find any light so I used regular)</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;">1 box angel food cake mix</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;">Mix the two together and put the mixture into 13x9 pan into the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 mins until light and fluffy. Cut into squares (16 pcs) and 2 points a square.</span><br /><br />These are going to bake up really fluffy then when they set they will fall down. They are very blueberry sweet, a little chewy from the angel food cake and very tasty. The two points were worth it.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">Lemon Bars.....so, so simple:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">1 box sugar free vanilla pudding (mix with two cups cold milk and let set up)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">1 box sugar free lemon pudding (mix dry mix into the set up vanilla pudding)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">1 box angel food cake mix ( mix the dry mix into pudding and<br />put into 13x9 pan)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">bake on 350 for about 30 mins. Cool, cut and sprinkle with<br />powdered sugar. 2 weight wa</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">tcher points </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">for each square.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The lemon squares turned out wonderful as well and so lemontastically good!!<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzEj_HvvRL9s5UyYTW2nQOW8DPItJJ0J_b5y47pnCtHL0k1FRiRoeLkMFfesvvROtCCxk8thSC4TiVJw9aF7VAJGH-I4t1tSeIwn-ql5ZJlfWrfSnaEGJvf-3_-HMRuELSGVXgp5BzVo/s1600/DSCN0323.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzEj_HvvRL9s5UyYTW2nQOW8DPItJJ0J_b5y47pnCtHL0k1FRiRoeLkMFfesvvROtCCxk8thSC4TiVJw9aF7VAJGH-I4t1tSeIwn-ql5ZJlfWrfSnaEGJvf-3_-HMRuELSGVXgp5BzVo/s320/DSCN0323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466470491976364594" border="0" /></a>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-29513529376161667672010-04-25T21:59:00.004-04:002010-04-25T22:02:49.672-04:00Healthy homemade Oatmeal cookies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GJf5zuJqpkKsGPBEBxTmURKRL6Zf5hwi24XlyDf_VlKeGH7RAeKpjZxU3IYCO8Sdmgt7Yp7ya0rK45eUxqF0Hi2OTaJbtK_LgDNxCADC5DXyTCdIopO2_paVcvu02JzBg-zkYFDSS5A/s1600/steel-cut_oatmeal.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GJf5zuJqpkKsGPBEBxTmURKRL6Zf5hwi24XlyDf_VlKeGH7RAeKpjZxU3IYCO8Sdmgt7Yp7ya0rK45eUxqF0Hi2OTaJbtK_LgDNxCADC5DXyTCdIopO2_paVcvu02JzBg-zkYFDSS5A/s400/steel-cut_oatmeal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464260573533677826" border="0" /></a><br />I have been wanting to make a healthy cookie lately and have not gotten around to figuring out what kind, but these <a href="http://www.wholegraingourmet.com/recipes/43-cookies/75-healthy-steel-cut-oatmeal-cookies.html">Healthy Oatmeal cookies</a> will hit the spot. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Yummo</span>. Thanks Whole Grain Gourmet. I am going to make a couple of different <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">varieties</span> with raisins, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-57138008838686724612010-04-24T07:01:00.005-04:002010-04-24T07:26:04.348-04:00Making Your Own Biscuit and Pancake Mix<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2n2inUwRKtsydmRmMsvLOH8u9uKF2RC_dpab5jZZBmqSN51DrrHh8X593feiPyoHi3IeSVoL-pDi0F8HzRRX0osoCWa-9pKryx6oWcxaRb684Kd-qzBbfaAS5qdwCCdwQBAuHBwtz27c/s1600/homemade.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2n2inUwRKtsydmRmMsvLOH8u9uKF2RC_dpab5jZZBmqSN51DrrHh8X593feiPyoHi3IeSVoL-pDi0F8HzRRX0osoCWa-9pKryx6oWcxaRb684Kd-qzBbfaAS5qdwCCdwQBAuHBwtz27c/s400/homemade.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463658114900578642" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">There are reasons for buying pre-made mixes like Bisquick and Jiffy and there are reasons for making your own baking products. Cost is certainly a factor in most cases. In the long run you can make batches of this homemade mix for cents compared to boxes of pre-made mixes but in my opinion the self sufficiency you get from being able to make the mixes, control the products that go into your recipes and the quality is very important. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I love using a quick mix like this for so many items. My favorites include pancakes, baking powder biscuits and quick breads. There are many more yummy things to use your quick mixes for like dumplings, pizza dough, pot pies...and the list goes on.....</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Biscuit and Pancake Mix</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">6 cups flour (try mixing all purpose and wheat)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">3 1/2 tablespoons baking powder</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">1 cup instant nonfat dry milk</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">1 tablespoon salt</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">1 cup vegetable shortening</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Combine the flour, baking powder, powdered milk and salt and stir until well mixed. Using a pastry blender or two knives cut in the vegetable shortening until coarse meal.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Put in sealed bag or container, date and refrigerate for up to six weeks. Makes 8 cups.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204); font-weight: bold;">To make drop biscuits add 2 cups mix and 1/2 cup milk, mix and drop onto cookie sheet, bake 8-10 minutes.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;">Cutout Biscuits do the same as drop biscuits except turn out on a lightly floured surface and gently knead 10 times, roll and cut out.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Pancakes use 2 cups mix, 2 large eggs and 1 cup milk, mix and griddle.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-weight: bold;">Scones use 2 cups mix, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 eggs 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, preheat oven to 425, stir mix and sugar, beat eggs and cream into mix until dough forms, turn out on lightly floured surface and knead 6 times, roll out and cut into 1/2 inch thick scone rounds (or shape of your choice) don't knead again. bake for 10-15 mins. Try adding chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruits, cheese or whatever takes your fancy to the mix. Cinnamon would be good!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">To make dumplings just make like drop biscuits and drop small spoonfuls into hot broth. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A good tip is to look up Bisquick recipes and just replace with this mix. One of my faves is to make taco meat and line the bottom of a rectangle pan with the meat. Top with the mix and gently press mix into meat, bake until done. Cut into squares and then top with cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, onions or whatever you like on your tacos. It is awesome. Happy baking.</span><br /></div></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-71869536921623740262010-04-22T21:23:00.005-04:002010-04-22T21:47:21.431-04:00Making Your Own Cake Mix<a style="font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3SowUVZsKY4AXHeigEIQYhItFKJ6lwck8nHRE-34Iv82y-c_AhDSx7-VzutTLlopgHx86Ms3aAsAGGxrddOkjG9hzOgqcxXN8EuP55ZhcJV2VpnQaQWZJXhjbls7MzcnsLbKm9kcT1I/s1600/BC_Prod_Supermoist_lp_graphic.ashx.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3SowUVZsKY4AXHeigEIQYhItFKJ6lwck8nHRE-34Iv82y-c_AhDSx7-VzutTLlopgHx86Ms3aAsAGGxrddOkjG9hzOgqcxXN8EuP55ZhcJV2VpnQaQWZJXhjbls7MzcnsLbKm9kcT1I/s320/BC_Prod_Supermoist_lp_graphic.ashx.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463142636573076162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">We all have opened a box of cake mix for easy prep and easier time management and most of us have tried our hands at the art of homemade cake baking as well. Some people can not tell the difference between the two and some people will swear by one or the other. I myself love both. I have a few different places where I am going to need to take a cake over the next few months. I could just purchase a cake mix or look up a recipe but this time I am going to make my own cake mix and then turn it into several different types of cake. Here is what you need to do this....</span><br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0ljK7TIy7tjVcm6yluB1QPrVjkGfp8aM00FVuy67zosr5aawsPxrTqWWRleC285dhpaQrglmJQrjUbRtbd2i3jvdUMB7OZLpBlKKKJgupFWqrMVFfYUbaKiQ1w_HNOKQ5YLwLeerwX8/s1600/homemade.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0ljK7TIy7tjVcm6yluB1QPrVjkGfp8aM00FVuy67zosr5aawsPxrTqWWRleC285dhpaQrglmJQrjUbRtbd2i3jvdUMB7OZLpBlKKKJgupFWqrMVFfYUbaKiQ1w_HNOKQ5YLwLeerwX8/s400/homemade.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463143094324425442" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Homemade Basic Cake Mix</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">This can mix can be stored for 12 weeks and makes about 16 cups. Use it to create other cakes such as chocolate, spice and so on.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">8 cups all purpose flour</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">6 cups sugar</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">1/4 cup baking powder</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">1 1/2 teaspoons salt</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">2 1/4 cups (1 pound can) vegetable shortening</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir until all the ingredients are well blended.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Add the shortening and using a pastry blender or knives cut the shortening into flour mixture until it resembles very coarse crumbs.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Place the mix in airtight container or bag, date and store in cool, dry place or fridge for 10 to 12 weeks. I am going to use a mixture of cake flour and whole wheat flour that is made for baking. I am also going to use a mixture of splenda and sugar. From looking at the basic recipes you can use 2 eggs, 1 cup milk or water, and 3 1/3 cups of the mixture to make a cake and add what other spices and flavors work for you. You could replace the water with fruit juice (pineapple?) or butter with applesauce? The sky is the limit. Try your hand and see what comes out....I doubt your family will have an issue taste testing your ideas. Happy baking!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">Now what? Make this chocolate cake.....</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">3 1/3 cup basic cake mix</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">9 table spoons cocoa powder</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">1 cup milk</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">2 eggs, lightly beaten</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">3 tablespoons butter or margarine</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">Combine cake mix, cocoa, and half the milk and beat. Add rest of milk, eggs, butter and beat some more. Poor into baking sheets (pans) and Bake at 375 until comes out clean about 25 mins.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Don't want chocolate well then how about a spice cake?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">5 cups basic cake mix</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">1 1/4 teas. each of nutmeg, cinnamon</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">1/2 teas cloves</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">1 cup water</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">1/4 cup butter</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">2 eggs</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">How about adding some apples or carrots to this? The sky is the limit. Don't want water us milk or butter milk. No butter try applesauce.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Let me know how this turns out if you try it.</span><br /></div></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-54992216889469708832010-04-22T21:12:00.003-04:002010-04-22T21:20:45.467-04:00Chicks, Chicks....Proud Mama<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy8OqqQPo17WbE3TfrXB7L9vImcvvcxvBZktKZqWumkAPiiZGHekzISqRhymc2sabc7K2v7YV4xosIBnYHlNQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">I got the chickens in their new home and today got some chicken fencing and a tarp to put around the little coop. This will be their temporary home for awhile. The tarp will go over the fencing area when we are not there to watch them (when we let them out for a while to graze) so that other animals won't get them and so that they won't fly away. <br /><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">My big decision is going to be keeping all eight chickens and getting a bigger fencing area (more space) or down grading to 4 or 5 chickens and keeping it small. My mind tells me to just down grade to lesser chickens this year and if I like it over the winter then come spring add a few more. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> My friends would be happy to take a couple of my chicks and they cost a few bucks a piece so price isn't an issue. But my daughter and I feel like we don't want to give some up....there is that word....'feel'. Oh well I think downgrading is probably going to win out but time with tell. </span></span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-60032597711262631512010-04-22T09:23:00.002-04:002010-04-22T09:27:44.923-04:00Yummy Amish Peanut Butter Spread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVC4CAzldejXl0F_LchUUCA3CByhjcv_22IooNz6wyYSsolZND5mw5Ekt7IY0XEqK09UaFL3jRgeb51wur7nBy88zD4TGBVy3d8KEa77qEo8rGTdDwM5ZYUzqoJAw7Wvx8GwFJn8P0Iag/s1600/base_media.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 90px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVC4CAzldejXl0F_LchUUCA3CByhjcv_22IooNz6wyYSsolZND5mw5Ekt7IY0XEqK09UaFL3jRgeb51wur7nBy88zD4TGBVy3d8KEa77qEo8rGTdDwM5ZYUzqoJAw7Wvx8GwFJn8P0Iag/s400/base_media.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462952789448769170" border="0" /></a><br />If you have never tasted Amish Peanut Butter Spread you are missing out on something tasty. We live in the heart of Amish land around here so I can pretty much drive in any direction and get homemade Amish goodies. Yesterday I was at my favorite Amish shop and picked up some Amish peanut butter spread. It is lighter then peanut butter, a bit fluffier and sweeter. The Amish use this in all their restaurants around here. Give this <a href="http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/77/Amish_Peanut_Butter__Spread17461.shtml">recipe</a> a try to make some at home the family will love it.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-90169833526320334142010-04-22T08:48:00.002-04:002010-04-22T09:01:05.620-04:00Planting the Early Spring Garden......potatoes and moreThe sun is shining....most of the time. The weather is perfect to put in some early spring veggies. So what are you planting this year?<br /><br />My father in law has a huge farm area and this year I decided to use his already plowed up area (thanks honey for that tractor ride) and plant things I plan to freeze, can or store this year. My lasagna garden at home will have some plants that I want to get to immediately like my cherry tomatoes, zucchini and sugar snap peas.<br /><br />This year I decided to try my hand at planting potatoes. I have never done it before and decided to give a few rows a try. Here is a <a href="http://www.humeseeds.com/potato.htm">site</a> to consider when planting potatoes. I am a newbie so I wanted to make sure I am doing it right. Wish you could plant potatoes but don't have the space? Well check that site out because I bet you do if you use a little imagination.<br /><br />I am also planting radishes and carrots. I tip I got was to mix the radish and carrot seeds together as they grow you can tell them apart and they are easy to thin. The radishes are ready first and when you pull the radishes there is plenty of room left for the carrots to mature.<br /><br />I am planting spinach as well as lettuce. I buy several packages of frozen spinach each year and I figured why not freeze my own?<br /><br />And finally I will be planting some sugar snap peas as well. As for the rest of the garden I will up date you on that as I go. If you have any questions or comments be sure to leave them and you can see the entire<a href="http://savingmoney101.blogspot.com/search/label/Lasagna%20Gardening%20Series"> lasagna garden series here</a>. (scroll down to see the first article)Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-20402382303665863782010-04-20T17:43:00.005-04:002010-04-20T17:52:18.183-04:00Chicks, Chicks.....Moving on up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO7hw25N1QYJ1_sO66yvBaMYIpGISv5Tf262A2CAwZqZhCxX0ZZNYYWHVjvYq45i5kHavcV6W-PiL5W3R_ysBSbM1Y0R8CXuPqshf_cGRuftjV0WAt-aMkEK-orGKg1snxZrPBGZvdC8/s1600/DSCN0303.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO7hw25N1QYJ1_sO66yvBaMYIpGISv5Tf262A2CAwZqZhCxX0ZZNYYWHVjvYq45i5kHavcV6W-PiL5W3R_ysBSbM1Y0R8CXuPqshf_cGRuftjV0WAt-aMkEK-orGKg1snxZrPBGZvdC8/s320/DSCN0303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462340416945581986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijazZj4p8yIr17AX1PIULtCjKuNn0O4cvtn_YqiZwsyG7AMBlNXusUuWMEqgFEoh_Cdwi9t3kA45dfjaqkusc98at_JD2E2VU35yQ8_-uXmqxzSjQYc316u9Im04vqD44q0m1xw65HDYc/s1600/DSCN0306.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijazZj4p8yIr17AX1PIULtCjKuNn0O4cvtn_YqiZwsyG7AMBlNXusUuWMEqgFEoh_Cdwi9t3kA45dfjaqkusc98at_JD2E2VU35yQ8_-uXmqxzSjQYc316u9Im04vqD44q0m1xw65HDYc/s320/DSCN0306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462340273465166978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sorry to have been MIA lately, besides being ultra busy with work, my daughter and I just got back from 6 days in Orlando, FL. It was a great trip minus some small obstacles and we are glad to be home and with our loved ones and animals again.<br /><br />The chicks are turning into chickens! I couldn't believe how much they grew while we were away. So it was time to put them into the chicken coop my hubby got for me. The coop can be moved around and I will probably reposition it around the yard so the chickens can take advantage of the grass and fertilize the yard for me every week or so. The coop is not going to be big enough for them in the long run so we will put up a movable fence so them can "roam" within the fence during the day where it is safe.<br /><br />Here is some pics of the coop. The chicks are hiding under the coop house. You will see where I stuck the lamp in where one of the windows are to keep it warm at time. The babies still need warmth during these cold nights.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcc9ZEpl2jPRUmtYubui40NgnQQWPWywYLMHp9oc7Mkg1jk5oZofqQbDarR0yEZr1eqRTQF04mBBko72lI-Xn171tLKIqxKGnWBfxiZHxdEnQ2bHnOedFjVQIKvOLKJL2k2YfcDhut6Y/s1600/DSCN0308.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcc9ZEpl2jPRUmtYubui40NgnQQWPWywYLMHp9oc7Mkg1jk5oZofqQbDarR0yEZr1eqRTQF04mBBko72lI-Xn171tLKIqxKGnWBfxiZHxdEnQ2bHnOedFjVQIKvOLKJL2k2YfcDhut6Y/s400/DSCN0308.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462339916799180754" border="0" /></a>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-18015452409319486572010-04-02T10:33:00.002-04:002010-04-02T10:38:07.634-04:00Planting the Early Spring GardenI know you are all itching to get out there in that dirt, to get dirty, play around and plant some things. Well you can. Here is a <a href="http://hubpages.com/hub/What-To-Plant">site</a> that outlines some of the things you can plant early. Now be prepared to have to put a little more effort into this Spring garden because if you plant some things that may have to have you cover them if the weather dips too low.<br /><br />There are some things you can plant and just not worry about, onions, carrots and broccoli. Now in my garden I have a broccoli that is about and inch or so high that is a self starter from last year. I laughed when I saw it the other day. Peas is another good cold starter. The goal here is to plant a few things and spread them out with different start times and perhaps varieties so you get more from your harvest. I won't be planting or doing much gardening until after April 18 when I get back from my Florida trip. Happy gardening everyone.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-13958939573683048142010-04-01T11:47:00.002-04:002010-04-01T12:10:39.937-04:00Lasagna Gardening 2010 :Spring Time Clean Up and Set UpLast year I started <a href="http://savingmoney101.blogspot.com/search/label/Lasagna%20Gardening%20Series">Lasagna Gardening</a>. It is what it sounds like you simply make layers of different items like, peat moss, mulched leaves and grasses, pine needles, compost, manure, the list goes on of what you can use and you plant right into those layers. I was spectacle because it wasn't soil but it eventually turns itself into soil, it is rich in soil nutrients and worked almost too well in that my plants got bigger then my small area I set up. You can use this method to make small plots, big plots, container plots and it will work great if you are planning on square foot gardening as well. <a href="http://savingmoney101.blogspot.com/search/label/Lasagna%20Gardening%20Series">Go here</a> to see last years posts and catch up on what it looks like and what to do to get started. My archives are funny so the beginning is at the end so scroll down to see first posts. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_fCCz1j4XG9jL5lUBs8tEmEEn7L_0dFi8BnP2_Vyz2resH7_-m4S9IObHis6xpVZVGyptxX2-aq9ORYIoW1QL1L8ionz0YJqecPhk0Rl7Z8TE3hf-zSpKLAZueWVFpU0jlJJyybVT9s/s320/lasagna.jpg" border="0" /></div>If you are like me, you didn't get all your Fall work done and now need to use the good weather to ready the beds for planting this year. Most things are too early to plant in my <a href="http://www.burpee.com/ancillary/zonefinder.do?KickerID=1116&KICKER&ch=SEM">zone</a> (Midwest) although the weather is going to be 80 degrees today this is a fluke and planting is not yet a good idea. Click <a href="http://www.burpee.com/ancillary/zonefinder.do?KickerID=1116&KICKER&ch=SEM">here</a> to see your planting zones. <br /><br />Soon some cool weather produce will be ready to plant and we will get into that in the next post. So are you ready? Plan on getting outside in the next few weeks and clear your gardens, flower beds up or scout out where you want to place your lasagna beds. You don't need to dig...nope no digging just find where you want the garden to go and begin the layers. <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1999-04-01/Lasagna-Gardening.aspx">Go here</a> to see parts of the book and get an idea on getting started.<br /><br />So what can I can I do today, this weekend, the coming week? Clean up your established garden beds, throw the old foliage into the compost piles. Add new layers of newspaper, peat moss, manure, mulched leaves. Take advantage of the good weather to get your first mow in and mulch those garden leaves and clippings to put on your garden beds. (remember don't use the grass from the areas your dogs are going to the bathroom). Look at garden magazines, go to the local shops and see what you might be interested in planting this year. Organize your ideas and be realistic about what you can plant, eat, and put away for the coming winter month.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-63595793627608543842010-04-01T01:34:00.004-04:002010-04-01T01:47:00.008-04:00Raising Chicks....The Savingmoney101 Way: Chicken Coop<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TMEB_1d3A1th9ssXmTxqdQydha6dNY63fAicMYygWC6kp3oSXf0I3O2NXClUg33xxpDa_TPzCnhoeyKx67yVnM4C1jvvGaN5NRPr4E2TxXba2uLvS-x98aOu4hJky0cYgWQ1KM3wSr4/s1600/1243374419ttb.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TMEB_1d3A1th9ssXmTxqdQydha6dNY63fAicMYygWC6kp3oSXf0I3O2NXClUg33xxpDa_TPzCnhoeyKx67yVnM4C1jvvGaN5NRPr4E2TxXba2uLvS-x98aOu4hJky0cYgWQ1KM3wSr4/s400/1243374419ttb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455038373574004306" border="0" /></a>This is a picture of my new chicken coop. OK so I searched online, searched for plans, searched in books I got at the library, talked to friends, spoke with my husband and daughter and went over and over what type of coop we needed, how to build it or buy it, where to put it...I can't even begin to tell you the amount of stress I have put myself through trying to decide about the coop. <br /><br />I live in the county but it is close enough to neighbors that it has to look nice so I don't hear about it later. It needs to be easy access for me to get to the chickens and the eggs. I want them protected in summer and winter. I want to be able to open the door and let them into another enclosed area I will have when I want. <br /><br />Coops cost money. Don't let anyone kid you. If you have to have something decent you can spend upwards of a grand or more if purchasing one. If you have a handy man then you can pick your plans and build, costs less but takes time and the know how to get this done. After weeks of searching today I am playing around and <a href="http://www.domesticsale.com/Classifieds/318934.html">this coop</a> pops up in a search engine. I have been eyeing similar designs but they start at around $1200 and <a href="http://www.domesticsale.com/Classifieds/318934.html">this one</a>... was $499 and shipping was free. I showed my husband and he said lets get it. <br /><br />Now this amount of money is nothing to laugh at but it will be easy for my husband to put together, looks nice, will fit into many areas in my yard and is more then half the price of the same ones out there. In the long run this is going to work out a lot better, and save me piece of mind wondering how my husband was going to build the one I wanted. I feel a lot better knowing where I am going to house my chicks.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-42823681404330212292010-03-29T17:52:00.012-04:002010-03-29T18:09:01.657-04:00Raising Chicks....How they are getting along<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9JgOjfudenI41HA4RaoRzCuxF0eTQSM0KSMW4RENqzgD82KXqMN0AfkW8x8sLlKaTPkXj5KsyCAGts6E1kPpxXWVPXassiSx7-dOJLgRQBjiCyWf19-QIS0Z5RwpRrS6cCMaGcb1ya4/s1600/DSCN0195.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9JgOjfudenI41HA4RaoRzCuxF0eTQSM0KSMW4RENqzgD82KXqMN0AfkW8x8sLlKaTPkXj5KsyCAGts6E1kPpxXWVPXassiSx7-dOJLgRQBjiCyWf19-QIS0Z5RwpRrS6cCMaGcb1ya4/s200/DSCN0195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454181127671796530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9A6VPlh6xAlsfCSn8nDzkTlvN_742eAZiPZ1klZOFDG1gmQj0THVXhY0NNT5QKVPxyi9GyJ2tKlquxxTPyFJ78K3XvV26YCiIFH62ha9FFiDIkGhyUqs8iwNwiSsxaPaP893ThBmZ6Q/s1600/DSCN0194.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9A6VPlh6xAlsfCSn8nDzkTlvN_742eAZiPZ1klZOFDG1gmQj0THVXhY0NNT5QKVPxyi9GyJ2tKlquxxTPyFJ78K3XvV26YCiIFH62ha9FFiDIkGhyUqs8iwNwiSsxaPaP893ThBmZ6Q/s200/DSCN0194.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454179909572920194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-TnVBLGSrzylmJsvHX3Pxg7FMTG5yVdAmZBPYdQwVrCm83eHhI4l3rtprwzbucolOZzg8lmi9Lv_y5XVfsLdWpJ5oewU2DtS8M14QEgMPm53E4hDMfrvHIjw44wWtygObz-vAH_6oDI/s1600/DSCN0200.JPG"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIHYoh40sKsT9RwZzNEX2uUM0eGdpvNZak6nAEnMU0Y43JerOXCTwq0no_IaKUZdOhP5KSOVA1BERTjagFVQxXR8Flaxe_Po7kp8ozKpneM5ayMzW00HLd5MsejDTnbdKkNrViPuLoHA/s1600/DSCN0201.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIHYoh40sKsT9RwZzNEX2uUM0eGdpvNZak6nAEnMU0Y43JerOXCTwq0no_IaKUZdOhP5KSOVA1BERTjagFVQxXR8Flaxe_Po7kp8ozKpneM5ayMzW00HLd5MsejDTnbdKkNrViPuLoHA/s200/DSCN0201.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454178963591464194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Hey this is my 700 post! Wow never thought I would have that much to say...well some might think I don't anyway. (smile)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrsgGLPLelDdR1AEPt9CWCMTj0PjrloFTUTC3cpbPv-g61gBtcrOz9pQjS-AzwoVJOce8pW_dn5W59sYJZjQzZeyGO-5xCNCGUpYAif21k3_lDtQLFI7MFM7JZ-npNBUXmKbY6cjpkxI/s1600/DSCN0196.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrsgGLPLelDdR1AEPt9CWCMTj0PjrloFTUTC3cpbPv-g61gBtcrOz9pQjS-AzwoVJOce8pW_dn5W59sYJZjQzZeyGO-5xCNCGUpYAif21k3_lDtQLFI7MFM7JZ-npNBUXmKbY6cjpkxI/s200/DSCN0196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454178222219048562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Now for some chicken pictures. Yes they are so cute and darling and I know that is not going to last very long. So far they are doing well. The biggest problem I had was them getting into the water bowl and pushing all the shaving in so it soaked up the water. My friend told me to put them water/food up on a board and it has worked perfectly. In the pictures you will see what the container looks like, what the chicks look like under the red light and I got a few close ups of them huddling away from the crazy lady with the flashing light.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9cOIPxIX0P1jYg6XF6FPeCvJ3gke2M7uPF-2aSx2DtJDiXtt2xbWhgED6Ne9wn2QWF6AM2xgWNSdCss8nndPdZgaIHwwzKmoXbBql5pCNgzSdfmZ25-4uwNaH36JKVIwJu11lperiDM/s1600/DSCN0202.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9cOIPxIX0P1jYg6XF6FPeCvJ3gke2M7uPF-2aSx2DtJDiXtt2xbWhgED6Ne9wn2QWF6AM2xgWNSdCss8nndPdZgaIHwwzKmoXbBql5pCNgzSdfmZ25-4uwNaH36JKVIwJu11lperiDM/s200/DSCN0202.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454178818389036818" border="0" /></a>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-27264568328127972272010-03-28T18:37:00.007-04:002010-03-28T19:05:37.903-04:00Raising Chicks....The Savingmoney101 Way<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IFN5yvfAuLyK5oi9d0LQllawcM9ZWIiY7FjRTQJl9TY-jN-QmQtYBH3hZydnwyGxpsodGzPGBdz8SAhj63KD94NGQQebfHJjXnMkFmERWGXdXs-wnJNvE1gDtXzTYTlHqdXLVGO2sQ0/s1600/86043.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IFN5yvfAuLyK5oi9d0LQllawcM9ZWIiY7FjRTQJl9TY-jN-QmQtYBH3hZydnwyGxpsodGzPGBdz8SAhj63KD94NGQQebfHJjXnMkFmERWGXdXs-wnJNvE1gDtXzTYTlHqdXLVGO2sQ0/s400/86043.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453823687084075698" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, I am a newbie to this but I am confident in my skills. I read a lot so my research is pretty in depth. My friend started raising chickens last year and she has done OK so I know I can too.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GhoMqhYSLqpAGvFw3j_ChdpRuoq3KANN9el1b5CJZbd0gjqg2i-dcfWUHDaWg8ZYwW5XnT8_fh3xcpLTQ1Uc-bflqzZFnBhggBmnjS4a8Bu6AbiJm5duVqkufj9_Q2TsTDCdLmCbC6Q/s1600/86191-Royalty-Free-RF-Clipart-Illustration-Of-Golden-Dollar-Eggs-Following-A-Blue-Hen.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GhoMqhYSLqpAGvFw3j_ChdpRuoq3KANN9el1b5CJZbd0gjqg2i-dcfWUHDaWg8ZYwW5XnT8_fh3xcpLTQ1Uc-bflqzZFnBhggBmnjS4a8Bu6AbiJm5duVqkufj9_Q2TsTDCdLmCbC6Q/s400/86191-Royalty-Free-RF-Clipart-Illustration-Of-Golden-Dollar-Eggs-Following-A-Blue-Hen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453823779927067618" border="0" /></a>So what do I need to get started raising chickens?<br /><br />The first thing you are going to need is a place to keep the chickens. People use all types of things from cardboard boxes, baby swimming pools, steel watering buckets, and my choice was a 45 gallon tote from big lots for $12 bucks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVnQK6tY_SzRXYDMm2irhVvgZs55dcnFLpIypCDZiDHEtqZWSdL7PLMJvQzaKd2jkfCbowEC_MJwOgsnI33dfhnvgtioOshmyDtIcHw4EU1w2HOAspOWrQgjNOSwesvqVPPvmuLkfxwY/s1600/momma.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVnQK6tY_SzRXYDMm2irhVvgZs55dcnFLpIypCDZiDHEtqZWSdL7PLMJvQzaKd2jkfCbowEC_MJwOgsnI33dfhnvgtioOshmyDtIcHw4EU1w2HOAspOWrQgjNOSwesvqVPPvmuLkfxwY/s400/momma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453824012719841522" border="0" /></a><br />Once I am done with it I can use it to store things in the garage or garden. Just remember they will begin to grow, need space to move around and they jump and fly so something with higher sides is better.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis60VtvBG-U0cyyz-JohQlq3EtV9gG6hjxAAOYnARHjZ9ez2nBmb5SToU_XNSdAy9tmCg7KM5FaxbVqyE1OSe7AtBs_UcX4jxRcGa2bXyoVu-r0StkVskCjhjN67_in0jkeJfJgrUUvXY/s1600/image+2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis60VtvBG-U0cyyz-JohQlq3EtV9gG6hjxAAOYnARHjZ9ez2nBmb5SToU_XNSdAy9tmCg7KM5FaxbVqyE1OSe7AtBs_UcX4jxRcGa2bXyoVu-r0StkVskCjhjN67_in0jkeJfJgrUUvXY/s400/image+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453824443741442610" border="0" /></a><br />The second thing you need is a heat lamp. I bought two heat lamps from the tractor supply, you could get these at home improvement store. I got my lamps for about 7 bucks each. Then you need RED lamps to put in them. Chickens can turn on each other with white light and it gets intense for them if too bright.<br /><br />The third thing you need is shavings for the floor. Pine shaving work best NOT CEDAR. The chicks love to play in the shavings, they go to the bathroom in it and push it all around.<br /><br />The fourth thing you need is a watering and feeding supplies. I bought mine for about $2 bucks apiece. I would suggest getting a water one for sure but the food one can be a small bowl. I ended up taking the top part of my feeding thing because it wasn't coming out very well.<br />Now to decide where you are gong to keep them? I have a lot of people suggesting keeping them in the house..not gonna happen. I talked to the guys at the tractor supple and said I was thinking of my garage. He said that was fine and where he keeps his. With the two heat lamps on full time and I have them lifted up off the ground onto a table they are kept pretty draft free and warm. I checked on them all the time yesterday and today and they are fine. The rule is...if they are huddled under the lamp they are cold. If they are trying to get away from the lamp they are hot. If they are wandering around and kind of spread out they are fine. Mine were fine and the low way 30's degrees last night.<br /><br />They love to chirp too....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nz1cPf19i92-kuSGuW9etHWRFKZ7Eb1C7q-ySyO7nUmpu4970OtKn5yspPlApUXrxS_ysrudZj4f8Ei4m99BOCKeUTQYSYa_NezqfsFZ2ZRWUWCAcJpZo0T4F6Wm2AV6Lmgdth6ed8I/s1600/chirp.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nz1cPf19i92-kuSGuW9etHWRFKZ7Eb1C7q-ySyO7nUmpu4970OtKn5yspPlApUXrxS_ysrudZj4f8Ei4m99BOCKeUTQYSYa_NezqfsFZ2ZRWUWCAcJpZo0T4F6Wm2AV6Lmgdth6ed8I/s400/chirp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453824178352177586" border="0" /></a>Choice your chickens wisely. What type of eggs do you want? I got four types. The advice I got was that they would get along if they were raised together otherwise they will fight. Well they will fight anyway. One chicken will try to dominate the other chicks at some point anyway but that is for another day. These are cold weather hardy chickens, friendly and docile. You want to hold them (washing your hands very well after) as much as you can when checking on them because you want them to be friendly to humans. Just don't let little kids stress them out or other animals. Each week the lamps can get a little further away from the chicks as they grow and don't need as much light...a 5 degree decrease a week.<br /><br />Today I had to check each of them for what I will call "crap ass". Not friendly sounding or fun to do but sometimes the chicks get the crap all dried up around their butts and if not cleaned properly can die. Two of my chicks got a nice warm paper towel to the butt and rub. They didn't like it and neither did I but it had to be done.<br /><br />They drink a lot of water and spill it, play in it and push the shavings in it. Big sigh..they are babies.<br /><br />I did some reading on cleaning out the chicken holder and most said as long as the shavings are not wet you can just add more on top of it so I plan to do that mostly but they are getting water everywhere so tomorrow I am going to clean and replace the shavings. I will put them in a box while I wash and dry their container.<br /><br />You need to check on them at least three to four times a day to make sure they are warm, have food and water. There is plenty in my house to help so this is not an issue for me.<br /><br />That is the beginnings of chickens 101.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-60841103220642239272010-03-28T12:40:00.006-04:002010-03-28T13:15:31.663-04:00Chicks, Chicks.....Raising Chickens the saving money way<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br /></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzYIAEwqldMfNpSQt1Ya7oHrGg6te2ZkwZ00MIKW3FXAk5_ws4ePrMW-qqExXGQ87OdK3ZaRhaZ1aWPAas0BQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />Hello Spring...It is baby chicken time. I thought about this for the past year. I went back and forth over raising my own chickens. I was out, I was in, ....sometimes I just get impulsive and jump. Here I am. Basically I live in the county area and I have lots of space. I have about 3/4 an acre and my back yard is totally fenced in for the dogs. I thought where will I put these chickens? Luckily for me I have a nice little spot on the the s</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">ide of </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">my house that is shaped like a U. The house is on one side and the other sides are surrounded by fencing. My yard butts up against my neighbors fenced in back yards so everyone is quite far away from my yard. It is a secluded spot away from the road, the neighbors and animals (predators). With the shape of the U, I can also put up a movable fencing to let the chickens range (roam) a bit as well and the dogs can't get to them.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">So why go to all the trouble to raise your own chickens? Well there are several reasons:</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />To have all natural, organic eggs that actually have 40% more nutrition then the eggs you buy in the store.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Y</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">ES, it true they are more nutritious in vitamins, minerals and have less cholesterol, they have orangish yolks, and the more orange the higher the vitamins. The yolks stand up better, the whites are not as runny. Its all true. Believe me I have read everything I can to understand raising chickens. </span><br /><br />If you have a local farmers store (Tractor supply, Rural King or more) you can go buy a magazine for under $10 and there are plenty to pick from all of them have tons of information on getting started with chickens. You can also buy your chickens there, check them out, ask questions, see what supplies will cost and so on. You can mail order chickens as well, but I spoke to several people and I liked just picking out my baby chicks, they were healthy, cheap ($1.25-2.00)each. Put in an Internet search for raising chickens and you will get tons of info. There is no one specific site I feel like I can endorse so I will let you explore the net on your own.<br /><br />Later on I will begin <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Part One</span> of raising chickens by explaining what I purchased, about how much it will cost you and why you need it.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-60937535737588046492010-03-10T10:26:00.002-05:002010-03-10T10:36:26.413-05:00Spring is in the air....I think?If you live in the Midwest we have been having a glimpse of Spring lately. The weather has been upper 50's and today may reach 60 degrees. The snow is melted except for those pesky dirty piles that seem to take forever to disappear. The ground is wet, ugly and just a plain hot mess. Soon you will be getting ready to hit the yard again. <br /><br />The winter was a long, cold one and I know you were all looking at seed catalogs, thinking about picking fresh strawberries from you garden and much more. Now is the time to start to prepare yourselves, you ideas and your plan for this year. <br /><br />My friend, Denise got me a great book called, "Preserving the Harvest" and it is all about recipes for canning, freezing, drying and pickling garden treasures. I will start to post some from that as time gets closer. The object of this book is to do small batches of stuff as they ripen instead of having an overload because you waited. <br /><br />I will continue with my lasagna garden series as I begin to prepare my gardens again and make new spaces for other produce I want to grow. <br /><br />So you ask, "What can I do now?" Well to start you can rake up your yard and use the mulched leaves in your garden area. Pull up the old garden crap you never got to before the winter came and begin to take stock of where you plan on putting your garden this year. If you don't have the space, time or want to have a bigger garden consider using pots for a few small plants OR plant a few small plants in with your flowers. <br /><br />Let me know what your plans are for this year. I wanna hear all about it and it will help me answer questions as well. Happy almost spring!Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-61652072128510833772010-03-06T13:16:00.004-05:002010-03-06T13:47:45.517-05:00Melalueca Products<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJE0WmdTwusOBpeYb2jnzdNR-PUgOMWlLPimWDfdEtHBKUECIw-qcsLKFkU9zRJMwCyWtRGFCDkXKyw7oDF1ovaBCuzZu3cQesY7R50RKP2Oqfvi1lEOYBP0GfuINUA3IYa23nLWYeyo/s1600-h/melaLogo_rol.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 51px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJE0WmdTwusOBpeYb2jnzdNR-PUgOMWlLPimWDfdEtHBKUECIw-qcsLKFkU9zRJMwCyWtRGFCDkXKyw7oDF1ovaBCuzZu3cQesY7R50RKP2Oqfvi1lEOYBP0GfuINUA3IYa23nLWYeyo/s400/melaLogo_rol.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445594354493614130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have the most sensitive skin. I am allergic to everything and I started my journey to make as many products at home as I could to save me money, to save the earth, to alleviate my sensitive skin and more. A client told me about <a href="http://www.melaleuca.com/Default.aspx?ShowSplash=true">Melaleuca</a> and I put off hearing from a consultant for months and now I wish I hadn't because so far I love the products.<br /><br />Here is how it works and at first I was very leery of the entire concept because I just wanted the products and not the sales pitch. When you join Melaleuca you help the person who helped you get in earn money. It is as simple as that as you purchase products they make money off your purchases. Now if you are a business person or a person who would like a stay at home business then this may be an opportunity for you, however if you are like me and just want the products then that is doable as well.<br /><br />My Melalueca person contacted me last fall and several months ago I consented to hearing the "sales" pitch over the phone. She simply walked me through the program and I watched videos as she spoke with me. There is a yearly fee ($29) sometimes they have specials and the fee is waived as well. I became a preferred member so I get an extra discount for agreeing to buy a certain amount of products a month. You can cancel your preferred membership at any time.<br /><br />Here is the nitty gritty of the company. They are environmentally on top of it, they work to use less, get more from your money by using concentrated products and they are famous for their tea tree oil which has many healing and cleaning properties.<br /><br />My biggest concern at the time was my dry skin. I bought the Renewal lotion with tea tree oil and I can honestly say that my skin sighed with relief when I used it. I was trying to make my own lotions to get away from scents and chemicals but I though I will give this lotion a try and it is working. My itching is way down, my skin feels softer and smoother.<br /><br />I ordered a few of their concentrated cleaners. I usually make my own. The tub and tile cleaner is great and you can breathe while you use it, it has a fresh scent and is made from all natural ingredients so no one would get more then a belly ache if they ingested the entire thing. I also got a kitchen cleaner that is working well....I continue with my beloved vinegar for the windows but so far I am enjoying the cleaning products and I love the fact that they wont harm me in the least.<br /><br />I had a problem with shampoos and conditioners. I have very dry hair, my scalp itched and I constantly picked and itched at my scalp. One month into using their shampoo/conditioner my scalp is not itching and I feel so much better about my hair/scalp health.<br /><br />My husband is using the pain a trate (like Ben gay) and its working. The bar soaps are french milled so they last forever and after using two of the bars I don't itch when I get out of the shower. But the Renewal body wash that goes with the lotion has been the best thing yet...so wonderfully feeling. I tried the toothpaste and although it cleans well I didn't like the mint so I ordered the Cinnamon to try and will have my family use the other one.<br /><br />I have purchased some crackers and activity bars but have not tried them yet due to my diet the past few weeks. Today I ordered the laundry soap, pre-spotter and softener to try out. I usually make my own soap but want to give it a try as well. I ordered some shampoo for my daughter today as well she has the opposite of me having more oily scalp so it will be interesting to see how her hair takes to the new shampoos.<br /><br />They have vitamins that are cutting edge, beauty products, weight loss and much more. So far I am happy with the entire products and wish I would not have waited to try it out before now. Take a look and see if this might be for you. If you want more information feel free to leave me a comment and I will get back to you.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-43225160002100154592010-03-05T23:33:00.002-05:002010-03-05T23:44:06.512-05:00Eat This, Not This<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pn61KAWMIZFv48bweHpq1Q2BohyphenhyphenYoK7hUBGiZVYtUKVYaqwnvOWKfUv2dXlZ0YWG0bCv6BF1Ciq7-NZQIkfMk-9Trl5uSgjXOmapoQ1gaH64pLP8Oe7a1-cnkPtPq9-qEKI8WxfVbRI/s1600-h/healthy+eating.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pn61KAWMIZFv48bweHpq1Q2BohyphenhyphenYoK7hUBGiZVYtUKVYaqwnvOWKfUv2dXlZ0YWG0bCv6BF1Ciq7-NZQIkfMk-9Trl5uSgjXOmapoQ1gaH64pLP8Oe7a1-cnkPtPq9-qEKI8WxfVbRI/s400/healthy+eating.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445376761641077330" border="0" /></a><br />I have been doing pretty well on my better eating style the past few weeks. I am down 9 pounds and I am not killing myself just trying to eat better choices. I am addicted to carbs and I need to balance those better along with adding more fruits and veggies each day but I hope to continue to eat better each day. The one thing that does make me suffer is staying away from fast food places. I admit that I am addicted to fast food. If you eat a lot of fast food your mouth craves that feel and regular food doesn't taste as good at first. I miss the drive thru but I don't miss spending the money and I know I am doing better when I drive on past and go home to eat instead.<br /><br />There are books out that show you, "<a href="http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/30-worst-sandwiches-america?cm_mmc=Yahoo-_-ETNT-_-Worst_Salads-_-30_Worst_Sandwiches_Slideshow">Eat This, Not This</a>," and this is one of those websites that show you what might be in the sandwich you choose and a better choice. Some of the calorie counts are shocking. I have never been to the cheesecake factory before but I can tell you right off if I had I would have picked the chicken club they showed and it would have ruined my calorie count for the day. Check it out.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-17123858176465826112010-02-22T10:21:00.005-05:002010-02-24T20:47:31.924-05:00Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies Updated<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMiMBwDE081RRu3GTUgXn6kr8e-VVQcAkR0vXCu-MmBokHj5SdhO5olpmLBTfP0WtwUmPpBtYaXHz_KFSFBng4K5ujxUvfk4AUEpy0qNK1lEqBBhxgxUMH6AumcX4keJpYDMQGd3tWdc/s1600-h/cookie+jar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMiMBwDE081RRu3GTUgXn6kr8e-VVQcAkR0vXCu-MmBokHj5SdhO5olpmLBTfP0WtwUmPpBtYaXHz_KFSFBng4K5ujxUvfk4AUEpy0qNK1lEqBBhxgxUMH6AumcX4keJpYDMQGd3tWdc/s400/cookie+jar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441091297982178018" border="0" /></a><br />My entire family has been eating better this week and it shows with everyone showing a weight loss this week. We started out by detoxing for a few days with only eating raw fruits and veggies. It was difficult but it helped clear your system out and shell shocked me and my husband from diet soda. My poor hubby has given up his white bread, miracle whip, and diet dr. pepper. Very difficult for him.<br /><br />We slowly added back in some whole grains and then some chicken. We kept the fruit and veggies as the main part of the meal. My daughter has been helping me a lot by prepare meals, cleaning up and we have been eating as a family.<br /><br />Last night we were discussing dinner and how much we were craving something sweet like cookies but we didn't really know what to do with it so we talked about what cookie recipes I have that can be healthy. My friend, Denise made monster cookies this year that were great and I made them several times since. So my daughter and I sat and played with that recipe on the recipe calculator to see how we can get it to be healthier. We took out m&m and put in nuts, then we took the nuts back out...we just played around until we decided what would it taste like just as a peanut butter cookie? And this is what we came up with....my version of the <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=955664&resubscribe=1#ratings">healthier peanut butter cookie. </a>Here is the recipe if you were to use splenda sugars and almond butter, <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=961707">Healthier Butter cookie</a>.<br /><br />Although the calorie count is still up there a bit, the ingredients are really good. They turned out great and a couple of cookies hit the spot so well. If you want a weight lose site this one is great <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/">Spark people</a>. I like using it for recipes, recipe calculator, message boards, calorie counting and more.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5164179630642486489.post-91299006456121430522010-02-21T05:26:00.001-05:002010-02-21T05:28:17.999-05:00New blogger siteAwesome new blogger site I found on whole grain cooking. Going to try out a few of the cookie recipes. It is called the <a href="http://www.wholegraingourmet.com/home-mainmenu-1.html">whole grain gourmet</a>.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669126667771874987noreply@blogger.com0