Sharing a SALE

Just thought I would pass along this great sale at Cottage Arts. Check out all the fun stuff that is on sale!

Cookin' with Gas

I'm cooking with propane gas! Like my stove uses. Sheesh! What were you thinking?

I'm gearing up for a fun Thanksgiving with my folks tomorrow by putting together some casseroles and baking some pumpkin bread saving just the food items that aren't as good prepared ahead like mashed potatoes and cranberry challah bread.

I realized that I did not have my sweet potato casserole recipe in my holiday planning notebook. So, since I had to type it up, I figured I would do it cute. I used a few things from my days as a digital scrapbook kit designer. Even though I did this fairly quick, I think it is pretty fun.

I decided that I would share this as a little freebie to anyone who is interested. You can download a PDF version of this here.

I am off to finish my cooking and do a spot of cleaning, too. I hope everyone enjoys their holiday of celebrating and giving thanks for our many blessings.

Book Review: "The Total Money Makeover"

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Several months ago I read Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace." I really enjoyed it and found this newer book, "The Total Money Makeover."



I have to admit that books about financial matters tend to bore me. I know that managing my finances is important, but I find it tedious and uninteresting. However, I found Dave's book interesting and motivational.



In his book, Dave Ramsey lays out a plan to get a grip on your finances and take control over them (instead of letting them control you) and gain some financial peace. This plan is logical and fairly simple in concept and shows you how to become debt-free, stay debt-free, plan for the future, and be able to give to others.



After reading this, I knew that this was a plan that my husband and I should follow, so I convinced him to read it, too. I am happy to say that he feels led to pursue this, as well, and together we are creating a plan to eventually become debt-free. It won't be easy and will require making some tough spending decisions, but we are choosing to "Live like no one else now so that we can live like no one else later." as Dave would put it. The sacrifices that we make now, will give us financial peace later.



I also appreciate the fact that although this book is not overtly religious, Dave mentions his faith and his motivation to share his blessings with others.



If you are in a place where you feel like your finances could use a tune up, this book is a very worthwhile read and I would highly recommend it.


View all my reviews.

"Just be good for goodness' sake!"

"Why believe in a god?

Just be good for goodness' sake."


That's what the new ad campaign set to run in our nation's capitol is proclaiming. It is sponsored by the American Humanist Association. So who are these people? Here is what it says on the why believe in a god website,

"Many people imagine that the only way to be good in this world is through
belief in a god. But is that really necessary? Must we be bound by moral
dictates set down in “sacred” texts written hundreds, if not thousands of years
ago? Must we accept the authority and judgments of “spiritual” leaders and
religious hierarchy? Does religious faith offer the only lens through which to
judge life’s events?
The answer to these questions is no! There is another
way for us to approach life. We can have ethics and values that aren't set in
stone. Our ideals and principles can evolve over time to reflect our
ever-changing and increasingly complex world. Yet, we can be confident of the
decisions that we make, not because someone told us what to do but because we
relied on our own careful reasoning and emotional reflection. We can live a life
that accepts and appreciates the world as it is, without needing to see
supernatural explanations behind every event. This is a positive and uplifting
way to live.
This way of life is called humanism. Humanists use reason and
the tools of science to better understand our world and the best way to live in
it. Humanists understand that compassion for fellow human beings, as well as an
acknowledgement of their inherent dignity and worth, must form the basis of our
interactions with each other. Humanists are free of belief in any god or
afterlife. We must make the best of this one life that we have. "

There is so much in this that does not make very good sense to me.

"We can have ethics and values that aren't set in stone. Our ideals and
principles can evolve over time to reflect our ever-changing and increasingly
complex world."

So, this must mean that there is nothing that is constant. We can change our minds as to what is right or wrong depending on whatever is happening in the world and what our moods are. Are there are no absolutes? Is there nothing that is black and white? Is right and wrong based on the current scientific theories which change almost daily? I don't agree. There have to be absolutes. Our morals should not change with the breeze. I believe that there is a constant. That constant is God and His creation.

I guess I am NOT a humanist because as I read this, these verses came to mind:

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their
deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalm
14:1

How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your
thoughts!
The senseless man does not know, fools do not
understand, Psalm
92:6

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah
55:9

Of course, these verses are from the bible; therefore, any good humanist would discount them. As for me, I do not understand how you can look at the natural world that surrounds us and not believe that there is a God. The intricacies of nature could not have just happened, they had to be designed by a Creator. We, as humans, cannot even begin to understand all of the details and workings of nature. The more science discovers, the more we realize how little we know. It seems that only a fool would rely on his "own careful reasoning and emotional reflection" when "judging life's events."

"Humanists are free of belief in any god or afterlife. We must make the
best of this one life that we have. "

This makes me just sad. This life - the one lived in these mortal bodies - is lacking and leaves A LOT to be desired. I have this hope that there is something more, MUCH more. That hope relies in my faith that after my time in this world is complete, I will move to my REAL home with God where pain, suffering, and sadness are replaced with love, peace, and joy permanently. I can't imagine that THIS here and now is all there is. How depressing!


If you want to know more about this hope that I have, feel free to ask. I'll tell you all about it. Just leave me a comment here or e-mail me at scrappintrishATgmailDOTcom (replace the AT and DOT). I can tell you, it's not about being "good." It is about whose team you are on.

Hanging out my shingle...

It is official - I am now an etsy girl. If you aren't familiar with Etsy, it is like a giant online craft bazaar where you can buy just about any handcrafted item you can imagine. It is a blast to just sit and browse there. For a person like me, who has this innate need inside them to create, Etsy is a perfect outlet. Right now I just have a few items up in my store, but you be certain there will be more to come. I have placed a little widget on the right hand side of the blog here that shows my newest items for sale. You can always contact me with special requests, too.

Christmas Spending

CHEAP EATS: Oriental Oats Recipe Update

Monday I posted about one of my favorite cheap eats, oatmeal. I included a recipe for Oriental Oats that I had found in my Le Leche League cookbook, but noted that I had not tried it. Well, it was a busy week and one evening I found myself wondering at 5:30pm what we were going to have for dinner. That recipe popped into my mind and I decided to try it.

I began mixing up the recipe although I wasn't exactly sure how it would actually turn out because I had never cooked anything quite like it. You mix rolled oats and eggs and cook them while you stir fry up some veggies. We used onion and broccoli because it is what I had handy. Then you add the veggies, some broth and soy sauce into the cooked oat mixture and cook it until the liquid has been absorbed.

This was a HUGE hit with my family! This actually shocked me because as I was cooking it, I kept getting grilled by my hungry children: "WHAT are you making? WHAT is it called? WHAT are you putting in that?" I explained it as best as I could and figured if they were hungry enough they would it it regardless. So, imagine my surprise when they couldn't get enough of it! The oat/egg mixture gets somewhat chewy and reminded me of the consistency of ground beef in the finished dish. Thank goodness I made some rice to serve this over or we wouldn't have had near enough. I will be doubling the recipe next time because my kids pigged it down. Even Patrick who is not real big on rice and stir fry type dishes really liked this.

Because of our recent budget constraints, I have been trying to make more meatless meals, but my family, especially hubby, sometimes feels cheated with these. I was really happy to find a dish that satisfied everyone and is very economical to make. I figure that entire meal only cost $2-3 to feed our family of 7. It also was balanced with carbs, veggies, and plenty of protein. Although meatless, it included eggs as well as the combination of whole grains and veggies which creates a complete protein. In all actuality, this cheap eating is probably going to help our health as well as our wallet.

Here is the recipe again:

Oriental Oats

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
4T. oil
2 cups chopped or sliced mixed onions, sprouts, mushrooms and broccoli
3/4 cup water
1 T. soy sauce

Combine eggs and oats in a bowl; mix well. Cook in 2 tablespoons oil in skillet for 3 to 5 minutes or until dry and separate. Saute vegetables in remaining oil in small skillet. Add to oats with water and soy sauce. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. May add 1 cup chopped meat. May substitute butter for oil; may substitute broth or stock for water and soy sauce. Yield 6 servings. (From "Whole Foods for the Whole Family" LeLeche League International)

CHEAP EATS: Oatmeal

What do you think of when you hear the word oatmeal? Pasty stuff in a bowl? Cookies with raisins? Perhaps granola?

A Healthy Choice

I know there are many people who do not think very highly of oatmeal, but oatmeal is a very healthy food. Oatmeal that we buy in our local grocery store is rolled oats. The oats grains are processed by running them between heavy rollers to "flake" them. Therefore, oatmeal is a whole grain food.

Whole grain foods are vital to a healthy diet. The 2005 American dietary guidelines recommend that we eat 3 serving of whole grains each day. Whole grain foods differ from refined "white" foods in the fact that the germ and bran are still intact. Refined white foods (white flour) have these parts removed. Studies show that whole grains reduce the risk of heart disease, help in weight management, and are a better choice for those with diabetes.

Oatmeal is naturally free of sodium and cholesterol and low in fat. In addition to this, it is a great source of water soluble fiber which functions to lower blood cholesterol levels.

Old-Fashioned vs. Quick Oats

When you visit your local grocery store, you will most likely see two kinds of plain oats on the shelf: Old-Fashioned and Quick-Cooking. Old fashioned are plain rolled oats, while quick-cooking have been processed by partially cooking them, drying them and packaging. I personally tend to steer clear of these. The are less nutritious and cook up to the consistency of glue. Their advantage is that they cook quicker. Old-fashioned oats only take about 5 minutes to cook anyway, so the time savings is minimal.

What To Do With Oatmeal

The simplest way to eat oatmeal is as a cooked cereal. About 1/2 cup of oatmeal equals a serving. For each 1/2 cup serving use 1 cup water. Place water and oats in a pot. bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes until it is the desired consistency. I let it cook about five minutes after the water boils. If you like really chewy oatmeal, wait to add the oats until after after the water has come to a boil.

Now you can eat it just like this, but we like to add a little sweetness and fun to our bowl of oatmeal.

Things we like to add are:

• Sweeteners (sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup)
• Fresh fruit (berries, apples)
• Dried fruit (raisins, Craisins, dried cherries or blueberries)
• Milk or cream
• Apple butter
• Jam
• Cinnamon

Now, if you want a real treat, make sure you prepare extra and make Fried Oatmeal. Take the plain leftovers and pack them into a loaf pan and place them in the refrigerator. After a few hours, the oatmeal will have gelled into an unappetizing loaf. Don't be put off by this. Pop it out of the pan, slice it and fry it in a skillet with plenty of butter until the outside is all crispy. Serve it with maple syrup. Fried oatmeal is a delightful treat that my kids love. My oldest is not a big fan of oatmeal, but gets excited about it when she sees that I have made extra to fry up the next day.

Now, what if you just don't have time in the morning to prepare this? There are a couple a options you can try. Oatmeal can be prepared ahead the night before so it is ready to eat by morning. One simple option is Slow-Cooker Oatmeal done in the crock pot. If you are looking for something more elaborate and dressed up from your crock pot, Christmas Morning Oatmeal sounds delightful.

If you are desiring the simplest and most frugal method to make your oatmeal ahead of time, try the Thermos method. For a personal serving of oatmeal on the go, measure 1/2 cup rolled oats into thermos. Add 2 cups boiling water and close. The oats will be ready to eat any time the following day.

Another idea for quick oatmeal on the go is the instant version. You can go out and purchase those expensive sugary packets at the grocery store, or you can make your own with 1/4 cup quick cook oats, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt in a zip-lock baggie. To eat, place this in a bowl with 1/4 cup of water or milk and microwave for 60 seconds. To jazz up the flavor of your packets, add some powdered milk or non-dairy creamer, cinnamon or other spices, raisins, or other dried fruit.

Granola

Another wonderful way to use oatmeal is to make granola and granola bars. Now you can buy these from the store, but the homemade version tastes great, is healthier, and costs way less. What's better is that you can make it using what you have available in your pantry, saving you even more. Now, because we have allergy issues with nuts in our house, I spent some time trying to find a good granola recipe without them. That is actually kind of tough to do, but I found this recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal that the whole family LOVES. I have come up with a basic recipe for granola that you can use what you have on hand.

Trish's Basic Granola

Mix together

Dry ingredients:

3-4 cups old-fashioned oats

1-2 cups dry add-ins (nuts, coconut, seeds)

Mix together

Syrup:

1/4 cup oil

1/2 sweetener (This can be a combination of honey, pure maple syrup, white or brown sugar. If you use sugar, you will need to cook this on the stove until the sugar granules dissolve. I like to to use 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup maple syrup and skip the heating step.)

Add syrup to dry ingredients and mix through thoroughly. I usually end up using my hands for this. Spread out on a jellyroll pan (cookie sheet with sides) and place in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes stirring or flipping the granola occasionally.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Add up to 1 cup extra goodies which may be a combination of raisins, dried fruit, or chocolate chips.

Enjoy! We eat this like cold cereal with milk or plain as a snack.

If granola bars are more your speed this is my favorite recipe I have found: Playgroup Granola Bars. These are delicious and don't hang around long in this house.

Oatmeal in Baking

If you do a search on my favorite recipe site, http://www.allrecipes.com/, for "oatmeal," you come up with oodles of cookie recipes. Oatmeal cookies are wonderful, but you can use oatmeal in so many other baking projects. I have found that you can substitute 1 cup of oatmeal for 1 cup of flour in almost all of your baking recipes. I have tried it personally in muffins, breads, quick breads, and cookies. I imagine that it would also work in cakes and pancakes, too. I think it would be delicious in an applesauce cake. This is a great way to sneak in some whole grain goodness to baked goods using white flour. Usually the oats don't even get noticed, but if they do they don't affect the overall taste and give things a nice texture. We are especially fond of them in muffins.

Beyond Breakfast

Now, you may be thinking that oatmeal is just for breakfast and baking, but they can even be incorporated into dinner. Whole, unrolled oats called oat groats may be cooked and served in place of rice. Oat groats can be usually be found at your local health food store. Locally, I have a natural foods coop store that sells them in bulk. To cook oat groats, use 2 cups of water or broth to 1 cup oats. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 40 minutes. Here is a recipe for Oat Groat Pilaf I found, but have not tried. A couple other dinner items I found online were Oatmeal Soup and Scot Oatcakes.

While perusing my cookbooks I also came across this unique recipe. It sounds like something my family would enjoy and I plan to try it.

Oriental Oats

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

4T. oil

2 cups chopped or sliced mixed onions, sprouts, mushrooms and broccoli

3/4 cup water

1 T. soy sauce

Combine eggs and oats in a bowl; mix well. Cook in 2 tablespoons oil in skillet for 3 to 5 minutes or until dry and separate. Saute vegetables in remaining oil in small skillet. Add to oats with water and soy sauce. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. May add 1 cup chopped meat. May substitute butter for oil; may substitute broth or stock for water and soy sauce. Yield 6 servings. (From "Whole Foods for the Whole Family" LeLeche League International)

Just How Cheap is Oatmeal?

I can purchase a 42 ounce container of store brand old-fashioned oats regularly for $2.99 ($1.14/pound). Occasionally, I can get it on sale for $1.99 (76 cents/pound). I can do even better buying it in bulk at the health food store where I can get it for as low as 69 cents/pound. Even the organic oatmeal is only 89 cents/pound there. If you figure that one serving of oatmeal is 1/2 cup (40 grams) dry oatmeal (1 cup cooked), you can get over 22 servings per pound of oatmeal. That is 22 servings for just 69 cents or just 3 cents per serving! Isn't that amazing?

If you are trying to cut your food budget, don't forget to buy the oatmeal. It will be easy on your pocketbook, good to your body and delightful on your tongue. Oatmeal is truly CHEAP EATS.

Thankfulness

I think I have shared that finances have been becoming tight around here. I have been trying really hard to pinch every penny and make every dollar stretch. Sometimes that can make you feel a bit discouraged. Then God opens your eyes. Yes there are those who have more, much more, BUT there are many more who have oh so much less. Mere existence is a daily struggle.

I have been reading with interest some blogs that are part of a project by Compassion International. In an effort to let others see first hand what they do, they sent a handful of bloggers to the Dominican Republic to give them a tour and let them write about it. Check out some of the blogs and their photos. They really bring it home. As I sit in my nice, cozy home with my pantry full of food and plenty of clothing for my children, I can't help but feel blessed. This blessing is from God alone. It is only by His grace that I am a mom sitting here in the U.S. with my needs met and not a mom sitting in this shack (see photo) scrounging for a meager existence.

God has also been opening my eyes to the struggles of those right here. There are those that are fighting to get by in my own town. They can't seem to find a job and are out of money and a about out of hope, as well.

Although my own struggles are real, they pale in comparison. My heart is filed with gratitude for what I do have. I have been blessed by a loving husband, 5 (and 1/2) beautiful, healthy children, a roof over my head, and plenty of life's necessities. I lift up humble hands to God in Thanksgiving for that. I also ask Him to open my eyes and give me His heart and show me how I can make a difference in His name.

Book Review: "I Capture the Castle"

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I Capture the Castle is a fictional story written from the viewpoint of a young woman writing in her journal. It takes place in a run down old castle in the middle of the English countryside. Her family is in difficult circumstances because their father has not earned any income in years and they have sold everything they can just to get by.



I am trying to decide what I really think about this book. There is a part of me that liked it and a part of me that is just left wanting more. The book began slow for me, but I was intrigued by the setting of an old castle in the English countryside as well as the simpler time the story took place. There is a certain wistful romance about it all even in the midst of the troubles the characters were encountering. I tend to think that this is why the book is as popular as it is.



However, because we were privy to the innermost thoughts of the main character, Cassandra, through her journal writings, I expected to see more depth and spiritual growth within her. Generally, hard and trying circumstances, such as she was facing, would force a person to grow and mature emotionally. I didn’t see as much of that as I would have liked in her. That goes for the other characters, as well.

**SPOILER ALERT**

The Characters:

*Cassandra seems intelligent and capable. I often wondered throughout the story why she spent the majority of her time only lollygagging around daydreaming and writing in her journal. Surely there were things she could have been doing. It seemed that she let Topaz and Stephen do the lion’s share of the household and garden work for her. She never seemed to make much effort to try and better her circumstances.



*Sweet Stephen was someone you had to love. He had such virtuous characteristics. He was hard working and loyal. It was so disappointing to see him taken advantage of.



*Rose played the part of the air-headed, self-centered sister well. She did not contribute any depth to the story.



*Topaz was difficult to understand. We never got to really see the depths of her thoughts and her actions were just a mystery to me throughout most of the story.



*The father. I don’t even know what to say about the father. He may have had some spark of genius in him, but his self-centered ways definitely squelched it. He was to blame for all of their poor circumstances, yet he took no responsibility and went about his days seeking only to please his own needs and everyone else just coddled him and let him. Well, that is until they locked him in the tower. ;-)



*The Cotton brothers. I don’t fully understand them either. It seems to me that they would have taken one look at this crazy family and ran. But they kept coming back. Something drew them to the castle and this family. Because of this I kept looking for the redeeming qualities in the characters and trying to put myself in their shoes.



At the end of the book I was really looking for some big emotional growth, in the characters. Rose remained flighty and self-centered. The father at least matured enough to finish a book and hopefully step up to his duties of supporting his family. Cassandra was the one I held out the most hope for. I suppose the fact that she did not run off and marry Simon showed some strength of character, but it was disappointing to find her at the end of the book in nearly the same place physically and emotionally as she was at the beginning.



Overall, there were parts of the book I really enjoyed. I think most of those are when I could get swept away in the romance of it all. Ultimately, the book left me wishing for more. The romance faded away and I was left holding a book wondering if it was worth my time to read.




View all my reviews.

CHEAP EATS: Cutting the cost of food

This is a little introduction to an ongoing series of blog posts called, "CHEAP EATS." In these I plan to discuss specific ideas for feeding your family well, but cheap.

Last week I talked about frugality and living within our means. I discussed that there are expenses in our budget that are fixed amounts and there are areas in our budget with some wiggle room. These are our discretionary expenses. One big area is food. Now, we all need to eat so this expense is not going away, but there can be a lot of variances in how much we spend in this area. On one extreme, you could eat 3 meals a day in a nice restaurant and spend a fortune to nourish your family. On the other hand, you could eat watered down gruel for your meals spending mere pennies a day and barely subsisting. My goal is to find a middle ground that works for my family, keeps them happy, well fed, and does not break our budget.

To cut the costs of feeding our family, we seldom eat out. On the occasions that we do, we choose places that we have found give us the most bang for our buck and also drink (free) water. Beverages in restaurants cost a fortune, often $2 a piece. With a family of 7, that would be an additional $14 to our meal!

The best way to save money on food is to prepare your meals at home. Even processed heat and eat type meals from the grocery store are usually cheaper than eating out. To save even more money, skip the processed foods altogether and cook from scratch. Although this is what I try to do most of the time, I will purchase processed foods when I find them reasonably priced and when I know that I am going to be particularly short on time. Having a few quick, throw together meals in my freezer or pantry may be just the thing that saves me from the temptation of eating out or driving through somewhere and bringing it home.

Because of the size of our family, our food budget can easily get out of hand if I am not careful. I have been striving to find ways to purchase food economically, but in addition to that, I have been seeking ways to use simple, inexpensive ingredients creatively to make cheap meals that everyone in my family enjoys and are good for us, too.

Keep your eye out for future installments.

Next up "CHEAP EATS: Oatmeal."

HOPE

i have it.
Originally uploaded by Pocket Farmer

As the presidential election is past and I troll around the blogosphere, I am amazed by the amount of people out there putting so much HOPE in one man. Obama has been built up to be this messiah and deliverer of the citizens of America. I keep hearing how he will change the world and there will be no more violence and war, no more struggling for money. It is as if many believe we will now enter Utopia – heaven on earth.

If Barack Obama is truly all that, he should have no trouble with a Democratic congress on his side. There is no reason why he cannot make America over into his vision of a perfect nation. I hate to burst bubbles here, but I don’t believe it will happen. He will make changes, but it will not be heaven on earth. He is no messiah. There is only one true Savior and that is Christ Jesus. He came and saved us from sin and evil by giving his life for each of us. He alone is the true change-maker. It will not be until Jesus Himself returns that there will be heaven on earth when He reigns as leader over all.

In the wake of what many are calling an historic election, there is one thing we all need to be doing whether we are happy or sad with the outcome. This is PRAY!

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for
everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God.
(1 Timothy 2, The Message)

God Himself has overseen every aspect of this election. He is sovereign. He is in control. He can and will use those in power for His good purpose. Let us daily lift holy hands to God in prayer and reach to HIM for our hope.

Re-Purposing Clothing Discards

Here is the ultimate in recycling. Take unwanted, bargain box, discarded clothing add a bit of creativity and create adorable outfits. That is what Amy Quarry does. I was so inspired by her blog and her shop. What first caught my eye were these "warmies" like the ones pictured here. I think they look especially cute under the dress. I have lots of little dresses for my little girls, but since we live in Indiana, it gets too cold in the winter to go bare legged and I struggle to find durable leggings that don't cost me a fortune. I am inspired to try and figure out how to create these for my own little girls from clothing we already own but no longer wear. This would be the ultimate in frugality, not to mention being "green."

There are also many other cute items that Amy has come up with. If you want to be inspired, check out this post along with her Etsy shop. She has created aprons, handbags, and dresses from used skirts. There are leggings, skirts, and hats created from one old sweater. So creative and inspired! Check her out!

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

For years now, I have been a big fan of using the dishwasher tablets (Electrosol Powerball) for my 3 loads of dishes we do each day. This began because I was encouraging (read: making it one of their chores) my older daughters to load and run the dishwasher. At the time, they were 10 and 7 years old and I didn't really trust them to measure out the powdered stuff accurately and not spill it everywhere. The tablets are nice because there is no measuring.

Well, that was about 4 or so years ago and we have been hooked on these ever since. I generally get them at Sam's Club for the best price, but lately they haven't had them. Even with watching for sales and using coupons, they are expensive and I keep running out before I can find another good deal. When you do 3 loads of dishes per day, running out of soap is a bad thing.

Recently, I discovered a recipe for homemade dishwasher soap here. After my daughter came to me yesterday and informed me that we were officially out of dishwasher tablets and the dishwasher was bursting-at-the-seams full, I decided to pull out this recipe and give it a try. So far we have only done 2 loads with it, but it seems to be just as good of a job as the Electrosol tablets. I suppose it will take a bit more time to decide if it is really just as good. According to the article where I found it, this is a much cheaper alternative to storebought dishwasher detergent. They claim that Cascade brand costs $0.22 per load. I can only assume that this is the cheapest form - probably the powder. I haven't done the math myself, but they say that the homemade version only costs $0.08 per load. That is a substantial savings!

Here is the recipe:

NATURAL DISHWASHING POWDER

In a plastic container with a firmly fitting lid, mix:

• 1 cup borax (20-Mule-Team Borax, available in any supermarket)


• 1 cup baking soda


• 1/4 cup salt


• 1/4 cup citric acid (available in brewing stores among other places--if you haven't tracked it down yet but must try this formula, use two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid, ONLY lemon, or you'll dye your dishwasher! and ONLY unsweetened Kool-Aid!)


• 30 drops citrus essential oil--lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, or a mixture
  

Put all of it in the container, shake it up.
To use, put a tablespoon or so into each cup of your dishwasher.

I will add that you can also find citric acid in with the canning supplies at your local Wal-Mart or hardware store. I decided not to use the essential oil. This was for two reasons: I wasn't sure where mine was and it is expensive. I suppose that if you used the lemonade flavored Kool-aid, you would still get that lemon fresh scent. I also just realized that I forgot to include the salt when I mixed mine up. It still seemed to work, but I will try it with the salt, too. Luckily, salt is a cheap additive and if it improves the recipe, well worth using. I can buy a big box of it at Sam's Club for under $1.

Book Review: Margin

Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Overall, I really got a lot out of this book.

The premise of the book is that we are living in a society that for the most part is stressed because we are living beyond our means in the areas of our emotional, physical, time, and financial capacities. "Margin" is that space between what our limitations are and how far we push ourselves. In general, most of us tend to spend more money than we have, commit to more activities than we have time for, our push ourselves beyond our physical and emotional limits.



When we consciously decide to step back and live with margin in all areas of our life, our stress levels decrease and we have more peace. We also allow room for God to use us. If we are stretched to (or beyond) our limits, there is no room to follow God's call.



I really appreciated the chapter on contentment. I really feel like we are always overextending ourselves because of a lack of contentment. We may purchase something because we think it will make us happy, or push ourselves to do more because we think it will bring us fulfillment.



I did have a bit of difficulty getting through the first part of this book which spends a bit of time quoting statistics about society to prove that we are overcommitted, stressed, and depressed because of a lack of margin in our lives. Personally, if I didn't already believe that, I wouldn't have picked up this book, so I could have skipped a lot of that. It is worth pushing past that and onto the rest of the book.



"Margin" has made me think and evaluate and pray about the choices that I make each day. I want to consciously live with a certain amount of margin in my life because I want the peace that comes from that. I also really want to be available for God to be able to use me wherever He desires. I don't think there is any greater calling and purpose for us.


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How To Be More Creative

In an effort to boost my frugal skills, I pulled out a book I read years ago and loved, "The Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn. In it, the author has published articles from her 6 years of Tightwad Gazette newsletter. There are some wonderful and some kinda far fetched ideas in it, but all of them are good for consideration if your goal is to cut back expenses. Amy has a unique way of looking at things.

One article in her book that I particularly love is titled, "How To Be More Creative." When trying to cut expenses, often there is a creative way to do things differently that costs little or no money. I love being creative. Many people tell me that they are not creative. I don't believe this. God, the author of creativity, created us in His image; therefore, we must have inherited a bit of that creativity. Everyone has a spark of creativity in at least one area of their life.

Here are 10 steps that Amy maps out on the path to creativity in her article:

#1: "Realize that you are creative and nurture this creativity in your daily life."

#2: "Give yourself mental space. " We tend to fill our lives with mental clutter. This is the background noise of the TV or radio, the unproductive chats on the phone, etc. Look for times in your day when you can turn off the noise and just think. This can be during some of the mundane tasks of housework (doing dishes, folding laundry). I also have made it a habit to often turn off the radio in my car. This is a perfect quiet time to think things over. Another thing that I do is carve out a quiet time in the morning before the rest of my family awakens. I use this time for bible study, prayer, and planning out my day. Often I will just sit with a notebook and brainstorm ideas for a particular situation. I love what Amy says about this, "When someone says, 'I'm just not creative like you,' I reply 'No, I just thought about it longer."

#3: "Never compare yourself to others." There will always be people more creative than you out there. There will also always be less creative people out there.

#4: "Put the problem into your mental computer." Your brain is always thinking and churning, even when you sleep. If you are trying to come up with a great idea, think about it and let it rest. And remember to give yourself a couple of months of "mental back burner time."

#5: "Brainstorm" Discuss your ideas with someone else or write ideas down. Discuss or write ALL your ideas, even the ones that sound stupid. Sometimes it is just a twist on one of these ideas that works.

#6: "Find a springboard, a starting place." If your goal is to save money, this may be what cheap or free resources you have available.

#7: "Do not share your creative ideas with anyone who continually tells you they are dumb." This is pretty self-explanatory. You don't foster creativity by demeaning it.

#8: "Practice." The more you practice the habit of being creative, the easier it will become to be creative.

#9: "Avoid negative stress." Stress and focusing on only the negatives squelches creativity.

#10: "Start small. When you bite off more than you can chew, you set yourself up for failure." Be realistic in your goals.

I highly recommend reading "The Tightwad Gazette." It is full of wonderful ideas and much food for thought. I originally read this shortly after having my first baby and was working full-time. I soon realized that I was not cut out to be a full-time working mom and this book helped give us the courage for me to quit my job. This was a big leap of faith as I was on mandatory over-time and making a higher income than my hubby AND I was carrying our insurance. I began implementing some of the ideas in this book and we survived.

Now, that we are at a different stage of our lives and realizing that we need to tighten our belts, I am rereading this. I have changed a lot in the last 15 years and our family situation has changed a lot, as well. This is causing me to read this with new eyes and new thoughts and I am really enjoying it.