Save Money with Cloth Diapers

I discovered cloth diapering when my oldest was a baby. She had very sensitive skin, and every disposable diaper we tried caused horrible blisters on her bottom. I don't want to shell out $30-$40 a diaper because I had 2 in diapers until very recently. I used and still use regular prefold diapers on my girls. A few months ago, I received a sewing machine as a gift. I have managed to draft my own pattern for one-size diapers for my youngest and a newborn pattern as well.

I have 3 relatives that are currently pregnant, with one being due any day now. Instead of trying to buy 3 different shower gifts, I'm sewing newborn cloth diapers. You can find great deals on flannel prints in the fabric clearance sections at Wal-Mart and Joann Fabrics.

Here's a newborn fitted cloth diaper I made for my nephew:


I can make several of these gifts for a fraction of the cost of a decent shower gift. Not only that, but it's something I made, which I always think adds a little extra value!

This site is very helpful is showing how to draft your very own cloth diaper pattern.

Fall, Football, and Chili!

It's football season combine that with cool, crisp Fall weather and it's a perfect time for chili. We love homemade chili, but it's never a meal with out cornbread. Sure, you could buy the boxed mix, but there's a way to make your own and save money. I love having this in bulk because in the winter, we make cornbread all the time. This is a great side dish with the homemade jambalaya!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup baking powder
• 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 4 cups cornmeal
  
  Preparation:

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or two knives cut in shortening until particles are fine. Add the cornmeal and mix well. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 months. Makes about 10 cups of dry mix

CORNBREAD OR CORN MUFFINS RECIPE Combine 2 1/2 cups of the homemade cornbread mix with 1 beaten egg and 1-1/4 cups milk. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into a greased 8" square pan or greased muffin tins and bake at 425 degrees for 15-25 minutes until light golden brown and bread springs back when lightly touched with finger. Muffins will bake for the shorter time period.

This Recipe is by Linda Larsen, About.com

Pizza Night!

Pizza Crust Recipe

Using the Hot Roll Mix recipe I previously posted, you can make a great homemade pizza crust. My family loves pizza, but even using coupons it's still pricey.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using 3 heaping cups of the hot roll mix, add yeast (one envelope of the active dry), 1 1/4 Cup of hot water and 2 Tablespoons of oil. Mix together well. Knead dough for 5 minutes, add small amounts of hot roll mix until dough is not sticky. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes, then spread out into a 14" pizza on a pizza pan. Poke with a fork all over the crust. Cover dough and let rise for 15 minutes.

Note: you can split dough in half for two, thinner crust pizzas.

Instead of marinara sauce, I mix up a Italian seasonings, olive oil, and a small amount of garlic salt. After dough has risen, spread olive oil mix over dough. Cover with toppings of your choice. Bake for 15-25 minutes until crust is a deep golden brown.

Recommended toppings: Garden fresh tomato slices, dollops of ricotta cheese, covered lightly by mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. I would post pictures of this delicious pizza, but my family devoured it in record time.

Homemade Cleaners!

With two small children and two dogs, using harsh chemicals to clean always worried me. Now I save myself the worry (and money) by mixing up my own homemade cleaners!

For and all-purpose cleaner:
1 part Vinegar
2 parts water
A few drops of Citra-Solv (optional)

Mix into a spray bottle and enjoy. I use this to clean my counter tops, tables, bathroom sinks etc.

Carpet Deodorizer:
Mix Baking soda and a few drops of essential oils (I like the scent of tea tree) and put into a mason jar. You can make a great shaker by poking holes in the jar lid. Shake on your carpet and then vacuum up!

Window cleaner:
Mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and water. Mix in a spray bottle and clean your windows!

Homemade Jambalaya Mix!

I found this recipe on myrecipes.com!

My husband loves Jambalaya. The mixes that come in a box can be a bit pricey, so why not make your own at a fraction of the cost. These would be great in a jar as a Christmas gift as well.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
1 tablespoon green pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Mix all of these ingredients and store in an airtight container!

Recipe (put on a nice card and attach to mix for a homemade gift): Bring Jambalaya Mix, 3 cups water, and 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce to a boil in a Dutch oven. Stir in 1 cup chopped cooked chicken and 1 cup chopped cooked ham or smoked sausage. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove and discard bay leaf. Yield: about 8 cups.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

This recipe was shared with me by my sister. It can be used to make powered detergent or liquid detergent. I use the powder if I need it fast. Otherwise, with the liquid, you stretch your dollar even further!

Ingredients
1/3 of a bar of Fels Naptha or Ivory Soap grated
1/2 cup of borax
1/2 washing soda (not baking soda)


Directions for Powdered Laundry Soap
Chop up 1/3 bar of your soap. Using the mason jar- blender method, grate it finely. Combine finely grated soap with 1/2 cup of borax and 1/2 cup of washing soda. Mix well. Use 1 Tablespoon per load of laundry!

Recipe for Liquid Laundry Soap
Chop 1/3 bar of your soap. Grate well and combine with 6 Cups of water in a non-reactive pot.

Boil until grated soap is dissolved. Once soap is completely dissolved add 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup of washing soda.

Mix well. Allow to gently boil for approximately 15 minutes (it will have a slightly thicker consistency--like honey). In a separate bucket or larger lidded container, add 4 cups of hot water. Pour your boiled soap mixture in with the hot water. Add 5.5 Quarts (22 Cups) of cold water to the container, mixing it together well.

Put the lid on the container and allow to sit for 24 hours. The mix will get to a clumpy, gel-like consistency. This is normal.

I pour my homemade liquid laundry soap into the containers I had from store-bought liquid laundry soap. Give the bottle a shake and use 1/4 cup of your liquid soap per load of laundry. Enjoy fresh clean clothes at a penny or two per load!

Homemade Hot Roll Mix & Gift Idea!

Hot Roll mix costs about $1.50 per box. My husband LOVES homemade cinnamon rolls, so we can go through a couple boxes of this mix a week. To save money, mix up your very own hot roll mix at home!

I use a lidded stock pot to mix up all of the ingredients. The lid helps because I like to give the mix an extra shake.

Hot Roll Mix Recipe

• 5 lbs.flour
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

Mix up all of the ingredients and store in an airtight container. This mix can be kept for up to 6 months!

I use about 3.5 cups of mix for every batch of homemade dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls. A great gift to put with your homemade vanilla (see earlier post), is a jar of cinnamon roll mix. Take about 3.5 cups of your homemade hot roll mix, add 2-3 TBSPs of sugar and mix it up! Attach the following recipe on a card.

Cinnamon Rolls
Combine Jar mix with 3 teaspoons of active dry yeast. Mix dry ingredients well. 2 Tablespoons of softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 cup of hot water. Add hot water slowly, sometimes less water is needed. Mix well. Knead dough for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour to keep dough from being sticky. Form dough into a soft ball and let sit for 5 minutes to rest.

Roll dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough into a rectangular shape about 1/4"-1/2" thick. Spread 1/4 cup softened butter onto the surface of the dough. In a separate bowl, mix up 1/3 cup of sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Sprinkle mix over dough surface. Roll dough and cut into 9-12 slices. Place in a greased pan and allow to sit in a warm place for 30 minutes. (I keep my cinnamon rolls covered on my stove top. While the oven preheats it keeps the pan warmer, allowing the rolls to rise). Bake in preheated over at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Icing Recipe
Soften an 8 oz package of cream cheese. Add 2 teaspoons of homemade vanilla, mix together well. Add powdered sugar until desired thickness is achieved. Pour homemade icing over hot cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!