Two Dog Beds for 5 Bucks!

Yesterday I made two sizeable dog beds for only $5. Why do I have a need for a two dog beds when I only have one dog, you ask? Well because tomorrow the family and I go to pick up our new PUPPY! It is all very exciting. We haven't had a puppy in the house since my son was 1 year old (he's turning 9 in a few months). It will be a playmate for our dog Katie and a late Christmas present for me who is the "dog person" of this family. My husband is more of a cat man.

In preparation for the puppy the kids and I hit the shops, in that standard "let's go to the pet store and get supplies" kind of way. Right now our dog Katie eats her morning meal off an old, chipped plate and the cats all have matching glass plates. She has a plastic bowl for kibble and our plastic ice cream tub turned water dish was in need of replacing. But the prices are astronimical! I couldn't get over it. If I had bought a new dish for the puppy, one for Katie, and a water bowl it would have cost nearly $30. I am sad to say, I was seriously thinking about it. I even had the dishes in my hand but I just couldn't do it. I put them back, bought just the puppy food and decided to go to Goodwill around the corner.

Goodwill didn't have any "dog" dishes but they did have a nice, small ceramic dish that would be perfect for the puppy, and it was 99 cents. I found an old casserole dish, with a flat bottom for $3 and got it for a water dish. I also found a nice, fleecy blanket for $4 and instantly thought, Dog Bed.



As soon as I got home I went to work. I cut the fringe off and decided to use it. I cut the blanket into four pieces, pinned the fringe to the inside, right sides together and sewed all around the rectangle, leaving a space to put it right side out and to stuff.

Using left over stuffing from another project and quilt batting ends, I stuffed the beds and sewed the hole. Done. One hour of work and $5 of materials. And it matches my decor, looks like I spent $24 a piece and no one will ever know.




Yes!

Corn on the Cob

Nothing beats fresh from the farm corn on the cob but blanching and freezing that corn is a good second best. I started blanching and freezing locally grown corn a few summers ago. Once I figured out the technique I was blanching everything I could find.



Blanching is like semi-cooking food, halting enzyme production which ultimately spoil food over the long run. It is a better technique than just washing vegetables and throwing them in the freezer. Blanching creates a nicer texture while simply freezing vegetables can make them stringy, too soft and just not palatable.







So here's what I do:



De-husk corn and remove silks. Wash and set aside.



Boil a large pot of water on the stove. Once at a rolling boil add as many corn as you can fit. Let corn sit in the boiling water for 2 minutes, no more. Then immediately removed and plunge in ice cold water to stop the cooking process.







Now you may cut the corn into niblets or leave on cobs and freeze whole. I use to use individual bags but found it very wasteful so now I use larger freezer bags.







These two bags equal approximately 18 cobs of corn. I did the math last summer and found this to be very cost effective vs the frozen corn purchased from a store.

Thrifty Find

I bought this lovely soft yellow stock pot at Goodwill last week during the 50 per cent off sale. This had got to be the most beautiful pot I have ever seen. I have been using it to cook and blanch corn but I also plan to use it as a secondary canning pot. It cost me $5.









The wooden spoons were also a nice find at fifty cents. They are decorative since I am not sure they are food grade but they will fit in nicely with my primitive decorating scheme.

Book: On A Dollar A Day

I recently finished On A Dollar A Day, a book by Kerri Leonard and Christopher Greenslate, two teachers in California who embarked on a journey to live like the majority of people in the world. They decided for a month they would live on a $1 a day food budget per person. Their experiment was eye-opening and led the way to two other food related projects: one to sustain themselves on the monthly allowance for those receiving food stamp benefits in the U.S. and the other to eat healthfully while keeping their budget in check.

At first I thought I picked up a book on frugality, one of my favourite subjects and then I realized it was a book about another of my pet projects, studying the state of our current food system and all it's failures.



This book is packed with great insight and thought provoking conundrums. It asks questions pertaining to the poor, their ability to access good, wholesome food and how this relates to other food issues like obesity. As full time teachers, they struggle with making even simple meals from scratch but only because they are counting every penny.

I remember the days when the food dollars never seemed to stretch as far as they should and I remember the lethargic, hazy feeling that coincides with extended periods of hunger. In this book they talk about their minds not functioning optimally. Their tempers flare and the stress mounts. This is the reality for many in our world.

While moving into the Food Stamp experiment (they calculated the average amount of dollar value given in food stamps for a childless couple and used their own funds for this experiment) they thought going from $1 a day to nearly $4.13 was going to be fair bit better. However the increase in available funds did little to provide wholesome meals and they struggled with this experiment as well.

I don't believe there could be a better couple to have written this book. Alternating chapters, Christopher and Kerri reveal their experience with whit, wisdom and passion. It was an very enjoyable read and reminded me of the many people living in North America who still do not have enough to eat.

Now, I am reading The Moneyless Man, written by Marc Boyle who ventures to live a whole year without using money for ANYTHING. I think he's nuts but I'm only two chapters in so I will let you know once I am finished.

Making Do

Have you ever seen the television show "Till Debt Do Us Part." I enjoyed it while my husband and I were struggling to make end meet and I enjoy it now that we have some better fortune. It's a show about a married couple who are usually deep in debt because of consumer spending and bad financial habits. Gayle, the shows host and financial expert, assesses the situation, identified cracks in the couples budgets and shines a blaring spotlight on why these couples can't seem to make ends meet. These families usually have healthy incomes but for some reason their spending is out of control.

For the show it usually means the couple must do a few things. Write up a budget, learn to communicate and learn to live within their means. There's no fancy formula, no get rich quick scheme. It's just plain old work and reality.

I think it's the reality part that most people struggle with. We see commercials and magazine articles with glossy pictures that give the impression that most people live like this or should aspire to live like this. The reality is most people don't live with all the bells and whistles but nor should we be made to think we have to. We can have a fulfilling life without a brand new kitchen or professionally designed home.

In reality making do and living within our means often translates into waiting to purchase something, even if we think we need to have it now. I was a professional photographer for a few years doing weddings and family portraits. The equipment is expensive so I concentrated on using available light and natural landscapes. When I became a homeschooler I kind of phased that activity out of my life at about the same time digital cameras were becoming more and more advanced.

I was still using film until two years ago when my Single Lens Reflex camera batteries were becoming harder and harder to find. I shifted to digital but at the time, with my husband in college, I could only afford a rudimentary point and shoot. It was a hard adjustment. I knew I could create better shots with a real camera but also knew in reality a digital SLR was out of reach. I had to make do. I have known other professionals who have said "once you go SLR, you can never go back." Had I subscribed to this I would have amassed more debt than I was willing to be responsible for. I would have paid twice as much for the camera by the time I paid off my credit card only now the camera would be old and I would still be on the debt treadmill. Sometimes you have to live within your means and make do so you can reap the benefits later.

I bought a new digital SLR a few weeks ago and I am falling in love with photography all over again. A little patience paid off because now I have exactly what I want and didn't have to pay extra in interest to get it.

It takes work and perseverance to stay within your means. But the rewards are far greater than simply buying on a whim. This applies to so many other areas of life; dieting, education and many others. A little work now will mean a big difference later.

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Baked Fries

Potatoes are abundant in my neck of the woods. In the fall I can buy 50lbs for $15 from a local farmer, as opposed to $3.99 for 7lbs this time of year in the grocery store. Potatoes are local, cheap and store well over winter.

I never understood why people would buy potatoes in a can. Or mashed potatoes from a plastic bag (heat & serve). Or frozen potatoes in the form of french fries, hash browns and any other number of potato fare. Don't even get me started on potato flakes.

There's a commercial that airs here that shows a business woman cutting potatoes all day at her desk, in a business meeting and at various work situations. An annoucer says "why slave away all day to make a meal? Buy such and such potatoes..." you get the picture. It takes me less than ten minutes to prepare potatoes. It's interesting how as a society we have convinced ourselves that these things are hard. That they take too much time and we deserve to be pampered.

I like real food, with real flavours and real vitamins. In stead of fries I make homemade baked fries. Here's my super easy recipe.



Baked Fries Or Potato Wedges

3 to 4 lbs of potatoes, peeled and cut in wedges

2 to 3 tbsp of olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
tsp of parsley dried
salt
pepper

Take your poatoes, wash them and let them soak in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain. Preheat over to 375 degrees.

Sprinkle on all other ingredients on potatoes and toss until they are evenly coated. Place on a baking tray and put in the oven. Bake until potatoes are soft and browning on the edges.



I like crispy potatoes wedges. Serve with homemade chicken fingers, fish or burgers. Easy, cheap and good. It's simple but you'd be surprised at the number of shocked faces when I admit to making our food from scratch. "Oh I would do that but sometimes I just want some fries."

"I make those."

It's not rocket science but mass media, marketing and manufacturing has made it seem that way.

A Duvet Cover

After a few weeks of searching for the perfect duvet cover for our bed I finally gave up. Everything I saw was ultra modern and simply not my style. I wanted a solid colour, not stripes or florals. I wanted to reserve my patterning for the throw pillows and room accents. I also wanted something with a soft tone to create a feeling of calm relaxation. I found nothing to satisfy me so I decided to make my own.

In my search I found a 3 sheet set. In all there were 6 sheets, 2 fitted and 2 flat for each colour and 6 pillow shams. I don't use the flat sheets on our beds, just the fitted ones so the flat sheets were the perfect size.

Here's how I made my duvet cover. I made an extra wide hem on the bottom of each sheet where I could fasten snaps or ties to slip the duvet in and out. Then placing the sheets right side in, I sewed all around the outside of the sheets being careful to leave an opening on the bottom hem. This opening is about a third of the total width, so I can fold the duvet lengthwise in thirds and feed it in and unfold it in the cover.

Then you add your snaps, and make it right side out.




I gave it a quick wash and dry to get rid of the wrinkles and voila! a duvet cover for under $20.

I plan to use the flat cream sheet to create accent pillows with ties, ribbon, buttons and all manner of fun sewing. I will update with pictures as my bedroom takes shape.

It's Cheap Because It's CHEAP!

I have discovered that when moving there is often a fair bit of shopping involved with getting settled. I am not a big shopper. I honestly think that in my old house and old routine I was okay with heading to the shops maybe once a week and it was usually for groceries. But all that changed when we bought this house and it feels like I am always looking for the next opportunity to head out. My 'To Buy' list is the longest it has ever been, especially for this DIY Diva who'd rather create what I need than hand over hard earned money for the convenience of having someone else do it. This DIY mentality can only get you so far. I can make a lot of things but a couch is not one of them!

It all started with living room furniture to replace the aged couch that should have been in the dump years ago. Of course that's a big thing but there are plenty of little things that I was not expecting. Like waste baskets for the extra bathroom, entrance mats for doorways and a vacuum (a few rooms have carpets now).

A normal person would be excited at the prospect of shopping around looking for that perfect 'whatever' to go with the paint in the bathroom. But I'm not normal so it's no surprise that I haven't been too excited about hitting the shops.

I think part of my trepidation is the fact that I stress about every dollar, nay every penny. Why waste a dime on something that is a short term solution or minor luxury? I have also developed this obsession with steering clear of cheap stuff. I know as a frugal person I should be looking for the cheap stuff but it's cheap for a reason. It's cheap because it's CHEAP. Instead I am on the look out for the best deal, or in other words, the most bang for my buck and sometimes that means buying something a little more high end with a better warranty and a longer life span.

But of course this way of shopping prolongs the already excruciating process. Instead of one overly busy store now I must got to two or three or more to make sure the thing I saw at the first store was really the best 'bang for my buck'. This leaves little time for the still unpacked boxes or the mountain of empty boxes hibernating in the garage waiting to be recycled.

It feels like I am not getting much done but I think I have resigned myself to the fact that this is the way it has to be for now. Like sucking it up and eating my gruel, I must use more than just impulse to get what I need. If that takes more time and effort so be it. It will save me the aggravation of replacing a broken item in a year or so when a cheap impulse purchase comes around to bite me in the butt.

Pizza Purses

Pizza is quick, easy and usually a family favourite. About a year ago I wanted to find a way to make those frozen pizza foods found in the grocer's freezer. I wanted to make them ahead of time and freeze them so my husband could take them to work for lunches or the kids and I could have a quick but home cooked midday meal.

Pizza Dough

1 cup of warm water
3 tsp of yeast
2 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil

Set aside.

In a bowl add 1 3/4 cup of flour, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of sugar.

Add water/yeast to flour and mix until it forms a dough like bread dough. It will be slightly more wet than bread dough. Place in a warm draft free place (off oven with light on works wonders) and let rise for 1 hour 30 minutes.



Assemble ingredients, tomato sauce, cheese, meats (if using) and lots of veggies. Cut dough into fist sized portions and roll out into circles. Fill one side of dough with toppings and then fold over the other side. Pinch the edges together to form a purse or pocket shape.



Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 20 minutes. If you plan to freeze them, bake until just turning brown (10 to 15 mins), remove from oven, let cool and freeze. When you want to cook the frozen pizza purses, place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or use a microwave.

For a large batch, you may want to double the above recipe. When I make these I usually plan to have them for dinner and make sure there are about 6 or more left over for freezing.

Kirstie's Handmade Home

I love all things Britian including the laid back yet professional approach they take to television shows. Kirstie Allsop is one of my favourite hosts and I enjoy her and Phil's funny banter on Location, Location, Location. It's a property hunter show which airs here in Canada and I often watch at HGTV.ca. I have also recently discovered another show featuring Kirstie, called Kirstie's Homemade Home.

In it she travels from Antique shop to artisan studio to road side dump looking for things she can create or reclaim. She is trying to restore an old cottage that hasn't been lived in for 40 years. I must say, her vision astounds me. She is not one of those classic, chic designers who goes ga-ga for everything new and coordinated. She truly is unique in her approach to home decor, at least to me here in Canada. Her sense of eclectic style and home grown design is a complete departure from the very rigid and formal expectations that are rampant here. I like her style and I really like this program.

Now that I am getting ready for my first 'real' home I find myself drawn to different decorating shows and this one has simply stolen my heart. Kirstie makes the task of decorating and making a house into a home so much easier than I anticipated. She really does preach that if you like it, it works. And decorating shouldn't be much more than that. It's the personal stamp on a house that makes it a home.

Yogurt Pops

At the beginning of summer I ordered two sets of BPA free popsicle molds from Amazon.com, made by Tovolo. I love, love, love these molds. I bought the star molds and the space ship molds. When they arrived, the kids and I never looked at summer treats the same way.




Aside from juice, we experimented all summer seeing what concoction we could dream up. I had a batch of ice cream that wouldn't set and we needed to leave. I couldn't just keep the ice cream maker going so I poured the semi-ice cream into the molds and shoved them in the freezer. It was great! The handles did slide off and we needed to eat them with a spoon but I figured out they just needed more time to de-thaw and pull away from the sides of the mold.

I also developed this recipe, a simple but very healthy popsicle. Yogurt pops.

You will need:

1 cup of frozen or fresh strawberries,
1 to 1 1/2 cups of yogurt (any flavour)
Popsicle mold

Place your strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree. Add your yogurt and mix. You can sweeten with honey but we don't bother. Pour your yogurt fruit into the molds and place in freezer to set. Remember to leave a bit of head space because they will expand when frozen.



Easy, healthy and oh-so-good!



Since buying my popsicle molds I have not bought popsicles, freezes or any treat this summer. We simply just make our own. I am so glad I found an alternative to all those freezie wrappers, or plastic wrap on store bought treats. These molds are easy to clean, easy to make and better for the environment. Love it!

Kaiser Buns

These buns are great for burgers, sandwiches or just warm with butter.


In a small bowl or glass measuring cup stir together;

1 cup of warm water
2 1/2 tsp of yeast


Set aside.

In a large bowl mix;

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp salt
2 cups of flour
2 tbsp of sugar

Add the yeast mixture to flour and beat until smooth. Stir in 2 more cups of flour to form a soft dough. Let rise in oven with the light on, or in a warm place for 1 hour.

Punch down. Form buns (8 to 12) and make cuts in the top like an X, and let rise again for 20 to 30 minutes.

Bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Homemade Yogurt

This summer, I have been trying to concoct my own yogurt without a lot of success. Apparently, the process is tricky and takes some practice. My first batch was laughable, and resembled only slightly thick milk. After some online digging, I found out I was heating my milk too hot and then killing my starter. The next batch, which I only heated to 120 degrees F (instead of 180F like I previously was told), had all the yogurt on the bottom and a thin layer of whey and milk on top. But at least I was seeing progress.

Third times the charm in this case. After two botched batches I finally got it right, even if it is a bit runnier than store bought. Now I feel confident posting it here.

Plain Homemade Yogurt

Wash out two 500 ml glass canning jars. Set aside. Place a full kettle of water on the boil. Doesn't need to be boiling, but near boiling.

You will need:

1 liter (4 cups) of milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup of plain yogurt

Yogurt makes more yogurt, who knew? Make sure you buy yogurt with *live bacterial cultures*. Any milk will do, from skim milk to whole milk or even raw milk.



In a saucepan warm up milk to 120 degrees F. Use a cooking thermometer and keep any eye on the temperature. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Take about 1/2 cup of warm milk from pan and mix with your yogurt starter. Then add it back to the sauce pan.

Pour the milk/yogurt into the two jars. Place on the lids and put them both into a insulated cooler.



Take your kettle of near-boiling water and pour the water into the cooler, all around the jars. Close lid. This will need to stay for about 8 to 10 hours. You can do more. I was pushing 12 hours incubating before I found success. When time is up place both jars in the fridge. The mixture will thicken as it cools so you won't know if it worked until a few hours later.

Depending how my next few batches go, I may cave and buy a yogurt maker. Yogurt makers regulate the incubating temperature and provides more consistent batches. I wanted to try this version with the mason jars and cooler, using materials I had on hand before I dole out money on yet another kitchen appliance.

Strawberry-Kiwi Juice Concentrate

Homemade juice is both cost effective and better for your overall health.

I can control how much sugar gets used in the juice. I can control whether or not the juice is organic. And I can support the local economy by going straight to the farmer. Plus, it's just one more step to self-sufficiency.

From a pure cost perspective, it's a pretty good deal. Let me give you a break down. Each basket of strawberries costs me approximately $8. One basket made about 18 jars (125 ml) of juice concentrate. That works out to 44 cents a jar. Once prepared (diluted) each jar creates slightly less juice than 1L. 44 cents is a great deal for healthy and often organic treat.

I am not a big fan of juice from a nutritional standpoint. Let's face it, we are much better off eating the actual fruit then resorting to a fruit extract laden with sugar. Fruit has more fiber in the actual pulp than in the juice. Water is a much better beverage by a long shot. But, local strawberries in January are hard to come by, sometimes you want a little treat and hey, why not give it a try? So I did.


This recipe can be used for any type of juice actually. I just happened to try strawberries first because they are ready the soonest in the season.


I made two recipes, and finished with 22 jars of homemade juice concentrate. It was so easy I see myself trying my hand at some blueberry concoctions once they are ripe. We tried the recipe below using Strawberries and Kiwi. I also tried this recipe for Strawberry Lemonade at Homemade Serenity and it tastes so good.

Straight-Up Any Old Fruit Juice Concentrate

Select your fruit or combination of fruits. Wash, peel, hull, whatever just get them ready.

Place in a sauce pan with just enough water to separate the fruit, so it can somewhat bob. Do not add too much water though.

Start a slow boil. Once boiling remove from heat. Mash with potato masher and return to heat until slowly boiled again.

Line colander with several layers of cheesecloth. Place a large bowl beneath to catch juice.

Pour liquid into colander. And let the liquid seep out of the cheesecloth. Once most liquid has run through, twist cheese cloth and gently squeeze out any last bit in the pulp. Compost pulp.

Add sugar to the juice while it is still warm. You choose as much or as little sugar as you want. You can always add more sugar later when you dilute it so it is best to underestimate than over estimate.

Now your juice is ready to can in a waterbath canner (10 minutes), or to freeze in mason jars.



I like to can my juice so it doesn't take up room in my freezer. Canning also uses less overall energy compared to frozen food that needs near constant cold to stay fresh. If canning, please be sure to add 1 tsp of lemon juice to the bottom of your jar before placing juice in. This raises the acidity level to can it properly and safely.

See that's not so hard!

Church of Eco-Sinners

Going green is the new buzz phase, almost as catchy as being "born again". For some, being environmentally friendly has taken on new heights. Many years ago, I took it as my personal mission to save the planet. I figured at least I could make some choices for my kids so I could absolve myself of any guilt I may encounter later in life. I didn't want to have to explain to my grandchild why I didn't at least try something.

Anyone who knows me, knows I do nothing halfway. Suffice to say, I became eco-obsessed. I devoured any literature I could find on the subject and began making little changes all the while preparing for my big, off the grid, hippie leap out of the consumer driven world. For the most part, it's still my goal.

But as I delved deeper into the green (under)world I noticed more and more inconsistencies. For example, many eco-aholics promote vegetarianism as a way to save the planet. It prevents gases from cattle manure, saves prime produce producing farmland and forests from being used for pasture. In general, vegetarianism improves our overall health. All mighty goals. Other Green Guru's swear by eating locally, and supporting neighbourhood producers. Also a noble goal.

Both have inherit flaws.

For one, vegetarians in the northern hemisphere require a varied diet that is not available locally in the cold winter months, thus relying on carbon emitting transport to bring in all those vegetables they are consuming. In essence, the strict vegetarian is causing huge gaping holes in the ozone and causing the greenhouse effect. Where as meat-atarians are doing the same buy consuming meat causing methane gas distribution and prime farmland loss. Who is the real eco-sinner? The vegetarians forced to eat foods grown thousands of miles away or the omnivore who consumes locally grown fayre which is far less efficient to produce?

I have come to the conclusion that we are ALL eco-sinners. Some more than others. Some are very much aware of their sins, while others remain blissfully ignorant.

Some city dwellers do not even own a car, preferring public transportation and pedal power to get them from point A to B, all the while cranking their heat in their gas furnace rather than putting on a sweater in the winter time. Some country dwellers drive huge gas guzzlers but grow so much of their own food they hardly ever need to go to the grocery store to buy food. These scenarios are real. Somewhere in all this we need to figure out what is best for us and the world we live in.

In the meantime, amateur environmentalists and closet eco-sinners (namely bloggers) post freely all their advice and wisdom, wagging their cyber fingers at unsuspecting readers. You are an eco-sinner because you don't use their brand of all natural shampoo. You are an ignorant eco-sinner for not knowing that chemical XYZ exist in that sneaker on your child's foot. You are not as good as them because they have it all figured out and quite frankly...you are severely lacking.

I follow at least 50 blogs. Many are like me, moms trying out new ways to raise a family without breaking the bank or the planet. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we flop. We are human after all, and no one is perfect. However I have noticed a few who stand out more than the average. These are the self-righteous, sanctimonious super moms who have it all going on (all that and a bag of organic, all natural veggie chips). They make the rest of us crunchy moms look like Hummer driving, polyester wearing, bottle feeding, live-in nanny employers.

These people make it seem like they know exactly what you and you and you and I need to do to make our homes and families healthy and free of eco-guilt. The planet would be saved if we all just did it their way. In some ways, they are right but there's a few flaws. For one, I don't live in Australia. For another, I don't have a huge savings account and I really don't want to swear off shampoo, deodorant and my feminine razor, thank you very much! I just want to be me, not them. I want stuff that will work for me. What Suzy Q, or Jane Doe, or Johnny Come-Lately do may not be helpful to me and I should not be made to feel like an inadequate, wannabe environmentalist for not doing it their way. And I am sick and tired of reading posts about how everyone is Doing It Wrong!!

Deep breath.

Okay. So with that said, I want to apologize if I have ever made anyone feel guilty or inadequate for what I have posted here. At my heart, I am just trying to share what works for my family and I am very much aware that what I do may not be for everyone. I hope that I have showcased a middle path free of finger wagging and self-righteous indignation. If I have not being so Zen, then I apologize, repent my self-righteous sins and promise I will try harder from here on out. Amen.

Starting Seeds

The weather has been a boon this year and I am grateful for it. The garden beds are ready now, I finished preparing the large 12 by 14 foot garden yesterday with my hubby's help and now we are "a go". All we need to do is wait for the last frost of the season which should arrive sometime around June 1 for our area (a borderline Zone 5 and 4).

I started some seeds a few weeks ago, some lettuce and broccoli. I did not sow all the seeds. I am going to stagger a bit this year so it is not all ready at once.



I also decided to use these neat newspaper pots instead of the plastic ones I normally used. Since we thought we were moving, I recycled all my old ones last September. Now of course, you all know, I am not moving just yet. Rather than buy a whole bunch more I decided to make my own. The newspapers can be planted directly in the ground with the seedling. So cool!

I found the tutorial at Natural Kids. I make them while in front of the television or when I have few moments. I need a lot so it is far better for me to do a few here and there then do them all up at once.

I am on the look out for biodegradable tape that I can use too, which presents a challenge but I figure a bit of plastic tape in a whole lot better than a bunch of large pots that can crack and become useless. A bit of "sweat equity" on my part helps keep emissions down when making and transporting those pots to a store. And newspapers get dropped off at my house without me even asking for it, so I am using what I have.

A Quick Project for Easter

I whipped these up last night. You can find the tutorial and pattern at Retro Mama.

I love these little eggs. I used scraps from former quilt and costume projects. I should have stuffed them with some raw sheep fleece I have carded and sitting in a cloth bag waiting to be spun (it's a bit coarser that my normal spinning fleece). To make all seven, it took maybe half an hour to sew and stuff them, and another 30 minutes to ladder stitch the sides while watching a television show.

I had been racking my brain all March trying to come up with an eco-friendly alternative to those plastic Easter eggs that break so easily. We always do an egg hunt and these little guys are so perfect for using year after year. We will combine these with our naturally dyed eggs and have a great hunt.

Happy Easter Everyone!

More Cakes

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a fairly creative person. I try my hand at everything. I often look at things in stores and say to myself "I can make that!" and away I go. Cakes are one of those things in which I decided long ago that I would not buy.

Both my kiddos are born in March and each year they give me a theme and I challenge myself to come up with something new.

My son wanted a pirate cake so I made this deserted island. The cake is actually a bunt cake pan with an small glass dish inverted in the centre and covered in icing. Simple yet intriguing.



My daughter was taking some friends to see Alice in Wonderland at the movie theater so she wanted an Alice cake. We made the traditional "Barbie" cake (for our family celebration) and added 6 jumbo cupcakes to hand out after the movie.



You can check out some of my other creations in a post I did previously.

Make Ahead Lasagna

I like preparing meals two or three at a time, eating one the day I make it and freezing the other two for meals later in the month. The meal I make most regularly this way is Lasagna.




Making three at once helps save money as well, this is how...

When I make 3 lasagnas I purchase two boxes of noodles, two cans of sauce, one 500 ml tub of cottage cheese, 1 package of frozen chopped spinach (I use half) and 2 cups of mozzarella.

Already it is obvious I only buy two or less of each item, however if I was making just one I would still need to buy at least one of each. Buying multiples and dividing it up among 3 pans maximizes materials and time.

Here's my recipe:

While noodles are boiling, mix together 500 ml of cottage cheese and 1/2 package of frozen chopped spinach (about one cup). Add salt and pepper. You can also add some mozzarella to this filling, but I do not to save money.



Once noodles are boiled, drain. Open two cans of pasta sauce. Start layering, noodles, sauce, noodles sauce. Some where in the middle pour 1/3 of the filling and spread out evenly.

Finish with a layer of sauce, and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake one at 350F for 30 minutes. Wrap other two pans in tin foil** and freeze. Lasagna can keep in the freezer for about a month and a half.

When ready to cook, de-thaw in fridge overnight the day before then when ready, place in oven bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes. I have also de-thawed at room temperature for 8 or so hours if I forgot the night before.

** the tinfoil can be folded gently and used again, or in my area tin foil is recyclable.

Whole Wheat Raisin Bread

Oh so good and good for you too! Molasses gives it the rich brown colour and adds a taste of downhome cooking.


In a large 4 cup liquid measuring place:

2 1/2 cups of warm water
4 1/2 tsp of yeast

Mix together set aside.

In a large bowl, place:

6 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
4 tbsp of margarine or butter
1/2 cup of sugar
3 tsp of salt
3 tbsp of molasses
3 tsp of cinnamon (or more if desired!)

Mix together and slowly add water/yeast mixture. Mix in mixer or with hands until dough pulls away from side and forms a round dough in centre of bowl.

Add 1 cup of raisins.



Knead by folding dough and pressing with your palm. Knead until dough is uniform.

Place tea towel over bowl and place in Off Oven with oven light on. Let rise 40 minutes. Knead once again, and rise 30 minutes. Form into loaves and place in greased loaf pan. Allow to rise again. Bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown, and pulls away from the edge of the loaf pan.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!