When Life Defrosts Your Freezer . . .

While hurrying to leave for a short trip this past week, I grabbed a last minute item from the freezer and left the door ajar.  Ooops!

When we returned 2-1/2 days later . . .

The difference between a spot and a stain is time. Check out this amazing (and amazingly simple) way
to clean up spills on carpet 

 It could have been a lot worse!!!

This freezer (we have two) sits on carpet in the office. When we bought the second one I debated as to whether I should try to divide our frozen items equally in case something happened to one or the other.

Fortunately I decided that would complicate keeping track of things and  I like to keep things as simple as possible.

This freezer holds mainly fruits, fruit butters, juices, nuts, baggies of pebble ice, bottles of water and and a gallon of milk

They were thawed but still cool.  My first stop was Internet searches on their safety and usability.

Restoring . . .

Since we eat very little meat, there was very little to throw out.  I did have a package of thin beef, waiting for me to try my hand at dehydrating it into jerky.  It was still in its original packaging and that package was in a plastic grocery bag so I didn't give it much thought as I went to dump it in the trash. I should have. The trash can was two feet from the freezer and the package spilled its bloody meat juice. It almost made me sick --- and definitely made me panic.

While I was frantically searching the Internet for protein/blood-based stain removal, Dave calmly got a couple of bath towels and a spray bottle of clear water. Five minutes later, I was still searching and. . .

Dave was finishing up.

There was not a single trace remaining. (Pessimist that I am, I was sure the stain would reappear when the carpet dried---along with an accompanying, and probably horrible, smell.)

Dave was a Church custodian for many years and learned this from a fellow professional. The first thing to realize in the removal of spills is to remember that the difference between a spot and a stain is TIME. Tackled immediately most spills will come up completely with water.

1. Blot up as much of the spill as you can with cloth toweling.
2. Generously spray water on the spill and let it sit for two or three minutes.
3. Blot up with more cloth toweling.
4. Repeat process as needed.

Dave did this three times. There is no stain and no odor!

Preserving . . .

 I moved the bottles of juices and apple butters to the refrigerator. Neither has made us sick.

Same with the milk but later tossed it because of how it looked.  It didn't smell bad but it was full of clumps that did not dissolve when shaken. Probably milk is so processed that it isn't possible for it to spoil in the real sense of the word but I wasn't going to take any chances.

I made several loaves of banana bread and froze those we did not eat immediately.

I let the grapes, pomegranate seeds, and a few things like that refreeze. I haven't checked them out yet.

One of my biggest concerns was the 10 pounds of crushed raspberries I had frozen to make raspberry-peach jam when the peaches were plentiful and therefore---cheap. Thankfully I had separated the berries into recipe amounts and heat-sealed the bags.  Only one, that I had already opened and lazily closed with a rubber band, leaked onto the floor and a door shelf of the freezer but not onto the carpet.

Fortunately the peaches aren't cheap enough yet.  Why would I say fortunately?  Didn't I mean unfortunately?  Nope!

We still had quarts of peaches that we had bottled two and three years ago, allowing me to "kill two birds" without the work of having to remove any of the stones---or peach skin!

and Raspberry-Peach Jam

While I love the raspberry-peach jam recipe I have used for years,

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/making-jam-with-sweet-juicy-ripe.html

I was never overly excited about the package of jello it required and I don't like the thought of  packaged pectin or its price. So, this time around I used another recipe I found on the Internet. It is great --- just like my grandma used to make it. It thickens by cooking "down" so you get  less but without commercial pectin or "cow hoof" jello.

It is  from Patricia Larsen on a Taste of Home site. It took first place at her local county fair. Her  basic recipe is given here with my comments in green. You can check out her readers' comments by clicking below---they include using Splenda in place of sugar.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/raspberry-peach-jam

• 2-2/3 cups finely chopped peeled peaches  (that amounted to just under two quarts, after draining them and quickly blending them)
• 1-1/2 cups crushed raspberries
• 3 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, combine all ingredients. (I used a stock pot and while the ingredients were only a  few inches deep it still splattered out during the boiling and stirring time.) Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Bring to a full rolling boil; boil for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim off foam. (for some reason I didn't have foam with any of the batches I made.)
• Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. head-space. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Note: add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude over 1,000 feet. Yield: 5 half-pints.(I used pint jars which averaged out to four half-pints)

I followed the advice of one of the reader comments and used the drained bottled peaches with total success.

You should probably do as they say and not as I do

Current information for jams and jellies, as has always been with all fruits, is to process the bottles in a water bath for about 15 minutes. I ignored this advise.  While I have always processed all  fruits in a water bath, for 45 years I have followed the old practice of pouring the boiling jam into hot sterilized jars, sealing them immediately with lids and rings, and turning them upside down on a folded bath towel.  When I turn them upright they have always sealed. And have never molded.

Possibly modern research has discovered this NEED to also process the jams and jellies but sometimes "modern" is based on overreaction and/or over-the-top and unnecessary caution (maybe because of an isolated case caused by an sloppily un-sterilized jar or . . . worry of a lawsuit.)

The Third Page of My Quiet Book is Something You Can Count On

Since my last two posts have, in a loose (very loose) sense, been counting the ways you can save money and how quickly it adds up---it seems like a good time to introduce Quiet Book page three.

You can count on almost every quiet book having a counting page of one type or another. Some match number  with  items that match that number. For example, there might be a page with numbered ladybug outlines along with separate ladybugs with corresponding numbers of spots on each to match with the correct number.

This page simply has beads to feel and count --- and slide --- and --- whatever the imagination dictates.

1.  This page  has a lot "feels"  for the baby who is only at the feeler stage, with opportunities for more to do as they grow older.

2. The beads are Pony Beads from the dollar store. There are hundreds in each  $1.00 bag!

3..  I thought the rick rack would be a change from the usual round cord because it allows the beds to stay wherever they are moved until the "player" wants to move them somewhere else.  The rick rack looks twisted in a few cases but it isn't. It just looks that way because I have played with it and haven't straightened the rows out.

4. The side sections of felt securely "capture" the ends of the rick rack . . .

5. as well as providing  the area for the numbers.

6. The numbers are glittery craft foam self stick numbers also from the same dollar store. They didn't have plain ones.  I bought three bags. Even after making the 12 books, there will be a lot of numbers left over.

7. I was concerned about the glitter so I rubbed off as much as I could.  I think the rest will be safe.

8. As I've mentioned before, I don't trust the sticky back, a feature which is really handy,  to do more than hold them in place while I sew them on. I used thread to match each number and stitched over the sections of each one. It was a lot more simple that I first thought it would be and since I was going over the numbers and not through them the needle didn't get gunky.

9. This page is pretty simple and quite quick.  At least in comparison to the farm and Noah's Ark which you haven't seen yet!

Watch Your Savings Add Up With DIY Snacks ---

Dave read my "poem" and called it doggerel.
I had to look it up.

I know the poem is pretty corny but Dave was kind enough to tell me  there is actually  a real dictionary word for what I composed.

As I promised last post, if you take the simple step of packaging your own lunch box snacks the $avings will add up almost quicker than the time it takes you to do the packaging!

For even greater $avings, try one or more of the following recipes, and package them to fit your family's needs and appetites. With a little thought and imagination, or even (if you have to) some initial expense, you can acquire a variety of reusable containers that will satisfactorily do the job.

Notes: Heidi uses lidded yogurt cups --- over and over and over.
I bought one 24 pack of 8 ounce bottled water; they are perfect  for juices. You can even add a little powdered lemonade or other flavors to the original water when using them the first time.

$ Extend Commercial Mixes:

Gelatin Extender: Simply add three cups of water to a 3 ounce package of gelatin rather than the called for two cups. Portion as desired.  Refrigerate. Note: It takes a little longer to set up and is a little softer than regular gelatin.

Cooked Pudding Extender: Add 1 T. cornstarch and 1 additional cup of milk to a 3 ounce package of cook-type pudding mix. Cook as directed. Portion as desired. Refrigerate. Note: If you partially heat the milk before adding the pudding mix, you will save some stirring time.

Frozen Juice Concentrates:  Add some additional water, a little at a time until you find just how much you can dilute it without affecting the taste.

$$ Make Master Mixes from Scratch:

Vanilla Pudding Mix
Combine the following ingredients, blending well. Store in tightly-lidded container.
2-1/3 cups granulated sugar
1-3/4 cups cornstarch
3/4 tsp. salt

To use: In medium saucepan combine 2/3 cup pudding mix and 2-3/4 cups milk. Stir constantly until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Cook and stir one minute longer. Remove from heat and stir in 2 T. butter or margarine and 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring. Portion as desired. Refrigerate.

Coconut Pudding:   Prepare as for vanilla pudding  but stir in  1/2 to 2/3 cup shredded coconut. You can replace vanilla extract with 1/2 tsp coconut extract if desired.

Chocolate Pudding Mix
Combine the following ingredients, blending well. Store in tightly-lidded container.
1-1/2 cups plus 2 tsp. cocoa powder
3-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1-1/3 cups cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt

To use: Use 1 cup mix per recipe with 2-3/4 cups milk and following directions for vanilla pudding above.

"Krunch" Candy Bar
2-1/3 cups crisp rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
1/4 cup (1/2 cube) margarine or butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Put cereal in a sack and crush it to make about 1 cup. Set aside. In large saucepan, add margarine, chocolate chips, corn syrup and vanilla. Place over very low heat and stir continuously until contents are smooth and blended. Remove from heat. Use wire whisk to mix in powdered sugar. Stir in crushed cereal until thoroughly coated. Quickly press mixture evenly into buttered 9x9" pan. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars of desired size. Wrap in clear wrap and store at room temperature. 

Note: there are many recipes on the internet for making the marshmallow rice crispy bars that kids love.  They are quick, easy, much cheaper and, I think, better tasting than there commercial counterparts.

Soft Caramel Dip
27 caramels (if you buy them in bulk they are cheaper than in the package)
1/2 cup (1 cube) margarine
1 can sweetened condensed milk (or one recipe - below)

In microwaveable bowl, combine unwrapped caramels and margarine and heat for three minutes or until melted, checking and stirring often. Be careful not to overcook. Beat in condensed milk. Portion as desired. Serve with apple slices or pretzels.

Sweetened Condensed Milk 
1 to 1-1/2 cups dry powdered milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
4 T. (1/2 cube) margarine

Put sugar, boiling water and margarine in a blender. Process at low speed, adding dry powdered milk 1/4 cup at a time until the condensed milk is the right consistency (thick and creamy). Blend until smooth. Use in place of one can purchased "Eagle Brand" type condensed milk. Note: I have not used this in baking but it is good in non-baked items.

$$$ Do your kids like cookies that are sandwiched with frosting? Spread frosting between graham crackers for a great treat.  You can use canned frosting; for more savings, and better flavor, it is simple to make your own. The measurements don't need to be exact.  Basically, in a bowl add about half a cube of softened margarine, a sprinkle of salt, a little vanilla or other flavoring, and about 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar and a small amount of milk. Beat until smooth, adding sugar or milk a little at a time as needed to obtain consistency you want.  

It is simple to make your own Tuna, Chicken, Ham Salad Sandwich or Cracker Filling

1. Open a can of tuna, chicken or ham, drain if needed, place in a small bowl, and with a fork break into small chunks. 
2. Mix in mayonnaise or Miracle-Whip-type salad dressing to moisten. (I like to add a tiny amount of lemon juice or vinegar when I am using tuna)
3.  Add other ingredients as desired to taste: pickle relish, salt, pepper, powdered dill weed, chopped hard-boiled egg, etc. 
4. Store covered in refrigerator.

For egg salad, follow same directions, with the addition of a tiny bit of mustard, and any other additions you may like.

$$$ More . . .

For most of the commercial products you buy, you can find recipes or ways to Do It Yourself ---- almost always cheaper and almost always better tasting (and healthier)---- on the internet.  Even Twinkies!  With natural ingredients!!! Rather than the commercial Twinkies' 39 unnatural ingredients.*

If you are even tempted to buy little single serving packets of carrots, celery sticks, or whatever, look at the price and find great satisfaction in the savings of D-ing IY.

* Want to learn more about the amazing ingredients in a modern-day  Twinkie (and other manufactured food facts) check out

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/search?q=twinkies 

or simply type Twinkie in the small upper left search box. 


It will change the way you think of foods and quite possibly what you eat.

Save Big by Making Your Own "Individual Servings"

We are nearing the end of summer. Time to gear up for the start of another school year. 

If your kids bring their lunches from home, or if you do, and you want to cut down on the food budget the following will show you how to . . .



  spend a little time to save a LOT of money!

Every time we enter a grocery store we see more and more "individual serving" type products. 

Companies would have us believe they spend zillions of $$$ making things easier for us. In reality they spend those zillions trying to convince us we don't have the time nor the know-how to do things for ourselves ---luring us into dependency on pre-packaged, portion-sized this and that. 

I compared the price of food items that might be included in a "brown bag" lunch. 

The foods were identical in brand and quantity with the only difference being the type of packaging.

The lunch comprised of individual pre-packaged servings cost $3.88. 

The lunch made up from regular-sized packages re-packaged in per serving quantities at home cost $1.60

I'll do the math!

$3.88 - $1.60 = $2.28 SAVINGS per lunch
$2.28 X 5 days per week = $11.40 SAVINGS per week per lunch

Now you do the math

$11.40 X number of lunches you pack each week = $______________SAVINGS EACH WEEK!

If this sounds like a wise practice but you don't think you have the time

Find ways to make time!

• Let the kids help ---- approach it with enthusiasm and they will be eager
• Enlist the help of your spouse and make it a family activity
• Take the required time away from your electronic attractions (or are they distractions?)
• Consider what you could do with the savings

If you still don't feel you can find or make the time, do it once and time it so you can see how little time it actually takes ---- especially compared to the money savings.

If you are into the other kind of green savings (the environmental) think of the reduction in packaging waste.

At this point, consider again the motivating factors behind the pre-packaged items:  Is it for our convenience or for their greed?

If you want to save even more money and are willing to spend a little more time,  you can make some of these brown-bag items yourself and portion package them yourself --- providing the great additional benefit of eliminating  the additives and preservatives increasingly added to commercial food.

I'll give (or re-give) you some simple recipes in my next post.

Are We Spending our Valuable Time on What we Value Most?

When all is said and done --- 
the Best Things in Life are Not Things ---

and while I admit many of my posts have been about things, hopefully they have been good things.  

I have taught a variety of  subjects dealing with self-reliance in a variety of formats for 45 years. For the past two years (and over 300 posts) I have shared what I have learned as Simply, Gail---the Creative Cheapskate. 

My goals have been (and still are) to

•  present a variety of helpful, practical and valuable ideas and thoughts in a variety of practical, thoughtful, and engaging ways----with humor added to the mix.  

• provide direction in the areas of  couple-hood and parenthood in these increasingly difficult times; times when time is increasingly difficult to find.

• help you learn how to rely less on commercial products and more on your own ingenuity. 

• offer ideas for getting by in often less than favorable circumstances.
• prepare you for emergencies when our normal resources are disrupted or . . . gone

• make each post valuable to someone---and hopefully many.

There are too many electronic distractions these days that compete for our time.  I try not to get caught up in what I call "the thick of thin things" and I fear for those who spend most of their time in that thickness.

Not all, but most of my most popular posts are the ones on husband-wife relationships and parenting. This is rewarding, because, again,  when all is said and done, family and "real" things are the most important things. 

Food for Thought

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were as eager to fill our souls as we are to fill our stomachs?

Simple and free, yet priceless, things we can do

• Start each day with a nourishing book: Spend a few minutes reading the Scriptures and communicating with your Heavenly Father or whoever your higher power is.
• Conscientiously seek to balance your spiritual intake: Choose the good and the uplifting and the wholesome over the things of little or no lasting value or satisfaction
• Count your blessings and fill your hours with the things that count
• Include large portions of patience, forgiveness and good humor
• Don't ration your servings of compassion, kindness and charity
• Try to eliminate negativity, judgement, gossip and criticism: (One of the quickest ways to lose weight is to take the chip off your shoulder!)
• Weigh your thoughts and values more frequently than your weight
• Make it a habit: Take stock and renew each Sabbath Day, even if you can't make it to a/your house of worship
• View your glass as half full or half empty ---- the choice is yours!

While our world does not know peace, Jesus has promised His peace to each of us.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

                                                                   John 14:15

          I know from personal experience that even when there are things you absolutely cannot change, you can change a lot by simply changing your attitude and your focus.

          I am Simply, Gail and I try to keep life as simple as possible.

Quiet Book Page 2 -- The Desert Snake

Quiet book pages can be very simple. Or not so . . .  
the choice is yours.  

I found a very cute coiled felt snake while searching the internet.  He is very basic ---                    a simple green snake with button eyes and a felt tongue. I love him.


The end of his tail was fastened to the unadorned background page so he could be uncoiled  and recoiled.




Since babies like to touch things long before they can actually do them, I like to have a lot of different "feels" on each page.

So, using the basic idea I took it a few steps further.

My Snake in the Desert Quiet Book Page

• I added rickrack and sew-on google eyes (I use dental floss or fishing line to sew on eyes, beads, buttons, etc.  so there is no chance of them coming loose and creating a choking hazard.)
• I saw a darling alligator page, with a zipper jaw, that had a simple bird perched on the gator's head.  I didn't want to do the gator but I loved the bird so here he is!
• I am not sure a ladybug* is a desert dweller but I had some and I thought they were fun.

*I use lots of "foamies" stickers on the pages because there are so many different fun ones BUT

I don't rely on the sticky part (except to hold them in place as a sew around** or over** or through** them). 

** Around them with a whip stitch, over the narrow parts with an overcast stitch, or through them as you see the bead spots on the lady bug.  (simply clean the needle with rubbing alcohol to remove the sticker substance after you have finished sewing through the foamies.)

Because I am a creative cheapskate I search the thrift shops for things I can use. (sometimes I find something that has me creating a way to use it.)  I make it a goal to never pay full price for anything. I always wait for a sale ( the 9x12" felt pieces were on sale for 20 cents each) or use their coupons when I buy something at the expensive craft stores. And, I always check the dollar stores first, followed by the discount stores.  The cute little dimensional stickers were just a dollar a package at Wal-Mart ---- and they had many different types.  The "foamies" brand stickers above were purchased with a 40 percent off coupon. The large ladybug was from a packet I was given as a gift because my friend knew I loved them. 

Because figuring out how to do the snake was a bit challenging I am going to provide 

some illustrations and basic instructions.

Step 1

  

Draw a rough pattern on a piece of white paper.  I have a oval crock pot and the lid provided the perfect outer line.  

Place a sheet of tracing paper over the original pattern and trace it.  (Actually I had to do this 12 times since I am making 12 books.)

Place two different colors of 9x12 felt together and pin the tracing paper pattern on top of the two.

Step 2

Notice I don't center the pattern on the piece of  felt because I want as much felt left over as possible to use for other things. 

Carefully sew around the outline, around the snake, and then once again, a very short distance away from the first stitching.  

When sewing most items to the backing page it is not necessary to match the bobbin thread with the top thread because the bobbin thread will not show.  For the snake you want to have the top thread match the top of the snake and the bobbin thread match the color of the belly of the snake, since they will both show.

The two rows of stitching creates the narrow "path" where you cut the snake. Again, carefully, cut along the path between the rows. 

When sewing, I leave the mouth area of the head open so I can reach in and sew on the eyes and insert the tongue after the snake is cut out.   Then I whip stitch that area closed.

The most tedious part comes after the sewing and cutting! You must tear the paper away. Some comes off in fairly large pieces, some can be scraped off with a fingernail and you may have to use tweezers for the tiny remaining pieces, being careful not to catch the stitching. Be patient ---- they will finally all be gone, I promise.

Next Steps

Coil the snake on the page. 

Sew (by machine or hand, your choice) along a portion of the tail to keep him in place.

Sew small pieces of  Velcro type hook and loop to the underside of the head and the matching place on the background so the snake will stay coiled during non-play times.

The snake can do more than just coil and uncoil.   He can reach out and check out the bird and ladybug. (or I guess pretend to consume them!)

Still I needed more.

I didn't want to leave the area under the snake bare. But, I couldn't decide what I "wanted to be discovered" when the snake was uncoiled. I considered several different things ---- and rejected them. 

Until. . . 

 "foamies" came to the rescue!

Remember back to my first quiet book post when I said there would be ways for Dave to help with this project?  He questioned the plain Velcro circle in the middle of the critters (it's matching circle is sewn to the underside of the head to keep the snake coiled).  I didn't know what to do with it so, until then, I had chosen to just ignore it. 

Thanks to Dave's creativity the circle is now a little turtle.

Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. . . Quick and Easy

Ever have some one drop in and you want to offer a quick snack?

The following is a great change from basic cheese and crackers ---- although it is, basically, cheese and crackers.

Costco warehouse store sells a great raspberry chipotle* sauce. The drawback is,  like most Costco products, it is packaged in sets of two large bottles --- about 32 ounces each!  While awfully good, 64 ounces is an awfully lot of something where a little goes a long way.

(*I thought chipotle (or chilpotle) was a type of chili pepper but learned it is an Indian word meaning smoked chili and is a smoke-dried jalapeno.)

 It is pungent yet I don't think it is as hot as a plain jalapeno. Plus it has a wonderful flavor and not just heat. Still, it doesn't take much to make its point.

Get Ready --- Go!  (there is no need for it to "get set"!)

Step 1

Simply drizzle the sauce over a block of softened cream cheese and serve with wheat-thin-type crackers.

Step 2

Enjoy the unusual treat and the compliments.

MAKE YOUR OWN!

You can easily replicate the sauce by mixing the desired amount of a commercial raspberry (or any berry) jam and a very small amount of chipotle powder. I buy mine, an ounce at a time, in the bulk spice section.  Start with just a tiny amount of powder, tasting as you go, until it is the "heat" you like.

That's it!

For further savings, I make my own raspberry-peach jam, using fresh peaches and frozen raspberries.  This combination pairs perfectly with the chipotle powder. 

Check it out at 

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/making-jam-with-sweet-juicy-ripe.html

 + +

 If you prefer to use canned peaches, along with the frozen raspberries, check this out

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/01/making-jam-and-jelly-out-of-season.html

Often, you can duplicate a commercial product, by simply trying.  

'til we eat again,

I am Simply, Gail