Candy Gifts to Copy Cat for Less - - - - Much Less!

Over the years, I have experimented with copy-catting all kinds    of commercial candies. When you have six kids and a limited budget, that is what you do!!!

It has been challenging and usually,  successful. 

Ju

When we lived in the mid-west in the 80's amd 90's I taught some homemaking classes, was published in some local newspapers and even self-published a 135+ recipe booklet sub-titled "copy-cat candies and other treats for everyday enjoyment and all occasions."

The time seems right to bring them front and center again!

And since there is no sense in "reinventing the wheel" (a saying as old as the old candy prices!) you can find them by . . . 

scrolling down the right side of the blog to find my cookbook section. Scroll down to Candy and you fill find several posts, many with variations!

I really, really like chocolate as you can see. If chocolate is not your favorite morsel I will give you a few without chocolate in my next post.

The first in the candy series covers candy bars: "Almondy Joy" "Coconut Moundling"  and "Krunch" and a sweetened condensed milk recipe  used in making some of them.  It also gives interesting now and then (1990's) prices for comparison.

Next comes  Peanut Clusters, Marshmallow-Peanut Clusters and Marshmallow Cups (one of my favorite candy bars growing up in California was "Cup-O-Gold.")

Then comes fudge---in six varieties

Followed by more posts on Peanut Clusters

Peppermint and other barks

Finally, Rounding out the category with toffee, turtles, and pecan pralines

Most also give the 1990 prices!

Further down the cookbook is simply eggnog pie and flavored popcorns.


This seems like a fitting place for the next item----it's not but it could be me!

I went to the doctor for my yearly physical. The nurse starts with certain basics.

How much do you weigh? she asks. "195," I say.  The nurse puts me on the scale. It turns out my weight is 250.

The nurse asks, "Your height?" "5 foot 11", I say. The nurse checks and sees that I only measure 5 foot 8.

She then takes my blood pressure and tells me it is very high.

"Of course it's high !" I scream. "When I came in here I was tall and slender! Now I'm short and fat !"



'til we eat again,
  I am,  Simply, Gail

"Lettuce" Quickly Prepare Romaine . . .

an entire week's worth at a time !!!

The perfect do-ahead for busy people!

     First, an apology

It's been a few weeks since I have posted and in that time I have forgotten how to transfer the photos Dave takes for me without going through a complicated process (which we also cannot remember!) of getting them from his computer to mine. Until our brain(s) kick into gear I have to make do with google image photos and some explanations.

Background

I recently purchased my third Foodsaver (the first two were garage sale finds) and it came with an accessory attachment I thought sealed canning jars. Online I had found info making a week's worth of salads in a jar using this attachment. I hurried and sent for the special required lids because they had free shipping. I can't make them work with my attachment and  am about to call the company to see what I am doing wrong.. In the mean time, while searching the net for help I ran across articles for making the same salads in canning jars without using the suction attachment. They claimed they also kept salads-in-jars fresh for six days.

Fast Forward

Nine days ago I made my first salads in a jar, using romaine lettuce (which all sites recommend), tomatoes, cucumbers, and sliced green onions.  I even cut the lettuce with a metal knife which I have always thought/been told will turn the lettuce brown---which, with traditional salads, it has!

Today, day ten, I made tostadas. The lettuce is still as crisp and crunchy and without blemish as day one!  The below photo is another google image. My lettuce looks even better.

Now .... How!

The above photo shows cutting the romaine cross-ways. Before you do that slash it from root end to top 4 or 5 times. Then cut it across. I couldn't believe how fast it went and how great the resulting small pieces were. In the past I have always torn it. This way is so much better.

You can use any size jar that fits your needs and has a tight-fitting lid. For us the pint one are idea, especially the ones that have wide mouths. (Simply for ease in packing.)

You begin by putting your chopped "wet items" like the tomatoes, in first. (Some even put the dressing in first.) Continue adding whatever additions you want and then tightly stuff the chopped lettuce or whatever greens you want, filling the jar to the top. 

Cap it with the canning lid and ring or other tight-fitting lid 

and refrigerate.

     

With the holidays approaching, wouldn't this be a fun gift for busy friends! single friends! elderly friends! friends who take their lunch to work!

For more information just type in salads in a jar or simply type the same in google images for oodles of ideas.

    

Until next time,
I am Simply, Gail, and so simple I can't figure out how I messed up the formatting so badly. I am sure it is a simple fix but . . .

Find Answers and Peace in These Chaotic Times

Our vacation was even better than we had hoped.

The cabin on the lake was great. The quaking aspen trees, amid all the pines, turned from green to gold and orange right before our eyes over the ten days we were there. The stars were amazing We were even fortunate enough to have short display of lightening, thunder and rain. It seemed we were there through seasons rather than over days.



We saw buffalo, elk, moose, deer, a coyote in the lane crossing our drive way  and even bear scat only 50 yards from our cabin!




Usually you’d think: what more could anyone want?

We also had: Total peace! Total quiet! Very few people! For the most part, just Dave and I, and Milo the dog, among the awesome beauty and wonder and variety of our Heavenly Father’s creations.




For ten days we didn’t turn on the radio or television or read a newspaper!  We played soft music on our I-pad. 

The only “touristy” thing we did was visit an outdoor non-profit facility that housed rescued grizzly bears, wolves, and birds of prey.

It was heaven.

Then, unfortunately, we came back to civilization and the chaotic world.

What a mess we have made of the beautiful world we were given!  What has happened to love one another and do unto others?

We believe that Gospel truths were taken from the earth for a period of time as the peoples of the world became more and more wicked. Truth and glory could no longer abide with them.

We believe the Gospel has been restored in these latter days. 

Recently I posted The 13 Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you haven't already, please read that post.  

We have a living Prophet today with living Apostles, all patterned after Christ’s first Church.

In the LDS Church there is constancy. 
And constancy brings peace.  

Our Church does not alter the commandments, nor change nor falter between the myriad ways of the world.

The LDS Church has the fullness of the Gospel, directed by God and His Son Jesus Christ, led by a living Prophet and 12 Apostles today, just as it was in Biblical times.

The general population seems to think that such a restoration is nether possible nor necessary.  Why?

We need it more now than ever. Why would a loving Father in Heaven cut Himself off from us?

Why would Jesus Christ suffer so horribly for all the sins of the world, all of our sins, only to then go away and leave us comfortless?

This week-end is the 185th semi-annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It consists of five televised sessions, spaced over Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4. . Each session is offered in all media formats and will be broadcast in many languages all over the world.  Because of this availability to everyone I will not attempt to give you specific directions. I promise it will be an easy search.

I invite you to watch and learn the truths that are taught, the encouragement that is given, the direction on how to live, the importance of husbands and wives and of families. And, how God’s plan is for families to be together forever, throughout the eternities.

There is no hellfire and brimstone, no pounding the pulpit. There are no mysteries.

There will be no " pomp and circumstance." What there will be, is men in business suits (and some women) talking reverently and simply about the truths of the Gospel and the way God and His Son want us              to live our lives.

There will be peace and love and comfort and guidance.

What I found, 53 years ago when I first watched, was I had questions answered that I hadn’t even realized I had.

If you will take the time to sincerely watch and listen, I know you will have the spirit of understanding, peace, love, comfort and guidance with you. You will feel warmth surround you. This will be the Holy Spirit ---- the Comforter.

I attended many churches, many good churches full of many good and sincere people and then I was fortunate enough to find the one that had all the good all the others had to offer plus the fullness of the  Gospel ---all that our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ continue to offer.

This promise is from one of our living Apostles

Please, in the privacy of your own home, spend a little time with these chosen men of God this weekend.

You can also go to lds.org any time and find rebroadcasts of all these sessions and many more uplifting and informative videos and information. 

What do you have to lose?


I am Simply, Gail, and the answers to life's hardest questions are actually very simple.

Creative Ways to Container Garden . . .Cheaply !

Not our actual neighborhood but a general idea of our local terrain

When you live near inactive cinder cones your home is built on  lava rock! With very few inches of topsoil.

Gardening requires creative thinking. And it is best when the ideas are simple and inexpensive.

 We've tried various things over the years and have posted some of them.

These fun heavy plastic tubs were a thrift store find. This year they are
holding herbs.  The tub with flowers to the right is a bargain store dishpan.

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

Reusable, non-woven fabric grocery bags, folded down to height we wanted,
with few holes punched in the bottom,
filled with lettuces and spinach which lasted the entire season

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/gardening-in-bag-or-bags.html

These plastic dollar store pots are planted with equally bright
insect-deterring marigolds. Tomatoes are in the tires.

 The tires are tire store rejects (they gladly give you as many as you want), painted white to reflect the heat.
We didn't want to fill the entire planting area with soil (because of how much it would take), nor did we want to have the planting soil come in contact with the inside tires because of possible leaching so . . .

We have used three different methods of making  planting "cylinders" that fit inside the tires:

1. We formed cylinders from heavy plastic, taping it to hold it together.
2.  Dog food bags! Just cut the top zipper part and the bottom off  --- ready made cylinders!
3. And, when we needed more potting soil for more tires we carefully cut a large bag of potting soil in half
and inserted each half into it's tire home.

Three different ways to create the same thing.  And, they all worked well.

The tire containers also cut down on watering (especially if you   run a drip line), the need to weed is almost nil,  and you don't   
have to bend! 

You can make them taller by simply adding tires.  For our potatoes we planted them in two stacked tires and added tires as the plants grew above the previous ones. When it is time to harvest them, you remove one tire at a time.

But, like most good things, there is a  but  . . .


There is one problem with tire gardening.

If you ever want to get rid of them, it is not simple and it is expensive. You can't just put them out with the trash! And the dump charges more than regular trash or building materials, etc. to  take them off your hands!

Our solution?

We camouflaged them!

The tires, covered with stacked rocks from our local area, are planted with daffodils and day lilies.

Disclosure: The daffodils are artificial ones "planted" with each real plant providing a little color before the
day lilies were ready to bloom.

The really fun part is, not one person  realized  they weren't real.

Isn't nature's landscape wonderful --- no matter whether it's stark lava beds or fertile vegetable and flower beds.

I am Simply, Gail.

Please have a great and grateful day.

Still Another "Have at the Ready" bag for Emergencies

the big dog in the little car

As I have "Shown and Told," the variety of methods/containers for holding necessities for a sudden emergency get-away is only limited by your imagination!

Since I have been talking about the need to be prepared since I resumed posting . . .

And, since  I have shown you how we have repurposed (I think that is the current term for using something for something other than it's original purpose) a dog food bag . . .

And, since I have also told you we are taking a trip in a little car with a big dog and are struggling with compacting stuff to make room for all our stuff and . . .

I thought I would show you what I am calling my
                    "second empty dog food bag project."

I took another of Milo's empty dog food bags and, using the largest stitch on my sewing machine, sewed two vertical lines creating three sections or "tubes" in the bag.

Notice: I didn't stitch all the way to the top or bottom

And we now have . . .

Yup, this recycled bag now holds 18 sustaining meals (a 72 hour kit for two people).

Each "tube" holds a one day supply of food for two people.

We have packed our doggy bag from the bottom up so breakfast is the top meal in each  "tube."

Each meal is contained in its own plastic bag, which then becomes the its own trash receptacle.

Our doggy bug-out bag contains the following:

Breakfasts consist of 2 packets of oatmeal (3 flavors), 2 packets of tang, 4 whole wheat fig bars (2 flavors), with two pint size zip lock bags for mixing, drinking, etc., and two hand wipes.

Lunches consist of one package of Ramen noodles (3 flavors), spam, or tuna salad with 10 melba toast and plastic knife, two zip lock bags and two hand wipes.

Dinners consist of one package of Ramen noodles, 2 packets of jerky, two zip lock bags and two hand wipes.

Snacks include survival bars (recipe below), dried fruit and gum (wrap the entire package tightly so the smell/flavor doesn't permeate everything else!)

Our extra items include scissors, 2 forks and spoons, flashlight, 2 mosquito bracelets, 2 tooth brush kits, hand sanitizer and toilet paper. These items are divided among the tubes at the top so they are available when you first unzip your bag.

Our bag, filled, weights 5 pounds and 6 ounces. and when laid flat is less than 3 inches thick.

You select whatever items you want to include.   Based on what you choose to include (i.e. MRE's would need a wider tube) just stitch the columns accordingly. Having sections keep the items spaced rather than falling in a heap to the bottom.

This may not seem like much food, but again, it is enough to sustain you. Reports say it is possible to survive  3 minutes without air, and 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water. (and what a miserable three days it would be!!!)

You must have water!  We carry ours separately.

I am Simply, Gail and I am having fun discovering simple ways to consolidate things we need for our vacation as well as things we may need in an emergency.  Most of our clothes for this trip have been compacted into ZipLock brand resealable vacuum bags, while the clothes we have set aside for our bug out bags are sealed in Food Saver vacuum bags. Vacuumed bags don't change the weight of the items but they sure cut down on the required space.

Homemade (civil defense recipe) survival ration bar 

Each bar contains 1000 calories and will provide sufficient food for a one day ration.

2 cups whole grain cereal (oatmeal or wheat flakes)

1 cup white sugar

2-1/2 cups powdered milk

3 T water 

3 T honey

1/2 of a 4 ounce package of orange gelatin

Combine first three ingredients and set aside. Combine honey and water and bring to a boil. Add gelatin, stirring until dissolved and then add to the dry ingredients.

Mix well, adding up to 3 more Tablespoons water as needed. Shape into four 1-inch thick bars. Dry in 200 degree oven for two hours. Turn over and dry another 2 hours. 

Make sure the bars are completely dry so they will not sweat and mold. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then wrap again in aluminum foil, and store. They should keep indefinitely. They can be eaten dry or cooked with about 2/3 cups water.

Hope you have a great, and grateful, day!

YES! Mormons ARE Christians!!! . . .

In spite of what many others would have you  believe.

Mormon is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Jesus states in the Bible  (New Testament) "Other sheep I have which, are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
John, Chapter 10, verse 16.

In the Book of Mormon, Jesus states "And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: 'Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.'"
3rd Nephi, Chapter 15, Verse 21.

Mormon was a prophet on the American continents,  as was Nephi, some of the sheep Jesus talked about.

Mormon was the prophet that abridged the scriptures of those sheep -- "The Book of Mormon"

The Book of Mormon is
Another Testament of Jesus Christ

LDS members do not worship the prophet Mormon rather we respect the prophet Mormon, just as we respect all of Heavenly Father's prophets---from ancient times through the present.

Following are the 13 basic points of belief  of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, set forth by Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the restoration of Christ's Church on earth. Again, we do not worship Joseph Smith, we respect him and honor him.  We WORSHIP God and His Son Jesus Christ.

We call these points The Articles of Faith

 1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

 2 We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

 3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

 4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third,Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

 6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

 7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth. 

 8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

 9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

 10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

 11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

 12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

 13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

I hope this post has helped you understand that "Mormons" are diverse, unique individuals who share a common belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

If you would like to know more. you can go to https://www.mormon.org/  the Church's  internet site  which  offers videos on a variety of topics to watch, information to read, offers you a free Bible and/or Book of Mormon and even gives you the opportunity to chat one on one with a Church representative who can answer any questions you may have.

I am Simply, Gail and

Mormon.org is a simple, non-threatening way to discover who we really are from the proper source. Isn't this the correct way to gain correct knowledge about any subject?

Needing to Suddenly Grab 'n Go or (Hopefully) Just Getting to Go: Easy Ways to MAKE IT FIT BETTER

If our family or area ever faces a disaster . . .

Our first hope is that we will be able to stay in place---shelter in place---even if there is a lot of damage and all the utilities are unusable. Hopefully we could uncover, salvage or scrounge up some things from the wreckage.  

The disaster would be that much more difficult if we had to travel in a vehicle,  pull a wagon, ride a bike or walk to get somewhere safer.

We are getting old, our car is a compact and we have a very large dog.

Even getting three days worth of bare essentials in our car would be a challenge. And how much greater the challenge if we had to grab and go without having prepared for what we would take!

72-hour kits, grab 'n go or bug-out-bags need to be assembled before there is a need !

If you check out our four posts on  grab and go bags you will see the various combinations                    
we have put together over the years---some from when we had either a larger car or a much smaller dog!

I have read internet sites that not only cover B-O-B's but an EDC or every day carry.

We are somewhere in between the two. We have chosen to have our most immediate needs as portable and light as possible, with others portables packed in hope we can somehow manage to find room for them to go along for the ride.

We keep lists of what is in what pack. Our memories are bad enough as is, without bringing stress into the mix. 

We substitute or replace things periodically, and hopefully remember to change out summer/winter clothing.

We have a relative who has chosen not to prepare for the first 72-hours on the illogical thinking (in our way of thinking) of not  knowing what the emergency might be. 

I hope his way of doing nothing spurs you to do SOMETHING!

In the fall, we and our big dog (in our small car) are traveling across a few states to stay for a period of time near a lake. This has provided the impetus to find ways to compact our vacation stuff, while still having room for our emergency essentials in containers other than our bulky, and pretty heavy, backpacks.

My first efforts were packing the smaller of our emergency clothing in  food saver vacuum machine and bags and vacuuming them flat. We packed the more bulky emergency clothes and most of our vacation clothes in Ziplock-brand vacuum seal bags.

We don't plan on opening the food-saver vacuumed clothes (but they will be there is a need) and the Ziplock bags open easy and are reusable.

SHOW AND TELL

Milo eats a lot.  In preparing for this trip we marked the date we opened the bag of his dry food  to see how long it lasted. The 15.5 pound (7.03 kg) bag measures approximately 17" across and 27" long when laid flat.
When it is full, the bottom 12" of the bag has a bulky girth of 36!!

I measured the food in two cup portions--sealing each in its own zip lock bag. I laid the now-empty dog food bag out flat and layered the small  bags in it. One 17x27" bag holds 14 of these serving-size packets and will neatly lay flat in the trunk, being only  2-1/2 inches deep or high or thick or whatever it is called.

And, there is still room for some of his snacks bagged the same way and a beach towel! Remember? We are going to a lake and he loves water!

Collapsible Water or Food Bowls

You can find them but they are not cheap most are still a little bulky, and some admit they are only water resistant.  I found this genius idea on the internet---a two-minute youtube video. My thanks to Claude Pageau for sharing it. You may want to check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddm-c0dW7Jk


Stay in touch for more of our space-saving ideas --- even more uses for the empty dog bags.

In the meantime, put on your thinking caps for ways to reuse these very sturdy, probably waterproof (I'll test that next), handy, dandy bags.

I am Simply, Gail