Making Your Own Cleaners

Yep, just 3 simple ingredients and water and you can make your own laminate floor cleaner that will WOW everyone! 

When we sold our house recently, the realtor and purchaser both begged to know what I used on my laminate floor because it had such an awesome shine.  I think it was a real selling point!! 

Needless to say, they both wrote the recipe down! 

It nearly brought me to my knees to have to pay high dollar for my laminate floor cleaner, so you can imagine the thrill it was to find a homemade recipe....especially one that worked so nicely!

HOMEMADE LAMINATE FLOOR CLEANER

1 cup water

1 cup rubbing alcohol

1 cup white vinegar

1 Tb. liquid dish soap

1 qt. spray bottle 

Mix together and put into a spray bottle.  Use as you would purchased cleaner - and enjoy the $$ savings!!

Tips for Money-Wise Meals - #2

So we continue with thoughts to help you with meal planning....

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  Don't go shopping without a list.  I like to plan meals around what's on sale and having a list helps you 'stay on track'.  I always end up buying more when I don't have a list! =(


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  Teach your children to write things down when they're running low, or have run out. I like keeping a magnetic list on the front of the fridge - and I write what I need at the bottom of the page (I've been told this is a right/left brain 'thing') - that way you tear off the bottom each time and don't waste the whole page.  Makes sense to me!


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  Go frozen - fruits and vegetables are flash frozen at their peak, so you can buy them out of season for less.  They taste great too!  Again - stock up when they're on sale.


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  Plan for leftovers - make one night a week leftover night, and everyone fixes their own plate. Or use that leftover roast beef for making a pot of beef and noodles.  When you have a few leftover veggies - throw them into one freezer container, adding as the month goes by, and use all the leftover veggies in homemade soup.  Waste not - want not.

Tips for Money-Wise Meals - #1

December is here, and we are all busier than ever...I want to share some ideas to inspire you to help you with your food 'management'/meal planning.  I will be sharing some awesome recipes later this month too, but for now....

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  Coupon, coupon, coupon!  If you've followed my blog for long, you'll know I LOVE coupons, and often get to save 60%+ of the total price I spend, because I stick with purchasing sale items, and use coupons also.  Clip weekly from the newspaper (hint: some of the coupons in the file that I always carry in my purse - will be thrown out if I don't find the item on sale). Ask a friend who doesn't use coupons, if they'd be willing to share theirs with you.  It's a great way to save big $$.


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  Shop your pantry - use what you have.  If you stock up on weekly sales, you can learn to cook with what you already have.  Keep vegetables, soups, broths, beans, etc. on hand - and have a system in your pantry so everything doesn't get lost, and you don't know what you really have.  Ex: keep soups together with labels facing the front - use tubs to group some items and/or smaller items together.


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  Shop bulk sections - Go for grains, nuts, dried fruit, cereal and more - You can buy as much, or as little, as you want, and prices tend to be more reasonable because you're not having to pay for name brands or fancy packaging.  I love to buy powdered milk there, as it isn't something I use often, or much of, but it's so handy to have a little bit when I want it.


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  Make your own 100-calorie packs - It's so much more economical to make your own.  Separate chips, cookies, etc. into resealable plastic bags and you will save all the waste of the packaging too.

More ideas again next week...HAPPY SHOPPING & COOKING TOO!!!!

Leader Enterprise Article - December 2009

This is a decadent dessert and beautiful presentation. You can use lite pie filling, sugar free pudding, reduced fat cream cheese, and lite whipped topping.  Just remember when using sugar free or light-the results will be softer set,  but very tasty - most won’t even know.  And with all the sweets we devour this month,  cutting calories is always a good idea when possible.


BLACK FOREST TRIFLE

1 18-21 oz. Box brownie mix
2 (1.55 ozs ea) milk chocolate candy bars, divided
3 cups cherry pie filling
1 tsp. Almond extract
2 cups milk
2 small pkgs. White chocolate instant pudding mix
1 - 8 oz. Pkg. Cream cheese, softened
1 - 8 oz. Tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies; spread batter over bottom of greased jelly roll pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Loosen brownie from sides of pan and invert onto cutting board.  Cut brownie into 1-inch cubes;set aside.  Chop 1-1/2 of the chocolate bars.  Reserve remaining chocolate for garnish.

In medium bowl, combine pie filling and almond extract.  Set aside ½ cup for garnish.  In another medium bowl, pour milk and add pudding mix and beat until mixture begins to thicken.  Add softened cream cheese, in chunks, and blend until smooth.  Fold in whipped topping.  To assemble trifle, place half the brownie cubes in the bottom of a trifle bowl.  Layer with half the pie filling mixture; sprinkle with half the chopped chocolate; top with half the pudding mixture, then repeat layers one more time.  Make chocolate curls with reserved chocolate (using your potato peeler).  Garnish top of trifle with reserved pie filling mixture and chocolate curls.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.  The trifle can be assembled several hours before serving, or the day before.

I’m pleased to say I chose my favorite parts from 3 different recipes, and ‘tweaked’ the spices to come up with this delicious dessert. It’s very pretty too.

PUMPKIN TOFFEE CHEESECAKE

Crust:
1-1/2 cups shortbread cookies, crushed
½ (one half) cup finely chopped pecans
3 Tbsp. Butter or margarine,melted

Cheesecake:
3-8 ozs. Pkgs. Cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1-15 oz.  canned pumpkin
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
½ tsp. Pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. Ground cloves
1 cup crushed toffee candies

Topping:
1-1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
caramel ice cream topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For Crust: combine cookie crumbs,nuts and butter in small bowl. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.  Bake 7-8 minutes (do not allow to brown).  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

For Cheesecake: Beat cream cheese and sugars in a large bowl until creamy.  Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, cornstarch and spices; beat well.  Pour into crust. Bake 55-60 minutes or until edge is set,but center still moves slightly. Remove from oven; top with toffee candy pieces.

For Topping:  Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla in small bowl; mix well.  Spread over warm cheesecake.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  Remove side of springform pan.   Drizzle with caramel ice cream topping just before serving.  Refrigerate leftovers.

I decided on Cranberry Pecan Pie Bars for several reasons.  They make a small panful for those not wanting a large dessert, and they are so versatile.  The cranberries and orange peel cut the sweetness of the dish. For another variation, make them without the berries and orange peel - or substitute brown sugar for the white, add chocolate chips instead of the coconut or double the amounts to bake in a 9" X 13" pan, for several minutes longer. I also sprinkled a few extra chopped pecans to the top before baking.  Make them according to your family’s favorite tastes.

CRANBERRY PECAN PIE BARS

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. cold butter

FILLING:

3 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries,chopped
1/2 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 tsp. grated orange peel

In a large bowl, combine the flour, pecans, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly.  Press into a greased 9-inch square baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, and flour.  Fold in the cranberries, coconut, pecans and orange peel.  Pour over crust.  Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until set.  Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield:12-15 servings.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Oh yum!...this is a favorite recipe!  I don't remember where I got it, but it's probably another one that I came across, and just had to try!

 It's been published in the  (drum roll please)...

American Profile "Hometown Recipes for the Holidays" cookbook -

right across the page from my Poppyseed Bread recipe too. *-*  Pretty doggone exciting!

I think the cloves and the chocolate are an excellent combination.  The bread can be made ahead and frozen to help you get ready for Christmas, if you don't have time to make it for Thanksgiving!

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD

1 cup packed (dark) brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

3 eggs

1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin

1/2 cup milk or water

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

2-1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 5 - 6 " X 3" mini loaf pans, or 3 medium ones.  Combine the sugars, butter and eggs in a large bowl.  Using a mixer at medium-high speed, beat until creamy.  Add the pumpkin, milk, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and beat at low speed until smooth.  Stir in the flour just until blended.  Fold in the chips.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans.  Bake 35 - 40 minutes (A little longer if using bigger pans) or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.  Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

(I don't like dry bread either, so I usually begin checking it 10 minutes before time is up)

Hint - I don't normally have dark brown sugar, but you can use light brown, and just add 1 Tb. of molasses to substitute for the dark brown.

Linked to...

Meal Plan Monday