There are so many different ways to live a frugal  lifestyle. . . this is a great place to learn new things and encourage one another! Below you can share the link to a post on your own blog, share a little about your frugal life and encourage others. Be sure to come back each Friday and link-up to this great community of frugal followers!

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about my favorite appetizer to serve at parties (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my response.  Molly

Dear Midge,

I have to admit, I used to enjoy making appetizers or fancy hors d’oeuvres more before having children. This is ONLY because it seems I had more time and I needed less of them! Now whenever I bring food to a party I find myself thinking quantity over appearance- LOL! One of my favorite appetizers to make (or bring to a party) are chicken wings. Who doesn’t love chicken wings? It’s a fairly inexpensive food to purchase and prepare and they’re yummy (and messy!). It’s true chicken wings aren’t very fancy but they’re almost always a hit! You can choose many different flavors and sauces to coat your wings, what about GARLIC AND PARMESAN? BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS are one of my personal favorites! Maybe you’d like to try baking your wings, HERE’S a yummy recipe. Looking for something a bit different? ROASTED ASIAN CHICKEN WINGS may be your new favorite.

Ok, I know that was a bit of a chicken wing rabbit trail. . . I’m back to thinking about your love for different kinds of dips. Have you ever tried serving them in a bread bowl? Check out THIS RECIPE, you could totally do this and impress the crowd! Remember that punch bowl you bought last year when we were garage sale shopping? A pretty and tasty punch is sure to steal the show! Check out THESE YUMMY PUNCH RECIPES.

Now I’m thinking we need to plan a family get-together so we can make some of these foods! Grab your calendar. . .

Love ya, Molly

To share a link to your post about frugal living, use the Linky below. But first. . .

1. We’d love for you to share your links that include anything  related to DIY projects, saving money, frugal living, made from scratch cooking, cleaning products, sustainable living, gardening, organic, and anything else related to homemaking! You can also  include your struggles while trying to live a frugal lifestyle (like  Midge!)! Show us about how you are thriving while surviving on a smaller budget!

2. Please, no link-ups to giveaways or blog topics in which you are just selling a product.

3. Link directly to your frugal post, not to your home page.

4. Grab our linky graphic (from the sidebar) and put it on your blog or on your linky post.

5. If a linked up post does not meet the above guidelines, it will  be removed.

6. If you link-up, please click on other’s links as well. Our frugal followers have a lot to share!

Living frugally means living, learning, and growing from each other. We can’t wait to see what you are going to share (to see other blogs who have linked up, click the link below)!   Ready, set, link!

CLICK HERE TO LINK-UP!

I think it’s safe to say we all enjoy a nice smelling house. Carpet can be tricky. . . nice and warm in the cold months but hard to keep clean (and smelling good) year round. I used to buy the carpet freshener and sprinkle all over my carpets before vacuuming. On my quest to chemical-free living, I quickly discovered the store bought carpet freshener was full of chemicals. With a few ingredients (you probably have in your home right now), you can freshen your carpets frugally (and chemical free!).

The basic ingredient is usually baking soda. Did you know you can buy large bags of baking soda at those “big box” stores? When I began cleaning with baking soda I found I was going through it pretty quickly. I stopped buying the little boxes and switched over to the large bags.

Here’s a simple recipe for carpet freshener using just two ingredients. THIS RECIPE has a few additional ingredients but it is still very simple and affordable! Ohhh, THIS RECIPE is a little different than the others. . . I bet it smells yummy!

If you have carpet you may want to give this kind of freshener a try. You’ll not only have a great smelling home but a happy pocketbook. Natural carpet freshener works for me!

Do you make your own carpet freshener? What ingredients to you use?

Weed killer(s) don’t have to be toxic. Chances are you’ve got some of these “natural” ingredients around the house to make a frugal yet effective weed killer.

First you’re going to need some kind of spray bottle. Be sure it wasn’t previously filled with some other kind of chemical, you never want to inadvertently mix ingredients.

Vinegar is my personal favorite ingredient to kill weeds. The acedic acid is what allows vinegar to shrivel up those pesky, problem plants! Take a look at the different kinds of vinegar, the one with the largest amount of acedic acid should be the most affective for killing weeds.

*A word of caution* Vinegar is so effective in killing weeds it will also kill your plants! If you are spraying around flowers, plants or even in your yard- spray carefully!

Boiling water is also another great method to kill unwanted vegetation, especially on sidewalks and driveways! You are basically cooking the plant right there in the ground when you pour boiling water over it. Simply put a kettle of tap water on the stove, heat it to boiling and pour on the weeds you wish to kill. *This method also kills good plants so pour with caution!*

Salt is another frugal yet effective choice. You can simply drop a small pinch of table salt at the base of undesirable plants. It will kill the plant and dilute down to harmless in the next few rainfalls. If you happen to have a gravel driveway and there are weeds popping up here and there, simply sprinkle it with salt and the ground will be unsuitable for plant growth (mostly likely for months!).

Natural weed killers work for me! What do you use to kill weeds?

Take a sneak peek into my Molly Saves! In the Garage and Shed magazine today!

Are you cleaning out the shed, organizing a garage sale, or mowing the lawn this month? Wouldn’t a tall glass of cold lemonade be the perfect thirst-quenching, pick-me-up treat for any of these outdoor activities?

All lemonade recipes have three main ingredients: a simple syrup made with water and granulated sugar or sugar substitute, lemon juice, and water. Preparing a simple syrup several hours before making a cold beverage such as lemonade or tea is a valuable step. It prevents having a layer of gritty, undissolved sugar that settles to the bottom of the pitcher or glass. A simple syrup is made by dissolving the sugar in hot or boiling water, allowing it to cool, and then refrigerating it before adding it to other ingredients.

Extracting the juice from the lemons is the hardest step in making lemonade. Whether you use a juicer or squeeze the lemons yourself, two methods for preparing the lemons will make the job much easier. The first is to roll each lemon on a hard surface while pressing down on the lemon with the palm of your hand for about 30 to 40 seconds before cutting it to squeeze. The other method is to microwave each lemon for about 30 seconds before cutting and squeezing. The squeezed juice should be strained to remove the seeds and most of the pulp before measuring and using it in a recipe.

There are a variety of lemonade recipes, some sweeter or tarter than others. The amount of sugar or sugar substitute and/or lemon juice in all of them can be adjusted to taste. It would be fun to buy a large bag of lemons at a discount and experiment with making a small portion of each recipe to see which one you and your family like best.

One of the easiest lemonade recipes I’ve used calls for 1 cup of sugar, 5 cups of water, and the juice of 6 lemons (approximately 1 cup). To first make the simple syrup, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a pan, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cup of sugar until it is dissolved. After this mixture has cooled, add it to a glass jar or pitcher with the lemon juice and the remaining 4 cups of water. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving over ice.

For more specialized lemonade recipes (such as Mint Lemonade and Cranberry Lemonade), CLICK HERE to purchase Molly Saves! In the Garage and Shed as a single issue.

Molly members already have this magazine in your member page! Simply click the “Molly Members” tab above, log in, and search out May 2011.

If you’re not a Molly member, sign up now on our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE! 

Guest post by: Midge

I like checking out the freezer section at my local grocery store to scout for the newest meats they may have on hand. It is like an adventure into rarely seen foods at my dinner table. When selecting my Year of the Carnivore blog meats for this guest blog series, I have only issued myself a few rules. My favorite rule is that if I think to myself, “Oh my goodness, I could never make that!” then the next thing I have to do is put it in my cart!

I also try to make frugal choices so I am not BREAKING THE BANK while learning how to “chef it”. Mahi Mahi was a VERY frugal choice. The frozen package came with two partial fish that were the length of my arm. Mahi Mahi is often called the poor man’s lobster. While you do get a lot MORE MEAT FOR YOUR MONEY than lobster, the taste is not very similar.

After I defrosted the Mahi Mahi, I discovered I had to cut the skin off the fish in order to cook it. The Tilapia I made earlier this year came nicely cut and ready for baking. But, eeeesh, this was not true with the Mahi Mahi, which may have been why I got the fish at such a terrific price.

Skinning the fish was a lot harder than I thought. I should have popped on the internet to search for a “how to” video. But, I kept thinking, “I can do this.  It can’t be that hard”. I ended up cutting and pulling then slicing the meat off the skin. In the end, the pan I was using for the debris looked like a mess but I was able to get most of the meat off the skin and now was ready for the rest of the meal preparation.

For this recipe, I selected a Dry Jerk seasoning to add to my Mahi Mahi. When I was growing up, my father would sprinkle the spiciest seasonings on his rice or curry dish and then even add seconds of the spice. He would smile widely as he ate and refused to guzzle water to help mute the heat. That is definitely not my kind of spicy!

I have had jerk seasoning before with varied results. I thought it would be more on the “medium” side of spicy. Boy, was I ever wrong! This jerk seasoning was hot! And it probably did not help when the cayenne pepper top caused too much seasoning to escape into my dry mix. I tried to salvage the mix and obviously did not do such a great job!

Before I go on, I need to clarify that my husband is a very willing guinea pig. He will eat almost everything I cook for him and most of the time is grateful I am getting adventurous in my cooking. However, this time almost became the exception!!

I made the jerk seasoning using this recipe: DRY JERK SEASONING. I loosely followed this recipe: MAHI MAHI TACOS for the actual cooking of the fish. Actually, I really used it as a guide to help me know when the Mahi Mahi would be done cooking.

Here is how I made it:  I dipped the sliced Mahi Mahi pieces into butter then liberally coated them with the seasoning. I grilled them in a pan until the fish became flaky under the seasoning. Then, after the Mahi Mahi was done, I folded the grilled pieces into a tortilla with ranch dressing, shredded cheese and a chunky made from scratch salsa my mother-in-law had made.

Liberally coating them was definitely my problem!! As I look back at the recipe, I realize it gave a precise suggested measurement for each fillet. My husband took three bites and then almost dropped the whole thing in a dead run for the fridge to get a glass of milk! In his defense, he finished the rest of the fish taco and the whole carton of milk as well. Poor guy!

My dad loved it though and so did one of our neighbors who LOVES spicy food. And, did I mention I really liked it too? Even with the spice, the Mahi Mahi Jerk Seasoning Tacos were the bomb! I definitely recommend it!

Next time, I will make sure to not spill the cayenne pepper . . .

Have you ever prepared Mahi Mahi? What kinds of dry seasonings do you keep on hand? Do you have a story of a “too spicy for you” kind of meal? I would love to hear from you!

Welcome to our Frugal Friday Link-Up!

There are so many different ways to live a frugal lifestyle. . . this is a great place to learn new things and encourage one another! Below you can share the link to a post on your own blog, share a little about your frugal life and encourage others. Be sure to come back each Friday and link-up to this great community of frugal followers!

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about my favorite desserts to make (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my response and discover what recipe I like to make each Mother’s Day.  Molly

Dear Midge,

My mother always told me I was born with a sweet tooth, I think she may be right. I love to create (and eat!) just about anything sweet. My favorite desserts to make are fruit pies or cobblers. I love these because there is such a variety of fruits that can be used or combined in these desserts. I also love these types of sweets because I enjoy adding a cinnamon based streusel on top and a huge amount of whipped cream! What’s not to love?

Every Mother’s Day I break out the trifle dish and create a beautiful dessert. Last year I used chunks of angel food cake layered with freshly made custard, peaches, strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream. The kids know Mother’s Day is right around the corner when they see that trifle dish come out of storage (I should use it more often, don’t you think?).

I’m dreaming of this year’s trifle dessert now. . . I wonder what combination of fruits I’ll use. Blackberries, strawberries and raspberries?

Love ya,

Molly. . . who is dreaming of trifle for breakfast!

To share a link to your post about frugal living, use the Linky below. But first. . .

1. We’d love for you to share your links that include anything  related to DIY projects, saving money, frugal living, made from scratch cooking, cleaning products, sustainable living, gardening, organic, and anything else related to homemaking! You can also  include your struggles while trying to live a frugal lifestyle (like  Midge!)! Show us about how you are thriving while surviving on a smaller budget!

2. Please, no link-ups to giveaways or blog topics in which you are just selling a product.

3. Link directly to your frugal post, not to your home page.

4. Grab our linky graphic (from the sidebar) and put it on your blog or on your linky post.

5. If a linked up post does not meet the above guidelines, it will  be removed.

6. If you link-up, please click on other’s links as well. Our frugal followers have a lot to share!

Living frugally means living, learning, and growing from each other. We can’t wait to see what you are going to share (to see other blogs who have linked up, click the link below)!   Ready, set, link!

CLICK HERE TO LINK-UP!

Guest Blog by: Midge

Over a year ago, I found a wonderful looking recipe called “Pavlova” in a magazine. I was intrigued with this fluffy tutu looking dessert and it’s connection to the story of the Russian ballerina, ANNA PAVLOVA, for which it was named. The ingredient list was short and included items which can readily be found in our pantry and fridge. So on a whim this past Monday night, I decided it was time to create this dessert.

Train wreck comes to mind when I think about the comedy of errors which occurred while I collected the main ingredients. Our sugar had mysteriously vanished so I called my Dad to borrow a couple of cups. Why did he have to run over to my house? Did I forget to mention my car battery was dead?  OIY!

As I went to crack my eggs to begin the extracting the egg whites, I realized that I had mistakenly grabbed the hard boiled eggs. By the way, I forgot I had planned ahead. I had made hard boiled eggs and they just happened to be the only eggs in the house! My husband, who had just passed by Dad pulling out of the driveway, walked in from work, and then turned right around to make a quick trip to borrow some eggs.

As I waited for him to return, I made whipped cream from scratch. Yes, this was my first time. No, it is not supposed to look like soup.  Sorry you will see no pictures of this mess . . .  ugh.

Earlier, I had viewed a video with step by step instructions to create the Pavlova dessert. By the time my husband returned, I had hidden the failed whipped cream concoction in the refrigerator and was ready to whip up some eggs.

This was the best part of the recipe. It worked just like the video said it would and I felt confident we would have our dessert by the end of the night!

Somehow, everything went horribly wrong after I added the rest of the ingredients to the whipped egg whites. My Pavlova, which by now I have discovered is just like a meringue with no pie, did not “peak”. In fact, it didn’t even “peek”. It was liquid-y and looked nothing like the video. I mixed it by hand then put it in my KitchenAid stand mixer to mix it. I even convinced my husband to help me mix it. No change to the consistency at all,  it was just one big liquid glob.

The end result was more like a crispy, toasted marshmallow cookie instead of my idealistic fluffy Pavlova.

Midge’s Cookie-like Pavlova

Molly’s Fluffy Tutu Pavlova

So, I sent Molly a HELP text! She gave me a few useful hints. Like: were the eggs at room temperature and did you know you can purchase a ready made meringue powder which may help? The next night, she created the Pavlova, complete with some awesome pictures, to help me show you what it was supposed to look like!

Guess what- it may have been a Midge “fail” but Molly’s example makes me definitely want to try again! Doesn’t it look delicious? Although my husband said, “good is good” and my opinion is “sugar is sugar”, I still desire to someday have my fluffy Pavlova tutu and eat it too. For now, I will take Molly’s word for it and dream about it from afar!

Have you tried to make Pavlova or a meringue? Any hints? Do you have stories of failures or successes in your kitchen? I would love to hear about them!   

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE MOLLY USED!

Welcome to our very first Frugal Friday Link-Up!

There are so many different ways to live a frugal lifestyle. . . this is a great place to learn new things and encourage one another! Below you can share the link to a post on your own blog, share a little about your frugal life and encourage others. Be sure to come back each Friday and link-up to this great community of frugal followers!

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about making salsa (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my response.  Molly

Dear Midge,

My tolerance for spicy foods must have “evolved” over the years as I never used to like anything hot. Mild salsa used to warm me up! Not now. . . I REALLY enjoy spicy foods and a little “kick” in my salsa. Salsa was one of the first foods I figured out how to make! For some reason I thought I always had to buy it in the jar as it looked so complicated. Not so! I really do enjoy the “real deal” now days and it’s SO simple to make. I’ll share my favorite salsa recipe with you but first I have to tell you about the peppers I grew in last year’s garden.

The kids and I bought a few young plants from the greenhouse and planted them in the “salsa” section of my garden. I grew tomatoes, onions, hot peppers and cilantro all near each other. Anyway, as the summer went on my hot peppers grew like crazy! I kept picking them and tossing them into a freezer bag. Before I knew it a gallon size freezer bag was full, then two! I threw quite a few of the peppers in my freezer as I knew I could only use so many of the fresh ones before they went bad. They were tiny peppers but BOY WERE THEY SPICY! It didn’t take me long to decide I should remove some of the seeds before using them to cook with, that tamed them down quite a bit.

Ok, on to my favorite kind of salsa. Years ago, I got my hands on some homemade green salsa. I was convinced that green salsa was my new favorite (maybe because I had spent years eating the red salsa in a jar). The first time I made it, I was shocked at how easy it was. Give it a whirl and see what you think, HERE’S A GREAT RECIPE. I think there’s a few of those peppers left in the freezer, guess what I’m making tonight? Happy cooking!

Love ya, Molly

To share a link to your post about frugal living, use the Linky below. But first. . .

1. We’d love for you to share your links that include anything  related to DIY projects, saving money, frugal living, made from scratch cooking, cleaning products, sustainable living, gardening, organic, and anything else related to homemaking! You can also  include your struggles while trying to live a frugal lifestyle (like  Midge!)! Show us about how you are thriving while surviving on a smaller budget!

2. Please, no link-ups to giveaways or blog topics in which you are just selling a product.

3. Link directly to your frugal post, not to your home page.

4. Grab our linky graphic (from the sidebar) and put it on your blog or on your linky post.

5. If a linked up post does not meet the above guidelines, it will  be removed.

6. If you link-up, please click on other’s links as well. Our frugal followers have a lot to share!

Living frugally means living, learning, and growing from each other. We can’t wait to see what you are going to share! To see other blogs who have linked up, click the link below!!   Ready, set, link!

CLICK HERE TO LINK-UP (and to locate other blogs)!

About a week ago, I shared with you (on FACEBOOK) that the children and I were beginning a new project. A science experiment, really. This has been something I’ve wanted to do for a LONG time but it seemed like too big of a project. Alas, this is the year we begin our journey and learn how to make maple syrup!

Before I begin showing you what we’ve been up to, let me tell you that you don’t need acres and acres of land to make your own syrup. We are beginning this year by tapping just 3 trees. They happen to be large enough that we can get more than one tap per tree. I quickly found out that it’s hard to identify maple trees when there are no leaves. Upon researching syrup making, I also quickly learned there are different kinds of maples that result in different grades/types of syrup. Hmmm, time to call in the reinforcements.

A family friend stopped by and helped us take a look at the maple trees that just so happened to be right in our yard. We ended up having 2 soft maples and 1 hard maple tree (much to my surprise)! I also learned that the hard maple trees produce the best sap with the highest sugar content, they make the yummiest syrup.

This is just after drilling the hole(s), inserting the tap and waiting to see if it would begin “dripping.” This is a HUGE tree, one of our soft maples.

Here comes the sap! I can almost see (and taste) the syrup now…almost.

We went in search of some BIG buckets! When the days warm up and especially when the sun hits the trees, watch the sap flow!

Have you ever tried making your own syrup?

Be sure to come back next Wednesday to see all about the cooking process!

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about my “standard meal plan” and cooking with kids (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my answer.  Molly

Dear Midge,

My meal plans look a bit different during the cooler months than in the warmer months. I tend to make more hearty fare (heavier meats and root vegetables) when it’s cold or damp outside. My meals have also changed a bit based on the age of my children (and if they were picky eaters!). This past year I’ve done more “themed” meals on specific days of the week. It’s been quite a busy season, this method has helped me greatly! For example, Monday nights are our soup and fresh bread nights. Tuesdays are “meatless” dinners and Wednesday nights are tacos or Mexican food. Thursday nights are for leftovers and Friday nights are homemade pizza nights. Sometimes I make a plan for weekends, sometimes not. It usually depends if we’ll be home or out running around (errands or certain activities).

Cooking with children always seems to be a messy (and sometimes disorganized) ordeal. I try to keep a sink full of soapy water and have everyone clean up as we go along. I’ve come to the conclusion that messy in the kitchen is good as we’re not only creating yummy meals but meaningful memories as well. After dinner I also try to have everyone pitch in and help with dishes and clean-up. I also have the kids wipe counters and sweep floors, the youngest child assists with the dust pan and puts silverware away. I figure there will be plenty of years (after they’re all grown) that my house will be perfectly clean and organized. Do you think I’ll miss the chaos and fingerprints everywhere? I’m thinking I will. Thinking of things in that perspective helps me when the mess feels overwhelming!

Happy meal planning!

Love ya, Molly