Guest blog featuring: Midge

Ever have just one of those weeks?  One word can sum up my week so far… sick.  I am the kind of sick where your head feels like it’s full of lead and your body aches when doing small things like walking across the room or even brushing your teeth.  Who knew brushing your teeth could be so strenuous?

I am super prepared to take care of my baby daughter when she falls ill yet seem to lack the ability to take of myself when an illness strikes.  Our medicine cabinet is chock full of thermometers (yes, I have many different baby thermometers!), the blue nose bulb thingy and a variety of odds and ends that our pediatrician recommended to keep in times of sickness for the baby.  But, it is seriously deficient in the grown up medicine department.

I do not ever expect to be sick but inevitably it happens.  During those times, I find myself running quickly into the drug store for cough drops or a pain reliever.  I don’t care how much it costs; I buy it because I feel so miserable.  I would love to have a frugal plan of attack whenever one of those life draining illness hits.

What do you keep regularly stocked in your medicine cabinet?  How do you stay frugal while being sick?

Thanks everyone for weighing in!

Love ya,

Midge

 

 

 

If you get my weekly newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s situation regarding soccer practice (if you don’t get my newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner of the blog). Here are a few thoughts I had regarding her request for healthy, yet frugal, after practice soccer snacks.  Molly

Dear Midge,
One of the most important things to remember when playing hard out in the sun is to remain hydrated. Water is a very good option but there are also sports-type drinks on the market that are beneficial as well. Sports drinks not only offer replacement electrolytes your body needs after burning lots of calories but they can also help your muscles recover after strenuous activity.

After practice your body will need to refill and recharge.   A healthy snack might include some dried fruit and nuts (like a lot of the trail mixes available in the stores). It’s really easy to mix your own trail mix, and frugal too. All you need are your favorite ingredients such as cashews, peanuts, raisins, dried apricots, dried bananas, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. Mix them all together in a big bowl and divide into sandwich baggies for individual portions.

As far as getting motivated after a long winter’s rest, you know my motto: “Winter Weak- Summer Strong!” So get out there and keep at it, dear cousin. Before you know it you’ll be dribbling circles around the kids!

Squeeze that adorable niece of mine! Love ya, Molly

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You may know this white powdery substance as an ingredient added into baking recipes.  While baking soda does help to make your baking masterpieces light and fluffy, it is also an underestimated powerhouse in so many other areas!  Do any of these uses surprise you?

Health Uses

1. Use it as an antacid.

2. Use it as underarm deodorant by applying it with a powder puff.

3. Mix half a teaspoon with peroxide, make a paste and use it as toothpaste.

4. Use it as a face and body scrub.

5. Add a cup to bathwater to soften your skin.

6. Relieve skin itch from insect bites and pain from sunburn.

7. Remove strong odors from your hands by rubbing them with baking soda and water.

8. Put two tablespoons in your baby’s bathwater to help relieve diaper rash.

9. Apply it on rashes, insect bites, and poison ivy irritations.

10. Take a baking soda bath to relieve skin irritations.

11. Heartburn? Take a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one-half glass of water.

12. Freshen your mouth by gargling half a teaspoon of baking soda mixed water.

13. Relieve canker sore pain by using it as mouthwash.

14. Use it to relieve bee stings.

15. Use it to relieve wind-burns.

16. Apply it on jellyfish sting to draw out the venom.

17. Unblock stuffy nose by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your vaporizer.

In the Home

18. Keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a teaspoon to the water in the vase.

19. Put out small fires on rugs, upholstery, clothing, and wood.

20. Put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb the odors.

21. Sprinkle it on your ashtrays to reduce bad odor and prevent smoldering.

22. Sprinkle it on your slippers, boots, shoes, and socks to eliminate foul odor.

23. Turn baking soda into modeling clay by combining it with one and 1/4 cups of water and one cup of cornstarch.

24. After feeding your baby, wipe his shirt with a moist cloth sprinkled with baking soda to remove the odor.

25. Wipe your windshield with it to repel rain.

26. Improve the smell of dishrags by soaking them in baking soda and water.

27. Suck it in with your vacuum cleaner to remove the odor.

28. Freshen the air by mixing baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts. Put the mixture in small sachet bags.

29. Restore stiff brushes by boiling them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and a cup of baking soda.

30. Put it under sinks and along basement windows to repel cockroaches and ants.

31. Scatter baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from eating your veggies.

32. Sweeten your tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda on the soil around your tomato plants.

33. Sprinkle it onto your cat’s litter box to absorb the bad odor.

34. Sprinkle it on your pet’s comb or brush to deodorize their fur and skin.

In Cooking

35. Use it as a substitute for baking powder by mixing with it with cream of tartar or vinegar.

36. Wash fruits and vegetables with it.

37. When boiling a chicken, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Feathers will come off easier, and the flesh will be clean and white (have you ever used a ‘fresh’ chicken?).

38. Soak dried beans to a baking soda solution to make them more digestible.

39. Remove the distinctive taste of wild game by soaking it in a baking soda solution.

40. Make a sports drink by mixing it with boiled water, salt, and Kool-Aid.

41. Remove the fishy smell from your fillets by soaking the raw fish in a baking soda solution for an hour inside the fridge.

42. Make fluffier omelets by adding half a teaspoon of baking soda for every three eggs used.

43. Reduce the acid content of your tomato-based recipes by sprinkling them with a pinch of baking soda.

Cleaning Purposes

44. Add a cup to the toilet, leave it for an hour, and then flush. It will clean the toilet and absorb the odor.

45. Use it to scrub sinks, showers, plastic and porcelain tubs

46. Spray it on walls, mirrors, and counter-tops.

47. Add a spoonful to your dishwasher to make scrubbing dishes easier.

48. Remove grease from pots and pans.

49. Dry clean carpets and upholstered furniture by sprinkling baking soda over the fabric and gently brushing it. Leave it for an hour or overnight, then vacuum.

50. Boost your laundry detergent’s cleaning power by sprinkling a handful on dirty clothes.

51. Combine it with water to make a paste for polishing stainless steel and chrome.

52. Remove scratches and crayon marks from vinyl floors and walls.

53. Clean your shoes with it.

54. Clean garbage cans with it.

55. Use it to wash diapers.

56. Clean the fridge with it.

57. Soak brushes and combs in a baking soda solution.

58. Mix it with water to wash food and drink containers.

59. Put three tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water, then use the mixture to wash marble-topped furniture.

60. Absorb it with a damp sponge, then clean Formica counter-tops with the sponge.

61. Use it to get rid of stale odors from cooling containers and thermos bottles.

62. Run your coffee maker with a baking soda solution, then rinse.

63. Combine with hot water to clean baby bottles.

64. Sprinkle it on barbecue grills, then rinse it off.

65. Scatter it on your greasy garage floor, scrub the floor, and rinse.

66. Remove burned-on food from a pan by soaking it in a baking soda solution for 10 minutes before washing.

67. Clean your ashtrays with a baking soda solution.

68. Keep your drains clean by putting four tablespoons of baking soda in them each week. Flush it down with hot water.

69. Clean your shower curtains by soaking them in baking soda and water.

70. Put it on a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.

71. Use it to remove melted plastic breadwrapper from a toaster. Sprinkle baking soda on a damp rug, then use the rug to clean the toaster.

72. Use it to clean your retainers and dentures.

73. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, and used it to scrub enameled cast iron and stainless steel.

74. Mix four tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water, and use it to clean the inside part of an oven.

75. Use it to unclog gas stoves.

The most amazing thing about baking soda is that it’s very cheap. You can do all these things for a very small cost. Baking soda is truly a miracle product, whether it’s used for baking or not!

 

 find that breakfast is the hardest meal for me to plan. Today I’m happy to share a guest post that includes some simple, frugal breakfast ideas.

Guest post by Jill Clark from ClarkClan Craziness.

It is well documented that eating breakfast is very important.  I have tried to teach this to my kids, but I have one who, as she became a teenager decided she just wasn’t hungry in the morning. So we began talking about the importance of breakfast and finding foods that would appeal to her as well as to my budget.

Eggs

Eggs can be prepared in many different ways.  Normally thought of as a breakfast food, eggs are a good source of protein. We like poached eggs on toast, which can be very quick and easy. An omelet made in the microwave is fabulous as well.  It only takes a couple minutes to break an egg or two into a bowl, mix with a fork, add ham and cheese and microwave for about 3 minutes. Voila! a quick and easy omelet.  Hard boiled eggs are a great option. These are  easy to grab and peel for a quick on the go breakfast.  My daughter will peel two hard boiled eggs, add a little mayonnaise and make a quick egg salad.

Pancakes and Waffles

Pancakes and Waffles can be made in large batches when you have a little extra time in the morning.  Then freeze the leftovers to pull out later. With pancakes I like to freeze them with a piece of waxed paper between each one so they don’t stick together. Then my kids can pull them out and put them in the microwave to re-heat. We top them with a little yogurt and fresh fruit. Waffles can be made in big batches as well. When frozen, these can be pulled out and put in the microwave to thaw or our favorite way is to put them in the toaster to crisp them back up. Again we use the yogurt and fruit to add extra nutrition.

Oatmeal

I usually use old-fashioned oatmeal. It really only just takes five minutes to cook. My kids favorite is “smashed banana oatmeal with frozen blueberries”. While the oatmeal is cooking,  I will smash about half of a ripe banana in a bowl. Then I pour the oatmeal over the banana and mix it together and add some frozen blueberries. The blueberries thaw in the hot oatmeal and cool it down enough to eat. With the banana, no extra sweetener is needed.

Burritos

Maybe it is because we live in New Mexico, but we like burritos for breakfast as well. These can be made ahead and frozen quite easily. You can do a standard breakfast burrito with eggs, sausage and cheese (don’t forget the green chile,yum!) or a bean burrito.  With an egg burrito put the egg, meat and cheese down the middle,

fold one side over, fold the end up and then fold the other side over.

Last month I shared my trick for fast-fix salads at home. Today I thought I’d share about how I prep quick-grab lunches for my husband. This time of year he’s working harvest, which means 13 hour days. And since he’s gluten-free, he can’t just grab a sandwich and go. Therefore, I’ve been spending Sunday afternoons prepping a week’s worth of lunches that he can grab. That way I don’t have to worry about it again and he has a healthy lunch ready to go.

Last week was just a partial week of harvest and I fixed him some salads with two kinds of beans, marinated grilled chicken and cheese. I actually had two boxes of Ziploc bowls that I’d gotten free on a promo and never used. The salads worked perfectly in them. I prepped the salads, boiled up a bunch of hard boiled eggs and filled sandwich bags with some mini carrots, string cheese and almonds. I also made up some brown rice with lentils and peas and put them in bowls as well (not pictured.) I put some dressing in tiny cups and put some yogurt nearby. Now hubby has all his lunch items on one shelf and can easily grab what he wants.

This week I made a TON of potato salad. I filled six bowls with it for hubs and kept a tub for us to eat as well. I made my version of Southwest chicken salad. I used a package of the cubed chicken I’d prepped from my Zaycon foods purchase, mixed it with black beans and corn and dumped in some taco seasoning. Then I topped them with cheese.

I then cooked up a bunch of rice and added the rest of the chicken/corn/bean mixture to that to make a “rice bowl” type dish. I had some extra taco sauce packets from Taco Bell in my odds & ends drawer so I stuck a couple right on top of each bowl.

Another week down! Here’s a pic of things “in process”.

Here’s a shot of the rice bowl. You can put pretty much any kind of meat & veggies in these and have them come out well.

I took another shot of the fridge this week to show how I label dishes with my pink hair tape labels. I like these because they’re cheap, easy to write on, and peel right off. I decided I’d better label them after hubs took two of the same dish for lunch last week. I thought they were see-through enough (or that one could lift the lid and look?!), but I guess not. 

Oh! And if you look at the cost of a pre-made salad bowl you’ll find that they’re right at $3!! And rice bowls are about the same, I believe. CRAZY! it’s definitely worth the time to make your own. Same with potato salad. It’s very inexpensive to make, but costs a fortune to buy pre-made.

What about you? Do you have any easy lunch tricks or tricks for dealing with allergies or intolerances?

Linking up to Tackle it Tuesday and Works for Me Wednesday.