Many of us (or those in our families) are on allergy friendly diets. For one of my children, we need to use almond (or rice) milk in place of “regular” milk for allergy reasons. Making diet adjustments like this doesn’t mean you need to spend big bucks buying specialty milks (drinks). It’s easy and VERY cost effective to make almond or rice milk at home!

To begin you simply need a blender, some almonds (or white rice), a strainer, some cheese cloth and a storage container for your milk. THIS SITE shares instructions on how to make your own rice milk (and chocolate flavor too!). It also tells you how much you will save by making your own versus buying it (I think you’ll be shocked at the savings!). Do you like Vanilla flavored rice milk? No problem! Check out THIS SITE for tips on how to add vanilla.

Almond milk is just as easy (and fun)! I use about 1 cup of almonds to make about 1 gallon of almond milk. Be sure to soak them for a good 6-8 hours before you begin. THIS SITE has a yummy recipe for delectable homemade almond milk. Did you know you can sweeten your almond milk with dates? THIS SITE incorporates the use of dates, take a look!

Have you ever made your own rice or almond milk? What’s your favorite flavor? Vanilla? Chocolate?

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! 

I don’t think there’s one among us that enjoys weeds in our gardens or flower beds.  Weeds seem to be the topic of discussion and how to get rid of them.  Mulching is a super simple way to not only keep your plants healthy but cut down on weeding time as well.  Mulching benefits your gardens by:

• inhibiting the grown of weeds from the very beginning.  Not only do weeds look bad, they steal nutrients away from the plants.
• holding moisture in the soil.  The hot sun wont’ dry out your plants as quickly.
• keeping your plants cooler.
• protecting the plant from harsh winter weather.  Fall mulching is important to protect the plant’s roots from extreme frost.
• possibly adding a little nutrition back into the soil (depending on the type of mulch you use).

There are many types of mulches, see which kind works for you and works well in your geographic location.  A little research goes a long way.  Some are free, some are more costly. Some are colorful, others are nature friendly.  Whatever mulch you decide to use, your plants will thank you!

Here’s a list of possible mulching options:

• grass clippings
• wood/bark chips
• decaying leaves
• compost
• peat moss
• straw
• hay
• pebbles, gravel or stone
• landscape fabric
• coffee bean shell

Mulching works for me! What kinds of mulch work for you, do you have a favorite?

Mulching flowerbeds works for me! For more Works For Me tips, visit: WE ARE THAT FAMILY.

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!

Bread has been a staple food of every civilization for hundreds and thousands of years. Every continent is filled with varied cultures, each with a unique bread to call its own. While bread has been, and continues to be, an essential component of each culture’s diet, not all breads are the neatly baked white loaves that we have come to know and recognize. Some regions may not use yeast; they may combine flour with rice or other ingredients, bake bread in outdoor ovens, or over open fires. But what cannot be argued is bread’s elemental comfort for families,
no matter where home may be pinpointed on the globe.

As the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, God sustained them every day with “bread from heaven.” (Nehemiah 9:15)

Jesus taught His disciples to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)
That basic, reassuring, sustenance of bread spans cultures and centuries. During the Passover meal (the Last Supper), Christ broke bread with His disciples. (Matthew 26:26) Today, Christians receive bread when partaking in communion. God provides us with all we need–during the most trying of times–if we allow Him.

Bread, the simplest of foods, can be so rewarding to prepare for our families. One of the most comforting gifts we can give our loved ones is to bake fresh bread. Think back to when you were a child, coming in from playing outside to wash up for supper or walking into the home(s) of family for a Sunday dinner or special occasion. You were immediately hit with the aromas of a meal waiting to be shared. When you smell some of those same foods today, are you taken back to those childhood days? Give your family the gift of good bread baking in the oven and create special memories that resonate in the comfort of homemade goodness.
Are you ready to try? Here’s a basic recipe and instructions. Roll up your sleeves, tie on an apron, and let’s see what we can do.

Basic Bread:
4 cups of bread flour (white bread flour is recommended for first-timers)
1 package or 1 tablespoon of brewer’s yeast (often sold in a strip of 3 packages)
1 cup of warm water plus extra water
salt to taste
1 loaf pan, well greased (typical size is 9x5x3 inches)
large mixing bowl
clean dish towel

Before beginning, warm your oven to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit and turn on the oven light. Once you’ve acquired this temperature, turn off the oven and leave the oven light on.
Depending upon your particular make or model of oven, you may need to remove one of the oven racks to give the dough enough room to rise. Know where you plan to knead your dough (counter top, table top, etc.). Clean and lightly flour this surface. You’ll need to have extra flour available to flour your hands, coat your kneading surface and to add to the dough as you work the ingredients together. Measure one cup of warm water (not hot, but fairly warm) into a narrow bowl. Add the yeast to the water and stir in. Let this rest at least 10 to 15 minutes.
Measure four generous cups of bread flour into a large mixing bowl. Sifting is optional. Add at least two teaspoons but not more than one tablespoon of salt to the flour.

Make a small crater in the center of the flour and slowly add the warm water and yeast mixture. With floured hands, work the flour and water mixture together. Add more water to the flour mixture, a little at a time (about 1 cup), pulling and working the flour with your hands. If the flour remains dry and crumbly, you’ll want to add water, if the flour mixture becomes sticky, you can add more flour back to it a handful at a time. As the dough comes together and forms a ball, it will become smooth to the touch. Transfer the dough from the mixing bowl onto your kneading surface. (You’ll want to take a moment to wash your mixing bowl, then dry and grease it. You’ll be returning the dough to this bowl for rising.)

Continue to dust with flour as needed while you work the dough. Plan on kneading the dough for a good 10 minutes. To knead, you will start with your dough in a rounded disc shape and you can use one or both hands. You will use the heel(s) of your hand(s) to push into the bread dough with a pushing away motion, then pull the top portion of the dough back toward you, folding the dough over and press your heel(s) into it again. Turn the dough and repeat this process over and over until the dough is worked thoroughly and becomes smooth. You can dust the dough with flour to work into the dough if needed. The dough should be elastic but not sticky. If you need a visual example of how to properly knead dough, YouTube has a number of videos available with demonstrations on kneading bread dough. WikiHow has some photos and additional kneading directions as well.

After kneading is complete, neatly round your dough into a large ball and return it to your greased mixing bowl. Cover with a dampened dish towel and place inside your warm oven to rise for 30 to 40 minutes. It should double in size. Grease your loaf pan. Take your bread dough from the oven and return it to your kneading surface. Knead the dough for another 10 to 15 minutes. Shape into a loaf and place in your greased loaf pan. Place the loaf pan inside the warm oven, cover with dampened dish towel and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes, allowing the dough to rise between an inch to two inches above the edges of the loaf pan. Remove dish towel and turn oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake bread on the middle rack for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and hollow sounding when you tap the crown of the loaf. Remove from oven and allow loaf to cool completely. Tip: To keep the bread crust soft, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely across the top of the loaf (like a piece of paper) while it cools. Enjoy!

This basic recipe can easily be built upon. Consider adding a tablespoon or two of sugar or honey for a bread that is a little sweeter. Drizzle up to ½ cup of olive oil or other type of cooking oil into the dough at the beginning. You can add herbs and garlic as well, and/or brush the top with butter or an egg yolk wash. Experiment on your own, or go to the library and check out some great bread books. Bread baking should never be intimidating. Bread is something you can enjoy preparing for your family and friends.

“I would say to housewives, be not daunted by one failure, nor by twenty. Resolve that you will have good bread, and never cease striving after this result until you have effected it. If persons without brains can accomplish this, why cannot you?” taken from Housekeeping in Old Virginia, edited by Marion Cabell Tyree (originally published in 1878) (Creative Cookbooks 2004).

This excerpt was taken from my back issue Let’s Get Organized For Fiscal Fitness. For additional breadmaking tips (and more!), purchase this single issue HERE. Molly members have this magazine available in your member page (search out January 2009). If you’d like to become a Molly member and save even more, sign up HERE.

It seems spring is a time of planning . . . plans to garden, plans of fix-it projects to be completed and plans involving a family vacation. Vacation can sometimes be an intimidating word to families. You might hear the word vacation and think “expensive”. You might hear the word vacation and know you can never get a big chunk of time off from work. Whatever you think about family vacations, they don’t have to be long or expensive. Doing a little investigating now can help your vacation planning go much more smoothly.

Have you ever considered camping? A series of short, weekend camping trips spread throughout the summer can offer a vacation-like feel and you might get around to some places within your state you haven’t seen yet.

The NATIONAL PARK SERVICE has a great site with a lot of information. You can search out parks BY STATE and even get your children involved in the National Park Service’s free, on-line Junior Ranger program (WEBRANGERS). RESERVE AMERICA is another great site to get information on camping (and other great tidbits!).

So while you’re planning things to accomplish this spring/summer, why not add in a camping trip or two? Do some of the preparation now and you can enjoy some fun (and frugal) family time. Did you know I wrote an entire E-Book devoted to camping? Check it out HERE if you’re interested in more frugal tips and hints to help make your future camping trips fun and successful!

Sometimes it helps to have a “list.” Lists can help you stay on track, help you to not forget details and/or allow you to tackle just one thing at a time. I’ve gone through years when I relied on lists and in other years I avoided making them (because I felt overwhelmed looking at it all). I’ve come full circle, back around to the use of lists when tackling spring cleaning. So, here we are on the first (official) day of spring. . . are you ready to begin sprucing up your palace?

THIS LIST gives you little boxes to mark off once each task is completed.

THIS LIST (provided by Martha Stewart) gives you cleaning suggestions organized by room. She also discusses details on cleaning windows, patching screens and the care of storm windows.

THIS LIST is a simple, one page printable check list. This is your no nonsense type of list, perfect for a clipboard!

THIS LIST is a playful way to turn cleaning chores into a friendly competition. Add up each person’s point total at the end to determine the “Spring Cleaning Winner.”

THIS LIST is another “clip board” type. Why not have two and cross reference?

THIS LIST is again organized by room.

How do you approach spring cleaning? Are you the “clip board” type or do you tackle projects as you see (or remember) them?

For more Works For Me tips, visit: WE ARE THAT FAMILY.