A Month of Gratitude, #7 and #8

I have some catching up to do....
I am grateful for my animals.  Although they shed and make me sneeze, and sometimes they drive me bonkers, they also are so wonderfully cuddly, and they are a constant source of unconditional love, my flaws and mistakes and all.
I am also grateful that we live in an area where I have access to bulk food stores, thrift shops, discount grocery stores, active online yard sale sites, inexpensive local produce/farms, local butchers, reasonably priced organic foods, etc.  This area makes it easy to find high quality clothing, furniture, and food for my family at good prices.  And if I cannot find what I need, there are multiple resources an hour in any direction.

On Minimalism

Lately, I have been reading a lot of blogs and essays concerning the subject of minimalism.  I'm not talking about the literary or artistic movements, nor am I talking about the home decor trend of everything stark black and white and barely there.  I'm talking about living a minimalistic lifestyle--rejecting, even rebelling against, consumerism, getting rid of unwanted and unused items, getting out of debt, pursuing passions and life goals over material goods, etc.
This lifestyle appeals to me, even though it is the complete antithesis of my life a few years ago.  I think it attracts me because it *is* the polar opposite of my former dreams and goals, and those goals, the need to possess lots of (and the best) stuff have wreaked havoc on my life, my health, and my sanity.  Being able to focus more on living a self-reliant lifestyle, having less "things" to worry about, being able to say "NO!" loudly and firmly to the trappings of consumerism, will all lead to my ability to pursue my dreams and my passions that truly matter--and what a more fulfilled life that will be, not only for me, but for my family as well. 
I want to be able to have a firmer resolve, to spend less, to give more, to share my time and abilities with others, to reject jealousy, to conquer my goals and chase after my heart's truest desires.  I want to choose to tromp around outside in this big, wide world when I need comfort, instead of going up to the mall to snag some little thing that provides me temporary happiness--only until I get it home.  Can you imagine being able to live a life where you mainly rely on yourself and your family, instead of what society or friends tell you is important?  Can you imagine being able to live without a mall or Walmart?  Can you envision being able to grow your own food, or make your own, most of the time, or to find outlets for the freshest food you can, instead of relying on processed convenience foods?  That makes my body happy just thinking about it.
This kind of life is possible, with a true desire and conversion to a philosophy of minimalism and self-reliance.  It's better for your family, the environment, and for you.  And I want to examine it more closely and pursue the changes necessary to obtain it. 

Back to Our Roots

Lately, I have possessed a desire to really know more about what my family is eating, consuming, putting in or on their bodies, where it comes from, and how to incorporate natural medicine into our health care.  My motives are relatively simple.  For example, have you ever taken a really hard, long look at the ingredients, say, in the lotion you use on a daily basis, or that sticky-sweet candy that you're giving your kids?  I know I don't always, and even when I do, I couldn't tell you what the ingredients mean.  Propylene glycol?  What is that?  Is that something I want my children consuming?  Is that something I want inside or on my body?  Food is being recalled every day--why is it being recalled?  What are the quality controls put into place?  How is the food gathered, processed, produced?  Where does it come from?  Or, another example, why is it that I pay hundreds of dollars for the simplest things at a doctor's office--treating a cold, or a sunburn, or an earache, when I never seem to see a doctor for longer than five minutes, and, often, we're back in two weeks because such-and-such antibiotic failed to work--again. 
I am striving to know more.  I want to have more of a say as to what goes into and onto our bodies.  I want to know what these ingredients are.  I'd like to know who makes my food, who has a say in what is "safe for consumption" and what isn't.  I'd like to walk the fields where our produce is grown, or where the cows are fed who provide our meat and our milk.  I'd like to know that I have the knowledge to treat minor health issues with natural or home remedies.  I'd like to buy foods that contain as little additives and chemicals as possible. 
So, I'm pursuing these questions and goals.  I am learning to navigate the natural and organic sections of our supermarkets--buying all natural or organic foods, cleaners, or beauty/bath products when it is feasible (oh, how I am addicted to agave nectar).  We love buying local produce and meats when possible.  I am researching what is in our food, and who says that it is acceptable.  I am discovering that I have the ability to treat certain health issues myself and naturally. 
There's so much to learn, and I'll never be able to live a 100% organic, natural lifestyle.  Some health issues absolutely require medical intervention--many do, in fact.  It's not possible to eat and use 100% natural and organic products all of the time, nor, do I want to (this mother has a mass market frozen pizza planned for dinner tonight because I am feeling lazy).  Sometimes, I need to buy my meat or my fruits and veggies at a traditional store.  There will be more things in my house with ingredients that I don't know than those where I do.  The goal isn't 100%.  The goal is KNOWLEDGE.  The goal is freedom from reliance on mass produced goods and medical treatment when possible.  The goal is having more say as to what we eat, consume, and use.  A goal of getting back to our roots, relying on Mother Nature's wisdom when I am able.

Strawberries Galore!

I know it's technically "Wordless Wednesday," but I have to share some recipes from our trip to the local farm to snag lots of yummy strawberries.  Two recipes are included.

First "recipe":   My semester is drawing to a close, so I went to my mother-in-law's house to finish my grading in peace. She went with me earlier today to the farm to get strawberries. While I was grading mountains of papers, she came in with three bowls--one with strawberries, one with sour cream, and the other with brown sugar. I was told to dip a strawberry in the sour cream, and then roll it in brown sugar. Why didn't I know this my whole life? Absolute heaven.
Second recipe: This is the freezer jam I made earlier today (pictured in my previous entry).

Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam (from Sure Jell Pectin)

2 cups crushed strawberries (buy 1 qt. fully ripe strawberries)

4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

3/4 cup water

1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin

step 1 RINSE 5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.

step 2 MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min. or until sugar is almost dissolved. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

step 3 FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Wordless Wednesday

The Sky's Awake

Lately, The Goob has been proclaiming at daybreak, "The sky's awake!"  While spending a night at my parents' house, he told my father that he needed to be awake at 5:30am, and when my dad objected, Goob said, "Doesn't matter.  The sky's awake." 
Although a bit obnoxious at times, I find this sentiment to be extremely sweet, and it has made me ponder my lifestyle.  Due to some minor health issues, and, let's face it, laziness, I am someone who loves sleep: I love sleeping in, sleeping long hours, napping, sleeping in the car, you name it. 
But, when I think of the best examples of self-reliance, provident living, and work ethic, they do seem to have this common thread--they all wake up early.  And, when you think about it, how many times do we say, "Oh, there aren't enough hours in the day?"  I know I say it a lot.  And there's a solution, a way to add a few, quiet, childless hours to my day, with some hard work and sacrifice.  Plus, there is something therapeutic and peaceful about getting up early to enjoy the fresh air of morning, to stand at a warm sink of dishes, in sheer calm. 
So, I can't promise that I will be up with the sun, but I am hoping to be better at utilizing the useful hours in my day, while "the sky's awake."

White Vinegar as a Rinse Aid?

Another thing we keep in bulk around our house is white vinegar. Several individuals have recommended that I use it in my dishwasher as a rinse aid, so I decided to give it a try, and it works really well! And at about $3.00 for two gallons at a warehouse club, that can't be beat!

How to Make Your Own Shower/Tub Cleaning Spray

I found this in several different places on the Internet (and yes, Pinterest, too), and decided to try it, since we keep "the blue Dawn" in bulk at our house. This cleaner comes well reviewed after personal research, and I decided to give it a try this AM. It's supposed to work well on countertops and appliances, too.

Bathroom Cleaner for Tub/Shower/Appliances, Etc.

-1 empty spray bottle
-2 cups of "the blue Dawn" dishwashing liquid (we buy this for $10 a gallon at Sam's Club)
-2 cups white vinegar

Open spray bottle. Heat vinegar until it is hot, either on stovetop or microwave (took me about 90 seconds in a 1000 watt microwave). Pour vinegar into bottle. Add Dawn slowly into bottle with the vinegar. Shake and use. I have been told a little goes a long way!
UPDATE: It does work! It made my stovetop wonderfully shiny!

At Long Last....

After a few years, and several attempts at reorganization, I finally have my modest food storage organized and shelved the way I like it. The hubby would like for me to move it into the basement, but I really appreciate having it handy upstairs because it is more easily rotated, and I can see it better. The pics really don't do it justice. I'm so, so pleased with the work. It's still a work in progress, but the organization is getting better--finally.

Battle of the Ages

I have been participating in a war that others have fought, and lost, for centuries. Every day is a new battle, a new skirmish, another setback, but I refuse to be another casualty.
I'm waging war against my dirty house.
It never ends. When you have two little ones, it's a never ending cycle of clean this, wash that, scrub there, wipe off here, vacuum this, sweep that. It never ends.
I am not a "good" housekeeper, really. This is something that doesn't come naturally to me, and is one of my greatest day-to-day struggles, especially now that I am chasing after little ones. I even have help with them, thanks to my mom-in-law, and I still can't always get everything accomplished because I am tired, and I relish the quiet time too much to want to clean.
I make a to-do list every day, and whatever doesn't get done, I have been carrying over to the next list. I have items that have to be done, and others that I hope to get done, but I had been classifying them as things that needed done during the day, instead of prioritizing.
I realized the other day that my lists were including 40 items, in one day, on average. It is no wonder that I am always feeling behind and that I am never doing a good enough job keeping up with the mess. No one can do that unless it's your 40 hr. a week job, and even then! Let alone if you have kiddos...it's impossible.
So, today, I am striving to make the lists shorter, focus on what truly needs done, and maybe a few daydream items and a couple fun items. It's going to take time to get into a new routine, but I really can't keep going on 40 items or more a day.
It most definitely is a war, and one I intend to win.

A Big Decision

Lately, as you're aware, I have been stressed out concerning the state of our finances, and about losing one of my classes/half my pay due to low enrollment (see previous post).
When I first heard the news about my canceled class, I was despondent, and I was also dead set on finding a full-time job. The income, according to my rationale at that point, would skyrocket us out of debt and afford our family opportunities to grow as a result. I was going to sit down and start putting in my resume and CV ASAP.
But it didn't feel good.
NOTHING felt good.
I was more lost than ever. A full-time job was the answer I was looking for, right? I mean, I had a very strong assurance that our financial goals were something we are meant to tackle this year, so when the class was canceled, I assumed that meant for me to look for something better. And seeing as my part time teaching pay is as much as a minimum wage full-time job, I thought this magical door to a higher paying full-time job would appear before me, and all would be right in the world.
It just never felt good. It never felt right.
So, what feels good?
The decision to stay home with my children and work part time teaching as I do now, when hubby is able to be home with the children in the evenings. Also, I felt very strongly to pursue a business idea I have been toying with for a while that would also allow me to set my own schedule and pay rate, though by no means making a high-powered career salary.
This is the only thing that sounds good to me. The only thing that feels right.
So, needless to say, I am terrified. This means a lot of scraping by, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of worries, a lot of frugality, and concurrently raising my children/maintaining a home/teaching part-time/starting a small business. But this feels so right, and I'm motivated to see it through. Fears and all, I know that the right thing for me at this time is to spend most of my time with my children, making our home and family the main priority. It's not the right decision for everyone, and I'm still very envious of full-time working mamas, but it just doesn't feel right for our family at the moment. I am trusting that we will be able to work through this period of transition for our family, while fulfilling our goals, and making our family our top priority.

Through the Generosity of a Friend...

I now have an ample long-term food storage!! The hubby and I have made it a priority to keep short-term groceries and basics in hefty supply. We have a freezer full of meat, cheeses, breadstuffs, butter, and so forth. We have pounds and pounds of pasta, dozens of baking mixes, spices, pasta sauces, small canned goods, etc., and I'm proud of this because it's one of the few things I feel we have done right sometimes with our finances and our home. But, building a long term food storage in #10 can form has been a much more difficult venture. It's expensive, and right now, money is tight. But, a friend is moving and couldn't take her storage with her, so we were able to take ownership of it. Between what we already had and her supply, we now have a very good long term storage. I don't plan for some apocalypse or some tragedy, but we do live out in the country and are often without power, or snowed in, and often for a few days, so it's nice to have something on hand. Plus, it's nice to be able to cook nearly anything I want when I want to, and I like the idea of having food on hand to give to neighbors and family if something ever would happen, like a natural disaster. Our church counsels us to keep a food storage, so it has been important to us. I am so grateful for the generosity of our friend, and this is such a blessing for our family today.

How My New Year's Resolutions Are Going....

I figured I would take some time and assess how my resolutions are going, resolution by resolution:
1. Spend less money on things that can be avoided. This means eating out less (and cooking in more), looking for gently used clothing or items when I can, working my food storage to my advantage/buying in bulk, avoiding buying "stuff" on credit cards, and focusing less on "wants" and more on "needs." I don't have to buy things to make me happy. I'm doing "better" in this category. I would not, however, say I am doing perfectly. I can't quite squelch all of my impulses just yet, but I've turned down opportunities to shop or spend excess money at times, though I admit I have spent money on some fun things. I tend to find myself saying, "OK, money is tight, so I won't spend anything," and I don't think that is practical. I need to find a balance. But do I honestly feel like some of my attitudes are staring to change? Yes. I hope I can keep it up. We are also doing a great job at buying food in bulk and snagging great deals on needed items like clothing and shoes. We have been trying to focus more on what we need as opposed to what we want.
2. Get out of credit card debt as much as we can. Use as much of MY income as we can to do so. Pay even a few dollars more than the minimum payment every month. This is going to be a long road. We will struggle making more than the minimum payments while we are behind on some of our bills. I also have not started back to work yet. So, another work in progress.
3. Work harder to get bills out on time. I am a lazy and ineffective bill payer, and sometimes juggle bills around intentionally. Another item that will take time. The hubby and I are working on trying to communicate better and come up with game plans, though, and for us, communicating is a big key to this. So, we're trying.
4. Be a more loving and compassionate wife to my husband. I can be a contrary butt sometimes. Trying. I will be brutally honest and admit that my hormones have affected my libido levels, as did depression. But, I think we are rediscovering each other as husband and wife, and not just pals, and it's been good for us. I think the hubby agrees. I'm just not an affectionate soul physically, so this is really hard for me, but I'm also enjoying it.
5. Be more patient and loving toward my children. Appreciate them more. React with love more than anger when I am frustrated. This is hard sometimes. I have a four year old who isn't pottytrained yet. And I have a new baby. But, I'm trying to learn to pick my battles, and appreciate them for who they are, and learn to focus on their needs instead of my wants.
6. Work harder to get my grading done on time and my classes more organized this year. I'm always grading papers at the very last minute. Same thing with grade calculations. Not anymore. My syllabus is due to my boss in five days. I haven't started it yet. I fail at this one.
7. Buy more locally grown and produced foods. I love fresh produce and homegrown yummies. And I'm lucky to live somewhere where they are accessible to me and within our budget. I'm going good here! Over the weekend, we went to a bulk foods grocer in our region, a new place to check out, and I was able to buy local bulk foods, produce, baked goods, meats, and cheeses. I even used this store to snag some of the supplies for The Goob's birthday party.
8. Take an active interest in cooking meals for my family and enjoy it even more. Working on this. Gathering recipes, planning fun desserts for our family this week...it's been fun.
9. Exercise for a half an hour at least three times a week. Today was the first day I even attempted exercise. I exercised for ten minutes and thought I was going to die. I suck at this. I'm pitiful.
10. Work to keep a cleaner, more organized home. Between getting new things for the holidays/birthdays, mess from said celebrations, etc., my house is a disaster. I plan on fixing that, ASAP. I'm using Pinterest for organizational inspiration. And I have been purging out old stuff, and I got The Goob's closet cleaned out, for the most part, and purged a ton of The Bean's clothing.
11. I will make/do a project at least once a month. Use Pinterest for inspiration. I totally have rocked at this resolution. Yay for me! The blog is proof!!
12. Be more charitable. We have been donating to our local animal shelter every pay check. I'll be taking bags of stuff to Goodwill soon. I've been trying to give things we don't want anymore to some people in need. I have done a few charitable projects at church. But, I could do better. I don't always take advantage of opportunities.
13. Give more homemade gifts this year. I bought the supplies to make homemade gifts for my mother's birthday, AND I have plans for Valentine's gifts this year that are handmade! I'm so proud of myself in this department, because it is SOOO not my forte.
14. Work harder to celebrate holidays and enjoy them more than I usually do. I'm doing this! I enjoy holidays, but find myself becoming depressed because holidays have so many requirements, so much stress, and I haven't had the best of experiences with them over the years. But, I am working to change this. We had a great celebration for The Goob's 4th birthday, and The Engineer and I had a great date night at home on New Year's Eve. I also have plans for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter. This is another area where I am proud of myself.
I encourage you, if you have made resolutions, to assess them every now and again, and see how you are doing. Obviously, some of mine are broken already, but I'm trying to dust myself off and start again. Each new day is a brand new start!!

My First Attempt at a Real Birthday Party...As Opposed to a Fake One?

OK, I am NOT crafty or artistically inclined.
You hear people say that all the time, but let me illustrate:
Once, while threading a needle, I stabbed myself in the chin.
I have both stapled my finger and glued my fingers together.
While drawing a picture for some little kids at an after-school program several years ago, Yasmin, age 6, raised her hand and asked if I was OK. She was really concerned. I asked her why, and she informed me, "You draw like a crazy person."
Need I say more?
But, I have been bitten by the Pinterest bug, so armed with that and a love for my kids, I decided to throw my first "real" birthday party for my son's fourth birthday.
I made a rainbow candy tray (not pictured) by layering various candies of each color of the rainbow, thanks to Pinterest inspiration. That was easy peasy.
I attempted to make a caterpillar cake with cupcakes. I got the inspiration from Pinterest, but the craziness is all me. My sister in law thought it was an alien. So, I suck at cake decorating, but the kid loved his cupcakes, so that is all that matters.
I made a fruit tray to look like a rainbow, complete with clouds of marshmallows, and a pot of "gold" (bananas.)
I made marshmallow pops from, you guessed it, Pinterest. Place a marshmallow onto a toothpick, dip in melted dipping chocolate, coat with sprinkles, and place on wax paper in the fridge for 10 min. to harden the chocolate.
I'm not blogging this to brag because, quite honestly, my final results were very, very, VERY novice, at best. But, I am PROUD of myself. This is completely out of my comfort zone. Seriously. And when my little guy said, with the sweetest voice, "I LOVE this," as he looked at his adoring family and all that was waiting for him...well, I wanted to melt into a Mommy puddle.
So, it was a very (odd-looking) success. I might post more pics at another date. We shall see. That is, if I don't end up committed after someone looks at my end results. ;)

2012 Declutter Calendar

Ways to declutter a bit at a time, every day this year? Sign me up! I love this!
2012 Declutter Calendar

Our New Year's Eve Date

(The hubby was prepping Gorilla Bread while I was making the Orange Chicken for dinner.)



(Orange chicken...it was fabulous, if I do say so myself.)



(Gorilla Bread, fresh out of the oven.)

Instead of going out, the hubby and I made our own dinner--together. Made a knockoff Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken recipe for dinner, and Paula Deen's Gorilla Bread for dessert. Eating out wouldn't hold a candle to the awesomeness that was our dinner--and we got to enjoy the prep as a couple. Yay for being frugal!

Orange Chicken (from www.recipesecrets.net)

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Oil (for frying)

Glaze:
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp grated orange rind
1 c fresh orange juice
1/2 c hoisin sauce
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 c granulated sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cut your chicken into 2 inch piece and put them into a large
bowl. Add in the egg, salt, pepper and oil. Mix it well and set it
to the side. In another large bowl, stir the cornstarch and flour
together and mix it well. Add the chicken into the flour mix and
coat each piece generously.

2. Pour about a 1/2 inch of oil into a heavy skillet and set it
over high heat. When the temperature is 375 degrees, carefully put
some chicken pieces in small batches and fry for 3 to 4 minutes or
until it’s brown and crispy/crunchy. Carefully remove the chicken
from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels,
brown bags, or however you’d like to drain it. Finish frying the
chicken until they’re all done. Set it aside and put together your
glaze in the next step.

3. Let your oil cool slightly in the skillet and remove all but 2
tbsp. of oil and put it over medium heat. Saute the minced garlic
for a minute, being careful not to burn it so you don’t end up with
a bitter taste. Add the rest of the ingredient in and bring the
mixture to a boil. Make sure to stir this for 3 minutes and reduce
the heat and simmer it until a saucy thick glaze is created. Pour
the glaze over the chicken and serve!

AND..........

Gorilla Bread Recipe (www.pauladeen.com)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
2 12-ounce cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

Pinterest Project--Crazy Crayons

Goob and I made another Pinterest project this morning...Crazy Crayons. They are pretty on top, but super ugly on the bottom. If unicorns existed, I'm pretty sure this is what their poop would look like.
Instructions: Tear wrappers off of old crayons. Break into pieces and put the pieces into muffin tins (mix up the colors). Heat on 170 degrees in the oven for about 20 minutes. Let cool. Place into freezer for 20 minutes. Crayons should pop out.
(For any of my projects, just look at my Pinterest page for the graphic/instructions. The ones I did today--Stars in a Jar and Crazy Crayons--are under the project listing, "For My Little Boy.")

Pinterest Project--Stars in a Jar

OK, so if you're on Pinterest, you've likely seen that very dreamy Stars in a Jar picture, with the little girl holding a mason jar in her hands, and this jar is beautifully lit from the inside by glowing blue stars. Basically, the premise of the project is taking glow in the dark paint, painting stars in the jar (duh), and voila!
I ask you...have you ever tried painting stars inside a jar? It doesn't work.
So, this morning, The Goob and I attempted the project. Armed with an arsenal of glow in the dark paint, Bell jars, brushes, and astronaut themed stickers, we painted the insides of the jars as best as we could. Goob made one with "stars," one solid, another solid with stickers on the exterior, and I painted one solid and added old sprinkles because I thought maybe the sprinkles in the paint would create a mottled glowing exterior in the dark, more resembling stars. OK, so I basically just had fun with sprinkles and paint, but hey, I have never admitted to being good at crafts/creativity, but I HAVE admitted an addiction to junk food. ;)
So, here's a picture of the project, and envision them glowing..... (The camera on my phone sucks at taking pics of glowing jars in the dark.)

My First Pinterest Project--Buckeyes

So, I conquered my first Pinterest project today--buckeyes. I basically morphed two pins--the one for Peanut Butter Balls, and the other for Buckeyes--and made my own creation. This was one of my very first attempts at making homemade candy, and that's one of the beautiful things about Pinterest--I keep finding projects that I think, "Hey, even I could maybe do this?" There are so many creative ideas, and I'm inspired to broaden my horizons and expand my skills. I'm generally not a DIY/project kind of gal, so I'm hoping to break that and surprise myself.
Here's the recipe:

-1 cup peanut butter
-1 cup honey
-1 cup powdered milk
-1 cup malted milk
-1 package chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients into a thick mixture. (You can play around with proportions as needed.) Roll into walnut sized balls and place onto flat sheet/container. Chill for one hour.
In a microwave safe bowl, place chocolate chips and oil. Heat on half power for two minutes, or until melted, stirring after one minute. Roll chilled balls in melted chocolate. Chill for two more hours, and enjoy! Keep refrigerated. Yields 2 to 2 1/2 dozen.

My Latest Addiction--Pinterest, Part 2

OK, so, if you know me well, you know that I am *not* a crafty, do-it-yourself kind of person. I end up stabbing my chin when I sew (no joke). I have bound my fingers together while knitting. I spill paint. Just not my forte.
BUT, thanks to my new Pinterest addiction, and my efforts to maintain frugality and benefit my family, I am going to tackle the many wonderfully awesome projects I have found while using the site. I have chosen things that will be beneficial to our home, that will teach me how to make homemade gifts, that will create yummy treats, projects for my children to do and receive, and that will help me eliminate costs by learning how to do things like make my own body scrubs, coasters, etc. The sky is the limit, and as I pick each project, I'll document my progress on this blog. I'm curious to see if I can go from crappy crafter to a snazzy DIY frugalista. Wish me luck! This is so important to me--I want to be able to make things for my family, save money, develop skills and talents, and surprise myself.