Happy Halloween!

Love,
Winston, Lucy, & Frank

Price of gas

Have you noticed the price of gas in the last week?

Gas prices in Anchorage have dropped 30 cents within the last 4 days.

Our current gas price is $3.19 a gallon.

Over at Money Saving Mom, she blogged about gas being $1.99 a gallon.

You can see how prices for fuel varies based on where you live in the U.S.

You may think that $3.19 a gallon is expensive, but considering that during the summer we hit $4.89 a gallon, I'll take $3.19 any day!

Homemade Sweet Dreams Pillow

These crafty pillows are great made out of fleece. They have a calming affect and help you fall asleep quicker.

Sweet Dreams Pillow
2oz Whole Hops
2oz Chamomile flowers
2oz Rosebuds, crushed
1oz Mugwort
1oz Lemongrass
1/2 oz Benzoin (preservative)

Ingredients are measured by weight. You can get hops at a wine/brewery outlet. The rest of ingredients you can find at craft stores and health food stores.

Combine ingredients, bag in a double layer of cheesecloth. Put in a small fleece pillow, set on bed with rest of pillows.
These instructions will make 2, 8in. x 6in. pillows.

Homemade Rice Hot/Cold Pack

Rice hot/cold packs are a great homemade gift to give or to keep for yourself!

You will need:
Clean sock
Rice (Not instant or quick cooking) Jasmine works best
*Optional Fragrance* Use one or a combination of fragrances:
Lavender buds, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, dried chamomile, or 1 tea bag per 1 cup of rice

Fill sock 3/4 way full with a mix of rice and fragrances, sew closed free end of sock. Heat in microwave 2-3 minutes.
*Note, it is common for rice heat packs to give off a faint cooked rice odor, which will decrease with use. If you use a tea bag as a fragrance, make sure to remove any metal to avoid a potential fire.

To use as a cold pack, put in freezer for 30 minutes before use.

Variations
Use Flax seed or dried beans instead of rice
You can make a small pouch from fleece instead of using a sock

Treats for our feathered friends

Bird seed pinecones are great treats for the birds that stay through the winter, they are also great craft projects and super easy to do.

Here's what you will need:

Large old pinecones that have fully opened

Paper plates

Bird seed

Peanut Butter

Spatula

String

Scissors

Take string and tie around top of pinecone, leave approx. 1 ft of string, on other end, to attach to a tree branch.

Put some peanut butter on a plate, use a spatula to spread onto pinecone.

On a new plate, sprinkle a layer of bird seed, roll peanut butter covered pine cone in bird seed. Press seeds into cracks of pinecone.

a

a

Suet Feeders are another great homemade project

You will need:

Suet, you can get this from your local butcher

Onion sack (plastic with a bunch of holes)

Paper Plate

Bird seed

String

Scissors

Take suet and roll tightly into a ball or oblong shape. Place bird seed on plate and roll suet in bird seed, press seeds into suet. You can also add in dried fruits such as berries to mix. Put suet mixture into onion sack and cut down bag. Tie off end of bag with string, leave approx. 1 ft of string to attach to a tree branch.

a

a

Homemade bird feeders

Don't throw away your old pumpkins and decorative gourds! Hollow out by cutting windows from the sides. Once leathery and dry, fill bottoms with bird seed. To be most effective, do not cut off tops of pumpkins to hollow out.

a

Another alternative to recycle your old pumpkins is to break them up into pieces, remove all foreign stuff such as candles. Leave the pieces out for animals like moose & deer to eat.

I never thought I would say this but...

You know your getting older when:

The oldies station plays songs from your high school era

People call you ma’am

You parents owned the first VCR

One of your favorite movies is "The Goonies"

Your parents had an 8 Track and still used it

You could go to a matinee for $6 and that would cover the ticket, pop, and popcorn

You had the first Nintendo and had the games Duck Hunt and Track & Field

The first computer you used did not have a mouse

You remember the old Cigarette vending machines at local restaurants

You watched the televised marriage of Princess Diana

Your parents owned a rotary phone and you know how to use one, something that the newer generations would be confused with!

You realize those old leg warmers you held onto are now back in style

Home Remedies

I am a huge fan of home remedies, as long as they really work. Here are the most recent home remedies that I have tried and found effective.

Dry Skin
Take 4 Cups of Old Fashioned Oats and place then in a nylon stocking and tie off the end. Fill your bath tub with warm water and drop the oatmeal sachet into the water, let sit 10-15 minutes or until water is a milky color, now your bath is ready! Soak as long as you want, however, do not rinse off when done. Your skin will have a somewhat grainy feel. One pair of nylons will get you two soaks.


Sour Stomach/Indigestion
1 Cup 7up or Sprite Soda, add in a dash of salt, drink the whole thing! I found this to be more effective than Tums and Mylanta type products, and honestly it doesn't taste horrible.

Blue eyed Pug

In the last 6 weeks I have been to my Veterinarian's office more than I would in an entire year! The receptionists' know my name and jokingly ask how the last week has gone. If they had a loyalty reward program, I would have certainly earned something by now.

So, when Winston started squinting his right eye two days ago, I figured that it was time for my weekly Vet visit, oh joy. Turns out he has a scratch on the Cornea and the Vet sent home 4 medicines for him, with another visit scheduled for re-check. Even though it is a pain to keep running to the Vet's, I love my furry babies and you do what you have to to keep them healthy.

Once a Month Cooking

I was browsing some blogs over the weekend and came across an article by Erin over at Jane4Girls $800 Annual Budget. I normally prepare a week's worth of meals in advance but have never considered doing a month in advance. It is a smart way to use up products that you purchase during great deals, not to mention the free time you will have during the week.

Erin has posted on this method for waffles, and 3 ways to do potatoes. After cooking, you allow the food to quick freeze, then package in portion sizes and re-freeze until needed. I love the waffles idea as you can toss them into the toaster to re-heat, super easy!

I typically cook 4 cups of medium grain rice a week and portion out and freeze until needed. If you are going to freeze rice, make sure to portion up and freeze while it is still warm so that it has moisture in the bag for re-heating. I also like to do this with chicken breasts, season and bake in the oven until done. Then slice some if it up for salads, but I mostly dice up the chicken to use in soups, quesadillas, and fajitas. Make sure to slice/dice it up before freezing as it freezes faster and is ready to go when you need it. You could also cook up crumbled hamburger in a pyrex container, I find that cooking hamburger this way I can avoid adding fat/oil. Once cooked it is great for re-heating for lasagna, pasta with meat sauce, Velveeta & burger chip dip, tacos, sloppy joes, soups, and we even sprinkle cooked hamburger on mac-n cheese!

Make sure to stop by Jane4girls $800 Annual Budget for instructions on how she does this as well as some great pictures on how the products look.

Have a great week everyone!

Hello!

I just wanted to shout out to my parents and sisters, thanks for checking my blog :-) I love you guys and miss you!

Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

Looking for affordable gifts for Christmas this year? Giving homemade gifts is a great way to keep costs low and you can customize your gifts based on who you are making them for. Here are some great ideas and some of the homemade gifts that I have given in the past.

Tie Fleece Blankets, you can also alter the directions to make scarves.
No sew fleece blankets
Tie fleece blankets


Movie Night, fill a decorated basket with:
Coffee mugs (you can buy plain mugs and decorate for a personal touch)
Gourmet Coffee, Cocoa, Apple Cider, Tea, etc.
Bags of microwave popcorn
Dipped spoons
Family video set to music, includes videos and photos
Chocolate dipped spoons
Movie Maker


Mix in a jar: Cookie, Cocoa, Soup, and more variations just check out the listed links
Mix in a jar recipes
More recipes in a jar (type in desired recipe)
Nestle recipes in a jar with printable gift tags


Homemade Spa Kit
Pick a theme, Asian would include items such as:
Green tea soaps
Bath tea packets
Sea salts
Soy based candles
Homemade soaps, candles, lotions, and more


Turn a family photo into a puzzle
Custom puzzles


Vanilla lover gift basket
I blogged about this in a previous post, here it is again:

Vanilla Extract
16 oz. Vodka (not the cheap stuff)
6 Vanilla Beans

A good rule of thumb is 1 vanilla bean for every 3/4 c Vodka. Use cleaned, clear glass, container (canning jar works well). Split vanilla beans length wise, leave a small bit still attached on one end. Pour vodka into container and add beans, push the beans down so vodka completely covers them. Seal tightly and let sit out of light and heat. Lightly shake container daily to help develop. Using clear glass allows you to see the color/flavor develop. After minimum 2 months the extract will have a nice amber color. Pour vodka into small gift jars with a bean or two in each container. By adding the bean to the gift jars, the flavor will continue to develop, you can continue to add small amounts of vodka to the extract and the bean will keep working (not forever, obviously).

To decrease bitterness, add 1 Tbsp. of vanilla syrup into final mix to sweeten.

**A great gift idea for anyone that loves Vanilla would be a gift basket with a bottle of vanilla extract, a bottle of vanilla simple syrup, and a decorative glass jar with vanilla sugar.**


Vanilla Simple Syrup
1 Quart Water
3 C Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

Combine water and sugar in large pot, stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool, add in vanilla extract.


Vanilla Sugar
4 C Granulated Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean

Split bean length wise, leave a small bit attached on one end. Put sugar and vanilla bean in sealed container, stir occasionally. Will take 5-7 weeks for vanilla flavor to develop in sugar.

Pumpkin Crumble

I love pumpkin desserts during the holidays but the traditional pumpkin pie does get boring after a while. This recipe is a twist on Creme Brulee, it is very tasty!

Pumpkin Crumble
1 1/4 C Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
5 Egg Yolks
6 Tbsp. Granular Sugar
1/2 C Pumpkin pie filling with spices
2 Tbsp. Orange flavoring (can use liqueur)
1/4 C Brown sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

In heavy saucepan bring cream to a boil, stir often to avoid scorching, remove from heat. Add in vanilla. Let stand 20 minutes. In medium bowl whisk together yolks and granular sugar. Add in pumpkin and orange flavoring. Whisk cream mixture into pumpkin mixture. Divide custard among 6, 40z. custard cups. Arrange cups in a water bath (large pan containing water, water should go half way up the sides of the custard cups), bake at 350 Degrees until the sides are set but the center wiggles slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove from water bath and let cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hrs before serving.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl, at service sprinkle tops with brown sugar mixture. Caramelize tops with a kitchen torch or in oven using the broiler setting.

ENJOY!

Awesome Chocolate Cake

This is a really great recipe, you can also make cupcakes with it. The above picture is only making a one layer cake, a double layer cake really makes a statement!

Chocolate Cake
2 C Granular Sugar
1 3/4 C All Purpose Flour
3/4 C Cocoa Powder (I prefer the darker cocoa)
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 C Milk
1/2 C Vegetable Oil
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 C Boiling Water (can sub. coffee if you like)

Grease and flour 2, 9 in. round cake pans. In large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add in eggs, milk, oil & vanilla. Mix 2 minutes. Add in boiling water. Pour into prepared pans.


Cream Cheese Filling
2 C Cream Cheese, softened
2/3 C Granular Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Salt
8-10 oz. Mini Chocolate Chips

Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg & salt. Mix until smooth, add in chocolate chips. Drop cream cheese filling by Tbsp. on top of unbaked cakes (will sink as cake bakes). You will only need about half the recipe to make 2, 9in. round cakes. Bake at 350 Degrees, 30-35 minutes or until done, cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.


Cream Cheese Frosting
3 C Cream Cheese
6 oz. Butter, softened
6-8 oz. Powdered Sugar (sweeten to taste)

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add in sugar. Frost cooled cakes, garnish sides with mini chocolate chips.


**If you are making cupcakes, fill muffin tins 3/4 full with cake mixture and drop one Tbsp. of cream cheese filling on top.**

Other uses for Peroxide

No wonder my mother always has a bottle in her home!
I received this email the other day and thought I would share...

This was written by Becky Ransey of Indiana

1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes Use it instead of mouthwash. (Small print says mouth wash and gargle right on the bottle)

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of Peroxide to keep them free of germs.

3. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot.. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years - until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine, but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a tissue.

9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it's not a drastic change.

11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections.

Halloween costumes

HAHAHAHA....I love dressing up my pugs!

With Halloween fast approaching, parents are on the lookout for costumes. I found two great website with various homemade costumes for infants to youth. These are costumes you can make yourself. The costumes range from a moose, to a hula girl, fireman, ninja, princess, and lots more!

Parents

Dollar Stretcher

Another trip to the Vets

Made another appearance at my vets today with my little pug Lucy. I had her to the vets 2 weeks ago due to an allergic reaction, that has now cleared up but she has developed a limp when she walks. She has been limping for over a week and after checking the pads of her paws and clipping her nails she did not improve. Turns out she has some soft tissue tearing in her front left shoulder and is on baby aspirin to help with the pain! We aren't sure how it happened but the vet recommends she loose a bit of weight (she is 24lbs) as it would be better for her joints. Her food portion is cut in half with the other half substituted with green beans, and her treats are now green beans, she seems to really like them even when frozen. Lucy doesn't seem to mind the extra attention as we have been carrying her up/down the stairs and she has even been able to sleep on the big bed (aka human bed)!

Vanilla Extract Recipe and Gift Basket idea

Now is the time to start this recipe if you intend to give as a holiday gift. I have wanted to make this for holiday gifts in the past but the post office wants to charge a Haz-Mat fee due to the flammability of the product (yep, there's liquor in it!). I think that I'll be checking into Fed-Ex and UPS this year.

Vanilla Extract
16 oz. Vodka (not the cheap stuff)
6 Vanilla Beans

A good rule of thumb is 1 vanilla bean for every 3/4 c Vodka. Use cleaned, clear glass, container (canning jar works well). Split vanilla beans length wise, leave a small bit still attached on one end. Pour vodka into container and add beans, push the beans down so vodka completely covers them. Seal tightly and let sit out of light and heat. Lightly shake container daily to help develop. Using clear glass allows you to see the color/flavor develop. After minimum 2 months the extract will have a nice amber color. Pour vodka into small gift jars with a bean or two in each container. By adding the bean to the gift jars, the flavor will continue to develop, you can continue to add small amounts of vodka to the extract and the bean will keep working (not forever, obviously).

To decrease bitterness, add 1 Tbsp. of vanilla syrup into final mix to sweeten. YOU CAN FIND THE RECIPE FOR VANILLA SYRUP IN A PREVIOUS RECIPE POST!

**A great gift idea for anyone that loves Vanilla would be a gift basket with a bottle of vanilla extract, a bottle of vanilla simple syrup, and a decorative glass jar with vanilla sugar.**

Vanilla Sugar
4 C Granulated Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean

Split bean length wise, leave a small bit attached on one end. Put sugar and vanilla bean in sealed container, stir occasionally. Will take 5-7 weeks for vanilla flavor to develop in sugar.

Snowy Friday

I can't believe how fast the week went! My back is still sore, so I am keeping activities to a minimum. TODAY WE HAVE SNOW ON THE GROUND! Not a lot, but it is visible on my deck. Soon we will be using our fireplace and I have come across a neat tool.

It is a Newspaper Log Roller. A great way to use up those newspapers you buy when searching for coupons! After rolling up, you use a small piece of wire tied around it to hold it together. I am hoping to find a DIY (Do it Yourself) instructions as these run approx. $50-$70.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

**So Long, Air Freshener!**

As a pet owner and a clean home enthusiast, I use air freshener's daily. I will be re-thinking my cleaning habits. This article was on MSN a couple of days ago...

Ask Dr. Weil: Air Fresheners
Are they bad for my health?
By Andrew Weil, M.D., Prevention

Q: I use air fresheners in my home, but have been told I shouldn't. Are they bad for my health?

A: It certainly looks like they are. Recent research strongly suggests that they raise your risk of a number of pulmonary diseases. Last year researchers found that being exposed to chemicals from air fresheners as little as once a week may increase your odds of developing asthma symptoms by 71 percent. And a 2006 study showed that people with high blood levels of the chemical 1,4 dichlorobenzene—commonly found in air fresheners—were more likely to experience a decline in lung function.

Other studies point to a cancer link. University of California, Berkeley, researchers determined that, when used in small, poorly ventilated rooms, some air fresheners emit pollutants that create high levels of formaldehyde, a carcinogen shown to cause cancer in animals and respiratory irritation in humans.

Last year, the Natural Resources Defense Council evaluated 14 air fresheners, 12 of which had varying amounts of phthalates, chemicals that may affect fertility, cause cancer, and trigger developmental abnormalities in infants. The NRDC and other environmental groups filed a petition calling for all air freshener-related products to be tested for consumer safety and regulated by the government.

Read this full article here

I also found this article:

A second report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Sept 2007 tested 14 brands of common household air fresheners. They found that most scented sprays, gels and plug-in fresheners offer no public health benefits yet contain harmful chemicals. Twelve of the products tested contained phthalates, despite their “all-natural” and “unscented” label. But phthalates were not even listed as ingredients.

The NRDC air freshener hit list:

Highest levels of phthalates:
· Walgreens Air Freshener Spray (removed from shelves)
· Walgreens Scented Bouquet Air Fresheners (removed from shelves)
· Walgreens Solid Air Fresheners (removed from shelves)
· Ozium Glycolized Air Sanitizer
Medium levels of phthalates:
· Air Wick Scented Oil
· Febreze NOTICEables Scented Oil
· Glade Air Infusions
· Glade PlugIn Scented Oil
· Oust Air Sanitizer Spray
Low levels or no phthalates detected:
· Citrus Magic
· Febreze Air Effects Air Refresher
· Lysol Brand II Disinfectant
· Oust Fan Liquid Refills
· Renuzit Subtle Effects

And another one, focused on children:

Asthma In Children Linked To Cleaning Products And Air Freshener Use During Pregnancy
Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health; Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 13 Mar 2008 - 5:00 PDT

"Expectant mothers who use a lot of household cleaning products may increase the risk of their child developing asthma", the Daily Mail reports. The article says that researchers claim to have found a link between wheezing and asthma in young children, and their mothers' use of cleaning products such as bleach and air freshener during pregnancy, or shortly after birth. The study found that mothers increased the risk of their child developing persistent wheezing by the age of seven by up to 41%.

Read the full article here