Homeschooling

I have a Kindergartner, and I have my own part-time business and work from home. I have given a bit of thought to homeschooling, but I'm not completely sold yet.

This is a very compelling infographic, though!

Created by: CollegeAtHome.com

Baking Without Artificial Colors and Trans Fats

"Eat All the Junk Food You Want as Long as You Cook It Yourself"  --Michael Pollan

Nothing makes me happier than baking up something sweet and delicious. Whenever possible, I try to eliminate artificial and unnatural junk from whatever I'm making. For the longest time, I thought it was impossible to decorate baked goods without having to use colorful chemicals and/or hydrogenated junk, but over time, I have found a few tricks that have allowed me to bake and decorate without chemicals and trans fats. It wasn't as hard as I'd originally thought it would be, and it all tastes so delicious!

My daughter and I just made these bunny cookies for her class for and Easter treat. I used a sugar cookie dough recipe found here, but I only used half the sugar. Since I'd planned to decorate them, I knew they'd still be plenty sweet, and the end result was perfect - just sweet enough and very satisfying.

So, what do I use in place of artificial colors in sweets?

These are my favorites: Matcha Green Tea Powder (Green), Tumeric (Yellow), Beet Juice (Pink), and Blueberry Juice Concentrate (Purple). You might think these flavors sound disgusting, but if you're tinting something sweet like icing or melted candy, the sweetness overwhelms the other flavors, and no one even notices! With each of these tints, only a little bit is needed to get a nice color, so you aren't really adding enough for the other flavors to come through.

Anytime I need to use black or brown, I just melt chocolate chips or use dark cocoa powder to tint. Yum!

We used the leftover dough to make round sugar cookies, and I drizzled the leftover melted green, yellow, and chocolate candy on them for a bit of color.

When it comes to avoiding trans fats, these are the best products I have found when making and decorating sweets:

Neither of these contains hydrogenated oils, so no trans fats! It's important to read the ingredients on the label, even if the front says that a product has 0 Trans Fats, because that might just mean, "per serving." Always double check to make sure that you don't see the word, "Hydrogenated __anything__" in the ingredients!

I use both of these for all my frosting, candies, and cookies. I always use the CandiQuik in place of icing on sugar cookies, too! I just melt it and spread on the cooled cookie, then melt more and tint it for decorations - so easy!

How to Love Choke Down Kale Chips

I keep reading about Kale, and how it's the cure to most everything that ails the human race. A friend of mine mentioned that kale chips aren't terrible, so I thought I'd give them a try. 

At first, they were okay. I liked the crunch, but the taste wasn't really what I'd expected. It was worse. I did snack on them for a while, but I couldn't keep it up, and soon I was back to my bad snacky ways. 

Still, I had all these kale chips, just filling a big bowl on my counter. I just couldn't bring myself to snack on them alone anymore, but my frugal nature wouldn't allow me to toss them out, either. Instead, I went in search of ways to still eat them without having to suffer through the taste. 

Chili was the perfect solution! I filled half a bowl with kale chips, then finished it off with homemade vegetarian chili and a bit of cheese on top. 

Perfection.

A Cute and Easy St. Patrick's Day Treat

While looking for a St. Patrick's Day treat for my daughter's Kindergarten class, I came across these adorable leprechaun hats made of cookies, marshmallows, and melted candies. I made a version of my own (less pretty, but oh, so tasty!) and decided to try them without artificial food coloring.

Instead, I tinted the melted white candy with matcha. I just used a sprinkle. It made for a nice shade of green and didn't change the taste (confirmed by my husband and daughter).

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A Healthy St. Patrick's Day Treat

Sometimes I feel like trying to feed my family healthy food is as dangerous and difficult as traipsing through a wild-animal infested jungle. Holidays are so much fun, but I always dread the onslaught of artificial colors, trans fats, and chemicals that my daughter ends up eating.

I'm don't go overboard with it, and usually just try to do what I can, especially when we eat at home. As someone who has lived through a cancer diagnosis, though, I try to do everything possible to ensure that she never has to go through that.

Sometimes it works out great, like the pink Hello Kitty cupcakes tinted with beet juice (more about that later). Other times, it's a total flop, like the red velvet cake sweetened and colored with cooked beets, which was neither red nor sweet and got tossed in the garbage.

This is such an easy and healthy treat for St. Patrick's Day, though!

It's a green apple shamrock with a pot o'gold on the side! The best part? All you need is a sliced green apple and a little dish of nut butter. Yum! Erin go Bragh!

Behold the Redneck Wind Chimes

For most of my life, I have lived in a rural area of the south, and I come from a long line of rednecks (and there's nothing wrong with that!). As a gag gift for a family white elephant gift exchange, I made the Redneck Wind Chimes.

They're a fun and easy gift, and you probably don't need to buy anything to make them.

What You'll Need
- 4 - 6 empty aluminum cans (PBR and RC Cola are always good choices, but anything will work)
- Rope or twine
- Screws with circle on top (I'm not sure what the real name for these might be?)
- Paint
- Drill or staple gun
- A piece of wood (any size or shape will work, really)

First, I attached a string to the cans so they could be hung. I actually used twisted pair copper from an RJ-45 cable for my cans, just because I had a spare piece. You can use twine or string, or anything that you happen to have around. Make the strings long enough to hang down a bit. I punched a small hole through the top side of the can and threaded the wire through that and the opening in the top of the can. I wouldn't use the pop top to hang it, they probably aren't strong enough.

Next, I drilled holes at the bottom of my board for each wire, threaded the wire through the hold, and tied it in a knot. If you don't want to use a drill, you can staple the wires to the back of the board.

Then, I fastened my screws to the top edges of the board. If you don't have any of these little screws with a circle at the top lying around your house, you could always use something like these picture hangers and just attach them to the back top edge of your board.

Attach the rope from which the board will hang by threading it through the two screws (or picture hangers).

All that's left is your painting! I just used some leftover outdoor trim paint that we had, and painted, "Redneck Wind Chimes" and on the front, along with a few XXXs. You can be as creative as you'd like, though!

These were a huge hit with our family at the party! Have fun!

Experimenting with Fused Plastic

I have quite a few fabric shopping bags, but I don't always remember to take them with me when I shop. I usually recycle any plastic bags we bring home, but every once in awhile I experiment with fusing plastic bags into fabric. I have made a few really useful things so far!

I made my daughter an apron, perfect for painting and crafts because it just wipes clean!

I made a hair cutting cape since I usually cut my family's hair at home.

I like to play around with the designs, and it's so easy to do - just cut colored pieces of plastic and place in between layers of clear or white pieces, then fuse them together. The patterns stay put and show through, so it's like creating your own fabric!

Here are some yellow and orange flowers:

 And some hearts!

Have fun, and remember to recycle your unused plastic when you're done!

Easy Little Shelves

What do an empty clementine crate, wire shelves, and my daughter's crafts all have in common? They're hanging on my wall!

I have been on the look out for shelves that would allow us to show off the lovely crafts my daughter brings home from school. Up until now, they have been on our kitchen counter, but it looked jumbled up rather than giving it a showcase feel.

I ran across a silver wire shelf at a thrift store and thought it would be nice to use for the smaller items. Since we have a black and yellow kitchen, I decided to paint over the silver with some of our black Rustoleum paint (this stuff is so handy to have around the house - I use it for so many crafts!).

We also have a few taller crafts that didn't fit inside the wire cube, and I thought I'd also paint an empty clementine crate to see if it'd look okay as well as hold the taller items.

I was able to hang the wire shelves using sheetrock screws, and I just sat the crate on top. I think it works very well, and I love the extra space on my kitchen counter! It made my 5-year-old feel special to see her arts and crafts up in a special place of their own, too.

How to Paint a Wine Glass

Painted wine glasses make a great gift for any occasion. Most of the time the Dollar Tree has the extra large glasses for only $1, so they're really an economical gift also! Creating a custom, one-of-a-kind gift is easier than you might think - you can paint anything you'd like on the glass in just a few simple steps, even if you've never painted anything before!

This is the finished product, although I wish I'd taken a better picture of it. My friend is a nurse, so I painted her name, this picture, and, "Trust me, I'm a nurse. This won't hurt at all..." on the glass.

What You'll Need
-Wine Glass
-Rubbing Alcohol
-Pebeo Paints for porcelain or glass (I used the pens and paint but you could use either/or)
-Brushes (if using the paint)
-Oven
-Photo or stencil, if you don't want to draw free-hand
-Tape

First, I found a photo that I liked and printed it out. You could also use a picture from a magazine or other source, or something you drew yourself. For copyright reasons, you'd never want to use someone else's drawing if you plan to sell these, though.

I trimmed the photo and taped it to the inside of the glass, then prepared the outside of the glass by cleaning  it with rubbing alcohol. From there, I really just used my pens to trace the picture, and filled in the hair with my gold paint.

I added my text, then after the paint dried, I baked it in the oven at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes to set the paint and make it durable. That's it! The paint holds up well - in my experience, the Pebeo paints are the best for glass and ceramics. This technique will work on any glass or mug. I have a test mug that I run through the dishwasher regularly, and the paint looks brand new. I do recommend hand washing, though, just in case.

The recipient really went crazy for this glass - it was so much fun to make and give!
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How to Make Bath Tea

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I recently made bath teas to give as gifts. I made quite a few and plan to use them for a Grandmother gift for Mother's Day, Thank You gifts for a few friends, and Teacher's Gifts for Teacher's Appreciation Day (more Scent-sational Teacher gifts).

These were really easy to make, and I tested one out in the bath and it was very relaxing!

What You'll Need:

-Tea mix (from this recipe - I used dried lavender and jasmine oil for my scented ingredients)
-Scissors, thread, and needle OR stapler
-Coffee filters
-Fabric paint (optional)
-Printable business cards  (optional, for tags / labels)


Making the tea bags is pretty straightforward. First, place some of the "tea" into the center of a coffee filter. I learned quickly that less is more - if it is overfilled, the assembly is harder. Roughly 1 tablespoon worked well for me.

Make sure the tea is in the center of the filter, and start folding the sides inward.

Fold the top together. I also added a piece of embroidery floss so that the recipient can hang it from the faucet if she wishes, so that the warm water will flow through it.

Staple the top together.

Then fold the top and add one more staple (I just did this for a cleaner look and to make it more secure).

I then used the fabric paint to decorate them. I used flowers and other little symbols, but you could also include monogrammed initials, the recipient's name, or short messages such as #1 Grandma.

It was a fun project, and my work room still smells great! I think I'll save a few for myself.

How to Make an Easy Gift Container

I recently made some bath teas to give as gifts (more about that later), and I found myself in need of containers for them. Rather than using a ziploc bag or something similar, I thought I'd reuse a few plastic containers from our cabinet to create something pretty (and airtight!).

What You'll Need:

-Plastic container

-Paint (I used spray flat enamel for the white and tinted wall paint for the border)

-Ribbon or other decorations

-Sharpie / Marker

-Glue

This was what I started with - it once held cheese. It isn't recyclable in this area, so it feels good to dress it up and use it for something nice.

All you have to do is paint the lid, glue on your bow or other decorations, then write the recipient's name on the lid using the marker. I chose the font I mentioned in this post to fancy it up.

That's it! I filled it up, gave it, and the recipient loved it!

Another Easy Valentine's Day Dinner

Heart-shaped meatloaf, cooked in the crock pot. Just use your favorite recipe, but shape it into a heart. Doing this also gives you a good excuse to use a lot of ketchup.

A Creative and Easy Valentine's Day Dinner

Mashtinis!

These were so easy and fun to make! I used the following ingredients and layered them in a martini glass:

-Mashed potatoes (I microwaved potatoes until soft then seasoned and mashed with butter)
-Frozen peas (cooked in a bowl in the microwave with a little water)
-Gorton's Classic Grilled Shrimp, prepared in the microwave
-Frozen meatballs, prepared in the microwave
-Sweet Potato Chips

I garnished the shrimp mashtini with cocktail sauce and the meatball ones with barbecue sauce. I topped them all with a fresh cherry tomato. So easy!

I used extra large, plastic martini glasses, and they were more than enough for a meal. The plastic made them a bit top-heavy, though, so be sure to hold them steady if you use plastic.

Happy Valentine's Day!

What to Expect at The Price is Right Live Stage Show

Like most everyone else in America, I have always been a huge fan of The Price is Right. When I heard that they have a stage version, it's touring, and it was coming to a town near me, I couldn't have been more thrilled. I jumped on it the morning tickets went on sale, picked up a couple for my husband and me, and thus began my dreams of hearing my name followed by, "...Come on down!"

The big day finally came yesterday, and as the clock ticked down to show time, our excitement grew. Our tickets listed show time as 7:30 p.m., but registration for prospective competitors started at 4:30. Logistically, we weren't able to get there until almost 6.

That didn't matter, though, because we parked, we were able to quickly find the registration line, jump in, and proceed toward the doors.

The line was outside, so you'll want to dress for the weather if you want to get your chance on-stage. Luckily, the line moved quickly, so we never stood still for long. Our queue time came in right at 35 minutes, not too bad at all.

Once we got to the door, an usher asked how many were in our party, then directed us to a venue staff member seated at a table (there were plenty of tables and plenty of staff, which was why the line had moved quickly). We were given a form to complete and a blank, yellow name tag, and told that pens and markers were at the tables behind us. We proceeded there, where we placed our first and last name and DOB on the form, wrote our first names on the name tags, then dropped our name forms into a basket on the table.

We were directed back out the doors, where we re-entered the venue through the main doors to have our tickets scanned.

Note that the Disclaimer at the bottom of the show's official website includes the fact that no purchase is actually necessary in order to play, but you do need tickets to watch the show. So, if TPIRL comes to your town and you want to potentially play, but you don't want to buy a ticket, you should still be able to register to play but won't be able to watch the rest of the show.

Once inside, we found our seats and I noticed that most of the venue (an arena that is normally used for college basketball games, concerts, and other shows) had been curtained off, leaving one of the narrow ends available for seating. This made me feel much better about my chances for getting picked as a contestant! The host later said that 2,400 were in attendance, so those are pretty good odds.

When I first saw it, I was less than impressed with the stage, but thankfully first impressions aren't always lasting. While we waited for the show to start, most everything was hidden behind a large black curtain. Contestant row (4 slots) was visible in front center, and a Jumbotron sat on each side of the stage.

The announcer came onto the stage to introduce the show, pump up our excitement, and bring out the host.

The pace was great: the announcer helped the crowd practice our Ooooohs and Aaaaaahs, showed a few clips that demonstrated (from the televised show) the most entertaining ways to, "Come on down", and showed a video intro of our host.

No photos or videos were allowed after this; the curtain is pulled back. The colorful stage pops out and looks just like the one on TV!

The host came out, and the show was on! The announcer called down the first four contestants, and they made their way down with the house lights on.

From then on, the show was surprisingly similar to the televised show, with a few exceptions. Those in contestant row bid on items, and whoever came closest got to go onstage. The remaining three went back to their seats and received a T-shirt on the way back. If anyone bid the exact amount, he or she received an extra prize. This actually happened on the first bid: the winner received an iPad Mini for an exact bid!

The games played were like those on the televised version and included:
Cliffhangers
Hole in 1 (or 2, just like on TV!)
Plinko
Punch a Bunch
Any Number

4 new people were called up to contestant row each time, a change from the televised version of the game. But that's great for those of us in the audience, because it means we have more chances to compete! Also between games, five names were drawn and announced for a free T-shirt.

Like the TV version, there were two chances to spin the big wheel: one at mid-point and one before the showcase. Unlike the TV version, though, the wheel wasn't tied to the showcase. Three new people were chosen to spin the wheel each time, and highest without going over $1.00 was awarded $250. The winner received a $100 bonus and and additional spin if he or she got $1.00, and even more money awarded if the additional spin landed on the $.05, $.15, or $1.00.

Finally, at the end of the show, it was time for the Showcase. Unlike the TV version, one person was chosen to go onstage for a chance at winning the big showcase. It was a surprisingly nice group of items that included a Leapster, Xbox 360 with Gamefly subscription, HD TV, popcorn machine, and (of course) a car. Rather than ask the contestant to guess the total amount of the showcase, she was presented with the Price is Right game, "10 Chances", in which the price of each item must be unscrambled (and there is always an extra number thrown in to make it harder) in order to win each.

The Showcase contestant was able to guess the correct price for the Leapster and PS360, but she fell short when it came to the television, which meant she didn't win it or the car.

At the end of the show, the audience was given the opportunity to get in line to spin the big wheel and take a photo for $20. The host mentioned that this wheel had been used as a backup on the televised show, so it was indeed the real thing. We opted to not stay, though it would have made great photo!

Winners had to stay after the show in order to complete paperwork and prove eligibility, so be sure to take a photo ID with you if you plan to play!

Showtime was 7:30. It started around 7:40, ended around 9:20, which was the perfect amount of time to keep everyone excited about the games before they started to get tired of clapping and yelling, "One dollar!!"

All in all, it was a fantastic time. Even though we weren't called to, "Come on down," I had an incredible time just being there. While the prizes aren't always as glamorous as those on the televised show, and the tickets weren't free, expect a fun time if you go. Even if you don't get a car, a trip, or even a T-shirt, you'll come home with one of these fancy name tags. It's an awesome souvenir.

The Price is Right tour schedule can be found here. Don't miss it!

New, Improved DIY Powder Laundry Detergent

For quite a while now, I have made my own laundry detergent. I have been fine-tuning the recipe, and wanted to share my new, improved process.

Rather than grate the soap, I have found that if you turn it into a fine powder, it dissolves, mixes, and cleans much better. To do this, start with 1/2 bar of Ivory soap.

Unwrap it and place it into a microwave-safe pie plate or casserole dish (you want something wide).

Place it into a microwave and set the timer for 1 1/2 minutes. Watch it closely while the microwave is on - the soap will grow and expand, much like volcanic lava. When it stops growing, stop the microwave (mine usually goes for a little more than a minute).

Remove the soap from the microwave and let it cool. Once cooled, you'll be able to pull off pieces and crumble it into a fine powder, which you'll be able to easily mix with your Borax and washing soda.

It's also a fun project for kids - my daughter loves to watch the soap while it's in the microwave, and she helps crumble it afterward. Just don't let your kids inhale the fine powder, keep it down near waist level while working with it.

An Easy Way to Clean Out Your Shower Drain

I have really thick hair, and my shower drain tends to clog fairly frequently. It's always best to keep it clean regularly, before it becomes a problem (unfortunately, I speak from experience on this). I used to struggle with bent wire clothes hangers, fancy plastic tools designed for cleaning out showers, plungers, and Liquid Plumr, but in my experience, none of these work as well as a thin barber's comb.

That's right! Remove the drain stop (or even work around it if yours doesn't easily come off), then use the skinny end to grab the clumps of hair (and slimy stuff) and pull it out. 

See? Yuck. But it works great. Be sure to dispose of the gross stuff in either the toilet or trash can - don't just wash it down the shower drain (again, I speak from experience). 

An Easy iPad Stand

I'm in the process of Ebaying quite a few supplies from  my Etsy shop. I like to sometimes have Netflix or Hulu running in the background while I work, and up until now I'd been leaning the iPad against boxes or stacks of things.

While preparing my plate stands for sale, I realized I was looking at the perfect iPad stand.

Awesome. I'm keeping this one for my iPad.

Creating Things is Essential to my Happiness

This is the single most inspirational piece I have read about the importance of creating, doing, and making. It doesn't really matter what I'm doing, creating, or making, as long as it adds value of some sort, for some one...anyone.

This is why it's always important to, "Make it your own," to quote the American Idol judges. Don't just sing it note for note. Don't just follow the instructions. Modify whatever you're doing to put your own spin on it: create something of your own. You'll be rewarded.

This is why household activities drive me crazy. Most often, they're a waste of time. What satisfaction can anyone possibly get from washing the same dishes every meal, making the same bed every single day, and washing the same clothes over...and...over? None. Zip.

If you perform a task or chore regularly (daily, weekly, etc.), ask yourself, "Can I do this less frequently, and still be just as happy with the results?" If you're mopping just because you've always mopped every other day, you're spending too much time mopping. If you're mopping because you can see dirt on your floor, then it's time well spent.

Sure, it's nice to have a clean house, and a filthy house is not an option, so I always go with the happy medium - and it is happy for me - I spend as little time and energy cleaning as possible. Which means I have more time and energy to create and do. And that is what makes me, and keeps me, happy.

Low Calorie, Yet Satisfying Banana Pudding (With Pineapple!)

I'm from the south, and down here, we just love our banana pudding. Few desserts are as comforting and sentimental for me. Now that I'm an adult and have to worry about adult things like my weight and health, I don't get to indulge in my beloved banana pudding as often as I'd like. So I went in search of a healthier alternative. This version is sugar free and gluten free, and believe me - it tastes divine and is oh so satisfying.

Pineapple Banana Pudding

Ingredients: 
2 fresh bananas
1 - 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (no sugar added)
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/3 cup sugar substitute (I used Erythritol)
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup pineapple juice (drained from canned crushed pineapple)

Directions:

1. Open can of pineapple and drain the pineapple and reserve 3/4-cup of the juice.

2. Slice the bananas into 1/4" thick round slices.

3. In a large, lidded glass bowl or glass baking dish, slice one banana to create a layer of bananas.

4. Then add 1/2 the pineapple to create a pineapple layer.

5. Slice the second banana to create a second banana layer, then top with remaining pineapple.

6. Separate the eggs, being careful not to nick the yolks.

7. In a large sauce pan, mix corn starch, sugar substitute, and egg yolks until well blended.

8. Mix in milk slowly, stirring constantly.

9. Stir in pineapple juice.

10. Place pan on the stovetop and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

11. As soon as mixture reaches boiling point, reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly until desired thickness is achieved. Filling should be thick but pourable. Thickening will happen quickly. Due to the pineapple juice, the filling may or may not thicken before it reaches the boiling point, so pay close attention! I stirred mine on the stove top for a little less than 10 minutes before it thickened but everyone's results may differ.

12. Remove from heat as soon as desired thickness is achieved.

13. Immediately pour over banana/pineapple layers, moving the dish to ensure that filling covers all layers and there are no air pockets. Chill in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving.



Makes 4 - 1 cup servings

Nutrition Facts Pineapple Banana Pudding
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		178.0
Total Fat		2.8 g
	Saturated Fat	1.1 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.5 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.1 g
Cholesterol		93.5 mg
Sodium		45.6 mg
Potassium		483.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate		59.5 g
	Dietary Fiber	26.2 g
	Sugars	24.6 g
Protein		4.9 g