A great way to grow strawberries!

A Great New Way To Grow Strawberries!

Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

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I just love this book and I can't wait to do this this spring. 

Collecting and making my inventory list now!

Mama Oak

Copy Cat - Thin Mint Recipe

Copy Cat - Thin Mints

Do you love those iconic Thin Mint cookies? 

Look no further than this recipe to make your own at home.

Shared by JJensenSC

My Recipe Notes:

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour 

• 1 C. sugar

• 1/2 C. cocoa powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

• 3/4 C. butter or vegan margarine
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. pure peppermint extract
• Chocolate Coating
• 4 C. semisweet chocolate chips
• 
2 Tbsp. butter or vegan margarine 

• 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

Directions

Use a food processor to blend dry ingredients, by pulsing. Add margarine, milk, vanilla, and mint extract and pulse until well combined. Scrape out dough, knead until all the ingredients are well incorporated, and chill in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, till mixture is firm.

Preheat the oven to 350° and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. When dough is ready, roll balls about as big as a heaping teaspoon, and press them, one by one, onto the baking trays, leaving about 3 inches of space around each. Flatten each to about a quarter inch thick and bake for 12-15 minutes. Roll a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into a ball and place onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches in between each ball. Cool on rack completely.

Free e-book from Amazon, Growing BBQ Spices in a Garden.

FREE- e-book from Amazon,
Growing BBQ Spices in a Garden.

Book Description

Publication Date:October 6, 2012

Growing BBQ Spices in a Garden starts a series of books on growing specialty gardens or a garden room that will enhance our personal quality of life and help bring nature back into our surroundings.
Barbequing is a popular activity around the world. Therefore, what are the very best BBQ spices/herbs and how do you grow them? Within this book, there are ideas on which flavorful plants to choose and grow for the very freshest BBQ experience.
The title says BBQ, but in real life we cook all year, the ideas within these pages are used in cooking anywhere not just outside on the BBQ. They will enhance any kitchen garden. So come on let us spice life up with choosing from over 40 different plants that bring out the flavor and enjoyment to food.
Now if you are looking for a book from a tried and true horticulturist with a degree in such, this book is not for you. If you are looking for hobby horticulturist that has researched, studied and used different plant in their gardening endeavors that wants to share ideas and knowledge this is what you are looking for, as that is what it is. The writer has spent many years in studying plants and gardening; starting with training as a young boy by a Shaman, to planting and testing for his own use. What he knows about plants are found within these pages. It is as if you and a friend or neighbors are talking about ideas and knowledge learned firsthand from personal experience.
We hope you enjoy this simple to understand book that will enhance your BBQ or cooking experience.

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Alfalfa, Avocado and Orange Sandwich...using my sprouts I sprouted myself.

I am growing all kinds of sprouts here at Lil' Acorn and now that I have them how will I prepare them. For lunch this is what we are having today...

Alfalfa, Avocado and Orange Sandwich

This will make 4 servings

Ingredients.

8 (1 ounce) sliceswhole-wheat bread

1 largenavel orange, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

2 largeavocados - peeled, pitted, and sliced

1 1 1/2 cups of fresh sprouts from your kitchen, home grown or (5 ounce) packagealfalfa sprouts

2  teaspoonsbalsamic vinaigrette

Directions

1. Arrange four of the bread slices on a flat surface; top each slice with two slices of orange, even amounts of avocado slices, and even amounts of sprouts. Sprinkle each sandwich with 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic vinaigrette. Top each with remaining bread slices and serve.

• PREP 10 mins
• READY IN 10 mins

Canvas on Demand 20% off...still time to get it for Valentine's Day

Canvas on Demand

Friends and Family discount of 20%!

I just got my Canvas, and it’s AWESOME. 

I can not wait to give it to my husband for Valentine's Day! 

It's not to late to order.

 They gave me a  20% discount to give to my friends and family.

 You should really check it out.

Order Here!

week 27th Couponing Trip and Freebies Part B

4 packages feminin wipes - $2.99
 4 packages of liners - $2.40
All for free with 8 coupons from the RP 1/13 for $3 off  Poise Wellness product

5 Free 8 oz jars of Vaspar paint at Lowes with 5 free Vaspar paint sample coupons from Vaspars Facebook page.
We are going to use them on the garden signs we are going to make to mark the rows/beds of veggies and herbs.

Brillo Soap Pads 10-ct - $1.49
$0.55 Brillo soap pads in RP (1/13) and they double it.
I had 8 coupons
$0.39 each

French's Honey Mustard - $1.59

I had 8 coupons making it 59 cents each.

$1/1 French's mustard SS (1/6)

Welch's Fruit Snacks - $2.00 on sale

$0.50/1 Welch's Fruit or Fruit & Yogurt Snacks printable coupons get doubled at checkout.
I had 10
 $1.00 after coupon

Buy 2 Dove Men+Care Body and Face Bar 6 pack on sale for $6.49
Subtotal: $12.98
-(2) $4/1 Dove Men+Care Body and Face Bar, 6 Pack from the 1/17 RP
-(1) $3.75 Dove Men+Care Soap SR eCoupon
Pay: $1.23
Get: $5.00 Catalina
FREE + A $3.77 MONEY MAKER with coupons and catalina
AND FREE 3 LBS OF BANANAS AND 1 CANTALOUPE WITH OVERAGE.

Couponing, Freebies and Rebates For Week Jan 27th.

Free sample of sun dried tomato hummus and  almond corn chips while shopping.
Made for a great FREE LUNCH BOX SNACK!

South Beach Diet Bars 

Sale price- $2.99

I had 4 coupons

$3/1 South Beach printable coupon
MC Taco Seasoning - 3/$1.00
I had 1 coupon.

- $0.50/2 McCormick Taco or Mexican Seasoning Mix, exp. 2/24/13 (RP 01/27/13 #2) coupon gets doubled at checkout

Kikkoman Steak Marinade $0.79
I had 4 coupons.
$1.00 off any Kikkoman pruduct printable
All Free after coupons

Birds Eye Steamfresh Vegetabes - $0.99 on sale.

I had 2 coupons 

$1/1 Birdseye Item printable
 FREE after coupon

Coffee mate Creamers 16 oz - $1.66

I had 10 coupons

$0.55/1 Nestle Coffee-Mate Liquid or Powder Creamer Product printable coupon gets doubled at checkout.
$0.56 each after coupon

Friendship Sour Cream, 16 oz - $1.34

I had 2 coupons

$0.55/1 Friendship Dairy Product printable
 $0.24  each after coupon

Heluva Good Dips,12 oz - $1.69

I had 4 coupons

$0.75/1 Heluva Good Sour Cream Dip, exp. 1/31/13 (SS 12/02/12 R)
 $0.19 after coupon

Hormel Party Tray, 28 oz - $9.99

$3/1 Hormel Party Tray Coupon
and use $3/1 Hormel Party Tray SR eCoupon
$3.99 each after coupon & eCoupon

I bought 4 my daughter took one for her lunch before I took the picture.
YoCrunch Yogurt - $0.60 on sale
$0.25/1 YoCrunch Cup printable. coupon gets doubled at checkout.
 $0.10  each after coupon

French's Spicy Brown Mustard - $1.39 and $1.59

I had 8 of these making it 59 cents each.

$0.50/1 French's Spicy Brown or Horseradish Mustard, exp. 3/31/13 (SS 01/20/13 R) coupons get doubled at checkout
I had 4 of these. making it 39 cents each
$0.50/1 French's Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce coupons get doubled at checkout.
 

Welch's Fruit Snacks - $2.00

$0.50/1 Welch's Fruit or Fruit & Yogurt Snacks printable coupons get doubled at checkout.
 $1.00 after coupon

Barilla Micro Pasta Meals - $1.99 on sale.

I had 8 coupons so I got 8 - 4 of each Flavor.

$1/1 Barilla Microwaveable Meals printable
 $0.99 after coupon

I got $3.50 in cantalinas towards my next shopping trip.
It's like having cash in my pocket!

A the last of 3 - $4 rebates came in the mail making my purchase of 2 x 1 Pack of  6- AAA Fuji batteries on sale for $2 a pack FREE!!!!!!!!

Frugal decorating - Bringing the outside in.

Bringing the outside in!

Original Cost $49.91.... I paid $12 !

Half price window basket. Org $14.98...I paid only $7

Clearance Plants.

 5 org. $2.99 each... I paid 20 cents each

1 org. $14.99... I paid $2

1 org. $4.99...I paid $2

Hubby installing it...free!

Basket is installed.

Flowers growing with new growths even! 

Lovely Bathroom Window!

For just a few dollars!

Warm Cozy Recy-Mittens

Warm Cozy Recy-Mittens

First go to the thrift store or search your closet for either wool or cashmere old sweaters that no longer fit or have a few holes or you just don't like anymore to wear.

Here I choose a pink cashmere cardigan that had a few holes in it and I washed it in hot water and dried it on hot in the drier to shrink it up and make the knit nice and tight to sew. This is called felting.

Step 2-
I made a temp-plate and traced out 2 for the back mitten shapes and 2 for the front mitten shapes. 

Step 3-

I cut out my mitten shape out of the sweater. I chose 2 from the back of the sweater and 2 from the front of the sweater using the pockets in my mitten design for a cute extra special unique boutique look.

Step 4-
Pin the back and the front together matching up edges and placing the outside on the inside. Sew together and turn inside out.

Step 5- 
Turn in side out and cut any threads. Here you see the back hand of my mittens with the pocket from the front of the sweater and the front (palm) of the mittens. 
Note the nice cuff from the edge of the sweater.

Step 6-
I decided I needed a little bling so I hand stitched a few beads using silver metallic thread on the edge of the pocket from my stash I already owned.

Now my mittens are all done and for free! 

Cute and warm and soft. 

I can't wait to enjoy them later today.

Buckets of Spuds!

Today I spent some time thinking and writing out what I need and want to do in the 2013 and trying to decide when it needs to happen.

Don't we all do this?

We always start out the New Year with such high expectation of ourselves and set high goals to achieve.

First thing I need is to build a nice notebook with a 2013 calendar and lots of dividers. This will help big time with keeping track of all the dates, times and little details with record keeping.

One of my biggest goals is to grow lots and lots of food and plan and plant not only for this year but for the future like more fruit trees and perennial batches.

I also want to keep track of the cost I pay to plant and grow and how much I harvest VS. the cost it would have been for me to just buy it in a store. But still nothing beats knowing whats in my food and on it when my children place it in their mouths.

I also realized today while out in the garden that I do not have nearly enough 5 gal. buckets to plant my potato plants in. WHAT? HUH?

I came across this great article awhile ago about planting potato plants in buckets and how it makes the harvesting of the potatoes so much easier because they are all neatly growing in the bucket.

This year I am going to give this method a try! It also claims that the space is way less and the yield of food is greater with this method. I guess we shall see!

Just finished texting my husband who works in the field of construction to not to forget to gather me up those paint/Spackle buckets that are thrown out on the job sites. My favorite cost for supplies FREE!

I am thinking I will need about 30 or so before spring. :-)

But for now I can lay out the plastic to defer weeds and every time I get a bucket place it upside down for now to keep it clean till it's time to fill with earth and potatoes.

The New Year's Food Budget 2012...can it be achieved?!

3 days ago started the 2012 new years budget as I begin paying bills marked due by 2012 and purchased food for the up coming week. I gave myself the budget of $50 to feed my family of 5 for the week. So far for week number one I have managed to do this. I also gave myself a budget of $30 instead of about $100 for the family new years celebration and yes I managed to hold up to that too and did I cut corners?... why yes I did but honestly no one even noticed the menu was down sized to fewer choices but bigger proportions.

The menu for the celebration is.
English muffin pizzas
mini cupcake pan quiches (broc and cheddar and spinach and swiss.)
pig in a blanket
and over loaded potato skins.
For a fancy punch for the kids is fruit juice with ginger ale to make it bubble

Our weekly menu for meals is ...

Breakfast -
pancakes with fresh fruit,
oatmeal with fresh fruit,
eggs and toast
yogurt with granola and fruit
homemade bagels with homemade jam and peanut butter
milk or OJ

Lunches-
 left overs
 ham or bologna sandwiches with cheese.
soup and salad
 homemade cookies or rice krispie treats
 fresh fruit
carrot and celery sticks
drinks.

Dinner -
Monday- roasted chicken. mash potatoes and carrots
Tuesday - Chicken and Broc Alfredo.  (using some of the left over chicken) and a salad and bread
Wednesday - Meat loaf, peas, mash potatoes
Thursday - Over stuffed, double baked potatoes with broc. cauliflower, cheddar cheese, chicken from the roasted one and bacon. and salad
Friday - Scrap pizza with bread sticks.

Dessert

pudding and jello

I hope it all works out well this will free up on the avgerage of $100 a week to place towards othe debt.

Happy News Years Everyone and please Be Safe!

A New Beginning...2012!

As I sit here thinking of things I would like to chance like, money, relationships, organization to be better and more I am reminded of the things I can not change like my battle with cancer is not over and I have 7 weeks Monday thru Friday of radiation still.

I only hope God gives me the strength and the knowledge to continue with my life and the wonderful ways he has taught me to be with friends and family. My relationship with my husband has never been better in both worldly love and spiritually!

One of the biggest chances that will effect us the hardest is living up to the no credit way of life that God has expressed many times over to be a sin. If that means to live without then that is what God wishes.

I am actually looking forward to a more 1950's way of life then I have been trying to live already.

I hope you all follow along while we go through this very hard process in this 2012 way of life. The outside world with it's un-Godly influences can be strong at times and that is where our strength and prayers will come in handy. You can pray for us too in that we can stay focus and on track. That would be greatly received. <3

Today I started with cleaning out the bill file and setting it all up for a cash only way or life and recording for 2012. I was even able to apply a small amount of money into the savings and on a credit card.  I am hoping to not only build up the savings but take care of all the credit cards once and for all this year.

I have also asked hubby and I will do the same, to record all daily expenses to be reviewed and tracked. This will help with keeping track of un-necessary spending and possible spur of the moment spending because you will think twice before writing it down... at least I know I will.

Well enough said and I hope you follow along like I requested as we go through daily scheduling of chores and money debt recovery and crafts and baking and much much more!

Do not forget to take time with the Lord today and write your blessings and I am thankfuls  in your journal. even the smallest things are Blessings in Life!

Mama Oak

Tidy Tips...How To Organize Your Inexpensive Jewelry

Tidy Tips...

How To Organize Your Inexpensive Jewelry

I love to find flea market, yard sale, thrift store and clearance priced jewelry. But I hate having it all tangled up or not even remembering what I have in my draws and boxes to match my thrifty outfits. This is also not being responsible and respectful of your money and your items. It doesn't matter how much it was it still needs to be respected and cared for.

I don't have a huge collection but I do enjoy having it all out like a store to see what I have at a glance. But how can I get that without spending a lot of money. Seriously have you seen the price tags on those custom organizers.

Well my husband found the best way for it and not only did it fit my needs but my closet and my budget. He is an amazing and wonderful man!

In one day he cut a piece of peg board (the kind with holes in it)  to fit a weird space on my closet wall that was doing nothing but just waisting space. He carefully cut it to fit and screwed it up with two small pieces of wood to mount behind it to create a space for the hooks to hang behind the holes.

Now, I carefully purchased from Lowe's and carefully figured which hooks I needed to hang what I owned. I bought ones for bracelets and earrings and long necklaces and shorter ones.  I was even lucky to have found two basket like holders that could hold my sunglasses and huge bangles.

Now when I get dressed it's fun and I totally look forward to accessorizing.

 

It's a great feeling to be organized and the time saved it awesome!

D.I.Y. - Kitchen Scouring Pad Bird In a Nest Christmas Ornament

 Kitchen Scouring Pad Bird In a Nest Christmas Ornament

First you will need.

A glue gun and some glue sticks,

 a metal scouring pad,

 a clothespin and

a craft bird and a few leaves.

(this is a cluster/branch with all of it already attached)

I separated the cluster/branch to see what I had to work with.

Then generously apply the hot glue.

Add the leaves and berries the way you like them to the center of the nest. The bird will hide the center of the unfinished ends.

Glue the bird on with a generous amount of hot glue in the middle of the nest and on top of the unfinished ends.

Apply hot glue down the side of the clothespin.

Glue clothespin sideways to the underside of the bird nest so it will clip on to your tree branch with the bird facing you.

And there you have it!

 A Kitchen Scouring Pad Bird In a Nest Christmas Ornament.

 D.I.Y.