How to keep a pot from boiling over!!!!!

How To Keep A Pot From Boiling Over!!

 

 

Having dinner boil over is never a great way to end the day. Especially, since we have a flat top that requires scrubbing. We are thankful for Magic Erasers. Placing a wooden spoon over the pot will keep it from boiling over and making a mess.

This pot had already dripped some and the wooden spoon stopped it.

 

 

Cleaning out your garbage disposal

 

When you use your garbage disposal on a regular basis, it can get yucky. You need something to get in there and clean, deodorize and kill the odor. Lemons or oranges will do the trick.

I use this for the juice and them put them down the disposal. The helps clean out all the food debris. The oil for the rind will deodorize and manage the odor.

Homemade Laundry Soap

I started making this when my husband was in graduate school. It was cheap and easy. I really stuck. I only have to make it every 9 months or so. My kids think it is fun to make. I can find everything at the grocery store for less than $25. Or a kit is available on amazon. You can add essential oils for a custom smell.

Homemade Laundry Soap

1 box of washing soda

1 box of borax

4 bars of fels-naptha soap

Grate the bars of soap. Smash the lumps in borax and washing soda. Mix together. Store in an air tight container. I store mine in an old icing bucket.

What I buy at Aldi

If you have never been to Aldi, you should!  They are a huge money saver for my family. They are building a new one on my commute home and I am so excited.  

What to bring: A quarter and some reusable bags. The grocery carts require a quarter to release them. But, when you return the cart you get the quarter back. Aldi says this saves you money. If the carts are put away, cars cannot get dinged and Aldi is not required to purchase insurance.  Also, they do not give you bags in which to put your stuff. You can purchase bags or use left over boxes. This is a perfect use of those trendy reusable bags.  

Products I love

1. Cheese

2. Milk

3. Eggs (We eat a ton of eggs)

4. Produce!!! (There are great prices on produce)

5. Pizza crust

6. Cinnamon rolls and biscuits

7. Bread

8. Juice (frozen concentrate)

9. Frozen fruit

10. Dog food

11. Baking supplies

12. Holiday ham

What I don't love (Although, they have a double guaranty)

1. Canned fruits and veggies

2. Beauty products (unless you find name brand, which I've found before)
3) Cheez-its (The off-brand; they're a little waxy)

Other helpful hints: 

1) They usually have name-brand products at prices lower than the grocery store, but they aren't always in stock. So, get them while you can! I usually try to stock up on those items when they have them. 
2) Every once in a while I LEAVE the quarter in the grocery cart. Makes me think I'm making someone's day. Cause, come on, I would get pretty excited if I got a cart that already had a quarter in it. 

A Christmas Gift for My Coworkers

We had our annual Christmas Party last week and many of my coworkers give holiday gifts to everyone. I thought about making baked goods, but I don't have time. Instead I made a beautiful basket full of K-cups for the Kuerig.

I filled a basket with 6 boxes of kcups, wrapped it in a bag I purchased at Michaels and put a bow on top.

List of the My Favorite Blogs

Blogs have really become a part of everyday life. They are a great source of information, recipes and others on the same journey.

For healthy real/whole food eating, 100 Days of Real Food

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

The Alpha Parent who has Timeline of a Breastfeed Baby

http://www.thealphaparent.com/

Making homemade baby food, Wholesome Baby Food

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/

For the best freezer meals, Once a Month Mom

hhttp://onceamonthmom.com

For frugal living tips and recipes, Pennies and Pancakes

http://penniesandpancakes.blogspot.com/

For decorating, The Yellow Cape Cod

http://www.theyellowcapecod.com/

For amazing recipes

www.thecountrycook.net
Penny Pinchin' Mom
http://www.pennypinchinmom.com/

Keeping Salad Fresh

My kids actually like salad, and we eat it quite often. They mix salad dressings like other kids mix soda.  But, when we have leftover salad it is so difficult to keep it fresh. I found a little trick to keep it fresh longer. Place a dry paper towel in a gallon size zip lock bag with the salad. It soaks up the moisture and it won't get sticky slimy!! You can do this with cut veggies like carrots and green peppers.

Easy Way to Clean the Dishwasher

As a busy mommy, I need my appliances to work. When my dishwasher is not doing the best job, I clean it with plain old white vinegar. I use a children's cup liberated from The Olive Garden. Fill it with about a cup of white vinegar. Place it on the top rack of the dishwasher and run the dishwasher.

This makes my dishwasher work better and life can go on without hand washing dishes!

I do this every three months or so. If there is food debris in the bottom, I may have one of my kids lean in to fish them out.