If your child loves bling, glitter, or all things sparkly (who doesn’t??), here’s an activity that sure to be a big hit! To make your own glitter gem dough, you will need: 1 cup rock salt 1/4 cup glitter glue 3-4 drops food coloring Emily did all the measuring for this, with the exception of […]
Pink Popcorn Balls
July 24, 2009 by
This recipe is very frugal, and lots of fun (especially for the kids). It is, however, a messy project. Please note that our family is not afraid of messy projects. As Emily would say, “Messy project? Bring it ON!!” Also, it is not in the least bit healthy. My advice is to let the kids […]
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
July 19, 2009 by
A few weeks ago, my friend Kelly had several health issues all at once, and needed a bit of cheering up. So I packed up everything we needed for an impromptu tea party, loaded the Joy Committee (a.k.a. my girls) into the car, and brought the party to her. We had a fabulous time, and […]
Hot Dogs for Sale!
July 11, 2009 by
Emily was convinced that today was “Recipe Day”, and since we had some rain, it seemed like a perfect day to try out some homemade play dough! You can find the recipe we used here. We made ours in pinks, reds, and golden yellow colors so Mark could help Emily make some pretend hot dogs […]
Favorite Summer Recipe — Banana Boats
June 23, 2009 by
While we were on vacation, one of our favorite ways to end the campfires was with Banana Boats. This technique is also known as “How to make a perfectly healthy banana into a delicious junk food treat”. To make your own Banana Boats, you will need: bananas, marshmallows, chocolate, aluminum foil, and a campfire. Begin […]
More Homemade Chewy Granola Bars
June 3, 2009 by
I am absolutely loving these homemade chewy granola bars! They take very little time to prepare, do not contain high-fructose corn syrup, and the recipe can easily be modified for those allergic to peanuts. They are also less expensive than store bought granola bars. This recipe makes about 18-20 good-sized bars. I wish you could […]
Sun Tea
April 27, 2009 by
Making sun tea is one of my favorite things to do on a warm sunny day. To make your own sun tea, place a few bags of tea to a jar full of water. We used decaf green tea…. yummmm! Add some lemon slices… Place the sealed jars in a very sunny spot for…. well, […]
$5 Friday — (Semi)Homemade Thin Mints and More!
March 20, 2009 by
For today’s $5 Friday, we made semi-homemade thin mints and took a trip to the local public library. These cookies are so easy to make and taste just like the Girl Scout version — perfect for when they are not selling cookies and your stash has run out! To make your own semi-homemade thin mint […]
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
February 17, 2009 by
You did not think I paid full price for chocolate covered strawberries, did you? We made them ourselves! These were so easy to make, and so much fun! To cut costs, I waited until strawberries were buy one get one free at the grocery store, and used chocolate from an after-Christmas sale. I buy about […]
A Not So Sweet Valentine Treat
February 12, 2009 by
Emily came up with the idea for these cinnamon toast hearts, and I ran with it because they do not contain huge amounts of sugar — and she will eat it! These were made with toasted whole grain bread (cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter), topped with some butter, and cinnamon. I outlined the heart […]
Super Bowl Frugal Snack — Make Your Own Pizza
January 31, 2009 by
Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday! I thought it would be fun to post this easy (and very frugal) recipe. Our family enjoys making homemade pizza together so much that we hardly ever order delivery anymore. A bread machine takes all of the labor out of kneading the dough, and I have frequently seen […]
Top 10 Cheap and Healthy Foods
January 23, 2009 by
Epicurious has a fabulous article on some of the best money-saving ingredients (complete with recipes). This is a great resource, and you can find the list here. Do you use brown rice, potatoes, apples, eggs, beans, or any of the other ingredients listed in your everyday cooking? I would love to hear about it! Leave […]
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars and Sledding Fun
January 11, 2009 by
Mark and I took the girls sledding this afternoon, and everyone had a blast! Afterwards, Emily and I whipped up a batch of these delicious homemade granola bars while Mark visited a friend to watch the football game. We go through several boxes of granola bars every month in our household, so by learning how […]
Orange-Cranberry Scones and a Slow Morning
January 9, 2009 by
These homemade scones were a fabulous frugal breakfast treat! Mark left for work early this morning, but I was kind enough to save some for him. No high fructose corn syrup in these scones! I am not much of a baker, but I am so proud of how these turned out. They are so simple […]
What to do with one leftover (and overripe) banana
December 12, 2008 by
Being frugal frequently means coming up with creative ways to use leftovers to avoid throwing food away, but when I realized we had just one overripe banana I was not quite sure how to use it up. Most recipes for banana bread call for 4 or 5 bananas, and even banana muffin recipes usually call […]
Frugal Gift Idea — Chili Mix in a Jar
December 11, 2008 by
Nothing takes the chill out of winter like a warm bowl of chili! This mix in a jar is a quick, simple, and frugal gift idea everyone is sure to love. Kids could easily help to make this. Be sure to attach a tag with instructions to make the chili. Add some big soup bowls, […]
Frugal Gift Idea — Chocolate Covered Pretzels
December 10, 2008 by
I am not much of a baker. Instead, Emily and I did some holiday “baking” by making chocolate covered pretzels. There is no measuring required, and they are always delicious. Wrap in cellophane bags and tie with ribbon for a great (and frugal) gift! To make chocolate covered pretzels, you will need: 1 bag of […]
Frugal Gift Idea — Homemade Bath Salts
November 30, 2008 by
There is nothing more relaxing than a nice warm bath with scented bath salts, and I thought bath salts would make a great holiday gift. That is, until I saw how much they cost. Have you seen the outrageous prices of bath salts recently?? This prompted me to come up with a homemade version […]
