This week I found myself wiped out from a recurring back injury and after a very effective deep tissue massage, my massage therapist recommended that I follow it up with some Emergen-C as well as the bucket load of water I already was going to drink.

Supposedly the extra nutrition from the Emergen-C combined with drinking the extra water helps with the soreness that sometimes follows a deep tissue massage. I knew about the water, but hadn’t heard the nutrional recommendation before, but I was willing to give it a try.

I happen to have some Emergen-C left over from our road trip first aid kit, but needed another way to drink it – cuz the only way I like it is mixed with really cold bottled water, which I didn’t have. 

So I thought I’d do an experiment – how would it taste in a  banana orange smoohie recipe?

Oh my goodness – you’ve got to try this! It’s like drinking a Dreamcicle. Yum!

It even passed the kid test (I didn’t tell them I boosted it).

So here it is, my new Banana Orange Smoothie Recipe, with the optional nutritional boost:

1 banana

1 -2 cups vanilla almond milk, depending on how thick you like your smoothies

a heaping large spoonful of frozen concentrated orange juice

a handful of ice cubes

1 packet of Emergen-C, orange flavored (tangarine might work as well)

Dump it all into your favorite blender, and blend to taste (but be sure to use a setting that can handle ice cubes, cuz I’ve burned out more blenders on ice cubes and frozen bananas, and it’s not fun going without smoothies!)

Drink cold, hopefully with all those little yummy ice chips in there …yum!

Now if I can only find a way to keep J from drinking my smoothies… just kidding – just don’t tell him they are healthy for him

Recently while cooking dinner, I realized I had run out of laundry soap – and didn’t have time – or ability – to run to the store. So J volunteered to make up some homemade powdered laundry detergent for me, if I would teach him how. (what a great kid!)

And then he agreed to do it all on camera so you can learn how to make homemade laundry soap too, just in case you ever have a need

The cost breakdown for homemade laundry soap is equal to about the cheapest laundry soap available on the market, but it is quick and easy to do, and a real time saver if you are caught in a pinch like I was.

Budget wise – I also consider it a time saver and money saver, because I can’t seem to get through a grocery store with *just* one item, so just having the ingredients on hand helps. And if money is tight having the ingredients already on hand, makes it much easier to make a new batch of homemade laundry detergent without figuring out where the money is going to come from to make another shopping run.

For ingredients, you need:

• a bar laundry soap (Fel Naptha, Zote, or any other bar laundry soap), usually costs about a $1
• washing soda , found in the laundry isle, usually costs about $3-4
• Borax, also found in the laundry isle, usually costs between $4-5

The washing soda and Borax will last you a while (the recipe only calls for 1 cup), and I usually just make sure I have a bar of Fels Naptha on hand (especially during poison oak/sumac season).

In all I think it costs about 5 to 10 cents per load, depending on how much you pay for your ingredients and if you use the optional Oxiclean (or generic) like I do in the video.

And then just follow the instructions in the video… it’s really that fast and easy.  And then all you need is 1 Tablespoon per load, 2 if the kids’ clothes are particularly dirty.

Enjoy!

…Shannon

P.S. If you aren’t able to see the video, here’s the short version of the homemade laundry soap recipe:

Mix together 1 bar of laundry soap (grated), 1 cup of washing soda, and 1 cup of Borax

Yep, that easy.

P.S.S.  If you have young children in the house and you make your own anything, be sure to write the ingredients on the container you use, so that if there’s ever an accident that involves you or a babysitter calling poison control, you can just read the ingredients off the container rather than trying to remember what’s in there.

For weeks I’ve been craving chili. Because I can only eat Turkey or Vegetarian chili, my options in the grocery store are limited and unfortunately not as healthy as I would like.  So I gave in this week and made up a big batch of chili in my Crock-Pot (slow cooker).

I have several recipes, depends on what I have on hand. But this Turkey Chili recipe is one that nearly everyone in my family of picky eaters likes. Adapted from a Tex-Mex Chili recipe found in the Hands of a Child‘s Texas lapbook project pack, it’s a little spicier than my mild crew usually eats, but with sour cream and shredded cheese they really like it.

I make chili in as big of a batch as I can (doubling or tripling the recipe) and then package it up in snack and lunch sizes and keep it in the freezer for quick meals later on. (See below for some serving ideas.)  If I make a big enough batch, I’ll also freeze another meal size portion and have it on hand for those nights that I’m too busy or tired to cook.

Turkey Chili

1 pound lean ground turkey* (I use 93% fat free)
2 14 oz cans red kidney beans**

1 cup chopped celery (optional)
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper (optional)
½ cup or more of shredded or minced carrots (optional)

1 pound can of diced or pureed tomatoes
10 ounce can of tomatoes with green chilis (Mexican style or Rotel work)***
1 can of V8 vegetable juice (or another brand that is available to you) (optional)
6 ounce can of tomato paste

3 cloves minced garlic
4 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Then brown meat with the onions.
2.  Pour mixture into slow cooker.
3. Add all other ingredients and mix together.
4. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Serving ideas:
- Serve in a bowl with shredded cheese and sour cream available for toppings.
- Serve with corn bread
- Serve on top of baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream.
- Serve on top of steamed rice
- Use to make chili nachos with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, and olives.

Substitutions:
*Instead of ground turkey, you can use 90% or better lean ground beef. Try to stay with the lean ground beef to keep the fat content down.

** I’ve also used ½ kidney beans and ½ pinto beans with success.

***If you can also use a 10 ounce can of canned tomatoes with 1 small can of chopped green chilis.

A note on optional items:
If I have these itmes on hand, I put them in, especially since they boost the nutritional value. But I have children who don’t like to recognize hunks of vegetables in their food, so I cut these as small as I can or shred them. By the time they cook down, they aren’t recognizable and my crew will eat them with no problem.  (They don’t care that the vegetables are in there, they just don’t want to see them when they are eating them – go figure)

Cost savings tips:

• Buy dried beans and make them up ahead of time and keep them in the freezer for later use in Chili and other dishes.

 

• Buy lean turkey (or beef) on sale and/or in bulk, package it in the sizes you need, and keep in freezer for later use in chili and other recipes. I’ve found by shopping around that Sam’s Club in my area has the best price on lean ground beef and lean ground turkey.  In another area we lived, we had another store that offered 10lb bulk packs of lean ground turkey for a lot less than buying it in smaller amounts.

 

• If you have fresh tomatoes in your garden, use these instead of canned tomatoes. They add wonderful flavor, especially if you mix the types of tomatoes.

 

• Buy canned products when they are on sale and, if you have them, with coupons. Then keep them on hand for when you are ready to make up a batch of chili. (If you don’t have a pantry, try storing canned goods in unused spaces, like under beds.)

 

• If you don’t have the spices on hand and don’t usually use these particular seasonings, look for them in bulk spice bins and buy only the amount you need.

 

Dining out is our biggest budget buster, so I keep an arsenal of really easy and fast recipes (and their ingredients) around. Here’s one that is great on nights I just don’t want to cook. It goes together quickly and comes out yummy.  Serves well with rice and salad. And, all four kids like it (amazing!).

Italian Chicken

3 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, de-fatted and cut in half (to make six
pieces)

½ jar of your favorite pasta sauce

Shredded mozzarella cheese to taste

Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven 425 degrees F

2.  In a 9×13 glass baking dish, pour a small amount of the pasta
sauce, just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan

3.  Place the six chicken breast pieces in the baking dish

4.  Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken so each piece is covered
with sauce.

5.  Sprinkle a little mozzarella and parmesan cheese on each breast. (a
little goes a long ways)

6.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven for 35 to 45 minutes.
Note: I usually keep already de-fatted and cut up chicken breasts in the freezer, and that works wonderfully. No need to defrost, just use the frozen chicken breasts and increase the baking time to 1 hour.

5 yr old making pizza

Pizza is a staple in our house. Every Friday night is pizza night.  I usually make up dough on Friday afternoon for Friday night pizza. But we love pizza and calzones for snacks and quick meals as well. 

Here’s our favorite pizza sauce recipe along with a few easy ways to serve up quick pizza snacks:

Favorite Pizza Sauce Recipe

1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
6 oz. water
1 tsp of powdered garlic (for garlic lovers – fresh chopped garlic is wonderful as well)
1 tsp of Italian herbs
Honey to taste (1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon, depending on your taste)

In a bowl or saucepan, combine tomato paste, water, garlic, Italian herbs, and honey. If you are in a hurry, use immediately. If not, heat over low-medium heat to infuse flavors.  Freeze any extra for future use.

Pizza Snack Ideas:

Bagel pizzas: Smear on ½ bagel or mini-bagel and sprinkle with cheese. Heat until cheese is melted

French bread pizzas: Slice French bread open horizontally. Spread sauce over bread. Sprinkle with toppings and cheese. Heat until cheese is melted.

Calzones: Use left-over pizza dough - or other premade pizza dough. Spray a pan with non-stick spray or a light dose of olive oil. Break dough into about 2 inch balls and flatten each with the heel of your hand. On one half of each, place 1T of pizza sauce, cheese, and other favorite topping ingredients. Fold over and pinch the edges together. Cook in a preheated oven at 450 for about 15-20 minutes (depends on the size of your calzones).

(These supposedly freeze well but I’ve never been able to try it because they get eaten so fast at our house.)