Blissfully Domestic: Thirteen Frugal Momma Bath Tips

Homemade Bath Salts

1-4 lb. bag Epsom salt (this can be purchased at any drugstore)
Food Coloring or Powdered Cake coloring (Powdered Cake coloring can be purchased at a cake decorating store or craft store)
Perfume or soap safe scents

Directions: Take a 4 lb. bag of Epsom salt and dump pour it into a bowl. Then add your food coloring to the salts and mix gently with a large spoon. You can add any essential oil or perfume that you would like to the mixture (or leave this out if your family member has sensitive skin). Pour the salts into a pretty bottle or a jar and tie a ribbon at the top. For foaming bath salts, add two tablespoons of glycerin to the mixture and toss this in gently.

Blissfully Domestic: Thirteen Frugal Momma Bath Tips

Bubble Bath Finger Paints
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt,
Food coloring
Bubble bath (not the foamy type)
Water

Directions: Mix water with the flour until you get a paste. Add food coloring and bubble bath until you get the thickness you like. This works well in the bath tub. They can paint themselves or the walls and it washes right off. It may turn the water the color of the food coloring but it won’t stain the child.

Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe | Simply Recipes

Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe
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Feel free to play around with the stuffing, Mexican chorizo is great for this, but we’ve also used hot Louisiana pork sausage. Or you can skip the pork all together and just use a jack cheese stuffing.
Ingredients

* 8 poblano chiles
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
* Salt
* 1 pound Mexican chorizo (or other spicy sausage)
* 1 cup crumbled cotija cheese
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
* 12 eggs
* 1/3 cup flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 1/2 cup Monterey jack or mild cheddar cheese, shredded

Method

chile-relleno-cass-3.jpg
1 Preheat broiler. Lay chiles in a single layer on a broiling pan (not a baking sheet that will warp in the heat of the broiler) or on a rack in a roasting pan. Position the the chilies one to two inches from the broiler element. Cook until chiles are blistering and black, a few minutes on all sides. Turn chiles over and broil until blistering and black all over. Alternatively, you can blacken the chilies directly over a gas burner. Put chilies in a paper bag or thick plastic bag. Let sit 15 minutes.

2 While the chilies are cooling, heat olive oil in a large sautée pan, on medium. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes (break up any whole tomatoes before adding to the pan). Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat to low. Gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

chile-relleno-cass-1.jpg chile-relleno-cass-2.jpg

3 Carefully peel and discard the blackened skin off of the chilies. Cut off the stem ends, remove the seeds and discard. Set chiles aside on a layer of paper towels to dry.

4 In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook chorizo, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, until cooked through, about 4 minutes.

5 Preheat oven to 375°. Pour tomato sauce into the bottom of an 8×12 inch baking dish (the tomato sauce should be the consistency of a thin spaghetti sauce. If it is too thick, thin it out with a little water).

chile-relleno-cass-4.jpg

6 In a large bowl, mix chorizo, cotija, and oregano. Stuff chiles with sausage mixture and lay them on top of the tomato sauce in the pan.

7 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle chiles with half of the jack or cheddar cheese. Pour egg mixture over chiles and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

8 Bake until top starts to brown and the eggs are set but still soft, about 30 minutes.

Serves 8.

Blissfully Domestic: 5 easy ways to organize your kitchen

5 easy ways to organize your kitchen

Kitchen_organizing 1. Keep items handy. Store things where you use them. Pots and pans are best kept near the range or cooktop; mixing bowls, near the countertop you use for food preparation; plates, glasses, and flatware, near the dishwasher.

2. Keep them together. Group all like items. Store all bakeware in the same cupboard, all wooden spoons in the same ceramic crock, all spices in the same drawer.

3. Keep your most important items close by. Store your most frequently used items in the most accessible places. Keep things you use most often at eye level; store heavy items below waist level and infrequently used items on high shelves (keep a step stool within easy reach for such items) or in another area of the house. For example, if you use your oversized turkey platter only once a year, you don’t need to store it in the kitchen at all. Instead, stow it on a high shelf in the garage or basement.

4. Donate the clutter. Take an inventory of all utensils, cookware, and dishware annually. Get rid of unnecessary duplicates, items that are damaged beyond repair, or things no longer used.

5. Display with style. Keep small kitchen items in containers, see-through bins if possible, with neat, easy-to-read labels.

(source Martha Stewart Living)

Louis Pasteur Quote |

Louis Pasteur Quote

April 27th, 2008 · No Comments

Louis Pasteur Buy From Art.com

~~

“When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments: tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become.” Louis Pasteur

MrsSurvival: I put this up here because I know a lot of you

1 – First Important Lesson – Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor
gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student
and had breezed through the questions until I read
the last one:

‘What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?’

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
cleaning woman several times. She was tall,
dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question
blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if
the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

‘Absolutely,’ said the professor ‘In your careers,
you will meet many people. All are significant. They
deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
is smile and say ‘hello.’

I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.

2. – Second Important Lesson – Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:3 0 p.m., an older African American
woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway
trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had
broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.
A young white man stopped to help her, generally
unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s.. The man
took her to safety, helped her get assistance and
put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a
knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a
giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A
special note was attached..

It read:
‘Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway
the other night. The rain drenched not only my
clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying
husband’s bedside just before he passed away… God
bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving
others.’

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 – Third Important Lesson – Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,
a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and
sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

‘How much is an ice cream sundae?’ he asked.

‘Fifty cents,’ replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and
studied the coins in it.

‘Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?’ he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the
waitress was growing impatient.

‘Thirty-five cents,’ she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

‘I’ll have the plain ice cream,’ he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on
the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice
cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress
came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the
table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,
were two nickels and five pennies..

You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had
to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 – Fourth Important Lesson. – The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a
roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if
anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the
king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by
and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the
King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did
anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of
vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the
peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road. After much pushing
and straining, he finally succeeded. After the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed
a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note
from the King indicating that the gold was for the
person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The
peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 – Fifth Important Lesson – Giving When it Counts…

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had
developed the antibodies needed to combat the
illness.. The doctor explained the situation to her
little brother, and asked the little boy if he would
be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a
deep breath and saying, ‘Yes I’ll do it if it will
save her.’ As the transfusion progressed, he lay in
bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did,
seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his
face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, ‘Will I start to die right away’.

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the
doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his
sister all of his blood in order to save her but he had chosen to save her anyway.

Hidden Haven Homestead: Friday

1. Resentment. This is a poison that starts as
   something small (”He didn’t get a new roll of toilet paper” or “She
   doesn’t wash her dishes after she eats”) and builds up into something
   big. Resentment is dangerous because it often flies under our radar, so
   that we don’t even notice we have the resentment, and our partner
   doesn’t realize that there’s anything wrong. If you ever notice
   yourself having resentment, you need to address this immediately,
   before it gets worse. Cut it off while it’s small. There are two good
   ways to deal with resentment: 1) breathe, and just let it go — accept
   your partner for who she/he is, faults and all; none of us is perfect;
   or 2) talk to your partner about it if you cannot accept it, and try to
   come up with a solution that works for both of you (not just for you);
   try to talk to them in a non-confrontational way, but in a way that
   expresses how you feel without being accusatory.
2. Jealousy. It’s hard to control jealousy if you
   feel it, I know. It seems to happen by itself, out of our control,
   unbidden and unwanted. However, jealousy, like resentment, is
   relationship poison. A little jealousy is fine, but when it gets to a
   certain level it turns into a need to control your partner, and turns
   into unnecessary fights, and makes both parties unhappy. If you have
   problems with jealousy (like I once did), instead of trying to control
   them it’s important that you examine and deal with the root issue,
   which is usually insecurity. That insecurity might be tied to your
   childhood (abandonment by a parent, for example), in a past
   relationship where you got hurt, or in an incident or incidents in the
   past of your current relationship.
3. Unrealistic expectations. Often we have an idea of
   what our partner should be like. We might expect them to clean up after
   themselves, to be considerate, to always think of us first, to surprise
   us, to support us, to always have a smile, to work hard and not be
   lazy. Not necessarily these expectations, but almost always we have
   expectations of our partner. Having some expectations is fine — we
   should expect our partner to be faithful, for example. But sometimes,
   without realizing it ourselves, we have expectations that are too high
   to meet. Our partner isn’t perfect — no one is. We can’t expect them to
   be cheerful and loving every minute of the day — everyone has their
   moods. We can’t expect them to always think of us, as they will
   obviously think of themselves or others sometimes too. We can’t expect
   them to be exactly as we are, as everyone is different. High
   expectations lead to disappointment and frustration, especially if we
   do not communicate these expectations. How can we expect our partner to
   meet these expectations if they don’t know about them? The remedy is to
   lower your expectations — allow your partner to be himself/herself, and
   accept and love them for that. What basic expectations we do have, we
   must communicate clearly.
4. Not making time. This is a problem with couples
   who have kids, but also with other couples who get caught up in work or
   hobbies or friends and family or other passions. Couples who don’t
   spend time alone together will drift apart. And while spending time
   together when you’re with the kids or other friends and family is a
   good thing, it’s important that you have time alone together. Can’t
   find time with all the things you have going on — work and kids and all
   the other stuff? Make time. Seriously — make the time. It can be done.
   I do it — I just make sure that this time with my wife is a priority,
   and I’ll drop just about anything else to make the time. Get a
   babysitter, drop a couple commitments, put off work for a day, and go
   on a date. It doesn’t have to be an expensive date — some time in
   nature, or exercising together, or watching a DVD and having a
   home-cooked dinner, are all good options. And when you’re together,
   make an effort to connect, not just be together.
5. Lack of communication. This sin affects all the
   others on this list — it’s been said many times before, but it’s true:
   good communication is the cornerstone of a good relationship. If you
   have resentment, you must talk it out rather than let the resentment
   grow. If you are jealous, you must communicate in an open and honest
   manner to address your insecurities. If you have expectations of your
   partner, you must communicate them. If there are any problems
   whatsoever, you must communicate them and work them out. Communication
   doesn’t just mean talking or arguing — good communication is honest
   without being attacking or blaming. Communicate your feelings — being
   hurt, frustrated, sorry, scared, sad, happy — rather than criticizing.
   Communicate a desire to work out a solution that works for you both, a
   compromise, rather than a need for the other person to change. And
   communicate more than just problems — communicate the good things too
   (see below for more).
6. Not showing gratitude. Sometimes there are no real
   problems in a relationship, such as resentment or jealousy or
   unrealistic expectations — but there is also no expression of the good
   things about your partner either. This lack of gratitude and
   appreciation is just as bad as the problems, because without it your
   partner will feel like he or she is being taken for granted. Every
   person wants to be appreciated for all they do. And while you might
   have some problems with what your partner does (see above), you should
   also realize that your partner does good things too. Does she wash your
   dishes or cook you something you like? Does he clean up after you or
   support you in your job? Take the time to say thank you, and give a hug
   and kiss. This little expression can go a long way.
7. Lack of affection. Similarly, everything else can
   be going right, including the expression of gratitude, but if there is
   no affection among partners then there is serious trouble. In effect,
   the relationship is drifting towards a platonic status. That might be
   better than many relationships that have serious problems, but it’s not
   a good thing. Affection is important –everyone needs some of it,
   especially from someone we love. Take the time, every single day, to
   give affection to your partner. Greet her when she comes home from work
   with a tight hug. Wake him up with a passionate kiss (who cares about
   morning breath!). Sneak up behind her and kiss her on the neck. Make
   out in the movie theater like teen-agers. Caress his back and neck
   while watching TV. Smile at her often.
8. Bonus sin: Stubbornness. This wasn’t on my
   original list but I just thought about it before publishing this post,
   and had to add it in. Every relationship will have problems and
   arguments — but it’s important that you learn to work out these
   problems after cooling down a bit. Unfortunately, many of us are too
   stubborn to even talk about things. Perhaps we always want to be right.
   Perhaps we never want to admit that we made a mistake. Perhaps we don’t
   like to say we’re sorry. Perhaps we don’t like to compromise. I’ve done
   all of these things — but I’ve learned over the years that this is just
   childish. When I find myself being stubborn these days, I try to get
   over this childishness and suck it up and put away my ego and say I’m
   sorry. Talk about the problem and work it out. Don’t be afraid to be
   the first one to apologize. Then move past it to better things.

At
first, this title may sound like I am describing an orange pair of
leather shoes. But I am definately not. Apricot Leather is a large
fruit roll up. It’s made of yummy apricots, honey, and lemon juice.
Then it gets dried in the sun. My mother has an apricot tree in her
back yard and has been making this for years. She now has a fruit dryer
that she drys the leather in but I dried mine in the sun. It’s a
perfect healthy treat and my kids gobble it up.

Apricot Leather:

• 2 cups blended apricots
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• This makes 2 roll-ups depending on the size of tray

First cut the apricots in half and take out the pits. Then blend
them smooth in a blender. Next add the honey and lemon juice and give
it another spin in the blender.

Now prepare a tray with plastic wrap along the bottom covering it. I
used my Mother’s drying racks that look like window screens. Next, pour
the mix onto the plastic wrap and smooth out with a spatula. You want
it to be about 1/8″ thick.

To ensure that bugs don’t get stuck on my leather, I put another
screen rack on top and taped them together. If you don’t have something
like this, find something that would keep out the bugs, but allow air
to come in and the sun to hit it.

Now take the trays outside on a table to dry out. I let them stay
out for 24 hours. I could have done a few hours less for a more moist
leather, but I like it firmer. Then take them inside and roll up the
plastic wrap. Now you have delicious fruit leather that you can munch
on all summer, or for the next week, it doesn’t last long.

Have fun making Apricot Leather, but limit the intake or you could
be spending some time in the bathroom – apricots can run right through
your system.

Blissfully Domestic: Sweet Treat – Pumpkin Dip

Pumpkin Dip
12 Servings

3/4 cup (6 oz.) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
24 apple slices

1. Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. (I whipped for about 2-3 minutes, to get it nice and fluffy) Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth. Cover dip, and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apple.