How’s this for chaos? Last May little Mclaren was overdue by 2 weeks, we closed the deal on our home and attempted to move all in the span of 2 weeks For for the record, I did NOT scrapbook this moment.

The painter was here so long the kids started referring to as their uncle, the furnace had to be unexpectedly replaced and through all of this we were dealing with false labor pains. Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it.

But we survived, a few grays emerged on my head and a few gray hairs left my hubby’s. But the key word is we survived, and I am so glad we did because I love the new house. Our home.

Don’t get me wrong, I was reluctant to leave the farm and the security of my parents. If it was not for the no more children clause they strategically (in minuscule print I might add) placed in our rental agreement, I probably would be still there protesting the eviction. In all seriousness we knew it was time. My parents were in the basement apartment and the overhead noise was only going to get worst with the not so tiny pitter patter of heavy clunky toddler feet. We needed our very own place as they did theirs. So we found this little gem complete with a dozen contrasting floral wallpaper…all of which were not placed over primed walls. Feel my pain? I will never support a wallpaper comeback regardless of who on HGTV says it is the in thing, I cannot stomach the stuff.

Wanna see my once pink kitchen? I didn’t zoom out for a full shot, too much pink, way too much.

I can see all of your curled up noses now.  Believe it or not that is a pink painted brick back splash.  No, that doesn’t sound hideous enough.  Here’s a better description, it’s a painted pink zebrick backsplash.  That is right up there with fuzzy textured snot green wallpaper circa 1970 surprisingly enough I have not unearthed any as of yet.

So here is my new, but not quite complete kitchen

I still have a wood counter top and apron front sink to install, bead board ceiling and outdoor light fixtures to get up. Note how I strategically centered the picture to avoid showing off the hideous ceiling and floors, not to mention the pile of junk that was there a mere 10 seconds before.  I should seriously learn to photoshop to avoid such hassle.

When all the above has been checked off my honey “do” list,  I will zoom out and take the full shot.

Even if I was filthy rich I would still resort to the following frugal tip….come to think of it I would probably do most of them because it’s fun.  This one would especially follow me into my new mansion (I can dream can’t I?) homemade dishwashing detergent.

I admit I was a skeptic.  After reading many tips and recipes on this subject I found mostly negative results and reviews.  Because of this I stuck to my trusty homemade laundry soap and dared not to venture where Borax should not go.  All the while I silently cursed every time I squeezed the final drop of Palmolive and had to run to the store  because my house came to a screeching halt when the dishwasher was silent.  I know what you are thinking, I could always resort to washing by hand but I have done that for many years and I did not want to go back there.

I finally ran across this wonderful article on the “Amazing Dishwasher” by Amy of Mom Advice where she mentioned a recipe that she personally uses and endorses.  Since I had tonnes of Borax and Arm and hammer wash soap I thought I had nothing to lose and went for it.  A total of 5 seconds later I had a batch whipped up and proceeded to run the load through.  Keep in mind this load had been sitting there for nearly 2 days due to my sheer determination to not do them by hand.  Upon completion, I sheepishly opened the door fully expecting there to be a heavy film over everything not to mention part of the meatloaf consumed two nights earlier.  Much to my surprise everything was sparkling clean….wow.  I wanted to test this out a couple of times before signing its praises, so after three more loads without my families knowledge the dishes were radiant.

Because Borax and Arm and hammer wash soda are septic safe I am assuming they are somewhat environmentally friendly.  I am all for going green but with a family of 6 and a neverending stream of caked on dirty dishes I needed something more than a little earth friendly rose water and a prayer.  I needed the big guns and I think this is a decent compromise.

So here is the recipe, give it a try and let me know what you think.

1 cup Borax

1 cup washing soda (Arm and Hammer)

1/4 cup salt

I mix all together and fill my dispensers before starting.  She also suggests keeping the rinse agent area filed with vinegar.

For more works for me Wednesday’s and frugal ideas visit We are that family

Nice combination eh?  Yes, that egg IS that big and I would hate to come face to face with the hen that deposited that one.

So what does that unlikely combination have to do with this topic?  Well, one of our favourite family recipes has to be egg Mcmuffins.  We make these on our outdoor occasions, most recently this one I wrote about.  To make our egg’s even and round we cook them inside a tuna can.  Simply cut the top and bottom out and place in the centre of the skillet. When flipping you can easily run the metal spatula underneath the egg and tin and flip it.  Now they are familiar in shape to those calorie packed, artery clogging goodies normally bought at the golden arches.

For those similar to Subway simply spray the insides of a round Tupperware container with Pam and whisk an egg, some milk and a little butter.  The egg pops out easily and can them be piled with fresh veggies.

No more misshapen, lopsided egg mcmuffins.  Not like they tasted bad like that but sometimes presentation is nice….sometimes.

For more great kitchen tips visit Tammy’s recipes

Originally posted April 08

I spent a relaxing Thursday evening reviewing my recipe binder, favourites saved online and my collection of to try recipes from magazine clippings to come up with our menu for the month of March.

Thanks to my efforts in February, a great portion of our meals are freezer dishes I prepared in duplicate last month.  Although it was a great deal of work at the time I am going to reap those rewards this month.  I came up with a list of approximately 26 meals, leaving room for leftovers and other unexpected events for the remaining days.  This list is posted on my fridge in plain sight and meals are crossed off as each one is consumed.  The upside to this system: plenty of variety at the first of the month.  Downside? By month end it’s slim pickings in the Steven’s household but so far it’s working wonders for me at this stage of my life.

In addition to our meals I plan a half a dozen sweets and desserts to make over the course of the month.  Here is my lineup for March.

• banana chocolate chip cookies
• applesauce bread
• granola bars
• oatmeal cookies
• coffee cake

For more meal ideas visit Laura over at I’m an Organizing Junkie

After spending money on the design and construction of our large primitive harvest table

I came to one conclusion……….

The plastic funky coloured high chair killed the decor…..DEAD.

When pregnant with my first I remember saying something along the lines of “a baby is not going to kill my primitive country decor, no way, no how” that is until that little bundle of bodily fluids came home and my home has been his domain ever since.  Slowly, my primitive decorating pieces climbed higher and higher up the walls and contents on shelves quickly emptied and found new homes nestled away in the back of drawers.  Yes, I am eating crow on that statement and I quickly found myself manoeuvring around large cumbersome baby swings and purple plastic high chairs…I am pretty sure the first settlers of the 19th century did not have a giant ducky Jolly Jumper in their doorway.

Thankfully I ran across an ad on Kijiji for a wooden high chair that would discretely blend into the look of our harvest table.  This was a compromise I could live with.  As the youngest starting becoming more independent, I saw the need for the more secure plastic chair dwindling, I have been on the lookout for a mate ever since. I could have gone to a restaurant supply store and purchase a new one but that would go against my love of recycling.  I needed to wait.  My good friend Katie was looking out for me and e-mailed the ad which I quickly followed suit with a good half dozen desperate pleas ..I NEEDED that matching chair.

I just went and picked it up, although they are different colours I am planning to have hubby sand down and stain the chair to match not only each other but the table as well.

There …..the pilgrims of yesteryear would surely approve.

Several weeks back we were visiting with our good friends, Stef and Brad and somehow got on the topic of being frugal. I candidly explained what I do with all of those leftover heels from the loaves of bread. Brad quickly explained that because Stef and the boys will not eat crusts, he ends up consuming them to avoid being wasteful. I had to chuckle because I do the very same thing.  Actually they have become my favourite part of toast and I would rather eat a plate of crusts than the innards any day.  But a gal can only eat so many bread ends so I simply stash them in the freezer for homemade crumbs.

We decided last spring that we needed to admit defeat and purchase a chest freezer. Between the freezer burnt chicken and broken toes from frozen minute maid juice rolling out of any minuscule spot left available, we knew it was time. With our family expanding and my inability to pass up a great deal on meat and produce our little freezer space was quickly diminishing.

With the new freezer in place our fridge freezer was left to hold items used on a regular basis such as coffee and fries (we practically use equal amounts of these) Amongst those items are numerous amounts of bread bags with nothing in them but the ends. This is my system:
When we finish a loaf and all that remains are the two ends, I simply toss the bag and remnants into a corner of the freezer. Quite the conversation piece should anyone open our freezer. When I can no longer fit my can of coffee amongst the baggies I know it is time to clean it out.
I toss all of the slices on a large cookie sheet and place in a low oven for approx 6 hours. Ensure that they have dried out completely before setting aside to cool. Once complete, I simply toss them into a food processor to pulverize. Now I have an abundance of crumbs to use in recipes such as topping for my tuna casserole or any other dish that calls for a crumb topping. I also use these to make my own shake n bake and homemade stuffing.(below is the stuffing on top of my turkey casserole)

By setting up a spot to toss the bread in you can easily make your own crumbs. These are not only healthy but most of all frugal. I have see small containers at the grocery store for appox $2.50 and packages of Shake N’ Bake for more.

So Brad you shall never HAVE to eat a heel again!

PS don’t forget to swing by Tammy’s site for some great recipes. I use her site all the time. Also check out her recipe for homemade shake n bake in addition to the above tips.

(originally posted in Feb 08)