Scented Cinnamon Ornaments

If you have gone to the trouble to make someone homemade gifts, go the extra mile and make the presentation and packaging special too. It can make the difference between an "oh, thank you" gift and a "how cute is this, I love it, it’s adorable!" gift.

This following recipe can be used for more than just ornaments for your tree. Tuck them in different corners of your house to add a lovely spicy scent here and there. It is also fun to tuck a few into a package you are shipping or delivering so when the person opens the package he or she gets a wonderful Christmas smell before even seeing the gift.

Scented Cinnamon Ornaments

1 cup cinnamon
1 Tbsp. cloves
1 Tbsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp. white glue
ribbon

In a bowl, mix the spices. Add applesauce and glue, stirring until well blended. Work mixture until dough is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Divide into 4 portions and roll each portion on a floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutters of desired shapes. Using a straw or toothpick, make a small hole in the top of each ornament. Place on wire racks and allow to dry at room temperature for several days.

(For more uniform drying, turn ornaments over once each day.) Thread ribbon through holes to form garland. You can also glue to a wooden hoop, forming a wreath and decorate with ribbon as desired. Makes approximately 32 two-inch ornaments. DO NOT EAT!

For more creative holiday recipes, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook!

photo by: davefayram

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Quick and Easy Snack Mix

If you need a really fast snack or treat for company or a party, go to your dollar store and buy a couple of boxes of caramel corn. Add things like candy corn, raisins,dried fruit, nuts, pretzels or any other candies and things you would like.

Be sure to hit your after Halloween or Christmas sales to find candy to use in this.

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Halloween Treats and Not So Scary Food Ideas

I found some cute ideas over at www.delish.com that had some not so scary food ideas for Halloween. Some of these were cute and some most people know about but it might give you some more ideas. These are simple things you can do if you are going to have a Halloween party like our $25 Halloween Party.

If you want some scary Halloween foods, check out these from www.cutefoodforkids.com

      -Tawra

For lots more creative and inexpensive Halloween Ideas, check out the Halloween On A Dime e-book here!

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My son sent me this neat idea from www.lifehacker.com – a cookie bowl.

Just turn a muffin tin upside down, grease it, press cookies dough around each muffin cup and then bake as usual. 

You can fill these with ice cream, pudding, mousse or even fill with candies for the different holidays. Use you imagination and go for it.

 -Jill

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Saving Money on Cool Treats This Summer

It’s the middle of summer and everyone is hot, tired and bored. Here are a couple of cool treats that may help perk everyone up. 

Orange Pops

1 package (3 oz.) orange gelatin
1 envelope (.15oz) unsweetened orange soft drink mix
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water

In a bowl, mix first 4 ingredients until dissolved. Stir in cold water. Pour in molds or paper cups and insert Popsicle stick. Freeze.

*You could use strawberry gelatin and strawberry drink mix or you could try other flavors. Don’t forget lemon or lime. Mix and match to see what interesting new taste you can come up with.

Rocky Road Fudge Pops

1 package (3 oz.) cook and serve chocolate pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
12 paper cups (3 oz. each)
12 Popsicle sticks

Cook pudding and milk until slightly thickened and bubbly. Let cool for 20 minutes, stirring a few times. Divide chocolate chips and peanuts between cups. Stir marshmallow creme into pudding. Pour into cups. Insert Popsicle sticks and freeze.

Lemonade Pops

Mix your favorite batch of lemonade, whether fresh squeezed or made from a mix. Then freeze.

Lemonade is refreshing itself but to have it in the form of a frozen treat can put you over the top.

Photo By: Kathy Mackey

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Easy Homemade Baby Food

I have to say, when I see a mom whose cart is just full of baby food at the store, I just cringe. Homemade baby food is one of the quickest, easiest and most inexpensive things you can make so why spend hundreds of dollars buying the little jars? I’ve had four kids and bought a total of about 20 jars of baby food. Most of those jars of baby food were for trips.

Here are a couple quick and easy ways to make baby food:

Steam vegetables or fruits in a small amount of water. You can start with peas, green beans, apples, peaches, pears or sweet potatoes.

For meats: boil in some water until tender. Chicken is a good meat to start with.

Cool. Puree with water or breast milk in a blender or food processor until smooth. I just use a hand blender and I have baby food in about 30 seconds. Just rinse off the blender and you’re done!

Freeze the baby food puree in ice cube trays.

 When frozen, place your homemade baby food cubes in a freezer bag.  Take as many cubes as you need for a meal. Simply defrost and serve.

The Fast and Easy Homemade Baby Food Method

When I’m in a hurry, I just open a can of vegetables or fruit and puree it right in the can with my hand blender. It’s quick and easy. I drain off some of the juice but not all of it. 

Of course, you can always just open a jar of applesauce and give it to them.

If you are on the go: You can store homemade baby food in small half cup containers that are easy to grab and run.

Using Food From You Dinner

You can always use leftovers from your dinner to make baby food, too.  Just puree and freeze it as above.

If the leftovers have seasonings on them, I just rinse them off before pureeing.  Tawra

photo by: lovelihood,   shell_belle, chronic-shock

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S’mores Tips

S’mores are amazing things. They can be eaten all year round as snacks or desserts and lots of people, young and old alike, love them. These tips are especially good to keep on hand when the kids want some s’mores and you don’t have a piece of chocolate in the house.

Here are some modern day twists on an old time favorite snack.

• Use chocolate chips or leftover Easter bunnies in place of the candy bar.

• Forget the chocolate altogether. Spread a graham cracker with strawberry or raspberry jam, add a roasted marshmallow and a slice or two of strawberry (or even a slice of banana).
• Spread cinnamon graham crackers with softened cream cheese and fruit.

• This isn’t a s’more idea but I love to spread butter on a cinnamon graham cracker, top it with a second one and dunk it in my coffee for breakfast.

• Chocolate graham crackers are also great spread with peanut butter and slices of banana.
• Cook the marshmallow over the stove. I just put knife in the middle of the marshmallow and then toast it over my electric stovetop.

Here is a good summer S’more dessert you can make and keep handy in the freezer:

Ice Cream S’mores

9 graham crackers, broken crosswise in half to make 18 squares
1 cup hot fudge sauce
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 pint (2 cups) chocolate ice cream, softened

Place 9 graham crackers in a foil lined 9 inch square pan. Spread with half the fudge sauce, sprinkle with marshmallows, spread with ice cream and the rest of fudge sauce. Then cover with the rest of the graham crackers. Freeze overnight or for several hours. Take out of the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Then cut into squares.

photo by: hlkljgk

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Delicious Hash Brown Bake

This recipe is a great quick and easy way to use leftovers! You can add fried sausage, crumbled bacon or diced ham to this recipe and use it for breakfast. If you have leftover hamburger, toss it or some veggies in for dinner.

Years ago, one of the mainstays of people’s diets was hash, which is all the leftovers from the previous day thrown together with some finely diced or grated potatoes and fried in a pan. I wonder if that is why they are called "hash" browns because it was what everyone used for hash?

      -Jill

Hash Brown Bake

2 lbs. frozen hash browns (slightly thawed)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken or celery soup
8 oz. sour cream
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup crushed potato chips

Combine all except 1/2 cup cheese and potato chips. Place in a 9×13 baking dish. Cover with remaining cheese and potato chips. Bake for 1 1/4 hours at 350°.

For more money saving recipes and tips, check out the Dining On A Dime Cookbook.

photo by:  lindstorm

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With snow in most of the country I thought I would post these recipes and tips for a fun frugal snow day. I put some pictures of our place too! Enjoy!

Tawra

Snow Ice Cream

You can see the snow ice cream video here.

Snow Ice Cream

1/2 cup milk or cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 cereal bowls fresh clean snow.

Mix milk, sugar and vanilla together. Stir until vanilla is dissolved.  Add fresh snow and stir gently until it is thoroughly mixed.  Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Genuine Kansas Weather Gnome

The directions say, "If it’s covered in snow, it’s snowing!"

Snow Cones

Crushed Ice or Snow
1 pkg. flavored drink mix (flavor of your choice)

Mix drink mix with half as much water as the directions indicate. Chill 1 hour. Just before serving, crush some ice or pack snow into your cup. You can use either a snow cone maker or put some ice cubes in a plastic bag and pound with hammer. Pack ice chips into cups, pour chilled drink mix over the ice and serve. You can also use fruit juice boiled down to half with food coloring added:

• Apple juice: green or red food coloring

• Grape juice: purple food coloring

First, a stay dry tip: Slip plastic sacks over the kids feet to keep them dry. Put them on over the socks and the put on their shoes. Tie the handles around their legs.

If you don’t have a 4-wheeler get out the lawn mower!

Baby Jack’s First Sledding!

Snow Surfing In Kansas. This is how you have fun in the snow with no hills!

From our snow storm 2 weeks ago

Jack’s first time in the snow (with mom not feeling so great

Elly and BJ collecting snow to make igloo bricks. They used a plastic tub to make the snow bricks.

BJ and David working on the igloo

Elly and Mike posing with the final product.

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How to Make Snow Ice Cream

A few years back, we made this "How To Make Snow Ice Cream" video, which has been very popular with many readers! If you get snow, try making it… and be sure to use clean snow!

Will Snow Ice Cream Kill You? Tawra was interviewed about this subject by Al Coombs at CJBK radio in London, Ontario.

Listen to the radio interview here: Will Snow Ice Cream Kill You? 

Watch our "How To Make Snow Ice Cream" video below!

Find recipes for Snow Ice Cream and Snow Cones here!

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