Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

Make a big pot and freeze for later!

What you need:

1 large can of tomato sauce (approx. 29 oz)
1 large can of diced tomatoes (approx. 28 oz)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes (approx.  29 oz) {I like to use the kind with Basil}
1 can of tomato paste (approx. 6 oz)
2 cups of water
3 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional:
1 pound ground beef (I use 80/20)
1 can of mushrooms
1 bell pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped

How To:

If you chose to add meat, brown your meat first and drain. Then, put all ingredients (including any of the "optionals") in a big pot, bring to a boil, reduce to a shimmer and cook on medium to low heat for about 3 hours stirring occasionally. I will add extra water throughout out the cooking process as I feel it needs it. Yep... it is that easy! This recipe gives you about 4 "cookings" worth of pasta sauce so I usually use one the day I make it and then store the rest in freezer bags to freeze then thaw and use later. Remember... freezing makes eating homemade easier!

***If you try this recipe or have any additional tips and/or ideas please leave me a comment... I would love to hear from you!***

Red, White and Blue Trifle

With the 4th of July just around the corner I wanted to share a super easy and super delicious dessert with you that I made this past Memorial Day. If you read some of my other posts you may know that my husband and I are trying to eat better and while this dessert has a lot of fruit this is one for a day that we are feeling like indulging ourselves and those around us just a little... it is my "Red, White and Blue Trifle" and it may very well be my husband's new favorite dessert... I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1- Box of white cake mix as well as the ingredients to prepare your cake
Blue food coloring
16 oz- whipped topping
2- 3.4 oz boxes of instant cheesecake pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
1- Pint strawberries
1- Pint blueberries

How To

Prepare your white cake per the box directions and add in a few drops of the blue food coloring to get a nice blue color. Bake the cake per the box directions and then allow to fully cool. While your cake is cooling slice your strawberries and prepare your whipped topping mixture. Add two packets of 3.4 oz instant pudding into 2 1/2 cups cold milk and whisk out all clumps fold in 16 oz of whipped topping. Store in the refrigerator until ready to start layering. Once cooled cut your cake into small square pieces (I cut mine into about 2" or 3" squares) and then you are ready to start layering your trifle. I start with the whipped mixture, then cake, then sprinkle on some blueberries and layer in some strawberries. Make sure you are making the area around the edge of the bowl look nice as that is what everyone will see and what make this trifle so special. Top that with more whipped mixture and keep on layering. For the top of my trifle I cut some of the extra cake squares I had into thinner slices and used them to decorate the top but feel free to get creative and make a creation that you like! Store in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy. I wouldn't make this more than 1 day in advance and is really best the day of. ENJOY!

***If you try this recipe I would love to hear how you like it, and if you have any other recipes or DIY suggestions for me feel free to leave me a comment!***

DIY Baby Wipes

Why?

Why in this world would you make your own baby wipes? Well because I can of course. Plus... have you added up how much you might spend in a year on store bought wipes? The brand we typically buy when we purchase from the store (and they aren't the expensive ones) are about $1.80 per pack of 75 wipes. When buying strictly store bought wipes we went through, on average, 3 packs every two weeks. That's over $140 a year. With my homemade wipes we use one roll (which is two sets of wipes... you will see what I mean in a minute) every two weeks. I buy the six pack of Scott Paper Towels which are $5.95 so .99 a roll or about .50 per container of 102 wipes. Once you invest in your other ingredients the paper towels are all that you need. But for the sake of cost figuring... 2 tablespoons of coconut oil is about .18 and one tablespoon of baby shampoo is about .10, and as I said, you are also only using half of the paper towel roll so approximately .50 there for a grand total of .78 for over 100 wipes. This cost per year is around $40 which is about $100 in savings per year.

What You Need

I am going to provide the recipe for one container of wipes, which is a half roll of paper towels, however, you can easily double the recipe (which is what I always do) and make two containers using both halves of the paper towel roll.

- Half roll of paper towels (Get a good strong paper towel! I have found that Scott or Viva seem to be the best for us.)
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1 tablespoons of baby shampoo
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water depending on how "wet" you want your wipes
- Plastic bag or container for storage

- Optional: splash of vinegar or witch hazel

How To

Cut your paper towel roll in half using a sharp knife. Be careful because sometimes they can be stubborn to cut if you do not use a very sharp knife. Try to avoid serrated knifes as they will leave the edge looking torn. Boil 1 1/2 cups of water for 5 minutes then remove from heat. Add your coconut oil and baby shampoo to the water and stir until melted. This is where you can add a splash of white vinegar or witch hazel if you would like. I always add one or the other as they have great properties that will help in avoiding rashes as well is aiding in the longevity of the wipes (if you leave them sitting around for more than two weeks you may start to notice some "moldy" looking spots on the outer wipes, using vinegar or witch hazel will help keep those spots away).  Place the half roll of paper towels in a bowl and pour about half of the liquid mixture over the top. Let sit for 5-10 minutes then flip the roll over and pour the remaining liquid over the other side. At this point you should be able to pull the cardboard center from the roll very easily. Let sit until cooled and then store in a container with lid or in a gallon size plastic baggie. You can either pull the wipes up from the center of the roll or you can unwrap them from the outside. These wipes will take some getting use to if you have been using a commercial brand but I assure you they get the job done and are well worth their benefits!


Live, Laugh, Love and DIY!

**If you try these wipes or have any questions please leave me a comment below! Also, if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them!**

No Bake Cookies (Protein Balls)

My husband and I have started a journey to eating healthier and exercising more. The transition hasn't been easy, however... some of the hurdles have been easier than I originally expected particularly with some foods. In about 9 weeks my husband is down 22 pounds and I am down... well... a few. I think all women will know about that jealousy we try to keep hidden when our men drop weight like it's nothing all while we are struggling to lose just a pound. I do feel much better which I am sure is a combo of working out and eating less junk and my body is on its way to being more toned so who cares about the number on the scale... right?

All of that to say I have been in a love hate relationship with desserts and "snacks" for years. I love chocolate like nobody's business and those little snack cakes... yeah I could probably go through a box a day. I thought that would be the hardest part of eating better but much to my surprise I have been able to come across some recipes that have at least mostly curbed my desire to eat a big hunk of my Mamaw's chocolate cake after every meal. Insert note... I absolutely condone splurging every once in a while... ENJOY LIFE PEOPLE!  These protein balls are a recipe that I actually heard about on a radio show (shout out to Rick and Bubba listeners) and then changed up the recipe a little to make it fit my family. Keep reading for my recipe... Click here for Speedy's original recipe.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups oats
1/3 cup honey (always use a local honey when you can)
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
As many dark chocolate chips (Don't be afraid to try dark chocolate, you might be surprised.) and as much shredded coconut as you would like

 

Directions

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a spatula until well combined. I like to use a little non stick cooking spray on the inside of my measuring cups, the bowl and my spatula to keep these sticky ingredients from raining on my parade. 

Once everything is well combined I spray a little non stick spray on my hands and get to rolling. I make my protein balls about the size of a ping pong ball and they are the perfect little go to snack. As long as you limit yourself to one or two a serving you are looking at about a 60-120 calorie snack.

When they are all rolled place them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, let them sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours then enjoy! Store covered in the fridge. My kiddos absolutely love these little gems too so they would make the perfect after school snack, or in my case a screaming toddler "Mommy I'm huuungrry" snack. 

**If you try this recipe leave me comment and if you have any other suggestions for recipes or DIY projects let me hear those too!**

Yummy Baked Pork Steaks with Apples

Pork and apples are a match made in heaven. They work beautifully together! This super simple recipe works great for everything from a weeknight meal to hosting a dinner. Easy to adjust to your family size and favorite seasonings. (But try the garlic... it seriously does something magical for this dish!) :)

 

What You Need:

Pork Steaks or Pork Chops (I used 4 for this recipe)
2 Apples (I like Gala Apples but use what you like)
1/2 cup Apple Juice
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your pork steaks (or chops) in a baking dish pour half of apple juice over pork and splash the Worcestershire Sauce over top. Sprinkle garlic powder over top of pork and then slice your apples and lay them over top. Pour the rest of your apple juice over top of the apples then salt and pepper (put the salt and pepper on the apples... just trust me... you will thank me later). Bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes depending on thickness of your pork. Every 10-15 minutes spoon juice over top of apples.

Sides:

We are trying to cut out eating so much bread (note I said "trying") so we like to eat a veggie with this dish and leave it at that. Asparagus is a great pairing with this dish. However, if you do bread by all means get you a good dinner roll and this dish will be a meat and side in itself no need to fuss over anything extra, make it a one dish meal!

ENJOY!!

***If you have any other recipe suggestions I would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment below!*** 

DIY All-Purpose Cleaner

We have all probably read on those handy dandy wipes we buy from the store that you must wash the surface after use... the day I got tired of that was the day I made this "green" orange all purpose cleaner. Having children and realizing that I was probably doing more harm than good by purchasing those store bought cleaning wipes made me want to find something better... and boy oh boy something better I found. This orange oil infused all purpose cleaner will make your life so much easier and give you comfort in knowing it is good to use. The kids can even lick the table right after you clean it if they must. (Come on we all know that happens from time to time with young children... everything must be licked.)

What You Need

Peel from 3-4 oranges
3-4 cups white vinegar
Glass storage container

How To

You want the peel of the orange without the white pith. Try to just take the orange part off and leave the white behind. This cleaner can be made with many types of citrus peels so be sure to store away the peel from the small oranges your children eat or even the lemons and limes you use in your cooking. (You can always freeze them until you need to make more cleaner.) Place the peels in a glass container with lid, mason jars work great but utilize whatever you have on hand. Note, however, that if there is a rubber seal on your container over time the vinegar will cause it to soften (speaking from experience).

Place all your peels in your container and cover with vinegar. You can make whatever quantity you want but for my particular cleaner I use the peel of about 3-4 large oranges and cover with about 3-4 cups of vinegar.

Let It Sit

The first time I made this I was tempted to start cleaning right away... and you can because vinegar is a great cleaner on its on... but trust me when I say it is worth it to be patient. The first batch I made I let sit for 2 weeks and it made a great cleaner but the second batch sat for 2-3 months while I used what I already had made and it was FANTASTIC. The smell is of heavenly citrus and the cleaning power that you get by combining the orange oil from the peel and the vinegar is through the roof. You will never go back to those store bought cleaning wipes again. 

You can simply transfer it to a spray container and use (diluted or not... up to you... but I always add a little water to mine. I also like to run mine through a paper towel or coffee filter before transferring to a spray bottle to filter out any little orange pieces that might be floating around. This will help avoid your sprayer getting clogged.

See that beautiful orange color you get!!!

 

What To Clean

EVERYTHING! I use this to wipe down kids toys, clean the table and counters, clean our toilets... the list goes on and on. Having one go to cleaner will make life a lot easier, at least it has for this busy mom. Not to mention it is much MUCH more inexpensive than cleaners you might buy in a store.

Live, Laugh, Love and DIY

***If you use this cleaner or something similar I would love to hear how it is working for you! And as always, any all and all suggestions are welcome!***

Homemade Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets

What You Need

Fabric Softener:

6 cups of water
3 cups of white vinegar
1 bottle (approx. 2 cups) of your favorite conditioner
Container for storage

If you are going to be making dryer sheets/sponges you will need:

3 or 4 cellulose sponges
1 1/2 cups of your fabric softener
1 1/2 cups water
Smaller container for storage

Fabric Softener Directions:

I will start with the fabric softener recipe because I make my softener and then use it to make my dryer sponges...

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil on the stove and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 3 cups of vinegar and 1 bottle (or about 2 cups) of conditioner. Note that this doesn't have to be expensive conditioner just something you think smells nice. I would suggest staying away from any that are made for color treated hair as they can seem a little extra "greasy". I use a whisk to mix all of the ingredients as it helps them combine well. Doing this while your water is still warm will help with melting down the conditioner. Transfer to a storage container and allow to cool (see my beautifully recycled gallon jug that my daughter decorated for us). Use as you would any store bought fabric softener.

Dryer Sheet/Sponge Directions:

To make the dryer sponges I mix equal parts fabric softener and filtered water in a small container. I have heard of others using distilled water, boiled water, even tap water... but I like to pour mine from our filtered pitcher we keep in the fridge. For my container 1 1/2 cups of fabric softener and 1 1/2 cups water works good but depending on your container you may have to vary that amount... just stick to equal parts of each. Take your sponges and cut them in half and add them to the container. To use just squeeze the liquid out of a sponge and throw it in the dryer with your clothes. When the load is done the sponge will be dry, just throw it back in the container and use it again and again.

Cost Breakdown:

Because being frugal is part of DIYing here is a breakdown of cost...

For the purpose of this cost analysis I am going to call the water and the containers "free" but we all know that there isn't much "free" anymore :)

Fabric Softener:
Conditioner $1
Vinegar $3 per gallon using 3 cups= .57

This makes your half gallon of fabric softener come to a grand total of $1.57 compared to store bought softeners that can cost anywhere from $4 to $8 each.

Dryer Sheets:
I have already accounted for the cost of the fabric softener but if we want to see the overall cost I used .30 cents worth of my homemade softener so....

Fabric Softener .30
Sponges $1

That's $1.30 for dryer sponges that I will use over and over and over again. I also only plan to replace the liquid every 3-4 months. An average cost for an 80 count of store bought dryer sheets is $4 and I plan to get more than 80 uses of out these bad boys. :)

You can make these dryer sponges with store bought softener as well however that would bring the price up a little, still a money saver though.

To Sum It Up

So to sum it up these are great products that I feel good about using and they save my family money. They are easy and fun to make and worth the little bit of effort. I have used these products with no problem but I always encourage you doing your own research to make sure they are the best for you and your family. Thanks for reading!

These two items are great to use with my homemade laundry detergent... get that recipe here!

Live, Laugh, Love and DIY!

***I would love for you to leave me a comment if you try these DIY products and also let me know any other ideas you may have!***