Author: Cindy DeGrie

Acres of Apples, Frugal to the Core by Jill Cooper

I’ve always dreamed of having an apple tree in my back yard. You know the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for?” Now that I actually have my own apple tree, I stand in my yard watching the apples piling up around me thinking, “Oh no — What do I do with this mess now?” If I could make gasoline out of apples, I could retire, but since that is not an option and my frugal mind will not allow me to waste one apple, I have had to come up with some yummier “apple disposal” methods. If you find that you have a few dozen more apples than you know what to do with, these recipes from Living-on-a-Dime.com/ will help settle your frugal dilemma.

Other Uses:
~When you have a partially eaten apple, save the good part and chop into pieces. Place in a microwave safe dish. Blend together 1 tsp.
each brown sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine and a dash of cinnamon. Top the apple with the topping and microwave until tender.
~Core and slice apples very thin. Dehydrate and use in granolas, eat alone or soften in warm water to use in recipes.
~Slice and use in Pancakes or waffles.
~Freeze. Peel, slice and core and then store in 2 cups portions in freezer bags.
~Use soft apples in cooking.
~Cut into small pieces and add to salads with a fruit based dressing.

Apple Butter

9 to 10 apples, cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. salt

Place everything into a crockpot. Stir, cover and cook on high 1 hour. Cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thick and dark brown. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on low 1 hour longer. Stir with whisk until smooth. Refrigerate or Freeze. Makes 2 pints.

Apple Pie Filling

9 cups baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
5 cups water
2 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients in Dutch oven and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add apples and return to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender (6-10 minutes). Cool for 30 minutes. Then ladle into freezer containers or bake immediately. Makes two 9- inch pies.

Fried Apples

4 large apples, cored and sliced
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices. Heat butter in a large skillet. Put the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the skillet and cover. Over medium-low heat, cook apple slices 7-10 minutes or until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens. Serve coated with excess syrup on top. Serves 4.

Baked Apples

apples, cored
raisins (optional)
1 tsp. margarine
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 Tbsp. honey or brown sugar
(These amounts are per apple.)

For each person use 1 apple. Fill the center of the apple with all the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees until tender or put in a Dutch oven on top of stove and simmer on very low until tender.
Apple Snack

2 qts. apples, peeled, cored and halved

Coarsely grate apples. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 225 degrees until dry. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Apple Crisp

6 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon and/or nutmeg
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange apples in well-greased baking dish. Blend all remaining ingredients except water. Spread evenly over top of apples. Pour water over the topping. Bake 45 minutes until apples are tender and top is crisp. Serves 6.

Peach Crisp
Use peaches in place of apples.

~When you have a partially eaten apple, save the good part and chop into pieces. Place in a microwave-safe dish. Blend together 1 tsp. each brown sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine and a dash of cinnamon. Top the apple with the topping and microwave until tender.

My favorite book!

NOW AN EBOOK!

Dining On A Dime Cookbook: Eat Better, Spend Less! (e-Book version) $19.95 (Click here!)

Without cutting coupons! Unbelievable? It really is possible!

The award winning Dining on a Dime is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies.

–
Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of Living-on-a-Dime.com/. As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. Tawra and Jill teach thousands of readers each month how to save money on their grocery bill and get out of debt.

October 30, 2008
Healthier Options for Traditional Lunch Items

Does your child love traditional lunch dishes like bologna sandwiches with a side of chips? Or maybe he’s a fan of grilled cheese sandwiches and a can of Spaghetti Os® and enjoys a few cookies for dessert. Not all of these traditional lunch dishes are especially healthy for your child, but with a few changes and substitutions you can create healthier options for traditional lunch items such as these.

Instead of a bologna, or even worse, fried bologna sandwich with mayonnaise, fix a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and a little mustard for a much healthier version. If your child really loves bologna sandwiches, pick up a turkey version instead or splurge on the original one occasionally, substituting lean sandwich meats like turkey or chicken the rest of the time.

Potato chips have quite a few calories and a lot of fat, not to mention they are covered in salt which makes them a rather unhealthy side dish for lunch. In place of unhealthy chips, pack pretzels or baked tortilla chips in your child’s lunch. Now, there are also “baked” options for many of your kids’ favorite brand-name chips. At home, you can also prepare raw veggies and dip. You could also replace them with a pasta salad dressed with a bit of light Italian dressing and plenty of veggies tossed in. Pita or bagel chips are another option that’s healthier than traditional potato chips. Mix things up by providing different dips to go along with these healthy alternatives. Bean dips, salsa and hummus are all great options as well.

If you are preparing a warm lunch for your child at home, don’t just open a can of Spaghetti Os® or ravioli. Instead boil up some whole wheat angel hair pasta and topped with tomato sauce for a healthier option with a lot less salt. Keep cooked ground turkey in the fridge and add it for an even more filling lunch.

Instead of a grilled cheese sandwich that’s made with processed cheese and fried in butter, prepare some cheese toast instead. (Just cut up some cheese, set it on pieces of bread, and toast it in the toaster oven or in the broiler.) Add some lean ham or turkey to add healthy flavor. For another healthy version of the usual grilled cheese sandwich, use whole wheat bread, slices of cheddar cheese and cook the sandwich with cooking spray.

Take a look at what you and your kids are drinking with lunch as well. Sodas and soft drinks are obviously not the healthiest options, but pay attention to how much juice your child drinks as well. A glass of orange juice a day is fine, drinking it by the gallon isn’t. Dilute fruit juices with water and offer your child plenty of plain water with a little ice or lemon throughout the day. Don’t forget cold herbal teas, as these are another great drink choice.

Need more encouragement? Need some practical how-to’s? Grab Cindy’s books and audios for HALF OFF! Just use the coupon code: ALLTHINGSNEW

October 27, 2008
Healthier Options for Traditional Lunch Items

Does your child love traditional lunch dishes like bologna sandwiches with a side of chips? Or maybe he’s a fan of grilled cheese sandwiches and a can of Spaghetti Os® and enjoys a few cookies for dessert. Not all of these traditional lunch dishes are especially healthy for your child, but with a few changes and substitutions you can create healthier options for traditional lunch items such as these.

Instead of a bologna, or even worse, fried bologna sandwich with mayonnaise, fix a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and a little mustard for a much healthier version. If your child really loves bologna sandwiches, pick up a turkey version instead or splurge on the original one occasionally, substituting lean sandwich meats like turkey or chicken the rest of the time.

Potato chips have quite a few calories and a lot of fat, not to mention they are covered in salt which makes them a rather unhealthy side dish for lunch. In place of unhealthy chips, pack pretzels or baked tortilla chips in your child’s lunch. Now, there are also “baked” options for many of your kids’ favorite brand-name chips. At home, you can also prepare raw veggies and dip. You could also replace them with a pasta salad dressed with a bit of light Italian dressing and plenty of veggies tossed in. Pita or bagel chips are another option that’s healthier than traditional potato chips. Mix things up by providing different dips to go along with these healthy alternatives. Bean dips, salsa and hummus are all great options as well.

If you are preparing a warm lunch for your child at home, don’t just open a can of Spaghetti Os® or ravioli. Instead boil up some whole wheat angel hair pasta and topped with tomato sauce for a healthier option with a lot less salt. Keep cooked ground turkey in the fridge and add it for an even more filling lunch.

Instead of a grilled cheese sandwich that’s made with processed cheese and fried in butter, prepare some cheese toast instead. (Just cut up some cheese, set it on pieces of bread, and toast it in the toaster oven or in the broiler.) Add some lean ham or turkey to add healthy flavor. For another healthy version of the usual grilled cheese sandwich, use whole wheat bread, slices of cheddar cheese and cook the sandwich with cooking spray.

Take a look at what you and your kids are drinking with lunch as well. Sodas and soft drinks are obviously not the healthiest options, but pay attention to how much juice your child drinks as well. A glass of orange juice a day is fine, drinking it by the gallon isn’t. Dilute fruit juices with water and offer your child plenty of plain water with a little ice or lemon throughout the day. Don’t forget cold herbal teas, as these are another great drink choice.

Need more encouragement? Need some practical how-to’s? Grab Cindy’s books and audios for HALF OFF! Just use the coupon code: ALLTHINGSNEW

October 27, 2008
‘t Miss Nature Studies! by Cindy Rushton
Fall is here!

Anybody else having “fall fever?” Ready to get outside to soak up the beauty and fresh air? Oh! I LOVE the fall! This is the perfect time to make up any excuse to get outside. But, what if we call it “school” as we enjoy this gorgeous fall?

Yep! It is fall and time for fall themed nature studies. Yep! Time for that weekly nature walk! Time to pull out those nature notebooks and begin a fresh new study. NO pressure. Just with atmosphere of fun and delight!

Want some ideas that are EASY? How about some of our favorites? Let’s dig in…

Trees…
- Take a nature walk to collect fall leaves. Classify leaves by color and form. Press for nature notebook. Jot down date, name, and where found.
- Select and draw a leaf for your nature notebook. Include date, name, and where found.
- Collect, describe or draw the fruit or seeds from your tree.
- Record the date that the first leaves begin to fall.
- Cut a chosen leaf out of similar colored paper.
- Make cards with pressed leaves and special poetry or Scripture.
- Sketch your tree in watercolor or crayon for your nature notebook.
- Sketch a tree and label the parts.
- Write a description of the roots of the tree.
- Hunt for fall poetry about trees. Copy into your nature notebook.
- Look up Scripture verses about trees. Copy into your nature notebook.
Flowers…
- Each week take a walk to collect new fall wildflowers around your neighborhood. Press into a scrapbook/nature notebook.
- Sketch and label flower parts.
- Hunt for poetry about the flowers that are blooming each week.
- Find Scripture verses to copy into your nature notebook about all flowers.
- Plant some flowers outside in your yard.
Birds…
- Time for bird migration. Read about it with the children. Go to any area that birds gather—observe!
- Take in any feeders for migratory birds.
- Don’t forget to feed any birds that stay around your home. Put one right outside of a big window so the children can watch the birds up close.
- Look for bird feathers. Keep in your nature notebook. Be sure to note where found, what kind of bird, and the date found.
Insects…
- Work on your bug collection.
- Hunt for insect homes—under rocks and fallen logs…in the bark of a tree…in corners of your home…anthills…under leaves…on plants…so on.
- Watch for flying ants.
- Go to a pond to collect water insects.
- Look for masses of ladybugs. They hibernate in large groups, nestled in the roots of grass.
Animals…
- Keep an amphibian or reptile overnight.
- Make a home for a new pet! Study all about what they eat and how they live most comfortably.
- Preserve a spider web. (see Ideas Section of Nature Study the Easy Way for details)
Plants…
- Experiment with seeds…hitchhiking seeds, germination, growth rate…so on!
- Collect wildflower seeds.
- Make a seed chart.
- Research to find which plants in your area have edible roots. Dig up some and give it a try.
- Hunt for fall mushrooms.
- Go gather pecans. Make a pecan pie.
- Go pick apples at an orchard. Make homemade applesauce or apple pies.
Astronomy…
- Keep a chart of the moon phases for a month—try October!
- Take an evening to spend stargazing.
- Watch a fall sunset.
Weather…
- Keep weather chart for the first two weeks of the season—begin October.
Collections…
- Take a day for each of your collections to maintain! (Rocks… shells… feathers… so on.)
Seasonal Table Ideas…
- Pumpkins
- Indian corn
- String of apple rings
- Mums
- Nut people
- Spatter leaf prints
- Autumn lanterns
- Autumn wreath
- Apples
- Colors: warm autumn golds/muted reds/orange/earthy greens
Need more encouragement? Need some practical how-to’s? Grab Cindy’s books and audios for HALF OFF! Just use the coupon code: ALLTHINGSNEW
October 25, 2008
Friday Freebie! Let’s Make a Lapbook Audio Workshop with Cindy Rushton

Let’s Make a Lapbook! With Cindy Rushton

Join Cindy as she takes you through the simple steps of creating lapbooks while developing fun studies on any topic. Of course, Cindy will be providing you with handouts and a cute plan for teaching her newest Unit Study “On the Go with Lewis and Clark” while you are in this workshop. Ideas! Fun! Fellowship! (more…)

October 25, 2008
‘s Make a Memory…Over Tea!

A cup of tea???

Tea…What comes to your mind?

As I think back over the years since that first cup of tea, I think beyond the various types of tea…the beautiful tea rooms and homes that have welcomed me for the ritual…the unique cups and teapots, each with its own story…all those details blur. But, one thing brings me back to “tea” over and over again…relationships! Relationships forged over moments shared over a cup of tea. Sweet, sweet memories that forge forever relationships.

My very first memories of tea were on the front porch, truly Southern Style with Iced Sweet Tea. There was never a meal served or a family gathering without plenty of Iced Sweet Tea. Just visiting Mamaw, I could always expect a big, tall glass of Sweet Lemon Tea whether we were working in her kitchen or swinging on the front porch enjoying her flowers and sweet conversation. (more…)

October 23, 2008
‘s Make a Memory…Over Tea!

A cup of tea???

Tea…What comes to your mind?

As I think back over the years since that first cup of tea, I think beyond the various types of tea…the beautiful tea rooms and homes that have welcomed me for the ritual…the unique cups and teapots, each with its own story…all those details blur. But, one thing brings me back to “tea” over and over again…relationships! Relationships forged over moments shared over a cup of tea. Sweet, sweet memories that forge forever relationships.

My very first memories of tea were on the front porch, truly Southern Style with Iced Sweet Tea. There was never a meal served or a family gathering without plenty of Iced Sweet Tea. Just visiting Mamaw, I could always expect a big, tall glass of Sweet Lemon Tea whether we were working in her kitchen or swinging on the front porch enjoying her flowers and sweet conversation. (more…)

October 23, 2008
A School Day in a Charlotte Mason Homeschool by Cindy Rushton

So, what does a Charlotte Mason Education look like in the home? There are as many applications of the Charlotte Mason Approach as there are families. There is no right or wrong way to implement these ideas…just take these wonderful ideas and implement them your own way! That is just what we have done…our own way!

In our home we have implemented a well-rounded plan for our lifestyle of learning. Our plan includes seven aspects of a Real Education. Come join us as we walk through our typical day in our Charlotte Mason Homeschool…

Quiet Times…Our days begin with each family member having his/her own personal quiet time. This is not pre-determined by me. Each member of our family spends their quiet time based on their own abilities and preferences for study and worship. The one thing that is determined as a standard is the set time and the respect for the quiet time of one another.

Chores… (more…)

October 22, 2008
‘t Miss Our Next Chat: Preparing Hearts for Christmas with Molly Evert

Make Plans! Our Weekly Talk-a-Latte Chat
TOPIC: Preparing Hearts for Christmas with Molly Evert
from http://www.counterculturalmom.blogspot.com

DATE: Tuesday, October 28, 2008
WHEN: 1PM CST
WHERE: Talk-a-Latte Conference Room (Never joined us? Instructions are here: http://talk-a-latte.com/how-to-join-our-conference-room/)
PASSWORD: letschat

October 22, 2008
‘s Make a Memory…Over a GREAT BOOK! by Cindy Rushton

Hummm…was it the giggles the whole way through adventures with Pooh? My constant sobbing through every page of The Little Preacher? Our total addiction to every single page of Pilgrim’s Progress? The giggles and strategy as the children would run off to “play” every single bit of Daniel Boone’s life—with stiff warnings from Mom that NO ONE really got the hair-cut! Peeking outside to see the hard, hard work as forts were raised and mud pies “baked” for our beloved “soldier.” Oh, the precious, precious memories! Precious memories that are OURS forever!
Want the best homeschool year yet?

Why not make it a priority to curl up as a family over the pages of a great book each day? Get the water going…pull out some nice snacks…settle down for tea (or hot cocoa!!)…and dig into great books!

Game, but have no idea where to begin?? (more…)

October 20, 2008