HAPPY 4th OF JULY/BIRTHDAY

Good morning and hi there to all my friends! I must say Happy 4th of July to all and a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dad! Yes, he is an independence baby. And reading Dad’s comments from the other day when I posted the Why God Made mothers, well honestly, made me quite sad. Dad you are in NO WAY “inferior”! Aside from the fact that I love you very much, I sought out something very special for you… remember those cute kids with tons to say about moms? Well, they are back with just as much humor to highlight dads!



Why Did God Create Dads?

“God created dads so they could wrestle with their daughters or their sons or wife,” says Kaitlin, 8.

God created dads to wrestle, but also “to hug on,” says Taylor, 7.

“Sometimes dads like to show off, but the rest of the time, they’re playful,” says Kristen, 8. “They’re all big kids, and they always will be. Most of the time, they just want to be loved. You can tell they love you.”

Dads are a pushover, says Elizabeth, 9: “I think God created dads so they can fall for your little face. Also, they can buy you anything you want when you say ‘please daddy.’ They always fall for that!”

Lauren, 10, adds: “God created dads to tell you ‘yes’ when your mom says ‘no.’”

If it wasn’t for dads, most moms would never go camping and fishing, says Adrienne, 10: “Moms wouldn’t dare go without electricity, bait a hook or touch a dead fish.”

Actually, “God made daddies so that they can help mommies,” says Manasi, 7. “When mommies have babies, dad can help name them.”

Kayla, 12, “Without dad who would support the family? Who would go to work, cut the grass and do all the hard work? “

And when there are problems, “Dad will help you up when you fall. If you are bleeding, he will take care of it,” says Esther, 8.

Whether you fall on the playground or in life, a good dad is always there to pick you up, bandage the wounds and send you on your way.

“God created dads to help people build things for God and to have faith in God,” says Alex, 8. The greatest thing a dad can build is not a house, stock portfolio or business empire, but a relationship with God in the lives of his children.

“God made daddies so they could be brave, grateful and like Jesus,” says Alaura, 7.

Even dogs like dads, says Rebecca, 9: “Dad works so hard every day for my family, and he loves us all. He even loves my dog. And believe me, my dog loves him, too!”

Dad’s are awesome! I remember when my Dad picked me up from school cause I broke my arm, disciplined the dog when it snapped at me, taught me to check the oil in my car, and even was there when I woke up after surgery after my really bad car accident. I have one heck of a Dad… in my opinion… the Best! Don’t get me wrong, we have had our ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade him for the world! I LOVE YOU DAD! If every kid had a mom and dad like mine, the world would be full of happy kids!



OK, I got a picture for you… check this crazy garden out! I had lost the celery so I took that up and had put a roma tomato plant in place of the 4 sticks that died. OMG this rain and the good dirt and god knows what else made this plant go absolutely haywire! I went to Wal-Mart yesterday (yes in the rain LOL) to get a bigger tomato cage for it and needless to say, it already fills half the cage! The eggplants that you see on the left… well those leaves are as big as my head! I told you this garden was growing crazy!



Ok this is another cute photo I just absolutely have to share with you! Its the newest babies… both the girls. Rescue the Rabbit and Mittens the Cat. (Ignore the hidious double chin I got going on there!) Yes we have named her. She has the gray body with white feet… all 4 LOL! I was going to go with Socks but my DD suggested Mittens and I thought back to that old nursery rhyme my mother used to tell me about the Kittens who lost their mittens and the pie and I thought it was perfect! Ain’t it so cute how the rabbit is a dwarf and STILL bigger than the cat LMAO! I tell ya, these animals are getting smaller and smaller each time! What is next… dwarf hamsters? LMAO! Anyway, she is still drinking kitten milk, which means she was NOT weaned. I have been putting Neosporin on her cuts and then I noticed she only has whiskers on one side of her face… explains the wobbliness! She is eating maybe a half a can of wet food a day though, which is great! And I made a mini-litter box in the carrier I am keeping her in and she is going in the box every time! YAY! Needless to say, she has made some dramatic improvements the last few days! Sadly though, yesterday, I went out in the back yard and found the other baby… .her sibling. The baby was not alive and it was pretty mangled. So I cried and then was really glad I brought this one inside! So I am up to 6 inside cats and a rabbit… SO WHAT! LOL… I take very good care of my animals. I feed them, play with them, and clean up after them everyday! Some could say I care for them better than I do myself! And they would be right LMAO! I love all my babies so much! Yes, I am an animal lover… so sue me LOL! Matter of fact, my bunny is munching on some fresh alfalfa sprouts and apple slices while she sits on my chest right now LMAO!

Alright its time to get crafty! Now you always hear mom and I talking about thrift stores and resale stores, flea markets, and I boast about freecycle too. Well some times you can find pretty and dainty old-fashioned hankies (for those youngsters out there, a handkerchief was a cloth kleenex LMAO) and I saw this craft and thought it was the cutest thing! So I wanted to share with all of you!



Craft Idea of the Day: Vintage Handkerchief Apron

Materials:

Fabric of choice
Skirt Section 35"x22" (90x56cm)
Front Band 14x3.9" (38x10cm)
2x Straps 39" x 5" (1mtx 12cm)

Directions:

This free craft project shows you how to recycle and revamp vintage handkerchief's into a funky vintage up-cycled apron.

If you have a plain store bought apron you can add the handkerchiefs to that also.

Start by cutting out the skirt, front band and strap sections.

Follow the directions on the patterns below.

Sew the Handkerchiefs into place on your apron, these are the pockets.

Gather the skirt section, (pin to keep secure) so that it fits the front band and then sew into place.

Take straps and fold each strap in half length ways. Sew the edges together and across 1 end. Turn inside out and press flat.

Sew down the top fold of the skirt and sew the straps into place at the same time by tucking in to the waist band.

You can finish off the apron by adding decorative edging or lace around the apron.

Ok it’s the last day of Dollar Store Dining, and just as with Russian week, I figure that a whole meal would be the perfect end to a successful adventure. Have you enjoyed the theme this week? What would you like to see in the upcoming future as far as food? I was thinking maybe an “ingredient specific” week. Oh the possibilities are endless… but until then, lets end the week with a Dollar Store Feast fit for a king! Eat & Enjoy!



APPETIZER: Corn Fritters

Makes: about 20
Cost: about $3.99

These little delights remind me of succulent popcorn. Food Club diced green chilies mixed with Knudsen sour cream makes a great, creamy, “chili verde” dipping sauce.

3 (15oz.) cans of Libby’s whole kernel corn
2 country eggs
2 tablespoons Springfresh milk
1 large tablespoon Best Yet flour or Cinch pancake mix
¼ teaspoon Hearth Club-Clabber Girl baking powder
Pinch McCormick salt
Gold-N-Sweet vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together

2. Form into quarter sized shapes and fry in oil until golden brown.

3. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.



SOUP: Maryland Crab Soup

Makes: 4 servings
Costs: about $3.99

Red Wine has been substituted for whiskey in this recipe. I have not strayed from the guidelines of this book, but you can. If you have some whiskey sitting around, go for it! It adds a nice nuance to the soup.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Spice Box dried chopped onions (use fresh onions when available)
3 tablespoons Danish Creamery butter
2 (6oz.) cans Chicken of the Sea crabmeat, rinsed and picked over
½ teaspoon Baja Pacific sea salt
McCormick Pepper to taste
3 cups Springfresh Milk
½ cup Hyvee evaporated milk, or cream substitute
2 tablespoons red wine (use what is available)
Spice Box dried Parsley

Directions:

1. Soak the dried onions in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Melt butter in a frying pan. Saute dried onions until transparent.

3. Stir in crabmeat, salt, and pepper and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Transfer to a double broiler or place saucepan over boiling water in a larger pot. Add milk and cook for 15 minutes.

5. Add the evaporated milk. When soup is piping hot, stir in red wine. Serve immediately and sprinkle with parsley.



ENTRÉE: Steak Dianne

Makes: 2 servings
Costs: about $3.99

This is a rarer possibility, since steak is not always available. I wanted to include it to show how lavish one can be with good timing and an open mind.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Savion dried sliced onions (use fresh onions when available)
2 (4oz.) American Companies beef rib-eye steaks (they DO have these at my local Dollar Tree YAY!)
½ teaspoon Spice Supreme Salt
½ teaspoon of Spice Supreme Pepper
6 tablespoons of Danish Creamery butter
1 teaspoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon Master’s lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons Heinz Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon Classic Crushed Garlic
¾ cup of water mixed with ¼ cup Aunt Nellie’s beef gravy
3 oz. Forrelli mushrooms, drained
¼ cup Christian Brothers white brandy or ½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Encore dried parsley

Directions:

1. Soak the dried onions in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Season steaks with salt and pepper and refrigerate for one hour.

3. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a frying pan. Add the mustard and 2 tablespoons of the onions. Saute for 1 minute over medium-high heat.

4. Add the steaks and brown for about 3-4 minutes on each side (until medium rare). Remove steaks to a platter and keep warm.

5. Add remaining butter, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, garlic, remaining onions, and the watery gravy mixture to the pan drippings. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add mushrooms and brandy or wine.

6. Boil, stirring frequently, until gravy is reduced to about ½ cup. Pour over steaks, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.



DESSERT: Peach Crisp

Makes: 6 servings
Costs: about $3.99

This is a great recipe to whip up when on vacation. Commit it to memory- as long as you have a feel for the consistency of the topping, you don’t have to worry about being perfectly accurate with the measurements.

Ingredients:

4 cups of Early Garden peaches, rinsed and drained
1 cup Best Yet flour or 5 oz. Manischewitz cake meal
¾ cups Spreckels sugar
½ teaspoon Spice Supreme Cinnamon
1 stick of Danish Creamery butter or Imperial Margarine
1 cup Good ‘N’ Hearty quick Rolled oats

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Put peaches in a greased 9” x 13” Pyrex baking dish.

3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon.

4. With your fingers, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

5. Add oats and sprinkle mixture on top of peaches.

6. Bake until top is browned and crisp, about 25 minutes.

Well folks, that’s about it for today. I think I am gonna go back to Petsmart and stock up on some of the great sales I found for litter and cat food. Maybe while I am there I will check out those dwarf hamsters LMAO! Kidding! Or am I? LMAO! So be safe in whatever you do today and I will see you back here tomorrow! HUGS!

FARMER FAVORITES WEEK

Well a big HI THERE and HELLO to all my faithful followers! How are you doing this absolutely horridly humid morning? LOL… I am well. Full of summertime spunk and craziness!

To address some comments… First I figured MOM would be excited when I said it was FARMER FAVORITES LOL! She is a veg-a-holic! LOL! Sorry it rained on your tree day mom… but be patient… your tree day will come! And MOJO sauce is something you can buy in a jar at the store or make it yourself. Here is something I found on tasteofcuba.com for you!

The authentic mojo is made with juice from sour oranges. It still has that little orangy taste, but its very acid and tart. You can come close by mixing equal amounts of freshly squeezed orange juice with lime juice (*). If you live in areas with large concentration of Latinos you will probably find bottled Mojo (Goya brand makes one) or their produce department might have the slightly bumpy, thick skinned sour oranges. This recipe makes one cup.

1/3 cup olive oil
6 to 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
2/3 cup sour orange juice or lime juice
(or equal portions orange juice and lime juice)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly toasted. Don't let it brown or it will be acrid tasting, just about 30 seconds should do it.

Add the sour orange juice, cumin and salt and pepper. STAND BACK; the sauce may sputter. Bring to a rolling boil. Taste and correct seasoning, if needed

Cool before serving. Mojo is best when served within a couple of hours of making, but it will keep for several days, well capped in a jar or bottle, in the refrigerator.

Use with Cuban sandwiches, boiled yucca, grilled seafood and meats, fried green plantain chips, etc.

*I have seen recipes for mojo using cilantro in it, but that is not traditional to Cuban Cuisine.

To Tabitha- ok dear, I am not trying to offend, but where on earth do you live to think MY life is interesting?? LOL… I do thank you for the compliments though… you are too kind! Yes I took my lotto bag to the casino, but ya know I got more compliments about the money scrub top than the bag LOL… go figure! I got a lot of compliments on it at the mall though! And I am so glad you have had good experiences with the Farmers Market. Just remember not to buy overboard LOL cause you don’t want things to go to waste!

To the Carter Family- I am sorry to hear you are having garden problems, but I CAN say this… DO NOT GIVE UP! Sure you may need to doctor and baby the plants, change the dirt, or other vegatative first aid actions, but it DOES help! I rescued what I could, disposed of what was dead, made a better dirt mixture, added some nitrogen rocks/food, and prayed! Be vigilant about the watering and care and maybe even research the specific problems you are having online for more advise. And your lucky, part of what I occupied my time with yesterday was my gardening and plants, so guess what you get to see today! LOL and here we go!



OK let’s start with my bell peppers. What once were mere sticks are now thick thriving stocks of green goodness! Look at the size of those bell peppers! And the best part is that these plants are COVERED in them! I have at least 10-12 fruits and/or blooms! WOOHOO! I got my mojo back I think LOL!



These are the cucumber plants that I need to get a trellis for and get put in the garden! They are a rich green and have huge leaves. They are very healthy… let’s pray I can keep them this way! I have some yellow squash plants which are green and crazy similar to these too!



My strawberries are sprouting back up YAY!!!! They are so healthy and green! Simply Beautiful! They are putting off fruit again too and now are even sprouting some runners! YAY! The berries you see are about the size of my thumb down to the first knuckle. Aren’t they lovely! Hopefully I can get them growing great guns again! That would be awesome!



OK, so you want to see the craziest thing? I had brought back a couple of pieces of cactus from the field behind Mom & Dad’s house… intending to get them planted (seeing as you can eat them and all!). Well I never got around to it. In fact, I FORGOT the pieces were on the top of a box sitting under the outside portion of the window unit! Well… apparently these dang things don’t need any dirt to grow LOL… just a little bit of water! Look at all the new green growth on that thing! Growing in a condensation puddle on top of a Rubbermaid box on the porch under the air conditioning unit… INSANE! Anyway, I will get them potted… eventually LOL… but at least I am not as worried about them as normal plants now LMAO!



Open my door and what do I see? Not one, but 2 pretty topsy turveys! LOL! Yes I got the dirt mixed, the anchors into the beams, the baby tomato plants in the containers, nitrogen rocks/food in, and hung up! They are cute and I hope that they bush out and give me pounds and pounds of beautiful red tomatoes! Those things are very heavy… LOL especially when you are standing on a chair on the porch! I thought I was gonna fall over the railing! LOL… I was a weeeeeee bit nervous for sure! But I got them up and they look super spiffy!



What you see here is an eggplant bud! Yes, after fixing the dirt, my eggplants shot up into gigantic leaves and tall shoots! They are much healthier now… all 9 plants are showing a great amount of progress! And they are beginning to bud! They will put off these cute purple flowers and then it’s on to fruits! YAY! I see some eggplant Parmesan in the future! LOL!



These are my Husky Cherry tomato plants that I saved. They are a rich green now. Still no fruit, but that’s ok… It started lightning and thundering while I was working on planting these, so I had to stop gardening for the day. 4 cherry tomato plants sadly have had to be put out of their misery… the last of the tiny tomatoes turned red and I disposed of them.



I also didn’t realize that I have a smaller/younger cherry tomato plant so that leaves me with 5 if I can get them all to flourish again! We shall see! I repotted each Cherry tomato in their own pot and gave it fresh dirt mix and nitro rocks, so here’s keeping our fingers crossed that they thrive and produce for a good long time! Ya know what I thought would be cool? Buying a bunch of these bigger pots and planting a big tomato bush in each one and lining each side of my driveway with them! OMG that would look super cool… but sadly we don’t exactly live in a neighborhood conducive for that kind of thing. Oh well, it was a thought!



This is the beginning of the Toy Story Duffle Bag I am making for Alex. I had to stop once I got the handles attached though because I didn’t have a color coordinating zipper to match that was long enough! All I had were pink zippers and I don’t think that would’ve looked very good with this LOL! Needless to say, I plan on getting a zipper today so I can finish the bag! All this cuteness from an old stained and ripped up sheet… crazy huh?



Then my lovely DD tells me that she wants to go with all the centerpieces for her party in the glasses. I cocked an eyebrow and went “WHAT?” SOOO we played around and came up with these 2 centerpieces to use… all in the glasses! I got 8 of them done (minus one photograph on the note) and now I need 4 more. UGH! Oh well… good thing they weren’t expensive or too hard to make!

Then I had the heart attack of a lifetime! While I was crafting, I had put my dinner in the oven to cook. About 13 minutes into it, I was sitting at the table crafting and all of the sudden I hear this buzzing… kind of like you hear a neon sign or a bug zapper doing. I walk into the kitchen and the inside of my oven is crackling and on fire! I was scrambling for the extinguisher and I was shaking so badly, I couldn’t get it unhinged off the wall, so I shut down the oven and immediately unplugged it from the wall. I watched as the flames went away and I saw this orange glowing heating element that had split in 2! OMG once I quit shaking like a leaf, I called my dad who is the all-knowing electrical man and asked if that “normally” happened. He assured me I acted correctly and when you cook as much as I do it does tend to happen… especially with an older stove. So that helped me calm down a little… THANKS DAD! But my blood pressure and heart rate didn’t get back to normal for an hour or so… basically when the oven was cool and I knew everything was ok, I was good to break down and cry then LOL! Needless to say, I don’t think my landlord is gonna be happy about this one… first it was a new breaker box and breakers, then that was followed by a water heater, a fridge, an air condition, and now the stove? LOL… what can I say… when I do it, I do it right! LMAO! Anyway, after that, the craft mojo was so incredibly gone… sad too cause I was starting to get into it!

Ok so let’s talk crafts. Now the late Spring through summer season offers a few patriotic holidays. Many people have celebrations and decorate in the Red/White/Blue theme. Well we covered a lot of Patriotic crafts during the May Memorial Day weekend, but here is another that is just so cute, I couldn’t “can”tain myself LOL! I don’t like regular fireworks, but this one really pops with pazzaz! LOL!



Craft Idea of the Day: Firecracker Cans

Materials:

1 round can with lid - Can made from cardboard, hot beverage cans for things like coffee or cocoa work well. You can also use cans from items like raisins or nuts.
4 pieces - Medium or Large Construction Paper (2 blue, 1 red, 1 white)
Star Confetti (any firework like decoration kids can paste onto the paper, like confetti, stickers, buttons, beads, or cutouts)
Star Tinsel (any kind of shiny, colored, wire tinsel)
Star button/bead (any medium sized, single star decoration)
Glue
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil (for tracing and rolling paper)

Directions:

1. Take your clean, round can and remove the lid. You need to cover the can with paper, but the size of paper will depend on the exact size of the can used.

Measure out your can and add about 2-inches extra to the length. This will give you enough paper to cover the can and create those neat "firecracker" rolls.

So, cut blue paper (2 inches longer than can) rectangle out. Have children cut into paper at the bottom, making 2 and 1/2 inch cuts in, spaced about 2 inches apart, all the way along the bottom of the paper. Then take a pencil and roll each paper strip around it, then release. Now the ends of the paper are curled.

Cut out a white piece of paper, the exact same size as the blue, only two inches shorter. Repeat the cutting and curling process.

Take the red piece of paper and make it two inches short than the white paper, or four inches shorter than the blue. Repeat cutting and curling.

2. Take the curled, blue piece of paper and wrap it around the can tightly, letting the curls fall to the table. Make sure the paper starts right below the opening rim on the can, and glue on.

Take the curled, white paper and glue it around the can. Start right below the opening rim on the can. Let the curls fall down onto the blue paper. Repeat with red paper, starting it right below the rim and letting the curls fall onto the white paper.

3. Take star confetti, or other decorative items, and glue them onto the can. Remind children to get both on top and under the curls of paper around the can.

4. Take some decorative star tinsel, garland, or other shiny and linked decorations to twist around can body. Glue ends to can once wrapped, making sure the lid will still fit.

5. Take a pen, pencil or pair of scissors and poke a large hole in the middle of the can lid. Have children cut 5-8 strands of tinsel, each about 5inches long. Twist each strand of tinsel into a loop, twisting the ends together.

6. Push ends of tinsel loop into hole in lid and glue into place. Create a firework flower pattern on top of the can with the loops. Glue a single star button/bead in the middle of the lid.

7. Let can dry, then use to store trinkets or treats! Makes a cute "exploding firework" can for any child to enjoy.

This craft lets kids use the firecracker/fireworks theme without being tangled into problems of safety or policy. At my summer school (and most schools in my area) we are not allowed to make rockets, or real looking fireworks, because of safety issues. Therefore, instead of a rocket, we made colorful firecrackers that were already "exploding."

I used some "Star Spangle Banner" saltwater taffy to fill the cans with, making a cute gift for kids to give their parents. Some of my students decided they liked storing crayons and markers in the can instead. One family made a bunch more "exploding firecracker cans" and a huge mountain of homemade fudge. They filled the tins with fudge and gave one to each teacher with an adorable card that read "For my teacher, a firecracker exploding with sugar!" I have to admit that I just loved that gift, and that fudge!

Okie dokie, now with summer here and heating things up, the last thing we want to heat up is the house, right? So natually, we gotta have a great garden grilling item or some BBQ or something during the FARMER FAVORITES WEEK! I have a couple of items here that I am pretty sure you will enjoy out on the grill or in your house!



Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 egg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
3/4 cup bread crumbs or crushed whole wheat Ritz crackers

Directions

If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, rinse the black beans thoroughly and then make sure to dry them off completely! Then mash the black beans with a fork until thick and pasty. (The trick to keeping a good patty together is to drain as much of the excess water as humanly possible!)

In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Strain to remove excess water. Then stir into mashed beans.

In a small bowl, stir together eggs, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.

Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.

If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

(NOTE**) You can also add corn kernals to the mixture for an added oral adventure! You can also freeze formed patties and cook them at a later time or even grill them frozen! I personally recommend the whole wheat Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs, but whatever is to your liking… This is a very versatile recipe!)



Crispy BBQ Tofu

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg white
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce

Directions

Drain tofu, and slice into strips. Place in a plastic bag or container, and freeze overnight. This will give the tofu a meatier texture. Thaw tofu strips, and blot with paper towels to dry.

Bake tofu on a non-stick sheet at 350 degrees for a few minutes on each side- until they are golden brown.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon of barbeque sauce. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Dip the tofu slices into the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture, shaking off excess flour. Fry in the hot oil for about 1 minute on each side, until golden brown. Just fry enough at one time so they are not crowded. Remove from the oil to paper towels to drain and cool.

Preheat the oven's broiler. Brush tofu slices with additional barbeque sauce, and allow to marinate while the broiler heats up. Arrange them on a broiler pan, or wire rack set over a cookie sheet for best results.

Position the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil for 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and crisp, watching closely so as not to burn them. Serve warm with the remaining barbeque sauce for dipping.

OK gang, I am gonna get off of here and skidaddle over to mom’s house. She has therapy today! After chillin with her for awhile, I am not sure what exactly I am going to do, but I am hoping it is severely interesting LOL! So I hope you enjoyed your visit today and will join me again tomorrow for more of “The life and times of the Frugal Mom” LMAO! Until then… HUGS!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

Good morning boys and girls! How are you doing this clear Red, White, & Blue skied day? Its crazy over here… the kids are out today, then go back to school for 3 days? Do what? Stupid if you ask me… but who am I to tell the stuff shirts that they don’t make any sense? LOL! So you get me here with you today bringing tons of fun and excitement this morning. I want to take a moment out to remember a couple of persons who have past away this past weekend… first Mr. Gary Coleman passed away of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 42 on Friday. And then Mr. Dennis Hopper passed away from prostate cancer at the age of 74 on Saturday. May they both R.I.P.

Now kids, its time for your history lesson. What IS Memorial Day really? Well here is an article I found that sums it up very nicely.

Remembering Memorial Day
by Mike Krumboltz

For many, Memorial Day brings to mind images of parades and picnics, of barbecues and baseball games. What's sometimes forgotten are the reasons for the holiday: The sacrifices made by American soldiers in times of conflict.

As the United States' death toll passes 1,000 in Afghanistan, Memorial Day takes on an especially poignant meaning this year. Here's a brief look at how the holiday got its start, and how people are searching for ways to honor the brave men and women who have lost their lives.

The first holiday

Originally, the holiday was known as "Decoration Day." It was started by a Civil War general named Gen. John Logan, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. General Logan sought a way to help the country come back together after the horrors and divide of the Civil War.

The holiday was first observed on May 30, 1868, and Gen. Logan chose that date for two very important reasons: First, the day did not mark the anniversary of a Civil War battle, and second "flowers would likely be in bloom all over the United States." Indeed, many took flowers to Arlington National Cemetery, an activity that still occurs every year.

More on Gen. John Logan

General John A. Logan has a tremendous legacy that goes well beyond his efforts to honor fallen soldiers. According to a museum dedicated to his memory, Gen. Logan led an inspired life and enjoyed a tremendous career. At different points, he was a United States congressman, a senator, and a candidate for the vice presidency. He and his running mate, James G. Blane, lost their bid, but "Logan’s popularity with veterans contributed to the narrowness of the defeat."

An official holiday

This may come as a bit of a surprise, but Memorial Day, despite having been around for over 100 years in one form or another, didn't become an official federal holiday until 1971, when Congress passed the National Holiday Act. This created a three-day weekend at the end of May. Prior to this, different states observed the holiday on different days.

The effect on Web search

Web lookups on "memorial day" and "celebrate memorial day" are both up over 500% during the past seven days. Additionally, queries on "memorial day quotes" and "memorial day history" are soaring, as are searches for "memorial day parades" and "memorial day flowers."

Also worth noting — the "national moment of remembrance." This moment takes place at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day and lasts one minute. According to Remember.gov, "the Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans."

Ok folks, now let’s review what the Frugal Mom did yesterday! LOL… Well first I started the morning, after my blog, with a HUGE stuffed omelet for breakfast. DELISH! After that I cleaned out the fridge and made my weekly shopping list of what I need, etc. I am ready for some serious food shopping! LOL! After the list and cleaning, I chopped up a few remaining veggies that were in the fridge… a few veggies I bought and a few I grew LOL. Then I had to take a break, so I made out (well I started to LOL) a summer stay-cation game plan… things I think my family will enjoy doing and when I could do them! I cooked a lot yesterday too… well let’s just get to the photo journey, shall we?



The first thing I had to do was post “clean out” prepatory work LOL! Once I cleaned out the fridge, I found lots of veggies and fruit that had been pushed to the backs of shelves… to be forgotten. I lost a little, but the majority I had I was able to save. What you see here is all the stuff out of the fridge I had to “salvage”. One of those use it or lose it days you know I am so fond of LOL!



This is everything after it had been prepped and diced, sliced, etc. Red onion, stir-fry mix, Brussels Sprouts, tomatoes, strawberries, celery, carrots, bell peppers, jalapenos, and potatoes all saved and diced for use in the next 24 hours! I forgot to put the bag of garlic bread crumbs I made in the picture too. I’ll find something interesting to do with them LOL.



Here is DH thinking he is funny snapping a picture of me eating one of the strawberries LOL! I was trying to grab the camera away as he snapped… hence the funny angle! Oh come’on you gonna try to tell me that ONE LOUSY STRAWBERRY is gonna hurt the recipes if I eat it?? I mean SERIOUSLY? I don’t even know what to do with them yet! I hardly think it matters! LMAO he said it was proof that there is no berry thief… just me. LOL! I don’t know what he is talking about LMAO! “Get away from me with that camera! In fact give me MY camera and get out of my kitchen” I kept playfully yelling, but to no avail… he kept teasing me and bothering me LOL! I swear he is nothing more than another one of the kids sometimes!



So I thinly sliced (with my super-cool-daddy-loves-me-veggie-peeler LMAO) some carrots and some potatoes. Homemade chips! Who needs Frito Lay when you can make your own and you know they are (at least a little bit more) healthier than the store bought bags of grease LOL. And I bet if I had baked them instead of fried them, they would be even healthier! LOL! The carrots didn’t get as crispy as I wanted them but let me tell ya! OMG! SWEET! I mean the frying brought out all the natural sugars and they were almost like CANDY! I even got my DS14 to eat them, which is a miracle in itself (he’s not fond of carrots)! They were gone before the potato chips! What does THAT tell ya LOL! Veggies (potatoes and carrots), veggie oil, and a smidgen of salt… that’s it! Needless to say the bowl is empty… nothing left but the excess salt LMAO! Guess that was a successful idea!



Then there was these little muffins of health which became muffins from heaven!! I made up some batter using some flour, milk, eggs, flax seed, etc. and thought about the strawberries. What the hay… throw them in the batter! About 20 minutes later… OMG! YUMMYYYYYY! Anything with strawberries is absolutely delish, and these were testament! So much, that DD tried, more than once, to run off with the whole pan! Oh no you don’t little missy! LOL! I might try these warmed up in the morning (if I can keep the gang out of them) with a little butter and maybe even a drizzle of syrup on them. Oh my…I am drooling! LITERALLY! LOL!



Ahh… dinner time! Beef fried rice with beef stir-fry using the veggies prepped in the morning… broccoli, carrots, peas, and julienned bell pepper. I also threw in some roasted sunflower seed kernals to the dish and it was some nutty goodness I say! Boy were we all stuffed! I collapsed on the couch for a spell… suffering from Asian Beef Coma LOL! I was pretty much useless the rest of the night LOL!



Remember the other day we talked about being frugal and saving fast food condiments? Well I forgot to show you this picture. Mom and I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond and we found these little bottles she wanted to use for condiments LOL but I insisted they were too small. She got them anyway (hey can you really over rule your mom? NOPE! LOL) and when we came home it was a full out condiment party!



Here are her lovely little baby condiment bottles LOL! We were careful not to mix brands/restaurants cause mom was afraid they would taste funny LOL. So you have Jack-in-the-Box taco hot sauce, buttermilk house, sweet & sour, etc. All neatly labeled and filled, and tucked away in the fridge for easy dispensing LOL! Aren’t they so cute!?

Now, here is where we start talking about making things by hand. Crafting is a fun and relaxing hobby. Its also very rewarding. Yesterday I featured some great patriotic crafts inspired by Memorial day/patriotic holidays. And I’m gonna give you some more today! So enjoy…

Craft Idea of the Day: Patriotic Crafts (part 2)



Patriotic Pinwheels

Nothing says summer like the sight of a colorful pinwheel going 'round and 'round on a sunny summer's day. Now, with our easy how-to instructions, you can make your own customized pinwheel.

1. Cut out a 6" paper square.

2. Draw an X from corner to corner; cut along the lines, stopping 1" from the center.

3. Gather every other corner to the center, stick a pushpin through them and into a straw in the back. Attach a pencil eraser to hold in place. Glue entire assembly for further securing.

Note: You can also use brads to secure the centers in place. Nowadays brads come in all kinds of designs, so you can “dress it up” even more!



Sequin Flag Magnet

Materials

Approximately 25 Blue Sequins
Approximately 50 Red Sequins
Approximately 30 White Sequins
Magnetic Sheets
Tacky Glue
Scissors

Instructions:

Cut a piece of magnetic sheet to 1-7/8" x 3". Begin at the top left of the flag and run a bead of glue along the top edge. Place 6 blue sequins overlapped on the left side. Fill the rest of the row with red. Put another row next to it using white instead of red. Continue using the photo above as a guide. Let dry.



Patriotic Bunting

Decorate your house with one or many of our Patriotic Buntings. Have the whole family involved as the kids can have fun helping too!

A few lengths of fabric and packages of appliqués and you can make buntings to hang on the doorway, the porch rail, the picnic table, under your windows or for the flower box (as we've done).

Show you're proud of the red white and blue and decorate your home in the most popular summer theme in home décor.

MATERIALS:
3 pkgs. Wrights® 1 3/4" White Star Appliqués (#193-9320-001)
2/3 yd. Red Fabric 44-45" wide
2/3 yd. White Fabric 44-45" wide
2/3 yd. Blue Fabric 44-45" wide

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Starting with the red fabric, cut two pieces 12" wide.
2. Cut 20" from one of these.
3. Sew this 20" piece to the 44" piece (right sides together). This will give you a 12" x 64" length.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 with the white and blue fabric.
5. Sew lengths of the fabric together, with blue between red and white (use a 1/2" seam).
6. Hem the sides, top and bottom with a 1/2" hem, rolled twice.
7. Iron the star appliqués onto the blue fabric, spacing evenly.
8. Fold fabric back and forth (the long way) like a fan, with a 1 1/2" fold. Press.
9. Secure by sewing across the top of the white gathers.
10. Spread out and hang by tacking in a few places.
11. Enjoy!



All American Tin
Designed by Treasure It

Skill Level: Beginner
Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Make this festive tin to hold tiny treasures in a country home, in your purse, at camp, or on a trip.

Materials:

tin
patriotic scrapbook paper
red, white or blue fabric
Kreinik #12 Braid metallic thread 003, 100, 051HL
Diamond Beadlets®
4" x 6" Treasure Tape
1/2" Treasure Tape roll
shallow pan or tray
sand (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut scrapbook paper (any scrap paper with a cool image is fine) to fit top of tin. Cut 1/8" smaller than lid.
2. Use glue stick or Treasure Tape scraps to secure image to tin.
3. Cut 4" x 6" Treasure Tape sheet to fit lid, then place it over the image.
4. Peel back red liner to expose sticky part, then decorate the image with metallic thread.
5. Place lid in shallow pan or tray, and cover with Diamond Beadlets®.
6. Use 1/2" Tape to wrap around side of tin.
7. Cut fabric pieces (or paper) to use to decorate. This creates a mosaic look.
8. Use metallic threads to add color and design.
9. Dip in Diamond Beadlets (or sand!)

Tips: When applying "stringy embellishments" like ribbon, embroidery threads and fibers to double-sided Treasure Tape, you can easily pull up the design and start again if you make a mistake or want to try a different design. When using red liner Treasure Tape it is best to cut with Teflon® coated scissors -- or use adhesive remover to wipe the residue off your
scissors.



Patriotic Flag Tray

Paint this patriotic tray to use at your next patriotic celebration or to add a touch of country Americana to your kitchen!

Designed by Jean Kievlan for Don Mechanic

Materials:

Don Mechanic Enterprises® Wood Tray with Sleigh Handles
DecoArt® Americana® Acrylic Paint, Wedgwood Blue
DecoArt® Americana® Acrylic Paint, Raw Sienna
DecoArt® Americana® Acrylic Paint, True Red
DecoArt® Americana® Acrylic Paint, Light Buttermilk
DecoArt® Dura-Clear™, Satin Varnish
Loew-Cornell® Comfort Handle™ Paintbrush, Series 3550, ¾-inch Wash
Loew-Cornell® Comfort Handle™ Paintbrush, Series 3300, No. 10 Shader
Loew-Cornell® Comfort Handle™ Paintbrush, Series 3000, No. 3 Round
Loew-Cornell® Brush Tub II™
Loew-Cornell® 6-Well Tray
Wide Masking Tape or Transparent Tape, ¾ - inch

Directions:

Paint interior flat area of tray Light Buttermilk.

Paint interior sides and handle sides True Red.

Paint long exterior sides Wedgwood Blue.

Paint a Wedgwood Blue rectangle on the upper left of the Light Buttermilk area. Let dry.

Apply masking tape or transparent tape to mask off stripes. Space tape evenly across tray. Rub tape to assure good adhesion to tray surface.

Paint exposed area between tape True Red. Let dry, then remove tape.

Paint nine Light Buttermilk stars on the Wedgwood Blue rectangle.

Shade the stripes and stars with Raw Sienna.

Shade rounded edges of Red areas with Raw Sienna.

Highlight edges of Wedgwood Blue rectangle with Light Buttermilk.

That should give you plenty of crafts to do, but in case you are fiending for some more… LOL… visit Allcrafts.net for TONS of great links to more great crafts!

Ok, its time to eat! Oh goodie! Now I wasn’t real kosher on doing just a PIE week… I like to bring you whole meals that I think you will enjoy. I mean you can’t eat… well you could but its not healthy to eat… just PIE for dinner, right? And I can’t really bring you slow cooker ideas since I do that all the time. SOO while I was looking through the grocery ads, I decided what I am going to do. The current sales and my mother’s desire to have chickens in her yard are my inspiration! (LONGG story! LOL) So, this week I am bringing you at least 1 chicken recipe and 1 pie recipe. That way, at least my conscience knows that I gave you an actual MEAL idea and not just sugar coma inducing desserts LOL! Today we are going to focus on chicken breasts… my personal favorite. We’re gonna stuff them! YUMMY! And the pie… well let’s just say I am known for bringing you interesting recipes and this is definitely no exception! Enjoy!



Mexican Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

2 cups crushed corn flakes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (1.27 ounce) packet dry fajita seasoning
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped orange bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 medium red onion, diced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup salsa
toothpicks

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking dish.

In a shallow bowl, mix the corn flakes, chili powder, and fajita seasoning. In a separate bowl, mix the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, mushrooms, and onion.

Dredge the chicken in the corn flakes mixture to evenly coat. Sprinkle one side of each breast with 2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese, and layer with 1/4 the vegetable mixture. Top with equal amounts salsa.

Carefully roll the breast halves over the filling. Seal seams with toothpicks, then dredge again in the corn flakes mixture.

Arrange the rolled chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Top with remaining cheese, and continue baking 10 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear and cheese is melted.



Chicken and Asparagus Bundles

Ingredients

4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
4 1/2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth

Directions

Flatten chicken breasts slightly. Wrap each around five asparagus spears; secure with toothpicks. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the oil, lemon juice and seasonings; pour over bundles. Cover asparagus tips with foil.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with the onions. Bake 12-15 minutes longer or until the chicken juices run clear and asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove bundles to a serving platter and keep warm.

In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and broth until smooth; stir in pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove toothpicks from bundles; top with sauce.



Tofu Dream Pudding and Pie Filling

By: Skymollie
"A simple sweet walnut/maple flavored pudding or pie filling that's fast and easy to make when you just want something that's good (remembering moderation in all things, including sugar). You could use any nut and change the flavor. Can be used with a graham crust pie shell; adorn with walnuts and serve with whipped cream. Triple recipe for pie filling."

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Place tofu, brown sugar, walnuts, maple syrup, and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until smooth. Cover and chill to thicken for pie filling, or serve immediately as pudding.

I told ya it was interesting! LOL! OK folks, that’s it for me today. I hope you will tune in tomorrow for more yard buzzard clucking fun and excitement LOL! Have fun and stay safe this blistering Memorial day! Until tomorrow… HUGS!

STARS & STRIPED STAY-CATIONS

Hi boys and girls. How are you doing today? I’m kinda so-so this morning. I woke up real stiff with a killer headache. I think I may have just slept too hard. Let me tell ya, I CRASHED last night. Was trying to watch some Criminal Minds episodes I missed on TV but I don’t remember much after dinner LOL! But I have already fed all the kitties and watered my plants this morning. Its not as hot out there YET LOL as the last few days have been in the early morning hours, so I might do some more yard work today. Not sure. But my plants are showing some promise… and that made me happy. Oh I just saw the prettiest thing at my kitchen window! I had both a male AND female Cardinal at my window and they were singing so pretty and THEN the male gave the female a sunflower seed to her mouth… AWWW it was so wonderful! I love nature! OK… ok… back on task LOL! I told ya I had some great things in store for this Memorial Day weekend, didn’t I? So fasten your seatbelts and let’s get started because the next few blogs are gonna be PACKED with info!!!!

OK first, a brief note to Tabitha- I am NOT talking about the owl LOL. Let’s just say it’s the ugliest thing I ever made and my mom loved it and still has it to this day! If I had to wish that only 1 thing would have floated away in the Hurricane, THAT WOULD BE IT! But alas, its still here… she had it up in the attic! UGH!!!! Let’s just say that cotton balls and a pinecone make for an ugly owl… and CREEPY TOO! Mom, its time to let the owl RIP! LOL!

Now I have to tell you the strangest thing! On my way home yesterday, I had to stop at Kroger for a couple of small things… milk and sugar. Well I went up to the self-checkout and as I was scanning my items, a lady comes up behind me and says “OMG It’s you!” and I was like Excuse me? She said “The Frugal Mom! Its really you!” and then started telling me how she reads everyday, and such. It was funny… recognized in my own town. It was sorta neat and scary LOL! Kidding… it was fun. SO to my reader from Kroger, who didn’t give me your name BTW, I send a big HELLO and thanks for stopping in!

Now, let’s get down to business. Summer is quickly approaching/already here and many of you moms out there are wondering what to do with the kids this summer. (Our last day is June 3rd YIKES! LOL) Now I’ve had some great posts about ideas to do on a budget like the 33 things to do for $2 or less post (MAY 18th), which also talked about many other frugal forms of entertainment. MAKE SURE to check it out… LOTS of great ideas! So, plan on getting outside and expanding those lungs with some fresh air this summer cause I am gonna give you lots of ideas for frugal fun in the sun!! If you aren’t in the Houston area, you can probably contact your local Visitors Center for information about what all is available in your area… or just Goggle it! LMAO! I requested info from tons of places around here so I can maybe plan some cheap day trips for the family. I plan to have a very full and cheap summer this year! I want it MUCH better than last year (when I got hurt and they found my bone disease UGH) and I am already ahead of the game on that cause I can WALK! LMAO!



So have you heard the term “stay-cation” before? A staycation (also spelled stay-cation, stacation, or staykation) is a term for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. If you think it would be boring, think again. With a little imagination, a stay-cation can be frugal (obviously) and fun! Instead of spending hundreds (or more) on hotels, your own home is free to stay at LOL. Instead of eating at tons of expensive restaurants, you already have FREE food at your home! Eat there or pack a picnic. There are lots of benefits to staycations! Staycations are far less costly than a vacation involving traveling. There are no lodging costs and travel expenses are minimal. Costs may include transportation for local trips, dining, and local attractions. "The American Automobile Association said the average North American vacation will cost $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals... Add some kids and airfare, and a 10-day vacation could top $10,000".Staycations do not have the stress associated with travel, such as packing, long drives, or waits at airports. Staycations may be of economic benefit to some local businesses, who get customers from the area providing them with business. In 2008, the tourism bureaus of many U.S. cities also began promoting staycations for their residents to help replace the tourism dollars lost from a drop in out-of-town visitors. You see what I mean? Ok, so here are a few ideas for some stay-cation fun!

1. Go camping without leaving home. Sure, camping can be fun- but what if you don’t have the time or the money to go somewhere far? Simply pitch a tent in your own yard, and lie out on the grass and star gaze! With no discrations like TV or computers, you’ll reconnect with ease!

2. Explore next door with your stay-cation. Perhaps your town has the world’s largest saxophone or a food factory you never knew about. It would be fun to see what’s in your neighborhood. Ask your state tourism office to send you tourist brochures or do some online research, then plan each day just like you would a trip away from home- get up early, pack a lunch, and visit as many sites as you can. Find the information you need at NetState.com/states/tables/st_tourism.htm

3. Plan a perfectly easy picnic. Head to the deli for some readymade food, or better still- help everyone make their favorite sandwich. Bring along juice boxes, bottled water, iced tea, as well as refreshing cold fruit or individual cups of applesauce. Then, search out a good spot at a nearby park and spread out your blanket or use the tables provided. Don’t forget Nerf toys, frisbees, bats and baseballs, soccer balls, etc. and even some good old fashion bubbles and enjoy a beautiful day out with your kids, significant other, or even just yourself. If you are going solo, take that book that you have been wanting to get to and lie on the blanket soaking the rays and reading in the quiet of nature! And make sure to check your local paper for outdoor concerts and movies and bring your picnic to the event!

4. Go on a treasure hunt- for real! Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas is a real diamond mine, where you can keep any “ice” you find. Thousands of gems are snagged each year, and many more than 1 carat! Other options include: pan for gold in Arizona’s Prescott National Forest or rent a metal detector and walk the Florida beaches, where more coins and bits of treasure wash up each year than anywhere else in the U.S.! Find out where to go in YOUR state at Treasurefish.com

Here are TONS more ideas on a list I have been compiling for a little while now LOL…

1. Camp in your own back yard And hey—the living room counts, too.

2. Feed your (local) appetite Investigate local farmers markets, pick fruit at local orchards and visit local farms.

3. Stock up on books Block off an entire morning at the library or bookstore.

4. Sign up for day camp Find local workshops and classes for the kids through your community's Parks and Recreation progam or the local YMCA/YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, churches and so on.

5. Take a trip to the museum We bet you haven't been in a while.

6. Make some home improvements Paint a room, install ceiling fans, refinish furniture—and be home to enjoy it when you're done.

7. Visit the zoo Make a day of it!

8. Organize your own Field Day Create your own Field Day at the park, complete with games, bicycling and a picnic lunch.

9. Take a hike Google around for local hiking groups and trails.

10. Amusement parks Make a day trip or overnighter to the nearest amusement park.

11. Take a dip Your swimming pool, a friend's or the city pool—it's a cool deal, any way you dive in.

12. Garden Plant wildflowers, a vegetable garden, a kitchen herb garden ... whatever fits your style.

13. Let go of the slack Hire a maid to clean your house while you lounge.

14. Get crafty Yes, it's time to finally finish that scrapbooking project or start something wild with the kids.

15. Cook up a storm Try new recipes (there's time to go out, if they flop) and stock up the freezer.

16. Organize a block party Hang out with the neighbors.

17. Indulge in a spa day At home or at the spa—either way, a luxurious treat.

18. Throw a party It's the perfect time for a BBQ or cocktail party

19. Attend a home screening Rent all those movies you've been planning to see; don't forget the popcorn.

20. Be a tourist See all the sights where you live; get a guidebook or contact the chamber of commerce for details. Book a mini-getaway Stay at a nice hotel for one night and indulge in the pool, spa, gym, restaurant, room service Scrounge Comb the local flea markets and bargain stores for interesting finds.

21. Take a night in or a night out Every member of the family gets one night in or out with their friends.

22. Hit the matinee Seriously. Like every day.

23. Green clean the carpets When else do you have time to move all the furniture?

24. Book it Put together a reading list and hit it hard.

25. Get artistic Create art for your home: an abstract canvas in accent colors, framed photography or flea-market finds. Paint a room Even if you're not crazy about home projects, painting one room is easy and gives your home a real lift.

26. Play a game Schedule a video game or board game night.

27. Tour historic sites Find a guidebook or listing of nearby historical places and chart your own tour.

28. Cheer the home team Attend local sports events.

29. Take in an outdoor performance Get tickets to outdoor concerts, Shakespeare in the Park and other summer culture.

30. Try mini golf or bowling You really can't beat these for cheap fun.

31. Go stargazing Always free, always amazing.

32. Take a class A savvy choice for grownups and kids alike.

33. Plan a romantic getaway Recruit a friend or relative to babysit and break free from the kids for a night or two.

34. Try new restaurants Investigate that new vegan cafe or organic, whole foods diner you've never had time to try.

35. Turn your home into a spa. You don't need to go to a pricey spa to rejuvenate your body and spirit. Create your own spa at home instead -- you'll feel refreshed and save money.

36. Throw a simple cocktail party. Invite friends over for a low-key get-together of fun finger foods and stylish cocktails on your patio or deck.

37. Go on a family cycling adventure. You don't have to be an avid (or experienced) biker to have a blast. For a safer adventure traverse local bike trails instead of hitting the streets.

38. Go fly a kite. Pack a kite or two with your picnic supplies and head to your favorite park for some family fun.

39. Transform your home into an island retreat. Bring relaxing tropical style home with budget-friendly, summery decorating ideas.

40. Host a girls' night in. Kick back with your favorite girlfriends for an evening of fancy fun and surprisingly simple treats.

41. Create a garden getaway. Fashion your own private paradise with a soothing garden plans.

42. Have a field day. Rediscover freeze tag, red rover, and other games you used to play as a kid. Our variations make them more fun -- and secretly healthy -- for the whole family.

43. Plan a TV night. Whether you're a sucker for sitcoms or made-for-TV movies, a small screen event is the perfect occasion for a no-fuss dinner party with friends.

44. Host a Mexican patio party. Your guests will love your flavorful recipes -- and you'll love how easy it is to throw together.

45. Plan a pizza night. Enjoy a night in with some of the family-friendly recipes I brought you not long ago that are as fun to make as they are to eat.

46. Try a simple weekend project. Check out our editor's favorite get-organized weekend projects you can easily finish without spending a lot of time or money on them, like cute under-bed drawers plus many more creative storage solutions.

So what do you think? Are you ready to get outside yet? I am actually, despite the heat! (And trust me, heat is NOT my friend!) I am ready to have some serious fun! I lost so much time last summer after I got hurt… the whole summer wasn’t fun for anyone, cause they were all tending to me… be it at home, taking me to the hospital constantly, etc. Mom can tell ya… I was a mess! But not this year! I am almost caught up on bills, I have eliminated a debt and almost another one, so that goal of financial freedom is closer and closer LOL! And it feels great!



And speaking of fun summer activities, I’ll warn you all now… look for an EARLY morning post NEXT Saturday morning, as I might be going to take mom to one of HER favorite getaways… THE CASINO! I’ll see ya all in Louisiana babe! LOL! The Alabama Coushatta has a KILLER BUFFET! That’s why I go!! LOL… Go figure right? Don’t like gambling, LOVE eating, so it works out well for us all! A little pricey, but WELL worth it, and since we don’t do it very often, well DESERVED! If I think of anymore ideas for great summer fun, I will let you know soon LOL!

OK now its time to get crafty! Many people decorate for Memorial day, if nothing more than a mere American Flag hanging from a pole. Some people go all out and decorate to the hilt and BBQ and the whole kit & kaboodle! The good thing is that with Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day as well as Patriotic rememberances such as 9/11, etc. you can use all the same decorations!! Red, White, & Blue!! YIPPEE!!!! Soooooo guess what we are doing today for crafts? YEP! Patriotic Crafting!

Craft Idea of the Day: Patriotic Crafts



Red, White And Blue Birdhouse

This bird house will have your feathered friends whistling the 'Star Spangled Banner'! Perfect for the patriot in the family or a festive holiday decoration.

Materials:

Don Mechanic® Wooden Birdhouse
Folk Art® Enamel™ Paint, True blue
Folk Art® Enamel™ Paint, Napthol Crimson
Folk Art® Enamel™ Paint, Titanium White
Plaid® Wood Letters, 1¼ Dot, Star
Plaid ®wooden letters 1¼ Colligate, U S A
Aleene’s® Thick Designer Tacky Glue
Dress It Up®, Stars and Stripes
Dress It Up®, Americana
Dress It Up®, Stars!
Thin Black Rollerball Pen
Paintbrushes
Stencil Brush

Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.
Due to the seasonal nature of some merchandise, actual availability of some products pictured may vary.

Directions:

Paint birdhouse blue. Allow to dry.

Paint roof white. Allow to dry. Repeat.

Paint ‘USA’ letters white. Allow to dry. Repeat.

Paint wooden star red. Allow to dry. Repeat.

Using damp stencil brush dipped in white paint, use thumb create speckled look by spritzing paint on the birdhouse. Allow to dry.

Use same technique with the blue on white letters, and white on blue letters:

Use black pen to outline letters and star.

Glue flags on roof.

Glue star on front center of roof.

Glue the rest of the buttons on the birdhouse according to the design or your preference.

Using thin paintbrush, outline the entrance hole with red paint



Streamer Flag
By Gretchen Martin

Nothing displays American pride during the holidays like our own American flag. Show your patriotism during the holidays by decorating your entrance with an easy to make streamer flag. Hang on your front door to welcome party guests for a day of celebration.

Estimated Project Duration: 45 minutes
Skill Level: Beginner

Materials

1 roll of red streamers (1.75” thickness)
1 roll of white streamers (1.75” thickness)
Blue construction or craft paper
Cardboard or similar strong paper or poster board
13 to 50 mini white gift bows
Ruler/straight edge
Double sided tape
3M Spray Mount, ReMount, Super 77 or similar spray adhesive
Xacto blade/hobby knife or scissors
A small piece of yarn or string

Project Instructions

1. Cut seven strips of red streamers measuring 35 inches long.
2. Cut six strips of white streamers measuring 35 inches long.
3. Cut a strip of cardboard or poster board approximately 26 inches long and 2 inches wide.
4. Line strip of poster board with double-sided tape and adhere alternating red and white streamer stripes as shown in photos below.
5. Once all stripes are attached trim any cardboard excess and flip cardboard binding over to attach a piece of yarn or string for hanging. Flip back over.
6. Cut out a 13” x 14.75” piece of blue construction or craft paper. Spray back of blue paper with spray adhesive. Let dry for 30 seconds to lessen tack unless using ReMount which is specifically useful for repositioning. Lay blue paper in top left corner of striped streamer pattern.
7. Flip entire flag over to adjust streamers by pulling up gently and relaying where streamers may have wrinkled. Take care to line up the fourth red steamer stripe with the bottom of the blue paper so that the bottoms remain flush.
8. Flip flag back over to front. Assemble mini white bows in appropriate star formation, being sure to place them before adhering. If using 50 bows to represent 50 states, create nine rows of stars alternating six and five star rows. If limited to 13 bows, use a pot or pan lid or similar guide to assemble stars in a circle pattern to represent the original 13 colonies.
9. Hang on front door and watch flag wave in a gentle breeze.

Crafting Tips

While most of these materials can be found cheaply at the craft or dollar store, try going through your gift wrap and holiday items to see what materials you might already have in storage when preparing for this project. Wide ribbons can replace streamers and star stickers can replace bows.

Try varying the size of your flag if you have fewer amounts of materials and thin ribbons. Smaller flags can be used to decorate gift bags, buffet tables and more. Door hangers can be used in and outdoors, but be sure to bring your streamer flag inside in the event of rain or gusty winds.



Uncle Sam’s Patriotic Hat Planter
By Gretchen Martin

Plastic planters are often stacked up and set aside as store bought flowers are replanted into higher end containers. These plastic planters are perfect for recycling into fun craft project ideas. Follow the instructions below to turn your discarded flowerpots into holiday décor that mimics Uncle Sam’s patriotic hat and other festive ideas.

Estimated Project Duration: 45 minutes
Skill Level: Beginner

Materials

Plastic Planter
Recycled Plastic Lid from any container (Cool Whip lid used here)
Blue ribbon
White ribbon (optional)
Krylon Fusion for Plastic® Gloss White spray paint
Krylon Fusion for Plastic® Red Pepper spray paint
Star stickers
1-inch painters masking tape
Double sided tape or glue
Scissors

Instructions

1. Begin with a plastic planter, which can be recycled from a store-bought plant that needs to be replanted.
2. Next, find a suitable sized recycled plastic lid that will mimic the brim of a hat when combined with the planter. Suitable pieces would include the top of a margarine tub or cottage cheese container, a take out soup container lid, etc. A lid from a tub of Cool Whip was used for the project pictured.
3. Place the planter top face down onto the center of the lid to trace a circle onto the lid.
4. Using an Xacto blade or hobby knife, cut an opening in the lid 1/4” smaller than the pencil line, using the circle as your guide.
5. Spray planter container using Krylon Fusion for Plastic® Gloss White. The Fusion for Plastic® series is the best spray paint for improved adherence to plastic items, particularly when masking (as follows). Let white paint dry.
6. Using 1-inch painters masking tape, place strips of tape vertically down planter spaced approximately one inch apart.
7. Spray masked planter and plastic lid with Krylon Fusion for Plastic® Red Pepper. Let dry and remove masking tape from planter.
8. Tie blue ribbon just below mouth of container using double sided tape to help hold position.
9. Decorate blue ribbon with star stickers.
10. Align a piece of blue and white ribbon and tie in a bow, blue side out. Attach bow to ribbon on container using double-sided tape.
11. Glue red plastic lid to the top opening of planter.
12. Fill with red, white and blue flowers and other adornments.

Crafting Tips

For a twist on this project, try gluing your plastic lid to the bottom of the planter and tying your ribbon around the base of the container to mimic a more flared hat style with flowers coming out of the top of the hat. This design also translates easily into a New Year’s Day hat.

As a kids class project or group activity, supply the recycled products and let the students make their own unique hat designs using a variety of paints, ribbons, stickers and other materials.

Use larger planters and skip the flowers to create your own party hats.



Patriotic Windsock

Materials

oatmeal container
scissors
white/clear glue
ice pick
brass rounds
ribbon
fabric material of choice

Instructions

Cut out material to go around oatmeal container, a little extra on ends to go inside.

Apply w/ glue, Then cut out eight strips of material the length of container about an inch thick. Space around on one end.

Apply ribbon to top for hanging (I used brass rounds.)

Punch 4 holes through and attached ribbon with brass rounds.

Apply a strip of ribbon over both ends to secure overall placement.

By Jennifer from CA

Here are some more great Patriotic decorating ideas for the tons of holidays and events themed with Red, White, and Blue!

Red, White and Blue Flowers
A combination of red, white and blue flowers makes a festive decoration idea for a cute party. A cut flower arrangement can be made in a vase. Another option is to plant flowers in a patriotic container to decorate the party area. Planted pots of red, white and blue flowers show your patriotism long after the Fourth of July party is over. They can also serve as favors for the guests at the conclusion of the party. The patriotic flowers work well as centerpieces, at the entrance to greet guests or throughout the party area.

Patriotic Wreath
A homemade patriotic wreath adorned with red, white and blue is a festive way to decorate for a Fourth of July party. A grapevine wreath or a Styrofoam wreath work equally well as the base of a patriotic wreath. A variety of red, white and blue artificial flowers serve as fillers on the wreath. Patriotic ribbon, miniature American flags and painted wooden stars can also be used to decorate the wreath. Floral wire attached to the flowers and stars holds them into place on the wreath. With the flowers in place on the wreath, the flags and stars can be placed as accents. The patriotic ribbon adds the final touch to the wreath.

Floating Candle Centerpiece
Patriotic centerpieces enhance the overall theme for a Fourth of July party. Floating candles in red, white and blue offer an alternative to traditional flower centerpieces. A large glass bowl serves as the container for the patriotic floating candle centerpiece. Glass marbles or stones in red, white and blue adorn the bottom of the glass bowl. Once it is filled with water, the floating candles in patriotic colors are placed in the bowl. The candles should be lit right before the party so they last as long as possible.

Felt Welcome Banner
Felt is an easy fabric to use for crafts and decorations. Craft stores carry large rolls of felt, which serves as the background for a patriotic felt banner for a Fourth of July party. A piece of blue felt cut to the desired size is decorated with a Fourth of July message of your choice. The message is composed of letters cut out of white and red felt. The felt letters naturally cling to the blue felt background but should be secured with a few drops of glue or stitches. Additional patriotic decorations enhance the felt banner.

Patriotic Luminarias
Paper bags, sand and tea lights make up luminarias for an evening party. Lunch-sized paper bags in red, white and blue make up the base of the homemade luminarias. Stars cut out of the paper bags add a patriotic touch. A star template helps with the cutouts. The stars are traced on each paper bag. Add as few or as many stars as you like. A utility knife makes the cutouts easier. Cardboard slid inside the paper bag will prevent the utility knife from cutting through the other side of the bag. A small amount of sand weighs down the bags once the stars are cut out. A tea light is then placed in the sand. Safety concerns about the flames from tea lights can be solved by using battery-operated tea lights. The glow from the luminarias lights the way for guests along a driveway, sidewalk or the perimeter of the party area.

Now it’s time to eat. I want to end this week of SUPER SALADS with a sweet treat. Now, you can make any fruits and veggies into some terrific salads as you have seen. Check out February 11th post for a great Broccoli salad and a Pear salad. Now, for this very popular salad, you can use a variety of fruits- including pineapple, strawberries, and even mandarin oranges.



Watergate Salad

Ingredients

2 (3.4 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained but reserve juice
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together pudding mix, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pineapple juice, marshmallows, and nuts. Fold in whipped topping. Chill.

As a special bonus, I am also gonna bring you the famous American Flag dessert that we’ve all seen this time of year. Its made with fresh fruit and its sheer yumminess!



American Flag Cake

Ingredients

2 pints of strawberries
1 recipe of your favorite white or yellow cake (mix or from scratch, your choice)
1 1/3 cup of blueberries
1 tub of whipped topping

Instructions

Mix up and bake your favorite cake mix or recipe. Let cool.

Slice 1 cup of strawberries, set aside. Halve remaining, strawberries and set aside.

Top cake (in pan) with 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 cup blueberries and all of the whipped topping. Arrange remaining strawberry halves and blueberries on whipped topping to create a flag design. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Well kids, its time for me to get off here and go get busy! Ya’ll have a wonderful day and come back tomorrow for another blog jam packed of fun and food and crafts galore! See ya tomorrow… HUGS!