Sweetened Condensed Milk (Homemade!)

Photo courtesy of ifood.tv

You know that ooey, gooey can of milk that you always have on your shelf for those extra rich baked goods...that is until you need it?  Well, I needed mine yesterday, and lo and behold, my son donated it to the canned food drive.  So what is a savvy baker to do?  Google it of course.  And I came up with a great second choice because I always have powdered milk on hand, doesn't everybody?

So here goes, it's easier than pie...

1/2 cup hot water

1 T. butter

1 cup powdered milk

1 cup sugar

Place all ingredients in blender and mix well.  I must admit, that I thought I could get away with saving myself from washing the blender and just mixing this by hand.  Big mistake.  I had lumps and an exhausted arm, so use the blender and then this can be stored in an airtight container in your fridge or freezer.  By the by, my lumps baked out perfectly in the toffee chip bars that I made, so it worked out fine, but it still would have been worth washing the darn blender!

Vegetarian Diet

Summer time is the best for those who are vegetarians - more fresh food for us to eat. For me, I am actually what you would call a Octo-Lacto Vegetarian because I still eat eggs and cheese (although I do not like milk.) I have a garden that consists of many plants, but due to my neighbors tree it has not been getting as much sun as I would have hoped. Therefore, my lettuce and my tomatoes are striving, but the rest are not. Luckily for me though I have my mom and her boyfriends garden that I can raid! Today, I was able to get an abundance of yellow and green beans. Most of which have been blanched and put in the freezer for storage. I love harvesting the veggies and being able to store them. That way I know I will be able to eat some cheaper - organic food during the winter months.

My favorite to store I would have to say is probably zucchini, because I love to make bread and other dishes with them ;) I thought that I would share one of my favorite recipes that I like to make that I experimented with until I got the exact flavor consistency that I love (It's quick and easy) :



2 small zucchini's - diced
2 medium sized tomatoes - diced
1 yellow pepper - diced
1 red pepper - diced
1 green pepper - diced
1/2 red onion - diced
3 sweet basil leaves - finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 cup of lite Italian dressing
1/4 cup Feta cheese



1st I just cut all the veggies and throw them in a bowl, then the garlic and Basil. I add mix in the dressing, then throw it in the fridge for an hour, then add the Feta. Then you have a quick and easy dish on the side or for me a meal!!!

I have many salads that I make up in the summer, but this one is my fav! ENJOY!!!

Summer Fun!

It's that time of year again! I love travelling and experiencing new things. I would love to go out of state and visit new places, but usually it can cost you and you are not always sure what to expect or how kid-friendly a place is. My husband and I love camping and we have been passing that love to our children. It is a great learning experience for them and a great way for the family to connect! We go camping at least 5-7 times a year for a weekend, up to a week at a time.

(Pictured at right: My boys last year on the trail at P.J. Hoffmaster Park in Muskegon, Michigan)

We used to camp in a tent, but now we have a pop-up camper that we use. In the pop-up, we can do rustic campsites or the more modern sites. However, the biggest reason we started using a pop-up is because we wanted to take our children when they were toddlers. Honestly, it was great because we could lock the door and they couldn't be escape artists:) I don't care what age a child is, more than likely they will try to sneak out on you! Hence the pop-up for safety reasons. The other reason is because it saves time. When we pack for our trip, pretty much all of the basic things we need for our trip is already in the camper, all we need is clothing and food. We are completely set! We can camp at the drop of a hat! Our children love it and look forward to our trips every year.

As a matter of fact, we are preparing for our first official camping trip this year! This time around JRouse and family is going with us to Silver Lake State Park in Michigan which is near the Silver Lake Sand Dunes off of Lake Michigan. My husband has been there a few times, but I never have been there.

What we plan to do while we are camping:

Nature Hikes - My sister JRouse and I take our kids on nature hikes at any place we camp. Our children's ages range from 2-7 years old. No child is too young for a nature hike and for learning about the plants and animals. Not only do they get to ask questions about the different things they see, but we also learn things from them (Sometimes the kids can put a whole new spin on things that even us adults hadn't thought of before). Stay on the marked trails and your good to go! I keep a book in our camper that has information on different wildlife (track recognition and some other facts) that the kids can look through.

Campfires - At state campgrounds they have fire pits that you are to use to have a campfire in. If you plan to use them to cook, before you use it you may want to stir it up with a long stick and check for trash that is not burnable or is toxic (plastic products, aluminum foil, etc.). Make sure you remove those items and dispose of them properly. We usually burn a hot fire in it prior to using it for cooking as a lot of previous campers may have burnt plastic items in it and we want to make sure it isn't going to affect our food (You can't always pick stuff out so this is an added precaution).

Hobo Pies - A staple of our camping experience, we ALWAYS have our pie makers in our camper for this purpose. You can buy them in cast iron or in aluminum. I prefer the cast iron as they tend to hold up better and longer. We had some aluminum ones but they did not hold up as well, the pro to having them is that they are lighter weight-wise. You can buy cookbooks for the pie irons that have Pesto Calzone and Falafel recipes. For more info on the irons and the cookbooks go here: Fire Pie Trail Store (We actually own the cookbook on that site and there are some GREAT recipes in it). Some of our favorite foods to do with the pie irons are:

• Dessert Hobo Pies - This one is the most simple. All you need is: Bread, butter and any pie filling of your choice. Take the square pie iron and open it up on a flat surface. Butter two pieces of bread and lay one of the pieces butter side down on one side of the pie iron. Scoop 2 tablespoons of pie filling onto one piece of the bread, take the second piece of buttered bread and put it butter side up (Kinda like making a grilled cheese sandwich). Close the pie iron (keeping the sandwich on bottom side) and close it up tight. Take a knife and cut any bread crust that is outside of the pie iron off. Cook for a few minutes on one side, turn it over and cook for a few minutes on the other side (Time depends on how hot your fire is). Make sure to check your hobo pie while you are cooking it, both sides should be golden brown (Again like grilled cheese). Once it is done, carefully find a surface to set the iron on (wooden picnic table is best) and open it up (Make sure you have it flat side down). With a plate ready, turn the iron over and dump the pie out onto the plate. Let the pie cool for 5 minutes or more because the pie filling with be hotter than the surface of the sun fresh out of the iron. Be sure to check the temp before you eat it. It will burn you if you don't!
• Pizza Hobo Pies - Will add an easy recipe at a later date.
• Meat and Cheese Hobo Pies - Same concept as dessert pies except you add sandwich meat and cheese.

In what way do you or your family enjoy the summer? Do you make it a learning experience for your children (if you are at that stage of your life)?

(Pictured are my boys being "chased" by Lake Michigan's waves at P.J. Hoffmaster Park in Muskegon, Michigan. My youngest (photo on right) seems to think that screaming at the waves will get them to stop chasing him or something to that effect)

I'll let you know how our trip goes and will have pictures! Till next time!

Sincerely,

Khrys @ GreenSpot-On

Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17979

Recycle Dryer Sheets & More!

Here are a couple tips I have read about, I hope they are helpful:

Recycle used fabric softener sheeets:

1. Use them as dust cloths.
2. Another good use for them is to use them on your shower doors, they won't leave streaks or water spots.

Make your own Fabric softener sheets:

Mix 1 cup of liquid fabric softener and 2 cups water; keep a bottle of the solution in your laundry room. When you need to dry some clothing, dampen an old washcloth with a small amount and toss it into the dryer with your wet clothes.

Make your own Fabric Softener:

Mix 2 cups white vinegar and 2 cups baking soda. Slowly stir these into 4 cups of water. NOTE: Be sure to mix it in a container in your sink or tub because it WILL fizz. Store in a plastic bottle, and sheck well before adding one-quarter cup to the final rinse. The same ingredients may also do the job when used individually. Try adding half a cup of white vinegar or 1/4 cup of baking soda to the last rinse.

Homemade carpet freshener recipe:

Mix together 3/4 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of talcum powder and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Toss in your favorite scent and then sprinkle the powder over your carpet. Let sit for 15 minutes and then vacuum.