Homemade Lemonade Recipe {+ Slushie Instructions!}

April 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Strawberry Lemonade Recipe~* Add cut-up strawberries to make strawberry lemonade! *~

As the summer temperatures rise, so does my family’s demand for homemade slushies.  One of our favorite flavors is lemonade and until recently, I’ve taken the short-cut method of using a powdered lemonade mix to make slushies. The biggest issue I found with the powdered mix, though, was that it wasn’t a strong enough lemon taste. That’s why I came up with this recipe:

Homemade Lemonade Recipe {+ Slushie Instructions!}
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Drink
Serves: 1 gallon

Ingredients
  • 2 cups water + 2 cups sugar
  • 4 cups ice
  • 5 cups cold water
  • 2 cups lemon juice {about 6-8 lemons}
  • 1 tsp. pure lemon extract, optional

Instructions
  1. Combine 2 cups water + 2 cups sugar in a medium-size sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. You’re not trying to boil the mixture, just heat it up so that the sugar dissolves.
  2. Pour 4 heaping cups of ice into the bottom of your gallon pitcher. Carefully pour the sugar and water mixture over the ice and stir a bit to completely cool the mixture.
  3. Add 5 cups water, 2 cups of lemon juice, and 1 tsp pure lemon extract {you don’t have to use this, but it gives it an extra kick of flavor}. Mix well.
  4. To make a lemonade slushie: Fill your blender with 1:1 ratio of ice to lemonade mixture. Blend until all the ice chunks are gone. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe does have a slight kick to it, but my family loves that in slushies.  If you want to make it a little milder, omit the lemon extract.  It will still have a strong lemon taste and make for some mighty good lemonade :)

Make sure you PIN this recipe on Pinterest!  I’ve included a handy button below :)

Gabrielle

This recipe was adapted from Simply Recipes.
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Filed Under: Home-made, How-To's, Simple Recipes

DIY Homemade Eye Make-up Remover

April 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

DIY Eye Makeup Remover

One of my LEAST favorite things about make-up is taking it off. It’s a pain-in-the-butt, but if you don’t do it before bed, you wake up looking like a whacked out raccoon!  With the alternative being to share all of my facial flaws with the world by NOT wearing make-up, it’s one of those necessary evils in life that we all deal with.

If you’re anything like me, then you, too, can’t stomach the idea of paying $10+ for a single bottle of eye make-up remover. Well, you’ll be glad to know that I have found an awesome alternative that costs pennies on the dollar!  All of the supplies can be found at the dollar store {or your stock-pile} and you’ll be able to mix-up dozens of bottles of eye make-up remover before having to replace them.

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 small bottle {I got the one I use in a 3-pack of travel size bottles available at Dollar Tree}
  • 1 tsp. baby oil {as you can see, I used baby oil gel because that’s what was in my stock-pile – both work just fine}
  • 2 tbs. baby shampoo or baby bath {either is fine, as long as they’re tear-free -> OUCH!}
  • water {just enough to fill the bottle after you’ve added the oil and shampoo}

1.  Add the baby oil and baby shampoo to the travel size bottle.

2.  Fill the rest of the bottle with water, put the cap on, and shake-shake-shake.

3.  To use, just squirt a little of the eye make-up remover onto a cotton ball or swab and carefully wipe the make-up from your eyes.

 

DIY Homemade Eye Make-up Remover
 
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DIY Homemade Eye Make-up Remover
Author:
Recipe type: Beauty

Ingredients
  • 1 tsp. baby oil
  • 1 tbs. baby shampoo
  • water

Instructions
  1. Add the baby oil and baby shampoo to the travel size bottle.
  2. Fill the rest of the bottle with water, put the cap on, and shake-shake-shake.
  3. To use, just squirt a little of the eye make-up remover onto a cotton ball or swab and carefully wipe the make-up from your eyes.

 

Let me know what you think about this DIY make-up remover!  I love it :)  I have sensitive skin and have had absolutely no issues with the ingredients being near my eyes.

Make sure you PIN this for later! You won’t want to forget this easy and inexpensive alternative to costly eye make-up remover!

Gabrielle

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Filed Under: Beauty, Home-made, How-To's, Little Of This, Little Of That

The Benefits Of Cloth Diapering Your Baby

March 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment

With Baby #2 on the way and the fears of having an infant in the house again are staring to set in, I’m beginning to realize how many things I need before she gets here and haven’t gotten yet. One of those things is diapers.  I’ve been grabbing diaper and wipe deals since I first found out I was pregnant, but I really don’t want to rely on disposable diapers until my child is potty trained!

Right before Little Man got potty trained, I discovered cloth diapering and immediately regretted not using them from the time he was born.  Not only do you save money with cloth diapers, but they’re all-in-all better for your baby and the environment they’re going to grow up in.

 

5 Benefits of Cloth Diapering:

1. Better Comfort and No Diaper Rash for the Baby
Cloth diapers are more comfortable for the baby because they are manufactured purely from cotton. Unlike cotton diapers, disposable diapers are manufactured plastic, synthesized materials and added chemicals may be itchy and very uncomfortable for the child. For instance, these diapers contain an absorbent chemical that absorbs the baby’s urine and transforms it into a gel substance which may stick to the baby’s skin causing discomfort. On the other hand, without the use of chemicals, cloth diapers absorb the baby’s urine and allow some evaporation. This prevents skin irritation or diaper rash which is very common with the use of disposable diapers.

2. Quick Toilet Training
A baby wearing a cloth diaper is likely to toilet train faster than those babies used to disposable diapers. With the cloth diapers the baby would need to avoid wetting or messing him/herself and therefore rush into toilet training. On the other hand, since disposable diapers are very absorbent without leaks, the babies would get used to it and see no need for using a toilet.

3. Cost efficient
A child may need at least 70 diaper changes each week. Disposable diapers are very expensive compared to cloth diapers with regard to pricing. On the other hand, cloth diapers may be reused cutting down the expenses for the parents.

4. Eco- Friendly
Cloth diapers are environmental friendly unlike disposable diapers which are not bio-degradable. Disposing the diapers the diapers to the environment would result in degradation of the soil.

5. Prevent your child from contracting asthma
Scientific studies reveal that disposable diapers emit toxins which may cause asthma. Since the disposable diapers contain chemicals, the longer the baby wears the diapers, the longer the exposure to the harmful toxins. If you want to prevent your child from contracting asthma, the best choice would be cloth diapers.

 

Have you ever cloth diapered any of your children?  What was the motivation behind your decision?  I plan on making my own cloth diapers and suplimenting with disposables when we go out so I’m not stuck carrying around a dirty diaper until we get home.

Gabrielle

Filed Under: Blog, Home-made, How-To's, Little Of This, Little Of That

4-Ingredient Easy Stuffed Cabbage Recipe

March 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Stuffed Cabbage

My husband has been asking me to make him some stuffed cabbage for weeks now, and this past weekend, I hit the farmer’s market to gather the ingredients…

I have to admit, I was pretty hesitant to make this recipe. I’m not sure exactly what it was, maybe the fact that I rarely eat cabbage, but I’m so glad I put those fears aside and made some because they came out AMAZING!  They’re also a great recipe to have on hand with St. Patrick’s Day coming up!

 

Stuffed Cabbage Recipe
 
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Author:
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 head of cabbage
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 1 cup rice, cooked

Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a small handful of salt {it seems like a lot, but it’s your only chance to flavor the cabbage a little and it won’t taste salty at all}.
  2. Using a sharp pairing knife, remove the core of the cabbage and carefully drop the head of cabbage into the boiling water. If your cabbage isn’t completely submerged, don’t worry, just rotate it around in the water with a spatula as the leaves fall off.
  3. After a minute or two, you will notice the outside leaves beginning to separate from the head of cabbage and float in the water. Remove them as they do this and drain in a colander until ready to use. Continue until you get all the green leaves off the head of cabbage.
  4. In a large pan, brown the meat and drain the excess oil from the pan. Add ½ the jar of marinara sauce and white rice; stir to combine.
  5. NOW FOR ASSEMBLY: Lay one cabbage leaf on a plate and place one scoop of the meat and sauce mixture into the middle of the lower half of the leaf. The size of your scoop will depend on the size of the leaf, but make sure you don’t overstuff them or they won’t wrap correctly. Fold in the sides and tuck the bottom up over the stuffing. Roll up and set-aside. Continue until you’ve finished your desired amount of stuffed cabbage rolls.
  6. Pour half of the remaining marinara sauce into a large pan {with a lid} and spread to cover the bottom of the pan. Carefully place each cabbage roll into the pan, seam side down, and then cover the cabbage rolls with the remaining marinara sauce. Place lid on pan and turn the burner to medium heat. Bring sauce and cabbage rolls to a simmer and them continue to simmer for about 45 minutes; spoon sauce over cabbage rolls every so often to help the cooking process.
  7. When the cabbage rolls are soft, remove from heat and serve immediately :)

 

Don’t be intimidated by the long list of instructions :)   I just wanted to be very thorough in case there were questions as to how exactly I assembled my stuffed cabbage rolls.

If you try out this recipe, leave a comment and let me know if you liked it!  Do you have a suggestion as to how I can make my recipe better?  PLEASE share :D

Also, make sure you PIN this recipe using the button below so you’ll always have it on hand!

Gabrielle

 

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Filed Under: Home-made, How-To's, Simple Recipes

Beautifully Pan Seared Fish

February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Beautifully Pan Seared Fish

I recently got some raw fish fillets on sale and have been on a mission to find simple and easy ways to prepare them for dinner. Since fish thaws rapidly and cooks quick, it’s  a great go-to dish when you really don’t feel like cooking anyway.

The first method I found and fell in love with is pan seared!  You can create a simple marinade about a half hour before you’re ready to cook the fish and really add some flavor to the fish.

Beautifully Pan Seared Fish
 
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Simple method for cooking pan seared fish.
Author:
Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients
  • 2-4 fish fillets
  • marinade {I threw together a simple marinade with EVOO, lemon juice, salt, and pepper}
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs butter

Instructions
  1. Marinade fish fillets using your preferred marinade. You can buy some at your local grocery store or throw together a simple recipe with ingredients you have around your kitchen.
  2. Heat pan over medium-heat and add olive oil and butter. Gently place you fish fillets into the pan making sure you drop the fillets away from your body as to not get splashed with hot oil.
  3. After about 30 seconds, slide a spatula under the fish fillets to loosen them before they begin to stick to the pan.
  4. After another minute or two, flip the fish fillets {again, make sure you’re doing this AWAY from your body}. Remember to slide the spatula under the fish fillets again after the first 30 seconds.
  5. Fish doesn’t take long to cook, but keep an eye on your fillets and remove from heat once they’ve reached between 140 and 145-degrees. Ideally you want to get your fish to 145-degrees, but fish continues to cook after you remove it from the heat. You want to be careful not to overcook your fish or it will get crumbly.
  6. Serve on a warmed plate and and enjoy!

The resulting fish is a mix of lemon pepper and butter that just melts in your mouth. I gobbled up 2 fillets by myself and still wanted more :P

Remember, if you like this recipe, make sure you pin it using the PIN it button below!

Gabrielle

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Filed Under: How-To's, Simple Recipes

Perfectly Cooked Bacon… From The Oven!

February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Bacon - extra crispy on paper towel

Back in November, I discovered the secret to making photo-worthy bacon.  I have since come to find an even better method that, while it does take longer, tastes SOOOOO much better!

BAKE YOUR BACON!

Weird, right?

But it works!

Here’s how to achieve that perfectly cooked bacon from the oven:

Perfectly Cooked Bacon… From The Oven!
 
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Perfectly cooked bacon in 20-minutes from the oven!
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: many

Ingredients
  • BACON – as much as will fit on your pan :P

Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375-degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  3. Lay each slice of bacon along the pan, fitting as much bacon on the pan as you can. It’s okay if they overlap a little because they’ll start shrinking immediately.
  4. Stick pan in preheated oven and let bake for about 20-minutes. If you want it extra crispy, leave it in a minute or two longer.
  5. Remove bacon from pan and let drain on cooling rack or on paper towels.

 

The beautiful thing about this method is that you can find your ideal crispiness the first time you make it and from then on, you can just “set it and forget it”.  I love not having to continuously flip the bacon to achieve even cooking and my kitchen doesn’t get covered in splattered grease!

Remember, if you like the recipe, make sure you PIN it using the handy button below :D

Gabrielle

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Filed Under: Home-made, How-To's, Simple Recipes

Homemade Citrus Sea Salt Body Scrub

January 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

paula deens citrus salt body scrubAs I scrolled through Pinterest the other day, I came across a tantalizing citrus salt body scrub how-to and since I had all the ingredients to whip up a batch, I wasted no time snagging a lemon off my neighbor’s tree and hitting the kitchen.

Unlike Paula Deen’s recipe for citrus salt body scrub, I found that more salt is needed than in Paula’s original recipe – almost twice as much, but the final results are phenomenal!

Homemade Citrus Sea Salt Body Scrub
 
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Inexpensive homemade body scrub that is a necessity for any bathroom and makes a great gift :)
Author:
Recipe type: Homemade Body Scrub
Serves: 1

Ingredients
  • 1 cup sea salt
  • ½ cup oil {sweet almond, coconut, light olive, or vegetable}
  • ¼ tsp lemon zest
  • ¼ tsp orange zest

Instructions
  1. Put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight sealing lid and shake until well combined. You could also pour everything into a bowl, mix, and then divide up into jar{s}.
  2. Paula’s Usage Instructions – “To use: Just before showering, swirl ingredients together with your fingertips to mix. Clean body completely and just before exiting shower, apply Citrus Salt Body Scrub to body in a firm circular scrubbing motion with hands or a soft washcloth. Rinse off the mixture and pat body dry with a clean towel.”

Gabrielle

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Filed Under: For The Home, Fun Crafts, Home-made, How-To's, Simple Recipes

How To Clean Burnt On Grease From Stainless Steel

September 13, 2012 by 1 Comment

Have you ever flipped your favorite stainless steel pan over to find a big, nasty grease spot burnt onto the bottom?  It happens to my pans all the time and no matter how hard I scrub, I can never get it all off.

At least… I never USED to be able to get it off!

Thanks to the power of modern science, I have recently discovered the MOST effective way of removing burnt on grease stains from stainless steel pans.  I have started using this method on all of my stainless steel pans and can’t believe I lived with those nasty burns for so long {or that this method was able to remove grease that had been burnt on my favorite pan for MONTHS}.

Here’s What I Do:

  1. Fill a large pot with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water. You need enough to cover the entire bottom of your stained pan without boiling over.
  2. Place your pan in the vinegar/water mixture so that the entire bottom is covered.
  3. Put both pans over a high flame and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat off and let sit for 30-minutes.
  4. Remove the stained pan from the vinegar/water mixture and sprinkle with baking soda and a little salt.  Let the pan sit for about 5-10 minutes.
  5. Whip out your scrub brush and get to scrubbing!  {Hey, I didn’t say this method was EASY}
  6. Rinse the pan, wash with soap and water, and buff dry with a hand towel {drying immediately prevents water spots}.

Okay, yes, this method DOES require you to put in a little elbow grease, but I can’t tell you how many times I tried to pour elbow grease all over my stained pan and got nowhere.  The good thing about this cleaning method is that you will start to see results immediately which, trust me, definitely motivates you to keep going.

~*~ BEFORE ~*~

~*~ AFTER ~*~

Seriously, folks, I couldn’t believe the results!  My old roommate SCRUBBED this pan; I scrubbed this pan; my husband scrubbed this pan; and none of us could get ANY of the grease to come off.  I was in complete awe as I scrubbed the pan and found the grease dissolving before my eyes.

ALSO!  I’ve found this method useful for grease stains inside the pans, too.  I just pour enough of the 50/50 vinegar and water solution to cover the bottom of the grease stained pan and follow the steps above.  As with the stains on the bottom of the pans that gets continuously burnt on by the open flame, grease stains inside your pan can be completely removed with the above cleaning method.

So the next time you find a giant grease stain on your favorite stainless steel pan, don’t freak out!  Just grab your vinegar and baking soda and dissolve the grease stains away :)

Filed Under: For The Home, Home-made, How-To's, Little Of This, Little Of That

Decorating With Duct Tape

August 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Have you ever see those adorable printed duct tape rolls in the stores and wondered what you would actually use those for?  Well, that’s exactly what I thought when I came across some awesome Spiderman printed duct tape.  Of course, I still bought it, because after all, what could be stronger than Spiderman printed duct tape… Superman? {I’ll save that debate for anther day}

In an attempt to organize my son’s ever-growing collection of books, I decided to grab some boxes I had saved from a trip to Costco and repurpose them into a cute display.  It’s so simple, but looks really neat and will surely encourage your little one to come check out their book shelf more often.

All you need is:

  • Printed or Colored Duct Tape {Available at pretty much any store with a home improvement section, including Walmart}
  • Old {but sturdy} Box

Carefully wrap the duct tape around the box, one layer at a time.  THAT’S IT!

Little Man immediately got excited when he saw his books being “protected by Spiderman”, as he put it. I can’t wait to see what other awesome projects I can find to use pretty duct tape for.

For a list of decor projects you can do around the house that involve duct tape, click here!

Also, make sure you’re following CA Monkey Momma on Pinterest for some of the neatest crafts and most delicious recipes :)

Filed Under: Fun Crafts, Home-made, How-To's

How To Freeze Fresh Cilantro For Later Use

August 4, 2012 by 1 Comment

Whether it’s store bought or home grown, cilantro is, by far, my favorite herb.  I have a whole window box dedicated to cilantro because I love the smell and incorporate it with as many meals as possible.

Even with all that cooking and infusing, I tend to find myself with excess cilantro from time-to-time.  While cilantro doesn’t dry well to make dried herbs like with parsley, FREEZING cilantro will help it last for months without browning.

To freeze cilantro, finely chop the cilantro and place it into either an ice mold, a mini muffin tin, or a similarly small cup that is able to go in the freezer. Press down the chopped cilantro so that it is firmly packed. Add water to the mold just enough to cover the cilantro.  Freeze for a few hours or over night, pop out of the container, and store in a freezer-safe container.

When you’re ready to use the cilantro, either thaw it out and mix it into your recipe, or plop the frozen cubes directly into your soup or other hot mixture!  This method is also good for most other herbs, also.

Gabrielle

* I’ve been doing this method for years, but I have to send out a special thanks to Budget Savvy Diva for posting this awesome kitchen tip on her blog yesterday.  It reminded me I needed to get out there and trim my over-grown cilantro :P

Filed Under: Gardening, Home-made, How-To's, Simple Recipes
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