Homemaking on the Homestead

Good morning Friends!! If you are looking for a quick and simple gift idea you might want to consider making some homemade vanilla.  It's so easy to make!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HV3PszwkP0

With Christmas just around the corner it is time to start thinking  about gift giving, it you have not done so already! As a single income family we are on a budget and I am always on the look out for frugal fun Christmas gift ideas. The ideas I am sharing with you here are a few of the different things I have done over the years as well as some ideas that I may be doing this year. Perhaps it will spark some new ideas for you this Christmas season!  Gift Baskets are always popular: Breakfast Basket Pick one or two food type gifts: Pancake & waffle mix along with homemade syrup Homemade granola Homemade raisin bread Homemade cinnamon rolls Then add any of the following: Homemade pot holders Dish towels Spatula Coffee mugs Dish towels, spatulas, coffee mugs can be found at dollar stores or Wal-Mart very inexpensively. Whole Wheat Cinnamon Pancake Mix Crystal Miller 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour, freshly ground if possible ...

This year I set out to make some hot cocoa mix to give away as gifts for the holidays. I wanted to make something different then plain hot cocoa. I like plain hot cocoa, but thought it would be fun to try something new. I searched around the internet for ideas and found some ideas. I wrote down what I liked and skipped what I didn't want and continued to search. After a lot of scribbling notes and searching I came up with my own plan and created these recipes. I wanted a basic recipe that would allow me to make simple changes or additions to it and create different flavored mixes. And that is what I ended up making and will be sharing with you today. First thing to do is make the basic hot cocoa mix. I tried 2 different variations and liked them both. You can pick whichever one you'd like or try them both and see what you think. I got a few mixing bowls out and got busy. I found that the cocoa powder can sometimes be a bit lumpy ...

Years ago granola was a staple in our home.  I made gallons and gallons of it to keep 8 hungry tummies full for breakfast. It was much better, in my opinion, than commercial breakfast cereals.  Now that my kids are grown and gone it has been years since I made a batch of granola. This year I wanted to give it away as gifts. I pulled out my recipe and got busy! The ingredients for granola are very simple. You can make changes based on your own preferences.  The basic ingredients you will need are:  Oats Flour Powdered milk Coconut flakes Cinnamon Salt Oil Honey Vanilla To begin get a very large bowl and add the oats, flour, powdered milk, cinnamon and salt.  Stir it all up to combine everything. In a small saucepan combine the oil, vanilla and the honey.  I have always used olive oil for my recipe and never found the taste to be overwhelming.  You can use whatever type of oil you prefer.  Heat this up long enough for the ...

(this article contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support :) Wool dryer balls are a super easy project. They really are amazing to use. If you are not familiar with them they are used in the dryer for drying clothes. They can be a frugal alternative to dryer sheets. I don't use dryer sheets for several reasons, but one being the cost. For me, they seem like an unnecessary expense. I'm not a big fan of things used once and thrown away (I don't buy paper towels and only buy 1 - 4 pack of napkins from Costco about every year to year and a half), I use towels and wash cloths instead of paper towels and I have my own homemade napkins instead of paper napkins for our daily use. Back to these dryer balls. Aside from the benefit of helping reduce static they also can reduce drying time. I wasn't too sure if I believed this but now after using them I can say that they do reduce the time by anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. This has been my observat...

I posted this idea a few years ago..  but it is so easy and so quick to make..  and is darn cute!!  Just thought I'd share it again!!   Christmas is fast approaching! If you’re in need of a quick gift idea this dish towel apron may be just the project. It requires basic sewing skills and goes together very quickly. Using dish towels means no raw edges to think about!! :) You will need 2 cotton dish towels that coordinate and some ½ or 1 inch twill tape. I purchased my dish towels at Target. I got 5 in a package and the cost was $10. You will use 2 for the apron. I figured $4 an apron was pretty good (plus the cost of the twill tape, I had some on hand already). For my pack of 5 dish towels I got 2 aprons and an extra towel for my kitchen, or it could be put in a gift basket along with the apron. You can find detailed instructions for the apron on this site: http://thepickledweasel.blogspot.com/2009/11/christmas-making-tea-towel-apron.html ...

***I posted this last year.. made this and gave it away as gifts.. it was so good!! And so easy..  frozen store bought strawberries and fresh cranberries..  very easy to make!!       If you’re looking for an easy, fun project that could also be a nice gift this may the answer!! I made a batch of this and it is soooo good!! As a gift it would be perfect coupled with a loaf of homemade bread or rolls, or even just given on its own. What is nice about this recipe is that you can use frozen strawberries and fresh or frozen cranberries. I bought several bags of cranberries in November and put them in the freezer. When I made this jam I used both frozen strawberries & cranberries. This recipe makes a lot!! So you will have plenty to give as gifts and for your family to enjoy. Here is the recipe: Strawberry Cranberry Jam Makes approx. 13 half pint jars 3#’s frozen strawberries 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries 1...

With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, we are moving on to Christmas in our home. Today the tree goes up and the Christmas decorations come out and a little Christmas music will be playing to get everyone in the holiday mood. Every year I like to make a few gift for my family. I don't make them all, that would completely overwhelming to me!! ~smile~ But I do pick out a few gifts each year to make. I made this gift last year for my granddaughters. It was super easy. Chalkboard paint is easy to use! It was the first time I'd tried it and was pleasantly surprised at how simple it was and how quick the little homemade gift went together. I found the idea from this website: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/08/cheap-and-easy-diy-chalkboard-table.html     I am fortunate enough to have an IKEA not far from me. As far as I know the items listed for this table (and chairs) could be mail ordered as well. However, any little table would work. It could be a...