Homemade Apple Sauce

Never made apple sauce? Either have I. I was actually pretty nervous. But it was super easy. And it's way better than store bought applesauce.

Get yourself 2 3lb bags of apples. (They are around $3.00 a bag) Make sure you get sweet apples, like Fany Nancy's, Gala, Fuji, etc.

In a large pot, put one inch of water.

Wash and Peel your apples.

Slice your apples.

If there is any left with parts of the core, make sure to cut it out.

Fill your pot with cut apples. Place knives, or screwers across the top of your pan.

Place the lid on the top, this allows for the steam to escape, but will control splashing!

Let cook on high heat for about 15 minutes or so. Poke apples with a fork and if they are mushy, they are done. It goes faster than you think. Take your beater and whip those apples up.

Add cinnamon to taste.

Super easy, and super delicious. Make a batch of this and then stay tuned to learn how to turn it into apple butter. A healthy alternative to jam or butter for your bread!

Wearing my Headband

I have had a couple requests when it comes to my no slip headband tutorial.

When you wash it, do the velcro dots fall off?

I have not washed any of mine yet. But as far as my knowledge, they should not fall off. Please correct me if I am wrong. If you would like to make it more secure you could sew an x-across it before applying the ribbon to the interfacing.

How can I custom size it for my head?

Take the ribbon peices you will be using and put it one inch longer (or behind) your ear on one side and wrap around your head, as if you were wearing it and cut one inch longer than the other ear.

How do you wear it with your hair down?

I part my hair across my head from ear to ear. I put the front up in an elastic. I then put on the headband and put the front part of my hair down. Here are some pictures.

Window Picture Frames

Have an extra window frame? Turn it into a picture frame. I just scored 16 of these babies and I will be adding a whole bunch to my shop so stay tuned...

Or you can place an order for vinyl for your own...head on over to my vinyl blog!

Yummy Yummy Fruit Dip

You will need fresh fruit for dipping. We like strawberries, apples, bananas, grapes, mangoes, kiwi's, blackberries, and pineapple.

It is super easy and definatley worth the weight you might gain.

8 oz cream cheese softened

8 oz sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Simply beat those ingredients together. Dip fruit in.

Oobleck

If you want to be the coolest mom in your neck of the woods, you must make this "stuff". We used to beg my mom to make it and we rarely were allowed to. Bit I LOVE to make it for my boys to play in. It doesn't make a huge mess, is easy to clean up, is inexpensive, and makes for hours of family fun...

The recipe...Oobleck...prounounces Ew Bleck

corn starch

water

very little food coloring

Okay, depending on how much you want to make is how much you will add. You need twice the amount of cornstarch as you do water. For example: 7 cups cornstarch and 3.5 cups water. You do not want to add too much food coloring or it will die your hands. You don't even have to add it if you don't want to! Simply Mix together. If you don't like the consistency and it isn't runny enough when held add more water...just a little at a time. This will not store, I have tried. It just dries out and gets hard. You can vaccuum up the powder mess it leaves when it gets spilled or you dissolve in water which makes for a super easy clean up both ways!

Here is proof your children will LOVE it. But don't say I didn't warn you that you will get asked to make it every second of every day once you make it once!

Daiper Wipes Case/Clutch Tutorial

PLEASE remember that I share these tutorials for those of you who can only afford to make your own. I do not provide these tutorials for you to make and sell, that is what I do. I would love for you to purchase them through my shop if you are interested in buying them. THANKS!!!

Grab a travel wipes case, some fabric, some batting, hot glue, scissors, 2 3 inch pieces of elastic, and 2 yards of trim.

Open your travel wipes case.

Glue batting on the bottom and the top.

I just run a bead of glue all around the edges.

Cut around the edges with scissors. This does not need to be perfect.

Here is what it looks like cut.

And here is your batting sandwich!

Glue your fabric around the eges of your wipes case. Make sure to not overlap your fabric to the closure of the case.

I am trying to shoe you where I place my glue...

Once it's glued it looks like this.

Here is a top view.

And here is the view from the other side.

Take your scissors and cut around the glued edges, as you can see it does not need to be perfect.

Here it is all cut and ready to go.

Turn over and do the same thing to this side.

Glue the elastic to the sides of the bottom case.

Here is how you place the elastics.

Here is the top view with the fabric on.

Glue trim all around the edges. I use two strips of hot glue.

Here is the finished bottom.

Here is what the seam in the back looks like. You just use hot glue to secure both of the ends down. Do it well so it doesn't fray and come apart!

If you want a decorative trim or ribbon along the front of the case, glue it on now!

Glue the trim all around the top, remember to be careful not to glue onto the bottom of the case, or it won't open!

Here is the completed look...and in case you are wondering I hate the different trim on the top and bottom...so I took it off and matched it...sometimes you learn by doing it!

A close up of the decorative trim!

Here is a view of the front where the case snaps closed!

And there it is my website...for you all to remember!

A daiper clutch all put together with daiper slid in place.

And here is how you slide in a daiper for a quick run on the town!

And there you have it. Remember that my tutorials are for PERSONAL use only and are not for COMMERCIAL USE. Meaning, you can't make and sell them, you can make them for you!!! If you would like to purchase these from me directly please see my stores at the links to the left!

How To Convert Your Favorite Chocolate Chip Recipe Into Healthier Ones.

We have been eating healthy around my house lately and decided to convert our cookies into more healthy ones. It was super easy and they don't taste exactly like the same ones but they were still yummy and my boys couldn't even tell a difference, even though my husband and I could!

My original cookie recipe:

1 cup crisco

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Mix crisco and sugars until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Our new converted recipe:

1 cup applesauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix crisco and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Spray pan with cooking oil.

The only difference is that the dough is very runny like. It's still firm when you scoop it with a spoon but when you drop it on the cookie sheet it sort of melts. And then when you bake it they don't really every darken like normal cookies. Try it out. Let me know what you think!

Here is the dough in a bowl:

Here is what they look like ready to bake:

And here they are cooked: