Peanut Butter & Date Protein Balls

Recently my husband asked me if I could pick up some protein bars for him next time I'm at the store.  Of course, me being me, I wanted to try a homemade version before throwing money into commercial bars that have unnecessary "filler" ingredients.

Using caloriecount.com's recipe analyzer, we were able to choose a recipe with a high protein and fiber content and very little sodium.  The sodium and protein content will vary depending on the brand of peanut butter and fiber/protein powder you use.  We used Full Circle Organic Creamy Unsweetened Peanut Butter (only contains peanuts and salt!) and Garden of Life Raw Fiber (Beyond Organic Fiber) powder.  Using these ingredients, the recipe analyzer says one serving of these little protein balls contains 7.8 grams of fiber and 9.2 grams of protein!

Combining only four ingredients in a food processor will get you on your way.

Blend until it's all well combined.

Make sure the texture is firm enough to hold its shape, adjusting ingredients if needed.

Roll into balls and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter & Date Protein Balls

Recipe adapted from Vegan Family Recipes

Recipe makes 10 servings.

Ingredients

10 tablespoons (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp) organic natural peanut butter, creamy

12 dates, pitted

4 tsp. chia seeds, ground

2 level scoops raw fiber powder (Garden of Life brand)

Directions

Blend all ingredients in food processor until well combined.

Using a small scoop, form into 20 balls.

Homemade Strawberry "Ice cream"

Finding simple, quick recipes is my goal right now. Something cheap and yummy, but tastes good. While scrolling through Facebook, I saw this idea. Three ingredients?  That sounds quick and cheap.  Deciding to try it didn't take too much of an effort as it said strawberries and ice cream and, did I mention, three ingredients!

This is a great snack to prepare with kids. Mine happens to be 30 something and 6 feet tall, but he's my kid. ;)

So grab your few ingredients and make yourself a treat!

Thank you bestrecipebox.com!

Homemade Strawberry "Ice cream"

1 pound of cleaned strawberries

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

16 oz of cold heavy whipping cream

This recipe is so easy, you can probably tell what to do by my "fabulous" pictures. ;) But just in case you need a little direction, here you go:

1. Set a few strawberries aside for decoration.

2. Mash the rest and set aside. I used fresh strawberries and left all the juice for flavor.

3. In a mixer, add your whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk and blend until stiff peaks. 

4. Pour in a container of your choice.

5. Garnish and freeze.

3- 4 hours you'll have "soft serve"

4-6 hours you'll obviously have "not soft serve"

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Salsa

My husband and I are huge fans of chips and dip.  Our first choice is always salsa with tortilla chips.  We generally like our salsa with a little heat, but as long as the flavor is there, we'll eat it!

My parents make homemade salsa every year and I love the way that you can control the levels of heat and spices when you make it yourself.  They can theirs in mason jars, but when I decided to make a batch, I didn't have any mason jars available.  Deciding to make it anyway, I chose to try a batch in the crock pot, then freeze it in ziplocs.  It worked so well!  We just pull a package out to thaw when we want some chips & salsa.  We've also used it to bump up the flavor in some pasta dishes and to top off some yummy tacos.

Ingredients

4 lb. tomatoes, quartered & core removed

5 tsp. garlic paste

2 onions, quarters

6 fresh jalapenos, ends cut off, halved & seeds removed

4 green onions

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. canned jalapenos, chopped

garlic powder, to taste

chili powder, to taste 

Directions

Combine tomatoes, garlic paste, onions, and fresh jalapenos in a crockpot.

Cook on high for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring as necessary.

Remove lid and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.

Add the green onions and the salt.

Carefully scoop some into the blender and blend to desired consistency.

Pour into a large bowl.

Continue with remaining mixture until it is all blended.

Cover and refrigerate until completely cool.

Stir in cilantro, canned jalapenos, and sprinkle in some garlic powder and chili powder.

Stir in up and taste.

Add more seasonings or salt, if needed, to reach desired flavor/heat level.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or divide portions into freezer bags to freeze.

When quartering the tomatoes, I just cut the hard core out and left the seeds in.  If you're opposed to "seedy salsa", just scoop the "guts" out, too. :)

Be sure to wear gloves and not touch your face when cutting the jalapenos.

Use your judgement when deciding on the peppers.  Use more for extra heat, less for a more mild salsa.  You could even experiment with different types of hot peppers to find your favorite!

Combine tomatoes, garlic paste, onions, and fresh jalapenos in a crockpot.

Cook on high for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring as necessary.

The pot gets pretty full, but don't worry about it.  It cooks down a lot!

Remove lid and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.

Add the green onions and the salt.

I left the onion stems whole since they will just get chopped in the blender.  Less work is better! :)

Carefully scoop some into the blender and blend to desired consistency.

Pour into a large bowl.

Continue with remaining mixture until it is all blended.

Cover and refrigerate until completely cool.

Stir in cilantro, canned jalapenos, and sprinkle in some garlic powder and chili powder.

Stir in up and taste.

Add more seasonings or salt, if needed, to reach desired flavor/heat level.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or divide portions into freezer bags to freeze.

Or just take a bowl outside to enjoy while appreciating the view.  :)

Laminated Place-mats

My sister Renae did this project with my younger siblings and me.

 If you don't have a laminator, you might want to get one! They come in handy for a lot of things! :)

These place mats are awesome to use for little kids!  You can do it at any time of the year, too.

They are great in the fall for Thanksgiving!

 

 

 All you Need:
leaves
color crayons
paper
laminator
laminator sheet


1. You gather leaves!

2. Stack two pieces of paper, and put your leaves sandwiched between two papers.
 (Remember to put the leaves upside down so the ribs are facing up!)

3. Peel the paper off the crayon, lay it on it's side, and color lightly over the spot the leaf is under!
(It doesn't matter how many leaves you choose to use, try not to let the papers shift well you are coloring.)

4. Put the colored piece of paper through the laminator according to your laminator instructions!

 

And there's your Place-mat!
Enjoy NO stains!

 

Laundry Stain Buster

My sister asked me a couple months ago why I make things myself rather than buying them. (Such as our body wash, laundry detergent, etc.)  It got me thinking about why I take the time to make all these items.

1.  It's cheaper.  More often than nought, I take the time to do it because I believe that the amount of money we save by "DIYing" is worth the time it takes to make it.  Once I find a recipe that I like, it really doesn't take all that long and I can usually work on more than one thing at a time.

2.  I have to buy less often.  When I make something myself, it's generally "bulk-sized", so we have to restock fewer times. Since it's also cheaper to make it at home, we are, again, saving money.

3. It's healthier.  Most of my DIY items aren't made of all natural, organic ingredients, but there are some that are truly healthier than commercial products.  It may seem a little counterproductive for me to make chemical-free lotion bars, then turn around and slather my face with chemical-laden make-up, but I believe that even a small difference is still a difference.  I know we don't live as healthy as we should, but we do live healthier than we could. :)

4.  They work better.  Yes, I know this doesn't apply for all things homemade, but you would be surprised at how many things DO work better.  If I decide that a product works about the same whether it's homemade or commercial, I try to look at the other reasons before deciding to continue making it.  Is it cheaper?  Is it healthier?  Is it worth it?  For example... my homemade laundry detergent.  We have been using this detergent religiously for over 3 years now.  I still love it!  And the cost difference is amazing!  So, yes, it's definitely worth it to take 10 minutes out of my day to mix up a batch of detergent once a year!

5.  I love it.  My last reason is my best answer to the question "Why do you do it?"

I love being able to make a product that actually works.  There is something about the "homey" feeling you get when you can create (or recreate) a product for your family to use.  Whether it's making some homemade makeup remover wipes or a denim pie iron bag to take camping, it makes you feel a little more domestic in this busy life.  I just simply enjoy it.

I have been in search of a stain remover for awhile.  When I came across a post about homemade "Shout" on the blog, One Good Thing By Jillee, I knew I had to try it.  We've used it on a couple of articles of clothing already and I was amazed at how well this worked!  I wet the fabric down a smidge, sprayed some of this on and rubbed it in.  Then, I let it rest for a couple of hours before tossing it in the wash.  Simply unbelievable.  Next time I will be making the full batch instead of a half. :)

What you need:

empty spray bottle

funnel

3 Tbsp. baking soda

1 c. warm water

1/3 c. ammonia

1/3 c. Dawn original dish soap (the blue kind)

Using the clean, dry funnel, pour the baking soda into the bottle.

Add the warm water and swirl until mixed well.

Add the ammonia and dish soap.

Shake to mix.

To use:

Shake well before each use.

Wet fabric slightly with water.

Spray Stain Buster directly on stain.

Rub into fabric.

Let rest at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Wash as normal.

(On really tough stains, I will sometimes spray and rub once more after it rests, just before I toss it in the washing machine.)

*Do not use with bleach!

(*You may want to test on an inconspicuous spot on the fabric.)

  This stain buster has worked wonders for our clothing! However, my husband has a pair of coral colored shorts where it removed the dye. Other than that, it has been awesome with our whites and colors alike! So if you are worried about ruining a piece of clothing, I would suggest doing a test run.  :)

I labeled mine using the label maker we got from my parents for Christmas last year.  Seriously one of my favorite gifts ever!  

Since there is ammonia in this, be sure not to mix with chlorine bleach!  I would suggest somehow noting this directly on the bottle.  If you don't have any labels of any sort, just write it directly on the bottle with a Sharpie.  :)

**Note: the baking soda does tend to settle after it rests, so be sure to shake it up well before each use.