How to remove chewing gum from about anything.

Chewing gum, what a sticky icky mess when it gets in places it does not belong, but never fear, there is an easy and economical way to remove chewing gum from almost anything.

Who knew, that peanut butter could unstick the gum from nearly anything

Peanut butter will remove gum from things like:

Carpet, and tile
Clothing
Furniture
Hair
even a bubble popped on the face and into the eyebrows can be cleaned with peanut butter



The oils in peanut butter have a way of neutralizing the sticky part of the chewing gum. It begins to dissolve the chewing gum into a soft and almost slippery mass that is then easily removed from whatever it is stuck to. 


It is really easy to do:  Just smear the peanut butter over the gum and rub it in.  Let it sit for a minute or two then work the gum and peanut butter mass loose with your fingers.  

I have used this trick on several occasions and it works perfectly.  The only trouble is getting rid of the grease stain that can be left from the peanut butter.  I have found that on carpet, clothing and other items that Dawn dish soap is a great agent for getting rid of the leftover peanut butter residue. 


I saved my favorite blouse this way and I have saved several children and parents from the frustrating thoughts of having to cut the gum from hair.  I hope that this helps.

 

Disclaimer:  Please use this at your own risk. The peanut butter could stain some items.  I would not use it on a dry clean only items.  

quick and easy cake mix cobbler

So.... this is no healthy recipe, but it is a yummy recipe that comes together quick. It is one that we make only a couple times of year. We often make it over the fire in the dutch oven during the summer months on camping trips. It requires very little work and just a few ingredients.


Cake mix cobbler

To make the cobbler you will need

1 quart fruit, juice drained reserving about 1/4 cup juice  (we use our home canned peaches or apples)
1 cake mix
12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) liquid. The original recipe calls for a can of soda pop. We quite often use the liquid from the fruit instead.
1 cube (8 Tablespoons) butter


1. Place the drained fruit and the reserved 1/4 cup juice in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish  or in the bottom of a 12 inch dutch oven.

2. Mix the cake mix and liquid together just until moistened. It is good to leave some lumps. When camping we often will use a large gallon size zip top bag to mix the batter, it makes clean up a breeze.

3. spread batter over fruit

4. cut the butter into pieces and dot the top of the cobbler with the butter (see photo below)

5. bake in a 350 oven for about 20-25 minutes until browned and set.

6. If cooking in the dutch oven cook with about 24 charcoal briquettes. 8 on bottom and 16 on top.

An easy way to figure heat for a dutch oven.  For a 350 degree temperature you want to take your dutch oven size and double that. This gives you about the number of briquettes needed. You then divide this into thirds one third for the bottom and two thirds for the top.

 This is great served warm or at room temperature. When camping we make a cobbler in the evening, whatever is left over makes for breakfast the next morning.
 

ready to go in the oven

all done and ready to eat

haybox cooking the original crockpot/slowcooker

Before there were electric crock pot/slowcookers there was haybox cooking also known as a Norwegian stove.

The idea is simple: bring the food to a boil, insulate well, and let sit. The food will continue to cook at a slow rate for several hours or stay hot for up to 10 hours.




Making your own haybox cooker is quite simple.

You will need:

family sized cooking pot with a tight fitting lid (we use a dutch oven)
a large cardboard box
insulation material. This could be newspapers made into paperballs, shredded paper, sawdust, wood shavings, hay, or anything that can be packed tightly around the pot inside the box. (dirt would even work well in a pinch).
newspapers or other material for a box top
a fabric cover  (optional)


1. Choose a pan  that will hold enough food to serve your needs
2. find a sturdy cardboard box large enough to have about 5 inches of space around all sides of the pan
3. cover the bottom of the box with about 5 inches of tightly compacted insulation (The tighter you pack the insulation the greater heat retention)
4. Place the pan in the center of the box (on top of the insulation). The pan should fit just below the top of the box. Add more insulation to raise the pan to this level if needed.
5. place more insulation around the pot bringing the insulation level with the top of the pot. making it as compact as possible.
6. make a lid for the box. A stack of newspapers 3-4 inches thick secured with masking tape would do just fine for a lid.
7. make a fabric cover if desired.

The temperature in the box will usually range between 180-200 Fahrenheit. This depends on the compactness of the insulation materials and the tightness of the lid.

Cooking in the oven is very simple

bring the food to a boil and then place the pan into the box seal it up and let it be. Try to open the box as little as possible.

rice will be ready in about 30 minutes. Bring to a boil and then into the box for 1/2 hour
dry beans bring to a boil for 15 minutes then place in the box for 2-3 hours
stews bring to a boil for about 15-20 minutes then place in the box for about 2-3 hours
Any of your crockpot recipes can be adapted for haybox use. Just get the cooking process started, then into the box to continue cooking.

This method of cooking is so simple. Because there is no source of heat, the food will not overcook or burn no matter how long you leave the food in the box. Start food in the afternoon, it will be ready and hot for dinner later on in the evening.






Notes adapted from: The next crisis: Surviving in times of scarcity, Inter-American Institute pages 115-17



shared at http://thankyourbody.com/thank-your-body-thursday-10/

play dough

                                   

I grew up with homemade playdough/Salt dough.  I have found a new recipe made with kool-aide powder. It is smoother than my mom's recipe and smells good too. I like it so much better. It does not crumble or leave residue on your hands.  It is really simple to make.




Kool aide play dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 envelope kool-aide unsweetened drink mix

mix dry ingredients in a medium sauce pan.
Stir in oil and water
1 cup water
1 1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

cook on a medium high heat for a few minutes until the dough forms a ball. 



here is the dough as it formed in the pan
 it comes together quickly


remove to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and cool enough for the kids to handle. 

store in a zip top bag or a container with a tight fitting lid.

Park Hopping

It was such a beautiful fall day, I just couldn't resist taking my girls to the park! It was so nice for them and me also. This time of year is a perfect time to take a break and enjoy a park hopping experience.

What is park hopping? Park hopping is the perfect way to spend a nice warm day jumping from one park or playground to the next. We live in an area where there are dozens of parks and playgrounds within a ten mile radius. We have two within easy walking distance from our home.

                           © Bobelias | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos


                           Park hopping in 3 easy steps


Step one: Gather your gear, appropriate clothing and shoes for the children, sunscreen, a good book etc.

Step two:  Pack a lunch

Step three: Find some parks or playgrounds. Play for a while and then find another, Enjoy as many as time an energy allows.


We had a great time today. My nearly four year old decided that she could swing high up to the sky when she pumps her legs back and forth. She was so proud of herself. That alone made our day.

fun in the kitchen

     
          MAKE YOUR OWN WATER COLOR PAINT
         WITH STUFF YOU ALREADY HAVE ON HAND

Making your own water color paints from your kitchen is Super easy


you will need

3 Tablespoons Baking soda
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup

food coloring

In a bowl mix all but the food coloring
divide the mix among little pots, soda pop lids, ice cube trays  whatever little thing you have to put it in.
We used an ice cube tray that makes sticks for water bottles.

Once divided, mix a few drops of food coloring in each portion of color

Can be used right away, but it is better to let the paints dry overnight.

This is alot cheaper than buying paints already made. 

blow dryer tag

The other day as I was blowdrying my hair, the kids and I got in a game of blowdryer tag. It was an impromptu game. The kids would try to sneak into the bathroom, and I would try and hit them with warm air from my blowdryer. It was a fun way to pass the time as I got ready for the day. They were trying to be so sneaky. Little did they know I could see their shadows, so I knew when they were sneaking in.  These are the little moments that make up the tapestry of our lives. I hope that we are building a beautiful work of art filled with moments like these. So many of the memories we make happen spur of the moment like this.

 What kind of memories have you made lately?  Have you missed an opportunity to make a fun memory?

This is the best slip and slide ever!!

We have fun at our house!  Alot of it is created on the spot. A few weeks ago when we saw the neighbor boys setting up a slip n slide, my son asked if we could set up our own. We went to the garage and found a peice of plastic sheeting. We layed it out on the grass putting it over the best slope we could find. Turn on the garden hose, and there you have it; "the best slip and slide ever".  

I grew up with "the waterslide" We had freinds with a great big grassy hill in the backyard. They bought a super jumbo roll of plastic sheeting about 5 feet wide and 20 feet long, and put it on the hill. Every summer we spent many a hour climbing and sliding down the hill. It was fun. It was a race to see who could make it to the end of the plastic. The plastic would bunch and puddle. Sliding through the puddles was a real joy. This was real summer fun.

We moved away when I was a young teen. Once in our new town I had a freind invite me over to slip n slide. "What's slip and slide?" I ask. "Oh it is  this water thing. You put it on your lawn, and slide on it." You can imagine my shock when she pulled out this tiny peice of plastic from a box. It was red and about a foot and a half wide and five feet long. It looked so small compared to what I grew up with, maybe it is because I am a teenager now, and I am so big now. She slid so easily across it, all smiles. I followed suit, getting a good running start, I promplty slid across it, off the end, and into the grass. I stopped about six feet later, complete with grassburn across my entire body.  It was not nearly wide enough, or long enough for a teenager. I did learn that a running start is not needed when riding a short "from the box" slip and slide. When you make your own (depending on the size) a running start can be helpful.

Back to the start. We set up our slide; and soon, those same neighbor boys were down to our house to see what was going on. They abandoned their slip n slide to come to our house with the "best slip and slide ever"


To make your own slip and slide/waterslide you will need :

1 hot summer day

A large roll of plastic sheeting. You will need something thick at least 3 mil. thick.
Ours was  3 mils thick and about 3 foot by 12 foot.  Whatever is affordable in your price range will do.

1 plot of grass.

A Garden hose

1 sprayer or sprinkler for the end of the hose (oprional)

A bunch of people to slide.



Add some nice summer drinks or popsicles and you have yourself a real summer  party on the spot.

a canoe made sailboat

We jsut got back from a family reunion. We had a really great time. We went to a local lake and let the kids play in the water. In the afternoon it became windy. Two boys age 9 and 12 were trying their best to canoe across the water. The wind kept on pushing them back.The harder they paddled, the harder the wind blew them back. They got a great idea to turn the canoe into a sailboat.They worked hard for several hours trying to figure it out. With some logs, rope, and a sail made from a tarp, they were ready to set sail. They did not get so far before it all fell apart, but the experience was one they will not soon forget.

It was a REAL adventure. Those boys were using their skills. They were using all their senses. This was becoming a part of who they are.We all watched them struggle and grow. No one said "You can't do it!" no one discouraged them. We all knew that this was a great growing and learning opportunity for these little boys. It was wonderful that the family came together in a way to create such memories.  Kids need these kinds of memories. They need real adventures, not computer generated adventures.

 LET THE KIDS BE KIDS AND EXPLORE THE WORLD AROUND THEM. ENCOURAGE THEM TO HAVE REAL ADVENTURES.

linked at teaching what is good, and homestead barn hop, teach me tuesday,  momma moments monday

Family fun times

I'm the farmer

My Kaytlin loves to wear her bibby overall shorts and dresses.  Several times a week she says. "I want to be a farmer!" We put on her overall dress or shorts; to which she responds "I am going to find a cow!" She then goes off looking for her brother and sister and announces that they are the cows. They start "mooooing" and the fun begins. I love my active and entertaining kids. When in the car, we do not put on a movie like other families. We play "old fashioned" road games

Last summer we started a game of "dunk the cows".  The car is divided into two teams. One team on each side of the car. Each team looks for cows on their side of the road, collecting as many cows as they can. When water is found on your side of the road, you get to dunk the other teams cows. They start all over again collecting cows. It started off with cows, but then went on to whole farmyards. It is a fun game for everyone including the little ones.

What do you do to keep your kids active?    What road games to you play with your family?

Family traditions........ Father's day edition

My husband and I grew up with different traditions. Deciding which traditions to make and keep has been a challenge at times. There are some that are handed down, and some that we have created for ourselves. You can read about some of our traditons here. When it comes to holidays involving gifts, I hit the dollar store and let the kids have free reign. They love having so many choices, and the freedom to pick anything from the isles. With the children being so small, I have to give some guidance. My four year old just knew that Dad would love a pink princess color book for Father's day. I was gently able to guide her toward something a little more appropriate.

Wrapping gifts with young children can be a challenge. We did pretty well this year. They are getting a bit older and it is easier now. The youngest still reels off half the roll of tape while trying to get a peice.  I let my 6 year old wrap all by himself this time. He did a great job from begining to end. It was fun to see him so proud of himself when he got done. His lttle face was beaming.

The kids could hardly wait for Dad to wake up and see the "treasures" that they had so carefuly selected and wrapped. They were not the most beautifuly wrapped gifts, nor were they the gifts that Dad would choose for himself, but the kids had done it for him. They watched with great excitement as dad opened each gift.

We also continued with the tradition of  balloon animals.The kids had a great time twisting balloons.Our son made silly hats for all of us.We had a fun Father's day. The things we do may not cost much, but the memories are priceless. This is the reason we create and keep traditions in families.


What are some of your favorite  family traditions?  I would love to hear how you have created traditions in your home.



linked at a momma story mondays, and the better mom monday link up

Summer fun

Summer time fun!  How we love the long summer days. Today was a hot one.  We invited some of the other kids in the neighborhood over for a play date. A couple bags of waterballons from the dollar store and some ice cream bars, and we had ourselves a good summer afternoon. We filled up the kiddie pool and turned on the sprinklers. It was fun. It kept the kids busy and didn't cost but only a few dollars. I love finding fun on the cheap.

I think in a few weeks we will have our own Backyard Olympic Games . We will have to come up with some fun events for that. Any thoughts? leave a comment with any good ideas or sites that would be useful.  Thanks 

super easy sparkle paint

It is hard to see here, but the paint is shiny an sparkly.  It is so easy, and the kids love it.


To make your own sparkle paint you will need.


corn syrup and food coloring

1. mix the two together to get the shades that you want.

2. start painting

A little sticky but fun. It takes a day or two to dry.

Our new favorite books

ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE BOOKS ARE OUR NEW FAVORITE

We love reading books. We recently discovered Elepant and Piggie books while at our local library. These books by Mo Willems are fun for the kids.They are easy enough for my 6 year old to read. They are stories about an excitable elephant named Gerald and his best friend piggie. My children love silly animal books and this fits the category. 

We love the library. The kids look forward to our trips to the library (the librarians probably do not). It is fun to explore new worlds with books. I grew up with book adventures and I want my kids to have some of that same experiences.

 Make the library part of your life. It is a simple thing that can make a world of difference in the lives of our children. 

new life for old crayons

                                        KIDS AND BROKEN CRAYONS GO TOGETHER




We recyle our old crayons into new ones. 


1. Take the old broken peices of crayons

2. Peel all remaining paper off of them

3. place pieces of broken crayon into an oven proof mold. We use a muffin tin and line it with muffin papers for easy clean up.

4. place in a slow oven about 200 degrees until melted together  (about 8 minutes or so)

5. let cool

6. unmold

A word of advice. Do not stir or mix while cooling, (it makes the colors murky). Just let it be and let the colors blend in their own wonderful way.

 You can make them all multi colored, or you can make themes. Some examples would be;  fall colors, greens and blues, spring colors, red and green for Christmas. You get the idea. Have fun with it.
My kids love the multi colors. They get excited as it changes colors while they are drawing.

              These happen to be some heart shaped crayons that were made for us on Valentines day.


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