Craft: Unstuffed Dog Toy

You don't need a fancy unstuffed dog toy to make your dog happy while keeping your house and your dog's g.i. tract clean of cotton batting. I made one today and it only cost me fifty cents. Purchase your stuffed animal at Goodwill, Dollar Tree, or a similar discount store.

Unstuffed dog toy

You will need:
1 Stuffed Animal
A Needle
Thread to match

Directions:

First remove all small item from the animal such as bows, t-shirts or hats. Carefully remove a seam from your stuffed animal. I took the back out of mine. Remove all the stuffing you can reach.



Then turn the animal inside out and carefully remove all the stuffing (and silica if present) from the head, arms and legs.

Once the stuffing has been removed turn the animal right side out and gently hand-wash the animal. I wouldn't use anything stronger than dish detergent. Rinse thoroughly and lay flat to dry. 

Carefully sew the seam back together and give it to your buddy. Enjoy hours of throwing the animal across the room and letting your pal bring it back.

(Doesn't look too pleased to be unstuffed! But he's still super cute!)

Only 1 more day till Judah comes...

Judah Shopping and Homemade Dog Biscuits

We went shopping this week for Judah necessities. We got him a collar with a tag, a leash, a Kong ball, a "Crazy Critter" and a tennis ball.

I keep holding the little collar (UK blue of course) and staring at that little tag with his name and our phone number engraved on it. I like the little jingle sound it makes. I keep imagining his little head poking through  that collar and the little tag jingling while he walks. I am so exited about this puppy.

We've also been shopping for dog treats and found that we can make them for much less than we can buy them for at the pet store. I'm also fond of the idea of knowing what he's eating. (I always talk about being an organic mom someday and making my baby's food myself.) They can be made any size and shape so they can be made to fit into the Kong ball we got him. Here's a recipe that Reeve found online that we will probably end up using to make Christmas treats for all the dogs we know.

Homemade Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:
1/2 C Peanut Butter
1/4 C Honey
1 T Virgin Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
1 C Chicken Broth
1 C Rolled Oats
1 C Whole Wheat Flour
1 C All-Purpose Flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, honey, oil and chicken broth. In a separate bowl combine flours and oatmeal. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Place dough on floured surface. Roll and press dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a bone-shaped cookie cutter (or cookie cutter of your choice) to cut into shapes.  Bake on parchment paper for 14-16 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.
(Taken from: http://acozykitchen.com/homemade-dog-treats/)


I'm going to keep looking for more recipes for dog treats. Perhaps I'll try these out on Matilda first to see if they are good. I'll post more recipes as I find them.

Only 2 more days till Judah comes...

Recipe: "More or Less" Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)

I've been making these peanut butter cookies since I was a teen. I don't know where I got the recipe, but I've always made them this way. They are a big hit at parties or just when we crave something sweet in the evening. They can be made in twenty minutes from ingredients we always have in our house. I used this recipe to snag my husband and it was practically in our wedding vows that we must keep the ingredients for these cookies handy so I can make them when we have surprise company.

These cookies are gluten free and dairy free (as long as you don't add chocolate chips.) I shared this recipe with a co-worker who couldn't eat gluten and she was a big fan - she made them more often than I did! The recipe is simple, one cup sugar, on cup peanut butter, and one egg. The reason they are called "More or Less" Peanut Butter Cookies is because they often require more or less of ingredients and more or less cooking time. Generally the recipe needs more sugar, but it isn't always a measurable amount and differs each time. Without furthur ado:

"More or Less" Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 C Peanut Butter
1 C Sugar
1/2 C Milk Chocolate Chips (optional)

Directions:

Mix together egg and sugar. Add peanut butter, stir until well blended. Add sugar by the tablespoon until dough can be rolled into balls in your palm without leaving your hands sticky. (Leaving your hands slightly oily is okay - sticky is not.) (Optional: add chocolate chips)

(Dough with my Aldi peanut butter and chocolate chips - I love Aldi)

Roll dough into 1.5-inch diameter balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Press with a fork.

Bake approximately 12 minutes at 350 F, turning the pan around after six.

Bake until the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny.

Remove from the pan IMMEDIATELY and place on a flat plate in a single layer.

This is VERY important.

Don't leave them on that pan unless you want them to stick to it.

Top with Hershey Kisses if you'd like and allow them to cool for

five minutes before serving. Tell everyone how hard

it was to make them and that it was your

great-great-great grandmother's recipe. Enjoy!

Coupon Clippin'

Lately I've been trying to be more cost-conscious. I want to be aware of what we are spending and how we can cut back. This means venturing into the scary world of couponing. So now I'm a new clipping, snipping, web-searching fiend. I'm searching the web for deals, I'm shopping at Aldi, I'm planning my meals ahead of time, I'm downloading apps on my phone to get free appetizers at the Chinese food place tonight when we go out with friends. I still haven't quite got the hang of this coupon thing, but I think I'm getting there. I'll be chronicling my coupon clipping growth and teaching you my favorite tips as I learn more.

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite gold mines with you, oh faithful blog readers and cost-conscious citizens, that don't require scouring the paper.

20 Free Prints from CVS"Like" CVS on Facebook this week and earn 20 free prints. Just click on the special offers tab on the left hand side and sign up. Your coupon will be emailed to you. Click here to open their facebook page in a new window.

BOGO free movie ticket at Amstar
Bluegrass coupons is advertising a buy one get one free ticket at Amstar in Nicholasville as well as a free popcorn. This coupon expires November 30th so use it soon. Click here to get these coupons.

Free Sandwich at Zaxby's
Bluegrass coupons is giving away free nibbler sandwich coupons for Zaxby's. Click here to get this coupon.

Groupon
If you've never used Groupon you are missing out. Every day Groupon offers a deal to get you food, services or entertainment for half the cost. We bought two tickets to see Harry Potter this summer for a grand total of $8 on Groupon and recently we got $20 worth of food at our favorite Chinese place for $10. Go to http://www.groupon.com/ or download the mobile app on your phone.

Living Social
If you haven't discovered Living Social it's not too late. Living social works like Groupon. We just bought $60 worth of glasses from Coastal Contacts for $9. Can't beat a deal like that! Go to http://www.livingsocial.com/ or download their mobile app.

Restaurant.com
Restaurant.com lets you buy gift cards for local restaurants for less than their face value. For example, you may get a $25 gift card for Many times there is a minimum purchase amount at the restaurant so read the terms before you purchase the card.

Mobideals
My coworker introduced me to Mobideals. It's a mobile app that helps you save. It's like a combination of Groupon and restaurant.com. Download the app, sign in with your phone number and start searching. You can search using a city, zip code or just places nearby. You'll find deals for eating out, entertainment, retail stores and more. We plan on using it tonight when we go out to eat with friends.

There are some ways to keep doing the things you love and save at the same time. Hope you find something you like!

Recipe: Baked French Fries

French fries sabbotage my weigh loss attempts every time. I can't help it. I love those warm golden brown strips of potato.

Here's a recipe we recently read in Esquire for oven fries - and  let me say, they are fabulous. They are only 230 calories / 5 weight watchers points and you get to eat a ton of them!

Oven Baked Fries
Ingredients:
2 Large potatoes (whatever kind you prefer)
2 T Olive oil
1 Coriander seed, cracked
1 t dried thyme
Kosher salt
Non-stick spray

Recipe: Nonna Povera Pastina

I loved this recipe as a little girl. It's an old Italian recipe that we had a lot because it was so affordable. Now I make it for my husband. Someday I will make it for my children.

It is one of my favorite foods in the whole world. It's good alone or with steak and broccoli. It is the ultimate comfort food. My mother always called this recipe Pastina, which means "little pasta" in Italian. The technical name of the recipe is "Pastina with Egg." I affectionately call it "Nonna Povera Pastina" which literally means "Poor Grandmother Little Pasta" because it's such an afforable meal. If I ever write the cookbook I'm planning on writing this recipe will be one of the first recipes in it. It has only four ingredients and it's an excellent vegetarian meal all by itself. Enjoy!

Nonna Povera Pastina

Ingredients:
1 C Acini de Pepe (Pronouced Ah-Chee-Nay Day Pep-ay. De Cecco makes it but it can be hard to find. I'd suggest trying Meijer or Kroger. If you can't find it just get the smallest pasta you can find)
4 Eggs
2 T butter
Salt to taste

Directions:
Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Boil acini de pepe until tender. Meanwhile, in a seperate bowl, beat 4 eggs. Drain pasta and return to pot. Reduce heat to low and stir in egg, butter and salt. Cook until just set, but not scrambled (You don't want it to be dry.) Serve immediately.

Traditionally parmesean cheese and/or pepper are added to this recipe. I never liked it that way, but several of my family members eat it that way. This recipe makes four one-cup servings.


Nutritional information per Cup (1/4 C dry): Calories 320, Fat 11 g, Carbs 42 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 13 g.
Weight Watchers Points: 7

Allergies?

God Bless you! Gesundheit! Salud! Na zdravlje! I Sveikata! Afiyat Bashe!
Got a case of the sneezies and itchy eyes?  I know I do! But those of you who know me know that I will try always try to cure anything with a home remedy before going to the doctor. In my experience it's better to use a home remedy that tackles the root and not just masks the symptoms. If you're like me and are hesistant to run to the drug store, try these tips:

Local Honey

When I first heard of this remedy it made sense. Local honey is made by local bees that use local pollen. Makes perfect sense - kind of like a vaccine. It helps build an immunity. What I didn't expect was for it to work so FAST. Allergies hit me yesterday for the first time and I took two teaspoons last night and one this morning. I haven't sneezed all day! I was amazed. I fully expected it to take at least a week for this to kick in. Buy a jar of local honey and take a little bit each night and morning to build up an immunity to local plants.

Neti Pot

I've never used a Neti Pot but I know so many people who swear by them. They use a saline solution to clear out your sinuses. I keep thinking about using one, but I can't quite get past the idea of running water through my sinuses. (Have you used a Neti Pot? Do you have any feedback?)


Hot Shower

If you've been outside chances are the allergens are on you. Take a hot shower. Get all those icky pollens off your skin and out of your hair. The steam is helpful as well!


Peppermint Tea

Peppermint's benefits extend well beyond its delicious smell; the essential oils acts as a decongestant, and substances in peppermint contain anti-inflammatory and mild antibacterial constituents.
To make peppermint tea: Place 1/2 ounce dried peppermint leaves in a 1-quart jar. Fill two-thirds of the jar with boiling water, and steep for five minutes. (You can inhale the steam for added benefit). Let cool, strain, sweeten if desired, and drink. (Care of Discovery Health) Add local honey to your tea for a boosted effect!


Water

Water helps flush your system and keep you clean. We need it more than we realize. Be aware of how much water you consume and drink more during allergy season!

Hope these tips help you! They certainly help me!