Simple easy Halloween Treats

                Halloween is almost here, now it is time for some fun treats for the kids to bring to school. When I was growing up my mother always made treats for our class on Holidays. Since my parents had 4 children, this could get very expensive. So today I will show you how to make this easy very inexpensive treat that all the kids will like.

                Here’s what you will need: 1 large,box of generic Rice Krispies (Don’t buy the name brand, no one will know the difference). A bag of generic marshmallows, ¼ cup of margarine or butter, 1 small box of orange jello, green food coloring, cookie sheet sprayed with non- stick spray, a big microwaveable bowl, spoon, wax paper, Halloween cookie cutters and your own imagination.

1.       Take your bag of marshmallows and ¼ cup of margarine or butter and melt them in  the big bowl in the microwave for about 2 minutes

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2.       Take your box of orange jello, dry ( do not add water) and mix into your melted marshmallows and butter. Stir until everything turns orange.

3.       Add your 6 cups of Rice Krispies and mix well.

4.       Pour your mixture onto a greased cookie sheet, and flatten out.

5.       Spray your cookie cutters or butter them so they do not stick. Push your cookie cutters into the cereal to make ghosts, cats or pumpkins.

6.       With the left over cereal make some little pumpkins.

7.       Make some round balls. They are already orange.

8.       Take a little of the cereal and make some stems. Take green food dye and place them on top. Now you have a little pumpkin.

9.       This way you have no wasted cereal left over.

These Halloween treats cost under $5.00 dollars to make. This would be a fun project to do with your children or grandchildren. Having fun at Halloween does not have to cost a lot of money.  These treats have a nice orange flavor and color to them without adding more dyes. This whole project took less than 30 minutes to make.  Have a safe and Happy Halloween from Suzie Homemaker. 

Halloween Decorations Made Cheap

Halloween is almost here, time for some decorations. Buying decorations from the store can get really costly, why not make some yourself with stuff you have around the house. This little project, I am about to show you would be a nice project for your kids, grandchildren or a Girl Scout Troop. Everybody had scrap material, old towels or even old shirts and pants with holes in them they could use. This whole project should cost little to no money depending on what you have laying around your house. When I was growing up money was tight, so we made all our own decorations and costumes.

Scarecrows

This is easy to do and you should have some old pants and shirts around you can use. For the head, take an old pillow case and stuff it with straw or if you don’t have straw take those leaves you raced up. Draw a face on it and rubber band it shut. Take a pair of pants and a shirt and stuff them with straw or leaves. Take an old belt and fasten them together. Next, if you like, take an old pair of boots or shoes and tie to the bottom. To hold the scarecrow up, place a rod down the back and tie the scarecrow to it and pound it into the ground with a hammer. If you don’t have a rod, try an old broom.

Ghosts

I’m sure some of you have seen some ghosts around your neighborhood made with sheets. If you are using good sheets, this can get very expensive. I have a smaller version that will cost nothing. Take some scrap material, old towels or rags and make these ghosts. First find the center or your towel or rags and stuff with straw or leaves. Next take a stick of some kind and place in the middle, tie off around the head of the ghost. Make as many as you like and stick them into a pot with soil. Tie the ends together to make it look like hands are joining

Halloween costumes

Costumes are expensive from the store. Check out your local Good Will Store or thrift shop for gently used costumes. When I was growing up I once was Fat Albert, I took a pair of my father’s old jeans and shirt and stuffed pillows down my front, I pinned a sign on front, saying,( Hey! Hey! Hey, I’m Fat Albert). I won the Halloween contest that year. Another year I dressed up as a little old lady, I had my Grandmothers old dress ,a wig, and cane. Making your own costumes is fun and easy, just ask a friend or neighbor, if you can borrow some clothes. For your children, start up a neighborhood exchange for costumes and save a bundle. You could have a new and different costume each year for years to come.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on decorations or costumes, if you just look around your house you probably have most of what you need to make these things yourself. Next to candy, costumes and decorations are your biggest expense for Halloween. My children were brought up on homemade costumes or borrowed costumes and never minded it at all. As long as they had a costume they didn’t care. Put those leaves to some good use.

Make this holiday fun  for your children and grandchildren, just remember you don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy Halloween. Happy Halloween from Suzie Homemaker.

Fall, Time for Hiking

                Fall is a beautiful time of year to watch the leaves turn colors and to do some hiking. Since I look for things to do with little to no cost involved, this is a fun thing to do close to home. Going for walks or hiking trails is a great way to get outside and get some exercise. There are so many different places to go see close to home or within a half day's drive for little to no cost involved. Our family likes to hike and walk trails close to home. Now that the weather is getting a little cooler, now’s the time to find your joy outside. Walking is a great way to keep fit and healthy. So I will show you some places we go  hiking and walking on some trails.

                The first place we go is around our pond and out back. We live on a 10-acre farm and my husband makes trails with our riding lawn mower on the back of our lot. If you need some quiet time to yourself, this is a great way to unwind close to home and just walk. It’s so peaceful to just walk in and between the little trails he made. My husband also jogs back there for quiet, time to think and unwind from a hard day’s work. Even if you do not have 10 acres of land, just take a walk around your block to get some much-needed exercise.

                The one place we go the most is Heckrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha. This is right next to my husband’s office. During our lunch break we just walk through the trails where nature is just plain beautiful. For a park in the town, this sure seems like you are out in the woods walking. There are deer , squirrels, frogs and a whole bunch more kinds of animals to see. Check out the main entrance for mounted animals, live fish, snakes, and a very old turtle. This park offers kids classes, a kids outdoor play area and an indoor area just for kids to sit and learn and read. This park is open year-round so you can enjoy the trails even in the winter.

                Once a year we take a half day trip to Horicon Marsh to see the birds and more. They have several trails to walk and explore, plus a great little hands on museum, at the visitor’s station. This place has a little admission fee . The price for Kids $4 dollars, Adults $6 dollars. We pack a lunch and enjoy it right outside in their picnic area. Enjoy the day together with your family seeing nature at it’s best.

                If you are a State park kind of person, check out High Cliff in Sherwood. The bluffs are breath taking, and fun to walk through. Once in a while, they have an open park day where you don’t have to pay. Check online  for days and times for free entrance. If you are an avid hiker, you may want to invest in a State park sticker. In Wisconsin the stickers cost $28 dollars for a whole year, Seniors 65 and over only cost $13 dollars.

                Hiking in State parks and other trails is fun and very good for your health. You don’t have to spend any money to go through some pretty nice hiking trails. Check on the internet for different places to hike and enjoy the great outdoors. These are just a few places that we like to hike through to enjoy nature and watch the leaves turn colors. This would be a great outing to do with the grandchildren. Enjoy the Fall weather while you can, because Winter is going to be here soon. Finding places to hike close to home or work is a great way to save money from Suzie Homemaker.

                

Protein Mix, is it Worth the Price?

                How many people do you know that are on special diets? There are so many diet programs out there. How do you know which one to pick from? Do your research and always check with your doctor. In a previous post, I talked about gym memberships and how I felt they were worth it. For my husband and I, we decided to go on a low calorie, low sugar, low carbohydrate diet. We decide to exercise and go on a high protein diet. This can sometimes be a little more expensive. Again check with your doctor before you begin a diet program. Protein helps build stronger muscles and gives you more energy. So I am going to tell you some ways that we add protein to our diet.

Breakfast

                Since we have our own chickens we eat a lot of eggs for breakfast. Buying our meat from a meat market gives us our bacon and sausage links. Check out my previous posts on meat markets for their value on how to save money. When we don’t want eggs or bacon or sausage we use protein mix for our protein. My husband takes an old 32 oz. bottle pour ½ cup of oatmeal, 1 scoop of protein mix any flavor (he likes chocolate) and adds water or milk and shakes it up. This is his breakfast drink. We tease him by saying he is eating his breakfast instead of drinking it. Oatmeal is a heart healthy whole grain food for any meal of snack and has a high protein count. This drink mix is healthy and cheap; it can be made at home or at any time of the day. My husband sometimes mixes everything in a bottle and takes it to work with him so he has it ready when he is done with a workout. Just add water and shake well before drinking.

                Buying breakfast drink mixes from the store can get very expensive.  If you go to the store and buy Carnation Instant Breakfast mix, you receive 10 packets for $5 to over $6 dollars. Now you still have to add your own milk. The 8 oz. bottles cost almost $13 Dollars for 12 bottles. Making my husband’s oatmeal and protein drink is a lot cheaper. A 42 oz. container, of oatmeal, cost a little over $4 dollars. Protein mix can be pricey but is very healthy for you. Do your research. We buy ours online in bigger quantities to save move. A container of oatmeal and a big container of protein mix will make a lot of shakes or breakfast mixes.

                We try to live a healthy life style, and this is one thing we like to use a for extra protein.Walmart has protein mix starting at $18 dollars and going up from there. Check online for prices and savings with bigger quantities.  Again check with you doctor before trying this. Using protein mix works for us, but may not be right for you. Living healthy and saving money in the process always helps you feel better, from Suzie Homemaker.