Homemade Piggy Bank

                Today I would like to give you an easy kid’s project you can do with your grandchildren or your kids. When I was a little girl we made a lot of projects at school and I was also in Brownies and Girl Scouts.  Earning badges was I liked to do a lot of.  When I grew up and I was in High School I ran my own Baby Sitting Service. So I had to come up with a lot of easy and fun projects I could do with the kids at home. So today I will show you how to make a homemade Piggy Bank. It is really hard to find a Piggy Bank in the stores. If you can find one, they are really expensive.

What you will need

1 Milk jug or 1 large Juice bottle (plastic)

Pink Construction Paper or Pink Paint

Black Marker of Black Paint

Scissors or Knife

Glue or Tape

1.                   I used 1 large Hawaiian Punch juice container. But if you like you can also use a 1-gallon milk container. I soaked the container in water to remove the wrapper.

2.                   If you want to get fancy paint the container all pink. This will make it look more like a real pig.  I left mine clear so I could see the money inside. The choice is yours.

3.                   With your construction paper cut out a circle to cover the lid. Now you have a pink nose. If you like you could paint the cover pink. The choice is yours.

4.                   With your pink construction paper cut out some ears. Glue or tape them toward the front of your container on top near the cover.

5.                   Next cut a big circle out of your pink construction paper.  With your scissors start around your circle until you get close to the middle. Glue or tape the inside of your cut circle to the back of your container. Now you have a tail.

6.                   With a black marker of black paint make your eyes

7.               Using a scissors or a knife cut a slit in the middle of your container on top. Now you have your opening for your money. Be careful the opening will be sharp.

This whole project took about 30 minutes to make depending on if you paint the whole Piggy Bank. Now your kids or grandchildren can have their own Piggy Bank that they made themselves.  All you have to do is unscrew the lid and pour out the money.

If you have construction paper at home, this whole project was free to make. I left my Piggy Bank clear so I could see all the money inside. Have fun with the kids while they make this easy Piggy Bank from Suzie Homemaker.

French Apple Wedges

How many people love the smell of cinnamon and apples baking in the house? I know I do. So I pulled out an old recipe that my grandmother used to make for us when I was little. This recipe has been a favorite of mine and my family for years. So while I was home and not working I decided to make this recipe and share it with my readers today. If you like apples, this recipe took me 1 hour to mix up and bake.

What you will need

1 large mixing bowl for mixing all your ingredients.

Measuring cups and spoons

1 zip lock bag

A rolling pin

1 9 inch round or square tin

French Apple Wedges

2 eggs                                                   2 teaspoons vanilla

1½ cups sugar                                      ½ cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon                           ½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt                                     2 cups chopped apples   (any variety of baking apple)

1 cup chopped nuts                               1 teaspoon baking soda

In a large bowl, beat your eggs and vanilla.

Add your sugar, flour, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and mix well.

Take your nuts (any variety), and put into a zip lock bag.

With your rolling pin crush your nuts

. Add your nuts to your mixture and mix well.

Peel and core your apples.

Start cutting your apples into little wedges.

I used Macintosh apples. Add your apples to the mixture and stir well.

Pour into a 9 inch round or square tin.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. When crust starts turning golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, your Apple wedge dessert is done.

This dessert is great right out of the oven with ice cream or cool whip on top. Enjoy a sweet apple treat anytime.

I hope you enjoy my grandmother's recipe for French Apple Wedges from Suzie Homemaker.

Cheap Valentine's Day Tips

It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow, do you know what you are going to get your sweet heart for Valentine’s Day? My last two blogs have been for the kids and Valentine’s Day, so today this is for the adults. Do you really have to spend a lot of money on Valentine’s Day? I would say no!  I have a much cheaper way to say I love you on Valentine’s Day. When I heard what the average person spends on Valentine’s Day, I almost died. The average person spends between $75 to $150 dollars on Valentine’s Day. Are you nuts, no way am I spending that much money.  As my husband would say just another holiday that the stores rip you off and expect you to fork out a bundle of money. So here is some of my tips on saving for Valentine’s Day.

Flowers, Flowers, flowers! Yes, flowers are nice but very expensive. This is the time of the year when the florist shops make a killing. They jack up the prices because they know they got you. Don’t fall for this trick, there is a cheaper alternative. If you have to buy flowers go to your local Walmart of another grocery store and buy your flowers there. You can get a nice bouquet of flowers for under $15.oo dollars. Make your own card and personalize it, then deliver the flowers yourself to save a bundle of money.

Do you take your sweet heart out to eat for Valentine’s Day? Get ready to spend over $50.00. This is nuts! I go to the store and buy all the ingredients for a nice dinner and I make a nice candle light dinner for my husband. I can make this dinner for less than half the price of a dinner out at a restaurant. Now you don’t have to dress up and worry about reservations.

Do you take your sweet heart out to a movie? Movies are expensive. Two people and popcorn can cost you over $40.00 dollars. If you have cable of Netflix, watch a movie at home after your special dinner at home. Now you can decide whatever movie you like and watch. like. No going out and waiting in line.

Valentine’s Day Cards, don’t get me going on this one! This is a waste of money. I can tell my husband in many other ways that I love him very deeply. A Valentine’s Day Card can cost you over $5.00 dollars. Cards are a waste of money. Make your own cards and save the money.

My husband and I decided many years ago to stop buying expensive flowers, cards, going out to eat, and doing the movie thing for Valentine’s Day. Spending time together is the most important thing to do on Valentine’s Day. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to be able to say I love you on Valentine’s Day. Happy Valentine’s Day from Suzie Homemaker.

Homemade Valentine's Cards

                Here’s another cute idea that the kids can make for Valentine’s Day. Like I said before, money was tight when I was growing up. With four kids and all those Valentine’s cards to buy, this really was a big expense for my parents. So we had to get very creative and make our own Valentine’s cards. Every year we would pull out the construction paper and think of different ways to make a cute Valente’s card. So today I will show you how to make a quick and very inexpensive Valentine flower with a sucker in the middle for a treat.

1.       Cut out four hearts in pink, red or white. Make them as big as you like.

2.       Poke a little hole in the bottom of the four hearts.

3.       Take a little sucker and place into each whole. Go to a dollar store to buy these suckers to save a lot of money.

4.       Take a marker and write to and from on the petals.

5.       Now you have a personalized Valentine’s Flower.

Another thing my mother would do and I still do today, is to make Valentine’s cookies. At my husband’s office, it has become a tradition for me to make cookies for all the holidays. So I will give you my family recipe for cut out cookies.

Cut out Cookies

½ cup butter                                                ½ cup shortening

1 cup sugar                                                  3 eggs

1½ teaspoons vanilla                                    3 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda                                2 teaspoons cream of tarter

Easy Frosting

Powdered Sugar                                              Butter

All I do is take a little butter and melt it and then I start adding powdered sugar until it makes a nice creamy frosting. This is quick and easy and inexpensive way to make frosting for the cookies.

In a mixing bowl cream together butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and cream of tarter. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture. Mix well. Chill for 2 hours in a refrigerator. Roll out onto a floured surface. Take your cookie cutter (heart shaped) and cut out your cookies. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool before frosting. Frost your cookies and add some candy hearts to dress them up.

This is a fun project to do with your kids or grandchildren. My youngest daughter is in High School now and she still asks me to make Valentine’s Cookies each year. The kids always ask her if her mother will still make these cookies for them. So between my husband’s office and school, I make about 50 cookies.  For the suckers which I buy at a dollar store, I spent $2.00 for 50 suckers. The candy hearts cost me $2.50 for 16 ounces. To make these Valentine’s Flowers and cookies I spent under $8.00 dollars. Don’t go out there and buy Valentine’s Cards and cookies when you can make them so much cheaper yourself. Look at all the fun your kids can have by helping make these.  If your kids absolutely have to have those expensive cards, at least buy them after the season at 50 to 75% off and save them for the next year to give out. Happy Valentine’s Day from Suzie Homemaker.