Recycle Recycle

                Garbage and recycling day is coming up, how many of you recycle?

We live in a small town so we only have pick up every two weeks. Once a month we have recycling day. Depending on where you live and your town or city you live in will decide on your days and times for both recycling and garbage pick- up. Today I want you to think about all your garbage and recycling that you throw away each month. How many bags of garbage do you throw away each month and how much you recycle? Since we live out in the country we can also burn some of our garbage instead of throwing it away. Really think about this for a moment and be honest with yourself, do you just throw things away to save time or do you really recycle everything you really can? Go drive by a landfill once and really see all the garbage that we throw away, you would be surprised. So today I want to talk about recycling.

Landfills

                Like I said we live in a small country town and we have a landfill less than two miles away. Some parts of this landfill are now taller than the trees. I can see a mountain of garbage and don’t get me going on the smell when the wind it just right. When my daughter was in middle school in 7^th grade they had a class trip to the landfill to see first- hand what we throw away and waste. This was an eye opener for my daughter. Now she tells me what I can and cannot recycle. I think every school should visit a landfill so our children and grandchildren learn how to recycle and not waste so much.

Recycling

                Our little town each year sends out a letter in the mail reminding people to recycle and what they can and cannot recycle. Plus they have special days during the year to pick up bigger items like computers, phones and other big items that cannot be recycled during your monthly recycling day. Check with your city or town to find out what you can and cannot recycle.  Most cities and towns now give you special trash cans for your recycling.

Please use these and not throw things in the garbage. I have a special place that I throw my recycling each day, then at the end of the day, I throw them into my recycling can. If you don’t have a recycling can for pick-up place your cardboard and papers into a box or paper bag. Place all glass and any cans into a recycling plastic bag, when it is your day for your recycling just place the recycling out by your curb for pick-up. Recycling does not take a lot of time to do, so think of that big landfill filling up.

Burning

                We live out in the country so we have a burning barrel. Check with your city or town if you can burn. Since we can burn anything that is not recycleable, I now burn the rest. Burning is a great way to save on garbage bags and garbage being thrown away. My husband has an office where everything has to be burned, so instead of paying for a burning service, we burn everything at home. This saves us hundreds of dollars a year.

                So how much do you throw away each month, and how much do you recycle? Every month I have a full recycling barrel full from our home and from my husband’s office. They recycle in his office too. How hard is it to put a couple of baskets out for recycling?

We only have recycling once a month by us. Now, how much garbage do you throw out? We have garbage pick-up twice a month, and in one month for 4 people I have 4 bags of garbage I throw out.

Everything else is either recycled, burned or any food scraps are given to my chickens. Think about all the waste we produce and how it all ends up in the landfills. Make a conscious effort to use less and recycle more from Suzie Homemaker.

Homemade Bubbles

                Summer is almost here and the children and grandchildren like to go outside and play and enjoy the weather. When I was a little kid my mother would send us outside to blow bubbles and chase them around the yard. Since I had two older sisters and one younger brother we had a lot of fun playing with these bubbles. As a treat, my mother would buy us a bottle of bubbles once in a while to play with, but this got a little expensive and we would use them up in less than 15 minutes. She then started buying the gallon jugs but with four children we still went through them pretty fast. Money was always tight when we were growing up, so she had to find a cheaper way for us to enjoy playing with the bubbles. So today I want to give you my mother’s recipe for homemade bubbles.

Homemade Bubbles

                2 cups of Water                                              3 Tablespoons of any type of dish soap

                Put into an old dish soap bottle of a glass jar and shake well. You can make any size batch you like and just store it in your container. When ready shake up well. To blow some bubbles just pour into a dish or use straight from the bottle.

Homemade Wands

                Take an old wire hanger and bend into any shape you like.

If you have very little children or grandchildren try using an old slotted spoon.

Just dip the spoon into the bubble mixture and blow. The metal hangers should only be used for older children so they do not hurt themselves. You can use about anything that has holes in them for a wand.

                What child doesn’t like to blow some bubbles and pop them or just watch them drift away? Summer time is a time to be outside enjoying the sunshine with your children and grandchildren. Why go to a store and spend way too much money on a little bottle of bubbles when you can make these anytime for a fraction of the cost. Now anytime you want bubbles just make up a batch instead of running to the store. These homemade bubbles are easy to make and work just as well as the store brands. Have some fun with your children and grandchildren blowing bubbles from Suzie Homemaker.

Planting Trees (Earth Day)

                A couple of weeks ago It was Earth Day! What did you do on Earth Day? From the time my children were in Kindergarten they did a school project on Earth Day.  Earth Day is for replanting trees and enjoying what we have. In our area, the schools have a replanting and harvesting day. Our schools have a little wooded area for kids to learn about planting trees and nature and how we need to always replace what we cut down or dig up.  I think all schools should have a science project like this so children learn to not always take but also give back to nature.

So I thought it would be neat to show you what my child's school does in our area for Earth Day. Every few years they dig up trees for the kids to bring home and plant at home. Then they replant new trees to replace the ones they dig up. I love to plant and grow my own produce during the summer. Earth Day is another great way to plant trees and enjoy nature. This program the schools do is a great way to teach our children how to give back and enjoy the work they do in the process.

My youngest child brought home her first trees in Kindergarten. They let the children bring home as many trees as they liked as long as they promised to plant them at home or some other place. Since we live out in the country she brought home a lot of trees to plant. Here is a picture of her trees today 12 years later.

They taught the children to never take more than what they would actually use. After they dug up the trees they replanted new ones in their place. Teaching children to give back and replace what they take is very important.

Now when my child got a little older and was in Middle School they went to a different area and dug up more trees to take home. This time she only came home with on tree. Here is a picture of her tree she received in Middle School, it is planted in our front yard.

Even as the children grow up the value lessons never change.

My child is now a Junior in High School and she decided this was her last year to bring home trees because she will have no more Science classes next year. She brought me home 4 more trees to be planted. She loves planting and watching her trees grow up.

Here is a picture of the trees I need to plant with her soon.

Earth Day is such a great day to remind us to always give back and enjoy nature. My child as she gets older will look back at school as a fun experience. Plus as she grows into being an adult she will watch her trees grow to be big and tall. This is such a good lesson to teach our children, and I am glad our schools have these opportunities for our children to learn about Earth day. If you have space or know someone who would want a tree to plant have you children bring some home. Enjoy planting trees with your children from Suzie Homemaker. 

Mock Kentucky Fried Chicken

                How many of you like Kentucky Fried Chicken? I know my family loves it but it is getting way too expensive to buy this at the restaurant. So one day my youngest daughter did some research online and found me a mock version of Kentucky Fried Chicken. This recipe has now become our families favorite fried chicken recipe. I love cooking from scratch so this recipe was right up my alley. So, today I decided to share this recipe with my readers. This recipe has a lot of spices but it tastes great. Warning, If anybody is allergic to peanuts do not use the peanut oil for frying, use any other oil like corn oil or olive oil.

Mock Kentucky Fried Chicken

                1 whole chicken cut into pieces. (or chicken breasts cut into thin slices)

                ½ Quart Peanut oil (or any oil you like)

                2 egg whites whipped with ½ Tablespoon milk

                1/3 Tablespoon salt

                1/8 Tablespoon Thyme

                ¼ Tablespoon Basil

                ¼ Tablespoon Oregano

                ½ Tablespoon Celery Salt

                ½ Tablespoon Black Pepper

                2 Tablespoons Paprika

                ½ Tablespoon Dried Mustard

                1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt

                ½ Tablespoon Ginger

                1 cup Flour

1.       Take your unthawed chicken and cut into small pieces. I tried the whole chicken first and liked the chicken breasts cut into thin pieces better. No bones and less time to fry the chicken.

2.       In a small bowl whip your eggs whites and milk together and set aside.

3.       In a bigger bowl mix all your spices and flour together and set aside.

4.       In a large deep skillet pour your ½ Quart of oil in. Heat your oil up. With a meat thermometer or candy thermometer heat your oil to 300 hundred degrees.

5.       When your oil is heated, take your chicken pieces and dunk them in your egg and milk mixture.

6.       Next, dunk your chicken into your spices and coat the chicken patting the flour mixture around your chicken.

7.       Place your chicken pieces into the 300 hundred degrees oil and start frying them. You can use the oil two times before you need to replace the oil.

8.       If you are using the whole chicken pieces your will have to cook them for 20 to 30 minutes. Taking your tongs flip the pieces several times until the chicken comes out golden brown. I used thin pieces of chicken breasts cut into nuggets and strips and I fried them for 10 to 20 minutes.

9.       When the chicken is done frying place on a plate with paper toweling to drain off some of the oil.

10.   If you have any leftovers just place in a 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes to reheat them back up. They come out just as crispy as if you had just fried them up.

When chicken is on sale stock up and cook yourself some Kentucky Fried Chicken you can make at home for less than half the price you pay at the restaurant. My family loves this recipe thanks to my daughter. I find myself making this recipe 2 to 3 times a month with no complaints from anybody. This recipe is a little time-consuming to make but well worth the wait. I hope you enjoy my daughter's recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken from Suzie Homemaker.

                

How To Save on Pets

Today I would like to talk to you about pets.  How many of you have cats or dogs for pets? Some of you may even have smaller pets like fish, rats, gerbils, birds or any other small pet. Pets can be expensive no matter what size pet you have. So today I want to give you some helpful tips on how to save a little money when it comes to pet food and supplies. If you have a bigger pet like a cat of dog you have to consider vet bills. These bills can add up to a lot of money each year.

1.       Vet bills. Check around and do some calling to different vets and see who is the cheapest for your pet’s annual check- up. Some of you smaller vets can be a little cheaper. Smaller towns and vets sometimes can save you a little money, Vet bills are your biggest expense when you have a pet.

2.       Food can be expensive, or cheaper if you do some research and check out different stores. We have a cat named Mari Mar ( alias Pinky because she has pink ears and paws).

I find I get a better deal at a Farm and Feed stores. I use Fleet Farm for an example. I buy bigger bags at a much bigger discount. Even your local Warehouse store like Sam’s Club or Costco’s has bigger bags of food at a much cheaper price than at a Vet office or a store like Petco. I even go to Aldis sometimes for cheaper cat food. Food prices can vary, so why not go where you can save a little money.

3.       We have a cat so let’s talk about cat litter. I saved a bundle when I went to Costco’s for my cat litter. I bought a 40-pound bag for $10.00 dollars. Even at Walmart, a 20 Pound bags would cost me over $8.00 dollars. Watch for the deals and stock up when you find a deal.

4.       Toys for your pet are best bought at a Farm and Feed store. Again, we have a local Fleet Farm where prices are a lot cheaper.  Buying these things from a pet store is paying way to much.

5.       I buy all my cat supplies like Hairball medicine, Catnip spray, and Nail clippers at either Walmart or Fleet Farm. I don’t have my cats nails cut professionally because I can cut them myself for a lot cheaper. I bought a $2.00 dollar nail clippers from Walmart and cut my cats nails myself.

Having a pet can be expensive, so why not cut cost where you can. Having a pet can give you a lot of love and companionship. You don’t have to break the bank when you have a pet. You just have to know how to shop for the deals and how to cut costs. Enjoy your pet while saving money in the process from Suzie Homemaker.

Easter Egg Tree

                Easter is here, what can I do with my children or grandchildren while they are home on Easter break? I have a fun project that will keep them busy for a little while. One year when my children were much younger I decided to show them how to make an Easter Egg Tree. If you are like me I buy all my Easter decorations after the season to save a lot of money. Saving all these little decorations over the years has added up to enough stuff to make many different Eater decorations. Saving dried or plastic flowers, ribbon, and plastic eggs are all I needed for making many different kinds of Easter projects through the years.

What You Will Need

1 half circle styrofoam ball                                       Tree branches

Masking tape                                                           1 small box

Spray paint                                                               plastic eggs (small)

Ribbon any color                                                       Decorations (butterflies, beads, flowers)

Material to wrap around the eggs  (optional)

1.       First, find some dry branches from outside. If you don’t want to use tree branches take some wire hangers and bend into the shape of tree branches.

2.       Take your tree branches or hangers and make it look like a miniature tree. Wrap masking tape around all the branches. Make sure everything is covered including the stem or trunk of your tree in masking tape.

3.       Spray paint the whole tree in any color you like. If you do not have Spray paint try taking a little paint brush and hand paint your tree. This will take a little longer but the children might like it better. Let dry.

4.       Taking your small Easter eggs wrap them in colored material or just leave them plain. Take a hot glue gun or just super glue and glue on your ribbons

.

5.       Next, tie your Easter Eggs onto some of your branches.

6.       Add some other decorations like flowers, butterflies, and beads to your tree.

7.        Cut a hole the size or the bottom of your half styrofoam circle and glue it into the box.  This will be your platform to hold your Easter Egg Tree. You could have your children or Grandchildren decorate the box in any way they would like.

This project will take them awhile to make. Having fun with the kids is the whole purpose of this project. Saving little trinkets from year to year can save you a lot of money on projects like these. The only thing I had to buy was the styrofoam ball, the rest I had at home already. Let your children’s imagination run wild. Let them create their own Easter Egg Tree with odds and ends of things you have around the house. Have a wonderful Easter with family and friends and don’t eat too much Easter candy from Suzie Homemaker.

Homemade Easter Egg Dyes

Easter is almost here, it’s time to dye some eggs for Easter. When I was growing up my mother made her own dyes for the eggs. With 4 children my poor dad had a lot of hard boiled eggs for a while. My mother would boil 2 dozen eggs and we would each have 6 eggs to decorate each. This time of year I felt bad for my father because nobody liked cold hard boiled eggs, for the next 2 weeks all he ate was eggs. He never minded eating them. He would just smile and say great looking eggs. I miss those days and my father who is no longer with us, but I still decorate a few eggs each year at Easter time. Use this time to decorate your own eggs with your children or grandchildren.

Recipes for Homemade Dyes for Easter Eggs

1.       Red Dyes: 2 cups of beets grated. (I used my canned beets and I mashed them). 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar and 2 cups of water. If you don’t have beets try raspberries chopped. Boil for 15 minutes before placing your hard boiled eggs in the dye. The longer you let them sit in the dye the darker the color.

2.       Yellow Dyes: 3 large yellow onion skins chopped up. 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar and 3 cups of water. Boil for 15 minutes before placing your eggs in the dye. Again the longer you let them sit in the dye the darker the color.

3.       Blue dyes: 1 pound blueberries crushed. 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar and 2 cups of water. Boil for 15 minutes before placing eggs in the dye. The longer you let the eggs sit in the dye the darker the color.

4.       If you want to get creative place some rubber bands around the eggs before dying to creative a neat design. We also used crayons to write on them before dying the eggs. The dye will not stick to the crayons. Sometimes after the dying was done we would use markers or stickers to add a little more detail to the eggs.

5.       Adding the vinegar to the dyes helps the colors set better. You can also mix and match colors to create different colors. Just use your imaginations and have some fun.

6.       Since we have our own chickens our eggs are brown. You can dye brown eggs too, it just takes a little longer for the color to appear and the red turns out to be a darker brown. This is what I used when I dyed my eggs for this post.

Easter is about being together with your family. Making Easter Eggs is a fun way to spend time with your children and grandchildren. Everybody loves Easter Eggs and decorating them. Instead of buying the expensive dyes why not make healthy dyes instead with food you probably have at home already. I hope you enjoy my homemade dyes from Suzie Homemaker.