Smothie packs

I found this recipe for Smoothie packs on pinterest at  budgetbytes.blogspot.com we are ready for summer so as I find fruit on sale I have made up these packs.

Smoothie Packs:

INGREDIENTS		COST
16 oz.	frozen strawberries	$2.69
16 oz.	frozen raspberries	$4.15
16 oz.	frozen peaches	$2.69
4 medium	bananas	$0.86
COST PER PACK (MAKES 8)		$1.30

Fruit n' Flax Smoothies:

INGREDIENTS		COST
1	frozen smoothie pack	$1.30
1 cup	light vanilla soy milk	$0.41
1 handful	baby spinach	$0.53
1 Tbsp	ground flax seed	$0.03
1/2 tsp	cinnamon	$0.03
COST PER SMOOTHIE		$2.30

camping

We went camping this weekend Pitty-Pat used the time to read a bird book and idendify the odd looking duck she saw. She also worked on multiplication tables. I think she finally gets it. Well maybe. We explored the pine river and found 2 clams, 5 minnows, 1frog, and nothing else. Scary!  I remember playing in  the creek by my house and it was full of life. Where were the dragon flies, crayfish,snails, mayflies, water skaters, and all the creepy crawlies? It was almost dead really. We walked in the river for 1/2 mile and no life! It is so sad really. Tippy-toe had fun making log teepees in the woods and riding his bike. He did manage to find time to review subtraction. I bought placemats with dry erase crayons and everyone enjoyed working on school work while I made lunch. the kids got sunburnt yesterday they didn't get out of the sun while Little-man and I tried to take a power nap. They were told but didn't listen. Little-man got a new bike two wheeler with training wheels. He needs to practice. No televison or electronics means they all have to get along and play together. It was a good weekend.

We went camping this weekend. We got the camper all set up and our little campsite all in order. We have friends that camp with us and it is so much fun for the kids to play together.  Aaron built a firepit with a ring and sand then I put rocks all around. He also made a burn barrel. (Nobody wants to make smores over a dirty diaper burning.) Aaron and Cam also hauled enough sand for the kids to have a sandbos where we can see them play. Since someone dumped trash in the kids old sand pit. (We don't own the propery where we camp we just have the lease of it if we keep it up and a friend of the neighbor mistook the property line and dumped there now we have a big mess to clean up)(P.S..He has 45 days till I load it up and dump it in his kids sand box or front yard!) I had so much fun camping.Our camper is 30 foot with 4 bunk beds a dinette that fold into a bed and another bunk above that so I guess you could say it sleeps 7. We paid $300 dollars for it. And have spent $500 to remodel it. I put in new screen in the door today. It is so cute and everything works now. Aaron is so handy. the kids spent most of the day in the woods making teepees. I remember doing that as a child myself. The best way to learn about nature is to live it. I saw six different butterfly species,a cat bird, an unusual duck, geese, a morning dove, a mouse, a garter snake, wild strawberries, raspberry plants, white pines, birches. This kids brought me interesting rocks to add to our collection. No amount of book work equals all they learn camping. Science is in the exploration of our natural world. summer is when we do alot more science but Math is also going to be an empahsis this summer.

72 hour emergency kit

1.       Container to hold your Kit.

2.       1 Flashlight for each person + extra batteries

3.       Current family picture and photo of each family member 

4.       Can opener

5.       List of important phone #’s (laminated if possible) cell phones, and our Family Doctor

6.       $50 in one dollar bills + roll of quarters

7.       4 rolls toilet paper cardboard removed

8.       1 bar soap

9.       1 emergency blanket per person

10.   1 roll paper towels

11.  

12.   1 box bandaids

13.   1 package wet wipes

14.   100ct multi vitamins

15.   1 pack of gum

16.   2 candles

17.   Package of matches

18.   2 decks of cards

19.    ziploc bags

20.   1 bottle Ibuprofen (add baby Tylenol if you have a baby)

21.   2 lighters

22. 

23.   1 whistle per person( no way I am giving my kids a whistle but I did include a compass   they know how to use)

24.   5 dice (to play games)

25.   Rubber gloves 2 pair per person

26.   Sunblock

27.   filter mask for each person

28.   Gauze and medical tape

29.   3 heat pouches per person

30.   Bug spray

31.   Rope

32.    radio hand cranked/solar

33.   1 package garbage bags (10)

34.   Package of tums

35.   Pocket knife

36.   Thermometer

37.   first aid triple antibiotic ointment

38.   Hand sanitizer

39.   2 packs instant hot cocoa per person

40.   Granola/breakfast bars

41.   2 packs instant soup/ramen per person

42.  

43.   10 hard candies per person (i.e.peppermint)

44.   4 AA batteries

45.   10 instant crystal lite packages

46.   2 instant oatmeal packs per person

47. 

48.   Notebook and pens (for journaling/notes/entertaining kids)

49.    Small pot

50.    Travel size shampoo/conditioner

51.   Bible

       52.  bottled water/gatorade

Lillac Jelly

I love to make different jellies so since I have lilacs in the yard I decided to try this recipe.

Lilac Jelly      makes 8- 4 oz jars

2 c. packed lilac flowers
2 1/2 c. boiling water

1. Pour the boiling water over the lilac flowers, cover and allow to cool. Allow the infusion to sit 8 hours, or overnight.

2. Strain the flowers from the liquid using a coffee filter, you should have about 2 1/4 c. liquid.

2 c. lilac infusion

4 T lemon juice

1 box Sure-Jell powdered pectin

4 c. sugar

3. Place the lilac infusion, lemon juice and pectin in a large pot. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a rolling boil.

4. Add all of the sugar at once, and stir to dissolve. Bring the jelly back up to a rolling boil for 1 minute.

5. Remove the jelly from the heat, skim the foam from the top (I got a lot of foam from this recipe) and ladle into hot, sterilized jars. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

quote for the day

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”

Leonardo da Vinci