John Buckingham

Frugal Tip: Homemade Hand Lotion

I don’t know about you but in the winter my hands suffer with the dry air, I am constantly looking for a decent hand lotion. After the good results I had making a lip balm I decided to try making a hand lotion. With three basic ingredient plus water I made a really nice lotion.Continue reading “Frugal Tip: Homemade Hand Lotion”

Recipe Box: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

As a general rule I cook from scratch. Occasionally I will doctor up cake mixes or other time saving mixes. I have a son who loves Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. I discovered this recipe many years ago. It is quick and easy and you can have a batch of muffins in the oven in noContinue reading “Recipe Box: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins”

Prudent Pantry: Coconut Oil

Last week I mentioned the virtues of Olive Oil, today I’m going to talk about a new oil to me – coconut oil. I recently started reading more about coconut oil in various blogs and discovered it was used in making hand lotions. Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meatContinue reading “Prudent Pantry: Coconut Oil”

My Garden: the “Have More” Plan

I will be starting my seeds in another week. In the meantime I thought I’d review an interesting book for you – The “Have-More” Plan by Ed and Carolyn Robinson. This book was originally published in the 40’s. Since then it has been reprinted 22 times and is available from Amazon for a very reasonableContinue reading “My Garden: the “Have More” Plan”

Frugal Tips – Homemade Lip Balm

For some time I’ve been interested in learning more about homemade hand creams and homemade soap. In researching various recipes I came upon a recipe for lip balm and decided to give it a try. I was amazed at how quickly the recipe came together and the end product was wonderful. I used our ownContinue reading “Frugal Tips – Homemade Lip Balm”

Recipe Box: Candy Cane Brownies

As promised I will share my Killer Brownie recipe from my husband’s family. I have to admit I am a recipe collector! I not only have numerous cookbooks but I also have several recipe boxes full of recipes I’ve collected over the years. The first recipe I asked for was in grade school, I askedContinue reading “Recipe Box: Candy Cane Brownies”

Prudent Pantry: Basic items including olive oil

There are several basic items you should have in your pantry. With these few essential ingredients on hand you’ll always be able to whip up a meal quickly. Olive Oil Vegetable Oil Balsamic Vinegar Red Wine Vinegar Salt & Pepper Spices Canned Tuna Canned Beans Chicken Broth Tomato Paste Jarred Marinara Sauce Red & WhiteContinue reading “Prudent Pantry: Basic items including olive oil”

My Garden: Establishing Your Garden

The days are getting longer and soon it will be time to start my seeds inside. However it is still a little too soon to start anything, even the seeds that take a while. I’ve ordered my seeds and they should arrive any day. While we’re waiting feel free to check out the latest issueContinue reading “My Garden: Establishing Your Garden”

Frugal Tip: Leftover Candy Canes

I wonder how many people end up with a pile of leftover candy canes after Christmas? I know we do. For some reason everyone likes to have them hanging on the tree but they never seem to get eaten up. I was looking at the pile of candy canes the other day and thought thereContinue reading “Frugal Tip: Leftover Candy Canes”

Parmesan Chicken

Parmesan Chicken has been a favorite for years, I love this recipe because you can mix up the crumb mixture and just keep it in your freezer.