Nancy on the Home Front

Gifts From On The Home Front

If I had enough time I would have all the gifts I give be homemade. I love receiving homemade gifts as much as I enjoy giving them. I appreciate the time people take to make homemade gifts.

Here are a few of my ideas.

Friendship Soup Mix
This delicious soup mix can be layered in jars to give as gifts. With a few additional ingredients your friends and family can have soup simmering on the stove in just minutes.

soup mix, homemade — Friendship Soup – Ready for gifting.

Homemade Holiday Potpourri
This is a very simple gift that will make your house smell wonderful. You mix up the ingredients and place in a gift bag. Just place one tablespoon of the potpourri in water and enjoy!

potpourri, home made, gifts — Be sure to include a tag with the directions!

Homemade Beeswax Candles
We used to keep bees and still have an abundance of beeswax on hand. I use it to make lip balm, sore muscle salve and wood butter. We also use it to make beautiful beeswax candles which make wonderful gifts.

Homemade Snax Mix
This is a family tradition passed down from my mother in-law. I make it every year and everyone loves it! I also use decorated coffee cans to place the mix in.

Homemade Dog Biscuits
Don’t forget your furry friends, I’m sure they would appreciate a gift under the tree!

prudent pantry — Dog biscuits make an excellent gift for friends with dogs!

Chocolate Candy Cookie Mix
The recipient of this gift just has to add a few ingredients and in no time at all you have homemade cookies! Don’t forget to include the recipe on your jar!

gift giving, prudent living — A perfect gift!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
Who wouldn’t appreciate a gift of some hot chocolate mix? It’s the perfect thing to have on hand for the cold winter weather.

Homemade Veggie Hod
My husband made me a few of these, they make a wonderful present for any gardener on your list!

Five-Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix
Another favorite is a basket filled with homemade pancake mix and a bottle of pure Vermont maple syrup. Our neighbors have their own sugaring operation. I can buy local and support them at the same time. There is nothing like pancakes with pure Vermont maple syrup on them! Don’t forget to include the recipe for making the pancakes and waffles!

I also like to give gifts that are not edible such as Homemade Peppermint Lip Balm. Very easy to make and I use it all year!

Another fun gift is a candleholder made from a white birch log. I love the white birch with red candles, so festive.

These are just a few of the items I give or have given as gifts during the Christmas season. What are your favorite gifts to give? What sort of homemade gifts do you like to receive?

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Pasta with Garlicky Shrimp

I’m a shrimp lover! Add a little pasta and I’m in heaven! This Pasta with Garlicky Shrimp is another quick dinner with just a few ingredients and can be cooked up in no time. Preparing the shrimp will take the longest!

Pasta with Garlicky Shrimp

Ingredients:

6 oz pasta
2 Tbsp butter
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ tsp salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

Cook your pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking melt 2 tsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with ¼ tsp salt and add to the skillet. Cook until the shrimp is opaque, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Melt the remaining 4 tsp of butter in the same skillet. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper cook abut 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and remaining ¼ tsp salt and cook until the tomatoes are just beginning to wilt about 1-2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until heated through, about another minutes longer. Add the cooked pasta, parsley and lemon juice. Serve immediately. Delicious!!

Arrangements Using Dried Seed Pods

One of the things I inherited from my mom was the love of nature and gardening. For as long as I can remember my mother would put together simple flower arrangements during the holidays using evergreens and dried seed pods which she had collected during the summer and then spray painted with gold paint. Dried seed pods are beautiful as they are.

When you give them a coat of gold spray paint they look even more elegant.

Making arrangements with evergreens is very easy. Talk a walk in the woods and collect some greens.

Gather several bowls, some frogs to hold the stems and a pair of clippers.

In no time at all you will have several beautiful arrangements to place around your house.

Fill the house with the scent of evergreens. Bring a little bit of the outside indoors to enjoy.

Linked To: GardenTuesday, OutdoorWednesday, WildcraftingWednesday, HomesteadBlogHop, WakeUpWednesday, Create&ShareDIY, CreateItThursday, ThursdayFavoriteThings, ThinkTankThursday, LovelyLittleLinkParty, FridayFlashBlog, SimpleLivesThursday, WhatToDoWeekends, PinJunkiePinParty, FromTheFarm, LHITS DIY, FarmgirlFriday, SimplyNaturalSaturdays, ThankGoodnessIt’sMonday

Surviving a Job Loss

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It’s a tough economy out there. I know recent college graduates that are still looking for jobs. Sometimes being unemployed can hit you when you least expect it. Other times you might see it coming but you may still not be prepared.

If you’ve recently lost your job, it’s time to get your finances in order. Here are a few tips to help you out while you work on getting back on your feet!

Don’t burn bridges.
Don’t take out your frustration on your boss, you will probably need him for a reference for your next job! He or she may be able to hire you for part-time contract work. Stay professional!

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Get help from your former employer

Your company may offer a range of services to help you get back on your feet. Take advantage of any workshops or help in retooling your resume.

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Apply for government benefits

If you’ve lost your job you may be embarrassed to go to the unemployment office. Don’t delay, you’ve worked hard and you’ve earned it. Plus many unemployment offices offer other services to help you find that new job.

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Cut back
This may sound obvious, but look for ways to cut back. Drop your cable, cut back on cell phone minutes, and search for other ways within your budget to save a little money.

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Prioritize your bills

It’s never wise to leave your bills unpaid however if you’ve lost your job you will need to prioritize your bills. Your prioritizes should be your rent or mortgage, utility bills, food, insurance and medicine.

Create a weekly cash flow plan
Once you’ve determined what expenses are a priority you can come up with a weekly cash flow plan.

Call your creditors
As soon as you loose your job call your creditors and let them know you’ve been laid off. Be proactive and discuss with your creditors some type of minimum payment.

Resist overspending
Don’t be tempted to buy a new suit or an expensive haircut to land a new job. Instead of meeting at a business lunch consider meeting for coffee instead.

frugal tips, prudent living — Don’t spend money you don’t have!

Network wisely
Get in touch with people who may be able to help you, but don’t take up a lot of their time. Be efficient and have a resume available to give them.

Stay away from your 401k
Unless it is an emergency stay away from your 401K. You will not only pay a hefty tax as well as a penalty. Once you take that money out you can’t put it back unless you take it out as a loan. The last thing you need when you are unemployed is another loan.

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In our 34 years of marriage we have survived three job losses, some were totally unexpected others we knew they were coming. It is never easy but you will get through it and be wiser for the experience.

Have you ever experienced a job loss?

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

I love leftover turkey almost as much as I enjoy the Thanksgiving meal. Unfortunately this year we won’t have any leftover turkey since we’re spending the holiday with my brother in law and his family . However this is one of my favorite recipes, it’s adapted from a recipe I found on the TasteOfHome.com website and works perfectly with leftover turkey! It also freezes well.

Curried Turkey Vegetable Soup
Makes about 2 quarts and serves about 6

2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup diced potatoes
1 celery rib, sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh carrots
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
1-1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half
1 package (9 ounces) fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions: In a Dutch oven, sauté onions in oil until tender. Stir in flour and curry until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, parsley and sage.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the turkey, half-and-half, spinach, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until spinach is wilted and soup is heated through. Serve hot.

Linked To: CleverChicksBlogHop, MixItUpMonday, What’dYouDoThisWeekend, LinkUp#60, MunchingMondays, MerryMonday, HearthAndSoulHop, TotallyTalentedTuesday, You’reGonnaLoveItTuesday, FatTuesday, TheGatheringSpot, TuesdaysTable, #TastyTuesdays, TastyTuesdays, TickleMyTastebuds, #StopTheYuck, RealFoodWednesday, PennyPinchingParty, WonderfulWednesday, RivertonHousewives, WakeUpWednesday, CreateAndShareDIY&RecipeParty, FullPlateThursday, LovelyLittleLinkParty

Garden’s Put To Bed – Now What?

Much as I enjoy the busy summer season and working in the garden every day I also enjoy the quieter days of winter when things slow down just a bit! But what does a gardener do after the garden’s been put to bed?

One of my favorite pastimes is looking at the garden catalogs and planning my next garden! The catalogs start arriving right around the holidays. Once we’re past Christmas, I can sit and relax with a cup of tea and the latest seed catalog.

seeds, ordering seeds, vegetable gardening, prudent living — So many choices!

If you have your tools stored in your garage or some place where you can access them take the time to check them over, clean them and give them a coat of oil to keep them rust free.

weeding tools — Small gardening hand tools.

I also organize all of my pots and seed starting containers so I’ll be ready when the time comes to start my seeds.

If necessary I can mix up a batch of seed starting soil. Usually I have a large container full, but if not I mix up more.

seed starting mixture, gardening — Homemade seed starting mixture.

Winter is also a good time to take a look at your houseplants. Do they need transplanting? Recently I transplanted my bay plant and it is so happy! I have an orchid that needs to be transplanted, it is growing out to one side and the whole pot is in danger of tipping over!

If everything is taken care of you can always relax by the wood stove and read a few gardening books!

The way time flies by we’ll be out in the garden in no time! What do you do once your garden is put to bed?

Linked To: OutdoorWednesday, HomesteadBarnHop, MotivationalMonday, WWHOP, TuesdaysWithATwist

On The Home Front Master Tonic

During the winter months when there is so much flu going around we try to take all precautions to stay healthy. When my son was younger he would usually be the one to catch whatever flu bug was going around. A friend of mine shared this recipe for The Master Tonic and once we started using it even my son stayed healthy! I’ve often thought it would also make a good seasoning for a Chinese dish! It is meant to be used to gargle with first and then you swallow it. If you use really hot peppers I swear you can feel the heat flowing through your blood vessels. I have shared this with several friends who now use it regularly during the flu season as well.

I share it with you today exactly as it was shared with me. Beware when you chop fresh horseradish the fumes are quite powerful and when you chop hot peppers DO NOT rub your eyes, and be sure to wear gloves!

Master Tonic: A Natural Antibiotic

Pro biotic: antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitical.

Important note: As required by law, this information is provided by the right of free speech for educational purposes only, as natural or non-pharmaceutical remedies or therapies are in some nations today now often deemed illegal. We must therefore insist that if you are ill or have any disease or healthy problem that you contact a medical doctor immediately and ask their advice before trying any formulae, or suggestion given in this material.

This is a modern-day version of a recipe for an extremely powerful natural antibiotic originally used to fight infection like the Bubonic Plague that killed over a third of the world in the 1300’s. Unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics it fights both bacteria and viruses, and is effective against pathogens that have developed immunity to existing drugs.

hot peppers, horseradish, garlic, ginger, vinegar — Master Tonic Ingredients

Master Tonic:

1 part fresh chopped garlic cloves (anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral anti-parasitical)
1 part fresh chopped white onion, hottest onions available (similar properties to garlic) 1 part fresh gated ginger root (increases circulation to the extremities)
1 part fresh grated horseradish root (increases blood flow to the head)
1 part fresh chopped Cayenne Peppers, the hottest peppers available, i.e. Habanero, African Bird, or Scotch Bonnets etc. (A great blood stimulant)
1 bottle raw, unfiltered, unbleached, non-distilled apple cider vinegar

Fill a large glass jar ¾ of the way full with equal parts of the above peeled, fresh, chopped or grated herbs.

garlic, onion, horseradish, ginger, hot peppers — Ingredients layered in a large glass jar.

I use a ½ gallon glass-canning jar and add a cup of each of the above ingredients. Then fill up the rest of the jar to the top with raw, unfiltered, unbleached, non-distilled apple cider vinegar.

(It should look milky) shake jar at least once a day for two weeks.

After two weeks filter the mixture through a clean piece of cotton (an old t-shirt) or cheesecloth, then bottle and label. If possible make sure all the vegetables and herbs are fresh and organically grown, use dried herbs only in an emergency.

This tonic stimulates maximum blood circulation while putting the best detoxifying herbs into the blood. It strengthens the good guys (probiotic) in your system that help defend against infection that broad-spectrum pharmaceutical antibiotics kill. This formula is not just for the sniffles; it has helped to turn around the deadliest of infections.

The dosage is ½ to 1 ounce, two or three times daily (1-2 Tbsps. a time), gargle and swallow. Don’t dilute with water. For ordinary infections, a dropperful taken 5-6 times a day will deal with most conditions. I am not a doctor so if you have any concerns check with your doctor before using.

(The friend that shared this with me got it from The University of Natural Healing, Dr. Richard Schultzs’ adaption of Dr. Christopher’s’ original anti-plague tonic)

Linked To: HomesteadBarnHop, TuesdaysWithATwist, WildcraftingWednesday, HomesteadBlogHop,

November in Vermont

November in Vermont is what my husband refers to as stick season! The colorful leaves have fallen and usually the ground is not white yet. I still find beauty in the trees that surround us.
The wood is stacked and ready to keep us warm all winter.
The honey bees have taken every last bit of nectar from the few surviving flowers.
At the beginning of the month there was still some color and a few withered berries on the blueberry bushes.

By mid month we’ve had our first dusting of snow, just enough to dust the barns along the roads.
The lumbering project has begun on our property. Since our property is in “current use” the woods are managed by a forester. Upon his recommendation it was decided there would be some trees removed. It’s a good way to keep the remaining forest healthy. I’m amazed at the size of some of the trees coming off of our hill.
Not much color around but in the kitchen my Thanksgiving cactus is in full bloom.
Another week and we’ll be gathering with family to celebrate Thanksgiving!Linked To: OutdoorWednesday, BackyardFarmingConnection

Countdown to Christmas

Each year Christmas comes on the same day. Despite the fact that I’m an organized person it never feels like I have enough time to get ready! All of a sudden I’m realizing that I have to have things packed and ready to ship in a matter of weeks! Having all of our children on the west coast this Christmas means a different type of holiday for us. All the gifts have to be packed and mailed in time to arrive for Christmas!

How to get ready? The first step is to determine our budget. I don’t want to be paying for our Christmas purchases for the rest of the year! Determining ahead of time what we plan to spend and then sticking to it helps us stay within our budget.

Then I make a list of who I need to shop for and jot down ideas that come to mind or suggestions I been given. I’d love to give homemade gifts to everyone but that’s just not possible. For neighbors and our postmaster I make my Snax Mix, I can mix up a large batch and have enough for everyone.

recipe box, prudent living — Delicious Snax Mix

Another favorite food item I like to make is Candied Pecans. These are tasty to enjoy by themselves or put on a salad. You can make them ahead of time and store in an airtight container.

nuts, homemade candied pecans, recipes, prudent living, frugal tips — Ingredients for candied pecans.

I have a few knitting projects going. I’m making our grandson a Christmas stocking. My mother-in-law started this tradition when she knit stockings for each of our four children. When our two daughters were married I continued the tradition and knit a stocking for each of our son-in-laws. When our granddaughter came along I made her a stocking and now it’s time to make one for our grandson. I’m almost finished! Should be done by this weekend.

I also found a free template online for some adorable bird ornaments. As soon as I finish the stocking I’m starting on this project. Aren’t they wonderful?

For any family dogs I made up a batch of homemade dog biscuits. I know the dogs enjoy this tasty treat!

Will you be hosting the big Christmas meal at your house this year? If so figure out which dishes can be prepared ahead of time. By making some of the dishes ahead of time you will be able to have an enjoyable and relaxing Christmas.

What do you do to get ready for the holidays?

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Ready For Old Man Winter?

We’ve all heard the weather predictions for a cold winter, at least here in the northeast. Are you ready for Old Man Winter? Wintertime can mean ice, snow and perhaps a few snow days where everyone is home. Are you ready?

First take a look at the outside of your house. Make sure it is winter proof. If you have gutters they should be clear of leaves. Do you have basement windows that need to be covered for the winter? Make sure the gardens are cut back and all of the garden hoses and tools are properly stored for the winter. If you have a fireplace or woodstove is your wood stacked and covered?

Prevent frozen or bust pipes by shutting off the water to all outdoor facets and allowing them to drain. If the faucets need to be on all winter make sure you install a frost free sillcock instead.

Inside it’s always good to be prepared for unexpected power outages and cold snowy weather. Have a few flashlights and fresh batteries on hand. Extra blankets incase the power is out for more than a day and you have no way to heat the house. Luckily we have a wood stove and in the case of a power outage we can just all move into the living room!

Make sure your car is ready for the winter weather too. Do you put snow tires on? What about winter wipers? You should have a safety kit for your car consisting of a shovel, sand or cat litter for traction, booster cables, and extra warm clothing and boots, an ice scrapper, and a winter sleeping bag or blankets. It’s also a good idea to have some snack food, water, and a flashlight. You never know when you might get stuck on the road.

Look over your winter gear – coats, hats, gloves, scarves and boots. Does anything need to be replaced? Nothing like having your first snow storm and finding out your child’s boots don’t fit!

Prepare your kitchen for the winter as well. Stock your pantry for those unexpected snow days. Have ingredients on hand to make soup. If you loose your power make sure you can still prepare quick meals like tuna fish sandwiches! I use my crockpot a lot during the winter. I also try to have a few extra meals in the freezer. If you’re feeling under the weather it’s nice not to have to cook!

Those snowy days will be here before we know it! Prepare now and you’ll be able to enjoy that first winter storm!

Linked To: MotivationalMonday, TheGatheringSpot, HomesteadBarnHop, TheBackyardFarmingConnection, WordlessWednesday, TuesdaysWithATwist, HomesteadBarnHop, FromTheFarmHop, LHITS DIY, FarmgirlFriday