My adventures of trying new recipes

Tonight I made two new recipes.

First for dinner I made Creamy Swiss Chard. I had never heard of Swiss Chard, it was one of our produce items from Grasshoppers (CSA). I recommend this recipe http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Creamy-Swiss-Chard-Pasta-57123 if you would like to try the Swiss Chard. My recommendations would be to not use the leafy part of the chard, it was pretty bitter. Justin did not care much for it and ended up going to McDonald's I on the other hand think that it is a really good Summer pasta dish.

My second recipe was my first attempt to make home made Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. YUMMO!! I kinda combined these two recipes.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/homemade-ranch-dressing/
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homemade_buttermilk_ranch_dressing/

It turned out so good I want to put it on everything. Justin even liked it.  I think I will be making ranch dressing from now on. It was cost effective and tastes so fresh.

New books

I did a bad thing today, I went to Lifeway and Borders. Both places are bad for me because not only could I spend hours in a bookstore I could spend a small fortune. I think I did okay for me I only walked out of Lifeway with two books. The funny thing is that the books I bought are about saving money and living on less. Hopefully, after I read them I will not need to buy any more books. 


The books are:


Living with less so your family has more by Jill and Mark Savage. 


Miserly Moms by Jonnie McCoy


I will write short reviews on them once I am finished reading them. 

Living on little

Here are websites dealing with saving money and living on less. As I find more I will update the list, so check back to see what I have found. I have come a long way but unfortunately still have a long way to go to realize I don't NEED much. I have been working to focus less on possessions and focus more on they way I live and my relationships.


http://frugalbabe.com/


http://www.farbeyondthestars.com/


http://www.becomingminimalist.com/


http://www.thesimplerlife.net/


http://www.rowdykittens.com/


http://www.simplemom.net/


http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/


http://www.tiptheplanet.com/wiki/Main_Page


http://frugalplus.com/


http://www.heartshoppe.com/index.html


http://unclutterer.com/


http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/


http://www.miserlymoms.com/


http://www.eartheasy.com/



Check back for more websites and information about the websites.

Alternatives to bleach

I often wonder what a good alternative to bleach is. The answer hydrogen peroxide! I hate using bleach, I typically get in on my clothes, it stinks, and I know it is bad for our water supply and health. So I am thrilled that I found these helpful tips on how to better use hydrogen peroxide. Found this on greenbabyguide.com. Thought I would pass on the information.

For the wash: Add a quarter cup of hydrogen peroxide to each washload or a bit more for very full or dirty loads.

For stains: douse them with peroxide and then spot wash with detergent. It’s best not to let the peroxide sit on the fabric for a long period of time.

For household use: Just add 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide to one gallon of water and use on kitchen sink, tile, bathroom, shower, toilet and bathtub. 

You can toss this mixture into a load of dirty diapers and find that it will make a big difference in smell.

How disposable diapers are made

Check out this article to see how disposable diapers are made http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Disposable-Diaper.html. I found this link on greenbabyguide.com, I thought it was interesting. In my house there is still a stuggle when it comes to the use of cloth diapers. My husband hates them and thinks they are nasty. I on the other hand have found the Flip diapers by cotton babies and love them.

My favorite websites about living green

http://greenbabyguide.com/ (a great site for cleaning products, saving money, and other ways of living green.)