Stir in oatmeal and spices

Spread the mixture on a lightly oiled cookie sheet (or sil pat)

Fresh out of the oven it smells DIVINE!

Allow the granola to cool and break into pieces

This granola is great over ice cream or homemade yogurt!

Homemade Yogurt Topped with fresh granola

For more recipes, click HERE!

Refill an empty ketchup with this yummy homemade version!

There are probably about a million homemade ketchup recipes out there in cyberspace. This one just happens to be my personal fav. It's been tested and reworked to perfection.



Homemade Ketchup Recipe (Small Batch)

• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1/3 cup tap water
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch cloves
• 1 pinch allspice
• 1 pinch chili powder
• 1/3 cup brown sugar

This is simplicity itself. In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients with a wire whisk. Blend well. Scrape the mixture into a pint-sized, resealable container. Chill overnight, to blend the flavors. Use wherever ketchup is desired.

To reduce the sodium content simply omit the salt.

As written this recipe makes 12-ounces or 24 servings, 1-tablespoon each.

The recipe freezes extremely well. When I have a time I make up a very large batch, place it in a Ziploc bag and freeze. When our ketchup supply runs low I simply thaw the frozen supply over night. Then I snip the corner of the Ziploc bag and squeeze it into an existing ketchup bottle.

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For months now i've been trying to find some organized way to get the kids to remember their chores.  The problem is that everyone forgets and at the end of the day my hubby and I end up doing everything.  That plan is seriously no bueno!

As with most creative tasks, my first stop was pinterest.  I needed some (indestructible) way to assign new tasks each day.  It needed to be in my small kitchen, but not in the way.  Finally, there needed to be some easy way for the kids to indicate their their chores where complete.

I got all of that and the whole project cost less than $10!

I took a plain cookie sheet and decoupaged red and green scrapbook paper to the front.  Strong magnets are attached to the back.

Mini craft sticks with magnets on the back completed this project.

The new rule is our house is:  Chores in red means STOP, you've got chores!  Once all your chores are in green, you can go play!

Mini craft sticks and strong magnets for chores

Strong Magnets for the back of the cookie sheet

hot glue back magnets in place

Move Chores to green when they're all done!

As a middle and woman I understand the trials and tribulations of occasional irregularity.  Geeze - I feel like an old lady just saying the words "occasional irregularity" but, it is what it is.

Gone are the days fast food burgers and fries it's strictly healthy eating for this girl!  Even still, from time to time I need a little Activia to get gets going in the right direction.  Here's my recipe for DIY Activia yogurt!

DIY Activia Yogurt

For this recipe you will need:

1 8 oz. container of your favorite yogurt (store bought or homemade)
1 teaspoon Psyllium husks  (Metamucil or it's generic equivalent)

Stir together.

Homemade Yogurt with Granola

I’d been wanting to make homemade yogurt for years.  After MUCH trial and error I finally figured it out (thanks to the One Good Thing by Jillee blog).  I took Jillee’s recipe plus comments posted under the recipe and I had the perfect recipe for me.  The only problem is that the end product was too sweet for me and there was too much of it. 

Use plain yogurt with Live and Active yogurt cultures

Place towel wrapped container in the microwave overnight

Rice and Veggies cooked in olive oil

Once upon a time my favorite meal would have included fried foods, saucy foods and a nice rich dessert.  Then I hit middle age and my digestive
tract turned 90.  These days what I can digest varies from day to day but certain foods are always OK.  Basically speaking, my stomach is always OK with Weight Watchers Core diet.  That is to say lean meats, whole grains, low/no fat daily, fruits, vegetables and healthy oils.  Whole grains are fine as are non-cream soups.  It's healthy and profoundly boring.  No chocolate or nuts, little sugar, no artificial sweeteners and nothing fake.

Given these limitations, it was difficult to find good, happy, filling food.  Then I discovered eggs and rice!

This is an easy anytime that i enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Here's the recipe:

Fried eggs with salt and pepper

Eggs and Rice

1 c. cooked medium grain rice
1/2 c. frozen green beans
1/2 small onion chopped
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Saute frozen green beans and onions in the olive oil until both are fully cooked and brown on the edges.  Add cooked rice to the hot pan.  Toss with veggies until rice is warm.

In a separate pan fry 1-2 eggs over medium.  Cook the eggs until the whites are done but the yolk is still runny.

Place the rice on a plate.  Top the rice with the eggs.

I enjoy this meal with iced tea and orange slices.

Enjoy!

Yum!

A word about rice

Since there are so few foods I can enjoy I've become a bit of a rice snob.  I only heat medium grain rice.  Cooked properly it's soft and fluffy and doesn't get hard when its cold. 

I usually make a big batch on Sunday and use it in recipes all week.  Here is how I cook it.

2 cups uncooked medium grain rice
4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Put everything in a pan.  Cook uncovered until water boils.  Cover boiling pot and reduce heat to low.  Continue to cook on low heat until all of the water is absorbed. (about 15 minutes)  As soon as the water is absorbed, remove lid, remove from heat and stir.

This method will give you fluffy, flavorful rice that's not too sticky.