Free Photo Christmas Cards!!!!

Hurry, hurry, hurry - http://www.seehere.com/ is offering 50 photo cards for free and shipped for free!  This is a fabulous deal!!!  The offer expires 11/21, so get your pictures uploaded.  They have some really cute backgrounds - I just ordered mine on Monday.  When you check out, use coupon code:  Freebies4mom-1109  

Flavors of Fall - Apple Butter and Banana Bread!!

Besides cleaning this weekend, I also had to catch up on some baking, etc.  I had purchased a large bag full of ripe bananas at the grocery store for $1.46 and several bags of apples. I made banana bread with the bananas, and was able to make 4 large loaves and 8 mini-loaves.  These are great to make ahead and freeze to share with friends and family.  Fall always bring with it apples and I love apples and the smell of apples cooking.  Since I was a little kid, I have always loved apple butter, so what better way to use the apples than to make a batch of crockpot apple butter!  This was my first time making apple butter, but absolutely not my last!  Check out the recipes below and Enjoy!

Banana Bread Recipe

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 bananas)

1/3 cup water

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour for these)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray  loaf pan with pam (or grease and flour pan if you are out of Pam, like I was! - Hence the flour around the edges of the loaf). Mix sugar and butter.  Stir in eggs until blended.  Add bananas and water and stir.  Stir in remaining ingredients, except nuts, until moistened; stir in nuts.  Pour into pan.  Bake 8 inch loaf for 1 1/4 hours, 9 inch loaf for 55 to 60 minutes; cool 5 minutes.  Loosen from sides and remove to cool on rack.

Crockpot Apple Butter

8 lbs apples (Gala, Fuji and Braeburn - not Granny Smith)

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 teaspoons cloves

1tablespoon vanilla

Peel, core and slice 8 pounds of apples (about 15 large apples).  It's best to use 3 types of sweet apples for a good flavor.

Place apples in crockpot on low for 6 hours with lid on.

After 6 hours, carefully mash the apples.  (I removed my apples and put them into batches in my blender).  Return cooked apples to crockpot.

Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cloves and cinnamon to apple mash.  Simmer on low for 8 hours.  If apple butter is still too wet after 8 hours, simmer with lid off for 1 hour.  If it is too thick, slowly add apple juice until it is the right consistency.  Apple Butter is the right consistency when a wooden spoon will stand up in it.

This recipe makes 2 1/2 quarts or 5 pints.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

It's hard to believe it's almost Thanksgiving!  This is probably my favorite time of year! And for some reason I've been in the cleaning mood around our house, guess I have "fall fever" instead of "spring fever!"  One of my chores for this weekend, was to make our laundry detergent.  Last April, I decided to try a laundry recipe from the Duggars (the family who has like 19 children and has the TLC show).  Much to my surprise, it worked great.  It's really easy to make (takes about 15 minutes) and I only have to make it about every 3 months.  Plus, it saves me approximately $194/year.  The recipe (liquid laundry detergent) is listed below, along with the fabric softener recipe (which I also use, and it saves me $70/year). 

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

(Front or Top Load Machines)

4 Cups Hot Tap Water

1 Fels-Naptha Soap Bar (You can find at Walmart and various stores in Laundry Aisle)

1 Cup Washing Soda (at Kroger in Laundry Aisle)

1/2 Cup Borax (Found in Laundry Aisle at most stores)

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with hot water (I usually cut it into blocks and throw it in the food processor vs grating).  Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap disolves and is melted.  (I have never got mine to melt all the way, but I usually let it heat up for about 15 minutes).

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.  Add melted soap, washing soda, and Borax.  Stir well until all powder is disolved.  Fill bucket to top with more hot water.  Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

Stir and fill a used, clean laundry soap dispenser half full with soap mixture and then fill rest of way with water.  Shake before each use (will gel).

Optional:  You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons.  Add once soap has cooled.  (Lavender, Rosemary, Tea Tree Oil).

Yield:  10 gallons

Top Load - 5/8 cup per load (approx. 180)

Front Load - 1/4 cup per load (approx. 640)

Fabric Softener Recipe

1 container of Name Brand Fabric Softener

4 inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour entire container of softener (I use Purex) into a 5 gallon bucket.  Fill empty softener container with water twice.  (2 parts water to 1 part fabric softener).  Add sponges to the softener/water mixture.  When ready to use, wring out extra moisture from one sponge add add tot he dryer as you would a dryer sheet.  Once used, put dry sponge back in softner/water mixture to reuse.

Carmel Corn and Halloween Crafts

I absolutely love this time of year - the colors, the foods, and the fall decorations!  Everyone loves carmel corn, too,  and the recipe below is the easiest one I've ever made - and one of the most delicious.   This bowl is set out to welcome my parents as they arrive from Tennessee tonight- I've added some carmel corn and peanuts for the perfect snack!  The jar lights are an inexpensive way  to add some halloween decorations and a fun craft to make.

For the pumpkin jars, simply cut strips of tissue paper and adhere to the jars using modge podge.  Let dry and then repeat with a second layer of tissue strips.  Next cut some jack-o-lantern faces out of black construction paper and adhere to the jar with the modge podge.  Finally cover the entire jar with a final coat of modge podge.  I'm using the batter operated tea lights in mine, but if you make a grouping of them, you could use a strand of Christmas lights to light up the inside of the jars.

Carmel Corn Recipe:
1/2 Cup butter (softened)
1/2 Cup brown sugar, firmly packed
12 cups popped popcorn

Cream butter and brown sugar and whip until fluffy.  In a large baking pan, combine popcorn.  Mix in creamed mixture.  Bake in 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes or until crisp.  Serve warm if desired.
(1 cup serving = 141 calories)

Arts Cow - 70% off Men's Gifts

Arts Cow is running 70% off of Men's Gifts from now until 10/21 (use coupon code: MENSGIFTS) - check out http://www.artscow.com/ for some amazing photo gifts.  (Typically takes about 2 weeks to ship).  Great time to purchase Christmas gifts for Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, etc.

Yummy Cakeballs!!!

Recently, I made desserts for a dear friend's baby shower.  The Mommy-to-be liked red velvet cake and cheesecake and since she's expecting a little girl, I had to do something pink, so I went with strawberry cake.  The recipe is easy and you can change it up to fit your tastes - you just have to choose a boxed cake mix and a tub of icing!  I mixed my red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and my strawberry cake with strawberry frosting.   Here are the step by step instructions for these fabulous little bites!
Items you will need:
Cake Mix     Store Bought Icing     Cookie Scoop      Wax Paper          
Almond Bark (Chocolate or White Chocolate)


1 - Prepare your cake mix as directed on the box in a 9x13 pan.

2.  After your cake has cooled, run a fork through it to turn your baked cake into crumbs.  Dump your crumbs in a large mixing bowl and add your tub of store bought icing.

3.  Mix  the icing and the crumbs and use a cookie scoop (I use a Tablespoon size cookie scoop) to scoop out the balls of cake/icing.  Place the balls on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 - 45 minutes.

4.  Melt your Almond Bark according to the package directions.  (My favorite kind comes from Walmart in the baking aisle - I prefer the consistency of it, but you can get it anywhere).

5.  Remove your cake balls from the fridge and gently roll them in your hands to smooth them out.  Drop them into the melted almond bark and scoop out with a spoon, placing them onto wax paper to dry.

6.  Let the cake balls harden, then decorate by drizzling colored almond bark over the top of the hardened almond bark.  (Drizzle white chocolate onto brown chocolate or vice-versa, or you can add food coloring to the white to create your favorite color).  These do not have to be stored in the refrigerator.

7.  For Cheesecake Balls, I used a Sara Lee Frozen Cheesecake (you can also use the tub of cheesecake filling found in the grocery refrigerated section) .  Scoop out the balls of frozen cheesecake filling, being careful to not include the graham cracker crust in your scoop.  Dip the balls in a bowl of graham cracker crumbs to coat evenly.  Place the balls on your cookie sheet and refreeze for 20 minutes.  Roll the balls out in your hand to smooth them.  Dip them in the almond bark and finish them like you would the cake balls.  These must be stored in the refrigerator.

(The white balls with pink icing are the strawberry cake balls.  The chocolate balls with pink icing are the cheesecake balls.  The chocolate balls with white icing are the red velvet cake balls).

Arts Cow

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If you haven't used, Arts Cow here - it really is pretty cool - they have amazing prices.  I have purchased the customized Christmas ornaments, watches, etc from them and everything I've bought has turned out great!

Free Holiday Cook Book

Check out Carnation's free holiday cook book - Click Here

Fabulous Fall Decoupage

It's that time of year, when the leaves begin to turn and the air begins to feel crisp. (Unless you are in the state of Georgia, where at the moment it is a balmy 85 degrees!) But the warm weather isn't stopping me from getting into the fall spirit! Here is a fabulously easy decoupage craft! The wooden blocks were purchased at Walmart (Hobby Lobby carries them also, but they are approx $2 higher per letter than Walmart). The paper was purchased at Hobby Lobby where it is currently 50%off. BTW - the pumpkins are from the Dollar Tree and they have 4 different styles - too cute! So, to make the decoupaged letters, here's all you have to do:

Spray paint the letters, so that they have a finished look to them when you display.

Trace the letters onto the back of the scrapbook paper.

Cut out the letters, just on the inside of the line you traced - if you cut out on the line, it will be slightly larger than your wooden letter.

Using a small paint brush, apply a coat of Modge Podge (you can find at your local craft store) to the front of the letter.

Press your paper letter over the Modge Podged wooden letter and even out all of the bubbles.

Apply 2 more coats of Modge Podge on top of the paper, waiting 10 minutes between the coats.

Enjoy!