Turkey Soup Broth

Every time I make a turkey, I get excited about the thought of delicious broth to make soup with, why would I waste all that delicious flavour still in that mangled pile of meat and bones.

So I make broth.

It's pretty simple.

Turkey Soup Broth

In a large slow cooker

1 Turkey carcass (I had to squish mine in there)

2 carrots, whole

2 stalks of celery, whole

1 onion, quartered with skin on

2 bay leaves

4 peeled cloves of garlic

Cover with water and let cook on low for up to 8 hours.

This is actually the second round for these bones, earlier in the morning I boiled this same mixture on the stove in my huge dutch oven for an hour and got the first batch of delicious broth to make Turkey Soup with.

Strain the broth to get rid of bits of bones and meat and store in your favourite containers, I love old canning jars.

Now to make Turkey Soup!

~Adel~

Cheggnog (Chai Eggnog Latte)

This week we remembered and honoured those who are and have served their country. An emotional day for many especially with the death of 2 soldiers at home in the past few weeks. Although I have never served, many people around me have - both of my grandfathers, several friends from Canada & around the world, and my neighbours (I live near Canadian Armed Forces base) have served their country in peace and in war. 

I am grateful and I remember.

It seems like the day after Remembrance Day I get in the Christmas Spirit! I love Christmas. I start thinking about gifts and decorating. I feel free to get the eggnog rolling and the Christmas tunes pumping (Daddy Ladybug is not so happy about this). Holiday Joy is steaming out of my diffuser making it smell amazing and with the beautiful weather we've had this week the outdoor lights are even up (I promised to make the tree wait a few more weeks).

I thought I'd start the celebrations by sharing one of my favourite cozy curl-up-in-front-of-the-fire drinks. 

I worked at Starbucks last year and at Christmas my co-worker introduced me to my new favourite holiday drink - the Eggnog Chai Latte. I loved it so much I had to make it at home (of course!). So here's my homemade version of their Eggnog Chai Latte (aka cheggnog).

Cheggnog (Chai Eggnog Latte)

Per mug:

1 1/2-2 cups Eggnog

1 oz (2 Tbsp) Vanilla Syrup

1-2 Chai Tea Bags

Nutmeg and Sugar (optional)

For each mug, add vanilla syrup and tea bag(s) to the mug. Heat Eggnog using a steam wand, microwave, or stovetop to desired temperature. Pour in the mug and let sit for 2-3 minutes to allow the chai time to steep.

Sip & enjoy (add a little rum if you want!). 

~Adel~

BC Chicken & Homemade Chicken Nuggets

This weekend, I thought it would be fun to go to a new store to do our weekly grocery shop. While the grocery shopping experience was a bust with two major meltdowns in the store (yes I was the meanest mom in the world and wouldn't let them buy popsicles on a very cold day), we managed to learn something new in the process that quite honestly blew my mind and I'm sure I'm not alone, so I thought I'd share what I learned.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I've been working to reduce additives, chemicals, and sugars - trying to live a more natural & healthy life. It's been a long process of learning to make more from scratch and making healthier choices in the store. I've been slowly changing us over to organic, local, and homegrown/homemade food. 

While we were shopping at Save On Foods, we saw some local chicken farmers called the Chicken Squad working to dispel some myths about the chicken farming industry. I don't know about you, but I've always understood that the meat & poultry available in my local store is full of hormones and steroids and that the chickens are force fed to get really fat. This has influenced my decision to buy mostly organic, thinking it was the healthiest choice for my family. I've been researching and learning about where my food really comes from and discovered that I've been given some misleading information. Did you know that the use of steroids and hormones has been banned in Canada since the 1960's? Really! I had no idea. This discovery has really made me think and I'm reconsidering my choice to not purchase regular chicken from the store.

The Chicken Squad even made a great little movie trailer to help spread the word (check it out at chickensquad.ca)! Lady & Bug thought the action packed trailer was funny, especially the growing chicken! Bug even asked me if we could do that at home (of course I said no!). Instead I managed to calm the popsicle meltdowns with the promise that we would go home with our chicken and make our own Chicken Nuggets.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

4 Chicken Breasts
1 Egg
3 Tbsp Milk

1 Sleeve of Crackers (your favourite of course)

1 Tbsp Flour

1 tsp Thyme

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/8 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut chicken breasts into 1-2" bit sized pieces.

In a shallow bowl, combine egg and milk. Beat well to mix.


Crunch up crackers using a food processor or a plastic bag and a rolling pin. Add Flour, thyme, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, pepper & salt and mix well. This recipe works best if crackers have been crushed very fine (like cornmeal).

Coat a few chicken pieces at a time in egg mixture and then toss into a bag with the cracker mixture. Twist bag at the top and shake to coat. Place chicken on a baking sheet at least 1/2" apart and repeat until all the chicken has been coated with the cracker mixture. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F. Turn chicken over and bake for 5-10 more minutes until chicken reaches at least 165F internal temperature.


Yum! Lady & Bug (and Daddy Ladybug) approved.

Thanks BC Chicken Farmers for helping our family learn something new and for all your hard work so that we could have some really yummy chicken to make nuggets.

~Adel~

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Natural Cough Candies for Kids (Happy Throat Pops)

Cough, cough, cough. Sneeze, drip, drip, drip. Mommy, I have "BOOGERS"!

Ugg. I am tired of the non-stop cold that seems to circulate around my house in the winter, anyone else with me? It starts a few days after school begins and ends a few days after they finish. Kids and germs - yuck. 

I've scoured my local pharmacies many times late at night trying to find something I can give my kids, but there's almost nothing for kids under 6. Seriously, why is it so hard for a company to come up with a safe solution on a stick so our kids have something to soothe a sore throat?

Well nothing commercial seems to exist, so I decided to make my own (plus then I get to make them with ingredients I want my kids to have). 

Happy Throat Pops

4 bags Lemon & Ginger Tea

1 cup Hot Water

2 cups Honey* or Agave (you can also use sugar)

1 Lemon, Juice and grated peel

4 drops Lemon Essential Oils**
candy thermometer (or skills at using the candy test with cold water)
popsicle sticks
Popsicle molds

(*Do not give honey to children under 1 year of age. **Please make sure your essential oils are safe for ingestion, Click here for my recommendation.) 

Brew a strong cup of Lemon & Ginger tea using hot water and 4 tea bags. Let sit for about 15 minutes before beginning to make your pops. In a large pot, add tea, honey, and the juice/grated peel of 1 lemon. Stir until mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring and bring mixture to 150C/300F or Hard Crack Stage (this takes a while as the water boils off). Let cool a bit until mixture starts to thicken and stir in 4 drops of Lemon Essential Oils. Pour into oiled (cooking spray works well) candy molds (or make your own with cornstarch or confectioners sugar) and insert sticks. Let cool until fully hardened then remove from molds.

Happy throats, Happy kids, Happy Mom.

It's nice to finally have a natural solution for the cold & flu season.

~Adel~

Slow Cooker Stuffing

This year I managed to make our entire Thanksgiving Dinner without using my oven! I used Nana Ladybug's electric roaster for the turkey and the stuffing was made in my crock pot. Not only less to do, it turned out to be much faster and left me wondering what I forgot!

Slow Cooker Stuffing

3/4 cup Butter
1 Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 cup Fresh Mushrooms, diced
3/4 tsp Poultry Seasoning
1/2 tsp dried Sage
1/2 tsp dried Thyme
1/4 tsp dried Marjoram
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 loaf bread, cubed & dried overnight (about 10 cups of bread cubes)
1 Egg, beaten
3 cups Chicken Stock (add another 1/2 cup if you like your stuffing really moist)

Melt butter in a skillet. Cook onion, celery and mushrooms until onion is translucent and celery is tender. Remove from heat and add seasonings, chicken stock and egg. Stir well. Fill slow cooker with bread cubes and pour vegetable/broth mixture over bread. Toss carefully to combine and cook for 45 minutes on HIGH. Turn down to LOW and cook for an additional 4-6 hours.

Serve with your favourite roast, turkey dinner, or instead of packaged stuffing in casseroles like Creamy Swiss Chicken.

I love turkey day. Happy Thanksgiving!

~Adel~

Pepper Jelly

Sometimes a random act of kindness develops an addiction and inspires you to make something.

One day when Lady and Bug were about 1, we took a trip across the bridge to IKEA. As I was putting the kids in the car, I noticed the two ladies in the tiny little car beside me trying to stuff very large items in...unsuccessfully. Their frustration was evident and I could hear them 

talking about what to do. Here's me in my huge vehicle with my 2 little ones and lots of space, so I approached them and offered to help if they were going anywhere east (Ikea is about an hour's drive west of my house). Turns out they lived in the same town, just a few blocks from me and we traded information and I packed their excess home for them. The stroke of luck was the woman driving was the owner of a local condiment company, Marilyn's, and I had no idea. After delivering the goods, she brought me to her garage (which turned out to be a huge kitchen...DREAM!) and gave me one of each of her products. One of those was her red pepper jelly, for which I quickly developed an addiction.

Auntie Ladybug and I have been consuming large quantities of this red pepper jelly with our cheese platters and wine, so I thought I would try my hand at some of my own. Now I'll admit, it's not Marilyn's but it's pretty great!

Red Pepper Jelly

3 & 3/4 cups Red Peppers

1/4 cup Jalapeno Peppers (red ones if you can find them)

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Package of Pectin

5 cups Sugar

Chop Peppers in a very fine dice. Add peppers, apple cider vinegar and pectin to a large pot. Bring to a full rolling boil, constantly stirring. Add all sugar at once and return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2" of headspace. Clean rims, add lids and rings and can in a water bath canner for 5 minutes. Let cool for 24 hours. Refrigerate or reprocess any unsealed jars. Note: Jelly will take at least a day to become firm, turn upside down after the jar seals to prevent chunks of peppers from settling.

Try this with crackers, cheese, and wine for a great night with friends! Beautiful on baked brie and a lovely Christmas hostess gift.

~Adel~

Big Batch Canned Pizza Sauce

I've been making so much pizza sauce that I thought I'd make a huge batch and can it this summer with all the lovely tomatoes available right now!

So, I used my regular pizza sauce recipe and quadrupled it so I could can a big batch. Turns out I may have to do this a few times...I've already used 2 jars.

Big Batch Canned Pizza Sauce

1/4 cup Olive Oil

4 Onions, diced

8 cloves Garlic, minced

14 cups Diced Fresh Tomatoes

1/2 cup Tomato Paste

6 Tbsp Honey

8 tsp Anchovy Paste

3 tsp Oregano 

1 & 1/2 tsp Marjoram

3 tsp Basil

1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Salt & Pepper to taste

Lemon Juice (add 2 Tbsp to each canning jar)

In a large stock pot, heat oil. Cook onion until it starts to brown, add garlic for 1 minute and then add tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then blend with a hand blender or carefully with a food processor. 

Sterilize and heat jars before filling. Add 2 Tbsp of Lemon juice to each jar before adding hot pizza sauce to jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Add lids and rims and cook in a water bath canner for 35 minutes. Let cool for 24 hours and any unsealed jars should be refrigerated or used immediately.

Get homemade pizza sauce without all the work of making sauce from scratch. Try it with Best Ever Pizza Dough for a fabulous family pizza and games night!

~Adel~

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Pockets

Daddy Ladybug loves all things convenience. He especially loves the food of his childhood, so today I decided to try my hand at Pizza Pockets.

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Pockets

2 1/2 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

2/3 cups Regular or Butter Flavoured Shortening

1/2 cup Cold Water (more or less as needed)

1 cup Pizza Sauce, divided in 2 (make your own!)

1/2 cup Pizza Pepperoni, chopped in small chunks

1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 egg, beaten

Make pastry crust by mixing flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening until it is the consistency of oatmeal and slowly add cold water 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing with hands, until the dough sticks together but not sticky. Roll out to about 1/4" thickness and cut 5" circles. Should make about 12 circles.

In a separate bowl, add 1/2 cup of pizza sauce to bowl, saving remaining sauce for dipping. Mix in pepperoni, mozzarella, parmesan and seasoning.

Spoon 1 Tbsp of filling into the middle of each circle, fold in half and crimp edges together with a fork, fingers, or a pastry pocket maker, ensuring edges are well sealed. (note: It's easy to want to overfill, but I've learned that adding more than a Tbsp of filling makes it run out or be difficult to seal well) 

Place filled pockets on a greased baking sheet and brush tops with beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes at 375F until tops start to become golden.

Heat remaining 1/2 cup of pizza sauce and serve on the side as a dip.

A great homemade lunch option, or make a double or triple batch and freeze partially cooked (about 15 minutes) and cook in the microwave to heat up for a quick snack. Great for kids, hungry teens, and Daddy Ladybug's post-hockey starvation!

~Adel~

Simple Raspberry Jam

It's been a rough week in the Ladybug house, we're all tired and stressed. I needed a cooking outlet today - I've been so busy that blogging has been on the back burner and I can totally tell!

So, today we needed to get out and do something! Lady & Bug and I went to Maan Farms, which had a huge fire in their main building last week, to give them our support. We got a flat of raspberries and made some jam. 

I've been experimenting with jam recipes this year, trying to decide which one I like the best. Here's the one I used for raspberries today, it's a little more tart than the one I usually make, but I really liked it...the best part was that it is so simple! It doesn't even need Pectin. If you want to know more about the jam making process, see my post on Strawberry Jam or Apricot Jam.

Lady & Bug helped to mash the berries and scoop out the sugar into a bowl, but I wasn't brave enough to let them help with anything else yet, maybe next year!

Simple Raspberry Jam

5 cups Crushed Raspberries

1/4 cup Lemon Juice (optional)

1/2 tsp Butter

5-6 cups Sugar (depending on your desired sweetness)

Cook raspberries, butter, and lemon juice in a large pot until it reaches a rolling boil (can't be stirred down) - cook for 1 minute. Add sugar quickly and stir constantly until it comes back to a rolling boil. Boil for 3 minutes (watch your fingers!). Remove from heat and remove any foam on the top. Fill sterilized, hot jars 1/4" from top. Clean top of the jar well before sealing with lids. Boil in a canner for 10 minutes. Remove from water and let cool for 24 hours before putting away.

Happy Jamming!

~Adel~


Similar posts you might be interested in:

Apricot Jam

Strawberry Jam

Giardiniera (Marinated Salad)

Picnic season is here, time for something perfect for a day at the park.

Giardiniera is basically Italian style marinated vegetables, a great summer condiment/salad for a picnic or antipasto platter, it can be spicy or sweet, and easy to play with the ingredients if you don't like something. This is not a quick recipe, it takes about 2 days to make it, but it's super easy and worth the time to make your own.

Giardiniera

1/2 head Cauliflower, chopped into small florets

1/2 head Broccoli , chopped into small florets

2 ribs Celery, chopped

3 Carrots, sliced diagonally

2 yellow Peppers, large diced

0-6 Serrano peppers, sliced (optional, depending on desired heat)

1/2 cup Salt

3 cups Water (more if needed)

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp Celery Seeds

1 Tbsp Sugar (optional)

1 cup Vinegar

1 cup Oil (I used Canola Oil)

2 Roasted Red Peppers, cut in large strips

10 baby Pickled Pepperoncinis, whole

First, combine the cauliflower, broccoli, celery, carrots, and peppers together in a large bowl. Pour salt over the veggies and add water (enough to cover the veggies). Mix well and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, pour the veggies into a strainer and rinse well with water to get rid of any excess salt. Pour veggies back into a bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Cover bowl again with plastic wrap (or pour into a large jar to keep in the fridge) and let marinade for at least 24 hours before serving. 

Great on an antipasto platter, in a salad, or just as a side/salad on a summer picnic.

~Adel~

Pancake Mix

Pancake mix is a great way to save some time or prepare food for camping or larger gatherings. Lady and Bug love pancakes and I make them at least one day a week, so I've started making a mix in large quantities to speed up the process. It's also a huge help when we go camping, just have to take along a few wet ingredients and we have a quick and delicious breakfast.

Pancake Mix

8 cups Flour

1/2 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Baking Powder

2 tsp Salt

3 1/3 cups Powdered Milk

To make Pancakes for 4-6 people (about 16 pancakes):

 2 cups Water

2 Eggs, beaten

1/4 cup Cooking Oil

2.5 cups Pancake Mix

In a bowl, mix water, eggs and oil. Add to pancake mix and stir until moistened, but still lumpy. Add additional water to thin batter as necessary.

Heat and grease a griddle or skillet. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the hot, greased pan and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side. Serve with butter and syrup or berries as desired.

For camping I store my pancake mix in a plastic sealable bag and write the instructions on it.

Now I'm ready for our next camping trip and Saturday morning!

~Adel~

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

I'm so tired of buying instant oatmeal and using 2-3 packs per person just to make a meal, plus, I really like to know what's in things I serve. So I'm making my own and thought I'd share for anyone else who's tired of going through an entire box of instant oatmeal in 1 sitting.

Herbed Meatballs

I've tried many meatball recipes and I keep coming back to this one, it's great with ground beef, pork, chicken, or turkey (or a combination of any of them). A basic staple of almost all my Big Cook days. I always have a bag on hand for days when I forget to plan my meal or don't have a lot of time to cook. Add any kind of sauce and it's an easy meal that makes everyone in my house happy.

This recipe makes about 40 meatballs. I usually make 4x this recipe for my big cook days. I recently discovered a much easier way to make uniform meatballs...here's my process (just clean the counters REALLY well before and after.

Herbed Meatballs 

1 lbs Ground Meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb or any combination)
1/2 cup Oatmeal

2 Eggs

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Parsley
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Onion Soup Mix
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp each Salt & Pepper

Combine ground meat, oatmeal, onion, egg, soy sauce and seasonings and mix well. Make into balls about the size of a quarter.

Fry or bake until centers are no longer pink.

Just add sauce to complete your meal - some great options:
Spicy Apricot Meatballs or Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

Freezer Instructions: Partially cook meatballs by frying until all sides are brown or baking in the oven on a baking sheet for 15 minutes. Freeze on baking sheet, then transfer to a plastic bag or container for easy use later.

~Adel~

Home-Made Cream of Mushroom Soup (Condensed)

I see "cream of mushroom soup" on the recipe and hit "next" - but many of the easy family friendly recipes that I love call for cream of mushroom soup.

My goal is to make more things from scratch, so when I am able, I use this recipe to replace the canned kind. It only takes about 5 extra minutes to make this before you need it for a recipe - so worth the yummy, home-made taste! Freeze leftovers in individual packs for next time.

If you're like me and tend to skip recipes because they call for condensed soup, here's a recipe for you so you don't have to skip those recipes any more!

Home-Made Cream of Mushroom Soup (Condensed)

1/2 cup Butter

1 cup Onion, minced

2 clove Garlic, minced

2 cups Mushrooms, minced
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

1/2 cup Flour

2 cups Mushroom (or vegetable) Broth

2 cups Milk

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onion and cook until onions start to brown. Add garlic and stir well for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and seasonings and cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for at least 1 minute then add broth and milk. Cook until thickened.

Replace your can of Mushroom Soup in a recipe with 10 oz (about 1 & 1/4 cups) of this condensed soup. Freeze in single use containers for future recipes. Makes about 4 cans.

To use this as a meal, add equal amounts of milk to condensed soup and add more salt (to taste) because I've purposefully left out some salt (assuming I'm adding some in the end recipe).

Yummy home-made mushroom soup without the "what's in that" factor. Now back to that recipe calling for Mushroom Soup...

For more Freezer Friendly ideas for your Big Cook Day, check out my Freezer Meals page.

~Adel~

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Daddy Ladybug love Hamburger Helper, but I like to make things from scratch as much as possible, so it's forbidden in our house. Here's my version of a great easy meal that everyone will love.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

2 lb Ground Beef

1 cup Onions, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

4 cups Milk

1 cup Water

4 cups Elbow Macaroni (uncooked)

2 Tbsp Sugar

2 tsp Seasoning Salt

1 & 1/2 tsp Oregano

1 & 1/2 tsp Parsley

1 & 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1 Tbsp Beef Oxo (broth seasoning)

2 cups Valveeta Cheese, cubed (or shredded cheddar cheese if you want to be healthy!)

Brown meat. Add onions and cook until tender, add garlic for 30 seconds. Add milk, water, macaroni, sugar and seasonings. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes until macaroni is tender, but not overcooked. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the liquid to absorb.

This is a large recipe, makes about 8 generous portions and you might even have left overs for lunch too!

Don't buy Hamburger Helper - make this delicious easy meal instead.

~Adel~

Greek Salad Dressing

Greek Salad Dressing

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 cup Olive Oil

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Greek Seasoning (I use Cavender's salt-free seasoning)

Mix all ingredients together and pour over salad as desired. Keep refrigerated. Also a great marinade for chicken.

My favourite salad is a Greek Salad and of all the dressings I've tried, this is my absolute favourite!

~Adel~

For more great food ideas check out my Recipes page

Get Rid of Fruit Flies the Natural Way

Summer is coming and along with the wonderful bounty of fresh produce from the market comes the fruit flies. Last summer I found a solution to the swarms that plagued my kitchen, so I thought I'd share it before summer begins! 

Fruit Fly Trap

Jar with lid

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

2 drops Dish Soap

Poke some holes in the top of the jar lid, big enough for the flies to get through. Add apple cider vinegar and dish drops to the jar and stir well. Put the lid on and place near your fresh fruit. Replace the cider vinegar & soap when it gets full of flies or every month to keep it fresh during "fruit fly season". The dish soap keeps the fruit flies from walking on the top of the vinegar and climbing back out the holes. This works really well!

Now you can enjoy fresh fruit without the fruit flies!

It really works...here's my fruit flies.

~Adel~

Label Glue Remover

I like to re-use containers when I can, especially glass jars, but the glue used to keep labels on usually leaves some residue that can be sticky or just unsightly. I seem to need this stuff at least once a week. 

I've been trying different things to get it off and finally found something that actually works!

Here is my recipe for Label Glue Remover.

Label Glue Remover

2 Tbsp Baking Soda

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Salt

Mix together and spread on any remaining glue on your bottles, jars or other containers. Let sit for 2-3 minutes and rub the area with your finger. Wash off with soapy water. Re-application may be needed for stubborn glue. I keep mine in a little jar so I don't have to make it every time, it keeps well.

Perfect for my re-usable wine bottles!

~Adel~

Cleaning Spray

I feel like I spend half of my day cleaning the counters and table. With little ones it's nearly an impossible task to keep a kitchen/dining room clean. They get so sticky  - especially the oatmeal! I have to use something to help take the stuck-on food off, a wet cloth is not good enough. I realized how much cleaner I was going through and needed to save a little money - not only that I realized what kind of chemicals I was subjecting my family to by spraying the commercial ones on my counters and table. I have been searching for a good cleaning spray that kills the germs and cleans well. I finally found a really easy recipe that works well.

Cleaning Spray

2 & 1/2 cups Warm Water

2 Tbsp Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap (your choice of scent)

20 drops Essential Oils (whatever you like)

Mix ingredients together in a spray bottle. Shake well. Spray on counters & table and let sit for 1-2 minutes before wiping off. 

I used Lavender this time, but I also like Tea Tree Oil, Citrus, or Peppermint. You can also use the Mild Baby Dr. Bronner's Soap and add your choice of essential oils for other scents. Dr. Bronner's Soaps can be found online at www.drbronner.com. In Canada, London Drugs carries a few different ones in the body wash section. This is great soap that can be used for so many different things around the house!

Happy Cleaning!

~Adel~

Apricot Jam

This summer, while camping with my family, we had the fortune of finding an apricot tree that wasn't going to be picked. The lady that owned the tree graciously allowed us to pick what we wanted. We spent hours and hours cutting, pitting, and bagging apricots. There was enough to provide for everyone there. I made 3 large batches of jam when I got home, but it's all gone, a staple of many dishes in the Ladybug house.

My freezer is still full of fruit, so it was time to make another batch.

I always thought preserving was so difficult, but last summer I asked my mom to come show me how and was surprised to find that while it requires some precision, instruction reading, and time, it's not very hard.

I used the Bernardin's No Sugar Needed Pectin recipe for Peach Jam and just used apricots instead. It is less sweet than regular jam, but it works well for cooking, which is what I mainly use it for.

First, I prepared the fruit and brought it to a boil along with the pectin, juice, & lemon juice. Once it boiled, I added the recommended amount of sugar (I didn't use sweetner) and let it boil again for the required time.

Then I filled the jars and put them in the canner to process for 10 minutes.

and voilà...jam!

Now we can have Lady & Bug's favourite Spicy Apricot Meatballs again!

~Adel~