Tag: DIY recipes

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52 Weeks to Toxin Free Glass Surface Cleaner

many uses of tea, tea cleaning,DIY all purpose spray and cleaner using Young Living essential oils

Growing up I remember my mother using vinegar for everything in our home. Bug bite? Apple cider vinegar. Ants and weeds in the yard? White vinegar. Vinegar seemed to be a staple in our home. Recalling when my mom put my childhood home on the market for us to move, my grandmother (her mother) came over to help power clean the house and paint. The smell seemed very pungent for me as a child, but looking back I realize this was more about the paint and not the chemicals they were using to clean the house. You see, these two ladies went to town scrubbing the entire house in vinegar. Not ammonia. Not bleach. So I am going to break down an awesome toxin free glass surface cleaner for you to use in your home that is cheaper, safer, healthier and smells better than any other glass and surface cleaner in your home. Continue reading “52 Weeks to Toxin Free Glass Surface Cleaner”

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52 Weeks to Toxin Free DIY All Purpose Cleaner & Spray

Keeping a clean house is literally a full time job, hence why services exist to clean our homes. Cleaning is a dirty job. Yes, such an oxymoron. All the elbow grease and oomph you put into keeping a clean home. From the laundry to the dishes, vacuuming to the dusting, scrubbing and mopping. I do my best in our house to keep each room clean as we go about each day, while this is idealistic with three kids, we give it the old college try. As I mentioned in my DIY Softscrub and Ajax post, my kitchen is the most beloved room in my house. Nirvana, a sense of zen and peace wash over me while in my kitchen, so I go to great lengths to keep it clean. Bathrooms, however, are at the top of my least favorite room in the house, yet the second most important to keep clean. So I needed a DIY all purpose cleaner and spray that could cut through grease and shit…pardon the pun. Continue reading “52 Weeks to Toxin Free DIY All Purpose Cleaner & Spray”

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Easy Kids Snack Ideas & Recipes

broccoli, twins, boy, thefivefish.com

Feeding my children can be the easiest and most daunting task. So I try to find healthy and substantial snack ideas that do not leave them craving for more food later or feeling unsatisfied.

A great snack idea that costs very little and is great for on the go or to tie the kids over until dinner is graham crackers and cream cheese. Simple and effective without the sugary, sweet effects or salty, bloating of other foods. Spread a little softened cream cheese on a graham cracker snack and you have a cheesecake tasting snack without all the filling calories, fat, and sugar like more snacks.

Do you want your kids to get more protein without all the bulk of eating meats and or processed foods? Lentils are a great snack and are fabulous for toddlers learning to grasp and eat by themselves. Boil a cup of lentils, rinse and toss with your favorite seasoning for a light snack or even bake them tossed in a light coating for a bit of a crunch and zip. Great for salad toppers or alone, the kids love the crunch.

Ants on a log: my personal childhood favorite of raisins atop a stalk of celery smothered with peanut butter. Crunchy, salty, sweet, and good for you. Low in calories and high in fiber and protein this fun filled snack is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Cracker Sanwiches: using slices of apples or pears and cheese or spread some peanut butter in between these crackers to create a fun and tasty sandwich to help your kids feeling full without overfeeding them.

Ask your kids what they want to eat and make it fun, take them into the kitchen and let them explore with you and share their ideas of a fun and great snack idea.

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DIY Chocolate Covered Strawberries – Last Minute Valentines

For those of you who have procrastinated for Valentine’s Day and are not sure what to give as a gift….I have a solution! My DH HATES and I mean HATES Valentine’s but he plays into the whole holiday for me….even though I truly don’t care for it. But I love the holiday only because he proposed on this day 9 years ago and not over dessert but in the desert! Yup, in the desert, in front of a Jeep, at the base of the Sandia Mountains over looking the twinkling lights of the city. So to celebrate I made some easy do-it-yourself (DIY) chocolate covered strawberries at home.

He did this just when I thought that the whole night was over and he was never going to propose. I was wrong. THERE! I said it…..I was wrong. He will be so pleased. Anyway, off on a tangent, back to the gift idea. FOOD! Yes, food is the best gift when you can’t afford to go out and spend a fortune and you can’t spend a fortune to get a unique gift so here is the gift idea….ready for it………

Chocolate covered fruit! Strawberries always come to mind, but hey, oranges are great, blueberries, bananas, just about any dang fruit out there is FABULOUS in chocolate! So here is you pantry list:

  • Fruit: Strawberries, bananas, anything listed above
  • Chocolate chips or Hershey Kisses
  • Toothpicks
  • Wax paper
  • Cookie sheet or 13X9 baking pan

1. Pour 6 ounces (3/4 cup) chocolate chips or kisses into a microwave safe bowl and melt for 1 minute on HIGH. Stir, and reheat if consistency is still chunky.

2. While chocolate is melting, prick all your fruit with toothpicks. This makes dipping and placing a breeze and cleanup is a snap! Line sheet/pan with wax paper.

3. Start dipping fruit and place carefully on sheet/pan.

*If you want to get creative use a couple different chocolates like semi-sweet and white for fancy designs or different flavors like the picture posted below.

4. Place fruit into fridge for 2-4 hours for chilling and setup (overnight preferred) and VOILA! You have now created a loving gift of food for your Honey Bunny without breaking the bank and who doesn’t just love chocolate on Valentine’s and chocolate covered fruit to boot!

For more last minute foodie ideas that won’t break your bank or require an extra trip to the store feel free to email me at karie@thefivefish.com and I would be more than happy to provide some fantastic recipe ideas. Bet you didn’t have any idea I was a chef!