Homemade vs. Store Bought~priddymomma

Hello, gorgeous!  How have you been?  Yes, I’m talking to you.  Quit looking over your shoulder, silly!  I missed you since last week!  This week, we’re discussing Homemade vs. Store Bought.

The greatest determining factor deciding whether I am store buying or homemaking something has to do with how much time I have to do it.  As a mother, I am well-learned in the art of not having the time for anything.  Ever.  I made my own baby food, but it was more convenient to buy it with busy days and dishes and not-always-so-fresh produce.

My number two reason for not making something myself is that I am sometimes just that lazy.  I practically never take the time to make cupcakes from scratch, for instance.  It is so much easier for me to just buy the mix.  And for a party?  9 times out of 10 I will just buy those suckers already baked and iced.  I can then spend time on what is more valuable to me.

But sometimes…. sometimes you just can’t justify the store bought product, even if it is relatively cheap and time friendly.  For example, take Jiffy muffin mix.  No thanks.  Sure, it’s only like fifty-two cents a box, but that is crap food.  If you have ever had homemade muffins or cornbread, you know what I mean.  It costs me eight times that just to buy the blueberries for my muffins, sure, but I gladly do it if the alternative is that imposter-muffin.  (Okay.  To be fair I like the corn muffin mix, though I still prefer homemade cornbread)

I have a relatively short shopping list when it comes to cleaning products.  I know that whatever I use to clean my floors, will end up on Princess Cheerio’s hands, inevitably reaching her mouth.  I also don’t like to keep cleaners around, as most of them are poisonous if ingested.  That’s just not something I’d like to have to worry about with kiddos about.  I use vinegar to clean most things in my home.  If vinegar doesn’t cut it, vinegar and baking soda usually does.  It’s great for floors, counter tops, mirrors, windows, toilets, as fabric softener, clogged drains, deep cleaning towels, cooking, hard water stains, you name it.  I’ve read of uses for salt and lemons as well.  Why buy 200 different products?  Outside of vinegar, I buy Lysol spray, because sometimes you just want a surface really disinfected.  As far as laundry detergents go, I have a fabric softener and laundry detergent that I stick to religiously.  I do this because growing up, my mom couldn’t experiment with laundry detergents much.  I always developed a rash if she changed them.  Both my kids are the same way.  I found something that works and I like the smell.  I’m not changing it.  But that’s another thing to consider:  allergies.  I don’t change my detergent because of allergies, but allergies might be a great reason to choose to home make something (especially with food allergies like peanuts).

The last thing that I have to say about homemade vs. store bought is this:  nothing beats a handmade card or gift.  Nothing.  To know that the person thought of you, found a project they thought you would enjoy, invested time and money in collecting the supplies, and made the commitment to spend time on you (sometimes hours!), means so much more than, “oh hey….I saw this (when I was feverishly trying to find you something for your birthday) and I thought of you.”  Especially when it still has the price tag on it, or they didn’t even sign the card.  COME ON!  Also, the hand made things are one-of-a-kind and oftentimes a thousand times more wonderful/beautiful/useful than what is available at the store.

Whether you go homemade or store bought is up to you.  Do what makes you happy and gives you time to do things you enjoy.  If you want to use more homemade products, but don’t have the time for making all of them, maybe trade off.  Have a friend make her patented detergent in bulk to trade some to you in exchange for your amazing homemade baby wipes.  The sky is the limit, and you don’t have to do everything alone.

What are some of your favorite homemade products?  Any non-negotiable store bought things?  By now, you likely know you can reach us at thecaseofthemissingcheerios@gmail.com with any topic suggestions, or drop us a comment below.  Enjoy!  :)

(P.S.  I promise not to start the next post by hitting on you….but you know, if you hadn’t worn that top…you know how it makes me blush.) 

Homemade Products vs. Store Bought Products ~ Tori

 

 

 

This week we're going to be discussing homemade VS store bought products. To figure out which is the right one for you, you need to factor out quality and cost. Asking yourself these questions can help:

 

• Is the quality the same?
• Will I be saving money?
• Which is healthier for my family?
• Do I have all the ingredients and time needed to get into homemade products?

Those are just a few questions you can ponder. To be honest I do dabble in a lot of homemade items. Going to the store for certain things can be so pricey, and such a waste of time if you can make something just as good at home.

One of my favorite things to make is homemade febreeze which calls for some fabric softener, baking soda, and water.

You can also make your own fabric softener (which I haven't tried yet but would like to).

Most generally when making something homemade you get a lot more of it than you would if you go to the store and purchase it. Your also going to save money in the long run even if you do seem to be spending more at first on certain ingredients. Mainly because the ingredients you buy, you will be able to use over and over, as well as use them for other products.

 

Personally I think a lot of homemade products are much better than store bought. The quality is better, and you get a lot more bang for your buck. Problem is the time it takes to make them. For instance, cake mixes. I love making cakes from scratch, but sometimes I'm short on time or energy and find myself using boxed mixes more than anything. I would like to get into making more homemade products for my family and household. There's everything out there right at your fingertips.

Most homemade household cleaners for instance are much better than store bought. Homemade baby food can be much healthier and safer for your child to eat.

 

We all have the ability to go completely homemade, and to be honest I prefer homemade objects. But I still need store bought as well. I need store bought sunscreen, mosquito repellent, etc. But when you take a look around you can find easy to make things that are just as good as store bought (even if they take a bit of time to make) that will save you money.

 

Do you make anything homemade? Which one do you prefer? Homemade or store bought?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake with Peanut Butter Pie Mousse~priddymomma

Hey guys!  Glad you could join us this week.  We're testing out pinterest recipes.  Will they live up to our expectations?  Or will they be horrific pin-tastrophes?  Only one way to find out!  

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake with Peanut Butter Pie Mousse

I thought this recipe would be a perfect thing to try out on a date night in.  It only takes two minutes in the microwave to make a mug cake.  It would be super nice to share with your love.  

http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2012/03/chocolate-peanut-butter-mug-cake.html

Cake:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
3 Tablespoons chocolate chips

Mousse:
1 Tablespoon softened cream cheese
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons whipped cream or cool whip
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar


The Process

Melt butter in a small dish.  Add peanut butter and mix well.  It looks like really oily peanut butter now.

In a mug, mix vanilla, egg, and sugar.  A fork worked well for me.

Combine flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder.  

Add to mug.

Pour in peanut butter/butter mixture and mix together.  

At this point, it smells a bit like brownie mix.

Stir in chocolate chips.  More ended up in my mouth than in the mug, sadly.

Time for mousse!  Mix together cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla.  This was a pain.

Fold in whipped cream.  Sift in powdered sugar and fold that in too, trying not to over stir.  So fussy.

Microwave your mug of cake mix.  1-2 minutes or until done. 

Fairly certain I ultimately overcooked mine, as it turned out a little dry.

Top that cake!  Mousse and hot fudge.  I'm not winning any awards for presentation, but hey!

Oh yeah...the hot fudge is messy.  I ultimately got it on the counter, on my finger, on my shorts, and on the button for the microwave.  I don't even know...

I made a double batch of the mousse and added it to ice cream to share with the hubby along with the cake.

It was a bit dry, so we added it to the ice cream.

I would try this again, so I could avoid overcooking it the second time around.  Overall though, it was only okay.  I wasn't blown out of the water or anything.  It was very dense, which I'm not used to in a cake.  Without the mousse, it would have been very boring.  The mousse makes the cake though.  It tastes just like a Butterfinger candy bar.  Also, unless you are a cake fiend, I don't see you finishing it.  Hubby and I split ice cream and mug cake, and there was still enough for a third person to eat off our leftovers.  Also, the cook time might only be two minutes, but it took 25 minutes to assemble and take pics along the way.  I would prefer just to buy a cake mix.  I might try out one that uses Nutella though.  I love me some Nutella.

I think it would be pretty special to make up for the kiddos' birthdays, especially since they are only a few days apart.  That way, we don't have to bake an entire cake each birthday AND have cake for the party.  That's too much friggin' cake!

 Have you guys tried any pinterest recipes?  How did they turn out?  Which are your favorites?  Don't forget to check back next week for another topic, and until then keep love in your hearts and food in the kitchen, you kinks.  Sheesh.

Pinterest Recipes step by step ~ Tori

This week we are going to be discussing Pinterest recipes! Or rather each of us picking something from Pinterest to make and photograph the process and result.
This post is going up a bit late for me, but let's just pretend it's Tuesday okay? Yesterday turned out to be a tad insane around my house. You moms know those kind of days right? Where nothing seems to go right, your losing your mind and forgetting everything, etc. That was pretty much my day in a nutshell (which seems to be my brain).
Anyway I decided to re-visit an old favorite of mine. Jello Poke Cake! Since we are more of a cupcake family though I was looking at the cupcake versions. Problem is I could not find one recipe that included any of the ingredients I had on hand, and I had already done my grocery shopping for the week. So, I tweaked the recipe below a bit::

Here's what I came up with::

Funfetti Jello Poke Cupcakes

::Ingredients::
1 Box Funfetti Cake Mix
(ingredients required to make the cake - usually eggs, vegetable oil, and water)
1 3oz. box of Jello gelatin (I used berry blue but you can choose your flavor or use multiple ones)
1 cup boiled water
1 container of Funfetti icing (you can also use whipped frosting or cool whip)

 

 

::Directions::
1) Mix cupcakes according the instructions on the back of the box.

 

 

2) Spoon cake mix into cupcake pan, and bake as directed...

 

 

 

3) Allow cupcakes to cool completely...

 

 

4) Poke holes into the cupcakes using a toothpick or fork. (I just used a fork). Poke plenty of holes in the cupcakes. Make sure you go a little deep so the jello mix can really seep down in there.

 

 

5) Boil 1 cup water, add entire 3oz box of jello mix, stir until completely dissolved.

 

 

6) Using a spoon, pour the gelatin over the cupcakes slowly, making sure it seeps into the holes.

 

7) Once the jello mix is poured over all the cupcakes, it's time to slide them into the fridge. They will need to be refrigerated like this for about 3 hours so the jello can set.

 

8) After sitting in the fridge for about 3 hours you are safe to pull out your cupcakes and begin icing them, and adding your toppings.

 

9) If you like your frosting cold you can refrigerate them again if need be, but however you want to do it these cupcakes are now ready to eat and enjoy. :)

 

 

These are fun, festive, and really easy to make. They are a fast treat for any sweet tooth. They require few ingredients, and there are so many ways you can tweak Jello Poke Cupcakes (or jello poke cake) to your own liking. Either way just have fun with it, and ENJOY!  :) 

 

Second Amendment Rights - Leslie

The second amendment in the United States Constitution is the right to keep and bear arms.  I'm just going to go ahead and let everyone know that I do not have a stance on this issue that is set in stone.  I go back and forth with it a lot, because there are great arguments for both sides.  Therefore, this post may go back and forth.  I apologize for that.  This will be an account of my thought processes at the moment about gun control more than anything else, so please do not take this as something I am extremely passionate about one way or another.  I know what makes sense to me, but that doesn't always coincide with what is actually possible.

As far as keeping guns out of the hands of people who will use them in the worst ways imaginable, it's impossible.  Impossible.  Consider that for a second.  There is nothing anyone can do to keep things like shootings from happening, other than getting rid of all guns.  ALL guns.  You know THAT isn't going to happen.  If there aren't any guns anywhere, then guns aren't an issue.  Check.

The reality is that there ARE guns (and always will be I'm sure), and as long as there are, some people will use them explicitly to harm others.  Why?  Because they can.  Putting bans on people won't stop that.  How many times have you heard that such and such suspect from xyz shooting used his Great Aunt Susie's/dad's/uncle's gun to hurt those people?  Great Aunt Susie may have had tons of background checks done and went through a mountain of paperwork to get that gun legally and for protection reasons only.  Does that stop it from being stolen and used by her dipshit nephew?  No, it doesn't.  He doesn't care about what is banned as far as obtaining a gun.  He cares about what he intends to do with one, and where he will get it whether by legal means or not.  Those bans would not stop that from happening.  Then consider that perhaps Suspect Nephew goes and intends to shoot up a gas station.  He pulls out his gun and starts threatening for the money in the register or he'll shoot and kill the clerk, only to be shot by some no-name customer with a gun, saving the clerk's life.  The point is, as long as there are guns there are people who will use them for protection of themselves or others, and there are people who will use them to only do harm.  Should that person who used their gun to protect be punished because Suspect Nephew got hold of a gun?  No, I don't think so.  I think that if there are going to be people out there who will use a firearm illegally, then people should be able to exercise their RIGHT (not privilege!) to have a gun to protect themselves.  Banning guns doesn't hurt the criminals.  Not at all.

This is where things get a little tough for me and I go back and forth.  My biggest issue with having guns is something Heather wrote about.  Kids.  If you have a gun, you need to have it kept in a place that is safely away from children.  I don't care how much you teach your kids about guns.  Sometimes they do stupid things, as we all did when we were young, and sometimes those things could be prevented.  That said, if you own a gun, I definitely think your children need to be taught about them.  Using them safely, what not to do with them, and at some point possibly how to handle one.  Children are naturally curious and making something impossible to obtain will make them want to do it more.  It makes it seem much more cool.  I don't believe in telling a child what not to do and why and leaving it at that.  SHOW them why.  (And no, I don't mean go out and shoot someone.  Please, don't.)  Often children don't understand explanations, especially with something like "guns can kill".  Instead of keeping them away and hoping they don't come across one, teach them what to do in a situation such as that.  Here's an idea, teach them how to safely disarm a gun.

On the other hand, it's hard to think about teaching A any of that.  She's my whole world, and I don't want to think about her being in that kind of situation.  But the truth is, it's not always preventable unless your children are extremely sheltered.  A isn't, and won't be.  I still would rather teach her the safe way to handle a situation rather than just blindly hope it won't ever happen.  I want to give her the tools and knowledge to handle something by herself, because I won't always be there to protect her, as much as I want to be.  Taking a page out of Heather's book, and I definitely WILL, I can do all of the research I want into how other people handle their guns and store them, but that still doesn't guarantee that something won't happen.  The world is scary, and I would rather know that I did what I could to keep A safe, even if it's teaching her how to keep herself safe, instead of just worry and hope nothing ever happens.

It's a tough and very thin line to walk on. 

Second Amendment~priddymomma

Boy, am I going to cheese off some people with this post!  Hold on to your hats!  The second amendment.  DUM DUM DUN!  (Again, please remember to keep your comments and discussions respectful.  My beliefs are my own, and you are free to believe as you chose.)

The first thing you need to know, to those that are living under a rock, is that the second amendment is the right to keep and bear arms.  It was adopted for several reasons.  First, the age was dangerous.  Protecting your family was your job.  A gun went a long way towards protecting your loved ones, your livestock, and your possessions.  Second, it was your duty to defend your homeland when necessary.  It was also your duty to resist tyranny, for yourself and for your fellow man.  Having separated from a country we felt stifled by, it made sense that we would wish to have the ability to defend ourselves if another country were to try to take hold. 

My feelings?  I am extremely liberal.  I am the first one on the bandwagon when it comes to protecting our rights and freedoms.  Even so, I believe the right is antiquated.  Historians often believe that “arms” is to actually mean “weapons.”  Guns are only one of the options that the amendment protects.  No one is boycotting mace or stun guns.  (Well, maybe some people are boycotting them, but nothing gets through to the news, and there are no stun-gun clubs that people create a society around and go to practice their mad skills either.)  Just guns become the controversy.  The writers of the amendment could not have possibly imagined the guns, (hell, weapons!) we have created since the amendment came into effect.  We have abused the right by making the most dangerous things we can think of.  Weapons that not only can take a life, but can take dozens or hundreds or thousands of lives in just a matter of seconds.  Minutes at the most.  We’ve created video games and movies and television shows that have made weapons cool, and people that use them even cooler.  They aren’t a necessity to protect.  They are a fashion item.

That’s not to say that everyone is trigger-happy, irresponsible idiots or that in no way is a gun warranted.  That isn’t what I’m saying at all.  Just the opposite, in fact.  I believe that with most of the population here in the United States, we have no good reason to own a gun and we’re better off not owning one.  The people that have a legit reason?  They should.  That’s where gun control comes in.  A gun can easily take a life.  I have never been injured walking into an exam room, yet I have to fill out a stack of papers as thick as my leg every time I go to a doctor’s appointment.   “With great power comes great responsibility.”  Perhaps if you want to own a gun, you should be required to fill out a large packet of information, which is then submitted to a committee.  At that point, if you can read, make a decent case for your need to own a gun, and not kill anyone while waiting, you would be granted one.  You could own a gun if you lived in a high crime area and lived alone, but not if you wanted revenge on your ex-boyfriend.  See where I’m going with this?  Maybe the committee could just issue dogs.  Seems more fulfilling.  To my knowledge, we have yet to create a gun that gives you a friendly kiss when you come home, and it would do dual duty by finding homes for all the shelter dogs in the country.  See?  I should run for president.   

And to the real issue I have with guns:  kids get them.  They get the wrong idea about them, they hurt themselves or other people, the stories go on.  In every one, it is totally unacceptable and 100% preventable.  If you are a gun owner, it is your number one responsibility to make sure that you keep other people safe.  Practice in intelligent places.  Store your guns and ammunition under lock and key, in separate places.  I also believe it is important to teach your kids about guns, but know that your child will likely do just what you asked them not to.  It is in their natures.  They are curious!  When I was eight years old, I found a gun in the garage.  I knew the rules.  I picked up the gun, aimed it at an elderly lady gardening across the street, and pulled the trigger.  Thankfully, that gun wasn’t loaded.  I’m sure even if it was loaded, I wasn’t aiming correctly and wouldn’t have hurt that sweet old lady.  But what if it had been a friend three feet from me?  I knew the rules about guns.  I knew I shouldn’t touch it and should find an adult.  I did any way.  The truth is that I didn’t have any kind of grasp on the amount of damage a gun could do.  I hadn’t seen anyone die, didn’t have the capacity to think that far in the future to grasp the finite.  Even if you don’t own a gun, but you have a child, it is your responsibility to ask at play dates and relatives’ homes if they own a gun and find out how they keep it.  Sure, it’ll be a bit on the awkward side the first few times you ask people (akin to asking them what they’re wearing while you chat on the phone), but there is no price too high to pay for peace of mind when it comes to your child’s safety.

Second Ammendment Rights

This week's topic will be on gun control and the second amendment.
My take is that our right to keep and bear arms should not be taken away. I agree 100% with the picture I posted above. "Evil does not exist within a gun. It exists in the minds and hearts of those who pull the trigger for evil purposes." Guns don't kill people by themselves, people kill people.
Do I believe guns are safe around kids? No I do not. If your a gun owner I believe your kids should not even know you have a gun, and they should be kept locked and hidden so children do not stumble across them. My father legally owned a gun and my entire life I didn't know he even had one. Kids see no harm and they often mistake real guns for toys not realizing their deadly effects.

This has all stemmed from shootings particularly in schools, business, etc. But the fact we can't ignore is regardless if we outlaw guns criminals are still going to get their hands on them as easily as they can get drugs, etc. It's juvenile for us to think we can completely ban something that can so easily be obtained.
To truly solve the problem of school shootings we need to have higher security. I am constantly hearing that funds are not available for that, but I don't see why they aren't. It would cost about the same or less to fund school security rather than spend money trying to ban guns. There are other places we could cut costs because nothing is more important than protecting our children.

The second amendment is in the bill of rights, it is our right. I don't believe legal gun owners should have to give up that right because there are evil people out there that could obtain a weapon regardless of a license or not.

I am against gun control, it is our right. I don't even own a gun but I stand for all the legal gun owners out there. It's been around since December 15, 1791. There's no need in taking away people's rights because there are responsible gun owners out there. Why punish the mass for the mistakes of a few individuals? Guns are not evil, people are evil. That isn't going to change with gun control, that isn't going to stop school shootings, that isn't going to stop burglaries, murders, etc.
Cars don't make drivers drive drunk, and guns don't shoot people. People make the choice to drive drunk, people make the choice to abuse guns, people make the choice to abuse drugs.

Our rights are our rights and we shouldn't have to sacrifice them. Why punish the innocent responsible parties over the evil fool decisions of the irresponsible?