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?

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!  :)