Chocolate chip Cream cheese cookies (clean and easy)

If you haven't noticed, I like to eat healthy, but have an arsenal of things I can whip up on a minutes notice. I kept seeing these all over Facebook and decided to give them a shot. The cookies take about 2 1/2 hours total from start to finish, but less than 5 minutes of actual prep time (they spend about 2 hours in the freezer and 15 minutes-ish cooking). my final result, as you can see, ended up more like little pastries, but were delicious!

SNOW DAY!!!!!!!

Adults tend to have a totally different outlook on snow days than they did in childhood.  If you work outside of the home, this means fighting people who can't drive in already hazardous conditions. Conditions where you are already short tempered because you spent 45 minutes, freezing your * ** off, trying to get your car operational ... or clearing a path to wherever.... or both. Then when you get there, half the staff has called out because they obviously can afford it, or have a less critical job, or both. I could endlessly rant about first-world cold weather problems.

Valentines day boxes and cards

I HATE valentines day. Always have. Always will. My husband is indifferent about the holiday, so it totally works, or so it did.... until now. My oldest started preschool this year ( I was doing it at home, he NEEDED other kids!) So, here comes the dreaded Valentines day party! Not only did I fight the HORRIBLE fruit Kabobs ( I am posting these later, you can do them at your own risk) but I had to make him an Ironman box. whaaat?!? My solution: paint a whey protein jug, cut a slot in the top and call it good. result? He loved it.

Quick, Cheap, and Easy Laundry Soap/Degreaser - Great for Greasy, Stinky Work Clothes (also washing soda)

I am an extreme cheapskate. Really, I'm pretty bad since we live on one income now. I am not, however, a fan of the whole "homemade laundry soap" trend, despite how much money it has saved the Duggar family. Too much time, work, and no workforce to help me out. Besides, I like my store bought soap way too much to part with it. The problem is my husband works on heating and ventilation units. He is covered in a little bit of everything when he gets home and store bought soap just won't get the greasy mess out.

Under Construction!

Please keep checking back! I am constantly adding and changing photos (again, I am a  horrible photographer) and trying to get things just right. Thanks for your patience!

Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets

Chick-fil-A nuggets are my all-time favorite fast food item. Unfortunately, I live in the middle of nowhere, 45 minutes from their deliciousness. What's a girl to do? Make her own, that's what!

I found a recipe here and ran with it!!! I made a few changes,but better than I ever imagined. Never buying nuggets again!( well, maybe at Chick-fil-A!)

Quick and easy breakfast skillet - Breakfast hack

This is my go to breakfast on a busy weekend (or weekday for that matter).It's simple, tasty, and REALLY cheap. I can feed my family of 4 big eaters for less than $5. I like to use leftover tater tots sometimes too, as well as whatever else I have in the fridge that would make a good add-in. I waste nothing here! When I first saw a similar recipe in an old church cookbook, I thought "OMG why don't I ever do that" hence why I refer to it as a "breakfast hack" and not a recipe. It's too simple to be labeled a "recipe"!

How to save at Wal-Mart

**I do not receive any type of corporate anything,  so any opinions or endorsement on my blog are entirely mine. **
I cannot express my dislike of shopping at Wal-Mart.   It's almost always crowded and most employees seem disgruntled (I would be too at their pay for what they do). Anywho, living in a rural area in middle America means shopping there is pretty much inevitable.  Here are a few ways (along with shopping at ALDI and clever Amazon purchases) I managed to take my weekly household spending from $150 down to around $75.

Orange Peel and Vinegar Cleaner

So, about 2 weeks ago, I began soaking a mason jar full full of orange peels in white vinegar.
The result was pretty great. I'm not fully replacing my regular cleaner, but it does do well on floors and counters. I really like using it on counters when I know I will be placing food directly on them. It cleans and disinfects while being food safe. Highly recommended way to reuse citrus scraps!

Slutty/ Keep yo' Legs Shut Brownies

You will soon learn my baked goods all have interesting names (minus the swirl ones I previously posted, each flavor has a different name). The names come from a person, emotion, or ingredient, and ALWAYS have a story attached. Most of the time, you really don't want to know the story considering I'm an angry baker. These originally were named slutty brownies when I found them on 8,000 Pinterest pages, but leaving out the Oreo's and donning them "keep yo' legs shut" was all me!