What's On Sale In July?

Crafty types know that July is a great month to stock up on supplies for their creative hobbies. The Fourth of July weekend is another holiday period in which many retailers offer bargains on big-ticket items as well, so if you're in need of a major appliance you're in luck!

Here's what you'll find on sale for the month of July...

Deeper discounts on summer dresses, suits, shoes and swimwear
Air conditioners (now through September)
Major appliances (Fourth of July weekend)
Barbecue and picnic foods
Craft supplies

What's In Season For July?

July: Monthly Produce
(n = newly in season; p = peak of season; w = winding down)

VEGETABLES:
basil n
beans, green
corn p
cucumber n
cucumber n
garlic
eggplant n
okra n
onion, red p
onions, Sweet Vidalia, Walla Walla w
peppers, sweet/bell n
squash, summer p
tomatoes n
potatoes
FRUITS:
berries:
blueberries p
currants n
gooseberries
cherries w
figs, Black Mission, Calimyrna
grapes
limes
watermelon
melons
oranges, Valencia n
peaches p
pears:
asian n
bartlett n
French butter p
pineapple
plums n

Creamy Kiwi Apple Lemon Frozen Delight

In French it's Délice Glacé Kiwi-Pomme-Citron. It looks to me like one of the most refreshing, satisfying, heart healthy dessert recipes I've seen! I'm going to include it in my menu this week, and if you give it a try as well, let me know what you think of it.

Ingredients (for 4 people, double if needed)
2 Lemons
3 Apples
4 Kiwis
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 1/4 cup Low-fat Milk (or skim)
Handful of Chopped Fresh Mint (optional)

How to Make It:
1. Peel and slice 2 kiwis. Cover the bottom (and sides) of four individual dessert bowls (prettiest when glass).
2. Peel other 2 kiwis, apples, and lemons. Remove apple and lemon seeds. Put in food processor or blender and reduce to a purée with milk and sugar. Pour this mixture into serving bowls, over the kiwi slices and put in freezer for one hour.
3. Before serving, sprinkle mint over top.

Join Me In Penny Pinching

In my quest to save money and find free samples, I came across this website and I'd like to share it with you! It's called Salescircular.com. You enter your zip code and you'll be directed to a list of products by type that are on sale in your area! If you click on the "free after rebate" you can get a list of items that you can get for free!

I would also like to share the site, Coolsavings.com. You can print out your own coupons and they have quite a selection! Join me in my quest to "pinch more than pennies" so you can set aside money for your rainy day fund.

Save Money On Gas!

Before you stop to buy gas for your errands this weekend, visit www.gasbuddy.com. You enter your zip code and it tells you where the cheapest gas in your area is. It will also allow you to check the gas prices in your entire state if you are going to be venturing out further than just your city.

Spa Water

My sister recently told me she started making "spa water." She lives in the South and claims it is quite refreshing and great for the skin! That's reason enough for me to try it. I'm always up for a refreshing beverage, especially if it is healthy. She said she heard a model talking about drinking it for her skin so I'm off to purchase the ingredients today! Here is the recipe:

LEMON MINT CUCUMBER WATER
1/4 a cucumber, sliced thin
a lemon, sliced thin
sprigs of mint
2 quarts water

Add cucumber, lemon and mint in a pitcher. Fill with water. Enjoy!

Happy Midsummer's Eve

Midsummer's Eve In Ireland, Taken From The Every Day Book

At Stoole, near Downpatrick in the north of Ireland, there is a ceremony commencing at twelve o'clock at night on every Midsummer eve. It's sacred mount is consecrated to St. Patrick. The plain contains three wells, to which the most extraordinary virtues are attributed. Here and there are heaps of stones, around some of which appear great numbers of people running with as much speed as possible. Around others, crowds of worshippers kneel with bare legs and feet as an indispensable part of the penance. The men, without coats, with handkerchiefs on their heads instead of hats, having gone seven times round each heap, kiss the ground, cross themselves, and proceed to the hill. Here they ascend on their bare knees by a path so steep and rugged that it would be difficult to walk up. Many hold their hands clasped at the back of their necks, and several carry large stones on their heads. Having repeated this ceremony seven times, they go to what is called St. Patrick's chair, which are two great flat stones fixed upright in the hill. Here they cross and bless themselves as they step in between these stones, and while repeating prayers, an old man seated for the purpose, turns them round on their feet three times, for which he is paid. The devotee then goes to conclude his penance at a pile of stones named the altar. While this busy scene of superstition is continued by the multitude, the wells and streams issuing from them, are thronged by crowds of halt, maimed, and blind, pressing to wash away their infirmities with water consecrated by their patron saint. So powerful is the impression of its efficacy on their minds that many of those who go to be healed, and who are not totally blind, or altogether crippled, really believe for a time that they are by means of its miraculous virtues perfectly restored. These effects of a heated imagination are received as unquestionable miracles, and are propagated with abundant exaggeration.

Make Your Own Laundry Pretreat Spray

Save your pennies by making your own laundry pretreat spray. It works as well as the store brands, if not better, for much less cost!


Ingredients:
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup liquid laundry detergent
Water

Put all the ingredients into a pint spray bottle. Shake well before using.

Old-Fashioned Molasses Muffins

Did you know that blackstrap molasses is a healthy sweetener and that it is the highest food source for potassium? A tablespoon of molasses has 340 milligrams (mg) of potassium. A tablespoon of organic blackstrap molasses has 720 mg of potassium. More potassium in the diet can help with high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.

The spicy aroma of these muffins in the oven is truly mouth-watering and they freeze well for breakfast or snacks! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat egg, water, oil and molasses. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 9 muffins.

To Your Health...

After my cardiology appointment yesterday I had the realization that my cardiologist, as brilliant as he is, does not understand how to support the mind as well as the body. I have made great strides in following his advice, losing weight, taking my glucose under control by diet, walking etc, and I feel better than ever. However, now that I have accomplished these tasks, as important as they are to my health, he seems to have dismissed them. He has instead started to focus on yet another problem, whether or not I will do well on the treadmill test and whether or not I will need a pacemaker. No, I am not one that needs to be coddled to, nor do I need alot of pats on the back to keep my momentum going in the direction of health. I do, however, need a Dr. that recognizes my quest for health and survival and the need for positive reinforcement. Being in the healthcare field for many years, I know that candy coating important issues is not a realistic means to an end. I also know that treating a patient's mind and keeping them positive and upbeat is as important as the issue at hand. For that reason I will be having my treadmill next week as planned. I will also be seeking a new partner in my health care future. One who will hopefully give me the positive mental support I need, as well as the physical.

I am not one who broadcasts my ailments and problems. I am posting this in hopes of bringing attention to the fact that in order to treat one's body, the mind must be treated as well. If you are ill and do not receive the support you need in all areas of your care, please seek it. If you are a caregiver or health care provider with whom you have many who have trusted their lives to you, please note that a positive mental outlook is as important in their care as medicine or surgeries. After all, you have been entrusted with the body as a whole, not just one specific body part.

I came across this poem today and thought I'd share it. Yes, we all need Dr's care now and then but we also could do with a bit of the obvious. Blessings to you all and I wish you the best of health.


The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.
~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

Make Your Own Herbal Shampoo

Herbal shampoos give strength, body and luster to hair, and make it more manageable. Use Calendula blossoms for red heads, Lavender for brunettes, and Chamomile blossoms for blondes.

1/3 cup Calendula ,Chamomile or Lavender blossoms
8 oz. distilled Water
8 oz. Baby Shampoo

Bring herb blossoms and water to a gentle boil in a stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Immediately turn off heat, cover to steep and let cool. Strain out blossoms, pour mixture into plastic container. Add Baby Shampoo and shake until mixed. Makes 16oz. mixture.

Scent Your Cottage With Homemade Air Fresheners

I know there are a lot of air fresheners and deodorizers you can purchase these days, but I'm an old fashioned, do it yourself, kind of girl and I like to know exactly what I'm using when I add scent to our cottage. I always wonder about the chemicals used in store bought air fresheners and if you do too, I hope you find this post useful to either absorb odors or scent your home.

1) Place cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice or other favorite scented spice in a pot of water , simmer for 1-2 hours
2) Put a few slices of leftover orange or lemon rinds in a pot of water, simmer for 1-2 hours
3) Place baking soda in an open container of your choice. Good for closets, refrigerators and other small enclosed spaces
4) 2-3 slices of white bread absorbs refrigerator odors
5) Place lemon slices in an open bowl in the kitchen
6) Lemon and baking soda spray:
Dissolve baking soda in 2 cups hot water, add lemon juice, pour into spray bottle, spray into air as air freshener
7) Place unscented kitty litter placed in bowls to absorb room odors
8) Vinegar in a cup or bowl rids rooms of odors
9) Charcoal placed in a bowl rids rooms of odors
10) Simply light a match for a few moments or burn a candle (scented or unscented). The flame from either will "eat-up" bad smelling gases in the air. (I'm big on candles..check my shoppe if you are too)
11) Pour vanilla extract into a shallow dish and set in an out of the way place
12) Spin-Fresh Bathroom Deodorizer (one of my favorite ideas)
Add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil to the inside of the cardboard toilet tissue roll. With each turn, fragrance is released into the room.
13)Make pomanders with cloves and fruit and place in a bowl in your kitchen or dining room. My favorite is oranges, but you can use lemons, limes, or apples as well. Place cinnamon sticks among them for more scent. This is more of a fall scent but I like it year round.

Diabetic Baked Apples

This recipe is from DiabeticGourmet.com. For more healthy recipes and alot of helpful information check out their site at:
http://diabeticgourmet.com

INGREDIENTS:
4 MacIntosh or Rome apples
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Few drops pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Core apples and peel away about 1/2 inch of skin
from top of each. Prick each a few times with a fork.

Fill each core with raisins, sunflower seeds,
cinnamon, nutmeg and a drop of vanilla.

Place apples in a baking dish and add
water mixed with orange juice.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes until apples are soft, basting
occasionally with liquid. Serve warm or chilled with syrup.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 96, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 22 g,
Protein: 1 g, Sodium: 2 mg, Fat: 1 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Fruit

Tip For Sparkling Glassware

Occasionally soak drinking glasses in a solution of vinegar and water to really get them clean. When a quick dip for crystal glassware is needed, prepare a solution of baking soda in tepid-cool water (l level teaspoon to a quart) and brush with a soft toothbrush. Very good for glass coffee makers and thermos jugs too.

6 Healthy Reasons To Eat Watermelon

Big or small, seedless or not, red or yellow, nothing says summer like a big, juicy watermelon But there is a lot more to this melon than water. It is packed with phytonutrients, vitamins A and C, and a good hit of potassium, plus some vitamin B6 and thiamine, everything except fat, sodium, and calories. Here are some healthy reasons to indulge in watermelon this summer:

Stay healthier: Watermelon has alot of lycopene, a key plant antioxidant that is famous for fighting heart disease and prostate cancer. Tomatoes are usually considered the lycopene all-stars, but you have to cook them to release it. Watermelon, on the other hand, needs no cooking to unleash its lycopene. And, cup for cup, watermelon has 40% more of the antioxidant than tomatoes do.

Get your C: A big slice of watermelon (about 2 cups) provides almost half your daily vitamin C quota.

Fight infection: Two cups of the juicy red melon also supplies nearly a quarter of your daily beta carotene, which your body uses to make vitamin A. Running low on beta carotene can leave you vulnerable to viral infections and vision trouble.

Heal faster: Watermelon (especially yellow-orange varieties) is one of the rare food sources of citrulline, an amino acid used in wound healing and cell division. There is extra citrulline in the white and green part that most people toss. Pickled rinds anyone?

Soothe stress: Watermelon is a good source of potassium, which helps control blood pressure -- making it the perfect snack for stressful family reunions.

Quench cravings: There are only 96 calories in 2 fill-you-up cups of sweet watermelon, and its high liquid content makes you feel full. Eat this for dessert and you may not want anything else!

If you find yourself with leftover watermelon, use it to make slushies!
EASY WATERMELON SLUSHIES
4 servings

3 cups diced watermelon
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup water
Dash of black or cayenne pepper -- optional flavor twist for heat lover.

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and mix into a frosty slush.

Celtic Astrology...The Oak...Strength

Happy Birthday to those born under the Celtic tree astrology sign of the Oak (June 10- July 7)! You have a special gift of strength. The oak are protective people and often become a champion for those who do not have a voice. The oak is the crusader and the spokesperson for the underdog. Nurturing, generous and helpful, you are a gentle giant among the Celtic zodiac signs. You exude an easy confidence and naturally assume everything will work out to a positive outcome. You have a deep respect for history and ancestry, and many people with this sign become teachers. You love to impart your knowledge of the past to others. Oak signs have a need for structure, and will often go to great lengths to gain the feeling of control in their lives. Healthy oak signs live long, full, happy lives and enjoy large family settings and are likely to be involved with large social/community networks. Oak signs pair off well with the Ash and Reed, and are known to harmoniously join with Ivy signs.

Oak individuals are also enterprising people with a refreshing breadth of vision. Possessed with a high degree of personal magnetism, oaks make for natural leaders with a great deal of integrity and find it easy to attract and inspire others. Oaks remain calm during a crisis and are not easily swayed by opposition. Being optimists (sometimes blindly so), you do not give up easily and are unafraid to speak the truth in any given situation, regardless of the consequences. However, oaks do sometimes tend to lack discretion and often take financial risks. Deeply philosophical, oaks are generous friends. It is important that oaks learn to temper pride with humor or they may become pompus and overbearing. You are drawn toward demanding professions. Often, oak people set standards in love that are too difficult for partners to attain and they place great importance in moral issues.

Honey Apple Iced Tea

The recipe for the first version of iced tea as we know it today, albeit made with green tea leaves, was printed in 1879. Housekeeping in Old Virginia published a recipe by Marion Cabell Tyree calling for green tea to be boiled then steeped throughout the day. Finally, "fill the goblets with ice, put two teaspoonfuls granulated sugar in each, and pour the tea over the ice and sugar." Ms. Tyree also called for lemon in her drink.

We still drink iced tea to this day and here is a wonderful recipe that will quench your thirst on those hot summer days.
Enjoy!

Yields: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups boiling water
4 tea bags
1/3 cup honey
3 cups apple juice
PREPARATION:
1). Steep tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes.

2). Remove tea bags and stir in honey and juice until honey is dissolved.

3). Chill and serve over ice.

Use Lavender To Control...

Moths,Midges & Mosquitos! These annoying little insects all hate the smell of lavender. To prevent bites, splash yourself with lavender hydrosol before you go out at sunset or to bed, put 3-4 drops of oil on your pillow or soak a cotton ball in the oil and leave it on a saucer in front of the window. Lavender oil is also a terrific remedy for insect bites, soothing itching & inflammation: dab it on to insect bite as soon as possible. To keep moths off your clothes, hang lavender bags on your coat hangers or keep them among your sweaters. Refresh bags with a drop or two of lavender oil from time to time.

See the Home and Garden Section of our shoppe for lavender bags!

Keep Your Laundry From Fading...

By adding 1 tsp. of black pepper to your cold water laundry load. The piperine in pepper not only keeps colors from fading but also prevents having the colors run in the wash.

Your colors will be bright and you'll save money by not purchasing color safe detergent!

Easy Raspberry Sorbet

I'm sure you've experienced it. It's a hot summer day and you want a treat. The ice cream is calling your name from the freezer. Be strong and don't take on the extra calories and fat!

I just found this recipe in a magazine and it sounds like a great hot weather treat! It also has zero fat and the phenols replenish the thyroid and adrenal gland, boosting calorie burn by 12 percent!


Easy Raspberry Sorbet
In food processor or blender, blend 2 cups frozen raspberries and 3 Tablespoons apple or orange juice (and 1/2 tsp of either cinnamon or vanilla if desired.)
Blend until smooth, scraping down sides if necessary. Serve immediately.

What To Buy In June

Do you want to get the best deal on everything that you buy? It all starts with knowing when to shop. Here are the items you'll be seeing on sale for the month of June.

Summer fashions
Hardware and home fix-it tools and materials
TVs and portable music players
Dairy foods (Happy National Dairy Month!)

Lucky Number 8

It's been 8 weeks now of lucky numbers! Time sure passes quickly and next week I will end with the last number, number 9. If you have you been waiting for number 8 here it is!

The symbolism backing number eight deals largely with business, success, and wealth. This is due to the fact that eight represents continuation, repetition, and cycles.

If your lucky number is eight, you are confident and successful, and will partake of the material goods of achievement. Money will be something you pay close attention to and you will also be more than likely to be concerned with social status. You've worked hard, after all, and it is only fair to achieve some recognition for it. Honor and admiration will be coveted like treasure. But you manage to be subtle about receiving all of this praise and will rarely go around boasting. There are more subtle ways to make everyone aware of your importance.