Ways to Save Money on Christmas Gifts

The Christmas holidays are just around the corner. Everyone on a budget is starting to brainstorm frugal gift ideas to get through the holidays without ringing up more debt.

Here are some money-saving ideas for you to consider.

Bake a large batch of your favorite cookies. Set the cookies on a lovely plate, and use color cellophane to cover the entire package. Tie the cellophane at the top, using ribbon, and make a large bow. Homemade cookies are a great present anyone would enjoy, and the cost to you is minimal.

If you enjoy making jam, why not give this as a Christmas gift? Buy a small wicker basket, and fill the basket with jars of homemade jam. Decorate the jars with bows or ribbon. Put the jars in the basket and either decorate the basket with ribbon, or cover the basket with color cellophane and tie the cellophane at the top with ribbon. You may choose to add a small box of special crackers as well.

Candles are a great gift for anyone, and are inexpensive as well. Purchase about a dozen small scented candles and one or two candle holders. Put the candles and candle holders in a small basket. Cover the basket with colored cellophane, and tie the package at the top with different color ribbons.

With the winter approaching, a hat and glove set is also a popular gift. These sets come in a variety of colors, fabrics, and styles. Hat and glove sets are sure to be a welcomed gift by your friends or family members, and are inexpensive as well.

Why not purchase picture frames? For instance, buy two each of a 3-1/2 by 5 inch; 4×5 inch and 5×5 inch picture frames. Decorate them with a bow at the top center of the frame, or in the center of the frame.

Here is another inexpensive idea. Take a Christmas stocking and stuff it will incidentals that most people need, but never buy. For example, nail files; nail polish remover; q-tips; cotton balls; samples of hair shampoo; conditioner; body lotion; shower caps; shower gel; hand creams, etc.

Christmas isn’t about expensive gift giving. It is the thought behind the gift that counts.

5 Recipes For Hanukkah

Among the many foods prepared in celebration of Hanukkah, many of the foods are fried to commemorate the miracle of the oil. Two of the most popular Hanukkah foods are latkes and jelly donuts, both of which are fried in oil.

Here are five recipes which you can prepare for Hanukkah.

1. Hanukkah Potato Pancakes

• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup matzah meal
• salt and black pepper
• vegetable oil

Place the 4 potatoes and onion into a food processor and coarsely grate both. Add the grated potatoes and onion to a strainer to remove excess water. Take a large bowl and add the eggs and mix. Take the matzah meal and add to the mixture until a batter is formed. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Heat a griddle pan and add vegetable oil. Now prepare the pancakes by using about two tablespoons of the batter to form the pancake.

Place the pancakes onto the griddle. Use a spatula to press down on the pancakes until they turn a golden brown. Then flip over until the other side is brown as well. Place on paper towels and then serve.

2. Hanukkah Cheese Wafers

• 8 ounces (about 2 cups packed) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 1 cup all-purpose unbleached white flour
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Add all the above ingredients into a food processor and mix until a dough forms. Take out the dough and make two halves. Shape each half into the shape of a log a foot long and an inch thick. Place the each log onto the end of a piece of saran wrap. Then begin to wrap the log by rolling it away from you. Place in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to bake, line cookie sheets with parchment paper, preheat over to 375 degrees, take out the dough and cut thin slices and place on cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown. Place on rack to cool; then serve.

3. Beef Brisket

3 lbs. beef brisket
3 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 cups boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsely

Tie the brisket into a compact shape. Take a deep kettle and add oil. Add the chopped onions. Place the brisket over the onions. After an hour, add 2 cups of boiling water. Cover the kettle and let the beef simmer for 2-1/2 hours or until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. After the brisket is cooked, place on platter and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Beef brisket can be served with boiled potatoes.

4. Hanukkah Matzah Stuffing

• 2 matzahs
• 1/2 cup hot chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 beaten egg

Take a large bowl and crumble the matzahs into the bowl along with the chicken broth. Heat a skillet and add oil as well as the remaining ingredients. Saute until onions are translucent. Remove this mixture from the skillet and add to the bowl. Add the egg and stir. Put mixture into a baking dish and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

5. Hanukkah Jelly Donuts

• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup any flavor fruit jam
• 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

Add the milk, water, beaten egg, melted butter, sugar, bread flour, salt, nutmeg and yeast into a food processor. As soon as the dough is formed, take it out and place it on a marble surface. Take a rolling pin and roll the dough out to about a quarter of an inch in thickness.

Take a cookie cutter, and cut the dough into rounds. You will need two rounds per donut. Add 1/2 teaspoon of jelly into the center of each round. Take cold water and lightly wet the edges of the rounds. Now place the top half of the round onto the bottom half.

Press the top half of the round to the bottom half. Ensure the donuts are sealed tight. Place the donuts on a cookie sheet and cover them with a towel until they rise.

Take out your deep fryer and pour the oil into it. The temperature of the oil must reach 375 degrees. Add 3 or four donuts into the deep fryer. As they become golden brown, turn them over to brown the other side. Once both sides are golden brown, take them out of the fryer and place on a rack to drain and cool.

Latkes

These traditional Hanukkah potato cakes are also a favorite breakfast food for many people.
Ingredients:

3 large potatoes, peeled and quartered*
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped cooked ham
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup oil for frying

Instructions:

Bring a large pot full of water to a boil and add potatoes. Cook about 15 minutes until firm, but tender. Shred. *(Just start with a bag of shredded potatoes or shred up some leftover baked potatoes from last nights dinner) In a saucepan mix garlic, butter and milk and bring to a boil. Next stir in the shredded potatoes, ham and cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook to a dough-like consistency. Time to fry them up! Heat your oil in a large skillet. Drop a spoonful of the mixture in the hot oil and cook until golden brown on both sides. Great as a side dish with dinner or for breakfast with a slice of toast and some orange juice. You can vary the ingredients to your liking. For example use sausage instead of ham, mozzarella instead of cheddar, vegetables instead of meat, etc. Try different combinations and see what you like best.

Tips For Sticking To Your Diet During The Holidays

One of the problems we all face is how to maintain a diet during the holiday season. Undoubtedly for some it is fasting the week before Thanksgiving. There is less guilt when sitting down to enjoy this delicious feast. This has sometimes been the norm rather than the exception.
To avoid having to fast or go on a crash diet and still be able to enjoy the holiday fare, here are some tips for sticking to the diet maintained all year long without having to worry about the guilt and the added pounds.

Experts recommend drinking a few glasses of water and having a protein snack before beginning a holiday feast. There is an old expression, to wit; never go food shopping on an empty stomach. The same applies to the holidays. If preparing the holiday meal or being invited to a family gathering, eat a snack beforehand and drink water to alleviate the need to begin nibbling before the sit down meal commences.

Prepare a vegetable tray for guests with a low fat dip. If you have been invited to someone’s home, bring a vegetable tray as well. It is not only healthy but is a wonderful alternative for others who may be dieting as well.

Check out some recipes online that can be incorporated in preparing holiday meals and which offer substitutes for high-fat content. In addition, instead of the array of desserts traditionally served every year, why not make an angel food cake and top it with berries and low fat whipped cream. Serve vegetables along with the Christmas ham. If serving a salad use low fat dressing. A delicious homemade vegetable soup can be prepared as a second course instead of pasta.

There are so many different ways in which to use alternative foods during the holidays, yet still enjoy every morsel. Moreover, portion control is the key to maintaining any diet. We all know that holiday fare consists of many courses. Take a walk with family members or friends in between courses.

If the weather permits, play a game of touch football in the backyard.
While these are just some tips to help stick to the diet you have maintained all year long, you can still enjoy the holidays. Substitute foods high in fat with recipes that are just as pleasing to the eye and palate as the traditional foods offered during the holiday season.

Dreidel – The Hanukkah Game

The origin of the Dreidel has an interesting background. Apparently, when the Jewish people were under the rule of Antiochus, the Greek leader of Syria, Egypt and Judea, they were barred from studying the Torah.

The Dreidel was devised as a ruse by the Jews in order to make it seem as if they were playing a game instead of studying the Torah. Thus, whenever the Greeks approached, the Jews would hide the books, bring out the Dreidel, and begin to spin it as in a game.

The Dreidel is a four-sided top which has four distinct letters in Hebrew on each side.
The object of the game is to spin the Dreidel and collect coins or candy depending upon what letter appears after each spin.

Each player puts one coin or candy into the center of the table. This is called the pot. Then each player spins the Dreidel and depending upon what letter appears, this determines what each player will or will not receive.

The explanation of each letter is as follows: “nun” means a player receives nothing, “gimel” means a player can take all of the coins or candy in the pot, “hay” means the player can only take half of the pot, and “shin” means the player has to place one coin or piece of candy into the pot. Whoever winds up with the most coins or candies at the end of the game wins.

Now here is an interesting tidbit. A similar game using a spinning top had been played for centuries in Europe as a means to gamble. For example, the letters used in English speaking countries would be T, H, P, and N meaning take, half, put and none.

In addition, research indicates that the Hebrew letters actually originated in Germany where a similar toy was manufactured. Nonetheless, the Hebrew letters signify a phrase which means “a great miracle happened here.”

Moreover, research has also revealed that one of the letters on the Dreidel has been changed – shin is now called “pay.” In addition, the Israelis changed the word Dreidel to Sivivon, derived by the Hebrew word sovev meaning to turn.

Classic Baklava Made Easy

A classic dish, simplified!

Ingredients:

3 to 4 cups chopped pecans
2 8-ounce cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/2 cup sugar1 teaspoon cinnamon

GLAZE:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions:
Unroll one can of the crescent dough into two long rectangles and put it in a 9×13 baking dish, pressing to the sides to make a crust. Press together any seams across the middle and sides. Bake this crust for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F. Mix together pecans, sugar and cinnamon. Spread this mixture evenly over crust. Unroll the second can of the crescent dough into long rectangles again, laying over top of the mixture to create a top crust and pressing to edges of the pan to close. Cut lengthwise and diagonal vents in the crust, be creative and make a pattern of diamonds and crosses if you want.

Time to make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients for glaze in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Spoon half of glaze evenly over the top dough. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Spoon the remaining glaze over the hot baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cool on wire rack at least one hour before moving to the refrigerator to chill until ready to eat.

Review: San Disk Sansa M240 1 GB MP3 Player

Review: San Disk Sansa M240 1GB MP3 Player

I have never been a overly huge fan of technology until I realized that for a homeschool mom it could come in very handy. Both my daughter and I have the San Disk Sansa M240 1GB MP3 Player and we just bought another one for my son for Christmas.

I didn’t realize the possibilities until I noticed that our library has audio downloads on their website. Which meant we could download and listen to classical books, learn a foreign language and much more. For a parent on a budget the San Disk is nicely priced. Download media player for free or itunes and put their favorite cds onto it. No more scratching the cds.

This is becoming a favorite tool of mine. My daughter downloaded a free chinese language course through the University of California and learns while we are in the car or at the Doctor’s office.

I highly recommend if you haven’t gotten one to consider adding this to your favorite homeschool tools.

Natural Cough and Cold Remedies

It seems that time of year has hit where we are getting hit by colds. My poor son has been on the couch since yesterday afternoon with coughs and sniffles.

Colds are a common annoyance in the winter. The coughing, stuffy nose and lack of energy can really slow you down. While there is no cure for the common cold, there are ways to reduce its severity and make it go away more quickly.

There are numerous over-the-counter cold remedies available at the drug store. Natural remedies usually have fewer side effects and more health benefits. Here are some natural remedies for colds and coughs.

Lemon Juice and Honey
Lemon juice contains lots of vitamin C, one of the best vitamins for the immune system. Honey soothes the throat and helps combat cough. Diluting the juice of a lemon in a glass of warm water and adding a teaspoon of honey makes a simple but effective cold and cough remedy.

You could also add a few teaspoons of lemon juice and honey to ginger tea. Ginger is great for the immune system as well. Drinking either of these recipes once or twice a day will help you fight off a cold and reduce your symptoms.

Garlic

Garlic is a powerful antibiotic and anti-fungal. There are a number of ways that you can use it to fight off a cold.

* You can make garlic soup. This is done by boiling three or four cloves of garlic in a cup of water. Eat it once a day until your symptoms are gone.

* You can eat it raw. It is most effective this way, but some people can’t stand the taste. Juicing it and adding to other juices or the tea recipe above can make it more palatable. You could infuse it in vinegar or use it in a recipe that calls for raw garlic.

* Garlic tablets are a good alternative for those who just can’t stomach garlic. They are not as effective as regular garlic though.

Spicy Foods

If you are suffering from congestion there’s nothing like something hot and spicy to open up the nasal passages. Adding a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to any soup will help clear the sinuses and warm you up. If you feel up to eating a spicy curry is also great for this purpose.

Natural Supplements

There are numerous natural supplements that you can take to help get rid of a cold. Echinacea is an herb that stimulates the immune system and can shorten the duration of a cold. A large dose of vitamin C taken at the beginning of a cold may make symptoms less severe and taking the standard dose while you are sick may facilitate a quicker recovery. Doses higher than 2,000 milligrams a day, however, can be harmful.

Having a cold is no fun. Although you will have to wait for it to pass, there are natural remedies that can reduce both symptoms and duration. These remedies have fewer side effects and are often less expensive than the cold medicines sold at the drug store.

5 Hanukkah Crafts and Games for Kids

In addition to the many interactive games for kids to play online during Hanukkah, here are some additional games and crafts they may enjoy.

* The kids can play the Dreidel game. Instead of chocolates, healthy foods such as nuts or dried fruits can be used to put in the pot.

* A variation of musical chairs, have the kids sit on the floor and pass around a Dreidel while a CD is being played. When the music stops, whoever has the Dreidel in hand is eliminated. Continue until one child is left. The winner gets to keep the Dreidel.

* Here is a fun craft for kids. They can make a Menorah using construction paper. They can find and print out a Menorah online, then trace it onto white construction paper. With either crayons or magic markers, they can color the Menorah and proudly hang it in their bedroom or attach it to the refrigerator with a magnet.

* Another fun craft is to make a Star of David chain to hang in the home. They can trace the star using different color construction paper, cut out the stars and using a needle and heavy thread, loop the thread through the top point of the star.

* Kids can also make the Star of David to stick on your front window. All they need is construction paper, scissors and scotch tape. They can design the star, cut it out and scotch tape it to the window. They can also do the same with a handmade picture of a Menorah.

Teaching children from an early age the significance of Hanukkah as well as all of the Jewish Holidays and their meaning is as important as celebrating it with games and crafts.

Reminding them of the symbolism behind the Menorah and the Feast of Lights is a long-standing tradition. As the song goes, tradition allows for the continuity of one’s culture and heritage as the world around them is constantly changing.

Almond Cinnamon Icebox Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
2 (2.45 ounce) packages whole unblanched almonds*

Instructions:

Cream the sugars into the butter. Add eggs, one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Lastly add the chopped almonds and try to distribute as evenly as possible. Split dough in half and shape into log like rolls. Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until ready to bake. Slice about 1/4 inch thick and top each slice with a whole almond (*you can substitute sliced almonds if you don’t want to use whole ones). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown edges start to appear, then cool on wire racks.