Make Your Own Sweetened Condensed Milk

Use a blender or hand mixer to
make this recipe.

Making your own sweetened condensed milk to add to recipes can save you some money, especially during the holidays when so many recipes call for this ingredient.  You can make as much or as little as you want by adding or subtracting from the recipe.  This way, there is no waste like sometimes happens when you use it by the can.  Homemade sweetened condensed milk is not as thick as the canned version, but tastes the same and doesn't change the taste of the recipe you are making. If you refrigerate for an hour or so before using, it will thicken.  Be sure to refrigerate any unused portion and use within 2-3 days of making.

This recipe makes about 1 cup

Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe

1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup non-fat powdered milk
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter - melted
2-3 drops vanilla extract

Place ingredients in a blender or use an electric mixer to beat ingredients.  Mix well until smooth. 

Enjoy!

Make Your Own Fall Centerpiece – For Free

By LGLF Staff

Make your own fall decorations.

It’s autumn and it’s a perfect time to change up a few of your flower arrangements and make some fall centerpieces and decorations from items around your yard.  There’s no need to spend money when there is so much beauty surrounding you outside.  By being a little bit creative and spending a few minutes outdoors hunting up colorful objects, you can create a beautiful fall centerpiece.

Find Inspiration in Your Yard

Take the kids or grandkids outside and go on a fall hunt.  Pick up fallen leaves in a variety of colors – red, yellow, green, orange – snip a few small branches from trees that the leaves haven’t fall off of yet and gather a handful of pine cones.  Other items you can use are acorns, twigs, sprigs of berries, cattails, birch branches, small stones or any other items you find that celebrate fall.  What if you don’t have a yard?  Go to the local park (make sure you know what you can legally pick or cut) or to a patch of woods (if any are nearby). 

Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens
Click link for more ideas. 

Create a Beautiful Centerpiece

Find a simple vase – clear glass is best – and fill the base with stones, pinecones or leaves.  Then add your tree branches or other cuttings you accumulated.  It doesn’t have to be fancy – the colors will blend and match naturally and the outcome will be beautiful.  Note: You should soak the cut branches in water so they don’t dry out quickly – or you can place a little water in the bottom of the vase.  Enjoy!