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by Rachel Paxton

If you are looking for a fun summer activity for your family, try making homemade ice cream! I have fond memories of my dad making homemade ice cream when I was a kid, it was always a special treat when he pulled out the old ice cream maker.

Ice cream makers haven’t changed much over the years, the ones you can find today are much the same as the one I remember from my childhood. You prepare the ice cream mixture, pour it into an aluminum mixing canister, and place the canister into a wooden bucket. After adding layers of ice and rock salt around the outside of the aluminum canister, you just plug the ice cream maker in and let it run for about 45 minutes, and then you have homemade ice cream!

Of course there are a lot of instructions that come with the ice cream maker, and if you don’t follow them just right, you won’t end up with the great ice cream you were expecting. It takes a couple of times of going through all the steps to really get the hang of what you’re doing, and then it is quite easy. You also aren’t limited to the recipes that come with the ice cream maker. There are many great ice cream recipe books, such as The Ice Cream And Frozen Yogurt Cookbook and The Best Ice Cream Maker Cookbook Ever.

The ice cream maker I purchased is the Aroma Ice Cream Maker that is available at Target for about $60.00. If you can’t find it there you can buy it online from their web site or from Amazon.com.

If you are looking to eat more natural, homemade foods, homemade ice cream is a great treat to add to your summer menu. All the ingredients are natural and fresh, and it is also delicious! Your kids will also think it is really fun to make.

by Jessica Gerald

Binders and notebooks are so popular right now, and with good reason. They are a perfect way to keep everything organized in one place. I would like to share what I have in my notebook. Maybe some of the suggestions will be helpful.

First of all, I want to stress that you must do what works for you. Listen to the advice of different people in the articles you read, then adapt those ideas to yourself. If not, you may just end up being disorganized and frustrated.

Here is some of the content of my homemaking notebook. I say some, because as I go along, I might change some things. That is the secret – to make it your own, even if you have to go by trial and error for awhile.

1. A Weekly List

Most of us are extremely busy with work, home, family, and activities. I have to make a master list for the week, or I’ll forget something important. This could be appointments, sport or music events, or something that has a deadline.

You might also want to include a housework list, such as laundry, meal planning, grocery shopping, gardening, or special projects. Then divide that list into the days that you want to complete them.

2. A Daily List

Even though this list is basically the same each day, I still like to write it out. I love the feeling of checking it off and knowing that chore is accomplished. At the end of the day, you realize you’ve done a lot more that you thought.

This list always starts with my personal devotions, then making beds, tidying up the house, taking out garbage, dishes, and so on. After that, I put down anything else that has to be done that day, or that I want to complete that day. If I don’t get it finished, I cross it out and write it on the next day’s list. Sometimes, I’ll put a star by things that have to be done that day.

3. A Master Cleaning Project List

To keep from being overwhelmed, I take baby steps here. When I am doing my spring cleaning, I write down each room and everything that needs done in that room. I may not finish one room a day. I might only get the walls washed down and leave the woodwork and windows for the next day. The third day could be cleaning furniture, and the fourth day scrubbing the carpet.

4. A Diet Journal

I made a simple diet journal from tables on my computer program. I can tally the daily food groups and calories that I consume. I also have a space to put time spent exercising. This is a good way to see if you are balancing out your nutrients, or getting too much or too little of certain foods.

5. My Reading List

I love to read and have so many books stacked on shelves calling to me. So I decided to make a list of about ten books I want to finish by the end of summer. I will check them off as I read them. Then, I’ll make a new list.

6. Family History Stories

My passion is family history. I list several memories of my own or those of my mother. That way I don’t forget about them. Then, when I have time, I go down the list and write out that story. I keep these stories in a separate binder.

7. Articles

There are so many good articles on the internet about organizing, homemaking, and scheduling. When I see helpful reading material like this, I print it out and put it in my binder. Sometimes all I need is a little inspiration from these articles.

8. Calendar

Print out a calendar for the month, and 3-hole punch it. Then you have all appointments and activities at your fingertips.

9. Weekly Menus

I make out a general meal plan for the week. Actually, I only write the dinner menus, because we mostly eat the same things for breakfast and lunch. On the back of the menu plan, you could list the ingredients you need for those meals. Keep these in your binder. After four weeks of these menus, you will have a month of different meals.

Make sure these meals are practical. I try to stick to basics and not all the fancy foods. That gets so expensive buying all the unusual ingredients. One idea could be to pick one day a week or month to try something new and different.

10. Grocery List

Years ago, I made up a master grocery list. It includes food and also cleaning and personal items. It saves so much time and money for me. When I need to shop, I just pull out the list, quickly scan it, and write down what I need to buy. It prevents a lot of impulse buying at the store.

I would like to add that I have a separate notebook for my devotions and prayer. I also have a separate binder for the family history as I mentioned above.

I hope you find some of these suggestions helpful. Have fun with your homemaking notebook. It is there to serve you, not the other way around!

~Jessica Gerald~

http://www.oldfashionedhomemaking.com

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