Easy to make Sweetened Condensed Milk

Yes, I will admit, I did see this recipe on Pinterest, I wish that I had come up with it on my own...

But, it is so easy and CHEAP to make, that I thought I would share the recipe on here.

I love coffee, and lots of it...I wish that I could take my coffee black, it would save some calories, but NO WAY! Can't do it.
I was buying sweetened condensed milk (1.65 for the cheap stuff!!) to make my own little coffee creamer concoction. No, not healthy at all, yes, I do realize this and I am ok with it...I will endure that for my coffee.

BUT, then I was curious to know how easy it would be to make my own sweetened condensed milk. Searched on Pinterest, since you know, you can find just about anything there.

AWESOME!! I had all the ingredients...woo hoo! that almost never happens with food recipes for me.

1 cup of sugar


1 cup of dry powdered milk


1/2 cup of water


1 Tbsp. butter

Pour your sugar and powdered milk into your blender or food processor.
Put the water and butter into the microwave until it boils, roughly 1 minute, but keep an eye on it.
Then add the water and butter to the dry mixture and blend until completely combined.

Obviously since it is hot, it will be quite thin, I throw mine right into the fridge to cool down. It will thicken right up!

Mine looks like more than you will have, only because I doubled my recipe. It will actually make about a cup and a half.

I buy my powdered milk at Aldi's, I believe it was 6.99, maybe. I had bought it to use for other things, and was glad that I found another use for it!!

Now, go make some magic cookie bars for goodness sakes!!



When it has completely cooled, I use it to make my coffee creamer:

All I do is: To one cup of the sweetened condensed milk, add 2 cups of skim milk, throw in some vanilla extract, and I like cinnamon, too. Play around with it! I just pour it into coffee creamer containers that I saved.

I also thought it would be yummy to try Pumpkin Pie Spice in it, and it is delicious!

Pumpkin Pie Spice:

4 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. allspice, OR cardamom, OR cloves

Huge thank you to all servicemen out there who have fought, or are still fighting for our country!!

Please don't forget to pause and remember, and pray for our country...8:46 am. 

Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal with Individual Toppings: Gluten Free & Diabetic Friendly

Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal with Individual Toppings: Gluten Free & Diabetic Friendly

Easy hand soap

Well, I figured if I can make my own body wash, what else can I make with stuff I already have.
I started searching and searching some more...

Hand soap!  Of course, we go through that like mad!  Yes, I may seem a little too excited about hand soap, but it was a new "project", so I was thrilled.  Don't judge me.

I found a simple, quick recipe.  I modified it slightly, and it goes like this:

Hand Soap:

4 oz. bar of soap(Ivory, or any other type of body bar) I actually added 4 travel size bar soaps that I tell my fiancee to bring home from the hotels he stays at during business trips.  They are nice...Crabtree & Evelyn.

4 cups of water

Glycerin (if you desire) 1 tbsp.


First, you just grate the bar of soap into a pot.  Most bars are pretty soft, so it is not as awful as it sounds.  You could also use a food processor if you can break or cut the soap into chunks first.

It will resemble cheese.

Then, just pour in your 4 cups of water.
You will want the heat on low, or close to it.  You do not really want it to boil.

Stir it quite often, making sure everything is melted, and if you choose to use the glycerin, throw it in now.

Once it is all melted, turn off the heat, and just let it cool.  This will take several hours, or overnight.
If it seems to watery, heat it back up and add more soap, too thick...heat it up and add more water.

Then, just pour it into a large refill container for handsoap, or any other container you wish to use.
I had kept mine, yes...I am a keeper of containers...

Here is my beautiful, finished hand soap!

Cup of Cents...: Homemade savings...

Cup of Cents...: Homemade savings...: In light of being home all day, every day.... I can't say that I'm used to it, but...  I have been trying to pinch pennies where I can...

Yes, I do have plenty of college homework and studying to occupy my time, and oh yeah...housework... but, come on!  A girl needs a break here and there!

I thought that I would try by starting to make things that I need all the time, and was curious to see if this was possible by using the stuff that I already have at home.  Of course, I am a Pinterest NUT, so I did find quite a few things on there that looked interesting.  Many involved ingredients that I would have to go out and buy, and I was trying to steer clear of that for now.

I did, however find a "recipe" for bodywash, that involved not much of anything!! Since my 16 year old daughter and I  use bodywash all the time, replacing it can get pricey!

Here it goes:

Easy Bodywash:

1 cup of shampoo (any kind, I like the cheapies..Suave, VO5)

2 cups of cool water

2 tsp. of salt

Optional: Olive oil

Mix (or wisk) together in a medium size bowl.  I was going to just be really lazy and shake it up in the container, but I thought it would get too sudsy.
I got to thinking that maybe the salt in it would be a little drying on my skin, so I threw in a few splashes of Olive oil...you don't have to, but I like it.

Also...I did put this all in a pump shampoo bottle that I already had saved, it does come out a little watery, but it lathers up really nice.  Before I use it, I also give it a good shake, just to get everything all mixed back in together.
 I had fun with it, since I buy the cheap shampoos, I usually find coupons for these brands, and get them dirt cheap.  Suave and VO5 have some really awesome scents, too.
I do not miss the store bought body washes as all!!

About as easy as it gets!