Homemade Hummingbird Nectar

BEST OF THE TASTY CHEAPSKATE

Most of my recipes are for people food. But I have a few non-food recipes that are worth knowing about. This is one.

Hummingbirds are really amazing animals. They're fast, small, and exotic-seeming, although hummingbirds of some variety are found in most parts of the country. If you have a feeder or several, you'll find that they're fairly brave animals as well. I guess that's what happens when you're super speedy. We used to have several feeders and they'd zoom right past us--just over our heads and in front of our faces. It's almost frightening actually what with those long pointy beaks they've got. Sometimes they'll even battle over a feeder using their beaks like swords (I'm totally not kidding; it's crazy.) We bird-watchers--we have some pretty wild times.

I knew it was time to get the feeders out when I saw a hummingbird trying to feed off of my red watering can (and just about any other brightly colored thing on the deck). Unfortunately, our feeders had met an unfortunate end in the dishwasher at the end of last season (Note: Do not, I repeat do NOT put your cheap plastic hummingbird feeders in the dishwasher--top or bottom shelf.) So I hopped on over to my spending Achilles heel: Rural King. They had plenty of feeders to choose from and next to all the feeders, they had that hummingbird nectar that they sell. It usually looks like orange or red syrup. And it costs a lot (I believe these were $4.99 a pop). I saw a lady standing there in front of the "nectar," reading a box. And I really really really wanted to stop her and tell her she didn't have to buy that expensive colored corn syrup and that she could make her own for super cheap. But then I was worried that that would be weird or creepy. Especially since I'd gone to Rural King dressed, as usual, in my best (cough) yard work clothes.

To make up for it, I will stop you. Do not buy that silly hummingbird nectar. Make you own. My mother-in-law--an avid bird lover/watcher--gave me this recipe for hummingbird nectar. It has worked for us for years. Super easy. Super cheap. I can hear the hummingbirds whizzing now.

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar
Prep time: 1 minute
Cost: $.05 for 1 cup (that's opposed to nearly $5.00 for not much more than a cup)

1 part white granulated sugar
4 parts water

Mix it up. I allow the sugar to dissolve. Pour into your hummingbird feeder. And they will come. (Um, probably--like, if you've got them in your area and all.) It can remain good for a few weeks (if the hummingbirds don't gobble it up), but if the nectar gets foggy, change it out and clean your feeder (not in the dishwasher) because something has likely contaminated the nectar.

Natural Hair Products for Winter Hair

Oh, so you're a beauty blogger now, huh?

Um, obs. Did you not see the pictures below?

The truth is that I have a thing for natural beauty products, and I've been looking for a cheap, natural, homemade shampoo for a long time now. I still haven't found it. But I do have a natural cheap solution for the dry scalp and hair that happen at this time of year. Plus, a natural shampoo that smells like gloriousness for you to use after.

First, the best, cheapest, most natural solution for dry scalp and hair that I've found is simple COCONUT OIL (virgin cold-pressed). Warm it just to melting point, run it through your hair (you can do just the ends or the whole thing). Leave it for a couple hours up to a day. Then wash it out thoroughly. It will help with itchy, dry winter scalps as well as dry hair. It won't heal split ends or any such miracle, but it will keep your hair from crumbling to its death in the dry freezing weather that we've had around here lately. It also smells really nice. This picture is after a workout (I'd left the coconut oil in overnight and then worked out) followed by a shower and shampoo with just a quick blow dry. No other styling products or even a decent hairdryer. It still turned out soft. No, I'm not quite ready for my beauty blogging career. I had no straightener, no anti-static something or other, and definitely no filter. Just the YMCA locker room and me:).

Now to get that coconut oil out, I was recently sent a sample of this Tea Tree Oil shampoo and it works great. It also smells, honestly, just so amazing that I can't quite get over it. As far as natural-ness, it is cruelty-free, paraben-free, GMO-free, and gluten-free. It is not quite as natural as other shampoos I've used, so that was kind of a down side for me. But that amazing, refreshing scent!!! And supposedly tea tree oil is a good deterrent for lice and other hair nasties.

You can find it HERE.

Or sign up for their free samples program (which I totally did) HERE.

Jewelry in a Candle Tart--a Gift Craft

So this isn't quite a recipe, but a month or so ago, I developed a tiny obsession with candles that come with jewelry in them. It's like Cracker Jacks meets the lottery because there's a chance that instead of a cheap piece of jewelry in your candle, you'll get a nice, expensive piece of jewelry. But cheap or not, there was something thrilling about burning a candle and then seeing a bit of foil peek out of the wax--foil that contains a prize. (Okay, not everyone gets this, but if you are a prize or surprise person, you probably do.) After a foray into the candled jewelry world, I had a huge and awesome couponing streak with these candles and got several for nearly free. Naturally, my three girls also became obsessed with this concept, but none of the rings I got ever fit their tiny fingers. There were other companies that sold candles and tarts (wax without a wick that you melt in a melter/warmer) with things like necklaces and earrings in them, but I already had all the candles I needed for cheap and didn't want to pay for more. I also--for the record--had earrings that I'd been planning to give for Christmas (sterling silver ones, which are often better quality than what you'll get in a gamble of a candle jewelry).

Enter brilliant idea. I would make my own little tarts for them to melt in our melter. They get the fun and the jewelry. I get the cheapness.

You can too. Because this is pretty easy. If you've got someone in your life who loves jewelry, nice smells, and surprises, this will be a triple win for you.

Also, it'd be a cool way to propose. Just melt that tart throughout dinner gentlemen.

1. First you melt your wax. You can use a cheap candle you buy for this. Or if you've got old candles lying around your house (who doesn't) that are used or nearly used up, you can use these. You put the candles on a candle warmer (Note: If you don't have one, put them in your crock pot and set it to low--this is what I did.) Melt the wax.

2. While it's melting, prepare your jewelry. Put it in some type of tiny Ziploc bag. I had little ones left over from other jewelry I've received at various points of my life, but if you don't, a small Ziploc bag or even some tightly wrapped Saran wrap will probably work. Put the jewelry in the tiny bag and seal it up tight.

3. Then wrap this tightly in aluminum foil till it's a sweet little square.

4. Put this at the bottom of an ice cube tray (or how ever you can get it to fit).

5. Pour your melted wax into the tray and let it cool.

6. When it is thoroughly cool--not just rehardened, but cool--it should come easily out of the ice cub tray.

7. Now bag it up and wrap it. If you're a cute person, you'll bag it all cute and wrap it with a bow and stuff. If you're me, you'll throw it in a Ziploc bag and call it good.

Note: Not going to do any of this, but intrigued by the idea of a candle with a ring in it. Here's a link for 20% off from Diamond Candles.
http://my.cndl.es/x/x7oCzB