"Green" Hand Sanitizer

• 1 cup aloe vera gel (you can buy it an Andy's Market in the supplement department)
• 10 teaspoons grain alcohol (buy it at the liquor store)
• 2 teaspoons glycerin (melt solid glycerine and add)
• 5 drops tea tree oil or lavender oil

Mix together and put in recycled containers. Be sure to mark the outside of container. I use recycled dish soap containers, and for the bike or hike, small .5 or 1 ounce containers with ‘squirt-type' opening.

Basic Corn Muffin Recipe (Low Fat)

• 1 cup cornmeal
• ½ cup flour (any kind – I used whole wheat, rice, quinoa, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 applesauce
• ¾ cup skim milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1-15 ounce can creamed corn

Preheat oven to 425*. Spray muffin cups (paper liners don't work well with low fat baking).

Mix all ingredients together, and using ice cream scoop, fill muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool. 24 muffins. Freezes well, especially in Food Saver bags.

CROC Crispix Mix

• 4 Quarts popped popcorn
• 2 12 ounce boxes Crispix cereal
• 2-4 cups chopped raw almonds

Place above ingredients in a BIG bowl.

• 1 pound butter
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup Karo light syrup
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Bring to boil butter, brown sugar, syrup and baking soda in a BIG pot.  Boil 3-5 minutes stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour over popcorn/cereal mixture.  Stir to coat.

Divide popcorn/cereal mixture on 4 cookie sheets and bake @ 275 degrees for 15 minutes, stir and repeat again 3 times for a total of 1 hour.  If 4 cookie sheets don’t fit in your oven ½ recipe. 

Nikii's Basic Bean Chili

• 2 cups dry pinto beans, soaked overnight
• 1 onion chopped, or ½ cup dehydrated onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups chopped veggies (carrots, celery, squash, etc.) or rice
• 28 oz. tomato sauce
• 12 oz. water
• 1 teaspoon oregano ) Adjust to your taste -
• ½ teaspoon cumin ) use Italian seasoning,
• ½ teaspoon black pepper ) chili powder, instead
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ) of seasonings given

Drain pinto beans. Add to large pan/Dutch oven/kettle and add water to cover. Cook on high heat to boil. Boil 10 minutes; remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain pinto beans again. (This helps cut down on the bean song effect.)

In the same pan, add pinto beans, and other ingredients. Bring to boil. Simmer for one hour. Enjoy

If not serving right away, pour into a shallow pan (13” x 9” x 2” baking pan) and place on bottom shelf in refrigerator. Place in zip-type plastic bag. Freeze.

Serve with corn bread.

Nikii's Butter Toffee Cookies

• 5 cups Kruzteaz® Deluxe Cookie Mix (buy at Cash & Carry)
• 2/3 cup water (disregard recipe on box)
• 1-1/2 cups Hershey's® SKOR Bits

Preheat oven to 375*. Mix ingredients together by hand. Drop by ice cream scoopfuls onto baking sheets, lined with parchment paper. Bake 12-14 minutes. Cool on racks. Makes 18 four inch cookies.

Nikii's Jalapeno Cornbread

• 2 packages Jiffy™ Corn Muffin Mix
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 large jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and finely chopped (wear disposable gloves)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (any kind)

Preheat oven to 400*. Mix everything together by hand. Fill mini-loaf pans (mine measure 4-1/2” x 2-1/2” by 2” deep) three-fourths full (use ice cream scoop). Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes 8 mini loaves.