Royal Celebrations ~ Palace Style

We here at the Palace have enjoyed a few royal celebrations of late.
Kari and Kijsa ( here : http://kariandkijsa.blogspot.com/2008/06/mantel-101.html) recently had this celebration of mantels. While, here are the Palace, we are a tad late - this is the palace mantel decorated for one celebration. Though it may look simple - is in fact decorated with significant memorabilia both from the present and the past for an important day in the life of the King and Queen.

These plates were found for pennies at the end of summer sale at Target one year. One of the palace staff - purchased them and brought them home. Each summer the Queen elects to use these plates for most meals. This happens to be breakfast on a special morning. The Royal Family discussed going to CRACKER BARREL, but alas, this was a much better use of our resources, and of course, just as tasty!

Until next time, may your palace be sparkling,
may your family be well fed and in good health,
and your resources be plentiful,
all because you choose to be wise and frugal,
for both your family and your palace!
The Princess-i-fied Palace

A Cool Summer Treat

While, prices are rising at the grocery store - we, here at the palace, have found one thing that is still somewhat reasonable - BANANAS. For a yummy summer treat - peel several ripe bananas - put a popsicle stick through the end - sprinkle a little lemon juice on the banana (to keep it from turning brown) - wrap in foil and freeze. Cheaper and healthier than popsicles! And wonderful for those princesses (and princes) who are teething! ENJOY!

Until next time,
may your palace be sparkling,

may your family be well fed and in good health,

and your resources be plentiful,

all because you choose to be wise and frugal,

for both your family and your palace!

The Princess-i-fied Palace

PPF - Mutli Bean Soup

Soooo..... the word around the courtyard is.... that we, as a country, are facing a recession.

We here at the PPF - have been reading and re-reading The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder recently. Have you ever wondered about the things they ate back then? One item that seems to be recurring throughout many books is BEAN SOUP. So... for your dining pleasure Here is PPF's own version of Multi Bean Soup.

Princess-i-fied Palace Frugality Multi Bean Soup

One cup dried lentils

Two Cups dried Black Beans

One Cup dried Kidney Beans

One Cup dried Lima Beans

2 cups dried split peas

1 cup dried northern beans

1/2 black eyed peas

Place all beans in a pot of with 8 cups of waters - allow to boil for 10 minutes. Soak beans for 1 hour! Rinse beans and place in slow cooker. Add 4-8 cups of water - depending on size of slow cooker.

Add 1 can diced tomatoes and chilis with lime

Add two tomatoes cans regular diced tomatoes or two whole fresh tomatoes diced.

Add one onion diced.

Season as desired.

Cook on high for the rest of the day.

Serve hot with either french bread, corn bread, or johnny cakes ( see http://www.vintagerecipes.net/books/directions_for_cookery/johnny_cake_2.php for one recipe - this may just become one of my favorite recipes websites in the future)!

Eat and enjoy!

Until next time,
may your palace be sparkling, may your family be well fed and in good health, and your resources be plentiful, all because you choose to be wise and frugal, for both your family and your palace!

The Princess-i-fied Palace

Cleaning The Palace Ivory Keys

We here at the Princess-i-fied Palace recently acquired a beautiful new (to us) antique piano.

Have you ever wondered about the best way to care for ivory piano keys? Well, have no fear, Princess-i-fied Palace - will let you in on the little secret to beautiful ivory piano keys.

Keeping your Piano Ivories Sparkling White

First, SUNSHINE does wonders for piano keys - so don't close that lid to keep the little prince and princesses dirty fingers off the keys! Every sunny day at the palace one should open the piano cover and let the God's natural light whiten those ivory keys!

Second, as piano keys are made of ivory, the Princess-i-fied Palace preferred cleaning method for ivory keys is white all natural toothpaste. One should gently rub the key with tooth paste (being careful not to get any toothpaste on any non-ivory piano part). Allow the toothpaste to stay on the key for approximately 5 minutes. Then with a soft cloth dipped in milk- gently wipe the toothpaste away. If your palace keys are extremely yellow - this may take a few applications before you notice a difference. Here at THE PALACE , our keys are about as old as they come, and we only required one cleaning. The Palace will likely deep clean the piano keys with the toothpaste/milk bath 2-4 times a year in the future.

Until next time,

may your palace be sparkling,
may your family be well fed and in good health,
and your resources be plentiful,
all because you choose to be wise and frugal,
for both your family and your palace!
The Princess-i-fied Palace

A Royal Greeting To All

Welcome to our Princess-i-fied Palace Frugality blog!!

We will endeavor to share frugal tips for you and your palace!

Topics will range from frugal shopping & purchasing, to frugal meals, to time savers, as well as palace cleaning suggestions. We welcome emails, suggestions, other frugal tips for all royal homekeepers.

Today's Palace Pointer #1

Vinegar

Vinegar is a fabulous cleaning product with a wide variety of uses. Vinegar may be used in a solution for cleaning windows and glass in the proportions of 1 cup vinegar to 5 cups water. Here at the Princess-i-fied Palace we like to use apple cider vinegar for this solution. This solution may be placed in a spray bottle and may replace your bought glass cleaners which not only are expensive, but also tend to have harmful contents (*of important note for those interested in keeping a "GREEN" home).

White Distilled Vinegar may also be used straight out of the bottle for cleaning showers, tile grout, grease, soap scum, bacteria, and mold. We here at the Princess-i-fied Palace - have placed the distilled vinegar into a spray bottle (actually a REUSED spray bottle that has been washed and cleaned - as that the proper frugal action for any palace). We have found it is best to spray the vinegar solution on the identified area and then wait a minute or two - before wiping or scrubbing the area. We like to scrub with toothbrushes here at the Princess-i-fied Palace. Now you may want to go out and buy toothbrushes - and a frugal place to do so is... Walgreens... who like to sell their cheapest toothbrushes for a minimal price occasionally. Of course the most frugal way to use toothbrushes - is to recycle them for cleaning after they have served their official purpose of teeth cleaning for an extended period of time.

The Royal Staff may clean you own palace coffee maker by using a solution of 1 cup water to 2 cups white vinegar. This vinegar/water solution should be poured into the water chamber of your coffee maker and then cycled through. It is recommended the the royal staff then cycle at least one straight water cycle through the water chamber prior to imbibing your next cup of java. Sometimes cycling an additional extra cycle of water through the coffee maker eliminates any extra residual vinegar taste or smell.

A mixture of 1/3 balsamic vinegar to 2/3 rice vinegar is a salad dressing that is sure to be a hit in any palace.

Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar at night is said to help a prince or princess lose weight and/or prevent type 2 diabetes, though nobody at the palace has ever tried this.

Vinegar can also be use in a solution to prevent swimmers ear. The proportions are thus: 1/2 portion vinegar to 1/2 portion isopropyl alcohol.

These are just some of the wonderful uses for vinegar.

Until next time,
may your palace be sparkling,
may your family be well fed and in good health,

and your resources be plentiful,

all because you choose to be wise and frugal,

for both your family and your palace!

The Princess-i-fied Palace