Have A "Jelly" Christmas!

I'm a big fan of giving home made gifts for the Holidays; made with love (and a little sweat), of course! I especially like to give home canned items and baked goods, because everyone is so busy they rarely make home made goodness for themselves. I don't mind whipping up a batch of something or other, or two. In fact, if you have read my earlier posts, you know that when my stress odometer hits warp speed, I bake or cook for stress relief! There is just something about rattling and banging a few pots around, and seeing my culinary creation transform before my eyes that brings on a kind of  bliss! Of course, there are few complaints, when I hit one of the stress induced frenzies. Generally, because the troops get to be my taste testers when I am done!

One of my favorite things to make for Holiday gift giving is jelly! In my humble opinion, home made jams and jellies are far superior to the store bought variety. I like to whip up several different varieties to have on hand to put in home made gift baskets, a simple gift for a co worker, or a  last minute hostess gifts. I live in a very close knit neighborhood, and a jar of jelly is a nice way to say thank you to our neighbors who do so much for my family all year long!

If you are thinking that jelly making is an advanced placement project, it's not! In fact, for anyone who wants to give home preserving a try, this is the perfect beginner project. I will also let you in on a little secret..... I use 100% fruit juice purchased in the juice aisle at the grocery store! I usually watch the grocery ads and buy the juice when it's on sale (sometimes there are even coupons to make it even cheaper). My favorite juices to use to make jelly are:

• Welch's 100% White Grape/ Peach juice
• Welch's 100% Concord Grape juice
• Welch's 100% Grape/ Cranberry juice
• Tree Top (or store brand) 100% Apple Juice

All you need to start your project  is:

•  Several cases of small jelly jars (these can be found in the canning aisle of you grocery store, or at thrift stores and garage sales)
• A half gallon or gallon of 100% juice
• Several boxes of pectin (found in the canning aisle of your grocery store). A gallon of juice will make about four batches of jelly. A half gallon about two. You will need a box of pectin for each batch you make.
• A bottle of Real Lemon juice (I add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each batch to increase the acidity of the fruit.)
• A 5 - 10 pound bag of granulated sugar, depending on how much jelly you plan on making.

 Just follow the directions that comes in the box of pectin.

Skip the instruction that tells you how to make the juice from whole fruit. Start your jelly making by measuring out the amount of prepared juice called for in the recipe. Follow the instructions step by step, and voila, perfect jelly. You will need to water bath (boiling water can) the jars of jelly to seal them, but that is very easy. In fact, The Simply Canning blog has excellent step by step instructions for water bath canning! If you don't have a water bath or steam canner, a large deep pot that will hold a rack in the bottom will work. The water just has to be able to cover the jars by an inch, so that your jars will seal properly. Don't forget to label your jars. I use printer friendly address labels that I gussy up with my print artist program, but here's a great link for making canning labels from Sweet Preservation.

The beauty of this project is it can be made ahead of time! Once the jelly is made and sealed they can sit in boxes in the pantry until you need them. When your ready to gift your gift,all you have to do is tie a pretty ribbon around your jar, and deliver it to the lucky recipient.  How's that for one more item checked of the Christmas Gift Giving List!

I Love My Cast Iron Skillet!

Sometimes on my frugal journey  it becomes apparent to me that "cheap" is not always the best option. Disposable items like food and toiletries should always be bought when they are at their lowest price. Children's socks are another disposable item that I have learned to buy as cheaply as possible ( My children have a "thing " for wearing their socks outside to play...WITHOUT shoes. Gold Toe, Reebok, and Nike socks wear out just a  fast as Walmart brand in this scenario, so I pick my battles!). Non stick frying pans are another item I have decided are on the cheap list (after much research, a.k.a. half a dozen non stick skillets later). It doesn't matter what brand or what price range I buy, the finish always starts to flake off within six months to a year. Even when I follow the cleaning and care instructions to the letter.

I decided it was time to go another route. People have been using cast iron to cook in (and on) for hundreds of years. If it had been tested for that long it must be good. I headed to my local sporting goods store and bought a Lodge cast iron skillet the next day.

There is some prep work to be done before you can use your skillet (to "season" it, and make it non stick). Basically, you need to:

1. Liberally grease the inside of your skillet with vegetable oil or shortening.
2. Place your skillet inside a 350 oven for one hour. Your skillet may smoke a little bit, so turn on the exhaust fan.
3. After an hour turn off the oven a let the oven and skillet completely cool.
4. Wipe out any excess oil from the skillet with a paper towel.
5. Now it's ready to cook in!

It is different to cook with cast iron. I have learned (sometimes the hard way):

1. Cast iron holds the heat better than regular frying pans, so you need to cook at a lower temperature (If you want to cook something on Medium heat, turn your burner to Medium Low and adjust gradually from there.)
2. Gradually heat up your skillet. Never turn your burner to High heat. It will crack your skillet, and/or start a fire!
3. Lightly grease the skillet before the first few times you use it. I still use non stick cooking spray and have never had a problem with build up.
4. If something sticks to the bottom of the skillet. Fill the skillet with a couple of inches of hot water (NEVER put cold water in a hot skillet!!!!!), bring to a low boil, and let it  boil  for five minutes. This will loosen the stuck on food, so you can gently remove it with a plastic scraper. 
5. To clean your skillet you are suppose to use hot water only. You can scrub your skillet with a no scratch sponge or scrubbie. This instructions say not to use dish soap on your skillet (it ruins the finish), but that seems icky to me. I scoop a few bubbles from the top of the dish water with my scrubbie  and wash my skillet with those. 
6. Do not cook acidic foods, like tomatoes, for prolonged periods of time. The acidic ruins the finish of your skillet. Regular cooking is fine.
7. If  the finish of the skillet wears off, just reseason your skillet.
8. Buy a brand name skillet. Cheap or generic cast iron can have flaws that effect their performance.

 Cast iron skillets are oven proof, so they are great for making cornbread, or frittatas.Of, course my skillet didn't come with a lid (you can purchase them separately). I like having a domed glass lid, so I can see what's going on in the pan. I purchased and old glass lid from a crock pot at the thrift store for a $1.00. Problem solved!

I have been using my skillet for five years now. It just keeps getting better with age! I have made everything in it from pancakes and french toast to sloppy joes and tamale casserole(cook the main ingredients in the skillet pour the cornbread batter over the top and pop it in the oven to bake). The more you cook in it the more non stick it becomes. It's fabulous for frying chicken and scones. Cast iron holds heat well, so temperatures don't fluctuate making deep fat frying a breeze. I have seen a bazillion cast iron skillets at yard sales and thrift stores that just need some TLC (a little steel wool to scrub out the rust and a good reseasoning) for cheap!!! In fact, I'm currently on the look out for a small one for cooking eggs! My initial $25.00 investment has more than paid for itself in the last five years. Compared to the $100.00 plus dollar I spent on the six  Teflon coated frying pans, it's a steal!

Recycling Hamburger/ Hot Dog Buns

Hello, all my fabulous bloggy friends!! I have been really trying to reign in our food budget lately. This is getting harder to do now that my kid's (and their friends) are getting bigger and eating more. One of the things I have been working on is to use up rather than throw out leftovers or unused bits of food. It's been going fairly well, except that our household can not seem to judge the bun to meat ratio. There is always the rogue person (me) who has their hot dog or hamburger without a bun. It always cracks me up when I send Dear Hubby to the store to buy hot dog/hamburger buns (He is usually the one who initiates the whole let's grill hamburgers tonight scenario), and he comes back with a 12 pack of buns for 8 hamburgers or hot dogs. In his mind the bigger package is always the better option!

I sometimes use the leftover buns to make "hoagie" sandwiches for the kid's lunches. If I give it a fancy name, maybe they won't realize they are eating lunch meat and cheese on a hamburger bun! I have also layered pizza sauce, pepperoni, and mozarella cheese on a hot dog bun, broiled it and called it a Pizza Dog (see it's all in the name!). My favorite way to use up leftover buns is to turn them into garlic bread, or if I'm feeling fancy (and I have cheese to use up) garlic cheese bread.


It's very simple:

• Split the buns and lay the halves in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet
• Spread softened butter on the bun halves.
• Sprinkle lightly (or heavily, if your a garlic lover) with garlic powder.
• Broil in the oven for 5 - 7 minutes (if you are going to make cheese bread go for the lesser amount of time). Watch bread closely so it doesn't burn!
  
• If you want to make garlic cheese bread. Sprinkle Mozzarella (or a combination of Parmesan and Mozzarella) cheese on top of the toasted buns.
• Broil for a few more minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
• I have also mixed 1/2 cup softened butter with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 teaspoon parsley flakes and spread that on the bun halves in place of garlic powder. It is very yummy, too.

They make a great addition to soup or spaghetti night. Best of all they don't end up in the trash!

Applesauce Fun!?!

I mentioned in my previous post that Dear Hubby "surprised" me with two boxes of apples from a friend's orchard. The troops have been doing there best to eat them, but with the way above average temperatures here the apples had started to get a little soft. Not wanting to waste them I decided to throw together a batch of applesauce. Of course, I grossly under estimated the project! I started off by quartering the apples:

Tossing them into my trusty kettle. This pot is one of my most prized possessions. It belonged to my Great Grandmother, who used it for the exact same purposes, as I do. Then it was passed on to my Mother who would make giant batches of chili in it to put in the freezer, for later. I became the proud owner of it several years ago, and I have put it to a myriad of uses.


While the apple were "cooking down" (This takes about thirty minutes. Don't forget to stir them occasionally so they don't scorch!). I put together the Victorio Strainer. I picked this wonderous culinary gadget up at the local thrift store for $6.00. A HUGE bargain! Purchased new this would cost much, much more! This handy gizmo is one of my favorite canning items. It eliminates the need to peel, core, and seed fruits and veggies. It does the work for you. Notice the trusty Pyrex pans waiting to catch the yummy goodness!


Once the apples are soft load the hopper and start processing them.


Of course, it is always nice if you get a little help! Surprisingly, Child #3 and #4 love to help do this part of the process. They fight over who gets to "plunge" the apples and who gets to turn the crank!


Just like magic! Applesauce come out the side and the apple "poop" (Yes, another "Barrettism" created by my delightful children. Nice potty language, huh?) shoots out the center. The apple "poop" gets tossed into the garden to break down over the winter.


The applesauce goes back into the kettle, and it is time to add sugar. I usually taste test the amount of sugar I stir in. Sweeter apples need less sugar than tart ones. These were fairly sweet, so I only added 3 cups of sugar to the whole kettle. You can add cinnamon and nutmeg at this point, too, if you like spicy applesauce.

Once the applesauce comes to a slow boil and the sugar is dissolved pour the applesauce into hot sterilized jars (dishwashers are fabulous for doing this!).


Top the jars with new lids that have been simmering in hot water for 5 minutes, and tighten down the lid down with a ring. Place them in a on the plate of the steam canner.


Cover with the dome lid and bring to a boil (a steady flow of steam will start shooting out of the steam holes in the lid), process for 20 minutes (if you live at sea level). I process mine for 30 minutes because I live at 4,600 ft. above sea level. If you don't know what adjustment to make for your altitude you check out this link. You can also use a water bath canner if you don't have a steam canner. Just follow the instructions for water bathing in The Ball Blue Book. I fact, the instructions for making applesauce can be found in The Ball Blue Book.

When you are done processing the jars set them on a hard surface to cool. Don't they look just lovely?


Woo, Hoo! Apples are all done! Another check mark on the canning list! Is that list getting shorter? Maybe,..... but wait ....... what do I see simmer on the stove? More salsa, anyone?


Really, I can stop anytime I want to............................

Trash To........Dinner?

The most expensive food you will ever buy is the food that you throw away. I know this seems like this should be common sense, but sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) it is hard to keep a tight rein on all the odds and ends in the refrigerator! Lately, I have been trying to make a conscious effort to minimize (or completely eliminate) the amount of food I toss in the trash.

Today I did a quick forage through the fridge to find the items that were coming close to expiring. I have an unwritten law that leftover entrees have a 4 - 5 day lifespan (anything with a cream, custard, or gravy base 3 days), and fruits and veggies are game as long as they aren't growing fuzzy beards or turning to liquid form. My adventure netted me the following:

• Half of a pot roast
• Some thawed out frozen strawberries
  
• Half of an open quart of home made applesauce
• Two half full containers of butternut squash and pumpkin puree
• A cup of chopped jalapeno peppers from the garden
• Three bananas that should be on life support!

After some quick thinking I turned the banana and applesauce (the applesauce stretched the banana, so I would have enough "fruit" for the recipe) into Banana Muffins (I added in some frozen blueberries to Katie at The Cutting Back Kitchen's yummy recipe). I am going to mix the rest of the applesauce into tomorrow's oatmeal. The pumpkin and butternut squash turned into Pumpkin Custard (a.k.a. Pumpkin Pie without the crust).


The strawberries were divided between individual reusable containers and I added Jello to them to make dessert for school lunches for the next couple of days. My kids have a thing for Jello right now, and making your own Jello cups is tons cheaper than buying them at the store.


I sauteed the jalapenos with an onion and added them to the pot roast (that I had shredded). I rolled the meat mixture in tortillas covered them with enchilada sauce and cheese (that I have an excess of thanks to fabulous cheese coupons). Notice a couple missing Enchiladas; the troops dug into them before I could finish my Kodak moment!


A little clever recycling turned potential garbage into delicious (in my opinion) alternatives. The best part is that my darling family have not realized that they are eating recycled leftovers, and I didn't end up throwing money in the trash!

Tightwad Mom's Frugal Book Pick Of The Month

When it comes to reigning in the grocery budget, it is a essential to have a game plan. That is why menu planning is an important slice in the thrifty pie. I, however, stink at menu planning. I have good intentions and will set a tenative line up of dinners, based on what's in my freezer, what's on sale that week, and the family's schedule, but at sometime during the week I end up winging a dinner or two. Either that, or I will sit down with calender and pencil in hand, ready to coordinate a week's worth of well balanced, gourmet dinner delight's (notice the sarcasm!); when my brain freezes up and I can not think of one thing that sounds even remotely appetizing. That is why I admire those of you who faithfully sit down and plan out a week or month's worth of menus.

So, for those of us, who rely on other peoples menu ideas, Jana Schofield has come to the rescue!
She has written a cookbook that does the work for you!


She has designed a cookbook that provides 30 weeks worth of dinner menus! It is broken down by each week. At the top of the page is 7 days worth of dinner ideas (including main dish, salad or side dishes, and dessert). Underneath the menu are all the recipes.


Jana is a Home Economics teacher (something that I admire), and she really knows her stuff! She also provides basic information for beginner's, and time (and money saving) tips. In the back there are two indexes: one is alphabetical, the other is categorized by item. Making it fast and easy to find any recipe.All the recipes are very easy, delicious, and call for basic ingredients and pantry staples. You can either follow the book religiously, or mix and match to meet your needs.
There are some divine dessert recipes included. I have made several of these desserts for potlucks and family gathering. There are rarely leftovers to bring home, and I get numerous requests for the recipes!

A dear friend of mine (also a Home Ec. teacher that I very much admire) introduced me to this fun cookbook. I love it so much I ordered one of my own immediately! Now, I have used my copy so much the pages are pockmarked with stains, and they getting very dog eared! I try to keep a stash of these books on hand to give as wedding, graduation, Christmas, and birthday gifts. Go check out Jana's website www.whatsfordinner1.com. soon!

Reining In The Grocery Budget (Part 2): Make Your Own Convenience Foods

First of all, let me just say that whoever said,"The lazy days of Summer", was A BIG, FAT, STINKIN' LAIR PANTS! Holy cow, summer break is going to KILL me! I cannot seem to be able to keep up with all the dear children's scheduled (and unscheduled) activities, last minute picnics and Barbecues. Not to mention I am drowning in an endless sea of laundry, dirty dishes; and the house is so dirty I'm pretty sure the Health Department is going to send a Haz Mat team over any day now! Whew! I feel much better now that I got that off my chest.

During times like these I like to rely heavily on convenience items to make meal time easier, but they can be a budget breaker if you buy them prepackaged at the store. In my never ending quest for frugality I have discovered that you can make of these items yourself. The hardest part is setting aside time out of your busy schedule to prepare them. Setting aside a few hours in the evening or on the weekends is worth it, though.

I have a good friend who clued me in to making your own french toast sticks. She makes a loaf or two of bread (check bread outlet stores for stale bread, it makes the best french toast and it's cheaper) into french toast, then slices them into four sections (horizontally) with a pizza cutter. She places them on wax paper lined cookies and freezes them. When frozen she stores them in gallon plastic freezer bags. To reheat just pop in the microwave for a minute. I like to save the plastic cups Crystal Light comes in to use as dipping cups (to keep my kids from using a ton of syrup). Double the recipe for a batch of waffles or pancakes, and freeze the extras the same way as the french toast. Pop in the toaster to reheat. It is also easy to make your own flavored cream cheese to spread on bagels or toast!

Making your own frozen burritos and bagel pizzas is fast and easy, too. To make burritos simply place a 1/3 cup of meat (or refried beans) down the center of a softened (microwave for 10 seconds) 12 in flour tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top fold the bottom end over the filling, fold in sides and roll up. Place seam side down on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet and freeze. Store in a gallon plastic freezer bag. Microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes to reheat.

When I find ground beef on sale I will buy a large amount. I will cook 5 or 10 pounds of it with onion and green peppers. Then I fill quart size plastic freezers bags (about 2 cups per bag) with the mixture and freeze it to use in soup, chili, spaghetti, or casserole. Sometimes I will add taco seasoning to some of it for variety. I do the same thing with chicken breasts ( I use bone in if I want to save the broth to make soup). When the chicken is done I shredded it and divide into freezer bags and freeze. We all know cooked chicken has endless possibilities!

Cutting up produce when you bring it home from the store is another way to save time later on.
Shred lettuce (store it in a gallon plastic freezer bag with two paper towels in the bottom. The paper towels wick the moisture away from the lettuce and keep it fresh for a week or longer.), chop or slice tomatoes, shred carrots and store in clear plastic containers in the fridge until you need them. Celery, onions, and peppers can be chopped and flash frozen (yes, you guessed it) on wax paper lined cookie sheets. Let the frozen cookie sheet sit on the counter for a few minutes before you try to remove the frozen veggies to make them easier to remove them. Store them in freezer bags. Melons can be peeled, cut up and stored in the fridge for up to a week. Apples can be sliced and stored in a plastic container in the fridge if you pour and can of Sprite or 7 Up over them (make sure they are completely submerged) for a day or two.

When I do have time to cook I double the recipe and put one in the freezer (uncooked) for later. Lasagna, soup, enchiladas, stuff shells, pulled pork, non cream based casseroles (sour cream and cream based sauces separate when they are frozen), stew, and spaghetti sauce all freeze well. If you are short of freezer space. Put entrees in gallon plastic freezer bags, and lay flat to freeze. Then you can stack them. Make sure what you write what the entree is and the date you put it in the freezer to save on surprises later!

You can even make your own seasoning, pancake, muffin, quick bread, and cake mixes. The are a ton of make your own mix cookbooks (and most can be found at your local library. They can also be purchased used on Amazon.com or thrift stores). A few of my favorites are:

• Make A Mix Cookery (by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward, and Madeline Westover)
• More Make A Mix Cookery ( by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward, and Madeline Westover)
• Food Storage For The Clueless (by Clark L. and Kathryn H. Kidd)
• Family Feasts For $75.00 A Week (by Mary Ostyn)

If you decide to make your own mixes. Buy the ingredients in the bulk section at the grocery store or at a bulk warehouse store to cut down on cost.

Alas, I hear the clamoring of hungry little (and not so little children)! They are telling my it is way past dinner time, and they will starve to death in the next five minutes if I don't feed them right now, but I will be back soon with more budget saving ideas!

Go To Meals

I was browsing the Pinching Your Pennies blog tonight, and came across a great post on easy go to meals! I am the first to admit that menu planning is not my strongest attribute. When I come home tired from work, dreaming up a gourmet dinner is rarely on the top of my To Do List! More often than not it leads to a quick trip to the Dollar Menu at the closest fast food restaurant, or take and bake pizza. While, both those options rate very high on my children's favorite dinners; it ends up being fairly expensive (especially if you are feeding six hungry mouths) and not all that nutritious.
That is probably why I spend so much time searching other people's blogs for fabulous recipes! Anyway, go check out this great post; it has some really great ideas that you can pull together easily!!

Since this the final week of the WNWN challenge. I thought I would focus on sharing frugal ideas.
Last month I taught a class on couponing and ways to save money on groceries. I put together an information packet to handout that night (I always like to take reference material home from a class). I thought I would share this page with ideas on stretching those last little bits of leftovers (after all, the most expensive food you buy is the food that you throw away!). Please click on it to see a larger version (the original met an untimely end when a Malware of biblical proportions infected our computer, destroying everything on our hard drive. So I have had to scan an extra copy). Hopefully, these ideas will help you creatively turn potential trash into a gourmet (or at least edible) delight!

Roast Beef Redo

Bless my dear sweet friends and family! They have saved my behind repeatedly over the last twelve days. Ever since my darling husband decided to fall knee first onto the pavement at work(effectively shattering his left knee cap and rendering himself immobile). Someone has showed up daily with a meal, a treat, or a shoulder to cry on! I am overwhelmed with gratitude! There have been so many yummy things to eat at our house, my children have been in hog heaven (literally)! One of the many contributions was a delicious roast. This was a particular treat because beef roast appears on our table only if I can find a fabulous deal, usually we end up eating pork roast. I did not want even one smidgen of the roast to go to waste, so I have been recreating it every night to use it up. Here's what I did:

Sunday: Roast, baked potatoes, green jello salad(the children sang with joy over this),rolls, and cake arrived at our door.

Monday: Cubed up two cups of roast and added it to brown gravy, served it on mashed potatoes, and added corn on the side. The kids finished the jello.

Tuesday: Leftover roast and gravy (from Monday) served on rice. Added some broccoli, cauliflower, carrot medley on the side.

Tonight: Three more cups of cubed roast were added to the crock pot along with a quart of tomatoes, a stew seasoning packet, two tablespoons beef bullion, 6 cups of water, the two leftover baked potatoes (from Sunday's dinner), leftover corn (from Monday's dinner), the last of the frozen green beans, a bottle of canned carrots (from last years garden), and a big handful of split peas (we are out of frozen peas; I have just discovered), sprinkled in some pepper, and added a bay leaf on top. I'm letting it cook on low all day. The house smells wonderful!

I'm so proud of myself. I made one roast last for four meals! We have been truly blessed in our hour of need! Thank you to everyone who has helped and prayed for us! You will never know what it has meant to our family!

Tightwad Mom's Frugal Book Pick Of The Month

This month I thought I would spotlight "Family Feast For $75.00 A Week" by Mary Ostyn. As I have already admitted, I am a sucker for a good cook book. When I can find one that has great frugal recipes, and money saving ideas, it's like I've died an gone to heaven. I loved this book for several reasons:
1. I'm always trying to shave a few extra dollars off the family food budget.
2. I love getting someone else's ideas on creatively tweaking my grocery shopping game plan.
3. The author is the mother of ten so I know she has had real world experience with balancing the grocery budget!

Mary Ostyn's book is a step by step plan for shopping wisely and trimming your grocery budget. The book is great for beginners, but even as a seasoned veteran I gleaned several useful tactics.
She includes handy guides for pantry staples, seasonal produce, the life span of produce, cooking legumes, and organic vs. regular produce. She explains the merits of shopping in a variety of stores, and what deals can be found in each one. She also highlights coupon shopping, bulk buying, and sales tactics. I found her ideas for breakfast and lunch very helpful.

The majority of the book is a collections of her tried and true budget friendly recipes. She includes some ethnic recipes that sounds delicious. Mrs. Ostyn also includes numerous make your own mix recipes, which I love. Now you can have convenience and a stay within your grocery budget! I have tried several of her recipes with great results. I give this book four star! Check out your local library to check out a copy soon. It is well worth it!

Hooray! It's Baking Day!

Today I decided to do a little baking. It all started with the bread. We are on our last loaf so I started a batch this morning. While it was rising I decided to make some brownies for lunches. Then I thought maybe I should make some muffins for snacks or breakfast for the next couple of days. While I was at it I might as well make a double batch of cookies, right? The oven was already heated up, so I might as well. When I was all done I ended up with:

1. Six loaves of whole wheat bread ( one loaf went home to Uncle Matt's house)
2. Two dozen Cranberry Almond Muffins (recipe is located in the older posts; if your interested)
3. One pan of Reese's Pieces Brownies (I had to use up all the extra Reese's Pieces from my race car making stint)
4. Ten dozen Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies ( if you have Shredded Wheat crumbs laying around replace some of the oatmeal in the recipe for an equal amount of crushed Shredded Wheat)

It took a total of five hours start to finish, but we have home baked treats for a few days ( I hope). Baking from scratch is so much cheaper, and healthier than buying them from the store. Now my kids (and the neighbor kids, and my brother in law, and my nephews) think I'm the coolest mom on the block (for a minute). Plus, I like to bake, so for me it's cheap therapy.

Waste Not Want Not

Now is the time that my kid's love to eat all the fruit that I have canned throughout the fall. I hate to pour the leftover juice down the drain since I had to pay for the sugar to do the canning. I have discovered that I can use it in my cooking and baking. You can replace it for the liquid called for in quick bread, muffin, cookie, or cake recipes. If the recipe calls for milk use powdered milk (1/3 cup of dry milk + 1 cup of liquid equals 1 cup liquid milk) and the amount of juice needed to equal what is called for in the recipe. You can also decrease the amount of sugar by a tablespoon or two. I have also used leftover juice from pineapple in place of water or milk when I am making a pudding based salad. It is also great to add to juice or kool aid(pour it through a mesh strainer into the pitcher if your family isn't big on floaties) to make it stretch a little bit further. When in a pinch I have even used leftover juice from peaches, blueberries, or apples as pancake syrup. Pour into a saucepan and add a little almond extract and cinnamon or nutmeg. Bring to a boil; stir in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup juice or water. Return to a boil stirring constantly until it has thickened. Make sure you let the "syrup" cool a little before you serve it.