Make Your Own Mixes

I taught a class for my Church's ladies organization last week on stretching your grocery budget. I based the class on this POST. I also included some links for make your own mixes, convenience foods, and spice blends in the handout I passed out. Making your own mixes and spice blends are a great way to save a little money; plus when you make your own you always know what the ingredient list is! I thought I'd share the links with all of my favorite Bloggy Friends, too. If you find something in the list below that interests you  just click on the title to go to the recipe.

Spice Blends:
Dry Onion Soup Mix
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Taco Seasoning
Ranch Dressing Mix 
Chili Seasoning Mix

Convenience Foods:
Home Made Pancake Syrup
 Bagel Bite Pizzas
Crockpot Refried Beans
Frozen Fudge Pops
Frozen Smoothie Pops
Sweet and Condensed Milk
Granola Bars

Mixes:
Bisquick
Pancake Mix
Oatmeal Pancake Mix
Corn Muffin Mix
Muffin Mix
Hot Roll Mix
Hot Cocoa Mix
Yellow Cake Mix
Chocolate Cake Mix

Hope some of these recipes are helpful!!!!

Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice

With Thanksgiving (and holiday) baking just around the corner, I like to go through my spices and replace or replenish what I am running low on. I'm lucky to have a bulk food section at my local grocery store that carries a good selection of basic spices.  I can usually stock up on spices for dirt cheap! However pumpkin pie spice is not one they usually carry, and if they do it's kind of pricey. I really like using pumpkin pie spice in my fall baking. I decided I could probably make my own fairly inexpensively. I found the original recipe for it on Living On A Dime. I tweaked the ratios and increased the quantities to make a larger amount (it's just as easy to make a little as to make a lot!). It is quick and easy to stir up a batch, and now I'm ready to start my baking frenzy! I store my  pumpkin pie spice in an old peanut butter jar (just make sure to label your jar, so you know what's in it)!

Pumpkin Pie Spice

(this makes one teaspoon of spice)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

Pumpkin Pie Spice

(this makes 40 teaspoons of spice)

3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon nutmeg

5 teaspoons ginger

5 teaspoons ground clove

Mix ingredients together and store in a cool, dry place.

Gourmet Pancakes

I have found that stirring leftover bits of fruit into pancake batter is a great way to use up leftovers, and (bonus) your family thinks you have become a gourmet chef (at least mine does. Don't let them in on the secret, okay.). I like to make breakfast for dinner on Sunday nights, and pancakes make an appearance quite often (some times french toast if I have an abundance of bread, or find cinnamon bread on the day old rack at the grocery store). Tonight, for instance, I had two apples that had been sitting in the fruit basket for awhile; they were on the verge of becoming shrunken apple head people. I cut out the bruised spots and grated them (making about 1 cup). Then I stirred them into 6 cups pancake batter with 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon ( I know that sounds like a lot, but I am usually feeding an army, plus I freeze the leftovers so the kids can have a quick hot breakfast before school or for after school snacks). Other popular combination's (these ratios are added to six cups already prepared pancake batter) at our house are:

1 cup thawed frozen blueberries (I buy them on sale in the summer when they are cheap and toss them in the freezer or water bath can them in light syrup in pint jars) with 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1 cup canned cranberries ( I buy them when they go on sale after the holiday's and water bath can them in light syrup in pint jars). You can also simmer them until they are tender with a little bit of sugar and water and freeze them) with 1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup applesauce with 1/4 nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup melted peanut butter (microwave it for about 35-45 seconds) and mini chocolate chips
1 cup mashed banana with 1/4 nutmeg
1 cup finely chopped fresh or canned peaches with 1/4 nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

I have to confess that I use pancake mix. I use to make them from scratch, but my family prefers their Aunt's recipe, and when I asked her for it she showed me the blue bag of Krusteaz! So I picked my battle and now buy it a Costco (the 10lb bag) or make my own mix:

Homemade Pancake Mix

9 cups all purpose flour (or 4 cup all purpose flour and 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)
1 cup sugar ( or 3/4 cup Splenda)
2 2/3 cup powder milk
1/4 cup baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Combine ingredients and store in an airtight container. Makes 10 2/3 cups mix.
To make pancakes mix together:
2 2/3 cups pancake mix
1/4 cup melted butter or oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 water
Combine wet ingredients and stir into pancake mix until combined. Makes 12 pancakes.

Don't forget to whip up a batch of Homemade syrup or melt a jar of jelly(or use the freezer jam that didn't set quite right) to pour over your delicious gourmet breakfast treats!

Dry Onion Soup Mix Recipe

My darling hubby had surgery this morning to repair a fractured knee cap (moral of the story: DO NOT STEP IN THE PUDDLE IN THE PARKING LOT, IT MIGHT BE ICE INSTEAD!) While I was in the waiting room during his surgery I thought I would do a little menu planning to get organized, since I will have an invalid on my hands for the next three weeks. I was looking through my copy of "What's For Dinner?" by Jana Schofield ( another Tightwad Mom's Frugal Book Pick, by the way) when I came across her recipe for making your own dry onion soup mix. I have a lot of recipes that call for this particular ingredient, but it's kind of pricey. Not to mention, that I have been out on more than one occasion (usually, right when I'm in the middle of throwing the recipe together). So, I thought I would share. I'm going to buy the ingredients in the bulk section at the grocery store, and mix up a triple batch, so I'll always have some on hand.

Dry Onion Soup Mix

3/4 cup beef bullion powder (or beef soup base powder)
1 cup minced dry onion
1/8 teaspoon onion salt (or plain salt)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup onion powder

Mix together and store in a jar (a clean empty peanut butter jar would work great). 1/4 cup mix = equals 1 package of onion soup mix. Note: I think I will add 1 tablespoon garlic powder into my mix.

Breakfast Idea

As I was digging through the fridge this morning to make French Toast for Christmas breakfast, I had an ah ha moment. There was a quart of Eggnog with not quite a cup left in it, and some heavy cream leftover from fudge making. Rather than let it sit in the fridge and go to waste I substituted the Eggnog and cream for the milk in the recipe. After I whipped up the eggs I added in the Eggnog and cream with a teaspoon of vanilla. It was HEAVENLY (and the Eggnog haters didn't even notice). I bought Cinnaburst Bread from Great Harvest because it was a special occasion, but making French Toast is the perfect way to use up old bread, or odd and ends. I have even sliced leftover rolls into thirds (slice lengthwise), and used those (the kids had mini French Toast that day). Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top while it is cooking for extra flavor.

And while we are on the subject of breakfast. Here is a yummy recipe for homemade syrup.
It is so much cheaper to make your own syrup; especially if you go through it quickly! Even my picky third child (and yes I do remember his name today) who is a syrup snob loves this.

Homemade "Maple" Syrup

2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. maple extract (Mapleine)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup corn syrup (to prevent the syrup from crystalizing)
1 cup water

Stir ingredients together in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. This is the important part WATCH YOUR SYRUP CLOSELY!
Once it comes to a boil it will boil over quickly. As soon as it starts to boil and the sugar is dissolved take it off the heat and let it cool. The syrup is thin while it is hot, but once it cools it's thick just like store bought syrup. Pour into an old flip top syrup or ketchup bottle and store leftovers in the fridge. It will stay good for a month in the fridge, but ours never lasts that long!