A Very Big Christmas Cookie!

My little one loves to bake. She is always underfoot in the kitchen and she especially loves cookies. So, when I saw this gingerbread cookie shaped baking pan set including decorator frosting and candy, I knew that she would LOVE it! On Christmas morning, when all of the gifts had been opened, my little one was more than ready to get baking immediately.

So, we made our way into the kitchen, still in our PJ's, and with our aprons on to make a giant cookie. We used this Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I found at Fake It Frugal. It turned out perfectly and my little one decorated it all by herself. Well, mostly by herself. Big sister did the bow. I'm sure we will be making many more big cookies in the near future. 

By the way, when you check out the cookie recipe at Fake It Frugal, you may notice that several of the recipes there have been featured at You-Can-Make-That. In the past, I have told you about Fake It Frugal's Sugar Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies, and Brownies. 

Cracker Candy

The other day, a friend called to get a recipe from me. While paging through my book for the recipe I saw one for Cracker Candy. It looked so simple! So, I thought that I would give it a try. Although I strayed from the recipe a bit, using ingredients I already had on hand, I am very pleased with the outcome. This candy is going to make great gifts. And, you can make it up ahead of time and store it either in the refrigerator or freezer for later. 

I think that this may be the treat that we leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve. What do you like to leave out for Santa?

Cracker Candy

Club Crackers (about 1 sleeve)
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line an 11X15 cookie sheet with foil. Evenly cover the surface of foil with crackers. In a sauce pan, melt butter and sugar. Boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Pour over crackers, covering them evenly. Bake at 400º for 3-4 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate chips over the crackers. Refrigerate until firm. Break into pieces. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Apple Spice Waffles

 
Last week I told you about a homemade Apple Pie Spice. And, this spice blend is perfect for these Apple Spice Waffles/Pancakes. The recipe is a variation of my favorite Overnight Waffle/Pancake batter that I make so often. With the simple addition of applesauce and Apple Pie Spice, these waffles are transformed from an ordinary breakfast to a special fall treat.

The batter can still be mixed up the night before and refrigerated overnight. And you can use it to make either waffles or pancakes.

Apple Spice Waffles/Pancakes

1 ½ Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups flour
1 tsp. apple pie spice
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

For Waffles: Stir together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight if desired. Follow the instructions for your waffle maker to the cook the waffles. Yield: 6 Belgian sized waffles.

For Pancakes: Stir together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight if desired. Pour batter onto a hot buttered griddle and cook until bubbles on top pop (about 3-4 minutes). Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Serve hot with butter and syrup. Yield: 12-14 pancakes.

Blueberry Pecan Muesli

Muesli is my absolute favorite breakfast cereal during the warmer months. It is so simple to mix up ahead of time and it is easy to customize. My first success with homemade Muesli was an “everything” recipe that you can read about here. Since then, I have tried many different varieties. All of them have been tasty, but this one is my favorite by far. 

As the weather continues to get cooler, I gravitate more toward hot cooked oatmeal for breakfast. So, I may create a hot version of this with some of the same ingredients.

Blueberry Pecan Muesli

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup puffed rice or wheat
¾ cup dried blueberries
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

Measure all ingredients into a large bowl. Stir until combined. Store in an airtight container. Serve as a cold cereal with milk or over yogurt.

Fascinating Find - Apple Spice Granola

We have been eating a lot of granola lately. My kids favorite is Peanut Butter Granola, but I like to have variety. So, last week I tried this Apple Spice Granola. I was so pleased with it that I couldn't wait for my kids to get home from school so that they could try it. None of them cared for it. Ugh! But, that means more for me.

Rarely do I post a recipe that none of my kids care for. But, this one really is delicious, no matter what they say. I found this Apple Spice Granola at Down To Earth Digs where Stacey writes about “life in the country, tending kids, gardens and critters.” Be sure to check out her tasty recipe along with some very pretty photography at Down to Earth Digs.

Recipe Link: Apple Spice Granola

Blog Link: Down To Earth Digs

Apple Crisp

Lately I have been pleased to find McIntosh Apples at my grocery store. I grew up eating this variety, and they have not been available many of the places that I have lived. I can remember as a kid many times taking field trips to local apple orchards to pick McIntosh Apples and to watch apple cider being made.

One of my favorite fall desserts is Apple Crisp and the McIntosh bake up beautifully. So I pulled out my favorite Crisp Topping recipe and made some over the weekend to share with friends. This is a tried and true recipe that I have shared with both my Cooking With Confidence class and my Investment Cooking class. The topping can even be made up in advance and frozen for later. Plus, it works with many fresh or frozen fruits. I have made this Crisp with apples, pears, peaches, and berries. All have been delicious.

Crisp Topping

2/3 cup raw or brown sugar
½ cup white whole wheat flour
½ cup oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
¾ tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. nutmeg
4-5 cups of fruit or berries (fresh or frozen)

Combine all ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Freeze for later or sprinkle on top of fruit and bake at 375º for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. 

This post has been linked to The Penny Pinching Party.

Pumpkin Waffles

I love the flavors of Fall. Pumpkin, apples, and all things cinnamon. To me, these flavors add up to a feeling of warmth and comfort. These Pumpkin Waffles are so tasty with real maple syrup and all three of my kids agree. (Homemade Cinnamon Syrup is delicious too!)

Of course one of the best features of this recipe is that the batter can be made up ahead of time and refrigerated for later. And, if you do not have a waffle maker, you can certainly use the batter to make pancakes instead.

Pumpkin Waffles

4 Tbsp. melted butter
¼ cup raw or brown sugar
1 cup cooked pumpkin
2 cups milk
4 eggs
2 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Stir together all ingredients. Follow the instructions for your waffle maker to the cook the waffles. Yield: 6 Belgian sized waffles.

Energy Bars

A while back, I told you about some No-Bake Energy Bites that are oh so tasty. However, I didn't make them as often as my children would have liked because they seemed too time consuming with the mixing, refrigerating, and rolling into balls. So, lately I have started using my food processor to do the mixing, skipped the refrigerating, and pressed the mixture into a pan. I then cut them into bars once they have firmed up in the refrigerator. This is so much simpler! And, they taste the same, so no complaints from my kids. Normally I serve these as a snack, but earlier this week my kids ate them for breakfast. 

No-Bake Energy Bars

1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup raw honey
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Add all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, to the bowl of a food processor. Process until thouroughly combined. Remove blade from the food processor and stir in chocolate chips. Press into an 8X6 pan and refrigerate until firm. Cut and serve. Store energy bars in the refrigerator.

Overnight Pancakes

It's no secret that I am not a morning person (you can read my initial confession here). I like to roll out of bed at the last possible second and I go to great lengths to make sure that I can do that. Every evening I ensure that the backpacks are ready with all books and papers. I make the lunches and lay out my kids clothes. I even plan out our breakfast and set the table. All of this in order to stay in bed for just a few more minutes each morning.

So, in an effort to preserve my last few minutes of sleep, I have recently worked on an Overnight Pancake recipe. I wanted a batter that I could mix up the night before, refrigerate and cook in the morning. We tested several recipes and, after a bit of tweaking, we settled on this one. And, the nice thing is that if you prefer, you can make waffles with the batter instead.

Overnight Pancakes

1 ½ Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

Measure all ingredients into a bowl, and stir just until combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight, if desired.  To Prepare: Pour batter onto a hot buttered griddle and cook until bubbles on top pop (about 3-4 minutes). Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Serve hot with butter and syrup. Yield: 12-14 pancakes.

Meatballs

Earlier this week I promised to share my meatball recipe with you. I shied away from making homemade meatballs for years. One reason being that they are a great convenience food that can be grabbed out of the freezer section at the grocery store and prepared with no effort. The second reason was that I didn't want to spend time cooking anything twice. Many recipes require you to pan fry or bake the meatballs before simmering them in a sauce. Too labor intensive for me.

But, a few years ago, while adding store bought frozen meatballs to my slow cooker, I began to wonder if I could add raw meatballs directly to my sauce. The answer is: Yes! So, I have been making my own homemade meatballs ever since. I like the fact that I can season them any way that I choose with Italian Seasoning, BBQ Rub or even Onion Soup Mix. They can be made with any lean ground meat and can be frozen for later, then added to sauce without having to be defrosted. They can be served over pasta or rice, in hotdog rolls as subs, or eaten with toothpicks as an appetizer. Our favorite is ground pork with Italian Seasoning (pictured above) served as subs. 

Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground meat (beef, pork, or turkey)
1 egg
¼ cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. Seasoning (Italian, BBQ, or Onion Soup Mix)
4 cups of sauce (pasta sauce, BBQ sauce, or Gravy)

Add the first four ingredients to a large bowl. Slowly incorporate the ingredients using a fork, or your hands. Roll into small meatballs (28-32). 

To Cook Immediately: Place meatballs into a large skillet along with sauce. Simmer on medium low heat until meatballs are fully cooked (about 1 hour for freshly made meatballs or 1 ½ hours for frozen meatballs). Or, cook them in the slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours.

To Freeze For Later: Place meatballs on a cookie sheet, without allowing them to touch each other. Place in freezer until completely frozen. Remove from pan and store in a zippy bag until ready to use.

Spaghetti Salad

Summer is almost here! Just a few more days of school for my kids and I am looking forward to sleeping in and lounging around the pool. During the summer, I enjoy making lighter meals and fun salads. Pasta salads are some of my favorites. This Spaghetti Salad can be made up early in the day and refrigerated for later. And, leftover veggies like cucumbers or asparagus can be added to your salad along with cooked meats like grilled chicken, pepperoni, or salami. And, if you don't have any spaghetti on hand, you can use any other shaped pasta that you like.

The recipe below is just the beginning. The variations are endless. But, to me the best Spaghetti Salad is one made with homemade Italian Dressing. What do you like in your pasta salad?

Spaghetti Salad

13oz. pkg. spaghetti or angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
2 tomatoes, diced
2oz. can sliced black olives, drained
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 cup Italian Dressing (my homemade recipe here)
salt and pepper to taste

When pasta is cool, add tomatoes, black olives, green onions, dressing, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Refrigerate for one hour and serve.

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Monday.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Lately I have been watching my sugar intake. But, I still have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I began searching for some kind of satisfying treat. I have tried several recipes, and they have all been very tasty. However, this is my favorite one so far. 

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars have no sweetener of any kind. The dates add all of the sweetness. But, the dates are not the predominent flavor, the peanut butter is. My picky kids have no idea that this is a healthy dessert and I LOVE that! Eventually I would like to try this recipe with almond butter too. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup pitted dates
¾ cup natural peanut butter
½ cup unsweetened coconut
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
½ cup oats

Measure dates, peanut butter, coconut, and cocoa into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dates are finely chopped. Add oats little by little until mixture forms a ball. Remove from processor and press into a samll baking dish (I use a 9x6 glass pan). Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars.

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party.

Trail Mixes

My kids love trail mixes, and we are constantly trying new variations. The one pictured on the left is equal parts golden raisins, peanuts, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. My little one does not like regular raisins, so recently I bought some golden raisin to see if she would like them better. And, she does. So this variation is a hit with her.

While making up my grocery list a couple of weeks ago, my oldest suggested the trail mix pictured on the right. It is equal parts dried cherries, raw almonds, and white chocolate chips. This one I love! And both of my girls are thrilled when I put it in their lunch bags. 

As a side note, the jars that I store these trail mixes in are up-cycled. The local honey that I purchase comes in them and they use a regular mouth canning lid making them perfect for many different things in my kitchen.

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Mondays.

Homemade Baking Mix Biscuits

Yesterday my little one was sick. We had planned to attend a birthday party, but we had to cancel. My older two were disappointed. Plus, it was raining, which meant that they were not able to go outside to play. No one was happy. But, mom to the rescue! As my little one began to feel better in the afternoon, we made a trip to the dollar store and everyone was able to pick something. And later we watched a movie from the library.

As I began to think about dinner, I knew that I just might have a revolt on my hands if I didn't do something that they loved. After all they missed out on pizza, cake, and ice cream at the party. So, I asked them what they would like. The answer was Chicken Caesar Salad. I was a bit surprised. But, I had all of the ingredients on hand, so that's what we had. Usually I like to serve some kind of bread when we have a main dish salad. I remembered that I had one lonely cup of my Homemade Baking Mix in the freezer, so I made biscuits. Not exactly kids party food, but everyone was pleased.

Homemade Baking Mix Biscuits

1 cup baking mix
1 ½ tsp. sugar
1/3 cup milk

Measure all ingredients into a bowl and stir lightly until combined. Scoop onto a baking pan, flatten slightly. Bake at 400º for 12-15 minutes. Yield 7 small biscuits.

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Monday.

Muffuletta Sandwiches

Recently I was invited to a Mardi Gras party. So, my neighbors and I dressed according to the theme, shared a baby sitter, and went to the party. Our hostess did a fantastic job with decorations of all kinds, beads, and the food! We had gumbo, piles of shrimp, muffuletta sandwhiches, and hurricanes to drink. So very delicious. 

Since then, I have been craving the muffuletta sandwhiches. I fell in love with this olive salad sandwich while living close to New Orleans years ago. And, I have had fun experimenting with the recipe. Sadly my kids do not care for it. However, that means more for me! I'm certain that this will last several weeks in the refridgerator, so I will happliy keep it all to myself.

Muffuletta Sandwiches

For the salad:
16oz. jar pickled mixed vegetables
¼ cup sliced green olives with pimientos
¼ cup sliced black olives
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Drain and chop the pickled vegetables. Combine vegetables, olives, garlic, and olive oil.

For the sandwich:
Italian Bread
Sliced deli ham
Sliced salami
Sliced provolone cheese

Slice open the bread, layer with meat and cheese, and top with the vegetable salad. Replace the bread top and secure with toothpicks.

Simple Meatloaf

Growing up I hated meatloaf. And, for years I avoided testing meatloaf recipes of any kind. But, when I finally decided to give it a try, I was pleasantly surprised. And, my family fell in love with this version. Since then, I have figured out why I never cared for the meatloaf of my childhood. Onions. Yes, that's right. It was the large chunks of onions that turned me off. So, this recipe omits onions, but if you love them, by all means add them!

Meatloaf is incredibly versatile. If you don't care for pork, substitute ground beef. If BBQ sauce is not your favorite, substitute ketchup. Not a fan of Italian seasoning, use an envelope of dry onion soup mix. Out of bread crumbs, no problem, finely dice a slice of bread and use that instead. Two pounds of meat too much for your family, divide the mixture into two loaves and freeze one to bake later. Over the years, I have served this meatloaf with many variations, but the combination below is the one that my family likes best, made with my homemade Italian Seasoning Mix. 

Simple Meatloaf

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
(Or 2 lbs. meatloaf mix)
½ cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup Italian Seasoning
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until combined. (You may need to use your hands.) Form into a loaf. Place loaf in a large casserole dish. Top with additional BBQ sauce, if desired. Bake, covered at 350º for 1 hour. 

Recipe Note: This meatloaf can also be cooked in a slow cooker on low 6-8 hours.

Homemade Cranberry Almond Delight

Photo Credit: Kar's Nuts

My girls absolutely love having this trail mix in their lunch boxes. I discovered Cranberry Almond Delight last fall while searching for some healthy lunch box options. However, since my New Year's Frugal Kitchen Goal, I have been working toward lowering my weekly grocery bill. And these individual packets are a bit pricey. But with only three ingredients, I knew I could duplicate this mix easily.

And, along with my effort to prepare more homemade convenience foods, I made a trip to my local dollar store to pick up some small reusable containers. These containers are perfect for my kids lunch bags and at two for a dollar, I won't be heartbroken if one accidentally gets lost or thrown away.

Cranberry Almond Delight

1 cup party peanuts
½ cup raw, whole almonds
½ cup dried cranberries.

Measure all three ingredients into a quart sized mason jar and shake to combine. Cover and store at room temperature.


Holiday Style Baked French Toast

As you know, part of my New Year’s Frugal Kitchen Goal is to reduce food waste. I’m feeling really good about our progress. Today at lunch, we ate up four different leftovers. It feels good to be filling our bellies instead of our trash can!

Last week, I tried something new to use up some leftover holiday egg nog. Instead of using milk in my Baked French Toast recipe, I substituted the egg nog. We loved it! Actually, we all preferred it over the usual recipe.  

Holiday Style Baked French Toast

5 cups bread cubes

4 eggs

1 ½ cups of egg nog (or milk)

1 tbsp. cinnamon sugar mixture (optional)

Spread bread cubes into a greased 9X9 pan. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and egg nog. Pour over bread cubes. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes.  Serve with syrup.

This recipe can be made the night before, refrigerated overnight, and baked in the morning. Or, it can be frozen, thawed overnight, and baked in the morning.

Frugal Tip: Keep a container in your freezer for odd pieces of leftover bread, rolls, and crusts. Cube the bread before you freeze it and when you have enough, make Baked French Toast.

Homemade Baking Mix

Photo Credit: Betty Crocker

Last week, I told you that I was recommitting to maintaining a frugal kitchen. For my first week of January, I was successful at creating a meal plan and sticking to it. And, somehow, I was able to make sure that all leftovers were eaten instead of tossed. Plus, I even used four aging bananas to make Chocolate Banana Bread for our breakfast this morning. I am feeling truly victorious!

Homemade convenience mixes are another way that can help to save money in the kitchen, so this past week I made up a batch of Baking Mix. This mix can be used just like boxed Bisquick and is perfect for quickly throwing together pancakes, biscuits, or muffins. However, I made up this Baking Mix specifically for my Ham and Cheese Pie recipe, which I will tell you more about tomorrow.

Homemade Baking Mix

5 cups flour (white, wheat, or white whole wheat)

¼ cup baking powder

2 Tbsp. sugar (white or raw)

1 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened (or shortening)

Add first 4 ingredients to large bowl. Slice butter and add to bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs.

Store baking mix in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. Or, store in the freezer for up to one month. Baking mix can be used directly from the freezer without thawing it first.

This baking mix can be used in place of commercial baking mixes.

Christmas Dinner Menu

We will be celebrating Christmas at home this year. My parents will be with us and we are all looking forward to our time together. I hate to have to spend my day in the kitchen though, so I like to have most of my food made ahead of time. Getting the bulk of the cooking done in advance allows me to enjoy the day with family opening gifts and having fun together. This year we will be eating spiral sliced ham and the following sides:

Green Beans

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Quick Yeast Rolls

And, let's not forget dessert!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

What will you be serving this year?