Easy Fudge Recipe

Easy Fudge

You can use an 8x8 or even a bread pan if you want a big block of it.

This is so easy and so yumm!

1. 2 pounds of powdered sugar
2. 1 cup of cocoa
3. 1/2 cup of milk
4. 1 tsp of salt (I don't put this in unless my butter is unsalted)
5. 2 sticks of butter
6. 2 tsp vanilla (I use maple flavoring sometimes too)

Mix 1st four ingredients in a very large microwave safe bowl. Cut butter into pieces and add to the top. Microwave on high for 2 minutes (my microwave takes longer).

Stir very well with a mixer and pour into pan. Refrigerate until set.

You can buy foil pans to pour it in if you want to give as a gift

Frugal at Home: Once-A-Month Cooking Family Favorites: Review and Giveaway

Frugal at Home: Once-A-Month Cooking Family Favorites: Review and Giveaway

Chicken, Beef, Bean, or plain Cheese Enchildada

This recipe comes from Michael's aunt Carolyn. We love it!

This recipe is so versatile! The chicken mentioned can be replaced with refried beans, plain beans, cheese or beef! You can get my "from-scratch" recipes by clicking the highlighted words.

• 1 cup of boned chicken [or refried beans, chili beans, beans & rice mixed, shredded cheese only, or beef (hb meat or shredded)]
• 2 cups of grated Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup Chicken broth or water
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• Vegetable oil
• 1 can of diced green chiles
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 1/2 cup of chopped onion (I just use about a tablespoon of onion powder since Michael isn't fond of onions)
• 6 soft corn or flour tortillas

Chop cooked chicken, add diced onions (or onion powder), and let set. Add diced green chilies to cream of chicken soup and mix with chicken broth. Set aside. Take tortillas, add chicken and onion, tablespoon of shredded cheese and roll up and place into a 9 x 13 oil sprayed pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Cover with cream of chicken soup mixture and bake at *400 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Chicken Vegetable stew

Today I made a very large stock pot of chicken stew. Here are my directions:

Ingredients: Chop or prepare the ingredients below (adding to or deleting to your taste), cover with water and boil until tender.

• One portion each of cooked chicken & one portion of chicken broth. *Option: This is roughly one or two cans of pre-cooked chicken or 2 chicken breasts and one 14 ounce can of chicken broth. You could also use beef instead!
  
• 2 diced stalks of celery
• 5 diced carrots
• 7 potatoes peeled and diced
• 1/4 of a red (or white) cabbage, diced
• 1 can of kernel corn
• 1 small can of mushrooms
• 4 tomatoes, peeled and diced *option: you can use a can of diced tomatoes
• Season with salt, pepper, dry onion powder, & dry garlic powder
  

After the above ingredients have cooked to tender add:

• 1/2 - 1 cup of sour cream, or plain yogurt, or milk, or a can of cream of chicken soup!
  
• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch: Get 1 cup of cold water and mix in the cornstarch well before pouring into the pot (after all ingredients are cooked and water is boiling)
• 1 cup of dry rice, cooked according to directions. Dump this in any time after the veggies are tender.
  

This makes a giant pot of chicken stew. If you think it is too much you can adjust by halving the ingredients, or sharing with friends and family!

I usually take all leftovers and freeze into single serving sized portion containers to heat up later for lunches!

How to Stretch a Chicken :-)

I know the title of my post sounds hilarious, but it is a skill of which a frugal Home-maker should be very aware!

Here are my humble instructions:

1. Boil or cook your chicken in a crock pot:

• Make sure your chicken is completely covered in water. Add garlic, onion or onion powder, salt, & pepper and poultry seasoning (optional). Dice fresh celery and add to the water.
  

2. Remove the chicken from the broth. Place the chicken in a covered bowl and refrigerate. Strain the broth and refrigerate in a separate bowl.

3. The next day (after meat and broth have been refrigerated all night), de-bone the chicken and separate the meat into zip-loc bags according to how many meals you want the chicken to be stretched. I usually separate our meat into 3 or 4 quart-sized bags (depends on the size of the chicken).

4. Take the broth and scrape the layer of fat (it will have risen to the top) away into the garbage. Separate the broth (will be a jelly-like consistency) into zip-loc bags according to how much you need. Most recipes will call for 14 ounces... so that is a good amount to pour into your bags.

Freeze all into separate containers. Now you should have at least 3 or 4 ready to go portions of cooked chicken and broth!

Zucchini Crisp

I found a really yummy recipe in our church cookbook. We usually have a good abundance of zucchini during harvest time; this is a great way to use them up!

It is really yummy, and if you like Apple crisp you will like this.

Zucchini Crisp
5 cups of seeded and diced zucchini
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon, or more to taste

Mix the above ingredients together and simmer for 15 minutes.

Make topping:
1/3 cup margarine (I like real butter)
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Crumble topping ingredients together and sprinkle over top of zucchini mixture. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until topping is browned.

Enjoy!!!

Easy Pizza Bread

Pizza bread is a very easy and quick supper. It makes a great weekend meal or a great meal on a night you really don't feel like cooking.

What you need:

Spaghetti or pizza sauce
French bread, hamburger or hot dog buns, or rolls
cheese
toppings of your choice (pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, bacon [or bacon bits], mushroom, peppers, olives, onions, ..... the list is endless!)

Directions:

Place bread open-faced on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven (I broil for about 1 minute). Spread a little sauce on each bun. Sprinkle with cheese. Add toppings.

Place under broiler for 1 -2 minutes. Watch closely so that you don't burn the bread!

That's all! :-) Easy & quick!

You can also do this Mexican style. The variation is to add taco meat & cheese instead of pizza sauce. After it's broiled... top with lettuce, tomatoes, taco sauce, & sour cream!

Honey Oatmeal Bread

This is my favorite bread recipe! I very rarely make loaves because rolls are more convenient for our family. I make a big batch and then freeze whatever is left. Anyone can just pull out the big bag of rolls, take however many they want, and pop them in the microwave. Loaves just seem too messy and they dry out too fast.

2 1/2 cups boiling water
2 cups of quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup of honey
2 cups of whole wheat flour
3/4 cup cooking oil
4 beaten eggs
2 packages of dry yeast (or 2 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons salt

Pour the boiling water over the oatmeal and set aside until it cools (you can put it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or so...just make sure it is lukewarm! Not hot.)

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl and beat well. Then add the yeast, being sure everything is just warm before adding.

Work in (which basically means sprinkle flour on it and knead it) until it is a nice, spongy dough that is not sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour or you will get a heavy bread.

Grease top and let it rise for around 1 1/2 hours*. Knead and shape into rolls, and let it rise again for 30-60 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

*Another option is to put it the refrigerator for later use (cover with a wet towel, plastic wrap, or a lid if you used a large Tupperward bowl.)

When you pull out the cold dough, shape into rolls and let it rise for around 4-5 hours (perfect for Sunday dinner! Just shape into rolls Sunday morning and bake for 10 minutes when you get home.).

White gravy or Cream soup mix

White Gravy

(replaces any type of cream soup, can add sausage for gravy with biscuits, add cheese, sour cream [for stroganoff]... whatever you like)

I personally think the BEST is made in a cast iron skillet!
2 TBSP cold butter or oil
flour (about 1/8 cup or more... depending on how thick you want it)
2-4 cups of milk (or more)
salt & pepper

melt butter in frying pan. sprinkle with flour. Use a fork to mix together and to get rid of the lumps. Gradually add milk and keep stirring until the lumps are gone. I let mine bubble as it thickens.

Pour over biscuits, casseroles, or use as a replacement for cream soups.

Country Style Meat- N- Taters

I fixed this for our supper tonight, and since it is done early I will share a tip I learned from my mother- in- law. If you want to keep your food warm, just wrap it in foil, a big heavy bath towel, and put it in a warm oven (turned off). It should stay warm for several hours. (good idea for Sunday dinners)

Country style Meat N Taters

Red potatoes
Ground meat (I used venison)
White gravy

• Boil red potatoes whole (clean well first, cut an "x" and place in a large pot, cover and boil until tender... Mudder [our grandmother] says to add a little oil to the water to speed up the cooking! It works!)
• brown meat and drain
• make a white gravy <---- click here for recipe

Quarter the tender red potatoes (I left the skin) and mix together with the browned meat. Top with white gravy. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder, & garlic powder. This would also be tasty topped with shredded cheese & mushrooms!

I made peas and carrots as sides.

Blackberry or Raspberry Cobbler

I found a cobbler recipe online but changed it around to make it easier:

3 1/2 cups to 4 cups of fresh berries (I used wild raspberries)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons butter or margarine

Crust: 1 can of biscuits, 1 tablespoon melted butter, sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400

Pour fruit into a 2 quart casserole dish or a pan of equal size
add water. combine sugar & flour in a small bowl (add more flour if you want it thicker). stir to mix and then sprinkle over the berries. Dot with diced up butter.

Use a rolling pan to flatten the biscuits. Slice them into strips with a pizza cutter and place on top of the cobbler in a lattice design. Drizzle melted butter over the top of the biscuits. Then sprinkle sugar over the biscuits.

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until the crust is golden brown (15-20 more minutes) and the berries are bubbling. The juices will thicken as it cools.

Salad, A Great Summer Lunch

I really do not have much time for cooking lunches. Lunch-meat is way, way too salty so I usually do not buy it. I do not want to spend the money on pre-packaged lunches.
Sometimes we do leftovers. However usually, I only have enough for one meal (which I send with Michael to work). I know... I know... I need to cook extra.

So...what do ya do other than sandwiches or leftovers? I posted before about having a vegetable tray. Another option is to do salads.

Options are virtually limitless:

• Lettuces: Spinach, Iceberg, Romaine....
• Veggies: Broccoli, Carrots, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Red Cabbage shreds, Sprouts, Cauliflower......
• Canned Vegetables: Any type of bean or pea, Chick Peas (my favorite!), Corn, Hominy...
• Frozen vegetables (I am thinking peas)...
• Strawberries, mandarin oranges, raisins...
  
• Diced Meats (Cook a whole chicken early in the week,divide it into Ziploc bags, & freeze), boiled eggs...
  
• Toppings: Bacon Bits, Salad Crispins, Nuts, Seeds, Shredded Cheeses...

If you are taking your lunch away from home, Glad brand makes pudding sized containers that are great for those things you don't want to add to your salad until the last minute!

Add wheat crackers, a cup of fruit,yogurt, or cottage cheese and you have the perfect lunch!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Lisa sent me this! I haven't tried it yet but it looks good.


4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?

Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

What to do with cooled, leftover coffee

Now, this does not happen that much around here, but.... what do you do when you have cooled leftover coffee? Well you could heat it up and drink it, but what about something else?

I could give you a million baking ideas, but how about a smoothie? Good frugal way of getting something like a Frapuccino (or however you spell it).

There are two things you can do with the coffee itself. If you do not plan on using it right away you can freeze it into ice cubes. After the coffee is frozen, pop the cubes into a gallon sized freezer bag and keep in the freezer. Use the cubes instead of the ice I mention in the recipe below.

Or you can use the coffee right away like I did today.

You can adjust the amounts as you need.....

About 2 cups of regular coffee
1 tray of ice cubes (if you already have the coffee frozen into trays, skip this "ingredient")
about 1/2 cup of sugar(more or less according to your taste)
Milk (a cup or so?)
2-4 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Put everything into a blender & process.

visit www.generationcedar.com for "thrifty Thursday".

Thrifty Thursday: Free Dish Scrubbers

Dish/Pot scrubbers need need to be replaced often (they are breeding grounds for bacteria). But who wants to pay for new ones every week?

I have a tip to make them for free!

When you buy fruit (oranges usually always come in these bags) or potatoes, keep the mesh bag they come in and tie it in a knot. It makes a great scrubber for your dirty dishes. I shop twice a month and buy fruits and vegetables, so I usually have a new pot scrubber each week!


Click here for a link for printable coupons.

Nacho Potato Soup

This is VERY easy and extremely good! This one is a big hit with my family.

Nacho Potato Soup
1 (5 1/4 oz) box au gratin potatoes
1 (11 oz) can whole kernal corn, drained
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (I buy the tomatoes & chiles separate because the Walmart chiles are milder than the Rotel brand)
2 cups water
2 cups milk
2 cups Velveeta cheese (1/2 the large box) cut into cubes

In a soup pot combine the contents of the potato pkg, corn, tomatoes, chiles, & water. Boil, cover, and then simmer for 15 minutes (until potatoes are tender). Add cubed cheese & milk. Cook and stir occasionally until the cheese is melted. You can sprinkle with chili powder or hot sauce if you like :-)

Makes 6-8 servings!

*I found this in a Taste of Home Magazine several years ago*

Spreadable Olive oil butter

To make spreadable olive oil butter,
Soften butter, and mix one half cup of olive oil per 1 stick of real butter. I used my Kitchen-Aid mixer and mixed for about 3-5 minutes to get a smooth, even consistency. It has a great whipped texture after it is refrigerated!

In the mood for smoothies!!!

I finally gave in and bought myself a new blender this week (my old one leaked!). I have been whining lately to everyone that will listen that I am in the mood for smoothies!


Smoothies are a great way to get your 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables!

Here are a couple of smoothie recipes... invented by me ;-)

You can pretty much make them however you want. If you want the slushie consistency, you must use either frozen fruit or ice cubes. (Frozen fruit works best).

Berry Banana

About a cup of Yogurt (plain or flavored)
1 banana (I freeze mine and peel when ready)
handful of frozen mixed berries
ice cubes (if needed)
add milk if needed
Squirt of honey or sugar to taste
Juice (optional)

*This morning I used frozen strawberries, banana, & orange juice

Mixed Vegetable smoothie

cup or so of Plain yogurt
Cup of cooked mixed vegetables (I used the frozen california blend)
sprinkle with salt, garlic or onion powder, chili powder

Mine was still warm... If you are on the go, you can place in a thermos for lunch or snack!




Process until smooth and enjoy!

Thrifty Idea: Easy Home-made Yogurt Recipe

When I heard of people making home-made yogurt for the first time, I thought... eek... that seems kind of risky! But after hearing of several people making it at home, I decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did. It is very easy! You just need to give yourself 5 1/2 hours for mixing and setting and then 8 hours for it to completely finish setting. Read the recipe below to see what I mean, and then plan accordingly :-)

Here is the recipe:

SLOW-COOKER YOGURT

8 cups (half-gallon) of milk (The recipe recommends using whole milk until you get the hang of yogurt making, but 2 percent worked fine for us. Just don't use ultra-pasteurized "long-life'' milk.)

1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active-culture plain yogurt as a starter.

1 packet plain gelatin (optional, I don't use this, but it will give your yogurt more of a store-bought consistency if you are picky about that)

Plug in slow cooker and turn to low. Add the milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug cooker. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

Scoop out 2 cups of the warm milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in yogurt and gelatin. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crock-pot. Stir.

Put the lid back on the cooker. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around it.

Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.

Chill in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will be good for seven to 10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.

For more thrifty ideas, visit Generation Cedar

What To Do If You Run Out of....

I am starting a list of what to do if you run out of things. I have done this so many times (run out of something) and didn't want to go to the store just for that one thing. I will add things as I think of them and if any readers want to add, just comment and I will add it to the post (of course at my discretion*smile*). I am going to try to just keep it as a running list in random order:


1. Coffee filters: Well this takes a "little" planning.
You either have to already have a plastic, re-usable filter. Or one coffee filter left. Once I ran out of coffee filters and I had one left. O.k. I know it sounds funny, but IT WORKS! I had one left, so I rinsed it out and laid it on top of a cup. The next morning it was dry! And I used it again. I think I rinsed and re-used it for at least 3 or 4 days. I guess I COULD HAVE gone to the store and bought another pack for a dollar, but I had too much fun experimenting.

2. Conditioner: Thanks to Shannon who posted about it on her blog. I occasionally use about 2 or 3 tablespoons of vinegar mixed with about a cup of water and pour on my head instead of conditioner. KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED!!! Makes for nice shiny hair. Then I go back to regular conditioner after about a week.

3. coffee: Run to the store and BUY SOME MORE immediately!!!! sorry... can't think of anything else LOL (I guess you could drink hot tea?)

4. Dishwasher soap or laundry detergent: Dishwashing liquid. Just a squirt! Or for dishwasher soap, you can use just about a TBSP of bleach. *revised: This isn't the best idea.... I have used very tiny amounts with sucess - rare thing!
But if one isn't careful, there will be millions of bubbles and a huge mess!. Your best bet? Handwash your dishes!

5. Fabric softener: vinegar (I use this instead of all the time)
6. toothpaste: baking soda!
7. Floor cleaner: mix a cup of vinegar with a squirt of dishwashing liquid and fill mop bucket with hot water
8. I buy those foaming hand soap containers and then when they run out, I fill about 1/4 full of dish-soap. It works as a great replacement for regular hand soap!

Pizza Hut style Bread Sticks

Boy, these are good!

Pizza hut style bread sticks

1 stick of real butter
1 Tablespoon of oil
3 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of salt
1 Tablespoon of baking powder
optional : 1 tablespoon of yeast

3/4-1 cup milk (I have used water if I ran out of milk)

Melt butter and oil in a 9x13 cookie sheet.

Stir together dry ingredients first. Add milk. Knead very little. Roll into a flat rectangle (you can do this on wax paper or aluminum foil). Place rectangle into pan and cut into strips (like Pizza hut's bread sticks). Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle again with shredded cheese if you have it and dip in marinara (pizza or spaghetti sauce!)

YUM!

Homemade Glass Cleaner

Homemade Glass Cleaner

I got this recipe from:
http://housekeeping.about.com/od/environment/qt/cs_glassclean.htm

Ingredients

1 cup rubbing alcohol

1 cup water

1 tablespoon vinegar

Using isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar together makes a quickly evaporating spray glass and mirror cleaner that competes with national brands. This can also be used to give a nice shine to hard tiles, chrome, and other surfaces.

Newspaper works great to eliminate streaks! We don't get the paper, but we do get weekly classified ads free. Anything with that texture works great!

Tortilla Chip Pie

If you need a quick, inexpensive meal this is the one! It makes a great weekend treat.

1 bag of corn or tortilla chips
1 or 2 cans of beans (chili beans or pintos work great, but you can try anything)
1 can of tomato sauce (aroud 14-16 oz)
spices: chili & cumin (either or... or both!)
1 bag of shredded cheese

Microwave beans. Layer on a cookie sheet:
corn or tortilla chips, heated beans, tomato sauce. Sprinkle with spices (however spicy you want!), and then top with shredded cheese.

Broil until cheese melts (don't leave the room! This only takes 1-2 minutes... set your timer!)

Variations:
Replace chips with Rice,
Add any or all of the following:
diced chilis on top of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, lettuce,sour cream, & black olives.

This is a good vegetarian (translate CHEAP) meal!!! We all love it!

Stir fry Ideas

I am crazy about stir fry dishes. They are really easy to make if you have some fresh veggies on hand.

First you need to decide if you want to have a home-made sauce or pre-made. I like to do home-made.. it's cheaper.

My sauce recipe:
To a couple of cups of water add the following according to your taste:
Soy sauce or bullion cubes, ginger, garlic, lemon juice
Thicken with cornstarch. I usually add 2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch to a cup of water and mix. Then add that to the boiling sauces to thicken. Cover and set aside.

Daddy used to just use cream of mushroom soup. I remember that was pretty delicious too!

Brown meat: You can use beef, chicken, shrimp, crab or lobster or if you want a huge cut in your budget, go vegetarian! The peanuts will replace the protein!

Remove meat from pan and add around 2 tablespoons of oil.

Saute any of the following fresh vegetables (or whatever you have on hand):

broccoli
carrots
bell peppers
mushrooms
snow peas or sugar snap peas

Or you can buy a frozen mix.

I like to add peanuts or water chestnuts for crunch.

Pour over rice, cooked spaghetti (called lo mein), or chow mein noodles.

Laundry Soap (Home-made)

Home-made laundry soap

I have been making home-made laundry soap for awhile now. I doubt I'll ever go back to the other kind.

There are a lot of recipes on the internet but this is the one I use.

You will need:

Five Gallon Bucket

Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 bar Soap (grated) (I use either Castille Soap or Fels Naptha)

• In a pot, place grated soap. Cover the soap with water. Heat until melted.
  
• Fill a five gallon bucket half full with HOT water
• add melted soap mixture
• stir
• add washing soda and borax and stir until dissolved

You may use it right away. It will gel overnight. I use a soup ladle and 1 cup per load.

This site has a GREAT tutorial and analysis and even a video! Check it out. He is really detailed.

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/

Here is another link for 10 different recipes. You may find another you like better than mine or one that is more detailed. Play around with it and have fun!

http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

Chocolate Syrup

One great way to save money is to make your own syrups. From Amy Dacyczyn's The Complete Tightwad Gazette

Here is one for Chocolate Syrup.

This recipe is very easy to make and tastes much better than store bought chocolate syrup. I can make three bottles of it with one can of cocoa!

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup of cocoa
• 1 cup of water
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Stir cocoa into the water until dissolved. Start heating on high and add the sugar. Stir well while the syrup starts to boil. (watch it so it won't boil over)

Boil for 3 minutes. Then add the salt and vanilla and stir well. Cool and then store in the fridge for several weeks. I use a canning jar but you could use any type of container (old syrup bottle is great too).

Blondies

Blondies are basically like a giant brownie (or giant chocolate chip cookie!). My men absolutely love them. Here is my favorite recipe:

Blondies

(makes 8x8 pan-double recipe if you want 9x13... I triple mine for a giant cookie sheet!)

1/3 cup of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
7/8 cup of flour (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup of chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter. Blend in sugar and egg. Cool. Combine dry ingredients and then add to the wet mixture. Add chocolate chips & vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon.

Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes.

* Substitutions: You could substitute about 1/4 of the flour for oats. You could do flax-seed or wheat too.
I use maple flavoring sometimes instead of vanilla, and sometimes I use different types of "chips" (butterscotch, white chocolate,etc).

Mock recipes: Arby's sandwich

Michael LOVES Arby's so I thought I'd try to "mock" their sandwich. The absolute closest I have come is this:

I make a venison meatloaf (you can use lean beef). Slice it very thin and place it on a bun.

Ingredients for sauce:
Ketchup
Brown sugar
Apple-cider vinegar
ground cloves
garlic salt or powder
onion powder

Start with the ketchup and add about a teaspoon of brown sugar and vinegar. Then sprinkle the rest of the ingredients little by little and mix and add until you are satisfied with the taste.

Write it down if you "get" it perfect and put it in your recipe box!

You could also add slices of cheese if you like.

One of these days, I will get the exact measurements. But alas, they are never the same.... and I keep forgetting to write it as I make it!

Coffee Cake using potato dough

I made a coffee cake last night from the Potato Dough I had in the refrigerator.

Before you make a coffee cake you need to decide how much you want. My coffee cake was huge :-) But you may want a regular loaf-size.

Pinch pieces from potato dough and pat down into pan. Allow dough to rise (I allowed mine to rise for 2 hours).
Poke holes into dough. Melt 1 stick of butter and pour it over the dough.

Bake in a 375* oven for 25 minutes.
While bread is baking, decide what kind of glaze you want? I made a maple glaze:

1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
2 tsp of maple flavoring
2 tbsp of milk (or more) for desired consistency.

Pour glaze over warm bread! Yum!

All Purpose Potato Dough

I recently read in The Tightwad Gazette where the author made potato dough. The potato added acts as sort of a preservative so that you can refrigerate the dough and use it for several days. The author said that she was able to make a variety of goods throughout the week. I believe she made bread-sticks one day, cinnamon rolls another day and I think she made some rolls on another day. Since breadmaking takes so much time, it would be a big time-saver to make one huge batch and use it all week. This is very helpful for a busy housewife!


I would much rather have home-made bread around than store-bought. It is healthier and you can add your own flax-seed, oatmeal, wheat flour, soy flour, or whatever you like.

I found the recipe below, halfed it (since my mixer isn't big enough for a full batch).


I made some biscuits one day and a very large coffee-cake for Michael's breakfast for today. It was very helpful for us today because Michael had to get up at 1:30 a.m. for work! I normally get up with him at 5 a.m., but he told me to stay in bed this time.


I made the cake last night and it was waiting for him when he got up to go with his coffee.

My variations were to substitute some rolled oats & ground flax. He told me how good it was when he kissed me goodbye this morning. :-)


I found the recipe at

http://www.simpledebtfreeliving.com/frugal-recipes.html#potatodoughrecipe


Below is the halfed potato dough recipe. I halfed everything to make it a smaller batch:


Edna Ruth Byler's Potato Dough Baked Goods

You can bake goods all at once (saving time and energy) and freeze baked goods to warm up for future meals or treats.OR........They can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Immediately after kneading, oil top of dough lightly, cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Refrigerate, punch down occasionally as needed. When you're ready to bake, simply take what you need for desired recipe, shape accordingly, let rise until doubled and bake.Usually about 2-2 1/2 hours for cold dough.

Dissolve: 1 1 /2 tablespoon dry yeast in1 cup lukewarm waterMix in large bowl 4 cups scalded milk

1 cups mashed potatoes (no milk added)

1 stick of real butter

1/2 cup sugarLet Cool to luke warm, then add:Yeast mixture 3 cups FlourLet stand until mixture foams up (about 20 minutes).Add:1 Eggs, beaten

1/2 Tbsp. Salt

5 1/2-6 Cups additional flourA little more flour may be needed, but dough should be soft. Turn out on floured board and knead until satiny (I just kneaded mine for a few minutes in my KitchenAid! around 7 minutes). Let raise in warm place until doubled (2 hours) in bulk or refrigerator for later use as stated above.

Welcome!

To my "little" sister Erin.
As one of my wedding gift ideas,I have decided to start a blog so I can share home-making ideas and recipes with you.We can converse in the comments section and of course everything on here is printable.Some of the things I plan to do:Share recipes, menu ideas, and various home-making tips. I hope you enjoy this; I think it will be fun!If you want to, I can add you as a contributor so that you can share your recipes on here too!I love you!~Kim~
P.S. I am leaving this blog open to the public. Some other ladies may want to read and share too.