Smoked Sausage and Red Pepper Hash

Making breakfast for dinner is something that my children love, however, my husband isn't a big fan.  As a result, I usually plan breakfast nights when my husband has to work late or attend a meeting at church.  Thursday night was one of those nights for us.  TJ was supposed to work late and I promised the kids waffles for dinner.  They were ecstatic, but when TJ walked through the door at 6:15 (his meeting ended earlier then he had been expecting), he wasn't exactly excited about eating waffles. 
So I had to improvise and this beautiful hash was what I came up with.  I had all of the ingredients in the house and was able to throw this together in just a matter of minutes.  I served it with fried eggs on top and an English muffin on the side and my husband loved it!  This was breakfast for dinner, with an adult flare.  Since this recipe is so versatile and easy, it will be sure to grace our table frequently from now on.   

If you don't have smoked sausage in the house, you could substitute bacon, breakfast sausage, or corned beef.  Yummy!  In addition, you can use any veggie that you like.  I think that this would be fantastic with mushrooms, zucchini, or even eggplant.  You could serve this on a meat free night by leaving out the meat and adding one of those "meaty" veggies.  The highlight of this dish was the runny egg yolk on top.  I meant to take a picture of that but my hubby was a hungry man and I never had the chance to snap that shot.  The combination worked perfectly together!

Simple ingredients sometimes make for the best recipes!

Smoked Sausage and Red Pepper Hash Serves 4-6

12 oz. smoked sausage cut into slices
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 medium potatoes, cubed (small)
A pinch of red pepper flake (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. canola oil

In a large skillet or cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the oil and the potatoes.  Cook, stirring every few minutes, until all sides are beginning to brown.  Add the onion and pepper and seasonings.  Continue cooking until the potatoes have browned and the onions and pepper are tender.  Add the sausage and cook until brown and heated through, about five minutes.  When the hash has reached your own level of crunchiness, remove from heat and cook the eggs.  Serve with the eggs on top. 

The entire cost of this meal was about $4.25, therefore the cost per serving in our house was $0.71 a person. 

***This can be served for breakfast and lunch too!  There are no limitations.***

***This recipe was adapted from The Two Bite Club-Kielbasa, Pepper, and Onion Hash

Enjoy!

Blessings to all!

Super Delicious Banana Cupcakes

Okay, so this week the most remarkable thing happened...I had bananas that were really ripe.  It is pretty rare that we have leftover bananas because I seem to have a house full of mini monkeys, but I was excited to have them so that I could experiment with a new banana cupcake recipe. 

The last time that I made banana cupcakes, I got something that I wasn't expecting...banana muffins.  Yup...I got muffins.  They were delicious, don't get me wrong, but they were more like bread then cupcakes.  I felt like I was a contestant on the show Cupcake Wars and I could hear the judges saying that the consistency of my cake was poor, dense, and bread-like.  So I have been on a mission ever since to find a recipe that tastes like bananas with the texture of a beautiful, soft, and moist cake. 

I am happy to say that I think that I found it! 

I was searching Pinterest and I found a lot of recipes for banana cupcakes, however, they were all made from the same base as banana bread and I certainly didn't want a repeat of my last failed attempt.  So I came across this recipe which is originally from foodfanatic by Kristan Roland.  I decided to try it because the recipe called for butter and buttermilk, which I know is a great base for delicious cupcakes.  I changed the recipe just a hair because it called for a lot of sugar and these bananas were so ripe, I knew they would have their own sweetness, so I added less.  In addition, the cinnamon cream cheese frosting sounded so tasty that I just had to try it, but I didn't like the look of her recipe, there was not nearly enough powdered sugar in it...I didn't want to eat a mixture of butter and cream cheese on a cupcake, it sounded so heavy and dense.  I made my own cream cheese frosting recipe and added cinnamon and it came out perfectly light and creamy! 

The flavor combination of the banana and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting is the BOMB!!  My husband and children were completely in love with the first bite.  I know that these cupcakes will be a popular addition to our yummy creations! 

These cupcakes are light, fluffy, and absolutely divine.  They have a beautifully balanced taste of banana and butter.  These would be the perfect complement to a cup of coffee with a friend or a beautiful gift for someone who needs a little pick-me-up. 

It is a gloomy winter day, so if your looking for something to do, here is the perfect baking day recipe!

I hope you enjoy!

Banana Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (Makes 24)

3 medium ripe bananas mashed
2 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best but you can use bottled too)
3/4 cup real butter (I would use real butter, but margarine would work in a pinch)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs (room temperature is best)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (room temperature)

Directions:
1. Combine the bananas and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
2.  In a large bowl (or a mixer) combine the butter and sugar and whip until smooth and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, whipping to combine.  (This adds air to the mixture and helps to create that light and fluffy cake.)  Add the vanilla and combine well. 
3.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and the baking soda.
4.  Intermittingly add the flour/baking soda a cup at a time with 1/2 cup of the buttermilk ending with the buttermilk.  Mix on medium for about 2 minutes until the batter is creamy (be careful not to overwork the flour as it can have the opposite effect if it is over-mixed) 
5.  Carefully fold the bananas into the batter like you would if you were folding in egg whites, careful not to completely mix.  This helps the fruit be a swirl in the batter and it won't sink to the bottom of your cupcake cup. 
6.  Bake at 365 degrees for 18 minutes or until they are golden and spring back when touched.  Cool on a rack until completely cooled.  Baking at a slightly higher temperature helps the cakes to rise up over the cups so you get a beautifully, rounded cupcake top. 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

3/4 cup butter softened
1 8oz pkg. of cream cheese softened
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 (heaping) tsp. of cinnamon
3-1/2 cups of powdered sugar
2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the vanilla and mix well.  One cup at a time, add the powdered sugar, starting out on low speed and moving to medium when the dust settles, scrapping the sides of the bowl well in between each addition.  Add the whipping cream and whip it until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the cinnamon and combine well, making sure that the cinnamon is evenly dispersed.  Pipe onto the cupcakes when they are cooled.

These cupcakes are best eaten within 3 days but can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. 

Cost per cupcake- $0.25 (This cupcake would cost at least $0.70 if purchased as a prepackaged item) 
***The cost per cupcake is based on the costs for the ingredients that I purchased at Aldi.***

I hope that you enjoy this beautiful cupcake! 

Blessings to all!

New Year's Resolutions

     This year, my New Year's resolution was to get out of bed at 5:30 every school day.  Let me just tell you, I am not a morning person, in fact, I hate mornings.  I always feel like a big bad grumpy bear when I'm getting my family ready for the day.  So, I thought (like a complete moron) that if I got out of bed earlier, then I would be more prepared for the day.  So on the 4th, I was like, you can do this (get up at 5:30), and then the morning came, and it was so dark, and my bed was so warm, and I and slept right through my alarm.  Epic fail!!  Clearly...I have more work to do in that regard.  I am really trying to get up with a spring in my step...I don't want the grumpy bear to be the last person that my kids see before they go to school!  It is definitely not easy to change my ways but I am hopeful that I will conquer this morning thing and we will be a happier, more organized family in the mornings. 
     The second big change that is coming this year is that I am going back to work part-time.  This is going to be extremely difficult!  My family is so used to having me around that I am sure that this is going to be a great adjustment.  Going back to work is going to mean even more planning and organization, especially when it comes to our meals for the week.  I am going to have to be completely on my game. 
     The goal for the blog this year is to make my pictures look perfect!  I know that a great picture is key to helping you to understand how my recipes are supposed to look and taste.  I am doing some research and I hope that my pictures will take less time to upload and they will look as fantastic as they do on the professional blogs out there!  In addition, a post daily would be great too, but realistically, I think a good goal for me would be two posts a week.  Time management is definitely something that I need to work on in 2016! 
     I am going to be posting delicious recipes that are not only budget friendly, but are also healthy.  In my opinion, if you are serving your family a well balanced diet, then you are on your way to keeping your family healthy this year!  Some big changes are coming to our meal plans this year.  The first is that I am now planning two vegetarian meals a week.  This is not only really healthy, but it is a great way to save money.  The second change is that I am adding more seafood to our menu and I plan to serve it at least 2 times a month.  I happen to love a great haddock fillet, but it is definitely hard to convince my children to try it.  My goal is to introduce new seafood options so that my children can form their own opinions about fish.  Scary right!
    Pinterest is my friend and I am on Pinterest every day pinning delicious recipes that I either have tried or really want to try.  In addition, I have board entitled "Blog" and that is where I pin all of the recipes and articles that are related to my blog. I encourage you to check it out when you get a chance.

I am also looking for feedback.  If you could kindly think of some constructive criticism that I can use to improve my blog, please share them with me.  I am not looking for negative feedback...just some ideas or changes that you would like to see on my blog in the future.  I am grateful that you come to visit and I hope that my blog helps you to become better meal planners and cooks this year!

What are some of your New Year's resolutions?  I would be happy to hear what you think about the coming year and some of your ideas!

Blessings to all in 2016!

Check out some of my recipes!  This is a banana chocolate chip muffin that is easy and delicious!

Soft and Delicious Drop Sugar Cookies

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and if you ask me, the reason is that you can eat cookies all season and not feel at all guilty.  At least, I don't.  I know that I will be making at least a dozen different cookies this Christmas and I am starting with this very easy sugar cookie recipe.  I made this cookie for the first time two weeks ago and I got so many compliments and requests for the recipe, I decided that this should be the first for my Christmas cookie series. 

These cookies are soft and chewy and the reason why is the shortening that I substitute in for butter.  I love the way that butter tastes, don't get me wrong, there is no substitute for that,  but what I don't like is a thin, crusty cookie, which is what using all butter will give me. I got this recipe from Pinterest and if you would like the original recipe, you can find it pinned to the Cookies board at My Mama's Cheap on Pinterest.  It is a delightfully delicious cookie!  

This easy cookie dough can be put together in minutes, in fact,  I was able to make four dozen cookies in a little less than an hour.  In addition, my seven year old daughter can easily make this recipe, it is just that simple!  

I'm sorry for the lack of pictures lately!  I find taking them and posting them to be extremely time consuming, and right now, I just don't have time to post pictures for everything that I want to share.  Please bare with me...some recipes will have complete picture tutorials, and the simple ones, like this, will be without.  Hopefully this will give me more time to post and share ideas with you every day. 

Thank you for stopping by!

Drop Sugar Cookies- Makes 3-4 dozen

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup of sugar in a shallow dish (for rolling cookies)

Directions- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the shortening until whipped and smooth.  Add the sugar and cream until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and cream until thoroughly mixed.  Add the vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.  Mix well, scrapping the sides as you go.  Add the flour, in one cup increments, and stir until completely combined. 

2.  Using a teaspoon, roll the dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll the balls through the shallow dish of sugar and place them approximately 2 inches apartment on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden and the top is cracked.  Pull from the oven and allow to sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. 

These cookies are perfect shared with coffee and great friends!

Happy Holiday Season!

A Homemade Christmas

It's Christmas time!!  I love Christmas and because I have young children, the magic of Christmas is in abundance around our house!  However, the beauty and peace of the season can be lost for a family that is living close to the vest.  Christmas has become so commercialized that the focus of the season is shifted from what matters (the birth of our Savior) to a season of cranky parents looking for the "perfect" gift.  Now, I want to set the record straight...I'm not bitter, I love giving gifts to our children on Christmas morning.  I love to see that look of wonder in their eyes as they gaze at the tree and wonder if Santa is real.  I love to watch them open the gifts and the excitement in their eyes when they get something that they really wanted.  To me, this is a very special time of year, but not only for the gifts that they are receiving, but also in the gifts that we give to others.  This time of year, as beautiful as it is, can also be extremely stressful, especially for families that only have one income.  I can remember, when my boys were really little, my husband and I didn't have much money because I had just left my full time job to stay home, and we only had two gifts under the tree for each child and a few items in their stockings.  My children were unaware of our struggles, and they were grateful for what they had. 

Today, I want to share with you some of the ideas that I have for saving money on gifts around Christmas.  I know how difficult and stressful it can be to make Christmas special for your children when you have so little to spend.  The following ideas are things that I have done in the past or am currently working on this year.  I hope that by sharing these ideas, you will find your Christmas season to be less stressful and that you will find the peace and hope of the season, as it is supposed to be.   

1.  My children only get one gift from Santa every year.  I explained to my children that if Santa carried multiple gifts for everyone on his sleigh, that he would be too heavy to fly and so he brings one gift and the stockings, and that is it.  My children have accepted that, and they only expect one gift from Santa.  Santa listens very carefully to their wish list, and chooses one, very reasonable gift, to give.  Last year my daughter asked for an American Girl doll.  Santa brought her an Our Generation doll from Target, she didn't know the difference.  In addition, Santa never brings a high ticket item for the children.  If we choose to give the kids an expensive gift, then we put our name on the tag. This is important because it sets a reasonable expectation for the children.  They won't expect Santa to bring an expensive gift every year, so if you have a little more to spend this year, you won't feel obligated to spend the same amount next year if your financial circumstances change. 

2.  Set a budget before you shop and look for sales-  This is a very important strategy.  When my children were small, we had a budget set for the them that was reasonable for their age, $30 per child.  I have four children and our total budget for Christmas was just $250, and that included Christmas dinner.  I spent a lot of time researching gifts and purchased everything on sale.  It wasn't hard for me to find at least 3 gifts that would fall into that budget reasonably.  Now that my kids are older, the gifts are more expensive.  Our budget is now $75.00 per child.  Our total budget for Christmas is $500 or less, including our Prime Rib dinner on Christmas day.  This budget has been set for a year and we have been carefully saving since last Christmas.  By setting the budget an entire year in advance, we are able to put aside small amounts of money into a Holiday Club account at our bank throughout the year.  In November, the bank issues us a check for the total amount and we start over again for the next year.  This strategy takes the pressure off of us and we don't have to charge anything to a credit card.  Unfortunately, Black Friday is the best day to find the greatest deals, especially on new toys.  However, most websites offer the same deals as the brick and mortar locations, so if you have to work or you don't want to go out in the crowds, simply go online and make your purchases.  You can usually save on shipping and it comes straight to your door. 

3.  Make your own Christmas gifts.  Pinterest is your friend here!  I have found some really great, homemade Christmas gift ideas on Pinterest!  This year I am making 90% of the gifts for my daughter, my friends children, and my nieces.  I made this apron set for my niece and between fabric and trim, this set cost me about $10 to make.  In addition, I am making some cookie mixes in a jar to give her as well.  She will be getting a very unique gift, made even more special as she creates memories while using it.  Now, if you are really busy, or you don't know how to sew, that is okay!  There are a ton of other things that you can make that aren't time consuming or difficult.  For example, there is an idea for a fort in a bag.  The fort is basically a sheet, you add some clothes pins and other accessories for building, a flash light, and a pack of cards.  This gift is about $10 to make, but wouldn't a little boy just love that!  I will be posting more homemade gift ideas throughout the season, so check back and maybe there will be an idea that is perfect for you! 

In addition to receiving gifts, it is vitally important to give to others as well.  Every year I choose two or three tags from a "giving" tree and my children go with me to choose gifts.  I try to choose children that are around the same age of my own so that the kids can choose something really special.  Our finances dictate our budget for these gifts and I try to choose items that are at least $10.  $30 of our Christmas budget feels like a lot, but it is worth it because my children are learning that Christmas isn't the same for all families, and that while we aren't rich, we have more than enough, and we should be helping others before we help ourselves.  Now this tradition has taken on new meaning as my older children are willing to spend some of their own money on these gifts, making them so much more special. 

Do you have Christmas ideas that you would like to share or a strategy that works for your family?  Please share them with us!  I would love to know how other families celebrate the holidays!

Happy Christmas Season!