Staying warm and within your budget!

Winter is definitely upon us...in fact, today we are experiencing our first real snow storm of the season.  It is days like this when I really feel like cooking and baking.  I think it's because I know that I'm not going anywhere, I'm not in a rush, and I just love how cozy a nice warm kitchen feels! 

This weekend we had some really cold days and so this Mama was cooking!  I made a delicious traditional lasagna on Saturday, a nice pork roast dinner with mashed potatoes and apricot sauce on Sunday, and for breakfast yesterday I made a delicious stuffed French toast.  My kids were in heaven! 

Here's the back story on this recipe.  About a month ago, TJ and I went to a beautiful bed and breakfast in Lyons called the Peppermint Cottage.  We went with our life-long friends to celebrate a birthday.  We go there every year and it is the perfect place to unwind (they have a hot tub and a beautiful wood burning fireplace).  It is truly one of our favorite places!  On this trip, the owner, Diane, made us a fabulous stuffed French toast.  Let me just add this little plug about how great this place is...Diane stayed up late and made fresh French bread for this recipe.  It's all in the details! 

When I got out of bed yesterday, I had already decided that I was going to make stuffed French toast for breakfast.  I had purchased an extra loaf of French bread the day before for the lasagna, so my plan was to make blueberry stuffed French toast.  A funny thing happened as I was coming down the stairs though...TJ said "I think you should make stuffed French toast today, with bananas."  Okay...now I am a firm believer in coincidence...but really?  The same thought at the same time?  Wow...it was definitely meant to be!  So I made both, blueberry and banana stuffed French toast. 

Buttery goodness! Yummy!

Making this dish was incredibly easy and very economical!  I will break down all of the prices for you so you can see that a restaurant quality meal is definitely doable on a tight budget (insert smiley face here!)

Okay, so here it is...I know these pictures have your mouth watering...so you can serve this for lunch or dinner if you want...just saying, lol!

Stuffed French Toast (Serves 6-8)

1 loaf of traditional French Bread (day old is easier to cut)
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3  cup powdered sugar
2 cut bananas (I used yellow...which is good because they are a bit firmer and easier to stuff)
1/3 cup frozen blueberries (you can use fresh too)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tbsp. half and half
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1.  Cut the ends off of the French bread so that every slice has two flat sides.  Then cut the loaf into 12 slices , about an 1-1 1/2 inches thick.  Cut each slice down the middle, stopping before you cut through (I sliced until about 1/2 inch from the bottom.)

2.  In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Mix until smooth. 

3.  Using a knife, spread a thick layer of the cheese in the middle of each slice of prepared bread.  stuff in the fruit.  Go ahead and use your hands...it's easier.  Be careful not to split the bread in half as you're working. 

4.  Add the half and half to the eggs and whisk well.  Then add the cinnamon to eggs. 

5.  In a large skillet, coated with butter, dip the prepared stuffed bread into the eggs on both sides and grill for about 5-6 minutes on each side, or until the it is nice and golden brown.  I used my cast iron, which I would totally recommend if you have one...it gives the toast a nice crunchy texture! 

Look at that cheese filling...all ooey and gooey! 

For toppings we sprinkled a little bit of chopped toasted pecans, powdered sugar, and real maple syrup.  Yum Yum!! 

Okay, so let's talk cost per person. 
The most expensive ingredient was the cream cheese.

8 oz. cream cheese- $1.25
French Bread- $1.00 at Walmart
Powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla (about $.35)  total is approximate for the small amounts necessary for this recipe. 
eggs- $.50
half and half $.17
blueberries- $.40 (the whole bag was $2.29 and there is about a 1 pound in the bag.)
Bananas $.20  based on $.39/ pound
Precooked sausage- $2.00 for two packages of 10

For our family of 6, this recipe and breakfast was a total of $0.97 a person.  I served it with orange juice, which we usually only have for a treat, so my kids drank it out of wine flutes...because that is just fancy and fun! 

(I have to give credit to my wonderful and supportive husband, he helped me with the staging of this plate so that I could take these pictures!  Thanks honey!) 

I hope that you enjoy this beautiful breakfast, or lunch, or dessert...whatever you like!

Blessings to All!

Meal Plan and Grocery List for the Week

     Oh my word...February is here!  I can't believe how mild this winter has been.  Not that I'm complaining...I really don't care for snow.  My kids, on the other hand, are bummed because they have only been able to go sledding once this year so far.  Oh well...I am just hoping that with this beautiful weather comes an even more fabulous spring! 
     Today, the sun is shining through my dining room windows, TJ is doing is homework, and I am getting ready to take my daughter to Michael's to find a car for the Pinewood Derby that her girl scout troop is going to participate in.  I am really looking forward to getting out for some reason!  I am also sitting here planning my week of meals.  I have gone back to work three days a week, which is great for our budget, but not so great for my house.  Keeping up with four kids, a husband, and a dog while working is definitely a challenge.  They go through a lot of clothes!  My washer never stops!  But I digress...back to thinking about our meals for this week.
     This is how our week is panning out...tomorrow is Sunday, therefore, we go to church and then Grace has a girl scout meeting at 2.  There is a pot luck after church tomorrow so we won't have to worry about lunch so it is breakfast and dinner, plus whatever I decide to contribute to the pot luck.  Then Monday is a crazy night...Ryan has a cub scout meeting and Ethan is visiting a local boy scout troop.  Tuesday night TJ has a meeting and won't be home for dinner, Wednesday and Thursday are open (for the moment), Friday night is the inspection and impound for the pinewood derby which is next Saturday morning.  So...since I am working on Monday's, Thursday's, and Friday's...I am trying to preplan the prep work for those nights, this way I can still cook from scratch, but it won't take me as long. 
     I am still planning two meatless meals a week.  Last week we had a beautiful eggplant parmesan on Monday night that I served with a salad, and last night I made a delicious veggie pot pie that was full of veggies and we didn't miss the meat one bit!  I think for this week, I am going to make a quiche for dinner one night, full of broccoli, onions, and cheese and for our second meatless meal, I think that I am going to go with a veggie minestrone soup.  If there is one thing that I love to make, its soup!  It is easy, delicious, inexpensive, and I can have it on the table in 30 minutes or less! 
     So here is the plan for the week:
Sunday:  Breakfast- Crockpot egg casserole (the cost of eggs has decreased significantly!)
               Lunch- Pot Luck- I am going to take Swedish meatballs
               Dinner- Roast Pork (I have it in my freezer already, when I bought it, it was $1.99/pound and it is just over 2 pounds.  The roast was a total of $4.23)
                             Twice-Baked potatoes with cauliflower, broccoli, and cheese (this is a house favorite!)
                              Fresh dinner rolls
                              Applesauce
Monday- Breakfast- Cereal, banana
                 Lunches- Packed lunches (Ham or PB&J, pretzels, cheese crackers, homemade trail mix and Juice box.)
                  My lunch is usually 1 Greek yogurt and something crunchy like pretzels.
                 Dinner- Minestrone Soup, homemade bread.
Tuesday- Breakfast- Cheese Omelets, toast
                 Lunches- Packed lunches
                 Dinner- chicken enchiladas, yellow rice
Wednesday- Breakfast- Oatmeal cinnamon muffins, banana or orange
                      Lunch- Packed Lunches
                      Dinner- Broccoli and cheese quiche, salad
Thursday- Breakfast- Leftover quiche or cereal, with fruit
                   Lunch- Packed Lunches
                   Dinner- Mini Meatloaves, au-gratin potatoes, green peas. 
Friday- Breakfast- Cereal, fruit
              Lunches- Packed Lunches
              Dinner- Shrimp Scampi ( I bought the shrimp two weeks ago on sale for $5.98 a pound...they are medium size) with Salad
Saturday- Pinewood Derby Day!
I am providing pancake bites for the snack table at the derby so I have purchase the supplies for those too. 
                  Breakfast- Blueberry Muffins, fruit
                  Lunch- Pizza (We purchase pizza at the pinewood derby)
                  Dinner- beef tips over mashed potatoes (I have two chuck steaks that I bought on sale that I am going to cut and use for this meal.) & Dijon green beans.

Grocery List-
eggs (2 18 packs)    $4.36
bread (3 loaves)      $4.17
milk (3 gallons)       $5.97
butter (2 pounds)    $5.78
deli ham- (1 pound) $4.08
potatoes (5 pounds) $1.99
frozen peas (2 pounds) $1.98
Corn meal (5 pounds)  $2.78
Bananas (5 pounds) $1.95
frozen blueberries $2.99
Vanilla Greek Yogurt (family size) $3.79
1 box dittalini pasta $1.38
1 bag of carrots $0.69
1 celery bunch $1.39
1 pkg. 12 cheese sticks $2.79
1 16 oz. sour cream $1.28
yellow rice -$.98

Total for the week- approximately $48.35

If you notice, there is no meat on this list...I am pretty well stocked at this point.  I also have a pretty stocked pantry so my list is small. 

What's on your menu this week? 





           

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!

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!

The Beautiful Color Orange!

Okay, so I should warn you, there will be orange children wandering around my house for a few days.  There is really no escaping the orange goodness of Thanksgiving!  With butternut squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes on the menu, my children are going to be full of carotene, therefore, I won't be surprised when they take on a slight orange hue! I can remember when my friend had her first baby.  He loved orange veggies and who doesn't? With the deliciousness of each one, this kid ate at least one orange veggie a day.  Well about two weeks in, we started noticing that Tyler was turning orange!  We had no idea why and so my friend called her pediatrician and took him in.  We still laugh about how the doctor had to explain to her that the carotene in the veggies was turning Tyler orange. So to start the holiday off on a good foot, my daughter asked for pumpkin oatmeal bake this morning.  So here we go...off to turning orange with a delicious and healthy oatmeal bake!  Then tomorrow we are going to have a delicious pumpkin pie!  Ohhhh, this time of year makes me so happy!  

Pumpkin is a beautiful fruit (yes, I said fruit.)  It is so versatile and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.  I have to admit, I don't make anything pumpkin without cinnamon.  To me they are a married pair.  You can make many beautiful soups and stews with cinnamon as an ingredient, however, for the majority of us, pumpkin is usually found in more sweet dishes then anything else.  

I use pumpkin all of the time in breakfast dishes.  I have made delicious pumpkin donuts, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin oatmeal cups (and bakes), and pumpkin pancakes.  I was just on Pinterest recently and found a pumpkin French toast bake that I am dying to try!  So, pumpkin is popular in our house! 

In addition to breakfast, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin cupcakes have graced our kitchen as well.  And of course, the most popular of all...the pumpkin pie! 

Today I am going to share two of my favorite pumpkin recipes; pumpkin pie and pumpkin oatmeal bake.  These recipes are so easy and you can use either fresh or canned pumpkin to make them.  Not only are these recipes absolutely divine, but they are also extremely affordable! 

Fun Fact #1  Did you know that most commercially sold packed pumpkin is actually a combination of butternut squash and fresh pumpkin?  Butternut squash has a beautiful, smooth texture and is sweeter than pumpkin.  The color is undeniable!  This is why fresh pumpkin is light orange and packed pumpkin is dark.  Why does it say 100% pumpkin on the can?  Because, the USDA considers all squash (including pumpkins) to be in the same family, therefore, companies don't have to disclose the different types of squash in the ingredients.  Weird right?  

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bake- Serves 4-6

3 cups whole, rolled oats
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil

Directions- Lightly spray an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients.  Mix well to combine everything evenly.  Pour into prepared baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Serve immediately. 

Yummy goodness before baking photo!

 

Oh so good!  Full of pumpkin and cinnamon.  This is sure to be a recipe your family will love! 

 

 

 

 

Original Pumpkin Pie- Serves 6-8

 

 

2 cups of fresh pumpkin or 1 can of packed pumpkin puree (15 oz.)

1 can of evaporated milk

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

 

Directions-

Preheat oven to 425

Roll out pie crust and line one 9 inch pie pan.  Set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugar,spices, eggs, and salt.  Mix well.  Using a whisk, slowly pour in the evaporated milk.  Whisk until the milk is combined and the custard is smooth and creamy.  Pour batter into the prepared pie crust.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350 and continue to bake for an additional 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  To ensure that the crust doesn't get over baked, you can lightly cover the crust with foil or use a pie shield. 

Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours. I allow it to set for more than that...it comes out better if I leave it for at least 4 hours. 

 

***Notes- I always brush the crust with egg to get a nice golden color.***

 

I will be taking pictures to add to this post today as I bake my pumpkin pie for tomorrow.  If you have any questions about the crust or the filling, please ask...I will try to look several times today and tomorrow as people are cooking and baking to answer as many of them as I can.

 

I hope that you are enjoying your holiday preparations!

 

Blessings to all!

 

  

 

Saving on your Thanksgiving feast this year!

                                            

     Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year.  It is full of family gatherings and great food!  But what defines great food?  Here in our house, great food is not defined by which grocery store I shop in, or by expensive ingredients like fresh sage and Brie cheese.  It is defined by how we share it with our closest friends and family. 
     When I was young, my parents had a limited income, and yet every year, we had a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner.  To make it special, my mother would pull out her best china and we would set a beautiful table.  She made a pumpkin pie every year, and sometimes an apple pie, if she had time.  She would also make a Jello mold that would have some sort of fruit cocktail in it.  We loved it!  We had a turkey, stuffing, and potatoes with squash, green beans, and rolls.  This meal was special every year and it didn't come with a table of appetizers, alcoholic beverages, or expensive centerpieces.  What I'm trying to say, is that you don't have to go out of your way (or your budget) to have a beautiful Thanksgiving day, the memories are going to be as special as you make them.  Simple is the key. 
     Today and tomorrow, I am going to give you a rundown of what I am serving for dinner on Thursday.  I will give you recipes and tips for each dish.  I am going to apologize up front because there won't be time for me to take pictures until Thursday when I actually serve the food.  If you have any questions about preparing the turkey, stuffing, or pies, please feel free to leave a comment.  I will try to check back often over the next few days to help out.
    So, here is what I have on the menu and how much I paid for everything.  I have 10 people coming for dinner, so I will break down the cost per person for you as well.  As you know, I try to keep everything at a minimal cost so that we can enjoy a wonderful meal, without breaking our budget!

Turkey- 16 pounds $7.50 (I got a great deal at Wegman's $0.48 per pound with a $25.00 purchase)
Potatoes- 5 lb. bag for $1.49 (white potatoes)
Butternut Squash- 5 lb. (2 large) $.99/ pound, $5.69
Yams- 2 lbs. $.39/pound- $0.78
Apples- 5 lb. Empire apples- $5.99 ( I will only use 7 apples in this bag which is just about 2.5 pounds so the cost is about $2.75)
Frozen green beans- $.99
Heavy cream- 1 qt. $4.99 (I will only use 1 cup to make whipped cream, so that is a total of $1.25)
Butter- 1 lb. (Walmart 2 lb. pack is $5.69 right now) $2.88
Pumpkin puree (I have some frozen in the freezer that I made from a fresh pumpkin, but you can get the puree at Aldi for about $. 89 a can.) 
Flour- 5 lb. bag at Wegman's $1.29
Sugar- 4 lb. bag at Wegman's $1.79
Milk- 1 gallon 2% at Wegman's is $2.18
Stuffing- Arnold seasoned cubed stuffing- $2.50
I roll of pork sausage- Wegman's 2.50
! small bunch of celery- Wegman's $.69
1 bunch of sweet onions- Walmart $2.99
4 cans of chicken broth- Wegman's brand $.50 each- $2.00

The rest of the ingredients I need are in my pantry, these include: brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sage seasonings)  I try to keep my costs for Thanksgiving to $40 or less.  It could be cheaper if I left out a few things, but since it is just once a year and I usually serve my in-laws, I splurge a bit.  My total for this year was $39.27.  That is just $3.92 a person.  That, I am grateful to say, is less than what it costs for a six piece chicken nugget happy meal at McDonalds and it includes dessert!

** Something important to remember is that you don't have to purchase the larger container. For example, I purchase a quart of heavy cream.  I know that I'll use that in other recipes this week, but you can purchase it by the half pint and pint for less than what I paid for it.  The same with the apples, if you don't have $5.99 to spend for a 5 lb. bag, you can buy them by the pound.  This time of year you can usually find them for $.99 per pound.  When I did my calculations, I only added in the cost for what I am going to use for Thanksgiving dinner, so if you were to add based on what I spent, the total would be a bit more.  Hope that this isn't too confusing!**

Now I am going to walk you through cooking that big ole' turkey!  It is not nearly as intimidating as it may seem! 

Easy Turkey Cooking Instructions-

We don't fry our turkey for Thanksgiving, I have a counter top oven (that I love!) and it comes out perfectly every time! 

My turkey is 16 pounds, and so the cooking time is approximately 15-20 minutes per pound.  For health and safety reasons I choose not to stuff the bird before cooking.  If you want to stuff it, it will take longer to cook.  Remember, the stuffing and bird have to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees to be safe.  Don't rely on a pop up turkey timer, especially when you have stuffed the bird first. 

Okay, so what do you do?  First you need to remove the turkey and all of the bags (I know, gross right?) containing the liver, neck, and other internal organs.  Thoroughly rinse the turkey in a clean sink and away from clean dishes (I move my dish drainer and all of my washing utensils before I rinse the turkey to ensure that there isn't any cross contamination.)  Dry the turkey with paper towels as best as you can.  Melt 1/4 cup of butter in  the microwave or on the stove.  Cut up two whole onions and the leaves of 5 stalks of celery.  Stuff the cavity with the onion and celery and sprinkle the inside generously with sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Brush the melted butter on the outside of the bird.  Sprinkle the top with more thyme, salt, and pepper. 

Cover the turkey lightly with foil (This is not necessary if you are roasting on the counter like me)  Cook at 325 degrees for about 15-20 minutes per pound ( for me, this would be about 4 hours.)  30 minutes before the turkey is set to come out, remove the foil and turn up the heat on your oven to 375 degrees.  This will give your turkey that nice golden color and crisp up the skin.  Once your turkey is at the correct temperature (around 160 degrees) pull it from the oven and tent it with foil.  Allow it to rest for about 20 minutes.  It will continue to cook and should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  Remember that the cooking time will vary based on the size of the turkey, so please be mindful and if you haven't invested in a meat thermometer, I would recommend getting one today.  It will help to keep you and your family safe.  If you have questions about how to use it, check out some great videos on YouTube...they can show you exactly where to measure the temperature on your turkey.

I hope that you found this post helpful!  If you have any tips or tricks to share about how you prepare your turkey on Thanksgiving, please share them with us!  I am always looking for new ideas!

Blessings to all!

Kim
    
    

Award Winning Apple Pie!!

     The public library held it's 2nd Annual Pie Bake Off today and I nervously prepared my Crumb Topped Apple pie to enter.  Having never entered any competitions in the past, I had absolutely no idea what the judges would be looking for or what my competition would look like.  I hurriedly baked the pie this morning and took it straight from the oven to the library.  I had to pick up my son from school on the way and I wasn't trying to get the pie to the competition on time.  As I carried it into the library, I was shaking a bit because I was soooooo nervous!  After entering the room where the contest was taking place, I realized that there was some real competition.  The pies were so beautiful and mine was pretty, but not as nicely done as some of the others...you could tell that they had been lovingly made. 
     We had been told that they would be serving pie starting at 2 pm, so Adam and I left with the promise of returning for a taste of some of those scrumptious pies (Adam wanted the pumpkin pie so badly that he talked about it for two hours after we left!)  Just as we were about to get ready to head back to the library, I got the phone call that my pie was the winner!  I was completely shocked and delighted that the judges had chosen my pie. 
    So now, I can change the name of my pie to an award winning apple pie!  I truly hope that you will find this recipe just as delicious! 

 

The pie that I made for this contest was made using my perfect pie crust, apple pie filling, and crumb topping.  Check out those recipes right here...

http://mymamascheap.blogspot.com/2015/11/apple-pie-filling.html?spref=pi

http://mymamascheap.blogspot.com/2015/11/perfect-pie-crust.html?spref=pi

 

 

I hope that you are having a marvelous Monday!

 

 

Apple Pie Filling

    

There isn't a single person in our house that doesn't love my apple pie.  My children all rave about it and I think it's pretty good too!  I have been making apple pie since I was able to use an oven.  My mother only really made apple pie at Thanksgiving, but I make it several times during the fall because my family loves it so much! 
     The best part of making this pie is watching my kids as they "sneak" into the kitchen while I'm peeling apples.  They all think that I won't notice their little hands as they sneak apple peels from my "garbage" bowl on the counter (I peel the apples into a bowl rather than into the garbage can so that my kids can indulge in the yummy goodness of the apple skins.)  They all giggle when I pretend to swat them away. 
     I am very meticulous about how I cut the apples, so for me, this isn't a quick process.  I do have a do hickey that peels and cuts the apples for me, but clean up is a pain, and I feel that I am not able to control the quality of my product the way that I like.  I prefer to work each apple individually, and I carefully cut away the core and all of the bits that could be hard from the apple.  I slice the apples into thin slices with a really sharp knife.  This helps me to cut most of the slices with the same thickness.
     I like a very simple apple pie, there are really no frills or special seasonings.  I use cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, flour, and lemon juice.  That's it!  I like the taste of the apples, so I try not to cover it up too much.  Today, as I made this pie, I thought about my children and the memories that they will have of me making pies.  They often crowd around the counter (we have a peninsula) and watch me as I roll out the dough and place it in the pie plate, and like little scavengers, they compete for all of the scraps that are left on the counter.  I love that they will have these fun memories to take with them as they grow! 

The aroma that filled my house this afternoon was so heavenly!  The cinnamon and nutmeg enveloped the kitchen and wafted around the entire house!  Another reason why I love the fall season! 

To get started, all you need are 6-8 medium sized apples.  For today's pie, I used Cortland, but you can use Gala, Empire, Ginger Gold, or any combination of these.  I prefer not to use Macintosh apples because their flesh is really soft and they don't hold up well in the pie. 
After you slice them, you need to add the lemon juice, flour sugar, and spices.   Mix the apples well and make sure that all of the apples are coated.  Set them aside.

 

Roll the pie crust out and carefully place in your pie plate.  For this pie, I made a crumbly topping, but you can roll out another crust and use for the top if you prefer.  Fill your crust with the apple filling, making sure to scrap out all of the yummy juice.  Cover your pie (cut vents in the top if covering with additional crust) and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 350 and bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden and the pie is bubbling.  Cool completely or serve warm (with ice cream for an extra treat!) 

 

 

I promise you, this pie is amazing!  As I am sitting here writing this, my mouth is watering and I already had a piece!  I could sneak a little bite...all of my kids are sleeping and no one would ever know...right? 

 

 

Below is the recipe for both the filling and the crumb topping that I used for this pie.  I hope that your family loves it! 

 

Apple Pie Filling- Makes one pie

 

6-8 Medium apples, peeled and sliced thin (Approximately 3 pounds)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 heaping tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

2 tbsp. flour

 

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stirring well to coat evenly.  Fill a prepared pie crust.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes and 350 for an additional 45 minutes. 

Cool completely or serve warm.

 

Crumb Topping- Makes one pie

 

1/4 cup cold butter

6 tbsp. flour

4 tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

 

Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Spread evenly over the pie. 

 

The cost to make this pie was approximately $4.25 and feeds 8 people (generously...if you're serving kids it could feed a few more.)  That means that this pie is about $0.53 per person!  Super affordable. 

 

Do you have a family recipe that you would like to share?  If so, please leave it in the comments...I am always looking for new ideas!

 

Blessings to All!

 

 

 

 

 



Perfect Pie Crust

It's November and we can't very well go into the holiday season without talking about pies.  Yummy, delicious, warm apple and pumpkin pies.  It took so many years for me to get just the right recipe for pies.  I have tried them all...all butter, all shortening, half butter, half shortening, I have even tried recipes with vinegar in them.  I have watched some videos on YouTube and followed a few tutorials, and after all of my research, I have finally reached the perfect pie crust for me. 

There are many people who think that making their own pie crust is too hard, or too much work, but I am here to tell you that making your own is easy and doesn't take that much time.  I have tried to use those sold in the store and if you take a taste before the crust is baked, it is, in my opinion, the nastiest tasting stuff.  It is like cardboard...not something that I would recommend using.  Making a crust may take a little more effort, but I promise you, you won't be sorry. 

My children love it when I bake a pie.  I make both savory and sweet pies, as chicken pot pie is one of children's favorite meals.   Today, I am going to bake a pot pie using the recipe that the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummand, has on her blog for chicken pot pie.  I love the way that her chicken filling tastes in a pot pie.  She only uses one pie crust, but in our family, we prefer a top and a bottom.  I also add other ingredients to the filling, such as veggies like peas and carrots. If you go to Pinterest and search for her, you should be able to find her recipe pretty quickly. 

I use my own pie crust recipe, which has become my favorite.  It is so easy and quick, you can have dinner on the table in no time.  I will do my best to describe each step so that you can duplicate it for yourself. 

First you will need to gather all of your ingredients- who's coming to the party?  Flour, salt, cold butter, cold shortening, and ice water. 

After gathering your ingredients, you will need a cheese grater and a pastry cutter (with some good old fashioned elbow grease), a large bowl, a fork, and some plastic wrap. 

                         In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Grate the butter and add the
                         shortening in small amounts.  Cut the butter and shortening in with the
                                                                         pastry cutter. 
        Add the water a little at a time and work it into the flour with a fork.  When the dough
          begins to come together, you can put the fork down and work it with your hands. 
            Work the dough into a ball and then wrap it tightly with the plastic wrap and chill.

  Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.  After chilling, cut the dough in half and roll it out onto a                                                             lightly floured surface.

This pot pie is a two crust pie with the plate lined on the bottom.  Fill the crust with the filling and line the second half on top.  Carefully cut the edge so that both the bottom and the top are about 1/2 an inch bigger than the pie plate.  Pinch the top and the bottom together to seal.  Flute the sides   using a fork or your fingers.  Crack an egg into a small bowl and whisk.  Brush the crust with the egg.  Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Allow the pie to rest for about 10 minutes and then serve.  This pie crust is delicious!   My kids love to eat it raw!  (I do too!)  Whenever I bake a pie, my children are never far away, and they usually clear up most of the scraps before I get a chance to make them into the yummy cinnamon sticks that my mother used to make for us as kids. 

 

This pie is so delicious!  The crust is light and flaky! 

 

I am going to be entering a pie contest this month and I will be using this crust!  I am so excited because I have never entered any contests before.  I really hope that the judges like it. 
I'll let you know how everything goes!

 

Do you have a pie crust recipe or method that you think is the best?  Please feel free to share!

 

 

Pie Crust- Makes 1 whole pie (top and bottom)

 

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 stick of cold butter

1/2 cup cold shortening

6-8 tbsp. ice cold water.

 

 

Directions-

Grate the butter onto a cutting board.  In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt.  Add the shortening and the butter and cut in with a pastry cutter until the texture resembles course sand.

Add the water a little at a time, and blend in using a fork until the dough begins to come together.  Put the fork down and work the rest of the flour into the dough with your hands, making a ball.  Carefully wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. 

 

After chilling, cut the dough in half and roll out each onto a lightly floured surface.  Carefully lift and place into the prepared pie plate.  Fill the crust with the filling of your choice and top with the second layer.  Make sure to cut a vent into the top of the crust.  Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 and continue baking for an hour or until the crust is golden brown. 

 

 

This recipe can be easily divided by 2 to make a one crust pie. 

 

 

Tomorrow, I will let you in on my apple and cherry pie filling recipes.  They are delicious and well worth the effort! 

 

Enjoy!

 

Blessings to All!

 



A Busy Fall

Okay, so I really want to know what happened to the month of October!  I was a busy worker bee and got a lot of fun projects done around the house.  This was great for my house...but not so good for you and the blog.  As November begins, on a beautiful (and strangely warm) day, I am ready to share some of my frugal tips and tricks for getting through the holidays on a budget. 

 

As many of you know, I have four children, and having a large family means that we have to live very carefully within our budget, especially while I am looking for work.  To do so doesn't mean that we sacrifice doing fun things as a family, or enjoying birthdays, or even having a night out to dinner every now and then. 

 

Speaking of birthdays, my youngest just turned 5 last month!  Oh my goodness...this makes me incredibly sad and overwhelming happy at the same time!  I love that he is growing and changing into a remarkable and loving little boy, but now he is not my little baby anymore. We celebrated by giving him the Batman birthday party that he asked for.  He was so excited! 

 

Now, it is time to get to work preparing for the holiday season! 

Yes, I said it...the holidays are coming. 

I am totally smiling as I am writing this because I love the holidays!  Thanksgiving and Christmas bring our families and friends together.  We share food and laughter, we share memories, and more than anything, we share joy and love. 

My contribution to the festivities is usually food. 

For the next few weeks, I am going to share some of my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving.

In December, I will share some of my very best cookie, candy, and fudge recipes. 

Being frugal helps us to enjoy the holidays for what they really are, a time to spread love and happiness to those around us. 

 

To get started, I decided to share a cookie recipe today that my family loves! 

These Molasses cookies came from my mother.  I grew up making them and now I share them with my own children.  They are soft and chewy, not hard and crunchy like most Molasses cookies. 

Baking these is a special treat for my children as they are delightfully spicy and fun to eat!

I hope that you take the time to bake these cookies, pour a glass of milk, and then sit and enjoy them with your family.  You won't be sorry!

 

 

Molasses Cookies (Makes approximately 3 dozen)

 

Here is what you'll need:

 

3/4 cup soft shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ginger

 

 

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and shortening until creamy and smooth.

Add the egg and beat until soft and smooth.  Add the molasses, and the spices and mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go. 

 

 



 

Add the flour, one cup at a time, until it is just combined. 

 

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.

 

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and dip in sugar.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until the cookies are slightly cracked and just lightly brown around the edges.  (Do not over bake unless you want the texture to be closer to a ginger snap.)

 

Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for just a few minutes to set, then cool completely on a wire baking rack.  Store in an airtight container. 

 

I truly hope that your fall has been as glorious as ours! 

 

I would love to know what your holiday traditions are! 

Please feel free to share them here! 

 

Thank you for your patience during this very busy time of year!

 

Blessings to All!

Kim