Fresh Zucchini Bread

Ah...fresh veggies!  It is August and I live in upstate NY, not downstate like Winchester County, upstate as in the Rochester area.  Living in farm country has always been a blessing for us.  No, we don't have a farm of our own, but I do grow a small vegetable garden, and I love having the opportunity to visit farm stands in our area.  Unfortunately, this year my garden isn't doing well at all, so that means more trips to the farm stand...which is working out well because the veggies they are offering are delicious!  How does visiting a farm stand fit into my weekly grocery budget?  Well, typically farmers have very good prices for their veggies.  For example, I was able to get each zucchini, at the farm closest to my house, for $0.75 each.  Each zucchini, when grated, was exactly 2 cups. 

This week, while shopping with my children, my son Ryan specifically asked for zucchini bread.  I really feel like I'm doing something right when my kids ask for something that has vegetables in it.  I know, zucchini bread is full of sugar and oil, so not necessarily the healthiest thing ever, but hey...I'll take what I can get!   Making snacks from scratch helps to reduce the amount of money that I am spending on processed foods at the grocery store.  To show you how much money I saved, I did a short cost analysis of this bread per slice.  The cost of making this recipe is very minimal.  With all of the ingredients, each loaf of zucchini bread for this recipe was about $0.93.  I can get 12 slices from one loaf, which makes this snack very budget friendly at $0.08/ serving.  Awesome right! 

This recipe is the one that I have used for years...I tried looking at Pinterest to see if there was anything that looked better, but I found this recipe to be pretty universal.  My kids have already devoured 3 loaves of this bread and are currently working on a forth!  If your family is like mine, storing it shouldn't be an issue for you, but if you want to save a loaf for later, it freezes beautifully! 

 

    In a mixing bowl, mix together the oil and the sugar, then add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well.  You will get a nice, sunny yellow mixture. 

 

 

Add the cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.  Mix well and then add the flour one cup at a time until all of the flour is added.  The batter will be thick. 

Add the zucchini and mix well.  Pour into two 8x4 inch bread pans that you have sprayed or greased. 

Bake the loaves at 350 for 50-60 minutes. 

This bread is delicious and easy! 

 

Zucchini Bread- Makes 2 loaves

Preheat oven to 350

 

1 cup of vegetable oil

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups of flour

2 cups grated zucchini (I grate mine with the skin on which gives the bread beautiful green specks.) 

 

Directions-

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil and sugar and mix well until smooth.  Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix until combined and the batter is a nice sunny yellow.

 

2.  Add the baking soda, powder, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla and mix well until well combined. 

 

3.  Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the batter is thick and smooth.  Add the zucchini and stir well. 

 

4.  Pour into 2 8x4 bread pans that have been greased.  Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes at 350.  When the bread is done, pull it from the oven and allow it to sit in the pan for 5 minutes.  Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze. 

 

This delicious bread is best when zucchini is plentiful and in season.  To enjoy this bread year round, simply grate zucchini and freeze it in quart size freezer bags in 2 cup increments.  Then all you have to do is pull it from the freezer, thaw, and make the bread.  It's that easy!

 

I hope that this recipe brings your family as much joy as it brings to mine!

 

Blessings to All!

 



Scrumptious Peanut Butter Cookies

Good golly!  Fall is just around the corner and I have been in total baking mode for days!  Baking for me is like a great yoga session for others, I feel so comfortable in my sweats covered in flour!  I love the smell of the goodies as it envelopes my entire house.  Today, a yummy batch of zucchini bread is baking (mouth watering blog post for tomorrow!) and later on this afternoon I will be making some snicker doodles.  The house is fragrant with the smell of cinnamon and that is how I like it!

I came across this recipe for peanut butter cookies back in June.  I was looking for cookie recipes to make for a camping trip and this was one that I came across.  Like most of the recipes that I find here and there, I did make a few changes to this one.  I added a little extra love by way of vanilla and of course a little salt, it helps to even out the sweetness.  Cookie recipes can be finicky, but not this one.  I love how easy they are to make and they come out perfect every time!  They are delicious warm and soft and chewy when they are cool.  They hold up really well and, although cookies don't last more than a few days in the house, they will keep for at least 4 days on the counter if kept in an air tight container. 

 

 

These cookies are so easy and they only have a few ingredients! 

 

 

Scrumptious Peanut Butter Cookies  (Makes 36) 

 

Preheat oven to 375

 

1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter.

1 egg

1/2 cup of butter (softened)

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup flour

 

Directions:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar.  Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat until completely combined, about 1 minute.  Add the vanilla and mix well.

 

2.  In a separate mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk with a fork until all of the ingredients are combined.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on med-low until completely combined, scrapping the sides of the bowl as needed. 

 

3.  Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 375 until they are lightly browned around the edges, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven to a cookie rack, cool completely before storing. 

 

This is the perfect cookie for kids just getting off the bus! 

 

I hope that you have a blessed day! 

 

 

 

 



Back to School

It's that time of year again...back to school time.  This is the first year in our house that all of my children will be attending school every day.  It is a very sad time for me, but an exciting time for my son Adam as he starts UPK this year!  Thankfully, he will be home with me everyday at lunch time, so I am not totally heartbroken by the fact that he is growing up! 

Getting ready for school can be expensive, especially when you have a big family like mine.  I have four kids that I have to prepare for the coming year and those costs can add up quickly!  Here are some of the tips that I can offer to keep your costs down, while supplying your little ones with everything that they need for school.

1.)  Look for the sales.
      Yep, that means checking the flyers and going where you see the majority of your needs for the least amount of cost.  For me this is Walmart.  Luckily, for us, the school is supplying a lot of the school supplies this year.  This is a first for us.  I am still responsible for tissues, pencils, a spiral notebook, and some binders, but overall it is a very light list!  I am not a Walmart sponsor, in fact, I try to avoid Walmart whenever I can, but it is convenient and they have everything I need at a very low price. 

2.)  Shop at consignment or second hand shops.
      Not only does shopping at these establishment help the local economy, but it is a great way to find brand name clothing at a considerably lower price.  I can not tell you how many times I have been able to find brands like Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, and Nike in a second hand store for a fraction of what it costs retail.  I am very picky when shopping for clothes in these establishments, I look them over for stains, wear and tear (especially boy clothes!), and I check all of the zippers and buttons.  I have had a lot of success shopping this way!  I was able to clothe all of my children for the summer (shorts, shirts, sundresses, and pajamas) for $40.  ALL OF THEIR CLOTHES FOR $40!  I do the same thing for school clothes. 

3.)  Reuse whatever you can.
      All of my children needed a 1 1/2 binder for school last year.  I bought them all new ones.  When school ended, 2 of the 3 children brought their binders home and they are in good used condition.  They will be reusing them this year.  There is no need to purchase something new when we have what they need right here at home.  I have plans to reuse all of the pencil boxes and art smocks again this year as well.  Check out what your kids brought home from school in June and reuse them as needed.  This is actually the 3rd year in a row that my son Ethan is using his lunch box and his backpack. 

4.) Look for sales on snacks and juice boxes and then stock up!
     I have a BJ's membership that I use for school lunches.  I know what you might be thinking...I thought she made everything from scratch!  Well, I do, most of the time.  I like to make my own trail mix, granola bars, cookies, and such from scratch.  However, I like some items in their lunch that I purchase.  They include, cheese sticks, yogurt sticks, pretzels, applesauce and fruit cups, and juice boxes (Roaring Waters to be exact).  With a coupon, these items can be very inexpensive at BJ's.  If I don't have a coupon and they are available at Aldi I will buy them there.  In addition to these lunch items, BJ's often has a coupon for buy 1 peanut butter get the jelly free this time of year.  I usually purchase 3 of these deals and then I have enough peanut butter to get us through the entire school year. 

Raising kids can be very expensive, but I find that if I follow these tips, I am saving so much time and money! 

What are some things that you do to save money?  Did you find this article helpful? 

I hope that you will share some of your ideas with us!

Blessings to all!

Meal Planning Short Cut

Yesterday, while I was researching for today's post, I came across a very interesting and enlightening meal planning idea.  This idea is not new to me, but it came to me in a way that helped me to recognize that not everyone has the time and opportunity to meal plan the same way that I do.  I love to research and try new recipes as well as look through Pinterest and magazines with clear, beautiful pictures of what the recipe should look like when it's made.  This takes time, and since I enjoy it, I don't mind spending it.  Not everyone is like me though.  Some people are working parents who don't have time to look and find new recipes, (although I do hope some busy people are reading this right now!) 

Okay, so here it is, a very simple approach to meal planning that I hope can help you on your journey to saving both time and money!

If you go to my meal planning page and you look at the meal plan guideline that I use while meal planning, you will notice that step #2 is to have a list of meals that your family normally eats (and most likely likes to eat) ready when you sit down.  Usually, when I make my list of meals for the week, I have about ten or twelve of these recipes.  I chose at least 3 for the week and then I recycle the rest of the meals on that list throughout the month.  My husband is very picky and is insistent that we don't eat anything two weeks in a row, so it is very rare that I repeat a recipe during the month.  As a result, I make 25-30 different meals a month.  This may seem like a lot, but it is actually very easy for me because I have a large recipe collection that I can choose from. 

Once I thought about it though, I realized that I can remember 25-30 meals that my family loves, right off the top of my head!  I don't have to go to the magazines or cookbooks, or Pinterest to come up with recipe ideas (if I don't want to!)  All I have to do is sit down and write out a list of meals that my family eats on a regular basis and then fill in a calendar with those recipes.  Now I have an entire month of meal planning done in just 15 minutes!  Some families have regular meals that they eat on a weekly basis.  If yours is one of those families, the task is even easier!  For example, if your family eats spaghetti once a week than all you have to do is fill in spaghetti once for every week on the calendar.  It couldn't be easier! 

Here is a list of our families "go" to meals:

Spaghetti and Italian sausage or meatballs
Tacos
Mini Meatloaves
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Roasted Chicken
Hot Dogs and Hamburgers
Sloppy Joes
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Macaroni and Cheese
Chicken Pot Pie
Pot Roast
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chili
Taco Soup
Enchilada's (chicken and beef)
Sub Sandwiches
BLT's
Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Homemade Pizza
Italian Sausage w/peppers and onions
Bratwurst
Garlic Spaghetti with Chicken
Lasagna
Beef and Broccoli over rice (with ground beef)
Southwest Chicken Salad
Quesadillas
Roasted Ham Dinner
Roasted Turkey Breast

These are 30 "go to" dinners that I can make easier and they would fill up a calendar quickly with no repeats!  Meal planning couldn't be easier than this! 

Give this a try and share how it turned out for you. 

What are your families favorite "go to" dinners?  Please feel free to share!  We would love hear from you!

Blessings to All!

Kim

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

A few months ago I was on a big Greek Yogurt craze!  My  kids love yogurt of every kind so I began to substitute Greek yogurt for regular in hopes that it would give the kids a little more substance.  It is better for them and for us!  A big tub is way cheaper to buy then the individual yogurts, especially at Aldi.  I can buy a large tub of their vanilla Greek Yogurt for less than $3! 

Well, I had this yogurt in the back of my fridge and it was almost gone.  Since I don't like to throw anything away due to spoilage (that goes against everything I stand for!) and I don't like to hear the words "It's not fair!" (the little bit of yogurt won't feed all four of my kids), I have to find alternative recipes to use it in. 

I had some bananas that were a little more than ripe, and this yogurt, so I went on a Pinterest search to find a recipe that worked in both.  This is the recipe that I found.  Simple and delicious!  Thank you Crème de la Crumb for your great recipe!  I made a few changes to it and the end result was a moist, soft, fluffy muffin that everyone in our family loved! 

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (with Greek yogurt)



                                                  

This recipe makes approximately 16 muffins.

1.  Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners
2.  Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose or wheat flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. of butter (softened)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 extra ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
2 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. mini chocolate chips. 

Directions:
 
1.  In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Whisk until well combined.  Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Cream them together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.  Add the yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. 

2.  Add the dry ingredients, about a cup at a time, to the wet.  Beat on low until just combined.  Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter. 

3.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill each muffin cup.  Sprinkle the remain 2 tbsp. of chocolate chips on the top of each muffin.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden. 

Cost per muffin is approximately $0.17 each.  (Cheaper and healthier than any muffin purchased in a coffee shop!)

What is your favorite use for Greek yogurt?  Please share your recipes and ideas with us!