Make Your Own Mixes

Here are a list of links for some great make your own mixes.  Making your own mixes and spice blends are a great way to save a little money; plus when you make your own you always know what the ingredient list is! Just click on the title to go to the recipe.

Spice Blends:
Dry Onion Soup Mix
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Taco Seasoning
Ranch Dressing Mix 
Chili Seasoning Mix

Convenience Foods:
Home Made Pancake Syrup
 Bagel Bite Pizzas
Crockpot Refried Beans
Frozen Fudge Pops
Frozen Smoothie Pops
Sweet and Condensed Milk
Granola Bars

Mixes:
Bisquick
Pancake Mix
Oatmeal Pancake Mix
Corn Muffin Mix
Muffin Mix
Hot Roll Mix
Hot Cocoa Mix
Yellow Cake Mix
Chocolate Cake Mix

Homemade Fudge Pops With Tutorial

I found the recipe for the fudge pops at allrecipes.com

Homemade Fudge Pops

(makes 12 frozen treats. I doubled the recipe to make 24 frozen treats.)

You can also find the recipe HERE

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

4 cups milk ( I used 1% milk)

• Stir together sugar, flour, and cocoa powder in a large sauce pan (I double the recipe, so I used  large pot)

•  Stir in half of the milk into the dry mixture and whisk until completely combined and smooth.

•  Stir in the rest of the milk.

•  When the rest of the milk is completely incorporated. Heat on medium heat. 

•  Stir the mixture constantly (so that it won't scorch) until it comes to a full rolling boil.

• Continue stirring and allow the contents to boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool  until warm (about 20 minutes).

•  Pour warm mixture into an empty (and clean) ketchup or syrup bottle. I do this because it is much easier to fill the molds.

•  Fill each section of the mold about 7/8 full.  About 1/4 cup per mold.

•  When all the molds are filled, place to mold top on each section.

•  Of  course, I discovered that several of my tops are missing ( naughty children). I had to improvise by using four small plastic knives I dug out of my stash of plastic silverware.

•  Place in the freezer until completely frozen ( I usually just let them stay in overnight).

• To remove fudgesicles from the molds, run hot water over the molds for a minute or two, or let sit on the counter for five minutes before removing.

 If you don't own frozen pop molds you can use 4 ounce or 6 ounce clean yogurt containers. You can also use 4 ounce wax coated or plastic paper cups (if you use plastic cups you can wash and reuse them). Just line them up on a large cookie sheet. Craft sticks (found at most dollar stores) or small plastic knives work great for handles. To get your "handles" to set straight, chill the fudge pop mixture for one hour before inserting them.

Frugal Grocery Budget Stretchers

 Come join us this Thursday night to  learn simple ways to stretch you grocery dollar and feed your family. 

           

 Thursday, July 7th

6:30 pm

at the Church (2000 Fairway)

                                 Nursery will be provided                                  

Super Easy Summer Salad Night

In a potluck rut? Come sample (and take home the recipes for) some simply scrumptious salads! Enjoy an evening of fun and socializing! Hope to see you there!

Thursday, June 16th

6:30p.m.

at the church

a nursery will be provided

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

If you like Reese's Peanut Butter cups, you'll love these brownies!!!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

(use a 8x8 or 11x7 in baking pan. Makes 16 brownies)

For Brownie Layer:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1. Combine sugar, butte, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir until butter is just melted. Remove from heat immediately.
2. Stir egg and vanilla into chocolate mixture until combined.
3. Beat in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and milk. Beat until smooth.
4. Spread brownie batter into a greased 8x8 or 11x7 in baking dish.

For Peanut Butter Layer:
1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Beat melted butter powdered sugar, peanut butter, salt and vanilla until smooth.
2. Drop peanut butter mixture by tablespoons on top of brownie batter
3. Swirl peanut butter mixture into brownie batter by dragging a butter knife horizontally and then verically through batters; until a swirl pattern appears
4. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes.

May Day Mingle

Please come join us for our 

May Day Mingle!

Thursday, May 19th  

6:30p.m.

at the Church.

There will be a hands on carding making class, potting flowers, refreshments, and of course, the most important thing - MINGLING!!

A nursery will be provided.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

 Lately, I have been experimenting with baking whole wheat, high fiber bread (like Harper's Bran Bread). This has proved to be a tricky challenge. The more fiber you add into the bread the denser it becomes. My family has issues with dense bread. They have only been eating  whole wheat bread, if it is mainly made from white flour with a little whole wheat sprinkled in (the big babies). I came across a recipe for Honey Wheat Bread in this month's issue of Taste Of Homes Healthy Cooking magazine. It looked promising! I baked up a batch, and it was fabulous! The family ate it without complaint (Woo Hoo)!  I did tweak it a little bit to add more fiber ( I calculated it at 5 grams of fiber per slice).  Here is the recipe after I tweaked it (of course, you can find the original recipe HERE):

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

(makes two loaves - 16 slices each)

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast

3 cups warm water; divided

1/2 powdered milk

1/2 cup honey (you could substitute brown sugar)

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon wheat bran

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed ( I like Bob's Red Mill Ground Flax Meal)

2 tablespoons butter or canola oil

2 teaspoons salt

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 tablespoon wheat gluten

3 - 3 1/2 cups bread (or all purpose flour)

1. Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water (add 1 teaspoon of sugar to feed the yeast). Let yeast sit for 5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups very warm water, powdered milk, honey (or brown sugar), oil (or butter), and salt.
3. Add whole wheat flour, wheat bran, ground flax seed, wheat gluten, and one cup of bread flour to the liquid mixture.
4. Pour dissolved yeast on top of flours.
5. Beat together until smooth batter forms (about 3 minutes)
6. Stir in the remaining flour until a soft dough forms (it will be sticky)
7. Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead (about 6 - 8 minutes) until a dough is smooth and elastic; adding white flour as necessary to keep it from sticking.
8. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a dishtowel, and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
9. Punch down dough, divide in half, and shape into two loaves.
10. Place loaves in two greased 9x5 bread pans 
11. Cover loaf pans and let rise until dough has risen 1 inch above the rim of the bread pan (about 30 minutes).
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown
13. Remove baked bread from pans (lay loaves on their sides) and cool completely.