Cracker Candy

Layer Cookie sheet with saltine crackers
(Salt side down)

Heat oven to 400

In a sauce pan, melt on medium heat

1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar

As soon as it starts to bubble,
Boil for 3 minutes
Stirring constantly.
Pour over Saltines and bake
approximately 5 minutes.
Watch carefully, till lightly browned.
Remove from oven and immediately pour

1 Bag Chocolate Chips evenly over
the hot bubbling mixture.

Let chips melt and then spread chocolate
evenly over the crackers.
(Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired)
Cool in Freezer 2 Hours
Remove from Freezer let stand 5 mins
And cut into squares.
Store in zip lock bags or tin
Can be stored in refrigerator or at
Room temperature.

I can't believe it's actually Chocolate Cake!

Gluten Sufferers Unite! This one is for you! I've never seen beans turn into a luscious chocolate cake before, especially one that is moist and lighter than most gluten free cakes. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com, but adjusted it a bit.
( I substituted brown sugar for the white sugar, and will be trying Carob chips in place of the chocolate chips soon)

Incredible Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans (about 1 1/3 cans)
4 eggs
2 tablespoons Vanilla
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 inch round cake pan with gluten free non stick spray or coat lightly with oil.
Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl.
Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds until chocolate is melted and smooth, remember microwaves differ in strength.
Rinse and drain the beans well.
Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor.
Process until smooth, or mash beans very well until smooth and then add eggs and mash till smooth again.
Add the sugar and the baking powder and vanilla, and blend till smooth
Pour melted chocolate into bean mixture (you read it right) :)
and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool
Cut a slice and serve topped with whipped cream and toasted hazelnuts.
Sorry no pics, as the cake disappeared to quickly :) Maybe next time.
As always on this site, the recipe is only Gluten Free if you make sure all your ingredients are Gluten Free.

Friday Frugal Find!

Today's Friday Frugal Find was found at Lori's Blog
The Frugally Old Fashioned Homemaker

Lori posted a Tutorial on making homemade Liquid hand soap using just a few ingredients and a blender to make a whole gallon of soap. Take a look and get creative with the recipe.
You can add Lavendar or Grapefruit or Rosemary or Almond or Peppermint Oil to add a wonderful scent. Store in a pretty bottle and add a ribbon and make a lovely gift for a friend.
Thanks for the recipe Lori!

Homemade Liquid Soap

Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups QUICK OATS

2 beaten eggs

1 cup Brown Sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamom

1 teasoppn salt

1 cup milk

Place all ingedients in a mixing bowl

and mix well

Pour into 9 inch square pan

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

Cut into squares

and serve hot

topped with milk

and assorted toppings...

rasins, nuts, fruit...

Egg Pankaka

My boys really liked it when I made this recipe.

It comes from a friend who is now in heaven.

I wonder if God called her home early

to help prepare the dinner table....

or maybe the breakfasts :)

The recipe is easy and tastes yummy!

EGG PANNKAKA

Swedish Oven Pancake

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter!

1 quart milk

2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Beat the eggs and salt

add milk and flour gradually

Mix well

Melt butter in microwave and pour into

9x13 glass pan

add egg mixture

bake at 400 degrees

for 30-35 minutes

Serve immediately with

fruit, jam, syrup, and

or lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Some like it hot, some like it cold,

but no one likes it in the pan

9 days old :)

PS: My daughter in law called this morning to ask about the recipe. I forgot to mention that the batter will seem very runny as you place it in the oven, but not to worry...it sets as it bakes.

Making chocolate Corn Flakes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt5y4Pmrhvk

Homemade Goodness!

Yes I know a loaf of white bread is only a dollar at the day old bread store, but for me and my house we will not eat that poison. When it comes to bread, nurtririon is much more important than a few dollars saved at the grocery store. In the long run we would be spending more at the docotor in the future if I saved on the bread bill.

Nutrition is just packed in these alfalfa and clover sprouts! They are easy to grow. Just soak the seed in a canning jar of warm water for a few hours then place in a shallow sprout grower. ( I suppose you can use a net with small holes like in a screen placed in a shallow pan of water) Change the water daily and keep the sprouts covered until they begin to grow. Then rinse them daily and keep uncovered until they are a few inches tall. Rinse well and store uncovered in the fridge. I love the tase of them on a sandwhich, with cream cheese, they are also good tasting in freshly juiced juices.

We had this with a cup of soup the other day. It was homemade vegetable soup. I figured the meal costs about .53 cents per serving!

Here is a link to a handy cost calculator. Book mark the link and figure out the price of your meals the next time you grocery shopping. And thanks to Donna for the link!

Taco Soup

Tacos, Mexican Food

Taco Soup

A simple slow cook meal that the whole family enjoys.

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker and simmer on low till done.

1 pound browned ground beef

1 can black beans

I can corn

1 can refired beans

1 can roasted tomatoes

1 jar salsa

1 small can roasted green chilies

1 cup shredded cheese

1 cup crushed corn tortilla chips

Serve hot with corn chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Yum!

Bread Making Tips

My sister called the other day and said..."quick can you tell me how to make homemade bread?" Here you go sis! Have fun and let me know how your bread turns out.

Love, your older and wiser and younger looking sister. :)

I used to be so afraid of working with yeast. You know you hear all the stories about yeast being a finicky lady and how you have to baby her. Well, I have found there are just a few basics and you can have fun with the rest.

STEP #1
This really is important if you don't want to waste ingredients.
Before the baking season, put yeast spores back in your home…just put some yeast sarter out on the counter…warm water some yeast and a spoon full of sugar..I’ve heard it helps the medicine go down a little easier:)…after the yeast has done it’s thing a few days and you can’t stand the smell anymore get rid of it and start fresh

STEP #2

Start with a warm place in the kitchen to ferment the yeast. I use the top of the oven that has been pre-heated.

Put 1 cup very warm water in a large coffe mug or bowl and stir in a spoon full of honey, then add a tablespoon of yeast and stir gently and let rise.

STEP #3

Scald one cup of milk in pot on stove, turn off heat and

Add 2 tablespoons butter and let melt.

Add 2 beaten eggs

Add 2 Tablespoons Molasses

Step #4

In a large mixing bowl add four cups of flour.

I use two cups white and two of a mix of oats, whole grain flour, rye, cornmeal, and I even add a few tablespoons of protien powder to the four cups total.

I also add a mixture of seeds for flavor (about a 1/4 cup toal)…can be, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, millet, flax seeds or such.

Mix

STEP #5

Add yeast mixture to milk mixture

Add liquids to flour mixture and stir.

Add up to a half cup more of flour if needed until mixture forms a ball.

Coat ball with oil and let rise in bowl in a warm place.

STEP #6

When the dough has about doubled in size, Heat oven to 400

Oil two bread pans and split dough into halfs and place in bread pans.

As soon as the oven is heated to 400 place the bread pans into the oven and TURN DOWN the temperature to 350.

Bake for 40-45 minutes depending on how you like your crust.

Let cool a few minutes and remove from pans.

Enjoy!

Canning a lost art?

Vegetables

Hello again all. Hope your summer is going well. It is a bit latter in the day than I usually post these Frugal Friday tips as Yesterday was our 26th wedding anniversary! We went for a drive in the "Big Ole Truck". We stopped by the local fruit farms in Washington state to check on the availability of Nectarines but were a few weeks early. It was a nice drive up the moutain loop anyway. This got me to thinking that I might share some frugal tips on canning, something I have been enjoying canning for most of our married life. With the freshness of the summer produce and at times an abundance, it is always best to "put up" any of the excess for the winter months. I dont' know about you, but I got sticker shock shopping for fruits and vegetables last week! So here goes, and if you have any to share please leave a comment or send me a link.

1. Look in your fridge....right now! See anything that might go bad in the next few days? If so make time to freeze it or can it or serve up left overs tonight. Waste not, want not.



2. Check out your local fruit stands, or orchards, for fresh picked deals.



3. Decide whether you will freeze them, or can your deals, but make sure you have time to work with it all before it goes bad.



4. If you can't afford a whole box of fruit or a large amount of veggies go in halves with a neighbor or a friend and help each other with the canning and or freezing.



5. If you don't know how to can, learn! There are many wonderful sites online with helpful hints.



6. Scoure the second hand stores for Canning jars. Remember you will need to check for jars that have no chips or cracks. The large mouth jars are easier to work with.



7. Keep an eye out for a large canning pot, large ladle, wire canning pot insert that holds the jars, and a funnel to help with filling the small mouth jars.

The only stipulation in our home was that we saved all the home canned produce until the first snow fall. It is such a joy to see all the "fruit" of your hard work displayed above the kitchen cupboards for at least.... a little while.

One great help for lowering the amount of sugar in your canning is

Pomona's Universal Pectin.

I have also found a wonderful site that goes into much more detail than I can today at
Pick Your Own.org

Recipes at...Fresh Preserving

Enjoy the bounty and the beauty of your hard work.......can it!

Frugal Friday...Crock Pot Lasagna

Today's Frugal Friday tip is on home cooking. All the food made in this home is preservative free due to allergies. It takes some hunting during shopping to make sure that all the ingredients are all natural but it is worth it! By shopping the canned food warehouses I can save quite a bit on these sorts of foods when they are available, as these sorts of stores don't always carr the same sort of inventory. So I shop there first to see what they have compared to the needs on my shopping list. I have been able to save ingredients for Lasagna. I like to stock up on these as this is my one of my husbands favorite meals. However, turning on the oven in the summer when the temps are in the 90's and there is no air conditioning doesn't seem right! I came across directions for a Crock Pot Lasagna recipe that seems to work just great for us. Of course Dear Husband took some time to get used to the idea of "round" Lasagna compared to "square" Lasgana. I quickly reminded him that we could have Lasagna in the "Summer" as well as the "Winter" if he didn't mind the shape. He succeded after the first trial run! Tastes the same, go for it! So here are the directions to adapt your favorite Lasgna Recipe to the crock pot.

Crock Pot Lasagna
Make a batch of preservative free fresh Lasagna sauce with meat

My sauce...

Brown 1 lb. hamburger and add,

2 cups frozen tomato paste saved from the large can I bought for the same price as two small ones. 2 cups water, 1 cup grape juice, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos, salt and pepper and fresh garlic crushed garlic to taste. 1 cup chopped bell pepper, assorted colors, 1 cup mushrooms. A few fresh herbs for now..Basil, spicy oregano, rosemary and such...

I usually make this the day before to let it simmer and let the tastes blend. (kind of a sweet taste to it)

Or use a can of sauce found on sale and doctor it up!

The Next Day...

Short on time for dinner ...no problem

Add some fresh herbs to the sauce

Toss some sauce at the bottom of the crock pot

Layer with Lasagna noodles right out of the box.

Just break them into lengths short enough to fit across the bottom.

Another layer of sauce

then crisscross the noodles the other way

Layer with shredded Mozzarella

Then Sauce

Noodles

Ricotta cheese if you have it or more Mozzarella

Layer until crock pot is filled leaving at least three inches space.

Top with cheese and more veggies...Chopped bells peppers all colors, and musrooms.

Pour one cup water over the whole thing!

Cover and simmer on high for two hours, or low for three or more ..

You will find the right amount of time for your crock pot

We like the edges crunchy so we leave it a bit longer.

I also plug the crock pot on in the shed to not heat the house in the summer.

Best of all...

At dinner time the kitchen is cool and clean and the table is set.

I've also made it for company and we ate it out on the back deck and served it up from a side table with a great big salad. Complete with tiki torches and Iced tea to make a lovely summer time memory. Another plus is that we usually have many leftovers that can be frozen for work time lunches. Enjoy!

Check out Marsha's Frugal Friday Tips at

Sufficient grace for Suffering Saints

FRUGAL FRIDAY 7-18-08

FRUGALITY TIP: Shopping and canning or freezing local produce in season will help reduce your grocery bill.

It's strawberry festival time in these parts. What a pleasure it is to pick fresh strawberries. Growing up in the Los Angeles area as a kid was not fun living in such a big city although that was nothing compared to today. But one thing that was plentiful was fresh fruit and veggies. We also lived in Ventura County where the pumpkin patches and strawberry fields and orange groves were plentiful all around us. There were fruit stands all over the place. I guess the closest thing we have in the Northwest akin to the plentiful fruit stands is a coffee hut on every few blocks which we really appreciate in the winter time!

After the first batch of fresh stawberries have been eaten which is a must after a long winter, I like to make batches of strawberry freezer jam. The taste is so much closer to fresh strawberries then canning the jam. I can also control the amount and type of sweetner in the jam when I make it at home.

Once made the jams and canned items in this home are set aside to be used only after the first snow fall! This practice brings back a taste of summer in the cold dreary months of winter. So take the kids out on field trip and have some fun and have them help pick some berries or whatever happens to be in season in your area.

Strawberry Freezer Jam with Pictorial Instructions

Strawberry Freezer Jam using Apple juice as sweetner

Strawberry Tips from picking to canning to freezing

Produce picking fields near you

Latte Lessons

Because you asked Patricia....

Latte Lessons for the Frugal Woman....

~Basic ingredients for making Lattes at home:

Coffee

Ice

Milk

Sweetner

Whip Cream

I use decaf beans and grind them myself because I don't drink caffine but love the taste of really good coffee. I also just make a strong batch of coffee in the coffee maker to use in the Latte. I have heard it is heathier to have your coffee brewed and filtered. I have a Krups coffee maker which keeps the coffee from being exposed to the air and making it bitter so I can make some coffee in the morning and use what I want for myself or in case company arrives for an iced Latte later in the day without wasting the leftovers. Although for those of you fortunate enough to have an espresso machine you can use it as well.

If you are going to use sugar (or brown sugar or honey) add the sugar to the hot coffee to desired sweetness first, all others...

Fill a 20 oz. plastic glass (disposable for on the go), or the glass of your choice 2/3 full with crushed ice. You can use cubed ice.

Pour the coffee to cover the ice.

Then add the milk of your choice,

Whole, canned, 2% or 1%,

or fat free, (but hey why bother?)

Add your sweetner...

Sugar free syrups, sugar filled syrups, sugar substitutes

You can even use Coffemate in your favorite flavor to combine the milk and sweetner ingredients.

Stir and top with Whip Cream if desired.

~Basic ingredients for making Granitas at home..

The ingredients are the same as for a Latte however you add it all to the blender (add chocolate syrup if you like) and whirl it up for an even icier treat.

Of course you can adjust the ingredients to suit your own taste.

Enjoy!

Thanks for asking Patricia!
You can visit Patricia and see all her Beautiful
Vintage Linen Treasures
online,
with your Latte in hand if you like.