Mix it up!

Last time I posted, it was about saving money by menu planning. Today I'm posting about saving money & TIME by making up quick & easy mixes. There are lots of ways to do this, but I've focused mainly on breakfast items. I am not a morning person, so any way I can make things easier is great. All you have to do, is spend a few minutes mixing your dry ingredients into plastic bags. And don't forget to label them! Here are a couple yummy links you might want to try: Multi Grain Blueberry Pancakes & Basic Pancakes. Muffins are another great make ahead mix item. I personally like these. I also have Baked Oatmeal as a mix. Here is my recipe:

1 1/2 cups seven grain rolled cereal blend
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 (heaping) teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup total of dried cherries & dried cranberries
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 handful of chocolate chunks
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2-3 eggs

1. Combine dry ingredients in an ungreased 8x8 pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.
3. Pour wet over dry & mix thoroughly.
4. Bake @ 350* for 40 minutes.

Do you menu plan?

We are a one income family & my husband gets paid once a month. Needless to say, we have a tight grocery budget. One of the ways I've recently incorported frugality into our life, is to menu plan. I sit down once a week and plan what we will eat for dinner. Sometimes I even plan 2-3 weeks at a time. I look at the grocery store ad to see what's on sale, then go to my freezer & pantry to see what in there, & this time of year, I look at what's fresh from my CSA, my garden or at the farm market. Once I know what's on sale and what I have on hand, I start making a list of what I'll need for each meal. So, what does my menu look like? Here's a sample:

(I started this week on Tuesday with an easy meal, because I was out of town for the holiday.)

T ~ grilled cheese & tomato soup with applesauce
W ~ black bean chili w/ gluten free cornbread & fruit
> peach** cobbler for dessert <
R ~ grilled chicken & asparagus* & pears**
F ~ spinach* lasagna & salad* w/ pears**
Sa ~ country sweet chicken pizza w/ broccoli & onions
Su ~ hamburgers*** & macaroni salad w/ peaches**
M ~ cajun rubbed pork chops*** w/ roasted potatoes & onions &
applesauce.

I actually did another week & a half, but I figured you'd get the picture.
What do the * represent?
* = something from the CSA
** = something I preserved last year
*** = meat that I purchased in bulk straight from a farmer. (We buy 1/2 a pig & 1/4 beefalo ~ another way to save money.)

So, that is my menu planning strategy. I hang my completed menu on the fridge so I can readily see it. I just use a spiral notebook, but there are some worksheets that may help you plan easily. They can be found here. I also try to take out the meat I'm using to thaw in the fridge once I get things planned. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment & I'll try to answer your inquiry. Happy Meal Planning!

Eating Better ~ Recipe Review 2

So, I decided to try a another recipe from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious. This time I tried the Peanut Butter & Banana Muffins. These muffins are made with either carrot or cauliflower puree. I chose the later. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C & is one of the veggies that help fight cancer. Plus, I love it ~ raw, steamed, roasted ~ anyway you please! Now I love it with peanut butter! I don't think I'm allowed to share the recipe, but it's easy & straight forward. The muffins are yummy & they melt in your mouth. They seem to be a little on the crumbly side, though, so you'll want to have a plate or napkin nearby. If you'd like to try the recipe, you can borrow my book or check it out at the library.

Eating Better - Recipe Review

So, as I mentioned yesterday, I'm trying to eat (and feed my family) healthier foods. For Christmas I recieved the book Deceptively Delicious. I've tried some recipes already, but mainly just the easier ones. Tonight I decided to try the recipe for Macaroni & Cheese with Butternut Squash. Even though it looked daunting, it was fairly easy to make. However, it calls for 4 oz. of cream cheese and that is all I could taste. I was not impressed. I might as well have just chewed on the brick of cream cheese, it was that strong. I wonder if you could make it with only 2 oz? Hhhmmm? I'm not sure I'll try, though. One recipe from the book that I absolutely love, is the Chocolate Chip cookies with Chick Peas. YUM!!!!! I cannot eat just one. They're even better fresh from the oven. I'll let you know if I try any more of the recipes.

Sweet Treat

A couple weeks ago I found a cookie mix at the batavia farm market. It wasn't just any old mix, it was labeled as "All Natural 8 Grain Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix". I like easy, healthy food, so I bought it. It has all sorts of good-for-you ingredients. Including, 8 types of flour and sunflower seeds. Ian and I whipped it up this morning and by golly; they were great! I highly recommend that you check out their website: www.allenshillfarm.com They even have an 8 grain brownie mix, which isn't bad either.

Summer Harvest

Here is a recipe that uses veggies from the summer abundance.



Vegetable Quiche

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inch)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 medium chopped green pepper

1 1/4 cups chopped tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped zucchini

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

5 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese



Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake at 450 for 5 minutes. Remove foil, bake 5 more minutes. Remove from oven & reduce heat to 350. In a large skillet saute veggies in butter, salt & pepper. Spoon into crust. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk & cheese; mix well. Carefully pour over veggies. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.