Frugal Friday: Kitchen Tip for Measuring Honey

As you know I've been avoiding sugar 6 days a week for almost 6 months now. I've been using local raw honey or Xagave as sweeteners. Before I discovered this trick, sticky sweeteners were a pain to measure. They stuck to the measuring cup and there was a lot of waste. As you know, Frugal Friday is all about saving money. And wasted honey is wasted money (do ya like my rhyme?). Well today I'm going to show you a really simple little trick that I've discovered to measure honey. This also will work for other sticky substances like molasses, Xagave, and even peanut butter.

Kitchen Tip: Measuring Honey

Step 1: Take your measuring cup and spray or brush sides and bottom with a light coat with oil. It doesn't matter what kind of oil (just make sure it's edible...haha). If you are already using oil in a recipe, just use the same measuring cup that you measured the oil in. Then this step is already done for you.

Step 2: Pour honey or other sticky substance into the measuring cup.

Step 3: Then pour the honey into the container you are measuring it into.

Honey should slip right out of the measuring cup, leaving no leftover sticky mess to try to get out.

My husband calls this stuff liquid gold. You don't want to waste even a drop!

Works like a charm! Happy Frugal Friday everyone! Enjoy saving money by not wasting honey. Have a great weekend.

Read More

Campfire Breadsticks

Summer's here and it's the perfect time to make some great family memories. One of our favorite things to do in the summer is cook outside. There's just something special about eating food that's been cooked over a grill or a fire. Especially for kids. It's also nice to not have to heat up the house on those warm, summer days. The problem is that a lot of the food that is traditionally cooked that way is not very healthy. For the last couple of years, we've been experimenting with different campfire dinners that use healthy ingredients. We've had some delicious, healthy campfire cooked food. Today I'm going to share one that's become a favorite: Campfire Breadsticks. 

Campfire Breadsticks
Printable Recipe

*Note: This recipe is adapted so that it can be mixed in a zip-lock bag while camping. If you'd rather make the dough ahead of time in a mixer, please see my regular breadsticks recipe for the method. The dough can then be frozen and thawed about 8-10 hours before cooking or refrigerated and pulled out 2-3 hours before cooking to rise. Then follow the instructions below for cooking over the campfire. 

YOU WILL NEED:
A Heavy Duty Zip-lock Freezer Bag
Tin Foil (bring with you camping)
Hot coals (at the campsite)

DRY INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. SAF instant yeast
1 Tbsp. powdered milk
2 Cups Freshly-ground Wheat flour
2 Cups Unbleached White Flour
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt

WET INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup butter

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
Garlic or onion salt, Parmesan cheese, sesame or poppy seeds, or seasoned salt

DIRECTIONS:

Before leaving home, in a heavy duty zip-lock freezer bag, add the dry ingredients in the order shown above. The order is important because the yeast should not touch the salt or the sugar directly. Then, seal well and bring with you to camp. Make sure you also pack tin foil, water, butter, a small pot for heating water and melting butter, and any toppings you want.

About an hour before you're ready to eat, heat the water to warm, but still touchable temperature (making sure it's not too hot). Then add the warm water to the zip-lock bag with dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add a little more water if too dry. Knead in the zip-lock bag for about 5-10 minutes or until dough is elastic. Seal bag and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Once dough has risen, roll out a layer of tin foil to a desired length. Roll a second layer and place on top of the first. Melt butter partially in small pot and grease tin foil with butter. Roll the dough into "snakes" to the size that you desire. Place the number of breadsticks on the tin foil so that foil can still be wrapped around to completely cover them. You may need to make several foil packets with the amount of dough you have. Brush breadstick tops with melted butter, and sprinkle with any topping such as garlic or onion salt, Parmesan cheese, sesame or poppy seeds, or seasoned salt. Fold and seal foil packed and allow to rise 10 minutes. Bake over a few hot coals for 5-10 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 5-10 minutes on the other. Time will depend on how many coals you have an how hot they are. Cook until golden brown. If you are doing this the first time it will take a little bit of experimentation to get the time just right. Under cooking is better than overcooking. You can always check and put them back on the coals if they're not done.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

My husband made a fire pit in our back yard this year so we can cook outside anytime we want. :)

Happy Camping!

Read More

Frugal Friday: Saving Money at the Library

I recently read a quote that goes like this:

"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries"

I love that. The library is one of my favorite places to go and my kid's too. It's an adventure every time we go there. If we had bought every book that we've ever read instead of checking it out the the library, we would have spent thousands of dollars. So I consider that money that I've saved.

I remember growing up that trips to the library were the best. My Mom would take us often to the library and those were always our favorite days. Those are still some of my most vivid memories - going to the library and checking out big stacks of books. I even have a memory of my youngest sister learning to walk associated with a library book that I was reading at the time. My parents did a great job of instilling in us a love of reading that I want to pass on to my kids.

My Dad recently told my kids that he's come to realize that the most important skill that he's ever learned is the ability to read. Of all the skills he has (and he has a pretty impressive list of them), reading has been the most important and the thing that has affected the rest of his life the most.

I think of the library as one of the most important tools that we have for cultivating a love of reading in our kids. I have one child who loves reading. Spends every spare minute of every day with a book in hand. He's a little extreme. But I account part of that love of books to the library. The library feeds this boy. Feeds his mind. I wonder some days what I would do without it. My other son also loves books. He's just starting to read and discover the amazing power of learning through reading.

We have a library book basket in our home where we store all the library books so they don't get lost. This has helped us save money on library fines, which can add up if you don't keep track of the books. Our library also has an e-mail service where they will send me reminders when our books are due. If you're worried about library fines, make sure to ask if your library provides that service, it really helps to get a reminder.

The library is more than just a place where you can check out books. The library has so many other wonderful resources as well. Movies, books on tape, music, software, internet access, summer reading programs, educational programs, and more. All of which are free or low cost. It's such a great resource for frugal family friendly activities and experiences.

Need some ideas for books to check out? Here's a few of our favorite's that I've done reviews on on this blog:

The Missing Tarts by B. G. Hennessy

F is for Freedom by Roni Schotter

I Wonder Why the Wind Blows by Anita Goneri

Elephant and Piggie Books by Mo Willems

Mr. McGee and His Little Dog Dee Books by Chris Van Dusen

The Little Brute Family by Russell Hoban

The Cat who Wore a Pot on Her Head by Jan SlepianI 

Tilly Lays an Egg by Terry Golson

The Fourteen Bears by Evelyn Scott

The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman

A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

Mother Goose by Mary Engelbreit

As I mentioned in our plan for the summer, Tuesday is trip to the library day at our house. Sometimes we stay for story time, sometimes we don't. Sometimes we go a second time during the week because once a week just isn't always often enough for my oldest. We love the library and use it often. It's one of my best and most used frugal resources.

Now it's your turn? How does your family love and use the library? Got a favorite children's book to share? I'd love to hear about. Happy Reading! Have a great weekend.

Read More

Buttermilk Coconut Syrup {Sugar Free}

Sugar free has been such a great adventure this year. I have loved discovering amazing recipes that are sugar free. This is one of those recipes that you have to make to believe. This syrup is like tasting a piece of heaven. I adore it. I dream about it. It is happily ever after. And it's sugar free. Really, it's too good to be true.

In all honesty, I could eat this syrup plain, but it's probably best (and maybe a little healthier) if it's served over a whole grain waffle like this one or this one or this one or some buttermilk pancakes (in a recipe still to come...) or french toast made from whole wheat bread (pictured below). So pick your favorite and get making it. Hey, why not breakfast for dinner tonight? Your family will love you for it.

Buttermilk Coconut Syrup {Sugar Free}

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Cup Butter or Coconut Oil

1/2 Cup Xagave or raw honey*

1/4 Cup Buttermilk

1/2 Tbsp. Ultra-gel or 1 tsp. Cornstarch

1/2 tsp. Coconut extract (or other flavoring, but Coconut is my fav; imitation works fine)

1/2 tsp. Baking soda

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter or coconut oil, Xagave or honey, buttermilk and ultra-gel or cornstarch. Make sure you whisk well while the mixture is still cool to ensure that the ultra-gel or cornstarch doesn't clump. Heat and stir continuously until butter or coconut oil is melted and mixture starts to bubble. Then remove pan from the heat and stir in 1/2 tsp. coconut extract and 1/2 tsp. baking soda. Mixture will bubble ferociously and leave you with a frothy, delicious syrup. 

Best served immediately over pancakes, waffles or french toast. You can also refrigerate leftover and reheat as needed. Leftover syrup will not be quite as frothy, but still delicious.

Recipe Source: Adapted to be sugar free from a recipe shared by Pam, a friend

Just in case you're thrown off by the "coconut". Let me just say that I'm not really a coconut person. I don't really like the texture. But I adore this syrup. It really doesn't even taste like what you would imagine coconut syrup to taste like. It's just deliciousness at it's finest.

And in case you're wondering, this IS the recipe that I alluded to it in a post just a few weeks ago in my post about culturing your own buttermilk. And yes, you do need to use real buttermilk for this, please don't sub that ingredient. One substitution you can make if you're looking to go healthier is using coconut oil instead of butter. I made it last time with coconut oil and raw honey and really couldn't tell much of a difference. If you made some with butter and without and put them side by side, I'd probably say I preferred the one with butter (it's got that yummy buttery flavor), but coconut oil works great and does have some great health benefits.

Can I just beg you to try this recipe? It's one of my favorites and you'll be glad that you did. If you do, I'd love to hear your feedback or any questions or comments. Thanks in advance for sharing; feedback from you is one of the big reasons why I love blogging. Happy cookin'!

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Read More

Frugal Friday: The Principle of Work

As I was thinking about what to write about for Frugal Friday this week I thought about how so many of the principles of being frugal involve hard work. Really, so many true principles of life itself involve hard work. With all of the ease of modern life, it's tempting to slip into the pattern of not wanting to get your hands dirty or to put forth enough effort to break a sweat. Why is that? Just a few generations ago, hard work was a part of every single day. Day in and day out. And the consequences were threatening. If you don't work, you don't eat and your family goes hungry too. Farm children grew up learning how to help out on the farm. There was no need to consciously decide how to teach children how to work. They learned. It was a part of life. Nowadays, with all of the convenience around us, it's easy to feel entitled to not work and to slip into habits of ease and laziness. And our children exceed our examples in this.

So how do we reinstate the virtue of hard work in our homes? How do we get back to that? I'm going to share a few ideas with you, but really I think I'm mostly looking for answers here and would love to have a discussion if you're willing.

My youngest son learning how to mop the floor this week

I think the first thing we can do is to set an example of hard work for our children. Daddy (and in some homes Mommy) goes to "work" every day. But our children aren't a part of that and they don't see it or understand what "work" means. That's why I believe things like growing a garden, DIY projects, cooking at home, etc. is so important. All of those things not only save money, but also help our children see us working at home.

The second thing I thought of is to teach our children to work alongside us. I know a lot of families do chore charts and we do too. I think it's important to set expectations for children to do chores and give rewards when those chores are completed. But what has always worked the best for us is when we take the time to work alongside our children on their chores. Not only does it help them learn how to do the job right, but it also helps them to learn to enjoy working.

Now it's your turn. I would love to hear your ideas on this topic. How does a good work ethic help you be more frugal? How do you teach (or how have you taught) your children the value and rewards of hard work? Do you have a great chore system for kids that works for your family? I'd love to hear about it. Anything else you'd like to share on this topic would be great. I'm looking for ideas! Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend.

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Read More

Strawberry Lemonade Pops (Sugar Free)

It's getting hot! And a cold, sweet treat tastes so yummy. I've been experimenting with different sugar free options and these strawberry slushies are still one of our favorites. I discovered that if you freeze the slushies into Popsicle molds you get the most wonderful strawberry lemonade Popsicle you've ever tasted. Or if you don't have Popsicle molds (and are on a budget), small cups with Popsicle sticks works just as good. I love to keep a bunch on hand in my freezer for a quick, cool summer treat. Enjoy!

These strawberries were picked fresh from our garden! Aren't they beautiful?

Strawberry Lemonade Pops (Sugar Free)
Printable Recipe

*Makes 8-12 Pops

INGREDIENTS
Recipe fresh or frozen Strawberry slushies 
8-12 Popsicle Molds or 4 oz. plastic cups & Popsicle sticks

DIRECTIONS
Pour strawberry slushie mix into Popsicle molds or plastic cups. Place Popsicle mold lids on or place a Popsicle stick in the center of each cup. Freeze until firm, about 4-8 hours.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com



Sugar free is not so hard when you have cool, sweet treats like this around.

Read More

Frugal Friday: Kitchen Tip/Tutorial - Freezing Turnips

We harvested the turnips yesterday. The greens were huge! Here's a picture of my husband bringing them in after picking them. Looks like a beautiful leafy bouquet.

Turnips are one of my favorite things to grow in the garden. They grow so quickly, look beautiful, and taste delicious. For the best flavor, you have to pick them when they are young and tender. Since we can't eat them all ourselves when it's time to harvest them, we freeze them for later. They still taste delicious. I like to put them in pasties, stews, roasted vegetable dishes or soups. They are wonderful.

The turnip greens are delicious too. I don't personally like them plain, but I love to blend them up into green smoothies. So healthy and yummy.

Today for frugal Friday, I'll show you how to freeze turnips. It's easy and frugal. These turnips grew almost for free. Where we live we can plant them in early March and they get plenty of water just through the rainfall. I water them a little when it starts getting hot, but most of the growing was done without me having to worry about watering at all. A spring garden is a wonderful frugal thing. I will plant another crop for the late fall because turnips prefer the cooler weather. Where we live the hot summers are too much for them. That being said, I have to tell you that yesterday I planted an experimental plot of turnips, lettuce and a few other of the cooler loving crops in the shade. We'll see how they do...

And now back to the tutorial...

How to Freeze Turnips
Printable Tutorial

Step 1: Select young and tender turnips and wash with water. If they are too tough now, freezing them will only worsen their flavor.

Step 2: Cut off greens (and wrap in plastic and save in the refrigerator for smoothies later). Then peel off the skins. Chop peeled turnips into 1/2" thick pieces.

I cheated and used this Vidalia Chop Wizard. It's one of my favorite kitchen gadgets...saves me so much time chopping.

Step 3: Fill a steamer with water and heat to boiling. When water is boiling, place chopped turnips in the water for 2 minutes. Turnips should be submerged under water. Start the timer immediately after placing the turnips in the boiling water. This is called blanching. Blanching is important in freezing most vegetables because it's stops the enzyme action, which can cause a loss of flavor, color, and texture. 

Step 4: When 2 minutes is up, immediate remove the steamer basket from the heat and cool turnips with water to stop them from cooking any more. You can also pour them into a sink or bowl full of cold water to stop the cooking even faster.

Step 5: When turnips are cooled completely, drain and pack them in freezer bags, label and immediately freeze. Frozen turnips should last at least a year in the freezer.

One of my favorite recipes to use turnips in is this roasted veggies dish...yum!

Growing your own food and then preserving it such a satisfying and frugal thing to do. It also helps you eat healthier because healthy food is available and convenient. Happy Frugal Friday! Have a great weekend.

Read More

Crunchy Baked Tacos

It's taken me several years and several attempts to find a recipe for tacos that my whole family will eat. I told you they are picky. Well so am I. I'm picky about them eating healthy. My husband an I love these vegetarian tacos, but it was a battle every time I made them with my kids.

Since I discovered this recipe for crunchy baked tacos a few months ago, we've had it for dinner four times. The kids went from not liking tacos before to now cheering when I make these. Each time I've adapted them to be slightly healthier until this is what I came up with. Yes, I've had to compromise a little - they are not vegetarian, but they are still healthy. And the kids love them. It's a win-win.

That beautiful lettuce is homegrown from our garden....mmmh! :)

Crunchy Baked Tacos
Printable Recipe

*Makes 20 tacos

*Note: This makes too much for my family so I usually freeze half of the filling for a quick meal later on. It freezes great.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup red quinoa*See Note Below
1 Cup water
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef*
20 corn tortillas
2 Cups homemade refried beans or 1 16-oz. can refried beans
15 oz. tomato sauce (again you can use homemade if you want)
3 Tbsp. homemade taco seasoning
1-2 Cups shredded cheese (my choice would be a cheddar or jack blend)
Toppings (my choice would be chopped lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small saucepan add the red quinoa and water and cook on medium until boiling, then turn down to medium-low and cook until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender and has a little white curly cue protruding (about 10-15 minutes). While quinoa is cooking, brown ground beef in a large skillet. While beef is browning, place 5 corn tortillas at a time in a damp cloth and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Lay the tortillas on a clean surface and spray or brush both sides with a light coating of canola oil. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Carefully drape the tortillas in preheated oven directly over two bars of the oven rack. Bake 375 F for about 10-15 minutes or until crispy. Corn tortillas will droop and harden to the shape of taco shells. Remove tortillas from the oven and place standing up into two greased 9"x13" casserole dishes, then turn up the oven heat to 400 F. Once meat is browned drain off any fat and add cooked quinoa, refried beans, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Stir mixture well and heat just until simmering. Spoon the taco filling mixture into standing taco shells. Then sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 F for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*Note: If you're unsure about the red quinoa, you can use 2 lbs. of ground beef instead of 1-1/2 lbs. of ground beef and 1/2 cup red quinoa, which is what the original recipe called for. Each time you make it you can increase the nutrition by substituting red quinoa. Red quinoa is a great meat substitute for kids because it's color disguises it so well.

Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from Eating Well and Mommy I'm Hungry

Read More