Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

(adjusted for high altitude:  4-6k ft)

Cake:

2 ¼ unbleached white flour (optional: sub ¼ cup white bean flour)

¾ tsp baking soda

1 ¾ cups white sugar

1 cup butter

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 ¼ cups water

½ cup sour cream

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup creamy peanut butter

Frosting:

¼ cup cocoa

½ cup butter, softened

1/3 cup sour cream

2 cups powder sugar

1 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and sugar. Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa. Add water and sour cream. Heat to boiling.

Pour a small amount of hot liquid into a bowl with the eggs and whip together. Then add egg mixture to the rest of the boiling liquid. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Remove from heat.

Pour into flour mixture, mix until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Using a ¼ cup, scoop batter into cupcake papers; about ½ full. Bake at 375F for 5 minutes; turn down oven to 350F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Heat peanut butter for 1 minute in microwave to soften. Using teaspoon, spread over warm cakes. Cool completely.

Make chocolate frosting by combining all frosting ingredients in bowl, and mix until smooth; frost cupcakes.

Notes:
Refrigerate briefly to harden frosting, then cover with plastic. Store in fridge, but serve at room temperature.


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How to Boil an Egg

(keep in mind that these directions are for cooking at sea level. When you’re at a higher altitude water boils at a lower temperature—as well as other scientific complications related to baking—so food takes longer to cook, and you may need to make adjustments accordingly).

1. Lay the eggs gently in an empty pot.

2. Cover the eggs with about 1" or 2.5cm of water. Use room temperature water. If the water is cold, the eggs will take longer to cook. If the water is hot, though, you may risk the water getting too hot too early and overcooking the eggs (i.e. exposing the eggs to boiling temperature for too long).

3. Add one tablespoon of salt or vinegar to the water. This helps the proteins in the white coagulate faster so any cracks in the shell quickly get plugged.

4. Cover the pot

5. Bring the water to a boil. Stay close and listen; you should be able to hear the water come to a boil. Don't remove the lid to check. As soon as the water is boiling (don't delay) remove the pot from heat. This is done to keep the eggs from overcooking. Keep the lid on so that the water remains at slightly below boiling point.

6. Let the eggs sit for 10-15 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Let them sit for 10 minutes for dark, yellow, moist and somewhat pasty yolk; 15 minutes for light yellow, dry, and granular yolk.

7. Cool the eggs immediately. To stop the cooking process, drain the hot water and replace with cold water. Add some ice cubes to the water.

8. Put the boiled eggs in the refrigerator until completely cooled. This will allow the whites to firm up so the eggs are easier to peel.

Tips:

*Hard-boiled eggs are easier to peel cleanly if the shells are cracked while cooling in water. When the eggs are done cooking, pour off the hot water and replace with cold. Pick up each egg (be careful, they'll still be hot), and drop it back into the pot of cold water so that the shell cracks. As they cool, water will be pulled into the shells. It'll then be easier to pull off the shells without pulling off pieces of egg. This is especially useful for dishes where appearance is important, such as with deviled eggs.

*The egg will take longer to reach the desired state if you are at a high altitude, use larger eggs, boil several eggs at once, use cold eggs, or use cold water.

*Fresh eggs are less prone to cracking because they have a low pH in the white, causing it to adhere to the inner shell membrane, essentially "sealing" it together. But, this also makes fresh eggs more difficult to peel. To remedy this, you can add a teaspoon of baking soda to a quart of water when cooking (which raises the pH and reduces adhering) but it might make the eggs taste slightly more sulfuric.

*If you forget to remove the pot from heat when the water is boiling, you risk overcooking the eggs and getting rubbery whites and dry yolks

*If you leave the eggs in the almost-boiling water for more than 15 minutes, they will come out with discolored yolks and an unpleasant, sulfuric smell.

*Using too much vinegar will cause your eggs to smell bad and taste like vinegar.

*Peeling the eggs under running water may cause drains to plug up. It is very difficult to remove eggshells from your pipes since they are relatively heavy and tend to sink, getting caught on debris stuck to the inside walls of your sewer pipes.

Easy Easter (Deviled) Eggs

12 Hard boiled eggs

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp mustard

1 tsp seasoning salt

¼ cup home canned pickle slices (or pickle relish)

Paprika, sprinkled

Remove shells from eggs; rinse. Using a sharp knife cut each egg in half, lengthwise; cut in a circle, around the yolk. Remove yolks into a medium sized bowl. Using a fork smash yolks into crumbs. Add mayo, salt, mustard, and pickles. Mix until combined.

Scoop mixture into a plastic zipper bag. Cut small corner off bag. Squeeze filling into each egg white half. Sprinkle paprika on top, as desired. Refrigerate, or serve immediately.



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Crockpot Beef Roast

3-4 lb beef roast (any cut)

1 lb carrots (baby cut, or sliced)

1 stalk celery, diced

8 small potatoes, cubed

1 white onion, chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes

1-2 can chicken broth

Seasoning salt

Place roast in a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Add veggies in order listed, sprinkling each layer with seasoning salt. Pour broth over top.

Cook on high for 30 minutes, then on low for 8 hours.

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Simplify: Easter

I have dreams and delusional expectations about how I’d like to conduct the Holidays…but, I’m learned enough to at least know how much I personally can handle. For now, I’m playing it very low key.

Here’s how I simplified my Easter 2011 celebration:

We set aside ahead of time an amount of money specific for “all things Easter”.

Once Easter was commercially available I took my time perusing the different displays and advertised goodies, as I went about my regular grocery shopping (I even had it on my grocery list!).

I bought practical items for Easter baskets, things I was going to have to buy anyway…like swimming goggles, the DVD Tangled, coloring books, sidewalk chalk (all stuff I would’ve eventually bought for summer…combining two budgets into one)…

I made a logical and educated decision about the type and amount of candies I wanted, while I was in the quiet of my own home, to avoid flashy displays and sale gimmicks (that lead to buyer’s remorse).

Within a few trips, I had EVERYthing purchased and safely stashed away about 3 weeks before Easter. I was so NOT stressed (about the Holiday) that for a while I didn’t even realize it was Easter weekend. Neat!

The kids all made plenty of Easter crafts at school, so I didn’t stress about decorating eggs or doing any crafts at home. Luckily we have never instigated the “egg decorating” tradition in our family…we like the plastic filled ones better. Simplify.

The family party was taken care of; we just had to show up. I had volunteered to bring a potato salad…and planned to make it myself, but didn’t set it as a priority so I ran out of time; I bought one instead (sorry, to family).

Easter bunny brought breakfast…(see Easter breakfast post)

And for dinner, I threw a roast into the Crockpot. LOVE the Crockpot. After relaxing a bit in the afternoon I had plenty of time to make some dinner rolls, using a trusted recipe; the only difficulty I had was deciding whether to double the recipe or not.

I ended up with a few more minutes to spare, so I made some deviled eggs to go with dinner…couldn’t have Easter without eggs. And the eggs even came from the neighbors chickens; so they were brown and green, with bright orange yolks, and I could tell the kids they were real Easter eggs because they were found out in the yard. Fun!



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Tips

Sweet Dinner Rolls

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup warm milk

1/3 cup white sugar

2 ¼ tsp yeast

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS:

In microwave safe bowl combine water and milk; microwave for 1 minute. Pour into mixer bowl. Add sugar. Test temperature with finger, should be hot but able to keep finger in without burning. Add yeast, stir; let sit 10 minutes until foamy. Add egg, 1/3 cup butter, salt, and 3 cups flour. Mix until combined. Gradually add remainder of flour, ¼ cup at a time, until dough forms a ball and cleans sides of bowl. Oil a separate bowl, place dough in, and turn to coat. Cover with plastic, or wax paper and a clean dish towel. Let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each ball into a 12” circle. Brush each round with butter. Cut each into 8 equal triangles. Roll triangles, starting at wide edge. Place on ungreased baking sheet, point side down. Cover with plastic or clean dish towel. Allow to rise until double; 30min-1hr.

Heat oven to 400F. bake for 13 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Survey!

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

1/4 cup shortening, melted
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2-1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening, cocoa, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well mixed. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well, then add walnuts and chocolate chips, if desired. (Dough will be very sticky and almost runny.) Refrigerate dough for 2-3 hours or overnight. Drop and gently roll dough by tablespoonfuls in powdered sugar, being careful not to overhandle dough. Place on a greased or wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Do not overbake. The cookie dough may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; baked cookies will store for at least 2 weeks, if well covered and refrigerated. These cookies feeze beautifully. Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.

(original recipe from Lion House Classics, typed as written)

My notes: This is exactly how the recipe was written in the book. It should be amazing, but I had horrible luck with it; hopefully someone else can shed some light here. The cookies turned out like little puddles, even after refrigerating overnight. They tasted good though. I think it may be the flour I'm using, or the altitude, I just don't know...I followed the recipe exactly except I omitted the nuts, and I used a cookie scoop which is about a 2 tbsp portion. I baked them for 13 minutes on a stone baking sheet instead of wax-paper covered.




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Chicken and White cheese Basil Ravioli

Pasta dough (basic recipe here)

Egg wash: 1 egg, beaten + 2 tbsp water

Filling:

3 chicken breasts (cooked and chopped)

½ cup freshly chopped basil

½ lb shredded white (Monterey jack) cheese

Sauce:

2 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp seasoning salt

Mix all filling ingredients together in bowl. Roll pasta dough into 2 flat sheets (or multiples of 2), using pasta machine or rolling pin. Make sure dough is not sticky, and lay on floured surface. Scoop portions (1 tsp for small, 1 tbsp for large) of filling onto bottom sheet of pasta, in rounded mounds at least ½-1” apart (leave room for sealing each ravioli). Brush egg wash onto other sheet; and lay on top of filling sheet, egg side down, touching filling. Gently press dough edges to seal around each mound, and push out any air trapped in filling. Cut raviolis apart, using knife, or cookie cutters…whatever shape you like. Move onto wax paper.

In pan, or pot, on stove add all ingredients for sauce. Add any extra filling to sauce as well. Stir and heat over medium until simmering. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat salted water in large pot, on high heat (my 6 quart pot was only big enough to cook ½ the raviolis at one time). Add raviolis to boiling water. Wait for water to boil again, and cook 4-5 minutes, until desired tenderness. Drain water. Add sauce to raviolis. Serve.

(an original recipe, by Jen)

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Comparing prices: the impossible

As I have mentioned previously, I am not exactly mentally capable of shopping sales, clipping coupons, or comparing prices. It’s just not in my programming. But, as I dive deeper into this world of eating cheap it is becoming more clear to me. I’m actually starting to recognize good deals, and the newspaper ads aren’t just pretty pictures anymore.

The world must be nearing an end. The unthinkable is happening!

I have started down a new path, in learning to shop sales. I know. I start down a lot of paths. And it’s really confusing to keep up with me. But, humor me for a while, and this might actually end in a good place.

In yesterdays mail I received a bundle of newspaper ads. Normally, my first stop would be the garbage, to file them accordingly. This time, with sales on my brain, I actually set them aside for later. Last night, I pulled out all of my grocery receipts from the last few weeks. I started a new “food prices” file. In my file I have a few sheets of lined paper, and the most recent grocery ads. I sat down with all my receipts and made a list of everything I buy on a regular basis, the place I bought them from, and the price I paid. I made a few columns, so I can compare other stores for each item. I then opened up the ads, and looked at all the pretty pictures.

Weirdness sets in, and then I’m actually becoming giddy about sales! I found, in the ads, 3 really great deals, and made a sale list. I am now $73 closer to filling up my food storage…yippee!

I plan to keep my price list updated as I see new ads (or…I may step out on a limb here, and say coupons too? Eek), and even take my file with me when I go grocery shopping. No, I don’t think I’ll strap it in the seat belt of the cart like a toddler…that would just be silly. I’ll most likely just leave it in the car, and review it before and after I go in (maybe I can sneak it in my pocket? Just to avoid weird looks…).

Every penny counts?

Well, unless your name is actually Penny, and you haven’t learned numeric orders yet, then yes “every penny counts”. If you think about it, it really makes sense (or cents?). If you only stick to your “needs” list, except when your food storage items go on sale, then you will slowly and casually increase your food storage with items at the very best prices. Once you have a sufficient food storage your needs list will be much smaller; and nearly all of your food will have been purchased “on sale”…without the headache of being an obsessive coupon/sale shopper. But, part of the trick is making sure you know what is a good price (not all sales are the best prices) and only buy items you use; not just items that are a great price.

So, I’m off to a good start…we’ll see how this road ends.



return to TIPS

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 (8 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)

2 green bell peppers, cut in 1 inch pieces

Sauce:

1 ½ cups water

¾ cup white sugar

¼ cup distilled white vinegar

¼ cup (reserved from chunks) pineapple juice

3 drops orange food coloring

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup water

Chicken/batter:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cut in 1 inch cubes

2 ¼ cup unbleached white flour

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp cornstarch

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground white pepper

1 egg

1 ½ cups water

1 quart (4 cups) oil, for frying (vegetable)

In a saucepan, combine 1 ½ cups water, sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, and food coloring. Heat to boiling; stirring occassionally. Turn off heat. Combine ¼ cup cornstarch and ¼ cup water in separate bowl/cup; slowly stir into saucepan. Continue stirring until sauce thickens.

Separate bowl: Combine flour, 2 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp cornstarch salt, white pepper, and egg. Add 1 ½ cups water gradually to make a thick batter. Stir to blend thoroughly. Add chicken pieces, and stir until chicken is well coated.

Heat oil in (electric) skillet or wok to 360F. fry chicken pieces in hot oil until golden. Remove chicken, and drain on paper towels.

Layer green peppers and pineapple chunks on serving dish. Top with chicken, and pour sauce over. Serve with white rice.

Notes:

Use orange food coloring, red makes the sauce pink (unless you like pink).

The original recipe called for ½ cup vinegar, but it was really overpowering, so I cut it back to ¼ cup.

I also used a 20 oz can of pineapple, and was able to reserve ¼ cup juice (a smaller can may not have as much juice).

You can use the stove if you don’t have an electric skillet, just make sure oil temp is 360F; and I don’t know what setting that would be. Make sure the temp is correct before frying chicken; if it isn’t hot enough the chicken will absorb too much oil and be too greasy.

I use a regular fork to scoop raw chicken into oil. Then use a slotted spoon to flip chicken in oil and remove when both sides are browned.

Original recipe found on allrecipes.com

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Ceramic Knives--my thoughts

I don’t have a lot of opinions about knives; at this point in my life. I may someday become and expert, or at least opinionated, but for now…a knife is a knife is a knife. I prefer serrated, because I think the sawing motion works best; especially for slicing bread. The knives I own are a cheap set that came in an 80-piece kitchen collection from Sears, about 10 years ago, or so. They still work, and I haven’t thought much about replacing them.

I was recently given, as a gift, a Yoshi blade. You may have seen them on TV, I know I had. They are made of ceramic. Seeing the commercial I was intrigued, but never enough to go buy one. Now that I own one I can give an official opinion.

I think it’s a nice little knife, overall. I especially love to use it for slicing potatoes, as the starchiness from the potato doesn’t stick to the knife. I do have a couple of complaints. Not big problems, but just things to be aware of:

First of all, as advertised, it is VERY sharp. This means, it does cut glass. I used it to slice brownies in a glass baking dish…yep, ruined my dish! Oh well. It was a cheap dish. Lesson learned.

Also, because it is made of ceramic, unlike the commercial advertises, it DOES chip. So, be very, very careful with it. And it comes with a printed list of ways to NOT use it.

It’s not supposed to go in the dish washer, either, so that’s always annoying, but not a big deal.

And, one last thing; it came with a ceramic peeler as well. The peeler is an awkward design that I’m not really comfortable with. I hate using it to peel potatoes, but it works surprisingly well for peeling apples. It also feels very cheap and flimsy. So, the peeler is nice for some things, but I’m not holding my breath on having it last forever.

All in all…I’m happy with it. And for $20 at Walmart it may be something to think about buying; not too unreasonable. Personally, because of my unrealistic cheapness, I wouldn’t buy one…but, that’s just me; and I do like owning it.


Return to TIPS

Waffles with Blueberry Sauce

Waffles:

2 eggs

2 cups unbleached white flour (or sub ½ cup wheat)

2 ½ tbsp white sugar

3 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 ¾ cup milk

½ cup canola oil

1 ½ tsp vanilla

Blueberry Sauce for topping (recipe below)

Heat waffle iron. Beat eggs in a large bowl with hand mixer. In separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients; use whisk, or fork, to combine. Add dry mix and rest of ingredients (not blueberry sauce) to eggs. Beat just until smooth.

Use cooking spray to lightly coat waffle iron. Scoop ¼ cup mix per square, onto hot iron (portion may vary depending on the size of your waffle iron—I usually do about ¾ cup for a 2 squares iron). Cook until golden brown (mine are done just after the large pillar of steam is finished).

Serve hot. Or let cool, and freeze for later (reheat in toaster).

Notes:

I like to sub part of the white flour with wheat flour; just a ½ cup or so.

I usually make at least a double batch, so I have plenty of easy meals for the kids. Just store in gallon size freezer bag; take from freezer, pop in toaster…voila!

Make blueberry sauce first; or earlier and store in fridge.

Try topping with cream cheese frosting from: Frosted Cinnamon Rolls. Yum!

Blueberry Sauce:

½ cup white sugar

1 tbsp corn starch

1 cup water

2 cups frozen blueberries

In 2-qt saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Mix together using whisk. Slowly pour in water, while stirring. Turn heat to slightly above medium. Add blueberries; bring to a boil, stirring gently. Boil for 1 minute, still stirring. Remove from heat.

Serve warm or cold; Spoon over waffles.

(My kids think it’s soup! And they gobble it down)

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Frosted Cinnamon Rolls

The Dough:

4 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp active dry yeast

1 cup milk
1/3 cup margarine

2 eggs

The Filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

The Frosting:

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Measure 3 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast into mixer bowl. Mix to combine.
In a saucepan (or microwave dish) combine milk and butter. Heat until butter is completely melted, stirring occassionally. Test milk with finger, to make sure it's not too hot for yeast. Pour into flour mixture. Mix until combined.
Add eggs, one at a time; Mixing after each until combined; and then mix an additional 2 minutes.
Start adding remainder of flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix after each addition, until dough forms a balls and cleans sides of bowl; mix 2 more minutes.
If you are not using a stand mixer pour dough onto a flat surface, after all ingredients are added, and knead for 5-10 minutes; until smooth and elastic.
Use cooking spray to coat sides of a new bowl. Place dough into bowl and turn to coat dough. Cover with plastic. Allow to rise until double; about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Turn out onto flat surface. Knead briefly and recover with plastic. Allow dough to relax 10 minutes.
Using rolling pin roll dough into large flat rectangle, about 20" wide.
Prepare filling: Combine sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Spread butter to cover entire rectangle. Sprinkle sugar mixture over butter. Roll dough into long rope, starting with edge farthest from you. Cut into 16 pieces.
Using paper towel, spread margarine evenly on baking sheet. Place rolls on sheet, close together but not crowded. Cover with plastic. Allow to rise until double, about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 400F. Bake rolls 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.
Make frosting: beat together cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Spread over warm rolls.

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Random Survey: How much do you Budget for Groceries?

Tell me how much you budget for groceries each month.

(just comment below to leave your answer)

Also include the number of mouths you are feeding, and how much you actually are spending.

Do you consider eating out as part of your grocery budget, or is that a separate budget (and how much do you plan, and really spend)?

Most people consider groceries to be just food items, but if you want to include household goods like TP, soap, and toothpaste you can; just make sure you let me know that you are.

Don’t stress about answering all my questions…just as much or as little as you’d like to share.

Thanks so much for participating!

It’ll be fun to see what different people consider reasonable. I also just want to get an idea about how unrealistic I really am.

My answer (April 2011):

I budget $500 per month, to feed 6 mouths. I am including household goods as well as eating out; which means we almost never eat out. Food is easy to keep in my limits, but I’m having a hard time staying in that budget because of the household goods; and not eating out is a sacrifice. Eating at home does have its advantages, though, and creates fonder memories than going to a busy restaurant and spending lots of money. This is my proposed budget, and will be official once we actually move into our new house. At the moment it is a Challenge, just to see if I can really do it.

Deciding How to Shop

Importance of smart shopping

I have always had a hard time with grocery shopping. The moment I walk into a grocery store my mind begins an epic battle: sensory overload vs genetic instinct to be cheap. There are billions of dollars spent on marketing and research to create the most irresistible packaging, displays, and store layouts. The sensory overload is intentional, and planned. They want us to be confused, to be overwhelmed. We are literally herded, like cows, toward the items that have the most financial influence. The items we NEED, are definitely not the items we “need”. Most of the time they aren’t even items we want. We leave the store and soon feel the onset of buyer’s remorse; and then vow to never impulse buy again. Only to find ourselves doing the very same thing; day after day, forever. It’s a trap. And marketing companies are only getting better, and smarter, and more convincing. They’re taking more and more of our money, keeping us overweight, unhealthy, addicted, and broke. We have to wake up. Break the cycle. Save ourselves.

Keeping a list

It’s taken me many years to finally figure out a system that works (mostly) for me. It’s not fool proof, but it’s the best I’ve got, and I’m quite pleased. I’ve always been a list maker. In fact I would go as far as to say I am a compulsive-list-maker, or even a list “addict”. I have a list for everything that comes into my head. In my world, if it’s not written down it doesn’t exist. But, I suppose that is neither here nor there. The point here is that I keep a constant grocery list.  A few years ago it was an accumulation of several bits and scraps of paper, stacked together, and then compiled into one list at the time of shopping. As soon as I noticed I was low on something it would go on the list. Any time I decided I needed to buy something, or a request was made, I would grab a paper and write it down. It is impossible, and ridiculous, to try and pull a list straight out of your head just as your heading to the store. With technology my lists are even better now. I don’t have those little scraps of paper all over my house anymore. I got myself a smart phone with an electronic notepad. I also have a dumb little purse—I call it a phone pocket—that I made for my phone, so I can have it on me all the time (I also call it my brain pocket, because my phone is now the external hard drive for my brain). Every time I go to the grocery store I don’t even have to think about what I need to buy. I don’t have to remember, and I don’t have to forget! It’s great. With my electronic grocery list I even have the ability to organize my list by the route in which I move through the store. But, even if you don’t have a smart phone, you can still manage with a notebook, a day planner, a pad of paper stuck to the fridge, a folded sheet in your pocket, or even little piles of scraps as I used to do.

What to put on your list

The first place to start is in your pantry. Take a good look at everything you have. Throw out anything that is expired, gone bad, or that you know you just won’t use. Then, look at the things you think you may someday use, and actually find a use for them; at that point you will know if you really are going to use it or not and may need to just throw it out. I always felt bad throwing stuff out, so I made up a justification in my head that it’s going to end up in a land fill one way or another, whether it goes through me first or straight into the trash; and I’d rather avoid having it stick to my hips. That may not be the vivid image you want to have, but it worked for me. Or, you can donate to a local food bank, or just give it away to your neighbors. However you go about it, start to whittle away at what’s there, until you get it down to unexpired items that you use regularly. Then decide if there is anything you would use regularly but don’t already have. Put those on your list. Any time you open the last bag or box of something you use regularly, put it on the list. Anytime you realize you are out of something you need or use, or when you are trying a new recipe and find ingredients you don’t have. Anytime your honey makes a reasonable request. If you see a commercial or a sign for something you think you might like to try; put it on the list, and allow yourself to really decide before you impulse buy.

Choosing where to shop

Gradually you have to figure out which stores have the best overall prices for your personal needs. Start at your favorite store and notice the prices of some things you might want to buy. Or save your receipt for comparing later. The next time you go shopping try a new store, or one that seems like they might have good deals. Compare those few items you remember, or the ones you actually bought. Even if they aren’t on your list to buy, still walk by and check out the prices. Do this a few different times and you will start to get a general idea of which places have the best prices on your items. You don’t have to compare every single item, and definitely not every time, that would be too exhausting. Just get a general feel for what’s in each store, a few different times, until you feel comfortable making a decision. A lot of times stores will have better deals on some things, and be more expensive on others, and it will be opposite in different store. So, even after finding the best overall store, it’s also good to find a few other stores that have generally better deals on other items. For me, I decided that overall Costco has the best deals on items in bulk. And buying in bulk is usually going to be the best deal all around.  But, Costco sells a lot of name brand items. So, if you buy name brand than Costco is almost always the best. But some things don’t have to be name brand, like brown sugar for example. Brown sugar is much cheaper in a generic brand, and so I buy it from Winco. Winco is my second choice, after Costco, for bulk items, because they sell more bulk items than any other local place I have found so far. Macey’s also has really good deals on bulk items, and they often have good sales on other things. I don’t have the patience to shop sales, so I couldn’t really say what deals are good at Macey’s. They do have a lot of food storage items, so they would be next on my list for buying in bulk. They also do annual case lot sales, and if you know what’s a good deal then that is the best time to stock up. Walmart actually charges more for their bulk items than Macey’s does, but anything I don’t want to buy in bulk I buy from Walmart; they have the best overall prices, a large selection for convenience, and I am very comfortable with the layout of the store. Having a few main stores narrowed down is a huge relief. I don’t have to wonder or stress about who has the best prices, or the best sales, and I don’t have to waste my time searching adds, clipping coupons, or running all over town looking to save a few pennies. My time (and what’s left of my sanity) is more important to me than squeezing every cent out of every store.

How to shop

Pick a day that works best for you to set aside as grocery day. For me, it is every other Thursday. The reason for that is I have one child in preschool. I have to commute quite a ways to get to my chosen stores, and the trip takes longer than the length of time he is in school. So, I have to take my two youngest with me and go on a day that there is no preschool. Also, every other Thursday happens to be payday; and my grocery budget is refilled. It works very well for me. In each of my stores I have a designated route that I follow. I have already ordered my list to coordinate with my route, so I can move smoothly through the store, erasing each item as I put it in my cart. I also have my whole trip planned out, based on the location of each store, and their hours of operation, so I can get it all done at once.  On Thursday, though, I usually just go to Winco and then Costco. That’s my bulk buying day. I usually do my little trips to Walmart as needed, but try to limit it to just once a week.

What to buy

I try to buy everything on my list first (unless I run out of room in my cart), because those are my “needs”, and then if I see a sale on something that I keep in my food storage and use regularly I allow myself to buy several of that (even if I don’t need it). That way I can slowly add to my food storage, by only buying things on sale. Everything that’s on my list is only what I am running low on; I don’t put food storage on my list. I also know that there are a whole lot of things that I see at the store, that I am temporarily hypnotized into believing in NEED at that very moment. For those things, I simply add them to the bottom of my list, under a sub-list titled: to buy next time. That way, I don’t feel like I’m going to miss out on it, I’m giving myself permission to buy it, but I’m also making myself go home and in the peaceful sanity of my own home make a rational decision about whether or not I really “need” it. Do NOT buy anything that isn’t on your list; it is an impulse buy, you don’t need it. And if you get home and realize you’ve forgotten something you can run to Walmart and pick it up. That’s the whole beauty of keeping a constant list. It is almost impossible to forget something. Another thing I sometimes do, that helps me not feel so rigid and stressed is to actually add an item to my list that is: one item not on my list. That way, if I absolutely have to have it right now I can, and then when I see something else I need as well I can decide between the two. I actually used to do that quite often; I would pick up an item and put it down a few aisles later, constantly throughout my trip. I would laugh about how I was a nightmare to the employees for rearranging the store every time.

In Summary

So, keep these few thoughts in mind:

Clean out your pantry: Use it, or lose it.

Make a list, keep it updated.

Choose the best overall stores for your personal needs.

Pick a regular shopping day.

Create a route through the store, and order you list to the route.

Do not buy anything that isn’t on your list. Keep a sub-list for “next time”, and if necessary add 1 “freebie” impulse item to your list.

Allow stocking up on food storage items, only when they are on sale.

Homemade Oreos

For the cookies:

1 1/4 cups white unbleached flour

1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

For the filling:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (make sure to sift, whisk, or stir with fork--to reduce lumps)

2 tsp vanilla

Make cookies:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda/powder, salt, and sugar in bowl.

Add butter; mix. Add egg; mix. Continue mixing until dough comes together.

Spray baking sheet with cooking oil. Measure 1 ½ tsp portions of dough, and roll into balls; place on baking sheet about 2” apart. Using flat bottom of glass cup, gently flatten each ball.

Bake in oven 9 minutes.

Leave on baking sheets to cool.

  

Make cream:

Beat together butter and shortening in bowl, at low speed; gradually beat in sugar and vanilla. Turn mixer on high and beat 2-3 min, until light and fluffy.

Assemble sandwiches:

Turn half of the cookies so flat bottom side is facing up. Scoop cream into zipper bag; Zip closed, and cut off one corner, making a small hole (about the width of a pencil eraser). Gently squeeze frosting mound through hole, onto cookie. Place another cookie on top of cream, flat side down. Press top cookie gently down while slightly twisting, to work filling evenly to edges.

Notes:

Be sure to use UN-salted butter, the cookie ends up pretty salty as is.

These cookies spread when baked (almost double in size), so give them plenty of space.

I used a cookie scoop to portion mine, and they ended up huge; 4” wide. It was fun to have them big, but it only made 11 sandwiches.  I measured the size of my scoop and it holds about 3 tsp.  I think a portion of 1 ½ tsp per wafer would be perfect (use a measuring spoon, and scrape the top flat with a knife, for exact portions).

If you use a clear glass to flatten the dough you can trace the circle size you like on the inside of the glass; then use as a pattern to make evenly sized cookies.

Approximate yields:

Makes 11 (3 tsp dough-4” wide) sandwiches…

1 ½ tsp dough would make 22 sandwiches, and 1 tsp dough would make 33 sandwiches.

Related Article:

A Leaning Tower of...OREOS

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Marshmallow Crispy Squares

¼ cup butter or margarine

1 pkg (10 ½ oz) mini marshmallows

6 cups crisp rice cereal

Melt butter in large saucepan on low heat. Add marshmallows; cook until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly. Remove from heat

Add cereal immediately; mix lightly until well coated. Press into greased/buttered 13x9 pan. Cool completely.

Cut into 24 squares

Related Article:

An Easy Classic, and Kid Friendly

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Chicken Black Bean Tacos

Chicken Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

 ¼ cup canola oil (for cooking)

2 cups Black Beans (frozen, or canned)

1 can corn

1 can green chilies

2 cups prepared rice (1 cup instant + 1 cup water)

½ cup taco seasoning

2 cups water

Black Bean (purple) Tortillas (recipe follows-prepare ahead)

Salsa

Sour cream

Directions:

Cook rice, according to package directions.

Heat oil in frying pan. Place chicken in pan and cook, about 4 minutes on each side. Side fattest chicken to check for doneness; should no longer be pink in center. Remove chicken from pan; drain grease.

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, and return to pan. Add black beans, corn, green chilies, prepared rice; mix.

 In separate bowl combine taco seasoning and 2 cups water; stir. Pour over ingredients in pan. Mix all ingredients together. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Spoon into tortilla. Top with salsa and sour cream.

Black Bean (purple) Tortillas

Ingredients:

2 cup White Flour, Unbleached

1 ½ tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Sea Salt

1 cup Black Bean Puree

1 cup Water

3 Tb Canola Oil

Directions:

Mix together the white flour, baking powder, salt in a medium size bowl (or mix and knead in stand mixer). Add black bean puree, water and oil, mix until all combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead about 5 minutes, until elastic, add more flour or water if needed. Let dough rest 15 minutes, divide dough into 12 equal portions and roll into balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll balls out until very thin (about as thick as a dime) and round. Rolling tip: Lift actual tortilla and turn, between rolls of the rolling pin, to gently stretch and maintain round shape.

Preheat a nonstick skillet until hot (do not use any oil), or electric griddle to 325F. Place tortilla round in skillet and cook until bubbles form, flip and cook a little while on other side, until starts to lightly brown. Place tortillas in a large plastic bag, inside a clean dish towel to keep warm, moist and avoid sogginess. Tortillas can be stored in refrigerator up to 3 days or place cooled tortillas in a large ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3-4 weeks.

Makes 12 Tortillas.

Related Article:

Purple Tortillas: Best. Tacos. EVER! 

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Black Bean (purple) Tortillas

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