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Decadent Hot Cocoa

 Hot cocoa is a winter drink that is not only comforting, but can create a wonderful setting for sharing memories with your family. A cup of cocoa gathered around the table while listening to an audio, cuddling on the sofa for a read aloud, or making breakfast a special time is some simple examples of the Hot Cocoa Effect. Our family really enjoys hot cocoa moments, so whenever we our headed out on an RV trip during I am sure to pack ingredients for hot cocoa. So over the past couple of weeks when I was checking my convenience inventory and found that I was running low it was time to re-stock. However, with my long To Do list and health issues on the forefront I decided to purchase this item in those little convenience packets. What a terrible costly mistake I made! Firstly, the cocoa tasted a bit like cardboard or something. Secondly, the cost per serving was astronomical compared with homemade. This is a mistake I won’t make again, especially since cocoa is SO easy to make. I have TWO tried and true recipes for hot cocoa; one instant (great for on the go) and one that is made stove top, for an absolutely decadent and rich cup of cocoa. Both of the recipes are ones you will want to make regularly and once you drink them, you will NOT want to go back to those pre-packaged types.

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Thanksgiving Breakfast

One breakfast we like in our home is pancakes. The simple fact for me, is that they are so quick & convenient, as well as a frugal meal. But my kids like pancakes because…well I don’t know why they like them, quite frankly. Do I need to know that information? Maybe not. Knowing they like them (especially with chocolate) is enough for me to make them frequently. This week plan a day for a little extra special breakfast. If your children are home from school on break, this is a perfect time to treat them to a breakfast that is fun and delicious! Today’s treat is for Thanksgiving Pancakes. Perhaps you might want to use this recipe for Thanksgiving Day Breakfast. It sets the stage for the day ahead, and will easily sustain the hungries until the main meal is served!

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Steaming Fresh Produce

Over the last few months I have been asked about the new steamer zip style bags for steaming fresh produce in the microwave. Is it safe? Is it efficient? Is it cost effective? I have also been asked about similar questions in regards to the line of frozen produce that steams in the microwave in its own packaging. Here are the conclusions, thus far.

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What to do With All those Apples of Autumn

So many of you have been posting about visiting apple orchards recently. Honestly, when I see your photos, I can smell them through my computer. Really, I can! It is something I truly miss living down here. I have seen a LOT of apple recipes in my days. I have seen a LOT of ways to preserve apples in my journeys as well, but I have never seen how to freeze them for pie filling!

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He Did the Mash!

Ok, the title of this post was me cracking myself up again. When I was a kid we used to play this 45 record of the Monster Mash. Since I didn’t understand that it was just a dance, I thought they were talking about Monster’s mashing potatoes. Well, what did I know? I was just a dumb kid! Anyway, that has stuck with me all these years and whenever I even think of mashed potatoes, I hear the refrain of the song in my head AND I sing it out loud…He Did the Mash! You know you feel sorry for my poor children with the lyric singing mom. But this brings me to a great food item for cool weather. Did you know that mashed potatoes are versatile? Did you know they can accent a meal without adding gravy? Oh, they can be so much more than simply mashed potatoes!

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Half Eaten Apples

One thing we used to struggle with in the autumn was half eaten apples. The autumn brings big delicious apples in abundance and at a great price. However, my kids rarely can eat an entire one of these large beauties. When I would slice up half an apple, they didn’t want to eat the other half later because of browning. I would spread a bit of lemon juice on the cut portion of the apple to prevent it from browning and it will still remain uneaten. So what’s a mom to do. If you end up with half eaten or used apples, have no fear; you do not have to discard those delicious fruits!

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Baked Apples

With autumn in full swing, it’s time for some of those seasonal dishes and sacks that not only curb the chill, but bring those wonderful smells of autumn inside! One of my favorite dishes for autumn is Baked Apples. Yes, it is tasty, but that isn’t why it is one of my favorites. Yes, it makes your home smell absolutely delicious, but that isn’t why it is one of my favorites. It’s on the favorites list because it is SO simple!

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Even Picky Eaters will Eat This

I have one of the pickiest eaters on the face of the planet. I can back this up that when one of my daughters goes anywhere that food is offered, I always get comments about her fickleness. I can further back this up with the fact that any time she goes to play at a new friend’s house for the first time, the mom always comments to me that she doesn’t eat anything or asks what I feed her. This always gives me a chuckle, because I know this about her, yet I never remember to express this to a mom prior to the playdate.

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How to Eliminate Leftover Birthday Cake

Birthdays are often accompanied by birthday cakes. Whether store bought or homemade, kids rarely seem to eat it all. So, we cover the cake and hope that mom doesn’t eat it all one night (ummm…yes I am speaking from experience), but also that we the cake before it gets stale. Here are some ideas for eliminating and wasting leftover birthday cake.

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Frozen Beef Stew

Last week I talked about Malia Russell’s freezer meal plans. SO, as a special treat, this week I am posting my own recipe for Frozen Beef Stew. You will note that the recipe calls for pureed onions. My family likes the flavor onion provides, but NOT the onion texture. Half of my family will not eat anything that has visible onions (among other foods). Years ago I decided to see what would happen if they could not see certain foods. I started with onions and was really surprised that no one even knew they were even incorporated in the meal! If you have finicky family members, consider pureeing anything they may not like in a visible form.

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How to Begin Freezer Cooking

Freezer cooking is an excellent way to save money AND time. Many Moms like the idea of once a month cooking, but don’t have the space to freeze so many meals or the money needed all at once to purchase the supplies for so many meals. These factors may deter Moms from using freezer cooking to help them provide convenience and save money. As I always say, for any lifestyle change you need to develop ways to make the method fit YOUR family.

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Links for FREE Resources for Recipes

We all love to try new recipes. Sometimes we embark on a new style of cooking or a new dietary focus, but we want MORE recipes. Here is a list of links to the sites I most often frequent when I am in need of something new. ENJOY!

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A Guest Dinner

I received one of the loveliest gifts ever when a wonderful friend presented me with a 1929 book simply entitled Home-Makers Guide. I have treasured this piece of history. Just the feel of the leather cover gives me thoughts about the original owner and how much care has been taken of the book over the last 77 years. Interestingly, I have found that many of the tips given in the guide haven’t changed much, but the emphasis on manners has all but diminished in our society. A large portion of the book is devoted to setting meals for entertaining, both formal and informal. What I noted was that a meal served was a complete coursed meal. But the servings were MUCH smaller and the menu very simple. Yet somehow they seem elegant, almost what I might expect to find in a gourmet restaurant.

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Frugal Freezer Food

How many times I have mentioned that if you throw food away due to spoilage there was no savings in the item to begin with. This is never truer than in your freezer, especially a second freezer. Using a freezer inventory is a wonderful way to keep track of contents and dates by which the items must be consumed, thus helping you with your menu planning. However there is another little trick that I recommend for those with a chest freezer.

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Crockpot Ham & Potatoes Au Gratin

This is a dish that my hubby smells and his mouth begins to water. Of course, I love being able to please him after a long day in this way, but the fact that the meal is SO simple and frugal makes it a sure fire winner in my menu! This recipe uses cheese, which can be costly. What I have done over the last two years ...

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Cup of Soup

I remember when cup of soup from my childhood. My mom would buy these little boxes that contained envelopes of powdered mix in which all you needed to do was add a cup of hot water and stir. We thought these were AMAZING! My mom loved the convenience of the little buggers. Whenever a hurricane is coming I always pick up a couple of those neat little cups of soup containers. Since we haven’t had a hurricane in a few years, I have had no need to purchase them. However, Fay inspired me to come up with more frugal options, since they are a tad on the expensive side.

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Pad Thai Recipe

There is something about Thai curry that just makes my mouth water. Have you seen Ratatouille? Remember when he is with his brother and he tries to explain to him what it is like when just the right spices and seasonings are combine? The Fireworks? That is what happens inside me with Thai curry. It’s AMAZING! The complexity of the flavors of curry and and coconut, oh sweet Mama! Serenity Now! If you have never tried a Thai curry and you enjoy food with a bit of a kick, this is a dish you MUST try. It is so simple, it can be made last minute. I recommend letting it let sit, though. Oh my…if only I were making it tonight. I use an electric skillet for this recipe, but you could use a stove top pan.

Simple Pad Thai Curry

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (more or less)

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Storing Rice

This past week I learned a wonderful little trick from my most wonderful and groovy Aunt Barb! Recently, she had the opportunity to visit Tokyo her friend’s family. She noted that her mom was taking out these little Tupperware containers and asked what was contained in them. To her surprise she found that her mother made rice in larger quantities and then packaged them in little containers and placed them in the freezer. WOW! Now, THAT is convenient!

She then told me that since returning from her most fantabulous trip she has made rice and packaged it for freezing in little sandwich bags, for single portion servings. Simply place the rice in a pan with a bit of oil and stir fry for tasty NON-mushy rice!

What really interested me about this is that I can make a large portion of rice and freeze in appropriate portions according to my menu for the month. In this way, when it is time to make a meal that includes rice, I can simply take a package out of the freezer, saving time in the kitchen!

These are my thoughts.

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Full Brownie Recipe

Due to an overwhelming request for my basic brownie recipe, I am bumping this week’s post to next week and giving you what you have been clamoring for. Without further ado, here it is!

Leslie’s Scratch Brownies

 1 c butter. Softened

½ c mayo

5 oz unsweetened chocolate, in pieces

5 oz semi-sweetened chocolate, in pieces

3 c sugar, turbinado, or sucanat

3 TBSP ground flaxseed + ¾ c water, OR 3 eggs

1 TBSP vanilla

2 c whole wheat pastry flour

Optional: nuts

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.      Melt butter and chocolate in a pan over medium heat. Turn heat off.

3.      Beat sugar, flaxseed/eggs, mayo, & vanilla on high speed, until well creamed. Add butter/chocolate mix and beat on medium until well incorporated. Add nuts if desired.

4.      Beat in flour until blended.

5.      Pour into a 9 x 13 pan, muffin tins, or mini muffin tins.

6.      Bake 15-45 minutes depending on pan size.

Buono Appetito!

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Decadent Brownie Recipes

This week has been a whirlwind, I say! I had some unforeseen circumstances yesterday so, here are the posts in the order they were intended. ENJOY!

Brownies from a box are convenient, yet expensive, and seem to have a hint of cardboard flavoring. Brownies from scratch are a soooo tasty, but they take about 7 minutes more to make than boxed brownies. Whichever type of brownies to make, you can do a few things to turn your brownies from yummy to decadent with little effort.

• Consider putting brownie mix in muffin or mini muffin pans for individual treats.
• Add a little sumthin sumthin. Wal-Mart sells bags of mini peanut butter and caramel cups. Five minutes before brownies are ready to come out of the oven, push one of the mini cups into the center of each brownie. Other options for center treats are caramel squares, a teaspoon of peanut butter, junior mints, or rolo candy.
• Sprinkle it up! Add sprinkles, crushed hard pretzels, or crushed peppermint candies to the top of the brownies before baking.
• I haven’t tried this yet, but my gal pal April told me a little secret to scrumptious brownies. Melt Andes candies and add to the batter before baking.

Buono Appetito!

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