Coffee Tip

I've shared before that adding a sprinkle of Splenda to your coffee grounds cuts back on the acidity.  I've been experimenting lately and discovered the perfect fall cup of coffee has a sprinkle of Stevia in the Raw, cinnamon, and nutmeg.   

Sprinkle these items on the grounds before brewing and you will have a wonderful cup of coffee seasoned to your taste.

Homemade Granola Bars

In an effort to eat better, I've been making more and more of our food from scratch.  Snack food has been tough for me as my boys prefer all of the icky processed snack foods.  I'm working hard to eliminate the processed foods though so I'm always on the lookout for new recipes.

This summer I posted on Facebook asking if anyone had a great granola recipe.  My friend Jenn posted one and I've found it to be incredibly easy and versatile.  One child will sometimes eat it but the other loves them and thinks he is eating cookies.  I like them too because they are packed with protein and give me a sweet snack during the day.

Homemade Granola Bars
By Jenn

2 cups oatmeal (quick or old fashioned)                               
1/2 cup flour (can use whole wheat)                                      
1/2 cup sugar (or honey, or agave, or splenda)                     
1 tsp. baking soda                                                                
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup applesauce (heaping)
1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips

  1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Add applesauce and peanut butter mixing well.
3. Stir in craisins and chocolate chips.
4. Press firmly (can use a rolling pin) into a greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
6. Cut into bars after slightly cool.

Tips (from Jenn):
You can substitute the last two ingredients for lots of different things.  I have used nuts, white chocolate, infused craisins, golden raisins, & dried pineapple.  If you measure the applesauce first, then the peanut butter will just slide out of the cup when you use the same one.    I like to roll them onto greased parchment paper so I can transfer them easily to my cutting board before cutting to save my non-stick pan.

Trail Mix

Do you have random odds and ends in your snack cabinet and have no clue how to use them up? Use them to make trail mix!

About a year ago I started taking all of those random items that were almost finished but there was still just a little left in the bag or box and turning them into trail mix.  My kids thought it was great when suddenly they had chips, cheese crackers, and pretzels all in the same bowl. It cleared out my cabinets and gave them a new type of snack.

They now ask for trail mix almost daily and we vary it depending on the time of day.  Their current favorite is breakfast trail mix.  It usually contains Cheerios, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries.

I would love to hear some of the trail mix ideas you have using items you already have in your kitchen.

Quick Tip: Cranberries

A lot of holiday recipes call for cranberries but I used to shy away from those recipes because cranberries can get expensive.  A few years ago an acquaintance told me a little secret - dried cranberries are only $1 a box (4.25 oz) at Walgreens.  They are kept with their other dried fruits and while I'm not a fan of the other varieties the cranberries are great.  My kids love them too so I keep a few boxes on hand year round.

Baked Pork Chops w/ Potatoes & Veggies

My husband was recently informed that for the first time ever, his cholesterol is a little high.  His doctor asked him to make a few lifestyle changes and then test again but she wasn't worried about it yet.  Due to this, he has agreed to let me try a few new healthy recipes.  I'm excited as I love to cook but get frustrated by his pickiness.  I tried this easy recipe last week and we all agreed that it was good.  I would like to play with the spices a bit but overall it satisfied everyone and my 4 year old even ate it.  I did substitute fresh green beans for the mushrooms as none of us like the texture of mushrooms.

Baked Pork Chops with Potatoes & Veggies
(From Weight Watchers Simply the Best cookbook)

2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed & thinly sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 onions, thinly sliced (I used a handful of diced onions as that is all I had)
1/4 cup minced basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
four 4-oz boneless pork loin cutlets
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes - no salt added

1. Preheat oven to 325.  Spray a 13"x9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place the potatoes, mushrooms, onions, basil, salt and pepper in the dish; toss to combine.  Place the pork cutlets over the vegetable mixture; pour the tomatoes over all.  Bake, covered, until the pork and potatoes are fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

330 calores, 7 g fat, 30 g protein, 6 points per serving

We've Gone Bananas!

Ok, I haven't really gone bananas, rather they are falling out of my freezer from being stuffed in every nook and cranny.  A few weeks ago I started cleaning out my freezer and was amazed by how many bananas I found in there.  I immediately started an impromptu freezer cooking session related to bananas.  I was able to use about half of them but could use some ideas for the rest.  The following recipes are what I made that day.

Easy Banana Muffins
Black Bottom Banana Bars
Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I highly recommend all of these recipes and I know my family and friends all enjoyed eating them too.  I also had planned to make banana bread but ran out of time. 

If you have any great banana recipes, please share them in the comments section.

Food Friday: Roasted Asparagus or Green Beans

A few weeks ago I was helping my mom prepare dinner for a family gathering when she asked me to prepare the asparagus.  I made it the same way I always make it but none of my family had tried it that way before and everyone couldn't stop talking about how good it was.  I use the same concept for both asparagus and green beans and simply change the seasonings to match the meal.

Asparagus or green beans
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Seasonings to match meal (I almost always include a dash of garlic powder)

Put the vegetables on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Add salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings you desire.  Roast at 400 degrees for 15-30 minutes (depends on how much you are cooking).  I usually make this in my toaster oven and it takes a little less time.

Food Friday: The Unmotivated Edition

I'm sorry to say but I do not have a new recipe to post this week.  I've been extremely unmotivated in the kitchen lately and need some new recipes to get me going again.  

For this reason, for Food Friday this week I'm simply going to share with you my favorite recipe site - Food.com.  Many of you already know this site well, as it was formally known as Recipe Zaar.  They recently changed their name and it threw me for a loop a few weeks ago when I was looking for a new recipe.  It is still the same great site as before but with a few improvements.  


This is my favorite site because the reviews are usually great and the message boards have some great ideas.  And no, they did not pay me to say any of this.  I simply felt the need to share where I like to search.  

Now, I'm heading off to find me a new recipe to try for dinner tomorrow night.

Food Friday: BBQ Bacon Pork Chops

This is an easy dinner that can be made in the oven or on the grill.  It also has received my husband's approval which, as most of you know, is huge.

BBQ Bacon Pork Chops

Pork chops
BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's)
Bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Brush BBQ sauce on both sides of pork chop then wrap bacon around the chop.  Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, adding another layer of BBQ sauce half way through.  If you prefer a crisper bacon, broil a few minutes once pork chops are cooked through.

Food Friday: Fresh Strawberry Bread

I first discovered this recipe a few weeks ago when strawberries were on sale at rock bottom prices.  I knew it was a keeper when my non-strawberry liking 4 year old grabbed part of a loaf and started chowing down on it and telling me how much he liked it.  

One word of warning though, this needs to be made as a loaf and not as muffins.  I love putting quick bread recipes into muffin tins so I have quick and easy breakfast items on hand for my kids but when I tried it with this they did not hold up well as the bread is very moist.

Fresh Strawberry Bread
Originally from RecipeZaar

1 cup sliced strawberries
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten

1. In a bowl, place the sliced strawberries and 2 Tbsp sugar.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight to create a syrup from the berries.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Blend together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil, vanilla, eggs, strawberry slices and their syrup.  Dump the strawberry mixture into the flour mixture and mix just until blended.

4. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan (9"x5") and bake for approximately 50 minutes. 
 

Food Friday: Garlic Vinegrette

This is an easy salad dressing that really dresses up a salad.  I usually make it for potlucks but I had some dressing leftover that I've been using all week and it is delicious.  The recipe is originally from the Weight Watchers' Simply the Best cookbook and they suggest serving it with mandarin oranges and almonds.

Garlic Vinegrette

2 Tbsp minced parsley
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced (I use a microplane grater instead)
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp water


Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fighting lid, cover, and shake.  Serves approximately 4.

Here are a few food related links you might be interested in:

Muffins are one of my favorite quick and easy breakfast and snack foods and here is a free download of healthy muffin recipes.

Quizno's is still running their great special of any small sub, chips and a fountain drink for $2.99. You must print the coupon for this special.

Kool-Aid Cake

This is a fun cake because you can change the color and the flavor to match the season or your child's favorite color.  My son likes to make these as cupcakes.

Kool-Aid Cake

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs 
1 cup milk
1 packet Kool-Aid - any flavor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the dry ingredients, including Kool-Aid.  Add wet ingredients.  Stir until well blended.  Pour into 8" or 9" square pan or muffin tins.  Bake 50-60 minutes for cake, 20-25 minutes for cupcakes or 12-15 minutes for mini cupcakes.

Food Friday: Diet Coke Cake

This is a fairly well known recipe but I run into people all the time who have never heard of it so I thought I would post it.  You can use any combination of cake mix and soda flavors and these make good cupcakes too.

Diet Coke Cake

1 box cake mix
1 can of Diet Coke

Mix cake mix and soda (I usually use just a bit less than a full can), pour into pan and cook according to directions on the box.  Ice with your favorite icing, powdered sugar, or fresh fruit.

Freezer Cooking Update

I'm not quite done with freezer cooking for this month but I have made a lot of progress.  If I had one long chunk of time it would make things easier but I take the moments as they come.

On Friday I made french toast sticks and hashbrowns.  I only did a small batch of the hashbrowns as I want to see how my husband likes them first.  If he approves, I will make more soon.


This weekend was busy as my husband was on call so I wasn't able to cook anything until today.  This morning I made porcupine meatballs and ground beef pasties.  Neither of these are things my husband would eat but I've been wanting to try them so I made them in order to have a quick dinner on the nights that he is gone.  Tonight, I made a meatloaf and I made the recipe that makes two.  One is in the freezer and we ate the other one for dinner.  I plan on sharing that recipe with you all soon.


I still hope to make banana bread, turkey enchiladas and roasted chicken.  Those will be made later this week as time allows.  It feels good to have a few things in the freezer though and my kids are already enjoying the french toast sticks.

Food Friday: Filling the Freezer

This weekend Money Saving Mom and Life As Mom are hosting another freezer cooking day.  I haven't participated the last few months because life has just been too crazy.  I could easily have benefited from having the food in my freezer but there simply was not time to cook.  This month I planned to participate and I had a list of items to fix ready to go but we received some news last night that have changed what I'm cooking this time. My husband found out last night that as soon as he graduates in two weeks he will be traveling for most of the next month and a half.  When he is home, he will be working nights and weekends at his second job.  We are extremely thankful for the income but wish we had a bit more time to recover from school before life happening.

In view of this news, I've changed up a bit what I am going to cook.  You have heard me lament for years now how picky of an eater my husband is.  I get discouraged trying new recipes because he rarely ever likes them, yet I would try a new recipe everyday if I could as I love to experiment in the kitchen.  This month, I'm going to make some of the stuff I want to eat and freeze it in two person portions.  This way I have quick meals for when I'm home alone with the kids and I get a new variety of food to try.  Here is what I hope to make, spread out over the next few days:

French Toast Sticks - made using Cola Bread
Hashbrowns
Rice
Banana Bread
Quiche in a Bag - using leftover turkey and all the veggies I like (my husband isn't a veggie fan)
Quick Cheese Biscuits
Ground Beef and Chicken (cooked for quick and easy meals later)
1-2 casseroles to be determined

Food Friday: Fiber One Crunchy Fudge Cookies

I first made these cookies when I was expecting our second child and wanted a few things in the freezer for when he arrived.  They are delicious and I almost always have some on hand for those days when nothing but chocolate will satisfy me.  I can pull one or two out of the freezer, microwave for a few seconds, and I have an instant treat with easy portion control.  Fiber One often goes on sale so this is a fairly frugal treat too.

Fiber One Crunchy Fudge Cookies

1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
2 cups Fiber One original bran cereal
2 Tbsp mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 tsp ground cinammon
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.  In large bowl, mix ingredients with spoon.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes until set.  Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.  Cool completely.  Store in tightly covered container.  Freeze up to 2 months if desired.

Make about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.  One cookie is 70 calories and 1g of fat.

Iced Coffee & The End is Near

Sorry I was absent from the blogosphere last week - I was a bit busy losing my mind. We are now five weeks from my husband graduating and I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.  I have tons of ideas for this blog and even a few giveaways coming up but please hang on as the next few weeks may remain light on posting.  Our family is looking forward to life settling down just a tiny bit once my husband graduates.  This has been the hardest semester yet and we are all thankful it is the last.

In the meantime, I thought I would share with you my latest indulgence - iced coffee.  I never liked iced coffee before but something changed when I was pregnant with my youngest.  I would occasionally crave it and still do. I love a morning cup or two of coffee but many days do not have time to finish it (I make half caff by the way).  I've started putting the leftover coffee in my refrigerator for an afternoon treat.  Here is my "recipe":

leftover coffee
flavored creamer
milk
dash of Splenda

I add a bit of flavored creamer to the leftover coffee and then top off with soy milk until it is light brown.  I finish it off with about 1/3 packet of Splenda and then pour the coffee over ice.  

Tastes like it came from a coffeehouse but at a fraction of the price and I don't even have to leave my house to get it.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I've always considered myself fairly frugal but I do draw the line on how far I will go to save money.  Making my own laundry detergent used to be on that list of items I would not do but changed my mind some time last year.  After months of hardly any sales on the few laundry detergents my son can use without breaking out in a rash, I decided to give the homemade detergent a try.  

I think one thing that turned me off to it was most of the recipes I had seen were for liquid detergent that made massive amounts.  I'm a liquid fan but I didn't want to have to store that much.  I'm not a huge fan of powdered detergent but ran across and easy recipe and decided to give it a try.  I'm so glad I did because it is easy and is saving our family a bundle.  There are literally hundreds of variations of this recipe on the internet but this is the one I've found that works best for us.

1/2 bar Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Super Wash Soda
1/2 cup Mule Team Borax 

Grate the Fels-Naptha soap then mix with the Wash Soda and Borax.  Use 1 tablespoon per each load of laundry.

I tend to make a double batch so that I always have plenty on hand.  I've also learned that it is easier to grate the soap if you take it out of the wrapper and allow it to dry out for a few days.

All of these ingredients were found at my local grocery store and with the exception of the soap, they will last a long time.  I've been using this detergent for about six months and I'm still on my original box of borax and washing soda.

Food Friday: Grilled Hamburgers

We love to grill hamburgers and I always get compliments on them when I serve them to guests.  I have one secret weapon that makes them taste delicious with hardly any work - Emeril's Essence. You can make it yourself or buy it at the store.  Sprinkle some Essence on your meat and then mix it in with your hands.  The seasoning makes them taste like you fussed.

A great tip I learned from Rachael Ray for dividing out burgers is to take a pound of meat and score it into fourths then patty out your meat.  This way they are fairly close to the same size and will cook more evenly.