Weekending...

Just a few snippets from this past weekend...I love slow, easy Saturdays...

{making apple butter}
two words: YUM-O. :) I may or may not have eaten with a spoon what wouldn't fit into the jars...
recipe adapted from here. I halved the recipe and yielded a little over 2 pints.  
First, I peeled and quartered 7 granny smith apples and put them in the crockpot. (You can cook them with the skin on so you get all the good nutrients and then just pick it out later.)

Next I drizzled 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla over the apples.  Then just covered and cooked on low for 2-3 hours.  The original recipe said to cook for 8 hours, but my crockpot always cooks everything faster so my apples were definitely done in 2 to 3.  Also, the original recipe said you would have to mash the apples with a fork after they finished cooking, but mine were completely mushy--I just stirred them with a spoon.  Then stir in 3/4 cup white sugar, 6 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves.

Cook on low for another 30 minutes to an hour.  Then spoon into jars!

 {Tie a pretty ribbon on, and I'm thinking these would make lovely happies.}

Note: I didn't boil the jars to properly seal and preserve the butter so I'm not sure how long it will keep in the fridge.  But I have a feeling it won't need to keep long because I finding plenty of excuses to eat it! :) 

{attempting to start a garden}
I'm planning to build a small raised bed in the backyard soon.  Let's just hope these seeds sprout. I have my doubts.  And so does Paul.  But he won't be too disappointed if these plants flop...it's not like he eats vegetables anyway. I mean really, who doesn't love a fresh tomato or squash from the garden?  I could totally be a vegetarian.
 

 

 

And now we wait...wish me luck!

{replenishing my supply of laundry detergent}

I've been making our own laundry detergent for about 4 months now...works just as well as store-bought, super easy to make, and a huge $ saver!  My sister-in-law has been making hers for probably a year now, and I know several other people who do it too.  If you'd like to give it a try, here's the recipe which I adapted from the one on this super cute blog
 

1 cup borax

1 cup washing soda

1 bar of soap, grated (such as Dial or Ivory)

1-2 drops essential oil (optional for added fragrance)

Just mix this all together and then put in a blender or food processor to get it to a smooth consistency.  Note: If you have a mediocre (at best) blender like I do, you will want to blend only small portions at a time so that your blender won't get clogged.

You only have to use 2 tablespoons per load...at first, you may feel like you're not using enough because you are so used to using a large scoop of the store-bought, but trust me, 2 tablespoons will do the job!  One recipe is enough to wash 32 loads.  

So how much does this DIY actually save you? Well, it depends on which store-bought brand you currently buy.  I did some calculations and bottom line is: with this recipe, your cost is 4 cents per load!  Liquid Tide can run as much as 35 cents per load--almost 9x the cost of the DIY.  And even if you buy the cheap stuff like we used to (i.e. powdered Arm & Hammer which is 9 cents per load) it is still a huge cost savings--less than half the price.  Yes, I'm a nerd.  I like to find ways to save money!

 

Hope you enjoyed your weekend, and your week is off to a wonderful start!  

DIY baking mixes

I've been wanting to make some of my own baking mixes for a while now and finally got around to it this past weekend. Super easy and a $ saver, too! 

Biscuit Mix {via allrecipes.com}

You'll Need...

10 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking powder

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

Directions: Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add oil and mix with a fork or pastry blender; you should have small lumps throughout the mixture. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 3 months.

To make Buttermilk Biscuits: 
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line the sheets with parchment paper. Combine 2 1/2 cups biscuit mix, 2/3 cup buttermilk**, and a pinch of salt. Stir together to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly, about 10 times. Cut dough into 12 equal pieces and place on prepared baking sheets. Brush tops of biscuits with milk or egg wash, if desired. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown.

**The first time I made this recipe, I was less than impressed...the biscuits seemed dry and tough. Betting that the problem was with the baker rather than the mix, I tried making them a second time, and they turned out much, much better.  The key: add a bit more buttermilk than it calls for (but be sure not to get the dough too sticky!) and do NOT over-knead, 10x is plenty!

Pancake Mix {via Taste of Home} (yay! for whole wheat flour)

You'll Need...

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.  

Yield: 6-7 batches of pancakes (about 6-3/4 cups total).

To make Pancakes...

You'll Need:

1 egg & 3/4 cup milk

Directions:In a small bowl, whisk egg and milk. Whisk in 1 cup pancake mix. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. Yield: about 6 pancakes per batch.

I have yet to try the following two recipes, but they got rave reviews.  I plan to try them once my current supply runs out.  Let me know how it turns out if you give either a go! 

Whole Wheat Biscuit Mix {via Grocery Shrink}

You'll need:

3 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups unbleached flour

6 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup of cold butter

Directions: Mix all the dry ingredients together well and cut in the butter until it is in pea sized amounts.  For lighter, more layered style biscuits, it’s best not to cut the butter too small.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

*If you want to skip kneading and rolling out your dough...

Homemade Bisquick Mix {via Kitchen Simplicity}

You'll Need:

5 cups flour

1/4 cup baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

Directions: Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks or in the freezer for longer storage.

Yield: 6 cups

To Make Biscuits:

Mix together 1/3 cup of milk for every 1 cup of mix. Drop onto an un-greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degree for 10-12 min.

*Add any additional ingredients you wish such as cheese or herbs before adding the milk.

*1 cup of mix yields about 6 biscuits.

To Make Pancakes:

Mix 2 cups of mix with 1 cup of milk and 2 eggs. Cook on hot griddle.

happy biscuit and pancake making :)

Who doesn't love a freebie?

Confession: I'm an avid grocery coupon clipper and comparison shopper...aka the person you hate to stand behind in line at the check-out. My apologies, but I {love} it when I can save a few bucks, and I love a good freebie even more! Tell me I'm not alone. :) So here's a freebie for you...

I get the Grocery Shrink e-newsletter each week, and it is filled with great recipes and tips/ideas for being frugal. This week she is offering her Slow and Savory Suppers crock-pot cookbook as a {free download through this weekend only}. Nice, huh?! It includes a whole month's worth--that's 31!-- of yummy, healthy recipes that won't break the bank.  And don't you love crock-pot cooking...makes making homemade so much easier.  I'm looking forward to trying some of her dishes soon.

And speaking of saving $...If you shop online at all, then you have GOT to start using ShopAtHome.com ! Instead of making your purchases through the retailer's website, you simply link to the website through ShopAtHome.com and you can receive anywhere from 1-30% CASH BACK on your purchase.  They keep track of your purchases and once you rack up at least $20 in cash back, they send you a check.  They say there's no such thing as free money, but I haven't found any "strings attached" yet!  The way I look at it, if you are going to be making the purchase any way (like the multiple textbooks we just had to buy), you might as well earn a few bucks back.  We linked up to collegebookrenter.com and earned 6% cash back on our textbook purchases which equaled $14.19!  ShopAtHome.com is partnered with thousands of stores, from clothing stores like Gap to photo websites like Snapfish, to Home Depot & Office Depot, and pretty much anywhere else you can think of.  Genious, I think.  Check it out.  

Happy saving and don't forget to check out the Grocery Shrink and her free cookbook! :)