Baking Day 12/1

Tomorrow is Baking Day! I have a long list so I might divide it up over 2 days. Here is what I will be making:

• Birthday Cake (it is my husband's birthday- any suggestions for what kind of cake to make??) I have decided to make an Earthquake Cake. Thanks Janelle!



• Meatballs for the freezer



• Bagels



• Pumpkin Bread



• Crockpot Granola


• Chocolate Chip Cookies


• Spritzer Cookies


• Molasses Cookies (recipe coming soon)

Join me tomorrow 12/1 for recipes and pictures!

Thanksgiving Appetizers

This year we have decided to have Thanksgiving Dinner at Plaza III . They offer a special meal with turkey and all the trimmings. We have reservations at 6:00 so that we will be able to watch the Plaza Lighting (for those of you that are not in Kansas City, the picture above is the Plaza lights) from inside. We are so excited about doing this!!

I realized that since we are having a late dinner, I will need to feed my family during the day. I have decided to do an appetizer buffet so that we can snack all day. We need to save room for turkey that evening! Here is what I will be serving on the Appetizer Buffet:

Veggie Tray with Dip

Meatballs with BBQ sauce

Creamy Crab and Artichoke Dip

Clam Dip

Crescent-Wrapped Brie

Sweet Pumpkin Dip with Graham Crackers & Apples for dipping

Leave a comment if you have any appetizer recipes to share!

Appetizer Recipes

These are 2 of my favorite appetizer recipes. They are perfect for keeping Thanksgiving guests occupied while the turkey is cooking!

Creamy Crab & Artichoke Dip

• 1 package (8oz.) Crab Meat (fresh, frozen, imitation or canned will work in this recipe)


• 1 package (8oz.) Cream Cheese (room temperature)


• 1 cup mayonnaise


• 1/3 cup chopped Onion


• 1 can (13.75oz.) Artichoke Hearts (drained & chopped)


• 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, blend cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients and place into a glass pie plate. Bake uncovered, for 15-18 minutes, until heated through and lightly browned. Serve with crackers or cocktail bread.

Clam Dip

• 1 package (8oz.) Cream Cheese (room temperature)


• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice


• 1 teaspoon Worsteshire Sauce


• 1/4 teaspoon Salt


• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper


• 1 can clams (drained)

Mix together all ingredients and chill 3-4 hours. Serve with crackers or cocktail bread.

Frugal Friday: Saving Money on Printer Ink

Are you like me, do you love to print coupons?? Do you go a little crazy sometimes and print too many? I know I do. I receive a lot of questions from my readers but one of the most common questions is "How do I save money on printer ink?" Up until now my answer has always been "I don't know but if you find out please tell me!"

I have finally found a way to save money on printer ink. Several weeks ago my HP Desk Jet Printer died. : ( I knew I had to get a new printer fast since there were lots of great coupons that I needed to print. It was a coupon emergency!!

My husband (he is a computer & technology geek) & I did some research and the printer that kept standing out was the Kodak ESP 3 All in One Printer. This printer sells for about $70 at Wal-Mart and I love it!!!! Not only does it print but it has a scanner, it copies and you can plug a memory card directly into the printer. Now here is the best part: The ink refills are cheap and they last as long as the expensive ones!!!! The black cartridge costs $9.99 and the color cartridge is only $15.99 at Wal-Mart and Target (and probably other stores as well). I love the print quality and this printer is very user friendly. If you are in the market for a new printer or you want to change printers to save money on ink this one is definitely worth looking into!

(I purchased this printer myself and I was not paid or asked to review this product. This review is just an informative review for my readers. I received no products, money or compensation for reviewing this product.)

For more frugal ideas visit Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Spiced Orange Cranberry JELL-O

This is a recipe I created a few years ago on Thanksgiving. We always have some type of JELL-O on Thanksgiving and I was tired of the usual recipes. I love to experiment and so I came up with this recipe and it was a big hit. It is now one of our must haves for Thanksgiving.

Spiced Orange Cranberry JELL-O

2 packages Orange Gelatin

1 can Whole Cranberry Sauce

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Allspice

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves

Add boiling water to gelatin according to package directions. Add the cinnamon, allspice & cloves and stir until completely dissolved. Add cold water according to gelatin package directions. Stir. Add in the whole cranberry sauce and stir until it is completely mixed in with the gelatin. Chill overnight or for at least 8 hours.




For more great Thanksgiving Recipes, visit Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.

Frugal Friday: Freezer Meal Recipes

In the past few months I have received several requests from blog readers & those that attended the Money Saving Methods Workshop asking for my Freezer Meal Recipes. I have avoided this question as much as possible and I am finally going to come clean. I don't really have written Freezer Meal Recipes. I do have a few resources I use and I have posted a few of my recipes (I will include links to these at the bottom of this post). For the most part, I make-up recipes using ingredients I have in my pantry. The basic recipe for a Freezer Meal is : raw meat, 1 can cooking soup, 1 soup can water (sometimes milk) & seasoning. Place all of the ingredients in a Ziploc freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer. To prepare, run warm water on the bag until you can break it into several pieces. Place in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. For example, one of the basic recipes I use is for Sunday Chicken. This consists of 1 lb. raw Chicken Breasts, 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1 soup can water & 2 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet Sunday Roast Seasoning (or substitute 1 packet dry onion soup mix). I serve this with either mashed potatoes or rice and a veggie (usually green beans).

Some of my favorite cooking soups are:

• Cream of Mushroom



• Cream of Chicken



• Cream of Onion



• Cream of Chicken & Mushroom



• Cream of Chicken with Herbs



• Cream of Celery



• Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic



• Golden Mushroom



• Cheddar Cheese



• Fiesta Nacho Cheese



• French Onion



• Tomato



• Cream of Shrimp

You can also use Tomato Sauce, Chicken Broth or Beef Broth.

A Freezer Meal does not have to be complicated. You can add 2 cups Spaghetti Sauce (homemade or store bought) to a ziploc bag and add 1 lb. of raw chicken. Now you have Chicken Parmesan. Simply add the contents of the bag to your crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve over pasta and top with cheese. I have also taken 2 cups of salsa and added 1 lb. raw chicken. This makes yummy Chicken Tacos or can be served with Mexican Rice. There are no limits to the Freezer Meals you can create. Use ingredients your family likes and combine with ingredients you have in your pantry. One time I made a Freezer Meal & labeled it Itailan Chicken. It was delicious!! Unfortunately I had no idea what was in it. I am guessing that I probably had some leftover ingredients and I just tossed them in the bag and labeled it so you might want to include a list of ingredients on the ziploc bag so this doesn't happen to you!

My best advice is to get creative & don't be afraid to experiment. There are no right or wrong recipes, just use your families taste to determine what ingredients you use in a Freezer Meal.

Here are some of my Resources:

• Homemade Gourmet (click on Easy Recipes, then Recipe Search, then select 4 Meals in 4 Minutes under Cooking Style/Method)



• Campbell's Kitchen



• Once a Month Mom
  

Here are links to some of the Freezer Meal Recipes I have posted:

• There is a list of Homemade Gourmet Freezer Meals here.



• Spiced Cranberry Turkey



• Easy Cheesy Dump & Go Chicken



• Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings

For more frugal ideas, visit Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Menu Plan Monday 11/9

Monday: Crockpot Swiss Chicken Casserole, Corn

Tuesday: Herbed Cornish Game Hens, Baked Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole

Wednesday: Dinner at Church

Thursday: Mexican Spaghetti, Salad, Buttery Pan Rolls

Friday: Mustard Crusted Tilapia, Broccoli, Twice Baked Potatoes

Saturday: BBQ Cheeseburger Pizza, Salad

Sunday Lunch: Ham Sandwiches, Beer Cheese Soup, Carrot Sticks

Sunday Dinner: Leftovers

Breakfast Choices for the Week:

Pumpkin Bread (from the freezer), Fruit

Homemade Pita Pockets (from the freezer) with scrambled eggs & cheese, fruit

Pumpkin Waffles (from the freezer), Fruit

Homemade Crockpot Granola, Yogurt, Fruit

Baking Day Update 11/3

I had planned on doing my baking yesterday afternoon but I did not have enough time. Last night I made the Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars and Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread. This afternoon I am making Crockpot Granola and I hope to make the English Muffins & Pumpkin Bread tonight.

These are the Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars I made last night. I forgot to take a picture of the Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread.

This is the Crockpot Granola that I am cooking right now. It smells delicious!! I can't wait to try it.

Target Prices

There are certain items I purchase on a regular basis for my family and I have a target price for each of these items. A target price is the lowest possible price you find on an item. I use Wal-mart and Aldi to help determine this price. Since Wal-Mart and Aldi have the lowest prices on most items I want to pay less than this price for my target price. This usually involves a sale and/or coupon at another store. I have received several requests for a list of my target prices. I don't have an official list but I will list some of them.

Toothpaste: FREE - $.50

Shampoo: FREE or less than $1 a bottle

Hair Color: less than $3

Cereal: less than $1 a box

Ground Beef: less than $1.99/lb.

Chicken Breasts: less than $1.99/lb.

Roast or London Broil: $2.49/lb. or less

Toilet Paper: $.01 per square ft. (go here to see how to calculate this)

Cream or Cooking Soups: less than $.50 a can

Peanut Butter: less than $.75

Kleenex: less than $.90 a box

Aluminum Foil: less than $.70 a roll

Leave a comment if you have any target prices!

Baking Day 11/3

This Tuesday 11/3 Money Saving Mom & Life as Mom are teaming up and hosting a baking day. I will be joining them! Here is what I plan to make tomorrow:

• Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread



• Pumpkin Bread (recipe coming soon!)



• Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars



• English Muffins



• Pita Pockets
  
• Crockpot Granola

I am also planning to make some freezer meals with the chicken I purchased at Hy-Vee for $1.79/lb. Here are the freezer meals I will be making:

Easy Cheesy Dump & Go Chicken

Chicken & Dumplings

Tomato Basil Chicken x2 (the recipe calls for round steak but I will be substituting chicken)

If you are interested in freezer meals and once a month cooking, go here for some great recipes & meal plans!