Nancy on the Home Front

Frugal Tip: What To Do With Leftover Candy Canes

Wishing all my readers a Happy New Year!

It’s always nice to have a brand new year ahead of me. Time to clean up all the Christmas clutter and put the decorations away. I wonder how many people end up with a pile of leftover candy canes after Christmas? I know we do. For some reason everyone likes to have them hanging on the tree but they never seem to get eaten up. I was looking at the pile of candy canes the other day and thought there has to be a way to make use of them rather then throw them out. After spending a little time on the computer I found numerous ideas!

frugal tip, prudent living — Leftover Candy Canes

1. Stir them in your hot chocolate.
2. Use them to stir your tea.
3. Add them to a milkshake.
4. Break off the hooked end and dip the straight piece in melted chocolate.
5. Crush them.

The last idea had so many uses that I decided that’s what I would do. I took all of our candy canes and put them in the blender and made sugar cane sugar!

crushed candy, frugal tip — Put the candy cane pieces in your blender.

This sugar can be used in many ways.

candy, peppermint, crushed candy canes — My container of candy cane sugar.

1. Ice Cream Sprinkles (I love this idea, Peppermint Stick Ice Cream is my favorite)
2. Cake Sprinkles
3. Cupcake Sprinkles
4. On top of whipped cream in your hot chocolate
5. Sweeten your hot tea
6. Sweeten your hot chocolate
7. Use the sugar in recipes
Use them in recipes, what an idea! I found all sorts of recipes that you could use the crushed candy canes in.

Here are links to just a few:

1. Candy Cane Fudge
2. Peppermint Four Layer Cake
3. Chocolate Peppermint Bark
4. Peppermint Ice Cream
5. Candy Cane Brownies
6. Peppermint Meringues
7. Candy Cane Cheesecake

What did I do with our candy cane sugar? First I made Candy Cane Brownies, I didn’t use the recipe mentioned above but I will share the recipe I used this Friday, it is a recipe passed down from my husband’s grandmother’s recipe box. I also made some Peppermint Sauce. I’m hoping it will remind me of peppermint stick ice cream! I’ll let you know.

Linked To: PremeditatedLeftovers, TheNYMelroseFamily, GlamorousBride, AdornedFromAbove, TheThriftyHome, RivertonRoundup, WeAreThatFamily, EarningMyCape, SemiHomemadeMom, TheWelcomingHouse, Thrifty101, BrambleberryCottage, ADelightsomeLife, Bloom, WhatJeanLikes, TheThriftinessMiss, LoveAndLaundry, CheeriosAndLattes

What’s Been Happening On The Home Front

It has been one busy week! We had a houseful over the Christmas Holiday and I am always sad to see everyone leave. It was wonderful to have all of our four children at home with two spouses and our darling grand daughter. I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present. In case you missed any of the postings, here is what happened!

Wednesday I shared my special Seed Starting Mix. It is almost that time of year to start your seedlings. Can you believe it?

seed starting mixture, gardening — Homemade seed starting mixture.

Have you ever ground your own flour? Ever enjoyed wheat berries for breakfast? In Thursday’s Prudent Pantry I talked all about wheat berries.

wheat berries, pantry, prudent living — Hard White Spring Wheat Berries

I finished up the week by posting one of our favorite recipes – Fresh Apple Cake. Fall has passed and we are no longer picking apples but this cake is wonderful with those apples you have left in your refrigerator. It is quick to make and delicious!

Apple cake, apples, baking — Nothing tastes better than a piece of fresh apple cake!

Enjoy the last few days of December and I’ll see you in 2013!

Linked to: LoveBakesGoodCakes, MyTurnForUs

Recipe Box – Fresh Apple Cake

I had a few apples in our crisper and decided to make my Aunt Cathleen’s Fresh Apple Cake. My aunt shared this recipe years ago and it has been a family favorite ever since! It is delicious anytime of the year but especially good in the fall when the apples are fresh. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Fresh Apple Cake
2 ½ cups flour
½cup wheat germ
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp salt
2 cups brown sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped
4 cups coarsely chopped unpeeled apples

apples, cooking, apple cake, prudent living — Fresh apples cut, cored and washed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar in a large bowl.

flour, cake, pecans, applecake — Nuts added to dry ingredients.

Stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. It is often easier to use your hands to mix everything together as the mixture is quite stiff. Lightly grease a tube pan. Scrap mixture into the tube pan and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

apples, cake, applecake, prudent living — Pat the batter into the Bundt pan

Bon Appetit!

Prudent living, recipe box — Fresh Apple Cake

Nancy

Linked to: NotYourOrdinaryRecipe, RattlebridgeFarm, AnnKroeker, JustWingingIt, AtThePicketFence, LocalSugar, HomeSweetHome, WhatJeanLikes, LittleHouseInTheSuburbs, CheeriosAndLattes, FlourMeWithLove, MakeAheadMealsForBusyMoms, TheChickenChick, DelightfullyDowling, DJsSugarShack, MrsHappyHomemaker, TheDedicatedHouse, OurDeightfulHome, BlessedWithGrace, MandysRecipeBox, RealFoodForager, CrazyForCrust, ItsABlogParty, LoveBakesGoodCakes, HungryLittleGirl, AtHomeTake2, NaturalMothersNetwork, KellyTheKitchenKop, ThisChickCooks, GodsGrowingGarden, LoveBakesGoodCakes, GooseberryPatch

Prudent Pantry: Wheat Berries

One of the items found in my pantry are wheat berries.

Wheat berries are a true whole grain! Without these kernels there would be no flour. They are loaded with nutrients and are as easy as rice to prepare, perfect for a meal any time of the year. Did you know that raw wheat, if kept dry and free of insects, can last hundreds of years without any loss of quality or taste. Unfortunately, once wheat is ground into flour, it will last only a few days without turning rancid, which is why regular store-purchased flour is heavily bleached and full of preservatives. I started buying wheat berries more than 15 years ago even though I didn’t own a wheat grinder. I had a friend that would grind the berries for me. Eventually I purchased a WonderMill wheat grinder of my own and have been happily grinding my own wheat for years.

wheat berries, grinding wheat, pantry — Grinding wheat berries.

In addition to grinding wheat berries to make flour you can also enjoy them in other ways.

whole wheat flour, pantry, wheat grinder — Fresh ground whole wheat flour.

When they are boiled, cooked wheat berries have a chewy bite and a nutty, earthy flavor. They can be eaten as a breakfast cereal with milk and cinnamon or added to a salad or a main dish. A cup of cooked wheat berries has about 300 calories and is packed with fiber, protein and iron. If you Google major cooking sites like the Food Network and search “wheat berries” you’ll find at least fifty tasty suggestions that incorporate whole wheat into soups, salads, sides and main dish casseroles.

cooked wheat berries, cereal, pantry — Cooked wheat berries.

You may not be a baker but wheat berries are definitely a staple that should be in your pantry! Try serving them to your family this week. Besides grinding wheat berries for flour do you have a favorite way to enjoy them?

bread — Whole Wheat Bread fresh from the oven!

If you are interested in grinding your own wheat check out the Prudent Living Online Market they have a great deal on the WonderMill Grain Mill right now!

Prudent Living Market — WonderMill Grain Mill

Linked to: LiveRenewed, SimpleLivesThursday, HomemakersChallenge, FrugallySustainable, MindBodyAndSole

My Garden: Making Your Own Seed Starting Mix

I originally shared this post last year, however in case you missed it I decided to share it again!

Starting your own seeds is one way to save money in your gardening costs. Another way is to make your own seed starting mixture. A variety of materials may be used to germinate seeds and root cuttings. These mixtures must be sterile and must meet certain other criteria.

They must be firm and dense enough to hold cuttings or seeds in place during rooting or germination. They must be of a consistency that will not alter drastically either dry or wet, since this would cause root damage. They must be porous enough to drain properly yet retain enough moisture so that frequent watering will not be necessary.

When starting seeds you can purchase large bags of pre-mixed soil designed especially for seed germination. I have begun to mix my own when I just wasn’t happy with the results of the store bought mixture. The mixture I have been using is easy to make and does a great job. As you experiment with various components you will discover what works best for you.

This is the combination I use:

1 part sterilized garden loam or top soil

top soil, loam, gardening — Top soil or garden loam.

1 part coarse sand or perlite

Perlite, soil mixture, gardening — Perlite

1 part peat moss

Peat moss, soil mixtures, gardening — Peat Moss

Pearlite is used to increase aeration in a mixture. It is derived from a type of volcanic rock and is processed into light, porous, sterile particles that hold many times their own weight in water.

Sand is used to add body and drainage to a soil medium, and is also excellent when used alone for root cuttings.

Peat moss is used in heavy mixtures to lighten and increaser porosity; it is derived from partly decomposed aquatic plants.

Now that we have mixed up our soil we are ready to start planting seeds! In late February I will start with my leek and onion seeds. They need time to grow and establish themselves before I can plant them directly into the garden. I enjoy starting seeds inside as it is a sure sign that spring is coming even when it doesn’t look or feel like it outside!

Linked to: CraftyGardenMama, MindBodyAndSole, ASouthernDayDreamer

Best Ever Mashed Potatoes

Do you have a favorite recipe you use for your mashed potatoes? A number of years ago I stumbled upon this recipe from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook and it has been a favorite ever since. It is perfect for those special holiday meals where you are trying to save time in the kitchen. These mashed potatoes can actually be made ahead of time and reheated just before serving. When we celebrate Thanksgiving with the extended family I am always asked to bring the mashed potatoes! These potatoes are very rich and we consider them a special treat. I do usually substitute low fat cream cheese and low fat sour cream when making this recipe. I hope you enjoy them!

Now a moment of confession. I wanted to share this recipe, but it is still a bit early to make them ahead for our Christmas meal, so I will be sharing pictures of the ingredients rather than pictures of the process itself! Do try the recipe, you’ll be glad you did!

Best Ever Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

9 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
½ cup butter, room temperature
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup sour cream
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the diced potatoes in a large saucepan, add water to cover and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Drain.Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl. (I put the potatoes through a ricer first and then add the remaining ingredients.)

Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to the potatoes. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The mashed potatoes can be served immediately or placed in a buttered casserole to serve later. To reheat place in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Makes about 8 servings.

Pumpkin Dog Treats

Not only am I getting ready for lots of company arriving to spend Christmas with us but Riley, my daughter’s dog will also be coming. Riley lived with us for two years while my daughter and her husband lived overseas, and she has a very special place in our heart. Pumpkin Dog Treats seemed the perfect way to welcome Riley.

I figured Riley needed to be pampered while she was here, so making dog treats was on my “to do” list!

Wheat berries were freshly ground to provide the flour. The pumpkins had been harvested from our garden and I had just cooked them to make some pumpkin pies and bread. This should be the perfect treat for Riley!

Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
2 eggs
½ cup pureed pumpkin
2 Tbsp peanut butter
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.

Add water as needed to help make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff.

Roll the dough until it is ½ inch thick. Cut into ½ inch pieces. I used my special dog biscuit cookie cutters!

Bake in a preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes. They smell amazingly good as they are baking!

Store in an airtight container.

Frugal Tips: Inexpensive Gift Containers

During the year I collect empty coffee cans. They make the best gift containers especially to put my Snax Mix in!

Collect as many empty coffee cans as you can. Gather some cute Christmasy wrapping paper.

frugal tips — Coffee Cans and Wrapping Paper.

Cut the paper to fit your coffee cans and secure with tape.

frugal tips, prudent living — Cover the cans with wrapping paper.

Add some Snax Mix or other treat, add a bow on the top and you have a gift ready to give to your friends and family.

Linked to: LearningTheFrugalLife, PremeditatedLeftovers, TheThriftyHome, WeAreThatFamily, NaturalMothersNetwork, AdornedFromAbove, FrugallySustainable

Recipe Box: Snax Mix

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without making my mother in laws famous Snax Mix. Not only do we enjoy eating this ourselves but I usually make an extra batch to give away to friends and family.

Here is the recipe for Snax Mix. I’ve changed it ever so slightly to add more cereal, I figure adding more cereal without increasing the butter mix means it’s less fattening!

Snax Mix

½ lb butter (2 sticks)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp onion salt
½ tsp garlic salt
4 cups popped corn (1/2 cup un-popped popcorn)
2 cups unsalted nuts
4 cups cheerios
3 cups rice chex
3 cups corn chex
2 cups wheat chex
2 cups bite size-shredded wheat
Pretzel sticks
Mini bagel chips

Melt butter over low heat and add Worcestershire, celery salt, onion salt and garlic salt. Stir until combined. Places nibbles in a large roasting pan and pour the butter mix over; stir to make sure everything is coated.

Bake 2 hours at 250 degrees, stirring every so often.

Prudent Pantry: The Game Closet

By now you must know that I enjoy having a well-stocked pantry.

We don’t live near the grocery store and it is inconvenient to have to run to the store for some forgotten item. By having a well-stocked pantry I am prepared for an emergency whether it be unexpected company or a job loss.

Right next to our pantry is another important closet, the game closet!

prudent living, games — An important closet.

The pantry keeps us supplied with food and the game closet keeps us supplied with entertainment. When our children all come home they love to play games. As you can see we have a well stocked game closet!

prudent living, puent pantry — The Game Closet!

We have puzzles that will keep you busy for hours or even days! I love having a puzzle going on a table where you can stop and work on it for a little while.

There are also many other types of games from card games to our all time favorite Guesstures! Guesstures is like charades but much faster. The timer is set and you have just seconds to act out your clues. It guarantees an evening full of laughter!

Scattergories is another family favorite when you don’t feel like being quite so active. You are given a letter and then you have to use that letter to answer all the clues. Imagine naming a sport, an ice cream flavor, and something in a pet shop all beginning with the letter B? You have to be unique as you don’t get any points if you have the same word as someone else!

Have you played The Settlers of Catan? Our sons introduced this game to the family several years ago and we’ve been playing it ever since. It’s a strategy game where players collect resources and use them to build roads and settlements. The board changes with each game, and you can buy add-on modules if you want to play with more than four players.

As you can see we have a wide assortment of games from Cranium, which is one of those games which has multiple activities. You work as teams and either act out a clue, draw a clue, answer a question, or answer some sort of word puzzle. There is something for everyone. Risk which is another favorite board game that can take hours to play.

No matter what type of game your family enjoys it is a excellent way to spend time together as a family enjoying each others company and just having a good time. I hope that during this busy holiday season you can take some time to relax and enjoy your family and play some games!

Linked to: LocalSugar