No Bake Energy Bites

I found this recipe for No Bake Energy Bites and adapted it. These are great for breakfast and a quick snack. They are rich and strong flavored. I listed what I used in red.

* 1/2 c Nut butter (almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter or any other nut or seed butter)
* 1/3 c honey
* 1 c old fashioned rolled oats
* 1 c shredded unsweetened coconut (or wheat bran/germ, oat bran, some ground flax seed, ground nuts or sesame seeds.)
* 2 t vanilla
* pinch of sea salt
* 1-2 t your favorite spices or spice combination (optional - I used 1/2 t cinnamon)
* 1/2 c other add-ins (roughly chopped nuts or seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips, etc)

Mix together the nut butter, honey, vanilla and salt if needed. Then mix in the remaining ingredients. I used
equal parts sesame seeds, coconut and mini chocolate chips. Mix well. Allow to chill slightly and then roll dough into 1-2" balls.

Keep refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to use. Makes approximately 18-24 depending on size.

Chip Supreme

No great recipe here, but rather one of my favorite snacks right now. I found these lovelies last winter in a random bin at Walmart and haven't found it since. That is until yesterday when I found them at Sydney's Health Market... Woo Hoo!

Let me introduce you to Chip'ins. If you love popcorn, you will love these. The light crisp texture of a chip, the salty flavor, the tender flavor of popcorn, and completely gluten/dairy/soy/egg free.

There are no artificial ingredients. I love when there are very few ingredients to read on the back of packaging... corn, sunflower oil, and sea salt.

That's it.

Warning, you may hate me for sharing this with you. Because once you start, you may not be able to stop.

Ham & Cheese Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast has become a struggle in our world. Getting all of us ready and out the door in time to get the bus and to work on time AND eat a decent breakfast is a stretch. I manage to get the kids fed, but I've been surviving on granola bars. BUT NO LONGER.

I spent the night cooking breakfast for all of us for the next week. I have pumpkin pancakes, millet Belgian waffles (more like waffle shreds - but that's an epic failure story for later), chopped up ham bits, along with ham & cheese burritos in the fridge and freezer.

I've posted before about the breakfast burritos I made for my husband, but those were egg based. I am NOT a fan eggs. So I had to find another filling to keep me happy for breakfast. I had a whole bunch of leftovers and odds and ends around to use up so in they go. Think of it as a breakfast skillet in a tortilla. Eat it on your way (safely of course), for a quick snack, or just because.

4 med Potatoes, diced *
1/2 c Bell pepper, diced
1 c Ham, diced
1/3 c Cheese, shredded (omit if dairy free, but you might need to increase oil to 3 T)
2 T Oil (Olive, Sunflower, or Safflower)
1 t Salt
1/4 t Garlic powder
1/4 t Black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add potatoes and cook over medium-high heat until slightly softened and browned. Add peppers and continue to cook 2-3 minutes. Add spices and ham and continue to saute for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat (if freezing allow to cool completely and then) and add cheese and portion out onto slightly warmed tortillas. Fold tortillas burrito style and wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags for later use.

WARNING: if you add hot contents to the tortilla and wrap them up, the steam will cause your burrito to become very soggy in the storage process. Only fill with warm contents if eating immediately.

* You could substitute southern-style frozen hashbrowns (the square cut) for potatoes for a short cut. I prefer the larger potato chunks and organic potatoes are far less expensive than organic frozen hashbrowns.

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

I mentioned this in the 25 Tips of Christmas and thought I'd give you a glimpse at them with a few more details. This is about as easy and quick as it gets for a treat. It was a hit with my oldest son who we've had trouble trying to find Christmas treats that fit his multitude of food allergies.


Stick a toothpick or plastic coffee stirrer in a large marshmallow. Allow of couple minutes for the stick to adhere to the marshmallow. While you wait, melt 3/4 c of chocolate chips and 2 t of butter or shortening. Dip and roll the marshmallow in the melted chocolate, lightly wiping the excess chocolate off the bottom of the marshmallow on the side of the bowl. Rest the chocolate coated marshmallow on wax or parchment paper on cookie sheet. Refrigerate to harden chocolate.

For an added bit of fun, sprinkle chopped nuts, toffee bits, chopped up pretzel bits, or sprinkles all over the chocolate.

Toothpicks To The Rescue

In the food court at the mall, they are always handing out samples on toothpicks at the Cajun restaurant and Chinese place. My youngest always has to try them out, and my oldest can't because of his allergies.

Leftovers again?

Make it an adventure with finger food. Following Thanksgiving, my boys were really tired of turkey, but time was short and leftovers were plentiful. I stuck a few toothpicks in pieces of turkey and broccoli and dinner was a hit.



It was a land-speed record for attitude changes around the table.

Flourless Peanut-free Peanut Butter Cookies

This is about as simple as it gets in allergy-free baking. It requires NO specialty flours and the finished results are very tasty. They are a bit crumbly due to the lack of flour, but have a smooth texture.

1 c firmly packed brown sugar
1 c sunbutter (or almond butter)*
1 egg (or egg replacer)
1 t baking soda
1/2 t vanilla extract
3/4 c chocolate chips (or morsels)

Stir together first five ingredients with a wooden spoon (It's sticky, you'll want a good stiff spoon. I tried a thick spatula with sad results and moved on to the wooden spoon). Stir in chocolate chips/morsels. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden (cookies will be soft, but firm up as they cool). Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, remove to wire rack. I just slide the parchment paper over to the counter.

*I found a similar recipe to this made with peanut butter and thought - that would be easy to tweak. If you can eat peanuts, feel free to substitute that for the sunbutter or almond butter.

Favorite Chai

I love chai tea and wish that I could get one from the coffee shop anytime I wish, but that's not financially a wise decision. However, I've found the best possible alternative. In my pursuits to eat healthier, I've found Almond milk. I'm not fond of the flavor for drinking plain, but let me tell you, combined with the chai mix, it's divine. The hint of almond flavor and the spice in the chai is a wonderful combination. It would only be made better with steamed milk rather than just regular warm milk.

Right now there are tons of coupons and specials being run on almond milk (from several different brands). Makes an inexpensive time to try it out.

Total Cost: (per serving) $.30
Chai Mix $.10 (Cheep Foods)
Almond Milk $.20 (Target)

Best Banana Bread

This recipe came from my friend Andrea, and yes, this is the best banana bread I've had.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients. Pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Can be made into muffins. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Total Costs: $1.95
Butter $.45 (Sunmart)
Sugar $.25 (Cashwise)
Bananas $.60 (Cashwise)
Milk $.20 (Sunmart)
Flour $.45 (Tochi's)

Vanilla Wafer Snackers

This was my sweet treat meets needing some protein one day. A yummy find.


The vanilla wafer is covered with a layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter) and then topped with whatever you have on hand. I had strawberries, bananas, and a few pieces of Ryan's leftover Valentines Day candy from school. I've done similar with Hershey Bars pieces, but the variety was a good.

Chocolate Waffles

I was looking for waffle recipes without dairy (we're trying removing dairy from my son's diet to see if it's an issue) this weekend and all I had was chocolate soy milk. So this is what I came up with for a recipe. They were REALLY good and my boys and husband devoured them. We'll definitely be making these again. Sorry there is no picture but we were rushing to make
it to church on time (oops, almost made it in time).

2 c Flour
1 T and 1 t Baking powder
2 T White sugar
1 t Cocoa powder
1/2 t Salt
2 Large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c Chocolate soymilk, warm (or milk)
4 T Canola oil or melted coconut oil

Preheat a waffle iron (I love my Belgian waffle maker - so do my kids).

Mix together dry ingredients, and wet ingredients and wisk together. Carefully pour or ladle batter into a greased iron, pushing the batter to the edges of the iron. Cook until exterior is crispy, about 4-5 minutes.

To keep warm and crispy place on wire cooling rack in 200 degree oven, or just serve as they are ready.

Total Cost: $1.30 - 2.10
Flour $.45 (Sunmart)
Eggs $.20 (Cashwise)
Soymilk $.45 (Cashwise)
Oil $.20 - 1.00 (Cashwise)
Others from pantry stock

VARIATIONS:
These would make a wonderful dessert with some whipped cream or ice cream, chocolate shavings, etc.

Carrot Cake

I really like carrot cake, but unfortunately it's hard to find it without nuts in it unless you make it yourself. This one is a winner. It tastes great without the frosting as a muffin (or put a strudel topping on it), but it's amazing with the frosting. Consider it dairy/protein topping for breakfast ;) If you have a food processor, shredding the carrots is a breeze. By hand it goes quicker than you think, but be sure to use the larger size grater.


4 eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 c applesauce
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 t vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour (or 1 c wheat/1 c all-purpose)
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 t ground cinnamon
4 c grated carrots
1 c chopped pecans and/or raisins (optional)

FROSTING
1/2 c butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 c chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan, cupcake tin, or 2 bread pans.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans or raisins if desired. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 min (25 minutes for cupcakes, 35-40 for bread pans), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

For Frosting: In a medium bowl, whip together the very soft butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and 1 t vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake. Top with nuts if desired.

CAKE COST: $2.85
Eggs: $.40 (Sunmart)
Applesauce: $.20 (I make my own)
Sugar: $.40 (Aldi)
Flour: $.35 (Sunmart)
Carrots: $1.50 (Cashwise)
Spices: From Pantry

Frosting: $1.70
Butter: $.40 (Sunmart)
Cream Cheese $.80 (Sunmart)
Sugar $.50 (Aldi)

Is it a bad thing if I admit that I ate two of these and finished of what my youngest didn't eat of his???

Frugal Lunch - Loaded Potatos

I keep 3 things on hand for the basis for lunches - rice, baked potato, and bread. I can usually do something with one of the three and the leftovers I have in the fridge. It beats sandwiches day in and day out and allows me to reduce waste and make the most of our money.

Of the three, I think the baked potato is my favorite canvas to create a masterpiece of lunch. It's filling, healthy (depending on how you top it) and everything goes well on top.

Couple of ways to fix a plain potato

Chicken Taco Leftovers - shredded seasoned chicken, sweet corn, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, sauteed peppers, etc

Cheesy Broccoli - this was leftover veggies from a restaurant (because they give you a whole head) cheese and a bit of sour cream

OTHER OPTIONS:
Beef Fajita - seasoned steak, corn, peppers, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, etc
Soup - cheesy broccoli, beef & barley, corn chowder, chicken fajita, etc.
BBQ Pork
Ham & Cheese
Pepper Steak
Etc

TIP: Potato Coking
When making baked potatoes for dinner, I simply make extra. Before wrapping in foil, I drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on each and rub to coat the potato. Sprinkle on a good bit of sea salt and poke a few holes in to vent steam. Wrap them up in foil and place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until soft.

Blueberry Muffins

I've been on a hunt for the perfect blueberry muffin for years. The right flavor, consistency, weight, and density. I found them at the Christmas brunch table my sister-in-law spread out.

The blueberry recipe is an alteration of a basic muffin recipe. The basic recipe is below and special directions for the blueberry alteration follows.

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups lowfat plain yogurt
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously coat a 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the yogurt and eggs together in a medium bowl. Gently fold the yogurt-egg mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the melted butter.
3. Use a large ice-cream scoop or measuring cup to divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. NOTE FROM JENNY: Following these directions results in absurdly gigantic muffins, I usually make 18 muffins from this recipe and reduce the cook time to 22-25 minutes. :) NOTE FROM JENELLE: I made 24 smaller muffins with cooktime about 21 minutes.
4. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Blueberry variation:
Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest to the yogurt-egg mixture and fold 1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (rinsed well) into finished batter. Add 1 tablespoon of flour to fresh blueberries. Frozen should be rinsed in a strainer until water runs clear, drain on paper towel, and pat dry before adding to the batter.

Total Costs $3.75
Flour - $.40 (Sunmart)
Sugar - $.20 (Cashwise)
Blueberries - $1.50 (Various)
Butter - $.45 (Sunmart)
Yogurt - $1.00 (Walmart)
Eggs - $.20 (Sunmart)
Other ingredients from pantry stock

The muffins freeze/thaw well. Just be sure they aren't overdone or dry before they are frozen.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you. Make these for breakfast and your Irish eyes (or non-Irish eyes) will be smiling all morning long. Drop in a bit of green food coloring and use a shamrock cookie cutter to celebrate. No luck needed to makes these. Simple and easy, and definitely frugal.

I love pancakes, but made straight from the box they are tasty, but I end up hungry after eating lots of carbs and little fiber. These filling pancakes will keep you going all morning long. I'm becoming a huge fan of using yogurt in baked goods. You really don't need the oil in these.


1/3 c unbleached flour
2/3 c wheat flour
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/3 c quick oats
1/3 c yogurt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c milk
1 T canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
2 T brown sugar

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate bowl, wisk together wet ingredients, except for yogurt. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combines. Gently fold in the yogurt (meaning mix gently, pull from the bottom and "fold" over the top). Preheat griddle on high until HOT, reduce heat to medium high and grease liberally. When you pour the batter it should sizzle immediately and start to rise with bubble starting quickly (making them light and fluffy). If the griddle isn't hot enough, the pancake will be flat and dense.

Total Costs: $1.43
Flour $.10 (Sunmart)
Wheat Flour $.50 (Meijer)
Oats $.15 (Cashwise)
Yogurt $.35 (Walmart)
Egg $.08 (Sunmart)
Milk $.25 (Walmart)
Others - from pantry stock

Variations:
Toss in a few berries, chopped apples, or chocolate chips
Freeze them and toss them in the toaster for a busy morning

Frugal Tip: Portion Size

I struggle with portion size. It's a common problem so maybe this idea helps you too. It's a muffin tin measuring system. See how much volume your tins hold (usually around 1/4 - 1/2 cup). You can measure portions to eat into the tins and freeze them for later use. When you pull them out, you know what a portion is. Besides, if you have a whole cake/cheesecake/ice cream bucket/pie you will be tempted to keep eating it until it's gone.

This summer I'm looking for muffin tins at garage sales and thrift stores. Some items you can take out after freezing, others work better left in. Stock up on muffin cup liners when they are on sale or clearance after a holiday (for holiday prints). I don't care if I eat something out of a holly print cup in July.

USE IT:

• Fruit - by freezing in individual portions you can grab just what you need for smoothies, cereal, muffins, etc
• Desserts - cheesecake, cupcakes, mini pies, ice cream pie, ice cream, etc
• Meat - small diced cooked meat for recipes like soups, fried rice, etc - works well for cooked bacon, chicken, ham, ground meats, etc. If likely to dry out... add a bit of the broth or juices to keep moist in the reheating process
• Breads - zucchini/blueberry/banana/apple/pumpkin/cinnamon breads can be made into muffins and stored in mixed varieties is a zipper bag. When you thaw them you have a sampler bag rather than a whole bunch of one thing that you grow tired of.
• Broth - I've started making my own broths. They have a lot more flavor and much better for you, not to mention exceedingly cheep. I'm gonna freeze them into 7 oz portions so that I can grab 2 to equal a can.
  

Mini Kid Pizza

Growing up my mom made pizzas on english muffins many Sunday nights. We loved pizza, but the the english muffins - not so much. So here is my adaptation of mini-pizzas. It's a quick fix and often with things that I have on hand or have just a bit of leftovers to use up.

The beauty of these little things is that my boys help me make them and everyone gets the toppings that they want.


1 tube Grands style flaky biscuits
Pizza Sauce or Loaded Tomato Sauce
2-3 c Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Toppings of choice

TOTAL COSTS: $3.00 - $9.00
Biscuits $1.50 (Aldi)
Sauce - from Stock
Cheese* - $1.50 (Aldi)
Meat & Veggie Toppings - $0.00 - 6.00 (Meijer/Aldi/Costco)

* I shred the block myself, it melts better and I'd rather not eat the wax they coat shredded cheese with.

VARIATIONS WE LIKE:

• Pepperoni - Son #2 (3 years old)
• Pepperoni & Sausage - Son #1 (6 years old)
• Ham/Green Peppers/Oregano or Chicken/Broccoli/Oregano - Me (not telling years old)
• Meat Lovers - Husband (he can't remember years old)

Quick "Almost Peanut Butter" Treat

My oldest son has a peanut butter allergy. I've been able to give up most peanut butter treats, but everyone in a while I still crave a chocolate/peanut butter slurge.

I've found Trader Joe's sunbutter is remarkably good quality and the best of the peanut butter substitutes I've tried.

Take your vanilla wafer, top with a teaspoon of sunbutter (or peanut/almond/cashew/etc butter) and a piece of chocolate and wa-la... it's a quick and tasty fix.

Sausage Balls

I dislike meatballs. I know some of you might be gasping at the thought, but it's true. The texture never is right, the taste isn't right... okay, I just don't like them.

THEN, I was introduced to these lovelies. Tried them at Holiday Hints last year and have loved them ever since. I make them as appetizers, to serve with spaghetti, eat leftovers for breakfast...
Oh, and they are wonderful. Adapted from bettycrocker.com

RECIPE:
2 1/2 c Baking mix
1 lb Bulk pork sausage
4 c Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 c Milk
1 t Dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 1/2 tsp Fresh parsley, chopped (or 1/2 tsp parsley flakes)
Barbecue, sweet & sour, or chili sauce, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a jelly roll pan.
2. Stir together all ingredients, using hands or spoon. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on pan.
3. Bake 20-25 min or until brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm with dipping sauces. Makes about 6-8 dozen balls.

TOTAL COST: $4.75
Sausage $2 (Aldi's)
Baking Mix $.75 (Aldi's)
Cheddar $1.50 (Costco)
Parm Cheese $.40 (Aldi's)
Milk $.10 (Aldi's)
Spices from stock

Apple Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins are so moist and sweet their is no need for butter or anything else. Serve them warm or at room temperature. Both are delicious.

2 1/2 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 c finely chopped peeled apples

TOPPING:
1/4 c sugar
2 T flour
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 T butter or margarine (or coconut oil)

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Fold in apples. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.

2. For topping, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle 1 t over each muffin. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

These are even better the second day as their flavors meld and the moisture of the apples penetrates the muffins.

TOTAL COST: $2.95 or less
Apples $.50 (Aldi's or less from orchard)
Pumpkin $.50 (Aldi's)
Flour $.75 (Aldi's)
Eggs $.20 (Aldi's)
Sugar $.75 (Aldi's)
Oil $. 25 (Costco)
Spices - from stock

Holiday Hints - Cappuccino Muffins & Spread

So I've been delinquent in posting lately... but for good reason. I've been busting my britches to get things put together for Holiday Hints 2009 - a ladies night out based on holiday entertaining, decorating, crafting, baking/cooking, and inspiration. Over the next week+ I'll post our menu from the evening along with a few pictures of the decorations/crafts we demonstrated.

Sorry I didn't take pictures of all the fabulous food, but I was a bit busy with details and guests. Trust me, they are worth making.

MUFFINS:
2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
2 t baking powder
4 t instant coffee powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c milk
1/2 c butter, melted (or coconut oil)
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
1 c mini chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)

CRUMB TOPPING:
4 T butter, melted (or coconut oil)
6 T flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, white and brown sugar, baking powder, coffee powder, salt and cinnamon.
2. In another bowl mix together milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla.
3. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Spoon batter into 12 greased or paper lined muffin cups.
5. Make Crumb Topping: Combine the butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Press through fork tines into "flakes/chips" and sprinkle over unbaked muffins.
6. Bake at 400F for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack. Makes 12-15 muffins

CAPPUCCINO SPREAD:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 T sugar
1/2 t instant coffee powder
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 c mini chocolate chips

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and coffee powder. Fold in miniature chocolate chips.

Autumn Arrangement