Breakfast Freezer Cooking Session

This week I decided I would do a "quicker" freezer cooking session of breakfasts.  I told my husband ahead of time and he was happy to help me by doing dishes and watching the kiddos - but I ended up doing most of it while he was running an errand so he cleaned the bigger bathroom for me instead which made me very happy.

I usually try to keep my kitchen stocked with basic supplies so I had everything on hand.  I also have my master muffin mix on hand and we actually only ever make the chocolate chip pumpkin muffins because EVERYONE likes those.

My list:

• Blender Batter Waffles
• Cooked bacon (*I didn't get to this)
• OAMC French toast sticks (for the freezer)
• Muffins - Using variations from the Master Muffin Mix from Home Joys with more variations

I started after breakfast.  My 5 year old daughter really loves helping in the kitchen and she honestly helped me a lot.  I used yesterday to teach her how to crack an egg and how to get egg shells out of said egg.

Making muffins - I use the reusable silicone muffin liners

I also use the blender batter waffle recipe - I never do the overnight soaking thing and lately I have been using oat groats because I have them on hand.

 I love my waffle maker because it makes 4 smaller thinner waffles which are great to put in the toaster oven straight from the freezer!

Here are the totals - 25 waffles, 17 muffins, 10 pieces of french toast and 25 french toast sticks.

I love having homemade breakfasts in the freezer.  It has taken a lot of trial and error to figure out the best breakfasts to make and freeze that the whole family will eat - but this list is a hit with everyone.

My advice to pull this off :

• Have an empty dishwasher and clean kitchen before you start.
• Get all ingredients and small appliances you are going to use out and on the table.
• Wash and reuse bowls, cups and spoons as you go so you don't have a kitchen full of dirty dishes when you are done.

I plan on making Monday my "make ahead day".  Next week I think I will do mixes.

I would encourage you to do this small version of freezer cooking once a week.  Think about how much this would have cost me if I had bought this at the store - even on sale Eggo waffles are about $1.50 to $2.50 and the ingredients are not nearly as healthy as mine and they come in a pack of 10.  

This post linked to Money Saving Mom's Frugal Photo Friday and Tammy's Recipes - Kitchen Tip Tuesday.

 

Frugal tip - Cook waffles for the freezer

Whenever I pass the Eggo waffles I want to buy them and I sometimes do.   But tonight as I was shopping I stopped myself because I knew I had all the ingredients to make these at home.  Which is what I am doing.  Right now.

I have to stop relying on convenience food because food prices are going up and I can't keep doing that and saving money.

I often use a blender batter waffle recipe that calls for wheat berries, but I am out.  So I found this recipe that enables me to use oats instead!  Oh and when I use this recipe I just use regular milk and I don't let it ferment or anything.  I just put all the ingredients into the blender then pour the batter and my pre-heated waffle iron.



I make the waffles then flash freeze them on a pan.  Then I put them in Ziplock baggies and we just throw them in the toaster in the morning!  Healthier and cheaper than "those" other waffles.

There is your frugal post for today.

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Home hair cutting tutorials

I know lots of people cut their husband's or their sons hair at home.  My husband has been talking to me about doing this and I had been avoiding it until recently.  I decided to watch some You Tube videos to see if I could do it.  Yes, remember yesterday when I told you how helpful You Tube was.

I found some videos that prepared me for cutting my husband's hair and eventually I will cut my sons hair too.  I like their hair a little longer and not buzzed.  Below are the ones that I found most helpful.

My Step by Step Haircut For A Child, Boy, or Man (Part 1) Easy Hair Style Cutting Tutorial (Extremely helpful!):

And Part 2:

Of course when I did my husband's I used the first guard (the one that keeps the hair the longest) and used the clippers on it till towards the top and then I used scissors on the top.

I have yet to do my boys but my husband's turned out really good.  I guess I will get to keep practicing.  I mean its just hair it does usually grow back right?

Frugality 101 - Make it instead of buying it

I am trying this little experiment with myself.  I have done this off and on for a few years, but because there are bigger things that our family wants (like land) I'm trying to save money with the little things.  Now when I run out of something, I do a little research to see if I could make an effective replacement.  This time when I ran out of wipes I decided to finally try to make my own.  I do have some cloth wipes that I use from time to time with a spray bottle.  This time though I used paper towels. The recipe is from here:

Paper towels
2 cups of water (I boiled it first)
2 Tablespoons of baby shampoo
1 Tablespoon of baby oil

1. Cut the roll of paper towels in half with a knife and remove the inner cardboard core.
2. Mix liquid ingredients in container.
3. Place the paper towels in the container with the cut side facing downward.
4. Secure lid tightly and allow to sit until all liquid is absorbed into the paper towels.
5. Turn the container upside-down and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
6. Open container and 'start' the roll by pulling a towel from the inside of the roll.
7. Wipes are now ready to use.

This was really easy to do and they work pretty well.  They are smaller and thinner than regular wipes, but they do the job.

You can do this with almost anything.  If you run out of ranch dressing - try some recipes online.  It is actually kind of fun.  Of course you have to be careful because there are some things that are not worth the time to make at home.  The Simple Dollar has a neat series called Saving Pennies or Dollars concerning frugal tactics that might not really save that much money.  It is pretty interesting.  I quit making homemade dishwashing detergent and he did a comparison that found that it really did not save you that much money to make your own.   So that is one thing I do buy.

What about you?  What things have you decided to make yourself instead of buying?

Frugality 101 - the budget and a CVS deal

I have always done a zero based budget.  I don't really know any other way.  But when I do budget I tend to not have a lot left in my categories and I tend to spend everything I budgeted to spend (unless I am saving up for something specific).  There are just always things that I think I need to get - like a new bedding set for the boys room.  The good deal on clothes from the e-mail I got from Children's Place.  The deal on coconut oil from Amazon that was on someone's website. 

I see a lot of things that  would be a good deal and I would need to buy them right now because that is when they are on sale.  Today I was doing my little budget for my grocery/clothes/spending money (we have a separate small account for those things that I am in charge of).  I asked my husband's opinion because we are doing another big purchase of meat - this time half a hog - and I just couldn't think about my priorities and what I should get first.

He saw my spreadsheet and said - why don't you try something new.  Yikes, but I always do it this way.   His suggestion was a good one but one that scared me too - just don't spend it.  Instead of doing categories and spending each category because it is allotted, prioritize the things we have to buy now - laundry detergent (clean clothes are a must), diapers and a few other necessary grocery items and then just don't spend anymore.

You see I tend to take a zero grocery budget literally and I was down to a little bit of money to last us (grocery-wise) for about a week and a half.  I have had to be really creative and my husband said he was really proud of me for doing that and he thinks I could continue to do it. 

So, for at least the next month I am going to try this little experiment of needs vs. wants and put off some of my non-necessary buying and see if my little bank account will grow.  Now, I will still be buying some bulk purchases in the produce department because peaches and green beans are only in season for so long and those are already in the budget.

Today I went to CVS and decided I was only going to buy the free items and then diapers (which are very necessary) and see how much I spent.

$2.63 for diapers, a body wash, candy bar and band aids.  I really don't like to do coupons, but I will do them if they are printable and all of these were. 

I know how to be frugal.  I just have to do it - make it a habit.

I love this quote by Aristotle that I read on The Simple Dollar:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle