Soft Pretzels

                             Have  you ever walked in the mall and get that whiff of the sweet buttery smell of the warm soft pretzels? I definitely do. My family LOVES big warm soft pretzels. This recipe I found on Pinterest and love how easy and yummy it is. Its fun to include your kids or your whole family when your making the pretzels. I have a 2 year old, an almost 4 year old and they had a blast trying to make the pretzel shape and of course eating them was the favorite.

                                   

                                           

Yes I do recommend having your kids go down to the diaper. 

So much easier to clean them up, its a very sticky dough.

I always double my recipes so that I can freeze for later. 

Just take them out and warm in the oven for 10 min.

Cookie Cake

                        
       As in the name this recipe is a cookie cake type of desert. The recipe was totally made up in my head. I was craving something sweet really bad and didn't have anything around the house that would satisfy me. I when to my pantry and pulled out everything I thought I could use to make a desert with. I pulled Whole wheat flour (out of my freezer), evaporate milk, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, apple sauce, egg, backing powder, brown sugar, vanilla and oats. I was just eye balling and throwing ingredients in. and bake it at 350 for 10-15 min and it turned out amazing!!!!!!!!!

                                                       

I know the picture doesn't look too good, but I promise it tastes amazing.

The ingredients are all pretty good for you too.

Recipe for Cookie Cake

                                                                    1/2 cup of oats
                                                              1 cup of whole wheat flour
                                                                           1 egg  
                                                                       3/4 t baking powder
                                                                 1/2 cup of brown sugar
                                                                            1t vanilla
                                                                 1/4 cup chocolate chips
                                                                1/4 cup butter scotch chips
                                                                       3 T apple sauce
                                                                     2 T evaporated milk

                                              *mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 10-15 min.
                                                                                     Enjoy!    
                                                                               

Use what you got

                    "   Wear it out, Use it up, Make it do  Or do without "

             This is one of my favorite sayings. It applies to everything from budgeting, food, clothing and organization. My husband and I have a big goal that we are working towards!!
 That is to buy a house in 1 year and to put a big cash down payment on it. In order to do that we need to cut costs in every way we can. 
Today when I was going thru my little apartment trying to find something I can across this disaster.     

                                                       

 Now dont tell me that mines the only one that looks like this under the kitchen sink? 

I come home from the store and try to put things away quickly so kids don't

get into it. So plastic bags get thrown under the sink for a fast clean up. Along with 

lunch boxes and trash bags. A complete disaster I know : / 

It was time to get it organized to find things easier and give me a little peace of mind that my 

house it somewhat put together.

Step #1

I folded up the big heavy duty bags and went looking for something around my house I 

could use to organize it all. I didnt want to go out and spend money on anything. Just like that saying "Wear it out, use it up, make it do or do without " is going to be my motto until our goal is accomplished.

I found a old box that would do the trick!!!!

Step #2

Sort all the items you have and place them in a container or whatever you 

have around the house.

 I also folded all my grocery bags to fit them into the box. I know that could be time consuming

if you have a lot of them. I had about 30 and it didnt take long at all. 

It makes it worth it in the end to be able to just grab one of them at a time.

So much better!!

There is so much more room in there. Easier to find what I am looking for, dont you think?

Since I am renting I cant do any cosmetic fix ups, like I would if it was mine. So that will be another post to show you when we get our new place!!!

Just remember to use what you got first before you go out and spent money on things 

you might already have in your home.

" Wear it out, Use it up, make it do or do without"

Easy 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies

                                  Easy 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies

        These Easy 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies will keep everyone coming back for more. You cant go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate chips. We always bake treats on Sunday and this is one of our go to recipes. My kids cant keep there hands off them.

                                                       

This recipe makes about 30-35 cookies. When they come out of the oven I usually put chocolate chips in half of them. You can mix them in the batter if you want.

Recipe:

2-eggs beaten

1 3/4 cup of sugar

2 tsp of vanilla

2 cups of natural peanut butter

Preheat 375

Mix all ingredients together and spoon onto cookie sheet, flatten with fork or fingers.

Bake for about 10 min.

Super easy and tasty!

Breakfast Burritos

                                                         Breakfast Burrito's

   

Start by browning some sausage or bacon in a skillet

Once it is cooked, add eggs and let that cook.

Next I added in some leftover hash browns and a few tater tots I had on hand.

Season to taste I just added salt and pepper.

Then I take a tortilla add cheese and the mixture and roll it up.

Then I wrap them in tin foil and put them in a large freezer bag with the date and take it out the morning I need it and through it in the toaster oven. If you wrap it in plastic wrap you can throw it in the microwave. I usually make about 20 or more at a time.

Freezer Fried Rice

                       As a busy mom and wife I have created recipes that you cook and prep ready to go when dinner time comes around. They are freezer meals that you prep on a Saturday or whatever day is best for you and your prepare for that whole week. No running out to pick up pizza or burgers because your in a rush and everyone is staving. You just take the mean out (sometimes the night before) and throw it in the oven or crock pot.
Fact: Rice freezes very well!


                                                               Freezer Fried Rice

                          First thing is to chop up your favorite veggies that you like in your fried rice.


                         

                         I used 1 large onion, 3 large carrots, and 3 large celery stalks chopped.

                                               

                                    Then heat a large skillet up with butter or oil. I used a little of both.

                                     

  Throw the veggies in the heated skillet and cook until they are soft. Add salt and pepper as you cook.
  At this point if you don't have leftover rice then cook some of your own just follow the instructions .
                                                             

When the veggies are soft then add them to your cooked rice and mix. I also added some chicken bouillon for some flavor. At this point if you have cooked chicken or any kind of meat you want to add you can. I didn't because I like to use any leftover meat I have on hand at the time I warm the rice up to eat. I also add in 3-4 scrambled eggs and salt and pepper to taste.

Let it cool before bagging.

Then bag up and freeze. Don't forget to put the date to make sure you use it up.

Freezer Fried Rice

1 large onion

3 large Carrots

3 large celery stalks

2 cups of cooked rice

3-4 scrambled eggs 

1-2 table spoons of butter

chicken or any other meat you like.

Hope you enjoy!! 

Freezer meal classes coming soon!!!!!

Live like no one else

    Lately our family has been trying to penny pinch in every way we could think of. From our food shopping, to getting temporary furniture for our new little apartment and even our entertainment.
 I do consider myself as a frugal person. I like to shop used and bargain hunt for everything. Even when I was younger if I got an allowance for clothing I would have to look in every store to see which one gave me more for my money, it drove my family nuts. My husband and I have a goal to buy a house in the next year and to have 0 debt and to be working toward paying off the house as soon as possible. I believe if you have a dream the only one to get you there is you, so go out there and work hard for it. One of my favorite quotes is from Dave Ramsey  "Live like no one else so Later you can live like no one else". We as a society believe that its normal to have car payments, credit card debt and to buy things with money we don't have. I am guilty of this too, I have been normal like everyone else. That is changing, I want to be weird if you call it and live below my means so that I can live like no one else later.
             
                        Here are some of the things we have done to cut back and save...

              * Furniture We came here with pretty much nothing its all in CO in a storage unit. and most of it we sold at a yard sale. So we wanted some furniture to sit on and put our TV up. We searched on  Craigslist, in the FREE section... We found a free entertainment center, its made of solid wood and I will eventually sand and paint it. We also found a couch for $20 a nice clean one, came from a smoke and pet free home.
We got a computer desk for FREE it was a little rickety but my hubby just tightened the screws. I added picture of them at the bottom of the page. Nothing fancy but they get the job done.


           *The Food budget, I think that the food budget is what is the money sucker for most people and they don't even know it.
The monthly budget it suppose to be $100 per person in your family so mine would be $400 a month which is hard but doable. We have taken that a little further my goal was to do 300 a month for our family of 4 including toiletries and diapers. I have been doing pretty good so far I divided it up for the month of August which gave me $60 a week to buy everything. I make a menu and shop for the things I need. then prep everything Saturday for the rest of that week and I have been staying on track!!


          * Entertainment
 I have two boys an almost 4 year old and a 2 year old so being in a little apartment can make everyone go a little crazy. So we every week try to do things that don't cost money like going to the library. Even the mall get to be in ace and get exercises, most malls have a kid play area which is where we hang out and I usually bring pb&j sandwiches. Barns and noble have story time we go to and they do a craft with the kids. There are plenty of things to do that a little to zero amount of money. I just found out today that chick fil a does build your own ice cream for kids for free.

Excuse the mess! Entertainment center.

Free computer desk

A $20 couch Id say we did pretty good!