Coffee Cake For Sunday Breakfast

I outdid myself with this one.  The girls were ultra impressed and declared this one to be their favorite coffee cake.  It didn't last long so that was a testament in and of itself.

Crumb Topped Cinnamon Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.  Make a well.  Add liquid ingredients and stir to combine well.  Pour batter into a well greased 8" square pan.  Make topping.

Topping

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbs. softened butter

In a small bowl combine ingredients together with a fork.  Sprinkle over cake batter in pan.

Bake at 400° for 25 to 30 minutes until top springs back to the touch.  Serve warm. 

We'll be making this one often.

What Groceries To Buy When You Are Dead Broke

Sometimes times get tough.  For whatever reason you find yourself with not enough money until payday and bare cupboards.  It happens.  This is my list of foods I would buy if I suddenly found myself in this situation.

Eggs (one dozen) - a very versatile source of protein - $1.69

Rice (16 oz.) - $1

Pinto beans (16 oz.)- $1

Elbow macaroni (16 oz.) - store brand 89¢

Bread - a loaf of store brand wheat or white, runs about $1

Peas & Carrots (16 oz.) - store brand frozen peas & carrots run about 79¢ and yield four servings.

Green Beans (16 oz.) - store brand frozen peas & carrots run about 79¢ and yield four servings.

Tuna (5oz.) - store brand canned tuna runs about 69¢ per can

Bologna (12 oz.) - store brand turkey bologna averages $1.29

Milk (1/2 gal.) - whole milk cut 50/50 with water to equal a gallon $1.59

Orange juice concentrate - makes half a gallon of juice $1.19

Oatmeal - one large canister of the store brand quick cooking oats $2.89

Bananas - 59¢ a pound, less if found in the markdown bin

Peanut Butter (16 oz.) - store brand $1.99

Hot Dogs (8ct.) - chicken franks 89¢

Margarine (1 lb) - 89¢

Brown Sugar (1/2 lb.) - 79¢

Chicken Thighs - 89¢ per pound

Spaghetti Sauce - one can 99¢

Ramen - 5 for $1

Canned tomatoes - store brand 59¢ each

Assuming you still have a few condiments and spices I think this list could easily feed one or two people for a week for less than $25 and you most likely would have some food left over.

What would you make with this?  Well you could make:

Scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice

Bologna sandwich, banana, milk

Chicken, rice, green beans, milk

Fried rice with chicken, eggs, peas & carrots, milk

Pasta marinara, green beans, milk

Tuna sandwich, banana, milk

Oatmeal with brown sugar, milk, orange juice

Hot dogs, peas & carrots, milk

Peanut butter banana sandwich, milk

Chicken & rice soup, milk

Ramen, vegetable, chicken stir fry

Ramen soup with vegetables

Pinto beans with canned tomatoes, milk 

Do you think you could make it to pay day on a tight budget with these options?

My Crazy Busy Sunday Morning

Sunday before last we had had such a busy week that there were many things I fell behind at.  Normally I like to make Sunday a quiet family oriented day with a minimal of chores needing to be done.  However, I also did not want to start out the week already behind on the things that needed to be done.  Like three loads of laundry.

First thing after coffee I got busy and started the first load of laundry, followed by loading up the bread machine with ingredients to get our weekly loaf of homemade bread started.  Next I made a delicious coffee cake for Sunday breakfast.  It was a good one too.  Recipe to be posted soon, I promise.

I had a very ripe banana to make into a loaf of banana bread for our breakfasts during the week.  I got that in the oven once the coffee cake was done.  By the time breakfast was over the bread dough was ready to shape and put in the bread pan for the final rise.  While it did its final rise and the banana bread finished baking we got busy and made up a batch of beer to put in the keg to ferment over the next two weeks.

Laundry load number one was hung out to dry and laundry load number two was started to wash while banana bread came out of the oven and whole wheat bread went in.  Next up was to pull the medium slow cooker out of the cupboard and get the corned beef brisket on to cook.  We celebrated St. Patty's Day a day early.

Laundry load number two was hung to dry while number three, all sheets, was begun.  Bread out and oven off.  Phone call from friend completed.  Load three hung up on landlord's clothesline (she shares) and check the brisket.  House is smelling way too good.

Run outside and pull the lever to empty holding tank.  Least appetizing event of the day.  Run back inside to dump two buckets full of water down the toilet.  Wash hands.  Check sensor - EMPTY!

Breads are cooling, beer is fermenting, dishes are washed, and I give the girls seeds, potting soil and the bottoms cut off of two milk jugs so they can start some flowers.  Opened up new vacuum  packaged coffee and refill coffee canister (quart mason jar), smelled so good.  Then I put all the dry dishes away.

Open cold beer from refrigerator, prop open front door, open windows and let fresh air inside, kick kids and kitties outside and soon I am chilling.  Ahhhhhh, it feels so good to get so much done in a fairly short amount of time.  Next to watch the race and relax. 

Some days are just that way aren't they?  How about you?  Ever feel like you've just run a marathon in your own house?

Last Week’s Thrifty Moves

I made a fantastic cinnamon coffee cake with crumb topping for our Sunday breakfast.  Yes, I will be posting the recipe.

Last week I picked up all my beer brewing supplies from my friend who was keeping them for me and on Sunday morning I made up a batch to put in the keg to ferment.  My first batch of beer in the tiny house.

I baked a loaf of whole wheat bread.  I used up a ripe banana and made a beautiful loaf of banana bread for our breakfast during the week.  It was fantastic!  I posted the recipe last Friday.

The girls planted petunia and marigold seeds in the bottoms of two milk jugs I had cut off.  They used some of my leftover potting soil from when I potted up my Peace Lily.  I also saved the can from my beer brewing venture.  My oldest punched a hole in the bottom for drainage, placed the lid back over it and is planning to use it to plant herbs in.  She is every bit as resourceful as I am.  I also saved her a peanut can.

The weather was so nice I was able to open the windows for fresh air and hang our laundry outside to dry.  It smelled so nice.

I used what little was left of our corned beef brisket, after the girls devoured a large majority of it, as well as the leftover veggies to make hash for supper.

Tuesday I filled up the gas tank on my truck at Fred Meyer and once again saved 10¢ a gallon using my rewards card.  That survey I did last week paid off.  I'm going to keep doing them, it seems worth it.

I found a penny on the ground at the gas station.  Heads up too!  Usually my girls are the ones that find money on the ground but this time I did.

Because our Tuesday night was pretty full I pulled the pizza pasta out of the freezer and stuck it in the microwave for our dinner.  While it heated up I put together a salad to go with it and still had time to start a load of laundry.

We fed our kitchen scraps to the neighbor's chickens.  Boy do they love to see us coming. 

On Friday we made nachos for supper, I had a taco salad instead, and we then settled in for Family Movie Nite.  We watched The Prince & Me 1 and 2 and decided the original movie was much better than the sequel.  We then stayed up way too late and watched 10 Things I Hate About You.  Love that movie!  We watched them all for free online.

I watched a couple of my favorite TV shows on Hulu for free this week - Blacklist and Suits.  I am terribly behind on my television viewing because I've had so much to do lately.  Someday maybe I'll get caught up.  I really appreciate the no cost online options for watching TV now.  Much nicer not spending $60 a month on satellite service.

I poured the juice from a can of pineapple into our jug of orange juice and shook it up.  Great way to use the juice and not let it go to waste and it tastefully extends the O.J.

What thrifty things did you do last week to save money?

My Best Banana Bread Recipe Yet

I like bananas but I don't like it if you put them in my food.  I especially don't like anything with banana flavoring like pudding or popsicles.  So to come up with a recipe for banana bread that I will actually eat is pretty amazing.

I've been working to perfect it for a number of years.  Give it a try and let me know what you think. 

Everyday Banana Bread

1 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed (I only use one)

1/2 cup avocado or coconut oil

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

In a large mixing bowl mash your bananas well.  Add oil, sugar, vanilla, milk and egg.  Stir to combine well.  Add flour, salt and baking powder.  Stir just until combined.  Pour batter into a lightly oiled loaf pan.  Bake at 350° 55 to 60 minutes until top springs back at the touch.

Carefully remove from pan and allow to cool on a rack.  Slice and serve. 

My girls told me it is my best one yet and they loved it.  I actually do too!

Christmas All Year Long - Greeting Cards

Last year I showed you how I make Christmas cards.  I didn’t even use the ones I made.  I had so many leftover cards plus the ones that I had made that when we got ready to move I sold them in a yard sale as part of a bag filled with note cards and stationery.

I used up all my extra Christmas cards this past Christmas.  I had exactly enough.  Now I have exactly zero cards.  I could make them and I do enjoy making cards but this year I plan to do something I haven't done in years.  I plan to buy them.

This month my plan is to update my Christmas card list and then once the boxed holiday greeting cards hit the shelves at the dollar store next fall I will buy my cards.  I won't wait too long or the selection tends to get picked over.  Fortunately Christmas cards don't take up a lot of space and will fit nicely in my stationery box until I am ready for them. 

I usually write and address my cards over Thanksgiving weekend so I'll have them all ready to go in plenty of time.  Do you prefer to make or buy your Christmas cards?

I'm Sorry, But Too Much Stuff Is Just Too Much Stuff

Not too long ago I met someone who told me how he had downsized from a 3000 square foot house, which seems absolutely huge to me right now, to one almost half that size.  When I asked him what he did with all his stuff he seemed kind of puzzled.

Did you sell it?  Give stuff away?  What did you do?

He told me he got rid of some stuff but he also shared with me that his house and garage are pretty full as is the shop he works out of.  Then he told me he also has four large storage units "crammed full of stuff".

I asked him what he plans to do with all that stuff and he told me nothing because it is all "assets".  I'm not sure I agree with that.

According to the dictionary an asset is described as "a useful or valuable thing" "good or important enough to justify worth or value, as in money".  So in layman's terms it is only truly an asset and has value if it is useful, as in it would be desired by someone who wants to pay money for it.  If not, then in my opinion, it is just stuff.

I know from my own personal experience the tendency or drive to hang onto objects that may be of value or usefulness.  If not now, then maybe some other time.  As a result I stored a lot of stuff.  After a series of yard sales and Craigslist posting I discovered what my so called treasures were truly worth.

A lot less than I thought and a whole lot less than I originally paid for them.

Based on that experience alone I don't think I could every justify the expense of keeping a storage unit, let alone multiple ones, or the time involved just packing up that much stuff, hauling it over there and cramming it inside the unit.

In this particular gentlemen's case the stuff in storage is not being used and it costs a small fortune every month in rental fees to keep it.  Currently he has no specific plans for any of this stuff.  To my way of thinking you invest that is not an investment as much as it is a financial drain.  While he no longer has the higher mortgage payment every month he has actually made it up in storage unit costs, therefore no savings.

Just recently he told me he acquired another rather large object in the form of a vintage automobile in desperate need of restoration.  He then admitted that he has neither the space to store it or the time to work on it because he has so many other projects going.  To my way of thinking, and I used restraint here, why did you buy it?

Sounds like complete madness and chaos to me.  At this point I can't help but feel he doesn't own all this stuff as much as it owns him.  What are your thoughts?