Thursday, December 18, 2014

Reindeer Pretzel Rods

One treat that my family always made right before Christmas were chocolate covered pretzels. With that sweet and salty mix, it was a hit! We would always make a large amount (along with lots of other treats) to put on plates and deliver to our neighbors and friends as a small gift for Christmas. This is one of my favorite traditions during Christmas time and I plan on doing the same thing this year.... once finals are over. Well, here's the classic treat my family would make, but with a twist. This recipe is a great one to make with your friends, family, or kids. It's a chance to turn pretzels into reindeer, with red noses, scarfs, and all!



Reindeer Pretzel Rods

6 oz. chocolate or vanilla bark  $.75
12 pretzels  $.10
12 pretzel rods  $1.00
24 mini chocolate chips  $.10
12 red candies  $.05
1 fruit roll-up  $.20
12 mini m&ms (or chocolates)  $.10

Place candy coating in 1 cup microwavable bowl. Heat for 60 in microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Dip the twist pretzels and place on wax paper. Dip top 2 inches of pretzel rods into chocolate. Right before it's completely cooled, place 2 mini chocolate chips on each pretzel as their eyes and 1 red candy as the nose. Place on wax paper and place on other chocolate dipped pretzels to become their antlers. After the chocolate has cooled, cut the fruit roll-up in 12 pieces and wrap around reindeer like scarves, put a drop of chocolate on the top and place the mini m&m as a button.

Total Estimated Cost: $2.30
Servings: 12 Reindeer Pretzels
Cost Per Serving: $.19

Monday, December 15, 2014

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Here's a holiday classic for you. It gives you the rich chocolate flavors mixed with the cool peppermint. I love making chocolate bark and snacking on it. Holiday baking is so much fun and I can't get away from it! This recipe was fun to make with my good friends Holly and Kelly. We have way too much fun cooking together! It took little to no time nor effort to make such a delicious treat. So, if you need a last minute idea or a quick chocolate fix, this recipe is for you!
Holly, Me, and Kelly in our natural habitat... the kitchen!!

The delicious recipe you're about to partake of



Chocolate Peppermint Bark

12 oz. dark chocolate chips  $2.34
12 oz. white chocolate chips  $2.34
8 peppermint candy canes  $.65

Unwrap candy canes and put them in a food processor and crush them into small pieces. Or, you can put them in a plastic Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Cover cookie sheet in aluminum foil. Melt the dark chocolate (either with a double boiler or in the microwave for 1 minute). Pour chocolate on cookie sheet and spread to an even thickness. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer. While dark chocolate hardens, melt the white chocolate. Stir in most of the candy cane bits, keeping about a quarter of the peppermint pieces to put on top. Remove tray from freezer. Spread white chocolate over the dark chocolate layer. Sprinkle on the remaining peppermint pieces. Place the cookie sheet back into the freezer for about 20 minutes. Once the bark is completely cooled and set, break into pieces.

Total Estimated Cost: $5.33
Servings: 15
Cost Per Serving:  $.36









Bacon Cheese Wreath

Who doesn't love bacon? Or Cheese? Seriously, this recipe is the best of both worlds. I made this yummy appetizer the other day and my husband would not stop eating it! This cheese spread is addictingly good and really easy to make. It's such a wonderful recipe to use at parties and gatherings.



Bacon Cheese Wreath

2, 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened  $3.00
1/2 cup mayonnaise  $.52
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese  $.63
1/4 cup sliced green onions  $.25
10 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled  $2.19
Crackers

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, mayo, and Parmesan cheese. add onion. Stir in bacon. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Then scoop out bacon cheese spread onto platter and make a wreath out of crackers. (you can add parsley on top of the spread to give it more of a wreath look). Serve.

Total Estimated Cost: $6.48
Servings: 20
Cost Per Serving: $.32

Christmas Corn Flake Wreath Cookies

Here's a spin on rice krispie treats. They're Christmas Wreaths made with cornflakes! This recipe is fun to make with small kids. It's your chance to take a classic treat and give it a holiday twist. Try this recipe out this Christmas Season!



Christmas Corn Flake Wreath Cookies

1/3 cup butter (5 1/3 Tbsp.)  $.36
1 (10 oz.) package regular marshmallows or 4 cups mini marshmallows  $.99
1 tsp. green food coloring  $.44
6 cups corn flakes  $.67
candies

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring. Add corn flakes cereal. Stir until well coated. Using 1/4 cup dry measuring cup coat with cooking spray, and portion out the cereal mixture. Using your fingers (better if you butter your fingers so that it doesn't stick), quickly shape into individual wreaths. Decorate with mints, cinnamon candies, m&ms or anything else you'd like to put on your wreath. Let cool. Eat!

Ideas: try different candies. Try just making rice krispie treats and add the food coloring to make the wreaths (if you prefer that over corn flakes). For different holidays, make different shapes and different colored cookies.

Total Estimated Cost: $2.46
Servings: 16 wreaths
Cost Per Serving: $.15

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Cheesecake

Oh. My. Goodness. This is seriously the best cheesecake recipe I have ever tried. You can never go wrong with cheesecake, let's be honest! But, I've realized that you can get an even tastier cheesecake based on the recipe you use.
Growing up, my brother Tyler LOVED eating cheesecake. That was always his choice for birthday cake. Then, when I started dating Treyton, I found out he loved cheesecake too! So, I have had good excuses throughout my life to enjoy a nice slice (or whole) cheesecake.

New York Style Cheesecake
recipe adapted from: Zoom Yummy



For the crust:
2 sleeves graham crackers  $1.00
1/3c sugar  $.03
1/2c butter, melted  $.63

For the cheesecake:
4 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, room temperature  $6.00
1c sugar  $.08
3 Tbsp flour  $.02
5 eggs  $.60
1/3c heavy cream $.36
1/3 tsp. lemon juice  $.02
1 tsp vanilla  $.17

For sour cream layer:
1c sour cream  $.50
2 Tbsp sugar  $.01
1/2 tsp vanilla  $.08

Make the crust by combining graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl. Toss to combine well, then pat into a 9″ springform pan sprayed with nonstick spray. (I find this is easiest using the bottom of a measuring cup). Pat crumbs about 1″ up the sides of the pan. 

To make the cheesecake filling, bean cream cheese with sugar and flour until well combined and creamy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Beat in cream, lemon juice, and vanilla until just combined.
Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust (it will come above the crust on the side, but that's ok). 

Place springform pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees and continue baking cheesecake 1 1/2 hours or until firm and set.
Remove cheesecake from oven and place on a wire rack to cool a bit while you mix up the sour cream layer. Run a thin knife around the edges of the cheesecake if desired to help loosen.

In a medium bowl, make sour cream layer by stirring together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spread sour cream layer over the cheesecake, covering any cracks or seams that may have appeared. Smooth as best you can, and return to oven for 15 minutes longer.

Allow to cool completely on the counter. Cover pan with plastic wrap or foil and Refrigerate until completely chilled and ready to serve, up to 8-12 hours. Remove spring form edges and slice to serve.

Ideas: Try putting cherry pie filling on top, adding chocolate chips or your favorite candy bar crushed up to the cheesecake, crushing up your favorite cookie (like Oreos) instead of graham crackers. Go crazy. It's cheesecake!

Total Estimated Cost: $9.50
Servings: 16 slices 
Cost Per Serving: $.59

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Gnocchi (Ñoqui)

Gnocchi is so yummy! It makes me miss Argentina a lot. Most of the time, when someone thinks of Argentina, they think of the stereotypical Mexican culture with sombreros, beans, tortillas, and interesting mustaches. But, I'm here to say that Argentina is not like that! It's actually has a lot of European influences, especially when it comes to food. I ate a lot of pasta, bread, meat, and potatoes. And with this diet, I was able to try an amazing kind of pasta called gnocchi, (written Ñoqui in Spanish). It is kind of like a dumpling. It's a dough made out of potatoes and then boiled like pasta and smothered in whatever sauce you want or butter. Now's your chance to be fancy and adventurous and try a dish I ate in Argentina. (Not only is it popular in Argentina, but my husband ate it in Italy!)

There are a couple of ways you can make gnocchi.  You can bake the potatoes first then let them cool, or you can boil them and let them cool. I just boil them to make the process go faster, but for better flavor, bake the potatoes for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 350° F.



Gnocchi

3 lbs. potatoes  $.60
3 eggs  $.36
2 cups flour  $.16
2 tsp. salt  $.02
pepper

Wash and peel potatoes. Boil them until you can easily put a fork in them (same soft texture like boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes). Drain potatoes and mash them. While they are still hot, beat them until all potato chunks are gone. Cool in fridge for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are room temperature (stir potatoes occasionally to help cool them faster).
Once the potatoes are cool, add eggs and beat till smooth. Add flour, salt, and a dash of pepper and mix until dough is smooth (it should still be slightly sticky, but not too much).
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. knead in more flour if dough is still sticky. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
Then, there are a few different options (depending on how motivated you are to make these look fancy).
1. you can roll out dough into 1/2 inch thick logs (like making a snake with play dough), cut the pieces into 1/2 long pieces. Then you can flour a fork and roll over the piece to make an indent. (this is the ideal look for gnocchi).
2. Follow the first step, but skip the fork business. They'll just be little round logs.
3. If you really don't have time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until 1/2 inch thick. Then use a pizza cutter and cut out your pieces.
Fill saucepan up 3/4 with water. Bring to boil. Add gnocchi to boiling water (about 30 pieces at a time or so) and cook until they rise to the top (this will be one 1 MINUTE or 2!). Once they're floating, remove them with slotted spoon and drain them well.
Serve with sauce of your choice or with browned butter and sage.
Here's a picture of what they look like right after you cut them.



Tips: for different methods depending on time, try the different steps I gave. If you are not going to cook them all at once, freeze the dough (it will last up to 2 weeks). Try serving with red sauce, butter, herbs, cheeses.

Total Estimated Cost: $1.14
Servings: 8
Cost Per Serving: $.14




Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies are not my favorite cookie, but this recipe changed my mind about them. I kept going back to the kitchen to steal another bite! 
I'm a huge cookie fan and I love baking, hence the food blog! I love all the memories that come from making and decorating sugar cookies for the holidays and for special occasions. I love spending time with family and having fun. I love being creative and having food as my canvas. Here's an amazing recipe to try with your friends and families if you want to have a fun and yummy time!

Sugar Cookies


Cookies:
1 cup butter (softened)  $2.00
3/4 cup oil  $.36
1 1/4 cup sugar  $.31
3/4 cup powdered sugar  $.30
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs  $.24
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar  $.01
1 tsp. salt
5 1/2 cups flour  $.44

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened  $1.00
3/4 cup sour cream  $1.12
5 cups powdered sugar  $1.39
1/2 tsp. vanilla  $.08
food coloring

In a bowl, cream together the butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, and water. Then add eggs and mix. Add baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix again. Add flour and stir until combined. 
Shape dough into golf ball sized balls. Place dough on the cookie sheet. 
Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in sugar and then press the dough down until about 1/2" thick and the edges get the crinkle look. 
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350°F. Bake until the bottoms are barely starting to get a little golden brown. Don't over bake. Cool cookies. 
For the frosting, cream butter, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until well blended and smooth. Add a little milk if needed. Add food coloring until you get desired color. Spread over cookies. 

Total Estimated Cost: 
           cookies: $3.66     Total: $7.25
Servings: 24 cookies
Cost Per Serving:
           cookies: $.15   Total: $.30

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Stuffed French Toast

Growing up we ate french toast a lot. It was quick, easy, and tasty. I remember some days when my brothers would eat at least 6, if nor 8 or 10 pieces! I love french toast and its sugary goodness. Honestly, that's the best way to start out the day for me! Well, I like to spice up my french toast with cinnamon, fruit, powdered sugar, peanut butter, you name it. Here's a super delicious recipe for stuffed french toast. It's heaven in every bite and a recipe that you'll love!

Stuffed French Toast



1/2 loaf of bread (in a loaf that's not sliced already)  $.50
6 tsp. jam (of your favorite flavor)  $.16
3 large eggs  $.48
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract  $.08
pinch of grated nutmeg  $.02
2 Tbsp unsalted butter  $.31

Slice bread into 6, 1 inch thick slices. Slice a pocket crosswise about 1/3 of the way into the bread. Spread 1 tsp. jam in the pocket. Press bread together.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and nutmeg. Add bread slices to mixture and let them soak for 5 minutes, flipping them in the middle of the waiting time to ensure they're good and soaked.
Heat large frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Add butter. When butter begins to brown, spread to coat pan evenly. Place slices of bread onto pan. Cook until golden on the undersides (4-5 minutes). Flip the bread and cook for addition 4-5 minutes for the other side to be golden brown. Remove from pan, enjoy!

Total Estimated Cost: $.97
Servings: 6 slices of French Toast
Cost Per Serving: $.16

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Herb and Garlic Butter

I love garlic. I love garlic butter to spread on my bread or on anything that sounded good. I love the idea of making my own food and being self-reliant. It was so much fun being able to make butter myself and then making it super tasty. I'm not gonna lie, the butter alone was super yummy. I could have just eaten it plain, haha! But, the final product is divine! It's so easy and super yummy and you'll be able to say you've made butter! This recipe is a keeper, that's for sure. I hope it becomes one of yours as well.


Herb and Garlic Butter


Butter:
2 Cups heavy cream  $2.15
1/4 tsp. salt

Pour cream into a food processor or blender. Process for 10 minutes, or until the butter separates. Strain of the liquid. Add salt. Press butter into small bowl (through metal strainer or cheesecoth) to further remove liquid.

Garlic Butter:
2 Tbsp. dried parsley  $.06
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
3 cloves garlic  $.18
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar

Mix all ingredients. Enjoy on your favorite bread or anything else it sounds yummy with!

Total Estimated Cost: $2.39

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Sourdough Starter and Bread

Let's be serious. If you've had sourdough bread before, you know how amazing it is. If you haven't, you're missing out! There's something so good about the taste that makes you crave it. You won't want to make just one loaf! I love making bread. I don't know what it is, but there's something so tasty and so much better about homemade bread compared to store-bought bread. This recipe takes a little longer than your normal bread (because you have to make the starter), but if you keep up with the starter, you'll be able to make loaves of bread whenever you want! The starter is also a fun little thing to give to your friends and neighbors, so that they can enjoy making their own sourdough bread too!

Sourdough Bread


Sourdough Starter:
1 Tbsp. yeast  $.15
1 cup warm water
1 cup flour  $.08
1 Tbsp. sugar  

In non-metal bowl (best to maintain it in a large glass jar), dissolve yeast in water. Stir in flour and sugar. Loosely cover the bowl or jar and let the mixture stand for 2-3 days (the mixture becomes bubbly, frothy, and smells sour. If it hasn't started bubbling after 24 hours, start again).

Once you've prepared the starter (after the 2 or 3 days), store in refrigerator, loosely covered. Once you've used part of the starter, you'll need to replace it if you want more starter for later on. If so, replenish it by adding 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1/2 tsp. sugar. If a dark liquid collects on top of the starter, that's a good thing! Just stir it in.

Sourdough Bread:
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp. yeast  $.22
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup sourdough starter
2 Tbsp. oil  $.06
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar  $.01
3-4 Cups flour  $.32

Mix together water, yeast, and 1 tsp. sugar. Let it set until foamy (a good 10 min). Add starter, oil, salt, sugar, and flour. Mix thoroughly. Add flour as needed to make a firm ball. Let rise for 30 minutes. Shape into a loaf. Let it rise on greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.

Total Estimated Cost: $.84
Servings: 1 loaf
Cost Per Serving: $.84

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Fact: I don't like donuts. There's something about them that's not super appealing. But, there are only 2 kinds of donuts I'll really eat. One, Cinnamon-Sugar donuts, and the other are homemade powdered sugar donuts from biscuit dough. This recipe is a lot lighter and tastier than almost more than any donut I've eaten. I don't feel gross after eating them. So, if you're craving donuts, something sweet, or want something delicious, try this recipe! You won't be disappointed!

Cinnamon-Sugar Donuts


oil for frying
2 1/4 cups flour  $.18
1/4 cup sugar  $.02
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. baking powder  $.06
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg  $.02
1 egg  $.12
1/2 cup buttermilk  $.15
1/2 cup apple cider  $.17
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted  $.31
1/2 tsp. vanilla  $.08

1/2 cup sugar  $.13
2 tsp. ground cinnamon  $.22

Pour enough oil for at least 1 inch deep in a pot. Heat on medium. Don't use olive oil to fry!

In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg. In another bowl, mix together egg, buttermilk, cider, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add liquids to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough is thick.
Transfer dough onto floured surface and knead lightly until ingredients are evenly mixed (the dough will still be sticky). Pat out the dough until about 1 inch thick. Cut out doughnuts (I just use the rim of a cup and then a smaller circle for the center, because I don't have a donut cutter). Mix scraps together, pat out again, and cut out more doughnuts until all the dough is cut into donuts or donut holes.

Place 3 or 4 donuts into hot oil and fry until gold on the underside (about 1 minute). Flip them and cook until the other side is golden. Take them out of oil and place on paper towels to soak up excess oil. While donuts are still warm, put cinnamon- sugar mixture into a large container with lid (or a paper bag), add donuts, put on lid, and gently shake to coat donuts. Pull them out. Eat. Enjoy.

Total Estimated Cost: $1.46
Servings: 12 donuts
Cost Per Serving: $.12

Monday, November 10, 2014

Chicken Nuggets

Usually, if you want something quick and easy for dinner you may often think of chicken nuggets, mac n' cheese, etc. I love chicken nuggets smothered in ranch dressing and ketchup! But, if you look into frozen store bought chicken nuggets, only about 40% of a chicken nugget is actually the meat. The rest is primarily fat, tissue, and bone. The breading is often full of preservatives and fillers. There's usually nothing natural or really healthy about the chicken nuggets you find at the store or fast food restaurant. How about you change that by making your own chicken nuggets and knowing exactly what has gone in them. I made my own and they were really good. Plus, I made extra and just froze some and put others in the fridge for lunch the next day. Just pop them in the oven to heat them up and their crispy like when you first made them. Don't take my word on it, give this recipe a try. 

Chicken Nuggets




3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts  $3.00
2/3 cup flour  $.05
Salt 
Pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt  $.02
3/4 Tbsp. onion powder  $.02
3 eggs  $.48
2 cups bread crumbs  $1.72
2 tsp. Italian seasoning  $.02
1 cup oil  $.48

Heat oil on medium in a frying pan. Thaw and cut chicken into 2 inch cubes (your preferable chicken nugget size). In a medium size bowl, mix a dash of salt and pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, and flour. Dip and coat chicken in dry mixture. In separate bowl, beat 3 eggs. Dip coated chicken in eggs. In a third bowl, mix bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. Dip the egg covered chicken in the bread crumbs and coat well. Gently place chicken in hot oil. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until chicken is fully cooked. Place cooked chicken on paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Serve hot.

Tips: try doing chicken strips. Mix up your seasonings and find what you like. Instead of eggs, try ranch dressing. the BIGGEST tip I can give you is to coat the chicken in the flour First, before dipping it in the egg and bread crumbs. This will help keep the breading on as you're cooking it, rather than having it fall off into the frying pan.

Total Estimated Cost: $5.79
Servings: 4
Cost Per Serving: $1.45

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Tomato-Mozzarella Salad

In my cooking class we made this salad and I was in love. I'm not a huge fan of eating tomatoes in large chunks or by themselves. But, when they're smothered in pesto and with mozzarella cheese, I couldn't help but stuff myself! This is a super easy, quick, but amazingly delicious recipe as a side or appetizer for your next meal. Don't be shy, try this recipe out! You won't be disappointed.



Tomato- Mozzarella Salad

1 batch of pesto (find my recipe here)  $3.95
1 lb. heirloom tomatoes  $.80
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes  $1.00
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt 
black pepper
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella  $2.89

Make pesto, set aside. Slice tomatoes, cut cherry tomatoes in half, slice mozzarella. Arrange however you want. Drizzle olive oil on top, sprinkle salt and pepper. Top with pesto. Serve cold. 

Total Estimated Cost: $8.64
Servings: 6
Cost Per Serving: $1.44

Pesto Pasta

Pesto, pesto, pesto. That is my husband's love (besides me and Legos). For Latter-Day Saints (the religious denomination I am affiliated with, also known as Mormons), it is normal for young men and women to go throughout the world and preach the Word of God. For my husband, he was privileged to serve in Italy. Can you imagine how jealous I was that he got to serve in a country known for it's food!?
Well, because of this, he fell in love with pesto. Now, I have to share with you a super delicious and easy dinner idea that is sure to please the whole family.



Pesto Pasta
1 pound bow tie pasta  $.88
1/2 cup walnuts  $.12
1 can pinto beans  $.69
1 container of pesto (or use my pesto recipe)  $3.95
Parmesan cheese
salt

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook until done. While pasta is cooking, finely chop walnuts, drain pinto beans, and make pesto sauce. Drain pasta once it is cooked, put into a bowl or back into the pot. Stir in walnuts, beans, pesto. Add cheese and salt to flavor. Enjoy!

Tips: As you can see in my picture, I added chicken. Try adding chunks of tomato, ground sausage, or lots of cheese!
Total Estimated Cost: $5.64
Servings: 6
Cost Per Serving: $.94

Pesto

Pesto is everything good and fresh in life, packed into a delicious sauce to use at your leisure. I have altered the recipe for a more budget-friendly chef. Instead of using pine nuts (if you can use them, do! They may be pricey, but they are super delicious) Here's the simple, but super delicious recipe for it.

Pesto

kosher salt 
pepper
1 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves  $3.37
2 tablespoons almonds or walnuts  $.04
1 clove garlic  $.06
1/4 cup olive oil  $.28

In a saucepan, bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. add 2 tablespoons salt. Add the basil leaves and boil for 30 seconds. Drain basil and place under cold water to cool. Squeeze the leaves to remove excess water and place in a food processor or blender. (Blanching the leaves helps them keep their bright green color). Add the nuts and garlic and process until finely chopped. (If using blender, you will have to prechop the nuts and garlic to fine pieces, depending on how sharp the blades on your blender are). Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. With the machine running, drizzle in the oil and have it mix into a fine paste. If not using within 2 hours, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the pesto.

tips: trying eating on pasta, mixing with your red sauce and put it as sauce on pizza, mix with a white sauce and create pesto lasagna. Be creative and have fun. Seriously, you'll want to eat pesto with everything!

Total Estimated Cost: $3.95
Servings: 1 recipe (up to 6 portions)
Cost Per Serving: $.66

Try comparing that to store bought pesto. Yours is fresh and cheaper. The average cost I've seen is anywhere from $5 to $6 for one little container.

Bagels

I'm not one to eat bagels. There's something about them that I don't really like. BUT, I finally tried a bagel that I was in love with. This is revolutionary guys! This has never happened! I ate 2 in one sitting, but was too full to continue eating the ones I made (even thought I wanted to).
This recipe is from my cooking class I'm taking here at Brigham Young University. The recipe is for plain bagels, but I'll be sure to give you some ideas on how to spice them up like I did. Try this recipe out and you won't be disappointed. Also, look and see what the cost per bagel is, it's crazy cheap!


Bagels
2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast  
$.14
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon  $.09
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour  $.40
2 teaspoons salt  $.01
2 teaspoons vegetable oil  $.20
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal  $.06

Toppings (as seen in photo): 

1/2 cup dehydrated onions  $.02
2 tablespoons poppy seeds  $.02
2 tablespoons sesame seeds  $.04
1 tablespoon kosher salt


Combine the water, yeast, and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add 4 cups of the flour and the salt, and mix until the mixture comes together.

Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups additional flour 1/2 cup at a time to make a stiff dough, either stirring with the wooden spoon or working with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky, about 5 minutes, adding just as much flour as needed. (Dough should be heavier and stiffer than regular yeast bread dough.)

Grease a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until almost doubled, about 1 hour.
Remove from the bowl and punch down the dough. Divide into 12 equal pieces, about 2 to 3 ounces each, measuring about 4 inches across. Form each piece of dough into a ball. Roll each ball into a 4 to 6-inch log. Join the ends and place fingers through the hole and roll the ends together. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place on a lightly greased surface, cover with a clean cloth, and let rest until risen but not doubled (about 20 to 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Grease a baking sheet with the remaining teaspoon of oil.
In a large, heavy pot, bring 12 cups of water and the remaining tablespoon of sugar to a boil. In batches, add the bagels to the water and boil, turning, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip bagels onto the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 5 minutes, turn over and cook for another 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Tips: You make make the bagels plain, add cinnamon and sugar, or add the toppings suggested. This is a chance for you to be creative.

Total Estimated Cost
          with toppings: $.98          without toppings: $.90
Servings: 12
Cost Per Serving:
         with toppings: $.082         without toppings: $.075


Look at that! Stop buying your bagels for $.75 or more! You can make them for less than $.10 a bagel. It's worth the time and effort; and trust me, there are Good!

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Spinach Braid

If you couldn't tell by now, I'm not a huge fan of processed foods and pre-made meals. I love homemade food. It tastes SO much better than store bought and is healthier for you too (generally, haha). One food I don't like buying is Hot Pockets. Great idea; terrible execution. The flavor is so gross. I was so disappointed one time at work when I bought a ham, turkey, and cheese Hot Pocket. It was so gross. I just threw it away and bought something else.
So here's an amazing recipe that I will sweat by. It is so delicious, creamy, addictive, filling, and easy to do. I was going to share some of what I made with my husband, but that didn't happen! I couldn't put the spinach braid down, it was so good! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


Spinach Braid

1 loaf's worth of dough (homemade or store bought pre-made dough)  $.95-$1.16
8 oz cream cheese  $1.69
3 cups spinach  $2.99
1/2 tsp. basil  
1/2 tsp. rosemary  $.01
2 eggs  $.23
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese  $.97
2 cups ham  $2.25
1 cup fresh mushrooms  $1.10
1/2 cup chopped onion  $1.12
1 clove garlic  $.06
2 Tbsp. butter  $.19
1/2 tsp. salt 
1/8 tsp. pepper

Roll out dough to a 12x18 square on greased or floured surface, cover in plastic wrap and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. In a bowl, mix softened cream cheese, chopped spinach, basil, rosemary, 1 egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, ham, and salt and pepper. In a pan, melt butter then sauté minced garlic, chopped onions, and chopped mushrooms. 

After the dough is done resting, spread the cream cheese and ham mixture on the dough in a 4 inch strip down the middle (leaving about 4 inches on both sides). Add sauteed mixture on top of the other filling. Cut 1 inch wide strips 3 inches in to the center. 

Then, take your strips of dough on the side and braid them on the top of the filling, to cover it. Once you're done braiding the dough, beat the last egg and brush it on the top of the dough. Sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan cheese. 


Here's a rough picture of what the braiding will look like, so that you get an idea. 

Bake at 350°F. for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Total Estimated Cost: $11.77
Servings: 4
Cost Per Serving:  $2.94



Monday, September 29, 2014

Vegetable Soup

It's fall time again. What does that entail? Yummy, hearty foods. Veggie soup is the perfect recipe as we're getting into fall. We still get our large portions of vegetables, like we did during the summer, but now are eating it as a hot, main course. I always loved my grandma Shoaf's recipe for vegetable soup. She used all fresh veggies from her garden in it. There would be a large soup pot on the stove, ready for anyone to enjoy. I love my grandma's cooking. But, I will confess, I will never cook as good as her. So here's a cheater recipe that I use to make a vegetable like my grandma's.



Vegetable Soup

1 medium onion  $.49
2 cloves of garlic  $.12
3 carrots  $.32
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning  $.06
6 cubes chicken bouillon  $.12
1 can corn  $.69
1 can peas  $.22
1 can green beans  $.69
1 can diced tomatoes  $.59
4 cups water
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced  $1.00
1 cup egg noodles  $.16
1 tsp. salt

Dice onion, mince garlic, and peel and dice carrots into small pieces. In a large pot, saute onion, garlic, and carrots in a small amount of oil over medium heat. Cook until onions are transparent. Add Italian seasoning and chicken boullion and stir. Cook 2 minutes longer over medium low heat. Add water and undrained diced tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the carrots begin to soften. Drain and add other vegetables. Add chicken and noodles. Cook until noodles are soft. Depending on how chunky or soupy you want this recipe, you may want to add more water.

Ideas: Try adding bell peppers, ham chunks, beef chunks, or potatoes. (If you do potatoes, peel and cut them into small pieces. Saute them with the onion, garlic, and carrots to begin their cooking process, because they take a long time)

Total Estimated Cost: $4.46
Servings: 7
Cost Per Serving: $.64



Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Buttery Biscuits

Buttery Biscuits
2 cups flour  $.16
1 Tbsp. baking powder  $.06
2 tsp. sugar  
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar  $.01
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter  $.75
2/3 cup milk  $.13

Stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in butter. Make a well in the center, and add milk all at once. Stir just until dough clings together. Knead gently for 10-12 strokes on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat out to 1/2" thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2" biscuit cutter (or cup), dipping cutter in flour between cuts. Transfer biscuits onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Total Estimated Cost: $1.11
Servings: 8
Estimated Cost Per Serving: $.14

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I had no idea how good homemade tortillas were, until I made them the other day. The ones you buy at the store are okay, but homemade ones are heartier, thicker, and full of flavor. Plus, they're fresh! This is a super easy and fast recipe to make tortillas. Plus, they're not just for breakfast burritos, but you can eat them with bean burritos, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, etc.  From now on, I'm going to save money and just make a large batch of tortillas (to save for the week) on Sundays when I make my homemade bread.



Flour Tortillas
2 cups flour  $.16 
1 tsp. baking powder  $.17
1/2 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. shortening or butter  $.57- $2.00 (depending on ingredient used)
3/4 cups hot water

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Soften butter, add to bowl, and cut the butter until the butter is in pea size pieces. Add hot water to mixture and stir with a wood spoon until dough begins to form. Knead for 5-10 minutes on floured surface. Let dough sit for 10 minutes.
 Preheat frying pan to medium, add a small amount of oil (1 Tbsp. or so, so that it doesn't stick). Cut dough into 8 pieces, roll out into a thin circle. Place tortillas, one at a time, into the hot pan and cook each side about 30 seconds, or until it is bubbly with light brown spots. Remove from pan, and enjoy!

Estimated Total Cost: $.90- $2.33
Servings: 8 tortillas
Cost Per Serving: $.11- $.29



This dinner took about 25 minutes to make, from start to finish. But seriously, they were some of the best breakfast burritos I have ever had. You have to try these recipes!

Wheat Bread

Can you just smell it now? The best thing ever is smell bread baking in the oven. Then, eating the warm, soft bread with butter, jam, or honey. My mom has always been good at making bread. There's nothing like homemade bread to eat with stew, soup, or chili. This recipe is my mothers, but tweaked a tiny bit, to what I call perfection.
Being a newlywed and a college student means that you don't have much money. So, with a tight budget, every other Sunday I make loaves of wheat bread to last us for 2 weeks. Homemade bread is SO much cheaper than spending $3 or $4 on just one loaf. Plus, it is healthier and tastes a million times better! It's worth spending the time to make homemade bread. So go ahead and try this recipe!






Wheat Bread
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast  $.30
1 cup warm milk   $.19
1/4 cup sugar   $.02
1/2 cup oil  $.24
1 Tbsp. salt   $.03
4 cups wheat flour   $.96
2+ cups white flour  $.16

This recipe makes two loaves.
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit 5 minutes (this lets you see if the yeast is active and alive. It's not fun when you kill the yeast and waste lots of ingredients before realizing it. The yeast should start to dissolve and bubble). Heat milk, add to water and yeast. Add sugar. Let it sit 2 minutes longer to double check the yeast (I'm all about making sure the yeast is good). Add oil and salt. Stir ingredients. Add wheat flour and mix well. Add 2 cups white flour and mix well until it makes a soft dough. Knead until the dough is soft (not sticky) and elastic (you should be able to push on the dough, not have any come off on your fingers and have the dough bounce back). If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, just have it knead it for anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. The more you knead, the softer and more tender your bread will be. Let dough rise until it doubles (about 45 min). Form 2 loaves, grease loaf pans, place in pans, and let it rise until it's 1" above the loaf pan.

Bake at 350⁰F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown and makes a "hollow" sound when thumped. Cool out of pans on rack.

Ideas: If you don't have 2 loaf pans, just grease a cookie sheet and make the loaves on there and let it rise about 30 minutes. This bread makes really good french toast, sandwiches, or is just good to eat alone.
Total Estimated Cost: $1.90
Servings: 2 loaves
Cost Per Serving:  $.95

Can you  imagine?! Less than $2 for two loaves of bread?! And it's SO good! You can't get bread that good anywhere for that cheap! You can only get the nasty white bread that feels like eating air for about $1. Trust me, save yourselves some money and give yourself something good. You can't go wrong with homemade bread.

Fresh Salsa

I love summertime! Why? Because there are so many fresh fruits and vegetables in season, and for cheap! I loved growing up and having our own garden. We would make fresh salsa at least once a week, if not more. It's So good, So fresh, and you don't feel guilty about eating a lot of it. And trust me, once you start, you can't stop!
So go ahead, test out what will be your new addiction!


Fresh Salsa

6-8 Roma Tomatoes, diced  $1.70
1 medium onion, chopped  $.50
2 jalapeño peppers, diced  $.18
1 green bell pepper  $.79
cilantro  $.99 for a bushel
salt
pepper
lime juice   $.10


Rinse all the produce. Combine chopped tomatioes, onions, and peppers in a medium sized bowl. Add cilantro to your taste (I add about a quarter size bunch, but only chop up the leaves. I'm not a fan of the stem). Add salt, pepper, and lime juice to your taste.



Ideas: You can use your produce bag to cover your hands when cutting the jalapeño peppers. This way, if you don't have any gloves, you still avoid pepper burn. Also, the more seeds you leave in the pepper, the spicier the salsa will be. If you don't like spicy salsa, try Anaheim peppers. It gives it a mild kick, but is also sweet at the same time. Try adding corn, chopped mango, black beans, or avocado to this recipe

Total estimated cost: $4.25
servings: I would say at least 6. But, Treyton and I pretend it's only 4. We LOVE to pile on the salsa on top of the enchiladas. After all was said and done, we still have a small container of salsa left.
Cost per serving: $.71



Trust me, these recipes are perfect for summer time, are super easy to make, and beyond delicious! Plus, for less than $4.00, you get 5 enchiladas and a huge pile of fresh salsa! Try getting that much food at a restaurant for that cheap and that tastes that good!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp = fall time!! I love the fall. Autumn is my favorite time of year. Cool air, colorful leaves, fresh apples, cinnamon and spice, hay bails, fall decor, and FOOD! Apple crisp is perfect for your fall time sugar craving. You get the sweetness from the soft apples with a slight crunch from the oatmeal crisp topping.
Plus, Treyton (my husband) loves fruit! If he ever craves anything sweet, it always has something to do with fruit. And even more so, a crisp or cobbler. So, I surprised him a little bit ago with his favorite dinner and apple crisp. Couldn't have had a happier husband. So, married ladies, if you want to make your man happy (or make his day), bake him this sweet treat.



Apple Crisp

1 can apple pie filling  $.2.49

Crisp topping:

1 1/2 cups oats  $.30
1 cup flour  $.08
2/3 cups brown sugar  $.17
1 tsp. cinnamon  $.01
3/4 cup butter, softened  $1,08

Spread apple filling in greased 9x9 baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients and sprinkle over filling. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes.

Total Estimated Cost: $4.13
Servings: 6
Cost Per Serving: $.69

Saturday, September 20, 2014

My wife did her homework for her technology class. She's the best. :)

My Love of Cake

I have always loved baking, but more than anything, I have loved decorating cakes. Whether it is cupcakes, birthday cakes, wedding cakes, or any other kind of cake for a special occasion, I always try to find an excuse to decorate a cake.


There is a sense of pleasure I get when creating different cake and icing flavors, designing the look of a cake, and carrying out the  process. I have taught myself how to decorate cakes. Growing up I loved to use my mom's big pastry bags to decorate cookies, make my own birthday cake, and play around with decorating things when I could. I was also fortunate to help decorate cakes at Dairy Queen, which allowed me to practice different techniques and decorations.

Once I was older, I started buying my own supplies and have begun to work on my skills even more so. Here are some pictures of cakes I have made:


This cake was made for one of my best friend's (Polyana) wedding 

A Reese's cake, just because

Birthday cake and cupcakes for my Pixar-loving best buddy, Brian Clayton

Mickey Mouse cake for my Disney-loving roommate, Brittany

S'mores cupcakes for a summer cook-out

For me, cake decorating is therapeutic and a lot of fun. I LOVE decorating cakes. If any of you are interested in me making a cake or cupcakes, let me know!

A Little Add-On:
One person I admire to is the "Cake Boss". I love watching him work and always wish I could have as many opportunities to decorate cakes. If you don't know who the Cake Boss is, check out this YouTube video and see for yourself. 




My goal is to one day have all the fancy tools like he does and be able to create beautiful masterpieces.

Also, here's part 2 for anyone who wants to see the end results of this cake: