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

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

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!

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

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:

One of My Inspirations

Many people wonder why I got started in doing a food blog of all things. Yes, I love to cook. Yes, I want to teach others about cooking. But, one of the biggest inspirations for starting a food blog is my sister, Melissa.

She is amazing. She shares my passion for food and cooking. A few years back she started her own food blog. I saw how much she loved trying out new recipes, sharing the recipes, taking pictures, and doing what she loves. You may have heard of her, and if not, you should!

Her name is Melissa Griffiths and you NEED to visit her blog at blessthismessplease.com. I have loved talking to her about new things she's trying, new cooking techniques, how to use different ingredients, and everything else about food. Honestly, I've tried, and loved, a lot of her recipes. Having such a positive experience with her blog has made me want to do the same for others.

The biggest thing that she did to inspire me to start my blog was living with her last year. I was able to live in the tiny town of Orderville, Utah with my sister last summer. I was able to work at the local grocery store and spend time with my niece and nephews (the loves of my life).

My adorable niece and nephews: Henry (back), Macey, and Kimball. 

Along with that, I was able to be with her and see how she was running her blog. I helped make some of the recipes or come up with ideas, I saw how she took pictures and created her blog. And the best part, I got to try amazing food All summer long! 

She is also helping me fulfill my dream of having a blog just as fancy and popular as hers by: giving me advice, tips, ideas, and encouraging me to keep going. I feel so much love and support from her when it comes to working on my food blog, it makes me even more excited for the future and what I hope my blog becomes and does for other people. 

So, Thank you Melissa!! I love you dearly! :) 

Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie (biscuit recipe included)

Chicken Pot Pie has always been a classic meal in my home. My mom often made it. It was so good, so creamy, and easy to make. But, I'm not a huge fan of pie crust; I'd rather eat biscuits any day! So, I took a classic recipe that my mom always made, and made it a recipe that I would eat more often. Also, you all are in for a lucky treat! I use Treyton's award winning biscuit recipe on top. Don't be fooled, the biscuit recipe is not only for the chicken pot pie recipe, but also for any other biscuit use your heart desires.

Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie
1 clove garlic  $.06
1 medium onion  $.25 
1 can corn  $.69
1 can green beans  $.69
1/2 cup peas  $.11
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced  $1.00
1 can cream of chicken soup  $1.00
salt
pepper
biscuits

Dice onions and cook with chicken (cut into 1 inch squares) in a frying pan until chicken is cooked. Put onion and chicken in a large bowl. Mince garlic and add to bowl. Add corn, green beans, peas, and cream of chicken to bowl (make sure you drain the vegetables in the cans before adding them to the mixture). sprinkle salt and pepper into bowl. Mix. Add mixture to 9x9 in pan. Place biscuits on top. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

Total Estimated Cost: $4.91
Servings: 5
Estimated Cost Per Serving: $.98

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

Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake is such a good recipe. When I think of this cake, I think of my cousin Courtney. We grew up together. She's always been my best friend. We have made countless Mississippi Mud Cakes. Not only is it delicious, it has chocolate, and it reminds me of my happy childhood with my best friend/cousin. It reminds me of running around the yard, sleep overs, painting nails, playing the computer together, singing on the top of our lungs, being crazy together, and just being ourselves.

This is a picture of me sitting next to Courtney, and across the table is my cousin Shelby. Funny thing is, I just made Mississippi Mud Cake with her not too long ago. 

They say food brings family together. Well, it does (as you can see in my picture and my explanation of why I added this recipe). I hope that each of you have a recipe that reminds you of a loved one or best friend. If so, feel free to comment on this post and share how food has brought you closer to those around you! Make memories, cook and eat with those around you. 

Mississippi Mud Cake

Cake:
2 sticks butter $1.50
1/4 cup cocoa  $.24
1 cup water
2 cups flour  $.16
2 cups sugar  $.72
2 eggs $.24
1/2 cup milk  $.10
1 tsp. vanilla  $.08
1 tsp. baking soda  

1 bag mini marshmallows  $.99

Icing:
1 stick butter  $.75
1/4 cup cocoa  $.24
1/2 cup milk  $.10
1 lb. powder sugar  $.70

Cake: Bring butter, cocoa, and water to boil. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. Bake at 375° on large cookie sheet with sides for 20 minutes or in a 9x13 pan for 25 minutes. The last 5 minutes, pour marshmallows over cake.
Icing: Beat icing ingredients well (until it's thin enough to pour) and ice cake while hot.

Total Estimated Cost: $5.82
Servings: 24
Cost Per Serving: $.24