My friend, Kendall, introduced me to homemade granola bars. This recipe tastes delicious and can be changed so easily depending on what you have on hand. Feel free to substitute coconut oil for butter, almond or other nut butter for the peanut butter, honey for corn syrup. Make it as healthy as you want and it will still taste delicious. I've included a link to the original recipe at the bottom of this post. This recipe includes some of the extra add-ins I use in my recipe.
You never have to buy granola bars again. Save money and make your own and know exactly what you're putting into them.
Coconut Granola Bars
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips*
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds, shelled
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp flax seeds
3 cups old-fashioned oats
*You can use cranberries or other dried fruit in addition or in place of the chocolate chips if you'd like.
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine sugar, nut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Add the mix-in ingredients next and combine. Finally, mix in the oats at the end.
Press into two greased 9x13 inch pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 23-30 or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Cut into bars. Enjoy!
Original Recipe Found at:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/coconut-granola-bars/detail.aspx
Showing posts with label Saving $. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saving $. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Monday, March 7, 2011
Instant Oatmeal
OK, admittedly I am not a huge oatmeal fan, but I eat it (and serve it to my kids) often because it's so cheap and so good for you! But compared to cereal or toast, it's a little time-consuming when you've got hungry kids waiting. So when I stumbled on this recipe for making your own instant oatmeal, I was really excited. I hardly ever buy the prepackaged kind because it's so much cheaper (and healthier) to make real oatmeal.
Back to the not-being-a-fan part, oatmeal is much easier for me to eat with various toppings such as chopped apples, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc. So I decided to improvise a little bit and made the first batch with Craisins, sliced almonds and dried chopped apples. I'm looking forward to experimenting with some other types of whole grains next time, too. But here is the recipe as it appeared in Woman's Day magazine.
18 oz. container quick-cooking oats.
1 envelope (3.2 oz) nonfat dry milk (which I didn't have, so I just left it out. It still turned out fine)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup raisins
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to an airtight container. To serve, scoop 1/2 cup oatmeal mix into a bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Makes about 16 servings.
Back to the not-being-a-fan part, oatmeal is much easier for me to eat with various toppings such as chopped apples, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc. So I decided to improvise a little bit and made the first batch with Craisins, sliced almonds and dried chopped apples. I'm looking forward to experimenting with some other types of whole grains next time, too. But here is the recipe as it appeared in Woman's Day magazine.
18 oz. container quick-cooking oats.
1 envelope (3.2 oz) nonfat dry milk (which I didn't have, so I just left it out. It still turned out fine)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup raisins
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to an airtight container. To serve, scoop 1/2 cup oatmeal mix into a bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Makes about 16 servings.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Laundry Soap
Okay, another recipe that's not a meal idea but one that I want to make sure to save. I made one batch of laundry soap about 8-10 months ago. The ingredients for 1 recipe probably cost me less than $1.50. (I had to purchase 2 boxes that I only used 1/2 cup and 1 cup worth of ingredients so it's hard to know the exact cost). This recipe makes quite a bit, which is why it lasted so long. Definitely a great way to save money! Although I coupon, I no longer look at purchasing laundry detergents of any kind. I use dryer balls so I don't need fabric softener either.
Here's the recipe for the soap:
Grate 1/3 to ½ bar of Fels Naptha. (can use other bar soap such as Ivory as well)
Cook over heat in 4 cups of water until dissolved.
Fill a 5 gallon bucket half-way with hot tap water.
To this hot water add the pot of melted soap and water from the stove. (I just use a really huge pot that I bought for laundry soap making at the thrift store to cook the soap and then I fill it up to the five gallon mark with water.)
Next add 1 cup of the Super Washing Soda and a 1/2 cup of the Borax Laundry Booster.
Allow to cool and then mix well and pour into your containers. I have two big containers that hold most of my laundry soap (one is a plastic, washed out kitty litter container). I then just pour some into two smaller, regular sized laundry containers that I continue to refill as they run out. I do have to shake my bottles each time I use them as it tends to separate. I used a full-bar of Fels Naptha the first time and think it was too much which is why I cut the recipe back to 1/3-1/2 bar. Two different recipes said two different things. I tried it one way and now I’m trying it the other.
I don't really like smelly stuff and when you cook the laundry soap on the stove, it WILL make your house smell like a Fels Naptha bar which is pretty strong. This was the only part of making the laundry soap that I didn't like. Thankfully, the smell disappeared within a few hours.
Here's the recipe for the soap:
Grate 1/3 to ½ bar of Fels Naptha. (can use other bar soap such as Ivory as well)
Cook over heat in 4 cups of water until dissolved.
Fill a 5 gallon bucket half-way with hot tap water.
To this hot water add the pot of melted soap and water from the stove. (I just use a really huge pot that I bought for laundry soap making at the thrift store to cook the soap and then I fill it up to the five gallon mark with water.)
Next add 1 cup of the Super Washing Soda and a 1/2 cup of the Borax Laundry Booster.
Allow to cool and then mix well and pour into your containers. I have two big containers that hold most of my laundry soap (one is a plastic, washed out kitty litter container). I then just pour some into two smaller, regular sized laundry containers that I continue to refill as they run out. I do have to shake my bottles each time I use them as it tends to separate. I used a full-bar of Fels Naptha the first time and think it was too much which is why I cut the recipe back to 1/3-1/2 bar. Two different recipes said two different things. I tried it one way and now I’m trying it the other.
I don't really like smelly stuff and when you cook the laundry soap on the stove, it WILL make your house smell like a Fels Naptha bar which is pretty strong. This was the only part of making the laundry soap that I didn't like. Thankfully, the smell disappeared within a few hours.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Plan Your Meals and Save Money, Time & Frustration
When my sister was visiting me in CO, she told me how she plans all her meals for the entire month and then does all the shopping at once. She only goes back to the store during the month for little things she might need...milk, fresh fruit/veggies etc. She kept talking about it but in my mind I was always finding reasons why it would be too hard for me to do.
When I went to California, I saw her meal plan in action and decided I NEEDED to try it. I am one of those shoppers who typically goes to the store with a small list of things I'm running out of and then just buys anything that suits my fancy thinking I'll use it at some point. I end up throwing a lot of fresh food away because it spoils and I buy canned food that sits in my cupboard for months and months often until things expire and also need to be thrown away.
Here's how Sarah does her planning.
1. Get a calendar and just write down meals for each day (she and I both skip Saturday as it's a more get-what-you-can-find-day). She writes a main dish item and usually a veggie and sometimes a side-dish like biscuits. This doesn't actually take that much time and if you plan ahead, when a new dish pops into your mind, you can add it to the next month so you have less to think about when the time comes. It's very helpful as well if you plan meals for items you need to use up in your cupboard. IE. I have two cans of beans I bought planning on doing something with them. They've been in my cupboard for awhile so I decided to use them to make chili. This uses up those "I'll use it someday" items that sit around forever. If you have guests, you can always shuffle meals around if needed because you have all the ingredients. Also, if you save your lists, you can use them in subsequent years.
2. Make a list of everything you'll need for the month. This also doesn't take too long because your recipes are right at your fingertips and you can easily check your cupboards/fridge/freezer to see what you have/don't have.
3. Go shopping. Sarah and I made it to 5 stores in 2 1/2 hours! (Not all of them grocery stores...we ran some errands while we were out). We went to Costco and Foodmax for all our shopping needs and spent WAY less than I normally would because we stuck to the list and only bought one or two items that weren't actually on the list. You don't see something and think "Oh, I could use this sometime" because you already know what you NEED for an entire month! It makes shopping MUCH quicker and saves a LOT of money.
4. Go home and prep and label. If you puchase steaks or meats that have a specific purpose, it's a good idea to wash them and freeze them in the portion size you'll need for that dish and label it so it's easy to find what you need when the day comes.
I immediately came home from CA and started doing the monthly meal planning and I am proud to say that I cooked dinner every night this week and didn't dread it. I always hate trying to think of something at the last minute that I have all of the ingredients for. My meals were also healthier as I actually planned veggies into the meal instead of forgetting to make them until it's too late. My husband is one who always asks "What's for dinner?" before he gets off work and often wants to change my mind if he has something else he'd prefer. With this method, it eliminates that because he can SEE what's for dinner ahead of time. I hope you'll at least try this for a month or two and see what you think. I never want to go back and I'm excited to see how much money I'll save on my grocery bill each month.
When I went to California, I saw her meal plan in action and decided I NEEDED to try it. I am one of those shoppers who typically goes to the store with a small list of things I'm running out of and then just buys anything that suits my fancy thinking I'll use it at some point. I end up throwing a lot of fresh food away because it spoils and I buy canned food that sits in my cupboard for months and months often until things expire and also need to be thrown away.
Here's how Sarah does her planning.
1. Get a calendar and just write down meals for each day (she and I both skip Saturday as it's a more get-what-you-can-find-day). She writes a main dish item and usually a veggie and sometimes a side-dish like biscuits. This doesn't actually take that much time and if you plan ahead, when a new dish pops into your mind, you can add it to the next month so you have less to think about when the time comes. It's very helpful as well if you plan meals for items you need to use up in your cupboard. IE. I have two cans of beans I bought planning on doing something with them. They've been in my cupboard for awhile so I decided to use them to make chili. This uses up those "I'll use it someday" items that sit around forever. If you have guests, you can always shuffle meals around if needed because you have all the ingredients. Also, if you save your lists, you can use them in subsequent years.
2. Make a list of everything you'll need for the month. This also doesn't take too long because your recipes are right at your fingertips and you can easily check your cupboards/fridge/freezer to see what you have/don't have.
3. Go shopping. Sarah and I made it to 5 stores in 2 1/2 hours! (Not all of them grocery stores...we ran some errands while we were out). We went to Costco and Foodmax for all our shopping needs and spent WAY less than I normally would because we stuck to the list and only bought one or two items that weren't actually on the list. You don't see something and think "Oh, I could use this sometime" because you already know what you NEED for an entire month! It makes shopping MUCH quicker and saves a LOT of money.
4. Go home and prep and label. If you puchase steaks or meats that have a specific purpose, it's a good idea to wash them and freeze them in the portion size you'll need for that dish and label it so it's easy to find what you need when the day comes.
I immediately came home from CA and started doing the monthly meal planning and I am proud to say that I cooked dinner every night this week and didn't dread it. I always hate trying to think of something at the last minute that I have all of the ingredients for. My meals were also healthier as I actually planned veggies into the meal instead of forgetting to make them until it's too late. My husband is one who always asks "What's for dinner?" before he gets off work and often wants to change my mind if he has something else he'd prefer. With this method, it eliminates that because he can SEE what's for dinner ahead of time. I hope you'll at least try this for a month or two and see what you think. I never want to go back and I'm excited to see how much money I'll save on my grocery bill each month.
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