Mama Jan's Sugar Cookies - 12 Months of Christmas Series

Photo by Boomette

Nothing says Christmas like homemade goodies and this month's recipe is sure to a be a favorite.

This recipe comes from the student assistant of my mother-in-law quite a few years ago. If baked on stoneware, they turn out very soft. A metal cookie sheet makes them crispier.

Mama Jan's Sugar Cookies
½ cup butter, softened
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
1 cup sugar (I used evaporated cane juice.)
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour, sifted
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure almond extract

Cream together butter and sugar.

Add egg and mix well.

Sift dry ingredients together and blend into sugar mixture. Mix well.

Add extracts and blend well.

Cover with plastic wrap or in an airtight bowl and chill one hour.

Roll out on a pastry cloth to thickness of half your little finger and cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 400F for 8-10 until edges are golden.

Originally posted on Food.com.

Fat Tuesday Sale for Everything Beans Book!!

Today only get the Everything Beans for $3.00!! This is a huge savings since it is regular priced at $9.95.

This is one of my most favorite ebooks, one of most favorite cookbooks in general and one of my my most favorite food bloggers. Kitchen Stewardship my go-to for cooking beans.

Check out my reviews on Kitchen Stewardship ebooks:

Smart Sweets

A Camping We Will Go

To get Everything Beans for $3, use code: NOTAFISHFRY.

This site uses affiliate links. Any purchases made through affiliate links support this site and my family.

RECIPE: Cherry Cheese Pie

Today I am over at The Happy Housewife sharing about one of our most favorite desserts, Cherry Cheese Pie. This is a great recipe for a Valentine's Day at home.

I haven't blogged this yet, but if you follow me on Facebook, you may already know ....

I have been reading The Happy Housewife for some time now. She is a Navy wife and homeschooler. You may remember a post I did for her back in June, The Happy Birthday, Month.

RECIPE: Vanilla Sugar

 

 

Vanilla Sugar is something I always have in my kitchen. I don't use it every day, but when we do make a treat, Vanilla Sugar is something I most often use as my sweetener. (In our house, a treat is defined as an occasional yummy that we make occasionally, usually to celebrate a holiday or event. It may contain more processed ingredients than we eat on an everyday basis, in this case, Vanilla Sugar!) 

 

I began making Vanilla Sugar over five years now and my kids even ask for it in recipes. It just a little adds umph to whatever recipe you add it to. And I don't know about you, but I am always looking for a little umph.

 

First, let's talk ingredients. Quality ingredients make a quality recipe. And cheap ingredients just don't belong in anyone's kitchen. ("Frugal" does not equal "cheap." My kitchen is very frugal, but I don't use cheap stuff. And that, my friends, is another post altogether.)

Smart Sweets

I became familiar with Kitchen Stewardship a couple of years ago while  looking for more wholesome-than-I-was-cooking recipes. Katie Kimball is amazing in the kitchen. Kitchen Stewardship is now one of my go-to places when I feel a need to try a new recipe. She's taught me the ins and outs of soaking flours, dried beans and making yogurt. Kitchen Stewardship also made me realize that even though I was "cooking from scratch," it wasn't necessarily healthy. And because of her I've changed some of my ways of doing things.

I have talked about Healthy Snacks to Go (one of my most favorite ebooks ever!!) and Family Camping (which went with me on several camping trips last summer) and now Kitchen Stewardship has delighted me once again! Smart Sweets: 30 Recipes to Indulge Your Sweet Tooth is a "healthy-er" way to cook treats for your family. It has made me feel better about the times I indulge my kids' sweet tooth with cookies or brownies or even chocolate cake!! 

Dawn's Perfectly Pumpkin Bread

This is my most requested recipe. It comes from the very first cookbook I ever bought. We make it year round for breakfast and snacks but folks especially request it at the holidays.

Dried Onion Soup Mix

I don't use a lot of processed foods. This first came out of necessity and needing to be frugal. Then I bought even less of them when we started the Feingold Diet to combat the symptoms of ADHD. I further scaled down my purchase of processed foods when I began realizing that I wanted the most control I could have over what I was feeding my family.

With our changes in diet, I began trying to new recipes. My family prefers their favorites however and some just aren't very healthy. I attempt to make them as healthy as possible, making changes where I can. One such change is making my own spice mixes. This began with Feingold and continues today.

Dried Onion Soup Mix

8 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley (I use 2 t since I love parsley!)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I use 1/8 t since my kids prefer less spice.)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and use immediately. Or you can store in an airtight container for up to six months.

Menu Plan Monday 7/18/2011

This is my first official Menu Plan Monday post! I do so much better with our meals when I actually have a plan - no more last minute trips to the store or 5 o'clock freak outs because I have forgotten to plan dinner.

So without further adieu ... the menu!

Monday
Marinara and Angelhair, salad

Tuesday
lentil tacos/taco salad

Wednesday
Chicken Bowls

Thursday
Date Night at Home!
grilled salmon, veggie kabobs and baked potato (brown rice for me)

Friday
homemade pizza

Saturday
Family Reunion
Since we are on a special diet, I have to take our meal - BBQ, mac and cheese, salad and green bean casserole or homemade baked beans. I will also take dessert and homemade bread to share with everyone.

Sunday
reunion leftovers

A Camping We Will Go

Two days ago, my husband came home from work and told me that we were going camping this weekend. I was super excited but slightly freaked because of my over-planning nature. Two days was a very short amount of time to plan a long weekend away. Camping. During the biggest holiday of the summer. Oh and did I mention it isn't something that we do regularly. So it isn't like I am really prepared to just go camping with two days notice.

Well, then I remembered.

Katie Kimball from Kitchen Stewardship just came out with the 2nd Edition of her family camping cookbook, Kitchen Stewardship in the Big Woods.

Kitchen Stewardship was one of the first real foods websites I found. I read everything she posts (almost immediately most days!) I have learned so much from her in the almost year that I have been reading her blog. And let me tell ya, that girl researches. Her posts are thorough and informative and she makes you think. A lot. And completely analyze everything you put in your mouth. Or your family's mouths. Read her blog. You won't be sorry.

Katie has made meal planning while camping super simple for traditional (real) food eaters. Kitchen Stewardship in the Big Woods contains 14 new recipes, 35 in all! There are printable packing and to-do lists, which are awesome for planners and list makers like me!! I was quickly able to plan my menu and move on with that part of the preparation process.

Her other two ebooks, Healthy Snacks to Go and The Everything Beans Book are also amazing!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, however, all opinions expressed are my own. If you purchase through these links, I do get a percentage of the sales and use them to sustain this website.

Review: Squeaky Gourmet (and a Giveaway) {CLOSED}

Fifteen years ago I met an amazing woman during the most trying period of my life. We both lost a son within a few months of each other and found ourselves on the same online pregnancy loss support board. Through the years, we have watched each other grow and change and do things in our respective lives that I'm sure we never dreamed we would do before our losses. One thing Maureen "Moe" Jeanson did was to transform her personal fitness.

I am an emotional eater. Following my loss, I gained and gained and gained. I wasn't just overweight. I was fat. A year later, I was tired of it and found a diet I could live with. It worked and I lost 46 pounds. But it wasn't a life change. I then got pregnant with my youngest and the pounds piled on again. And this time they stayed. I couldn't get back into the diet once my baby was born. We've all heard diets don't work. And I can tell you it is true.

Sweet Potato Fries with Applesauce Dip

Co-author, Jamie Wilson, was a client of Moe's and created these super yummy recipes. But Squeaky Gourmet is more than just a cookbook. It is full of super ideas and time-saving tips in a process she calls 'cooking efficiently.' It's a great way to plan your leftovers for quick and easy meals throughout the week. NO excuses for not eating healthy!!

I have never heard the term "foodie evangelist" but this is exactly what Moe is. I thought I understood the ins-and-outs of real food eating but she taught me a thing or two. Moe writes in a style that makes you feel like she's right there talking to you. And that's what I need. A guide, a cheerleader, a friend - encouraging me to do better for me and my family.

Peek inside the book or just go search her website for many a tasty recipe! The book splits the recipes up into categories and even gives a nutritional value pie chart - for this visual gal, it is quite a help! 

What the fudge

In my own struggle with whether or not to go gluten free, Squeaky Gourmet (and my own personal cheerleader, Moe) have given me hope! Read her blog, people. She will cheer you on too!!

Cranberry Cherry Granola

Squeaky Gourmet is available on her website (with free shipping!) or on Amazon.com.

---

OK are you ready for some fun? It's my first giveaway! Moe sent me an extra copy to give away to y'all!

Here is what you have to do: leave a comment telling me why you would like to receive this book or how you think it would help you. That's it!

One entry per person. The giveaway closes Monday night, June 13 at 11:59PM. Winner will be selected by Random.org and announced on Tuesday, June 14!

Why I Don't Coupon - Part 1

I'm frugal but I don't coupon. Or at least not very often.

 photo by teamjtx on Flickr.

Coupons are for people who buy processed foods. Or stuff with junk in them. 

And we don't want no junk around here.

The only coupons available in Sunday circulars are those for products by big food companies that put all kinds of stuff in them I don't wanna eat. Or bathe with. Or clean my clothes with. Or ..... 

Do you see my trend here? 

Occasionally, I will find a coupon in my local heath food store for a product I might buy. Or a treat for the kids. But for the most part I don't use 'em. And I've tried. Believe me I have tried. 

There are only a few things left that I actually buy that I can use a coupon for: coffee, some bagged teas, hubby's toiletries that I can't get him to let go of. That's about it.

So what do I buy without coupons, you ask? Well we'll be talking about that this week.

RECIPE: The Lucky Smoothie

In honor of St Patrick's Day, I wanted to share something we have been doing in our house lately.  Music Man has always had trouble with constipation since Day 1 (literally in the hospital!!) This is due to extreme low muscle tone which affects not only the face muscles making it difficult to eat and talk, the leg muscles which challenge mobility but also the gut where he would have trouble "going," to put it nicely. We have worked through several several awful medicine routines and gone back and forth with different ways of dealing with it. Last year at the advice of another mom dealing with the same thing, we tried a daily smoothie. Our basic recipe was

Gotta Go Smoothie
1 c liquid (I use whole milk yogurt, kefir, pear juice or even whole milk, in a pinch)
1/4 of a frozen banana

1 T natural peanut butter (I eyeball it.)

1T homemade prune butter (Again, eyeball it - no measuring just a spoonful.)

handful of ice

The ingredients are interchangeable and measurements are approximate (except I stick to the 1/4 banana.) Music Man loves prune butter thank goodness, but the peanut butter and banana are his faves thanks to visiting Whole Foods after orthodontics visits. They hide the flavor of drinking prune butter. It isn't very appetizing to me but he loves it.

So we did this for a good while - every afternoon during snacktime he had a Gotta Go Smoothie. It worked beautifully! I was amazed. Really. No meds. No crying at potty time. If you have ever dealt with a kid who couldn't go you know what I mean. It was literally God-sent!

Now before I introduce the "lucky" ingredient, let me deal with another issue. I concede that bananas are known to be binding. The simple answer is that bananas are his fave fruit. Actually the banana is the only fruit he eats. He used to eat a whole one daily (until I realized how binding they were for him.) Now he gets part of one banana in a smoothie daily. The peanut butter probably doesn't help either. Again, it is a small amount. It is to cover the taste. He loves it and I just have to deal with it. The yogurt is also dairy which is also binding but his gut needs the good stuff in yogurt. I was blessed by a friend a few weeks ago who gave me some kefir and I have been using that ever since. (Not sure what in the world I am talking about? Well, I am still learning all about kefir myself. All I can honestly tell ya right now is that it is supposed to be better for ya than yogurt with good bacterias and it is sure easier - and cheaper!! More on kefir later, but you can visit The Kefir Lady for more info if you so desire.)

Now we come to the lucky part. I have been, over the course of the last few months, trying to change some of our eating habits. We have followed the Feingold Program for five years to combat the symptoms of Music Man's ADHD. The Feingold Program is a great for folks who buy a lot of processed foods and want to buy processed foods without all the junk in them. The Feingold Program eliminates artificial flavors, colors and petroleum based preservatives. It was a great transition program (or set-down from the way we were eating to where I am trying to go. I am so thankful, so grateful that they exist and fully support their mission. Lately though I have begun making steps towards more whole foods eating. I don't necessarily mean Whole Foods Market (the grocery store,) though I love them and shop there monthly. I mean unprocessed foods as close to their natural state as possible - fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, healthy nuts. (More on all that later - it is a whole post or posts in and of itself.)

Well, since I have boys who are picky eaters, each in their own quirky way, I have to get creative occasionally. I couldn't just change up his smoothie (i.e. make it healthier) and hand it to him. I had to come up with something cute that my oral aversion kid would latch on to. So The Lucky Smoothie was born.

The Lucky Smoothie

1 c liquid (I use whole milk yogurt, kefir, pear juice or even milk in a pinch) My blender has measurements on the side and I have found that 1 c is the best amount in order to make it drinkable for MM)

1/4 of a frozen banana

1 T natural peanut butter (I eyeball it.)

1T homemade prune butter (Again, eyeball it - no measuring just a spoonful.)

handful of ice

handful of fresh spinach

Yep, I put fresh spinach in that baby. No, he doesn't know it is spinach and no, you can't taste it. My husband went shopping for me one afternoon and had to get greenish bananas so that's what Music Man assumed the green was from. I never corrected him and won't for a while. farm Boy has seen me make them and knows I put spinach in them and he is keeping our secret ingredient a secret. :) I have tasted The Lucky Smoothie so I can honestly say that you can't taste the spinach. I'm still not a fan - I just don't care for banana and peanut butter in my smoothies but I do taste everything I give him. But you have to use fresh spinach!! You can taste frozen spinach - I tried once when we were out of fresh. You can use a tiny bit of frozen just for color but it doesn't blend well either and it it isn't pleasant to look at.

So there you have it. The Lucky Smoothie.  Enjoy!

RECIPE: Pumpkin Spice Latte Goodness (or How to Make a Latte without an Espresso Maker)

Today on the eve of the last day of November, I am craving the last bit of fall. It is looking a bit frightful outside and we have been listening to Christmas music all weekend, but I haven't really pulled out the decorations yet. This is certainly getting me ready for decorating though!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Goodness


2 cups whole milk
2  tablespoons pureed pumpkin (I use Libby's)
1-2 tablespoons sugar (I use my homemade vanilla sugar instead of sugar and vanilla and drop it to about 1 t of sugar. I don't like sweet coffee!)
1-2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Pumpkin Pie Spice (OR 1/4 t cloves and 1/2 cinnamon)
1/2 cup of freshly brewed strong coffee

In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Love that whisk in there - leftover from my days as a Pampered Chef. (I'll never be without one!)

Remove from heat, stir in spice. Oh so perty!!

If using vanilla and sugar, then add the vanilla now. No imitation flavors here. Use the real thing. Artificials are bad for you. And imitation vanilla is just gross. Process in blender for about 15 seconds until you have some scrumptious foamy goodness!

Pour into a large mug or two mugs if you are in the sharing mood. Pour the coffee on top. YUM!

Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of spices if desired.

RECIPE: Beef Up My Stroganoff

This recipe is altered quite a bit from a Southern Living recipe book given to us in the early years of our marriage. When we first made this we were broke and could only afford, we still make it with hamburger. Fresh mushrooms are a must and the consomme, sherry and lemon give it exceptional flavor. Once we were able to afford sirloin, we preferred it with ground meat. We also double the recipe since we all love it and fight over whatever might be left over! 

Classic Beef Stroganoff from Hamburger (or as we call it Stroganoff)

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped onion (chop finely and the kids will never know they are in there!)

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons butter (use the real thing not fake stuff)

2 tablespoons flour (can sub corn starch)

1 cup homemade beef broth

3 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (It does make a difference! Once you try freshly ground, you will never go back!)

8 oz sour cream

Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until browned, stirring frequently. Add hamburger and cook thoroughly.

Add flour and next four ingredients, stirring well. Bring to a boil; reduce simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Gently stir in sour cream; cook until heated thoroughly (do not boil.) Serve over warm fat ribbon pasta (like No-Yolks) and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Dawn's Very Best Buttermilk Waffles Recipe

When we moved to Georgia in February 2009, one of the traditions we picked up while staying with Jason's parents was Saturday morning waffles. They made them every Saturday morning while we were there and my boys loved them! After we got into our house, we were saddened that the tradition was ending since we did not have a waffle iron. After hearing the boys lament about not having waffles anymore (oh yes, it was that bad,) Jason's dad presented us with a waffle iron he had gotten off eBay and never used. The boys started jumping up and down and screaming - how had I deprived them for so long ..... lol! We went home that very night and made waffles and the boys were so excited! They wanted them "evvvvv-er-y day."


Then enters the cook in me.


I like waffles and enjoyed eating them with my family, but not to the extent that my boys did. Maybe it was because I grew up on Buttermilk Eggos and these just weren't them (not that I would eat them now since we don't eat processed foods with artificial flavors, colors and preservatives in them.) So began my hunt for the perfect waffle recipe. After a full year of hunting and experimenting, I finally came up with one we all LOVE!!! And it is better than Eggo® in my opinion! Serve up these babies with some pure maple syrup or my recipe for a simple frugal version and you are in business!!!


PS For those of you wishing you had a waffle iron so you could try them out, try Craigslist, Freecycle, yard sales and thrift stores. People sell them cheap!! I had stuff taking up room in my kitchen, but a waffle iron is just one of those appliances I will always make room for (at least as long as we carry out the Saturday morning waffle tradition!)


Dawn's Very Best Buttermilk Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash cinnamon (I use Penzey's!)
• 2 eggs , separated
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk (I use 1-1/2 c whole milk with a splash of white vinegar.)

Directions

1. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Separate the eggs, add the yolks to the dry and placing the whites in a small mixing bowl.
3. Beat egg whites until moderately stiff, set aside. (This makes very fluffy waffles! Do not skip this step!)
4. Add milk and oil to mixed dry ingredients and blend.
5. Pour stiff egg whites into mixture and fold gently.
6. Ladle mixture into hot waffle iron as directed by your model and bake.

 Enjoy!!!

RECIPE: Homemade Syrup

No, I am not telling you how to tap a maple tree, here! Just a recipe for a simple, very frugal, additive-free pancake syrup!

Simple Pancake Syrup
2 c white sugar
2 c dark brown sugar
2 c water

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat until boiling stirring occasionally being careful not to agitate any crystals that may have formed on the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and add 2 T butter. You may also add 1 t vanilla or maple extract if desired (but we usually do not. The butter gives it a wonderful flavor without it! Think Mrs. Butterworth's TM!)