Graham Crackers: A One Year-Old's Obsession

So my 16 month old is obsessed with crackers; graham crackers in particular, but any cracker will do really. She'll stand in the kitchen, point to the cupboard and start saying cracker, cracker, cracker... gradually getting louder until her demand request is answered. Needless to say, I buy graham crackers on a regular basis.

I started to wonder if I could make them from scratch, saving money and artificial ingredients. I did a google search, and turns out they are fairly easy to make! Here's the recipe I used.

Homemade Graham Crackers

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

With mixer beat the butter, brown sugar, and honey until fluffy and well combined. Add the eggs; beat well. To the mixing bowl add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until well combined. Refrigerate dough for at least one hour.

On a well floured surface roll out the dough to 1/8" thickness. I divided my dough up into sections and rolled it out one at a time for easier handling. Using a cookie cutter of your choice,* cut out shapes and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and set for about 30 minutes to be cracker-like. Enjoy!

*I used a fringed circle cookie cutter, but thought it would be fun to use different shapes, letters, or numbers if making for children. What a fun way to teach your kids the alphabet! 

Recipe was slightly adapted from http://theprudenthomemaker.com/GrahamCrackers.aspx Pictures and instructions are my own.

Mountain Drive

We decided to take an impromptu drive yesterday to a near by town.  A scenic and very twisty drive up the mountain led us to some beautiful sites! At the bottom of the mountain were some quaint shops and historic buildings. It was a fun family day, and it didn't cost us a dime (with the exception of gas)!

What fun and frugal adventures do you do with your family?

Valentine Coasters

Looking for a simple Valentine's Day gift for your child's teacher, a co-worker, or a friend? Here's a cute idea- Valentine's coasters. Pair it with a mug full of candy, and you've got the perfect gift!

The coasters are super easy to make. I was able to make a set of four while my toddler took a nap.

Choose two coordinating festive fabrics and a coordinating backing. Cut four 4 1/2" squares of each of the festive fabric and backing. Cut four 4" squares of batting for the inside of the coasters.

Once the fabric is cut, take a square of the festive fabric and the backing, and place them right sides together. Sew along the sides (use a 1/4" seam allowance), leaving a small opening on bottom. Do this for each square.

Turn the squares right side out, and place a piece of the batting in each square. Sew up the opening, using a blind stitch. Press with an iron.

Then take a contrasting color of fabric and cut out four 3" hearts (small enough to fit in the middle of the coaster). Applique a heart on each coaster. You can do this by hand or by machine. I did mine by hand using a blanket stitch.

And there you have it! Four adorable Valentine coasters. You could also change the fabric/design to go with your own living room motif to add a little pizzaz to your home.

Valentine Gift Ideas

My husband and I have agreed that Valentine's Day is overrated; it's simply a hallmark holiday. A day created to generate money for the card and flower industry. I know what you're saying..."how unromantic," but really, have you looked at the price of cards lately?

Now before you go and judge me, and think I'm a heartless villain, know that I haven't thrown out Valentine's Day all together. I have a few inexpensive ideas to make your loved one feel special on Valentine's Day!

Instead of buying a Valentine's card, why not make one yourself. Our family does this for any card-worthy occasion. Find some pretty card stock or scrapbook paper, and let your creativity flow! Not sure what to write, google "romantic poems" or just write from the heart.


One year my husband took one of my favorite love poems and put it in a frame. Viola!

Last year to surprise my husband on Valentine's Day I thought up "100 Reasons I Love You!" and wrote each reason on a pink heart I cut out of card stock. Before he woke up that morning I taped them all over the fridge! Needless to say he was quite surprised!

Have a romantic candlelight dinner at HOME!  Send the kids to a babysitter or a friends house, and make your spouse their favorite meal. Turn down the lights, put on some romantic music, and enjoy a nice Valentine's dinner with your love.

Super Bowl Party Foods

Does anybody even really watch the Super Bowl?? It's all about the food and commercials right? Well, I suppose there is the dedicated football fan, but for me it's about the yummy game day food, and fun with friends.  Here are just a few of my favorite party recipes...easy and made from scratch!

Hawaiian Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. Ground Beef                

2/3 c. Bread Crumbs                  2 T. Cornstarch

1/3 c. Onion, minced                  1/2 c. Brown Sugar

1 Egg                                       1 can (13 oz.) Pineapple Chunks,

1 1/2 tsp. Salt                           with juices       

1/4 c. Milk                                 1/3 c. Vinegar

1/4 tsp. Ginger                          1/3 c. Green Pepper, chopped
                                                1 T. Soy Sauce

Instructions:

Mix together beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, and milk until well blended. Scoop out into one to two inch balls, and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 min. or until browned and no longer pink in the middle.

In a saucepan mix cornstarch, ginger, brown sugar, pineapple juices, vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir until cornstarch and sugar is dissolved. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil for an additional minute. Add green peppers, pineapple, and cooked meatballs. Transfer meatballs to a crock pot and serve warm. 

Fresh Homemade Salsa (adapted from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook, Salsa Fresca)


Ingredients:

5 Roma Tomatoes                       3 Garlic Cloves 

1 Tomatillo                                    2 tsp. Olive Oil

2 Jalapeno Peppers                   1/2 Onion, quartered

Instructions:

Quarter the tomatoes and place in food processor (I used a mini food processor, so I did mine in batches). Remove stem from pepper and chop. For a milder salsa remove some of the seeds. Place peppers and the remaining ingredients in the food processor and puree until desired consistency. Enjoy with some tortilla chips!

Black Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1 can Black Beans                      1 tsp. Garlic powder
2 c. Monterey jack cheese           1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Chili powder                     6 Flour tortillas
                                                Olive oil, for frying quesadillas

Instructions:
Drain and rinse black beans. Set aside. Shred the cheese.
In a small bowl mix the seasonings and add to shredded cheese. Add oil to a heated frying pan and place a tortilla in the pan. Add 1/3 of the cheese to the tortilla and sprinkle some of the beans on top. Place another tortilla on top of the cheese and cook on medium/high heat until lightly browned. Flip to brown the other side. Remove from pan and slice into wedges. Repeat to make three quesadillas. Top with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole!

What are some of your favorite party recipes? 

Taking the Plunge

I'm taking the plunge and joining the online world of blogging! My hope is that you find this blog both helpful and fun. My new role as a stay-at-home mom has taught me many ways to be creative in saving money while still enjoying life. I love to find new ideas to make my own products from scratch, and I hope to share those ideas with you. So come along and make something from scratch with me!