With fall fast approaching, or if you are right smack dab in the middle of it, pumpkin flavor is in high gear. With this in mind start your gift baskets now. They are great as hostess gifts, birthdays, Thanksgiving gifts, welcome gifts, or just because. Here is a Quick Pumpkin Bread Mix you can make now and store away for later.
Quick Pumpkin Bread Mix
2 cups all-purpose four
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecan or walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Layer ingredients attractively in any order in 1-quart food storage jar with tight-fitting lid. Pack ingredients down slightly before adding another layer.
Cover top of jar with fabric or decorative paper; attach gift tag with raffia or ribbon
This makes 1 (1-quart) jar
When you attach the tag go ahead and attach the recipe card.
1/3 cup butter softened
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 jar of pre-made bread mix
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 1/2x4 1/2 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin until well blended. Add pumpkin bread mix and stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake 50-55 minutes or until your toothpick comes out nice and clean. Cool n pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Makes 1 loaf
Keep your gift on the cheaper side by creating your own tags and recipe card by using scrapbook paper/card stalk or printing them out. Try using free clip art to print out/ cut and attach to your tags/cards. Use twine or leftover ribbon to attach the tag to the jar. The possibilities are endless when you use a little creativity.
If you are not the creative type check out our friends over at Whimsical Occasions where you can find wonderful tags for a fair price. You can also check to see if your writing software (like Microsoft Office) has
any templates you could use. Also try the paint program on your computer or a photo editing software.
Keep your gift basket festive by adding some homemade butter (check out the Fast and Fun Fridays ~3 ways to use cream) napkins, and some dried flowers for centerpiece. Remember to check out your local thrift stores as they normally have baskets galore, jars. ribbon, twine, and fabric.
Have fun and upload some pictures!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Fast and Fun Fridays~ 3 Ways to use cream!
I'm an odd one. I try to be the perfect mother, wife, daughter, friend, etc and it does not always work out. Why? Because I am human, that is why. I want to provide the best for my family on a tight budget. (I quit my great job to raise my children and finish my degree) I enjoy providing my family with home cooked meals but let's face it. I do not want to spend six hours in the kitchen a day. I want to get in, get out, and on with the hundred things left on my daily to-do list. Does this sound familiar?
Today I will be talking about cream and 3 ways we can use it. Two days ago, I stopped, by whim, at my local creamery. I wanted to go check their price on milk, their milk is so delicious, well the milk was too expensive as was their cheese. Nevertheless, I was bound and determined to purchase something from this small business. I found a gallon of heavy cream and quickly calculated my costs. It was $15.00 for one gallon of heavy cream. If I purchased the store brand of the heavy whipping cream it would have been about $3.00 a pint. That is a $9.00 savings on something I can freeze for later use, and make some awesome wipped cream with. But a gallon? Do I really want a gallon of whipped cream? I started thinking, what could I do that is easy and takes less than 10 minutes to complete. I started researching. What could one make with cream? At once, I was given many options ranging from ice cream to sour cream and everything in-between. Right away, I was intrigued. Could I make butter? Buttermilk? Yes, I could. I searched until I found just the right recipes, just the right tutorials until I found three items I could make with two cups of cream.
Here is what I did (I altered and combined all three recipes) Remember to read the instructions before you begin, as the steps intertwine.
Whipped cream
Basic for all
1. Allow two cups of heavy cream to sit until the cream is room temperature. I have tried the cream both cold and at room temperature and have found the later works much better.
2. Place your mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator or freezer until ready
3. Slowly pour cream into iced bowel
4. Start your mixer –but keep the power low for about 20 seconds
Whipped cream 1. Bring your speed up to a medium power and allow the cream to work its magic. You will see bubbles come to the top, then the cream will start to thicken and look like cake mix
2. Once the cream looks like cake mix turn your power up one more notch
3. Allow the cream to mix until it looks nice and thick
4. Scoop out some of the whipped cream and place in an airtight container. Place in fridge for a minute or two
a. Taste your whipped cream. Do you like it plane-Jane or do you like it sweeter? Try adding a small amount of flavored syrup or flavoring and beat once again until nice and thick- it is all up to you and your liking. Many recipes, calls for dry sugar, but I have found the consistency becomes quite grainy.
b. Your whipped cream will last for a few days so keep your amounts stored medium to small. *if your whipped cream starts looking a little runny just whip it to bring back the thickness
 |
| Look at all of that butter! The buttermilk is there on the bottom |
Butter:
1. After you have placed your whipped cream into the refrigerator go back to your mixer
2. Place a splashguard onto the top of your mixing bowl -if you do not have one try to wrap the edges in plastic wrap
3. Once again start at a low speed for about 20 seconds
4. Turn to a medium-high speed and watch as the cream separates (my kids love this part)
5. Allow the cream to separate fully until you hear a splashy sound in your mixer
6. Butter milk will splash everywhere so a splashguard is needed
7. Slowly turn your mixer off
8. Allow most of the buttermilk to drip off of your butter
9. While the buttermilk drips get a bowl filled with ice cold water
10. Start with small clumps- squeeze all of the liquid out of the butter but keep the buttermilk in the bowl
 |
| My grandma made the little table under the bowl! |
11. Once you get more butter through your fingers then liquid, place mass into your ice-cold water
12. Continue until you no longer have any butter in your mixer
13. Allow the butter to sit in the water for about 30-45 seconds
14. Rub and kneed the butter in the water - this is called washing
15. Drain the water and once again squeeze the liquid out of the butter
16. Wash and drain until the water runs clear (about 3 washes)
17. Form the freshly cleaned butter into balls or cubes and place in an airtight container
a. This is fresh unsalted and unflavored butter- try taking a small amount of butter and mix it with your favorite herbs and spices
b. You can also wrap in wax paper and place in the freezer for future use *Do not place flavored butter into the freezer, when it thaws the taste is too strong and un-enjoyable- believe me
Buttermilk
1. While the butter is sitting for 30-45 seconds drain the remaining liquid, through a strainer or cheese cloth, into an airtight container.
2. You now have buttermilk! (ummmmm buttermilk pancakes are calling my name)
There you go, three things to make with two cups of cream. The possibilities are endless so enjoy. I would love to hear what you make, the spices, the flavors, what do you think?
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Today's deals and giveaways
- Go on over to Cottonelle's website for two coupons, they are bricks but cannot be sent via snail mail. Still, I know I'll be using the .50/1 coupon!
- Get a FREE sample of Playtex here
- Get 80% off of your Restaurant.com gift certificates with the checkout code of: SAVE
- Suggest 5 friends to No More Rack to get your FREE Woodys headwax pomade
- Get $40.00 worth of coupons from Betty Crockers
- How about $25.00 worth of coupons from General Mills when ou go to boxtops4education.com
- Are you fantastic in the kitchen? Then submit your recipes to Hungry Jack. If you win, you get a year's worth of FREE groceries.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Online Savings
Get 10% off $40 or more on Halloween costumes with
Code:Hallow10 http://www.buycostumes.com/
Kohl's Get 20% off your entire purchase
Code: TWENTY4ME http://www.kohls.com/
Code: TWENTY4ME http://www.kohls.com/
Cooking.com Get $20 off $150
Code: C94834 http://www.Cooking.com/
Code: C94834 http://www.Cooking.com/
6pm.com Up to 80% off SKECHERS
No code needed http://www.6pm.com/
Old Navy One Day Only Sale, get 25% off
Code: ONBDAY25 http://www.oldnavy.com/
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