Grocery Shrink

A healthy snack in disguise :). 

1.  Sprinkle 1 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (full of antioxidants) in the bottom of a greased 7 x 11 pan.  Microwave for 1 minute or until the chips are melted.  Spread smooth in the bottom with a heat resistant spatula.

2.  Mix 3 cups of stuff together, such as:  rice crispies, cheerios, wheat germ, wheat bran, cereal crumbs, rolled oats etc .

3.  Pour 1/2 cup honey in a 2 cup glass measurer.  Microwave on high for 1 minute.  Stir in 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky, your choice), untill well combined.  Pour over cereal mixture and stir well.

4.  Press peanut butter coated cereal into the chocolately dish.  Chill for an hour or until the chocolate is semi-hard.  Cut into 12 bars.

5.  Call the kids and watch the bars disappear.  Be sure to have plenty of wet rags on hand :).
 
 
 
 

You may have noticed in the photos of the cream cinnamon rolls that Brandon's face looks really dirty.  It isn't dirty (well it's kind of dirty), but all scratched up.  Last Saturday we went to our cousin's for dinner and Brandon slipped on the ice going into their home.  I went over to help him up and slipped and fell on top of him smashing his face into the cement.  It bled pretty good and he was crying a lot. 

I couldn't get up on the ice while holding him, so I sat behind the car and held him while I waited for Darren to come and help us.  It took him awhile to help his cousin on the ice, so I just held Brandon tight and waited.

With Darren's help we were able to get in the house just fine and an ice pack and some cake and ice cream later, Brandon was happy and playing.  A little while later Darren asked me if I had moved the car.  I hadn't.  It had slid down the hill on the ice.  It only took me a minute to think about how long I sat behind the car holding Brandon unable to move and realized that God had preserved us from the danger of the sliding car.

Dry beans are fabulously good for you!  They are low in fat, high in protein, fiber and folate.  Beans can lower your cholesterol and may prevent cancer.  One of the lowest cost sources of protein around, beans are super versatile and tasty too.

A little known fact about beans is that they make a nice fat substitute in baking.  For recipes and ideas try out these links:   http://everydayfoodstorage.net/2009/01/04/low-fat-brownies-with-out-applesauce/food-storage-recipes ,  http://www.yum-recipes.com/Recipe/Uncategorized/22852_Beans_As_Fat_Substitute.html

Cooking dry beans is easy!  There are 3 methods to choose from, but with all 3 methods, sorting and rinsing the beans is a must.  Sorting means picking through them and taking out the stones.  These are the stones I pulled out of a 1 lb bag of beans from the regular grocery store shelf

 Next rinse the beans in a collander to remove dust from the fields.

Next, choose from 3 cooking methods.

 Method 1.  (Takes the least amount of time and preserves all nutrients.) Place the beans and 6 cups of water per pound into your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.  You can add a Tablespoon of salt and several cloves of garlic to the beans as they cook.  There is a rumor that salt keeps the beans from turning soft, but it isn't true.  If the beans won't cook soft, chances are they are old.

or

Method 2.  (Saves energy and rinses off some of the gas producing starch.)  Soak 1 lb of beans in 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda overnight.

Drain and rinse the beans in a collander.  Add the beans and 6 cups of water to a stock pot.  You may add 1 Tablespoon of salt and garlic if you like. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.  Simmer for 3 hours or until the beans are tender.

or

Method 3. (Rinses off some of the gas producing starch and takes less time than soaking overnight.) Bring the dry beans and 6 cups of water to a boil.  Turn off the heat and let set for 1 hour.  Drain and Rinse.  Bring the beans and 6 more cups of water to a boil.  Add seasonings as desired.  Simmer for 3 hours or until the beans are tender.

To make your beans into chili, add 1 lb of hamburger, browned, 1 chopped onion (cooked with the hamburger), 4 cups of tomato sauce, 1 Tablespoon cumin, and 2 Tablespoons chili powder.  If you are cooking on the stove top, add water as needed to reach desired consistency.  The slow cooker preserves the moisture in the chili.

Chili is great topped with shredded cheese, fritos, and flaked coconut.  If you have never had coconut on your chili, you should try it at least once!

Dry Beans

These nutritious breakfast sandwiches can be made in 90 seconds!  I love that the egg slides right off the plate and is so easy to clean up!  My kids love how tasty they are.  Move over cheerios, here comes the 90 Second Breakfast Sandwich.

Here’s the Cost breakdown:

100% whole wheat flat bread–32 for $3 or $.09 each (Day old bread store)  English muffins work too.

1 egg–$1 a dozen or $.06 each

1 oz slice cheese–$2 lb or $.12 each

1 oz sausage crumbles–$1 lb or $.06 each

mayo–$.01

Per sandwich $.34 each–Eat your heart out dollar menu!

Step 1:  Put the flat bread in to toast.

Step 2:  Spray a bread plate (corelle works best) with non-stick spray.  Crack an egg on it and break the yoke with a toothpick.

Step 3:  Sprinkle with cooked sausage crumbles (I cook these ahead and keep them in the freezer), a little salt and pepper, and microwave on high for 1 minute.  Microwaves vary so adjust cooking times accordingly.  Mine is super high powered.  The egg may pop towards the end, so it is a good idea to cover with an inverted bowl or something.

 
 Step 4:  Cover with a slice of cheese and microwave for 20 seconds more or until the cheese begins to melt.

Step 5:  Spread flat bread lightly with mayo.  Slide the egg on top and enjoy!