Other Uses for Hot Coco Mix

Today I’m joining lifeasmom for frugal friday.  I’m stocked on hot coco mix.  Problem: I live in Houston and it is only hot coco drinking weather for a brief time.  This summer I’ve been deliberately uses up this mix with cold treats.

One is chocolate pudding.  In my saucepan, I mix 1 cup hot coco mix, 3/4 cup morning moo powdered milk, 1/4 cup corn starch and one tablespoon unsweetened powdered coco.    Then add in 2 cups of water.  Constantly stir.  Help any clumps that don’t dissolve by smashing on the side of you pan.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Pour into 4 small bowls and cover with plastic wrap.  Let cool in fridge.  You’ll get the choc blanket on top if you leave air between the plastic and pudding.  I like the choc blanket.   My mom suggested adding an egg when I add in the cold water.  I will try that next time.

Chocolate Pie:  Pour pudding (with egg option) into slightly cooked pie shell and bake at 325 for 15 minutes.  For meringue topping, beat 4 egg whites and a teaspoon of cream of tarter.  Once they start getting fluffy, add a tablespoon of sugar if you like yours sweet.  Pull pie out of oven and top with egg mixture.  Continue cooking til top looks finished… white peaks will turn light brown.   Let cool and store in your fridge.   If you don’t like meringue, you can top with whip cream after pie cools.

Chocolate Milk:  I no longer purchase chocolate milk.  I had a coupon and tried the promised land milk a couple of months ago.  It was great, but even better was the small glass milk bottle which I saved.  To make my choc milk I fill this jar 1/2 full with ice.  Then I mix about 3/4 cup of hot coco mix with hot hot water and let dissolve.  When it is cool, but still warm I pour over the ice and shake.  I taste and if it is too strong I add water.  My hot coco mix has powdered milk as a main ingredient, but if it didn’t I’d also add powdered milk with the coco mix and hot water.

Frozen Pudding Sticks:  This is on my list to try once I have a little more freezer space.  I’m going to pour the choc milk into my Popsicle tray and make fudge sticks.

I also want to figure out how to make Chocolate Truffles with hot coco mix, so please let me know if you have a recipe I could use.  Or any other uses for hot coco mix would be helpful.  Thanks.

Rednecks are getting smarter everyday

Rednecks are getting smarter every day…. or maybe I’m getting older and wiser???  I grew up in redneck country.  A small town in deep East Texas.  I guess I was a shemale redneck.  My graduating class was 49 including me.  If you went out in the evening as a teenager, by the time you got home your parents knew if you had been in trouble.  If the basketball game was over and your parents had not picked you up, the local sheriff would give you a ride home.  The boys drove pickup trucks to school and had guns hanging on the back window because they went hunting in the afternoon.  They didn’t lock their truck.  We had no school shootings.  There could have never been a Columbine b/c the idiots would have been taken out very early.

The town was so small, there are no red lights, no Walmart, no movie theater, etc.   We had a Dairy Queen and other local joints.  If the police pulled you over for speeding, it was because you were REALLY speeding…. not to create ticket revenues for the city.   At 18 I couldn’t wait to get out of that small town.  I went out, “made something of myself” and became a Houston lawyer doing energy deals.  Yes this sounds like an old country song.  Now that I’ve lived in the city, the rednecks are looking smarter and smarter.

My friend Terah sent this to me today and it is funny b/c it has a hint of truth!

Red Neck Bank Loan

Never underestimate A Texas Redneck cowboy.

A Redneck from Sweetwater, Texas walked into a
Bank in New York City and asked for the loan
Officer.  He told the loan officer that he was
Going to Paris on an international redneck festival for
Two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000 and that he
Was not a depositor of the bank.

The bank officer told him that the bank
Would need some form of security for the loan, so the
Redneck handed over the keys to a new Ferrari. The car
Was parked on the street in front of the bank. The
Redneck produced the title and everything checked
Out.  The loan officer agreed to hold the car as
Collateral for the loan and apologized for  having
To charge 12% interest.

Later, the bank’s president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh
At the Redneck from the south for using a $250,000
Ferrari as collateral for a $5,000 loan. An employee of
The bank then drove the Ferrari into the bank’s
Private underground garage and parked it.

Two weeks later, the Redneck
Returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest of $23.07.
The loan officer said, ‘Sir, we are very happy
To have had your business, and this transaction has
Worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While
You were away, we checked you out on Dunn &
Bradstreet and found that you are a highly
Sophisticated investor and multimillionaire with
Real estate and financial interests all
Over  the world.  Your investments include a large number of wind
turbines around Sweetwater, Texas.  What puzzles
Us is, why would you bother to borrow $5,000?

The good ‘ole Texas boy replied,
‘Where else in New York City can I park my car for
Two weeks for only $23.07 and expect it to be there
When I return?

His name was BUBBA….

Crockpot Brisket Yesterday / solar oven / working out

I’m rambling today…

Brisket: I don’t have pics, but the brisket yesterday was soooo soooo soooo good.  All the family raved.  The reason I’m posting is because I cooked it in my crockpot.  I’m not a fan of crockpot meals.  I think most crockpot meals have this distinctive aftertaste that is not appealing.  So I use the crockpot primarily for baked potatoes.  I put an untrimmed brisket in my crockpot, dumped a whole jar of BBQ sauce over it and cooked on low for 8 hours.  I’ve tried the trimmed briskets, but prefer the cuts with fat.  After you cook you can trim off the fat.  A trimmed brisket gets too dry when cooked.  After you removed the brisket from the crockpot, wait a few minutes before carving.  If you carve right away, you get strings.  But if you wait, you get sliced meat.   You can get brisket on sale for 99 cents a pound.  I get the smallest one I can find and cut it in half.  I have a long large crockpot, so it holds 1/2 a small brisket.

Solar Oven:  Next week I will pull out my Global Sun Solar Oven.  I want to practice using this jewel.  Cooking without purchased fuel is very appealing to me.  I was going to start this week, but my body is still aching from all the pantry work.  I’m on a mission to cook with less energy: (1) the crockpot does not heat up house like oven and you can even cook with it outside; (2) pressure cooker cooks quickly with less energy; and (3) solar oven uses no purchased energy.  I’m skeptical about “global warming” but concerned fuel prices may be outrageous one day and want to be prepared.

Exercise:  I am such a wimp.  The reaching up / down 100 million times in my pantry was a two day aerobic class.  My muscles are stretched and yelling at me.  My next “to-do” is get in better shape.  I have a good weight but need more muscle.    I’ve tried running with my marathon hubby, but he tells me he feels like he is running in place.  I hate running anyway.  I tried yoga but it gave me a headache.  If I didn’t have kids, I think I’d be a maid for pay.  It would be a good workout and accomplishment at the same time.  Maybe that’s why I love cooking.   When you “work-out” you’ve exerted all this energy for nothing.  Yes, I know it is good for your body.  But I want something to show for my sweat.  For example, I enjoy spreading mulch.  It is hard work/exercise and you have a product at the end.

Sin in Coupon and Frugal Grocery Shopping

Each of us struggles with different sin.  Mine has changed at the different stages of life.  Teenage years and early 20s it was…. well that would be TMI.  Mid 20s to mid 30s it was materialism and pride in my career.

When I left my career, I hit homemaking with the same fervor I had other parts of my life.  When I go for something, I’m one of those people who give it my all.  Dave gave me a grocery challenge to see if we could spend $75 a week for groceries, household and diapers.  I started doing the grocery game and became a very accomplished coupon shopper.

There is nothing sinful with using coupons.  Rather, it can be very Godly in helping manage the resources you have been given.  But like anything good, humans can pervert a good thing into a sinful thing.  I became obsessed with seeing well over 50% savings on my receipt.  So much so that I began using coupons in a sinful way.  And like any sin, I justified my sin.

For example, if a coupon said $1 off 2 items, then I’d give the checkers two of these coupons for 2 items.  Many times their scanner would take both, so I got $2 off 2 – double the amount the manufacturer intended.  And if the scanner beeped and didn’t take it, many times the checker had a long line would and would override / accept the extra coupon.

If you knowingly do that, it is sin even if the store takes it; unless of course they have a store policy that accepts using coupons like this.  I doubt any do.  What I did, on occasion, was manipulate the store’s system to save more money.  But it really isn’t saving, it is stealing.  I would justify doing this for many reasons:

• many times the checker scans the coupons so fast that she doesn’t get them all.  by giving the extra coupons, I was just gettting caught up with the ones that were not scanned
• many times I’m overcharged for an item because their system rings up higher than advertised price… my extra coupons helped me recoup some of these overcharges
• most people don’t use coupons, so my extras could be counted toward those same products purchased by others without a coupon
• I offered the coupon and they took it – all is OK…right???  It was on the up and up.

I’ve been convicted of this sin and repented.   But a couple of weeks ago, it popped up again.  I purchased marked down frozen gourmet tamales. There were several packages marked down to $5.00, which was way too much in my mind (this is where the justification starts).  There was one package where the last “0″ was barely visible, so I grabbed it knowing the checker would ring up for 50 cents.

Sure enough, I got the tamales for 50 cents.  If I had really thought they were 50 cents, there would have been no sin on my part.  However, I knew they meant for these to be $5.00 and I chose the package to benefit from a poor sharpie marker.

It was not worth it.  Afterward, when I had my quiet time with God, it came up again and again.  I knew I could not have fellowship when this was eating at my conscience.  Today I went back to the store for a few items.  I asked the checker to ring up an extra $4.50 in general merchandise.  She asked why and I told her the story.  She couldn’t believe I was so “honest.”  I looked at that woman and told her I’m not honest, I deliberately got those tamales for 50 cents knowing they were meant to be $5.00.  On the contrary, I’m a dishonest person with a bad conscience.  She smiled.

I feel much better now.  I’m so thankful it bothered me.  We all have sin and when our sin stops bothering us we’re in trouble.  If we continually sin and ignore our conscience routinely, God may turn us over to our sin.  What a terrible place to be.

I think many of us who are not perpetrating the sins our society thinks are really terrible, don’t think we’re as bad as those who murder, rape, etc.  However, sin is sin and separates us from God.  If you have Jesus, then a price has been paid.  However, even Christians may suffer for their sins in the here and now.  We should not think too highly of ourselves because our sin is “little.”  In reality, sin is sin period.  If you have any outstanding sin, repent and sin no more.  Each day is new, thank God.

This week’s menu

Today I roasted two chickens and made broth.  So I have lots of chicken and broth to play with -  much of it will be used for lunches.  I also have a brisket defrosting and will try to be creative with stretching my beef this week.  Let’s see how I do!

• Monday:  BBQ Brisket, roasted red potatoes and salad
• Tuesday:  Chicken gumbo, rice and raw veggies
• Wed:  homemade beef ragu, pasta and raw veggies
• Thursday:  Chicken and dressing from homemade cornbread and raw veggies
• Friday:  whole wheat pepperoni pizza

Pantry Remodel part 2

The interior of the pantry is finished. It is amazing how much more storage it provides. Now I’m putting all the stuff back. I’m amazed how many bags of half eaten crackers we had tucked in corners. I’m organizing so that will not be an issue in the future.

To see my pantry before remodel, click here and scroll to bottom for pics.

Pantry Remodel

We’ve been in our house 2 years and the built-in pantry shelves were about to fall down.  We finally decided to take them out and put up steel shelving.  We had three freestanding steel shelves custom made by a guy in Brookshire Texas for $240.  They are huge and simple to put together.

This weekend we are taking out the old shelves.  Now I know why they didn’t hold my can goods.  They are made from compressed cardboard…..no joke.  I can easily snap the support boards across my knee.  Since I’ve been cooking with wheat berries and other bulk foods, our pantry has been a mess.  I’ve had most stuff on the floor b/c the shelves would collapse under the weight.  And I couldn’t find anything without a major search endeavor.  Not anymore.  I’m getting 46 sq feet more in shelving and will be able to stack like never before.

My other shelves were only 11 inches deep. Take a look here: http://houstonmom.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/img_0436.jpg .  One of the new is 24 inches deep, and the other two are 18 inches deep.  Too much of my pantry was walk around space  .  Builders are not designing houses for people who cook, but for those who keep a few light weight boxes of cereal and bags of Doritos on hand.

Here are the in-progress pics.  Don’t drop by this weekend, things are all over the place!

Eggs as a frugal dish

Today I’m joining lifeasmom for Frugal Friday.

One trick I use to keep our grocery bill down is eggs.  This is not a new idea and has been around for years – see video below.  Grocery stores run eggs on sale fairly often.  At costco you can get 18 eggs for a little under $1.50.  I like eggs b/c they are satisfying and don’t leave you empty feeling 30 minutes later.  Our family of 5 eats at least 18 eggs per week.  Many people don’t eat eggs b/c they think they’ll gain weight.  I’m not a nutrition expert or medical professional, but can say (for our family) eggs do not put on the pounds.  Eating an egg mcmuffin will add weight, but a  boiled egg with homemade wheat toast does not.

I know there are egg Nazis reading this.  I don’t eat free range organic eggs or eggs fresh from the farm.  And eggs have cholesterol – yes I said that dirty word.   If you have the budget to spend $3 plus for a dozen eggs with special omegas, go for it.  If you don’t have the money, then eat the eggs on sale at the store and cut out the processed Eggos or packaged nutrigrain bars that have more sugar than wheat.   I have a problem with people who refuse to eat eggs b/c of the calories / cholesterol, but then eat processed food or stop at McDonalds on the way to work b/c they don’t have anything healthy in their fridge.

Here’s a few uses for eggs at our house:

• Breakfast.  I send Dave breakfast to work each morning.  (see pic below)  If I send him a huge breakfast, then he doesn’t need to spend $$$ on a large lunch.  I’d rather pack breakfast than lunch because it is so easy and doesn’t take much time.  I usually send 2 eggs with a bread and a fruit.  If I have extra time, I’ll make him an omelet packed with veggies.  My 5 year old also loves eggs for breakfast and gets to practice using a knife with this dish.  I let her cut up her own fried egg with a dull butter knife.  I’ll eat 2 eggs for breakfast at least once a week, maybe more.
• weekend quiche.  About once a month, I’ll make a quiche for the fridge.  It is great for mid-morning breakfast or late night snack.  And better for you than processed chips.  It is our fast food.  My husband trains for marathons, so on the weekends he needs the extra calories.  This is a quick fix without me being in the kitchen all weekend.
• Stretching casseroles.  I use eggs as a glue in many of my casseroles such as meatloaf or fried rice.  It helps stretch my meat and acts as the glue.
• Baked goods such as muffins or pancakes.  I like baked goods with lots of eggs to add protein.  You get the whole wheat carb and the protein in one bite.

In the depression they used eggs as a meat replacement.  Have you see the video of 91 year old Clara making depression egg soup.  It is fabulous.

Here’s a pic of Dave’s breakfast this morning.  Included:  2 fried eggs, 2 blueberry banana wheat/oat muffins and fresh cantelope.  I try to send on a plate he can toss.  I line with foil so the plate doesn’t get soggy and the egg stays warm.  I also save my plastic containers from butter spread / etc and use from fruit.

Tator Tot Casserole

One dish I started making, thanks to my friend Melissa, is Tator Tot Casserole.  I like this dish because (i) you can make it from your freezer / pantry; (ii)  it is inexpensive; (iii) one more way to stretch ground beef; and (iv) it is a kid friendly dish that adults love too.

If you keep a few ingredients on hand, you can make this dish without much planning.

• 2 cans of mushroom soup
• 8 oz cheese (double if you love lots of melted cheese on top of your casseroles)
• 1 to 2 pounds of ground beef (ground turkey works too)
• frozen tator tot potatoes
• small chopped onion (optional – I don’t use)

To make the dish from your freezer, partially thaw meat in your microwave.  While meat is thawing, spray bottom of a 13 x 9 casserole dish with non-stick spray.  Line bottom with tator tots (about 20).  Then cook ground meat in a skillet.  If your family likes onion, you can add a small chopped onion and cook with meat.  Season with garlic powder, onion powder and pepper.  Once cooked and fat is drained, add two cans of mushroom soup to the meat mixture.  Taste mixture and add salt and other seasonings if needed.    Spread the meat mixture over the tator tots.  Then sprinkle cheese on top.

Cover with alum foil and back at 350 for 40 minutes.   Uncover and bake another 5 to 10 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Get ready for flu to spread in August

We haven’t heard much about the swine flu lately.  Once MJ and the angel died, much of America’s focus was on Hollywood.  However, the flu is still spreading and once school starts, I expect to see an increase in the spread.  Are you ready?

It became personal this morning.  I haven’t been thinking about it much lately.  You can’t sit around and just wait to get sick – you’ve gotta live and be productive with each day God gives.  However, I received an email last night that got my attention.  Last week the girls attended VBS at a fairly large church in Houston.  Yesterday, a 5 year old child that had also attended the same VBS program (and is same age as my little one) was diagnosed with swine flu.

The last time we could have been around this child was Friday noon, which was several days before the sick child’s symptoms appeared.  I’ve read that you are contagious one day before showing symptoms.  The time line is looking good for us, but there is still a small chance we were exposed.  No symptoms from any of us, so that is another good sign.

Had we all gotten sick, I would not have had to run to the store.  I have easy to prepare food like canned soups.  I have juices and over the counter meds ready.  This is not only good for me, but for others.  The last thing I should do if I’m contagious is run to Walgreens to get our supplies / meds and infect many others.  That is just cruel when we can prepare now.  We know the chances are high of it spreading, even gov’t officials are calling it a pandemic.

I’m not alarmist.  I’m not losing sleep we’re gonna die from the bug.  But I am realistic and see the need to be prepared for illness.  It just makes common sense.  However, in our society it seems that common sense is flying out the window and many expect others to run to their rescue.  I saw that first hand during Ike.  As soon as folks could leave their house, they were screaming for supplies.  This panic wipes out the stores’ inventory and you could be without what if you wait.  For example, once the news hit from Mexico about the flu last April, you could not buy face masks in Houston.  I don’t know that these masks will do much good, but the herd ran out and collected all that were available.  Same with hand sanitizer.  You couldn’t find it after the news spread.

We cannot also ignore the possiblities of a more serious and widespread strain that could cause a quaranteen.  Are you ready for a 90 day quaranteen?  That gets a little more serious.  Again, I’m not being alarmist.  Even our gov’t is telling us to be prepare for no help for at least 2 weeks.

If you’ve done nothing, then I suggest you consider what you’d need if you got the flu tomorrow.  It would be nice if you wouldn’t leave your house and infect my family.  Is that too much to ask?

• Do you have meds?
• Do you have food / liquids?
• Do you have communication in case you need help?
• Do you have entertainment while you’re recovering (books, TV, etc?)

There are more thorough posts in Internet Land giving lists of items to have on hand.  You can search and find these easily.  But you don’t have to spend hours researching, rather (i) use common sense; (ii) and assume you’ll get the flu tomorrow; and (iii) acquire what you think you’d need.  Pretty simple.  To my friends who are prepared, thanks in advance for staying home and not spreading to me.