I LOVE Halloween.  Probably my favorite holiday after Christmas.  I love that everyone decides to be someone else for a night, be friendly and hand out sweets!  And perhaps embrace their natural tendencies…

So last night – we headed out to a friends house for a Halloween party.  And in the sprit of the holidays – I decided to make Finger Cookies!  Now I know I normally don’t share recipes with you guys – but these were just too much fun.  Though they are pretty gross so if you get queasy easy – you may want to skip this post!  I used the recipe below from Epicurious.com.

Whatcha Need

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablepoons Icing Glue (see below)

Icing Glue Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon water

Whatcha Do
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.

2. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and mix well.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until completely mixed.

4. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

6. With your hands, roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a finger shape for each cookie. 

Cooks Notes: I found it was easiest to roll it out and then press down a front area for a nail bed, then bunch the dough up a little farther down for the first knuckle and then bunch it up some more for the second knuckle.  Oh – and then I also dipped the ends in a little red food coloring.  As if they weren’t already gross enough!  Make them pretty thin – if they are too thick they will puff up too much and you will have uh “ogre” fingers!  Actually – that would be a pretty fun Shrek spin to make on these … just saying!

If the dough gets sticky and hard to work with, put it back in the refrigerator for a little while. Place fingers on an ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.

7. Use a butter knife to make knuckle marks on the finger cookies. 

Cook’s Note:  I found three little lines on the first knuckle and about six or so on the second really made them look realistic.

8. Bake 20-25 minutes, until fingers are slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, prepare the Icing Glue. Mix together powdered sugar and water in a small bowl until the consistency is similar to that of a paste.

9. Attach almond slice fingernails to the tips of the fingers with Icing Glue. Let glue dry for about 30 minutes. 

Cook’s note:  How gross are these?  Oh I love it!! 

Read More about the recipe here at Epicurious.

The cookies were a total hit at the party!  People would kinda tentatively pick one up and bite into it and then go - “Oh – those taste really good!”  This was always said with a huge look of relief.  Like the cookie was actually going to taste like fingers or something! 

So with those little tasty morsels, I wish you all a Happy Halloween and many treats (and tricks)! 

From the spy who loves all of you…

 

Linking this up to

Sunday Recipe Swap with Cassity @ Remodelaholic

(Bee-da-bee-do … Bee-da-dee-dat-dado!)

Oh come on – admit it, you were already singing it! 

This is my final report from the “Eat from your Pantry” challenge. Shall we recap?

Wk 1 – In Key West, come back, need to restock after playing unknowingly in Dec, massive snowstorm, lots of pork – total $109.52

Wk 2 - More basics, couple other necessities - $57.22

Wk 3 - Talk with BFF, auto-pilot, lots of sales, epic fail - $92.63

Wk 4 - Busy, Stressed with work, another massive snowstorm, no trip to the store – $0.00

So my total for the month… $259.37.

Total savings … $140.63!

Ok so I missed my goal of $240.00 in savings. But I did reduce my total grocery savings by $140 bucks. That’s real money!! Over a year that could be almost $1700!

I also have discovered the following “shopping habits” that I have that may not be the best habits

1. I buy things on sale sometimes without thinking about what is already in the pantry. (Hello, 12 cans of stuff to make spaghetti sauce!)

2. The things that complete my pantry odds and ends can end up being forgotten amongst my regular routine on shopping.

3. I get coupons but I forget to use them most of the time.

So to learn from this little experiment I am making the following changes to my shopping routine. 

1. Think about what is in the pantry. I know some people keep detailed notes about what they have on hand. My problem is this. I make a list. I check it twice. I walk down the aisle picking up this and that, and then “BOOM” sale on an often used item. Do I have that? Am I almost out? And 9 times out of 10, I pick it up fearing that I will be close to on empty only to come home and find three of the item in the pantry. 

So what do I do? Take an inventory? I don’t have time for that! Instead, I am going to use a little technology. I am going to take a snapshot on my cell phone of my pantry and my freezer. Simple! I know that you can’t see all the labels, but it at least gives me a reference to jog my memory. 

2. Do a better job of managing the odds and ends. Instead of just looking for the regular things I am out of, I am also going to try to look at things that are missing their match. This happens less frequently. But I noticed when I was forced to eat from the pantry that I got more creative with what I had in there, rather than forgetting about it week after week. 

3. Manage my coupons. My problem with coupons is I have a nice lil place in the house to keep them. A little clippie magnet holds them on my fridge. Unfortunately, that is where they always stay. That is until my Blissdom pre-conference goody box had this super cute coupon organizer! Ah … now it and my coupons live in my enormous purse. Excellent!

So there you go! While I didn’t meet all my goals, I did save some cash and find some habits to improve upon. 

So what do think? If you tried it did you learn anything? If you haven’t tried it yet, do you think you might?

P.S.  Don't forget to enter my Giveaway!!  Three cute baskets in colors coordinated to your home could be yours.  Hop on over!

Well – it is time for me to do my update. I am sure you can tell from the title of the post that this isn't going to go well.

If you remember from last week, I was all excited that I was able to do a little more restocking and only spent $57. This week I was just going to need the following.

- bananas

- salad stuff

- turkey bacon

- egg whites

- 4 lean cuisines (my lunches)

- individual frozen veggie package (also for my lunch)

- milk

- cooking spray (my can was running on fumes)

- butter

- shampoo and conditioner

- shave gel

Not too bad right. So I went to the store. Quick trip – no worries.

Well my BFF Meighan called me back and I really wanted to talk to her. So I was “that girl” on her cell in the grocery store. Normally my family and friends know I don’t do that. I am the first to say “Well, I am walking in the store gotta go – don’t want to be that person!” But I really miss her and so I was "that girl" and I went on auto pilot. I walked my regular route in the store, rather than just going to get the things on my list.

So I walked past the meat – even though I had a freezer full – I saw that there was a great sale on chuck roast. Then I walked by the fish and there was a buy one get one. Then I walked by and saw my bag o frozen chicken tenderloins was half price (we were almost out anyways). Then when I went to go get the frozen veggies – I saw they were having a great sale on those so I loaded up. And then I remembered that the hubby asked for some of those nutritional shakes so I grabbed some of those on sale too. I was back up to the cash registers – told Meggie that I had to get in line, and started unloading the cart.

$92 dollars later – I was walking out the door wondering how I was going to write this post. Oh I was ashamed. How could I participate in something where I hear about large families spending a $30 and I can’t even do that. The shame ….

But here is the deal … my big mistake was following my regular routine. I shopped the way I normally shop – if it is on sale and it is a regular staple, I buy it. That is cheaper in the long run then having to buy it when I need it and it is not on sale.

Regardless of the sale or the savings – the issue is are you willing to get out of your comfort zone, your routine, your schedule, your habits, your regular practices to make a difference in the way you are living your life (and spending your money)? That is the bottom line. That is the crux of the problem. For me – the dwindling of a pantry puts me back to a time when I didn’t have a lot of money. Having a full pantry is like a security blanket for my family. To really be successful at this I have to let go of the blanket and be willing to trust that my stockpile isn’t necessary.

What is it in your life that you need to let go of and trust in? I am quite sure for me this isn’t the only thing. Does it start with trusting that there will be food before you can trust that everything else will work? I really do want to know your thoughts on this!

Linking this up to Money Saving Mom's Update Post Party!

So, if you remember, I decided I was going to participate in the “Eat From Your Pantry” challenge that is happening in blogland.  I figured since I had already been practicing that through all our travels in December it shouldn’t be too hard to keep it up in January. The plan? Do a normal sized trip when we got back from Key West and then make two more trips in January to try to save about $240 total for the month. Now the question is how am I doing?

Well for starters, I knew we were going to need to go to the store when we got back from Key West. The fridge was totally empty (we hadn’t had fresh milk in the house since before we went out of town for Christmas), the freezer was almost bare and the pantry was looking lean. Our flight in was scheduled to land at 6:00 pm and I was debating in my head if I wanted to do it then or wait until the next night.

That was until I checked the weather to see what kind of cold we were going to come home to from the Keys. The Weather Channel said “WINTER STORM WARNING” in bright red letters. Now people, this is Nashville, where snow rarely happens. So I start reading and find out that there is supposed to be 1-3 inches of snow the next day. This is, of course, a disaster. I know all my northern friends are laughing at this, but here that is like saying that the world will come to a grinding halt.

So, we decided to go ahead and hit the store on the way home in case the worst did happen. And at around 6:50pm I ran into the store while the hubby waited in the car to see that it looked like it had been ransacked. No lettuce left, no chicken, no ground meat. I was lucky to find some bread, a pork loin roast, a discounted spiral sliced ham, a family sized thing of pork chops and some milk. (Plenty of pork in the store. It was honestly a little strange!) I did pick up a few other things that I knew I could make do with and headed out the door home. (Side note: it did snow and the roads were a little slicky but for the most part it was no big deal. However all the schools closed before the first flake even fell. Crazy I tell you.)

This week, I knew I was going to have to do a slightly larger trip than originally planned. I know the original goal was $30. Well I spent $57. However, it was mostly on some chicken and ground meat that I will turn into freezer meals today. Plus we needed miscellaneous pantry stuff that we have of course used up, like some salad dressing and spaghetti noodles. By my count now though, looking at the freezer and pantry, I have at least another 19 meals. This means I should not have to buy meal type food until February. My grocery trips should be contained to fresh dairy, produce, and lunch stuff.

How about you? Have you been trying it? If you are afraid about being able to come up with meal ideas check out this link that Michelle (Shell for those of you who follow her at Things I Can’t Say) posted in my first post. Supercook.com is this awesome site where you put in what you have in your kitchen and it comes up with a recipe for you. It is excellent for finding what to do with all the ham and other miscellaneous pork products you have sitting around!

I am linking this up with the other progress posts over at Crystal's at Money Saving Mom. Head over and check out what other’s are doing.

So Jen over at Beauty and Bedlam first made me aware of this idea! The original post is actually from Crystal at Money Saving Mom. The concept? It is easy to get into the idea that you HAVE to go to the grocery store every week. However, most of us have lots of pantry and freezer food that we could use instead.

How much money would this save you? For our little household, I typically spend around $100 a week on groceries. However, over the last couple of weeks I haven’t been to the grocery store at all. Part of this is due to our crazy holiday travel schedule, and the other part is that I have been creating meals to eat based on my stash of freezer meals and pantry stuff.

So the question is, once we are back in town and back to our regular routine can I still do this? Now I am not going to skip the basics like milk, but I think I can make it through! The best part is that you can make up your own individual goals for your family.

Here are my goals.

1.) Do one normal sized trip when we first get back from vacay in January since I have depleted some of my stash.

2.) Only shop at the store another two times in January and those 2 times will just be to by milk, eggs, cheese, deli and salad stuff. My limit on those two trips will be $30 per trip. (Though I am going to see if I can do it all with just a $20 in my purse!)

3.) Take the savings of $240 and put it into savings (to help write the check that is going to sell our home!)

Are you with me? How much money do you think this could save you? For more inspiration check out the full party link up here!

I promise this is my last holiday baking post. But it is not Christmas for me without this on Christmas morning (whatever day of the year that may be for us)!   My mom makes this every year – except for two years when I have hosted our Christmas, then I had to make it.  It isn’t Christmas without it and this is the recipe she sent me in an email three years ago when I first made it myself. It isn’t easy. But it is delicious! (My comments on her recipe are in italics).

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Almond Swirl Ring

You will need a large bowl, a towel, a large cookie sheet, a clean sharp pair of scissors. Be sure to read through recipe before you begin. (I need to note she means a dish towel here not a bath towel – I know you were wondering what all you were going to have to do to make this recipe!)

1 c milk

6 tbsp butter or margerine

1/3 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3-4 c all-purpose flour, divided

1 pk dry yeast

1 egg, beaten

1/3 c sugar

2 tbsp butter or margerine, softened

1/2 ground almonds (food processor works)

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 c powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp milk

Candied cherry halves

Whole blanched almonds, toasted*

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small sauce pan (or in microwave); heat until just warm (about 115). Combine 2 c flour with yeast. Add warm milk mixture and beaten egg. Beat well. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. DO NOT try to use any shortcuts to rising on yeast package. (It is my momma’s rules – NO shortcuts!)

Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead 3-5 minutes, working in additional four (up to 4 c.); shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Use your favorite cooking spray. Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk about 1 hour. Usually top of refrigerator works well; or on top shelf of off oven with pan of hot water beneath. Punch down dough and let rest 10 minutes - Do NOT skip this step. (Again – my momma is a rules girl - you know the emphasis here is all hers. She was an Elementary School Principal and you don’t want to mess with her!)

Place dough on floured surface and roll into 18- x 12-inch rectangle. Combine 1/3 c sugar, 2 tbsp soft butter, ground almonds, and almond extract; blend well and spread over dough. Starting at long edge, roll up jelly roll fashion. Pinch edges together to seal. A bit of water on the fingers will help to seal dough.

Place roll on greased cookie sheet. Use your favorite cooking spray. (Jeez woman – what is it with you and favorite cooking sprays? She must have foreseen a world where I was a blogger and needed to ensure that there were no FTC rules broken about professing ones true love to PAM.  Note to the FTC - I only use Store Brand Sprays and was not paid or endorsed by PAM to say that.)

Shape into ring, and pinch edges together to seal. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife (shears work better), make a cut every inch around the ring. Cut should go 2/3 way through ring. Gently pull slices out and twist, overlapping slices slightly. If cuts will not twist, cut just a bit deeper. (This is the hard part – try not to start saying dirty words. If you don’t you are a better person than I was the first time I made this.)

Cover with towel (ah-ha see now we need the towel!), let rise in warm place free from draft until doubled in bulk (see above) about 45 minutes.

Bake at 375 20-25 minutes. Combine powdered sugar, sift first for smoothest results, and 2-3 tbsp milk to make glaze. Use less milk than you think you will need. Drizzle over hot ring. Garnish with Cherries and Toasted Almonds*. Yield 16-20 servings.

What??? 16 to 20 servings? We (me, the lil bro, and my momma) eat this thing in two breakfasts?!?! Whatever – I am going to call this 8-10 servings. It is too good to just eat one piece.

*Toasted Almonds: Place almonds in single layer on cookie sheet. Place under broiler or in toaster oven. WATCH constantly. Remove when just beginning to brown. This can be done in advance. Be sure to store in a cool dry place.

BON APPETIT! (She thinks she is so Julia! I love her!)

(mmmmm.... so yummy!)

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So, as you can see – it is not easy, but it is Christmas for me. What is Christmas for you?

These are so addictive and delicious! My momma and I made these this past weekend. Not only were they super easy – but they were one of the first things that disappeared from our holiday buffet!  This is basically the same recipe that BHG has in their big red book if you have one of those laying around too!

Whatcha need

Butter or nonstick cooking spray

3 cups nuts (cashews, roasted peanuts, whole almonds, or pecan halves – we used pecans)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whatcha do

Line a baking sheet with foil. Butter the foil or lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray (probably should have gone with the cooking spray but we used butter!) and set baking sheet aside.

In a small heavy skillet, combine nuts, sugar, vanilla and butter. Cook over medium-high heat, shaking the skillet occasionally until sugar begins to melt. BHG very clearly specifies that you do not stir the mixture. (I did run a spatula around the edges to get any loose sugar mixed in.) Once sugar is melted (i.e. you see no grains), reduce heat to low and continue cooking until sugar is golden brown. You may now stir the mixture occasionally.

Remove skillet from the heat and pour nut mixture onto the foil-lined and greased baking sheet. Let it cool completely. Break the nut mixture into small chunks if it sticks together. Serve and enjoy!

Lemme know if you try it or if you have done something similar!  

Linking this up with

and of course Kimba at DIY Day!

Making cookies is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season.

Unfortunately, like many of my favorite things of the holiday season, my hand mixer and stand mixer are both still in VA. So while I haven’t gotten to make all my favorite cookies, that has not kept me from eating a significant portion of cookies that others have made. (Not helping my cause to look swimsuit ready by the first of the year!)

One cookie that I love that no one knows about is Santa’s Whiskers. This is a cookie my mom started making years ago when she found it in Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It is still included in their classic Red and White cookbook but I have never met another soul outside my family that makes them. It is a fabulous cookie. If you like pecans and coconut, this is THE cookie for you. If you don’t, then your crazy that is your loss.

Normally I make cookies every year and give the majority of them away to co-workers. This cookie is the one that makes everyone stop and go “What is this?” This alien cookie with bits of red candied cherry’s, nuts, and crunchy coconut. Everyone is wary when they first pick it up – it is sniffed cautiously. (It smells divine!)   A hesitant bite is taken, which is followed by a brightening of the eyes and a small, “Oh!”

I have to keep copies of the recipe below on my person so after they eat the cookie and rush over to see if there are any more, I can give them the means to make them at home. I highly encourage you to try these out this year! As a bonus, I have added my own personal notes since I have been making these for about ten years.  It should help you through any sticky situation!

Santa’s Whiskers

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-cup red candied cherries (if you can get red and green it is more festive)

1/2 cup pecans

1 cup flaked coconut

Chop up the candied cherries and pecans. (Tip: When chopping up the cherries put a little flour on your knife once it gets sticky) The original recipe calls for them to be chopped finely. I like a little chunkier cookie so I normally make mine a little bit bigger.

In a large mixer bowl beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla and beat for another 30 sec. Next, add flour gradually and beat until well mixed. Once you have all the flour beat in, add the cherries and pecans and stir gently to mix. Divide the roll into three sections and shape into about a 7" roll. Lay out three sheets of saran wrap. Place a log on the wrap and roll in coconut to coat. (Note: This will result in not all of the coconut sticking to the cookie. Press in as much as you can with the saran wrap and we will resolve later.) Wrap up log and chill for several hours (at least three).

Preheat oven to 375F. Now you have a decision to make. Do you want crunchy cookies or chewy cookies? If you want them a little crunchy, slice them into about 1/4" thick slices. If you want them chewy, slice them about 1/2” thick. If this is your first time making them, do it up half-and-half and see which you prefer. Remember all that excess coconut that wouldn’t stick? As you place each cookie on ungreased cookie sheet, press a little coconut into the top of the cookie. (Brilliant? Yes, I know). Bake about 12 minutes or until coconut is slightly browned. Remove and cool. Eat with a nice glass of milk or a cup of cocoa!

What is your favorite cookie? Did you already know about this one? You would be the first people ever that I have met that have eaten them without me offering one first.

Ok – here is another installation of Frugal Foods where serving a family of four for under $3 per serving is easy-peasy!!

Now most of the time, I roll through the grocery store like a woman on a mission. I can be in and out in 20 minutes (30 tops if there is a wait at the deli). However, there are days when I stroll through and I am hit with the most fantastic inspirational ideas for dinner. Most of the time, these are triggered by that shiny sale sign.

This week was one of those weeks! As I was walking down the aisle, past the prepackaged lunch meat and bacon, one of those little sale signs jumped out at me. Turkey Smoked Sausage on sale 2 for $5. That is one of those things I have to be in the mood for and the mood was right! So, I doubled back to pick up a few other things and created this tasty dish! I am including a cost per serving below!

The best thing about this dish is that it is all the components can be bought and can sit in your fridge/freezer/pantry for quite some time until they are ready to be cooked (or until you have the time to do it!). I highly recommend that you stick with my recommendation on the Vodka Sauce as it pairs so nicely with the smoky taste of the sausage!

Turkey Smoked Sausage in Vodka Sauce with Farfelle Pasta

1 package Turkey Smoked Sausage (14 oz package)

1 tbls Olive Oil (or whatever you have handy)

1 bag frozen 3 Peppers and Onion Blend (12 oz)

3/4 box Farfelle Pasta (that is fancy talk for bow tie pasta – get the 14.5 oz box with Omega 3’s)

1 jar Vodka Pasta Sauce (24 oz)

Start a pot of water boiling. While water is boiling, slice the Smoked Sausage into ½ inch rounds. Heat a non-stick sauté or fry pan with the olive oil.

Once water boils, put in pasta and cook based on package instructions. Toss sausage into pan and stir until it gets it starts to sweat. Add peppers and onions. Stir consistently until veggies are cooked through and the onions are clear. Add the jar of sauce into the sauté pan with the meat and veggies and let simmer for a couple of minutes to get the flavors throughout. (Psst! Make sure you didn’t forget to drain the pasta when it is done!) Once the pasta is drained and your sauce has simmered, combine the two in a nice big bowl and toss.

Enjoy!

Servings 4 – cost per serving is $2.29

Total cost – $9.13 (and I have my receipt to prove it!)

With as busy as we are, I love things that I can prep ahead of time and then just throw in the pan. This is one of those recipes. I have a prep day once or twice a month and freeze a bunch of dinners. This particular recipe is one of the hubby’s favorite and it is a lean alternative to your typical meat and veggies meal. It also cooks up in 15 minutes, which is a bonus!

Whatcha need:

1 lb flank steak or precut stir fry meat (your choice)

Marinade/Rub

1 tbl Ginger Powder

1 tbl Garlic Powder

2 tbl Cornstarch

¼ to ½ cup Soy Sauce

½ tsp to 1 tbl Red Pepper Flakes (optional – only if you want it a lil spicy)

Cook Day

1 tbl Olive Oil (or whatever you have handy)

1 bag frozen Brocolli Florets (steam in the bag variety)

1 bag Boil in a Bag Rice (we use a brown rice)

Whatcha do:

For the day you prep (or the morning of the day you want to cook it) we need to let the goodness get all soaked in the beef. Slice the flank steak to about ½ inch wide strips – or if it is precut, you can skip this step! Put all the meat into a gallon-size freezer bag. Mix the ginger powder, garlic powder, and cornstarch together and sprinkle over the meat. If you want to add the red pepper flakes for a lil spice, go for it now, personally I like to rub the pepper between my hands to release the natural oils. Squish the meat all around in the bag until you get all the meat covered with the powder. Once covered, add the soy sauce and again squish the meat around in the bag until all the meat is covered.

Squeeze all the air out of the bag and close. If you are making for that day simply put in the fridge and give it at least 4-8 hours to sit and get yummy. If you are freezing, make sure to note the day you prepped it with a sharpie and what it is. Pull it out to defrost the evening before or morning of cook day.

On cook day, start bringing water to a boil for the rice. Heat a non-stick fry pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, dump your meat out of the bag into the pan and stir-fry. While this is going, add the rice to the boiling water and put your Steam Bag of veggies into the microwave and cook for half the recommended time on the package (normally about 2 to 2:30 minutes). Once the meat is browned, add in the half-defrosted Broccoli to the pan and let it cook the rest of the way thru. Drain the rice and add a little to each plate. Spoon some meat and broccoli on the rice and you have a complete dinner cooked in about 15 minutes! Serves 3-4 people depending on the size of the portions.

I am linking up to Rhoda's Recipe Party over at Southern Hospitality! Join in the fun!