Nicole

Homemade Easy Bake Oven Chocolate Cake Mix & Frosting Kits

Good evening, savvy savers! For this week’s Tutorial Tuesday, I wanted to bring you a recipe that was very near and dear to my heart as a child, and even now as an adult, my Homemade Easy Bake Oven Chocolate Cake Mix and Icing recipe! As a child of the early 1990′s, I was always torn between playing with my skip-it, togs, watching Full House reruns, or baking with my Easy Bake Oven, but the baking usually won out! What’s cool about this recipe is that you can make kits, storing the mix and icing in smaller snack-sized baggies, labeled, then placed into larger sandwich bags, frozen, and labeled for use later with the Easy Bake Oven!

You will save 98% off retail price with this idea; my kits are priced under $0.20 a kit!

This recipe is super simple, easy on the budget, and takes awesome if I do say so myself! Here’s what you’ll need…

Easy Bake Chocolate Cake Mix Recipe:

Ingredients:

6 teaspoons flour
4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa (for vanilla cake, use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla instead)
3/4 teaspoon shortening
1 Pinch salt
6 teaspoons milk

Instructions:

Mix all dry ingredients, slowly.
Add milk.
Pour batter into the greased baking pan that comes with the toy oven.
Bake as directed in children’s oven.
Cool for 3-4 minutes before icing, serving, or freezing.

Easy Bake Oven Icing Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups confectioners sugar — sifted
3 tablespoons instant nonfat milk powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients until mixture resembles crumbs.
Spoon about 1/3 cup of mixture into each of 9 small containers or zip-lock bags and seal tightly.
Label with date and contents.
Store in a cool dry place. Use within 12 weeks. Makes 9 packages of Frosting.
Kits can also be frozen, for up to six months at a time.
Enjoy!

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Battle Of The Bulge, Budget-Style: Working Past The Pain!

Hello again, savvy savers! Today I am starting another new blog series, Battle Of The Bulge, Budget-Style! I will be focusing on ways to live a healthier, more active lifestyle while be able to afford clean, organic, obtainable foods! I believe this series can be worthwhile for many, who like myself, wish to get more in shape, not through crash-dieting but by small attainable lifestyle changes! All of the changes I propose will be free or affordable, and most meals and plans will contain couponed savings or deals! Fads are fancy, but coupons are a commitment! With that said, here is where I am currently: I have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. I am looking to lose 60lbs., find affordable non-gym membership options for working out, and change the way I consume food; this includes meals, snacks, and splurges!

Today I am 31 years young, I am 5’6”, and weight 191 lbs; I am down tw0 pounds since last week. I walk my dogs but beyond this am not terribly active. My lifestyle causes sedentary behaviors; I work-from-home, blog, run two internet businesses, and perform advocacy work online as well. I am an internet-based excuser! Today finds my continued yoga, meditation, walking my dogs, using a pedometer, portioning my meals, and now I also measure myself monthly, using seamstress tape!

For today’s installment in this series, I want to discuss a way I Have found to push through the pain of exercising. If you are anything like me, then losing weight was as much an aesthetic change, as a needed, life affirming chance. One thing that has hindered me is the physical pain, the exhaustion, and the sheer effort that occurs from exercising. Here is a list of ways I have found to push past the pain while exercising:

Count To 100: Focus on the steps you are taking, the vaporous breaths, and concentrate on nothing else. Count to 100 over and over again. This mental exercise can be extremely helpful during times when workouts never seem to end.
Find A Catchphrase: Find a mantra that resonates with you. It can be one word or a whole paragraph. Something that you find soothing to repeat over and over again until your workout is through or you get a true second wind; my keyword is happy, as in, “I am exercising to get back my happy.”
Picture Your Goals: You must have a reason for exercising. Call on those goals when you’re at your breaking point. Think about the pants that you can’t wait to fit into or the health gain you will receive, and even the way you will be able to just live, longer, better, and without pain and difficulty. Think small, attainable goals.
Put It Into Perspective: Compare your workout time to the rest of your day. Let’s say your exercise session is 45:00 minutes long. That leaves 23 Hrs and 15 Min out of your day that you haven’t dedicated to exercising. Your workout session really isn’t a lot of time in comparison to the rest of your day. Next time you want to drop a workout for one day to the next, consider that every time you workout you are losing the negative seconds, minutes, hours, and days that you spend in pain, in discomfort, and in a body less than you deserve. Learn to make the most out of your time, so you can make the most of your life.

Here’s to your health!

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Weekly Menu: Feeding A Family of 4, For Only $29.73 This Week!

Happy Sunday, savvy savers! This week is starting off to a sunny start here in Dixie. Thankfully, this weeks menu is going to be a breeze, and consists of Cupboard Clearing ideas, so stepping out to the market is not necessary! I am cooking and prepping solely from what is in my deep freeze pantry, and stockpile this week! Without further ado, here is my weekly menu, for which was derived from couponing deals, freebies, and cupboard cooking; I will be feeding a family of four this week for only $29.73!

Please note: this week and subsequent weeks thereafter will start reflecting my new Amylose, low-insulin dieting options; this diet also reflects options suitable for my PCOS diagnosis.

This week we will be having:

Monday
Breakfast: Turkey, low-fat Mozzarella, and Spinach Omelette, with Green Tea.
Lunch: Turkey and Cheese rounds, with celery, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Almonds, Gala Apple Slices, and String Cheese.
Dinner: Crockpot Three Bean Chili, cooked with Boca Crumbles, with Diet Cola.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Green Tea and Strawberry Smoothie; made with Truvia.
Lunch: Freezer Cooking Beef and Turnip Stew, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Taco Roll-ups; in lieu of taco shells I use Romaine Lettuce Sheets.
Dessert: Gluten-Free Brownies.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Baked Frittata Cups, with Unsweetened Almond Milk.
Lunch: Taco Salads, with crystal light.
Snack: Grapes and apple slices.
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Curry, steamed peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Homemade Gluten-Free Truvia brownies.

Thursday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Tossed Salad with Turkey, light vinaigrette, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and apple slices.
Dinner: Grilled Turkey Burger Patties, Bakes Squash Slices, with Crystal Light.
Dessert: Brownie flurries with leftover brownies; we use Edy’s Sugar-Free Ice Cream.

Friday
Breakfast: Turkey, Cheese, and Egg Scramble, with Unsweetened Apple Juice.
Lunch: Tossed salad, with walnuts, grapes, and homemade Greek Yogurt dressing.
Snack: Strawberries and two pieces of Sugar Free Chocolate; candy is used as melted drizzle for berries.
Dinner: Barbecue Pork, Steamed Green Beans, Quinoa, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Diet Coca-Cola slushies.

Saturday
Breakfast: Omelettes with sausage, and milk.
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, and Crystal Light.
Snacks: String Cheese and grapes.
Dinner: Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, Quinoa, and lemonade.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Sunday
Breakfast: Bacon and Eggs, with Unsweetened Almond Milk.
Lunch: Grilled Andouille Sausage, Steamed Broccoli, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and walnuts.
Dinner: Crockpot Orange Chicken with Almonds, Steamed Snow Peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Fresh Fruit Smoothies.

Enjoy the ideas!

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Why You Should Be Creating Fall Leaf Mulch This Season

For this week’s Greener Living Tips, I want to discuss one of the ways that I save money around my year this later season of the year, and this is by making my own mulch! I invested in a blower/mulching device, and the mulch you see is mulched leaves, bark, and sticks found around my yard earlier this month, and it looks just like the bark mulch shreds previously purchased at Lowe’s!

I saved $60.00 by making my own mulch for just 1/4 of my flower beds in the front of my home! So, by using just these two methods I save more than $120.00 around my yard annually, and that money can be channeled back into other projects, such as my Indoor Greenhouse system!

Using leaf mulch helps your lawn to be able to:

Mulching leaves enhance landscape aesthetics during Fall.
Organic mulch improves soil fertility as it decomposes, reducing the need for fertilizers.
Leaf mulch help maintain soil moisture by reducing evaporation so less supplemental irrigation is needed.
Leaf mulch inhibits weed germination and growth, reducing the need for herbicides.
Leaf mulch buffers soil temperatures over the winter, keeping soils warmer in the winter.

And the best part? Leaf mulch can be made by simply mowing over leaves, and raking up the debris and using the newly made mulch around all of your flower beds, potted plants, and trees in your yard. This same process would be an awesome “brown” layer to compost bins. I also use this mulch as an aromatic layer for my outdoor patio chimineas, fire pits, and smoker. If you don’t have a shredder, don’t worry. Leaves can be shredded using the lawn mower. Just be sure to avoid “volcano mulching.” When mulch is piled against the base of a tree, it holds moisture, encouraging rot in the trunk. Mulch piled against the trunks of young trees may also create a habitat for rodents that chew the tender bark and can ultimately kill the trees.

This is an awesome way to save this holiday season! So friends, if you have any tips for reducing your end-of-season yard waste at home, I’d love to hear about it below!

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Fall Cookie & Dessert Share-Fest: Neapolitan Trifle!

Good morning, savvy savers! As I have shared last week, I will be incorporating my Merry Monday Cookie and Share-Fest posts, into my month-long Halloween Fall Post Series!

So for my weekly Share-Fest recipe, I will be sharing one of my families favorites, my Spring and Summer Neapolitan Trifle! I can make this dessert from ingredients solely from the Dollar Tree, use frozen cake, cupcake, and cookie scraps crumbled to save money, and aside from the berries which I often buy on buy-one-get-one-free sales from Winn-Dixie, I can make this dessert for under $4.00, which consists of fourteen 1 cup servings. The Trifle dish itself was purchased at Walmart for $4.98! This is a favorite recipe, and one that I find works best made the night before, which allows the juice, pudding, and layering-medium of choice to meld together!

Neapolitan Trifle Pudding Ingredients:

10 cake slices, or cupcake crumbles (6 cups of crumbles, if used)
1 lg. container (12 oz.) whipped topping
2 lg. pkgs. vanilla instant pudding
2 pts. fresh or frozen strawberries
1/4 c. maraschino cherry juice
Maraschino cherries & pecans, or cookie toppings; on this trifle I used Breyer’s chocolate sauce from the Dollar Tree!

How to make Trifle Pudding:

1) If using fresh strawberries, hull, wash, slice and add sweetener to taste; a good rule of thumbs for making a simple fruit glaze is one tablespoon of water to 1/4 cup sweetener. Once the fruit is glazed, let stand ten minutes.

2) Line a trifle bowl with cake slices, or cupcake crumbles, if that’s what you have on hand.

3) Make the vanilla pudding according to instructions on the package; add 1 tablespoon cherry juice.

4) Sprinkle the cookies, lady fingers, cake slices, or cupcake crumbles with maraschino cherry juice, then put a layer of pudding, strawberries and whipped topping.

5) Repeat step 4 with a second layer and end with the whipped topping.

6) Arrange quartered strawberries on the top of the trifle, seed-side out.

7) Add chocolate sauce around the strawberries; the sauce will spread out.

8) Refrigerate to chill before serving.

9) Enjoy!

All of the following blogs will be participating:

Erlene @My Pinterventures
Julia @Happy House and Home
Misty @The Lady Prefers 2 Save
Amanda @The Kolb Corner
Rachel @Craving Some Creativity

Here’s to sharing,

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Saving To Go, With A Cup of Joe: Weatherizing Your Stockpile!

Good morning, savvy savers! For this weeks Saving To Go, With A Cup of Joe series post, I want to discuss ways to properly winterize your stockpile! Why is this necessary? Well, if your stockpile is anything like my own, than your stockpile is a large investment in both your home and family, and deserves the proper amount of planning and preparation. So, in hopes of being able to preserve your precious goods, and hard earned dollars, here are my suggestions for winterizing and weatherizing your stockpiled goods:

Canned goods: Canned goods cannot be allowed to freeze. When canned goods freeze, they stand the chance of cans bulging, which can cause the seam and lid failure, which can cause food-borne illnesses, not to mention to fail, changes in product texture, flavor, nutrient factors, and product color. Most canned goods are packed in a solution of salt or sugar, which lowers their freezing point, but canned goods should not be stored below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Before temperatures freeze this season, avoid storing foods where the temperatures will reach below freezing.
Insecticides: Products in foam-based product cans should be stored in warmer climates.
Soft Drinks, Coking Oils, and Cleaners: Freezing can have adverse effects on liquids such as soda, cooking oil, soap or detergent. Basements are a great place to store these goods. Frozen detergents and cooking oils can be brought back to room temperature by placing them in trash bags, at room temperature, and then storing accordingly.
Dried Foods: Foods that are dehydrated or freeze-dried will actually last longer in the cold since there is no water in them to freeze, or can be frozen in deep freezes! This also applied for flower and plant seeds.
Paper Products: Household goods, such as paper towels, plastic cups and utensils, razors, floss and toothbrushes, can be kept in cooler climates in your home.
Produce: Some produce such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and apples will actually keep longer stored in bins in cooler climates or sheds; be sure to check produce weekly, and any sign of age the produce should be composed, especially potatoes, which can emit deadly gases if left to rot over several months.

So, I hope these tips will help you keep your stockpile in tip top shape this winter!

Here’s to saving,

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Weekly Reflections: Goals For The Week Ahead & Happy Birthday to Lady!

Hello again, savvy savers! I wanted to end my weekly posts by bring the week to a close with a post about the reflections on this past week.

Goals For The Coming Week:

Walk 1/2 mile daily.
Finish my Motivated Moms Planner Chores daily.
Read for 1 hour.
Prepare three recipes and a freezer cooking session for the blog one day this week.
Finish four upcycled projects to post to the blog.
Finish all of my work-related projects ahead of time this week, in the evening, to free up my days more, by7 at least 1 hour.
Start writing love letters for my husband, an educator, so when he starts classes back-up next month, he will have one daily with his lunch.
get dressed and wear makeup daily, even when not working.
Clean out my coupon binder, and start moving to my new method for organizing coupons and blog/videotape my progress for the blog.
Sleep eight hours a night.
TTC; take vitamins, continue with yoga, etc.

Reflections For This Week:

Tomorrow marks the first birthday of my Great Pyrenees puppy, Lady. Though this may sound silly to some, just seeing her progress from an inquisitive puppy, to a precocious six month old, to a beauty full-grown dog, has been awesome! I remember bringing her home this time last year, and tomorrow Lady will be a year old, and will enjoy a new pack of organic chew toys, a can of lamb and rice dog food, and a new leash! Why? Because she is fabulous!

Here is a video taken of lady last Autumn. I am one proud puppy parent today!

What are your goals for the week, I’d love to hear them below in a comment!

Happy Sunday!

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