How We Do Popcorn-By The Bulk

So in our family popcorn is a daily snack, one that everyone loves and its semi healthy too! We eat lots of popcorn so instead of buying the expensive 6 pack we buy popcorn seeds by the bulk {50 lbs.} and make it ourself in a pan on medium heat with some oil. Add some salt and your ready for a yummy snack!

Every year we go through 50 lbs of popcorn and we buy it at Sam's Club for $17.00 which lasts us a whole year, sometimes longer. Here are some pictures from our last popcorn buy. We take the big bag and store part of the popcorn in a storage bucket.

Here is one of our favorite popcorn recipes for carmel popcorn!

Carmel Popcorn

• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon stevia {or any other sweetener}
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 cups poped popcorn, without seeds {make sure and take all those out to avoid crashed teeth! :D}

Combine the first four ingredients over low heat in a pan until butter is melted. Cook without stirring for three minutes. Take off heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn and stir until the popcorn is well coated. Place on a baking sheet with edges and bake at 300 for 15 minutes. Break into pieces and enjoy!

The BEST Cookies EVER!!!

Here is a recipe for the BEST COOKIES EVER!!!! It's the only cookies we make since they are so good and so easy. You HAVE to try this recipe! It's a mix between a sugar cookie, a cinnamon cookie, and a snicker doddle..they are sooooo good! They last 5 minutes max. in our house! :D 

Cinnamon Favorites

• 1 cup margarine or butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (just eyeball it)
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt (you can also eyeball this as well)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• cinnamon sugar (about 1/2 c. sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon)

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer. Then add the baking powder and salt, mix well. Stir in flour then put on a hard surface such as a counter top. Mix the dough until the flour is mixed into the dough. Roll into a flattened circle and wrap the ball in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Take out and remove plastic wrap. Cut dough into small peices and roll into balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten cookies with your hands and bake at 350* for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Yields 30-40 cookies depending on how big you make them.

Homemade Pumpkin Fun!!!

So here is our pumpkin experiences as promised! This is the first year that we have actually done something with our pumpkins after our harvest fun besides throwing it away! This year we thought it would be fun to try it out and so started by cutting the pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds, then cutting it in small pieces. Then my Mom cooked it in the crock pot (next year she will use the roaster because it holds much more!) and then we cut off the peel and ended up with soft pumpkin. Then we pureed it and make a whole bunch of yummy things with it! Enjoy!

The Pumpkin  Process:

Here we are cutting the skin off.

Then peeled pumpkin!

This was one whole pumpkin!

First we tried using a potato masher but then we realized than a potato masher was for potato's only. :D

So what did we do????

We use a electric mixer..soooo much easier!!!

Adding spices...

Yum!



This can of pumpkin store-bought is $1.50 at Wal-Mart. It only makes one pie, but our whole pumpkin can make 7 pies. The pumpkin was $2.98 so we save money in the long run!

What We Made From Our Pumpkin Puree:

Pumpkin Muffins & Bread

I got this recipe from my friend Elizabeth (click HERE to visit her blogs home page) over at her blog Joyful Jewels 4 Jesus. Click HERE to see the recipe on her blog. (We used the same recipe but we used our own pumpkin puree and then we used sugar instead of honey since we were out of honey :) then we used white flour since we  (again) don't have any wheat flour at the moment and then we made muffins from it and cooked it for 20 minutes for the muffins)

You Will Need:

1 cup pumpkin puree or caned pumpkin

1/2 cup oil or soft butter

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan with oil or butter. Beat oil and honey. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in pumpkin until well mixed. Sift together dry ingredients (we just threw it all together and forgot about the sifting, but you can do it if you want :D) then add water to egg mixture and mix. Pour or spoon into prepared Pan(s). Bake at 350 for 55 minutes (we only had to bake then for 50 minutes) (We baked the muffins for 20 minutes at 350) and then cool for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting 

You Will Need:

For the Cookies:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 cup pumpkin puree or caned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

For The Frosting:

This is the original frosting recipe but we did it a little differently because (again!) we didn't have confectioners sugar the the moment (as you can tell, tomorrow morning we are going on a big shopping trip! :D) Here is the original recipe:

3 tablespoons margarine or butter

1/ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

 We did it like this:

We used the margarine and brown sugar according to the directions, but instead of using milk and powdered sugar we used one package of cream cheese (which we softened in the microwave for a bit) and then we just mixed it with the butter and brown sugar mixture and added sugar to taste.

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Beat sugar, brown sugar, and margarine until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, vanilla and egg; blend well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Drop by teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and then frost with the following frosting:

To make frosting start by melting the butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook on medium heat for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Let cool for 10 minutes and then add confectioners sugar and milk (we used cream cheese and sugar). Spread over cooled cookies and enjoy!

Enjoy, and have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!
~Bethany For The Wards~

The Easiest, Cheapest, Yummiest, Summertime Pies You'll Ever Make!!!

We Wards just LOVE desserts!!! But in the summer it is way to hot here in Texas to turn on the oven for very long. We have been experimenting with easy, cheap and yummy pies that you have to try! They are all sooooo good and so easy and are perfect for a cold summertime treat, and the best part is that they are so cheap to make!!!

Jell-o Pie

8 whole graham crackers, finely crushed

7 tablespoons melted butter

1 carton of cool whip

1 box of jello, any flavor (in the pictures we used orange and it tasted like dream sicle!!!)

Put graham cracker crumbs into a pie pan. Pour in the melted butter and stir around with your fingers, press to fit into the pan. Take a carton of cool whip and pour the jello powder directly into the carton of cool whip. Stir until well mixed. Spread on top of your crust, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard.

Pudding Pie

8 whole graham crackers, finely crushed

7 tablespoons melted butter

1 package of pudding, any flavor

1 1/2 cups milk

1 carton of cool whip

Put graham cracker crumbs directly into your pie pan. Pour the butter over the crumbs and stir with you fingers. Press to fix the pan. In a bowl, mix the milk and pudding powder. Mix in half the carton of cool whip into your pudding and then spread on top of your pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard.

Ice Cream Pie

8 whole graham crackers, finely crushed

7 tablespoons melted butter

softened ice cream (just eye ball it  until your pie pan is filled.:) )

1 carton of cool whip

Put graham cracker crumbs directly into your pie pan, pour the butter over it and mix with your fingers. Press to fit your pans shape. Take some ice cream and mix with half of the cool whip. Spread on top of crust. Spread the rest of the cool whip on top of the ice cream. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard.

Tricks & Tips

• 
  
  If your pie is a little bit to hard to cut and eat, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
• 
  
  With all these pies you can add vanilla, cinnamon or any other flavors into your pie crust to add a special taste.

Enjoy!!! :)

COOKIES!!!! Our Favorite Recipes

Who doesn't like cookies?!?!?!?!? Here are some of our family favorites!

So Easy Cookie Bars

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 cup flour

1 cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375*. In a large bowl combine sugars, margarine or butter, egg and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, and slat, mix well. pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

No Bake Chocolate Cookies

Combine in a sauce pan over medium heat:

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk

3/4 stick (or half a cup) butter or margarine

a pinch of salt

Cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add:

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups quick oats

Stir well and drop onto waxed paper and let set until hard.

Sugar Cookies (this is a double batch)

2/3 cups shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

Blend shortening, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well until dough is like play dough. Knead on a floured surface. Roll out to 1 inch thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Bake at 425* for 5 minutes. These freeze very well.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 package cake mix (any flavor)

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. Drop by teaspoons about an inch apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Makes about 4 dozen.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup Splenda or sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon molasses

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups quick oats

1 cup raisins

Beat butter and splenda or sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, molasses and vanilla. Beating until blended. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda and  cinnamon. Gradually add to the mixer bowl. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by teaspoons onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes.

Quick, Easy and Cheap Muffin Recipes

One of our friends recently posted a comment on our blog. "Do you, the kids, or any of your friends have any favorite make your food budget stretch recipes? I think my kids are getting sick of third day soup!"

~ Heather

Here we have posted some of our family's favorite, easy, quick and very cheap recipes. Check back soon, we will be posting more recipes soon!

Bethany

Basic Muffins (this makes 24 muffins, but if you only want 12 cut everything in half)

4 cups flour

1cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2/3 cup oil

2 eggs, beaten

Pre heat oven to 400*. Grease bottoms only of your muffin pans. Combine in a big bowl all dry ingredents. Then in a smaller bowl mix all the wet ingredients. Then at once pour the wet mix into the dry mix. Stir just until the ingredients are moistened, the batter will be lumpy. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Variations:

Apple Cinnamon:

Decrease sugar by a half of a cup. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 cup finely chopped and peeled apple. Substitute apple juice for milk, bake at 440 for 18-22 minutes.

Blueberry:

Stir 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries. (If you use frozen blueberries then do not thaw them out first, this keeps the berries from busting). Add 1 teaspoon grated orange peel into dry ingredients.

Chocolate Chip:

Add chocolate chips and sprinkle cinnamon sugar (1 part cinnamon to 4 parts suagr) on top of the muffins before baking.

Jam Muffins:

Place 1/2 teaspoon of jam on top of each muffin before baking. Sprinkle top of muffins with chopped nuts.

Streusel Muffins:

In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons margarine, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Cherry Pie Muffins:

Stir 1/2 a can of cherry pie filling into the batter before filling muffin tins. (To make the muffins sugar free, use Splenda instead of sugar and use the sugar free cherry pie filling).