Believe it or not, cause I can’t hardly believe it myself, I did not buy very much last week at the grocery store.

I am going to try to break down my grocery spending for the month of January (so far)

I started with a fresh slate of $75.00 on January 6th.

Total spent on groceries $66.72.

On January 13th I added another $75.00 to my left over $8.28, giving me a total of $83.28.

Total spent on groceries $29.54.

On January 20th  I added another $75.00 to my left over of $53.74, giving me a total of $128.74.

Total spent on groceries $23.61.

On January 27th I added anotehr $75.00 to my left over $105.13, gving me a total of $180.13.

Gee. I hope I added all that correct. I am not a math whiz, and I did the calculations on regular old pen and paper.

I will double check all my math tomorrow. Right now, baby college girl is calling me for help with college algebra….I think she forgot I can’t add past 5’s.

Anyhow, I needed to know my budget, as I am planning a little shopping trip tomorrow to use some coupons that expire on the 3st. I will let you know how I do.

Have you set yourself on a weekly budget? I have been reading on some of the coupon sites that I look at, that they (the expert couponers) are  having to increase their grocery budgets by $75.00 a month because grocery prices have gone up. Have you noticed the same thing with your budget?

Happy Couponing!

Becky

Have you ever heard of the term must goes?

Maybe the term Re-Runs? (Minerva, I know you have )

I bet you have heard of the word left overs.

They all mean the same thing.

I had some” left overs” in my refrigerator that “must go” or be turned into a “re-run” meal.

Some things I had to throw away..

Chicken flavored rice that was in a cool whip container hidden way back in the fridge.

A large container of fresh spinach, that I tried to salvage into something edible but there were too many little slimy leaves in them. Yuck!

A small amount of bbq pork.

I did find one little gem.

Part of a left over rotisserie chicken, my oldest daughter who does not cook, brought home for dinner a couple of days ago. 

It looked like lunch to me.

My plan was to boil the whole chicken, make a great broth with it, use part of the broth to go into some spinach soup and the rest of the broth and the chicken meat made into chicken and dumplings. Of course after I looked closer at the spinach, the spinach soup idea turned into a must go into the trash. 

                         Here is the broth.                                                    Here is the chicken I pulled offed the bones.

Next, I made some homemade dumplings.

You can call it a re-run, a must go or a left over.

My kids are going to be calling it lunch : )

Becky

In case you want to make the dumplings, I have included the recipe below. These dumplings are very tender, so do not over stir them while they cook or they will start to fall apart. If you do not have a homemade broth, just use can chicken broth and add some cooked chicken to the broth. Then add the dumplings. The flour on the dumplings will thicken the broth.

If you like a firmer dumpling, I have another dumpling recipe that has an egg in it, that is a little firmer, I will make sometime in the near future for you.

Rolled Out Tender Dumplings

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup milk.

Directions:

In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. With a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the flour until you get the shortening into a small pea size. Add the milk and stir. (I had to add just a tad more milk to get the dough to come together.)

On a floured counter, knead the dough together and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. With a pizza cutter cut the dough into 1 inch size squares. Have your broth on a slow boil and gently drop the dumplings in the broth, one at a time. Gently stir to keep the dumpling from sticking together. Gently boil until the dumplings are cooked through.

Don’t you love birthdays?

My little artichokes are one week old already.

Can you believe?

At first I did see anything yesterday but dirt.

Then all of a sudden, a little speck of green caught my eye.

I moved a little speck of dirt and look what I found.

Hello World!

Life is good!

Becky 

Water…

Help, I need Water!!!!

Water….water…..

I guess I was not listening our paying attention.

My little onion seedlings need more water than I am giving them.

They were all just kinda laying down yesterday, looking peaked. The soil felt cool next to their little roots so I was thinking they had plently of water.

Wrong!

They look so much better today.

Whew….being a Mama onion is hard work.

I am not sure I am quite peeled out for the job….or diced up enough to do it….

Ok, no more onion jokes….I don’t want to make you cry.

Becky

Here it a little picture overview of my little darlings.

                                  Planting Seeds                                                                       Week One

                                     Week Two                                                                            Week Three

Grow Babies Grow.

Have you ever purchased one of those over-sized tin of cookies after Christmas because it was on sale?

At the time it seemed like such a great idea.

Wow! All these cookies for 75% off.

Woohoo…..this is a deal.

You get them home, and you start eating them…..and eating them….

Two weeks later you are still eating them.

You still cannot find the bottom of the tin.

It is like a magic elf bakes more cookies every night and fills the tin up, just to torment you.

Another week has passed.

You decide that you HATE cookies. (except ones with chocolate in them)

Have you been there? Have you done it?

This is what happened to my oldest daughter who does not cook. She was shopping and saw this big tin of butter cookies on sale for $5.00. Her brain said, “What a deal!” Her stomach said,”I will love you forever.” Her pocketbook said, “I have $5.00 to spare.”

So what else would a BLONDE do…..she buys the cookies….

OK, I am not picking on blondes. I am a blonde too….well mostly blonde….some witch decided to share a few gray hairs with me.

Anywho…..she had too many cookies.

What do you do?

Throw them away?

Feed them to the birds?

Take them to school and hand them out in the hallway?

DING DING DING….You are correct.

I took them to school yesterday and handed them out during passing time.

Do you want a cookie?  Yes! Do you want a cookie? Yes!

Some students just looked at me suspiciously.

Do you want a cookie….yes…..

It only took two passing times (the time between classes) ……

                                                                         To look like this!

During the next passing time, I had students come to me and ask me for a cookie.

I had to tell them I was out of cookies.

I went from too many cookies to no cookies in less than 8 minutes (two 4 minute passing times)

Now I wish she would have bought 2 or 3 more tins of cookies…..

I am crazy….

I guess I am still a blonde.

As long as I stay away from that witch.

Cookies have the power to make even half asleep, grouchy, junior high students, smile.

I hope someone offers you a cookie today!

Did I mention that I get to keep the great looking tin?

Becky

Last week, I was in charge of making food for our hospitality room for the basketball tournament at my school. 

I have done this for 12 years.

I do not know if I get any better at it, but I do try to make the favorites; cornbread salad , chicken wings, texas sheet cake, chili, and my version of white chicken chili. But, in my attempt to switch things up a bit, I look for new recipes that grab my attention.

Melt in your mouth Buttermilk Chocolate Cookie.

This one got my attention.

This is not my recipe, though I did make a couple of changes. It comes from a great web site called Baking Bites. This cookie is rich, slightly crispy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside and full of chocolate chips. My friend at school Jeanetta, (who is always elbow deep in a sink full of dirty dishes, washing them for me), tried one. She only had two words to say, “OH MY!”

I guess I could have called them, “Oh My, Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies.”

I will just call them delicious.

Here is what you need, except I forgot to put salt in the picture.

One of the changes I made, was that I used a powdered sweet cream buttermilk. This was my first time trying it. It was a little watery compared to buttermilk. But, the cookies still tasted great.

I also used dark chocolate chips, because I really wanted a deep chocolate flavor. Lastly I used vanilla bean paste, for no other reason except I love the flavor and the little specks of vanilla seeds in it.

The first thing you need to do is melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave.

Put the melted butter and the cocoa into a mixer and mix together until there is becomes a smooth liquid. You need to do this while the butter is still warm.

This is what mine looked like.

Next add the sugar.

The buttermilk. This is the powdered buttermilk made with water and the buttermilk powder.

Then add the vanilla. I used vanilla paste. Can you see the little seeds on the measuring spoon?

This is what it looks like with everything added. You might be wondering too, where is the eggs. There is not any eggs in this cookie.

In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir the dry ingredients together.

Slowly add the flour to the chocolate mixture, making sure to get all the flour incorporated.

Add the chocolate chips. I used dark chocolate chips, but you can use semi sweet.

On a parchment lined cookie sheet, use a cookie scoop and scoop out 1 inch cookies. I used my small cookie scoop. The cookies were a little smaller than the recipe so the cookie time was lowered to 8 to 9 minutes. Just keep that in mind if you use a smaller cookie scoop or a larger one and to adjust the baking time accordingly.

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until the edges just start to firm up.

Take them out of the oven and leave them on the parchment paper to cool.

When they are cool, they will lift right off the parchment paper.

Cool the cookies completely.

If you are looking for a deep, rich, chocolate cookie, this one will not dissapoint you.

I only have one problem left.

Jeanetta…..”Do you make house calls?”

I don’t have time to wash these dishes, I need to go find a glass of milk to go with these cookies!

Enjoy,

Becky

Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies Recipe

addapted from; www.bakingbites.com

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup cocoa

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)

2/3 cup buttermilk (I used powdered buttermilk)

2 cups chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. It is important to line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. While the butter is still warm (very important) put it into a mixer bowl and add the cocoa.  With a mixer, mix together to form a dark liquid. Add the buttermilk, sugar and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and with the mixer, mix everything together. Slowly add the dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking soda mixture) to the chocolate mixture. Mix until all the flour is incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

With a small cookie scoop, scoop out 1 inch cookies onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 t0 11 minutes or until the edges are set. (Mine just took 8 to 9 minutes). Cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Yeild is about 4 dozen cookies.

It is now 9:30 p.m. on Monday and I can now officially say, I survived my three day weekend.

I love long weekends, I really do.

But this weekend was jam packed!

Here is a few things I did this weekend…..though not in order.

Dirty Dishes on Saturday morning!

Two hours of cleaning the kitchen.

Coupon shopping. (see I really do buy something besides cereal)

Planting artichoke seeds. I really think I have gone over the dirt…no deep end!

Update on onion seedlings. They are so cute it makes me want to cry.

Eating pasta salad with almost in the trash olives.

I think I did all of this just on Saturday.

My baby college girl came home for the weekend on Saturday night.

She has joined weight watchers and has signed up for two 5 k races. So, baby college girl is in training.

Sunday morning, in 24 degree weather baby college girl had me and oldest grand girl walking, running and FREEZING around the local lake at a nearby park. The only time I attempted to run was when I seen the car.

Sunday night, oldest daughter who does not cook had her Christmas party where she works.

Monday, Me and baby college girl babysat the grand girls all day….

Tomorrow, I go back work. Good thing too!

I need some rest : D

I hope you had a great three day weekend and you are refreshed and revived to start another week.

Only four days left before another weekend.

YIKES!

I need to go to bed to rest up.

Becky

I love, love, love it when students bring me reicpes from home.

It is extra special, when they bring all the ingredients from home and teach you how to make it.

It is like I am back in school : D

I have a lovely young lady in my class, who I will call Alaska, cause she used to live there.

Alaska, loves to cook and her mom has the best candy recipes. Alaska was telling me all about this cracker toffee recipe that her family makes for the holidays. It was kinda a coincidence that she was telling me about this recipe because I had just bought a new magazine with a similar recipe it it. Alaska said that her mom would not let her make it at home for now because the recipe is so good and they eat the whole batch in one night.

Alaska really wanted me to taste this recipe, so she decided to teach me how to do it.

Alaska brought all the ingredients to school, already measured out!

The first thing she did was melt 2 sticks of butter in a sauce pan.

Next she lined a cookie sheet with saltine crackers.

After the butter has melted, add in the dark brown sugar.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Pour the boiled butter and brown sugar over the crackers.

Spread the mixtures over the crackers. Next, you put it in the oven for a few minutes.

While the cracker toffee is in the oven, chop up the pecans.

When the toffee comes out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips over it. Let it set until the chocolate chips melt.

When the chocolate chips have melted, spread it over the toffee. Sprinkles the pecans on top.

All done! Now it is time to break it apart.

Alaska was a great teacher. I hope I was a good student.

When can I eat? I even sound like a student.

“Miss. Alaska, can I please have a taste?”

MMMMM…..

I hope you try this recipe. It taste so good you will crack up!

Becky

Recipe for Cracker Toffee

Ingredients:

1 sleeve of saltine crackers (it might take just a couple of crackers more)

I cup of butter

1 cup of dark brown sugar

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with the saltine crackers. In a sauce pan melt the butter. When the butter is melted add the dark brown sugar. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour the mixture over the crackers. Spread over toffee mixture over the crackers. Put the pan of crackers and toffee into the oven. Bake in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. When the chips are melted, spread the melted chocolate over the toffee. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Let sit in a cool dry place until the chocolate hardens. Break into bite size pieces.

This recipe comes all the way from Alaska!

Thank you Miss Alaska!

Baby onion seedlings week two.

Don’t they just want to make you cry??

I really am going to be crying it I don’t get my raised garden bed started.

Especially since I planted artichokes yesterday.

Yesterday, after I got the kitchen all cleaned up. Oldest grand girl and I planted artichokes seeds.

Grand girl did a much better job planting the artichokes then she did planting the onion seeds. The artichokes seeds where much bigger to handle and there was only 18 of them to plant.

I had to order the artichokes seeds from this great place called Botanical Interests, since I could not find them locally. Do you think the seed companies think people from Missouri do not eat artichokes? Or, that we Missourians just buy artichokes if they come in a jar?

That is where I may be buying them, if this seed planted scheme does not work.

I hope I know what I am doing, besides just playing in the dirt.

Have you gotten brave yet and planted anything or do you think I am crazy. (please do not answer that)

Becky