Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

My niece believes that when ever it is someones birthday, you must have cupcakes.  She was coming to visit us to celebrate my and my daughter's birthday, so I decided I better make cupcakes for her.  I grabbed a cake mix... heaven forbid that I, who strives to make everything homemade, would grab a cake mix! -- Hey, it was on sale AND I had a coupon and only paid $.19 for it -- Well, I looked on the back of the mix and it said "for 24 cupcakes..."  I was like NO.  I do not NEED 24 cupcakes.  I need 7... one for each person.  They would only be here one day and I did not want a ton of cupcakes to eat.  Well, I went searching for a cupcake recipe, where I had all the ingredients and it only made a small number of cupcakes.

I found this site: Joy the Baker.  There was a recipe for 12 cupcakes.  I have to admit, the cupcakes were an epic fail on my part.  I have no idea what I did wrong with the batter, but the icing was fabulous.  This butter cream icing recipe was attached to the before mention cupcake recipe.  I thought it that I would just try it instead of digging through my recipe box for my normal recipe.  It tasted great!  My daughter thought so too...  She licked the bowl almost clean afterwards and was covered in green frosting!  I did modify it slightly from the recipe on the site.  I did not have whole milk, so I used 2% and I accidentally grabbed the salted butter, but it still turned out wonderful.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Direction

1. Beat the butter and powdered sugar together until mixed.
2. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until well blended, about 5 minutes.

Notes
Recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes.  To make enough for a two layer cake, just double the recipe.

Beat the frosting longer to make it fluffier.

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Is homemade worth it?

2 cups powdered sugar = $.54
5 tablespoons butter = $.325
2 tablespoons milk = $.03
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract $.09

One recipe of frosting = $.98.

I will have to look to see how much frosting costs at the store since I haven't bought it in so long! 

Yeast Rolls

I found this recipe on the blog, Sweet Tea and Cornbread.  It is by far the best and easiest yeast roll recipe I have tried.  The rolls are light and fluffy and really require little hands on work.  I took half a recipe to a gathering the other day and every one was eaten!

Yeast Rolls
Ingredients

6 cups all purpose flour

1 package yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups milk

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Warm milk in microwave for 5 minutes, let cool.
2. Sift 5 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl.
3. Dissolve yeast in the warm water.
4. Add oil, sugar and salt to the milk and mix together.
5. Add the milk mixture into the flour.
6. Add the yeast mixture to the flour.  Stir it all together.
7. Coat the top of the dough with a thin layer of oil.
8. Cover with cloth and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled.
9. Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour onto counter or pastry cloth.
10. Put dough on top of the flour and cover with the other 1/2 cup of flour.
11. Knead until the dough forms a ball.
12. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick and cut the rolls using a small or medium sized biscuit cutter.
13. Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in each of your 4 round cake pans or 2 Tablespoons of butter in 2 9X13 pans.
14. Line the rolls in the pans, but not touching.  They will need room to rise.
15. Allow rolls to rise for at least 30 minutes.
16. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
17. Brush the tops with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.

Notes
This recipe makes 30-40 rolls depending on how large you make them.

Don't need 30 or 40 rolls?  Freeze the dough!  Once you get to step 14, stop.  Once the rolls are in the pan, you can throw them in the freezer.  Pull them out, thaw them on the counter for a few hours before baking and begin again at step 16.

I know it seems like a lot of work, but it really isn't!  There is a lot of wait time from rising, but the steps are easy to follow.

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Is home made worth it?

6 cups all purpose flour = $.60

1 package yeast = $.38

2 cups milk = $.485

3/4 cup oil = $.328

3/4 cup sugar = $.188

1 teaspoon salt = $.007

One recipe of yeast rolls costs $1.99.  When I made the rolls with my medium cutter, I made 30 rolls with a little left over dough.  So, one roll costs $.07.

Sister Schubert's rolls cost $3.99 and you only get 16 rolls.  Each roll would cost $.25.
Brown and serve rolls cost $1.50 and you only get 12 rolls.  Each roll would cost $.11

Homemade instead of Sister Schubert's
If you cook rolls once a week, and cooked enough rolls for each person to have one, you would save $.48 for a family of four.  In one month you would save $1.92.  You would save $23.94 in a year.

Homemade instead of brown and serve
If you cook rolls once a week, and cooked enough rolls for each person to have one, you would save $.20 for a family of four.  In one month you would save $.80.  You would save $9.60 in a year.

Summery
Sister Schubert's Roll = $.25
Brown and serve roll = $.11
Homemade yeast roll = $.07

Hot Cocoa Mix

On a cold, winter day, one thing that I crave is hot cocoa!  I love to drink it to warm my body, especially after being out in the elements.  I thought, how much healthier would it be to make my own hot cocoa?  How much cheaper?  Well, it turns out, the cheaper hot cocoas are actually cheaper than this recipe, but this one does not have fifty ingredients I cannot pronounce!

I have been searching for a hot cocoa mix that did not use creamers and dried milk, as those items are expensive and are things I do not keep on hand at my home.  I really wish I could remember where I found the recipe.  I just wrote it down on a piece of scrap paper about a year ago and just now got around to making it.

Hot Cocoa Mix
Ingredients
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
pinch of salt

Mix Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Store in air tight container.

 Drink Directions

1. Heat one cup of milk on the stove.
2. Stir in three Tablespoon of mix until fully dissolved.  

Notes
You may wish to add more or less mix depending on how strong you want your hot cocoa.

To make a dark chocolate cocoa, decrease the amount of brown sugar. 

I would not recommend using water to make this since there is no dried milk or creamer in the recipe.

Lactose Intolerant?  I have not tries using any lactose free milks, but I would imagine they would work too.  If they do not, please let me know!

Gift Ideas!!  Need a cheap and easy gift to give friends/teachers/family?  Mix the ingredients in a small mason jar and top with mini marshmallows.  Tie a tag around the jar with cooking instructions.  They make great Christmas gifts!  You can also use baggies and tie it up and place in a gift mug as well!

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Is homemade worth it?

3/4 cup cocoa = $.99
1 1/2 cups brown sugar = $.65

I have not included the pinch of salt.  It would be less than a penny anyways, so the cost is negligible.

So, one recipe of hot cocoa mix = $1.54 to make.

There are 12 servings in this recipe.  One serving of cocoa mix = $.13. If you add the cost of the milk, you would pay $.37 for a cup of hot cocoa.

Hot cocoa mix in the store normally comes in boxes with 10 servings each.  With these boxes, you only need to add water to complete the recipes.  The cheapest hot cocoa mixes cost around $2.00 for a box, so one cup of store bought mix would be around $.20.  If you add milk instead of water, it would cost $.44.

Summery
One cup cheap hot cocoa with water = $.20
One cup homemade cocoa mix = $.37
One cup cheap hot cocoa with milk = $.44

Banana Pudding Dip

Banana Pudding Dip
Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 large package instant pudding mix (banana flavored or vanilla)
1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1 container Cool Whip
1 large banana, diced
10 vanilla wafers, crushed

Directions

1. Whisk cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add pudding mix, milk, powdered sugar and 1/2 of the Cool Whip to the cream cheese and blend well.
3. Fold in the banana chunks.
4. Place entire mixture in a bowl and smooth it out.
5. Spread the remainder of the Cool Whip on top of the pudding mixture.
6. Sprinkle the vanilla wafer crumbs on top.
7. Let sit in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes
Use vanilla wafers as your dipping utensil.

You can omit the powdered sugar if you like the slightly tangier cream cheese/pudding mix.  I have to mask the cream cheese taste for a family member who would not eat it otherwise.

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How much does this cost?

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature = $1.00
1 large package instant pudding mix = $1.00
1 cup milk = $.24
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar = $.05
1 container Cool Whip = $1.00
1 large banana, diced = $.25
1 box vanilla wafers = $2.50

This recipe costs $6.04 to make.

I did not actually pay that much since I only paid $1.50 for the wafers and the pudding was on sale as well as the milk, but I am posting prices on the products before sale/coupon discounts.

Leftover Veggies -- What to Do!

Ever cook veggies and have leftovers?  Yes, we do all the time.  A lot of times there is a spoonful of what ever veggie we had left.  It isn't really enough to save for another serving, but if you are like me, you hate to throw out even that little bit!  I read somewhere, I can't remember where, to freeze your leftover veggies.  I have a freezer safe container that I just dump my veggies in when ever there are a little left.  When it is full, it is time to make soup or stew to use them up!

I freeze leftover green beans, corn, lima beans, onions, peas and carrots.

I use these leftovers the most in my beef stew, but they will also work really well in a vegetable soup.  Use your left over veggies instead of a bag/can of mixed vegetables.  It will save you about a $1.00 in your recipe if you use approx. one can/bag worth of veggies. 

Beefy Rice

This is one of those recipes that I just kind of made up to use up some beef stew that we had left over.  There was no meat left, but lots of yummy broth and veggies.  I measured the broth and then cooked the appropriate amount of rice, and here it is, beefy rice.  Never waste!  I hate throwing stuff out.

Beefy Rice
Ingredients
2 cups beef stew leftovers
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup rice

Directions

1. Put broth and butter in a sauce pan and bring to boil.
2. Pour in rice
3. Turn down heat and let simmer until the moisture is gone, about 20 minutes.
4. Fluff rice and serve.

Notes
For the beef stew recipe, click HERE

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How much does it cost?

1 Tablespoon butter = $.50
1 cup rice = $.40

I am not counting the beef broth since it was the left over of another recipe that many people would have just thrown out anyway.

So, this side dish cost about $.90.

A prepackaged flavored rice mix is about $1.25.  So, you would save $.35 per recipe.  We cook rice about once a week, so each month, we would save about $1.40 and $16.80 per year.


Summery
Prepackaged flavored rice = $1.25
Beefy Rice = $.90

Meal ideas for Beefy Rice

Beefy Rice with Meatballs

Seasoning Salt

I was getting tired pulling out 3 or 4 bottles of seasonings every time I wanted to use multiple spices.  I also noticed that I used the same 4 spices all the time, so I thought, why not just mix them up in a shakable container so I will only need to have one?  So, I did.  I came up with my own seasoning salt that I love to put on fries and on fish.

Seasoning Salt
Ingredients
1 cup salt
1 cup garlic
1/3 cup onion powder
1/3 cup paprika

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together. 
2. Store in a shakable container.

Notes
I add a few grains of rice to the mixture to soak up the moister to keep it from clumping.  If it does clump, just bang it on the counter once or twice and it will break up.

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How much does it cost?

1 cup salt = $.37
1 cup garlic = $1.55
1/3 cup onion powder = $.32
1/3 cup paprika = $.23

So, one recipe of seasoning salt cost $2.47.
One Tablespoon = $.06.

I will have to look to see how much seasoning salt costs at the store to make the comparison.

Recipes that use seasoning salt

Fried Flounder

Cinnamon-Sugar Dessert Pizza

I was playing around with some pizza dough I had on hand and was really craving something with cinnamon and sugar.  I thought that I know how to make cinnamon rolls,  so making a dessert pizza would have the same concept, just flat instead of rolled up.  It turned out wonderful!

Cinnamon-Sugar Dessert Pizza
Ingredients
1/2 recipe pizza dough
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 recipe glaze

Directions

1. Stretch dough out into a 12 inch circle.
2. Coat the top of the dough with the butter.
3. Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar all over the top of the pizza.  If you like it sweeter, you can add more brown sugar.
4. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven until crust just turns golden brown, about 10 minutes.  
5. Top with glaze right out of the oven.  
6. Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes
Remember, if you are making dessert pizza using the pizza dough recipe, make sure to add and extra Tablespoon of honey to the batter so that it is a little sweeter.

Glaze recipe HERE

Pizza Dough recipe HERE

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How much does this cost?

1/2 recipe pizza dough = $.47
2 Tablespoons butter, melted = $.13
1 Tablespoon cinnamon = $.07
1/2 cup brown sugar = $.22
1 recipe glaze = $1.03

So, one cinnamon sugar dessert pizza costs $1.92.

Much cheaper than buying it at a pizza restaurant... And just as tasty too!

Vanilla Glaze

Vanilla Glaze
Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
2. Serve on your favorite desserts that use glaze! 

Notes
I never use the whole recipe for any given dessert, so I tend to only made half at a time.

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How much does it cost?

2 cups powdered sugar = $.54
3 Tablespoons milk = $.045
1 Tablespoon butter, melted $.065
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract $.375

One recipe costs $1.03 to make.

Recipes that use vanilla glaze

Cinnamon-Sugar Dessert Pizza

Doughnuts

                                                 

Cinnamon Rolls

Garlic Butter

I have finally figured out a good ratio of butter to garlic to make, what I think, is the perfect garlic butter.

Garlic Butter
Ingredients
1/2 cup of butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Let butter sit at room temperature until soft.
2. Mix butter and garlic in a bowl until well mixed. 
3. It is ready to use.

Notes
If you use real butter, it will get hard when you put it back in the refrigerator.  Just set it out a little while before you need to use it so it will soften up a bit.

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How much does it cost?

1/2 cup butter = $.50
1 teaspoon garlic = $.05

So, one recipe of garlic butter = $.55.  I know you can buy ready made garlic butter at the store, but I've never bought it and will have to check the prices next time I go to the store.

Recipes that use garlic butter 

Homemade Pizza

Garlic Cheese Bread

                                                                                      

Bread Sticks

Hot Pockets

                                                                                                          

Italian Sloppy Joes

Pizza Dough

I found this recipe on the blog Lauren's Latest, and with a slight modification, I have the recipe below.  This is by far the best pizza dough recipe I have tried.  It is versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes.

Pizza Dough
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3 cups all purpose flour

Directions

1. Combine water, yeast and honey in a mixing bowl.  Let sit for 10 minutes or until yeast is frothy.
2. Add 1 cup of flour, salt and oil to the mixture and stir until smooth.
3. Add the rest of the flour slowly, stirring well after each addition.  You may not need all the flour.  
4. Once the dough can be touched without sticking to your hands, then begin kneading.  If using a stand mixer, knead or 6 minutes.  If by hand, knead for 10.
5. Oil bowl and top of dough.
6. Let rise until double, 1-2 hours.
7. Once the dough has risen, it is ready to use.  Just shape and add toppings and bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Notes
This dough can be used for pizza, pizza rolls, bread sticks and cheese sticks.  If making a dessert pizza, just add 1 more Tablespoon of honey to the dough to make it slightly sweeter.

This recipe makes enough for two 12 inch pizzas.

I usually make a whole meal when I cook this.  I use half the dough to make a 12 inch pizza.  I use 1/4 of the dough to make cheese sticks and the other 1/4 to make a cinnamon-sugar dessert pizza.  This way, all the dough is used and there is no waste.
 
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Is homemade worth it?

1 pkg active dry yeast = $.38
1 Tablespoon honey = $.20
2 teaspoon salt = $.01
2 Tablespoons canola oil = $.05
3 cups all purpose flour = $.30

So this recipe cost $.94.

At the store, you would pay at least $3.50 for a premade pizza crust. or $2.88 for a refrigerated dough.  Either way, you save good bit of money by making it yourself.  Keep in mind this recipe makes 2 pizza crusts and most premade (non-refrigerated crusts) have 2 per package as well.

If you made pizza once a month, you would save upwards to $2.56 per crust and in one year, you would save $30.72. 

Summery
Store bought Pizza Crust = $3.00
Homemade Pizza Crust = $.94

Recipes that use pizza dough

Cinnamon-Sugar Dessert Pizza

Homemade Pizza

Pizza Rolls

Garlic Cheese Sticks

                                                  

                                                        

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls

Bread Sticks

Hot Pockets 

 

Tomato Sauce

This is a recipe that I really made up myself, using tips from different sites and my husband.  My husband is the one who really taught me how to make tomato sauce, but I thought it was good, but not quite what I wanted.  I really wanted a sauce that would  taste good with anything that required tomato sauce so I would not need to remember or write down 4 or 5 different recipes.  This sauce recipe is good for spaghetti, lasagna, pizza... really everything I have put it on was good!

Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can of water
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon oregano
2 Tablespoons basil
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 chopped onion
1 Tablespoon butter
1 lb favorite meat for sauce

Directions

1. Caramelize the onions in the butter.
2. Brown the meat.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Let simmer.  
4. Add to any dish that needs tomato sauce.

Notes
I let it simmer all day, stirring every hour or so.  If you do not have that long, cut the amount of water and simmer for at least an hour.  You could assemble all the ingredients the day before, cook for a small amount of time and store it in the refrigerator until you need it.  Just heat it up. Letting it sit in the refrigerator will help all the flavors blend just like cooking all day.

If I am using venison or any other lean meat, I will not drain the fat.  I think a little of the fat gives a good flavor to the sauce.  You can drain it if you want.  It is not necessary.

Have venison?  It works great in this recipe!

Don't want meat?  No problem, just leave it out!

Made too much?  Freeze it!  Use freezer safe containers or just a freezer safe bag for storing.

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Is homemade worth it?

2 cans tomato sauce = $1.40
1 can tomato paste = $.59
1 Tablespoon garlic powder = $.141
1 teaspoon paprika = $.014
1 Tablespoon oregano = $.26
2 Tablespoons basil = $.16
1 bay leaf = $.022
3 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar = $.094
1/2 chopped onion = $.40
1 Tablespoon butter = $.0625

I bought a fresh onion for this which cost $.80.

Please note that I left off the meat from this list, since you would have to add it to a jarred sauce anyway.

One recipe of my homemade sauce = $3.13.

Please keep in mind that this sauce makes more than what is in a typical jar.  My recipe makes 1 1/2 jars of sauce without the meat, so one jar of my sauce = $2.07. 

Depending on the sauce you like, you can buy your sauce cheaper than making it on your own.  Ragu cost $1.79 at my local store, so it would be cheaper to just buy that.

Keep in mind that if you grow some of the herbs yourself, you can make a much cheaper sauce.  If you grew your own basil and oregano, that would knock off $.42 cents off the total cost.  Buying onions in season would help too as well as growing your own tomatoes.  I have not ventured this far yet!!

Summery

Homemade Sauce = $2.07
Ragu Spaghetti Sauce = $1.79

Dishes that use tomato sauce:

Homemade Pizza

Spaghetti

                                                                                                       

Pizza Rolls

Baked Spaghetti

                                                                                                        

Hot Pockets

Pizza Lasagna

Flour Tortillas

I cannot take credit for this recipe.  I found it online at the following website: Food Network.   I did make one modification which is in the recipe below.

Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
9 oz All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Crisco
1/2 cup cool water

Directions

1. Cut Crisco into flour and salt until it resembles course meal.
2. Add the cool water while the dough is being moved.  I had to do this by hand as I do not have a mixer.  It was not that difficult.
3. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is less sticky and easily forms a ball. 
4. Cover and let rest for one hour.
5. Divide dough into eight even portions. 
6. Each ball should be rolled out thin and will be approx. 7 inches in diameter.
7. Preheat griddle to 375 degrees.
8. Cook tortillas on each side for approx. 4 minutes.  It is ok if the dough bubbles.  
9. Let tortillas cool and sit wrapped in a damp towel.  This will keep them from drying out before serving.

Notes:
This recipe makes 8 tortillas.

9 oz of flour is approx 2 cups.  It is actually a little less than.  I did not weigh the flour and it came out fine with an approx amount.  Make sure not to do two full cups, though or it will turn out tasting like a flat biscuit.

These are best eating as soon as you can after cooking.  They will keep 2 hours at room temperature and can be reheated covered by a damp cloth.

Have left overs?  Do not worry.  You can save them till the next day or even freeze them.  If you save them, place a piece of parchment between each one before refrigerating or freezing.  Remember to reheat with a damp towel so they will not get too dry.

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Is homemade worth it?

9 oz All Purpose Flour = $.20
1 teaspoon salt = $.007
1/3 cup Crisco = $.24

So, one batch of flour tortillas cost $.447.  This means that each tortilla cost about $.06.

Store bought flour tortillas cost $1.69 for a 10 count package.  That means that each tortilla will cost about $.17.

You will save $.11 on each tortilla by making them yourself.  If you use 8 tortillas once a month, you will save $.88 a month and $10.56 a year.

Summery

One store bought tortilla = $.17.
One homemade tortilla = $.06.

I-Say

I-Say is a survey site, much like all the other sites that I have joined.

Registration
When you register for I-Say, you will be asked for your name, mailing address and email address.  You will also answer several profile surveys in order for them to send you surveys that you will qualify for.  Once you have filled out all the profile surveys, just wait for the real surveys to start rolling in.

Taking a Survey
You will receive emails letting you know when a new survey is available.  All you do is click on the survey link in the email and you are automatically taken to the survey.  Once a survey is completed, you will be told the amount of reward you will receive.  Most surveys will give you 5 points if you disqualify.  Qualifying surveys will net you 45-90 points on average.

Prize Drawings
After each survey, you will have an opportunity to play a game where you will win chances into prize drawings.  The game consist of you guessing how many people said "Yes" to a particular question.  You will win anywhere from 1 to 25 entries for your answer, depending on how close you are to the correct answer.  Once you have won your points you are taken to a screen where you can choose the prizes you want to enter to win.  You will have 4 to choose from.  You can put all your points into one or you can put them in multiple ones. 

Redeeming Points
Each point is equal to $.01.  This means you need 1000 points to redeem a $10 gift card.  I earn one gift card every 2 months, so that is about $60 a year from this site.  I try to do all of the surveys they send me.  Gift card codes are delivered within minutes of redeeming your points.

Bing

Bing is a search engine.  It is a lot like Google, but with Bing, you can earn rewards towards gift cards by doing every day searches.

Once you sign up, you have three ways to earn.

1. Searches -- You are allowed 15 points a day, which is a total of 30 searches.  Once you reach gold status, you can to up to 40 searches for 20 points, if you keep up with the minimum searches per month.
2. Suggested Pages -- Everyday, there are 1-3 suggested pages you can visit to earn 1 point when you visit it for the first time.
3. Referring Friends -- For every friend you get to join that reaches silver status, you will earn 200 points.

Redeeming Prizes
When you first join, it will take about a month to earn your first prize.  A $5 Amazon gift card is 525 points.  Once you reach gold status, the price of the same $5 Amazon card will be 475 points.  I have redeemed one card so far.  I received the card a few hours after I ordered it. 

Earnings -- Change

Well, I have decided doing a daily update is just a little too time consuming for me.  I will not be doing those anymore.  I am leaving the ones I have done so you can see what you can expect from the various sites.  I know some of the sites listed did not show any money earned in the first 2 weeks, but I do not earn from all sites all the time.

To learn more about the different sites I use, please refer to this post!

Earnings -- February 11, 2014

Swagbucks ----------- 60 points = $.60
Instantbucks --------- 10 bucks = $.10
MySurvey.com ------- 0 points
I-say ----------------- 190 points = $1.90
JDPowerPanel ------- $.20
GlobalTestMarket --- 35 points= $1.59
OpinionOutpost ----- 15 points = $1.50
Bing ------------------ 16 points = $.16
E-Poll ----------------- 350 points = $.56
PineconeResearch --- 0 points
Socratic Forum ------ $.00
SavingStar ----------- $.00
Opinion Place -------- $.00
KelloggsFamilyRewards -- 0 points (no cash equivalent)

Total Earnings ------- $6.51

Total Earned since January 31, 2014 -- $31.04 + 1 product test
Total for the month of February -- $26.24
Total Redeemed for the month of February -- $15
Total Redeemed for the year -- $125




As you can see, three days of posts are not here.  I did some limited earnings, but did not do any surveys.  We had some other things going on and I did not have time to post.  From Swagbucks, I earned 60, 70, and 61.  With Bing, I earned 16, 16, then 18.  That is all I did.  So, for three days I earned $2.41.

Click HERE to learn how you can earn with the above mentioned programs.

Earnings -- February 7, 2014

Swagbucks ----------- 73 points = $.73
Instantbucks --------- 16 bucks = $.16
MySurvey.com ------- 0 points = $.00
I-say ----------------- 0 points
JDPowerPanel ------- $1.10
GlobalTestMarket --- 0 points
OpinionOutpost ----- 0 points
Bing ------------------ 17 points = $.17
E-Poll ----------------- 0 points
PineconeResearch --- 0 points
Socratic Forum ------ $.00
SavingStar ----------- $.00
Opinion Place -------- $.00
KelloggsFamilyRewards -- 0 points (no cash equivalent)

Total Earnings ------- $1.16

Total Earned since January 31, 2014 -- $24.43 + 1 product test
Total for the month of February -- $19.63
Total Redeemed for the month of February -- $15
Total Redeemed for the year -- $125


Click HERE to learn how you can earn with the above mentioned programs.

Doughnuts

My all time favorite dessert is doughnuts.  I love them.  I would eat them every day if I could.  I especially love bakery style donuts.  I would rather go to a local bakery than a large doughnut chain.  Everywhere we have lived, I have had to find myself a bakery with good doughnuts to treat myself with every now and then.  Look at the bottom of this page to see my favorite bakeries in each place we have lived! If you do not have a good bakery in your town, I challenge you to make them yourself.  I find them very easy to make and taste just as good as ones you get at the bakery, not to mention a lot cheaper.  They can be time consuming, but, trust me!  It is well worth the effort!

Doughnuts
Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water
2 pkg yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil or Crisco
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water.  Let sit until the mixture begins to foam, about 5-10 minutes.  If it does not foam, you need to start over.
2. In a small pot, melt oil or Crisco into milk.  Keep on heat until milk has bubbles around the side.  Let cool.  Letting this cool is very important.  If you do not let it cool properly, it will kill the yeast and your doughnuts will be flat.
3. Mix milk mixture, sugar, salt, eggs and 1 cup of flour until the mixture is smooth.
4. Mix the remainder of the flour in slowly.  You may not need all of it.  Once it pulls away from the bowl, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.  The dough should be elastic.
5. Let dough rise until doubles.  Approx. 1-2 hours.
6. Roll out about 1/4 inch and cut.  Let rise for another hour.
7. Preheat 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees.
8. Carefully move the doughnuts into the fryer.
9. Fry on each side until golden brown.  Should not take longer than 1 minute on each side.
10. Let cool on a paper towel.

Notes
This recipe makes 24 regular sized donuts.  I just make doughnut holes out of all the dough so I do not have to reroll any of the dough, nor do I have to worry about the doughnuts becoming misshaped before frying.

You can make just about any combination of doughnuts with this recipe.  You can fill them with your favorite fillings, dust them with powdered sugar, make cinnamon sugar like in the above photo, glazed, iced, etc. 

Vanilla Glazed Doughnut Holes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is home made worth it?

2 pkg yeast = $.76
3/4 cup milk = $.18
1/3 cup vegetable oil or Crisco = $.24
1/2 cup sugar = $.13
1 teaspoon salt = $.007
2 eggs = $.28
4 1/2 cup all purpose flour = $.45

Once recipe of doughnuts = $2.05.  Please keep in mind that this does not include glaze, icing or fillings.

Since one recipe makes 2 dozen, one dozen would cost approx. $1.03.  Each doughnut would cost $.09.  That, even when you add a few cents for toppings or fillings is a lot cheaper than going out to buy them.

I will compare these with most bakery style doughnuts.  I can buy one dozen assorted doughnuts for $7.00 at my local bakery.  So, since the above recipe also makes a dozen, you will save $5.97 buy making them at home. Plus, you will have the extra doughnut holes that you have to buy separate at the bakery.

Summery

One bakery doughnut =  $.58.
One homemade doughnut = $.09.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite bakeries

Savannah, Georgia -- Baker's Pride.
Louisville, Kentucky -- Nord's Bakery
Carrollton, Georgia -- Vogelsberg Bakery
Richland, Mississippi -- The Donut Shop Cafe

Italian Sloppy Joes

This recipe is modified from one I found in a magazine.  If I remembered which one, I'd tell you, but I have had it for several years now and just can't remember.

Italian Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
2 lb ground beef
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup ketchup
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup garlic butter
2 loaves Italian bread
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Cook meat and onions in skillet.  Drain the fat.
2. Combine beef, onions, ketchup, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese and seasonings into large pot and mix well. 
3. Bring mixture to boil and then let simmer for 15 minutes.
4. While the meat is cooking, cut the loaves length wise.  Spread the garlic butter on the top half of both loaves.
5. Sprinkle 1/4 cut mozzarella cheese on each bottom half.
6. Spoon meat mixture onto the bottom of each loaf.  Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese onto the top of the meat mixture.  Top the sandwich with the top half of the loaf.
7. Wrap each loaf in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  
8. Cut each loaf into 8 pieces.

Notes:
This recipe makes 16 servings.

The original recipe called for 1/2 tablespoons of fennel seed.  I do not like biting into fennel, so I leave it out.

Need a garlic butter recipe?  Click HERE

Have venison?  Great!  It works just as well as beef!

Have extra meat?  No problem.  It can be frozen and used for an easy meal later on.  You can also serve it over noodles if you just want something different.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How much does this cost?

2 lb ground beef = $.7.98
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped = $.10
1 cup ketchup = $.84
1 cup tomato sauce = $.40
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese = $.25
1/2 teaspoons garlic powder = $.02
1 teaspoon oregano = $.09
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning = $.05
1/2 cup garlic butter = $.55
2 loaves Italian bread = $4.00
2 cups mozzarella cheese = $2.00

This recipe costs $16.28 to make.  So each sandwich would cost $1.02

Well, I'm pretty sure you cannot buy Italian sloppy joes anywhere, since I have never really seen another recipe for it.  

If you were to make regular sloppy joes, you would pay $1 for the can of mix and upwards to $4 or more for the beef depending on how lean you want it.  Buns for sloppy joes are $1.29.   So, regular sloppy joes would cost $6.29 for the meal.  Assuming that you could make 8 sandwiches from this recipe, each sloppy joe would cost $.77.

Summary 

Regular Sloppy Joes -- $.77

Italian Sloppy Joes -- 1.02

While regular sloppy joes are cheaper, they really do not compare in taste to Italian sloppy joes. 

Earnings -- February 6, 2014

Swagbucks ----------- 270 points = $2.70
Instantbucks --------- 24 bucks = $.24
MySurvey.com ------- 30 points = $.27
I-say ----------------- 0 points
JDPowerPanel ------- $1.10
GlobalTestMarket --- 0 points
OpinionOutpost ----- 0 points
Bing ------------------ 16 points = $.16
E-Poll ----------------- 0 points
PineconeResearch --- 0 points
Socratic Forum ------ $1.00
SavingStar ----------- $.50
Opinion Place -------- $.00
KelloggsFamilyRewards -- 280 points (no cash equivalent)

Total Earnings ------- $5.97

Total Earned since January 31, 2014 -- $23.27 + 1 product test
Total for the month of February -- $18.47
Total Redeemed for the month of February -- $15
Total Redeemed for the year -- $125


Click HERE to learn how you can earn with the above mentioned programs.

Earnings -- February 5, 2014

Swagbucks ----------- 66 points = $.66
Instantbucks --------- 7 bucks = $.07
MySurvey.com ------- 0 points
I-say ----------------- 10 points = $.10
JDPowerPanel ------- $.00
GlobalTestMarket --- 0 points
OpinionOutpost ----- 0 points
Bing ------------------ 17 points = $.17
E-Poll ----------------- 0 points
PineconeResearch --- 0 points
Socratic Forum ------ 0 points
SavingStar ----------- $.00
Opinion Place -------- $.00
KelloggsFamilyRewards -- 0 points (no cash equivalent)

Total Earnings ------- $1.00

Total Earned since January 31, 2014 -- $17.30 + 1 product test
Total for the month of February -- $12.50
Total Redeemed for the month of February -- $15
Total Redeemed for the year -- $125

Only spent an hour today.  Disqualified for all my surveys.

Click HERE to learn how you can earn with the above mentioned programs.

Earnings -- February 4, 2014

Swagbucks ----------- 77 points = $.77
Instantbucks --------- 7 bucks = $.07
MySurvey.com ------- 0 points
I-say ----------------- 1.35 points = $1.35
JDPowerPanel ------- $.20
GlobalTestMarket --- 35 points = $1.59
OpinionOutpost ----- 10 points = $1.00
Bing ------------------ 16 points = $.16
E-Poll ----------------- 0 points
PineconeResearch --- 0 points
Socratic Forum ------ 0 points
SavingStar ----------- $.00
Opinion Place -------- $.00
KelloggsFamilyRewards -- 160 points (no cash equivalent)

Total Earnings ------- $5.13

Total Earned since January 31, 2014 -- $16.30 + 1 product test
Total for the month of February -- $11.50
Total Redeemed for the month of February -- $5
Total Redeemed for the year -- $115

Today I started at 6:00am and stopped at 7:30am.  I decided to add the total redeemed from all sites.  It just so happened that I was able to redeem with all three of my high paying survey companies all at the same time in January, so that is why the total is so high right now.  I usually average about $40 a month from all the sites combined.

Click HERE to learn how you can earn with the above mentioned programs.

Biscuits

This is the biscuit recipe that my grandmother uses to make all her biscuits.

Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup butter Crisco
1 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
2. Cut the Crisco into the flour until it forms small pea sized clumps.  
3. Add buttermilk slowly until all the dough is wet, but not overly moist.  It may not take the whole cup.
4. Knead the down on a floured surface until it is smooth.  Only take a minute or two.  If the dough was too wet, you will need to add a little more flour to knead it without it sticking to your hands.
5. Roll out the dough until it is 1/2 inch thick.  
6. Using a 2 inch round cutter, cut out biscuits.  
7. Reroll scraps until all or most of the dough is used.  Should only have to do this twice.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tops begin to lightly brown.

Notes
Makes about 15 biscuits.


My grandmother always melted a stick of butter to brush the bottom of her pan and the tops of her biscuits before cooking.  We then used the left over butter to butter the insides when they were done.  I have stopped doing this because they seem to cook better without the butter in my pan/oven. 

Don't want to roll and cut?  No problem, just put a little flour on your hands and pinch off pieces of dough and form them in your hand.

Made too many?  Don't throw them out!  You can freeze these biscuits for an easy breakfast or  for use in future recipes.

Lactose Intolerant?  You can use lactose free milk to make these.  The biscuits will not be as fluffy.  When my grandmother made these with lactose free milk, I told her they seemed to taste more like crackers than a biscuit, but they still worked for putting jelly or sausage on!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is it worth making this homemade?

2 cups self-rising flour = $.20
1/3 cup butter Crisco = $.24
1 cup buttermilk = $.25

So, one recipe of biscuits costs $.69.  That means that each biscuit costs $.05

Frozen Biscuits 
Pillsbury frozen biscuits cost $2.89 for 12 biscuits. So each biscuit = $.24

Canned Biscuits
Pillsbury Grands costs $1.49 for 8 biscuits. So each biscuit = $.17. 

If we buy store bought biscuits, we usually get the canned ones.  If you make homemade instead of buying the canned ones, you will save $.12 on each biscuit.  If you make biscuits twice a month (like we do) you will save $3.60 per month and $43.20 for the year.

Summary

One frozen biscuit = $.24
One canned biscuit = $.17
One homemade biscuit = $.05

Recipes that use biscuits

Salmon Patties

Salmon Patties

This recipe is one that we had at my house growing up.  Momma always served it with rolls and corn.  Grandma always served it with buttered potatoes.  I have served it both ways and have served it with rice and veggies.

Salmon Patties
Ingredients
1 can boneless salmon
1 egg
4 biscuits, crumbled

Directions

1. Put enough oil into a skillet to just cover the bottom.  
2. Preheat the oil in the skillet on medium-low heat.  (On my stove top, I put the temperature on "4.")
3. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  You may not need all of the biscuit crumbs.  When you can press the mixture down and little or now waters pressed out, you have enough crumbs.  
4. Form into 2-3 inch patties.  
5. Place into hot oil in a skillet and cook until each side is golden brown. You know your oil is hot enough when you drop in a piece of batter and it starts to sizzle.
6. Once done, place on paper towel to drain.

Notes
This recipe will make 6-8 patties depending on the size you make them.

To find out how to make the biscuits for this recipe, click HERE

If you do not want to make biscuits or do not have any on hand, you can use bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or just tear up any bread you have to mix into the salmon.  MY grandmother would use extra hotdog and hamburger buns.  They all work great!

Did not eat them all the first time?  That's ok!  You can refrigerate them and eat them the next day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How much does this cost?

So, there isn't going to be an "Is it worth it" section since I do not think you can buy already prepared salmon patties at the grocery store.  If I am wrong, please let me know and I will change this section!  Instead, I will note the cost of making this meal.

1 can salmon = $2.00
1 egg = $.14
4 biscuits = $.20


Summary

This meal costs $2.34 to make.

Earnings -- February 3, 2014

Swagbucks ----------- 79 points = $.79
Instantbucks --------- 12 bucks = $.12
MySurvey.com ------- 0 points
I-say ----------------- 0 points
JDPowerPanel ------- $.30
GlobalTestMarket --- 0 points
OpinionOutpost ----- 0 points
Bing ------------------ 16 points = $.16
E-Poll ----------------- 0 points
PineconeResearch --- 0 points
Socratic Forum ------ 0 points
SavingStar ----------- $.00
Opinion Place -------- $.00
KelloggsFamilyRewards -- 400 points (no cash equivalent)

Total Earnings ------- $1.37

Total Earned since January 31, 2014 -- $11.27 + 1 product test
Total for the month of February -- $6.47

Today I started at 6:30am and stopped at  7:45am.  We have started potty training our little girl, so we spent a good bit of time in the bathroom between surveys.  I was probably only actually doing this for 45 minutes total today.  I only had 2 surveys to do...  Some days are slower than others!  Now on to cleaning my house...


Click HERE to learn how you can earn with the above mentioned programs.

Global Test Market

I have been a member of Global Test Market for about 6 months now and have earned $100 just from taking their surveys. 

How to Sign Up
You go to their website, fill out the form and take the profile surveys.  I do not remember is you need to supply your mailing address.  Most sites do, but I just can't remember.  They will then start sending you emails to do surveys ranging from 15 - 80 points.  To take a survey, just click on the link in the email and you will have an opportunity to take it.  I get approx 5 surveys a day.  I may qualify for one of those. 

How Points Work
As mentioned above, you will get 15 - 80 points per survey.  Points work a little differently on this site than most others.  The points are not a one to one ratio.  You need 1100 points to earn $50 in Amazon gift cards.  To calculate how much you earn on each survey, I use the following formula: (points earned/1100) = percent of total.  Then, multiply the percent of total by 50 to get the total of they survey.  For example, suppose you have a survey worth 35 points.  (35/1100)=.031818.  then  .031818*50=1.590909.  So, a 35 point survey is approx. $1.59. (** I know that the .031818 needs to be multiplied by 100 to get an actual percentile number, but it would be pointless to multiply it when you just have to divide it out in the next step anyway.)

Redeeming points
For this site, you must earn 1000 points before making any redemption.  You can redeem gift cards or prizes. From what I can tell, it is more cost effective to redeem gift cards then buy the item you want.  For example, under the DVD section, The Little Mermaid DVD is 600 points.  Using the formula, that would make the DVD cost $27.  If you get the Amazon gift card then order the movie, you will pay around $20.  There are many gift cards to choose from if you don't want Amazon.  

What to expect from this site
As I mentioned before, I have been a member of this site for 6 months and have earned $100.  That is $50 every 3 months.  So in one year that would be $200.  I try and attempt every survey they send me, but I do not qualify for very many.  So, if you use this site, be prepared to disqualify for a lot of surveys.  Despite the mass of disqualifications, I have gotten the most product testing surveys from this site.  The products I have tested range from laundry detergent, soap, diapers, toilet paper and several other items.  One of these surveys even sent me cash in the mail as a "thank you" for doing the survey.  So, overall, I do make the most off of this site than any other survey site.

Opinion Place

I have been doing surveys from Opinion Place for about a year now.  I have probably made $20 from them in that year.  I do not visit this site everyday anymore, which is probably why I have not qualified for a survey in almost 3 months.

How to sign up
The first time you go in to the page, you must fill out a short form, providing your mailing address and a few other details.  Once you have created a log-in and password, you will answer 2-3 pages of qualifying questions.  You will only need to answer these once, unlike at most sites where you fill these questions out constantly.  Once this is done, you can start taking surveys.

Surveys
You must visit the site to access the surveys.  They will not send you an email when surveys are available.  You are allowed to attempt one in every 24 hour period.  If you qualify for and complete a survey, you must wait one week to take another one.  Surveys are worth anywhere between $1 and $5.   

Redeeming Rewards
You can choose between 4 programs of rewards, Amazon cards, Paypal, AAdvantage Miles or a Sweepstakes Entry.  You do not have to save points on this site.  They will automatically send the reward to your email or appropriate account 3-4 weeks after completing the survey. In theory, you could make anywhere from $52-$260 in a year if you qualify for and complete one survey every week.  Like I stated before, with periodically visiting the site throughout the year, I made $20.

Earnings -- February 2, 2014

Swagbucks ----------- 57 points = $.57
Instantbucks --------- 15 bucks = $.15
MySurvey.com ------- 0 points
I-say ----------------- 0 points
JDPowerPanel ------- $.00
GlobalTestMarket --- 35 points = $1.59
OpinionOutpost ----- 0 points
Bing ------------------ 16 points = $.16
E-Poll ----------------- 0 points
PineconeResearch --- 0 points
Socratic Forum ------ 0 points
SavingStar ----------- $.00
Opinion Place -------- $.00

Total Earnings ------- $2.47

Total Earned since January 31, 2014 -- $9.90 + 1 product test
Total for the month of February -- $.5.10

Today I started at 4:00am and stopped at 5:30am.  I did these in between filling bowls of Cheerios... 



Click HERE to learn how you can earn with the above mentioned programs.

Earnings February 1, 2014

Swagbucks ----------- 59 points = $.59
Instantbucks --------- 9 bucks = $.09
MySurvey.com ------- 0 points
I-say ----------------- 0 points
JDPowerPanel ------- $1.90
GlobalTestMarket --- 0 points
OpinionOutpost ----- 0 points
Bing ------------------ 5 points = $.05
E-Poll ----------------- 0 points
PineconeResearch --- 0 points
Socratic Forum ------ 0 points
SavingStar ----------- $.00
Opinion Place -------- $.00

Total Earnings ------- $2.63

Total Earned since January 31, 2014 -- $7.43 + 1 product test
Total for the month of February -- $.2.63

Today I started at 5:30am and stopped at 9:00am.  I was by no means doing this for 3 1/2 hours straight.  I was making breakfast, changing diapers, playing tea party with my daughter, cutting my husband's hair... so lots of things I did in between surveys/activities. :)



Click HERE to learn how you can earn with the following programs.