Divinity Escapades

Divinity is a great Christmas candy - pretty easy to make and inexpensive as far as candy goes. I made some last week and the kids loved it. I should say that I am really not a candy chef - mostly because candy is a precise art and expensive enough that I can't afford to keep trying to perfect a failed recipe. On the other hand, my kids are pretty good at eating sugar - even if it doesn't look like the Better Homes and Gardens picture. Last week when I made divinity, I overcooked the sugar solution and ended up making suckers instead of divinity on the first try. I just added food coloring and some peppermint flavor to the sugar solution and poured it over popsicle sticks I put on a greased cookie sheet. The kids thought it was the best mistake in the world. I was able to save the egg whites for my second batch - which turned out OK. For a good divinity recipe and tips go to http://southernfood.about.com/od/candyrecipes/r/blbb355.htm

Fudge in a Bag

Christmas baking time is here! At a class I gave a few weeks ago in Billings, one of the participants mentioned that she made fudge in a bag with her kids. Not only was it a great Christmas tradition, it kept them occupied and quiet for Family Councils and Family Home Evening lessons. Since I want occupied and quiet kids at FHE, I was intrigued and looked up the recipe. It's very simple - and inexpensive!:) Here's the link http://www.food.com/recipe/Fudge-in-a-Ziploc-Bag-293041 Try it and give me some feedback. How did it work for your family?

Yummy Yams

Looking for a delicious alternative for run-of-the-mill candied yams? I found this recipe at Better Homes and Gardens, and it looked so good I had to try it. Delicious! We're having this for Thanksgiving. See the recipe at http://www.bhg.com/recipe/vegetables/florence-mamas-candied-yams/
On a personal note - I don't like candied yams. My mother always served a yummy Apples and Yams dish at Thanksgiving which is heavenly. It's my traditional yam dish as well, but I found this, and had to try it out. So this year we're having two yam dishes.:) 
I did find an online recipe for Apples and Yams here http://thanksgiving.betterrecipes.com/yams-and-apples.html It doesn't have a picture or really comprehensive instructions. To add to it - Cook the yams in salted water for 25 minutes. Peel them and slice in half-moons that are 1/2 inch thick. In greased casserole alternate yam slices (standing up) and apple (peeled) sections between the yams. Pour the sauce over and spread to cover.

Happy Thanksgiving

Turkeys are 29 cents a pound at Safeway! I haven't seen a better (or even close) price elsewhere.

Also, I really liked this study on the Secrets of Low-Stress Families. Check it out at http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/seven-secrets-of-low-stress-families

  Officially, cooking from scratch is a secret of low-stress families! Actually I believe it. Families that use pre-packaged foods spend just as much time in meal preparation as families that cook from scratch. That's been proven before in other studies. So if you're not saving time, isn't peeling carrots more relaxing than reading instructions and scheduling the microwave? Of course. What I don't know is - does cooking from scratch make us a low-stress family? Hmm....

If at First You Don't Succeed....

So last night we had an "Appreciation Dinner" - meaning what we ate made us appreciate all the other dinners we've ever eaten. I really had all the best intentions, but the rice didn't cook right (actually not at all), and the fried apples and onions that sounded so delicious and cozy in "Little House on the Prairie" were definitely not delicious and cozy in the year 2010. The kids and Jared ate without complaint - oh, how I love them! They did ask if there was any dessert - meaning, "Is there incentive to eat this pile in front of us?" But I didn't even have any dessert.
They were all so stoic about it, and I just kept apologizing, until Jared consoled me by telling me that it was OK; every dinner doesn't have to be a success story. That meant a lot coming from him, considering that 1) he knows I have my share of dinner failures and then some, and 2) dinner is his only really good meal of the day (He eats oatmeal for breakfast and no lunch.).
The real point, though, is that he is right. Cooking from scratch to save money is not always a success story - and that's OK. I'm a better cook because I've learned from failure, and my family seems to get easily over the less-than-delicious meals with no negative side effects. We can't learn and be successful if we give up because of failure. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!!:)

Keeping it Simple Saves Money

I found this great blog posted a while ago. This lady talks about how we save money by keeping things basic and simple. This is a very enjoyable read - and goes along perfectly with my thoughts and how I feed my family. Check out the post at

 frugalc.wordpress.com/2007/08/23/keep-it-simple-keep-it-basic/

  Also, this weekend at the Bozeman LDS Stake Center is a Provident Living Expo from 10am-2pm. There will be lots of information on saving money in all areas of living. I will be doing a booth on food budgeting. (For example, did you know that cold cereal and milk cost over three times more than oatmeal and milk? You can save about $100 per year per person in your household if you make that simple switch! What are you going to do with all that extra money?:) Come check out all the fun stuff - plus lunch will be served! And if you have hubbies and boys, I hear the fire trucks will be there.:)

For Your Listening Pleasure

     A few months ago a good friend of mine, Quinn, put together a podcast of the "Oatmeal Story" from my book Centsible Meals. It was a great learning experience for me. I got to sit in a cool foam cubby with a big microphone while Quinn manned a console with tons of buttons and flashing lights. Quinn came to our house to tape the kids and Jared (who are also featured).
     The "Oatmeal Story" is oft-repeated at our house - sometimes as a funny event and sometimes as a stern reminder. Our family definitely had fun trying out this media, and we really appreciate Quinn for working with our time schedule and dubious talent.
Click to listen to "Centsible Meals -- The Oatmeal Story"