3 Make Ahead Breakfasts for Kids of All Ages

We are busy most every week, but I like to make breakfasts ahead of time to keep my family eating healthy. On Mondays, we usually have muffins, Muffin Mondays. Here is a great recipe for Orange Poppy Seed Muffins. I use some whole wheat flour, but you would never know. My husband was telling me that he does not eat whole wheat, while eating one of these muffins.  My boys really like breakfast wraps, so they are included. The key are the fiber one tortillas, They only have 80 calories and are loaded with fiber. Finally, Cinnamon French Toast Sticks finish off our week. Using the cinnamon and vanilla makes them sweet without syrup. Cut them into strips and they are ready to eat in the car.

French Toast Sticks

4 eggs
1/8 cup milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp vanilla
8 slices bread

Use a fork to combine eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla in a baking dish. Dip bread in egg mixture coating well. Place in warm greased skillet. Cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes.


Enjoy with syrup immediately or cut into strips to be reheated and eaten on the run.

Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

1 3/4 cup flour (I used 1 cup multipurpose and 3/4 cup white wheat)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 salt
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup veggie oil
1 orange, juiced and zested
1 tbsp. poppy seeds


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium size bowl. Make well in dry mixture. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, orange zest, orange juice, poppy seeds, and veggie oil. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture. Stir until moist. Place mixture in 12 greased muffin wells. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Egg and Sausage Wraps

4 eggs
2 pieces of cooked turkey sausage (I buy them already cooked and in the freezer section)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Fiber One tortillas




Scramble the eggs with a fork. Cook eggs in a skillet. When eggs are starting to get firm add sausage cut into pieces. Cook until eggs are firm. Place eggs in the center of tortillas, sprinkle with cheese and wrap.

What you ACTUALLY need for a baby and what you don't

There is so much marketing aimed at new mothers these days. Makes you think how new parents (and babies) survived all those years with out the latest swing or gadget. Eight years ago I had twins and thought I needed every baby gadget on the market. Since then my husband and I have had 12 foster children, most of which were babies. When our princess made her appearance, I bought very little. You start to realize that all that stuff just clutters your house.

What you really do NEED

1. A crib. One of two things I would buy new.


2. A car seat. The other thing to buy new. Research which has the best safety rating, I was surprised. Also, buy neutral.


3. Baby clothing. Many people will buy you the tiny stuff, so buy a little bigger.


4. Diapers. When I was home on maternity leave, I used cloth diapers. I still have a huge stash for when life is not so busy. It is remarkably easy to cloth diaper a breast fed baby. Find some one who can teach you!!! I found Mulberry Street Diaper Company in Lancaster. They are wonderful and offer a cloth diapering class.

What you really DON'T NEED

1. Baby towels. Regular towels work just fine and last longer. Although regular towels won't make a cape for your 2 year old!


2. Baby bath tub. This is nice, but not at all needed. After your baby outgrows it, the bathtub takes up tons of space.


3. A bedding set. These are so expensive and the bumper is not recommended anymore. I bought the sheets and made the blanket and dust ruffle. But, you really don't need a dust ruffle.


4. Baby blankets. Ok you need these, but you will receive so many as gifts.


5. Brand new things. The crib and the car seat should probably be new, but for everything else buy used. Try hand me downs, garage sales, craigslist and consignment sales like Just Between Friends.

Things that are nice to have

1. Swing. All my babies like the swing.


2. Car seat and stroller combo. It is nice to not have to wake a sleeping baby to get them out of the car seat.


3. Changing table. When the boys where born, my dad made a changing table. With the princess, I just use a dresser.




4. Bouncer/Walker. They keep a baby entertained and out of trouble, but they are not required.


5. A rocking chair.  This is especially nice when having contractions.

A Princess Custom Nursery

There are so many cute things out there for babies that are so cute. With Etsy, you can get them just the way you want them. But these custom items come at a price. Even if you buy them from any store, they are still so expensive. When we prepared for the arrival of our princess, I decided to custom make many of the pieces. I used pinterest to find easy tutorials.

The Blanket

The blanket was easy.  Buy I yard of minky (the soft stuff with the bumps) fabric, 1 1/2 of flannel and satin ribbon binding. I cut the flannel to fit the minky. Then I used this sew dang cute blog for a tutorial for the binding. It was easy and quick. See the crib above.

The Dust Ruffle

I wanted to make the dust ruffle because I could not find any that I really liked for sale individually. The recommendation is that you no long use the bumper, so I did not spend the money on a set. This was probably the most difficult, but it turned out great. I used Runs with Spatulas for this tutorial. See photo of crib above.  I think it turned out, but I would have matched the ribbon on the blanket to the ribbon on the dust ruffle.

The Name Above The Crib

This turned out to be my favorite craft.  Turns out painting is really relaxing. I bought these letters at Babys R Us, but they did not hold the paint well. These wooden letters are less expensive and should hold paint better.  As you might have guessed our theme is giraffe. I started by painting a tan background. Then drew in random spots with a pencil. I then painted the spots brown. I used this kind of paint, just regular craft paint.

6 Money Saving Ideas

 

 

How are your New Years Resolutions going?

I have been posting money saving ideas in January to help you with those resolutions.

Here is a recap:

Food is one of the biggest expenses for a family, but very flexible. Here are some ideas to feed your family on a budget.

$5 Dinner Cabbage Soup




What I buy at Aldi




Homemade Seasoning Mixes




$3 Party Tray




Ground Beef Casserole

I also make room in my budget by making my own laundry soap. It lasts about 9 months and is great time saver as well.

Homemade Laundry Soap

Homemade Laundry Soap

I started making this when my husband was in graduate school. It was cheap and easy. I really stuck. I only have to make it every 9 months or so. My kids think it is fun to make. I can find everything at the grocery store for less than $25. Or a kit is available on amazon. You can add essential oils for a custom smell.

Homemade Laundry Soap

1 box of washing soda

1 box of borax

4 bars of fels-naptha soap

Grate the bars of soap. Smash the lumps in borax and washing soda. Mix together. Store in an air tight container. I store mine in an old icing bucket.

Homemade Seasoning Mixes

 

One way that I same money and time is making my own seasoning blends instead of buying them premade. Also, you are not eating silica. We use the taco seasoning all the time. I can season the meat, the rice and even the sour cream with taco seasoning. I mix the onion and ranch mixes with low fat sour cream for a healthy dip. Any mix can be used to season meat before it hits the grill. Remember to shake before each use because the contents will settle.

Taco Seasoning:

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/8 cup ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon sea salt

Put ingredients into a jar and shake. I use this to season taco meat, add it to soups, and add it to rice.

Dry Onion Soup Mix:

2/3 cup dried, minced onion

3 teaspoons parsley flakes

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a jar. This is great to season meat for the grill. But, also makes a great dip.

Ranch:

5 tablespoons dried minced onions

7 teaspoons parsley flakes

4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix together and store in an air tight container.

For low fat dressing: Mix 2 tablespoons dry mix with 1 cup Sour Cream and 1 cup buttermilk or regular milk. Add squirt or two to add a zing that replaces the mayo.

For dip:  Mix 2 tablespoons dry mix with 2 cups sour cream and add a squirt of lemon juice.

Originally posted http://selfreliancebyjamie.blogspot.com/2011/08/tis-seasonings.html

What I buy at Aldi

If you have never been to Aldi, you should!  They are a huge money saver for my family. They are building a new one on my commute home and I am so excited.  

What to bring: A quarter and some reusable bags. The grocery carts require a quarter to release them. But, when you return the cart you get the quarter back. Aldi says this saves you money. If the carts are put away, cars cannot get dinged and Aldi is not required to purchase insurance.  Also, they do not give you bags in which to put your stuff. You can purchase bags or use left over boxes. This is a perfect use of those trendy reusable bags.  

Products I love

1. Cheese

2. Milk

3. Eggs (We eat a ton of eggs)

4. Produce!!! (There are great prices on produce)

5. Pizza crust

6. Cinnamon rolls and biscuits

7. Bread

8. Juice (frozen concentrate)

9. Frozen fruit

10. Dog food

11. Baking supplies

12. Holiday ham

What I don't love (Although, they have a double guaranty)

1. Canned fruits and veggies

2. Beauty products (unless you find name brand, which I've found before)
3) Cheez-its (The off-brand; they're a little waxy)

Other helpful hints: 

1) They usually have name-brand products at prices lower than the grocery store, but they aren't always in stock. So, get them while you can! I usually try to stock up on those items when they have them. 
2) Every once in a while I LEAVE the quarter in the grocery cart. Makes me think I'm making someone's day. Cause, come on, I would get pretty excited if I got a cart that already had a quarter in it. 

$5 Dinner Cabbage Soup

When you are on a budget, a delicious dinner for $5, really hits the spot. We tried this recipe for the first time over the summer when the boys were visiting grandparents. Now we crave it all the time. We just told our picky eater that the cabbage was lettuce.

Cabbage Soup

1 lb ground beef  $2.50

1 Cabbage, chopped  $0.69

2 cans diced tomatoes with basil and oregano $0.69 each

1 tsp Beef bouillon $3.69 for 38 servings equals $0.10 per tsp

6 cups of water

salt and pepper to taste
any other veggies laying around
 

Total cost $4.67

optional ingredients

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

Brown ground beef and onions. Drain meat. Return meat to pot and add other ingredients. Leave on medium heat for 45 minutes. Serves a family of four with left overs. 
 

$3 Party Tray

I was home with one of my little men and he was sick. He is not a big eater, so I went to the grocery store to find something he would eat. Our grocery store sells the ends of deli meat at a discounted price. I got the ends of sweet bologna for $1. If your grocery store does not sell like this, just ask for two thick slices of meat (1 in or 3/4 in slices). I also had block cheese I bought on sale for $2, it was muenster. You can use any cheese. Two varieties of cheese makes it a $5 tray. The crackers are left over, but they are not required.

$3 Party Tray

2 ends of deli meat, cubed $1

1 block cheese, cubed $2

Total Price $3


Assemble on a tray.


You might also like these party trays.