Frugal Tip: Don't Let Your Menu Control Your Budget! Learn How to Control Your Menu!

Make your weekly menu around what is in your pantry and the weekly sales. Instead of making your shopping list around a menu. 

The normal thought process is to make a weekly menu , then make your shopping list and go out and spend alot of money.

You can really save some money changing your thought process:

First go to your pantry and make a list of items you have you could use for the week.  Keep in mind to look for items that might be close to expiration. Check the freezer as well.

Next you will want to see what special sales are going  on at the grocery this week. 

Put these two together and make your menu around this list..use a website called RecipeMatcher to help you formulate recipes.

On this website you enter ingredients you have and it will give you a list of recipes that you may want to try.

You will be exposed to new recipes as well.

You will really save some money using this method. 

RecipeMatcher is a website that you can input ingredients and it will give you a choice of recipes that you can make.....VERY USEFUL TOOL!

Christmas Cookies Recipies #10: Gingerbread Boys

These are the best gingerbread men I've ever eaten. A nice light flavor with a hint of orange.

Yield:
3 -5 dozen
Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Cream the butter and the sugar together.

Add the egg and mix well.

Mix in the orange peel and dark corn syrup.

Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves and salt, mixing until well combined. Chill dough overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Grease cookie sheets.
Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick and cut into desired shapes.

Place cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes.

Christmas Cookie Recipie #9: Fruit Cake Cookies

Fruit Cake Cookies

2 1/2 cups dates, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons rum
3/4 cup candied cherries
3/4 cup white raisins
2 slices candied pineapple, coarsely chopped
2 cups coarsely chopped toasted walnuts*
2 cups coarsely chopped toasted almonds*
2 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans*
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

* How to toast nuts - Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking pan (one with walls is best) for toasting in the oven. Cook at 400 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes or until the nuts start to turn golden. Shake the pan halfway through toasting.

In the top of a double boiler over hot water, combine dates and rum; let steep 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine candied cherries, white raisins, candied pineapple, walnuts, almonds, and pecans. Sift 1/4 cup flour over the fruit and nut mixture; stir until well blended. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; add egg and continue to cream until light and fluffy. Sift cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and mace into butter mixture; stir until well blended. Add steeped dates, orange zest, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract to batter; stir until well blended. Add fruit and nut mixture; stir until well blended.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown (be careful not to over bake). Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store cookies in an airtight container.

NOTE: You can use any combination of nuts or fruits in the recipe that you wish. Whatever you have on hand in the pantry.

Yields 5 dozen cookies.

Christmas Cookie Recipes: # 8--Peanut Butter Blossoms

1 bag (8oz) Hershey's Kisses

1 egg

1/2 cup shortening

2 tablespoons milk

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt additional granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375F.

Remove candy wrappers.

In large bowl

Beat shortening and peanut butter until well blended.

Add the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and all of the brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy.

Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

Roll in the additional granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Immediately place kiss on top of each cookie, pressing down so cookie cracks around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Cool completely.

Christmas Cookie Recipe: # 7--Thumbprint Cookies

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
jam or preserves

Preparation:Cream together brown sugar, margarine, and shortening;
beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
Beat egg white slightly; dip balls into egg white; roll in finely chopped pecans.
Place cookies about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet; press thumb deeply in center of each.
Bake until light brown, about 10 minutes.
Immediately remove from cookie sheet; cool thoroughly.
Fill thumbprints with jam or preserves.
Makes 5 to 6 dozen thumbprint cookies.

Christmas Cookies Recipies # 6: Candy Cane Cookies

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Red food coloring

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the peppermint and vanilla extracts. Gradually mix in the flour.

2. Divide the dough in half. Color one half with red food coloring and leave the other half plain. Roll out a tablespoon of red dough and a tablespoon of plain until they are each 6 to 8 inches long. Twist them into a candy cane, pinching the ends. Repeat.

3. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not brown. Makes about 25.

Christmas Cookie Recipe; #5--Fantasy Fudge

Yes, this is the original Fantasy Fudge recipe from the back of the Kraft Marshmallow Creme jar. We'll never know why they changed the recipe on us, but we've preserved the recipe for you right here.

Makes about 117

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup margarine

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 12-oz. (340 g) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 7-oz. (198 g) jar Kraft Marshmallow creme

1 cup chopped nuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Traditional method:

Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan;

bring to full rolling bail, stirring constantly.

Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring.

Remove from heat, stir in chocolate till melted.

Add marshmallow creme, nuts & vanilla beat till blended.

Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Let cool and cut into 1-inch squares.

Microwave method:

Microwave margarine in 4-quart microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) 1 minute or until melted.

Add sugar and milk; mix well.

Microwave on HIGH 5 minutes or until mixture begins to boil, stirring after 3 minutes. Mix well; scrape bowl.

Continue microwaving on HIGH 5-1/2 minutes; stir after 3 minutes.

Stir in chips until melted.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well.

Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Cool at room temperature; cut into squares.

Makes 3 pounds.
Note: Can be made in a smaller pan for thicker squares (yield will be reduced).

Christmas Cookie Recipies: #4--Sugar Cookies

Here are two tried and true Recipies. Try them Both!

BEST SUGAR COOKIES EVER

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups Swans Down Cake Flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cream butter add brown sugar;

beat one minute.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Slowly add flour and baking soda, then vanilla.
Beat well for three minutes.

Bake 10 minutes.

WORLD'S BEST SUGAR COOKIES

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter
Cream together.

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix all in order given.

Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Roll 3/16 inch.

Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

Check out this Demonstration Video on how Taste of Home makes Sugar cookies...

Christmas Cookie Recipe: #3--Chocolate Scotcheroos

Ingredients

6 cups rice krispies

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup chocolate chips (I use 1 3/4 cups chocolate chips)

1 cup butterscotch flavoured chips (I use 1/4 cup butterscotch chips)

Directions:

Cook corn syrup and sugar until it boils. Pull pan from the hot eye of the stove.

stir in peanut butter.

mix in 6 cups rice krispies.

Spread this mixture in a 9X13 pan and let cool completely.

melt cocolate chips and butterscotch chips over hot water, stir and spread over krispy rice mixure .

let cool and cut.

I suggest putting a piece of alumnium foil in the 9X13 pan with edges folding over the outside of the pan. Spray some pam on the foil.

When the cookies are all cooled, they can be very difficult to cut....so all you have to do is pull them all out in one big piece and put the whole thing on a cutting board. Use the big knife you use for chopping. Not sure what you call the knife.....but you know what I mean....
This make for much neater and easier cutting.

Enjoy, This one has been in our family for over 40 years!!

Christmas Cookie Recipies: #2 Butterscotch Chow Mein Drops

These easy drop candies get their crunch from fried chow mein noodles, and their sweet nutty taste from butterscotch chips mixed with a generous dollop of peanut butter.
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 package (10 oz) butterscotch chips
1 can (5 oz) crispy chow mein noodles
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups chocolate chips

Preparation:
1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and set aside for now.

2. Combine the butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture in one-minute increments, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.

3. Add the chow mein noodles to the melted butterscotch and stir until they noodles are evenly covered.

4. Drop small spoonfuls of the candy onto the prepared baking sheet. These candies are easiest to eat when they are small, so try to make the spoonfuls no larger than one tablespoon or so. Refrigerate the candy until it has firmed up, about 25 minutes.

5. While the candy is chilling, melt the chocolate chips. Place them in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in one-minute increments, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating. Stir until the chocolate is entirely smooth.

6. Once the butterscotch noodles are firm, dip the bottoms in the melted chocolate, coming half an inch up the sides of the candy. Replace the dipped candies on the foil-covered baking sheet, and repeat with remaining candies and chocolate. If you have excess chocolate left over, you can drizzle it decoratively over the tops of the candies.

7. Refrigerate the candies once more to set the chocolate, for about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
User Reviews

Christmas Cookie Recipies: #1--Saltine Toffee

This easy Saltine Toffee recipe uses saltine crackers and a few common ingredients to make an uncommonly good candy that’s sweet, salty, crunchy, and chocolatey. You can make it more gourmet by adding chopped nuts or dried fruit to the top, or adding swirls of white or milk chocolate.
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1.5 sleeves of saltine crackers
1 stick (4 oz) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet so that there are no empty spaces in between them. Crush any remaining crackers into small crumbs and set aside for now.

3. Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir while the butter melts, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Once boiling, carefully pour the sugar-butter mixture over the crackers on the baking sheet in an even layer, trying to cover most of the crackers. If you miss some spots, don’t worry as the toffee will spread in the oven.

4. Bake the toffee crackers at 350 degrees for five minutes, until the toffee is bubbling all over. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for one minute.

5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the hot toffee, and allow them to sit for one minute to soften and melt. Once softened, use an offset spatula or knife to spread the melted chocolate over the entire surface of the toffee in an even layer. While the chocolate is still sticky, sprinkle the top with the reserved crushed crackers.

6. Refrigerate the pan to set the toffee and chocolate for about 30 minutes. Once set, break into small uneven pieces by hand, and enjoy! Store uneaten saltine toffee in an airtight container for up to a week.

Girls Night Out=Many Yummy Cookies

A great way to have a girls night out and not feel guilty about doing it is to have a Cookie Exchange. This is great fun...you get to spend time with you friends and come home with a load of different beautiful cookies...This is a time saver.

Here's how to have a Cookie Exchange with your friends, family, neighbors, church or community group!

* Invite 8 friends

* Everyone make 8 dozen cookies to exchange.

* Ask everyone to bake their family's favorite cookie and try to make sure there will be no duplicated recipes for the Cookie Exchange. The more variety you have the more fun it will be!

* Cookies to be exchanged should be wrapped well; placed either on plastic plates with saran wrap or in inexpensive disposable containers that are airtight.

* Attaching a copy of the cookie recipe with each dozen is always a nice touch, be sure everyone includes their name and any information about where the recipe is from, how it originated or at least a few words about how much their family enjoys the cookies.

* During the Cookie Exchange serve warm beverages such as coffee, hot cocoa, hot apple cider or herbal teas in pretty cups.

And most of all, enjoy this fun time with your friends! Thas What Works For Me!
Here are two really great sites that have loads of information and helps for pulling off a successful Cookie Exchange.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/Entertaining/CookieExchange/

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Community/CookieExchange/HostingACookieExchange.htm

Cookie Exchange Video from Taste of Home

Below are a few demonstration Videos on making cookies.

Santa Cookie Demonstration Video from Taste of Home

How to Ship your homemade cookies Video from Taste of Home

This is such a wonderful way to spend time with friends, get new recipies and come home with a variety of baked goodies.

That's what works for me! For more ideas, visit Rocks in my Dryer.