MAKE YOUR OWN MIXES!

Why pay high prices for expensive store mixes when you can make your own and thus control the quality, protect the nutrition, and serve tasty foods that don't cost much money? Not to mention, they are time-savers. This page has recipes for various common mixes that you can do for yourself. 


Basic Biscuit Mix
8 cups whole wheat flour (or 4 cups whole wheat flour and 4 cups white flour, or 8 cups white flour)
1/3 cup baking powder
1 cup oil
4 teaspoons salt
Mix dry ingredients, add oil, mix thoroughly until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Biscuits from Basic Biscuit Mix
2-1/2 basic biscuit mix
2/3 cup milk
Add milk to biscuit mix, stir thoroughly, roll out, cut into biscuits (a mason jar makes a nice biscuit cutter, press the mouth of the mason jar into the dough). Bake in a 450 degree oven about 12 minutes until done. Variation: brush with milk before baking. For cheese biscuits, add � cup grated cheese. For cheese-garlic biscuits, besides the cheese add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.


Easy Very Tasty Biscuit Mix Coffee Cake Recipe
2 cups of biscuit mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup water (or milk.)

Biscuit Mix Coffee Cake Topping
1/3 cup of biscuit mix
1/3 cup brown sugar
� teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. . Grease a 9 inch round pan. Mix the cake ingredients together, pour evenly into pan. Sprinkle the topping onto the batter carefully. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cake cool before removing from pan. 

Hearty Soup Mix
Mix together 3 cups green split peas, 3 cups alphabet macaroni, 1-1/2 cup rice, 2-1/2 cups pearl barley, 2-1/2 cups lentils, 4 cup dry minced onion. Combine all ingredients so they are evenly distributed, store in an air-tight container. For 6 to 8 servings of soup, add 1-1/3 cups mix to 6 cups water and 1-1/2 tbsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Add 2 sliced carrots, 1 or 2 stalks celery (chopped), 1-1/2 cups cabbage (shredded), two 15 oz cans of tomato sauce, 1 24 ounce can of vegetable juice cocktail, or equivalent amounts of tomato sauce, and cooked meat (if desired). Simmer 20 more minutes, until vegetables are cooked. 

Chicken Flavored Rice mix
Mix 4 cups long-grain rice, 4 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp dried tarragon 2 tsp dried parsley flakes, 1/4 tsp pepper. Stir until evenly distributed, store in an air-tight container. To make 4 - 6 servings, mix 1-1/3 cups chicken- flavored rice mix, 2 cups cold water, 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Or cook rice with seasonings in chicken stock.

Dry Onion Soup
Mix together until evenly distributed: 4 tsp instant beef bouillon, 8 tsp dried minced onion, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp Bon Apetit seasoning. Makes the equivalent of 1 package of dry onion soup mix. Use to flavor dishes or reconstitute for soup. 

Basic Muffin Mix
Mix together: 8-1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1-1/2 cups dry milk, 1 tbsp salt. Cut in 2-1/4 cup oil until evenly mixed. Mixture should look like cornmeal. Put in a large airtight container. Makes 13 cups of mix; should be used within 10 - 12 weeks. You can substitute whole wheat flour for all or part of the flour. Increase baking powder to 5 tablespoons for whole wheat. Raisin muffins from mix: 2-1/2 cups mix, 1 tbsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. butter, � cup raisins, � cup water, 1 egg. Preheat over to 400 degrees. Combine mix and sugar, cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add raisins. Beat egg and water together, stir into dry ingredients just until mixture is moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Spoon batter into greased medium-size muffin pan cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Makes 8. 

Hot Chocolate Mix
Mix together: 4 cups dry milk, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa, 2 cups sugar, � tsp salt, 1 tsp instant coffee (optional). Use 1/4 cup mix per cup of hot boiling water. Makes 20 cups total: Store in an air tight container. Variation, add 1 tsp instant coffee to mix.

Taco Seasoning
Mix together: 2 tsp instant minced onion, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp chili powder, � tsp cornstarch, � tsp crushed dried red pepper, � tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 12 tsp ground cumin .Store in an airtight container. 

Homemade Burger "Helper"
Mix together: 2 cups nonfat dry milk, 1 cup cornstarch, 2 tbsp onion flakes, 1/4 cup chicken or beef bouillon powder, 1 tsp each dried basil, thyme, black pepper, parsley, garlic powder . Store in an air-tight container. (Developed by Colorado State
University Cooperative Extension )
Recipes using Burger Helper (each serves 4 to 6) 

Chili Tomato Mac: Brown some ground beef or turkey and drain fat. Add one cup water, 1-1/2 cups uncooked macaroni, 2 cans chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp chili powder, � cup of Burger Helper mix. Cover & simmer 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
Hamburger Stroganoff: Brown some ground beef or turkey and drain fat. Add 2 cups water, � cup Burger Helper mix, 2 cups uncooked egg noodles, stir well. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until noodles are tender. Top with � cup sour cream or plain yogurt. Serve immediately.
Hearty Potato Casserole: Brown some ground beef and drain off the fat. Add 3/4 cup water, 6 peeled potatoes (sliced very thin), one cup of cooked peas and carrots and � cup plus 1 tbsp. Burger Helper. Cover and simmer 20 -30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Uncover, stir, and cook until excess water is evaporated.
Skillet Lasagna: In a large skillet, brown ground beef, drain off the fat. Add � cup Burger Helper, 1 chopped onion, 2 cups water, 16 ounce can of tomato sauce, 3 cups dry noodles and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring until thickened. Top with 2 cups mozzarella cheese five minutes before serving; turn off heat, stop stirring, and allow cheese to melt. Courtesy of Colorado Cooperative Extension http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/
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How To Make Deoderant

Ultimate Money Blog- Save Green and Live Green!

Store bought deodorant contains many ingredients and fragrances. Also, there’s a lot of controversy about aluminum in deodorant being linked to breast cancer. I like to err on the side of caution. I figure it can’t hurt to use homemade deodorant.
Also, your body is meant to sweat to release toxins, so antiperspirants really aren’t that great.  Just use a little deodorant and you’ll be smelling like roses all day!

Ingredients

-6 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil
-1/4 cup Baking Soda
-1/3 cup Cornstarch
-1/4 teaspoon shea butter or cocoa butter
-10 drops of your favorite essential oil

Directions

Heat the coconut oil until you can stir in the shea butter or cocoa butter. Once these are incorporated, add in the dry ingredients and the essential oils. I like to use lavender essential oil because it smells so good! You could also use lemon, sweet orange, or patchouli. Use whatever you like! That’s the fun of making your own deodorant.
When the mixture cools, you can put your homemade deodorant in an old deodorant container or in a tub and just scoop some out with your fingertips.

You may have to store the deodorant in the fridge in the summer, because the coconut oil may liquefy.

Forever Frugal

Why I Broke Up With My Cable Company

I've never been overly fond of greedy corporations and now I am entirely disgusted with First, Comcast Cable Co. and now with Verizon FIOS. They've been steadily increasing their fees. You can not watch your 2nd or 3rd TV unless you rent a separate box at $5.99 a pop for each additional TV. There's a load of junk channels in addition to other channels that broadcast half hour long infomercials.  I have a HDTV that pulls in all the local channels in HD for free yet while I'm hooked up to cable I have to pay $14.99  for a HD box if I want to receive any HD channels (even the local channels) because they scramble the signal. To Hell with Cable TV. I am canceling my service. My son has been doing this for over a year now and has had no complaints. He a  has Netflix account for $9.00 a month that offers unlimited streaming movies, documentarys  and TV Shows. For his 2nd TV in his bedroom he has a   Roku Box. 

All you need is Highspeed/broadband internet connection and you can kiss cable goodbye.



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