Thursday, August 28, 2008

Pizza Night!

Pizza Crust Recipe

Using the Hot Roll Mix recipe I previously posted, you can make a great homemade pizza crust. My family loves pizza, but even using coupons it's still pricey.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using 3 heaping cups of the hot roll mix, add yeast (one envelope of the active dry), 1 1/4 Cup of hot water and 2 Tablespoons of oil. Mix together well. Knead dough for 5 minutes, add small amounts of hot roll mix until dough is not sticky. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes, then spread out into a 14" pizza on a pizza pan. Poke with a fork all over the crust. Cover dough and let rise for 15 minutes.

Note: you can split dough in half for two, thinner crust pizzas.

Instead of marinara sauce, I mix up a Italian seasonings, olive oil, and a small amount of garlic salt. After dough has risen, spread olive oil mix over dough. Cover with toppings of your choice. Bake for 15-25 minutes until crust is a deep golden brown.

Recommended toppings: Garden fresh tomato slices, dollops of ricotta cheese, covered lightly by mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. I would post pictures of this delicious pizza, but my family devoured it in record time.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Homemade Cleaners!

With two small children and two dogs, using harsh chemicals to clean always worried me. Now I save myself the worry (and money) by mixing up my own homemade cleaners!

For and all-purpose cleaner:
1 part Vinegar
2 parts water
A few drops of Citra-Solv (optional)

Mix into a spray bottle and enjoy. I use this to clean my counter tops, tables, bathroom sinks etc.

Carpet Deodorizer:
Mix Baking soda and a few drops of essential oils (I like the scent of tea tree) and put into a mason jar. You can make a great shaker by poking holes in the jar lid. Shake on your carpet and then vacuum up!

Window cleaner:
Mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and water. Mix in a spray bottle and clean your windows!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Homemade Jambalaya Mix!

I found this recipe on myrecipes.com!

My husband loves Jambalaya. The mixes that come in a box can be a bit pricey, so why not make your own at a fraction of the cost. These would be great in a jar as a Christmas gift as well.

Ingredients


1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
1 tablespoon green pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Mix all of these ingredients and store in an airtight container!

Recipe (put on a nice card and attach to mix for a homemade gift): Bring Jambalaya Mix, 3 cups water, and 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce to a boil in a Dutch oven. Stir in 1 cup chopped cooked chicken and 1 cup chopped cooked ham or smoked sausage. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove and discard bay leaf. Yield: about 8 cups.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Homemade Laundry Detergent

This recipe was shared with me by my sister. It can be used to make powered detergent or liquid detergent. I use the powder if I need it fast. Otherwise, with the liquid, you stretch your dollar even further!

Ingredients
1/3 of a bar of Fels Naptha or Ivory Soap grated
1/2 cup of borax
1/2 washing soda (not baking soda)


Directions for Powdered Laundry Soap
Chop up 1/3 bar of your soap. Using the mason jar- blender method, grate it finely. Combine finely grated soap with 1/2 cup of borax and 1/2 cup of washing soda. Mix well. Use 1 Tablespoon per load of laundry!

Recipe for Liquid Laundry Soap
Chop 1/3 bar of your soap. Grate well and combine with 6 Cups of water in a non-reactive pot.

Boil until grated soap is dissolved. Once soap is completely dissolved add 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup of washing soda.

Mix well. Allow to gently boil for approximately 15 minutes (it will have a slightly thicker consistency--like honey). In a separate bucket or larger lidded container, add 4 cups of hot water. Pour your boiled soap mixture in with the hot water. Add 5.5 Quarts (22 Cups) of cold water to the container, mixing it together well.

Put the lid on the container and allow to sit for 24 hours. The mix will get to a clumpy, gel-like consistency. This is normal.

I pour my homemade liquid laundry soap into the containers I had from store-bought liquid laundry soap. Give the bottle a shake and use 1/4 cup of your liquid soap per load of laundry. Enjoy fresh clean clothes at a penny or two per load!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Homemade Hot Roll Mix & Gift Idea!

Hot Roll mix costs about $1.50 per box. My husband LOVES homemade cinnamon rolls, so we can go through a couple boxes of this mix a week. To save money, mix up your very own hot roll mix at home!

I use a lidded stock pot to mix up all of the ingredients. The lid helps because I like to give the mix an extra shake.

Hot Roll Mix Recipe
  • 5 lbs.flour
  • 1-1/4 cups sugar
  • 4 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
Mix up all of the ingredients and store in an airtight container. This mix can be kept for up to 6 months!

I use about 3.5 cups of mix for every batch of homemade dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls. A great gift to put with your homemade vanilla (see earlier post), is a jar of cinnamon roll mix. Take about 3.5 cups of your homemade hot roll mix, add 2-3 TBSPs of sugar and mix it up! Attach the following recipe on a card.

Cinnamon Rolls
Combine Jar mix with 3 teaspoons of active dry yeast. Mix dry ingredients well. 2 Tablespoons of softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 cup of hot water. Add hot water slowly, sometimes less water is needed. Mix well. Knead dough for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour to keep dough from being sticky. Form dough into a soft ball and let sit for 5 minutes to rest.

Roll dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough into a rectangular shape about 1/4"-1/2" thick. Spread 1/4 cup softened butter onto the surface of the dough. In a separate bowl, mix up 1/3 cup of sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Sprinkle mix over dough surface. Roll dough and cut into 9-12 slices. Place in a greased pan and allow to sit in a warm place for 30 minutes. (I keep my cinnamon rolls covered on my stove top. While the oven preheats it keeps the pan warmer, allowing the rolls to rise). Bake in preheated over at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Icing Recipe
Soften an 8 oz package of cream cheese. Add 2 teaspoons of homemade vanilla, mix together well. Add powdered sugar until desired thickness is achieved. Pour homemade icing over hot cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!