Impossible Cheese Burger Pie Recipe

Part of being thrifty is having an arsenal of recipes that can be made in a hurry! This is a favourite in my house, one that never has any left overs! 

I have seen many variations of this recipe, and this is mine after some tweeking to make it just how I like it! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bisquick mix (Make your own with my recipe)
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1-2 lb ground beef, cooked
• 1 onion chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
• Tomato slices (optional)

This is so easy! First, Pre-heat your oven to 400. Next, spread your browned ground beef in a greased pie plate. Add your onion and mushrooms if desired. 

Now, mix your biscuit mix, milk, eggs, and salt and pepper. I use my blender to make sure it is all good and mixed. 

Now pour the prepared batter over the meat mixture and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the pie and add the shredded cheese. If you want tomatoes, add them now too. (I was out of tomatoes when I made this last)



Bake for an other 5 minutes, or until cooked through. You want it browned slightly, and if you insert a knife, it comes out clean. That's it! Easy and delicious! Enjoy :)

Homemade Biscuit Mix

We love biscuits in my house! They go with everything. With 5 kids, I don't always have a ton of time to whip them together, so I make my own Bisquick mix to keep on hand for those situations! Super easy, and there when you need it! 

Ingredients:

• 9 cups of flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp baking powder
• 2 cups solid vegetable shortening
• clean empty ice cream pail for storage

Directions: 

So simple. Add all you ingredients it your ice cream pail.  

Now get in there with your hands, or a pastry mixer if you have one, and mix it all up. You want to get the shortening mixed in forming pea sized lumps.


That's it! So simple! Store it in your pail for 3 months (I have used it longer than that and it's been ok)



When you are ready to make biscuits, mix 2 1/2 cups of the mix with 2/3 cups of milk. Knead the dough and roll it out. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes, and serve.

Enjoy!

Santa Fe Chicken Recipe

Some days we can become so busy that we have no time to prepare supper. Between appointments, summer fun, and running errands the days disappear so quickly. Days like this are when I really appreciate my slow cooker and rice cooker. My rice cooker has a delay timer, so I can set it up in the morning, and set the timer to start when ever I need it!
When it's hot out, a slow cooker can be your best friend! Start cooking in the morning with out heating up the house.

One of my favourite recipe is for Santa Fe Chicken, and it can be made easily in a slow cooker or rice cooker.

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked White rice
2 cups salsa or 1 can diced tomatoes with liquid and spices of your choice (chili powder, cumin, etc.)
3 cups water (if you use a can of tomatoes use 2 cups of water)
1-2 lb. diced chicken uncooked
1 onion diced (optional)
1 green pepper chopped (optional)
1 small can black beans drained (optional)
1/2 cup cream cheese

My family does not like this recipe with beans, so I omit them. Too bad, because I liked it!

Slow Cooker Directions:
Reduce the water to 2 1/2 cups. Put all ingredients except the cream cheese in your slow cooker. Cook on low 6 hours or high 4 hours.

When cooked, mix in the cream cheese and serve!




















Rice cooker directions:
The same as with a slow cooker, only start 45 minutes before you want to eat.

This meal has gotten me tons of compliments! Enjoy!

Planning For A Baby Shower

I love Baby Showers. We throw one for all the new babies in my church. I am usually not on the decorating side of it, but this next one is for my sister in law, so I am hosting. This means decorating for a baby girl. I want to do something different than the classic pink and purple decorations, so I began hunting for new ideas. I want something more of a theme. Not just colours. My favourite I came across is a Lady Bug shower. So simple, so cute, and yet different! The best part is, it is easy of pull off economically.
What do you need?
What ever you can imagine and afford! Dollar stores always have red and black decorations, so let your self go!
Pintrest has really became my friend in planning this shower! There are so many ideas, this is what I came up with!

We rented a helium tank for $30 and filled red balloons then alternated red, black, and white ribbons. The kids loved it!

Red and black napkins and plates worked great with this tablecloth I found.

This was the gift table. We took a red dollar store table cloth and cut black circles out to complete the look.

I had so much fun decorating, and to top it off I made a Lady Bug Punch that everyone loved, so I thought I'd share the recipe. I didn't take a picture of it (sorry) but I will update this post with a picture the first chance I get!

Ingredients:

1 frozen concentrate Fruit juice. Anything really red

3 cans water

2 liters carbonated lemonade

1 liter ginger ale

4 scoops red sherbet. I used a berry pomegranate. 

1 handful frozen blueberries

 Mix the first 4 ingredients in your punch bowl. Slowly add each scoop of sherbert and then add the blueberries, spreading them out. 

That's it! Super easy, and amazing! 

30 Minute Mini Meatloaves

Oh no! It's 3:00 PM and what are you going to make for dinner? Nothing taken out of the freezer? I guess it's take out again, right? Wrong!
It happens to all of us. We get busy, and before we know it, it's nearing supper time. No need to fret, I have many meals that I can pull off quick!
Today's treat:

30 Minute Mini Meatloaves

Meat loaves

• 1-2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 onion minced or 2 tbsp dried onion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp worcester sauce 

Sauce 

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp chili powder

For the meat loaves:

Thaw your ground beef in lukewarm water . Rotate the meat every 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350. Once the ground beef is thawed, place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. 

Really get in there and get all the meat mixed in.  Now for the trick: put you meat into muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. 

This cuts the baking time down giving you a quick delicious supper. Mix the remaining 3 ingredients and brush over the mini meatloaves. 

Bake for 25 minutes, and serve next to veggies and your choice of sides. Our favourite is rice and steamed carrots! 

Enjoy!

Thrifty Thursday's: Changing Up Your Normal

Trying to live on a tight budget can be challenging. It's easy to meal plan with plain ingredients, but after a while, you start to get sick of having the same meals day after day. This can lead to splurging on take out, or extra super market trips to by some new supper ideas. Boring can lead to expensive!
This week I wanted to introduce you to some ways to dress up you mash potatoes.

Snazzy Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes for each person pealed and diced
• 1 parsnip for every 2 potatoes pealed and diced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Caesar salad dressing
• Butter to taste
• 1/2 -1 cup milk

Super easy change to regular potatoes. Boil vegetables until tender. Drain and mash with remaining ingredients. I like to use my mixer to whip them up to be super creamy. 

The bad part of this recipe? I need to always have parsnips in the house now! The family requests this variation all the time now!

Thrifty Thursdays: Fighting With Your Pantry

The common cold. The Flu. You would thing that with all the advances in medicine, they would have a cure! Instead, we all get them, and all have to wait them out. Sometimes what starts as a runny stuffed up nose becomes a stubborn cough, and fever, chills, cogestion, head aches. Oh the pain! What then? If you go to the doctor, it is probably a virus. Just get some rest, right?
Well, there are some home remedies that can alleviate your symptoms and help speed up your recovery.   Most are things you already have, so why not use them? Turns out, the remedies our moms and grandmothers used have some merit, and they are cheaper than store bought!

Honey
Honey can soothe throats and calm coughs. Studies are now even backing up the benefits of this age old natural treatment! Ancient Egypt knew this. Honey was used to treat a number of conditions, insect bites, wounds, and other illness. In recent studies, parents are finding the children treated with honey slept better and had their cold symptoms lessened. When you are faced with a small child coughing all night, this can be the difference between sleep, and no sleep! 

***Due to the risk of infant botulism, a rare but serious form of food poisoning, never give honey to a child younger than age 1.

Chicken Soup
Yes, old faithful chicken soup is the best thing! Not only is it a comfort food, but it works as an expectorant, and is filled with other nutrients to help keep us well such as our next remedy....

Garlic
Garlic is a natural antibiotic, and anti-fungal , making it perfect for any thing that is making you ill. It is easy to put in any food. I even know of people who eat it whole as part of their health routine.

Not only can the foods around your house help, but some extras can speed your recovery, or keep those bugs from taking you down in the first place!


Vitamin D
Most people don't realize that Vitamin D is an immune system regulator. Taken regularly it can help your body fight! Moms will remember the lecture about our babies getting Vitamin D while nursing, but it is important that we all get enough. The further North you live, the less sunshine we get.Vitamin D is absorbed by exposure to sunlight. This means us Northerners are deprived in the Winter months, so the summer is just not enough to build up in our bodies. That is why it is fortified in dairy products. Vitamin D is also found in mushrooms, whole eggs, beef liver,and fatty fish species.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine. We all remember being pumped with orange juice when we were sick. Well, it helps! 

I have nursed my handful through many viruses and flu bugs. We rarely seek medical attention because I have learned these, and other tricks to keep us healthy. Please remember, this is tricks form my stash, and is not meant to replace medical attention. I know my handful. I know when they need more than I can give, and you need to trust your gut with your own health, and that of your loved ones.

Thrifty Thursdays: Make your own Cloth Baby Wipes

I posted this on a different blog, and thought this fits right in with my Thrift Thursdays!
Not only are cloth wipes handy if you cloth diaper, but even if you disposable diaper. Commercial wipes leave your babies skin wet because of the alcohol. This can lead to yeast infections, and irate the skin. My doctor suggested I use cloth wipes years before I even considered cloth diapering. It is easier than you think!

First, decide on what type of wipe you plan to use. The simplest is baby wash cloths, most of us moms have a bunch and never use them all. You can also buy flannel at any fabric store, cut into squares and sew the edges down.

If you want something a little nicer, or different material, there are always people on Diaper Swappers and Etsy that sell pre-made cloth wipes. That's where I got mine. I use a wipe made from flannel and sherpa.

If you want your wipe to "pop up" like a disposable wipe, you need an old wipes container. Lay 2 wipes down on a flat surface, overlapping as below.

Next fold one side over.

Repeat the prosses until you have a stack of wipes to fill your wipes container. 

Now just feed the top wipe through the opening and you are done!

Then you have 2 options, wet or dry storage. Both have pros to them. If you are unsure how quick you will go through a batch, and have concerns with the wipes sitting wet, you can store them dry. When it is time to change your baby, just wet the wipe with tap water, or spray the wipe with a pre-made solution, and you are good to go!

For wet storage, you can use a home made wipes solution, or buy a pre-made one. I make my own, after all, we are trying to save money, right?

All you need are a few ingredients:

• Water
• Baby Wash
• Tea Tree Oil
• Lavender Oil (Optional)
• Olive Oil or Coconut Oil (Optional) 

I am currently out of Lavender Oil, so I am making it with out.

It is good to note, the combination of Lavender and Tea Tree Oil combats yeast infections.

I keep an old Baby Wash bottle to mix in. Add water, 2 squirts of baby wash, 7-10 drops of each oil, and 1/2 tsp of olive oil. Mix well and pour over your folded wipes. When I use Coconut oil, I use hot water, and mix the Coconut oil before adding. The oil melts easily, so it mixes in with solution. Coconut oil has more anti-fungal properties, so it is a great choice!

The solution will keep well over a week. The Tea Tree Oil keeps it fresh, and prevents bacteria growth. If you have extra troubles with yeast, be sure to add the Lavender Oil to the solution.

I have been using this solution for 5 years and have never had a problem with repelling on my diapers. The oils are so diluted, and applied onto the wipes, they don't transfer to the diapers them selves in the wash. 

Thrifty Thursdays: Making Convenience Foods Part 2

Looking to save some money? I know I am. With a large family and one income, there have been times that every dollar counts! I am always looking for a good deal, and ways to cut costs, but how do you cut costs in this busy world? We are addicted to conveniences, fast food, high speed internet, smart phones, we want it all, and we want it now! 

People have never been busier, and more distracted. Between work and kids, who takes the time to cook from scratch anymore? So of course we want time savers for meal time. And then we pay for them, both in cost, and our health. All of these easy fix conveniences are loaded with artificial flavours, sodium, fats, and nasty stuff. 

9 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1/4 cup baking powder

2 cups solid vegetable shortening

Mix the dry ingredients well in a large bowl. Add the shortening and mix until it is broken up into pieces pea sized with in the dry mix. This can be stored in an air tight container for months! When you are ready for biscuits, add 2 cups of mix to 1/2 cup of milk and roll out some biscuits! Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes and enjoy!

 Oh, but wait! There is more! Mix it up by adding bacon bits, grated cheese, cinnamon, apple sauce, raisins and more! Biscuits are very forgiving, and a great addition to a meal. 

Have fun and experiment!

Thrifty Thursday: Say Good Bye To Convenience Foods

Well, not really good bye, but say good bye to over priced, unhealthy store bought ones. Have you seen the price of things like breading mix? It is outrageous. And seriously, how much sodium is in those things? This saves you two ways, it's cheaper to make it than buy it, and you are saving your health by not eating over processed foods. Especially when it is so easy to make your own!

Home Made Breading Mix

• 4 cups flour
• 4 cups dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons each garlic powder and onion powder
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup oil (optional)

Mix in a large bowl and store in an air tight container. See? Simple! Use it on Pork Chops, chicken, I even use it with a bit of extra flour and sugar for onion rings! 

Thrifty Thursday: House Cleaning

House cleaning is a never ending task. As much as we all want it, they still have not designed the self cleaning house. This is a huge expense for a big family, and it is an easy way to save some money by using products you already have sitting in your pantry.

Vinegar
This is my all purpose cleaner. It works amazing, and is really an option to clean any thing.

• Mix with water and use to clean windows, counter tops, any where you use an all purpose cleaner
• Add 1/4 cup to hot water to mop your floors. If desired add essential oils to scent the water
• Leave a bowl on the counter to absorb cooking odours
• Strip residue from your dishwasher, coffee pot and washing machine to leave them working like new

Don't worry about the vinegar smell. The smell disappears as it evaporates. 

Baking Soda
Replace any abrasive cleaner with plain old baking soda mixed into a paste with water. Shine your sinks, scrub your bathtub, and pots and pans. Works just as good as any abrasive cleaner you can buy, but with no harmful chemicals

Lemon Juice

• Lemon juice is great for cutting grease on surfaces. Mix with water and clean away
• Clean your microwave by microwaving water and lemon juice for 3 minutes. Let sit for 2 more minutes, and even the worst stuck on food washes clean! Repeat if necessary

Tooth Paste

Toothpaste is great at removing crayon marks
Hint: Don't use on wallpaper!

Salt

• Use salt to clean cast iron pans. Just sprinkle salt around and wipe clean. If your pan is not burnt you can do this instead of washing it in water. It will help protect the surface and it will make it more like a non-stick pan!
• For burnt pans add 3-4 tablespoons as soon as the damage occurs  Leave the pan to soak with hot water, then scour the pan. 
• Use lemon juice or lime juice and salt to clean metals such as brass and pewter. Just sprinkle salt into the empty squeezed-out lemon half and use it to rub down the metal. Rinse and buff to a shine with a soft cloth.
• Cover any spills in your oven with salt. Salt absorbs any liquid spills. If needed, add water. Let sit and wipe clean. Hint: If you have a gas cooker be careful to remove all the salt when you wipe up the spill. Salt residues may cause your gas burners to flare up with a yellowish flame when you next light the gas.

These are some of my favourites, but there are always more! What are your go to home made cleaning tricks?

Thrifty Thursday: Stain Removal

In a house with 7 people, stains are a constant battle. Paying for expensive stain treatments are just not in the budget for me.
I have actually gained a reputation for being able to remove stains. This is a mixed blessing, because my family gives me their stained clothes to fix!
Here are some of my go to tips for removing troublesome stains with products you probably have in your house already.

Sun Light
I am a huge fan of my clothes line. Not only is it a money saver in it self, but the sun naturally bleaches out stains, and disinfects. For extra tough stains on whites, use lemon juice on the satin, then leave in direct sunlight.

Baby Powder
Just pour on a grease stain and let sit over night. Wash as normal in the morning.

Dawn Dish Soap
Another great grease remover. Just work into the satin, then wash as normal. Check to be sure the satin is removed before putting the garment in the dryer.

Hair Spray
Ink is a tough one if it is just washed as normal.  The sooner you treat it, the better. Immerse stain in a mixture of hair spray and cold water. Soak. Wash in cold water, and be sure to check is the stain is removed before placing in the dryer, as heat will set the stain. Heat set ink stains can sometimes be permanent. I have removed some, but it depends on the ink. Repeat  process until stain is gone.

Hydrogen Peroxide
Blood stains are something many people struggle with removing. All you need to go is avoid heat (This will set the stain because of the iron in the blood) Pour hydrogen peroxide on the stain, and wash in cold water. Repeat until stain is gone.

Share your own stain removing tips with us!

Thrifty Thursday: Beauty Tips From Your Pantry

Last week I shared my Body Scrub and Facial Mask recipes.
This week, since today is Valentines Day, I wanted to share some tips to help you get ready for your Valentines Day date!

Milk Bath

You may have seen Milk Bath powders sold in beauty shops. These are more than just relaxing. The Lactic Acid in the milk is a natural exfoliant that leaves your skin soft and smooth! Just add up to 2 cups of milk to your bath water (I have used as little as 1 cup and still enjoyed the results), or 1/2 cup powdered milk. Soak and enjoy!



Hair Clarifier
Why buy special shampoo to wash out the residues left by styling products? Just rinse with lemon juice or vinegar diluted in water. I due this once a month, and it leaves my hair silky smooth.

Hot Oil Treatment
Dry brittle hair? Heat up olive oil for 20 seconds in the microwave, and apply to wet hair. leave for 2 minutes (longer for really dry hair) and wash as normal.

Happy Valentines Day!

Thrifty Thursdays: Make Your Own Beauty Products

When I began having children, I needed to start looking for ways to ave money. Going from 2 incomes to 1 was hard, especially when you find out your second is on the way when you have a 3 month old! The first thing I gave up was my little luxuries  When I was single, I never would have thought beauty products were luxuries  but when you compare them to diapers and milk.....

Now I have 5 children, and still 1 income. After many years of putting my self last, I wanted to feel beautiful again. So I began making scrubs and facial masks myself. I already had the ingredients, so why not?
Here are 2 of my favourites:

Honey & Brown Sugar Body Scrub

This feels amazing, and is so easy!
Mix:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup olive or coconut oil

Mix thoroughly and enjoy!
















Honey Nutmeg Facial Mask

This is great for bleaching red spots! It is wise to test this before use to be sure you won't have a reaction to the mask.
Mix:
1/8 cup honey
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Apply to face. It may burn a bit. Keep it on up to 30 minutes, or until you can't take it!







Next week I will share some more, so be sure to keep a look out! Subscribe to my RSS feed and never miss my Thrifty Thursday tips!

Thrifty Thursdays: On-line Shopping

My mail man has gotten to know me really well. I am always waiting for packages. I receive so many emails from the stores I shop at, some would think it's all spam. I don't. Some times those emails are gold!

Recently, I ordered some jeans for my boys. They go through jeans quick, and I have discovered that Walmart jeans get holes faster. So I saw an email with $7-$10 jeans and I pounced! Regular $35 bought for $9!

I ordered a wool coat for my husband for $35! Regular price, $95! The savings really add up fast.

Sure, not ever email appeals to me, and some times I glance and delete just to clear my inbox, but when I need savings, these emails come in handy. Nearly every store chains has an email list. Don't be afraid to give out your email address. It can save you more than you would think! These are my favourites, in case you want to sign up for some emails:

The Children's Place
Most emails are 20-30% off and free shipping codes

Old Navy
Announcements of great sales, free shipping and discount codes

Blue Kangroo
It's a pin board of savings, plus you can use the email clean up to keep all your email offers in one place and de-clutter your inbox. LOVING this!!

What's your favourite way to ave money? Do you just look for sales, or try to stay on top of it with emails?

Thrifty Thursdays: Meat Balls

I am a busy mom. I home school 4 of my kids, and my youngest daughter is disabled. I have days where I am running all over with appointments, and totally forget about supper. Don't all Mom's have days like that? What is the normal reaction? Take Out. Unhealthy, quick, convenient, expensive Take Out.

I was getting sick of days like that. Days I forgot to take the meat out the night before so I could use my slow cooker. Days where money was tight, so supper would be late because I had to wait to cook until I got home.

Solution? Freezing pre-cooked ground beef. This has been a life saver for me. Each pay day I buy a large pack of ground beef. I alternate between frying up the beef, and freezing it, and making a giant batch of meat balls. This week was a meat ball week.

I figure, meat balls take the same amount of time to cook no matter how big of a batch, so I am saving money in my baking time too! Only 1 round in the oven, rather than 4.

Now I have bags of frozen beat balls ready to use at any time. Way cheaper than buying the boxes of pre-cooked ones, and just as convenient! Just take them out in the morning, throw in some sauce, and re-heat. Supper is served!