Cookies have been my recent transformation to scratch cooking / baking. Those nicely packaged cookies do look good in the stores! And they're so expensive.

pancake mix, spagetti sauce, meatballs (yes I used to buy these), syrup, instant oatmeal, cookies, cake, frosting, seasoning mixes, bread crumbs, croutons, cleaners, and probably others that I forgot to list.


I am working on my bread machine. I try to make something in it every week to save money. But we still like the bread, cinnamon rolls, and speciality bread that comes from the bread outlet better.

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A Family of 5's quest to forget the Joneses.

I have been looking to get a grain mill, too. Ebay has had some good deals, but so far I have not won any of the auctions I've bid on. Bulk wheat is so much cheaper than buying flour! I've been buying it and making manna bread, which is sprouted bread that you put through the food processor, instead of using a grain mill...but the manna bread costs over $3.50 in the store and I can make it for less than $1 at home.

I have also been making spagetti sauce, homemade "hamburger helper" mix, lattes, tortillas, dried beans (rather than canned beans), flavored rice, etc.

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www.myspace.com/vioburn

Frugal is being wise with your money and resources and cheap is forcing everyone else to.

Check out my blog, I'm starting to add more to it, as I can...www.ginnyv.com

How do you make the yogurt? I've been wanting to try that.

I make my own bread, and pretty-much all baked goods. Also anything involving apples (we have 3 trees): applesauce, apple pie filling, dehydrated snacks. Also tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, steak sauce.

Well, I have a yogurt maker that was about $19 on line (Amazon). It makes 32 oz. It's pretty simple. You heat milk on the stove to just below boiling. Then you cool it in the fridge until it's 100 to 110 degrees (need a thermometer for this). Then you add 1/3 cup yogurt or a starter & put in the yogurt maker.

But the yogurt maker itself isn't actually necessary. It just keeps it warm for 4 to 10 hours, which is how long it takes (depends on how tart you want it). There are instructions over the net on how to do it without...generallly with kitchen towels and a cooler to keep things warm. I'm a bit lazy, so I got the yogurt maker. It has more than paid for itself already.

And I actually use powdered milk to make the yogurt, which is how I make it for only $1. The most expensive part is the yogurt I use for starter.

Yogurt, bread, olive butter (Olivio), ice cream sandwiches, all baked goods, salad dressings, soap balls, cranberry sauce, granola, pickles, almond flour, oat flour, puddings, stuffing, bread crumbs, jams, croutons, bacon bits, clorox spray, window spray, mouthwash, peanut butter, dips, pasta sauce, marinade, applesauce.

I started baking my own bread about 10 months ago and since the fall, I buy grains in bulk and mill them with my grain mill. I love it and it's delicious. I also make pancakes, waffles, muffins, cookies, granola, power bars, most of my cleaners, flea dip (tea for my dog's fur!)

I'm trying to do this more and more. Yes, it saves money, but also I know what my family is eating, more importantly.

I still cannot get my grocery bill down though! Still working on that one. I know that my husband would love it if I figured that one out!

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God bless you and your day!
Just clay,
Rosemary
ray:

Well, you are definitely saving money on the bread! DH went to the store this evening to buy some bread and he could only find one brand of whole grain bread for less than $4 a loaf!! He FINALLY agreed to get me the grain mill I've been talking about! Yea!!

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www.myspace.com/vioburn

Frugal is being wise with your money and resources and cheap is forcing everyone else to.

Check out my blog, I'm starting to add more to it, as I can...www.ginnyv.com

We are slowly trying to buy things in bulk or ways to make it ourselves. The only thing we make right now is better meals instead of eating out.

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Misty
I am a AP mother to: Chauncy, Meghan, Apple

I have been baking my bread,biscuits, cookies, cakes, cobblers, muffins,etc. for a while. But recently I started making my own creamer, baked beans, barbque sauce, spaghetti sauce, tortillas and iced coffee's.