Did Laura Ingalls eat peanutbutter?

I know you hear a lot about being frugal and there are websites, books and blogs on the topic. But really when I think about frugal living there is only one example that really goes to the basics. It’s the Little House on the Prairie Series I read as a child.  In Laura's early childhood, her father settled on land not yet open for homesteading in what was then Indian Territory. There if they were lucky enough to have a dead wild deer dragged home or butchered a hog you ate every inch of that animal and meat was so rare and expensive they consumed very little of it. And one of my favorite stories what when Laura got an orange and a single candy cane one year for Christmas. Golly gee my son tosses out enough half eaten fresh fruit to boggle the socks off Laura Ingalls. Now wonder we’re dying of cancer and heart disease these days, look at the crap we eat. When you look at the way of life featured in those books you can learn to save money and make the most with what you have. Now I’m not knocking everything from my current life style, antibiotics, indoor plumbing and birth control are 3 inventions I’m convinced the world can’t progress without but still with all the squawk about frugal tips I think Ma Ingalls was the best role model out there.

One thing I keep around for The Professional Picky Eaters is peanut butter. My kids eat a ton of it and I try to look for recipes that use it in the hopes of getting them to eat something that doesn’t come with bread and jelly. So here’s what I’m going to try in the true spirit of Ma Ingalls, only I’m using store bought peanuts cuz I don’t have the yard space to grow them and the dogs would probably dig them up anyway. I’m also using time saving devices and electricity since unlike Ma I am not a stay at home domestic goddess. My family goes through a lot of peanut butter, so while buying them still in the shell or skins is much cheaper, I would rather pay a little more and save a lot of time.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Ingredients:

     1½ c. unsalted roasted peanuts

    1 tbsp. peanut oil

Directions:

For smooth peanut butter:

1.    Mix the peanuts with the peanut oil, and pour the mixture into the food processor.

2.    Process the mixture until it's very smooth.

3.    Store your smooth peanut butter in a sealed container in the fridge. It will be good for 2 weeks.

For chunky peanut butter:

1.    Take about ¼ cup out of your 1½ cups of peanuts and set them aside.

2.    Mix the rest of the peanuts with the oil, and pour the mixture into the food processor.

3.    Process the mixture until it's very smooth, then stir in the peanuts that you had set aside.

4.    Process a few seconds more to create the chunks in your chunky peanut butter.

5.    Store your chunky peanut butter in a sealed container in the fridge. It will be good for 2 weeks.

Momma gave up Wine for Lent

I’m as guilty as anyone on this. I can’t think of a New Year’s resolution that I have followed through on for the whole 365 days. From things as simple as ‘telling people what I really think’ to the ever-complicated ‘telling people how I feel’, I’ve not ever followed through on a resolution. Besides I'm kind of frightened about 52 weeks. So I'm working on a solid Lent experience this year. That's 7 weeks. I can do this. This year, in an effort to remain accountable, I’ve decided to document my resolution on the internet. That way if I succeed I can gloat and if I fail at least I was right about never following through. This year I’ve given up booze. Yes, starting with my favorite pink sparkly wine. I have 1000 good reasons to have a glass or two of wine every day, starting with the fact that I’m a preschool director and I have 38 kids, their parents including all sorts of blended family dramas, I have to keep 9 women happy (why Mormon men have multiple wives I never understand), work with 5 state agencies and 2 federal, have 2 kids of my own and The Husband. Ok sometimes it’s more than just 2 glasses and there have been times the next day where I had a second heartbeat in my head which may be actually scaring the gerbils in my office.  So it might be good for me health wise and I figure if Jesus can die on the cross for me I can give up wine and all its tasty warm fuzzy cousins for 40 days. So in light of that I’m going to try to have some yummy punch options on hand so I don’t worry that my wine glass feels unloved or not needed. This is SO easy and everyone loves it, I use a pineapple, lemonade, apple juice frozen concentrate with it sometimes instead of the sherbet and it's wonderful.

Easy Fruit Punch

Original recipe makes 60 (4 ounce) servings

1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle fruit punch, chilled

1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled

1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled

(optional) 1/2 gallon any flavor (I use orange) sherbet

 Directions

1.    In a punch bowl, mix together fruit punch, pineapple juice and ginger ale. Add scoops of sherbet into the punch. Wait for the sherbet to begin melting, approximately 10 minutes, stir gently, and serve.

Raspberry Oatmeal Cookie Bars

It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow and I have no gift for The Husband. Not really. I have a card, a gag gift and brought him some roses the other day. But not any wonderful sparking shiny thoughtful gift. Why? Me the lover of all holidays am I gift less? Because we after 19 years of marriage I simply asked him what he wanted and he couldn’t make up his mind except that he wanted a Jaw Saw. A 150 dollar dangerous tool that he’d probably lose a few fingers with hours after opening it. First of all The Budget really isn’t able to support a 150 dollar Valentine’s Day gift and secondly he told me this after the week started and I wasn’t able to pick one up at Kroger’s. If I can’t get it at the grocery store M-F it’s just not going to happen, I work 50 hours a week at least. So I figured I’d make an elegant and fancy dinner. Let the kids watch TV while they ate hot dogs or grilled cheese and we ate quietly by candle light in the dining room.

Then my daughter comes into the kitchen with her phone clamped to the side of her face. “Momma (she calls me that because she’s a Southerner, I’m a Yankee but I’ve gotten used to it) can my boyfriend come over for dinner on Thursday? Thursday? What’s Thursday? Oh Valentine’s Day. Hmmm. Well honey I reply it is a school night and I thought we’d agreed that we’d limit our boyfriend included adventures to weekends. She responded “ok well can I go over there then?” Well, he’s nearly 4 years older, turning 19 and he’s mom’s not around much. So I jump back with “sure sweetheart I’ll fix something you guys like.” A Valentine’s Day dinner for 5 on short notice, during the week with a fridge full of leftovers won’t be easy. I’ll start with dessert.  My husband doesn’t eat chocolate (I KNOW) and my kids are kind of MEH about cheesecake (SERIOUSLY), but everyone in this house will eat the shizz out of some cookie bars. I wanted something sort of Valentine’s Day-ish and oatmeal is good for you right? So there we will begin:

Raspberry Oatmeal Cookie Bars (makes 1 8x8-inch pan)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup (all-purpose) whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup

butter, softened

3/4 cup

seedless raspberry jam

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 8 inch square pan, and line with greased foil.

2.    Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Rub in the butter using your hands or a pastry blender to form a crumbly mixture. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the jam.

3.    Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.