"Making Do without Missing A Thing"--Master Mixes/ blog post four

                                              Well, today is the day I set you free. :)
I have given you a few simple ideas to start adding mixes to your kitchen that will bring you time and more money in your pocket. But *shhhhhhhhh--lean in closer*, I am literally going to share all the links that I frequented a few years ago that I learned a little here and a little there off of, to help you make anything and everything you want.
   I am very glad we had this time together. I need to take a short hiatus for a surgery this coming week, but I am sure I will be back next week with my next installment of "Making Do Without Missing a Thing".
   Just remember, if there is something you find yourself buying often in the store that comes as a mix in a box or can, there is a good chance you can find a copycat recipe out there in Internet-land that will enable you to make up a batch in your cupboard that you can pull from for pennies compared to dollars for the same box in the store. The mixes I have made up most often other than the ones I shared are ones I make all the time: egg noodles, tortillas, brownies, cake mixes, my seasonings...all of it. Just last week on our bi-monthly shopping trip I walked into the grocery store with our usual $100 for groceries for five people and realized that due to hard work and smart thinking/planning that most of what I had in our grocery cart was replacing what we had used from our pantry or a few perishables.
   It has taken me a couple years to get to this point in our family, and I am thankful every day for the women and websites that have shown me how to do these things. As groceries continue to go up, I am thankful on such a small budget that I can still feed my family without assistance from anyone but the Lord (and the resourcefulness of my husband who butchers meat for a portion in exchange for his time). When I see things that used to cost us $2 now selling for $5 a bag, it makes me wonder how many families are making ends meet. I KNOW there are people having to choose between buying diapers for their children and that box of brownies for a treat after school. I have talked with them, prayed with and for them, and walked them through a couple easy steps.
   Couponing is so much the rage right now, and I DO understand why people do it. But I have been in the place too often that just the money to spend on a paper for the coupons is far out of my reach. I am not knocking doing that, and if it works for you...even better, if you can combine couponing with the tips and tricks I am giving you, then more power to you and more money in your pocket to put in other areas. God has been abundantly faithful to my family, and in teaching me how to be a good steward. In the coming weeks I hope I can teach others a little of the same things that have carried us through. I pray things get better. But if they dont, there are ways to cut your budget...simple ways, that can make it possible to still keep eating well and healthy.
   Just remember if you have a favorite recipe, there is nothing wrong with making four batches of it, putting it into baggies, and putting it in your cupboard. I do that with my waffle mix, and I tell you what, when my twins are each hanging on a leg and screaming, my husband will be home in a couple minutes, and all I have to do is crack three eggs,  two TBS of oil and 1 cup of water into the bowl while the waffle iron is heating up,well.......my life becomes immediately less stressful. Not to mention when I walk through the grocery store and see the equivalent to that mix sitting on the shelf for over $6..........and knowing I just saved a little bit off for something else---great! It is like anything else--every little bit may not seem like much until it gets added up together and you start seeing  the big picture (and savings).
   Enough talking. Here is what you are looking for. Try things. Experiment. Look at cookbooks. What does your family like and use A LOT? That is where to start. Think outside the box and start getting creative. :)

Here are a few basic blogs with lots of ideas..these links will take you directly to the recipes page.
http://www.stretcher.com/menu/topic-r.htm#recipes
 http://bitsyskitchen.com/kitchen.html
 http://www.livingonadime.com/category/recipes/mixes-and-gifts-in-a-jar/
 http://frugalliving.about.com/od/frugalfoodsrecipes/Frugal_Foods_Recipes.htm
 http://stlawrenceleague.blogspot.com/search/label/Gifts%20in%20a%20Jar
http://www.mixesinajar.com/masterlist.shtml   (this is one of my favorites)
 http://www.budget101.com/frugal/mix-recipes-166/
 http://www.momadvice.com/food/create_your_own_mixes.aspx

This should be enough to get you started on learning and growing and finding what works for you and for your family. Be adventurous. Try new things. And take a good look at your family's tastes and try to figure out what you can replace that is high priced with something you can make at home for much cheaper in bulk.

                                                     Many blessings to you and your family,
                                                                      Heather