Baking

I LOVE to bake, I would bake all day if it meant I didn't have to cook, & I wouldn't gain weight.  Sadly that will never happen, but a girl can dream =)  Just like you after dealing with kids, work, and housework the last thing you want to do it is bake.  Since that will mean you will be 1. stuck in the kitchen longer and 2. be forced to clean up that mess to. 

The cost of the premade snacks from stores is insane!  My family loves things like muffins or granola bars for breakfast, now $3.99 for a 4 pack of muffins for our family is just not going to cut it.  Yes they taste great and are no work for you(since your clean up is recycling the container) but the cost to your budget is worse.  I have this friend that loves to try recipes and is always posting a new recipe.  She found this strawberry bread recipe that she made as muffins instead and after hearing her talk about them I had to try it.  They were amazing to say the least in our family's opinion.  Before this recipe my muffins were horrid, they would taste rubbery on the bottoms or really tough so I quit making them.  It wasn't until this recipe and many tutorials that I perfected them and can finally make an amazing muffin!  lol gone are the days of gagging. 

When I make these I double and sometimes triple the batch!  I divide the rest into 2 day meal size portions and freeze them.  Make sure you get all the air out of the bag, some people use a straw and suck the air out from the bottom that way.  Just make sure you watch out for those muffin crumbs when doing it unless you like having something unexpectedly causing you to choke*speaking from experience*.   We can usually get 12-15 days worth of muffins doing this with minimal cost, especially when stores have strawberries on sale for a $1!  To purchase that in store you would be spending close to $60!!   To make the strawberry chopping quicker, I highly suggest a food chopper of some sort, I currently use the hand chopper from oxo.  You can take your frustration out on the chopper, so you can consider it a multipurpose tool ;)

I purchase my baking goods in bulk also such as
flour -25 pds $8 - warehouse store
sugar - 10 pds
brown sugar - 7pds $5 - warehouse store
baking soda
vegetable oil  1.25 gal

When we moved I was able to find a home w/ cabinets galore, I keep my basic baking ingredients in the cabinet above, and my baking drawer just off to the left.  When baking they are both opened and everything is right in reach!  I hate stopping to wash things while baking(as you can see from multiple measuring cups from Ikea), when I'm baking, I'm baking, cleaning will be done as soon as they are in the oven.  The cupboard below that drawer contains all the flour, sugars, oil, etc.


Here's the recipe http://www.vintagevictuals.com/2009/07/strawberry-bread.html

When making granola bars vs buying premades you know what is going into them, you don't have to worry about what artificial or preservatives have been added.

Granola Bars

3 C. any granola(I buy a granola cereal that's on sale)

1/2 C honey

1/3 C peanuts, other nuts, or chocolate chips

2 eggs

Combine well and press into a greased 8x8 baking pan. 

Bake at 350 for 20 min's. 

Makes approx. 9-12 bars.