Sweet Pennies from Heaven

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Recipe

Oatmeal Recipe – Make Your Own Homemade Instant Oatmeal

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Homemade Instant Oatmeal Recipe


Ever considered making your own Homemade Instant Oatmeal Recipe? You should…it kind of makes you feel like Wonder Woman! I know that those boxes of single serve instant oatmeal packets are really convenient but they’re also really pricey if you break down what they cost per packet. Buying the ingredients and making your own is SO much cheaper! Thanks to the awesome Maggie at Family Frugal Fun for sharing her instant oatmeal recipe with us!

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Recipe

Add approximately 3 – 4 tablespoons hot water or microwave as you would your instant oatmeal packs. I like to make my instant oatmeal ahead of time and pack in a hefty baggie so everything is all measured out. For a diet version of my instant oatmeal just omit the milk and switch to Domino light sugar. You likely won’t notice the difference.

If you’re helping a child start making their own breakfast in the mornings then you would just measure out the ingredients and place them in a bowl or children’s mug the night before with the tablespoon next to it for adding water.

*You can also add different things to make fun variations if you get bored easily. Add raisins, cinnamon, apples or whatever you like. I like a little maple syrup in mine with brown sugar. 🙂

*Be SURE to purchase quick oats and not a 3 minute cooking time oatmeal for this recipe.

I love to make things homemade as much or as often as I can! I never really considered doing that before but the older I get, the more frugal I get…and I also get some satisfaction out of it! Knowing that I made something vs. just buying it makes me feel all “Pioneer Woman-ish”.

 

Homemade laundry soap

My favorite homemade product that I make is my laundry soap detergent (<– click that link to check it out!). The detergent recipe only calls for 3 ingredients AND it comes in at around $0.02-$0.04 per load!!! My husband is a welder and it gets HIS stinky yucky work clothes clean – so I know the stuff works!

What kinds of things do you prefer to make homemade vs. buying? We’re always up for new ideas. Leave us a comment, we’d love to hear!!

Sesame Chinese Chicken

Sesame Chinese Chicken Recipe

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Sesame Chinese Chicken


Do you get in a rut with your menu planning? We do fairly often. I started using the eMeals Menu Planning service and so far I love it!! They even have a FREE eMeals iPhone app that makes it so much easier to use. One of the meals that was in the menu for this week was Sesame Chicken. It was super easy and fun to fix. So much so – that I wanted to share with you! With the eMeals plan, they provide you with ideas for side dishes too + they include a shopping list depending on the store you choose to shop from…love that! I don’t even have to make my list anymore for myself…well, just a few exceptions.

This Sesame Chinese Chicken was sooooo good. I’m not always a big fan of Chinese food but the hubs is and he absolutely loved it. We were both happy campers. Next time I want to use a sweet & sour sauce…that’ll be fun! Below is the recipe and if you scroll further down you’ll find a printable version of the recipe for your convenience.

Sesame Chinese Chicken Ingredients:

1.45 lbs chicken breast
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger (we didn’t have any so this part could be considered “optional”)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

 

sesame chinese chicken prep

Instructions:

    1. Cut up chicken into cubes
    2. Cook chicken and garlic in a wok or frying pan in sesame oil until no longer pink.
    3. Mix together with honey, soy sauce, water, corn starch, ginger and red pepper flakes.
    4. Whisk together until corn starch dissolves completely.
    5. Add sauce to chicken and cook until sauce thickens slightly.
    6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
    7. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice with stir fry vegetables as a side dish.
    8. ENJOY!!!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:6]

More reader favorite recipes:

Parmesan Panko Fried Chicken Strips

Easy Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas

Chicken & Dumplings (using canned biscuit dough)

Mocha Frappe Recipe (tastes like McDonald’s!!)

Caramel Frappe Recipe (tastes like McDonald’s!!)

Chocolate Eclair

 

trail mix

Valentine’s Day Kids Treats – Sweet Heart Trail Mix

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Valentine’s Day is such a fun holiday to celebrate with all the candies and treats. I wanted to make a fun treat that would be perfect for Valentine’s Day yet I wanted it to be affordable and easy to put together. I thought I’d do a fun twist on your regular trail mix and do a sweetheart trail mix version! These are great to just make up and have at home or you could make them for your kids’ classrooms.

Valentine's Day trail mix

Sweetheart Trail Mix for Kids!

 

Trail Mix

Trail Mix

Sweet Heart Trail Mix Ingredients:

  • Crunch n Munch with Peanuts
  • Valentine M&M’s
  • Valentine Conversation Hearts
  • Clear treat bags
  • Ribbon

Some other fun things you could add:

  • Raisins
  • extra peanuts
  • chex mix
  • dry cereal

 

Directions:

Literally dump everything into a bowl and mix it up. Add some into each treat bag and tie with a bow. Simple as that.

I would highly recommend that if you’re sending these to your kids’ classrooms that you find out before hand if there are any kids with a peanut allergy.

Here are a few other fun Valentine’s Day ideas from some of my blog friends. From frugal tips to recipes, check them out too!

If you’re looking for some more fun recipes, be sure to stop by my Recipe Box!!

Peanut Butter Balls

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

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Peanut Butter Balls

You know that one little sweet treat that you only get, like once a year?! Well, for me…that happens to be the glorious Peanut Butter Balls. My cousin Della, always makes the best peanut butter balls known to man and so I had to swipe the recipe from her and share. Thanks Della, and I love you!! I’ve also made these super fun Peanut Butter Ball Pops (<– click to see post). Same idea, just with a twist.

Peanut Butter Balls

If you’ve never had these little bites of heaven you’re truly missing out. You can’t eat them and sit still at the same time. They are a little tedious and time consuming to make but ohhh, the reward is sooo worth it! I made a double batch of these at Christmas and took to my sisters’ house and within like 20 minutes they were gone.

My nephew, Chance, was waiting like a tiger ready to pounce on his prey when I came through the door. Little did anyone know, Eli (my 6 year old) had a few of them on the way in the car. He couldn’t keep his sticky little fingers out of them 😉 I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!

Peanut Butter Balls Ingredients:

 

Peanut Butter Balls

(I made a double batch and had to use a roasting pan to mix it all up because I couldn’t fit it all into a large mixing bowl.)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl – combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla. I prefer to use my hands to mix it all up and you can wear rubber gloves if you prefer because it does get messy. Mix together until everything is combined and you have a nice uniform dough. If it’s too dry, a little more peanut butter or butter. If it’s too moist, add a little more powdered sugar. You want it about the consistency of dry fudge. Place the bowl in the freezer until it’s firm enough to roll into balls.

Once it’s nice and firm, begin rolling the dough into 1 inch balls (give or take) and place on a wax paper or aluminum foil lined baking sheet. After they’ve all been rolled, stick the pan(s) into the freezer to chill again.

Peanut Butter Balls

 

Melting the Chocolate for Dipping:

*You can either use the microwave directions on the package of chocolate chips or use a double boiler. Usually – microwave directions will tell you to microwave in increments of 30 seconds. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – because chocolate easily gets too hot and then it will only clump into a nasty mess.

Add chocolate chips and shortening to a large bowl or double boiler to melt. Once chocolate is thin enough to start dipping, use a toothpick to dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off and place each one back onto the baking sheet. Allow them to sit in room temperature to dry thoroughly or you can place them in the refrigerator until set.

Yield: about 5 1/2 dozen.

Peanut Butter Balls

If you’d like some more awesome recipes, check out my recipe box!! Here are some reader favorites:

Peppermint Bark

Double Layer Peppermint Bark Recipe – Easy Peasy!!

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Peppermint Bark

Winter has arrived and I wanted to be festive this Christmas and make something pretty!! I decided to give Peppermint Bark a try but I wanted to go a step further and make it double layered with milk and white chocolate. It turned out beautifully so I wanted to share it with you!! It’s perfect for Christmas, but it’s great to have all winter long…so yummy! If you’re looking for another fun Christmas treat check out my Peanut Butter Balls recipe. Actually, it’s not necessarily a Christmas treat – we should eat those all year long ;)!

Please note: Before beginning, I had written a tip at the bottom of this post about the sort of white chocolate to buy. Make sure to read and understand that before you start!!

Here’s what you’ll need:

11.5 oz. White Chocolate Chips or Squares for melting (**I recommend Ghirardelli White Baking Squares)
11.5 oz. Bag of  Milk Chocolate chips or squares for melting
12 regular size Candy Canes
Crisco shortening (if needed to thin out chocolate)
Aluminum Foil
Colander
9×13 baking dish or cookie sheet

 

Instructions:

1. Line a 9×13 baking pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil leaving some extra over all edges. Make sure to try to get it smoothed out on the bottom and in the corners. THIS is one of the ones that I use and love it!!

2. Use a double boiler to melt your milk chocolate OR use microwave directions on the packaging. Just be sure to not over cook it or it will get thick and clumpy. If it’s not thinning out enough to be able to easily pour out of the bowl, you can add a couple tablespoons of Crisco shortening and that will help thin it out some. I don’t recommend vegetable oil.

3. Once it’s thin enough to pour, go ahead and pour the milk chocolate into your aluminum foil lined pan. Smooth it out with the back of a spoon if needed then place in the freezer for 1 hour or until hard.

4. Unwrap all of your candy canes and place in a large ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin or something similar to crush the candy canes into fine pieces. Be sure to not OVER do it or you”ll be left with powder…some powder is good but you also want some nice sized pieces as well. Once you’re finished crushing the candy canes, grab a colander and pour contents of the bag in it. Shake the candy cane powder into a smaller bowl, leaving only the bigger chunks inside the colander. We’ll be adding this powder to the white chocolate mixture so just set aside for now ;)!

5. After your milk chocolate has hardened, pull it out of the freezer and set aside. Now melt your white chocolate the same as you did the milk chocolate…either in a double boiler or in the microwave as per the directions on the bag. Again, if needed…add a little Crisco to thin out. Once it’s thin enough to pour, add the candy cane powder and mix really well then pour ontop of the milk chocolate layer.

6. Smooth out with the back of a spoon if needed, then sprinkle the remaining candy cane chunks on top and use a spatula or spoon to lightly press the candy canes into the white chocolate. That keeps them from falling off later.

7. Now, set back in the freezer for one hour or until hard. Once it’s firm and set, lift the edges of the aluminum foil to release the peppermint bark from the pan and begin to tear the foil away. Inside the pan, begin to break the peppermint bark into chunks…just start at a corner and begin working your way through it all. You don’t want nice precise lines. Peppermint bark is meant to be jagged and uneven, no 2 pieces looking the same.

TIP: Make sure to buy the RIGHT White Chocolate

You MUST buy white chocolate that is made with Cocoa Butter and NOT palm kernal oil or coconut oil. It’s okay for the milk chocolate to have this BUT the white chocolate will NOT bond to the milk chocolate if it has either oil I mentioned. When you begin to break it, the white and milk chocolate won’t stay together and they separate. Sooo…make sure to get white chocolate made with cocoa butter. One brand that I’m aware of, that worked for me was the Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Squares.

Ooey Gooey Monkey Bread Recipe

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Okay…2 words.  Carb city!!  If you’re not into carbs and wonderful doughy, gooey deliciousness then just X out of this post.

If I had you at Ooey Gooey, then read on ;)!!  My mom made this recipe for years and years, as a child and through my adult years!  She used to let me help her make it and so that’s why it’s a precious memory for me and why I make it today!  This is her actual recipe below.  She got it from her Granny ;).  My sister framed it for me this past Christmas, so I could treasure it forever.

The ONLY reason that I can come up with as to why it’s called monkey bread is because you pick it apart when you eat it…or at least I do.  I’m sure people with more class than I would cut it and put it on a plate to eat with a fork.  NOT ME!  What’s the fun in that??!!  Just take the cake stand top off and go at it!

Enough with my craving…while it’s in the oven baking I’m typing up this recipe for YOU to enjoy.

Yes…this Bundt pan has seen better days!

What you need:

3 cans of refrigerated biscuits (I used Pillsbury but store brand is fine too!)
1/4 C. ground cinnamon
2 C. granulated sugar
1 C. brown sugar
Bag of Pecans (2 oz. bag) **optional
1 Stick of Butter
Bundt Pan

What you’ll do:

1.  Grease Bundt Pan and add the 2 oz. bag of pecans into the bottom.

2.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

3.  Mix cinnamon and granulated sugar in an old butter bowl with lid or in a large ziploc bag.  You’re going to be adding pieces of biscuits into this mixture and shaking it up so make sure it’s in something tight that won’t let the sugar mixture spill or dump out.


4.  Cut (or tear) each biscuit into 6 pieces.  Put pieces (10-15 pieces at a time) into the mixture and shake really well to coat the dough with the sugary yummy mix!

5.  Just take a small handful of the coated pieces and shake in your hands with your fingers slightly open to let the loose sugar fall off.  Begin adding the coated pieces into the bundt pan overtop of the pecans.  The layering doesn’t have to be precise…just as long as it’s fairly even all the way around.

6.  Keep doing #4 and #5 until you’re out of the cut up biscuits.  If you have any leftover sugar/cinnamon mixture, you can keep it in the bowl or bag and label it “Monkey Bread Cinnamon/Sugar”.  I’ve used the same butter bowl for a long time ;)!

7.  Melt your stick of butter and add the 1 cup of brown sugar to it and stir until smooth.  Drizzle this mixture over the top of the dough.

8.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until done.  You can also turn the broiler on for a couple of minutes to brown the top if you’d like…but I can’t ever wait that long.  I’m too impatient, who cares what it looks like, right??!!

9.  Let it cool and then turn upside down (really, right side up!) onto a plate or covered cake dish.  It’s best when served hot, but easily warms in the microwave!

10.  Enjoy and if I were you I wouldn’t share with anyone except those you REALLY love ;)!

If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out all the rest inside my Recipe Box!  Some of the reader’s favorites are below:

mashed potatoes

Easy Rich and Creamy Mashed Potatoes with a Twist Recipe

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One of my favorite foods is mashed potatoes and I’ve always made them with just milk and butter, threw in a little salt and pepper and I thought they were good.  I decided to try a few little variations and make it MUCH more rich and creamy…yet still easy!  These go perfectly with my Honey Bunches of Oats Baked Chicken!  That’s our “healthy” version of fried chicken ;)!


You’ll need:

5 lbs of potatoes
Stick and a half of Butter, softened
8 oz. pack of cream cheese, softened (secret ingredient!)
1/2 C. of half and half (or just use plain ole’ milk)
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Seasoned Salt (other secret ingredient!)

 

What to do:


Peel and half or quarter potatoes.  Boil them for 20 minutes or till they’re tender.  Quickest way to tell is by sticking a fork in them and when they split easily then they’re ready!  Drain the water from the potatoes.

Add them back to the pot without any water and put on the stove burner on LOW heat.  Use a potato masher or hand mixer and mash the potatoes for about 3 minutes.  The reason you’re doing this on LOW heat is to let the steam out.  This keeps the potatoes from getting watery.


Take off the stove and then add the stick and a half of butter, the 8 oz. pack of cream cheese, and the 1/2 C. of half and half or milk.  Use the masher or mixer to mix all of this well into the potatoes.

Add the salt, pepper, and seasoned salt and mix in well.  Give it a taste, if it needs a little more then go ahead and add it in to taste.

These mashed potatoes are GREAT to make in advance and warm up in the oven!

Try out all the other recipes from my Recipe Box.  Below are a few of the reader’s faves!

This recipe was found at The PioneerWoman.com.

Recipe: Honey Bunches of Oats Baked Chicken

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It’s no secret that my husband loves to cook!  I’m thankful for that because I’m only good at baking ;)!  Here’s one of his favorite recipes.  He usually uses Rice Krispies but since I got such a good deal on Honey Bunches of Oats cereal recently he decided to use that this last time…and it was DE-LISH!!  So, I decided to share this recipe with you!

Honey Bunches of Oats Baked Chicken Recipe:

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine (melted)
  • 4 cups crushed Honey Bunches of Oats (or a similar cereal would do)
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (split if needed)
  • Salt and Pepper (for a little extra flavor)

Follow these simple instruction:

  • Dip chicken in melted butter or you can brush it on
  • Roll chicken in the crushed cereal and coat it well
  • Lay chicken in shallow baking dish (he lays non-stick alum. foil in the bottom of the pan for easy cleanup)
  • Sprinkle the remaining crushed cereal on the top and/or sides of the chicken
  • Bake at 450 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until thoroughly cooked
  • ENJOY!

Check out these other recipes from my Recipe Box:

Blessings~

Key Lime Pie Poke Cake Recipe – Sweet Summer Dessert

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Oh, wow.  This looks yummy!  Do you all remember the Jello Poke Cake Recipe I posted quite awhile back?  Well, this is a new variation.  Make sure to check out this Key Lime Pie Poke Cake Recipe.  It’s courtesy of Betty Crocker!!

I’ll be making this for a House Party event I’m gonna have.  Well, at least I’m gonna try to anyway.  I may get brave and take photos to show you all…teehehee.  Wish me luck!

Blessings~

the chick behind this blog! I'm your ordinary, everyday wife and mom to an incredible pair of stinky guys! I am a self diagnosed coffee addict with a ginormous sweet tooth, preferably baked goods!! My hope is to help you, teach you, and entertain you on your way to a more thrifty and frugal lifestyle! Along the way, you'll find awesome recipes, great tips, and tons of randomness! We have loads of fun, so ya'll come back now, ya hear?!

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