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One of the best investments you can make…….

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for your kitchen is a FoodSaver! 

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I LOVE my FoodSaver.  It has saved us so much money over the years that it has paid for itself many, many, many times over.  Not, it’s not cheap up front, but well worth the price.   This little beauty has allowed me to purchase foods (especially meats) in larger quantities and then vacuum seal them before placing them in the freezer.  I don’t have to worry about freezer burn if I vacuum seal it first.   I’ve also been able to vacuum seal meals such as casseroles, as well as veggies, precooked meat portions, fruits, etc.  

I love the fact that this particular model allows me to control the amount of air sucked out of the bags  because, this way, I can also freeze breads but stopping the air removal just at the point when it would normally squish the breads flat. 

This model also allows me to seal canisters and jars with the appropriate attachments.  I’ve sealed beans, rice, corn meal, and other perishables in jars which is great, especially when we’re going camping and don’t want to take too many large containers. 

I’ve even used it to vacuum seals some of my husband’s clothes in the past when he used to go backpacking a lot, as well as his foods that he would take.  It kept his extra food, socks, etc., nice and dry.

If you don’t have a FoodSaver and have ever wondered if it’s worth the money – don’t hesitate any longer!  It’s definitely worth it!  The money saving possibilities are endless!

Don’t forget to check out The Diaper Diaries for more great “Things I Love Thursday”!

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Orange Creamsicle Fudge

 

I cut this recipe out of our local paper and it very quickly became a favorite of ours!  It tastes just like an orange creamsicle.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.  

Orange Creamsicle Fudge features swirls of sweet white chocolate fudge mixed with bright, fragrant orange-flavored fudge. Be sure to taste the orange fudge before pouring it into the pan and adjust the amount of flavoring to suit your taste, since the potency of different orange extracts can vary greatly.

Ingredients:

· 12 oz (1-1/2 sticks) butter

· 2 cups granulated sugar

· 3/4 cup heavy cream

· 1 package (12 oz) white chocolate chips

· 1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow cream (or fluff)

· 1 tablespoon orange extract

· orange (or a combination of red and yellow) food coloring

Preparation:

1. Prepare a 13×9 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cream, and butter over medium heat.

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Continually stir the mixture until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Brush down the sides with a wet pastry brush.

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3. Bring the mixture to a boil, and once it starts boiling, stir continuously for four minutes.

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4. After four minutes of boiling, remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the marshmallow cream and white chocolate chips.

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Stir until the white chocolate has melted and the fudge is completely smooth.

5. Working quickly, pour about a third of the white fudge into a bowl and set aside. To the remaining fudge, add the orange extract and orange food coloring, stirring until it is a smooth, even color.

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It is important to perform these steps quickly, because the fudge will start to set if you take too long, and the end result will not be smooth.

6. Pour the orange fudge into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Drop the white fudge over the top by the spoonful, then drag a table knife or toothpick through the fudge to create orange-white swirls.

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You can spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray and gently press them into the top to smooth out the swirls, if desired.

7. Allow the fudge to set at room temperature for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 1 hour. To cut, pull the fudge out of the pan using the foil as handles. Use a large sharp knife to cut the fudge into small 1-inch squares.

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Store Orange Creamsicle Fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, and bring it to room temperature to serve.

 

This post is linked to:

tmttSummer09   

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A Day In the Life Of Frugality

 

Today has been a beautiful spring summer day!   I can’t believe how mild the temps have been for July!  God has truly provided us with some wonderful days!  It’s not too hot to be outside for long, and the kids are loving it!   It’s been so nice to have the windows open and feel the gentle breezes blowing through the house.   This is definitely a welcome change from the heat and humidity!  There’s also the added bonus of no AC running today!  A welcome respite on our electric bill!

I have been baking today which is using electricity, but I’m taking advantage of the hot oven and I’ve baked:

Homemade brownies
Bread
Bacon wrapped tenderloin 
Garlic potatoes
Homemade crescent rolls (from the freezer)

My other frugal endeavors today consist of 1 load of clothes washed using my homemade laundry detergent and they have been hung outside to dry in the nice breeze.    It’s frugal and they smell so crisp and clean!  And if you’ve never tried homemade laundry detergent, you need to!  The savings are unbelievable and it works wonderfully!

I’ve also made extra of the tenderloin.  Some will be for leftovers, and some will either go into another dish right away or in the freezer, most likely in the freezer for now.   It pays to plan ahead.  I’ve posted about planning a baking day, and the same goes for main courses.  Cook once and eat 2 or more times!  It makes those days when cooking dinner seems impossible a little easier to handle because you’ve already got something ready in the freezer.  All you need to do is a spend a few minutes thawing it out and throwing into a simple dish.  Tada!!  You can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes!

As for other frugal acts today, while they may seem like they make little difference,  they add up over time.  I didn’t have any errands to run today, so we just stayed home, saving gas and wear and tear on our vehicle.  We also had all of our meals from home (Brian takes his lunch), so no unnecessary spending was done.  My menu has been planned for the week so there is no need for us to eat out.  This saves us a huge amount of money!  Just think, even when our family of 5 goes to a fast food burger place, it costs us between $20-$30, depending on where we go and what we order.  If we did this once a week that would be $80-$120/month or $960-$1440/year!! 

Another way to save some quick money on your weekly grocery run is to stop using or cut down your use of paper towels/napkins.  Use dish towels/rags when working/cleaning in the kitchen instead of grabbing paper towels.  If a roll of paper towels costs  approximately $1/roll (forgive me if I’m off, I haven’t bought any in ages) and you use about 8 rolls/week, that’s $416/year!  Will using more dish towels add a lot to your already growing laundry pile?  Not really, you might add 1 extra load every 4 to 6 weeks, unless you’re just really messy!  You can save even more by using cloth napkins in place of paper napkins.   

Also, make sure that you use up any and all leftovers.  If you can’t use them before they will go bad, freeze them!  Save them for a future meal!

There is really no limit to the ways that you can save money.  You’re only limited by what you’re willing to do and how far you’re willing to go.   If you really want to make you money stretch further, then just rethink how you do EVERYTHING, how much you use at one time of certain items, and make it your new goal to not waste anything!   You can find tons more information at my favorite site, Frugal Families.   I’ve learned more there than I could even try to put into a post here!

My favorite saying actually comes from the depression era:  Use it up, make do, or do without!  In other words, waste not, want not.