Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Yum!! This is a lower fat muffin with applesauce instead of oil or butter. They bake up extra moist. It's really hard to have just one.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 30 muffins
Cost: approx. $2.00


1 small can pumpkin ($.87)
2 cups sugar ($.25)
1 cup applesauce ($.25)
1 cup water
4 eggs ($.25)
3 1/2 cups flour ($.25)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix together pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, water and egg. Add in dry ingredients and stir. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie Made Easy

When invited over for Sunday dinner at my friend's house, I was curious as to what she would serve our family of nine and her family of 12. We arrived and she already had a big pot heating on the stove and lots of biscuits in the oven. Since then I've served this to large groups from a crockpot to save the worry over scorching the whole thing. This is best made with whatever you have on hand. I often save back about a 1/2 cup of any frozen vegetable from a bag just for this very thing. Also this is a great way to use leftover turkey or roast.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 8-12
Cost: Approx. $7.50

3 chicken breasts ($2.50)
2 cans of cream soup ($1.00) I prefer cream of chicken or potato
1-2 cups broth ($.25)
1 diced onion ($.25)
1 Tbsp butter
1/4-1/2 cup of any fresh vegetable finely chopped ( today I used carrots, celery)
1/4-1/2 cup of any frozen or canned vegetable (today I used corn and peas)
2 cans of big biscuits ($2.50) or make your own for lots less

Boil chicken breast while cooking onion and fresh vegetables in butter. When vegetables are still slightly firm add cream soups and broth and heat through. Dice meat and add to mixture. Add canned or frozen veggies and heat 10 minutes more on low heat or place in crock pot. Serve over split biscuits.

Make twice as much and bag it for the freezer. It reheats nicely.

Apple Butter

Saralyn wondered what ever happened to all those apples. Well, I couldn't get the apple peeler to work, so I resorted to peeling by hand. I made four apple crisps for the freezer and then gave up. So I cored and washed them all and put them in the crock pot over night. I added about a cup of sugar and lots of cinnamon. When I awoke it smelled divine, but looked like a big brown nasty mess. This was not the applesauce I had envisioned.

Then I researched online and discovered that I had in fact made apple butter! Who knew? So I added a bit more sugar, strained apple pulp through a fine strainer and put it in jars for the freezer. We've been enjoying it ever since.

Sadly, this is all that is left.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

It's only a few simple ingredients, but is it ever so rich. It's my dad's all time favorite. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0
Serves: 20-24
Cost: approx. $4.00

1 box Graham crackers ($1.00)
2 small boxes instant french vanilla pudding ($1.00)
2 cups milk
1 small container cool whip ($1.00)
chocolate icing (1.00)

Combine pudding and milk. Wisk until pudding thickens. Fold in cool whip. Place a layer of graham crackers in a 9x13 pan. Spread on 1/2 of the pudding mixture. Add another layer of crackers followed by the remaining pudding. Top with graham crackers. Carefully spread with chocolate frosting. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.

Easiest Ever Banana Bread

Okay, so maybe this isn't technically a bread, but it tastes like it. It's much healthier than cake, takes no time to prepare and it's yet another way to get rid of those brown bananas. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 16-20
Cost: Approx. $1.50

1 box yellow cake mix ($.90)
4 bananas smashed ($.50)
1 egg
1/4-1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients well. The batter should be thick. Place in 2 greased bread pans. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cooked through.