Cheesecake Bars

This is not one of my usual recipes because it’s not exactly from scratch.  But it can be made completely from scratch if you’d like.  I found a recipe on the back of a Betty Crocker Cake Mix box at 10:15 last night and my dh and I were feeling snacky.  Everyone had been complaining lately because I had not bought much in the way of snack food for couple weeks (on purpose, mind you, junk food shows up everywhere around Christmas and I was just trying to keep it out of the house so that sampling all the homemade stuff I make would not be “extra” LOL)  Anyway, I did not have exactly all the ingredients that the recipe called for so I altered it to work for me and it turned out really good!  The main ingredient is a dry cake mix.  If you do not have one on hand, you can use the crust recipe for basically any filled bar cookie and you will be fine!  Really!

Here’s the ingredients for Betty’s recipe and I’ll give you mine after.

• 1 box dry cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
• 16 oz cream cheese
• 1 container Betty’s Rich and Creamy frosting (flavor should match or coordinate with cake mix- do not use coconut pecan flavor)
• 3 eggs

 

Here’s my ingredients:

• 1 dry cake mix (I used chocolate)
• 1/2 cup butter (microwaved on high for 20 seconds)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz cottage cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs

Instructions:  In small mixing bowl, combine cake mix and butter.  Mix until crumbly (I did part of this by hand with a fork because the butter didn’t want to break up).  Reserve 1 cup (set aside) and press the rest into the bottom of a 13×9 pan. 

Using same mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and frosting until smooth (or cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sugar- beat on high for this one to break up the cottage cheese).  Beat in eggs and pour over crust.  Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top

Bake in 325^ oven for 45 min. (I baked mine at 350^ for 30 min).  Knife inserted into center will come out almost clean when done.  Cool.  Store in Fridge. 

My version is not nearly as rich as you’d expect a cheesecake to be but it was still quite tasty.  I bet it was a little bit healthier too,  I used low fat cottage cheese!  LOL

Enjoy!

#17 Spend some money the day after

The day after any given holiday, that is.   The day after Christmas there will be tons of stuff marked down by 50% and by New Year stuff will be 75-90% off.  This is the perfect time to buy wrapping paper, bows, ribbon, gift bags, Christmas cards for next year, etc.  It is also the perfect time to think about gifts you will need to buy in the next year.  Many of the “gift packages” that are pre-packaged, wrapped in cellophane “sets” are perfect for birthdays, graduations, etc.  Some of them may be packaged specifically  for Christmas but you can take them out of the package and re-wrap them and still save a ton of money.  Health and Beauty items can often be bought for pennies on the dollar if you watch the sales and then make sure the cashier rings it up correctly.  Snack foods can also be bought at greatly reduced prices as well.

The key to this is:

1. Know how much you need
2. Know what you need
3. Don’t buy more than you need or will use up in a reasonable amount of time
4. Don’t buy something that is really cheap unless you already have a plan for what to do with it.

 

Some things that I often buy the day after Christmas are:

1. Those little lunch bag sized paper/plastic gift bags (.12 or less)- buy enough for my kids classrooms next year
2. Ribbon- solid colored only- can be used all year round
3. Wrapping Paper- I keep an eye out for solid colored paper or striped or plaid.  Many of these can work all year round
4. Gift boxes- go for the plain ones
5. Gift bags- Walmart often has plain paper ones in silver and gold or red and green
6. Lotion in gift sets
7. Foot pampering products
8. Nuts in gift packages (no one cares at home if the Planter Peanut Man is wearing a Santa Hat or not)
9. Gummy candy (kids snacks)
10. Chocolate (we can never have enough- 50%-75% off is a great buy!)
11. Tablecloths and “real” Napkins (often can find solid colored ones)
12. Paper Towels and Napkins and Plates (no one cares at home if we eat off of christmas tree covered plates in June)
13. Ornaments
14. Christmas Lights (Dollar General had really nice ones last year for .30 a strand- no kidding!!)
15. Craft Supplies (store them until next November and you are set for many homemade gifts)
16. Cologne and Perfume (watch for your own favorites as well as to give to others)
17. Stockings (if we need new ones or to use for gift bags next year)
18. Christmas Gag Gifts like Coal in it’s own gift bag (.25 last year)
19. Candy Quick or Chocolate Bark (this can be frozen until next year with minimal changes to it- expensive chocolate for candy making may not freeze as well)
20. Limited Time only Holiday flavors of creamer, hot drinks, etc.
21. Cany Canes (can be frozen also- I freeze mine to make peppermint bark the next year)
22. Pajamas (if your family needs new ones)- may not be greatly reduced but even 25% off helps!
23. Slippers (if your family needs new ones)- another that may only be 25% off
24. Long Underwear (may be cheaper yet after new year)
25. Lip gloss in gift sets
26. Greeting Cards and Stationery

 

Keep in mind that after each holiday there are significant things on clearance.  Keep a watchful eye this year and then you will start to get a feel for where to shop on the day after the following year!

More Christmas Fun!!

I love the idea of sneaking to put Christmas ribbon around all the stuffed animal’s necks! My sons (ages 8,6,4) are animal lovers and oh what joy they will have to know all the stuffed animals were included in Christmas! I will add this to my new plan/fun I have decided on this year. My plan is to put three gift bags under the tree with each boy’s name on one. These bags will not hold a gift, but will hold clues as to where their gifts are hidden! The boys will be oh so disappointed when they see only one bag each and then when they see that it only contains paper, well! I just hope I’m awake to see their faces! I will be having a hay day watching the boys this Christmas morning! -

Please visit our website at www.thebratfactor.com.

Bats in our Belfry

I hate bats!  I just want you all to know!  I love having them around to eat mosquitoes, don’t get me wrong!  I just hate it when they decide to check out other parts of the house instead of staying in our attic where they are welcome!!  When we brought down our Christmas decorations last week, we found a bat with a broken wing hopping around the hallway, bouncing between bedrooms.   No DH home to save me and the thing was so scared he wouldn’t sit still for a minute so the boys and I captured him and fed him to the cats (no PETA comments please- he was injured, could not fly.  It was more ethical to put him down with one chomp from a cat than it was to put him back in the attic to slowly die because he couldn’t go get food.  AND I was not going to feed him!  Where am I going to find bugs this time of year!) 

Then yesterday morning, I was running late and I sent my oldest to go wake his siblings for school.  He went upstairs  and sure enough, 2 of them start yelling, “there’s a bat up here!”  DH was home and awake this time so I sent him to save me.  He couldn’t find the bat!  Apparently it went back into the unfinished part of our son’s closet (open in the back where the duct work divides up into each bedroom)  He had a deadline to meet so he left and I told the boys to keep the closet door closed. 

All was well, for a while. . . .  I put the boys to bed at 8 and my youngest was not feeling well so he and I lay down together in my room.  A little before 9, I hear this blood curdling scream, “the bat is in my room again!”  My middle son was reading when he realized he had company once again (he had opened his closet door, darn him).  I sleepily told him to come into my room and he could lay with us.  I thought my oldest was asleep and then all the sudden I heard him up walking around.  He found the bat hanging under the smoke detector in the hallway!  We all went to bed in my room with the door closed and I called my husband, interrupted the meeting he was in, to tell him, “we’re all hold up in the bedroom because there is a bat hanging in the hallway”.  He says, “do you need help right now?  I’m in a meeting?”  I say, “we’re just going to all sleep together with the door closed.  please get the bat when you get home”.  Needless to say, I slept horrible!

You might be from a small town. . .

A friend from college sent me this cute little list.  Since it was from a college friend it reminded me of this other girl at college who used to tease me about being from the “boondocks”.   This other girl used to introduce me to people as “the girl who came from a school that had a farm on it”.   Funny thing was,  that girl’s school wasn’t much bigger than mine but was built in the midst of a small town instead of in the middle of a corn field!  LOL  Our school does have a farm on it and we are quite proud!  Our school produces many students each year who go on to be some type of agricultural professional.  My husband and I are proud to be among them!  Enjoy the list!

You Might Be From A Small Town If
1. You can name everyone you graduated with.
2. You know what 4-H is.
3. You ever went to parties at a pasture, barn, or in the middle of a dirt road.
4. You used to drag main.
5. You said the ‘f’ word and your parents knew within the hour.
6. You schedule parties around the schedule of different police officers, since you know which ones would bust you and which ones wouldn’t – same goes with the game warden.
7. You ever went cow-tipping or snipe hunting.
8. School gets canceled for state sporting events.
9. You could never buy cigarettes because all the store clerks knew how old you were and if you were old enough, they would still tell your folks.
10. When you did find someone old enough and brave enough to buy cigarettes, you still had to go out to the country and drive back roads to smoke them.
11. You were ever in the Homecoming parade.
12. You have ever gone home for Homecoming.
13. It was cool to date someone from the neighboring town.
14. You had senior skip day.
15. The whole school went to the same party after graduation.
16. You don’t give directions by street names or references (turn by Nelson’s house, go two blocks to the Anderson’s turn left and it’s four houses left of the football field).
17. The golf course had only 9 holes
18. You can’t help but date a friend’s ex.
19. Your car stays filthy because of the dirt roads, and you will never own a dark vehicle for this reason.
20. You think kids that ride skateboards are weird.
21. The town next to you is considered trashy or snooty but is actually just like your town.

22. Getting paid minimum wage is considered a great job.
23. You refer to anyone with a house newer than 1980 as rich people.
24. The people in the city dress funny, then you pick up on the trend a few years later.
25. You bragged to your friends because you got pipes on your truck for your birthday.
26. Anyone you want can be found at either the Dairy Queen or the feed store.
28. You see at least one friend a week driving a tractor through town.
29. Football coaches suggest that you haul hay for the summer to get stronger.
30. Directions are given using the stop light as a reference
31. The city council meets at the coffee shop.
32. Your letter jacket was worn after your 19th birthday.
33. You have ever taken a trailer or dog to school on a daily basis.
34. Weekend excitement involves a trip to the grocery store.
35. Even the ugly people enter beauty contests.
36. You decide to walk somewhere for exercise and 5 people pull over and ask if you need a ride.
37. Your teachers call you by your older siblings names.
38. Your teachers remember when they taught your parents.
39. You can charge at all the local stores.
40. The closest TGI Fridays, Chipotle, or Steak & Shake is 45 miles away.
41. So is the closest mall.
42. It is normal to see an old man riding through town on a riding lawn mower.
43. You laugh your backside off reading this because you know they’re all true

Ideas on Gift Giving at School

Because of the economic recession, our area of the state has one of the highest unemployment rates around.  Factories are doing lay-offs and some plants are even closing.  Our school has decided to do their part to help families feeling the pinch of less income.  This year there will be no gift exchange between the kids and many of the teachers are insisting that they receive no gifts.  One teacher said that the children who are unable to give her a gift feel bad and feel like she will not like them as much as the others.  (which is not true at all in case you wondered- lol).

Anyway, I buy gifts for teachers and other adult helpers in my kid’s lives throughout the year when I find things on clearance racks.  So when I got the note saying “please no gifts”, I had to get creative in order for the teacher to accept the gift I had been collecting for her for nearly 6 months (sticker and stamping set for grading schoolwork).   

I decided that I would make this gift from the whole class rather than just from my kid.  So, I spoke to the music teacher to see if she could help.  The plan:  the music teacher will receive a large envelope from my kid (his regular teacher will think nothing of my son delivering a package to someone else for his mom- lol).  Inside is a computer generated card I made for my son’s teacher and a letter to the kids explaining what surprise awaits their teacher- if they can keep a secret!  The music teacher is going to have each child sign the card and return the large envelope to my son to bring back to home to me!  I will then wrap up the surprise and figure out a way to “drop it off” by their classroom w/o being seen sometime before Christmas break!  This is soooo exciting- I love doing surprises!

If you have not yet purchased a gift for your children’s teachers or other significant adults, here are some ideas that I have heard that teachers enjoy and some I’ve done in the past:

1. basic supplies for the kids (pencils, crayons, paper)
2. game for the classroom (does not have to be educational- the kids need activities for during inside recess too)
3. storybook for the classroom
4. stickers and stamping set for grading papers (this years!)
5. homemade drink mixes
6. homemade cookies
7. ornament with child’s picture on it
8. ornament made by the child
9. over-sized card with all the student’s names on it
10. thank you card
11. a letter praising their teaching ability with specific examples of what is working well for you and your child and send a copy of it to the principal or superintendant
12. gift card or certificate to a teacher store or bookstore
13. An essay or drawing from the child of what they like about the teacher
14. a monetary donation to a non-profit organization in honor of the teacher
15. ask if there is a specific need in their classroom and do your best to fill that need or help with it in any way you can

What ways have you thanked the other adults in your kid’s lives?  I’d love to hear your ideas!

A side note:  last year, one of my kid’s teachers had a death in her family and she had a really  hard time with it.  She was gone for 2 weeks or more.  My SIL (sister in-law) and I both thought that something from the kids might help her to feel a little more like coming back to school.  My SIL brought in a roll of butcher paper and markers and wrote in really large letters, “Welcome Back Mrs. Smith” and had the kids add their own special greetings to the butcher paper.  The substitute and my SIL then hung it up above the board so it would be the first thing she saw when she came back to school.  I took a regular poster board and folded it in half.  I used post it note letters and wrote “Hands are like Hugs” on the front.  The inside message was “This is our hug to you” and had the children trace their hands anywhere they wanted on the card.  My son and his cousin then brought that with them to the funeral home when we went for the visitation.  Their teacher was thrilled and took it right up close to the casket and propped it up for everyone to see. 

Don’t be afraid to thank those people in your life and your children’s lives for the work they do!  There is nothing nicer than knowing you are appreciated, well, except maybe the fun of giving the appreciation!

Easy Homemade Chocolate Candies

Read through all these instructions before beginning because you will want your supplies out and ready because you need to work fairly quickly once the chocolate is ready.

To melt chocolate for making candy you need a double boiler.  Do not go out and buy one special for this.  A double boiler is simply 2 pans, on slightly smaller than the other.  The large one is placed on the burner with water in the bottom- enough water to more than cover the bottom of the pan but not so much that it will touch the smaller pan as it rests on top.  Place the smaller pan on the larger one, making sure that it does not rest on the water.  Bring the water to a boil and turn it down to maintain a simmer.  Okay, now you are ready to melt some chocolate!!!

You can use chocolate chips (any variety) or candy quick (a special chocolate made specifically for homemade chocolate making found in the grocery store near the chocolate chips, nuts, and other bakgin supplies. 

Place your chocolate in the small pan or top of your double boiler.  I would start with a small batch first.  A 12 oz bag of chips or about 6 squares of candy quick.  It needs to melt and be stirred occasionally while it is melting. 

In the meantime lay some waxed paper out on the counter or table or cover a cookie sheet with it.  Lay two teaspoons or a small cookie scoop on the waxed paper so it is ready when you need it.

Once the chocolate is nearly or completely melted you can stir in any of the following or any combination that sounds good to you.

1. crushed peppermint candy – this will make peppermint bark-you will spread this entire mixture out flat on the waxed paper and once it cools, break it into pieces like peanut brittle.
2. slivered almonds- this will make almond bark- same as above
3. peanuts
4. raisins
5. coconut
6. marshmallows (don’t over stir- you want pieces and not melted marshmallow- if it does melt completely don’t worry it will still taste great!)
7. walnuts
8. pecans
9. dried cherries, chopped
10. chopped almonds

For choices 3-10, after you stir them in, you drop by the rounded teaspoon or cookie scoop onto the waxed paper, leaving room for a little spread in between.  You can leave them set right there to harden for at least an hour.  Depending on how big they are will determine how long to leave them sit- you’ll just have to taste test them until they are set (I know, it will be really difficult to taste partially melted chocolate. . . . lol)

Store in air tight container- I prefer the fridge or freezer until the day I serve them or give them but it’s not absolutely necessary.

There you have it!  Simple homemade chocolates with no dipping, rolling, shaping, or hideous screams of torment from trying to make them!!!  YeeHaa!!!!

Merry Christmas!

Simple Easy Fudge

1   can sweetened condensed milk

1   11-12 oz bag chocolate chips (any flavor of baking chips is fine)

Combine the 2 ingredients in a sauce pan and heat on low- medium heat until the chips are melted.  Stirring often to combine the two and to keep it from sticking.  While it is heating, grease (with butter) or line with foil, a square cake pan.  When the chips have melted, stir well and add any extras (below), spread into prepared pan and refridgerate until set. 

Good combinations:

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips go really well with walnuts, almonds, coconut.
• Milk chocolate chips are excellent plain or made into rocky road fudge.  Add walnuts and miniature marshmallows.  Do not stir the marshmallows in too much because they will melt completely instead of leaving little marshmallow pieces.
• Any dried fruit is good with either semi-sweet or milk chocolate.  Cherries, raisins, blueberries, etc
• White chips are really good with crushed oreo cookies or macadamia nuts
• Peanut butter chips would be excellent with chocolate pieces or peanuts.  Be sure not to stir too much after you add the chocolate pieces or they will melt completely instead of leaving little pieces or swirls.
• White chips could also just have flavoring added to it.  Orange or lemon extract or even mint.  Maybe maple with waolnuts?

Inexpensive Gifts

I went to an auction sale yesterday- outside in 20 degree weather and in the afternoon instead of evening.  Needless to say the bidders were of small numbers and everyone wanted things for a little bit of nothing.  I came home with a lot of stuff I didn’t want because they auctioneer would put all the unsold stuff into piles with other stuff and sell the whole pile for one money.  I came home with more than 25 old cookie tins with Christmas decorations on them and nearly a half dozen clear glass candy/peanut jars.  As I was debating on whether to leave some of the stuff there or not (not a good ethical choice to leave it there but to bring it home was not a good choice either!), someone said something about Goodwill Industries.  All of the sudden my brain began thinking about giving instead of what to do with all the junk I had acquired!  I brought  the jars and tins home with me and here is my plan:

Disinfect the glass jars, air dry completely and make rock candy and chocolate covered peanuts and peanut brittle to give a way to the neighbors (I usually make cookies instead of candy but candy will store in these jars better than cookies).  These will also make pretty containers for homemade hot cocoa mix or any “gift in a jar” recipe.

Quickly rinse the tins in soapy water (tin rusts and cleaning needs to be fast to have minimum exposure to moisture) and lay them out on towels to air dry.  Get large, non-ziploc bags (available at our local bulk foods store) to line the tins.  These will then be donated to my church to use for our annual Cookie Tray Ministry.  The ladies of the church all bring in cookies and candy and we divide it all up to give to the shut-ins, elderly, and lonely people in our community.  usuually, we use bakers boxes (like at the local donut shop) or pretty plastic plates with plastic wrap.   If you like this idea but can’t find the bags, you can line the tin with plastic wrap- have it lay over the edge while you fill the container and then just fold the overlap onto the top of the goodies when it is full.

So the inexpensive gift list from those ideas are:

1. rock candy
2. peanut brittle
3. hot cocoa mix or other instant drink mix
4. cookies
5. chocolate covered peanuts
6. gifts in a jar

Some other ideas are:

1. fudge
2. peppermint bark
3. bread
4. jar of home preserved fruit or relish or salsa
5. coupons for free babysitting
6. coupons for other “work” a person would appreciate help with.
7. coupons for a dozen cookies each month for a year
8. a pretty picture in an inexpensive frame
9. homemade christmas ornament
10. lip gloss or a hot wheel car stuffed into a miniature stocking.

What can my readers think of?  I’d love to make this list huge!!

I will put recipes for simple fudge and simple chocolate covered candy in my “recipes” category.  The Hillbilly Housewife has excellent drink mix recipes (www.hillbillyhousewife.com  btw- I am not associated in any way with that site, I truly love that site and find it helpful with so many things!)  You can also try another wonderful site for candy, cookies, and other holiday recipes:  www.northpole.com  This site also has many wonderful activities for the kids to do !  For gifts in a jar, I don’t know of  any specific site for just those recipes but I like  www.recipegoldmine.com  and www.recipezaar.com

Pay it Forward

My husband and I were at our kid’s school this morning for a meeting.  After the meeting, I spoke with the school counselor.  Our church is adopting a couple families in need from the school district and I was checking in with that as I am the coordinator for church.  Anyway, my husband asked her if there were other needs and if the need is greater this year.  She replied that the requests for Christmas help have doubled this year from last year!!!

Our elementary and middle school does the We Care program.  The kids bring in non-perishable food items that are then distributed to needy families in the community.  The school counselor also contacts families in need and coordinates their needs (anonymously) with churches, agencies, and individuals who then adopt them for Christmas!  There is a non-profit group in the county my parents live in called Santa’s Helpers- this group collects money and gifts for people in need and distributes Christmas gifts to all who qualify.  Our local Clothes and Food Basket (which is open all year) coordinates with churches and agencies to bring in specific things at Christmas for those in need.  

I have heard on the news that many of these Food Pantry places are experiencing greater need this year.  Partly because people are donating less and partly because of increased need.

I implore all of my readers to Pay it Forward or Back!  Many of us have experienced hard times and many of us will experience them in our lifetimes.  Socks and stretchy Gloves cost about $1pair.  Cereal on sale costs $2 a box.  Canned meat costs between $1 and $6 a can.  A canned ham might cost $10.  Fleece blankets are on sale in most department stores for $3- $5.  Helping out is not expensive.  If every single one of us donated one item, the help received would be amazing!  Imagine if each of us donated one grocery bag full of stuff!??!!!

I challenge each of you to leave the lunchables and the ice cream in the store this week.  Use the money you would have spent on those “extra” items instead for non-perishable food items or socks, gloves, stocking caps.  If you do not have a place to donate them to, contact a local church (larger churches often have ongoing pantries or special programs), your local WIC office or Department of Family and Children.  They will direct you to where to take your donations.

Thank you in advance!!!