This crunchy, salty butterscotch topped with creamy chocolate is a cookie exchange favorite.  (In Minnesota they call it Lutheran Church Basement Toffee.)

It’s so fast and simple that my second-grader and I made it together in about 30 minutes with ingredients from our pantry. (For a step-by-step photo tutorial of this recipe, see How to Make Easy Chocolate-Covered Toffee.)

We love to use Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, which gets top ratings from Cook’s Illustrated’s blind taste tests.

Fills one 10″ x 13″ cookie sheet; makes about 70 two-inch toffee squares

• 4 oz. (1/4 of a 1 lb. box or bag) of saltines or pretzels
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 12-oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• sprinkles (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line one cookie sheet (10 x 13″ works well) with aluminum foil. Grease the foil by rubbing with a stick of slightly-softened butter or by spraying with cooking oil.
2. Crush crackers or pretzels and spread over the cookie sheet.
3. Place butter and sugar in small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes, untouched. The sugar and butter must be completely blended together into one bubbling mix.  Pour evenly over cracker mixture.
4. Bake for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the cracker-toffee with the chocolate chips.  Use the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly.  Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
6. Chill in the fridge or freezer for at least 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and then cut into 2 inch strips.  Cut again crosswise to make 2 inch squares.  (If frozen, the toffee may become brittle and break into uneven pieces, but that’s okay too.)  Store in a cool place between layers of wax or parchment paper.

For a step-by-step photo tutorial of this recipe, see How to Make Easy Chocolate-Covered Toffee.

If you make it, please come back and tell me how it went!

When the heating goes on, I know it’s time to break out my heavy-duty moisturizer. For a few years now, I’ve suffered from excessively dry and itchy skin on my legs. In addition, I’m always washing my hands here in the trenches with the kids, so the skin on my fingers also gets cracked and chapped.

When this problem first came on, I went to the dermatologist.  Relief came in a bottle (thankfully, not the kind that gives you a hangover).

Ammonium Lactate instantly cured the terrible itchiness, and because I had to spread it on with my hands, they consequently became smooth and moisturized. (I love icing two cakes with one spoon.)

Ammonium Lactate 12% Lotion:  No Longer Rx Only

Good news. While doing research for this article, I found out that Ammonium Lactate has just recently been made available over-the-counter.  And I noticed that Amazon is selling a 14-ounce bottle for $15 (about half the cost you’ll find at pharmacies).

Ammonium Lactate, an organic compound made from the ammonium salt of lactic acid, is also available under the brand names Hydrolac, Lac-Hydrin, Laclotion, AmLactin.

The only downside of Ammonium Lactate is that it has not been given the green light for pregnant or nursing women (due to some iffy trials with rats). When I was expecting Luke (now three months old), my doctor suggested a great alternative:  CeraVe cream or lotion.

CeraVe Lotion:  Prescription Strength but Over-the-Counter

CeraVe cream and lotion work as well as Ammonium Lactate (even though they’re not quite as thick-feeling), and you don’t have to make an appointment with a doctor to get a refill.  (CVS sells it for $14 for 12 ounces.)

According to their website, CeraVe is the only skincare line with Multivesicular Emulsion delivery technology, which used to be available only in prescription formulations. It also contains ceramides that moisturize skin and help maintain the skin barrier.

Both of these lotions have helped me weather even the driest forced air heat without feeling like my skin could be used as a stand-in for cracked earth.

Tip: My doctor recommended spreading the lotion on right after bathing, to seal in the moisture.  Also, if you need it for your hands, let the lotion absorb for several minutes before rinsing or washing your hands.

I’m still on what is becoming a very unfrugal quest for a non-greasy but effective face lotion.  What works for you?  Please let me know in the comments section.

Photo credit:  cracked mud

Twinkling lights, Christmas carols, and the smell of pumpkin pie make me feel all glowy and wanting to do nice things for others. However, I have to be careful to not overdo it.

All this talk about simplifying the holidays gets tossed into the bonfire if we pile on too many craft projects, too many baking enterprises, or too many complicated care packages.

Here is a simple gift idea that not only saves time and money, but also makes people feel really good.

Give a Two-Line Handwritten Card

We made these cards out of construction paper in literally ten minutes. Start each sentence with the same four words:

Dear…

Thank you for… [something they do that you love]

I… [something specific that you love about them, or how you benefited from, learned from or were helped by them — people love to feel needed]

The more specific you can get, the better.  Words like nice, good, and best have good intentions but are too generic to be meaningful.

And stop there.  Really.

If You Want to Get More Elaborate…

If you are going to write a family letter anyway or print out photos anyway, you could include a copy.

If your children like working with crayons or paints, and enjoy helping to get ready for the holidays, involve them by all means. But it’s not worth cajoling and pleading, or creating a mess that will make you more stressed.

If you love making holiday sweets, or if you are baking anyway and can double the recipe, throw three to four of your goodies in a little plate or bag and tie a ribbon around it.

But all this extra stuff is just, well, extra.

Your two sentences are what people will remember.

Whether we have little kids underfoot, a full-time job, or just the general holiday pile-up, preparing for Thanksgiving can be overwhelming.  Regular life is full enough — a bit of strategy helps to tackle turkey day with a smile.

I’ve made Thanksgiving dinner on my own for years now.  We don’t have relatives nearby, and we often end up inviting friends over.  So that I don’t wake up Thanksgiving morning in a panic and spend the rest of the day running around like a headless turkey, I know one of my best tactics is to get as much done ahead of time as possible.

Side dishes like potatoes, green beans, cranberries, and stuffing can be done days ahead.  (Instead of also fixing dinner on those days, treat yourself to something out of the freezer.)  Then on Thanksgiving day, all you’ll need to do is wrangle the turkey, get the house ready, and bake those sweet-smelling pies.  (The pumpkin and pecan pies we make are so easy that I save them for the day of, so I’ll actually have something to do.)

The recipes I’ve listed here are simple yet classic.  With Thanksgiving coming just once a year, I find that it’s hard to get tired of the traditional dishes.  And whether you’re orchestrating the celebration or just playing a part, there’s always room to simplify.

Traditional Turkey Stuffing

If you have a food processor to do the chopping, now is the time to pull it out.  If not, time for the cook to get an assistant.  That’s why in our family this recipe is lovingly referred to as Dad’s Turkey Stuffing. With the chopping and sautéeing done ahead of time, all you have to do on Thursday is mix the bread stuffing with the spiced vegetables.

About 25 servings

• 1 bunch celery with leaves, chopped (4–5 cups)
• 2 large onions, or 4 small ones, chopped (about 1 1⁄2 cups)
• 2 sticks butter
• 5 large mushrooms, chopped (1⁄2 pound)
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped (1⁄2 – 3⁄4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon tarragon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sage
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 12-14 oz. bags plain unseasoned bread stuffing
• 1 12-14 oz. bag cornbread stuffing, unseasoned if you can find it

1. Sauté celery, onions, and mushrooms in butter.  Add spices. Store in a cool place for up to a week.
2. When ready to stuff the turkey, toss the vegetable-spice mix with the bread stuffing in a very large bowl until blended.  Fill the inside of the turkey with stuffing and bake according to turkey instructions.
3. About an hour before eating, toss about half of the stuffing (the rest is for leftovers) with a beaten egg and enough chicken broth to moisten.   Heat in a covered oven-safe dish until warm all the way through.  Serve.

Skin-On Smashed Potatoes

My mom always made mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner, but they’re best beaten light and fluffy right before serving.  Because I don’t love the pressure of whipping up smooth potatoes at the same time that the turkey is coming done and the gravy needs to be made, I made smashed potatoes last year.

Because potato skins are rich with vitamins, smashed potatoes are a chunky version of mashed potatoes that are both fast and healthy.

Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

About 10 servings

• 5 lb. bag of potatoes (any kind will do: russet, Idaho, Yukon or red-skinned)
• 1 stick butter
• salt & freshly ground pepper

1. Scrub the potatoes well.  Place the un-peeled potatoes in a large, deep pot and add enough water to cover by about 1 inch.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil.
2. Keep the water at a rolling boil for about 30 minutes.  Potatoes are done when a sharp knife inserted into one meets with almost no resistance.
3. Drain the potatoes.  (If you really want to peel them, give them more time to cool before slipping off the skins.)
4. Drop a stick of butter into the still warm pot, plus some salt and pepper.  Dump in the potatoes and smash roughly with a fork or potato masher, leaving lots of lumps.  Add more butter if desired, and you’re done.  (Refrigerate for up to five days before reheating in the microwave.)

Classic Cranberry Sauce

We’ve always used the simple recipe on the back of the Ocean Spray package of fresh cranberries.  It’s unbelievably easy, and equally as delicious.  If you want to mix it up, add a few orange slices for color and variety.

Makes 2 1/4 cups

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate for up to a week before serving.

Buttered Green Beans

Try to find the freshest green beans possible.  Ideally they should snap when broken in half.  Make trimming faster by snapping off the stem side only (leaving the curly end) — or recruit your kids to help!

About 10 servings

• 4 lbs. green beans, washed and stem-ends snapped off
• 4 tablespoons butter
• salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Bring to boil a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt.  Drop in the beans and cook for about 5 minutes or until bright green and as tender as you like them.  (Taste one.)
2. Drain the beans and then drop them into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  Drain again and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days.
3. When about ready to serve, place the beans in a microwave-safe dish.  (Since the stove and oven are usually busy at Thanksgiving, I like to use the microwave when possible, but if you prefer you could also sauté the beans in a skillet.)  Top with about 4 tablespoons of butter.
4. Heat in the microwave (about 5 minutes) until hot all the way through.  Toss with the melted butter, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Shopping List

Things You Might Already Have

• tarragon
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• sage
• paprika
• nutmeg
• sugar
• 1 egg

Things You Might Need to Buy

• 1 bunch celery
• 2 large onions, or 4 small ones
• 5 large mushrooms (1⁄2 pound)
• 1 bunch parsley
• 4 lbs. green beans
• 5 lb. bag of potatoes (any kind will do:  russet, Idaho, Yukon or red-skinned)
• 1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries
• 4 sticks butter
• 1 can chicken broth
• 2 12-14 ounce bags plain unseasoned bread stuffing
• 1 12-14 ounce bag cornbread stuffing, unseasoned if you can find it

I love a great hand-made or experience gift, but there are plenty of occasions that call for a tangible thing made by someone else.  (For example, this year my husband and I are getting each other winter coats, after ten years of trudging along in the same old outerwear.)

But just like any other frugal mama, I hate to pay full price. Here are some ways I found to trim my shopping bill — and barely lift a pinkie.

Get Cash Back

My new friend, Kara, told me about Ebates.  (I love how meeting new people makes life better — and can save money too.)

With Ebates (and similar sites like Extrabux and Mr. Rebates), all you have to do is stop there before entering the website of the store you want.  If you buy something, they’ll send you a check for a percentage of the purchase price (up to 26% but usually around 3 to 5%).

Over a thousand stores that you probably shop at anyway are part of the network (including non-traditional vendors like eBay, Travelocity and Half.com), and signing up is free. (The only thing is you will start getting a bunch of promotional emails — just unsubscribe to turn off the noise.)

What I like about these rebate shopping portals is that I basically get something for nothing. All they do is add a one-second stop to a shopping trip I would have made anyway; the store and products are completely up to me. It’s like everything being on sale!

My first purchase via Ebates was pretty hefty:  a $150 down coat from Lands End.  At 3% cash back, $7 is not a huge rebate, but as my Italian husband would say, it’s better than a kick in the pants!   And it will start adding up. I’m bummed to think of how much money I could have earned if I had been using this site since it came out in 1998.

Get an Instant Discount

As I mentioned in How to Conquer the Downsides of Online Shopping, the glory days of coupon codes are over, as many retailers have gotten wise to this kind of under-the-table discount-sharing.   Still I am amazed at how easy it is to get free shipping or 15% off with a one-minute search on RetailMeNot.

Forget the name of the coupon aggregator?  Just type into your search engine the store name and “promotion code” or “coupon code,” and you’ll get a whole slew of consumer-submitted coupons at various promotion code sites.

Don’t assume that these discounts only apply to big names.  Even random places like Northern Tool & Equipment have discount codes floating around the internet that you can grab. I got 10% off a firewood carrier and stand that I would have bought anyway by using a promotion code I found.

I love online coupon codes because they’re so low maintenance.

Get Notified When Something Goes on Sale

Let’s say there’s a high-quality sled that you wish cost a bit less.  (I’m noticing a theme here.  Can anyone tell we just moved to Syracuse?)  Or you can only find a pair of favorite jeans at full price.

Let Shopping Notes know that you want to be notified when the item goes on sale, and you’ve just bought yourself a little peace of mind for free.   No need to remember to keep checking the store’s website, or to worry about missing out on a limited time sale.

In case you’re still looking for gift ideas, for children I liked Simple Mom’s Gift Ideas for the 2010 Holiday Season.  For new and unusual ideas in for all family members in various price ranges, see Real Simple Magazine’s Holiday Gift Guide and Babble‘s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide.

Have you used sites like these?  I’d love to hear about your conquests.

I love Mark Bittman. When I didn’t know how to cook anything, he taught me How to Cook Everything.  Well kind-of.  I admit I still consult this Gen X Joy of Cooking to figure out complex operations like how to boil eggs.

Last night my daughters and I made Bittman’s ricotta cheese gnocchi, and they were — true to his style — simple, classy, and delicious.

Normally you hear about potatoes being used to make gnocchi (pronounced YNO-ki), a rich Italian dumpling eaten with simple sauces. Even though my sister and her Argentine husband make them without a shrug, I’ve always been intimidated by making fresh pasta.

But when Bittman claimed that these cheese gnocchi were quick and easy, I believed him. And he didn’t disappoint. I wanted to share the recipe with you because my Italian husband and children (all under eight) gobbled them up and asked for seconds.  Then again, what kid doesn’t love pasta made with cheese, flour, and butter?  (If yours get squeamish about green things, just remove the sage before tossing with the gnocchi.  Its flavor will have already infused the butter.)

My second- and third-grade daughters got great satisfaction from helping me cook. They dropped the gnocchi batter by the tablespoon into the water, watched them rise to the surface, fished them out and lay them into the sage butter. “They’re so good!” Sofia exclaimed, when we tasted our first sample. “And they’re homemade!”  Bingo.

I doubled Bittman’s recipe so we would have enough for leftovers.  This amount would work great if you have guests for dinner.  To make just enough for four people, just half the below recipe.

(Just for fun, you can also see a two-minute video of Mark Bittman making the gnocchi.)

Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi

Adapted from The Minimalist: Ricotta Gnocchi Are Sticky and Lumpy (and Just Right) (October 27, 2010) by Mark Bittman

Makes 8 servings

• Salt
• One 32-ounce container ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour
• 6 tablespoons butter
• bunch of sage leaves (about 20)

1. Bring to boil a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Combine the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, and 1 1/2 cups flour in a large bowl (or food processor), along with some salt and pepper. Add more flour until the mixture forms a very sticky dough. To make sure it will hold its shape, take a rounded tablespoon of batter and, with another spoon, gently scrape it off into the boiling water.  If it falls apart, stir in a bit more flour to the ricotta mixture.

2. Melt the sage in the butter in a large skillet over very low heat.

3.   Drop the ricotta mixture by the rounded tablespoon into the boiling water, working in batches of six or so at a time so as not to overload the pot.

4. When the gnocchi rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the skillet (if you plan to eat them right away) or to an oven-safe platter (if you plan to serve them later). When all the gnocchi are done, gently toss with the sage butter (or pour the butter over the platter of gnocchi), taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.

Photo: joyosity

You don’t need any special talent to do it, it requires very little time, and without it, you can end up spending twice as much. What is it?

Planning ahead.

Here is what I told Sarah from Buttoned Up last holiday season in an article for Scripps News:

“As with saving money in general, planning ahead is the best way to reduce your holiday spending.

First, time affords you the luxury to really think about what someone needs or wants. Thoughtful gifts can get away with being less expensive because they are more satisfying to both the giver and the receiver.

Second, when we are rushed and stressed, we tend to throw money at the problem. If we take the time to research the person’s interests, we are less prone to grabbing high-priced items to fill the void.

Finally, homemade gifts, the least expensive of all, usually require time and effort. If you want to make a memory book or a collection of your child’s artwork, you’ll feel better if you’ve got it in hand ahead of time (and less likely to drop the idea when time gets tight).”

Things You Might Want to Get Started on Now

Last year in Low Impact and Low Cost Gift Ideas, I talked about making photo albums (82% of Americans would rather have a collection of memories than a store-bought gift) and creating books of a child’s art or writing.

We have made books of the poems my daughters wrote in school (they rewrote them and added pictures) using a scanner and Blurb.  Another service, Inkubook, will print up a glossy book of your kid’s artwork.

You could do a more low-tech version — sometimes just as easy — by simply photocopying your child’s best work and either having it bound or doing it yourself (try a hole-punch and ribbons, a three ring binder, or a report cover).

If your child is not the artsy type, simply memorializing her age by copying a sampling of her work — either preschool scribbles or homework sheets — would be a loved memory.

What about making a movie flipbook from your digital videos with a service like FlipClip?

Holiday cards:  if you write a little about what’s going on in your life and include some photos, it’s a gift in itself.  People love getting hand-written snail mail, but if you can’t deal with writing it down, try these digital holiday cards that look like paper, recommended by Real Simple magazine: Paperless Post ($10 for 150 cards) or Pingg (free).

Things You Might Want to Request from Others

I don’t know about you, but we are up to our eyeballs in toys, craft supplies, balls, knick-knacks, stuffed animals, trucks, books — you get the idea.

While new toys can seem enticing to both the giver and the receiver, they eventually collect dust and create more chaos in our overflowing households.  Really all children need to have fun is a playmate or an engaging hobby or sport.

Last year I wrote about some clutter-free gift ideas such as experience gifts, sponsoring classes or activities, or gift certificates for pampering. What about asking for a professional photography session in your home, a subscription to a cooking website like Cooks Illustrated, or a tour of your city by boat or horse and carriage?

Things You Could Have Fun Making at Home

Make a big event out of creating holiday-themed treats for others, and you’ve just doubled the pleasure:  you spend time with your kids doing something out-of-the-ordinary, plus you give to others.

Here are some ideas I’ve written about in the past:

Easy chocolate-covered toffee

Fun and festive bonbon cookies

Sparkly pine cones

Homemade lollipops (you can change the Valentine theme to holiday)

Things You Can Do to Feel in Control

Finally, Simple Mom has some great tips for another major aspect of your holiday gift-giving:  planning your budget.

She has great ideas including mapping out your expenses (you can start this year recording all of your expenditures as a basis for a budget next year), increasing your budget by getting a seasonal job (like gift-wrapping), and setting limits on gift-giving (will you give just one present per person?  limit each gift by dollar amount?  decide not to exchange with extended family?).

What can you start now that will make you breathe easier when December rolls around?

Two hundred bucks per month.  And I swear she’s a real person:  I’ve met her, and she breathes and laughs and has birthed three adorable kids.

Kara Riedl, co-founder of our local chapter of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), wanted to take care of her children full-time when childcare costs rose as her family grew.  So she and her husband sat down and figured out how much they would have to cut back so that she could quit her job.  Her efforts on reducing the grocery bill put this frugal mama to shame!

In a talk she gave to a MOPS meeting called Eating Well on a Budget, she laid down how she did it.  You can read all of her tips on her blog, Just Simply Live, but here are some of the highlights:

1.  Open a separate bank account for groceries

Put a set amount in each month, so you don’t go over and you don’t have to keep track of your grocery spending.  If you find you can spend less, deposit a smaller amount the next month.  (Many banks will do automatic transfers.)

2.  Plan your meals for the week

Kara reminded us that 27% of the food available for consumption is thrown away.  How often do we toss moldy bread, spoiled milk, or green cheese?  Sticking to a plan and a list helps eliminate wasted food and thus wasted money.

a.  Make a master list of:

• your family’s favorite meals
• healthy meals
• meals you want to try

b.  Choose a meal from the master list for each day of the week.

c.  Write up your grocery list (while you are in the kitchen so you can check what you have).  Add breakfast, lunch and snack items.

3.  Stick to your list

In this meal-planning system, if we veer from our list we risk overstocking or making impulse buys (usually on snacks or sweets that can prevent us from cooking and eating healthier foods that spoil if not used in time).

4.  Don’t go to the best supermarket

Do you have a beautiful, delicious and overall wonderful grocery store in your area?   Don’t go there.  Here in Central New York, we have the blessing (or curse) of having one the country’s most highly-praised grocery stores, Wegman’s. Kara hates it.

All the gourmet, international, pre-prepared, organic and luxury choices can do major damage to your will — and your budget.  If you have a choice between an upscale store and a down-home one, observe your shopping behavior in both.  If you find you are a better person when you are presented with fewer temptations, maybe you can save the sushi aisle and olive bar for special occasions.

5.  Make your own food — and we’re not talking about dinner

I was all proud of myself for cooking meals almost every night until Kara revealed all the things she makes from scratch: bread (see her recipe below), yogurt, granola, fruit leather, trail mix, smoothies, kefir, and peanut butter.  She buys the raw ingredients (like flour, nuts and dried fruit) in bulk at an Amish store to save even more.

Plus she cans and freezes in-season fruits and vegetables.  She makes blueberry and strawberry jam, apple sauce, pie filling, butter, pickles, sauce, and salsa.  And she freezes veggies like beans, carrots and corn.

What the $200 Does Not Include

• A lot of meat. Kara’s husband is a no-meal-is-complete-without-meat kind of guy, and his brother runs a farm.  So the family buys an entire cow, which lasts about a year and a half, as well as a pig occasionally, which also lasts a good while.  (They store the meat in an extra freezer.)
• Farmer’s market stuff, where she is known to buy gallons of honey (remember, buy in bulk) or baskets of cucumbers to make pickles.
• Milk. Kara buys raw milk which is delivered to her house by a dairy and she pays cash (about $22 per month or less if she doesn’t need to make yogurt).
• Toiletries. Since non-food items are usually more expensive in a supermarket, she buys them from a separate account at Target.
• Honey Do. Last minute trips to the store where hubbie has to pick up some ingredients for dinner.

I’ll let that final piece segue into a point Kara made over and over in her talk to our group of moms.  No one is perfect.  Even her!  Sometimes the plan will be for chicken parmesan and she’ll heat up chicken nuggets.  Just because.  Sometimes she throws out boxes of stale Triscuits.  Sometimes they do McDonald’s drive-thru.  Most weeks she spends $50 per week on groceries, but sometimes she goes over.  Sometimes she goes under.

As Meagan Francis notes in The Happiest Mom about extremely simple meal planning, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough.

Kara’s Bread (or “The best whole wheat bread…EVA”)

Cost:  $0.50 per loaf

Yields 3 loaves

• 2 tablespoon yeast
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar (raw if you have it)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter (melted)
• 3 3/4 cups warm water
• 6 cups wheat flour
• 3 cups white flour (I use a high gluten flour and occident flour blend)
• More flour for kneading

In a large bowl combine yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let sit for a few minutes (it will get a bit bubbly). Then add remaining ingredients except the flour. Combine well. Add flours slowly and form into a ball. Knead for 8-10 minutes on a floured surface, adding flour to eliminate stickiness. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a towel. Let rise 1 hour until doubled.

Punch down and divide into thirds. Place in 3 pans and let rise until doubled (about 30 mins).

Heat oven to 375 degrees, and bake 30-35 minutes.

Do you know how much you spend on groceries? What are your strategies for keeping costs down? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Photo credit:  bread.  All other photos from Kara’s blog, Just Simply Live.

Almost as soon as our kids start bringing home math sheets and reading logs, they bring home order forms and collection envelopes for a magazine drive, a coupon book, or a wrapping paper catalog. Children (and parents) are supposed to sell as much as possible to make money for the school.

I wish I were a better saleswoman. This is an example of my best pitch: “You don’t want to buy any Girl Scout cookies, do you?” Yes, I’m commerce-challenged (hence yet another reason I need to be a frugal mama).

The other problem with school fundraisers is the school part. I love everything about it: from the classrooms (tiny desks filled with school supplies, the calendars and job charts, the smell of pencil shavings and crayons and old books) to chatting at drop-off with the parents and teachers, to the worksheets and homework organizers (I’ve always loved filling in forms). School touches both the child in me and that side that gets deep satisfaction from seeing everything in its place.

So when my daughter brought home a coupon book for local attractions and restaurants, which we were supposed to sell to friends and family, I was in a bind. Fundraiser: yucky. School: yummy.

In my mind I went over who I could sell these coupons books to. We just moved here, but I could surely rustle up some people. Then I remembered what happened last year. I wanted to help the PTA with the magazine drive so much that I delved into my address book and sent out emails to half the people I knew.

I think perhaps one person renewed a subscription, which would mean about $10 for the school. Was bothering my friends and family and possibly squandering a bit of good will worth it? I decided, no.

So I started to write a check for the $20 coupon book (I usually end up buying stuff myself to make up for my lack of entrepreneurial spirit, which highlights my lack of business sense even more), but then I thought — I really don’t want this coupon book.

Wondering why a frugal mama doesn’t love coupons? I’ve talked about why I think grocery coupons are a waste of time, and even though there are some high-value store coupons that are worth saving, the reason I didn’t want the restaurant and entertainment coupons is because I find they:

• keep the focus on spending
• are hard to keep track of, thus creating physical and mental clutter
• induce me to spend on things I didn’t naturally choose based on location, quality or charm
• are, frankly, a little embarrassing (especially when used to pay for a romantic dinner)

If I want money to go to the school, why don’t I just make a donation?

And that is what I did. Instead of $10 going to the school, all of my $50 went to the school. Before I would have felt guilty about not selling more or buying more, and annoyed that I had spent my money on something I didn’t really want or need.

This time I felt a tiny bit bad because I didn’t participate on the PTA’s terms, but then I realized it was a win-win: they got more money from me than they would have if I had just bought one coupon book for myself, and I got to support my children’s school in a way that felt right to me. In the end, the school got needed funds, and I got peace of mind.

Am I the only one with this dilemma? Please tell me no in the comments section below.