Delicious Blueberry Muffins Using Mayonnaise

   If you have a lot of mayonnaise on hand, that needs used up before its expiration date, here are some quick ways to not waste it! Did you know you can use the mayonnaise as a coating for your chicken, before applying the breadcrumbs and frying? I did this the other day and it made the chicken so much more delicious! You can also use the mayonnaise in baked goods (breads, muffins, biscuits, cake, ect.) Which is what I did recently, making these oh so yummy Blueberry Muffins. These muffins came out with a nice slight crunchy outer coating, and a soft, perfectly moist, inside. The best part is, you can't even taste the mayonnaise, it's great! I liked these muffins so much, I will definitely be making them again! To make these muffins, you need the following ingredients:

•  2 Eggs
  
• 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of mayonnaise (I used Kewpie brand=best mayo evveerrr)
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 TBSP of Cinnamon (give or take)
  
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 3/4 cup of milk

 

Mix all of the above ingredients together and then add in your preferred amount of blueberries. You could also use any other type of mix in and it would probably be just as good! Think... Blackberries, chopped strawberries or apples, shredded carrots or zucchini, chocolate chips, oatmeal... there are so many options! Once everything is all mixed together, start adding dollops of the batter into your muffin pan, either lined with muffin liners or well greased. (I like to use avocado oil if I don't have liners.) Place your muffin tin in the oven and cook at 350° for approximately 25 minutes. Test muffin center with either a toothpick or butter knife- if it comes out clean, your muffins are done cooking and ready to cool. If it's slightly doughy still, cook for another 5-7 minutes, as oven cooking time varies. The muffins should be nice and golden, with the perfect outer crisp, and once cooled, they're ready to enjoy!! 

 

 

Jam Jar Oat Bars + Recipe

   If you have some leftover jelly or jam in the jar, and are tired of making sandwiches with it, try making a tasty dessert! These Jam Jar Oat Bars are easy to make, and taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but without the peanut butter. To make these bars, you first build up the crumb bottom.

 

Mix together:

1 Stick of Softened Butter

1 Cup of Flour 

1 Cup of Oatmeal

A Dash of Salt

3/4 Cup of Brown Sugar

Add about 3/4 of this crumb mixture to the bottom of a greased 9 inch baking pan, shaping it together to form the crust. Once layered, spread across your jam or jelly, and sprinkle across the remaining crumb mix you made above. Bake in the oven at 350° for about 30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy as is, or top with ice cream for the ultimate treat! 

 

Enjoy!

Experimenting on Making Beer Bread

 

  We're not a beer drinking household, but was gifted a couple beers to try, from a coworker friend. So instead of drinking said beer, I decided to try my hand at making Beer Bread! This is such an easy way to make a loaf of bread, but if you don't like beer, you might not enjoy eating on this loaf either. I unfortunately didn't know this, until after the bread was cooled and the first bite was eaten. 

   To make Beer Bread, 

you need the following ingredients:

3 Cups of Flour

3 tsp of Baking Powder

1 tsp of Salt 

1/4 Cup of Sugar 

12oz Can of Beer

   Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well. The batter should be the texture of drop biscuits dough. Spoon batter into a greased loaf pan in bake in the oven at 375° for approximately an hour give or take. Once cooked through completely, add a pat of butter to the tap. Let cool and enjoy! It's a very simple recipe and the loaf comes out looking great. Just beware that, depending on the beer you use, the taste is very strong in this recipe! 

 

Holiday Decor on a Budget : Thanksgiving Style

 

   If you like to decorate for the Holidays, but hate spending tons of money on items that only gets used one month out of the year, or maybe cant quite afford the price of decor...I totally get it. It's costly and takes up space for the other 11 months that it is not being used. Because of this, I try to use what I have on hand, to make my holiday decor, or I look for items that can be reused, fit more holidays than just one, and also fit the budget! So I will share with you a list of budget friendly ideas to decorate for the holidays. 

 

* Make a diy Thanksgiving Garland using only what you have on hand. Check out what I made here, and it didn't cost me a thing.

* Use brown paper bags as table coverings or place-mats for the kids to draw hand turkeys on. Doubles as decor and fun!

 

* Frame up some free printables to match the holiday theme. A few places you can find them are at: How To Nest For Less, Juggling Act Mama, and Today's Fabulous Finds just to name a few.

* Forage in the great outdoors for leaves and branches that can be dried out and used as decor. Branches work great in a jar or vase, and dried leaves can be used to make garlands, table decor, and more! 

 

* Hunt for the best deals! I am part of several Facebook Groups that share deals on holiday decor and more, so you really can get up to 90% off on some items, and save big time.

 

* And last but not least..purchase retail end of season decor on mega sales, to enjoy for the next year!

 

Have any tips you think I should add to this list? Feel free to drop me a comment and let me know! 

3 Ingredient DIY Body Powder

   If you rather know exactly what is in your baby powder/body powder, why not make your own? I tried my hand at this and found it to be extremely easy to do! 

 

   To make, you only need three ingredients: Baking Soda, Cornstarch, and Essential Oils of your choice for it to be scented. I chose Lavender Essential Oil for mine, because I wanted a relaxing scent. All you do is mix the powders together and add in drops of essential oil to your liking. Mix it all together and keep in a shaker bottle, ready for use. It's super easy and can be made in seconds! Follow the recipe below to make Easy DIY Body Powder:

1 Cup of Cornstarch

1/2 Cup of Baking Soda

15 Drops of Essential Oils

   Upon using, I found that the powder gets clumpy really fast, so after some research, I found that you can add uncooked rice to your shaker bottle, to help prevent the mix from clumping. I will try this next time and see if it helps! But this is a great way to make body powder in a pinch, and this way you know exactly what's going into it!

 

Homemade Banana Cream Pie by the hubby

 

   One of my favorite type of pies is Banana Cream Pie. My husband made this beautiful one awhile back, and I wanted to share because it was so delicious! To make this pie, he followed the sugarspunrun recipe, and used the following ingredients:

 

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 Tablespoons of butter cut into pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 bananas

   In a sauce pan, mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt, then add in the egg yolks, milk, and heavy cream, mixing til all combined together. Place sauce pan over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture begins to bubble. Once the bubbling begins, allow it to simmer for 1 minute, monitoring that it doesn't burn. Immediately remove from the heat and add butter a tablespoon at a time. Whisk together and add in the vanilla extract. Once everything is mixed together, pour the filling through a fine mesh strainer and into a heatproof bowl. Cover the filling surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Once cooled, pour some of the filling into a pie crust, smooth it out, and top with sliced bananas, repeat the layers so you have a marriage of pudding and sliced bananas throughout. Fridge for several hours to set, top with sliced bananas and whipped cream. 

 

 

Enjoy!!