Homemade Bread Crumbs

What do you do with the left over crust from your bread and the heels no one eats?

Here's an idea: have a gallon size zip top freezer bag labeled "bread crumbs" and when the package of bread is finished except for the heels, throw them in the bag and keep in the freezer. The next time your recipe calls for bread crumbs, make your own!

Bread Crumbs Recipe

Take frozen heels from freezer and put in food processor and process into crumbs. Put back in freezer bag and save for use in future recipes.

Italian Bread Crumbs Recipe

1 cup homemade bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Mix by hand or put in food processor and process just enough to mix.

All Purpose Seasoned Bread Crumbs Recipe

2 cups dry homemade breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon sage
1 pinch onion powder
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch garlic

Mix by hand or put in food processor and process just enough to mix.

Meal Preparation Made Easy!

When I come across a good deal on ground beef I buy extra and prepare an All Purpose Meat Mixture for future recipes.

All Purpose Meat Mixture

5 lbs ground meat
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, diced
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp salt (optional)

In a large pot, brown ground beef. Drain. Stir in garlic, onion, green pepper, salt and pepper; cover and simmer about 10 minutes until vegetables are tender but not soft.
This should make approximately 12 cups. Divide mixture into freezer bags (about 2 cups in each bag), label and freeze for use in future recipes.

Homemade Cleaning Supplies

Haven't found any good deals on cleaning supplies lately? Being frugal and saving money is all about being flexible and creative. The following are some recipes for homemade cleaning supplies. They don't always have a good scent but I have used some of these and in a pinch they work well.

Homemade Spray Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water

This mixture can be used to clean kitchen countertops and appliances. It can also be used in the bathroom to clean countertops, floors, and exterior surfaces of the toilet. For really tough bathroom surfaces such as shower walls, pump up the cleaning power by removing the sprayer element and heating the solution in the microwave until barely hot. Spray shower walls with the warmed solution, allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse. The heat helps soften stubborn soap scum and loosens hard water deposits.

Other ways to use White Vinegar:
You can use undiluted white vinegar for tougher cleaning problems involving hard water deposits or soap scum. Clogged shower heads can be cleaned by placing 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar in a plastic food storage bag and secure the bag to the shower head with a rubber band. Let stand for 2 hours to overnight, then rinse and buff the fixture to a shiny finish. White vinegar is also a good fabric softener for people with sensitive skin. Just add one cup of undiluted white vinegar to the laundry rinse cycle instead of commercial fabric softener.

Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:
1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol1 cup water1 tablespoon white vinegar

Furniture Polish Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:
1 cup olive oil1/2 cup lemon juice

Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.

Homemade Pancake Syrup!

Like every Saturday morning, my kids wanted pancakes and scrambled eggs. I whipped up the batter and then discovered I didn't have any syrup! I began to wonder if I could improvise with staples I already had in my pantry and started looking for recipes on the internet and there were a bunch. I chose a recipe and the pancakes were saved. The syrup was good but not as good as store bought. However, in a pinch it tasted great! If you are interested in making homemade syrup try this recipe I found on AllRecipes.com.

Homemade Pancake Syrup

Ingredients:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a saucepan, combine the sugars, water and corn syrup; bring to a boil over medium heat. Broil for 7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in maple flavoring and vanilla. Cool for 15 minutes. Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.