Budget Candy . . .

Although I've shared this before, with the holiday coming up, it seemed like a good reminder. When you are having guests, you often need to stretch the dollar and this is an easy and good way. When my children were very small, we didn't always have the extra money for special treats. Fortunately, I liked to bake so something could always be managed and the children never really knew when we were struggling financially. A favorite was a simple candy recipe that only required melting, stirring something into it, and letting it harden. Although you can use your choice of chocolate chips for this, I watch for the sales of the chocolate melts at the craft stores. Besides chocolate, it came in a variety of colors. It is easy to gently melt in the microwave and you can stir in just about anything to come up with a crunchy treat. You just add enough so it holds together when you drop tablespoons onto some waxed paper to harden. Some ideas . . . Peanuts and raisins. Candied fruit. Chow Mein noodles (the dried, ready-to-eat variety) Coconut. Crisped rice cereal. Tiny marshmallows and nuts. Pretzels As you can see, the list is as long as your imagination. Just make sure you don't use any 'wet' ingredients as it will seize up the chocolate and turn it into a grainy mess. Also, there are candy molds available if you want to be really fancy and, as they are reusable, it is a great investment of a couple of dollars.

Tipsy Beer Cake

Here is my take on an interesting recipe. I like cooking/baking with beer as it adds an interesting level to the finished product. Just make sure you use a good brand so the outcome is just as tasty! Tipsy Beer Cake 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2/3 cup shortening 2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cloves 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 12 ounce can of beer 1 cup mashed banana 1 cup finely diced dates 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Vegetable oil spray an oblong baking pan or pans to accommodate batter. Batter should fill the pans 2/3rds full. Stir together the salt, soda, spices, and flour together in a separate bowl. Cream together sugar, shortening, and eggs. Add beer, bananas, dates, nuts, zest, and vanilla to creamed mixture. Add the dry ingredient and mix to combine well. Pour bather into prepared pan(s). Bake for approximately 45 minutes depending on size of pans used. Use a toothpick to test for doneness - no wet batter should be evident. Let cool and ice with a lemon glaze. Keeps well . . . if it lasts that long!