1.10.2013

first birthday on the spending fast

i mentioned in my "prep" post that i unsubscribed from most of the email lists i was on--but i decided to continue receiving emails from my two favorite grocery stores, kroger & giant eagle. (sometime in the near future i'll share my "coupon guide" and explain what i like about each of those stores more specifically.) saw that giant eagle will have roasts on sale -- by one get one free, so i'll be stopping by this evening after work. this past weekend i was feeling especially domestic and used a really simply crock pot roast recipe and it turned out great--and it was enough food to provide 2 people with about 3 meals (using leftovers, i mean.) using leftovers and getting several meals out of one purchase is a great way to get the most bang for your buck. i'm always on the look out for recipes like that.

today is also my little sister's birthday, so i'll have to make my stop into giant eagle a quick one. we're having dinner at my mom and step-dad's house tonight to celebrate, and i made the cake. just used a box mix, and it was a flavor i've never made before--butter cake, per her request. i'm not sure if it turned out the way it was supposed to, but i guess we'll see! i'll be sure to snap some pics of the cake "decor"--it's something most of you nerds will probably appreciate (no spoilers!)

holidays and birthdays are a struggle for me because my instinct is to spoil my loved ones with gifts and prizes and miscellany--especially when it comes to my little sister. this year, i'm crafting something neat for her--i think she's going to really like it, but i'm bummed out because i didn't finish it in time to give it to her tonight at the shindig. lesson learned--crafts take time, so it's worth planning ahead to make sure gifts are ready on time. there will be a post on this particular craft soon--not before i'm able to give it to her, though!


recipe review: biscoff cookies copy cat recipe

this morning while enjoying my coffee and "breakfast cookies" (which is a thing now, i just made up, cookies specifically for breakfast) it occurred to me that i can't be the only fan of the delta biscoff cookies--and i should share the recipe i used to make my own at home!

i travel quite often for work, and i always fly delta. i've gotten to the point where i pine for the tasty biscoff cookies they hand out for free. i especially like them dipped in my morning coffee--very tasty! 

anyway--i think now-a-days you can actually by them at the grocery store, but this past weekend i thought i'd look into finding a copycat recipe so i could make them myself. most of the time, not always, making something at home is cheaper than buying it--especially if the ingredient you're using can be used over and over again. that's definitely the case with these cookies. 

i did some googling and thought i'd try the recipe here. it seemed simple enough, but in a rookie move i didn't read the whole recipe before tackling it and ran into a few issues. there are ingredients mentioned in the directions that aren't listed in the ingredient list...a little odd, but i made it work. i'm going to post a slightly edited version of the recipe below, mostly to address what i assume are just typos:

biscoff cookie - copy cat recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each of:
nutmeg
ginger
allspice
cloves
baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup room temperature butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

- preheat over to 350 f
- in a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves), baking soda, baking powder and salt
-in a separate large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on low speed; mix in the vanilla extract
-gradually blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture until it is well combined
-roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. from here you can either bake it as a large sheet of cookies to cut later, or you can use cookie cutters to make cookie shapes.
-if you choose to bake it as a large sheet, bake for 20-25 minutes. cut out cookies to shape as desired
-if you choose to bake it as shapes, place dough shapes onto parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes.
-cool on cooking rack before serving. these are best once they have cooled.

the original recipe left the salt and nutmeg off the ingredient list, so i wasn't sure how much to include. i just guessed and must have guessed right, because the flavor was pretty good. i "heaped" my measurements for the spices because i wanted a strong flavor--i was mostly happy with the result, but will probably use less clove next time, as that particular flavor was a little too much for me. 

i tried rolling out the dough to use cookie cutters, but the dough was so sticky (even with a bit of flour on the counter) that i gave up. i ended up rolling out little balls of dough and flattening them in my hands before placing them on the cookie sheet.

i think next time i'll flatten them out a bit more so they're very thin--i'm hoping to get them a little crispier. did some research and while there are plenty of more complicated ways to get crispy cookies, i found a few simple things to try next time. adding more white sugar in place of the brown sugar will decrease some of the moisture that comes with the brown sugar. also, using warm liquid ingredients (butter, eggs) will make the cookies spread quicker, making them thinner and crispier. this is the message board i found with info about getting crispy/soft cookies!

a warning though, if you don't already have cloves and allspice in your spice rack, they're significantly pricier than the other spices. to justify the purchase, you'd have to commit to using the spices in other recipes or making these copy cat cookies more than once. the recipe yielded about 3 dozen cookies--not bad for a simple recipe using (mostly) ingredients i already have, or can use in other recipes as well.

enjoy!


1.09.2013

2013 prep!

how does one prepare for a complete spending overhaul? i've read a few different lists of suggestions, but i thought i'd post about my own "preparations" -- and no, they don't include stocking a basement full of canned food and guns.

1. unsubscribed from email lists

every day, i'm bombarded by sales, offers, coupons, etc. and i always find myself clicking along, looking at the deals, and, oftentimes, buying stuff i don't need simply because it's on sale or there's a promo code, etc. eliminating the temptation will help, i think--out of sight, out of mind.

2. cancelled my spotify premium account 

this is an indulgence; canceling the premium membership will save me $120 this year.

3. cancelled my gym membership & weight watchers membership

over the past several months, i've successfully lost 40 pounds using weight watchers and working out occasionally. the weight watchers app on my phone is great, and incredibly useful. but over the past few months my weight has plateaued and i wasn't using the app enough to make the monthly fee worth it. i have the knowledge and ability to make better eating habits without an app telling me what's ok and what's not.

same situation with the gym membership-- i just wasn't going to the gym enough to justify the cost each month. i have a bike and two legs--it will be harder to motivate myself to work out, but the resources are there to stay active without the monthly fee. canceling these memberships will save me about $720 this year.

i struggled a bit with canceling these membership as it felt like i was giving up on my health goals, but i think the motivation is still there--it will be harder without these tools, but not impossible. over the past 3 months i haven't utilized either membership much, but managed to maintain my weight successful. it's doable!

4. organized my recipe box & kitchen

i had a mess of recipes in my kitchen--some handwritten, some printed, some i forgot i had ever collected. cooking is fun, and i really enjoy it--but the clean up and prep every day can be weary. for me, having everything neat and tidy, organized and easily accessible, makes the process more enjoyable. i'm not as likely to avoid the kitchen and want to cheat with a restaurant or take out.

5. made plans for a garage sale in the spring

this applies more to my hopes to have less physical clutter in my life, and will hopefully generate a bit of income. we have SO MUCH STUFF in our apartment and downsizing will feel awesome. knowing about the spring garage sale will be helpful, too, because it gives me time to set things aside over the next few months.

...

in the next couple weeks, i'm going to spend some time thinking about really specific goals i'd like to reach as well as establishing a better list of wants vs. needs, which is key to being successful in this project. of course, you guys will be the first to know about them when i do. :)