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Tips Bakery Outlets - Almost all baked goods and pastry can be frozen. Check your area to see if you have a bakery outlet. Their prices are almost always cheaper. Make a trip once a month, and stock up on bread, muffins, pies and other baked items. Brownies and Cakes - It is usually more economical to use packaged mixes when you make things like cakes and brownies. You can always add your own touches to make them special. For instance, one very decadent way to make brownies is to frost them twice- first with a mint flavored frosting and then with chocolate. Use a flavored water or club soda in place of the liquid to change the taste of the cake. The more water you add to brownie mix, the more cake-like the brownies. If you want them to be more like fudge, add a tablespoon of corn syrup. Stock up on cake and brownie mixes when they go on sale, and then be creative. Day Old Bakery Items - If you like to pick up day old bakery goods, and others items put on clearance at your grocery store, shop early. These items are marked overnight and usually snapped up in the morning. If you don't know where these items are located in your store, ask. They are usually in the back corner of the store. Flour- There are many types of flour.  Be sure and use the one that will give you the desired result.  You can use all-purpose flour, but if you are making a cake, it will not be as delicate as one make with cake flour.  Whole wheat flour is great, but if it is new to you use it sparingly.  It will also make bread heavier.  Most people only use wheat flour  half-and-half with white flour.  You can also substitute oat flour for white flour. Freezer Savings - Most grains freeze wells.  Buy or bake bread, muffins, cookies, brownies etc., on sale, and freeze them. Hot Dog Buns - Use leftover hot dog buns to make garlic bread.  Just spread them with butter and garlic powder, and put them in the oven under the broiler. Inexpensive Breakfasts - Grains, served with fruit, and the healthiest and most economical breakfast.  Experiment with different grains besides oatmeal.  Pancakes and waffles can be made ahead and frozen.  Kids always like French toast. Pancakes and Waffles - Pancakes are a good, economical breakfast. However, sometimes it's hard to stay still over the stove in the morning when so much is going on. Think about making a batch of them at one time and then freezing them. You and your family can easily heat them up in the microwave. If you make them ahead of time, you can take your time and add some extra ingredients to make them more nutritious like wheat germ, bran, nuts or fruit juices. You can also do the same thing with waffles. French Toast - Fresh toast is a very economical breakfast, and kids usually love it. There are several advantages of making French toast for breakfast. One is that is a good way to use up bread that is getting old. Or, you can buy heavily discounted bread at the store or a bakery outlet. If you buy a bunch of loaves, you can freeze them. Another advantage is that you can make it in advance and then freeze it for a quick breakfast. Go ahead and brown it, and then when you take it out to eat it, just thaw it, and then top it with syrup, powdered sugar, or cinnamon butter. Spaghetti - When you serve Spaghetti, always serve the pasta and meat separately. You can use the leftover meat to make a quick chili by just adding a can of beans or another meal. The pasta can be put in soup, or you can make casseroles. If you put them together, it will remain spaghetti forever. Sugar - Sugar is extremely important in all baked goods.  If you've ever made a loaf of bread without it, you will see that it has no color and does not look appetizing.  All types of sugar work well.  Honey gives a particularly appealing color to baked breads. Yeast - There is nothing more disheartening then using bad yeast and ruining a baked item.  If you have doubts whether your yeast is working, always check it out by putting it in a little water with a pinch of sugar.  It should start bubbling after about 10 minutes.  However, if you keep your yeast in the freezer, is it almost foolproof.

 

 

 

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