8 Foods I Never Have to Buy Again

I'm no chef and there are days when I don't like cooking, but there are just some foods that I make myself, as opposed to buying them. Okay, so some of these my husband has to make. Still, they're always tasty. Most are cheaper and all are healthier than the store-bought versions.

1. Yogurt
Yogurt is so easy to make and so much cheaper than buying it, making your own is a no-brainer. All you need is milk, a thermometer and a tiny bit of plain yogurt to start with. If you save a little bit from every batch you make, you'll never have to buy it again. You can read these recipes and here's mine. Heat 1 Qt. milk to 110 degrees F, in a saucepan, stirring constantly. Add 2 Tbs yogurt and whisk in. Pour all into a Mason jar, tighten the lid and wrap in a dishtowel. (I stuff mine into an oven mitt sometimes.) Place in oven, close the oven door, turn on oven light and set timer for 8 hours. I always remove the knob so nobody can turn my oven on. Yogurt is ready in time for breakfast. Refrigerate when done. (If you want fruit or berries, add them at the end.)

2. Salad dressing
            Ranch: Use some homemade yogurt and add just a few small pieces of garlic and onion. Salt, pepper and dill to taste. (You can use fresh or dried garlic, onion and dill.) It tastes better after at least one day in the fridge. This stays good for about a week and a half.
            Vinaigrette: 3 parts olive oil, 1 part vinegar. Diced onions, garlic and peppers if desired. Salt and pepper to taste. For variations, try different types of vinegar or add a dash of sugar. You can refrigerate this but I don't.

3. Barbecue Sauce
Start with a tomato sauce base. For 12 oz of tomato sauce, stir in blackstrap (no sulpher) molasses until the sauce is the color you want (dark red-brown). Stir well. Add a dash of mustard powder and a spoonful of vinegar. Add a sprinkle of garlic powder, paprika .Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Hot Chocolate
Heat some milk, add cacao and your choice of sweeteners until it tastes the way you like it. I like honey. For variety, heat a cinnamon stick or peppermint leaves with your milk. Or, in place of half the milk, try substituting your favorite tea (blueberry is delicious.)

5. Peanut Butter or Nut Butters
Toast the nuts (toast them in the oven on broil and stir), put in blender, run until smooth, smash it down as you go, salt if desired. Try this link.

6.Egg Nog
It tastes even better than store-bought and you don't have to wait 'til Christmas. 1 Qt. milk in blender. (I like to add extra cream.) 1 raw egg*.  Add a couple tablespoons of sugar--or more if you like, and a sprinkling of nutmeg. This recipe sounds good too but I'd leave out the alcohol. *Note: uncooked eggs may contain harmful pathogens.

7. Hot Wings
Frozen chicken wings, some butter and a bottle of Frank's Original Hot Sauce. The recipe is here. Way cheaper to make than buy, and super good made fresh.

8. Granola
The nuts, seeds and berries for this dish make it expensive to get started, but you can make many batches before you have to buy more. It also has no dyes, artificial or "natural" flavors, no preservatives and it tastes really good. My husband is the granola maker in our home and he varies the type of nuts and fruits based on what we have in the house. It always turns out yummy. We use all organic ingredients so it's pretty expensive, but not as expensive as buying organic granola. Here is the recipe.

I still want to try making my own gelatin, flavored and colored with fruit juice. Someday I'll jerk my own beef. I love learning new recipes. Which ones are your favorites?

6 Good Reasons Parents Are Cooler Than Santa

Now, to start off, I don't hate Santa Claus. (Even though he never brought me anything. Humph.) My parents didn't really do Christmas (Shocking, I know!) so Santa and I never had much opportunity to get acquainted. I like the idea of a generous figure setting a good example at Christmastime. What I do not like, is when kids have more respect for Santa Clause than they do for their own parents.  I'm talking about the good parents, the ones who are trying their best, and working their butts off for their kids.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I think mothers and fathers are the best example of generosity the world has ever seen, short of Jesus Christ. Santa Claus may be the giver of cool stuff to a small percentage to the world that celebrates Christmas (and many of those watch for the Three Wise Men instead) BUT parents are way cool, the world over, ALL YEAR LONG. To be clear, the rankings are, 1.) Jesus Christ; 2.) Parents; 43.) Father Christmas. In case we forget, here's a list. Check it twice.

Parents are awesomer (my toddler's word) than Santa because...

1. Santa only shows up once a year

 And then, only when you're sleeping. That's pretty much neglect. And it's creepy. What kind of person only comes to see you when you're asleep? You can argue that he craves anonymity but if that's true, why is he in every shopping mall? Creepy, I tell you.  If parents followed Santa's pattern, they would be the worst parents ever.

2. Santa is a fair-weather friend. 

He's only around during happy times. One happy time, actually. In contrast, parents are there all year and not just for the happy times. They are there for the nasty vaccinations--and the actual diseases! They clean up vomit in the middle of the night, deal with teething, drooling, temper tantrums and teenagers. They hold you when you've had a bad dream. They sing you to sleep. They teach you how to live. Santa does none of that.

3. Santa is cheap.

 He only brings presents once a year. Parents, on the other hand, are continually giving. They pay your rent, your school fees, help fix your car when it's broken and sign you up for soccer. They feed you and pay your doctor, even if you haven't been "good all year." Parents are definitely the most generous.

4. Santa stays up all night once a year, while parents do that all the time. 

Graveyard shift is a tired reality for many parents other than myself and it is every night for some. If parents are lucky enough to be in bed after midnight, there are plenty of things to pull them out again. Illness, school projects left until the last minute, and asking you where you've been and  with whom all cut into parental sleep time. Nightmares and night terrors are a challenge all their own. Parents are the real heroes here.

5. Santa makes you wait in line to see him, and then he talks to you for only a moment.

 Parents are available virtually any time you need them and they will have a real conversation with you. If something is bothering you, they will get to the  bottom of it. They will encourage you, teach you, laugh at your funny stories and cry with you when you're sad. They will listen and try to help. They will tell you they love you and mean it.

6. Santa puts himself on a pedestal and makes it all about him. 

Parents make it all about you. You are wonderful. You can be anything. And YOU better change your attitude right now. Parents will put your needs above their own. They will work crazy night hours so they can be with you during the day. They will help with homework that terrifies them more than they will admit. They will teach you to drive, of all horrors. And finally, they will let you go, even if it breaks their hearts.

Parents will always win, even if we never question the existence of Santa Claus.

Moms and dads everywhere, I salute you. You are making a better world. You deserve my respect. Bless you this Christmas and always. (And by that I mean, I hope the kids behave, that you get to sleep in, and that you have great auto insurance.) Merry Christmas!