Homemade ways to save money

Granola
6 cups oatmeal
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
Mix up with a wooden spoon and layer on two greased cookie sheets. Add more or less honey to suit your tastes. Bake for 20 minutes in 350 degree oven. Store in an airtight container. Add raisins, or dried fruit, chocolate chips, peanuts, sunflower seeds…after baking.
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
Mix 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup milk and 3 Tbsp. of the dry Ranch mix.

Syrup
2 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Heat on the stove and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add a teaspoon or two of maple flavoring. Store in the fridge.

Bread and Butter Pickles
10 small or 5 regular cucumbers
1 large or 2 small onions
¼ cup salt
Ice water
Thinly slice the cucumbers and onions. Combine salt and water and pour over to cover. Refrigerate for 3 hours and drain off water. Combine in a large pot 2 ½ cups of sugar, 2 ½ cups vinegar, 1 tsp. mustard seed, 1 tsp. turmeric, ½ Tbsp. whole cloves, 1 tsp. celery seed. Bring to a boil. Add drained cukes. Stir and bring to a boiling point but DO NOT boil. Remove from heat and spoon into jars or Tupperware. Store in fridge.


Tortillas
4c. flour
2 t. salt
6 Tbsp. shortening or oil
1 c. water
Combine flour and salt and cup in shortening. Add water. Form a ball, and add more water if needed. Work until bowl is clear of all dough. Knead well on floured surface and make into egg sized balls. Cover with cloth and let sit for 15 minutes.
Roll a ball of dough thin until about 6 inches across. Place on hot ungreased skillet or griddle and cook about 2 minutes, turn over and cook 1 minute more.

Noodles
2 c. flour
2 eggs
¼ c. water
½ tsp. salt
Mix dry ingredients with egg beaten together with water. Knead until smooth about 10 minutes or so. Dough should not be sticky but not too dry that it falls apart. Cover with a damp towel for 30 minutes. On lightly floured surface roll out thin. Sprinkle with flour. Roll in a tight roll and cut into ¼ inch strips for thin noodles or 1 ¼ inch strips for lasagna noodles. Toss to loosen the strips and dust a bit with flour if sticky. Spread out on a cloth to dry out or cook immediately. Drop by handfuls into boiling water. Cook about 10-12 minutes. They can be frozen uncooked and cooked later.

Pancakes
2c. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 cups milk
4 Tbsp. oil
Mix all ingredients and cook on a hot griddle.

Waffles
1 ¾ cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 ¾ cup m ilk
½ cup oil
Mix all ingredients and cook in a hot waffle iron.

Bisquick Master Mix
1 cup shortening
2 tsp. salt
4 ½ cups flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
Cut in shortening until well mixed-like cornmeal. Keep in tightly sealed container.

Bisquik Pancakes
2 cups Master mix
1 egg
1 2/3 cups milk

Pizza Dough
1 ¼ tsp. yeast
1 cup water (lukewarm)
1 ¾ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
Mix all. Let rise 1 hour. Shape and bake on greased pan at 450 for 8-10 minutes.

Pizza Sauce
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes with added puree
4 ½ tsp. olive oil
½ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. oregano
Mix in 4 quart saucepan over low heat. Bring tomatoes and oil to a simmer, cover partially and continue simmering stirring occasionally. Add sugar, salt and oregano.

Soft Pretzels
3 tsp. yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
3 tsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt
3 cups flour
4 Tbsp. butter
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and salt. Stir in flour, one cup at a time. Knead 5 minutes. In a greased bowl, cover, for 1 hour. Divide into 12. Roll into a rope and twist into a pretzel. Brush with butter and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. These are super yummy!


Tips
Make up some powdered milk to use in recipes and use regular milk for cereal.