Frugal Finds and Why I Love Thrift Shops

Everyone who knows me knows that I love fresh flowers. They make me happy, and I really get a lot of pleasure from seeing them on my desk or the dining room table. I never spend much money on them either, I buy them from the grocery store or farmers market at a low price.

Being frugal doesn't mean going without or not being able to enjoy the things you like in life, it just means you look for the things you want at a reduced price. And you can actually make the hunt fun and challenging, especially if you like shopping, which I love.

This vase was only $2.99 and I consider it one of my best scores ever. I'm a big fan of blue and white, so this is a classic piece that I can see keeping pretty much forever. It came from Goodwill on a day that pink tags were half off.

That is one of the things I really like about Goodwill, everyday offers some kind of savings. It can be half off, or 30 or 40%, or senior citizens day. Just go to your local Goodwill website for a list of savings days.

My granddaughter Ashley is a shopper too, and we have found tons of cute name brand clothes for her at a fraction of the price in department stores. Kids grow so quickly that it's a little silly to pay a lot of money for clothes that they outgrow in six months.

Maybe you're already a thrift store shopper and you completely understand why I love thrift shopping. And if you're not, give it a try.

There's no shame about buying, wearing, and using thrifted items. I'll never forget seeing an acquaintance of mine, a very well off and chic women, going into the dressing room at Goodwill with an armful of clothing to try on. Even rich people want a bargain!!

Of course, Goodwill isn't the only place to shop for deals. There's lots of places to seek out in your own cities and neighborhoods. I like small shops that are run by local charities that benefit directly from it's sales.

Here in the Seattle area, we have a store that benefits Seattle Children's Hospital that I love supporting because of all the good works it does for kids.

And don't forget about donating too, if there are things around your house you don't need, donations help so much, creating jobs and raising money for a good cause.

Happy thrifting!!

Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Do you have a favorite cake recipe that never fails you? That you can make for almost any occasion, whether it's a friends' birthday, office party or picnic?

For me, it's this delicious Lemon Pound Cake. I'm a real lemon lover, so this really satisfies my desire for that tangy, tart flavor. I'll sometimes make it for dessert for a family gathering, and have some left over for a piece the next day with a cup of tea.

I like recipes for Bundt cakes. Bundt cakes always look homemade and somehow comforting to me. I remember my Mom making the Tunnel Of Fudge cake with a mix that was so popular years ago. But I always think it's worth the extra time to make a cake from scratch, and makes all the difference in taste.



 



 

Recipe for Lemon Pound Cake

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) at room temperature, plus more for the pan

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for the pan

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sour cream

2 cups confectioners' sugar

 

Directions:

 

1. Heat oven to 325° F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice, then the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth. Pour glaze over cake.

Serves 12

 

I published this last year, but it's a wonderful cake recipe for spring, so I wanted to share it again.

Plum Butter Cake Recipe

Fruit desserts have always been one of my favorites, whether I'm baking them or eating them. The arrival of spring and summer means that I'll have plenty of different kinds of fruits to pick from, and plums are always on my shopping list.

I made this delicious Plum Butter Cake the other day because I got so excited to see plums in my local grocery store. The recipe is quite easy, and the batter is a basic yellow cake batter, scented with cinnamon. The plums also give a lovely flavor to the cake, too.

Last year a friend of one of my daughter's let us pick all the yellow plums that we could carry from her trees. We turned them into tarts, muffins, and topping for French toast and waffles. And we ate plums for days, it was heaven.

I could have let the plums I bought ripen more, but I was too excited to bake the cake. Apricots, nectarines, and peaches can be substituted for the plums if you like.

Recipe for Plum Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 large eggs
6 plums, pitted and thickly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake or deep dish pie plate. Line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper.
Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix well, about 2 minutes.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Poke the plum slices into the batter, placing them close together. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and 1 tablespoon sugar and sprinkle evenly over batter.
Bake 45-50 minutes, until the cake is golden on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

Easter Vanilla Cupcakes

I wanted to make something yummy for my grandchildren the other day, and since Easter is only a couple days away, I thought cupcakes would be a good idea. The kids were thrilled with these, not just by their taste, but how festive they look, too.

These cupcakes are vanilla, and one of my favorite, basic recipes that I turn to over and over again. The buttercream frosting is a favorite too, sweet and creamy. I tinted the frosting with food coloring in pink and green, and the M&M's are Easter Pastel.

I love being the kind of grandmother who makes treats for her grandchildren. It makes me far happier than it makes them, I think, because they have no sense of time passing and I do. They just know that it's a great afternoon because Nana made treats, but I know this is a day I will remember, and a day that I hope they will.

Recipe for Vanilla Easter Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat just until no traces of flour remain, about 30 seconds; do not overbeat.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Bake until the cupcakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

8 Tbs. (1 sticks) unsalted butter

2 1/2 Tbs. milk, plus more, if needed

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

Food colorings

 

Directions:

 

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, or using a hand mixer, combine the confectioners sugar, butter, the 2 1/2 Tbs. milk, the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

If the frosting is dry, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks. Tint with food coloring as desired, and frost and decorate cupcakes.

 

Makes 12 cupcakes.

 

Originally published last year, but I wanted to share it with everyone again.

Happy Easter!!

Chewy S'mores Bars Recipe

I don't know anyone who doesn't love the gooey, yummy chocolaty and marshmallow taste of s'mores. They have always been a delicious treat that we make when my family and I go camping every year at Lake Cushman in Washington State.

I'm not really a big camper, I love the comforts of home for sure, but it's a lot of fun to get together with my kids and grandkids for a few days at the lake. I have a lot of great memories from these times, and I hope it's times that my family will always remember with warmth and happiness.

As much as I love s'mores, I sure don't want to wait just once a year to eat them. So when I found this recipe, I was eager to give it a try. I'm so glad I did because they are so delicious!!

Loaded with chocolate chips and marshmallows, they are all the yumminess of regular s'mores but you can have them whenever you want, and not just around the campfire. My family loved them, and this is a recipe that's a keeper for sure.

Recipes for Chewy S'mores Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup finally crushed graham crackers
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Lightly grease foil with baking spray.
In a large bowl, beat butter with a mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour. Stir in oats and graham cracker crumbs.
Reserve 1 cup of the oat mixture. Spread the remaining oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle warm crust with marshmallows. Top with chocolate chips. Dot with the remaining oat mixture. Bake 20 minutes more or until top is lightly browned. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Use foil to lift uncut bars out of pan. But into bars.

Makes 12 large bars.

Enjoy!!