• muffins
• brownies
• cakes
• cookies
• pancakes
• waffles
• sweet bread
• soup
• chilli
• lasagna
• pizza
• smoothies
• ice cream
• lemonade
• fruit juice

The Benefits of Going Green by Cooking from Scratch

The following are the benefits of cooking from scratch:

• Eliminates the need to recycle, reuse and/or throw away hundreds of boxes, cans and plastic packages every year.
• Creates healthier meals by ensuring that there are no harmful additives and preservatives.
• Allows for moderation of calories, fat, sugar, carbohydrates, etc.
• Customizes recipes so that ingredients can be substituted to suit specific tastes and/or accommodate for food allergies.
• Saves money.
• Makes the food taste better.
• Creates family bonding because kids love to help

Pantry Checklist to Help You Cook From Scratch

The following is a pantry checklist for going green by cooking from scratch:

• flour (whole wheat flour is healthiest)
• sugar (or sugar substitute)
• brown sugar or molasses
• baking soda
• baking Powder
• yeast
• salt
• baking cocoa
• eggs (or egg replacer)
• Various spices and seasonings
• butter or butter substitute
• vegetable oil
• cooking spray
• chocolate chips
• rolled oats
• milk (cow’s milk. rice milk, soy milk etc)
• applesauce

Learning to cook and bake from scratch might seem terrifying at first. However, once you learn how to improvise and use substitutions for ingredients that you may not have on hand, everything starts to click and the fear suddenly turns into a sense of accomplishment.

The most important thing to remember is that cooking from scratch doesn’t happen overnight. Start small and before you know it, you’ll have a long list of things that you know how to whip up at a moment’s notice. I started with brownies. What will you start with?

 What foods do you love to cook from scratch?

Tracey Lenac is the founder, editor and publisher of Raising California, an online magazine that highlights elements of holistic, organic, GREEN lifestyle     choices along with homeschooling and spirituality.   She is also the founder of Soul Centered Kids in Los Angeles, California, where she teaches soul centered skills such as meditation, reiki and yoga to children of all ages and developmental abilities and the founder of The Souls of Boys, an online store specializing in non violent, non toxic, soul centered toys, books, media and resources for boys.  Tracey has a Master of Arts degree in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is also a registered Reiki Master/Teacher, organic gardener, the mom of two boys and a secular homeschooler.

If you are like me (until recently) and have no idea what a Whoopie Pie is don’t worry, you aren’t alone. A Whoopie Pie is a cross between a cake, a cookie, and a cupcake! Isn’t that fantastic?! You can make them in any flavor you want and whatever size you like. I made regular size and mini whoopie pies. I preferred the mini whoopie pies because it was just two bites and I didn’t feel guilty for eating one afterward.

There are about a million and one ways to make a Whoopie Pie but my favorite is with a box of cake mix! It can’t get much easier than that! I did make my filling but you could also use store bought icing, if you don’t fill up to making your own. However, I promise making your own is really easy.

Lemon Raspberry Whoopie Pie Recipe

For the Cake:

Ingredients:

• 1 Box Cake Mix (I used Lemon for this recipe)
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/2 Cup Oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Beat all ingredients on medium low speed until combined.
4. Fill piping bag (or zip-top storage bag) with cake mix.  If using a zip-top bag snip one of the corners off and push mix toward corner. You can make whatever kind of design you would like, I piped circles on the lined cookie sheet.
5. Bake the cake mix. If making bigger pies bake for 7-10 minutes.  If making small pies bake for 4-6 minutes.
6. Cool completely on rack.

For the Creamy Raspberry Filling:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 1/3 Cup Marshmallow Cream
• 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 tsp Raspberry extract
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
2. Flip half of your pies over to form a top and bottom. You should have half of the flat sides facing upward and half domed side facing upward.
3. Place a mound of filling in the center of each flat side up pie.
4. Top with remaining pies, domed side, up and press gently to spread filling.
5. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Have you ever eaten a Whoopie pie? What are some of your favorite sweet treats?

Recipe adapted from grouprecipes.com.

Brandi is the creator of The Creative Princess.   She is a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful girls, avid couponer, crafter and a Pinterest addict.  You will find awesome tutorials, creative couponing, cooking and crafting on her blog, she also takes you down her crazy journey of life around her small Oklahoma town.

My younger sister, Lisa, has five children, runs the books for her husband’s business, and is really good at carving out time for her hobbies and interests.

About three years ago, she had the opportunity to join a cooking club. Her club consists of 13 women from all over the Salt Lake Valley. This club has not only given my sister a way to connect with woman that she normally wouldn’t have come in contact with, but it has given her more confidence with her cooking skills. The woman in the club all have different interests and hobbies, but one thing they have in common is the importance of making and eating good food.

When I was talking to my sister, she shared some of the things that her cooking club does to make it fun. I thought it would be fun to share them with you in the event that you wanted to start your own cooking club.

5 Simple Ways to Make a Cooking Club Fun and Fresh

Follow Guidelines and Recipes

The cooking club is once a month. Each one of the women in the club has a chance to host the group in her home and make dinner for them. There are no guidelines as far as what to cook, as long as the meal is homemade and they provide the recipes.

Host a Couples Night

Because there is an extra person in the group, once a year two of the woman host a couples night. This is a fun way for the group to invite their husbands to their cooking club. Because each person is only hosting a dinner once a year, they have plenty of time to find a recipe that is new and different. There is no pressure here. Some people like to go all out with their dinner presentation. It is completely optional. My sister is in charge of the couples meal this year and is excited about introducing a new rib recipe that she found. She thought the men would especially like this meal.

Go on a Retreat

Once a year the cooking club goes on a retreat. One person is in charge of picking a location and working out all the details of the trip. Last year, the group took my sister’s motor home and went to California to see “Wicked,” She said that this was a really fun way to connect with the whole group and expand their interests.

Host a Cookbook Exchange

In December, the cooking group goes to a restaurant for dinner. They each bring one of their favorite books and they do a book exchange at the end of the meal. This is a fun way to make the holidays less stressful and to make sure they are staying connected.

Participate in a “Favorite Things” Exchange

For the month of January, the group each brings 3 of their favorite things to the cooking club night. This has been a fun way for the group to get to know each other better. At the end of the evening, each person goes home with three different things.

After being in the club for three years, my sister is realizing how rare it is that a group of women with different ages, interests,  and backgrounds can come together and really enjoy one another. She is realizing that the group is more alike than she ever thought. They all love to socialize, and connect. The group is really supportive and non-critical. They all make it a point to try everything that is served, and it has been a great way for all of them to learn how to make some quick, easy, and delicious recipes for their families.

It is important to make time for your hobbies. It should be something that you can take time out of your schedule to do. Make your hobby fun and exciting and be willing to include others in on your hobbies as well.

What are some of your hobbies and interest? How can you make sure you make time for yourself?

 Picture courtesy of flickr.

Then, I decided to just experiment with this myself. The recipe is halved and the cooking times have changed a bit. I hope you enjoy! This was a huge hit at our family gatherings.

Toffee Crackers Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• Crackers or Cereal of your choice (pretzels would be great as well)
• 1 1/2 Cups Semi-Sweet Morsels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
3. Place crackers in a single layer to cover cookie sheet (about 20 or so crackers), set aside.
4. Combine butter and sugar in a pot and stir constantly; bring to boil. Once mixture has started to boil, allow to boil for 3 minutes. Mixture should be a nice caramel brown color.
5. Pour mix on top of crackers, spread with spoon to cover all crackers.
6. Place cookie sheet in oven and bake for 6 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with morsels. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
8. Once morsels have melted, spread over crackers.
9. Place in refrigerator to cool and harden.
10. Break into bite-size pieces once cool.

What is your favorite treat to make?

Brandi is the creator of The Creative Princess. She is a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful girls, avid couponer, crafter and a Pinterest addict. You will find awesome tutorials, creative couponing, cooking and crafting on her blog, she also takes you down her crazy journey of life around her small Oklahoma town.

Mark your calendar for Thursday, December 1 and join us as we talk about baking shortcuts and planning. And don’t forget, Hershey’s Cookie Headquarters is the ultimate one-stop destination for holiday bakers. Hershey’s Cookie Headquarters is an online resource full of recipes and tips, and access to a team of experts to answer consumers’ baking questions during the busy holiday baking season through consumer posts on Cookie Headquarters, Facebook, and Twitter pages.

Party Topic

Join Hershey’s Kisses and our panel of experts as we discuss baking shortcuts and planning. The party will be held on Thursday, December 8 from 9-10 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT). Click here to see details about the giveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Party Details

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Thursday, December 8 from 9-10 p.m. EST (8 CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #CookieHQ)
• Topic: Baking Shortcuts and Planning
• Who: Brand Panelist: @hersheyskisses, Community Panelists: @craftychicky @centraltexasmom @7onashoestring @mommayoung @chef_bizzaro @aMusingFoodie @LaCasaDeSweets @ohsweetbasil @sahans @themommybunch @livingthescream @realmomkitchen @RebeccaEParsons @wholebagofchips @BudgetGourmetM, Moderators: @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee @MomItForward
• Party Favors: Click here to enter the giveaway.
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

RT @MomItForward Join the @hersheyskisses #gno Twitter party 12/8 (9-10 ET) on baking shortcuts and planning http://hrshys.us/uLXOhN #CookieHQ

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

The site will feature tips, recipes, an expert’s blog and an “Ask the Experts” section where visitors can submit questions to Hershey’s baking experts and receive timely and personalized responses. A team of experts will be on-hand on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST and weekends from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EST to help consumers with all of their baking needs.

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about baking shortcuts and planning. Five winners will receive HERSHEY’S Baking Prize Packs (ARV: $50.00 each).

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each on this post, including links to your original tweets.

1. Follow @hersheyskisses on Twitter.
2. Like the Hershey’s Kitchens Facebook page.
3. Like the Hershey’s Kisses Facebook page.
4. Answer the following question in the comment section below: Why do you love to bake with your kids?
5. Tweet the following:

• RT @MomItForward Visit #CookieHQ to find tips & recipes from experts to solve all ur baking needs! http://hrshys.us/FavCookies #gno

• RT @MomItForward GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 a chance 2 win a @hersheyskisses baking prize pack (5 Winners) http://hrshys.us/tzhKFa #gno #CookieHQ

Optional Entries

The following are extra entries that are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for each completed item. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed optional entry.

• Follow @momitforward on Twitter.
• Like Mom It Forward on Facebook: http://facebook.com/momitforward.

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Friday, December 9. See all terms and conditions here. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only. 

How To Bake Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

Peanut butter reindeer cookies are the kind of dessert that look difficult, but are super simple. Check out the ingredients and follow the instructions below.

Ingredients

My favorite peanut butter cookie recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

The most important part of baking reindeer cookies is to be sure you have all of the ingredients. Tonight, we were lacking an electric mixer and flour. Good things for awesome neighbors!

Here’s what you’ll need to get baking:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar or 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• Small pretzels
• Candy chocolates (I prefer plain M&Ms.)

Instructions

Step 1. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough til easy to handle.

Step 2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, perfectly round, with a 1/4-inch oval-shaped ball placed right on top and extending vertical just below the circle.

Step 3. If baking with children, have them sort the chocolate candies into different bowls while you are placing the dough onto greased cookie sheets. I started doing this years ago as a way to help my kids learn their colors and to sort. Now, it is their favorite part of our tradition.

Step 4. Add pretzels for antlers and colored chocolate candies for eyes and a nose and then bake for 5-7 minutes in the oven. As you can see, our kids love to get creative with eye color!

Step 5. After baking the cookies, place them on holiday plates. We chose a plain red variety.

Step 6. Wrap the plates in clear cellophane, tie a big bow around them, place a sticker with to and from information (if you are leaving on doorsteps),  and let the giving begin!

Fun tip! We let our kids go up to all the doors and take turns handing out the gifts. Then, we talk aboutthe giving spirit and why it is better to give than receive.

What cookie recipes do you love to bake over the holiday season?

The site will feature tips, recipes, an expert’s blog and an “Ask the Experts” section where visitors can submit questions to Hershey’s baking experts and receive timely and personalized responses. A team of experts will be on-hand on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST and weekends from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EST to help consumers with all of their baking needs.

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about baking with kids. Five winners will receive HERSHEY’S Baking Prize Packs (ARV: $50.00 each).

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each on this post, including links to your original tweets.

1. Follow @hersheyskisses on Twitter.
2. Like the Hershey’s Kitchens Facebook page.
3. Like the Hershey’s Kisses Facebook page.
4. Answer the following question in the comment section below: Why do you love to bake with your kids?

• RT @MomItForward Visit #CookieHQ to find tips & recipes from experts to solve all ur baking needs! http://hrshys.us/FavCookies #gno

• RT @MomItForward GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 a chance 2 win a @hersheyskisses baking prize pack (5 Winners) http://hrshys.us/rqybrB #gno #CookieHQ

Optional Entries

The following are extra entries that are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for each completed item. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed optional entry.

• Follow @momitforward on Twitter.
• Like Mom It Forward on Facebook: http://facebook.com/momitforward.

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Friday, December 2. See all terms and conditions here. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only. 

Here are three ways to enjoy the dinner beyond Thanksgiving day.

1. Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe

My favorite part of Thanskgiving dinner is not the dinner; it is the leftovers. And nothing beats my mom’s Turkey Noodle Soup recipe.

Ingredients

• Leftover Thanksgiving turkey
• Onions
• Celery
• Carrots
• Green Peppers
• 2 Cans Stewed Tomatoes
• 1 Package Egg Noodles (can substitute with rice)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Poultry seasoning
• Italian seasoning

Instructions

Take turkey carcass and cut all of the leftover meat off.  Put the carcass in a pot large enough to completely cover with water.  Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 4 hours.  Remove the carcass and put cooled pot in refrigerator overnight.  Next morning, skim off fat.  Add lots of favorite vegetables but onions, celery, and carrots are a must.  Add a can or two of diced tomatoes.  Cut leftover turkey into bite-size pieces and add to pot along with salt and pepper to taste, Italian seasoing to taste and 2 tsp of poultry seasoning.  Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer until veggies are tender.  You can add rice or noodles (I prefer noodles!) and cook until either rice or noodles are done.  Rice should be added at same time as veggies whereas the noodles only need about 10 minutes cook time.

If you make an extra large pot, consider freezing some of it to enjoy for weeks!

2. Turkey Sandwich

The best thing to do with all that leftover cranberry sauce? Put it on a sandwich along with the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. Just grab a roll, spread the cranberry sauce on both sides, add turkey and any other vegetables or dressing you’d like, and you have a simple lunch solution to feed the whole family.

3. Sides

But what to do with all the leftover sides? Here’s a few suggestions:

• Eat pumpkin pie for breakfast. When has it ever been too early to get in your vegetables?
• If you make turkey noodle soup, heat up the sweet potatoes and stuffing and voila! You have a delicious meal that will last for days.
• Save some of the vegetables and dip from the veggie tray to use in a garden salad.

What do you do with your Thanksgiving leftovers? What is your favorite recipe?

As I was looking through my board, I questioned why I always wait until December to give out neighbor gifts. Wouldn’t Thanksgiving be the perfect time to start?

So this year, we are making a few neighbor gifts in November to get into the giving spirit a bit earlier.

We identified a few families who really mean a lot to us and that we want to thank for being a part of our lives. We found this fun recipe in Family Fun Magazine and spent the afternoon baking, talking all the while about who we would deliver the treats to, why they were important to us, and why we were grateful to have them in our lives.

Making them was a whole family affair. The kids cut them out, using an awesome Wilton leaf cookie cutter I found on sale at Michael’s.

Next, they buttered the edges.

Then, they added a variety of fillings, including cut up Reese’s peanut butter cups, Nutella, and strawberry jam with cream cheese.

The end result was both delicious and an awesome way to help my kids learn about gratitude while having fun in the kitchen.

How do you help your kids get in the giving spirit? What do you do during the month of Thanksgiving to help them have an attitude of gratitude?