Frugal Menu Mamas

My husband rarely asks for anything.  He usually defers to what I want.  I have to encourage him to go shopping and he eats whatever I fix.  On the rare occasion he asks for something, I usually try to make sure he gets it because he doesn’t do it often.  This makes gift giving a challenge for me.  :)  So, part of his Christmas gift his year was a little something I created called “The Dessert of the Month Club”.  I told him he could pick a dessert, any dessert once per month and I will make it.  I encouraged him to pick things I don’t normally make.  So, his first request was “Chess Squares”.  I had never heard of them, so I emailed my mother-in-law to find out what in the world he was talking about.  She sent me this recipe:

Chess Squares

1 pkg. butter cake mix

1 stick butter, softened

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 box confectioners’ sugar (1 lb.)

3 eggs, slightly beaten

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

-Combine cake mix, butter, and egg and pat into 9 x 13 pan.

-Mix sugar, eggs, and cream cheese, and pour on the crust mixture.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until browned.

EASY!  The hardest part was patting the first mixture into the pan, it kept sticking to my fingers.  And licking the beater for the second mixture was quite tasty. 

I got it all prepared and popped it in the oven while we ate dinner one night and then surprised my husband with it when he had finished his dinner.  He tasted it, said it was delicious, gave me a kiss, and thanked me for making it.  Then he said, “This isn’t what I thought it was.  But thanks for making it!”  I’m so glad he was appreciative.  :)  Want to know why?  In MY opinion, dessert should always be something with chocolate in it, so I wasn’t too excited about this one.  In MY opinion, the batter was tasty, but I didn’t like the gooey way the second mixture tasted after it was baked.  And in MY opinion, I love that guy and the way he can make me feel great even when it wasn’t the dessert he was expecting.  He was even sweet enough to take the photo for this post (thought it was hard to get a good photo).  I think I’ll keep him.

I am excited today to share with you a family favorite recipe.  These PB Squares  are so yummy and so easy that my family made them every year growing up.  They kind of taste like a Butterfinger candy bar.  My mom used to give them as Christmas goodie gifts and I will probably do the same this year.  Since my kindergartner is home this week, this was our project yesterday.  Don’t they look beautiful?

PB Squares

a box of Wheat Thins

peanut butter (I prefer creamy Jif)

chocolate bark (on sale usually around this time)

-Make little sandwiches with two Wheat Thins, spreading peanut butter between them.

-After you have done this with the whole box of Wheat Thins, melt the chocolate bark.

-Dip the little sandwiches in the chocolate bark, turn to cover completely.

-Dry on wax paper.

That’s it!  These freeze well and the sandwiches (before dipped) freeze well, too.

So, I mentioned the Snickerdoodles I made last week…yum!  But I never gave you the recipe!  We enjoyed these and they use suprisingly few ingredients.  Not sure why I haven’t made them sooner.  :)  Enjoy!

Snickerdoodles
1 cup Crisco
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

-Beat first 3 ingredients until creamy. Add next 4 ingredients and mix well. Chill well.
-Form into ping-pong size balls. Roll in mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 F for 8-10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies will flatten as they bake.

Tasty Tuesday–Part II later today…what will it be?! 

Don’t forget my giveaway!

So, today I was supposed to post my last video I made for Sam’s Club.  Well, after reviewing the material I currently have, hubs and decided that this was not a good quality video.  I will be making 2 freezer recipes in the next week and plan to video those to show you in the coming weeks.  Please bear with me, this video stuff is not as easy as I thought. 

The great recipe I have for you today is a new one to me.  Here is the background for you…I was at my sister’s house last Sunday and I told her I was really wanting some chocolate.  She offered me some peanut butter chocolate bars from her FREEZER.  They were individually wrapped in foil!  I bit into one (a frozen one) and it was so delicious I asked for the recipe right then.  She told me then that my MOM made these for her and brought them.  So, not only is my mom holding out on me by not bringing me the delectable treats, but she didn’t even tell me this awesome FREEZER RECIPE and she knows that’s my thing!  Now I am just teasing, my mom and I get along great, as do my sister and I.  Just thought you’d enjoy the background.

I made these yesterday….yummm!

Peanut Butter Bars w/ Chocolate (tastes like Reese’s)

1 cup butter

2 cups peanut butter

2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1 ¾ cups powdered sugar

2 cups chocolate chips (milk chocolate-I tried with semi-sweet & it was too bitter)

1/3 cup milk

-Melt butter and peanut butter and mix well. Remove from heat.

-Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar, mix well.

-Pour into 9 x 13 (will be runny). Chill till hardened.

-Melt chocolate chips and milk, mix well. Spread over peanut butter mixture. Chill till hardened.

-Cut and wrap individually and freeze and use as needed. If using immediately, just refrigerate.

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