Top Frugal Focus Deals Free Content for December, 2011

Hot Chocolate: Just Two Ingredients

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 19, 2011

Who doesn't love Hot Chocolate at wintertime? I used to keep a box of hot cocoa packets in my cupboards, but not anymore. Two ingredients are all you need to warm up on those blustery winter days. My ratio is 2 cups of milk to 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. My little sauce pan only holds two cups of milk at a time. I had some milk chocolate chips on hand, but I'm sure this will be just as tasty with semi-sweet or dark, depending on your preference.

Chocolate

Chocolate Milk Homemade Fans

Chunky Potato and Leek Soup

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 5, 2011

This Chunky Potato and Leek Soup is super easy to make and so yummy that your kids just might ask for seconds.or thirds. Chunky Potato and Leek Soup. 5-6 Cups of cubed, unpeeled potatoes - I used Yukon Gold from my CSA. 2 leeks - cleaned and chopped into small pieces. I ran through the food processor to chop. 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. 1 Tbsp salt. 1 tsp pepper. water. 2 Cups whole milk. 2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Milk

Milk Fans Cleaning Wellness

25 Holiday Cookie Recipes To Bake, Give, and Enjoy

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Tis the season to make, bake, give, and EAT cookies.and lots of them. Andes Mint Cookies at Newlyweds. Cherry Dark Chocolate Shortbread at Finding Joy in my Kitchen. Chocolate Cherry Bark at Finding Joy in my Kitchen. Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies at Once a Month Mom. Chocolate Chip Coconut Macadamia Cookies (gluten, grain, and dairy free with egg and sugar-free option) at Whole New Mom.

Cookies

Cookies Baking Giving Holiday

Buttermilk Substitute | Kitchen Economics

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 14, 2011

Don't you hate when a recipe calls for an ingredient that you don't currently have on hand. If you buy it, you're likely to not finish it. That is how I feel when I see buttermilk on a recipe. It only comes in a quart container at my grocery store which is way more than the 1 cup that my intended recipes usually require. I discovered a trick when I was baking my mother's Chocolate Whoopie Pie recipe for the first time.

Economical

Economical Kitchen Equal Milk

Cardboard Christmas Tree

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 13, 2011

We have tons of packing boxes piling up at the moment just waiting for garbage pick-up day. I did most of my Christmas shopping online and I am left with the aftermath. The idea for the Cardboard Christmas Tree using recycled packing boxes was in the latest issue of Disney Family Fun Magazine and it caught my eye because of the pileup in my garage. It also looked like a great craft project for the kids.

Christmas

Christmas Painting Recycle Recycled

Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree Ornaments

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Every year for Christmas, my daughters make a Christmas craft for their teachers. The kids are so proud to give a gift that they handmade and the teachers are always very touched. These Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree Ornaments are fun for the kids to make and to give. Supplies needed: 2 sizes of Popsicle sticks. craft glue. paint. sparkles, confetti, or stickers. pipe cleaners or ribbon.

Christmas

Christmas Painting Newspaper Giving

Chex Cereal Printable Coupons ~ It is That Time of Year

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 1, 2011

We love homemade Chex Party mix at our house and I make it every year in December. If you make it too, you might want to print the coupon for $1.00 off of Two Boxes of Chex cereals. How do you make Chex Party mix? Do you follow the Original recipe or are you more creative? I usually follow the original recipe, but I might mix it up this year. Thanks for reading.

Cereal

Cereal Homemade Printable Coupon December

Printable Coupons: Pillsbury, General Mills, Seattle's Best Coffee, Life Savers

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 20, 2011

Have you shopped yet for this weekend? I have not and I'm taking two dishes for a Christmas Eve dinner and hosting Christmas brunch with my family. I need to get moving! Here are some printable coupons that might come in handy as you shop for the Christmas weekend. $1.00 off 2 Divisional General Mills cereals. $0.30 off 2 Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits. $0.50 off 2 Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls. $1.00 off two Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough. $0.40 off 2 Pillsbury Sweet Rolls. $0.40 off 2 Pills

General Mills

General Mills Seattle Pillsbury Coffee

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 12, 2011

There's a fight a brewin' and it has to do with the Whoopie Pie. Pennsylvania and Maine have both claimed to be the inventor of this delectable cookie. I was born on an Air base in northern Maine, but I was raised in PA where my heart and home are.so I'm taking PA's side. There are other versions of the Whoopie Pie - pumpkin, red velvet, peanut butter.

Chocolate

Chocolate Pennsylvania Cookies Crisco

Top 10 FBS Recipes of 2011

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 26, 2011

I'm taking a blog break this week, so I thought it would be fun to post some Top 10 Lists of the year. Today, I'm giving you my Top 10 Recipes (the most page views) of 2011. I hope you enjoy and maybe find some inspiration! 1. Slow Cooker Asian Orange Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks (06/06/2011). 2. Apple Gingerbread Cake with Homemade Whipped Cream (10/17/2011). 3.

2011

2011 Recipes Homemade Cake

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my humble site. I hope you'll stick around as I have some good stuff planned for 2012.still can't believe I just typed 2012. My husband and I are both taking next week off to spend with our family. We are looking forward to it. I have some fun recap posts planned for next week that I hope you enjoy.

2012

2012 Christmas Hanukkah New Year's

Gingerbread Houses

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 20, 2011

Decorating gingerbread houses is becoming a favorite Christmas tradition at my house. I'm not sure what my kids enjoy more - licking the icing or eating the candy. I must make one confession though. I buy the Gingerbread House kits. Baking the house components seems like a lot of work to me, especially when the kits are heavily promoted between Thanksgiving and Christmas at the craft stores.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Daughter Entertainment Christmas

Holiday Entertaining Guide: Just $0.49 Today Only

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 10, 2011

Erin, the $5 Dinner Mom, recently wrote the informative ebook, Holiday Entertaining Guide to help us all make our holiday entertaining less stressful and more enjoyable. TODAY (12/10), Holiday Entertaining Guide will be 88% off sale, making the e-book just $.49! Use coupon code: COOKIES. In addition to the 30 amazing holiday feast recipes, there are a number of great DIY ($10 or less) centerpiece ideas, as well as practical tips and guidance for simplifying your holiday schedule, as well as host

Entertainment

Entertainment Holiday DIY Wellness

9 Cookbook Ideas for the Foodie on Your List

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 9, 2011

Are you looking for some gift ideas for the foodie or cook on your gift list? These gift ideas are sure to please. 1. Bobby Flay's Grill It! During the spring and summer, we grill A LOT. When my grilled chicken kept coming out too dry, I turned to Bobby. He also inspired me to grill fruit, for which I am eternally grateful. 2. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart Cooking Bread Baking

FREE Events for Kids on Dec 10 and Dec 11

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 8, 2011

I could only find two stores with FREE events planned for this weekend. Check the links for more details. Lowe's Build and Grow Free Clinic. Saturday, Dec 10, 10 am | Build a Train Coal Car. Michael's is exploring holiday traditions from around the world and Iceland and Japan are themes this weekend. Saturday, Dec 10, 10 am - noon | Reindeer Frame. Saturday, Dec 10, noon - 2 pm | Santa's Letter.

Dec

Dec Inexpensive Building Michael's

FREE Events for Your Kids on Dec 3 and Dec 4

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 2, 2011

Several stores have FREE events planned for this weekend. Check the links for more details. Michael's is exploring holiday traditions from around the world and Australia is the theme for Saturday. Saturday, Dec. 3, 10am - Noon | Christmas Calendar. Saturday, Dec. 3, Noon - 2pm | Stocking Sunday, Dec. 4, 1pm - 3pm | Rudolph's Kitchen Sunday, Dec. 4, 3pm - 4pm | Santa and Rudolph's Treat Bag.

Dec

Dec Kids Home Depot Building

Baking and Decorating Gingerbread Men Cookies

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 21, 2011

Here's another great activity for the kids who are off of school and looking for things to do - Baking and Decorating Gingerbread Men (and House) Cookies. We make these from scratch, using the McCormick Gingerbread Men recipe. I will warn you, your kitchen counter will become a big mess. But the kids will have so much fun. What's a little flour all over the counters and floor.

Baking

Baking Mens Cookies Girls

Teacher Gift Ideas

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 20, 2011

Are you still looking for gift ideas for your kids' teachers and coaches? Check out my latest post over at Money Crashers: 10 Unique & Inexpensive Holiday Gift Ideas for Teachers. If you have any great inexpensive gift ideas for teachers, please share them in the comments section of the Money Crashers post. Thanks for reading. If you would like to receive FREE updates of FBS, there are four ways to do so: have updates sent to your email , through your RSS Feed. become a fan and 'like' FBS on Fac

Gifts

Gifts Inexpensive Money Fans

How to Cut an Onion | Kitchen Economics

Family Balance Sheet

DECEMBER 7, 2011

Recently, I found myself with quite a few onions in my kitchen. I was afraid of them going bad before I could use them, so I chopped them all up to store in the freezer. Yes, all six of them and not a single tear was shed. There are two sides to the onion: the root. and the top of the onion that grew out of the ground. It is important to use a sharp knife for chopping an onion.

Economical

Economical Kitchen Freezers Refrigerators

Frugal Focus

December, 2011

Family Balance Sheet

Hot Chocolate: Just Two Ingredients

Chunky Potato and Leek Soup

Trending Sources

25 Holiday Cookie Recipes To Bake, Give, and Enjoy

Buttermilk Substitute | Kitchen Economics

Cardboard Christmas Tree

Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree Ornaments

Chex Cereal Printable Coupons ~ It is That Time of Year

Printable Coupons: Pillsbury, General Mills, Seattle's Best Coffee, Life Savers

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Top 10 FBS Posts of All Time

Top 10 FBS Posts of 2011

Top 10 FBS Recipes of 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

Gingerbread Houses

Holiday Entertaining Guide: Just $0.49 Today Only

9 Cookbook Ideas for the Foodie on Your List

FREE Events for Kids on Dec 10 and Dec 11

FREE Events for Your Kids on Dec 3 and Dec 4

Baking and Decorating Gingerbread Men Cookies

Teacher Gift Ideas

How to Cut an Onion | Kitchen Economics

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