Flavored creamers are such a sweet treat to a great cup of coffee. I love to add a little cream to my cup of coffee in the morning, but the cost factor prevents me from indulging the way that I would really like to. Aldi carries a great fat free version of French Vanilla, which I have found is much more affordable than the creamers in the regular supermarket, but I would love to have a little more variation in my cup.
My new quest became figuring out how to make my own flavored creamers. I am not a big fan of powdered creamer so finding a recipe for a homemade version seemed almost impossible. Most recipes that I have found came in powdered form, but I wasn’t willing to give up on figuring out how to make my own liquid creamer.
I finally happened upon a recipe and adapted it to fit my taste. Once I finish my first bottle of this creamer, I will start testing some other recipes, but this was a great start towards achieving the yummy flavor I love.
Although you don’t get the same mouth-feel as you do with store-bought versions, you do achieve the great flavor that you are looking for from these (for a fraction of the price!)
I hope you can give this recipe a try! I can’t wait to share some more recipes and I hope that this inspires you to make your own flavors at home.
Blend all ingredients together in your blender. Pour into a mason jar or your old coffee creamer dispenser. This creamer will keep up to two weeks in your fridge.
Dale & Thomas $20 gift card for joining their mailing list (Note- I haven’t tried this yet so I am not clear if there is a minimum to buy or anything like that!)
Did you know that you can substitute your Pam cooking spray with this amazing diy pan release recipe. Stored at room temperature, this homemade version works great and won’t gunk up your pans like the usual cooking oil sprays. You won’t believe how easy it is to whip up this homemade cooking spray for all your baking needs.
Did you know that you can make your own pan release with just a few simple pantry ingredients.
When I first began baking, I relied heavily on store bought sprays to insure that my baked goods wouldn’t stick.
What I didn’t realize was the gunk that can build up on my pans from these sprays. Experts say that gunk can be removed, from your pans with a soak of baking soda and vinegar. I’ll be honest though, I have found it pretty darn impossible to remove this residue from my pans.
One popular substitute is a to purchase a spray bottle oil mister. These reusable misters can be filled with your olive oil (or vegetable oil) and applied just as you would with Pam.
Even after buying this kitchen gadget, I found my cakes and quick breads continued to stick to the pans. This green alternative just didn’t end up begin the solution I thought it would be.
You could say that my cake pans and these spray misters went together like oil and water.
Hahaha!
What’s the Secret to A Nonstick Spray That Doesn’t Gunk Up Your Pans?
I discovered this recipe when I signed up for a cake decorating course, at my local Michael’s.
I couldn’t wait to learn the secrets to perfect cakes and one of her best tips was on cake removal. I assumed she would tell us a product to buy, but it ended up being a pantry recipe that anyone could make.
Instead of commercial sprays, she greased her pans with a homemade mixture of oils and flour.
Say what?
That sounds way more affordable!
While fancy commercial cake release sprays were available, she found making her very own version of this yielded way better results.
I decided to take her word for it and can’t believe how beautifully it performed. I was no longer battling the icky residue.
How Do You make DIY Pan Release Spray?
DIY Pam Spray can be made with equal parts canola oil and vegetable shortening. Finally, the addition of flour, is added in to give this mixture a marshmallow creme consistency. I have found the use of a stand mixer makes this even easier to pull together!
How Do I Store My Homemade Non Stick Spray?
No need to refrigerate this because it can be stored at room temperature. I keep mine in a simple mason jar and apply it with a pastry brush.
Unlike coconut oil, you don’t need to worry about warming up your oil before applying it to your griddles and pans.
These ingredients may separate, but I just use a spoon to mix them back together when that happens.
How Do I Use DIY Pan Release Spray?
Keep in mind, a little goes a long way so start small. I find it is easiest to apply with a simple pastry brush. Dip your pastry brush, into the pan release, and paint it on your pans. This can be used to create nonstick surfaces on cake pans, bundt cake pans, griddles, and cake pans.
This recipe is so inexpensive so you will save some money at the grocery store too! I hope you can try it- you really won’t believe how great the results are. I won’t ever use anything else again!
How to Make Homemade Nonstick Spray (DIY Pan Release Spray)
Author: MomAdvice.com
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 1/2 cups
Did you know that you can substitute your Pam cooking spray with this amazing diy pan release recipe. Stored at room temperature, this homemade version works great and won’t gunk up your pans like the usual cooking oil sprays. You won’t believe how easy it is to whip up this homemade cooking spray for all your baking needs.
Ingredients
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (room temperature)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Using an electric mixer beat until mixture has increased in volume slightly and resembles marshmallow cream.
Place in an airtight container with a lid (like a mason jar). This can be stored in your cupboard. In the warmer months, you can keep it in your refrigerator.
If your mixture separates, just stir to bring these ingredients back together.
Use a pastry brush to brush on the your homemade cake release. Remember, a little goes a long way.
3.4.3177
Love this tutorial? Here are three other DIY projects I think you might like!
My cleaning caddy needed a little reorganizing and as I was working on this yesterday, I began to think about my “faux cleaning” routine that I do before we have unexpected guests.
I am the first to raise my hand that I have been embarrassed when an unexpected person shows up and my house is a complete disaster. I try very hard to maintain things around here, but with two children under five, I often feel like all I am doing is damage control.
I am also a perfectionist and I hate for anyone to come over here without me being prepared for them. Even among friends and family, it is important to me to feel in control of a situation.
Having a website that helps moms stay organized makes me feel like I should be even more zealous in my attempts to keep up with the house.
Let’s face it though, I am only human! We do the best we can throughout the week, but when that unexpected guest comes knocking, it feels good to have a game plan to fake them out with your cleaning routine.
I hope you get a chance to read the post and can share your own routines with me! As moms, I am sure we can all use a little help in this department.
Don’t just count on me for freebies on Friday because I love to surprise people occasionally with a fun freebie on other days of the week. How about some free music to start your week out right?
Starting Tuesday, Starbucks is giving away 50 million free iTunes downloads. The promotion is in honor of the launch of the new iTunes Wireless Store. From October 2nd to November 7th, Starbucks customers will receive a “song of the day” card, enabling them to download that particular song.
To get more information about this promotion visit their website!
I wish I had a picture of these waffles, but we gobbled them up way too fast. These are stick-to-your-ribs waffles that have tons of fiber and good stuff in them. I am usually hungry after having a waffle…that was not the case with these. I was still feeling full the next morning! For me, that is unheard of!
I love oatmeal so I was excited to try this recipe for Oatmeal Waffles. My family, however, is not big on oatmeal so I used my blender to grind the oatmeal into a flour and then added this oatmeal flour to these instead of the coarse pieces of oatmeal. If your family doesn’t mind the oat taste, by all means, make as directed. I added ingredients and took away others and ended up with this recipe. I hope you can try it- they are delicious and taste great with that infamous Honey Butter.
Oatmeal Waffles
2 cups quick oats (grind if necessary in food processor or blender) 1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups milk (you can use prepared powdered milk) 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 beaten egg 1 tablespoon molasses 2 tablespoons corn or olive oil 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 cup sugar (or to desired sweetness)
Mix all ingredients together until there are no lumps. Pour batter into well-greased waffle iron and allow each waffle to cook four minutes. Serve immediately.
Note: If you make the batter ahead of time, be sure to add milk to thin it out. My batter became too thick to even put in my waffle iron so add some water until you reach the desired consistency.
A confession…of sorts! Pictured here is evidence of an unnecessary purchase that we purchased for our family. Was it needed? Nope! Did we want it REALLY bad and obsess about it for months? Yes!
The decision had been made that we would buy one for our family, as a family gift to ourselves, if we were able to find one that would be a good deal. Anything over $300 was not a good deal. Anything that was $150-200 would qualify.
We have been obsessing and watching eBay like crazy people. The auctions always ended higher than our goals and the auctions included a lot less than what we would need to play as a family. We started factoring in all that we would need and the amount of $500 was thrown around a lot. It was thrown around, but quickly thrown out of the equation since we have never spent that much money on Christmas or a game system.
I came home from a baby shower this weekend and my husband was standing at the door waiting for me. He had found one for us on Craigslist and the system was still available. For $200, we were able to get the game system, two of the nunchuk controllers, two of the remote controllers, one classic controller, the Wii Sports Package, and the game, “Zelda.”
We have been in Wii heaven and it has been so awesome to see how much Ethan enjoys it too. I don’t know who enjoys it more, but I imagine we will truly enjoy this game system in the winter months when we don’t get as much outdoor activity.
What a fun early Christmas gift and what a fabulous deal for an incredible game system too!
This is the last day in our series and I admit it took much longer than I had ever anticipated. I share daily ways to save money, but to sit down and really contemplate thirty really good ways to save money…well, that proved to be a bit more difficult than I thought. I think I will stick with my quick tips and quips that I normally share. I hope that someone can walk away with one thing that will help their family in the future. That was my goal and intention with doing the series.
Today I just wanted to end the series by saying how important it is to me that I live within my means. There are many simple things that we have chosen to do to reach our financial goals in life…
We make a conscious choice to be smart consumers and chose to buy used items rather than new, to help minimize our costs. There are times where a new item might be appropriate (underwear does come to mind!), but in most cases buying a used item is a better financial choice for us. You can do this through thrift & yard sales, consignment shops, auction sites, or through the classified advertisements. Used is better for the environment and I find it a great thrill and privilege to hunt through the junk to find those precious items.
We chose to be wise consumers and research big ticket items before purchasing them. I would never run out and buy a television without good research and I would never just take a salesperson’s word for what is the best value for my money. I can justify the purchase of my Consumer Reports annual membership because I use this often to base my decisions on making a good purchase. I also frequently check sites like Amazon or Epinions to get the scoop from customers on how they like items. We cannot afford trial and error in our house so we try and pick things that we know will do well and last a long time.
We chose to surround ourselves with like-minded people. Maybe this shows signs of weakness or that I am just a newbie in the world of saving money, but I find myself feeling more confident in myself and my choices when I am around people who feel the same way. When I am around people who put more value into their possessions and the material things, I find myself redirecting my focus in that direction. I hope someday to be the type of person that is unfazed by these people, but for now I enjoy being with people who have similar financial goals and think of material things as secondary to everything else.
We are choosing to work towards a goal of a debt-free life. I have very specific goals in mind for our family. I have written these goals down on paper and I reread these goals often. I want to own both of my cars. I want to own my house. I want to pay off my credit card. I want to be free of student loan debt. I say these things to myself often and focus my energy towards making these goals a reality. Our goal is to have this done in six years. Six years of careful discipline and determination- what is your goal?
We chose creative ways that we can achieve the things we want in life. For example, bartering for goods & services instead of paying for them. I might make someone a fabulous dinner or babysit for them if they help me with A, B, or C. These exchanges are more creative than opening up my wallet and save us a lot of money. I also try to be creative by learning to make things myself, thrifting for gift items, and constantly researching ways I can be more creative with our money.
We chose to enjoy the good things in life, not to live a life of sacrifice and grumbling. I love good things- good coffee, an amazing dinner, a well-decorated room. I love all of these things, but I love to enjoy these things without the debt. I do what any smart frugal gal should do- I search on the internet for that perfect coffee recipe, I teach myself to cook, I look for inspiration in the magazines and find these decorative items in the thrift store. Enjoy that fine living, but do it in a way that can make you & your family proud.
We recognize that we have made bad financial choices, but we also know that some of those choices have lead to other great and wise choices later in life. I admit that there have been times where I have made stupid choices and I suffered from them. I also admit that if I had never made a bad choice in my life that I wouldn’t be human and I wouldn’t be able to have those experiences to draw from. I can nod my head and say, “Yes, yes, I know!” because I really do. I didn’t just read about it in a book- I am living it!
Here are all of the days that we discussed- just in case you happened to miss one!
As a mother of a daughter, I would like to throw some interesting facts out to you:
– In a recent survey, 1010 mothers with preteen daughters expressed their feelings about the array of inappropriate dolls invading their kids’ playrooms. 90% of these mothers expressed a desire for a wider section of dolls that were positive role models for young girls. 85% of the mothers said that they are fed up with the “sex pot” playthings available (USA Today).
– “Although these dolls may present no more sexualization of girl or women than is seen in MTV videos, it is worrisome when dolls designed for 4-8 year olds are associated with an objectified adult sexuality”(American Psychological Association).
– “We usually have a great time checking out new toys, but we were totally put off by many of the doll lines for 2007- trash’s the word that comes to mind. And it’s not just us. The American Psychological Association found that all these sexualized images of young girls are seriously harmful to a girl’s self esteem and healthy development” (Parents Magazine)
I guess I am not alone in believing that these dolls are highly inappropriate and am discouraged by the choices that are offered. This is not a RELIGIOUS thing, this is a MOM thing!
I received a package from the Play Along company and was so encouraged by what I found. This is a company that is going against the popular trashy dolls and taking a stand to work towards bringing back good old-fashioned dolls.
These dolls still enjoy fashion, but it is modest and they resemble a modern version of the Cabbage Patch dolls. The dolls are poseable and come with different outfits and something fun that you can do with your doll (shoelaces to make bracelets, chalk to play hopscotch, etc…) Currently they offer three cute little girl characters and accessory packs that you can purchase separately. The “Olivia Reese” doll is sporty and loves nature. The “Sophie Kate” doll is an artsy girlie girl.” Finally, the “Zoe Madison” doll is hip & trendy. All of the dolls have a suggested retail price of $19.99.
The accessory packs (purchased separately) can build on the wardrobes and things that you can do with your doll. The packs include a trendy outfit, an interactive themed activity, and a poseable Play Along Club pet. The suggested retail price on these accessory kits are $12.99.
The dolls are very well made and are just the type of dolls that I grew up with. I love the idea of returning to the good old-fashioned fun things in life and dolls that my daughter can relate to and will have a positive influence in her life.
We thank the Play Along company for sharing their dolls with our family! We stand behind their choice to offer fun & positive role models for our girls! They will be launching their new website for the dolls this fall.
Sound Off: What do you think about the dolls on the market today? Do you buy these dolls on the shelves or do you not buy them? What are some positive dolls that you have bought for your daughters?
Flavored creamers are such a sweet treat to a great cup of coffee. I love to add a little cream to my cup of coffee in the morning, but the cost factor prevents me from indulging the way that I would really like to. Aldi carries a great fat free version of French Vanilla, which I have found is much more affordable than the creamers in the regular supermarket, but I would love to have a little more variation in my cup.
