Can You Freeze Halloween Candy

I have surveyed many blogs and here are all the things I found you can do with your leftover Halloween candy:

Make an “Eco-Friendly Edible Wreath” – Use Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops, Starburst etc. and you will have a lovely Thanksgiving or Christmas decoration.

Keep your candy in a cool place for storage and then use it over the holidays – Use the candy for stocking stuffers, parties and to decorate gifts. This saves money on buying treats throughout the holidays.

Find recipes using leftover halloween candy such as: Carmel Fudge Cake, Hershey Bar Cake, Butterfinger Cake, Heath Bar Cake.

Make a spread with your chocolate peanut butter cups - Take all of your peanut butter cups and put them into a food processor with a bit of peanut oil (enough to make the mixture smooth like peanut butter). Then process it into a paste which you can use to spread on sandwiches or use as filling between two store bought cookies for your own “homemade” sandwich cookies.

M&Ms and Reese’s Pieces - These candy-coated chocolate chips are extremely versatile. You can bake them into cup cakes, mix them into pancakes, sprinkle them into your cereal, mix them into popcorn (after popping), use them as ice cream topping, and bake them into cookies.

Freeze it- It will keep for at least one year.

Use the candies to decorate this year’s gingerbread house.

Use for Thanksgiving centerpiece – Make miniature (and edible) cornucopia place-markers for Thanksgiving by filling sugar cones with a mix of candy corn, M&Ms, Runts, etc., and then lay them on their side next to each table setting.

Make your own Advent calendar or holiday countdown calendar, using leftover candies as the treats for each day.

Make a candy bouquet - Put green floral foam in a decorated pot or basket. Tape wrapped candies to craft sticks and arrange them like candy flowers. For an added touch, wind pieces of garland around the craft stick stem.

Make a candy pizza – Here’s Betty Crocker’s recipe: Mix 1 pouch of peanut butter cookie mix with 1/3 cup vegetable oil and an egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in an ungreased 12-inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with your choice of toppings such as candy corn, candy bar pieces and nuts. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle 1 cup miniature marshmallows on top. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until marshmallows are lightly browned and cookie is set at edge. Cool completely in pan. Drizzle 1/3 cup of melted chocolate chips over the top.

Participate in a candy exchange – Some dentists and orthodontists (dentists who specialize in braces) offer candy exchanges. You turn in some candy and get healthy treats in exchange. Or you turn in some candy, and they pay you $1 per pound. They donate the candy to soup kitchens or to troops overseas.

Heat-resistant candy only - Donate to our troops and don’t forget to include a handwritten letter of support to really put a smile on a soldier’s face!

Take it to work.

Use for holiday gifts -Fill a festive mug or glue onto wrapped packages or cards to make them extra special.

Halloween Candy Alternatives

A survey of many of the blogs indicates that Costco, Sams and Target have some of the best prices. Many bloggers mentioned Target will also match competitors prices if you bring in the ad.

Pay close attention to the ads that different retailers are running. There are some pretty good ads from every retailer if you watch the paper and the online coupon sites. For instance, our Kroger offered an online coupon you could load onto to your Kroger card which gave you $2.00 off if you purchased a $5 or more bag of candy.

Another way to bring down the cost of your Halloween candy is to mix less expensive candy into your assortment. Chocolate candy is usually the most expensive and the hard candies are usually the least expensive. Here are some sample prices:

The Assorted Twizzlers Bag ($5/120 pieces) – $0.04 per candy.

Reese’s Halloween Snack Size Assortment Bag ($18/100 pieces) $0.18 per candy.

You can also add in some non candy items to bring the cost down. Find these items a party stores, discount stores and the dollar store.

Temporary tattoos – You can buy 100 of them for under $3 giving you a cost of .03 per tattoo

Stickers – You can get a dozen sheets of Halloween stickers for less than $2. If you get 100 stickers your cost goes down to .02 per sticker.

Party Bubbles – Target sells a pack of 24ct party bubbles for $3.99 or .17 per container

Plastic spider and bat rings – About $5 for 144 rings or cost of .04 cents per ring

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

I think that I found about homemade taco seasoning mix one night when I was going to make tacos but had forgotten to buy the seasoning mix. I was surprised at how easy it is to make your own. Another benefit to making your own is you have control over the ingredients These homemade taco seasoning mixes are all msg free recipes. For those of you with milk allergies, did you know that many taco seasonings have lactose, milk sugar, in them?)

The ingredients in each of these recipes are all spices you probably have in your pantry already. I have included three different recipes to give you some variety. One of the best ways to save money on spices is to buy them in bulk. Our local grocery stores has a bulk spice seasoning area in with the bulk foods such as nuts, grains and various types of flour. Thinking ahead to Cheap Christmas Gifts, a jar of homemade taco seasoning along with other ingredients for a mexican fiesta might make a nice gift.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix 1

* 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) red pepper flakes
* 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) dried oregano (try more!)
* 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) paprika
* 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sea salt (try less)
* 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
* pinch or more of cayenne
* 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon (1/2 to 1 ml) ground coriander

Mix all spices well. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons per 1 lb. of ground meat. Store in airtight container in refrigerator or freezer.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix 2

1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. each ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano and sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Makes 3 tablespoons of seasoning mix, which is equal in strength to a 1/4 ounce package of commercial seasoning mix.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix 3

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in small mixing bowl and mix well.
Makes enough seasoning for about 2 lbs. meat
Store in an airtight container if not using right away.

The Paradox of Having to Spend Money to Save It

I found this really great article in Parade Magazine and thought it had some useful tips. This is a case of spending money to make money but none of outlays are really expensive except for maybe replacing your toilet. Each of the appliances they want you to consider all wind up paying for themselves over a fairly short period of time.

Programmable thermostat - Buy a thermostat with a “brain” that lowers the temperature when you’re snuggled in bed or not at home. Prices range from $20.00 for a basic Energy Star component to 100.00 for a top-of-the-line model. Any smart thermostat will lower your heating and cooling bills. Depending on how often you’re away from home – it may make sense to send a bit more on one that can keep tabs on your schedule and even switch between heating and cooling on its own.

Spend $20 – $100
Save: an average of $180 a year

Water-filtration systems for faucets – Pick a $20 system that gives you 900 cups of water filtered of 99% of contaminants. Or, for closer to $50, get a high-tech filter that tells you when to change it. Both will help you spend less on purified water. If you buy only two 20 oz. bottles of water a day at $1 each, that’s $60 a month leaving your wallet, not to mention a big pile of plastic to recycle.

Spend: $20 to $50 every 3 to 4 months

Save: $100 to $500 a year

Low-flow shower heads and toilet tanks – Save hundreds of gallons of hot water with aerating low-flow shower heads. Basic models cost $5. Replace your toilet with an EPA WaterSense-ladled model ($100 to $300) that uses only 1.3 gallons for a regular toilet. That’s a savings of up to 4000 gallons of water a year. If you can’t afford a new toilet, try this: Place a water-filled bottle in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.

Spend: Shower head plus toilet, from $5 (aerating head and a bottle in the bowl) to $350

Save $90+ a year

Compact fluorescent bulbs - These bulbs may be pricey – anywhere from $70 to $100 for a pack of 12 – but they’ll pay for themselves in six months, and each will save half a ton of carbon emissions over the life of the bulb. Be careful of the mercury inside the bulb. If you accidentally break one, be sure to open the windows and use gloves to pick up the pieces.

Here is a video with a guy showing you how to put in a CFL bulb and he gives you more statistics on savings

Spend $70 to $100 for a moderately sized home

Save: 5% to 25% on you monthly electricity bill

Coffeemaker and thermos - Skip the local coffee shop and start your own java joint in your kitchen. When it comes to a sturdy coffeemaker, spending $40 to $50 will get you the best bang for your buck. For $15 to $20, get a thermos that keeps your coffee hot and has a close-able spout to avoid spills. You can buy first-rate coffee beans (ground or whole) for about $6 to $7 a pound.

Spend: $45+ for maker and thermos, plus coffee ($24+ a month)

Save: $20 + a month

Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce

I think this recipe is from Family Circle Magazine. I like it because the ingredients are cheap and readily available and it only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook. The only ingredient which could get expensive is the fresh basil – so if you want to substitute dried go ahead.

Also, the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Here is a way to keep from wasting the remainder of the tomato paste that is left in can after you take out the two tablespoons. I learned this from America’s Test Kitchen. Take a tablespoon and scoop the leftover tomato paste into tablespoon size servings, place the scoops on wax paper and put into the freezer. When the tomato paste balls are frozen, wrap them individually in wax paper and store in a bag in the freezer.

Quickest Ever Spicy Marinara

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

6 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. add oil, onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so garlic doesn’t burn. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and puree, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes. Break up tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 12 stirring occasionally.

2. While sauce is simmering, cook pasta following package directions, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving half cup of the cooking water.

3. Tear basil into bite size pieces and stir into sauce. Toss pasta with sauce, adding 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water if needed to think out sauce.

4. To serve, spoon pasta into individual serving bowls and top each with a tablespoon of ricotta.

Per Serving

393 Calories
7 g fat
13 g protein
67g carbs
4 g fiber
604 mg sodium
8 mg cholesterol

Here is an even easier Marinara sauce I found on YouTube. In less than 2 minutes you can learn how to make a quick and easy marinara sauce that you can use for lots of dishes!

Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna

Here is a great cheap recipe that is easy to make. Total prep time is maybe 10 minutes. If you wanted you could even do Step 1. the night before. That way all you have to do is put the stuff in the pan and bake. You can make low-fat if you like by using low-fat cheeses. The recipe includes a lot of veggies but they are mixed up in the lasagna so it is a good one for kids and people who have trouble working vegetables into their diet. This recipe is a sort of Mexican Italian fusion dish.

Mexibean Mock Lasagna

Prep time – 10 min.
Cook time – 45 min.
Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 tsp. olive oil
1 and 1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne powder
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
15 oz. dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup tomato sauce (can use no-salt if desired)
4 oz. can diced green chilies, drained
Non-stick cooking spray
6 corn tortillas
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic and peppers for 5 minutes. Stir in spices and saute 1 additional minute. Remove from heat. Mix in corn, beans , tomato sauce and diced green chilies.

3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until casserole is thoroughly heated and cheddar cheese has melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

Healthy Trail Mix Cookies

I have seen trail mix in the groceries stores that is really expensive and I know you can make your own trail mix much cheaper. I looked around and found a couple of different recipes you can try. The first one comes from a collection called Great Ramen Noodle Recipes and is a bit different from your traditional trail mix recipes. Originally, it called for more expensive nuts but I changed the nuts to peanuts since they are the cheapest nuts. Sunflower seeds are also inexpensive.

The next recipe is healthier in that it includes some of the healthier cereals such as wheat chex. You can substitute any healthy cereal you prefer such as Cheerios, Shredded Wheat etc. Pumpkin seeds are also fairly inexpensive compared to almonds, walnuts and cashews. Also in this one you can use whatever leftover holiday candy you have for the sweet portion of the mix – candy corn from Halloween, M&M’s from Christmas, small chocolate eggs from Easter.

The last recipe is a fun one. It is a trail mix cookie. The recipe calls for whole wheat flour but you can use regular all-purpose flour if you desire. You can also use whatever chocolate pieces you have available.
Same goes for the oats, use whatever you have on hand, quick oats or old fashioned will work. Raisins are cheaper than Craisins if you are looking for the lowest cost.
Cheap Trail Mix Recipe (Great Ramen Noodle Recipes)

1 pkg Ramen Noodles, broken into pieces (save seasoning packet for another recipe)
2 T. Oil
1 cup chocolate chips or M & M’s
1 cup peanuts
1 cup dried raisins
1. c. sunflower seeds

Heat oil in a small frying pan, once hot add ramen and saute until brown and crispy. Cool Add remaining ingredients in a ziploc bags, seal the bag and shake to combine. Instant trail mix !

Easy and Healthy Trail Mix Recipes

1 cup Pumpkin seeds

Healthy Trail Mix Cookies

Ingredients

In a bowl cream the butter and peanut butter with the sugar and beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the baking soda, the baking powder, flour, the salt, and the vanilla. Stir in the oats, chocolate pieces and the raisins. Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough about 4 inches apart onto greased baking sheets and with a fork flatten and spread each mound into a round, about 3 inches in diameter. Bake the cookies in batches on the middle rack of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden. Transfer to a cooling rack or plate to cool.

Makes about 30 cookies.

# 1 c of miniature pretzel sticks or pretzel twist shopping list
# 1 c of any flavored cheerios shopping list
# 1 c of butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips shopping list
# 1 c of cheese flavored crackers or goldfish shopping list
# 1 c of any little chocolate candies or miniature m&m’s shopping list
# 1 c of dried fruit or cherry flavored cranberries shopping list
# 1 c of peanuts or cashews

Cold Brewed Coffee Concentrate

If you like a good cup of coffee, it can be an expensive habit. You have to buy good quality beans, grind the coffee fresh and drink it right away. But what if I told you there was a way to make a smooth delicious cup of coffee as easy as making a cup of instant. Also, you could use this coffee to make iced coffee without having to ice it down and dilute your iced coffee drink. Sounds too good to be true but there is a way. It is called cold brewed coffee concentrate and it is so easy to make and you don’t have to use super expensive coffee. The recipe I am going to give you makes 4 to 5 cups coffee concentrate, enough for about 10 cups of iced coffee or hot coffee.

You’ve heard the saying: the fresher the beans, the better the coffee. Same goes for the quality of what makes up nearly 99 percent of coffee – water. This concentrate will last for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

# 1 pound coffee, coarsely ground
# 2 1/2 quarts water

Instructions: Place coffee and water in a pitcher or other non-reactive vessel. Stir to make sure all the grounds are wet. Let steep at room temperature for 12 hours. Line a fine-mesh sieve with a paper coffee filter or folded-over cheesecloth. Strain coffee by pouring through filter into a pitcher or other glass container. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

To serve: Unless you’re a serious caffeine junkie, you’ll want to dilute the concentrate with water or milk. I like a 1:2 ratio of coffee to water, but if you want stronger go with a 1:1 which yields a pretty strong cup. Add more or less depending on your taste, and serve over ice. For hot coffee just add hot water in the ratio you like to the coffee concentrate. I boil water and add it to the concentrate and then heat it in the microwave if it is not hot enough.

You can use any kind of coffee but I like the kind with chicory (Louisiana style) such as CDM, Community Coffee with Chicory or French Market.

You could even package this in an attractive glass decanter or bottle and give as an affordable cheap last minute gift. Throw in some cute coffee mugs and you have a nice housewarming gift. If you need more ideas for More Affordable Cheap Last Mintue Gifts

Cheap Fast Healthy Dinners

Chimichurri Chicken - Rub skinless chicken breasts with olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Grill or bake. Make chimichurri sauce by mixing 2 cups finely chopped cilantro, 1 tsp. minced garlic, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 2/3 cup olive oil. Top chicken with sauce and diced avocado.

Artichoke tomato chicken – Saute 4 salted boneless skinless chicken breasts in olive oil until golden. Remove from pan and a dd 1 diced red bell pepper and 1 diced onion; cook until soft. Add a 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup tomato paste, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 can drained artichoke hearts and 1/2 cup water. Return chicken to the pan and simmer, covered, for 10 min.

Southwest Chicken Salad - Slice grilled chicken and add to a large serving bowl filled with baby spinach, fresh corn cut from 2 cobs and and a cup of diced tomatoes, toss with a vinaigrette made by mixing 3 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tbsp honey and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season with salt and chili powder.

Red Deviled Chicken – Combine 2 and 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 4 tsp mustard powder, 1 tsp. dried thyme and a pinch each salt and cayenne. Rub onto 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and bake at 350 degrees until cooked through 30 min.

Chipotle-Peach Glazed Thighs - Season and grill 8 skinless chicken thighs. During last 10 min. of grilling bush wih a sauce made by mising 3/4 peach jam, 3tbsp. white woine vinegar, 1 tabelspoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo and 1/2 tsp salt

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry – In a skillet, stir-fry 1 lb sliced boneless chicken in a few tbsp vegetable oil until cooked, then add 2 tbsp each honey and soy sauce and heat through. Add 2 chopped scallions and 1 diced red bell pepper. Season with lime juice and serve with cashews and cilantro over rice.

Impossibly Easy Bisquick Recipes

Now that you know how to make your own Bisquick mix, here is a Bisquick Cheeseburger Pie Recipe. I got this recipe from an old friend who put together a cook book of all her favorite tried and true recipes. If you don’t want to make the crust just use a frozen pie crust. That makes the recipe go much faster.

Bisquick Easy Cheeseburger Pie

1 cup biscuit mix
1/4 cup cold water
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. biscuit mix
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
2 medium tomatoes sliced
1 cup shredded cheese

Heat over to 375 degrees. Mix 1 cup biscuit mix and water until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Gently smooth dough into ball on flour covered surface (I use a glass cutting board). Knead five times. Roll or pat dough 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate. Ease into plate; flute edge if desired.

Cook and stir ground beef and onion until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons biscuit mix and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon into pie crust. Mix eggs and cottage cheese; pour over bf mixture. Arrange tomato slices in circle on top; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until set, about 30 minutes.