My Favourite Holiday Pie

I know most families have a "must have" dessert that absolutely needs to grace their Christmas table to make the holiday complete. For many of us, it's a pie that fits into this category, and it's no different at my house. I first made this Cranberry-Apple Pie several years ago and it was such a huge hit with everyone it's now our traditional holiday dessert. It's such a festive colour and a perfect blend of sweet and tart - the ideal combination to finish off Christmas dinner!

Cranberry-Apple Pie

Pastry dough for a double crust, 9" pie

1 1/2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled apple
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
3/4 cup water, divided
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp rum extract (optional)

Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, apple, raisins, butter, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes (until cranberries burst). Combine cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup water; add to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until filling is thickened. Remove from heat and add rum extract (if using).

Roll out half of the pastry dough and fit into a 9" pie plate, leaving extra pastry around edges of plate. Add filling. Use remaining pastry dough to make a lattice topping (instructions here if you need them!).

Bake pie at 400F for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. I like to give this at least an hour to cool before serving so it's not too runny. Serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

I shared this recipe at Full Plate Thursday. 

Looking for more great recipes? Check out my recipe index (scroll down the page a bit to get to it) and my brand new book!

My Christmas Gift Plans This Year

 It's just over a week until Christmas - which seems to be the point every year where I wonder if I have everything I need to "pull it all together" gift-wise for the season.

So I thought I might as well share my gift plans for this year - it will help me sort out how well prepared I am (or not), and perhaps give you some last minute ideas as well!

WARNING: GIFT SPOILERS AHEAD! If you're on my gift list, please stop reading NOW :)

Hubby is getting a dress watch (which is not a surprise as he helped me pick it out!) and a 10 class pass for my hot yoga studio (he has come with me a few times in the past and hinted more than once that he might like to come with me occasionally).

My 14 year old son is getting a Nerf gun and a pair of slippers (two items he specifically requested).

My 12 year old son will also find a Nerf gun under the tree, plus a toque with his hockey team's crest on it (again, both items were specific requests). Extra bonus: the hat is made by a local company that is owned by a family in our neighbourhood!

Both boys will also find a new pair of gloves under the tree, which they did not request but definitely need!

In addition to the above, I'm going to be making up a "gift certificate" for a family night out (dinner and a movie). We rarely eat out *or* see movies in the theatre, so this will be a special treat (my kids still talk about the last time we did a whole dinner-and-a-movie evening as a family, which was several years ago!) 

Stockings:

We all love our stockings around here! One year when things were really tight, my hubby and I decided not to do stockings for each other - and we really missed them. So I don't think we will try skipping them again :) 

For the boys: mini-flashlights (for camping), some of my homemade lip balm, $5 gift cards for Tim Hortons (we have one in our neighbourhood and they love to go there with their friends), vouchers for tickets to a Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) game (my husband got these for free!), plus assorted candy (some will be homemade, and some will be leftovers from what we bought to fill their Advent calendar). I also have a deck of "Things Every Teen Should Know" cards for my older son and a stocking-sized book of challenging mazes for my younger son, both of which I picked up at yard sales this summer. It's a tradition in our family that an apple and a couple of clementines go in the very bottom of the stocking, so that should just about fill them! Santa will also be leaving each of them a book beside their stocking (both of which were yard sale finds). 

For hubby: He will also find lip balm and homemade candies in his stocking, plus the "His" soap from The Guelph Soap Company (which is made less than an hour away from me). I still need to track down a few other things for him - he's pretty well stocked up on toiletries so I'll need to get creative - suggestions welcome :)

My sisters-in-law are getting my homemade lip balm. Last year I gave them all a little pampering gift of some homemade cleansing grains, and I want to make it a new tradition to give them a little nurturing treat every year (we don't officially exchange gifts, so I want to keep it small!). I am going to have them all packaged up fancy with cellophane and ribbon like the one in the picture in the bottom right corner. Doesn't that look like an elegant little gift for 25 cents?

My dad and grandmother will both be receiving photo calendars that I bought through an excellent deal on Groupon (I got two high quality calendars for a total of $20, including shipping!). They will also be getting copies of my book, of course :) I have been making each of them a gift basket of baked goodies and canned goods for years and years, so this year will be no different in that regard (the top right photo shows one of the baskets from a couple of years ago). This year's baskets - which are usually repurposed clementine orange crates - will include Sweet Potato Pound Cake, Cran-Raspberry Jam, dill pickles, sweet pickles, salsa, Candied Peanuts, Coconut Neapolitan Candy and Christmas Granola.

Most of my friends and I don't exchange gifts through mutual agreement - we'd rather just enjoy each others' company, and relax with some cookies and hot beverages! We also stopped buying gifts for our nieces and nephews a couple of years ago since we all felt the kids already got way too much "stuff" and we didn't need to add more. Since we've scaled down the gifting, I've noticed that our gatherings feel more relaxed and enjoyable without the present-opening frenzy - and the cousins have plenty of fun just spending time together.


I do have one close friend that I've maintained a gifting tradition with, and we also buy gifts for each others' kids as well. I always do up a big food basket for her and her family, and usually give her a modest personal gift or two. This year, it will be my book plus a basket of assorted personal care goodies - some Apricot Citrus soap from the Guelph Soap Company, plus homemade lavender-grapefruit sugar scrub and a little sample size of my homemade deodorant (which I'll also do in the lavender-grapefruit scent). For her kids, I have some good hardcover books plus some Christmas activity and colouring books. 

Wow, I think I am actually almost ready for Christmas - I still have a couple of things to whip up in the kitchen, and I haven't started wrapping yet, but I definitely won't be running around in a last minute shopping frenzy!

If you still need a few ideas for easy and inexpensive gifts, check out my Ten Quick and Easy Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas. And my book is now available on Amazon.com (still waiting for it to go up on Amazon.ca - sorry, fellow Canadians, I'll keep you posted!) 

Are you "ready" for Christmas? What's going under your tree this year?

My Book Is Here!!

The moment I've been waiting a LOOONG time for is finally here - I have an actual, honest-to-goodness real live copy of my book!

This is the proof copy, which means it's not for sale quite yet - but it will be VERY SOON! As long as I don't find any major errors in the proof that need changing, it should be listed on Amazon by the middle of next week at the latest - just squeaking in for the get-it-shipped-before-Christmas deadline (in the U.S., anyway!). My husband has already given it a look through and didn't find anything amiss, so keep your fingers crossed :)

I'll be sure to let you know when it's available, and update the Cheap Appétit page here on the blog with links to all the relevant Amazon pages (it will be listed on .com, .ca., and also .gb and .austr I think!).  

Writing a book has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I still can't quite believe I've actually done it. I've written newsletters, op-ed pieces, tons of blog posts and other assorted articles, but nothing else has come close to seeing a whole book with my name on the cover!

Guess what everyone in my family is getting for Christmas this year :)

Weekly Menu Retrospective #53

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

BOOK UPDATE: My book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) has finally gone to press. I still don't have an exact date when it will be available for purchase,  so stay tuned - you'll know as soon as I do! I've started putting page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you'll know where to find them once it's released :) For more details about the book, go here.
 
Monday: Indian-Spiced Honey Garlic Chicken (p. 188 Cheap Appétit), Coconut Rice (p. 199 Cheap Appétit), peas and carrots

Tuesday: Sausage and White Bean Casserole, broccoli

Wednesday: Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Lentil Soup (p. 162 Cheap Appétit)

Thursday: Leftover Buffet for kids (hubby and I out at his work Christmas party)

Friday: Bacon, Egg and Potato Hash (a variation of Make-It-Your-Way Potato Hash, p.140 Cheap Appétit) 

Saturday: Spaghetti with Creamy Tomato Vegetable Sauce

Sunday: Crispy Pork Cutlets with Milk Gravy (variation of Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Milk Gravy, p. 186 Cheap Appétit), mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots, assorted Christmas cookie platter

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com

My $10 Holiday Outfit

My husband started working at a new company this past January, and as it turns out they hold a pretty fancy Christmas party for their employees and spouses. I haven't had to get really dressed up for the holidays in a number of years, so I was scrambling to put together an outfit that would be suitable for this occasion without spending a lot (since we've already busted our clothing budget for this year!)

I didn't even have a pair of high heels that fit me, since my feet stretched out and gained a size after I had my younger son (the fact that he's now twelve years old gives you an idea how often I get really dressed up - nope, not even a wedding in our family in all that time!)

Thankfully, Value Village saved the day by having a 50% Off Day at the end of November. We decided to go to the store that's located in a more affluent neighbourhood as I figured I'd have better luck finding "fancy" clothes there.

I got *really* lucky and found a pair of black patent leather Rockport heels that fit me perfectly for just $6.50. I also found a black and silver top to pair with the black velvet skirt I already own for another $3.00. I added my "good" pair of dressy silver earrings to finish off the outfit.

Total cost to put this outfit together: $9.50.

The party was on Thursday night (and it was really quite fabulous!). No, I certainly didn't win the "best dressed" award, but I certainly didn't come close to winning the fashion booby prize, either (ladies, please don't wear strapless, low cut dresses to a WORK Christmas party!!). There was actually a pretty wide mix of styles and levels of dressiness at the party, so I blended in pretty well :)

You may or may not like my holiday style, but that's not really the point. With a little creativity and resourcefulness, I think it's possible to put together whatever look you're going for, very inexpensively.

For many of us, holiday outfits are worn so infrequently that I just don't think they're worth spending a lot of money on. In fact, I may just try holding a holiday clothing swap with a few friends next season, so I have something new to wear to next year's party!

How do you do "holiday fashion" on a small budget?

RECIPE: Sausage and White Bean Casserole

I don't know about you, but at this time of year when the days are dark and chilly and filled with a million and one holiday-related activities, a comforting home-cooked casserole is just what I need at the end of the day.

I created this Sausage and White Bean Casserole when I was fiddling around with ingredients I had on hand earlier this week. It tasted even better than I expected and was a huge hit with my family. I think even reluctant legume eaters would enjoy this dish, as it doesn't taste "beany" at all, just creamy and flavourful! It would be great to tote along to any holiday gathering.

Ingredients:

6 Italian-style sausages, cooked and diced

3 cups cooked white beans (or two cans, rinsed and drained)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dry mustard
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2-3 tbsp olive oil or melted butter

Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, saute the onion, garlic and red pepper in butter until soft. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir until well coated with fat. Slowly add the stock, stirring contantly. Add the milk and continue stirring until sauce thickens. 

Add oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, dry mustard, beans and sausage. Pour into an 11 x 7 inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add the olive oil or butter and stir until crumbs are evenly coated. Sprinkle evenly over top of casserole.

Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and golden brown on top.

Serves 6. 
I shared this recipe at Full Plate Thursday and Frugal Food Thursday.

Welcome, Simple Organized Living Readers!

Me and my hubby back in 1997 with our less-than-a-day old son Noah

Today I have a guest post on Ten Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms over at Simple Organized Living. 

I wanted to give a big welcome to all of Andrea's readers who have come to visit me for the first time. I hope you'll stick around so we can get to know each other better! If you want to learn a bit more about who I am and what I blog about, check my about page.

Some posts I think you might find particularly useful right now:

Ten Quick and Easy Homemade Gift Ideas
Seven Natural (and Cheap!) Ways to Calm a Cold
Six Natural and Cheap Ways to Freshen Up Your Home (if you're having lots of guests this holiday season!)

If you're looking for ideas on how to "do Christmas" on a tight budget, check out my Christmas on a Dime page, as well as my Thrifting & Gifting page for further ideas on how to give great gifts without spending much money.


Finally, if you're searching for frugal, family-friendly recipes, please take a stop by my Food page (scroll down to the bottom for an index of all the recipes on the site). I also have a book coming out very soon (sometime in the next few weeks!) called Cheap Appétit: The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible). You can read more details about the book here, and be sure to come back in January when I'll be giving away a few copies!

I hope you've enjoyed your visit to Abundance on a Dime and that you'll want to stay in touch. You can sign up in the sidebar on the right to get email updates every time I write a new post. I'm also on Twitter and Facebook if you want to connect there. 

Thanks for stopping by and I wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Weekly Menu Retrospective #52

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

BOOK UPDATE: My book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) went to press the week before last. I still don't have an exact date when it will be available for purchase,  so stay tuned - you'll know as soon as I do! I've started putting page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you'll know where to find them once it's released :) For more details about the book, go here.
 
Monday: Apple & Bacon Baked Beans (p. 177 Cheap Appétit) , honey roasted carrots, fresh baked bread (from Whole Wheat Refrigerator Bread Dough, p. 239 Cheap Appétit)

Tuesday: Spicy Peanut and Tomato Soup (p. 163 Cheap Appétit), cornbread (p. 212 Cheap Appétit)

Wednesday: Toad-in-the-Hole (p. 180 Cheap Appétit), peas, leftover carrots

Thursday: Cheesy Mac and Beef Skillet (p. 148 Cheap Appétit)

Friday: Leftover Buffet

Saturday: Spaghetti

Sunday: Pork and Apple Stew (p. 156 Cheap Appétit), freshly baked bread (from refrigerator dough)

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com

A Handful of Holiday Thoughts

 Image by digitalart/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My husband has very kindly passed his cold on to me (that's the spirit of holiday giving!) and due to my congested head it seems I'm incapable of forming a long enough string of coherent thoughts to write a whole post on one topic. So I'm just going to toss out a few random tidbits that might prove useful in planning your festivities.

1. Christmas Eve is THREE WEEKS FROM TODAY. Despite the fact that I'm way behind my usual schedule in terms of Christmas preparation, I shall NOT panic. I will NOT try to accomplish some superhuman list of activities in the next 21 days. I will do the things that are most important to me and my family, and let the rest fall by the wayside. I really like what Sarah over at Clover Lane has to say about just saying no to the Christmas craziness.

2. I am going to start baking cookies this weekend. Cookies are one of the things that are very important to Christmas around here. If you are planning to do cutout cookies with your kids (or someone else's), I cannot recommend these White Velvet Cutouts highly enough. The dough is incredibly forgiving; it doesn't crumble or dry out so it's perfect for kids to work with - and it makes great tasting cookies! Other favourites in our house are Cookie Jar Gingersnaps (I use 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup of coconut oil in place of the shortening, and a full tablespoon of ginger), Magic Cookie Bars (I make my own condensed milk for use in this recipe), Eggnog Thumbprints, Whipped Shortbread and my mom's fruitcake cookies - which are a really unique cookie and an old family recipe that I just might get around to sharing here!

3. If you're looking for some clutter-free gift ideas, Angela over at My Year Without Spending has a great post on Experiential Gift Ideas.

4. If you could use a good laugh, Kristen over at The Frugal Girl shares 10 Ways to Have a Disastrously Spendy Christmas. I know none of you will be doing anything on that list. right?

5. If you're looking for some more quick, homemade personal-care type products to pair up with the lip balm and hard lotion I shared last week, head over to Crunchy Betty for over 20 great ideas.

Do you have a quick holiday-related tip to share with us?