Showing posts with label Cookies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cookies. Show all posts

Friday, February 13, 2009

FRUGAL FRIDAY

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. My mother always celebrated Valentine's Day by leaving some little gift along with a beautiful Valentine's Day card at our place on the table. When we got up in the morning and came in for breakfast, our Valentine remembrance from her was waiting for us. I have always done the same thing.

When I was first married, money was very tight, so I made my Valentine's Day cards and sometimes the presents. In time, I resorted to buying my cards and presents. However, this year I looked at cards and the price for the 8-10 cards I wanted to send added up to more than $30 and those were not the really fancy cards. AND that did not include postage for mailing them. This made me think about how to save money this year!

First of all I remembered that I had a program on my computer for making greeting cards. I bought greeting card paper (on sale) for $10 and found a package of large envelopes on sale for $2.50. I made my cards and added a few bits of glitz that I already had to some of them. I also made gifts for a few of my friends. I must admit that I did buy my husband a small bottle of the cologne that he had a hankering for at Christmas.

The last few years I have ordered a bouquet of fancy cookies delivered to the retirement center where my mother lives. It was expensive, but a nice way to thank the ladies who take such good care of her. This year I decided to make the cookies myself and deliver them to the various shifts that work today and tomorrow. The cost of that was much less than half what the delivered cookies cost.


Friday, November 14, 2008

Frugal Friday

I saw an interesting gift yesterday. At the gym a trainer was giving someone a birthday gift and it was three quart-size Ziploc bags with four cookies in each bag. Each bag contained a different kind of cookie. The bags were stacked one on top of the other and tied with a red curly ribbon and had a tag on the top.

I thought that would be an excellent Christmas gift idea for neighbors, friends at church, and other casual gift giving. That type of gift gives someone a dozen assorted cookies and perhaps a hand-painted ornament on top. I have already begun my cookie making for Christmas giving. I have a container of oatmeal cookies and one of chocolate chip cookies in the freezer--had to make them for a party this week, so I made a double batch of each. Next I plan to make a chocolate cookie that has a piece of Rollo Candy baked in the middle.

Making these cookies ahead of time gives me the opportunity to watch for nuts and other ingredients on sale. Last week I found waffle pretzels on sale in the bulk section of the store where I shop (see recipe below). I stocked up! This week the Rollo candies were buy three and get three "free." I have come across three cookie recipes using Rollo candies this year. The following is a very easy recipe a friend in Hartford gave me and I used it last year:

Wendells

Waffle Pretzels
Rollo Candy
Pecan or Walnut Halves

Put one Rollo Candy piece on each pretzel and place on cookie sheet. Heat in 350 degree oven about 5 minutes or until Rollo Candy is soft but not melted. Press 1 pecan or walnut half on top of each Rollo Candy and allow to cool.

Yum! And fast and super easy!