baking Archives - St. Louis Dad

The stresses and strains of parenting on a day-to-day basis is a rewarding chore – but a chore nonetheless. The beautiful creature you created is a gift to you as a well as an annoying pain in the backside! Whether it’s their behavior or their well-being, you can never switch off. After a long, hard stint of watching over them – whether they’re six or sixteen! – being freed from the struggle of guardianship sometimes feels like a huge weight removed.

But it doesn’t always have to be that way, you know! You may have forgotten amidst all of the chaos, but good old fun can be had with the whole family, and it’s always nice to cherish times together that can be almost exclusively joyful and anxiety-free! Here are a few suggestions that can boost your evenings together.

Movie Night

A movie night is a common pastime among families and friends. But that doesn’t stop it being a fantastic evening and a great idea for everyone. You could make a plan one night to surprise the kids and take them to the movie theatre. Nowadays a lot of streaming services make movie nights a lot easier. As long as you have a TV and an internet connection you’re pretty much good to go. Careful, though, you may want to test the speed of the connection – you don’t want it to get to the crux of the story and start buffering! It happens!

Games!

From silly activities like charades to video games. Getting a laugh and a smile on faces is a feeling like no other and stimulating the brain while enjoying yourself is one of the best ways!

Cooking

Cooking is a beautiful hobby to take part in – especially one with the whole family. We all like food don’t we? Getting to enjoy a meal while learning how to make it is rewarding not only for the stomach but for the brain too!

Arts And Crafts

Similar to cooking, it’s fun and simple to do. You can open someone’s creative side, and with kids at a young age taking things in like sponges, it can be super beneficial for them as they may grow up with an artistic side or a problem-solving side!

Build A Fort!

You have to be a real grumpy goose to not get on board with the idea of a fort in the living room! Similarly to before, it’s creative as well as a good laugh. Just make sure you plan for it all and are ready to clean up and get everything back in order!

Puzzles

Puzzles are another great way to get the whole family involved. If they’re super young, the kids can have a whale of a time working out what goes where in a small, cheap jigsaw. But they can also help out with big family projects that take a lot more time. Some take weeks and months so the whole family can spend some evenings getting these little projects completed – having fun and developing the brain in the process!

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.

If you’re baking on a budget, you need to be creative to ensure that you prepare quality products without straining your finances. However, this does not mean that you survive on minute rice and pasta every night! A little planning will turn your kitchen into a den of creative recipes that no one will believe that you conceived and implemented them on a budget.

The season is ripe for hot chocolate, frosted window panes, and roasting of chestnuts on an open fire. Do not be left behind just because you are on a tight budget!

You may want to invite your friends over for a glass of wine and gingerbread cookie. Everyone has that special urge to make your house smell of chocolate while treating your family for a decorating and cake-eating festivity. These feelings are absolutely normal and you shouldn’t resist!

We will give you several tips that will ensure that you achieve your baking desires.

Apply Smart Spending

When you are working with limited finances, you may have to think through the necessity of everything you purchase. With a little preparation you can save money which comes in handy especially around holidays like the 4th of July or Christmas, where food and gift-exchanges like secret Santa are common additional expenses.

We advise that you buy a few must-have baking ingredients (ensure that you do not overbuy; if you need 200 grams of a specific ingredient, ensure that you don’t buy a whole kilogram of the same). Some of the crucial baking ingredients that you may want to consider include vanilla extract, whole nutmeg, molasses, and cocoa powder.

For more savings, consider buying your baking supplies in bulk around November. These things often go on sale then!

Make Proper Use of all The Ingredients Already in Your Kitchen

Before you go out shopping, it’s necessary that you embark on a stock-taking activity to avoid double buying. Only buy those ingredients that you do not have. If you have some stocks, it’s paramount that you check the quantities and top-up in case they are insufficient.

You should optimally utilize all the ingredients. For example, you can brown your butter, and toast your nuts and spices to level them up. If you have anything that’s perishable or fragile, you should ensure that you store it inside your freezer for later use.

Use Your Leftovers to Bake

There is the point when your creativity will count! You can use your leftovers to prepare an incredibly delicious cake for your family. For example, you can use leftover eggs to create a tasty meringue. Need more ideas? Well, get this; you can use wine leftovers for making poached pears, and beer leftovers for making bread!

Be Creative and Crafty!

You can DIY some of the expensive baking ingredients which will help you to cut the cost of baking significantly. For example, you can make your coconut milk or almond meal at home!

Use Cocoa Powder

Using cocoa powder instead of chocolate is cheaper yet it makes equally delicious cookies! Use the trick to cut your baking cost by a significant percentage.

Make a Big Batch of Cookie Dough

You can prepare a large batch of dough and then preserve it in the freezer. This will reduce waste and ensure that every time you need a cookie, you’ll get the best quality fast.

Bake a Loaf of Bread

If you need to satisfy your urge to bake but you do not have enough money, you can always bake a loaf of bread! You will just need to invest in a few packets of yeast and you’ll have your bread in a few hours.

Freeze Excess Fruits and Vegetables

When you realize that you have extra fruits and vegetables, never be in a hurry to discard them. Instead, you can freeze them and use them later.

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.

Tag: baking

Fab Ideas For A Fun Family Evening