Frugal Feasting Friday

You've heard me say it before, "More than grocery sales and re-sales shops, a frugal lifestyle encompasses avoiding waste in all it's forms".  That's why today's Frugal Feasting Friday post is about using up something most will pour down the drain.

We consume fresh milk that is not pasteurized or homogenized.  Non pasteurized milk only lasts about 10 days under refrigeration.   Although we date the milk, my family does not always pay attention to the date sticker on the lid and will bring the gallon jars up from the basement out of order. Thus, sometimes I will find a gallon that has turned.  That's exactly what happened this past week. There is no way I can bring myself to pouring an entire gallon of milk down the drain, even if it is soured.  So, I decided to have a baking day.  Yes, a baking day ... Soured milk is the perfect substitute for buttermilk in any baking recipe.  Best of all, these baked goods freeze well and re-heat in a jiffy.  With Farmer Boy's 6:30 AM Driver's Ed classes, these pre-prepared breakfast foods will be a blessed time saver.

Hotcakes, Blueberry & Apple Cinnamon Muffins, and Coffee Cake

My recipe for Sour Milk Hotcakes can be found here.

Sour Milk Muffins

1 1/2 c. sour milk

1 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

4 c. flour

2/3 c. sugar

6 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease bottoms of muffin tins.  Mix together sour milk, vegetable oil and eggs.  In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add liquid ingredients to dry. Mix until just combined.  Evenly divide batter among muffin tins.  Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.

Variations - Blueberry Muffins:  Fold in 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberry to batter.  Apple Cinnamon Muffins:  Add 1 tsp. ground cinnamon to dry ingredients.  Fold in 2 grated apples (including skins) to batter.

Makes 2 dozen muffins.

Sour Milk Coffee Cake

5 c. flour

2 c. packed brown sugar

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 c. sour milk

Strudel Topping

1 c. chopped pecans

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp. butter

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease three 8"x8"x8" baking pans.  In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.  In a smaller bowl mix together oil, eggs and sour milk.  Add wet ingredients to dry; mix well.  Evenly divide batter between baking pans.  To prepare strudel topping, combine all ingredients cutting in butter.  Sprinkle strudel topping evenly over each cake.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cake tests done.

Makes 3 8x8x8 cakes

Having a baking day utilized sour milk that many would simply pour down the drain.  By freezing everything I will also save time over then next couple weeks.  Time is often the most precious of resources for our busy lives. Remember to always cool your baked goods completely before freezing them.