How To


Tricia’s Slow Cooker Batch Cooking Navy Beans

by Tricia H on January 26, 2012

I really love it when my slow cooker can do the work for me and in the winter months that means navy beans.

3 comments


Papayas – The 411

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on December 20, 2011

(Please pardon the iPhone photos. My camera battery was charging!) Lechoza. Lechosa. That’s the spanish word for papaya. Pronounced “Le-cho-za.” Short e, short 0 sounds. I’d never had a lechoza/papaya until I lived in the Dominican Republic. And there, I had the three trees growing in my front yard. I’ll tell you what…there’s nothing better [...]

1 comment


Homemade Break ‘n Bake & Other Frozen Cookie Dough Gifts

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on December 6, 2011

Homemade Break n Bake Chatting with my friend Becky this weekend about frozen cookie dough gifts. And in the same instant, we both said, “Homemade Break n Bake!” And here they are… Just spoon them together onto plastic wrap, wax paper or parchment paper, wrap in foil and put in the freeze. When you’re ready [...]

6 comments


Hidden Cork Boards in Your Kitchen

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on October 25, 2011

Photo Credit Loving this concept from Young House Love…I love it because I don’t have a whole lot of counter space in my kitchen. This would be a great way for me (and you) to keep that small stack of recipes, meal ideas, shopping list and coupons off of your counters and out of the [...]

7 comments


Healthy Pumpkin Muffins and Breads

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on October 21, 2011

Great tips for making your favorite pumpkin muffins or bread recipes a little healthier…

2 comments


Homemade Pumpkin in the Slow Cooker

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on October 20, 2011

Making your own pumpkin puree in the slow cooker…

6 comments


Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on October 17, 2011

And just like I said the other day, “why buy a jar of spice that you only need 1-2 teaspoons of when you can mix up your own with what you’ve got already?!”

9 comments

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Homemade Jerk Seasoning and Jerk Chicken Recipe – New on SCJohnson.com

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on October 14, 2011

I love mixing up my own seasonings and have shared my recipe for homemade jerk seasoning, along with how to use it to season chicken.

1 comment


Homemade Apple Pie Spice

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on October 10, 2011

Seriously, why buy a jar of spice that you only need 1-2 teaspoons of when you can mix up your own with what you’ve got already?!

2 comments

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What to Do with Half Full Boxes of Pasta?!

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on October 6, 2011

I always end up with just a little bit of pasta left in each box. We usually need about 12 oz. of pasta to feed our family dinner…leaving 3-4 oz. in the box. So the other night I decided just to combine a few of the different varieties…and boy did the little people get a [...]

30 comments