Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

This winter, give your friends and family a taste of summer with these blueberry oatmeal muffins.

These muffins make tasty treats for teachers, postal workers and others you are looking to give token gifts to this holiday season. Or take them to the office potluck either for breakfast or for a healthy dessert.

Yes, blueberries are expensive this time of year, but give them a try with whatever fruit you have on hand. I've had excellent results substituting the blueberries for raspberries.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

1 1/2 tablespoons + 1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or raspberries)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, to taste
1 cup yogurt (plain or fruit-flavored)
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a muffin pan.

Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons oats and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine remaining oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until the batter is moistened but still lumpy. Gently fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups almost to top, and sprinkle reserved oats and brown sugar over muffins. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 12.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Continuing this week's theme of cheap and easy homemade Christmas gifts that look neither cheap nor easy ... Homemade Chocolate Syrup.

The recipe, from Small Notebook (who, in turn, borrowed it from The Complete Tightwad Gazette) has only five ingredients. And since the result keeps for several months, you can make the sauce at your leisure, far before the last-minute crush of holiday shopping and get-togethers.

Yes, the results look tasty, but what really makes this a gem of a gift is the container you package it in. A flip-top glass bottle (like that used at Small Notebook) with a homemade label makes this easy homemade Christmas gift appear not only delicious, but also thoughtful.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Mix cocoa and water in saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve cocoa. Add sugar, and stir to dissolve. Boil 3 minutes over medium heat. Add salt and vanilla. Cool. Pour into a sterile glass jar, and store in refrigerator. Keeps for several months. Yields two cups.

Banana Bread

Just because you're pinching pennies doesn't mean you have to scrimp on Christmas gifts.

The key? Exchange money for time. This week I'm highlighting three Christmas gifts you can make in your kitchen in mere minutes, for mere pennies.

First up: banana bread.

Until I tried this recipe, I was never a huge fan of banana bread. I could take it or leave it. But this recipe is not only easy, it's maybe the best quick bread I've ever tasted. With some colored plastic wrap and ribbon, you've got a thoughtful, tasty gift.

And bonus: the leftover batter is all yours, and it's almost as good as the bread itself.

Banana Bread
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed well
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one loaf pan.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Gently fold banana mixture into flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. Batter will be thick.

Scrape batter into pan and smooth top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out nearly clean, 55 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.

Let cool 1 hour before serving.

Do-It-Yourself Extra Long Shower Curtain Liner

I measured the windows, I measured the walls.

Before we moved to a new place 500 miles away, I measured nearly everything-- except the distance from the shower rod to the base of the tub.

A shower curtain liner certainly qualifies as one of those things you need on your first day in a new apartment. So I went to the store and took my chances. I bought a new shower curtain liner of the standard length.

Unfortunately, it was about three inches two short. Water from the shower blew the bottom of the liner up over the tub, soaking the bathroom floor.

My solution? A clear plastic tablecloth from the nearest dollar store.

The tablecloth was about a foot too long, but I simply folded over the top until the "liner" was of the desired length, and then I poked holes at the top for the hooks. Voila! An extra long shower curtain liner that's less than 2 bucks -- and is easily replaceable.

3 Cheap and Easy Halloween Costumes

It's less than a week until Halloween and you're still without a costume. And without money.

Now that's scary.

But no fear! Make these 3 easy Halloween costumes on the cheap with things you already have tucked away in your closet.

1. Michael Phelps: Skip the swimsuit and put on a pair of windbreaker pants and a jacket-- red, white and blue if you can pull it off. Slap some goggles on your head and dig out those old medals you won in elementary school (or make your own with aluminum foil and ribbon). Voila. You're an Olympic superstar.

2. Ghost. It's an oldie but goody. You're never going to use that old white sheet in the linen closet anyway, so you might as well poke a couple of eye-holes in it. Bonus: You can use it as a blanket if you're outside and it's freezing. It's like a Halloween Snuggie.

3. Well-Read. Yep, I'm a bookworm and a dork and this was my last-minute costume for a holiday party at a friend's house a few years back. I carried a pail (I was a well) and wore all of my scarlet clothing (I was all red). Very punny, I know, but also very easy.

Wall Art That Starts Conversations

The last thing the world needs is another reprint of "Starry Night."

Instead, turn to your digital photos to decorate your walls.

For a fraction of the cost of the framed pictures you can get in any old store, I ordered 8 x 12 prints of a few of my favorite photos taken by either my husband or me, like the one above of the Brandenburg Gate at dusk. Then I bought simple glass frames at Ikea for just a couple of bucks apiece.

Now my hallway is lined with seven prints that not only are pretty, but also bring up good memories whenever I stroll to the living room. I visit Austria, France, Mexico and even Disney World in a few steps, if only for a few moments.

This is a great way to decorate your own home, or a thoughtful gift for a friend or family member with whom you've shared a vacation. They're also perfect conversation starters-- visitors always want to learn where the pictures were taken once they learn we snapped them ourselves.

Save Money, Save Energy When You Cook

Usually the ads on the subway are just white noise for the eyes. I might try and decipher a Spanish ad now and then, but my eyes glaze over when it comes to yet another sign for a doctor or lawyer.

But an ad directly above where I was standing on a New York City N-train caught the eyes of my husband, Paul. Con Edison, our local electric company, has a series of ads highlighting specific ways to save energy, money, or often both. Take the tip Paul noticed:

If you use glass or ceramic in the oven, you can lower the temperature by 25 degrees and still get the same results.

Who knew? Not me. But if it's good for the environment and my pocketbook, it's good by me.

Have a Ball Making Ice Cream

Item: Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker

Price: starting at about $22

Where to Buy: IceCreamRevolution.com (link to Amazon)

Review: Making your own ice cream sounds like a good idea, but I haven't had great luck. It tastes fine, but I've never gotten the thick and creamy consistency that I prefer. I'd rather go to Dairy Queen.

Maybe I'm just impatient. I'm not sure the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker can change my core qualities, but at least it would give me something to do while I'm waiting for dessert.

Like eCreamery customized ice cream, I learned about the Play and Freeze on an episode of Unwrapped. Who knew the Food Network would become my go-to source for the latest in ice cream technology?

Add the cream, sugar and vanilla at one end of the ball, and ice and rock salt in the other. Then, as they say, have a ball. Shake it, roll it, whatever. Twenty minutes later: Ice cream.

The original Play and Freeze makes a pint of ice cream. Hungrier? Get the Mega ball for a quart.

Image from: IceCreamRevolution.com

Feng Shui for Tough Economic Times

Earlier this year I received an email with an intriguing subject line:

"Feng Shui Tips to Attract Money For You & Yours!"

It was from one of the neighborhood shops, Hom. R.D. Chin, the author of "Feng Shui Revealed" would be speaking about a room's wealth areas and money power spots and explain how to make them work for you.

Interesting. But since the lecture came with a $40 price tag, I decided I would in fact be wealthier if I stayed home.

With a little of the ol' internet research, however, I did come up with these feng shui tips to help fatten your wallet:

• Prosperity is associated with the back left corner of a room, facing in from the doorway. Clear clutter from this area and replace it with a symbol of prosperity, such as a bowl of coins.

• Store your checkbook in the rear left corner of your desk.

• Hang three Chinese coins tied together with red ribbon on the back of the handle of your front door, and be sure to cut the ribbon in increments of 9, such as 9 inches or 18 inches long.

No, I don't really believe any of this stuff really works. But in times like these, I guess anything's worth a shot.

Fast Food: From Cheap to Fancy

Quiche. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

Burger King Croissan'wich. Not so much.

But wait. According to Fancy Fast Food, you can make two mouth-watering mini-quiches purely by deconstructing a Croissan'wich meal and a few other items you can buy at BK.

At least the picture looks mouth-watering. I haven't been brave enough to try.

Fancy Fast Food does exactly what the name promises. The site has directions and images on how to recreate typical fast food meals into something special.

Domino's Pizza becomes chow mein.

Popeye's Chicken becomes sushi.

And unlike the "before" photos, the after shots look not only edible, but good.

Inspired? Submit your own fast food creations to the site!

Charming Danforth Pewter Buttons

Item: Danforth Pewter Buttons and Charms

Price: $3

Where to Buy: Danforth Pewter

Review: The Danforth Pewter button display a saw at a small shop in Burlington, Vermont, almost made me what to rip out all of the buttons in my spring jacket and replace them with these bright and shiny alternatives.

And at $3 apiece, it would have been completely reasonable to do so.

Many of the buttons were a little too, well, cute for my tastes. However, I absolutely loved the simple, classic designs on the round buttons the company offers.

In Burlington I was content with buying a Danforth Pewter charm to turn into a necklace. But when I decide my coat needs a makeover, I know where to turn.

Image from: Danforth Pewter

Passport Photos from the Comfort of Your Home

Several weeks ago I wrote about shooting, cropping and submitting my own passport photos instead of opting for the overpriced pictures taken at drugstores.

The results? A-OK.

My husband and I each received our renewed passports in the mail last week, no questions asked. The best part: We actually like these passport photos.

Whether you're applying for your first passport or a renewal, I highly recommend using ePassportPhoto to help make sure the photos you take meet federal regulations. Free and easy to use-- it doesn't get much better than that.

Homemade Bagels: Easier Than You Think

I like to cook.

Scratch that. I like to bake.

Homemade bagels straddle that line, and I've always been too scared to give them a try.

That is, until this easy bagel recipe was posted on The Thrifty Gourmet. (Shameless plug: I'm a contributing writer there.)

In my neighborhood, bagels go for almost a dollar apiece. For the same price I can make a half dozen at home-- maybe more.

And making bagels really was easy, and tasty, too. Yes, it takes time, but most of it is spent allowing the dough to rise. It doesn't get much easier than that!

Flour, yeast, sugar, salt, oil, water and two hand to knead: That's all you need for your very own homemade bagels.

When Being Frugal Doesn't Pay

There's a limit to saving money.

For me, that limit is home repairs, car repairs and pretty much anything else that requires a toolbox. I'll spend any amount of money to save time and, more than likely, avoid a debilitating injury.

But a recent New York Times article proves that others don't quite know their limit. Take the woman who installed her own toilet, only to find the ceiling below it collapse. Or the man who happily accepted party leftovers of uncooked meat and fish to end up with food poisoning.

What's your limit?

Cheap Passport Photos ... That Actually Look Good

I love to plan trips.

Reading the guide books, creating an itinerary, even packing-- they're almost as exciting as the trip itself.

Not really, but you get the point.

But I don't like just everything about vacation preparation. Case in point: renewing my passport.

Passport photos are a huge waste of money. They're only about $7, but that seems ridiculous when you can buy other photos for just pennies apiece.

And besides, if I have to live with a photo of myself for 10 years, I want it to look good. I don't trust a drug store, AAA or any other common source of passport photos to tell me if I look like an idiot as I'm waiting for the bulb to go off, and I doubt they're going to give me a free do-over.

So I was determined to find a better way. And I did: ePassportPhoto.

Have your photo taken with a digital camera against a white or off-white background, following a few simple rules (details are on the site). My husband and I spent about 15 minutes taking several photos of each other, instantly deleting the pictures that made us look like a doofus.

Upload the picture of your choice to ePassportPhoto, crop to specifications, and save. I had photos of myself and my husband printed at a local drugstore for a grand total of 58 cents.

I have yet to send in the photos to actually renew my passport, so I'm still crossing my fingers that they won't be rejected.

Want to see the photo? That's going to require an in-person visit to me. Even the best of passport photos doesn't make you, me or anyone actually look good ... only better.

Grape Salad from My Mom

And today, a recipe from my own mother. It's my favorite recent addition to my recipe box, and a quick side dish or dessert that's easy and cheap.

Grape Salad

2 pounds (or more) of grapes
8 ounce package of cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the last four ingredients until smooth. Stir in whole grapes. Enjoy!

Muesli From My Mother-in-Law

Happy Mother's Day (almost) to all those moms out there!

I'm not one myself, but I do have a pretty great mother and mother-in-law, so here's to you both. Cheers!

In their honor, I'm featuring one tasty, thrifty, easy recipe from each of them. My mother-in-law's muesli gets the spotlight today. And on Monday... well, you'll just have to see the recipe my mother has shared with me.

I like cereal, but I absolutely love this muesli. The recipe's pretty adaptable-- you can make it sweeter or healthier with little effort. I always half the recipe (and usually keep it in the oven for about half the time). The muesli stays fresh for a long time-- but it tastes so good that you'll probably never find out exactly how long!

I'll post the recipe exactly as it was given to me, but I usually change it based on what I have around. I use quick oats, skip the wheat germ, nuts & pumpkin seeds, and up the brown sugar and sunflower seeds. I'd like to try it with dried cranberries, too. Enjoy!

Muesli

1 cup wheat bran
6 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup nuts or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups raisins

Mix dry ingredients except raisins and heat in 300 degree oven for one hour. Stir every 15 minutes. A few minutes before removing from oven, stir in the raisins and heat another 5 minutes. Heat oil and honey together and pour over the dry ingredients after they are removed from the oven. Mix thoroughly. After cooled, store in air-tight container.