Hungry Holidays on a Budget
Guest post by Tom Blanchard
It is no coincidence that most people tend to ditch their diets and pack on a few extra pounds during the last few months of the year. During this time of year, families adopt festive recipes as part of their holiday traditions. Whether you have to cook for a large group, small family or even just one person, holiday recipes add up and take a toll not only on your waistline, but your pocketbook as well. By finding low cost holiday recipes, you can stretch your budget to feed more people and experimenting with all kinds of holiday foods. Make sure to use coupons for further savings and these inexpensive recipes will have you impressing guests for less this holiday season.
After tearing through presents on Christmas morning, relax with a warm plateful of eggnog pancakes. Use just a few inexpensive ingredients to make holiday stacks for the whole family. You can even squeeze batter into metal holiday cookie cutters on the griddle to make the eggnog pancakes even more festive.
2. Christmas Chip Dip
Next time you get invited to a pot luck Christmas party and don’t have the money to spend on a fancy dish, throw together this low-cost, easy dip. To make the dip you only need cream cheese, green and red pepper jellies and your choice of chips. This quick recipe tastes great and has holiday flare with festive colors.
3. Holiday Candied Yams
Holiday candied yams make a great side dish or even dessert for a festive family dinner. This recipes also saves you money, only requiring a few key ingredients. The yams taste great with the sweet pineapple and brown sugar flavors, and will surely enhance your holiday spread.
4. Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Ham
For a traditional holiday dinner that won’t break the bank, bake this ham that requires just a few simple ingredients you probably have on hand. Look out for holiday specials at grocery stores that earn you a free ham or turkey with a minimum purchase. Then, just make sure you have honey, mustard and brown sugar, and you can prepare this sweet and savory holiday favorite.
5. Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Crackles
Nothing says holidays like a batch of freshly baked cookies. These double chocolate cookies include another holiday staple, the candy cane. The rich chocolate and smooth peppermint tastes in these cookies blend perfectly to create a festive baked treat. Pair these cookies up with some hot cocoa for a cozy winter evening.
You don’t have to prepare fancy foods to impress friends and family at holiday gatherings. Instead, try these low-cost recipes that include lots of ingredients you most likely already have. You will still wow your guests and have more money to spend on holiday gifts.
Photo credits: 1. IMG_1445 by Neeta Lind/flickr 2. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Eggnog-Pancakes-2/Detail.aspx 3. http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/holiday-candied-yams.htm 4. http://prudencepennywise.blogspot.com/search/label/ham 5. http://www.cooksrecipes.com/holiday/dark_chocolate_candy_cane_crackles_recipe.html
There are a ton of coupon and deal sites available on the web today. It is difficult to sift through all of them to find the best option. Tom Blanchard does all of the work for you and provides his suggestions. The couponcroc.co.uk of the UK has been one of his favorites for a long time running.
