The Penny-Pincher'S Pantry - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Pancake Mix
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups milk
Chocolate Syrup
1 cup water
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bacon Bits
cooked bacon
Pre-Chopped Garlic
garlic clove
olive oil
Fresh Buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup milk
3/4 cup plain yogurt (optional)
1/4 cup milk (optional)
Packaged Croutons
bread
oil
salt
garlic salt
Jarred Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
28 ounces tomatoes (diced or chopped)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dry oregano
ground black pepper
Taco Seasoning Packet
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons dry oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Packaged Bread Crumbs
bread
oregano (optional)
thyme (optional)
garlic powder (optional)

Preparation

Pancake Mix: Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk eggs, and vegetable oil into milk. Add liquid to dry mixture and whisk. Don't overmix; batter should be lumpy. Makes 10-12 pancakes.
Chocolate Syrup: In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together water, light corn syrup, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and vanilla extract. Stir constantly until just boiling. Cool and store in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Bacon Bits: Finely chop leftover cooked bacon and place in a zip-top bag, pressing out all the air when you seal it. Form into a flat, thin layer and freeze; simply break off a few pieces and crumble them when you need bacon bits. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Pre-Chopped Garlic: Chop a handful of peeled garlic cloves in a food processor; place in a sealable container and cover with olive oil. Store chilled airtight up to 2 weeks. Once the garlic is gone, use oil to flavor pasta or salad dressing.
Fresh Buttermilk: For 1 cup buttermilk to use in baking, mix white vinegar or lemon juice with milk; let sit 5 minutes and use. Combining 3/4 c plain yogurt and 1/4 cup milk works, too.
Packaged Croutons: Cut any type of bread into cubes and coat them lightly in oil, then sprinkle with salt and garlic salt. (Add even more flavor by tossing in oil-and-vinegar salad dressing or dry herbs). Toast on a baking sheet, stirring occasionally, in a 350 oven until just golden.
Jarred Spaghetti Sauce: Saute 1/2 a chopped onion, minced garlic clove, and olive oil in a medium saucepan until onion is soft. Add tomatoes, diced or chopped, kosher salt, and dry oregano and simmer 20 minutes. Season with ground black pepper.
Taco Seasoning Packet: Stir together chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, paprika, dry oregano, sugar, and salt. Use 2 tablespoons to season 1 pound ground beef, chicken or turkey.
Packaged Bread Crumbs: In a 300 oven, dry slices or cubes of any type of bread about 15 minutes. Crush in a food processor or with the bottom of a pan. For seasoned bread crumbs, add dry herbs like oregano or thyme (a little garlic powder tastes great, too). To make flaky panko-like crumbs, mince fresh bread by pulsing it in a food processor, then dry the crumbs in a 250 oven.