One Way to Get Through Hardships

Sorry to all the men out there, but this post is directly hitting for the women. You know how mother nature decided to be nasty to us every month? How many of you have craved chocolate anything? Candy, cake, ice cream, milkshakes, and any dessert under the sun?

This muffin is just as great as over the counter pain killers. Trust me on that one.

Here are the ingredients I needed to make the problem-solving muffin:

• 2 cups of flour

• 1 cup of sugar

• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

• 2 teaspoons of baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup of whole milk

• 1/2 cup of olive oil

• 1 cup of sour cream

• 1 cup of chocolate chips

Our Financials

I did my shopping at Walmart and Publix. These ingredients I bought were able to be reused into making these muffins and other recipes. This is what makes me happy about making items at home; reusing ingredients to save money. Basically for all my scones, bread, and muffin recipes, I am utilizing ingredients from those grocers. Below in the breakdown in financials:

• Flour- $2.49 from Publix

• Sugar- $1.98 from Publix

• Cocoa powder- $2.98 from Walmart

• Baking soda- $0.99 from Publix

• Baking powder-$0.68 from Walmart

• Salt- already had the salt

• Vanilla- already had the vanilla

• Egg- $5.99 for 60 eggs from Walmart, $6.69 for 30 eggs from Publix

• Whole milk- $2.21 from Walmart

• Olive oil- $9.74

• Sour cream- $2.76

• Chocolate chips- $1.88

The total cost of ingredients was $31.70. Though, I had olive oil that lasted me nearly two years because of how seldom I use the oil. Also bought a super-sized bottle of oil at Sam’s Club so that helped with making ingredients last. Majority of the ingredients are also able to be used to make more muffins or other recipes in the cookbooks which is great.

Our Ratings:

My Rating: For baking the muffins, I would say the recipe was easy, no faux pas while making the muffins, and all of them muffins turned out well. For baking ease, I will say a 10 out of 10. For taste, I would say a 5 out of 10. These muffins are chocolate on top of chocolate. Not my type of muffin unless you know I’m on the lovely woman ritual. I would also recommend for you to top the muffin with some ice cream or whipped cream. The muffin is definitely more cakey than a standard fruit muffin. Could definitely be used as a dessert rather than breakfast carbohydrate.

Shayne’s Rating: Out of the oven, he rates them an 8 out of 10. Now because there is only two of us in the household…I had to put the muffins into the freezer to last. Unfortunately, these muffins do not freeze very well. Therefore, when frozen and reheated the rating went down to a six.

Our Financials

To flash me back to those 90s days, I recreated these jumbo chocolate chip muffins from Eat Like a Gilmore. Good timing too because mother nature decided to surprise me and the chocolate cravings were legitimately kicking my fatty side’s heart so bad. Fat Allie loves thee carbs and sugar.

Luckily, Walmart and Publix had my back to handle these crazy sugar cravings. These ingredients I bought were able to be reused into making these muffins and other recipes. This is what makes me happy about making items at home; reusing ingredients to save money instead of buying a four pack of muffins for at least 5 bucks

.

Below in the breakdown in financials:

• Flour- $2.49 from Publix

• Sugar- $1.98 from Publix

• Cocoa powder- $2.98 from Walmart

• Baking soda- $0.99 from Publix

• Baking powder-$0.68 from Walmart

• Salt- already had the salt

• Vanilla- already had the vanilla

• Egg- $4.64 for 60 eggs from Walmart, $6.69 for 30 eggs from Publix

• Whole milk- $2.21 from Walmart

• Olive oil- $9.74

• Sour cream- $2.76

• Chocolate chips- $1.88

The total cost of ingredients was $31.70. Though, I had olive oil that lasted me nearly two years because of how seldom I use the oil. Also bought a super-sized bottle of oil at Sam’s Club so that helped with making ingredients last. In addition, buying eggs in bulk literally is saving money. I am paying for 77 cents per egg essentially.

The beauty of baked goods is the ingredients are also able to be used to make more muffins or other recipes in the cookbooks which is great. Not to mention, just the basic staples for dinners as well.

Like I frequently mention, I trying to bargain shop as I buy ingredients. Old school frame of thinking. Old school mentality has done well for many thus far, might at as well continue with the frame.

Millennial Cash Back Application Earnings

In addition to saving money and reusing ingredients, as you know, I use Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, Shopkick, and Coinout most frequently. Here is how I got to score on the cash back application front:

While using the Ibotta application, I actually struck some luck today. I earned 10 cents back for any item on a receipt. Ibotta has not had that offer for a while so a happy Monday surprise for me!

Fetch Rewards was an better application for me today. I earned 100 points from two receipts. I earned 50 points from each shopping trip to both Walmart and Publix. Not too shabby for that application.

For walking into Walmart, I got 10 kicks for just walking in to the store. Shopkick typically does not have the products I shop for, I earn kicks by walking to the store. Though, there is an option to scan promoted items to earn more kicks. An option I don’t utilize, however this will help you later!

For my penny rewards from Coinout, I earned 15 cents from Publix. For my Walmart receipt, the application cancelled out my two cents I would have earned. So hypothetically I earned 17 cents. Not too shabby again.

Outcomes and Recommendations

Over time, you are able to reap the rewards of using cash back applications. Right away or if you want to wait to build up your savings. At the end of the financial game, the goal is to be successful and happy. Use these cash back applications to help you amount to your happiness and goals. Just like the chocolate chip muffins, fill your soul, your heart, and your stomach (metaphorical savings account). Make progress for future goals.

That is what this blog is all about. I am showing you how to make recipes with whole ingredients, what the costs are to make these recipes, and how you are able to bring out another side of yourself. The goal is not resort to convenience. Anyone can go to a store and pick up a box of pastries. To make anything from scratch is already a positive attribute to have.

Today in millenniums, finding role models is difficult. A lesson of next time and others, no freezing these muffins! They do not have the preservatives to freeze like other store bought muffins. Another lesson I learned, this is one of the first recipes where I have used olive oil and sour cream in baking. I mean I have heard of using sour cream for certain cakes; however sour cream was not really something I had on hand back home. Being brought up Italian, you don’t use olive oil in baking, you use it in Italian cooking and for pasta mainly.