Near to Nothing

Bear Pancakes

2012-12-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

You know those moms who are always coming up with fun and creative ways to serve their kids' food? I am not one of those moms. I am usually just trying to throw some sort of healthy food on a plate and don't even think about what it...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Apple Streusel Cupcakes

2012-11-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize that the first post we've written in months was cupcakes and the second is also about cupcakes. What can I say? It's fall and finally cool enough to use the oven, so I'm making up for lost time. Some of you may...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Cake Series: Ghost Cupcakes

2012-10-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we went to a Halloween party and were asked to take some cupcakes for the kids. So, I went about searching the web for fun cupcake ideas and I came across this one. I knew I had to make them! However, these directions...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

What Happened to Near to Nothing?

2012-10-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, we realize it's been a little while since we've blogged. It's not that we've given up; it's just that we've gotten quite busy. Sumiko has started teaching part-time 5 days a week (on top of maintaining her roles at home as a wife and...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Simple Red Beans and Rice

2012-08-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Yup! Beans and rice again! There are just so many possibilities to feed my family of six for near to nothing. When this package of red beans and rice mix caught my eye, I just had to give it a try. Not that I was looking for...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Favorite Chex Mix

2012-08-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that we were on vacation with my husband's family and posted a picture of all the food it takes to feed 24 people. Well, you better believe we had some amazing food while we were there! My husband's family has a tradition of...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Sautéed Green Beans

2012-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we went for a play date with one of the boys’ preschool friends. When we left, they sent us with a bag of green beans from their garden! Yay! I love summer produce! Out of all the ways I could have...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Spinach and Berry Salad

2012-07-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me apologize for my absence recently. We just got home from a 10 day vacation with my husband's family. We had so much fun that there was just no time for blogging! And I don't have a picture of today's recipe,...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

A Summer Apology and Homemade Tortilla Chips

2012-07-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

We'd first like to start out today's post with an apology. We've been very flaky on posting lately. Our usual Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule has been interrupted by summer. Both of us have been busy enjoying our families with...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Bargain Shopping/Budget Tips

2012-07-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

Over the last two years, we've shared various recipes, tips for cooking inexpensively, and grocery budgeting. We realize that we may have some new readers who may not have seen our posts on budgeting/bargain shopping, or some who have seen...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Adding Some Crunch to an Old Favorite: Pretzel PB&J

2012-07-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

We love PB&J in our house! During the school year, I try to keep my freezer stocked with homemade Uncrustables for grab 'n go lunches. But during the summer, I make them fresh. Lately, I've been using squeezable grape jelly...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Glazed Cream Scones

2012-07-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

I had previously posted a recipe for scones that I had gotten from my husband's family. However, at the risk of being disowned by them, I am now posting my new go-to scone recipe. It's so delicious, and I am very popular with my...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Peanut Butter S'mores

2012-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

We just got back from vacation this week. We spent some time on the beach in Crescent City, a day in the redwoods at Jedediah Smith State Park, and an afternoon at Lake Siskiyou. Of course, we had to have s'mores everywhere we went!...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

BBQ Chicken Salad Update

2012-07-06T11:24:00.001-07:00

Last month I posted one of my family's new favorite summer recipes - BBQ Chicken Salad. In it, the dressing calls for buttermilk, which isn't an ingredient I typically keep on hand. However, I bought some specifically for that recipe....

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Independence Day BBQ!

2012-07-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is Independence Day, and that means barbecue! Over the past two years, we've posted a lot of recipes that would make any Fourth of July celebration a hit. Main Dishes Treat your friends and family to these delicious burgers or...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Grilled Potato Slices

2012-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

When I made hamburgers a couple weeks ago, I was scrambling at the last minute, trying to come up with something to serve as a side. It's been hot and I've been trying to cook as little as possible in the kitchen, so oven fries were out of the...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Zucchini Fettuccine Alfredo

2012-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Jerry's zucchini is coming in!! For those of you who don't know who I'm talking about, my neighbor Jerry always provides us with some amazing produce every summer. Last week he brought us a bagful of fresh zucchini, so I quickly went to...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Revisited

2012-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last March, I posted a delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe. And while it is delicious, we've been able to improve upon it just a little bit based on some recommendations by one of Sumiko's friends from church, along with some of our own...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Zucchini Pizza Casserole--This One Deserves a Second Look

2012-06-22T12:07:00.001-07:00

My apologies for this late and unoriginal post. Robbie and I have been sick since last weekend and this bug just won't go away. Consequently, new posts are not on the top of my priority list right now. I thought I'd bring back one...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Cake Series: Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

2012-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I made a dessert for Easter that was topped with ganache made with a combination of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?! Ganache, in and of itself, is so delicious, but then add peanut...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Robbie's Favorite Cornbread

2012-06-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

You know those dishes that just have to be made like mom makes them? For me it’s chicken with the white sauce—I’ll have to post that one sometime. But for Robbie, it’s cornbread. When Robbie was a boy, his little brother was allergic...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Hamburgers

2012-06-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

My husband loves hamburgers. I've managed to get him to eat (and even enjoy) turkey burgers, but he still prefers burgers made from beef. Sadly for him, I haven't bought beef (of any kind) for quite some time, due to the price....

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Mrs. Jones's Cherry Crumbles

2012-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I shared a no-cook cherry pie recipe and promised cherry crumbles this week. The wait is over! This is a fabulous recipe for last-minute dessert and, if you substitute canned pie filling, you can keep all the ingredients on...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

BBQ Chicken Salad

2012-06-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe on Pinterest recently and decided to give it a try, since we eat a lot of salads in the summer. I'm glad I found this one, because it was a hit and it'll be going into my regular rotation of summer recipes! I've...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!

Cherry Pie

2012-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, a friend of ours stopped by with a ton of cherries from her cherry tree. I never buy cherries because they are always over $2 per pound so it was a treat! They were delicious just for eating, but I couldn’t pass up...

For the full article, please click on the link above or visit www.neartonothing.com!