And When She Went There, Her Cuboard Was Bare...

We use an envelope system for our monthly budget.  At the first of each month, I get out my money in cash for the month.  I separate it into a coupon organizer that I have labeled (from Dollar Tree) and use it according to my categories.  Sometimes at the end of the month, I'm pleased to see a few bucks still in my wallet.  On most months, no matter how careful I have been to monitor my spending, I have nothing but change and my pantry and fridge is bare.  This past weekend, I had to get really creative because we had NOTHING to eat in this house.  Yes, I was fully stocked on my couponing items but who wants to eat BBQ sauce, ketchup and Tobasco for a meal??  Now understand we had plenty of canned goods, frozen veggies and meats in the freezer from our garden and farm.  Supper wasn't a problem.  It was the breakfast items and snacks that required much creativity.

With Monday morning fast approaching, I was planning on spending the day shopping.  It would be October 1 and my wallet would be full.  Monday morning breakfast would be a bit tricky.  We'd already had 18 eggs for supper on Saturday night, so the eggs were sparse.  There was NO cereal.  I grabbed my favorite "Sanity-Saving Breakfast Ideas" booklet from TEACH magazine and flipped through it.  Sunday night I threw together "Overnight Coffee Cake" using ingredients I always keep on hand.  Yummy and quick and the perfect fix for an empty pantry at the end of the month.

Overnight Coffee Cake

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk (pour 1 TB. lemon juice or vinegar into your 1 c. measuring cup.  Top with milk and let sit while you combine other ingredients.  It's instant buttermilk!)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into greased 9x13.  Stir together an additional 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle over top of batter.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

PERFECT!