Frugal is as frugal does

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Nora rides the elliptical I recently found on craigslist!

Have you ever read The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn?

I bought a copy of the book after a dear friend recommended it years ago. It is pretty radical stuff about saving money and raising a family. But, I liked it.

Anyway...in the book she talks about her neighbor or someone throwing away a half eaten apple AND that her attempts to dig it out of the trash to make a single serving of apple crisp horrified the onlookers. Or maybe she didn't do that but she just thought about it, I can't really remember.

For a couple of days now the girls have been begging for apples and eating one or two slices and not touching the rest. So, I being my insane frugal self, have been Ziploc bagging them with a squirt of lemon juice in the hopes of "re"using them. I do the same with the half eaten bananas, only those go right into the freezer for bread. Yep, I am frugal all right; cheap, white-trash, call it what you will...

Today, I noticed a plethora of apple slices in the fridge so I googled a recipe.

YUMMY! You have got to try this one. Easy and healthy. The brown sugar caramelizes a bit in the high temperature and what you end up with is a carmel topped, soft as silk, wheat apple muffin.....mmmmm heaven. She has lots of pretty pictures over on her site. I just have one :)

Smitten Kitchen posted the recipe and I made a few changes for myself...


Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

from Smitten...
These dark, crazy moist muffins will keep well for several days, and the brown sugar on top, should you not skimp on it like I did, adds a crunchy touch, perfect for those of you who know that the lid is the best part.

Yield: she said 18, I got 24
1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I gave up trying to keep unsalted butter around and just used the regular ol' salted kind)

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp of flax seed (ground)

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt (I used 6 oz of vanilla flavored Yoplait and a bit of water to make up for the lack of liquid)

2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (my pieces were quite large)
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour 24 muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4cup brown sugar on top. (YUMMY CARAMEL TOPPING) Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

something good

Shh...Don't tell my mom I slipped the brace off for a minute to post. I am going through major blog withdrawal. The pain is worth it. I have an ice pack here to rest on inbetween paragraphs.

I want to get this MSG version of the Holy Bible. I am going to start looking for it. When I read one of the verses in my daily Scripture devotions I always love the way it speaks so lay person like.

This is the recent verse that I just loved;

God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves...and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26-28

I have had a blessed couple of weeks. So many I can hardly count them. I wish I would have plunked them out for the last two Monday multitude posts. Ridiculouly blessed I am again and forever.

I am baking cookies right now with one of my blessings, a new in the box kitchen aid mixer for lots less than the retail price. I have used it every day since Ryan has brought it home, which may account for the right hand swelling. It's perfect timing since October is the month of brithdays in our family.

In the oven today...a brand new original recipe from Coconut and Lime, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pumpkin cookies. She just posted it today. I did make a tiny bit of alterations adding my fall colored m&m's with chocolate chips and substituting flax seed for eggs when I tripled the recipe. YUMMY! And they have no oil or butter, so it's a DIET COOKIE!!!!! Think cakey, moist chocolaty sconeish type cookies...perfect for fall, ya'll!

It is gorgeous today! Go for a walk! Then reward yourself with two of these cookies:)

Mexican pizza

did I already post this recipe? we have had it several times but I finally got the chance to snap a photo before it was gone...so yummy!
I love the sparkpeople.com recipes, they are free and the nutrition information is really helpful.

The other pizza is just a regular homeade cheese pizza, actually one third sausage and onion, one third pepperoni and one third cheese :) It's pizza your way here at our house!

Stepf's Cornmeal Crust for Mexican Pizza

Ingredients
1 1/2 T dry active yeast
2 c whole wheat flour
1 T sugar
1/4 c cornmeal
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 1/2 t salt
1 c warm water (not hot!)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix yeast, sugar, cornmeal, 1 c flour and 1/2 c warm water. Mix and let sit for 5 minutes or so. Add oil, salt and about 2/3 of the remaining flour. Knead well for about 3-5 minutes, adding flour and water one tablespoon at a time as needed. (Add water if the dough is dry; add flour if the dough is wet.) Dough will not be sticky. Place in warm space covered with a damp towel and allow to rise for 15 minutes. The dough will not rise much, and it will seem slightly tough. That's OK.

Divide into two, then use a rolling pin to roll into two rounds to fit your pans. Use a fork to pierce the dough on both sides, and place on either pizza pan or in a cast-iron skillet (for crispier crust).
Top as desired (extra calories) and then bake for 10 minutes or until crispy.

Slice each "pizza" into six slices.

Stepf's Mexican Pizza

Ingredients
1 c salsa
1 14.5 ounce can fat-free refried beans
2 T ground cumin
1 small onion, sliced
1 bell pepper (any color), sliced
handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
3/4 c lowfat sour cream
2 c lowfat cheddar cheese
1 recipe Stepf's Cornmeal Crust for Mexican Pizza ( Find it here!)
NOTE: You can use a regular premade pizza crust to save time! Just adjust the nutrition info!

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake crusts for about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and spread 1/2 can of beans on each crust, following with half the salsa, cheese, onions, and peppers. Sprinkle on cumin, then place in oven and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 8 minutes.

Slice each pizza into six pieces, then top with cilantro, some avocado and 1 T lowfat sour cream. Drizzle on hot sauce (optional)!

Dill Pickle Relish

Searched high and low for an 'easy' relish recipe. My oldest loves relish. Most recipes call for sweet red pepper and I had none. This one is about as simple as I could find, has no red pepper and it still took me all morning. AND I had to borrow some tumeric from my lovely neighbor! It made 4 pints for me:) Then again, I am not the best at accurate measurements. It tastes good, though.


Dill Pickle Relish

4 lb cucumbers (I cut up about 6 large cucumbers I removed the seedy part if they were large)
1/4 cup pickling salt (you must use non-iodized salt or it will turn a nasty color)
1/2 tsp turmeric (I used ground from my lovely neighbor and 4th grade teacher, Doris)
2 cups white vinegar (5%)
1/3 cup sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced (I used the jarred stuff)
1 Tbsp dill seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds (again I used ground)
1 1/2 cups onions (one very large onion)

Scrub cucumbers and trim off ends and cut into chunks. In batches in a food processor, pulse cucumbers and onions 8 to 10 times to cut into 1/8 to 1/4" pieces.

In a large bowl, sprinkle cucumbers with salt and turmeric. Stir in 1 cup cold water and let stand for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain in large sieve. Rinse under cold water and drain again, pressing out moisture.
On a large saucepan bring vinegar, sugar, garlic, dill seeds and mustard seeds to a boil. Add cucumber mixture, return to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.
Ladle into half pint jars leaving a 1/2" headspace. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Makes About: 3 pints (mine made 4)


Recipe credit where credit is due...thanks Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker!

zucchini pizza bites

What kid doesn't like pizza? I may have posted these before.

This time I sliced the zuc length wise and made longer pizzas.

I also roasted mine with a bit of olive oil and seasoning salt (for flavor) before I put the sauce and toppings on them. Then I broiled at 500 for 5 minutes. MMMMMMMM

The kids gobbled them up. I was glad they got their veggies:)

A rant and a recipe.

I found the cumin. It was in the bag with the toothpaste that I tossed into the bathroom closet yesterday.

I am crabby today. The white chili bombed last night, I used tasteless chicken breasts and dry beans that soaked up all the flavor, turkey is much more savory, I think I will stick with using it.

I wasn't feeling well last night but with Kris's help, she did all the sewing, we pounded out the wall/hanging. All that hard work just to send it off and never see it again, I am beginning to doubt that this was a good idea at all.

Since I was in a funk, I decided to do my Bible Study homework this morning. While Addison piled blocks on my study guide I tried to downshift my brain into quiet time with me and God. Halfway through my husband came in and said, why don't you just read the Bible instead of someone else's idea of what it says. He has a good point there, you know? But I am a woman and I love hearing other people's stories. It's what turns me onto the Word most of the time. The way someone else describes how the verses made them feel or what the meaning of the original text was. I got so grumpy at him that I shut the book up, right then and there and told him what I thought. I regretted it as soon as I said it. It doesn't really matter what I said. Obviously what I was reading was not sinking in. I am terrible at the real life applications of the Word. WOW, that is amazing and that make a whole lotta sense is what my brain thinks when I am reading it and then I look out into my living room and poof all is lost. I am a poor miserable sinner who knows God and knows how to please him but chooses not to. Not only not to but to do the exact opposite of what he yearns us to do. I am pathetic.

So, here is the crappy recipe. It usually is a yummy treat, but last night it tasted awful. I don't know what I did wrong, but I failed, yet again. To be fair, when I followed the recipe in the past with turkey it has resulted in wonderful soup.

White Turkey Chili

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 rib of celery finely chopped
1 can of chicken broth (I always use bouillon cubes and water)
2 cups cooked turkey (Jennie O make a wonderful breast of turkey, I don't recommend chicken unless you season it as you cook it or maybe use leftover roasted chicken)
1 can great northern beans. I soaked dry ones. It made a lot, too much for the chili.
1 can white corn, undrained (or for us simple folk, regular corn)
1 small can green chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce, if desired :)
Garnish with;
2 oz. shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add onion and celery; cook and stir 2-3 minutes until veggies are tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese and parsley; blend well. Cover and cook 10-20 minutes or until heated through. To serve, ladle chili into bowls; sprinkle with cheese and parsley, makes 6 1 cup servings, 230 calories per cup.

I'm too hungry...

I could post about my awful week. For example how between my hubby and I we made over 10 trips to the city and filled all three vehicles with gas at least once, OR, how half of those trips were for doctor appointments ranging from acute care, to general practitioner, to oncologist and finally the OBGYN. I could tell you about the 1 and one-half days missed subbing because of strep throat and misdiagnosis for my ds. I could tell you about the kind gentlemen who got out of his car at the stoplight to tell me my car was 'smoking something awful' on my way to the OB. I could tell you about my husband driving the sick kids in to fix my broken down car in the medical building 3 parking lot. I could tell you about me almost missing another half day of work because my car was broken down, but instead I left one sick child with my hubby and took the other sleeping one and tried to teach while making frequent visits to the sick one, passed out from pure exhaustion in the car. I could tell you how excited I am about this weekend because; A) we are leaving for the cities B) I got permission to spend time in the hot tub from the OB C) my daughter may be able to see the American Idol Concert in person and D) I really need a weekend without doctors offices, computers, or my broken dryer. But I won't. Because I haven't eaten yet today and it's 3:18. So, here's my favorite alfredo recipe. I am taking some breadsticks out of the freezer and pigging out tonight. I have a bag of frozen shrimp that I was saving for a rainy day calling my name, no matter how sunny it is...

Alfredo (without the fuss)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk, half-n-half, or cream (to your liking, Ijust use plain ol' milk)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in flour and heat until bubbly. Slowly stir in cream, Parmesan, and seasoning. Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes or until thick. Serve over pasta.

Runza

Remember those pockets I made this week?

Well I sorta forgot about the leftover dough in the fridge so I had to quick use it up today.

We made Runza's. Made me think of college, remember Kris?

I put mushrooms and Swiss in ours. YUMMO!

Mommy's Hot Pockets

My kids love those store bought pockets with eggs and cheese or pepperoni and cheese in them. I bought them once years ago and they ask me every time I go shopping to get more. The problem is the price and the lack of nutrition, I just can't put them in my cart again.

So I have been searching and trying recipes so that I can find one that is easy and freezes so on school mornings or afternoons I can pop them in the oven and have a quick, healthy meal for the kids and myself.

I love the mommysavers site. It has lots of great recipes and I peruse them weekly. A few weeks back I found this pocket recipe and finally had time to try it this morning. Admittedly it took me much longer than I had hoped (but I had an awesome almost 5 year old helper) and we ate them for 'brunch'. YUMMO!

I am not good at wrapping things so instead of her neat pirogi style I folded each pocket burrito style. It worked and held together nicely. There was about twice as much 'crust' on the bottom as on the top, but it was fully cooked after only 20 minutes and very tasty.

The great thing about this recipe is that it is mucho tweakable, AND it makes a ton. I made kid sized pockets they were little 2x4 inch rectangles. I used only half the dough and came up with 16 pockets. I put the rest of the dough in the fridge and will make pizza tonight with it. I ran out of the egg mixture after about 12 pockets and then I put pepperoni and cheese and sauce in the last 4. I can use those for after school snacks. I want to make some chicken and veggie ones next time. I think they will work out nicely.


Pocket recipe:
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons molasses (I used honey)
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Put on dough cycle in the bread machine.

Filling:
1 small bag of frozen hash browns
6 slices bacon
1 cup diced ham
6 eggs
3 green onions
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

(You may add other fillings for lunch or dinner pockets. I use pepperoni and cheese, chicken with broccoli and cheese and a big slew of different ones for my family)

This recipe made 11 really BIG (adult sized) breakfast pockets so you could divide the dough even smaller for munchkin sized ones.

I had my bacon already cooked so all I had to do was fry the hash browns and scramble the eggs. Mix everything except the cheese together and let cool. Once cool mix in the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide dough into sections. Roll until about the size of a pita it will be VERY thin. Brush dough with melted butter and put approximately 1/2 c. of filling in the middle (I used a 1/4 cup for the kid sized ones). Now bring up both the sides and pinch together. It will look kind of like a big pirogi laying on it's back. Gently turn it over into your hand and place on greased baking sheet pinched side down. Tuck the ends under.

Let rise for 10-15 minutes. Mine didn't look like they changed shape at all, but I let the yeast do it's thing anyway...

Bake at 375 for 25minutes

Remove from oven and brush tops with melted butter and I sprinkled mine with fresh cracked pepper and cracked sea salt.

Move to cooling wrack so that they don't get soggy.

When cooled wrap in paper towel and put in a freezer bag.

TO HEAT:
Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes

Tried and True

I love using my crock pot in the summer. Can't stand having the oven on, it heats the house up way too much.

Just last night I found a yummy recipe for a pizza hot dish. I have been yearning for this since a friend dropped off a similar casserole for our family when my youngest was born. It is so good. I love this particular recipe because a) it's made in the crock pot and b)I can tweak it each time I make it for the family or picky eaters.

The baby had at least a quarter cup last night and we had it for lunch leftovers today. It was just as good the second time. Pizza is always a hit here. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

(I borrowed the book "Fix it And Forget it" from the bookmobile - I highly recommend it. I have to buy myself a copy.)

Pizza in a Pot
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or bulk Italian sausage(we like it spicy, but for the kiddos I just use ground beef)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 12 oz bag of rigatoni, cooked(I used tri color rotini, my kids love it and it's easier on the budget than wheat pasta)
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
3 oz. sliced pepperoni
16 oz jar of pizza sauce
10 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
10 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

(I added a small can of black olives and I use my own homemade pizza sauce which is pretty condensed as it is just tomato sauce and olive oil and seasoning so I think I used a little less)

Brown the ground beef and onion, drain. Layer half of each of the following, in the order given, in the slow cooker; ground beef and onion, green pepper, noodles, mushrooms, (black olives), pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheeses. Repeat layers.

Cover, cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Note: Keep the pasta covered with sauce so they don't get dry and crunchy. (I added a bit of water around the edges to keep it all moist because I barely cooked the pasta :) it worked!)

I served it with my Italian bread sticks and some fruit. For big people (aka adults) you can add a salad. YUMMO!

Mama mia

The baby is currently taking her second nap of the day and it's only 1:47.

Had to keep myself busy so I found a couple of yummo recipes to try.

The first one is from one of my frequented blogs, SCRIBBIT. She is one of those super-organized bloggers with a day reserved just for posting recipes. I try (and love) most all of her recipes. This happy cheese bread is delicious. About 2 seconds after I snapped this photo I ate half a loaf. My dough was really wet and I was afraid it wouldn't turn out, but it did. I should have used a sharper knife to make the X because it baked itself away. I used a tablespoon of flax seed in mine to make it healthy:). I also only used a palm sized ball of mozzarella because I was running low on cheese. You gotta try this one. It is delightful alone or my kids loved it dipped in a little of my homemade tomato pasta sauce. MMMMMmmmmmm...

The second recipe I am trying today is a meatloaf. My family digs meatloaf. I actually have a perfect recipe that I love, but this inside out cheeseburger one sounded too yummy to pass up. It is in the crock pot now and should be ready before daddy leaves for work tonight. I am serving it with curly fries and lettuce salad. Can't wait!

Thank goodness I live in the Midwest where cheese is the ingredient of utmost importance.

Happy Cooking:)

Update! Cheeseburger in Paradise was a hit. I used Jimmy Dean Sage sausage and ground chuck instead of ground beef. YUMMO!

I think I almost have it...

You would think that French bread would be more difficult that regular homemade bread. But I think it's easier and more yummy!

I tried a few recipes before I found this one that works pretty well. It makes two nice long crusty loaves.

It's recipeZaar #101476 in case you are wondering.

Crusty French Bread Recipe
by PCrocker
50 min | 20 min prep | 2 loaves
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5-5 1/2 cups bread flour

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water (110 degrees) and sugar in large bowl; allow yeast to proof or foam (about 10 minutes).
2. Add salt, oil, and 3 cups flour; beat for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in 2 cups flour to make a stiff dough.
4. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
5. Place in oiled bowl, turn dough to coat all sides, cover and let rise until doubled.
6. Punch down and divide in half.
7. Shape dough into two long slender loaves. (I pushed the dough into large rectangles and rolled them up into slender loaves. I think that yields the best result...)
8. Grease and sprinkle with cornmeal on large cookie sheet.
9. Place loaves in pan and cut diagonal gashes on top of each loaf
10. Cover and let rise until doubled.
11. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
12. Note: You can sprinkle or spray water on the loaves during baking if you want a really crunchy crust.

i hope this is gonna be simmering for supper...

Papa al Pomodora

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 small onion chopped
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (i used my canned stewed tomatoes from the garden)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 quart chicken broth
4 cups (3/4 lbs) day-old bread(torn in pieces)(french bread works great B!)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic and 3/4 of onion.
Cook 7-8 minutes, then add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add
broth and turn the heat up to make the soup boil. Reduce heat to a simmer
and add bread. Stir soup as it simmers until it thickens to a stew. Add
seasonings to taste.

variations: add 2 cans white beans or a leek, use veggie stock instead of chicken:)

keeping busy

Last night, after we came home from the dentist #1 busied herself with Barbies. That left me to deal with #2 who was in no mood to play dolls. So we put together 3 jumbo puzzles, played catch with the nerf ball and a baseball glove, laced 10 under the sea lacing cards, played princess memory, played hot wheels and colored 2 robot pictures; all before 7:30 church while I was making supper and juggling a 3 month old.

This morning I had to plan something that would occupy him for longer than 2 minutes. So I got out the art stuff to make valentines.

First let me say that I believe Valentines Day is just a marketing gimmic to get mom's to buy tons more candy for kids and another chance for us to give in to commercialism by buying princess cards for the girls and superhero cards for the boys. In my almost years of dating plus marriage to the same man; perhaps 3 or 4 of those I have recieved a gift of (what else) chocolate or flowers. He's no romantic, but I knew that coming into this relationship (if you can decide that when you are a seventh grader). Besides it being generally a holiday geared toward adults and perhaps classroom parties it really has no meaning whatsoever to me.

That said I am frugal and when I garage sale or thrift shop I pick up leftover cards, art supplies and what nots for 10 cents here and there and put them in my art tub. Then when we need a project I get out the art tub and we go to town. This year I had 3 or 4 superman valentines that we cut and pasted on a empty coffee can for my son's mailbox to take to preschool. I then cut enough cards out of construction paper for all his friend and let him go to town. It kept him occupied for several hours this morning. All I had to do was make a list of his classmates names for him to copy. Now, being the perfectionist I am, I was tempted to make him keep his work area clean and have him put matching things on the cards; so I had to busy myself so as not to ruin his creative experience.

A fellow blogger posted a yummy oatmeal twist recipe and I wanted to try it out. As I was preparing the ingredients I saw two overripe bananas on the counter that needed to be dealt with and I had a handful of mini chocolate chips that needed to be included as well. I also wanted to use my new silicone bread pan I picked up while thrifting last weekend (seventy-five cents at the salvation army). So here is the recipe I came up with.

Banana Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Bread
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 whole wheat flour (you can use all white, but I like to try and be healthy:)
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix these dry ingredients together and set aside. In a larger bowl cream
1 stick softened butter
gradually add
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 2-3 whole)
1/4 cup buttermilk (meaure 1/4 milk remove 1tsp and add vinegar to make buttermilk)
On the slowest speed with mixer or by hand gradually add the flour mixture until batter is even with no lumps. You may add nuts if you like or chocolate chips in my case. Pour batter into loaf pan Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. YUMMO!

Crustless Quiche with your choice of fillings...

Crustless Quiche (master recipe and choice of fillings)

Filling (see below)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 tsps. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp.ground black pepper
Dried herbs (see page 12)
Cheese (see page 12)

Prepare filling ingredients, then set aside. Grease a 9-inch Pyrex pie plate. Adjust oven rack to center position, and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in herb of choice, cheese of choice and prepared filling. Pour mixture into the greased pie plate; bake until just set, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Use these fillings in Crustless Quiche

Each crustless quiche yields six portions, but why not make a second quiche using a different set of flavors so your guests can enjoy some variety? All these fillings have lots of flavor.

Sausage, Cheddar, Apple & Sage

8 ounces breakfast sausage
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/4 tsp. dried rubbed sage
6 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) grated sharp cheddar cheese

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and break up; fry until brown, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander set over a bowl to catch the drippings. Return 2 Tbs. drippings to the skillet. Sauté apple until golden,3 to 4 minutes. Add to colander. Prepare master recipe for Crustless Quiche; when instructed, add sage, cheese and sausage filling to the egg mixture.

Serves 6
Per serving: 348 calories, 18g protein, 8g carbohydrates, 27g fat (13g saturated), 204mg cholesterol, 0.7g fiber, 836mg sodium

Bacon, Leek & Goat Cheese

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large leek, 8 to 10 ounces, darkest green section trimmed; light green and white section quartered lengthwise, sliced thin and washed thoroughly
Scant 1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
6 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon; fry until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain bacon in a small colander set over a bowl to catch the drippings. Return 2 Tbs. drippings to the skillet. Add leek; sauté until tender, 5 to 6 minutes longer, then scrape into colander along with the bacon.

Prepare master recipe for Crustless Quiche; when instructed, add thyme, cheese and bacon-leek filling to the egg mixture.

Serves 6
Per serving: 314 calories, 16g protein, 7g carbohydrates, 25g fat (12g saturated),186mg cholesterol, 0.5g fiber, 677mg sodium

Crab, Corn & Red Pepper

2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 small red bell pepper,cut into small dice
6 ounces (2 cups) frozen corn, thawed and drained
8 ounces pasteurized lump crabmeat, picked over
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. dried basil leaves
5 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) grated Monterey Jack
1 ounce (6 Tbs.) Parmesan

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté pepper until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add corn; sauté to heat through. Stir in crab and onions; remove from heat. Prepare master recipe for Crustless Quiche; when instructed, add basil, cheeses and crab filling to the egg mixture.

Serves 6
Per serving: 297 calories, 22g protein, 10g carbohydrates, 19g fat (8g saturated), 207mg cholesterol, 1g fiber, 644mg sodium

Spinach, Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Feta

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 10-ounce package sliced mushrooms or baby bellas
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves
6 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) crumbled feta cheese

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining oil, spinach and tomatoes; season again with salt and pepper. Sauté to evaporate some liquid, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions. Add to mushrooms in bowl. Prepare master recipe for Crustless Quiche; when instructed, add oregano, feta and spinach filling to the egg mixture.

Serves 6
Per serving: 248 calories, 13g protein, 10g carbohydrates, 18g fat (7g saturated), 173mg cholesterol,3g fiber, 723mg sodium

lunch today

Alfredo (without the fuss)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in flour and heat until bubbly. Slowly stir in cream, Parmesan, and seasoning. Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes or until thick. Serve over pasta. (It was very thick and I used half and half, I think next time I will just try milk, for an even lighter version)

We had this with green beans and fruit and homemade Italian bread sticks. A good "game day" lunch full of carbs...

Soft Italian BreadsticksI use the dough only cycle on my bread maker to prepare these bread sticks.

1 cup water (70-80 degrees)

3 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 ½ tsp. salt

3 cups bread flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

2/14 tsp. active dry yeast

Topping:

1 Tbsp butter melted

1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1) In bread machine pan, place the first eight ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 -2 tbsp. of water or flour if needed). This step takes about 1.5 hours.

2) When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Cut each portion into 12 pieces; roll each into a 4 in. to 6 in. rope. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes. (mine always takes longer J )

3) Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately brush with butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve warm. Yield: 2 dozen. (These freeze really well!)

today's lunch menu...

Baked chicken with teriyaki sauce
Stir fry vegetables with oriental sauce
Rice
Oranges

Teriyaki Sauce (makes 6 servings)

1/2 C soy sauce 3 T. dry mustard

1/4 C veg. oil 3 T. honey

1 c. sugar (white) 6 cloves of garlic (3 tsp. minced)

Whip together to marinate or cook up a batch and save to use later...

Oriental Sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce 1 garlic clove (I tsp.minced)

2 T. brown sugar 2 T. water

1 t. ground ginger slivered almonds (optional)

This is yummy for stir fry veggies...

And just because we are going Asian...

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup white vinegar

4 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp. corn starch

1/4 tsp SRIRACHA hot chili sauce (Asian hot sauce) I use my own hot sauce

Mix ingredients in a saucepan and stir - cook to a boil - cool - serve.

Crab Rangoon 1 - 6 oz pkg. of imitation crab meat 1 - 16 oz pkg. of cream cheese 1/4 C. minced or chopped onion 1/4 C. minced or chopped green onions 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. black pepper To prepare let cream cheese set at room temp. to soften Mix and stir all the ingredients together in one bowl, try to break up the crab well. Spoon a tablespoon of the cream mixture on the the center of a won ton. You will have to adjust the amount you use depending on the size of the won ton. Fold and shape your crab Rangoon and as soon as you are finished you should place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Preheat a deep fat fryer to 350 degrees. Take crab Rangoon from freezer and fry until they are golden brown remove and place on a paper towel. We made these last Christmas and they were delicious!

Yup, I am definately in the runnings for mommy of the year for this one...

a short time after I stopped working full-time I came across (with the help of an amazing friend) the Tightwad Gazette.
Now, many of you may or may not have heard of Amy Dacyczyn (A.K.A. the Frugal Zealot)but she is a super star in the world of living cheaply.

Anywho, I had a few leftovers today and I thought of her universal casserole recipe, so I took the thick volume off the shelf and looked up the page. Here is what I found.

1 cup main ingredient
1 cup second ingredient
1-2 cups starchy ingredient
1 1/2 cups binder
1/4 cup "goodie"
seasoning
topping

Main ingredient suggestions; tuna, cubed chicken, turkey, ham, seafood.

Second ingredient suggestions; thinly sliced celery, mushrooms, peas, chopped hard-cooked eggs.

Starchy ingredient suggestions; thinly sliced potatoes, cooked noodles, cooked rice.

Binder suggestions; cream sauce, sour cream, can of soup.

Goodie suggestions; pimiento, olives, almonds, water chestnuts.

Topping suggestions; potato chips, cheese, bread crumbs.

Thoroughly mix your combinations of the above ingredients. If it seems dry, add 1/2 cup milk or stock. Place in buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

So I used a cup of baked chicken and two slices of ham, onions, garden tomatoes and a can of peas, my homemade cream of soup recipe (thanks again clm), some cooked macaroni noodles and cubed cheddar cheese. I topped it with a few of the crumbles left in the bottom of the chip bag. I seasoned with my Tastefully Simple seasoning salt, so much for being frugal?!?! Of course it was twice as much as I needed so I had to add a little milk and I baked for 35 minutes at 350. The result was a fresh, light dish that the kids gobbled up. Well, the 3 year old picked out the tomatoes and the 5 year old picked out the onions, but otherwise they gobbled. I served it with apple slices.

Then for dessert (which you have to have on Sunday). Homemade chocolate cake with cocoa-mocha frosting. Mommy of the year, I am telling you...

gotta lotta squash?

Thanks to a great friend I found this site with extremely simple instructions (including pictures)! http://www.pickyourown.org/freezing_summer_squash.htm

How to Freeze Summer Squash (Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Crookneck, Pattypan, Straightneck, White Scallop, etc.)

If you like frozen squash in the winter, just imagine how good it would taste if you had picked a firm, fresh squashs yourself and then quickly froze them at home! It is also one of the simplest ways to put up a vegetable for the winter. Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated. The squash will taste MUCH better than anything you've ever had from a store.

Good Luck!

Eat your heart out Granola Girl...

I was standing in line at Wally World the other day to return a very impulsive buy (a peasant maternity top that focused a bit too much on theever largening tum tum) when over the loudspeaker came a manager saying fresh mozzarella was on sale from $4.48 a lb to $1.48 a lb. while supplies last. I bought the last three-quarters of a pound and spent the whole ride home dreaming of what I could make with it. When I finally got to the kitchen I added what I already had; one very ripe tomato, some french baguette bread and a generous pinch of Italian seasonings plus a drip of EVOO (Rachel Ray people...extra virgin olive oil) and VIOLA my own version of bruschetta! I broiled it at 500 degrees for almost 4 minutes and then devoured it in half that time. I should try your strawberry rhubarb jam on the rest of my bread, huh? Maybe we should have a contest to see who can make up the best recipe from anything in the fridge and one newly bought ingredient. I WIN!