1970's main dishes on the cheap

The earliest USDA stats I can fimd in my notebook is 1992...twenty years ago. The "typical American family" of four-- mom, dad, and two school aged children is listed at thrifty for 358.50 and liberal at 693.20.


APPLE PUDDING CAKE with cinnamon butter sauce

Cake

1cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1cup flour
1 tsp soda
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

2medium cookimg apples, chopped

Sauce

1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/3cup /2 and 1/2 cream
1/2tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 or 9 inch square pan
Cream brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy
Beat in egg.
Stir in dry ingredients
Fold in apple

Spread in pan

Bake 25 to 35 minutes until cake tests done

Before serving
Heat sauce ingredients until butter is melted and sauce is warm. Serve over cake.


Note:
You could also dust top of cake with powdered sugar and omit the sauce

SESAME CHICKEN WITH NOODLES

Sauce ingredients ( make two batches. Save one for the end)

2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T sugar
2tsp olive oil
2tsp vinegar
1tsp cornstarch
2drops hot chili oil


2chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into 1/8 inch strips

1/4 cup orange juice
1cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup celery, sliced diagonally.
2cloves garlic


4 ounces broken spaghetti, cooked

In shallow non metal dish, place one batch of sauce.

Marinate the chicken in the sauce. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour

Heat a skillet over high heat. Add 1 T oil. Remove the chicken from marinade with a slotted spoon and stir fry. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. You may have to do it in batches. Transfer chicken to plate and keep warm.

Add the orange juice to the skillet. Deglaze pan. Add veggies, cover and cook for 3minutes. Add the second sauce mixture and the chicken. Cook 1minute until sauce thickens. add cooked spaghetti.

NOTE.
Chilli oil is at the dollar store
It is a good way to use up the spaghetti in the bottom of the box, or spagetti now comes broken on purpose.
Oranges are on sale this week as is chicken.

Tomorrow. Mock tenderloins. Meat ball casserole, country pork burgers

Thanks for stopping by...and please share this blog.

Jane

Chicken and corn

Chicken is less than a dollar a pound still. Beef is rising rapidly in cost. pork is falling right in line. The secret to groceries on the cheap is to get the cheapest prices you can and be flexible. Take advantage of what is on sale that week.

Peppery corn soup

4 slices bacon.
2T oil
1large onion, finely chopped
2stalks celery, finely chopped
2carrots, peeled and diced
1poumd potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt
Pepper

2 cups chicken stock
2cups milk

2cups corn

Red pepper flakes

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1T cilantro or parsley or chives


1) fry bacon and set aside to drain on paper towels

2) sauté chopped vegetables, EXCEPT the potatoes

3) add potatoes, salt pepper and stock.

4) lower the heat and Simmer avoutn15 minutes untilmpotatoes are tender.

5) add milk and corn. Heat 5 minutes.

6) add red pepper flakes and cheese.

7) garnish with bacon crumbles and chives or cilantro.

NOTE: You can use hot peppers instead of red pepper flakes. I am still trying to find cheaper chilies in a can.
Vegetables are a buck at QFC this week. Chicken stock can be made from the bones after
You roast the chicken.


Mexican Potato cheese soup

3T chillies ( canned)
3 T butter

1large onion, chopped

4 medium potatoes, 1/2 inch cubes

1 large red pepper, cores, seeded, and thinly sliced
2cloves garlic

4cups chicken stock
Bay leaf
Salt
1-1/4 tsp cumin

1cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream

2cups shredded cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

1) sauté onion in butter
2) add potatoes, red pepper, and garlic. Stir fry for 2minutes
3) add stock, bay leaf and salt, bring to boil, reduce heat and cook until potatoes are tender.

4) puree the soup, chili and cumin.
5) return the soup to the pan. Stir in milk and sour cream. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Don't let milk curdle.

Ladle in bowls and garnish with cheese and cilantro


Note: You could also add shrimp. Shrimp is frequently on five dollar friday at Safeways. You could reduce the amount of cheese on top of the soup bowls. I still haven't found a solution to the high price of chilies except red pepper flakes.

You can use a stick blender, a blender ( in batches, not to full) or a food processor to puree soup.

I would serve either soup with a piece of good crusty bread or a cheese biscuit or beer bread.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Please share my blog with a friend

Jane

This weeks adds

Albertsons

Chicken breasts or thighs 1.00

Salad 1.00
Salad dressing 1.00
Blues 2.00 pint
Zucchini .99
Taco shells 1.00
Taco saucr1.00
Corn 2/1.00
Celery .89 bunch

QFC

Cake mix .99
Frozen vrggies1.00
Top round 3.25 end price ( BIGI)


TOP

Bottom round 2.97
Green beans .89
Onions .33
Tomatoes 1.00
Beans .79

Safeways

Grapes .99
Salad 1.00
Oranges1.00
Fryers .89

Five dollar Fridays

Pizza
Cookies
Salmon


97 percent hamburger 3.99
Peppers 1.99 lb
Strawberries 1.99


Just for you
Klondike bars 2.49
Sausage 2.49

Dont forget to cross off anything that is cheaper elsewhere , and anything that you don't need or want. Bring coupons if it is necessary. Download any you need to on your store cards. Decide from what's left which two stores you are going to.



That's all. It is getting g harder and harder to find protein sources.
Note that top roast is 2.97. And good hamburger is 3.99. That's about a dollar a pound difference. grind 5 pounds in about 20 minutes and you are making 15 dollars an hour.
And you are getting better hamburger.


Thanks for stopping by


Jane

Spam and other almost FREE food.

Yesterday I deleted my blog. It was about spam and other despicable things in my life.

There are two definitions of spam. One is a food product that is full of fat;the other
Is a cyber term and it is full of of $&@!. I don't like either of them crammed down my throat. I can choose not to buy the canned version,I can't refuse the other one.Google has no provision to block spam or porn.

Consequently, I am writing in the dark, what you want to read is a mystery.

Enough said.

The other almost FREE foods in the Pacific Northwest this time of year is zucchini and blackberries.

Blackberries grow wild , they can be used in about any fruit desert recipe. Pie, cobbler, as a sauce over ice cream or pancakes or in a mixed berry fruit cup.

Zucchini is in any gardeners garden. Sometimes they get away from us and grow to enormous proportions. They are still good for zucchini bread or muffins. chocolate zucchini cake is a great way to get kids of all ages to eat a veggie.

From my retro cookbook. This recipe was from a dear lady that spent her life enriching the life of sick seniors.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

In bowl combine
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa, unsweetened
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2tsp soda
1tsp salt
1tsp cinnamon
In separate bowl cream until light
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
Add 3 eggs, one at a time
Continue beating until well mixed and light and fluffy
Stir in
2cups unpeeled, grated zucchini. ( no seeds)
2tsp grated orange peel
2tsp vanilla

Alternately, stir in dry ingredients and
1/2cup milk
1cup walnuts
Pour into greased and floured bundt pan
Bake at 350 1 hour or until tests done.
or bake in a 9x13 for 45 minutes.
Allow to cool 15 minutes.
If using bundt pan, remove from pan and glaze
You can also put the glaze on the 9x13 in the pan

Glaze( optional)
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1TBLS orange juice
1/2tsp graded orange peel
Add more juice if necessary

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

How much zucchini is in your garden?

This is the time of year when zucchini is real plentiful in your garden or your neighbors garden.

Zucchini with shrimp

8 small zucchini
2T butter
1green onion, minced
1tsp paprika
2medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
Salt, pepper
1/2pound peeled small shrimp
2T parm

For sauce:

2T butter
2T flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup parm
1/2tsp Dijon type mustard

Wash zucchini and trim each end, but do not peel.
Blanch in boiling salted water for 5minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water.
Cutna thin lengthwise slice from each zucchini. Scoop out pulp.
Chop pulp .

Melt butter in saucepan . Add green onion and cook until soft, but not brown.
Add paprika, zuchinni flesh and tomatoes. Salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add shrimp.

Arrange zucchini boats in casserole dish. Fill with shrimp mixture.

Make a white sauce with listed ingredients. Take off the heat and add mustard and parm.


Pour sauce over zucchini . Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 425 for ten minutes.

NOTE: zucchini is in season and inexpensive if not in your garden.
Shrimp has been on 5 dollar Friday at Safeways a lot lately.

Twice baked Potatoes with ham and cheese

4large baking potatoes, baked
1cup ham cubes
10 ounces frozen corn.
Small onion chopped
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt

1cup white cheese grated ( 4 ounces)
1/2 tsp cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400
Halve the potatoes lengthwise. Leaving a shell, scoop out potato.
Mash potatoes well. Add jam, corn, onion , yogurt,1/2 the cheese and the seasonings

Fill the potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Arrange potatoes in 9x13 pan
Bake 25- 30 minutes. Broil 1-2 min until brown.

Use a broiler pan if necessary .

Serves4.


Thanks for stopping by
Please share this blog site

Jane

And yet more retro recipes

More retro recipes.

SAUSAGE AND POTATO PIE

2T olive. Oil

1red pepper, core, seed, and cut into 1/4 inch strips

1med zucchini sliced thinly

2tsp minced garlic

1/2tsp black pepper

1/4cup chopped basil OR parsley OR 2tsp dry basil

1pound bulk sausage or ham

3medium russet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced

1cup grated parm

2cups grated white cheese, jack, morts, or cheddar 1/2 pound

Preheat oven to 425.

Sauté red peppers, and zucchini in 1T oil until tender. Add garlic. Add spices and sauté 2min Longer. Add cooked and defatted sausage.

Toss potatoes in remaining 1T oil. Place 1/4 of the potatoes, over aping slightly in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place a third of the meat mixture on top of the potatoes.

Place 1/3 Of both cheeses on top, making the third layer.
Repeat layers, ending with a layer of potato.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5- 10 min longer until potatoes are crisp. Cool 5-10 minutes.

Calories 500
Protein 27 grams
Carbs 17
FAt 36 ( before defatting)
cholesterol 91mg

to defat ground meat ( takes away about 17 percent of the fat) according tonwhat I read.

Fry meat until no longer pink. Drain in colander over sink. Pour boiling water over the meat . Return to clean pan and heat through.

Mexican ground beef salad

Layer
Crisp corn tortilla ( nacho chips?)
lettuce chopped
Taco meat
Red pepper
Avocado
Jalapeño peppers
Grated Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese

Use oil and vinegar dressing.
Salsa, lime juice?

Thanks for stopping by
Please share this blog address with a friend
Google: Janes cheap groceries

Top foods charity cookbook

Top foods has a charity cookbook out for .99 cents, the sole proceeds going to northwest harvest.

Really good tasting recipes, some are pricy, some are doable on a budget

Grilled romaine with Roma tomatoes and parm dressing.
Nutrients in berries

Chicken breasts with black olives, lemon and fennel. Either splurge on fennel or substitute celery.

Shrimp and Brie Mac and cheese. --Brie is sometimes cheap at grocery outlet, shrimp is 5 buck Friday at Safeway often.

Orange glazed shrimp skewers with chipolte veggie medley...I don't know chipolte, figure a substitute if you need to. Kids.. You could use olive oil and herbs.

Burgers burgers burgers

Salad with romaine with shrimp and watermelon

More recipes, but they are pricey.


That's all

Thanks for stopping by.

Please share and comment so I can tell who is real and who is not. Lol. Thanks

Jane

Recipes from my retro book

I still have my book from the 1970's. It still has recipes that s t r e t c h your food dollar.


Freezer meat " balls".

3 pounds ground meat ( beef, pork, turkey or a combination

3 eggs slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 T Italian seasoning
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder.


Mix all ingredients. Do not over mix, you can have tough meatballs like tough quick bread.

Spread in a sheet pan with sides. ( like a jelly roll pan).
15x9 inches. Cut into 1.5 inch squares, wiggling your spatula to separate squares some. Cook in 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink.

Cool. Put into meal sized portions on zip lock bags. If you lay the bags flat to freeze, they will take less room in the freezer.

Use in red sauce, with a cream sauce over rice, meatball subs with BBQ sauce.

BEEF PROVENCALE

1 16oz can tomatoes
1/2tsp garlic powder
1pound of meat "balls".
2small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 cup ripe olives
1/4 cup grated parm

Heat tomatoes and garlic powder in 3quart saucepan
Break meatballs apart and put in saucepan with tomatoes.
Reduce heat to simmer and heat through about 10 min.
Stir in olives and zucchini
Cook on simmer until the zucchini is crisp tender, about 10 minutes
Sprinkle w cheese


Serves 4 - 6

NOTE. Tomatoes now come in slightly smaller cans.

Thanks for stopping by

Please share this blog with friends and comment you can comment anyomous, but if you
Comment I can tell you are a real person and not porn spam. Lol

Jane

...and more chicken

The rest of the story

OVEN FRIED CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

Lightly grease a baking pan. Have a 9x13 ready

Mix reserved minced garlic with 1T olive oil. Brush on remaining 4 drumsticks and thighs.

Mix in a zip lock , 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs, 2T parm, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper

Add chicken and shake to coat evenly.

Arrange on prepared pan.

Bake at 400 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

Cut 2lbs of baking potatoes in wedges. (1/8 th s)
Put in baking dish with reserved carrots and 1 T olive oil. Toss veggies to coat.
Put pan in oven. After15 minutes, add the remaining cut up zucchini.bake 15 minutes longer until chicken is done.

CHICKEN POT PIE

Melt 1 stick of butter in small saucepan , whisk in 1/2 cup of flour. Gradually add in 2 cups of milk. Add 2cups chicken broth. Add 1/2 tsp rosemary and salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, whisking constantly , lower heat and simmer until thickened. Add 5 cups chicken reserved from the chicken soup recipe, carrots and peas. Divide pot pie filling into 2 containers.

When ready to serve. Heat THAWED filling 20 minutes in 400 degree ovem. Make corn muffin mis. Place on top of pie. Bake 20 minutes or until cornbread is done

NOTE. I usually use a Bisquick topping recipe for chicken pot pie.
Read the entire recipes before beginning. I would use trays or pieces of brown paper bags and assemble my ingredients in small bowls or on foil as I prep them whenever possible. Check ingredients as I go along. Many things are cooked and then split into
Parts for separate recipes.

This should yield 11 dinners. Chicken legs and thighs are .89 cents a pound at Albertsons and I have found them for a dollar a lot lately. With careful shoppimg, you should still yield 44 servimgs at a buck or less a piece average. Even with additions to your menu,you should still be in the five dollar range. Four people, one meal, five bucks.

Please repost this on facebook.

Chicken Chicken Chicken

This very well may be my last post. I need to figure out how to block the Russians and the PORN sites from 'reading " my blog. I suspect they are spaming for whatever reason. Google security doesn't seem to care.

The last day, I have one facebook entry and the rest are from other websites. Some I am sure are legit, but many aren't .

On to the real stuff....
Marathon cooking is not for the faint of heart. It helps if you have another adult or teenage child to help. It does make for eleven meals (maybe 10.5) that are cheap and at the ready for those nights when you want to get out of the kitchen fast. It makes for more efficient use of your kitchen time and only one massive clean up.


Marathon Chicken ( 11 meals for four)

Oven Fried Chicken and Vegetables...serves 4
Chicken Cacciatore - Serves 8
Coq Au Vin Serves 8
Chicken Burritos Serves 10
Chicken Vegetable Soup Serves 8
Chicken pot pies. Serves 8

Grocery List
62 chicken thighs (20 pounds)
20 chicken drumsticks (5.5 pounds)
4 slices bacon.

Vegies

20 ounces mushrooms
18 Carrots (4.5 pounds)
9 onions
6 celery ribs
5 zuchinni
6 red peppers
4 green peppers
3 medium jalapeno peppers
1 orange.

10 large flour tortillas
4 boxes (jiffy) corn bread
1 cup long grain rice
Chicken stock
Bread crumbs
vegetable and olive oil
flour

3 28 ounce cans tomatoes
2 cans refried beans.

1 bag frozen peas
Butter, eggs, milk, parm cheese
8 ounces cheddar cheese.

3 cups dry red wine.

To begin :

Heat oven to 400 degrees . Put 12 chicken thighs in baking pan and roast for 30 min.
These are for burritos.

Meanwhile, Remove skin from 30 thighs and place, divided in two stockpots. To EACH
pot, add 4 cups of water and 4 cups of chicken stock, a bay leaf and 6 pepper corns.
Bring to a boil, de foam, and simmer covered for 45 min. Uncover and simmer 30 minutes more until chicken is very tender. Remove chicken with slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, chop celery, and divide between pots.
Cut 3 onions in quarters for soup. Slice the remaining onions into rings and set aside.

Peel carrots , Put 6 whole ones in each soup pot. Cut remaining in half lengthwise and
set aside for tonights dinner. ( Oven fried chicken and veggies ) .

Halve zuchinni lengthwise, then slice crosswise. Divide into two units. One is for the soup and the other for tonights dinner.

Seed peppers and cut into thin strips.

Mince 6 cloves garlic. Reserve 2 minced cloves for tonights dinner.

Heat 1T veggie oil in each of two ten inch fry pans.
To Each, add half the sliced onions, bell peppers,jalapenos, minced garlic and salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove skin from raw drumsticks and remaining raw thights and scrub potatoes. Reserve for tonighs meal.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Serve with pasta, or french bread,and a salad.

Have ready, 2 , deep, 2 quart baking dishes.
To EACH, add 1/2 the onion /pepper mixture from ONE skillet.
One cup broth from soup pot.
one 28 ounce can tomatoes
italian seasoning
salt and pepper
two three inch strips of orange peel (use veggie peeler)
bay leaf
4 raw thighs and 4 raw drumsticks.

Bake in 400 degree oven one hour and 10 minutes. or until chicken is done. Cool and cover with foil. Seal in airtight containers and freeze. (can be referigerated 3 days. )

COQ AU VIN

Cut bacon in pieces and fry in skillet until most of the fat is cooked off.
Trim mushrooms and cut into quarters.
Remove bacon from pan, pour off drippings.
In batches, brown 8 raw thighs, and 8 drumsticks , about 2 minutes per side.

To EACH of TWO 9X13 pans, Add 1/2 the bacon and 4 each of the drumsticks and thighs.
Cook mushrooms in two batches until golden. Add 1/2 of the mushrooms to each pan.
To each pan add:
1.5 cups red wine,
1 cup of stock from the soup pot. rosemary and salt.
Bake at 400 for 40 monutes.
Cool and Seal in Airtight container for the freezer.

CHICKEN BURRITOS

In a 5 quart dutch oven

Add:
1 28 ounce can tomatoes
1T chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt

Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until thickened.
Shread Cheese
Remove meat from cooked chicken thighs (First Step)
Add chicken to dutch oven and simmer 5 minutes longer.

Place softened tortillas on countertop. Spread 1/4 cup refried beans on each tortilla. top with 1/2 cup chicken mixture, 1/4 cup onion pepper mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese.
Fold tortilla. Wrap burritos in foil for oven heating, or in wax paper for microwave and seal in zip lock bags. to Serve: Heat in foil wrap in oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Microwave in wax paper on high for 2-3 minutes.

CHICKEN VEGGIE SOUP
Place a colander over a large bowl. Strain soup broth from both pots. Reserve Carrots and Chicken. Place broth back in pot . Reserve 2 cups broth for pot pie.

Add 1 cup rice, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until rice is almost tender. Meanwhile, debone chicken and cut into bite sized chunks, reserving 5 cups of chicken for pot pies. slice carrots. Add sliced zucchini and 1.5 cups peas to pot. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add chicken and carrots. Cook quickly, Freeze in airtight containers.

NEXT Time:

TONIGHTS DINNER and CHICKEN POT PIE

thanks for stopping by.
please share on facebook. I want to omit this from the public. I want to help people, but I don't want the spam and it is distasteful to me to have porn anywhere near my wholesome site.

Jane

This weeks ads. 8/14/2012

This weeks ads as pueny as they are.

Albertsons

Chicken thighs or legs .99
Peaches .99
Chicken leg quarters .89. **
Strawberries 4lbs for 7.99


TOP

London broil bigi. 2.75 lb net cost
Cherries 1.98 pound
80 percent ground beef 2.49
Grapes 2.00
Carrots 2lbs 1.00

Green pepper .69

QFC

Peaches.99
Corn 2/.88


Safeways

Peaches .97
Blues2.99
Pot roast 2.49
80 per cent ground beef 2.49

5 buck FRIDAYS

Bar cake
BIG sandwich
Ground turkey
Shrimp


Strawberries 1.99
16 ounces salsa 2.50


That's it.
Again, there is not much out there.

Safeways has just for you. If they have the three dollars off 15.00 worth of veggies, they will be a lot cheaper than other places. 2.75 for London broil is probably cheaper for ground meat because the fat will be a lot less.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Cornbread revisited

After researching for the tamale pie, infound corn muffin mixes at a variety of costs.

A mix from a well known eatery is a dollar at the dollar store. The small quick one is .89 at Albertsons.

I suspect that the price of cornmeal will rise and a mix might be your hedge on higher prices. None the less, here is a recipe for corn bread mix from scratch.

CORN BREAD MIX

2 cups yellow cornmeal
2cups flour
6 T sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt

Mix ingredients together. Store in an air tight container . Shelf life 2 months
Enough mix for 28 or 9 inch square pans of cornbread.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400
Place 2 1/4 cups mix in bowl. Make a well.
Whisk 1cup milk,
1/4 cup veg oil
2slightly beaten eggs.

Stir just enough to mix.
Pour into greased 8x8 pan.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Variation:
Add 1tsp chili powder, 1tsp unsweatened cocoa powder, and 1/8 tsp EACH of cinnamon, cloves and cayenne pepper to sry ingredients.

Make as above with 1cup milk, 1/4 cup veg oil, 1 slightly beaten egg, 1can drained chillies, and 1/2 cup grated cheese.

Poor batter into 9x9 greased baking pan . Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Mexican cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer. Serves 9.

Thanks for stopping by

Please share my blog

Jane

My retro personal cookbook

I dug out my personal cookbook from the seventies. I discovered " new" recipes that I forgot about.

I can remember tvp And chicory when coffee was scarce. I remember making my own bean sprouts and trying to cook soy beans...that was a bust!LOL

But there are a lot of recipes that have stood the test of time.

Sometimes a little special touch will make a regular meal special. that's what people pay big bucks for at a fancy restraunt.

Pepper butter
1/3 cup butter
2T parsley
1/4tsp red pepper flakes
1/4tsp pepper
1/8 tap garlic powder

Cilantro lime butter
1/3 cup butter
1T cilantro
1tsp lime peel

dijon dressing
8 ounces sour cream
1/2cup milk
2T Dijon mustard
1T parsley
1/2tsp dill

Blue cheese butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup blue cheese
1T parsley
1tsp dry basil
1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped

On another note

MAGIC APPLE PIE
1egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2cup flour
Pinch of salt
1apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup raisins or craisens

In mixing bowl, beat egg and remaining ingredients EXCEPT
Apple and raisins. Fold in apple and raisins. Spread into a 9 inch pie pan that as been greased. Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes. Or until golden and toothpick in center comes out clean. Serve with whip cream or ice cream

Basic salsa

1clove garlic
1pound ripe plum tomatoes, coded, finely diced, but not peeled.
1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup of EITHER cilantro, parsley, or 1/2 tsp ground coriander.
1T lime juice
1-4 tsp salt

Blanch garlic and mince.
Add the rest of the ingredients and let set at room temp for 1 hour. Transfer to a covered jar and refrigerate up to 10 days.

Depending on how much you have to pay for tomatoes,salsa could be cheaper store bought.
Lime and lemon juice is cheaper in a bottle and keeps a long time.
Cilantro vutter would taste good on chicken breast.
Blue cheese butter would be good on beef.

Thanks for stopping by
Please share this blog.
Jane

Re discover quick breads

Quick breads have been given a bad rap lately. They are a good source of fruit and vegetables and can be a good source of fiber.

Cheddar chive muffins. A good add to a meal that has no or little protein.

1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup mashed potato flakes
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 2/3 cup flour
3T sugar
3 T total of chives and parsley

1Tbls bakimg powder
Tsp salt

In a saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in potato flakes.
Let stand 2 min. Whip until smooth. cool slightly. Beat in egg, oil and cheese.
Combine dry ingredients, stir into potato mixture. Batter will be thick

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until done.


orange nut bread

1 large naval orange
3 cups flour
1cup sugar
1Tbaking powder
1/2tsp salt
1egg
1cup milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Peel orange. Place orange peel in saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes, drain. Cover peel again with water and cook 3 minutes longer. Drain and chop finely chop peel.

In mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, combine milk and egg, and stir into dry ingredients. Fold in orange peel and nuts. Turn into loaf pan that has been greased and floured. Bake at 350 50 to 60 minutes or until done.


Thanks for stopping by
Please share with a friend. Google Jane grocery cheap.

Jane

And you buy your groceries WHERE? Part 2

A prime example of always having one eye open for a good buy. We went looking for a larger baby toy bucket. The dollar store one has been repurposed to the pantry. That is the result of one spoiled grand baby! LOL

What I found was a brand name diced tomatoes for .60 cents. The same tomatoes that were a buck on sale a few weeks past. The tomato paste was .40. My target price is .50 for diced tomatoes and .50 for tomato paste.

I finally got a bucket for 60 percent off at Joannes.

I have not got a post in the last two days. I think that something is broken.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Dinners under 9.00 adjusted LOL

Family Circle this month as nine dollar dinners. They are priced at that amount because I am sure that they are using NYC prices. At any rate, with minor adjustments and careful shopping, I am sure we can reduce their costs. At least they aren't clove studded bologna. Lol

1) slow cooker brisket BBQ chili.
Uses chuck roast cut into 2 inch pieces. any beef that can stand up well to slow cookimg can be used. What's on sale? Omit the molasses and use a substitute, use white beans instead of butter beans, omit the lime wedges, lime juice is cheaper.

2) Rotini with sautéed chicken sausage and vegetables
Use chicken sausage *. Regular rotini, homemade chicken broth or vegetable stock, cut and seeded tomatoes and dry basil unless younhave itnin your garden.

* chicken sausage with cheese and artichokesnis usually on sale at grocery outlet.

Asian beef and lentil sloppy joes
I'm sorry, that just sounds Barry to me. And considering that not one person hit on my sloppy joe blog, I choose to skip this one. Lol

Chutney Pork Chops and Cousxous

Make chutney, use your own Broth, omit the apple juice and add more broth unless you drink a lot of apple juice, or find it cheap. It has too many carbs for me.

Baked Flounder and herbed panko

Use any white fish that is cheap. Costco has some frozen reasonable. Panko is coarse bread crumbs. You can season them yourself. Cream cheese is on sale frequently, check your per ounce prices. Use chopped, seeded tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes. Do as have morenflesh and are frequently less per pound.

A simple fish dish is to spray the bottom of a baking pan with cooking spray. Slice potatoes and arrange in the bottom of the pan. Top with sliced tomatoes and drizzle w olive oil. Bake at 400 until potatoes are almost tender. Add a white fish and continue baking until fish is done. Sprinkle w herbs.

Almost any recipe can be made more economical with a few substitutions and careful shopping. Now, that being said, I have yet to find a replacement for lobster! LOL

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Please share with a friend.

Let's talk sloppy joe's

While researching sloppy Joe,s I discovered that there are many different takes on them. I have always used a recipe I found in a women's magazine years ago. It has ingredients I always have on hand and is easy and cheap. What more can you ask for?

Canned mix is over two dollars last I looked and you still have to add hamburger.
Buns are often on sale in the summer. They are cheaper at the bakery outlet.

Taste of home ultimate freezer cookbook.

Salsa sloppy joes. Pg 72

Sloppy joes

1 pound ground beef, cooked and de fatted
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3/4 cup water
1can tomato soup
Hot pepper sauce to taste.

Sauté veggies in oil. Add meat. Water and soup. Simmer. Add hot pepper sauce if desired.

Janes sloppy joes on the cheap

1pound ground beef, cooked and de fatted
2/3 cup catsup
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Put all ingredients in a frying pan. Heat for 10 minutes until flavors meld.


Note: catsup is a dollar at the dollar store. You can mix part ground turkeynwith ground beef. Didn't work at my house because my husband screamed foul play! Lol.

I usually serve them with salads, sweet potato fries, or veggie platter.

Thanks for stopping by
Please share this blog with friends.

Jane

Four plus one is five. 8/10/2012

I thought we might talk about four people, one meal five bucks and go through the process of pre shopping.


Take a piece of computer paper. Divide it in four. Place the name of each grocery store add at the top of the page.

Go through the adds and write anything that you eat that is a good buy.
86 the pre made, high priced garbage.

Then go through and cross of anything that is a cheaper price elsewhere, or that you already have enough of.

Make meals from your stock on hand and what you bought.

1) Sirloin Tip Roast, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, Broccoli


2) Roast Beef A Jus sandwiches, green salad with grapes, apple, and walnuts .
raspberry vinegrette.

3) Chicken drumsticks, coleslaw, oven baked steak fries.

4) Mac and Cheese, Broccolli

5) spareribs, corn of the cob, coleslaw , beer bread

6) Quiche, designer lettuce salad with strawberries.

7) Shrimp stir fry. rice. ( brocolli, carrots, celery, red peppers, )

Notes: Shrimp is 5 bucks a pound at Safeways.
If you pick a protein that is less than 2.50 a pound (average) and don't buy expensive side dishes, you can pretty much figure on spending less than five dollars average.

The roast and the shrimp costs are being tempered by the quiche, mac and cheese, and the chicken.


Please share this blog.
Thanks for stopping by.

Jane

A rose by any other name

I just read an article by Jane E Brody on downsizing the food budget as she so eloquently put it. Her article was based on research and it was well written, but
Didn't day much more than what i have been saying.

She did warn against buying empty calories. The biggest culprit there is sugary drinks. She suggested chicken, eggs, beans,and lean ground beef for protein. Guess she hasn't heard of the other white meat! Lol.

She does advocate scratch cooking and if you were used to eating out a lot, buying the proper equipment to cook. Her stats look at 40 minutes a day in the kitchen.

I find it interestimg that she said that frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are better than fresh. They are not as cheap at times. She is working on the assumption that the frozen and canned products are picked at their peak and put up,and fresh have been sitting around the store.

I got peaches frozen for a dollar a pound. We paid the same amount last week for fresh and I didn't have to peel or slice them. We made the peaches and cream muffins. Next time, I would use part sour cream and part milk. Costco sour cream is really thick.
I probably wouldn't use the silicone muffin tins either.

Basically, Jane Brody in her article said that you can downsize your food budget and still eat healthy. I have been trying to show people how to do that in this blog.
Albeit not so eloquently.

I was really excited about my number of hits in this blog until I found out that half of them were spam. I am really trying to help people here. Please repost this site on your Facebook. People usually don't shout from the rooftops the state of their finances. By spreading the post, we can reach more of the people that might benefit from it.

Thanks for stopping by

Tomorrow..meals from the grocery ads.

Jane

How do you spell desert!

When I figure four plus one is five ( four people, one meal, five bucks). I don't include desert. Usually if we have desert it is fruit, or piece of a five dollar Friday cake. One cake lasts us all week. Yesterday I posted a white snack cake. Today I made blackberry sauce to put on it with some whip cream.

Sometimes if I have a main dish with little protein, we will have creme brûlée for desert.


Sweet cinnamon chips

2laege flour tortillas
3T butter
2Tsugar
1tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375

Stack tortillas on top of each other and cut into wedges. ( like pizza)
Melt butter
Mix cinnamon and sugar

Coat each side of a tortilla wedge with butter. Sprimkle with sugar mixture.
Place on baking sheet.

Bake until wedges just begin to crisp, about 8 minutes.

Cool slightly before serving about 2 minutes.

Drizzle with chocolate syrup, honey, or caramel.


chocolate bread pudding

1/2 stick butter
6 cups bread cubes
2cups heavy cream
1cup milk ( not skim)
5egg yolks
12 oz chocolate chips
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Butter 9x13 in pan.
Place breadcrumbs in prepared baking dish.
Melt 4 Tbs butter. Drizzle over bread crumbs.
Combine cream and milk in a sauce pan. Bring to just a boil over med heat.

Slightly beat egg yolks in a separate bowl.

When cream comes to a boil, remove from heat,add chocolate chips sugAr and vanilla. Stir until chocolate is melted. Add egg yolks and whisk well.

Ladle chocolate cream over bread cubes making sure all bread is covered.

Cover with foil and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dish from refrigerator and poke holes to vent. Bake an hour or until set. Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.


Thanks for stopping by

Jane

8/8 grocery ads

This weeks grocery ads

SAFEWAYS

5 buck Fridays
Lemon meringue pie
Crisco oil 64 ounces

Grapes .79
Boston cream cake 5.00
50 cookies 5.00

TOP
Sirloin tip roast 2.97
Drumsticks .97
pork chops 1.77
tomatoes 1.00
Potatoes 5.99!20 pounds
Coleslaw 1.00

QFC

Grapes .99
Broccoli .99
Milk 1/2 gal 3/5.00
Ribs1.98
Chili .88
Corn 2/.88

ALBERTSONS
Extra lean ground beef 2.49
Grapes 1.99
corn 2/1.00
BBQ sauce .79
Coffee 7.49
Taco shells .99

Thats all.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Zucchini and tomatoes. --summertime abundance

There are summertime jokes in the Pacific Northwest about the abundance of Zucchini .  It groes
well in this part of the country in giant proportions if not picked early. 

Stuffed Zucchini

2 medium zucchini
1/2 pound sausage
1/4 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 cup pasta sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/5 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp italian seasoning.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds , leaving a 1/4 inch shell.
Chop pulp. set aside.

In skillet, brown meat and onion and add garlic.  Drain meat or use already cooked meat. 
Add pulp, breadcrumbs, seasoning and milk and fold together

Stuff shells.

Place in greased baking pan. Top shells with pasta sauce and cheese. Cover and  Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. 


Summer Pepper Soup. 

1 bacon strip
1 red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cloves garlic
1T tomato paste
1/8 tsp paprika
3-4 drops red pepper sauce

1 cup chicken broth, divided
1T Butter
1T flour
1/2 cup half and half.
1/4 tsp salt

Cook bacon in skillet, remove to drain.  In drippings, cook pepper, onion and garlic. 
Stir in tomato paste , paprika and hot pepper sauce. 
Add 1/4 cup broth. 
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes. 
Puree in blender or food processor. 

In sauce pan, melt butter and add flour to make a roux. Add remaining broth to bake a " white sauce"
Reduce heat to low, Gradually stir in pepper mixture and cream.  heat through.  Add bacon for garnish. 

2 servings.

NOTE: 
This is a case where if you can get the tomato red pepper soup at Costco for 6/10.00 it would be cheaper.  With the boxed soup, I add chopped tomatoes, blue cheese, and basil.  You could omit the bacon and add blue cheese and basil and add chopped tomatoes if you have them in the garden. 

Ordinaily,  the boxed soup is 3.50 or so at the regular grocery stores, and costco doesn't always carry the soup. 

Quick snack cake . ( serve with berries on top in the summer)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

In mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. 
Add wet ingredients.  beat for 1 minute. 
Pour into greased 9x9 pan. 
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. 
Cool on wire rack.  

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Pasta primavera vs store bought

Last night I made Pesto Pasta Primavera.

8 ounces bow tie pasta, cooked and drained
1cup blanched, cut green beans
1/2 medium zucchini, cut into slices, halved and blanched.
2-3 Tbls. Pesto
1/2 can sliced black olives
1/2 cup tomatoes, cubed

Shaved parm for garnish.

Place pasta in bowl. Toss with enough pesto to coat.
Fold in remaining ingredients.


QFC had 1pound of pesto pasta for 4.99
That's about 2 cups. I made a five quart bowl for about 5.00.

Note! Costco has pesto for about 8.00 for 22 ounces.
Vinegar was 3.89 for two gallons.

Lets talk fruits and vegetables.

One of the ways to curb your grocery bill is to make use of the fruits and vegetables in season. Pretty much now we can have produce year round, but local fruits and veggies are cheapest in the summer.

Washington has an apple crop in the fall. We are getting a lot of berries this year and peaches are coming in. Corn is still high because it is coming from the mid West and has been high for a few years. Zucchini is always in abundance in the area. Growing a pot of herbs really is economical. My daughter bought some basil for a dish she was making. We rooted the basil and will plant it today.

Carrots continue to be inexpensive and Lettuce is locally grown.

Zucchini bread and CHOCOLATE zucchini bread is a favorite. Carrots are really versatile
From carrot cake and muffins, carrots with brown sugar and butter or gimgered. Carrot and celery sticks, a relish tray with peppers,broccoli, carrots, celery is always a hit
And a way to get veggies into picky eaters.

Bananas are cheapest at Costco and seem to be the same price there year around.

Apple spiced waffles

2 cups baking mix
2tsp cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg
2eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
6 T butter
1cup chopped, peeled apple.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients in separate bow. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Heat waffle iron and make waffles. Leftovers? Can be frozen. Freeze on a sheet pan and then put in bag and label with contents and date.


Peaches and cream muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup milk or sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1cup chopped peaches.

Combine dry ingredients.
Combine wet Ingredients , except peaches.
Fold together until mixture is moistened.
Fold in peaches.

Bake in muffin cups 3/4 full at 400 degrees for 20-25 min or until done.


Carrots. " baby carrots "are just regular carrots that have been processed.
when they are on sale, they are the same price or cheaper than whole carrots. Check your per pound prices.

Roasted carrots

1 pound carrots cut into 3 inch sticks apron 1/2 inches wide.
1 1/4 cups onion rings
4-6 cloves garlic
1T olive oil
Thyme, salt, pepper
1tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish. Place carrots that are approx. 1/2 inch wide and 3-4 inches long In baking pan.

Add onion and garlic.
Drizzle with olive oil and salt, pepper and thyme.
Toss.

Roast up to 45 minutes , stirring every ten to fifteen minutes until tender.


Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Meals from the ads

I have a lot of meat, and meat wasn't on sale much this week. I suspect that it won't be much because of the drought. All I bought was some spareribs and I am going to resort to my stock. I did buy a lot of fresh fruits and veggies , it's a wonderful time of the year for them.

OK meals

1) BBQ spareribs, potato salad, corn on cob, French bread, fruit cup

2) sausage quiche, leafy lettuce salad with berries and raspberry vinaigrette.

3) BBQ beef sandwiches, fruit cup, coleslaw, potato salad

4) BBQ chicken, fruit cup, coleslaw, potato salad, green salad

5) chicken salad: lettuce, apple, grapes, craisens, chicken breast cubes.
French bread

6) black bean tamale pie, lettuce salad. **

7) pesto pasta, salad , French bread. ( butter w slight skim of butter or brush with olive oil, add herbs or a shake of steak seasoning. Broil till toasted.



**. Black bean tamale pie

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 can black beans, chopped and drained,
1cup salsa

1 package ( 8.5 ounces) corn muffin mix
1/4 cup milk
1egg
2cups cheddar cheese

Sour cream and ripe olives optional

In skillet, cook Onion and green pepper. Add cooked meat (or cook raw meat until no longer pink)

Add beans to skillet

In bowl, combine muffin mix, milk, egg, and 1 cup of the cheese.
Pour into greased 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 for 5 to 6 minutes.

Spoon meat mixture over crust. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until crust is golden brown.
Sprinkle w remaining cheese. Bake 1-2 minutes longer until cheese is melted. Guarnished with sour cream and black olives if desired. ( or add lettuce and tomato to the top).

Note: I suspect that an 8.5 ounce muffin mix is a small quick mix. I don't know how much they cost these days and haven't figured out a scratch recipe for it yet.


Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Ok, it was WinCo for us

WinCo is a warehouse type store where you pack up your own foods. Some of the prices are a lot cheaper and some are not so much.

I got broccoli crowns for . 78 a pound.
Tomatoes for .98, celery for .68 a pound, large red pepper.69 cents and a green pepper for .48. Spinach was .98 a bunch. Taco shells were .98 . I amstill trying to find green chill is for less than a dollar a can.


Pasta sauce was up to .98.

Safeways had mixed berries for 11.98 and corn for 2/1.00. And if you spent 15.00, you got 3.00 off. Milk was 2.19 and ribs were 1.99.


Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Recap and batch cooking

I thought I would recap the basics for any new readers once during the first week of the month.

The main idea of this to save 1/2 on your food bill. The USDA publishes stats on thrifty grocery costs based on ages of family members. The last ones I can find are from 2009.

The main " rules".

1) Never pay full price. There are exceptions, of course. If it is something you have to have, or you want a special treat, go for it. just make it the exception rather than the rule.

2) keep a log of things you frequently buy and where and how much you paid. You can use a spiral notebook, or an excel spread sheet. Go for the lowest price and stock up on that. Base your quantity on how often it goes on sale, the number of times in a week you use it and the sell by date on the package. Pasta for one, has a 8 year shelf life. STOCK UP.

3) Develop a personal cookbook of scratch main dishes that contain a low cost protein.

4) Cook from scratch rather than ready made, or boxes. The more processed something is, the less nutrients and the more expensive it is. Boxed meal mixes are about the most expensive food item in the store. At 2.09 cents a box, you are paying 13.28 a pound for the " cheese sauce" that has no cholesterol. You can get REALLY good cheese for 13.00 a pound! LOL. Don't buy snack food.

5) Plan your meals. Take stock of your refer and bread bin mid week and use up anything that might be getting OLD!?!. Croutons, breadcrumbs, soup stock. Pesto, banana bread. You get the gist. the what's for dinner syndrome after you have had a hard day is one of the quickest ways to fall off the budget wagon.


One of the ways to make dinner time cooking fast and easy is to batch cook.
It makes the time in the kitchen more efficient. if you can get an older child or a mate to help you, even more the better.


When you bring home the ground beef, or grind your own, " Process" it your self. I make meatloaf or meatballs, taco meat, hamburger crumbles, Salisbury steaks.
Put the product, except the meatloaf that you have for dinner that night, in family sized portions. Label and freeze them. I keep them in a metal box in the freezer so they don't get lost.

When you want a quick meal, pull the taco meat, thaw it in the microwave. While that is happening, chop tomatoes,get out the cheese and sour cream, and chop the lettuce. Open a can of refried beans and put in the microwave dish and heat through when meat is done. About 15 minutes total.

When roast is on sale, roast it off. Slice thin and freeze. You can run it under cold water to thaw (in food saver bag). Make a jus in a small frypan.when the meat has partially thawed, put in the a jus to warm. Meanwhile, put sandwich rolls in oven to toast, and make a green salad. I use brown and serve baguettes from franz. They have them at Costco and at the franz outlet.

I fry sausage purchased in bulk. Jimmy Dean is 6.89 at Costco now for three pounds.
De fat it and put it on portion sized bags in the freezer.

You can use it on pizza, in eggs,in soups.

Make good use of your crockpot. There is something really comforting about walkimg into the house and smelling dinner already cooked.

Thanks for stopping by. Please share this blog with a friend.

Jane

Recipes that use up the last bits.

I thought I would talk about using up things that are coming close to the yard waste
Bin.

one of our grandmothers tricks was to make banana bread from too ripe bananas . I use a recipe from the Bisquick cookbook that adds oatmeal and blueberries. It adds more texture and the errors add an extra pop of flavor.



Stradas use bread that is becoming stale. Stale bread also makes breadcrumbs, croutons, and dressing cubes. Note: I fry sausage when I get home from the store. Drain and defatted it and put it into 1/2 pound zip lock bags and freeze.

Sausage Pepper Strada

1 package of bulk sausage
1/2 small onion, chopped.
1/2 green or red pepper, chopped
4 cups bread cubes.( 6 slices)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt, pepper
1cup grated cheese

Sauté onion and pepper until limp. Add to sausage mixture.
Spread bread in a 9x13 pan. . Spread sausage mixture over bread.
Mix eggs, milk and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Pour eggs over the bread and sausage in the pan.

Poke with fork to moisten all the bread.
Cover pan and refrigerate at least hour, or overnight.

Bake at 375 uncovered for 55 minutes. If top is browning too quickly, cover with foil.

Dish will be brown and puffy and the eggs will be cooked.

Can be guarnished with salsa or a fine stream of maple syrup.


Twice Baked Potatoes

4 Potatoes, already baked

3 T butter

1/3cup sour cream

Salt pepper

1cup shredded cheese

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the potatoes, saving the potatoes and
Leaving 1/4 inch shell.

Add melted butter, sour cream and salt and pepper to the potato mixture.
Mash the potatoes.

On a baking sheet, place the shells and fill them with the potato mixture. Top each with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 min until heated through.



Thanks for stopping by

Jane

August 1st: This weeks grocery ads

This weeks grocery ads

QFC
Blueberries 4.99 - 2#
Peaches .98
corn 3/1.00
Pesto Pea Salad 4.99 lb: Compare to this weeks Pesto Salad recipe
Hebrew National Franks 2/ 6.00

TOP

Green Peppers .59
Spinach 1.00

SAFEWAYS

Country Ribs 1.99
Milk 2.49
Sub Sandwich FRI 5.00
Cookies FRI 5.00

Albertsons

Albertsons

grapes .99
cherries 1.99
milk 2.29
Bumble bee .78 Coupon


Not much out there, folks. I sense an alternative grocery store trip coming on LOL

What to do with pesto.

Pesto is an paste that can be used to flavor. Consisting of greens, hard cheese and nuts, it is fairly good for you.

One of the best summertime ways to beat the heat in the kitchen is to make several salads on the weekend and add a different entre for a few days. BBQ chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, sloppy joes, pork chops or a BBQ pork or beef sandwich. you are only limited by your imagination.


Pesto Salad

8 ounces of pasta. Like penne, or Bow ties., cooked and rapidly cooled.
1 stLk of celery, chopped.
1 cup tomatoes ( cherry, grape , or chopped and seeded tomatoes)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, ron ed in cold water to thaw.
1/4 cup pesto
Dash of garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Toss all ingredients together. Cover and chill.

NOTE

You can make an entre of this by leaving the pasta hot ( maybe spaghetti) and add cooked, diced chicken, and blanched veggies of choice. (tomato, asparagus, jullianed snow peas and or carrots, brocolli.) top with shaved parm.


Pesto Pizza.

Use stirred pestonas a base on pizza instead of tomato sauce. Layer. : crust,pesto, ham cubes ( or cooked chicken) motzzarella cheese, thin sliced seeded tomatoes, grated parm.

NOTE. Roma tomatoes are best because they are often less expensive and have more flesh and less seeds.

Pesto Mayo

Stir a teaspoon of pesto into a quarter cup of mayo. Use on chicken salad sandwiches.
Or whatever sounds good to you.

Pesto chicken pasta variation: use tomatoes, black olives, and cooked chicken.


You can use this pesto in any recipe that calls for basil pesto.

Next time: batch cooking.


Thanks for stopping by


Jane

Odds and ends of quick thrifty recipes

One of the quickest ways to jack up the food budget is to buy ready made anything. In most cases,cooking from sctatch is a lot cheaper than ready made. In some cases, the labor involved justifies the expense. But most of the time when you figure the difference in price and the labor involved, you are being paid well for your labor.
This is a concept that some people cannot grasp. If the money is not in their hand, they don't think they are being paid. Lol.

If making your own salad dressing takes you an extra 10 minutes, and the salad dressing
Costs 1.00 and the bottle of dressing cost 3.50, you are saving 2.50.
2.50 times 6 (there are six units of 10 minutes in an hour) is 12.50 or you are being compensated 12.50 per hour for your time.

Now if you make tortillas from scratch, the amount earned hour is not enough to make it worth your while.


Raspberry Vinegrette

3 T seedless all fruit raspberry jam
1/3 cup vinegar
Dash of salt and pepper
1cup of vegetable oil

Whirl in blender until blended.
Put in jar or plastic with lid .
Shake before using.

This Is good on field greens with fruit :oranges, blueberries, strawberries or any combination.

Greens are in box at Costco. If heads of leafy lettuce are less than 1.35 a head, they are cheaper.

Vinegar is 3.00 and change at Costco. If you steep washed organic nasturtium flowers ,in vinegar. It makes a peppery vinegar good in salad dressings and on cucumbers. Put a couple of flowers on a quart of vinegar on a stainless steel or enamel pot. Bring almost to a boil, turn off the heat, and let steep for a 1/2 hour or so. Strain into a bottle.


Spinach Pesto

1/2 cup walnut pieces
2cloves garlic
1/2 bunch of parsley
3 cups packed spinach leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup shredded parm
Dash of salt.


Zap walnuts in microwave for two to four minutes, stiring 1/2 the way through.

Peel the garlic and drop in food processor and whirl, add washed parsley , a little at a time. Washed spinach is next. Process in batches. Add olive oil in a stream, then the lemon juice. Add the parm and process the walnuts.

Lasts 3-4 days. You can freeze it in plastic lined muffin cups 1/4 of a cup each.
Put in freezer for two days and then pop into plastic bag. Lasts 2 months. Label the bag.

Next time, what to do with it.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Martha Stewart show and twenty dollar budget dinner.

Ok.  I am not really one for negativity, but Martha Stewart Show was on cooking on a "BUDGET".
What kind of a budget is twenty dollars a dinner?  That's four dinners, not one.  Of course, they were buying their food at Whole Paycheck Foodstore.  Now I know where the 15 dollar a pound chickens are from > LOL.  Honestly, the dinners weren't that great.  They did have desert with them, something that I usually don't plan.  I usually get one $5.00 Friday cake or whatever Safeways has and fruit.

They also bought panko bread crumbs foe 2.39 a box.  Honestly, 2.39 for about a ten ounce box of someone else's dry stale bread.  I can get that at home for almost free.  Chicken is a dollar or less a pound for northwest grown, natural, grain fed chickens.  What more,  really, can you ask for?  So I usually roast the whole chicken...a ten minute  prep job and the rest of the time is in the oven so I can go do something else.  After it is cooked, it is easier to cut up the pieces and then make BBQ chicken with the legs and thighs and something else out of the breast.  A chicken breast dinner and some leftovers for a cassarole , pizza, or pot pie. 

Salad greens are always less than a dollar a salad.  Even for the dark leafy greens.  The darker the green the more food value is in them.  I usually make salads really simple.  One of the best ways to save on salad fixings is to make your own croutons and salad dressing.  It is really fast., and saves a ton of money.  Again, croutons are buying someone else's dry bread for an exorbitant price. 
So, does it make sense to throw away your stale bread and pay big money for someone else's.  Just get the bread out of the plastic wrapper before it starts to mold.  I put mine in the oven with the oven off and let them dry.  

Recipe for Croutons.  ( can also be adapted for dressing mix., another money grabber.) 

12 Bread slices ( makes 4 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil or 4T butter melted. 
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dry basil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Trim the crusts from bread.  (save them for breadcrumbs)  Cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes and place in single layer on baking sheet with sides.  Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. 

Remove from oven.  Drizzle olive oil over crumbs and sprinkle with herbs.  Stir.  Continue baking the cubes for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so.  Allow croutons to cool to room temperature.  Store in air tight container at room temperature for up to three weeks. 

Cheap Almost Caesar Dressing. 

1 lemon
2T vinegar
2 T Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup oilve oil. 

Into 2 cup or larger bowl. 
1. Juice the lemon. 
2. Add vinegar, mustard and pepper. 
3.  Peel the garlic and mince.
4. wisk together. 

Drizzle the oil into the bowl in a thin stream, wisking as you go until the oil is incorporated into the dressing.  

Lasts three days. 


Thanks for stopping by..

Jane

It Figures !

Here I go with figures again.  Bet you can't guess that I was an accountant in my former life!  2003 United State Department of Agriculture stats on a family of four for food shopping is 107.70.  That's almost ten years ago and that was for a "Thrifty Meal Plan". We are talking less than 75 dollars a week.  We have opted for meatless meals a couple of nights a week, and smaller portions of meat.
Times have changed and the 8 ounce steak is really a thing of the past. 

Thrifty shopping and scratch cooking is the key.  I opted to spend more time shopping wisely, and less time in the kitchen.  You can still cook from scratch and not slave over a hot stove for hours. 
If that's your hobby and you enjoy it, go for it.  But, I can "make" more money shopping than I can
cooking. 

Staples are purchased at rock bottom prices, but  I don't count them in when I price meals.  I do count them in when I post my grocery receipts.  I do not count in coffee or snack foods. I don't usually buy any exotic foods .  I try to keep servings to the amount we are going to eat, unless I can use the leftovers for lunch the next day. 

We have set dollar amounts....2.25 per pound for meat...(average) and 1.00 per pound for veggies.  This is getting harder and harder.  Sausage has just jumped from 6.13 for three pounds to 6.89.  I suspect with the drought, it won't be the only thing that jumps up in price.  The realitive word here is ADJUST. 

Make meals that your family will eat.  It doesn't save any money if your family doesn't eat it. 
That doesn't mean that you have to cook pizza every night.  If you have a picky eater, they will just have to get over it.  We were not allowed to be a picky eater when we were growing up.  Dinner was on the table.  Take it or leave it.  There was always breakfast in the morning.  Consequently, we ate liver (it was good for us in the 50's LOL) and anything else that came our way. 

Lets Talk Main Dishes. 

Enchiladas

1 cup Taco Meat ( Ground beef with taco seasoning) 
4 large flour tortillas
1 can refried beans
1/2 cup cooked rice
Salsa
Sour cream , divided
2T mayonaise
1 cup mexican shredded cheese , divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray.
Warm taco meat in microwave .  Assemble enchiladas . Place 1/4 of the filling in the center of each tortilla.  Continue with the refried beans , rice, sour cream, and l/2 cup of the cheese.   Fold the ends in and roll the tortilla to form a "package".  Plase seam side down in pan. 

Mix salsa, sour cream, and mayo and spread over enchiladas .  Cover pan with foil and bake 25 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake an additional 3-5 minutes until cheese has melted. 

By planning meals, making best use of food in season, and shopping wisely you can eat well on less money. 

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

5 Reasons why you want to buy your food at 1/2 price

1) There is a smug satisfaction in knowing that you beat the stats. it gives you a sense of enpowernment.

2) you actually can have money left over at the end of the month.

3). You have a sense of security knowing that if something happens,you have food In the house -- anything from getting sick and not feeling well enough to go to the store, to not getting your paycheck, or weather not permitting the grocery stores to get deliveries or any of the million things that could go wrong.

4) you know you have made the best use of your grocery money and have been able free up some money for something else you want or need.

5) you are teaching your kids life skills that will carry with them the rest of their lives. A millionaire boss of mine one time asked me why my children worked when they were in high school. I told her that we weren't rich enough to give them everything, so the best I could do was teach them how to work and how to make the best use of what they did have.

My mother always said that we all pay our dues, sooner or later. No one gets through life without their share of rocky roads. 1-2 price foods can smooth over a rocky road, or just make your life better. You can cook faster, or more efficiently, or just enjoy trying a new recipe.

I just wish that I could figure out how to reach more people.

Thanks for stopping by

I'll post more recipes later.

Jane

Now that you have 1/2 price food, what do you do with it?

Yesterdays food jaunt saved 1/2. Now, what to do with it.

I took a mental inventory of my fridge and am going to make a weeks meal plans.

1) sausage, corn on the cob, red potatoes, blueberry cobbler for desert.( I fried some of last weeks sausage, microwaved corn om the cob, added potatoes cut in 1-2 to the sausage and cooked them, then added corn, broken into thirds. Sprinkled with parsley.

Corn .67, sausage 1.67, potatoes .30. Blueberries 4.00. 6.64

2) clam chowder, crusty bread. Berry cup. ( blues from this week and others from last)

Use 2 cans of minced clams, potatoes , I slice bacon and milk. The clams were 1 buck a can, the potatoes were ten pounds for 2.00,, the milk was 2.19 a gallon the berries were 11.99 less 20 percent for a 1/2 flat. The bread was from the bread store last week. Frozen. 4.22

3) baked salmon, rice, frozen mixed veggies. Coleslaw. Coleslaw was .79, salmon was 5 bucks, frozen veggies were 1.00 for 12 ounces. Rice was bulk in the pantry.  6.79

4) chicken, green salad, potato salad, coleslaw.  3.79

5) baked breakfast burritos. Taco sauce, sour cream

8 mushrooms, sliced, green onions, green pepper, garlic. Sauté veggies until limp in a T olive oil. Set aside and keep warm. Beat 8 eggs and 1/4 cup sour cream in a bowl. Stir on 1/4 cup Mexican cheese and 3 T taco sauce. Put on a frying pan and cook until eggs are set. Add veggies. Spoon mixture down the center of 4 large flour tortillas. Place seam side down in baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes until cheese has melted.

Low cost: substitute any veggies that sound Tex Mex to you. Any peppers, corn, ?
Eggs were 1.00 a dozen, large red pepper was .79 . I have dried hot peppers. Corn from the three for a dollar. I keep flour tortillas in the fridge from Costco. Serve with Baked bananas for desert.  2.55

6) Spaghetti with red sauce, parm cheese, garden vegetable salad ( last weeks
Crusty bread.

Garden vegetable salad
2/3 cup zucchini , sliced
2/3 cup sliced, blanched mushrooms
1/2 a large tomato, cut into pieces
Green pepper, celery, onion
Toss in bowl.
Dressing
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 T vinegar
1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 EACH tsp of salt, pepper, garlic powder
Mix and pour over veggies. Let set while you make the main dish.

Pasta was .88 , sauce is .78. Zucchini was a 1 a pound if your neighbor doesn't have a ton of it lol
3.66

7) Zesty Steak Salad, fluffy muffins

1 pound steak, sliced thin into strips. 
1/3 cup W sauce
1 medium onion , julienned or1/2 a  red onion in rings
1/2 a lartge  green pepper, julienned
1T butter
shredded lettuce
tomato,
salsa if desired. 

Marinate meat in w sauce.  Saute onion, green pepper, in butter.  add sliced meat stir fry until done. 
Toss with lettuce and add tomato.  5.50

This averages 4.74 a meal.  It does not include, oil, vinegar, or spices.  Vinegar is three dollars plus change  a gallon at costco.  Spices I either get a the dollar store, or at Costco in bulk.  Store them in a dark, dry place away from the stove or oven.    Sour cream is at Costco in bulk for really cheap. Taco sauce is really cheap at the dollar store. 

Thanks for stopping by
Jane

Specials I just found 7/25

Just for you at Safeways.com has a lot of specials worth talking about.

Eggs are a buck.
Barilla pasta is .88 limit 10
.50 off two Safeway frozen veggies (I have not checked the reg price yet, but there is a reg coupon for them too. I don5 know if you can double dip, I suspect not.)
Milk 2.19
1.00 off best foods
2.50 off farmers garden pickles ( I'm going to check them out too)
salad is .79

Also, BARTELLS has minced clams for a buck and my husbands roast beef hash for two bucks...yuk...he eats that when I go out with the girls LOL

Thanks for checking in

Jane

Cookimg for two

I think it is really hard after you have been cooking for a family to get used to cooking for two. Although it hasn't happened to me much, our family just seems to be growing imstead of shrinking. lol.

These recipes are for two, but can be doubled if you have four.

Cranberry Chicken

In plastic bag, combine

1/2 cup cranberry juice
1T soy sauce
2garlic cloves

Add two 1/2chicken breasts and torn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours.

Put chicken in pan and bake uncovered at 350 for an hour, or until chicken is done.

Serve with rice. ( add craisens and nuts to the rice )

Cream of broccoli soup ( a good way to get veggies I to a non vegetarian!)


2 cups chopped broccoli, 2 cups chicken stock.

Steam broccoli until a bit past the crisp tender stage, add to chicken stock.Cool slightly - 10 min. Process in food processor until creamy.

Add broccoli mixture back to pan and add 1-2 cup milk. Heat over low heat until hot.

Garnish with a teaspoon of sour cream and parsley or chives.


Biscuit Muffins

1 cup self rising flour ..**
2T mayo
1/2 cup milk.

Put flour in a bowl. Cut in mayo. Add milk and stir just until moist.
Pour in four greased muffin cups and bake at 425 for 14 to 16 minutes.

** self rising flour is expensive. Substitute 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt and 1 cup flour.

Apple crisp for two

2 large tart apples, peeled and sliced.
1T lemon juice

2T brown sugar
2T oatmeal
2T butter, melted
Dash of cinnamon.


Place apple in small baking pan. Add lemon juice.

Combine dry ingredients and butter. Sprinkle over apples.
Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 u til apples are tender.


Notes...

Lemon juice is far less expensive in a bottle, than it is to squeeze your own.

You can double up on recipes in the oven. My mother used to always cook meatloaf, baked potatoes and acorn squash together in the oven. Wrap the potatoes in foil and cut acorn squash in half and put butter, brown sugar in the cavity and sprinkle with cinnamon. We didn't even care that we were eating squash. LOL

If you don't have an ingredient, consider a replacement before you run to the store for it. Apple juice could be substituted for the cranberry juice in the chicken recipe.

I might add some parm to the muffins.


Thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment and tell me what you WA t to see on the blog. I know if you aren t in the pacific Northwest our grocery ads aren't of
Interest to you.

Jane





our grocery adds aren't of interest to you.

The future..without a crystal ball

I read an article last night on the drought. According to this article the Feds say that beef prices have taken a hike...duh. Like we hasn't already figured that out ,
Some 6.9 percent. Chicken took a 4.2 percent hike.

Their stats say that prices of food went down in 2009 and went up overall 2.7 percent from June 2010 -2011. I don't know about their overall stats. I do know that the price comparisons I have done between 2009 and 2011 are up 13 percent. In 2009 I could get hamburger for 3/5.00 at QFC. Now the price is 2.29 on sale for 80 percent. Corn used to be 6/1 in season. Now we are lucky to get it for 3/1.00. I started out in the 70's allowing .39 cents a pound for fresh veggies, if they were over that, I bought something else, then it was .69. One it's a dollar and sometimes I have to break my rule to get apples. The one thing that should be cheap in Washington.

Because of the worst drought in 25 years, we will probably see anything connected to soy and corn take a hike. I am not going to panic and start horsing at this time.
My normal stock will take care of us for a while.

The government might subsidize like they have in the past. If not, we homemakers have got a real knack for adjusting. If you look in old cookbooks written during 2
WW 2, there are all kinds of recipes for the things that were in short supply. That s how red velvet cake came I to being. Someone wanted to make a cake that resembled chocolate cake without using chocolate!

Exactly what foods will be impacted by the drought, I really don't know. But, I will worry about it when it happens. In the 70's we used tvp to stretch hamburger. Yuk.it wasn't very good.

This article reminded me of what I already have been saying, but in different terms. The grocery stores put items on sale as loss leaders . They do thisbto get you to shop at their store. They are assuming that you are going to shop at one store a week and spend money on high priced items too.

When you only buy the specials, and shop two stores you beat the system. There are still going to be some things that you have to have, but if you avoid the high priced things, you will win out.

Stocking when something is really cheap helps us get through times when it's not cheap and will help your food budget.

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment or e mail and let me know what you want to see on this blog.

Jane










e

Getting started on a dime

First, I thought I might talk about how you start acumulating a stock when you haven't many resources.  I managed to do it on a dime years ago. Just start by omiting the junk food (popcorn is an inexpensive substitute) and not buying anything that is premade or  a high price. Invest what is left over from your grocery money into something that is low priced.  If there is nothing that particular week, save the money for when it is.  The old envelope trick.  Slowly one can at a time, you will accumulate a stock. 

If you are on SNAP, just buy what you need from sale items and add what you have to have.  You
don't need pudding cups, fruit cup, potato chips  and hanburger helper. LOL.  It might me a culture shock for the kids, but they will get over it and learn to eat healthy foods.  There are a lot of kids shows that talk about healthy food and you will be doing your kids a favor.  Lessons learned now will follow them the rest of their lives.   You will be surprised how much you can save for a stock.  It is really comforting not to worry about where your next meal is coming from; that stock gives you a sense of security.  Grocery stores want you to buy the junk food, they have the highest markup. 

My dad had a job where your worked when there was work.  My mother was a stay at home mother and we never knew she was economizing. We always had good quality food.  We never had snack food or ready made food.  We thought everyone ate like that.  We all learned to buy groceries by her example. 

Off the soapbox. 

Meals from Grocery ads

Eggs are 1.29 a dozen at QFC. 
Chicken is .89 Northwest grown. 
corn is 3/1.00.( 1/2 an ear is a serving) pick large ones.
lettuce is a dollar. 

Safeways:
Lettuce 16 ounces for .99-salad
blueberries 2.99
Ground Beef 2.29 pound

Ok
1)  Quiche. leaf lettuce salad with blueberries and balsamic vinegrette. (Bisquick Box )
      ssusage from costco )
2)  BBQ'd chicken thights and legs, corn on cob, salad
3) Chicken Breast, Mashed Potatoes, Brocolli ( last week's 1.00 a pound)
4) Pizza - with last weeks motz. cheese, chicken and red peppers. 
5) Cheeseburger macaroni, green beans, (last week)
6) Taco Soup
7)  shrimp stir fry with yellow summer squash, red peppers, celery and carrot.  , rice

When it is a slow week at the grocery store bargain parade, rely on  previous weeks bargains to supplement.  If you store your veggies properly, they will last two weeks.  --except maybe lettuce. 


thanks for stopping by


jane

What's on sale where !

Surveying the ads for this week.

TOP

Country style ribs. 1.97
Blueberries 3.00
Yellow squash / zucchini 1.00
Black olives 1.00 ( I have not done the comparison between sliced and whole olives. I suspect that the slices are cheaper, because of less air and juice in the can.)

QFC

Hamburger helper 1. ( it's still too expensive )
Buns 1.00
Frozen veggies 1.
Chicken .89
Blueberries 3.00
Lettuce 1.00
Corn 3/1.00

SAFEWAYS &&5.00 off 20.00 purchase.

Milk .99 1/2 gallon
Pasta 12-16 ounces .88 ( get the 16 ounces)
eggs 18/ 1.99 coupon

Jfu
Best foods 1.99



Spinach and salad .99
2.79 lean ground sirloin
Grapes 1.49
Tomato 1.29
blueberries 3.00

ALBERTSONS

Chicken .79

Not a lot out there
Remember to cross off everything that is cheaper somewhere else. Mark coupons, sign up for jfu. And bring the ads and coupons.

I suspect there is going to be big sales in the next few weeks. Canned tomatoes are still a buck.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

The proof is in the pictures

My daughter and I decided to do an experiment. She volunteered to make the cheeseburger Mac from the box and I made cheeseburger Mac from scratch. We both took 27 minutes. We both used already cooked meat.

My recipe cost 1.75 excluding the meat. It made 9- one cup servings for a cost per 5 servings of .97. It contained vegetables, tomatoes, tomato paste, macaroni, and a cup of real cheese and spices. I added a salad and a piece of crusty bread for a total cost of 2.47 plus the cost of the meat.  ( 4.72 for the meal)


Her box cost 2.33 excluding the meat. It made 5 servings for a cost of 2.33. It contained macaroni, 2cups of milk, and 1.57 ounces of a sauce mix that contained cornstarch,salt, flour,sugar, Cheese whey, lactic acid,salt. Tomato, msg,flavor, citric acid, hydrogenated soy oil, modified corn starch, paprika, spice, colors, ,monoglycerides, cheddar cheese (milk,cheese cultures, salt enzymes)
cheese, buttermilk, cheese , milk, cheese cultures, salt,silicon dioxide, sodium phosphate and modified cheddar cheese. They have to list the ingredients in the order of volume. The first ingredient on the list is cornstarch, the last ones are cheese cultures, salt and enzymes and words I cannot pronounce. 1.57 ounces is translated to two tablespoons. 

The top dish is the box mix.; the bottom is the scratch recipe. 

You be the judge. 

Muffins..the quick breakfast food

I thought that I would talk about muffins. Buying muffins could get really expensive. At THE COFFEE shop, they are really pricey, and even at Costco, they are not cheap, and full of calories. Muffins are really easy to make. If you are short on time you can put the same batter in a loaf pan and save on cleanup . There are silicone liners that save on paper cup liners;and as a added bonus, you can sneak veggies into an picky eater. Lol

Taste of Home's ultimate freezer cookbook has two recipes for muffims that are really either inexpensive or full of good ingredients. Monkey muffins ( what a fun name for kids) have ripe bananas and peanut butter and morning muffins have carrots.coffee nit muffins could be adapted to be really cheap too without loosing flavor. (Costco has it on their magazine rack for 30 per cent off)

You can vary any basic muffin recipe or Bisquick base by adding ingredients. Change orange juice for coffee or another juice that sounds good to you. Add or subtract nuts. Replace blueberries with chopped apple.

Cheddar muffins

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1cup buttermilk or substitute
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1T honey or substitute
4oz shredded cheddar cheese or substitute other cheese.

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. To avoid tough muffins, don't over mix. The dough can be lumpy, but there should be no dry spots.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Top of muffin will spring back when touched.

Raspberry muffins

2 cups bisquit mix
2 T sugar
1/4 cup butter, cold
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup raspberry jam ( you could substitute any other jam too. )

Confectioners sugar glaze if desired.

Combine bisquit mis and sugar. Cut in butter. Add milk and stir until combined. Spoon about a tablespoon into each muffin cup. Top with a tsp jam. Spoon another tablespoon of batter over jam. Bake at 425 degrees 12-14 minutes. Glaze if desired.

Rhubarb oatmeal muffins

1cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2cup brown sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup of orange juice
1tsp orange peel
1cup diced rhubarb. ( you can use frozen)

TOPPING
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup brn sugar
2T chopped nuts
2T butter
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients until mixed without dry spots. Don't over mix. Put batter in muffin
Cups 2/3 full. Combine topping ingredients, sprinkle on top of batter in the cups.
Bake at 350 18-20 minutes until done.

Any muffin basic dough can have a variety of ingredients added. Nuts, dried fruit( cranberries, raisins, cherries etc).

Muffins can be frozen and quickly thawed. Or keep in a plastic container for a few days.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

the substitute for buttermilk is 1 T vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to equal one cup. 
Let stand 5 minutes before using. 

The substitute for honey is (for 1 cup) use  1 1/4 cups granulated sugar with 1 cup of any liquid called for in the recipe.  If recipe calls for a tablespoon, use I tablespoon of product.  1Tablespoon honey equals 1 1/4 tablespoon sugar with 1T Milk. 

Italian dishes..on the cheap

Italian food and Tex Mex are foods that have always been kind to the Budget.
We all remember the spaghetti dinners for a croud. Church dinners or family ones. Italian has come into it's own with a lot more sophisticated dishes that are still budget pleasers. Often times,dishes that maybe a little pricy can be adapted to be within your guidelines for a budget meal and still not Change the flavor of the dish.

Pasta Carbonara

2.5 cups penne

4 bacon strips, diced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/2cup sour cream, 1/4 cup 2%milk
1/3 cup butter
Parsley
Garlic
Hot pepper sauce
Salt
Parm
Green onions

Cook pasta until done. in skillet, cook bacon remove from pan.Drain the pan, reserving some fat. Cook mushrooms and remove from pan. Add sour cream, milk, butter, parsley, garlic, hot pepper sauce and salt.
Stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in bacon, mushrooms ,and cheese.
Toss pasta in sauce. Top with grated parm and parsley.

Note: you can use low fat sour cream and less butter. there are 13 grams per serving without the butter , using regular sour cream and bacon. You could use low fat sour cream, turkey bacon and omit the butter or use a substitute. It just wouldn't be as rich.


Balsamic chicken breasts


1/4 cup flour
Salt, pepper
4 chicken breast halves - 4 ounces EA ( chicken breasts sometimes are 1 a pound at Safeways. It's not hard to debone them. Run your sharp knife right next to the bone, pulling the meat away from the bone as you go. )

1T oil
1 small onion, sliced (rings)
1/4 cup water
2T balsamic vinegar (dollar store)

1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/8 tsp dried rosemary.

In large plastic bag, place flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken breast.
Place on rack to rest.

In large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken on both sides until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

in the pan, cook onion until soft. Add water and deglaze he pan.
Add vinegar, and spices. Simmer a couple of minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Pour over chicken.


Italian sausage and vegetables. ( good for garden season)

1 pound sausage. ( tubular like johnsville etc )
1can diced tomatoes, undrained.
6 medium red potatoes, cut in half
4 small zucchini, cut into one inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into wedges
Garlic powder
Crushed red pepper flakes
Oregano
Basil
1T dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Place already cooked sausage In Slow cooker. Add veggies and seasonings. Cover and cook on low 6 hours or until veggies are done. Remove sausage and cut into 1 inch pieces. Return to slow cooker and add bread crumbs. Stir. Serve on bowls with grated cheese.

Note: sausage was 42 ounces for 5 bucks at Safeways bucks this week- Friday only special. Safeways always has five dollar specials on Fridays. Usually a bakery treat, and some kind of a dinner item.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Disecting Cheeseburger macaroni mix

In order to expose the true value of cooking from scratch and the actual cost of dinner mixes, I bought a box of  a cheeseburger dinner mix.

The actual cost of the box was 2.09. That works out to 5.77 cents a pound for the whole box.

The amount of macaroni in it is 4.23 ounces, about .21 cents

When you subrtract the amount of the macaroni, that leaves you 1.57 OZ for the sauce. That means, that you are paying 1.88 for 1.57 ounces of cornstarch, salt, and spices, dry milk and cheese powder. The ingredients have to be listed in order of volume. Cheese is the last on the list. There is more cornstarch than cheese powder and the total of all of it is 1.57 OUNCES.

That's about 13.28 a pound for cornstarch, tomato powder, salt, parsley, paprika and cheese powder.

You still have to add the hamburger. And milk.

Scratch hamburger macaroni is cheaper, more nutritious and doesn't take much more time.
You open two packages instead of one to make the same version.



My Cheeseburger Macaroni

Cook 1/2 lb macaroni until done.

Sauté 1 celery stick, finely chopped and 1 slice red pepper, chopped in 1T olive oil until soft, add tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder.

Add 3/4 pound hamburger and cook until no longer pink (or use already cooked hamburger.

Add 1 can of diced tomatoes,drained and 1/2 can tomato paste.


You can add the tomato "juice "to the pasta water if you don't want to waste it.
Simmer 15 min until flavours blend.

Add cooked macaroni and pasta water if needed to make it the right consistency.
Add 1 cup (2 oz) of grated cheese and cover. Cook on low heat until cheese is melted

1.75 for other ingredients plus hamburger and you have more nutritious food.
You are getting a whole cup of tomatoes,plus the tomato paste instead of less than a tsp of dried tomato and a cup of real cheese.

Serves six.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane