Crockpot Refried Beans

 Last night was Child #4's Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. This year's theme was "Fiesta". I was assigned to bring taco meat, but I live with a household of Refried Bean lovers (they are a strange lot!), who were devastated that there would not be any Refried Beans at the party ( I know, I know, they are very QUIRKY). I  was just going to open a few cans of  Refried beans, until I did the math, and realized Refried Beans for forty hungry people is a lot of cans of beans. I needed a Plan B! After perusing the Internet, I found a recipe on AllRecipes.com  that had a four and a half star review. Good enough for me, plus, they are cooked in the Crock Pot so they do most of the work by themselves. All members of the household gave them a two thumbs up, HURRAY! I will be making them again.  I did tweak the recipe a little bit ( I seem to do this a lot. I must have a wild streak in me, I didn't know about!). Here is the final product.

Crock Pot Refried Beans

(makes fifteen 1/2 cup servings)

3 cups dried pinto beans

1 cup of finely minced onion ( I chopped mine up in the food processor)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 (4 oz.) can of chopped green chili peppers ( I tossed mine in with the onion and chopped them up more)

1 tablespoon chicken bullion

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

9 cups water

1. Place dried beans in the crock pot . Cover with water and soak overnight.
2. Drain water off of soaked beans and return beans to crock pot.
3. Add onion, garlic, chili peppers, bullion, and spices to beans. Stir together.
4. Cover with water. 
5. Turn the crock pot onto high and cook for 8 hours. Check beans periodically. If the water seems to be evaporating (the water is below bean level) add  more hot water.
6. When beans are soft and mash easily, drain beans. Reserve the liquid!
7. Mash beans with a potato masher or mixer adding in enough bean broth to get a soft (not runny) consistency. You will not use all the broth. ( I cheated and ran my beans through the food processor in small batches. I just start the processor and slowly poured the broth in the neck of the lid until the beans reached the desired consistency.)

I did some math, and one pot full of refried beans cost me $1.38 to make or $.09 a serving. A can of  Refried Beans on sale is $.58 for four 1/2 servings or $.15 a serving. I did double the recipe for the banquet. This required me cooking the beans in two crock pots (beans swell after you soak them!!!). The regular recipe makes enough for dinner, with plenty of extra.   I scooped my extra beans into quart Ziploc  freezer bags and froze them for later. There was quite a bit of bean broth left.

I poured that into plastic freezer containers (in two cup portions) to use as a base in soup, stew, and chili.

Pudding Salad

I got this recipe years ago out of a Church sponsored cook book that I found at a thrift store. I have tweaked the original recipe several times, but it is now a tried and true favorite at our house. Since, this shows up in my menu's quite often, I thought it would be fun to share with all of you. The beauty of this recipe is that you can put any type of leftover fruit into it, and it always tastes great. Here are the staples you will need:

Pudding Salad

1 (3.4 oz) box of instant pudding

1 1/2 cups liquid (if  I am using canned fruit I use the juice from the can. If using fresh fruit I use water)

3 cups of fruit (canned, fresh, or a combination)

1 (8 oz) container of whipped topping

Whisk liquid into the dry pudding mixture. Let sit for 2 - 3 minutes. Add fruit and stir until well combined. Fold in whipped topping. Chill for at least an hour.

If you are on a restricted diet or watching your weight you can substitute sugar free pudding, and sugar free whipped topping. It will still taste great! Some of our favorite combinations are:

• Lemon pudding, mandarin oranges, pineapple, and bananas
• Cheesecake pudding, strawberries, blueberries, and bananas
• Vanilla pudding, peaches, pears, and pineapple
• Chocolate pudding, bananas, strawberries, and pineapple, chopped almonds

Fabulous Fudge Recipes!

 (picture courtesy of  recipezaar)

I just ran into one of my Fabulous Friends at the grocery store a little while ago, and she asked that  I repost my Creamsicle Fudge recipe from last year. Click Here for the recipe! She has lost the recipe, and her step son has requested a batch for the Holidays. Since, when I posted it last year I probably had two followers (both family members who felt sorry for me) I thought reposting would be a grand idea. The holidays just aren't the same with out a piece of fudge or two. This recipe is delicious, and  a perfect treat for those that do not care for chocolate (although, I do consider that a sin!). While I'm at it, Jaimie at Jamie Cook's It Up has shared her Creamy Dreamy Fudge recipe, as well! I must confess I am not a stellar fudge maker, but Jamie's recipe looks like something I can manage. As long as we are on the subject of simple and delicious fudge recipes go check out Prudy's blog (Prudence Pennywise). She has a wonderful post on making easy Chocolate Bark. Although, Chocolate Bark is not technically fudge, it looks delectable, and  easy is always on my list this time of year!!! Jaimie and Prudy are both the kind of cooks that I want to grow up to be...someday! So, go forth, and learn from their culinary expertise!

Potato Refrigerator Dough

Awhile back I was reading the Tightwad Gazette, and came across Amy Dacyczyn's entry for having a stash of refrigerator dough in the fridge for last minute baking needs. I thought this was a genius idea! The only problem was she did not include the recipe. She only mentioned that the recipe could be found in any pre 1986 Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. Drat! My BH&G cookbooks is a 2003 edition. I searched in vain at the library, but no dice! There oldest edition was from the late '90's. I had almost given up hope, but when my Grandmother passed away I inherited her BH&G cookbook. Grandma's edition of the BH&G cookbook was copyrighted in .......1953! Can you tell that Grandma loved her BH&G cookbook, as much as I love mine?

I flipped to the bread section, and there was the recipe I had been searching in vain for! Hurray! Of course, being a busy gal, I put my treasured cookbook keepsake on the shelf, and forgot to try the recipe (Silly me!).

That is until this week!  Since I am still participating in The Eat From Your Pantry Challenge, and I knew the recipe required ingredients that are pantry staples at my house, it was time to give it a try!!!! I whipped the dough up on Monday night and put in the fridge. On Tuesday I rolled out half the dough and shaped them into rolls to go with beef stew. I really wanted to post this recipe on Wednesday, but the troops ate all the rolls before I could take a picture (they are that yummy!). On Thursday, I turned the other half of the dough into rolls to go with Baked Potato Soup (and photographed them right out of the oven before they were snatched up!). The last roll went into Child #4's lunch today, as a PB&J. The beauty of this recipe is that the dough will last in the fridge for a week, so you do the work once and enjoy the benefits all week long! I couldn't wait to share the recipe with all of my favorite bloggy friends!!!!!

  

Potato Refrigerator Dough

2 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast 
1/2 cup warm water 
1 cup milk scalded 
1 cup hot mashed potatoes ( I used instant that I made from package directions)
1/2 shortening or butter; softened
1/4 cup sugar; divided
2 teaspoons salt
2 beaten eggs
5 to 6 cups all purpose flour

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over warm water. Add yeast to warm water and set aside until yeast is bubbly. Combine milk, potato, shortening, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Let sit until wet ingredients are lukewarm. When ingredients are lukewarm, add in yeast and beaten eggs. Mix in 1 1/2 cups flour and beat until mixture is smooth. Cover bowl and let mixture stand in a warm place for one hour; until mixture is full of bubbles. Stir in 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups more flour to make a fairly stiff dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 - 10 minutes). Place dough into a large greased bowl with a lid. Grease the top of the dough. Place lid on bowl and refrigerate dough overnight before using. The dough will stay good in the fridge for one week. 
To use the dough; remove the desired amount of dough out of the bowl (punch down remaining dough and return to the fridge until ready to use). Let sit on a lightly floured surface for 7-10 minutes. Lightly flour dough and roll out. Shape dough into desired shapes and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover dough with greased wax paper and a dish towel. Let raise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until double in size. Remove wax paper and towel. Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes. Yield 3 dozen rolls.

This dough could also be use to make:

• Breadsticks (Roll dough into a rectangular shape and cut into strips. Place dough strips on a greased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Let raise and bake at 400 for 10 -15 minutes)
• Cinnamon rolls (Roll dough into a rectangular shape. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Roll up jelly roll style. Cut into 1 inch rolls. Place close together in a greased baking pan. Let raise until double. Bake at 400 for 15 - 18 minutes.
• Let your imagination run wild. Use could use this dough in a ton of different ways!

No baking post would be complete without a couple of frugal tips! Here are a few items I used to make this project easier!

 

• A electric heating pad works great for providing a warm place for your dough to rise. Just set your bowl or baking sheet on the pad and turn the temperature control to low. Works like a charm! 
• An empty Parmesan cheese container filled with flour works great for flouring surfaces. Flip the lid open to the sprinkle side and gently shake out the amount of flour you need.
• Wax paper sprayed with cooking spray and laid over the dough as it raises will keep the dough from drying out, keep your dishtowel from getting grease stains, and it lifts off the raised dough easily without ruining it.
•  A pizza cutter works great for cutting dough. It rolls easily without stretching the dough out of shape.

This is the perfect make ahead recipe for those of you who will be making rolls for Thanksgiving dinner this year!

Changes To This Week's Menu And A Yummy Dessert

I have decided that I am a Plan B(or C or D) kind of gal! I have good intentions of being organized and keeping it all together, but life in veritably gets in the way!  I had every intention of following my menu to the letter, and it went pretty well until Monday night when I discovered someone had eaten the sausage that I had left in the fridge to put together the Sausage Biscuit Casserole. I threw frozen chicken breasts in the Crock pot for Tuesday's dinner (I did cook extra for Thursday's meal. Score a bonus point for me!), but that robbed Wednesdays mashed potatoes, causing another last minute substitution (are you starting to see a pattern here?).Making one substitution has led to a major Trickle Down effect. Therefore, the revised menu for this week's menu will be as follows ( Hopefully!):

Monday:

Went off without a hitch

Tuesday:

Chicken Fricasee

Mashed Potatoes

Steamed peas

Pineapple slices

Wednesday:

Meatloaf 

Cheesy scalloped potatoes(recipe coming soon!)

Green Beans

Pumpkin Pie Dessert (a new recipe I needed to try out before Thanksgiving!)

Thursday:

BBQ chicken sandwiches

Leftover cheesy scalloped potatoes

Lime jello with pears

Leftover Pumpkin Pie Dessert

Friday:

Hopefully Date Night

Kid's are eating Corndogs and Macaroni and Cheese (still from a blue box)

Saturday:

Spaghetti with meat sauce (cubing up the leftover meatloaf in the sauce)

Garlic Bread (we ate biscuits with the soup on Monday, so that I could make extra for the casserole that I didn't get to make. GRRR!)

Green Salad

One good thing came out of this, though. I tried a really fabulous pumpkin recipe! I have a family party next weekend that I need to make a dessert for. I found this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Better Homes and Garden's 9x13 The Pan That Can. This dessert also made great use of a lot of basic pantry staples. It tastes very similar to Pumpkin Pie without the work of rolling out a crust; plus it feeds a crowd with little effort. Just half the recipe if you don't need to feed an Army. The family gave it a two thumbs up!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert

1 (29 oz) can of pumpkin (or 2 1/2 cups)

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 

(I substituted 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the above)

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs, beaten

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk 

1 package (2 layer size) yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped nuts (I used chopped almonds)

3/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, spices, and salt. Mix until combined. Add in beaten egg and mix until just combined. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Mix until it is thoroughly blended. Pour pumpkin mixture into a greased 9x13 cake pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Evenly sprinkle nuts over dry cake mix. Drizzle melted butter evenly over cake mix and nuts. Bake for 50 minutes until edges are firm and top is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack, and then chill for at least two hours before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. You could easily omit the nuts if they are an issue.

Make Your Own Spreadable Butter

I have been trying to feed my family healthier options, so I have switched from margarine to butter (not that butter is healthy, but it is the more "natural" option). The down side to this choice is that it does not spread easily straight from the fridge like margarine or spreads do. A butter chunk in the middle of my toast is not very appealing (to me, at least). Leaving it out on the counter is also not an option, due to the fact that butter is made from cream, which is perishable (and nobody likes botulism). I was going to just by a tub of spreadable butter at the store, but it was ridiculously expensive. Knowing that there had to be a cheaper option, I set the gears in my frugal little mind to spinning! I started doing some research. During WWII butter was rationed, so to make it stretch further they made what they called butter spread. I have several cookbooks from WWII, so I looked up some different variations of the recipe.


I found the best solution in "The Victory Binding of The American Women's Cookbook; Wartime Edition"(published 1943).

The steps were actually very simple (and I am all about simple).
You will need a pound of butter (4 cubes) softened and a can of evaporated milk.


Place butter in a large bowl and whip it with a electric mixer until it is light and fluffy.


Measure out 1 1/4 cups of evaporated milk.


Add the milk into the butter 3 tablespoons at a time, and blend into the butter with the mixer. Continue to adding milk into the butter until it is gone. Make sure milk is completely incorporated into the butter.

• Add butter spread into a clean plastic container with a lid (mine is a Gladware container that originally held lunch meat).

Store in the refrigerator.

I taste tested it before I feed it to the rest of the family, and I gave it a two thumbs up. It was light and buttery. You can't taste the milk in it at all! There haven't been any complaints from the troops either, and I have been spreading it on toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, baked potatoes, and adding it to hot veggies. I consider that success!! The only down side is that you can not use it in baking; the recipe will not work. The recipe can also be halved or quartered if desired. Yeah! Another frugal dilemma resolved(with some help from frugal minded wartime home economists)!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

(Please forgive the bad photography)

I love, love, LOVE the yummy, delicious Cheddar Biscuits at Red Lobster! I crave them every so often. So I attempted to create my own version. I whipped them up to accompany Beef Stew (and add a little pizazz to a dreary leftover meal). They were a pretty close replica to the originals (and a whole bunch cheaper)!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
(makes 15 biscuits)

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup butter flavor shortening
1 1/4 cups of milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 tablespoon butter, melted

Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Cut in shortening until coarse crumbs form. Stir in milk, garlic, and cheese until combined. Batter is a little bit sticky. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Smooth tops of biscuit with wet fingers to avoid rough spots when baked. Bake at 450 for 10 - 14 minutes until golden brown on top. Drizzle melted butter over biscuits while still hot and allow to soak in .

Homemade "Bagel Bite" Pizza

Child #4 came home the other day and asked me why he isn't like the other kid's in the neighborhood. That took me back for a moment, because the last time I checked he was whooping and hollering and carrying on in the middle of the cul de sac just like the rest of them. When I asked him what he meant (bracing myself for tears and a tale of woe); he simply stated......the other kid's have these cool little frozen pizzas made on bagels! Well, that dilemma I could easily fix (no I did not run to Costco to buy our own ginormous box of bagel bite pizzas). I started digging through the pantry and fridge and came up with the ingredients to make our own (healthier and cheaper) version!

I grabbed a bag of shredded mozarella cheese, some Pizza Quick (but you could whip up your own and have on hand in the fridge), a bag of pepperoni, and a bag of Bagel Thins:

I bought these Bagel Thins at Costco (24 count for $6.29). They are one of my new favorite products. The kids have gone crazy for these! They are so versatile, smear them with flavored cream cheese for breakfast, use them for sandwiches, spread with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and broil in the oven; or....bagel pizza! Each one is 100 calories and (don't tell the kids) have 4 grams of fiber (they think I'm the Fiber Nazi, and so they are leery of anything new I try pushing on them)!




Spread the bagel with pizza sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and add your favorite topping.

I cooked them on our Pizza Pizzazz (a Christmas gift from long ago; that as you can tell by the pan has been well used!).


If you don't have one bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes; until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.


These were so easy to make Child #4 (who is eight) assembled his own! If you want to make a low calorie (high fiber) grown up version replace the Bagel Thins with Whole Wheat Sandwich thins(also purchase at Costco 24 count for $6.29) each one is 100 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protien, and 16 usuable carbs.


Add veggies instead of pepperoni (or use turkey pepperoni) and use reduced fat mozarella cheese.

You can make up a large batch of these (do not bake), place them on wax paper lined cookie sheets, and freeze in the freezer. When they are frozen wrap in foil or carefully stack in a gallon sized plastic freezer bag. To cook frozen bagel pizzas:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Unwrap bagel pizza (if wrapped in plastic or foil)
• Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet
• Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly

Now we are just as cool as the "Jones' "...... at least in Child #4's mind we are!

Crystal Light Salad

In keeping with ideas related to summer picnics, I thought I would share my families favorite fruit salad recipe. I got this recipe during a T Ball game several summers ago. It is very easy to throw together, and you can use whatever fruit happens to be on sale. The Crystal Light acts as a preservative (citric acid), and it keeps the fruit fresh (even sliced bananas) for a week (if it lasts that long).
I have even tried this out on extended family and friend. Everyone loves it! Word of caution though, if you have little kids in the crowd stay away from red colored Crystal Light (unless you like taking your kids to church with a semi permanent, bright red mustache!).

Crystal Light Salad

1 personal sized water melon, cubed
1 cantaloupe or honey dew melon
1 pound container of strawberries; hulled
3 - 4 cups grapes
3 - 4 sliced bananas
1 (15 oz) can pineapple chunks or 2 cups fresh pineapple
1 packet of Crystal Light (the one you add to make 2 quarts of punch)

Add fruit into a LARGE bowl. Sprinkle packet Crystal Light over fruit. Toss to coat fruit. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors blend.

• You can use Wyler's or generic brand in place of Crystal Light
• Pink Lemonade, Strawberry, Strawberry Kiwi, and Raspberry are all yummy.
  
• I have also added in raspberries, blueberries, peaches, kiwi, and plums.

I keep a bowl of this in the fridge all summer long for snacking, or a quick addition to any meal.

How To Make Potato Salad

My friend brought my faux paus to my attention; I did not post the recipe for Potato Salad in my previous post. I didn't think about it at the time, because I have never made potato salad from a recipe. Now I really know that I am my Grandmother's granddaughter, because she never made salad with a recipe either. She may have started out with one, but it snowballed quickly! Plus, I have a confession to make! I have only started making decent Potato Salad in recent years (quite frankly, it scared me). It was only after my Mother in law (who IS the reigning Queen of Potato Salad) literally walk me through the process step by step that I was willing to claim my own creations. After much brain racking I have pinpointed down the ingredients. So, here is my official written recipe for Potato Salad:

Potato Salad

(this recipe will make enough for a moderate size gathering)
4 large potatoes, cooked
6 - 8 large eggs, boiled and peeled
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 - 4 large pickles (to make 3/4 cup)
2 cups mayonnaise (more or less)
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 - 3 tablespoons pickle juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
paprika

Cube potatoes in medium size pieces and place in a large bowl. Chop eggs and pickles; add to potatoes. Mince onion and add to bowl. Add in mayonnaise, pickle juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir ingredients together until well combined. Sprinkle paprika over the top of the salad. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Helpful tips:

• Start out with a larger bowl than you think you will need. Potato salad increases in size rapidly. A large bowl also makes stirring ingredients together easier.
• Boil the potatoes whole with the skins on for 20 -25 minutes until tender. Let them cool until you can handle them comfortably, then peel the potatoes. The skins will slip right off.
• Boil potatoes and eggs the day before you make the salad. Refrigerate overnight. It makes them easier to cut up.
• If you have a food processor use it to chop the onions, pickles, and eggs. Just pulse until the desired size is reached. Chop the eggs last in the processor; they are the messiest.
  
• Leftover baked potatoes are great for making potato salad.
• The more boiled eggs in potato salad the better. The cooked yolks help give the salad it's texture (Grandma said: the rule of thumb is 1 1/2 eggs for every potato used in your salad).
• Potato salad is forgiving. You can add more or less of any ingredient to suit your tastes.
• Potatoes absorb the mayo as it sits. If your salad looks dry (like there is not enough sauce to coat the potatoes well) add more mayo. It's better to have to much than not enough; in this case.
  
• Potato salad is best if it has time to chill (and the flavors blend). At least two or three hours. Overnight is the best.
• If you are going to serve your salad outside in hot weather. Bring a bowl larger than the salad bowl with you. Fill it half way with crushed ice, and place the salad bowl on top of the ice (replenish ice as necessary). It will keep the salad cold (nobody like food poisoning).

My Pretty Pot and Cream of Garbage Soup

I have a confession! I have been coveting this enamelware coated, cast iron dutch oven for quite a while now. I have gone so far as to go "visit" it numerous times at the store. I would envision how beautiful our dinner casserole or soup would look as I lovingly set it on the dinner table, while my appreciative family oohed and aahed; clamoring around to devour said culinary masterpiece. Oh wait..... that was just a dream (HA! HA!)!!! My only hang up with this delightful piece of cookware, is it's price tag. It costs as much as I normally spend on a weeks worth of groceries. Since most of my cookware has been purchased at thrift stores, salvaged from Grandma's shed, or is a hand me down; I could not bring myself to spend that kind of money on a dutch oven (no matter how swanky it is)! Anyway, my Dear Hubby knowing of my inner struggle on the subject, surprised me with it for Mother's Day! I was so excited I set it on the back burner of the stove (after a gave Dear Hubby a great big SMOOCH...or two) so I could admire it every time I'm in the kitchen. Who needs jewelry when you have a pretty pot?

This morning when I opened the fridge door to retrieve the milk I started counting the numerous plastic containers filled with odds and ends of veggies, meat, and pasta that have stacked up in my refrigerator. Heaven forbid, I can not throw them away (that is a SIN). Looks like it's time for a big old pot of Cream of Garbage Soup (loving named by my four delightful children. Don't get me started on their second favorite - Craperole). I have been dying to try out my new pot, so it seems like this is meant to be. This recipe is a great way to use up assorted leftovers, and since you use different leftover's each time, you could make it every week; it will taste different every time.

Cream of Garbage Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion (I mince mine fairly fine, so the whiner's don't know it is in there)
1/2 cup chopped celery (if you have it on hand)
1 cup leftover baked potato, pasta, or rice (if you have it, if not leave it out)
2 cups leftover vegetables, chopped up (this week it is cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and corn)
1/2 tablespoon garlic (if you like the taste, if not leave it out)
1 teaspoon dried basil (rub it between your palms as you add it to the soup to refresh its flavor)
1 tablespoon chicken bullion
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 - 2 cups leftover meat (chicken, pork roast, ham, bacon, or sausage are all yummy)
6 - 8 cups water (the water should be an inch above the ingredients)
1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk (or 1 3/4 cups leftover half and half or heavy cream); divided
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Combine the first nine ingredients in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until onion and celery are tender. Add butter and stir until melted. Add in 1 1/4 cups of milk. Heat to almost boiling. Combine cornstarch and remaining 1/2 cup of milk until smooth. Stir into soup and continue stirring until thickened. Serve. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. (You can leave out the meat and add some cooked split peas, lentils, or canned beans for a vegetarian soup)

I like to serve my soup with a loaf of garlic bread, or these tasty BREAD STICKS from One Crazy Cookie's blog. A warning though, make those bread sticks once, and your family will be addicted!
Bon appetite everbody!

Another Baby's Birthday

Yesterday was my third child's (A.J.'s) 11th birthday. I knew he was growing up when he requested Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake for his birthday dessert; instead of the usual overly decorated birthday cake (Sniff! Sniff!). Cheesecake has been raised up on a pedestal at our house. It has become a much coveted dessert. The only time I make it is when I have been asked to bring dessert for a family of church activity, or I am taking a special birthday treat to a friend. Needless to say, my family rarely gets to imbibe (so to speak!). I tweaked a recipe I found in my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. I am not a big New York Style Cheesecake fan (to dry and heavy for my tastes), but this recipe is light, fluffy, and moist. It is also very versatile! So today, I am going to share my secret family cheesecake recipe (Don't tell my hubby. He thinks I should keep it a secret!).

Heavenly Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers
5 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Press unto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased Springform pan. Wrap two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil around the bottom and up the sides of the Springform pan. Make sure the foil is wrapped tightly around the pan to make a waterproof seal, and set aside.

Filling:
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese; softened
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 vanilla
1/4 milk (or half and half)
3 eggs (slightly beaten)

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar and flour. Mix in vanilla and milk. Mix in eggs and beat until smooth. Pour into graham cracker crust. Place the Springform pan in a roasting pan (or cake pan several inches larger than the cheesecake pan). Pour enough water in the roasting pan to reach halfway up the Springform pan. Place in the center rack of the oven and bake at 375 for 45 to 55 minutes. The cheesecake is done when a 2 1/2 inch section around the outside edge of the cheesecake appear set when gently shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes loosen the crust from the sides of the pan with a sharp knife. Let cool for 30 minutes more, then release the side of the Springform pan and remove from cheesecake. Let cool completely and then refrigerate.

Variations:
1. To make Strawberry (Raspberry) swirl cheesecake drop six heaping tablespoons of freezer jam on the top of the batter and swirl into it with a butter knife (bake an extra 5 - 7 minutes).
2.To make Chocolate swirl cheesecake stir 1/2 cup melted semi sweet chocolate chips into half of the cheesecake batter. Pour the plain batter into graham cracker crust (use chocolate graham crackers instead of honey graham crackers). Pour chocolate batter over plain batter and swirl fillings together with a butter knife.
3. Squirt strawberry, caramel, or chocolate ice cream toppings over individual slices of cheesecake. Top with a few raspberries, or sliced strawberries.

Flavored Cream Cheese

I thought I would share a quick hint tonight. My kids love flavored cream cheese on bagels, English muffins, or toast, but with four children one small container of store bought flavored cream cheese last about one maybe two breakfasts (or snacks). I got a great deal on bricks of cream cheese a while ago, and I thought, why couldn't I make my own flavored cream cheese? I blended together 1/2 cup of strawberry freezer jam and 1 (8oz) brick of softened cream cheese. It worked great! My kids liked it even better than the store bought kind. I tried it with raspberry freezer jam, strawberry (store bought and freezer) jam, peach jam, and blackberry jam. You can be as creative as you want. It will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks ( it never lasts that long at our house, though). Your own homemade flavored cream cheese would be a delicious addition to your Easter breakfast or brunch.

Fool Proof Pie Crust

I've been wanting to share this recipe for awhile, and with Easter coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time. I love to make pie, but it has taken me years to find the perfect crust recipe. I have tried several methods, but most seem either hard to roll out, or are not light and flaky. Since I married into a pie baking family, and my pie is constantly being compared to my mother in laws. I am always feeling the pressure. If you don't believe me, last Thanksgiving more time was put into planning the pie menu than the actual dinner. We ended up with twenty seven pies between my mother in law, sister in law, and myself (there were more pies present than guests). Anyway, this crust is easy to mix together, and fairly forgiving. The best part is that is rolls out like a dream, and is light and flaky.

Fool Proof Pie Crust

4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup shortening
3/4 cold unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 large egg
1/2 cup ice water ( I place several ice cubes in a glass of water and let it sit. When I'm ready for the ice water I remove the ice cubes and measure out 1/2 cup)

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut butter and shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, your fingers, or if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer use the paddle attachment until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. In a separate bowl whisk together egg, vinegar, and ice water. Mix into the flour mixture until just combined. Gently press together to form a dough. Divide into four equal parts and form into balls. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let chill for at least an hour. Roll out and place into greased pie plate. Follow pie recipe for baking instructions.

It also freezes well. When ever I make a batch I double or triple it. There are several ways you can freeze uncooked pie crust.

1. Divide the extra into individual portions. Shape into a ball. Wrap them tightly in wax paper and freeze them. When the pie crust is frozen I place them all in a gallon freezer bag for extra protection. When you are ready to use them let the frozen balls of dough thaw out on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator. Roll them out while they are still cold, but not frozen. Place in a greased pie plate.

2. You an also save yourself time later and roll the crust out between layers of wax paper. Freeze them between the layers of wax paper flat on a cookie sheet (you can stack them two high). When they are frozen slide the frozen sheets into a gallon freezer bag. Just thaw out and place in a greased pie plate.

3. I have also bought aluminum pie plates at the Dollar Store. Roll the crust out and placed them in the greased pie plates. Freeze them. Wrap them well with plastic wrap after they are frozen and stack them in the freezer. Just thaw out and fill when you are ready to use.
Pie crust will stay good in the freezer for six months.

Crockpot Apple Butter

Today's post is dedicated to my dear sister in law (and you know who you are, Shannon) who has been requesting for quite some time that I post how to make apple butter in a crock pot. Well, after our conversation last weekend (where she informed me that she has boxes of mushy apples in her basement that need some attention), I have been guilted into it (just kidding). Apple butter is yummy, but a very time consuming process, if you follow the traditional methods. Several years ago I stumbled across this recipe in a cook book, and have tweaked to my families tastes. The secret is to place the handle of a wood spoon under the lid to allow the steam to escape slowly. That's what allows the butter to thicken. Stir it hourly also helps to break down the apples faster, too.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

3 quarts of apples
2 cups apple juice or cider
2 - 2 1/2 cups sugar (less if using sweet apples)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 ground cloves (optional)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Peel, core, and chop apples (I like to use my apple peeler, slicer, corer) . Combine apples and juice in slow cooker. Cook on low for 10 hours (keep the lid on a this point you are cooking the apples right now. I start it before bed time and let it cook overnight). Next, stir in sugar to taste, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves (if desired) and lemon juice. Prop up lid with spoon and continue to cook on high 4 - 6 hours (stirring hourly) until it reaches the desired consistency (a little bit thicker the applesauce). Pour into containers and freeze or pour into pint jars and process in water bath canner. Makes 5 pints of apple butter

You can tweak this recipe to make pear or peach butter, too. Fruit butters are a great way to use up mushy, over ripe fruit.

Awesome Banana Bread

So, as I have stated before, I am banana challenged! I cannot for the life of me balance the quantity to consumption ratio when it comes to bananas. I either can't keep them in the house, or they sit in the fruit basket until they turn into squishy black lumps (appetizing thought, isn't it). Well, this week falls into the later category. I have had four black bananas staring me down for the last two or three days. One of my New Year's resolutions was to not throw any food in the garbage. So the guilt I have been feeling over the questionable bananas has been HUGE! I have also confessed that I make crappy Banana Bread. It always comes out dry and flat as a board. Now I do pride myself on the fact that I can master most recipes fairly well, but Banana Bread has alluded me for years. Yesterday I decided to conquer my fear, and attempt to bake a loaf. Let me backtrack a little bit. As I just mentioned, I have been trying to creatively use up odds and ends of food instead of throwing them away. When I was getting out the ingredients to start my baking project I found a container holding 1/2 cup of applesauce and another one holding a cup of leftover oatmeal. I thought what the heck, I'll throw those two items in with the other ingredients and see what happens. I have added leftover cooked cereal into my bread dough before ( a little trick I got from a rationing cook book published during World War II), and it actually makes the bread moister. It worked with this recipe, too. It made the Banana Bread delicious! It was moist and had a great texture! Now I am a happy girl! I recylced my potential food waste into a delicious treat, and I have made a decent loaf of Banana Bread! The kids snarfed it right up; so I'll take that to mean that this recipe is a keeper. I guess I can mark another item off my Bucket List (HA! HA!) Anyway, here's the recipe I concocted (the original recipe that I tweaked came from the BHG New Cookbook).

Moist Banana Bread

Sift together in a large bowl:
2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a medium bowl combine:
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil

Mix in until blended:
1 cup leftover cooked cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc)

Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened. Pour into one greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pan(I spray the bottom of the loaf pan with cooking spray. Next place a piece of waxed paper cut to fit in the bottom of the pan. Then spray the waxed paper again with cooking spray and lightly flour. When it's time to take the bread out of the pan loosen the edges with a butter knife and shake the pan gently. It will come out perfectly every time!) Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the pan rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Dry Onion Soup Mix Recipe

My darling hubby had surgery this morning to repair a fractured knee cap (moral of the story: DO NOT STEP IN THE PUDDLE IN THE PARKING LOT, IT MIGHT BE ICE INSTEAD!) While I was in the waiting room during his surgery I thought I would do a little menu planning to get organized, since I will have an invalid on my hands for the next three weeks. I was looking through my copy of "What's For Dinner?" by Jana Schofield ( another Tightwad Mom's Frugal Book Pick, by the way) when I came across her recipe for making your own dry onion soup mix. I have a lot of recipes that call for this particular ingredient, but it's kind of pricey. Not to mention, that I have been out on more than one occasion (usually, right when I'm in the middle of throwing the recipe together). So, I thought I would share. I'm going to buy the ingredients in the bulk section at the grocery store, and mix up a triple batch, so I'll always have some on hand.

Dry Onion Soup Mix

3/4 cup beef bullion powder (or beef soup base powder)
1 cup minced dry onion
1/8 teaspoon onion salt (or plain salt)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup onion powder

Mix together and store in a jar (a clean empty peanut butter jar would work great). 1/4 cup mix = equals 1 package of onion soup mix. Note: I think I will add 1 tablespoon garlic powder into my mix.

Warm Banana Cobbler

Holy Moses! I have to share this recipe with all of you! I made Warm Banana Cobbler for dessert tonight. I had some bananas that were freckly (see I can turn this into a frugal post). I wanted to try something new, and my family is getting sick of banana muffins or pancakes every time the bananas get ugly (which seems like about every fourth day). I must also confess that I make the crappiest banana bread......EVER!! I was hankerin' to do a little baking, and I found this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks ("Better Homes and Garden's 9x13 The Pan That Can). If your a banana fan you have got to try it; it is FABULOUS! I made a few tweaks by adding some nutmeg, and cinnamon. I also added an egg into the batter to give it a richer flavor. I also omitted the nuts (they make my tongue break out). My dear hubby gave it a double thumbs up, so it must be a winner (he's picky and not afraid to voice his opinion). I'm telling you it tastes like heaven! Anyway, drum roll please.......

Warm Banana Cobbler

1 1/2 cups self rising flour, divided ( just mix 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl. It is exactly the same thing)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup butter melted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 ripe bananas
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 butter
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

In a medium bowl stir together 1 cup self rising flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg. Add in milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Slice bananas over the top of the batter in a single layer. In a large bowl combine butter, 1/2 cup self rising flour, oatmeal, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cut in the 1/2 cup of butter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over bananas. Bake at 375 for 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes, and serve while it is still warm with ice cream.

The perfect treat for a cold winter night! Enjoy!

Cranberry Muffin Recipe

I'm in the baking mood tonight, and I just threw a batch of muffins in the oven for a quick breakfast in the morning! So, I thought I'd share a yummy muffin recipe with you. A friend gave this recipe to me a few years ago, and my family loves them. Plus, this recipe is great for using up any extra cans of Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce leftover in your pantry from the holidays. They also freeze well.

Cranberry Almond Muffins

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Sift these ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk together:
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter melted
1 cup sour cream (plain yogurt works, too)
1 tsp. almond extract
1 (15 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup sliced almonds(this is optional)
Stir this into dry ingredients until just moistened. Pour into lined muffins tins.
Bake at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes until light brown. Let stand 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups. Makes 24 muffins.

Breakfast Idea

As I was digging through the fridge this morning to make French Toast for Christmas breakfast, I had an ah ha moment. There was a quart of Eggnog with not quite a cup left in it, and some heavy cream leftover from fudge making. Rather than let it sit in the fridge and go to waste I substituted the Eggnog and cream for the milk in the recipe. After I whipped up the eggs I added in the Eggnog and cream with a teaspoon of vanilla. It was HEAVENLY (and the Eggnog haters didn't even notice). I bought Cinnaburst Bread from Great Harvest because it was a special occasion, but making French Toast is the perfect way to use up old bread, or odd and ends. I have even sliced leftover rolls into thirds (slice lengthwise), and used those (the kids had mini French Toast that day). Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top while it is cooking for extra flavor.

And while we are on the subject of breakfast. Here is a yummy recipe for homemade syrup.
It is so much cheaper to make your own syrup; especially if you go through it quickly! Even my picky third child (and yes I do remember his name today) who is a syrup snob loves this.

Homemade "Maple" Syrup

2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. maple extract (Mapleine)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup corn syrup (to prevent the syrup from crystalizing)
1 cup water

Stir ingredients together in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. This is the important part WATCH YOUR SYRUP CLOSELY!
Once it comes to a boil it will boil over quickly. As soon as it starts to boil and the sugar is dissolved take it off the heat and let it cool. The syrup is thin while it is hot, but once it cools it's thick just like store bought syrup. Pour into an old flip top syrup or ketchup bottle and store leftovers in the fridge. It will stay good for a month in the fridge, but ours never lasts that long!