ThriftyFun Recipes - June 25, 2009

Thank you Glitz, Fortunately, Robin, CM, jessie-lou, dbleoangel and skeesics56 for today's tips and recipes!

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Recipe Requests:

• Plum Wine Recipe
• Recipes Using Ritz Crackers
• Mikata's Japanese Restaurant Style Salad Dressing

Today's Food Tips:

• Use a Nut Cracker to Open 2 Liter Bottles
• Hamburger Tips - Making a Good Burger

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Easy Pasta Bake
• Marshmallow Fruit Dip
• Amish Friendship Bread
• Sweet Potato Fries

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Homemade Noodles
• No Peek Chicken
• Special Coleslaw
• Cream Puff Dessert

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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Plum Wine Recipe

Does anyone have a recipe for Plum Wine?

By cielalday from Pittsburg, CA

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Recipes Using Ritz Crackers

I have two stacks of Ritz crackers plus some loose ones. I would like a salad or a dessert recipe to use for them. I also have a batch of leftover brownies in the freezer, and I would like an easy recipe for them. Thank you. Di

By bldbot2 from Stronghurst, IL

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Mikata's Japanese Restaurant Style Salad Dressing

I need the recipe for the salad dressing at Mikata's. It has orange juice, orange zest, and I think rice wine vinegar. Does anyone know how to make it? It is great.

By sapoc from Moultrie, GA

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Use a Nut Cracker to Open 2 Liter Bottles

My sister gave me this useful tip. We sometimes have a hard time opening 2 liter bottles. To remedy that, we use a nut cracker. You know the kind that usually comes with the picks? It is just right to go around the lid of the bottle and, in a flash, the bottle is open. We like the idea so much that we are getting one to go in each of our cars in the glove box. I don't know of anyone that has not had trouble opening a bottle on a trip. I have one in my bedroom also where I drink soda sometimes. We use it for other bottles that the nut cracker will fit. The grooves in the nut cracker grip onto the lid of bottle we are opening.

By Glitz from Dallas, TX

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Hamburger Tips - Making a Good Burger

When cooking hamburgers, whether on the grill or frying, never 'smash' the hamburger. Most people believe that removes grease from the hamburger, but that is not so. The grease melts and cooks out of the burgers with the heat from cooking, so what you are actually 'smashing out' is the natural juices, which makes for a dry hamburger.

By Fortunately

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Easy Pasta Bake

Recipe is easy and adapts to many different pastas and sauces

Ingredients:

• 26 - 28 oz. jar or can of pasta sauce
• 1 container water (3 - 4 cups)
• 1 container UNCOOKED bite size pasta (12 - 16 oz.)
• 1 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or other cheese)

Directions:

Pour pasta sauce into mixing bowl. Fill empty pasta jar with water and add to sauce. This will provide the amount of water needed and will remove any sauce left in the container. Fill empty can or jar with bite size uncooked pasta. Add to sauce and stir. Sauce will be very thin.

Pour into greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Cover with lid or foil and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir pasta mixture and top with cheese. Bake uncovered 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.

I have used a variety of sauces to make this recipe including Ragu, Hunt's, Prego, and store brands in a number of flavors. I have used both plain and stuffed pastas (ravioli, rotini, tortellini, shells, etc.) I have never personally used macaroni or spaghetti. The macaroni should work, but a jar full of spaghetti would be too much pasta.

I have used both mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

By CM from Dacula, GA

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Marshmallow Fruit Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 7 ounce jar of marshmallow creme
• 1/2 cup of Hellman's mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. grated orange rind
• 1 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

Combine with a wire whisk until smooth. Serve with fresh fruit.

Source: My Aunt gave me this recipe. She caters weddings and this is one of her staple recipes. It is the best fruit dip I have ever eaten. Enjoy!

By jessie -lou from Wooster, AR

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Amish Friendship Bread

Great for holiday gift giving and taste great with coffee

Important Note: Don't use metal spoons or equipment. Do not refrigerate. Use only glazed ceramic or plastic bowls or containers.

Day 1:

• 1 cup live yeast starter (see above)

Days 2-5:

Stir with a wooden spoon.

Day 6:

Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Stir with a wooden spoon.

Days 7-9:

Stir with a wooden spoon.

Day 10:

Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir. Take out 3 cups and place 1 cup each into three separate plastic containers. Give one cup and a copy of this recipe to three friends. To the balance (a little over one cup) of the batter, add the following ingredients and mix well.

• 1 cup oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup nuts

Source: armchair.com

By dbleoangel from Lancaster, Pa

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Sweet Potato Fries

This is the easiest way I've found to make sweet potato (or any other type of) fries.

Ingredients:

• sweet potato (1 or enough to serve your family/guests)
• Italian Dressing (I use bottled "house" Italian)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Paprika (to taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up.

Wash sweet potato and cut into quarter inch fries (I leave the skin on). Drizzle Italian dressing lightly over fries. The amount you use will depend on the number of potatoes you are serving. Sprinkle with seasonings (to taste). Toss lightly with your fingers to coat all the potatoes, then spread flat in one layer the cookie sheet.

Bake for 20-30 minutes to desired crispness. Serve with Ranch dressing as a dip.

Source: I saw something similar for regular potatoes in a magazine several years ago. Finally tried it with the sweet potato fries. Yum!

By skeesics56 from NW Ohio

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Homemade Noodles

I have loved these since I was a kid and my mom and grandmother used to make them!

Ingredients:

• 2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• few drops yellow food coloring
• water or milk

Directions:

Mix the flour, eggs and food coloring together to form a dough. (Add a little water or milk if the dough is too dry.) Knead the dough until it is thin enough to cut into noodles. Cut the noodles to the desired thickness and let dry for 20 minutes. Or you can put the noodles in soup and slow cook them until they are done.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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No Peek Chicken

One of my favorite chicken dishes.

Ingredients:

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 1/2 cups quick cooking rice
• 1 chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Directions:

Mix soup and rice together and put in bottom of pan. Place chicken pieces on top and sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over the chicken. Seal with foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours at 325 degrees F. Do not peek!

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Special Coleslaw

Easiest Coleslaw recipe ever!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Miracle Whip
• 1 tsp. mustard
• 2 tsp. vinegar
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• dash garlic salt
• 1 cup green cabbage, shredded
• some lettuce (opt.)

Directions:

Combine ingredients and refrigerate.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Cream Puff Dessert

Ingredients:

• Crust:
• 1 cup water
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs

• 3 cups milk
• 1 pkg. cream cheese, softened (8oz.)
• 1 pkg. cream cheese, softened (3oz.)
• 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding (3oz. size)
• 1 carton whipped topping (12oz.)

Directions:

For crust: Bring the water and butter to a boil and remove from heat. Add the flour and mix until it turns to a ball. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and stir after each egg. Spread the mixture into a greased 10x15 inch pan as smoothly as possible. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes and let cool completely.

For Filling: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, on low speed, blend the milk and softened cream cheese together. Add the pudding and beat until it is thick. Spread the pudding over the cool crust. Spread the whipped topping over the pudding. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. You can drizzle chocolate syrup over the whipped topping before serving if you like.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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