ThriftyFun Recipes - February 25, 2008

Vol. 7, Num. 39, February 25, 2008 (Read It Online) I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. This week's Saving Money On Newsletters is about Saving Money on Window Cleaner. Do you have any tips to share? Please submit them here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf713927.tip.html Submit Your Favorite Recipe! Need a recipe? Submit a request Thanks for reading, Susan Send to a Friend! Edit Your Subscriptions: To edit your ThriftyFun subscriptions, click the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this newsletter. Today's newsletter contains: Today's Food Tips: Turkey Carcass for Broth and Meat Use a Spray Bottle for Cooking Oils Pay Attention to Package Sizes When Grocery Shopping Recipes From Betty Crocker And Pillsbury Today's Contest Recipes: Watermelon Fire and Ice Salsa Judy's Nacho Salad Brown Sugar and Pecan Pie Pasta Soup with Beef, Tomatoes and Vegetables Bam - A Quick Dinner Robins's Recipe Corner: Slumber Party French Toast Egg Biscuits Crab Mousse Parmesan Tomatoes V-8 Vegetable Soup Today's Sponsor: Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml Contests: Tip Contest Submit a Tip or Recipe! Photo Contest Submit a tip with photo! The above contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25! My Frugal Life Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! Today's Food Tips: Turkey Carcass for Broth and Meat Never throw out a turkey carcass, even after you think you have picked off about all the meat you can. I start by taking the bones and breaking them up to fit in my large crockpot, along with a couple of carrots, a cut up onion, a Tbsp. of dried basil, a tsp. of kosher salt, then cover it in water. Not only can you simmer it on low for 8-10 hours to get a great broth for use in any recipe you need it for, you won't believe how many bits of turkey meat you will find after straining the bones and liquid through a colander. I did this and got about 3 cups of meat that otherwise would have gotten tossed along with the bones. You just have to take a little time to pick it out after the bones cool off! By Debbie from Fisher, Illinois Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46396868.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Use a Spray Bottle for Cooking Oils Make your own cooking spray by pouring canola oil into a clean spray bottle. It's much cheaper and does the same thing as canned cook sprays. You can do the same thing with olive oil for spraying steamed veggies, bread or fish. Source: From a friend who sends me "Helpful Hints". By Elaine from Iowa Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94648803.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Pay Attention to Package Sizes When Grocery Shopping We need to be careful at the grocery store. I have noticed a growing trend about package sizes. Many companies are putting less product in their packages but keeping the outside packages the same size. A good example is snack size candy bars that use to come 10 to a package for a $1.00, on sale. If you look at them now, there are only 8 in a package. So be very aware when shopping. By Kim from Franklin Park, IL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf36043705.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Recipes From Betty Crocker And Pillsbury If you need some recipes, you can go to http://www.pillsbury.com and http://www.bettycrocker.com to get recipes. If you sign up for their e-mails, at the end of the year they will send you a free calender. By Barbara from Shoemakersville, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf28152224.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Today's Contest Recipes: Watermelon Fire and Ice Salsa Ingredients 3 cups chopped watermelon 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 2 Tbsp. lime juice 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion 1 Tbsp. chopped jalapeno pepper 1/2 tsp. garlic powder Directions Combine and mix all ingredients, chill. Serve with tortilla chips or topping for grilled chicken or fish. Barbara Jean from Byron, Georgia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf91068966.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Judy's Nacho Salad Ingredients white corn tortilla chips spinach or Spring Mix black beans Jim's Homemade Salsa from Jim's Foodmart (or substitute your own homemade or deli salsa) shredded colby/jack chunk cheese 1/2 avocado sliced fresh cilantro regular sour cream Directions Lay whole chips on a plate(s). Fill in cracks with broken chips. Layer fresh spinach or spring mix over chips. Spread black beans over spinach, then salsa. Next top with fresh cilantro and avocado slices. Top with shredded cheese to your liking. Put one plate in microwave for 60 seconds, depending on food density and microwave variances. Top with as much sour cream as you like. Source: I made this up myself. It's great for lunches, very healthy too. You can add or delete ingredients to your own liking. You could use baked chips or lowfat sour cream and cheese if you want, but I never do. I make if often when I eat by myself. You can have a luncheon with friends or family meal and prepare plates smorgasbord style. Enjoy! By Judy from Houghton, MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf25826806.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Brown Sugar and Pecan Pie Ingredients 1 box light brown sugar (2 1/2 cups) 1 stick butter (unsalted) 2 Tbsp. self-rising cornmeal flour (heaping) 2 Tbsp. flour 3 eggs 3/4 cup milk 2 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped pecans Directions Beat eggs slightly, add milk and melted butter, mix. Continue mixing while adding brown sugar at same time. Add cornmeal and flour, mix. Add vanilla and pecans. Mix only until blended. Pour into 2 9-inch crusts. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. Source: From my deceased cousin in Iowa, Doris. By Jim from Earlsboro, OK Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf90395972.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Pasta Soup with Beef, Tomatoes and Vegetables Ingredients 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 pound ground beef chuck, round or sirloin 2 medium green peppers, coarsely chopped 1 large onion, coarsely chopped Salt and Pepper to taste 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste 2 cans (14.5 oz. ea.) whole tomatoes, crushed, undrained 6 cups water 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves 1 tsp. dried basil leaves 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves 1 Tbsp. dried parsley leaves 2 cups uncooked elbow or similar pasta Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Directions Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then the ground beef. Saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, breaking the beef into bits while cooking. Add the peppers and onions; season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan as they cook. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and saute another minute. Add the tomatoes, water, thyme, basil, oregano, and parsley. Season again with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Bring back to a boil; add the pasta. Reduce heat again, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 8 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve, passing the cheese separately. Serves: 4 Source: http://www.cdkitchen.com/ By Connie from Cotter, AR Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf84635253.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Bam - A Quick Dinner Ingredients 1 large can of Sloppy Joe mix 2 cans of spam, cubed small 1/4 tsp. paprika 1/4 tsp. oregano 1/4 tsp. garlic powder or 1 whole clove, minced 1/4 tsp. fresh black pepper Directions Dice the spam small and put into a saucepan. Pour the Sloppy Joe mix and spices over the spam, cook until good and hot, about 15 minutes. When hot, serve it over elbows, or in a wheat hamburger roll, or on bread, or just by itself. Source: It was the end of the month and needed something quick for dinner so I came up with this and my kids loved it, better than using chopped beef. We had a contest to name it. The best name won and the winner got a special prize. By Sue from Manchester, NJ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39630390.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Robin's Recipe Corner: Slumber Party French Toast Ingredients 1/4 cup margarine 4 egg substitute 1/4 cup milk 1-2 tsp. powdered sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 6 slices bread Directions Place margarine in baking dish and melt margarine in microwave. Place brown sugar and cinnamon in another bowl and mix. Sprinkle mixture over melted margarine in baking dish. Combine egg substitute and milk, then dip bread and lay over sugar-butter mixture in dish. Cover pan with foil and refrigerate overnight. Remove pan from refrigerator 1 hour before baking. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 25 minutes, covered. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf10952722.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Egg Biscuits Ingredients 3 cups flour 4 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 Tbsp. sugar 3/4 tsp. salt 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar 3/4 cup butter or margarine (cold) 3/4 cup milk 1 egg, lightly beaten Directions Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Sift together in a bowl; the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. With a pastry blender, cut in butter or margarine until consistency of coarse crumbs. Stir in milk and egg; place dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead once or twice and roll or pat 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 12-15 minutes or until golden. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22268149.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Crab Mousse Ingredients 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 package cream cheese (8 oz.) 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped celery 1 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin 1 cup cold water 1 can crabmeat 1 cup mayonnaise Directions Generously brush oil in mold. Set upside down on paper towel in freezer. Combine soup and cream cheese in saucepan over low heat until creamy. Dissolve gelatin in cold water over low heat. Mix with soup mixture. Chop onion and celery; mix with soup mixture. Drain and remove all tendons and shells from crabmeat; mix with soup. Chill well. Before molding, stir in cup of mayonnaise. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf85677240.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Parmesan Tomatoes Ingredients 3 large ripe firm tomatoes 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 5 Tbsp. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste 1 cup Parmesan cheese Directions Blend crumbs, 3 Tbsp. oil, garlic, paste and cheese. Stuff tomatoes; place in pan. Add 2 Tbsp. oil. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or longer until done. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf50569507.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print V-8 Vegetable Soup Ingredients 1 lb. ground chuck or 1 lb. ground turkey 1 medium onion, chopped 2 ribs celery, chopped 1 package frozen mixed vegetables 1 large can V-8 juice 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cabbage 2 tsp. beef bouillon Directions Brown ground meat and onion in large kettle. Spoon off and discard any fat. Add remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Bring to boiling point, then cover and reduce heat so mixture can simmer until veggies are tender and flavors blend. Freezes well. Can also be made in crock pot after meat is browned. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf58733755.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Today's Sponsor: Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml More Stuff: Coupon Swap! Swap coupons with other ThriftyFun.com users.